The Neighborhood has finally returned in the 2026 TV schedule after a long winter hiatus, but the end is nigh for the sitcom. CBS confirmed last year that the eighth season would be the last. While that was bad news for fans hoping for Season 9 and beyond, it allowed the show a full season to build up to a (hopefully) fitting finale. For Beth Behrs, it was her second hit CBS sitcom in a row, and 2 Broke Girls showrunner Michael Patrick King reflected on the audition that originally made her a network TV comedy star.

The Neighborhood was actually stacked with sitcom stars when it premiered, including Cedric the Entertainer, New Girl's Max Greenfield, Everybody Hates Chris' Tichina Arnold, and of course 2 Broke Girls' Beth Behrs as Gemma. It extended Behrs' time on CBS after six seasons of 2 Broke Girls, starting in 2011 opposite Kat Dennings. When The Neighborhood ends later this year, it'll mark the end of a 15-year run on the network for Behrs. (You can stream The Neighborhood with a Paramount+ subscription now.)

I spoke with 2 Broke Girls creator/executive producer Michael Patrick King at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta, and after he hyped Kat Dennings as a leading lady, he praised the dynamic that the co-leads struck with each other. He also made sure to hype Beth Behrs for coming into the show without any acting experience, telling me:

While not necessarily the household name that she would be by the time she landed Shifting Gears opposite Tim Allen, Kat Dennings had some notable credits to her name when she was cast for 2 Broke Girls. Beth Behrs struck up a quick chemistry with her costar, but it wasn't the result of tons of experience on the small or large screen.

When I noted to Michael Patrick King that I had no idea she'd been a nanny before being cast for a co-lead role on 2 Broke Girls, he responded:

Well, it's a good thing that CBS didn't let Beth Behrs' shortage of credits stop King from casting her on 2 Broke Girls in 2011, since it's probably a safe bet she wouldn't have then gone on to The Neighborhood without already having proven her comedy skills. Of course, that's not to say that she played the same kind of character on her second CBS show that she did opposite Kat Dennings.

2 Broke Girls had a strong cast, but there's no denying that Dennings' Max and Behrs' Caroline were the stars of the series. The Neighborhood is mostly led by Cedric the Entertainer's Calvin and Max Greenfield's Dave, but there's also a strong ensemble carrying storylines of their own, including Behrs as Gemma.

The weeks are counting down until The Neighborhood comes to an end, but CBS isn't out of episodes just yet. Keep tuning in to CBS on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET for the newest episodes, followed by DMV at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Neighborhood is streaming now on Paramount+, while you can always check out 2 Broke Girls streaming on The Roku Channel.

Kat Dennings came back to the world of network TV sitcoms last year, and the second season wrapped recently in the 2026 TV schedule with a romantic finale cliffhanger for Riley. Unfortunately for fans who would prefer more new episodes on ABC to revisiting older ones with a Hulu subscription, the comedy (also starring Tim Allen) has not yet been renewed. As the wait continues, the 2 Broke Girls co-creator opened up about Dennings' skills as a comedic leading lady after their six seasons working together on CBS.

Michael Patrick King was the co-creator and showrunner of 2 Broke Girls during its six-season run on CBS from 2011 - 2017, and the show proved both Kat Dennings' and Beth Behr's talents as comediennes. Ahead of the return of The Comeback (which King co-created for HBO with Lisa Kudrow) later this year, I spoke with King at SCAD TVfest. I had to ask about Dennings' sitcom skills as the wait began for news about the future of Shifting Gears, and he told me:

While it still remains to be seen if Kat Dennings will be back as Riley opposite Tim Allen as Matt and Seann William Scott as Gabriel, the 2 Broke Girls boss certainly has the expertise to say whether or not the Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist star has what it takes to keep delivering comedy.

2 Broke Girls ran for nearly 140 episodes over six seasons, which is hardly guaranteed for a network TV comedy nowadays. It was also the show that established Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs as sitcom stars, likely contributing to Behrs having the opportunity for The Neighborhood after wrapping her time as Caroline. Michael Patrick King shared that he's "greatly gratified that they both found other homes on television because they were stars."

The long run of the CBS sitcom also meant that Shifting Gears' co-leads both came into the new show with sitcom success behind them. Tim Allen of course has Home Improvement and Last Man Standing to his name; Kat Dennings has 2 Broke Girls and the enthusiastic support of her former showrunner.

But what do we know about the future of Shifting Gears? Unfortunately, not much, as there were no interviews in the wake of the Season 2 finale that gave any hard details about plans for a third season. Showrunner Michelle Nader did speak to TVLine about the ABC comedy getting a higher episode count for the second season compared to the first. Asked whether there's an episode count that feels ideal to her if there is a renewal, Nader said:

That's certainly not confirmation that Dennings will be back to resolve Riley's cliffhanger in the fall, but the hope is clearly still there that Shifting Gears has another season in store. Given that many other network TV shows won't be wrapping their current seasons until May, fans may have a while yet to wait before getting renewal (or cancellation) decisions from ABC.

Personally, after Tim Allen got a Home Improvement reunion in Season 2 and with The Neighborhood ending, my fingers are crossed for Beth Behrs to appear as a guest in a third season. In the meantime, you can always revisit the first two seasons of Shifting Gears on Hulu, and stream all six seasons of 2 Broke Girls on The Roku Channel.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Shifting Gears Season 2 episode "Scary." Stream the episode with a Hulu subscription and read at your own risk!

Shifting Gears Season 2 is blazing through its run in the 2025 TV schedule, and this latest batch of episodes has been full of cameos and references to past shows. More often than not, the references are tied to stuff Tim Allen has done, so I was thrilled to see Kat Dennings get the nod for a change.

Obviously, Dennings doesn't have quite as prolific a television career as her veteran co-star, but that doesn't mean the ABC series can't have some fun with her past projects. Fortunately, it did just that in "Scary," and referenced her CBS sitcom that put her on the map.

Shifting Gears Made A 2 Broke Girls Reference

Riley met Gabe, Stitch, and Amelie out at the bar for Halloween, only to find the world at large confused by her "Mama Bear" costume. Stitch left the conversation to talk to two women in the corner, who just so happened to be wearing Williamsburg Diner outfits, the same uniforms Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs wore on 2 Broke Girls.

It's not quite as substantial as having Behrs appear in a guest role, and maybe now that The Neighborhood is ending, there's a chance that will happen in the future. For now, it's cool to see a nod to her beloved CBS series in the meantime, and hopefully, we get more stuff like that in the future.

Tim Allen's Past Shows Have Already Gotten A Nod In Shifting Gears Season 2

As mentioned, Shifting Gears has already made a couple of references to Tim Allen's past projects and welcomed both Last Man Standing and Home Improvement stars in the Season 2 premiere. This season has also been pretty heavy on celebrity cameos, with everyone from athletes like Mookie Betts to former late-night host Lilly Singh appearing on the ABC sitcom.

