SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're still in the summer slowdown as the broadcast networks prepare for their fall season in just a few short weeks, but we're here with news about The Grinder, new seasons of American Dad! for TBS, and some news on DVD releases for CPO Sharkey and Grace Under Fire. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Time-Life will be wrapping up CPO Sharkey with CPO Sharkey - Season Two on September 22.
• TVShowsOnDVD.com reports that Grace Under Fire - The Complete Series will arrive on DVD in September, though an exact date is not yet known. The set is up for pre-order at Amazon's Canadian site, amazon.ca, which is showing a release date of October 6 (though there has been a lot of misleading info for VEI releases on Amazon's various sites in the past).

Who to Follow: David Alan Grier (Twitter), "Gentleman of leisure, raconteur, liar, con man, teller of tall tales."

Claim to Fame: David Alan Grier's true intention was to be a dramatic stage actor, and he did just that at first. In fact, he was so dedicated to that goal that he actually received a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama in 1981. But a few comedy guest appearances, along with some comedy movie appearances, eventually steered him into a different direction, and he took a hard turn to comedy with In Living Color. His work is almost solely in comedy these days, and he is currently starring in the NBC series, The Carmichael Show.

TBS is doubling down on American Dad!, ordering two more seasons of the top-rated animated hit from Twentieth Century Fox Television, ensuring that the Stan Smith clan will have a home on the network through 2018. An important programming initiative for the Turner portfolio, American Dad! also has a second home on TBS's sister network, Adult Swim, which presents an encore of each new episode after its TBS premiere. This announcement adds 44 episodes to the series – 22 each for seasons 12 & 13. It marks the second time in less than year that TBS has renewed the series. In November, the network announced a 22-episode order for season 11, which is set to air on TBS and Adult Swim in early 2016. Created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, American Dad! joined the TBS slate in October 2014 with the start of the show's 10th season. TBS's double renewal of American Dad! is part of an overall strategy to update the network's brand and expand its lineup of original programming. The brand overhaul was announced during the TBS portion of Turner's Upfront presentation in May. The rebrand is set to begin in the fourth quarter, in conjunction with the season 12 premiere of American Dad! and the launches of the brand new TBS comedies Angie Tribeca and The Detour.


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of August 31-September 4, 2015, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!


Monday, August 31, 2015

• Victoria Justice (Victorious/Zoey 101) - Watch Victoria on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Roseanne Barr (Roseanne) - Roseanne stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi is a panelist and musical guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Melora Hardin (Transparent/Wedding Band/The Office) - Melora is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Amy Landecker (Transparent) - Amy will be on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Abby Elliott (Odd Mom Out) - Abby appears on a repeat of Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Tim Conway (McHale's Navy/Rango) - Tim is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) and Niecy Nash (The Soul Man/Getting On/Reno 911!) - Cedric and Niecy are guests on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) and David Walton (About a Boy/Bent/Perfect Couples) - Jeremy and David talk about their new film Break Point on NBC's Today in the 9am hour, on HuffPost Live at 3:00pm, on the AOL Build Show, on SI Now and on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

• Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/30 Rock) - Catch Tituss on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Steve Byrne (Sullivan & Son) - Steve is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Tyler Labine (Animal Practice/Mad Love/Sons of Tucson) - Tyler will be on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Ming-Na Wen (The Single Guy) - Ming-Na Wen appears on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Margo Martindale (The Millers) - Margo is a guest on People Chatter.
• Lake Bell (Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp/How to Make It in America) - Lake is tentatively scheduled to appear on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Tate Donovan (Partners) - Tate is tentatively scheduled to appear on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Ashley Tisdale (Clipped/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Ashley joins the Chew Crew on a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Alyssa Milano (Who's the Boss?/Romantically Challenged) - Alyssa will be on KTLA Morning News on KTLA in Los Angeles in the 9am hour.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

• Amanda Peet (Togetherness/Bent) - Watch Amanda on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Bobcat Goldthwait (Unhappily Ever After) - Bobcat drops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) - Cobie is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Mark Duplass (The League/Togetherness/The Mindy Project) - Mark appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Matthew Perry (The Odd Couple/Go On/Mr. Sunshine/Friends) - Matthew is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Kevin James (The King of Queens) - Kevin visits LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Elisha Cuthbert (One Big Happy/Happy Endings), Nick Zano (One Big Happy/2 Broke Girls/What I Like About You) and Kelly Brook (One Big Happy) - The stars of One Big Happy are guests on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Joe Morton (Grady/Watch Your Mouth) - Joe appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Martin Sheen (Grace and Frankie/Anger Management) - Martin reveals he doesn't own a computer and dishes on his famous Grace and Frankie co-stars on a repeat of The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Mike Epps (Survivor's Remorse) - Mike appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) - Jaleel is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Dania Ramirez (Entourage) - Dania guest hosts a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia will be on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Trinitee Stokes (K.C. Undercover) - Trinitee stops by Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Judy Greer (Married/Mad Love/Miss Guided - Judy discusses her upcoming comedy Addicted to Fresno on HuffPost Live at 1pm.
• Malin Akerman (Sin City Saints/Trophy Wife) - Malin is a guest on People Now and on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York sometime between 7-10am.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

