Instant Mom: Mothers Help Each Other Out

I'm very curious as to how the guest stars [Meredith Baxter (Family Ties), Jackee Harry (Sister, Sister), Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch), Marion Ross (Happy Days), Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show)] were selected for this episode... did the producers see who was available and then have the writers craft the jokes from there? I mean, Jackee Harry is perfect for this, but Meredith Baxter and Marion Ross in particular are very interchangeable with the dozens of other sitcom mothers over the years. Tempestt Bledsoe seemed like a fill-in... like maybe Phylicia Rashad was supposed to be there but then they re-wrote it for whichever Cosby kid they could manage, and Tempestt is the most sitcom-oriented these days? Regardless, I loved the catchphrases ("jump the shark"!!) and jokes (haha, younger, cuter kids), particularly Tempestt's about how perfect Cliff and Clair were as parents... a doctor and a lawyer with unlimited time to teach their children lessons in the most creative ways! This series is gonna be fine... and might even pick up a larger audience now that Trophy Wife has been cancelled! 

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Instant Mom "Not Your Mother's Day" (S01E22): Stephanie expects the full Mother's Day treatment from the kids, but they didn't really get anything for her, so they cover by claiming that Stepmother's Day is the following Sunday. [I looked it up... apparently it's not really a thing.] She takes her own mother to a day at a spa to celebrate the day but they wind up arguing over who is a better mother, but Maggie's anger is actually stemming from the fact that Stephanie didn't write a mushy message in her card. [I'm doing my "not impressed" face over Maggie's issue here.] Stephanie gets some advice from other mothers (the guest stars), but she and Maggie still wind up slinging mud at one another. All is made well again when Stephanie says something that would be sweet in a card, and Maggie forgives her. [is Maggie really the type of mother who will read a card over and over?] 

Meanwhile, back at the house, Charlie and the kids put together a hodgepodge Mother's Day for Stephanie, including someone else's cake, off-holiday balloons, a solution of various perfumes, and a poorly constructed poem. [you win some, you lose some.]

News Roundup: Renewals & Scheduling

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Renewals & Scheduling:
SyFy has renewed Total Blackout for a second season, which will begin Tuesday, November 13th.

TNT has renewed Falling Skies for a third season.

Disney renewed Good Luck Charlie for a fourth season.

MTV has renewed Teen Wolf for a third season.

Larry King Now is available on Hulu already.

Oxygen has I'm Having Their Baby premiering tomorrow, Monday, July 23rd, at 11pm ET/PT. This docuseries will look at adoption stories.

Logo's new Absolutely Fabulous special will premiere in the US on Wednesday, July 25th at 10pm ET/PT.

MTV's WakeBrothers will debut with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, July 25th at 11pm ET/PT.

Oprah's Lifeclass returns with new episodes at 10pm ET/PT on Sunday, July 29th and Sunday, August 5th on OWN.

A&E's Shipping Wars returns for a second season on Tuesday, August 7th at 9pm ET/PT.

TLC's United Bates of America, following the mega-family from Tennessee, premieres Monday, August 13th at 9pm ET/PT. If you've already been following the Bateses, you may be interested to learn that Zach and Sarah have ended their courtship. [TheTalkingBox will be giving this cable series a try.]

TLC also has Big Tiny premiering that night, Monday, August 13th, at 10pm ET/PT. This show is about the world's smallest siblings, who are in their twenties and live in Illinois.

Also coming Monday, August 13th are Hoarders and Intervention on A&E, beginning at 9pm and 10pm ET/PT, respectively.

History's Top Gear will begin its third season on Tuesday, August 14th at 9pm.

Lifetime has Prom Queens joining their lineup beginning Tuesday, August 14th at 10pm ET/PT.

ABC has Time Machine Chefs coming Thursday, August 16th at 9pm. No electricity or running water for these chefs!

OWN has Lovetown, USA premiering at 10pm ET/PT on Sunday, August 19th. It takes place in Kingsland, Georgia, with two acclaimed matchmakers.

The Real Ghostbusters joins FEARnet on August 18th.

BBC America's Copper comes Sunday, August 19th at 10pm ET/PT. This original series follows an Irish immigrant cop in the Five Points neighborhood of New York, set just after the Civil War.

Switched at Birth is back on ABCFamily starting Monday, September 3rd at 8pm ET/PT.

The third season of HBO's Boardwalk Empire begins Sunday, September 16th at 9pm ET/PT.

The third season of HBO's Treme begins Sunday, September 23rd at 10pm ET/PT.

The latest incarnation of the cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles begins Saturday, September 29th at 11am on Nickelodeon.

Style is now carrying Sister, Sister in reruns.