With so many cameos happening with people from Tim Allen's circle coming into the show, I'm wondering when Kat Dennings and Disney will start to funnel in people from former and upcoming Marvel movies. After all, we can't forget about her time in the Thor franchise! I would love to see anyone from those movies make an appearance, though it may be a bit much to ask for Chris Hemsworth or Natalie Portman to appear on ABC primetime.

I'm hoping that someone working on Shifting Gears is already on the case, and working to ensure we get more references to Kat Dennings' past in Hollywood in future episodes. Who knows? Maybe the 2 Broke Girls nod was just the start of some much bigger references to come. I'd love to see it, but truth be told I'm just enjoying the ride at the moment.

Shifting Gears airs on ABC on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm enjoying the direction that Season 2 is headed in so far, though am wondering if there's some major drama on the way as Amelie gets suspicious of her friendship with Gabe.

If you’re anything like me, then deciding what to wear when you leave the house can be a challenge. So, when you add in the factor of being famous and going to splashy public events, it makes sense that dressing for such occasions would involve even more thought, prep and planning. Well, Kat Dennings just made a very 2 Broke Girls-like fashion admission that’s funny, but also incredibly relatable.

What 2 Broke Girls Admission Did Kat Dennings Just Make?

While the 2025 TV schedule will eventually bring us Shifting Gears Season 2, Kat Dennings has been looking back lately. Not only did she recently pose with Captain America’s shield and get fans’ hopes up that she might return to her role as one of the best MCU sidekicks, Darcy, at some point, but she also took a trip to Avengers Campus at Disneyland, which led to some surprises for her.

However, the star (who’s now playing a mom for the first time on her ABC comedy with Tim Allen) took to Instagram recently to share a memory from her previous hit sitcom, 2 Broke Girls, which ran on CBS for six seasons. In her post, we see Dennings with co-star Beth Behrs at the People’s Choice Awards in 2012, and while both look great, the WandaVision talent had a secret about the moment to tell fans, saying in the caption:

Oh, boy. I think most of us know what this is like, right? You have your mind set on a particular outfit for a specific upcoming event, but then the time comes to get those clothes on and something goes wrong. Busted seams, broken zipper, it doesn’t fit as well as it did or look as good on you as you remember…whatever it is, it’s now time for a Fashion Emergency Plan B. And, when you need to be out the door, sometimes you just gotta whip out the most appropriate item, throw it on and hope for the best. Here’s what she ended up wearing:

Luckily, the live-audience loving actress had something simple but classy ready to go. It appears to be a basic black wrap dress, and I have to say, I think Max Black would totally approve of dressing up any outfit from a discount retailer like Loehmann’s (which closed all locations in 2014). Behrs, who’ll end her time on The Neighborhood along with her co-stars when Season 8 finishes up, also had a note to share about her look for the same evening, and added:

Man! Every now and then we tell on ourselves, and I think Behrs did that here. I wouldn’t have given a second thought to her hair, but after reading that she thinks it looks wiggy, I gotta admit…she’s not wrong! If anything, this just proves that we are all capable of putting together great looks on the fly, but there’s nothing wrong if we happen to make a misstep or two when going out on the town.

While CBS has long been a place where shows are likely to last longer than they do on other networks and platforms, recent cancellations for FBI spinoffs and S.W.A.T. (its third) made for an unexpected change of pace. Just a week later, the network has confirmed the end is night for its long-running sitcom The Neighborhood, though not with the currently airing seventh season.

Instead, CBS execs announced that the Monday night staple was renewed for its eighth and final season, to arrive later on the 2025 TV schedule. The creative team has more than enough time to find the perfect ending for the Butler and Johnson families. And in sharing the bittersweet news with her followers on Instagram, star Beth Behrs said that’s precisely the reason why she’s happier about The Neighborhood’s fate compared to how things went down when 2 Broke Girls was axed. In her words:

Amusingly enough, perhaps, Beth Behrs was taking a slight shot at the same studio she showed appreciation for, seeing as how CBS is the very network that caused so many foul feelings to surface back in 2017. At the time, 2 Broke Girls was in the midst of its sixth season, and by all accounts at the time, the sitcom's creative team and cast were of the belief that renewal news was imminent, and thus no efforts were made to formally conclude the storylines for Behrs' Caroline and Kat Dennings' Max.

Instead, reports sprouted that pointed to the network's attempts to gain ownership over the series, which had dipped in the ratings across later seasons. And CBS was also working with too many shows to slot into the upcoming fall season. So despite all involved being optimistic about continuing after a summer hiatus, the comedy was canceled outright.

While talks of a revival or follow-up TV movie have been had, nothing concrete has ever come to light. That could obviously change after Behrs wraps the final season of The Neighborhood, but let's not forget that her former co-star Kat Dennings is busy with Tim Allen on ABC’s Shifting Gears, which is destined for a multi-season run.

Behrs didn't wallow in self-pity over 2 Broke Girls, however, with a lot more to celebrate with co-stars Max Greenfield, Cedric the Entertainer, Tichina Arnold and more. She continued in her post, saying:

Plenty of fans chimed in with loving and inspirational comments, and you can bet that the positive-minded chorus was joined by Kat Dennings herself, along with other TV mainstays.

• KAT DENNINGS: WOOOO!!! Go Beth!!!!
• NICHELLE TURNER: Love you Beth! ❤️ You all are THE BEST!
• MELISSA PETERMAN: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
• ANGELIQUE CABRAL: Bawling 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️
• JO KOY: You are amazing. Congratulations on 8 beautiful seasons

Don't miss out on the remaining Season 7 episodes of The Neighborhood, which airs Monday nights on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET. And for those missing 2 Broke Girls, past episodes can be streamed for free on Roku Channel.

No one can resist a good “rags to riches” story, in which a struggling protagonist manages to achieve the fortune they have always dreamed of. However, we happen to find “riches to rags” stories — in which a wealthy protagonist loses everything but, in most cases, gains something more valuable — even more interesting and, in many cases, much funnier. See for yourself by taking a look at some of our favorite examples from the big and small screen.

Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)

The beloved, hilarious, Emmy-winning Canadian import Schitt’s Creek starred real-life father and son duo Eugene and Dan Levy (who also created), along with Catherine O'Hara and Annie Murphy, as a wealthy family who lose everything… well, almost everything. Their one remaining asset is the titular small town, which was purchased for David Rose (Dan Levy) as a joke, and becomes their new home.