• Jason Sudeikis (The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Jason on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Liz Gillies (Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll/Victorious) - Liz visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Dove Cameron (Liv and Maddie) - Dove is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
• Scott Foley (The Goodwin Games/A.U.S.A.) and Joshua Malina (Sports Night) - Scott, Joshua and the cast of Scandal are guests on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Kevin is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Dennis Haysbert (Off the Rack/Just the Ten of Us) - Dennis will be on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Avan Jogia (Victorious) - Avan appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Jillian Rose Reed (Awkward) - Jillian drops by Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Paul Scheer (The League/Fresh Off the Boat/The Hotwives) and Rob Huebel (Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp) - Paul and Rob are guests on People Chatter.

Friday, September 4, 2015

• Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Watch Steve on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. He will also be on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am, on the AOL Build Show, New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET and on HuffPost Live at 3:28pm.
• Alison Brie (Community) - Alison visits The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Catch Miley on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Keegan-Michael Key (Playing House/Gary Unmarried) - Keegan-Michael appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Tony Hale (Veep/Arrested Development) - Tony is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on People Chatter.
• Christina Applegate (Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Married with Children) - Christina appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Christian Slater (Breaking In) - Christian is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Brandy Norwood (The Game/Moesha/Thea) - Brandy performs on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
• Jamie Foxx (The Jamie Foxx Show) - Jamie will be on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
• Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Game/The Steve Harvey Show/Minor Adjustments) - Wendy appears on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
• Ed Helms (The Office) - Ed talks about his film Vacation on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Peri Gilpin (Mr. Robinson/Frasier) - Peri talks about Mr. Robinson on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Garcelle Beauvais (The Jamie Foxx Show) - Garcelle breaks down the hottest headlines of the day on a repeat of The Meredith Vieira Show, so check your local listings.
• Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) - Kym tries out extreme-fitness dating, dog-park dating and paper-bag dating on a repeat of Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/30 Rock) - Tituss is a guest on People Now.
• Teyonah Parris (Survivor's Remorse) - Teyonah will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

He is a man of stature. A man of strength. A man who is a hero to every man. And he is coming to COZI TV. He is a man they call Her-man. Standing up for all the Hermans everywhere. It's your time at last, Herman! Your time to come out of the shadows and revel in your Herman-ness! You are the man of the year--the Her-man of the year! It's a year long celebration on COZI TV as they present The Munsters! The series premieres on COZI TV on Monday, October 5, 2015, airing each weeknight at 5pm & 5:30pm. We'll have more info very soon, but this is indeed great news. We can of course expect a marathon on Halloween (Saturday, October 31) as well, but details will follow. There will be a 12-hour marathon, though, and it is certainly going to be a "Munster" mash. The sitcom, epicting the home life of a family of benign monsters, stars Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. So get ready to go back to Mockingbird Lane after over 50 years, as the 1964-66 sitcom will join the COZI TV regular line-up.

The Tia Mowry sitcom Instant Mom is back for its third season. TV Land will air the series Saturdays at 8pm & 8:30pm beginning Saturday, Sept. 19. On the season premiere, forced to face her fear of swimming, Stephanie makes the rest of the family confront their fears leading to an uncomfortable situation on top of an amusement park rollercoaster. 26 episodes were produced for the first season, followed by 20 more in its second season. It is reported that 20 more episodes will air for season three. The sitcom started off on NickMom and Nick at Nite but moved to TV Land late last season. Instant Mom is a comedy series about twenty-something party girl, Stephanie, who trades in cosmos for carpools when she marries an older man, Charlie, with three kids. Stephanie slowly grows into her role as a full-time stepmom while struggling to maintain some sense of her fun-loving, slightly irresponsible life.

Acclaimed movie diginet getTV introduces classic TV series to its lineup for the first time by adding a block of rarely seen Western series starting Saturday, September 12 at 12pm ET. The brand new block is a part of the network's popular ongoing all-day Saturday Westerns lineup, and will debut with five episodes of the 1971 series Nichols, starring beloved leading man James Garner and a young Margot Kidder, in one of her first major roles. Additionally, getTV will present five episodes of the wandering gunslinger series Hondo from 1967, starring Ralph Taeger and Michael Pate, on September 19; and 10 episodes of 1965's A Man Called Shenandoah, starring Robert Horton, on September 26; both also starting at Noon ET. Following three weeks of mini-marathons, all of the newly added Western series will join the regular Saturday lineup on a weekly basis in October.

