SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Saturday Night Live alum Nasim Pedrad (Scream Queens, New Girl) has joined TBS's hit comedy People of Earth as a series regular, beginning this summer with the show's second season. People of Earth centers on a group of alien abductees – or "experiencers" – living in the small town of Beacon, N.Y. The series is executive-produced by Emmy® winners Conan O'Brien and Greg Daniels, along with creator David Jenkins and showrunner Norm Hiscock.

In her new People of Earth role, Pedrad joins a stellar ensemble cast that includes Wyatt Cenac, Ana Gasteyer, Oscar Nuñez, Michael Cassidy, Alice Wetterlund, Luka Jones, Brian Huskey, Nancy Lenehan, Tracee Chimo, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Björn Gustafsson and Ken Hall. She will play Special Agent Alex Foster, a smart, dedicated FBI investigator getting a second chance after recently being disgraced. Alex comes to Beacon on the hunt for local newspaper owner Jonathan Walsh (Cassidy), who is wanted for white-collar crimes.

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 May 1-5, 2017, 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!


Sunday, April 30, 2017

• NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - Catch NeNe on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.

• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Chris on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• America Ferrera (Superstore) - America drops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Joel McHale (The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) - Jake visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Hank Azaria (Brockmire/The Simpsons/Free Agents) - Hank stops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Al Madrigal (About a Boy/Welcome to the Captain/Gary Unmarried) - Al appears on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Kevin Nealon (Man with a Plan/Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Kevin is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Ashton Kutcher (The Ranch/Two and a Half Men/That '70s Show) - Ashton appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Allison teams up with Mario Batali to make a cheesy, decadent Gnocchi Al Telefono and dishes about her new Broadway show on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Charlie Hunnam (Undeclared) - Charlie will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. He will also be on the AOL Build Show at 11:15am.
• Nick Robinson (Melissa & Joey) - Nick talks about his new film Everything, Everything on the AOL Build Show at 1pm.
• Jodie Sweetin (Hollywood Darlings/Fuller House/Full House) - Jodie is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.

• Will Arnett (The Millers/Up All Night/Running Wilde/Arrested Development) - Will guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Maya Rudolph (Up All Night) - Maya appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Chris Rock (Everybody Hates Chris) - Chris drops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Gabourey Sidibe (The Big C) - Gabourey appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She will also be on The Wendy Williams Show at 2am on BET or on your local stations.
• Mary Lynn Rajskub (How to Be a Gentleman/Veronica's Closet/The Larry Sanders Show) - Mary is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Kristin Chenoweth (Conan) - Kristin visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Jonathan Banks (Community/Fired Up) - Jonathan stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Beth Behrs (2 Broke Girls) - Beth appears on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings. She talks about her new book The Total ME-Tox and cooks up a clean and healthy recipe with Clinton Kelly on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda drops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Rachel Dratch (Imaginary Mary) and Jenna Elfman (Imaginary Mary/1600 Penn/Courting Alex/Accidentally on Purpose/Dharma & Greg) - Rachel and Jenna are guests on Harry, so check your local listings.
• John Michael Higgins (Great News/Happily Divorced/Kath & Kim) - John talks about Great News on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Charlie Hunnam (Undeclared) - Charlie talks about King Arthur on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Paul Feig (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/The Jackie Thomas Show) - Paul and the cast of the film Snatched are guests on the AOL Build Show at 1pm.

• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• George Lopez (Lopez/Saint George/George Lopez) - George appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Kaley drops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Horatio Sanz (Great News) - Horatio is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. He also talks about Great News on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Jim visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff drops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He will also be on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Paul Scheer (The League/Fresh Off the Boat) - Paul is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Beth Behrs (2 Broke Girls) - Beth stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She will also be on the AOL Build Show at 11:30am.
• Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) and Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie/Malibu Country) - Jane and Lily are guests on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Lauren Ash (Superstore) - Lauren drops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Sanaa Lathan (Family Guy/The Cleveland Show/LateLine) - Sanaa appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm. She also talks about Shots Fired on The Wendy Williams Show at 2am on BET or on your local stations. She is a guest on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
• Al Madrigal (About a Boy/Welcome to the Captain/Gary Unmarried), Jon Daly (Betas) and Ari Graynor (Bad Teacher) - Al, Jon and Ari are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Ron Funches (Powerless/Undateable) - Ron appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Alec visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Patti drops the mic on dessert with her Jammin' Blackberry Jam Cake on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Ben Feldman (Superstore/A to Z/Living with Fran) - Ben talks about Superstore on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Josh Gad (1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh will be on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• NeNe Leakes (The New Normal) - NeNe is a guest on Daily Pop on E! at 12pm.

• Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Charlie Hunnam (Undeclared) - Charlie appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) - Adam stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Chris Gethard (Broad City/Big Lake) - Chris is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Alan Tudyk (Suburgatory) - Alan appears on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Al is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Al Madrigal (About a Boy/Welcome to the Captain/Gary Unmarried) - Al appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Beth Behrs (2 Broke Girls) - Beth stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo
• Lana Parrilla (Spin City) - Lana visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Melissa Peterman (Baby Daddy/Working Class/Reba) - Melissa is a guest on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Joely Fisher ('Til Death/Ellen) - Joely speaks out on the death of her sister Carrie Fisher on The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.
• Gabourey Sidibe (The Big C) - Gabourey makes her Chew debut to chat with Carla Hall about her new book This is Just My Face on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM at 10am.
• Denis Leary (Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll/The Job) - Denis will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Paul Feig (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/The Jackie Thomas Show) - Paul talks about Snatched on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Laura Linney (The Big C) - Laura talks about The Dinner on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Chris Rock (Everybody Hates Chris) - Chris stops by to dish about his upcoming comedy tour, love life, fatherhood and more on The Wendy Williams Show at 2am on BET or on your local stations.
• Tia Mowry-Hardrict (Instant Mom/The Game/Sister, Sister) - Tia is a guest on The Real, so check your local listings.
• Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.

• David Spade (Rules of Engagement/8 Simple Rules/Just Shoot Me!) - David guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite) - Maria is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Jason Sudeikis (Son of Zorn/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Jason appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Andrea Martin (Great News/Difficult People/Working the Engels) - Andrea is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She also talks about Snatched on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
• Bradley Cooper (Kitchen Confidential) - Bradley is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Kaley celebrates Cinco de Mayo with Clinton Kelly by whipping up a delicious dish on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Gabourey Sidibe (The Big C) - Gabourey appears on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen/The Ellen Show) - Ellen talks about First Dates on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff talks about Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie on NBC's Today in the 10am hour and on the AOL Build Show at 1pm.
• Britt Robertson (Girlboss) - Britt talks about her new Netflix show Girlboss on People Now at 8:30am.
• Lana Parrilla (Spin City) - Lana talks about Spin City on the AOL Build Show at 2pm.
• Jake Johnson (New Girl) - Jake is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.

Can you believe that we are nearing the end of the 2016-17 TV season already? We have season finale dates already and they're coming up fast and furious. Following are April and May season finale dates for scripted and unscripted series on The ABC Television Network. All times listed are PDT/EDT.

SUNDAY, APRIL 30
American Crime 10:00–11:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10
black-ish 9:30–10:00 p.m.

THURSDAY, MAY 11
The Catch 10:00–11:00 p.m.

FRIDAY, MAY 12
Shark Tank 9:00–10:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, MAY 14
Once Upon a Time 8:00–10:00 p.m. (Two-Hour Season Finale)

MONDAY, MAY 15
Quantico 10:00–11:00 p.m.

TUESDAY, MAY 16
The Middle 8:00–8:30 p.m.
American Housewife 8:30–9:00 p.m.
Fresh Off the Boat 9:00–9:30 p.m.
Imaginary Mary 9:30–10:00 p.m.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 10:00–11:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17
The Goldbergs 8:00–8:30 p.m.
Speechless 8:30–9:00 p.m.
Modern Family 9:00–9:30 p.m.
Designated Survivor 10:00–11:00 p.m.