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

One of the most iconic and inspirational holiday movie classics is Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart as a businessman who grows desperate when he loses an important sum of cash. However, after his guardian angel shows him a world in which he was never born on one fateful Christmas Eve, he realizes there are things in life worth much more than money.

Trading Places (1983)

John Landis' hilarious classic counts as both a riches-to-rags story from the perspective of Dan Aykroyd's Louis Winthorpe and a rags-to-riches story when following Eddie Murphy's Billy Ray Valentine. By the end, however, Trading Places ultimately becomes a riches-to-rags story when the duo team up against the billionaire brothers who treated them like guinea pigs: Randolph (Ralph Bellamy) and Mortimer Duke (Don Ameche).

Overboard (1987)

In Overboard, real-life couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell star as a spoiled, rotten socialite and the blue-collar handyman she cheats out of payment, respectfully. When he discovers she has fallen off her yacht and lost her memory, he convinces her she is his wife and shows her a taste of the blue-collar lifestyle.

A Little Princess (1995)

Alfonso Cuarón's sophomore directorial effort, A Little Princess, stars former child star Liesel Matthews as Sara Crewe, the daughter of a wealthy, widowed British Army officer who goes off to fight in World War I. Sara is then sent to a boarding school when, after her father is presumed dead, the cruel headmistress forces her to become a servant.

The Jerk (1979)

One of the best Steve Martin movies, The Jerk, starts off as a rags-to-riches story as the helplessly naive Navin Johnson achieves great success by inventing a device that prevents eyeglasses from slipping. Unfortunately, a flaw in the design forces him to pay millions of dollars in damages, leading him to a life on the streets.

A Civil Action (1998)

Based on a true story, A Civil Action stars John Travolta as a successful attorney seeking to bring a leather manufacturing company allegedly responsible for water contamination and, subsequently, poisoning several children to justice. The otherwise bold and honorable act ends up driving his law firm and himself into bankruptcy.

Goodfellas (1990)

One of Martin Scorsese's best movies, Goodfellas, is one of the most realistic depictions of the mafia lifestyle ever put on film. It is based on Nicholas Pileggi's non-fiction book, Wiseguy, which chronicles the rise and fall of mobster Henry Hill, as played by Ray Liotta in the film that also stars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in an Academy Award-winning performance.

Blue Jasmine (2013)

From writer and director Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine stars Cate Blanchett in an Academy Award-winning performance as a well-off Manhattan socialite who falls on hard times. As a result, she suffers a nervous breakdown and travels to San Francisco to move in with her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins).

Cyrano (2021)

Joe Wright's adaptation of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play, Cyrano de Bergerac, stars Peter Dinklage as a man who is reluctantly convinced to help another man named Chris (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) woo the woman whom he secretly loves, Roxanne (Haley Bennett). It is not until he is stricken with poverty and about to succumb to his battle wounds that he finally musters the courage to reveal his true feelings to her.

The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948)

One of the best Western movies of all time, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is one of the most classic examples of characters coming across an unimaginable fortune, only to run into circumstances that cost them everything. The film stars Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt as two desperate Americans who enlist the help of an old prospector (Walter Huston) to help them mine for gold in 1920s Mexico.

Arrested Development (2003-2019)

Jason Bateman leads the Arrested Development cast as a widowed father struggling to keep his grossly dysfunctional family together when his father's arrest causes them to lose it all. Despite universal acclaim when it first aired, the sitcom — also starring the likes of Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, Will Arnott, and plenty more icons — was canceled by Fox after three seasons before Netflix revived it for two more about a decade later.

The Money Pit (1986)

From producer Steven Spielberg, The Money Pit stars Tom Hanks as a successful lawyer and Shelley Long as his musician girlfriend who think they have found their dream home. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a real fixer-upper that leads them directly to financial (and possibly romantic) ruin.

Quicksilver (1986)

Kevin Bacon stars in Quicksilver as a hotshot stock exchange share trader who ends up costing his company and himself all their savings. This leads him to start a new and, actually, more liberating career as a bike messenger and lead a new life that involves a romance with a young woman (Jami Gertz) whom he saves from a street gang.

Sullivan's Travels (1941)

Writer and director Preston Sturges' Sullivan's Travels stars Joel McCrea as a Hollywood filmmaker known best for comedies who longs to make a more dramatic and realistic social commentary. In order to gain the perspective he needs, he lives as a homeless person, during which he strikes up a relationship with an impoverished woman (Veronica Lake) who dreams of becoming an actress.

Mood Indigo (2013)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry's surreal adaptation of Boris Vian's 1947 novel, L'écume des jours, is a fun and quirky romance... until it is not. Mood Indigo — as it is called in the States — takes a devastating turn when Chloé (Audrey Tatou) comes down with a strange illness and her wealthy inventor husband, Colin (Romain Duris), uses every last penny he has in search of a cure.

Maid to Order (1987)

Director Amy Holden Jones' Maid to Order is sort of like a modern-day retelling of Cinderella, but in reverse. It stars Ally Sheedy as a wealthy, out-of-control young woman who wakes up in a world in which she was never born, courtesy of her fairy godmother (Beverly D'Angelo), and must learn how to make a living on her own by becoming a maid.

Downhill (1927)

One of the earliest Alfred Hitchcock movies is the silent-era drama Downhill, in which a college rugby player (Ivor Novello) takes the rap for a false accusation against his friend (Robin Irvine) so he can avoid expulsion. That only leads to a series of circumstances that get increasingly worse for him, including having his inheritance exhausted by his two-timing wife. 

Dumb Money (2023)

Craig Gillespie directs a star-studded cast, including Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Pete Davidson, in what some might interpret as a modern Robin Hood tale. Dumb Money is inspired by the true story of people who literally gave Wall Street a run for its money after betting big at the stock market on video game retailer, Game Stop.

2 Broke Girls (2011-2017)

The title of CBS's 2 Broke Girls — a funny TV show about blue-collar characters — refers to diner servers and roommates Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs). While Max has been broke for her entire life, it only recently happened to Caroline after her wealthy father (Steven Weber) was jailed for participating in a Ponzi scheme.

Triangle Of Sadness (2022)

Three Academy Award nominations — including Best Picture — went to writer and director Ruben Östlund's biting satire about the rich, Triangle of Sadness. It follows a group of conceited wealthy people, including a young couple of fashion models played by Harris Dickinson and the late Charlbi Dean, who end up struggling to survive when their luxury yacht (captained by Woody Harrelson) crashes on a deserted island.

Empire Of The Sun (1987)

J.G. Ballard's autobiographical novel, Empire of the Sun, was adapted into one of director Steven Spielberg’s best movies from the 1980s. A young Christian Bale leads the film as a privileged British boy forced to fend for himself after becoming separated from his parents in the midst of Japan's invasion of Shanghai during World War II.

Fun With Dick And Jane (1977)

Not to be confused with a famous educational children’s book, Fun with Dick and Jane stars George Segal and Jane Fonda as a married couple forced to turn to a life of crime to make ends meet after they suddenly find themselves unemployed and in heaps of debt. The comedy classic was later remade for more modern audiences with Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni assuming the title roles in 2005.

The House Bunny (2008)

In The House Bunny, Anna Faris plays a model named Shelley who wakes up the day after her 27th birthday to a note informing her that she is being kicked out of the famous Mansion. This leads her to become a house mother to a misfit college sorority, whom she teaches how to be confident and successful in the dating game.

The Railway Children (1970)

Jenny Agutter leads this British family film based on the novel by E. Nesbit. Set in 1904, The Railway Children chronicles the struggles of a family whose financially comfortable existence is upended when their bureaucrat father disappears.

Life Stinks (1991)

One of the more forgotten Mel Brooks movies, Life Stinks, is a rare example of a riches-to-rags story in which the protagonist voluntarily participates in the impoverished lifestyle. The legendary comedian, who also co-writes and directs the film, plays a successful businessman who makes a bet with a longtime competitor that he can survive life on the streets, only to discover he may be in over his head.

Arthur 2: On The Rocks (1988)

The classic 1981 comedy, Arthur, stars Dudley Moore as a British man-child who must choose between marrying a woman he does not love and keeping his enormous fortune or being with the woman he loves (Liza Minelli) and losing it all. In the sequel, Arthur 2: On the Rocks, he actually does end up losing it all, due to a vengeful scheme, which forces him to sober up and finally get a job.

Uptown Girls (2003)

The late Brittany Murphy stars in Uptown Girls as an irresponsible woman who loses her inheritance. Forced to find a job for the first time, she becomes a nanny to a precocious 8-year-old, played by a young Dakota Fanning.

Good Advice (2001)

In Good Advice, Charlie Sheen plays an arrogant stockbroker who makes a huge mistake that costs him his job and his equally conceited girlfriend (Denise Richards). In a plot to get back on track, he secretly takes over his ex's advice column, which helps him gain a deeper perspective on life that he had been missing.

Princess Protection Program (2009)

In the Disney Channel Original Movie, Princess Protection Program, Demi Lovato plays a young royal whose land is invaded by a neighboring country, forcing her to go into hiding. She is sent to live with a special agent (Tom Verica) and his teenage daughter (Selena Gomez) who introduce her to the simpler life.

Broke (2020)

This short-lived sitcom says it all in the title. Broke stars Jaime Camil as a man cut off by his rich daddy, forcing him to move in with the estranged sister (Pauly Perrette) of his wife.

Rocky V (1990)

While considered by many to be a sequel that never should have happened, Rocky V is noteworthy for how it changes the career trajectory of Sylvester Stallone's iconic title character. An injury forces Rocky Balboa to retire from boxing and, soon after,  he loses his fortune on the stock market, leading him to become a trainer for Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison).

Seeing people fall on hard times can be devastating, but the topic can also serve as the basis for some inspiring and even funny stories. 

Some audiences love watching TV shows like Downton Abbey, Mad Men, Succession, or Dallas to catch a glimpse of what a more “luxurious” lifestyle might be like. However, those same working-class individuals are also appreciative (perhaps even moreso) of series that put people like them in the spotlight. The following are some of our favorite examples of TV classics in which blue-collar characters are the central focus. 

Roseanne (1988-2018)

Roseanne’s depiction of a working-class family, with Roseanne Barr’s title role taking on telemarketing, the fast food industry, and other small jobs and Dan (John Goodman) being a contractor, made it one of the most groundbreaking sitcoms of its time. Later rebranded as The Conners following its 2018 revival, the original last season saw the characters’ lives change when they won the lottery, but that was revealed to be a fantasy in the controversial finale.

Good Times (1974-1979)

One of the most popular and influential TV shows led by Black actors from the 1970s was Good Times. Produced by Norman Lear and featuring one of the most iconic TV catchphrases -- Jimy Walker's "Dy-no-mite!" -- the sitcom chronicled the lives of the Evans Family and the struggles to make ends meet while living in a Chicago housing project.

Superstore (2015-2021)

There have only been a handful of workplace comedies that take place at grocery stores and one of the more successful is creator Justin Spitzer’s NBC sitcom. America Ferrara and Ben Feldman led the Superstore cast, which was comprised of a diverse and eccentric group of employees at a Costco-esque establishment, and chronicled their funny interactions with customers and each other.

Bob’s Burgers (2011-Present)

Creators Loren Bouchard and Jim Dauterive’s Emmy-winning Fox original animated series is part workplace comedy, part family sitcom, and all deliciously hilarious. Bob’s Burgers and its 2022 feature film spin-off focus on the Belchers and the crazy situations they endure while trying to keep their eponymous restaurant up and running.

Family Matters (1989-1997)

In later seasons of Family Matters, the series shifted its primary focus to the over-the-top antics of the young, nerdy Steve Urkel (Jaleel White). However, the initial conceit of this spin-off of Perfect Strangers was to follow police officer Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson), his elevator operator wife, Harriette (JoMarie Peyton), and their family in Chicago.

Cheers (1982-1993)

One of the first (and few) TV shows featuring a colorful mix of blue and white-collar characters in the main cast was Cheers. The long-running NBC sitcom not only focuses on the staff of the titular bar but also its regular patrons, who ranged from an accountant (George Wendt as Norm Peterson) to a mail carrier (John Ratzenberger’s Cliff) to a psychiatrist (Frasier Crane, played by Kelsey Grammer).

Married… With Children (1987-1997)

Rarely had a sitcom expressed such a cynical perspective on the blue-collar lifestyle — and the American family in general — before the debut of the polarizing, but long-lasting, Married… with Children. Housewife Peggy Bundy (Katey Segal), dim-witted teen Kelly (Christina Applegate), and her younger brother, Bud (David Faustino), constantly mock patriarch, Al (Ed O’Neill), whose women’s shoe salesman job is the family’s sole source of income.

Kim's Convenience (2016-2021)

One of the best, and most underrated, TV shows centered on Asian characters in recent memory is Kim’s Convenience. The title refers to a one-stop shop owned and operated by a Korean-Canadian family — including Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Appa, Jean Yoon as Umma, Andrea Bang as Janet, and, as the character Jung, future MCU star Simu Liu.

All In The Family (1971-1979)

One of the most acclaimed and most popular TV shows of its time was All in the Family, Norman Lear’s adaptation of the British sitcom, Till Death Do Us Part. As someone who juggles multiple jobs — including dock working and taxi driving — Archie Bunker (Caroll O’Connor) could be seen as TV’s ultimate representation of the working class, if not for his incessant bigotry making it harder for some to identify with or warm to him.