James Garner is a man looking for a fresh start in Nichols, set in small-town Arizona in the early 1900s. Having left an 18-year career in the military, Garner as Nichols finds himself blackmailed into the role of town sheriff by the villainous Ketcham Family, who run the town. Riding a motorcycle instead of a horse, and forsaking guns in favor of more peaceful resolutions, the newly-crowned lawman takes on bandits, manages town bullies and woos beautiful bar maid Margot Kidder...all with his own unique style. Created by Oscar®-winning screenwriter Frank Pierson, with episodes directed by such notables as John Badham and Ivan Dixon, Nichols also featured Garner's eventual The Rockford Files co-star Stuart Margolin and included such guest stars as Tom Skerritt, Scatman Crothers, Ralph Waite, Alice Ghostley, and Ricardo Montalban, and was well-known for being one of James Garner's favorite television roles.

Ralph Taeger and his faithful canine sidekick Sam hit the road in 1967's Hondo. Based on the 1953 John Wayne drama of the same name--which, in turn, was inspired by Louis L'Amour's sixth novel--the series stars Taeger as a former Confederate officer who lived with the Apaches. Tasked with preventing more violence from occurring between settlers and the remaining tribes, Hondo embarks on a quest to avenge his Indian wife's death, while battling dastardly land-grabbers, nosy reporters, and other outlaws, in the process. Famed movie villain Michael Pate also stars, reprising his big screen role as Apache Chief Vittoro, and the series features such guest stars as Ricky Nelson, Fernando Lamas and Annette Funicello. Noah Beery Jr. (who played James Garner's father in The Rockford Files) co-stars in this series.

Wagon Train's Robert Horton stars in the well-regarded half hour Western drama A Man Called Shenandoah. Horton stars as a man who wakes up after being brutally attacked, with no memory of who he is or why anyone would want to harm him. Searching for clues to his past life, the man dubbed "Shenandoah" travels through the desert, running afoul of lynch mobs, dodging false charges, facing off against violent criminals, and doling out Old West justice along the way. In addition to Horton, the series boasted a number of impressive guest stars, including Oscar® winners Cloris Leachman, Martin Landau, and George Kennedy, and nominees Bruce Dern, Sally Kellerman, Nina Foch, John Ireland, and Arthur O'Connell.

ABC's The View is ramping up for a season unlike any other with more opinions and new points of view when the talk show returns on Tuesday, September 8 for Season 19. Joy Behar, celebrated performer and original co-host of The View returns, actress Candace Cameron Bure, known to television audiences for decades on the enormously successful sitcom Full House and the upcoming Fuller House, and Paula Faris, Good Morning America Weekend co-anchor, join moderator Whoopi Goldberg, Raven-Symoné and Michelle Collins as co-hosts. Back to Candace, she is of course known to millions worldwide from her role as "D.J. Tanner" on the iconic family sitcom Full House, Cameron Bure continues to flourish in the entertainment industry as a role model to women of all ages. She is currently filming her leading role in the highly anticipated new series Fuller House, where she is reprising her role as 'D.J.' She is the author of two best-selling books, "Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness" and "Balancing It All." Book number three was just released, "Dancing Through Life: Steps of Courage and Conviction," a reflection on the life lessons she learned while dancing her way to the finals on season 18 of Dancing with the Stars.

The Carmichael Show - Wednesdays at 9:00PM & 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 9:00PM & 9:30PM ET/PT

by Skees


Cast Details:

Jerrod Carmichael as Jerrod Carmichael
Amber Stevens West as Maxine
David Alan Grier as Joe Carmichael
Loretta Devine as Cynthia Carmichael
Lil Rel Howard as Bobby Carmichael

Jerrod Carmichael (Jerrod) plays the starring role, which is (clearly) named after himself. Carmichael is a stand-up comic based in North Carolina, and previously had a recurring role on the short-lived Fox series The Goodwin Games.

Amber Stevens West (Maxine) plays Jerrod's live-in girlfriend. She is best known for her role on the ABC Family series Greek, but has also had appearances on How I Met Your Mother, 90210, New Girl, and Criminal Minds.

David Alan Grier (Joe) plays the Carmichael family patriarch. Grier started out as a dramatic actor originally, even appearing on Broadway shows, but found his true calling in comedy with In Living Color. He briefly had his own sitcom in the early 2000s with DAG, and later appeared on the ABC series Life with Bonnie. More recently, he appeared in the series Bad Teacher, and has had plenty of movie roles along the way.

Loretta Devine (Cynthia) plays the role of the Carmichael family mother. She is best known for her starring role on Boston Public, and has also had regular roles on Eli Stone and The Client List. She has appeared in several other guest starring roles, including one recurring role on Grey's Anatomy.

