TVSquad

Matt Williams has an impressive sitcom pedigree. He created the quintessential '90s sitcom with Roseanne. Then, with Carmen Finestra and David McFadzean alongside, he struck gold again with Tim Allen's Home Improvement. Now they're hoping lightning can strike twice (thrice?) with another take on the traditional family sitcom for ABC.

Once a television staple, the family sitcom has probably never seen leaner days than right now. But with the multi-camera format making a comeback, there's no better time to test the waters. This time, the family will be a sports psychologist who works out of his home, along with his three kids and presumably a wife.

The big difference between this project and Williams' other two successes is the lack of an established comedian at the center of it. One could easily argue that both Roseanne and Home Improvement were just expansions of the stage acts of their respective stars. That was kind of a trend back then. Are you ready for a family sitcom in the vein of these classics, or has their time come and gone?

I recognize that many celebrities are into the whole "controversy" thing in an effort to remain relevant, but Roseanne Barr took it one step further. She dressed up as a baking Hitler and I think her cookies are supposed to be Jews. The fact that she apparently did it for a Jewish magazine called Heeb makes me shake my head in wonder even more. Did someone there think this was a good idea, or were they just trying to create controversy?

Apparently, her photo did cause some controversy among the Jewish community, and Roseanne posted a response of her own on her blog. Uh, yeah. This is a move that makes about as much sense as singing "The Star Spangled Banner" off key at a sporting event, something else Ms. Barr has done in her sordid past. If the Jews do, in fact, run Hollywood, then Roseanne may have just blacklisted herself.

I had to pause for a second there when I typed "Barr." I don't do a lot of stories about Roseanne Barr so I'm not used to typing her name, so I had to think for a moment, is she called Barr again? There was a time there she went as Roseanne Arnold, and while she's obviously not going by that name again, I was wondering if she was still just going by the name Roseanne like she did for a while there. But it is indeed Barr again.

She hasn't done any regular prime time in many years, but the comedienne is planning to make a comeback to the world of sitcoms in a new comedy that will be produced by Caryn Mandabach (who was one of the producers on Roseanne) and will be written by Jim Vallely, who was a producer and writer for Arrested Development, My Wife and Kids, The Geena Davis Show, and Action.

"B as in bandits. Who rob. And what do they rob you of? Logs. A blog is something that's contagious. It festers here and it eats away at the planet."

That's Amy Sedaris, explaining what blogs are. She's part of the new, six-part PBS documentary Make 'Em Laugh, which starts airing Wednesday night at 8pm (you can also buy the DVD in stores tomorrow). Amy not only explains the blogs, she also tells us what the internet is in general (like a big cave you drive out of). And "vlog" comes from the Latin for "head cheese."

This portion of the show is after the jump. Looks like PBS/WNET is going the VH-1 route and getting all hip with this documentary, having various experts on comedy sit off to the side of the screen, talking about comedy and making funny remarks, a la I Love The 80s or...well, 22 other shows.This looks like a fun documentary though. Besides Sedaris we'll hear from people like Dick Van Dyke, George Carlin, Carol Burnett, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Sid Caesar, Richard Belzer, Joan Rivers, Roseanne Barr, Billy Crystal, Michael McKean, and others. They're also going to feature many online humor, including College Humor, Funny Or Die, and zefrank.

We told you a while back about the plan to have the writing staffs of CSI and Two and a Half Men swap places for one episode. Looks like that plan is going forward. Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre even has the plot for the CSI episode: he's going to kill Roseanne Barr or Cybill Shepherd.

OK, they won't be on the show, but Lorre's plot revolves around the killing of a "sitcom diva." Lorre worked for several years on both Roseanne and Cybill (he created the latter), and both shows were notorious for behind the scenes friction and firings and chaos. And who does Lorre want to have play the sitcom diva? Shepherd's costar Christine Baranski, who didn't exactly get along with the star of the show (or vice versa).

Now the only question is: who will the killer be? (Second question: what plot will the CSI writers come up with for Two and a Half Men?)

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• The Beckhams have their own special fragrance.
• American Idol auditions are continuing in full swing across the country this week.
• Roseanne Barr's MySpace page freakout was the work of her intern.

The video's embedded below, or you can subscribe to this podcast via our feed. Plus, you can also download the file directly.