THURSDAY, MAY 18
Grey's Anatomy 8:00–9:00 p.m.
Scandal 9:00–11:00 p.m. (Two-Hour Season Finale)

FRIDAY, MAY 19
The Toy Box 8:00–10:00 p.m. (Two-Hour Season Finale)

SUNDAY, MAY 21
America's Funniest Home Videos 7:00–8:00 p.m.

TUESDAY, MAY 23
Dancing with the Stars 8:30–11:00 p.m.


Amazon Prime Video announced that Friday, August 25 will be the premiere date for the highly-anticipated superhero comedy series The Tick. In a world where superheroes have been real for decades, an accountant with zero powers comes to realize his city is owned by a super villain. As he struggles to uncover this conspiracy, he falls in league with a strange blue superhero. The comedy will star Peter Serafinowicz, Griffin Newman, and Valorie Curry. Check out the highly anticipated trailer:

Turner's TBS has ordered a third season of its hit comedy series The Detour, cable's most watched original comedy for the year-to-date. Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an all-too-honest look at the family dynamic. Jones stars in the acclaimed comedy with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll and Daniella Pineda. TBS closed out the second season of The Detour last night with a new episode at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), followed by the super-sized season finale, which was presented with limited commercial interruption at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT). In its first season, The Detour drew an audience of 4.4 million viewers per episode across multiple platforms and ranked as one of cable's Top 3 new comedies of 2016 with adults 18-49, drawing 1.2 million in the demo. The second season currently ranks as cable's #1 scripted comedy among total viewers for the year-to-date and #2 among adults 18-49.

The Detour centers on a family of four led by Nate (Jones) and his wife, Robin (Zea). At the opening of the second season, Nate pursues a promising job opportunity and moves the family to New York City for a fresh start. Everyone is excited except for Robin, who knows that a move to the big city means her mysterious past may catch up with her. While Nate and Robin adjust to new jobs, new neighbors and old flames, Jared (Carroll) and Delilah (Gerasimovich) dive headfirst into the awkwardness of adolescence. Despite questionable parenting and terrible decisions, the love the Parkers have for each other will keep the family intact as they endure another disastrous adventure. In addition to its regular cast, the second season of The Detour features a number of special guests, including series executive producer and co-creator Samantha Bee, James Cromwell, John Oliver, Laura Benanti, Jeffrey Vincent Parise and Max Casella.

Legendary comedian Harpo Marx and motion picture star Van Johnson are the guests on The New I Love Lucy Superstar Special, a new one-hour special featuring two colorized back-to-back episodes of the 1950s series, to be broadcast Friday, May 19 from 9:00-10:00PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. The two episodes, "The Dancing Star," featuring Van Johnson, and "Harpo Marx," with comedian Harpo Marx, are newly colorized with a nod to the 1950s period in which they were filmed. This is similar to episodes presented in I Love Lucy specials on the Network the past few spring and holiday seasons. Previously only shown in two installments, the episodes tell a continuous story and will be presented as one hour for the first time. As with the previous specials, the main titles and end credits are seamlessly combined into one set at the beginning and end of the hour.

I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, and Vivian Vance and William Frawley as the Ricardos' best friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz. Doris Singleton appears in both episodes as Lucy's friend, Caroline Appleby. Of course the legendary sitcom aired on CBS from Oct. 15, 1951 until June 24, 1957. It was voted "the best TV show of all time" in a 2012 viewer poll conducted by People magazine and ABC News.

The iconic Pyramid is back when it returns Sunday, June 11 at 10:00 pm EDT, on The ABC Television Network. Hosted by Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan, The $100,000 Pyramid, a summer 2016 hit series that averaged seven million Total Viewers in its first season, features an all-star cast of celebrities who take center stage and partner with contestants from across the country to compete against each other with hopes of making it to the winners' circle and capturing the ultimate prize of $100,000.