Lil Rel Howery (Bobby) plays Jerrod's brother. He is mostly known for his stand-up comedy, but has appeared on the TruTV series Friends of the People.


Pilot Plot:

We have watched the first three episodes for review (the first two of which will air this week), and the plots of them are as follows.

"Pilot" (Airs August 26 at 9:00PM ET)

Jerrod Carmichael is living with his girlfriend, which shouldn't be a huge deal... except he has to figure out how to tell his parents about this. It's not going to be easy, but he has a few tricks up his sleeves to make it a little bit easier.

"Protest" (Airs August 26 at 9:30PM ET)

The Black Lives Matter protests have divided the family just in time for Jerrod's birthday, and things only get more divisive when Maxine and Cynthia decide to join the protests, leaving Jerrod and Joe with their own war back at home.

"Kale" (Airs September 2 at 9:00PM ET)

Jerrod decides to force his parents to eat healthy when they visit his apartment, but in the midst of it, a health scare occurs with his father. Now, he is trying to do whatever he can to see that his father takes care of his health so that nothing worse happens, even if nobody is interested in actually living a healthier lifestyle.


Analysis:


One other small side-note, it really feels weird seeing David Alan Grier playing the role of the father of two grown sons. It seems like it wasn't all that long ago that he was just a young and fresh face on In Living Color (though he was in his 30s at that time even), but now he seems to appropriately fit this role of a character who is said to be 60 years old... which is about how old he is in real life.


Conclusion:



Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 9:00PM & 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

The Carmichael Show Photo Gallery

Preview:

WGN America becomes the exclusive cable destination for TV's most popular procedurals, Elementary and Person of Interest, premiering Monday, August 31 and Tuesday, September 1, respectively, in the network's new "Prime Crime" line-up. Airing weekdays, back-to-back, starting at 7:00pm ET/6:00pm CT, the two hit crime dramas join fan-favorite Blue Bloods, in the new programming block that kicks off with a binge-worthy 100-episode event. Over the first two weeks, a total of 100 installments of Elementary and Person of Interest will give viewers the opportunity to watch these compelling series from the very beginning, diving into the cases and capers that have unfolded since their television debuts. WGN America acquired the exclusive off-network rights to the coveted dramas in 2014. The schedule of important dates are below:

Monday, August 31 (7:00pm-1:00am/ET)
Elementary debuts with six back-to-back episodes

Tuesday, September 1 (7:00pm–1:00am/ET)
Person of Interest debuts with three back-to-back episodes, followed by three episodes of Elementary

Labor Day Marathon, Monday, September 7 (1:00pm–1:00am/ET)
12-hour marathon features episodes of both Elementary and Person of Interest

The multiple Emmy-nominated A Different World debuted as the #1 new show of its premiere season, staying at #1 in its time period for five consecutive seasons, with Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison leading the cast. Now that series is coming to Logo for rerun play beginning in September. Effective the night of Tuesday, September 15 the '90s comedy will air on Logo on most nights from about 1am-4am. A Different World can currently be seen on cable on TV One, but we do not know just yet if they will continue to air it when Logo begins it this September. A Different World is also airing on digital multicast network Bounce TV, but that is not a cable network. Logo of course airs many other sitcoms like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Facts of Life, Soap, Designing Women, Will & Grace, The Golden Girls and Roseanne. Also, the canceled TV Land sitcom Happily Divorced will air on Logo beginning Wednesday, Sept. 2 from about 6-9pm every Wednesday. After 18 years of marriage, Fran (Fran Drescher) is shocked to discover that her husband Peter (John Michael Higgins) is gay. She must deal with this bombshell & learn to juggle both her new relationships & ex-husband who remains in their house post-divorce.

Hit. Sensation. Triumph. Smash. Phenomenon. Lots of words are used to describe popular television series, but in 2015, a new word summed up success better than anything else: Empire. Before the epic series' second season premieres on September 23 on Fox, get ready for the television event of the fall season that with FX's exclusive marathon of all twelve binge-worthy back-to-back episodes of television's biggest, boldest, brashest series. This Labor Day, FX has the Empire from 12pm-12am on Monday, Sept. 7! Remember the time Homer was Mr. Burns's assistant? Or when the Germans bought the nuclear plant? Or when Marge ran Moe's, or when Homer was a tow truck driver, or one of the family's many other wacky jobs? Of course you do. And there is no better way to enjoy your day off than by watching a relaxing marathon of The Simpsons' greatest work-themed episodes on FXX on Monday, Sept. 7 from 7am-2am. Because the next day, you have to go back to work (where you can only watch The Simpsons at your desk on FXNOW).

We're in the middle of summer and we will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long! Here are our summer ratings: