Hulu Beefs Up Its Classic Comedy Roster

Hulu, you had me at The Golden Girls.  Yes, on February 13, Hulu added the Girls to its service -- and I was hooked.  But then just a few weeks back, Hulu also became the exclusive streaming home of Will & Grace, just in time for us to catch up on the show's eight seasons in time for tomorrow night's historic "season 9" re-booted premiere.

Now, Hulu has announced a partnership with Universal television which means lots of good stuff coming our way -- including a streaming home for yet another of the most brilliant comedies of the last few decades, NBC's 30 Rock (beginning October 1.)  Check out Hulu's press announcement below for details, which include the addition of other popular titles like Parenthood, as well as original programming like Paul Reiser's new comedy There's Johnny.

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Hulu Inks Deal with NBCUniversal for Hundreds of Episodes of TV Favorites Including 30 Rock, Parenthood and More

New Licensing Agreement to Mark Premiere of Paul Reiser’s Comedy Series, There’s Johnny and SVOD Premiere of Syfy’s Face Off, as well as the U.S. Streaming Debut of the complete Made in Chelsea Library

SANTA MONICA, CA (September 27, 2017) – Following a groundbreaking licensing agreement that marked the streaming debut of iconic series Will & Grace, Hulu and NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution today announced a new agreement that will make Hulu the exclusive SVOD home to all episodes of Emmy Award winning comedy series, 30 Rock, beginning October 1^st, as well as add hundreds of episodes of shows for the whole family to Hulu.

In addition to bringing the complete library of the critically acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning comedy series from creator and star Tina Fey - 30 Rock - to a new streaming home, the new deal includes a full suite of premium programming that will become available to stream on Hulu:

30 Rock. A three-time Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Comedy Series as well as a critical darling,30 Rock comes from the brilliant mind of creator and star Tina Fey, whose character Liz Lemon is asked by her ultra corporate boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) to somehow make the fictional program “TGS with Tracy Jordan” a success. Working with an oddball staff, no budget and no sleep, Liz keeps up the good fight against long odds. Also starring Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander and Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock aired for seven seasons and arrives in its entirety on Hulu on October 1^st.

Parenthood. The family favorite, hit drama series will stream in its entirety in early 2018 on Hulu. The critically-acclaimed series, which aired for six seasons, has remained popular with viewers since its finale. Parenthood is a one-hour drama from Award-winning executive producers Jason Katims, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.  It follows the trials and tribulations of the very large, colorful and imperfect Braverman family and features stars including Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia, Dax Shepard, Erika Christensen, Monica Potter, Sam Jaeger and Joy Bryant. 

There’s Johnny. Paul Reiser’s highly-anticipated series, There’s Johnny, will make its debut on Hulu. The deal marks the premiere for the NBCUniversal period comedy, set in the world of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” circa 1972, starring Tony Danza.

Made in Chelsea. The first 13 seasons of the BAFTA award-winning, reality television series from the UK will make their US SVOD debut on Hulu. Since its premiere, the hit series has captivated audiences in the UK and resulted in many spin-offs. Through the deal, the complete series will be made available to stream in the US on Hulu later this year.

Face Off. The first 10 seasons of SYFY’s hit reality competition series, Face Off, will become available to stream on Hulu. The series will make its SVOD debut in early 2018. Face Off follows special effects make-up artists as they participate in elaborate challenges for a grand prize and the honor of being Hollywood's next great effects artist.

The new deal expands Hulu’s growing library of premium programming with even more hit series from the NBCUniversal Television library. Earlier this month, Hulu and NBCUniversal announced a joint agreement that made all episodes of the Emmy-winning, iconic series Will & Grace available to stream for the first time ever. Hulu is also home to top series from NBC including This Is Us, Blindspot, and the Emmy-winning Saturday Night Live. 

About Hulu

Hulu is a leading premium streaming service that offers instant access to live and on demand channels, original series and films, and a premium library of TV and movies to millions of subscribers in the U.S. Since its launch in 2008, Hulu has consistently been at the forefront of entertainment and technology.  Hulu is the only streaming service that offers both ad-supported and commercial-free current season shows from the largest U.S. broadcast networks; libraries of hit TV series and films; and acclaimed original series including Emmy Award-winning series The Handmaid’s Tale, The Mindy Project, The Path, 11.22.63, the Golden Globe® nominated comedy series Casual, as well as the upcoming Future Man, Castle Rock, Marvel’s Runaways and The Looming Tower. In 2017, Hulu added live news, entertainment and sports from 21st Century Fox, The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, CBS Corporation, The CW, Turner Networks, A+E Networks and Scripps Networks Interactive to its offering – making it the only TV service that brings together live, on-demand, originals, and library content all in one place, across living room and mobile devices.

 About NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution 

NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution is responsible for the sales and distribution of NBCUniversal product to all forms of television within the U.S. and Canada.  This includes current television and film product as well as content from NBCUniversal's vast library (Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Universal Television, Universal Cable Productions, NBC Late Night properties, etc.) distributed in basic cable, pay cable and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) markets. The division is also responsible for the sales of NBCUniversal content to non-theatrical markets including airlines worldwide. 

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Blanche's Granddaughter Finally Belts Out that Number

In a 1991 episode of The Golden Girls, Alisan Porter -- who, at age 10, already had a rising career after appearing in the 1989 film Parenthood and as the title character of 1991's Curly Sue -- guest starred as Blanche's granddaughter Melissa, whose visit was marred by the pushiness of a stage grandmother who forced her to compete in the Little Miss Miami pageant.



When it came time for her big number, little Melissa froze, completely unable to launch into "Put on a Happy Face."  But now grown up at 34, Alisan has absolutely no problem with "Blue Bayou," Roy Orbison's 1963 hit, which Linda Ronstadt recorded again in 1977.

Check out Alisan's "Blind Audition" performance on the season 10 premiere episode of NBC's megahit The Voice, airing this coming Monday, February 29 at 8PM Eastern.  When they hear a voice this amazing, all four judges -- Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell Williams and Adam Levine -- are bound to turn their chairs around.  I won't reveal which coach Alisan ultimately chooses.  But let's just say that Alisan's story, of childhood stardom, a journey through addiction, and now a happy life as a wife and mother, has many wonderful chapters to come.

Parenthood, Take 3

Today, NBC presented its panel on its newest drama, premiering at midseason, Parenthood. Critics asked Lauren Graham about stepping in for Maura Tierney, who continues her treatments for breast cancer and who the show's executive producer Jason Katims says is "doing well." Katims explains, by the way, that they delayed the show, which was originally supposed to premiere in the fall of 2009, in deference to Tierney, who was the one who opted out of the show and gave the go-ahead to recast.

The show is also quite unusual in at least two other ways: 1) it's based on a movie from two decades ago, Parenthood which starred Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen in 1989, and 2) it's being attempted even though an earlier TV adaptation failed in 1990. That Parenthood, says Ron Howard, one of the new show's executive producers and the director of the original film, was more of a sitcom treatment of the material, which he says in hindsight wasn't the right approach. This new show, Katims and Howard say, is a combination of comedy and drama (and is an hour long.) When the new show's pilot was re-shot with Graham replacing Tierney, it was lightened up a bit, away from the other extreme of heavy drama.

Howard told, by the way, the fun story of the film's origins in the '80s; back when he was heading to Argentina to make the film Gung Ho, he got on a 17-hour flight with his family and dozens of carry-on and checked bags. In the first hour, he decided to let his young daughter Bryce try his sushi appetizer; baby Bryce -- now better known as the movie star Bryce Dallas Howard -- proceeded to projectile vomit all over his shirt. "Great -- let's totally embarrass her," Graham said with a laugh as Howard told the story on stage.

Graham says she had spent the past 2 or 3 years not planning on acting in TV but looking for projects to produce, but could not resist the quality and pedigree of the Parenthood script when it was sent to her this past year. The show does have an impressive cast, including Six Feet Under's Peter Krause, Boston Legal's Monica Potter, Erika Christensen, Dax Shepard, Craig T. Nelson, and Bonnie Bedelia, who was so fabulous most recently on Del Shores' Sordid Lives.

Parenthood debuts on Monday, March 1 at 9 PM Eastern on NBC.