Season Two Celebrity Guest Lineup:
Ken Jeong (ABC's Dr. Ken”) vs Dave Foley (ABC's Dr. Ken)
Cam Newton (The Carolina Panthers) vs Brandon Marshall (The New York Giants)
Tom Bergeron (ABC's Dancing with the Stars) vs Jennifer Nettles (Grammy®-Award winning singer)
Margaret Cho (stand-up comedian/actress) vs Michael Rapaport (actor)
Wendie Malick (actress Hot in Cleveland) vs Jesse Palmer (ABC's Good Morning America)
Dr. Mehmet Oz (The Dr. Oz Show) vs Retta (Girlfriend's Guide To Divorce)
Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) vs Debi Mazar (Younger)
Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) vs Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live)
David Arquette (actor) vs RuPaul (RuPaul's Drag Race)
Justin Hartley (This is Us) vs Chrissy Metz (This is Us)
Eric Decker (The New York Jets) vs Apolo Ohno (US Olympic Athlete)
Rachael Ray (The Rachael Ray Show) vs Curtis Stone (chef and restaurateur)
Vanessa Williams (singer/actress) vs Gary Cole (actor)
Lance Bass (N'Sync) vs Joey Fatone (N'Sync)
Kyle Busch (professional NASCAR race driver) vs Lara Spencer (ABC's Good Morning America)
Usher (Grammy®-Award winning singer) vs Robin Thicke (singer/songwriter)
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) vs Erin Andrews (ABC's Dancing with the Stars)
Ali Wentworth (actress/comedian) vs Kathy Najimy (actress/comedian)
Kathy Najimy (actress/comedian) vs Yvette Nicole Brown (The Odd Couple)
Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live) vs LL Cool J (Lip Sync Battle)
Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live) vs Willie Garson (Sex and the City)
Taye Diggs (actor/model) vs Jenna Fischer (The Office)
Cobie Smulders (Marvel's The Avengers) vs Ryan Eggold (The Blacklist: Redemption)
Richard Kind (actor) vs Rachel Dratch (ABC's Imaginary Mary)
Kal Penn (ABC's Designated Survivor) vs Abby Elliott (Odd Mom Out)
Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) vs Kate Flannery (The Office)
Von Miller (The Denver Broncos)

NBC has pulled struggling super hero sitcom Powerless from its lineup effective immediately. The Vanessa Hudgens comedy has aired 9 episodes from its 12 episode order. No word if NBC will burn-off the remaining three episodes on a Saturday or the summer yet (or even online). Original airings of Superstore will now fill the timeslot beginning this Thursday (April 27) at 8:30pm for the next two weeks, following a rerun at 8pm. The finale is slated for May 4.

In a world where humanity must cope with the collateral damage of Super Heroes and Super-Villains, Emily Locke (Vanessa Hudgens) begins her first day as Director of Research & Development for Wayne Security, a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises that specializes in products that make defenseless bystanders feel a little safer. Full of confidence and big ideas, Emily quickly learns that her expectations far exceed those of her new boss (Alan Tudyk) and officemates, so it will be up to her to lead the team toward their full potential and the realization that you don't need superpowers to be a hero. Danny Pudi, Christina Kirk and Ron Funches also star.

Actress Erin Moran, who was best known as Joanie Cunningham in Happy Days, has died. She died on April 22 in Corydon, Indiana. The Harrison County (Indiana) Sheriff's Department and medical examiner said in a statement that she likely succumbed to complications of Stage 4 cancer. Ms. Moran was 56.

Moran's first television starring role was as Jenny Jones in the final season (1968-1969) of the CBS adventure series Daktari. She was a seven-year-old orphan who became part of the Tracy household. The series starred Marshall Thompson, Cheryl Miller, Yale Summers (1966-1968), Hedley Mattingly, Hari Rhodes and Ross Hagen (1968-1969).

Some of her early sitcom guest appearances included The Courtship of Eddie's Father, My Three Sons and Family Affair. Her early drama guest appearances included Death Valley Days, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, The Smith Family, Bearcats!, Gunsmoke, The F.B.I. and The Waltons.

Her first sitcom starring role was as Janie Robinson in the short-lived 1972 CBS sitcom The Don Rickles Show. She played the daughter of Don Robinson (Don Rickles) and Barbara Robinson (Louise Sorel). The series also starred Robert Hogan, Judy Cassmore, Joyce Van Patten and Barry Gordon.

She was cast at the age of 13 in 1974 to play Joanie Cunningham in Happy Days. Joanie was the daughter of Howard (Tom Bosley) and Marion Cunningham (Marion Ross), and the younger sister of Chuck (Gavan O'Herlihy and Randolph Roberts) and Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard). Fonzie (Henry Winkler) affectionately called her "Shortcake." She was the girlfriend and eventual wife of Charles "Chachi" Arcola (Scott Baio). The popular series ran for 11 seasons and 255 episodes from 1974-1984. It also starred Anson Williams (1974-1983), Donny Most (1974-1980), Pat Morita (1975-1976, 1982-1983), Al Molinaro (1976-1982), Lynda Goodfriend (1977-1982), Cathy Silvers (1980-1983) and Ted McGinley (1980-1984). Moran returned for the Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion in 2005 on ABC.

ABC decided to spin-off Joanie and Chachi into their own series in 1982. Joanie Loves Chachi aired for two seasons (1982, 1982-1983) and 17 episodes before Moran and Baio returned to Happy Days. It starred Al Molinaro, Ellen Travolta, Art Metrano, Robert Pierce, Derrel Maury and Winifred Freedman.

Some of her later television guest appearances included Hotel, Glitter, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, and The Bold and the Beautiful. In 2008, she appeared as a contestant on the VH1 reality series Celebrity Fit Club. She appeared on many game shows, including The Hollywood Squares, Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour, Weakest Link, Hollywood Squares, Pyramid and The Singing Bee.

She made her feature-film debut in 1968 in How Sweet It Is! with Debbie Reynolds. Some of her other film credits included 80 Steps to Jonah, Watermelon Man, Galaxy of Terror, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, Broken Promise and Not Another B Movie. Her TV movie credits included Stanley vs. The System, Lisa, Bright and Dark and 1981's Twirl with Lisa Whelchel.

Ms. Moran had fallen on some hard times in recent years. We like to remember her in her happier days. She lit up our TV screens with her smile and brought us many laughs for 11 seasons as Joanie "Shortcake" Cunningham. Other cast members may have been more popular and received more acclaim, but she was a big part of the Happy Days family and the show's success. We lost her far too soon. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Happy Days message board. View photos in our galleries.

Stay with us for news on any planned tributes.

Great News - Tuesdays at 9:00PM & 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 9:00PM ET/PT

by Vincent

Great News is a new sitcom centering around Katie Wendelson, a smart, ambitious news producer at national cable news show The Breakdown. After 30 years of being a stay-at-home mom, her mom Carol decides that it's never too late to follow your dreams and lands an internship at her daughter's news show. This is Katie's worst nightmare, until she comes to realize that with her biggest cheerleader at her side, she and her mom both might just make it after all.

Cast Details:

Briga Heelan as Katie Wendelson
Andrea Martin as Carol Wendelson
John Michael Higgins as Chuck Pierce
Nicole Richie as Portia Scotch-Griffith
Adam Campbell as Greg
Horatio Sanz as Justin

Briga Heelan (Katie) is an actress known for her lead role on the TBS sitcom Ground Floor and for recurring/guest roles on shows such as Cougar Town, Happy Endings, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Love.

Andrea Martin (Carol) is an actress and comedian best known for her role on the sketch comedy series SCTV. She has also appeared in a vast amount of other movies and TV series, including My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nurse Jackie, 30 Rock and Different People, and has provided voices for shows such as Rugrats, Spongebob Squarepants and The Simpsons.

John Michael Higgins (Chuck) is an actor known for his leading role on the TV Land series Happily Divorced and as a voice actor on the animated series The Legend of Korra, and has also appeared in guest roles in TV shows over the years, including Community, Glee, Psych and The Good Wife.