We've all heard the term "jump the shark." In fact, it's become so familiar that people are getting sick of hearing it. But there's a certain truth behind the phrase: if you're a fan of a particular show, you can pinpoint the moment when the show has gone too far and needs to be put out of its misery. Some of these moments are well-documented; others less so. Still others haven't happened on any show yet, but you just know they are coming. Below are seven signs that tell you it's time for your favorite show to fade away gracefully:

David Steinberg is back for another season of Sit Down Comedy on TV Land. Six new episodes will air Wednesdays at 10PM beginning February 21st. Less of a kiss-ass than James Lipton and with more comedy chops than Terry Gross, Steinberg creates just the right atmosphere for his Sit Down stand-up guests to reflect on their careers, lives and whatever else is on their fertile minds. Best of all, his guests aren't there to plug any products so an actual old school conversation can unfold. Remember those? You might see them on Charlie Rose from time to time or on those Dick Cavett DVDs Shout! Factory released last year. Too bad Steinberg's show is only thirty minutes long.

You can check out Sit Down Comedy's guest line-up after the jump.

The ill-fitting blue suit and red tie. The sweat-soaked shirt. The bulging eyes and fidgety manner. The rapid-fire jokes about getting "no respect." Rodney Dangerfield was in the Pantheon of comedy greats for all those reasons, but his fantastic stand-up comedy was just a part of his legacy, as we find out in the fun Comedy Central documentary Legends: Rodney Dangerfield, which airs Sunday night at 9.

This is the first in CC's Legends series, where the lives of comic giants are examined through interviews with the stars that were influenced by them. In this episode, the mega-stars come out to talk about the man they equally admire and are indebted to: Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Chris Rock, Robert Klein, Bob Saget, Stiller & Meara, Bill Murray, Jay Leno, Norm MacDonald, Jeff Foxworthy, Adam Sandler, Sandra Bernhardt, Susie Essman, Ray Ramone, Bill Maher and Rob Schneider all provide commentary on how Rodney influenced their careers from afar, and how gracious he was with his knowledge and advice.

The preview for this weeks Blade teased a kiss between Krista (Jill Wagner) and Chase (Jessica Gower). In celebration of that possibility, I thought now would be a good time to touch on other girl-girl kisses in our television history. Sometimes they are to make a statement. Sometimes they are a ploy to grab ratings. And every once in a while, it's just a natural part of the story. Here are the five that come to mind first for me.

Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and Sharon (Mariel Hemingway) - Roseanne
This was an important moment in television. At the time, there was no L-Word, and two girls kissing was still a very controversial thing. Roseanne has her faults, to be sure, but standing up to the network to get this episode on the air is something to be proud of.

Ally (Calista Flockhart) and Ling (Lucy Liu) - Ally McBeal
This one strikes me as somewhat the opposite of the Roseanne kiss. There was much less statement, and much more ratings grabbing sensationalism in this lip-lock. In that regard, it worked very well. Of course, the gang over at Ally McBeal had plenty of practice. Along with Ling, Ally also kissed Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith) and Elaine (Jane Krokowski). But if I have to pick one, it's Ling every time. And yes, I was an Ally McBeal fan.

Actually, she might have come with no money at all, because I'm not sure if the five cents she stole from a waiter was in Jamestown, NY (where she was from) or in New York City, where she went to become an actress in the 30s. Either way, it makes me feel good to know, since I'm having leftovers again tonight.

This is just one of the TV celebs on this list, which shows what various famous people had in their pockets when they left home to get rich and famous. Lawrence Welk had $3, Roseanne Barr had $400, and Carol Burnett had $1000, but that dwindled to $528 after dental work.

Donald Trump had $200,000.

Actress Shelley Winters, whose long career ranged from sexpot showgirl, to serious dramatic actress, to playing Roseanne's outspoken, poker-playing grandmother on Roseanne in the 1990s, passed away today at the age of 85 of heart failure. Winters had been hospitalized in October after a heart attack.  Winters won Oscars in 1959 for The Diary of Anne Frank and again in 1965 for A Patch of Blue, in which she played a hateful mother who tries to end her blind daughter's friendship with a black man, played by Sidney Poitier. Winters, a serioius actress who once said "it takes twenty years to become an actor", was a devotee of The Actors Studio.

I really loved Winters in her recurring role on Roseanne, which is still one of my favorite television shows ever. Winters and Roseanne Barr had such similar delivery styles, she was completely believable as Roseanne's grandmother. What really made Winters stand out, though, was her willingness to continually reinvent herself. She began her career as a voluptous sex kitten, but later in life when she gained weight she became the butt of many comedians' jokes.