Comedy is very hot this TV season — thank ABC's best-of-class Wednesday comedies (all in repeats tonight), CBS' Monday blockbusters, NBC's cult faves and Fox's giddy New Girl — but two lousy new sitcom arrivals buck the trend, leaving a sour aftertaste.
Normally I'd celebrate at any circumstance that shrinks The X Factor to 90 minutes, but in this case, it opens the door for Fox's unpleasant I Hate My Teenage Daughter (9:30/8:30c), which traps two gifted comedians — My Name Is Earl's Emmy-winning spitfire Jaime Pressly and two-time Tony-winning scene-stealer Katie Finneran — in no-win roles as shrill moms who used to be ugly ducklings and are now cowed by their bratty offspring (forgettably rendered by Aisha Dee and Kristi Lauren), who are turning out to be the sort of spoiled mean girls who tormented the moms back when they were in high school.
read more
This week, it's all about Regis Philbin. The irrepressible broadcasting legend, who holds a Guinness World Record for most hours spent in front of a TV camera, will finally give it a rest at the end of this week, as he steps away from Live! With Regis and Kelly (check local listings) after nearly 25 years in national syndication and many years before that in a variety of jobs, including as Joey Bishop's late-night sidekick in the late '60s.
His time on Live! cemented his ...
read more
Just months after leaving The Office, Steve Carell is returning to TV — albeit behind the scenes — with a new interview series on Showtime.
Laughing Stock, executive-produced by Carell and David Steinberg, will bring on comedy greats from the last five decades for one-on-one discussions about their careers, influences and the evolution of comedy with Steinberg (Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg).
read more
Regis Philbin will receive the Legend Award at this year's TV Land Awards, the cable network announced Monday.
The Legend Award is given to an entertainer or TV show that has stood the test of time and ranks among the most celebrated in entertainment history. Previous winners include Garry Marshall, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Don Rickles.
"Hey, it's about time...
read more
Is television comedy icon Bob Newhart, 81, ready to stage his own Betty White-esque pop culture takeover?
"I don't know if the American public is ready for that," laughed Newhart at a salute to his 50th anniversary in show business at Beverly Hills' Paley Center for Media. But while the star of The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart says starring in a regular a series isn't highly likely ("That's for young people"), he's nowhere near retirement — and he may be teaming with his longtime best friend Don Rickles for a TV project in the near future...
read more