Nicole Richie (Portia) is an actress and TV personality best known for her popular reality television series The Simple Life opposite Paris Hilton. She has also appeared as an actress in shows such as Chuck, The New Normal and Empire.

Adam Campbell (Greg) is an actor best known for his recurring role on the Netflix comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, as well as appearances on shows such as NCIS, Parenthood and 2 Broke Girls.

Horatio Sanz (Justin) is a comedian and actor best known as a long-running cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998-2006. He has also appeared in various other TV series and films, including Year One, Modern Family, Love, Parks and Recreation and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs Tuesday, April 25 at 9:00PM ET)

Katie (Briga Heelan), a frustrated cable news producer, is horrified when her mom, Carol (Andrea Martin), gets an internship at The Breakdown. Despite Katie's best efforts, Carol is instantly beloved by the entire office, including blowhard veteran anchor Chuck (John Michael Higgins). But when Katie hits a roadblock while producing a big story, she realizes that maybe having a mom at work isn't such a bad thing.

"Bear Attack" (Airs Tuesday, April 25 at 9:30PM ET)

Katie (Briga Heelan) tries to set workplace boundaries with Carol (Andrea Martin), but when a big story about an escaped bear lands in her lap, her mom can't help but meddle. Meanwhile, Greg (Adam Campbell) tries to get Chuck (John Michael Higgins) and Portia (Nicole Richie) to do a little friendly banter at the end of the show.

Analysis:

Great News is the latest Tina Fey-produced sitcom to hit the airwaves. While Fey isn't the day-to-day showrunner on Great News as she was with 30 Rock and is with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (that goes to Tracey Wigfield, a long-time 30 Rock writer who created and executive produces the series) the show still boasts her touch and feels very much in line with those two shows in terms of humor and character writing. It's a quick, snappy series with silly, over-the-top characters and a lot of subtle punchlines mixed with broader comic setpieces. While 30 Rock's primary focus was satirizing the entertainment industry and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's mission statement is to bring light-hearted laughs to sensitive subject material, Great News seems to focus a bit more on parental relationships and generational divide, with the heart of the series being the mother/daughter relationship between Katie and Carol, mixed with some fun hijinks from the news staff to keep the show's engine and joke machine going. The Katie/Carol relationship is well-developed and surprisingly complex, and is also aided by strong performances by Heelan and Martin. Frankly, Martin's Carol is the most fascinating character on the show – she's one of those characters that's so funny and interesting that a character having a scene with her makes that character funnier and interesting, and a big part of that is in Martin's excellent performance.

The rest of the show isn't quite on that level, but it's getting there. The office/newsroom hijinks are probably the weakest aspect of the show, and they don't have the same grounding that the more familial material does. Still, everyone in the cast is committed, and there are occasional glimmers of interesting material with dynamics such as Chuck's old-time newscaster style being at odds with Portia's ultra-millennial approach, which ties in nicely to the generational differences that set the groundwork for the Katie/Carol materials. Early episodes rely a bit too much on "old-timer" and "millennial" stereotypes, but later episodes begin to find the humans underneath those archetypes, and the show is better for it. The show could also stand to define Katie a bit more than what she is to her mother and her workplace – she's great in scenes where she's bouncing off of Carol or Greg, but we don’t have much reason to root for her other than the fact that she's the protagonist. Still, Great News is on the path to figuring itself out, and given the creative team and the potential the show already has, I could certainly see this going from good to...well, great fairly soon.

Conclusion:

Great News is a very solid and reliably funny new sitcom that has already found an excellent sitcom character in Andrea Martin's Carol. The rest of the show still has some work to do to catch up to Martin's level, but there is enough promise in both the cast and the writing that it seems fair to reason that it's up to the task. With one already great characters and a few others with potential to be great, combined with writing that's already assured, confident and genuinely hilarious at times, Great News shows a lot of signs of being a potentially great comedy if it can find a bit more of a unique angle with its workplace scenes.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4.5/5
Funniness: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 9:00PM & 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links: