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Movie and Entertainment News >> Television >> Comedy
Comedy News
Fox's new unconventional family sitcom Sons of Tucson premieres this Sunday, March 14, at 9:30 p.m. EST. Read on for my review of three early episodes.
Sons of Tucson is a strained family comedy that quickly becomes grating, with overwritten, annoying characters and a premise that runs out of steam by the end of the pilot. Only the mild charm of star Tyler Labine saves it from being a total disaster. (Read the rest of the review ...)
Photo courtesy of Fox
'Sons of Tucson' Review originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 20:03:13.
A few bits of news from the last week:
What the Internet wants, the Internet gets: Thanks to the massive popularity of a Facebook petition, comedy icon Betty White has finally been confirmed to host Saturday Night Live. She'll star in the May 8 episode, which will also feature a reunion of past SNL female cast members, including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch. SNL producer Lorne Michaels insists, however, that White will be the sole host.
- It looks like production may be gearing back up on Two and a Half Men, as star Charlie Sheen is in the process of leaving rehab, and will be in court on Monday for an appearance related to his recent criminal charges. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Sheen will be back on the Men set by next Tuesday, which would allow the show to finish shooting the remainder of this season's episodes.
- Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe of Precious has been added to the cast of Showtime's new dark comedy The Big C, starring Laura Linney as a teacher who experiences renewed purpose after being diagnosed with cancer. Sidibe will be featured in a recurring role as one of Linney's students. She's also said to be in the running for a guest spot on Modern Family.
- Pam and Jim's baby on The Office, Cecelia Marie, was named after actress Jenna Fischer's niece. How cute.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
News Bites: Betty White, Charlie Sheen, Gabourey Sidibe, 'Office' Baby originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 04:42:05.
Most people may not know who Adam Scott is, but there's a good chance they'd recognize his face, as he's been a reliable character actor for over 15 years. Scott's had small scene-stealing parts in movies like Art School Confidential, Knocked Up and Step Brothers, and he deftly balances comedy and character as the lead on the Starz comedy Party Down. In short, he's the definition of underrated, but it looks like the acclaim for Party Down may finally be bringing him the recognition he deserves.
With Party Down's second season set to premiere April 23, it was just announced that Scott has been added to the ever-growing cast of NBC's Parks and Recreation (which also just added Rob Lowe), starting with a few appearances this season and then leading into the next. The assumption was that, like Jane Lynch leaving for Glee, Scott would be exiting Party Down if it gets picked up for a third season. That would be a more serious blow than Lynch's exit, since Scott's character is the show's anchor. But, good news after all: Scott tells Movieline that he hopes to be able to do both shows, and also mentions that Party Down hasn't even been renewed for a third season yet. So this is potentially a win for everyone, especially Adam Scott fans.
Photo courtesy of Starz
Adam Scott to Do Double Duty on 'Party Down,' 'Parks and Recreation' originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 18:31:39.
It's no surprise that following the early renewal of Parks and Recreation in January, NBC has now announced that all of its Thursday-night sitcoms, including Community, The Office and 30 Rock, will return next season. The Thursday-night lineup is one of the few bright spots on the flailing NBC, with critical acclaim, awards attention and decent if not spectacular ratings. It's definitely the best night for sitcoms on TV, and the network is smart to keep things going. This will be the seventh season for The Office, which puts that show at a pretty advanced age, and I think the folks at Dunder Mifflin are probably due to be retired pretty soon. But for now they'll be on the air for at least one more year.
Photo courtesy of NBC
NBC Renews All Thursday Comedies originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 02:37:22.
Yesterday was a big day for The Office, with Pam and Jim finally having their baby (a girl named Cecilia Marie, if you care to send cards) and NBC debuting the latest online spin-off of the show, a four-episode series called "The Mentor." The series showcases new-ish character Erin (Ellie Kemper), who's become increasingly prominent this season. When Angela takes Erin under her wing, it threatens to crush Erin's free-spirited, fun-loving ways. Will anything significant actually happen? Probably not, but on a show with so many minor characters, it's nice that they get the chance to shine in different venues. Check out the episodes of "The Mentor" on the NBC website.
Photo courtesy of NBC
NBC Debuts New 'Office' Web Series originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 04:12:11.
Yes, it's true: Warner Bros. is developing a big-screen version of the dopey 1960s sitcom about a group of people stranded on a deserted island, with absurd rumors including Michael Cera of Arrested Development as the bumbling Gilligan and Beyonce as sexpot castaway Ginger. Really? Who thinks this is a good idea? I can give you a nearly 100 percent guarantee that this will not turn out well, as anyone who's seen the movie versions of Bewitched or Get Smart or Car 54, Where Are You? could easily attest. And if Beyonce's in the movie, we'll probably be subjected to some awful dance remix of the classic theme song. I'm already dreading it.
Image courtesy of PriceGrabber
Hollywood to Punish World With 'Gilligan's Island' Movie originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 14:13:10.
Here's some surprising news: Apparently Rob Lowe's next gig after leaving the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters will not be his own starring vehicle, as has been rumored. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello reports that Lowe is in talks to join the cast of NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, which would be a pretty huge coup for the show, and an interesting career move for Lowe. Ausiello makes it sound like Lowe's going to become a regular, but then mentions "multiple episodes" starting at the end of this season and extending into the next, which sounds more like a long-term guest-starring role to me. Either way, it's a surprising but potentially exciting bit of news. What do you think, Parks and Rec fans? Is this a good move for the show?
Photo courtesy of ABC
Rob Lowe Joining 'Parks and Recreation'? originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 04:04:54.
Another Comedy Central show cancellation announced via Twitter: According to co-creator and co-star Michael Showalter, his hybrid sketch comedy/sitcom Michael and Michael Have Issues was canceled a week ago. (Thomas Lennon announced the cancellation of Reno 911! the same way.) It's not all that surprising, since it's been months since the show's first season ended, without any word of new episodes being ordered. For a while, though, it seemed like the slightly more straightforward, mainstream show for Showalter and Michael Ian Black (after the beloved but off-putting Stella, with David Wain) might actually find some footing on Comedy Central, or at least get another chance to reach an audience.
I'm glad the network has stuck with shows like Important Things With Demetri Martin and The Sarah Silverman Program, but they seem a little too willing to throw random things on the air for a few episodes without really figuring out how to build a fanbase. Showalter and Black have enough other projects in the works, though, that this probably won't be a huge setback for them. I wouldn't be surprised to see a new Comedy Central series from the duo sometime in the future.
Photo courtesy of Comedy Central
Comedy Central Cancels 'Michael and Michael Have Issues' originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 06:30:39.
Two new comedy series that I've written about before just got orders for full seasons based on their pilots; if you're in the U.S. like me, though, you'll only get a chance to see one of them. First, TV Land has picked up 10 episodes of the sitcom Hot in Cleveland, starring Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves and the ubiquitous Betty White. The show, about three glamorous L.A. friends who move to Cleveland, where they're treated like royalty, is TV Land's first original scripted comedy, and will premiere in June. Although I'm impressed with the cast, the clip available on the TV Land site is pretty hackneyed, with an overactive laugh track.
On the more esoteric front, the U.K.'s Channel 4 has ordered six episodes of David Cross' comedy The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, whose pilot aired in Britain back in November (no premiere date is set at the moment). That pilot co-starred Will Arnett and Spike Jonze, although it's not clear if they'll be in the rest of the episodes (my guess is they won't). The show, about a clueless American temp who bumbles into running a British company, has no American distribution, but presumably either a cable network will pick it up here, or it will at least eventually be available on DVD.
Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images
Pick-Ups for 'Hot in Cleveland,' 'Todd Margaret' originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 22:07:33.
Players, Spike TV's second scripted comedy, after the awful Blue Mountain State, premieres tomorrow night at 10:30 p.m. EST. Read on for my review of the first episode.
Players is a fitfully amusing comedy about the denizens of a Phoenix sports bar, with some broad but appealing performances and the potential to be entertaining as it finds its groove. (Read the rest of the review ...)
Photo courtesy of Spike TV
'Players' Review originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 10:00:38.