Emergency! (1972-1979)

Some of the most thankless, but especially important, professions that are considered part of the blue-collar category are first responders, such as firefighters and paramedics. Their daily dealings with life and death were chronicled on Emergency!, which took place in the same universe as a popular cop drama called Adam-12.

Happy Days (1974-1984)

While the main focus of creator Garry Marshall’s sitcom was the misadventures of teens throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Happy Days had its fair share of blue-collar workers in the main cast. For instance, Howard Cunningham (Tom Bosley) — father of Ron Howard’s Richie — was a hardware store owner and Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) was a mechanic.

Grace Under Fire (1993-1998)

ABC’s Grace Under Fire is the story of a single mother (played by Brett Butler) struggling to recover from her vices and a divorce from an abusive man. While that may sound quite dramatic, it is actually a comedy from creator Chuck Lorre in which much of the humor comes from the title character’s relationships with her colleagues at an oil refinery and others.

The Honeymooners (1955-1956)

One of Jackie Gleason’s most iconic creations is the seminal sitcom, The Honeymooners, which was spun off from a recurring sketch on his eponymous variety show. He stars as New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden, who teams up with his best friend, a sewer worker named Ed Norton (Art Carney) on a series of get-rich-quick schemes that always end unfavorably, despite warnings from their wives.

2 Broke Girls (2011-2017)

From creators Whitney Cummings and Michael Patrick King, the Emmy-winning 2 Broke Girls depicts the blue-collar life from the perspectives of both a veteran and a newcomer. The sitcom stars Kat Dennings as sarcastic diner server Max, who strikes up an unlikely friendship with her new co-worker, Caroline (Beth Behrs), who lost her fortune after her father’s involvement in a Ponzi scheme puts him behind bars.

Sanford & Son (1972-1978)

Redd Foxx received multiple Emmy award nominations for his performance as Fred Sanford in Sanford & Son. The legendary sitcom’s title refers to the junkyard business that the curmudgeonly character runs with his son, Lamont (Demond Williams).

The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)

The timelessly wholesome and hilarious classic, The Andy Griffith Show, was set in a quaint small town full of blue-collar characters called Mayberry. The main focus, of course, was the eponymous star’s role of Andy Taylor as he raises Opie (Ron Howard), with help from Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) and runs the local sheriff’s department with his cousin and bumbling deputy, Barney Fife (Don Knotts). 

Taxi (1978-1983)

Multiple Emmy Awards went to Taxi in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The sitcom featured rising stars like Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Tony Danza, and more as the staff of a New York City cab company who maintain a close bond with one another when they are not on the roads.

Chicago Fire (2012-Present)

Sometimes the greatest challenges firefighters and paramedics face have nothing to do with the flames they put out or the people they save from the brink of death. Said topic is explored on Chicago Fire — the parent series of NBC’s One Chicago franchise — which would see many changes to its cast over the years. 

One Day At A Time (1975-1984)

Loosely based on the life of Whitney Blake before she met her husband and co-creator Allan Mannings, One Day at a Time follows a divorced single mother (played by Bonnie Franklin), her two teenage daughters (played by Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips), and a building superintendent (played Pat Harrington Jr.) whom they grow close to. The sitcom was later reimagined as a Netflix original series about a Latino family and which starred Justina Machado and Academy Award winner Rita Moreno.

Alice (1976-1985)

Linda Lavin starred in Alice as the titular server at a diner who dreams of being a singer. The long-running sitcom was actually inspired by a 1974 drama called Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, by director Martin Scorsese. The show centered on all the workers in the diner. 

Chico And The Man (1974-1978)

The relationship between aging American mechanic Ed “The Man” Brown (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory star Jack Albertson) and his young, Mexican employee, Chico Rodriguez (comedian Freddie Prinze, father of Freddie Prinze Jr.), was the focus of this hit sitcom. Chico and the Man has an unfortunately tragic history as it was forced to write Chico out of the show amid Prinze’s passing in 1977.

The Bear (2022-Present)

Following his tenure in Showtime’s Shameless cast, Jeremy Allen White went on to lead FX’s The Bear cast to phenomenal acclaim. His character, Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, is a chef who leaves the world of fine dining and moves into the chaotic world of his family’s sandwich shop in Chicago as its new owner.

Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983)

Arguably the best of the several great TV spin-offs begat from Happy Days was Laverne & Shirley, starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. The sitcom saw the eponymous duo take on several different professions — such as bottle factory cappers and department store gift wrappers — while living together in the 1950s and 1960s.

George Lopez (2002-2007)

Comedian George Lopez first became sitcom royalty when his self-titled sitcom debuted on ABC. His character in the family comedy was the manager of an airplane parts manufacturing plant in Los Angeles. 

Rescue Me (2004-2011)

One of Denis Leary’s most acclaimed creations is his and Peter Tolan’s Emmy-winning FX dramedy, Rescue Me. The comedian also leads the cast as a veteran New York City firefighter who also has his personal battles to contend with involving PTSD as a result of his first-hand experience with the tragic events on September 11, 2001.

The King Of Queens (1998-2007)

The King of Queens featured a refreshing reversal of typical gender norms in sitcoms — in terms of the central characters’ professions, at least. While Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini) had a white-collar job as a secretary at a law firm and, later, a real estate office, her husband, Doug (comedian Kevin James) made a living as a driver for a UPS-esque delivery service.

The Jeff Foxworthy Show (1995-1997)

Before becoming a part of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, comedian Jeff Foxworthy played a blue-collar worker on a TV comedy. His character on the short-lived sitcom, The Jeff Foxworthy Show — also named Jeff Foxworthy — provided for his family by repairing air conditioners.

Corner Gas (2004-2009)

Comedian and co-creator Brent Butt stars in Corner Gas as the owner and operator of the only gas station for miles in a rural Canadian town. The sitcom would inspire a follow-up movie in 2014 and was rebooted as an animated series in 2018.

The Upshaws (2021-Present)

Comedy icons Mike Epps, Kim Fields (from the Living Single cast), and co-creator Wanda Sykes lead this hit Netflix original sitcom about a working-class Black family from Indiana. Epps’ character, Bennie, is the owner of a garage.

Dinosaurs (1991-1994)

One of the most undeniably unique depictions of the life of a working-class family on TV came from the aptly titled sitcom, Dinosaurs. From Boy Meets World creator Michael Jacobs and Jim Henson Productions, the series followed a family of prehistoric creatures — headed by tree pusher Earl (voiced by Stuart Pankin) — leading a life similar to that of civilized humans.

According To Jim (2001-2009)

Years after his SNL tenure, Jim Belushi — younger brother of John Belushi — landed his own sitcom on ABC called According to Jim. He played a scheming husband and father of three girls who owns a successful construction business, for which his brother-in-law (played by Larry Joe Campbell) also works as an architect.

CHiPs (1977-1983)

The title of CHiPs is really an acronym for “California Highway Patrol.” Such is where the long-running crime drama’s lead characters, Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Erik Estrada) and Jon Baker (Larry Wilcox), made a living.

TV can often serve as a great escape, but there is something really special about seeing everyday people on the screen. These TV shows featuring blue-collar workers prove that to be the case. 

Regarding movie and TV characters that have withstood the test of time, I can think of no better characters than the sarcastic ones. These people we remember the most years later for their hilarious jokes, awesome one-liners, and deliveries that just can't be beaten. Today, we'll review the most sarcastic TV characters and the ones from movies. 

Chandler Bing (Friends)

Out of the entirety of the Friends cast, I don't think there's been another character that stands out just as much as Chandler Bing. From his first moments on the series to his last, Chandler was hands down the most sarcastic of the leading group, and some of his lines have lived on for years long after the series ended. Friends was undoubtedly one of Matthew Perry's best TV shows.

Deadpool (The Deadpool Franchise)

Deadpool from the Deadpool franchise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is sarcastic by nature. No matter what fight he's dealing with, there's always a joke that comes flying out not that long after, whether it be a lighter joke or a very much Rated-R quip, Ryan Reynolds' character always has a quick remark.

Roman Roy (Succession)

The Succession cast is always serious about what is happening in the show – as they should be. It's a lot of money they are dealing with. 

But Roman Roy? He is the most unserious character ever and will break any tension with a sarcastic quip that will undoubtedly sit in viewers' minds for hours long after the TV show ends. Kieran Culkin was a beast at his delivery. 

Tony Stark (The MCU)

Out of the original Avengers, Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr. in one of his best roles) is hands down the most sarcastic. I'm pretty sure half the time, it was just Downey Jr. acting like himself on screen because he's Tony Stark in real life. I'll never get over how he called one of Thanos' henchmen, Squidward, literally. 

Sherlock Holmes (Elementary & Sherlock) 

It's hard to pick just one Sherlock – so why not both? Benedict Cumberbatch from Sherlock and Jonny Lee Miller from Elementary both perfectly capture what it's like to play Sherlock Holmes – as well as his sassy and sarcastic nature when solving the case. They are some of the best portrayals of Sherlock out there – I'll give Robert Downey Jr. an honorable mention, too, for his role as Sherlock in the Sherlock movies.

Max Black (2 Broke Girls)

Kat Dennings has probably some of the best one-liners in all of 2 Broke Girls as Max Black. Coming from a broken home, the character came swinging right out the gate with hilarious one-liners and wits that made me laugh for hours on end – even if deep down, we all know she uses sarcasm as her emotional shield.  

Comic Book Guy (The Simpsons)

Few characters on this list have been around for decades, but Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons was primed for that. Appearing in the second season of The Simpsons, the character has remained a mainstay in the series for his sarcastic nature and love of all things comic books, making snide comments to anyone who challenges his mastery of the medium.

Juno (Juno)

Juno from Juno is probably the most relatable teenage character in movies (besides, maybe, the whole teen pregnancy part). She's witty and sarcastic and uses it in situations where you probably shouldn't use humor, but it's what brings you comfort. Admittedly, Juno was my favorite movie character for a long time. 

Gregory House (House)

There are many medical dramas like Grey's Anatomy, New Amsterdam, and so many others, but nothing can beat House and its namesake doctor, Gregory House. A man who is incredibly smart but has a drug problem, he uses sarcasm in his everyday job, which not only makes him hilarious but also causes him to run into some interesting patient situations. 

Hades (Hercules)

I will stand by the fact that Hades is hands down the best Disney villain overall. Not only is he so sarcastic and makes jokes about death and Greek mythology all the time, but he's able to use that hilarity and turn it sinister, turning into a pretty scary villain when he needs to be. But you can't hate him because he's just so funny. 

Roger Sterling (Mad Men)

When I first watched Mad Men and attempted to find someone I liked from the cast, the first person that came to mind was Roger Sterling. Portrayed by John Slattery, Sterling had some of the best storylines on the series – and brought that sarcasm despite all his heavy problems. 

Tyrion (Game Of Thrones)

There are some great Tyrion quotes out there that I could reference for hours about how sarcastic this man is, but they wouldn't do it justice. Honestly, rewatch Game of Thrones for Tyrion's sarcastic nature – I assure you, you will laugh just as much the first time you watched this series thanks to Peter Dinklage's excellent performance. 

Seinfeld (Seinfeld)

I mean, come on. Of course, we must put Jerry Seinfeld from Seinfeld on this list. The man was born to be a sarcastic comedian, and in every episode of this series, something will come out of his mouth to make you laugh. 

Miranda Bailey (Grey's Anatomy)

The Grey's Anatomy cast has ebbed and flowed so often throughout its long run that it's sometimes hard to remember everyone there. But Miranda Bailey, played by Chandra Wilson, has been in the show for years, and honestly, she's one of the few that I see the reason why. Not only is she hilarious in her sarcastic nature, but her facial expressions are to die for. 

Lucifer (Lucifer)

When you're the ruler of Hell, you tend to have a sense of humor from all the darkness going around, and of course, Lucifer from Lucifer is very much like that. And he has a sense of humor that is unlike anyone else. I'm pretty sure Lucifer can charm anyone with his sarcastic nature and pretty smile – and yes, he would most likely delight me, too, with his sarcasm.

Alex Russo (Wizards Of Waverly Place)

As someone who grew up watching Wizards of Waverly Place, Alex Russo is why I am the person I am today. Funny, quippy, and sarcastic, this girl always knew how to make anyone laugh, regardless of the situation. And it's certainly a show to watch if you love Selena Gomez, as she plays Russo. 

Fallon Carrington (Dynasty)

If you want a character that genuinely lives for drama, then Fallon Carrington (played by Elizabeth Gillies) from Dynasty is the one for you. She grew up with money and power, but because everyone was always fighting each other within her family, she learned how to stand up for herself quickly – which manifested into some of the most sarcastic moments of the show. 

Stiles (Teen Wolf)

I'm 99% sure Stiles from the Teen Wolf cast can use his sarcasm as a weapon. Before he was affected by any supernatural forces, he was genuinely just a funny kid who used sarcasm in every way possible, and yes, I am still missing Dylan O'Brien in this role, because he was just the best. 

David (Schitt's Creek)

In modern-day television, no one is as sarcastic as David from the Schitt's Creek cast. Played by Dan Levy, this character had so many moments of sass that they are printed on t-shirts all over the place now. I still laugh just as hard when he says, "You look like the downfall of society," years later. 

Charlie (Two And A Half Men)

Fun fact – I binge-watched Two And A Half-Men for the first time in 2023, and yes, I am now aware of how funny Charlie Sheen was in this show as Charlie. He is probably the most sarcastic TV character I've ever gotten the chance to watch – and no matter how many times I view the episodes, I still laugh just as hard. 

Seth (Superbad)

The Superbad elevated many people among its cast up to fame, and one of those just happened to be Jonah Hill, who played Seth in the film. From there, we see how hilarious and sarcastic Hill could be when he played Seth and somehow made me laugh despite his strange nature – and his weird obsessions. 

April Ludgate (Parks And Recreation)

Aubrey Plaza's best TV shows certainly includes her role in the Parks and Recreation cast, where she played April Ludgate. Her deadpan-style comedy and the way she responded to any joke is what made her such a great addition to this cast, and in any rewatch, she's always the standout star. 

Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory)

Arguably, you could place anyone from the Big Bang Theory cast on this list, but Sheldon stands out. He's sarcastic, intelligent, and pretty much the face of the franchise – I mean, he got his series afterward, so it's not surprising he's on this list. 

Betty Rizzo (Grease)

Betty Rizzo is an exciting pick on this list because while she is undoubtedly sarcastic and a mean girl, we all know she's going through some serious personal stuff. Regardless, she channels her emotions into her sarcasm and truly comes up with some funny one-liners that have lived on – and of course, we can't forget the sarcasm queen's song, "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee."

Miranda (Sex & The City)

Miranda Hobbes from the Sex and the City cast was the sarcastic and funny friend I'm sure we all want in our thirties. Portrayed by Cynthia Nixon, Miranda is a career-minded woman who has probably one of the most cynical takes on relationships and men in general, and she makes it known plenty through her sarcastic quips.  

Daria (Daria)

Daria's sarcasm from the show Daria is what made her famous. The adult animated sitcom -- a spinoff from Beavis and Butt-Head -- was released in the late 1990s and featured the story of Daria, a cynical high school student who was hilarious in every way. Let's be honest; we all wanted to be her. 

Sterling Archer (Archer)

Archer is all about Sterling Archer – who makes this animated series so much more fun with his sarcasm. As a secret agent who is as narcissistic as he is sarcastic, he makes this show as hilarious as some of the best TV shows.

Loki (The MCU)

I must include the supervillain (or hero, depending on how you look at him), Loki. From his first appearance in the MCU to his TV show on Disney+, Tom Hiddleston has made Loki one of the most sarcastic supervillains in the MCU. It's no wonder he keeps coming back again and again. 

Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)

"Florals? In the spring? How original." You can't get better than Miranda Priestly. Meryl Streep portrayed the character in The Devil Wears Prada cast, and this character used her sarcasm as a weapon to anyone who dared go against what she wanted. Truly, no one did it as well as Priestly. 

Severus Snape (The Harry Potter Franchise)

While Severus Snape was a man of few words in most of his appearances in the Harry Potter franchise, he was full of sass and sarcasm. Played by Alan Rickman, Severus Snape was a powerful wizard, and in some of his best moments, he used his sass and sarcasm against everyone, especially his students. 

Saul (Better Call Saul)

I mean, it's Saul Goodman. He's the king of sarcasm. There's a reason why Bob Odenkirk received an entire spinoff dedicated to the character after starring in Breaking Bad – he's an okay-ish lawyer with no shortage of sarcasm to offer. He can somehow always get someone out of trouble.

Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

What do you do when all your friends and family have bending abilities but you don't? You use sarcasm as a weapon, of course, and that's what Sokka did in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Hands down, Sokka was the funniest of the leading group of characters in the popular Nickelodeon show.

Richard Hayden (Tommy Boy)

David Spade is another iconic actor known for his sarcastic characters, and one of his best is Richard Hayden from Tommy Boy. His scenes with Chris Farley made him all the funnier and stands out as one of his best movies. 

Billy (Billy Madison)

Adam Sandler is known for being sarcastic in many of his movie roles, and one of his most iconic was Billy in Billy Madison. A spoiled man, Billy was hilarious in every way and used his sarcasm and dimwitted nature to get whatever he wanted – which, later on, hilariously backfires. 

There are plenty of great sarcastic characters out there to love and enjoy, but these guys certainly stand out as some of the best. Now if you don't mind me, I'm going to look up a compilation of Chandler Bing's funniest moments and laugh my butt off again and again. 

One of 2 Broke Girls’ most memorable (and sometimes panned) storylines involved series lead Caroline Channing (played by Beth Behrs) and the horse she brought with her when she came to live with Max Black (Wandavision star Kat Dennings). The plotline was ludicrous given the two women lived in a Brooklyn neighborhood, but it was also one of the most enduring facets of the sitcom, spurred on by the fact that in real life the actresses really loved the horse. 

In fact, when 2 Broke Girls was initially canceled back in 2017, it was Behrs who responded to the news by thanking none other than the horse:

... She probably wasn't in a thankful mood toward CBS given the surprise 2017 cancelation of the series. But what happened to Chestnut after the CBS sitcom ended? 

Who Played Chestnut? Nina Tassler Actually Fired The Original Horse

Nina Tassler, the head honcho at CBS when the sitcom was first making its way onto the airwaves (and who was also around when How I Met Your Dad was originally halted), was not a fan of the original horse hired to play Chestnut. When the series was first coming together, the show had apparently hired a “blond buckskin” to play the character, but Tassler wasn’t happy with the original horse when she did a walk through on the set of the series. 

It was nothing against the original Chestnut, but Tassler noted in a THR profile that type of horse was usually seen in Westerns and not in stables in New York City, where the character of Caroline hailed from. Producer Michael Patrick King would later joke that “Nina had the balls to fire a horse.” Eventually a brown horse would be cast. 

Meanwhile, multiple horses would eventually take on the duties of Chestnut. Originally, a horse named Rocky portrayed the character, though in later interviews Behrs mentioned another horse, Gunner, who eventually took over the role on the small screen. In 2014, while filming an episode, Dennings and Behrs both shared a picture of themselves with the horse. 

Chestnut Developed A Special Connection With Stars Beth Behrs And Kat Dennings

Speaking at a TCA function for the series, both Dennings and Behrs admitted they loved Rocky, the horse that early on portrayed Chestnut on the hit sitcom. The two confirmed they were “so close” to the horse before Dennings admitted: 

The two touched on how Rocky really was whip-smart and could sense their emotions, with Behrs saying Rocky was “highly protective,” particularly if a guest star got “too close.” Dennings mentioned another memory from set in which she got more emotional than anticipated and Rocky/Chestnut was there for her. 

After Gunner took over duties, Behrs admitted that it was 2 Broke Girls that led her to a love of horses, and helped her to learn to “live in the present,” telling People: 

What Happened To Chestnut After 2 Broke Girls Ended?

Following the ending of 2 Broke Girls Beth Behrs admitted that she made some movies hoping to take home Chestnut herself. By then, Behrs was a lover of horses and someone actively involved in rescuing them (more on this later). She'd had a dream for Chestnut, but she said it didn't pan out how she'd hoped it would.  

The actress had previously told THR that said trainer actually had a ranch she'd called "beautiful" in Ventura County. While the show was still running, she'd go and ride Gunner sometimes, so while she'd hoped to nab the horses, in some ways Gunner was already home. 

How 2 Broke Girls Led Beth Behrs To Horse Activism

The actress has said that it was Whitney Cummings -- who co-created 2 Broke Girls with Michael Patrick King -- who was a catalyst for her love of owning horses. (This also probably explains Chestnut being a part of the show in general.) She spent a lot of time on Cummings' show riding a horse on the lot, and it was during her time on the sitcom that her obsession and activism developed, and that love has continued even as she went on to star in another CBS multi-cam comedy The Neighborhood. 

In fact, she told Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer in a YouTube interview that the trainer during her sitcom days gets a little of the credit, but that she and her husband have gone all in on horses since then, adopting Belle and Rosie, who stay in a stable in the Valley outside Los Angeles.

The actress always had a love of horses, but the show inspired her to adopt and she also mentioned to People the ASPCA helped her on the journey, noting there are a lot of misconceptions about helping horses. 

So, there you have it. It's been years since Two Broke Girls unceremoniously ended before it was able to wrap up its story on CBS, but the legend of Chestnut still lives on and even became an inspiration for one of the women who led the show. 

When I think of some of the funniest actresses, one who always comes to mind instantly is Jennifer Coolidge. While I didn’t know it as a child, Coolidge was honestly one of the foundations of my movie-loving self, because she was featured in several films that I loved back then and still love just as much now, and only as an adult have I come to adore how amazing she is in both comedic and dramatic roles. 

From her time on some hilarious TV shows to my favorite movies, there are great projects that feature Jennifer Coolidge that I’m sure you (and I) would love to watch repeatedly. For the best Jennifer Coolidge movies and TV shows that are streaming right now, be sure to check out the picks down below. 

The American Pie Films (1999-2012)

Arguably one of the best known comedy franchises in America (or maybe even the world) is American Pie, and that all started with the first back in 1999. The film is the story of four boys who made a pact, the ultimate one for all high schoolers everywhere - to lose their virginity before school ends for the year. However, things don’t go as planned. 

The American Pie cast features so many amazing stars, from Jason Biggs to Tara Reid to Nataha Lyonne, but no one - and I mean no one - beats Jennifer Coolidge as Stifler’s Mom. Watching this movie, she is legit the definition of ‘MILF,’ and is straight-up one of the people I remember the most from this movie, because she was just so dang funny. Truly, one of her best comedic takes and I was so happy when she came back for the sequels later on. 

Stream the American Pie films on Hulu.
Rent/Buy the American Pie films on Amazon.

Best In Show (2000)

Be prepared to see a few Christopher Guest films on this list, as Jennifer Coolidge was often featured in them. First off, we start with Best in Show, a mockumentary that shows the life of five dog trainers and their journey to get to a prestigious dog show. 

Fun fact - a lot of the movie’s dialogue was actually improvised, but to be honest, with a cast like this, improvisation probably comes easy for these comedic legends. Not only did Jennifer Coolidge rock it in her role as Sheri Ann Cabot, she had plenty of other amazing co-stars that made this film that much funnier, such as the stars of the Schitt’s Creek cast, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, as well as Parker Posey, Larry Miller, Will Sasso, and so many more. It’s so funny. 

Stream Best in Show on YouTube.
Rent/Buy Best in Show on Amazon.

The White Lotus (2021 - Present)

I cannot recommend The White Lotus enough. Originally billed as a miniseries for HBO, it's turned into an anthology series due to its success, The White Lotus tells three separate storylines of guests who travel to a resort in Hawaii, but even if everything looks perfect from the outside, you never quite know what’s going on behind closed doors. 

Look, The White Lotus cast is amazing. It’s why they ended up winning the 2022 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. It won several other awards as well, but Jennifer Coolidge was the star of the first season and so damn funny, and in every scene she had, my eyes were fully focused on her. There’s a reason she won an Emmy for this role, and why she is one of only two people returning for Season 2 - because fans loved her and needed more quirkiness from Tanya. And, her dancing at the Emmys when she was played off was everything. 

Stream The White Lotus on HBO Max.

The Legally Blonde Films (2001-Present)

This is the one where Jennifer Coolidge became one of my favorites. Legally Blonde follows Elle Woods, a girl who wishes to attend Harvard Law School to prove to her ex-boyfriend that she can be serious and win him back, but along the way, she ends up finding out more about herself rather than trying to change for her ex. 

Jennifer Coolidge in the Legally Blonde movies is me in every sense of the word. Awkward with men and adorable all the same, you can’t help but root for her whenever she wants to do something. I loved her as Paulette (she could be my nail lady any time), and seeing her in the sequel was just as good. I can’t wait to see what her character becomes in the third film - whenever that does come out. 

Stream the Legally Blonde movies on Paramount Plus.
Rent/Buy the Legally Blonde movies on Amazon.

The Secret Life Of The American Teenager (2008-2012)

Moving on to another television series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager mainly told the story of Amy, a high school girl who ends up getting pregnant at band camp and now has to face a huge change in her life while still in school. 

While Jennifer Coolidge was never a main character on the show, she did appear in a recurring role as Betty, who was the ex-stepmother to Ben, and while she wasn’t as comedic in this role as she has been in many others, her part stands out amongst the many other recurring characters. She had moving speeches, memorable scenes, and moments that I can’t forget. It was a nice change of pace for the usually comedic actress, and showed she could be dramatic as well. 

Stream The Secret Life of the American Teenager on Hulu.

A Mighty Wind (2003)

Another Christopher Guest film, we take a look at A Mighty Wind. This is another mockumentary that tells the story of a folk music reunion concert, where for the first time in decades, three separate folk bands come together for a one-night experience for all fans to enjoy, but of course, things don’t go as planned. 

Like in many Guest films, several other stars returned for roles, and Jennifer Coolidge was among them, portraying Amber Cole. It won’t be that much of a shocker when I say she was hilarious, as usual, and her chemistry with her co-stars is always perfectly done. You can’t help but love her in these roles. 

Rent/Buy A Mighty Wind on Amazon.

A Cinderella Story (2004)

In this retelling of the classic fairytale, A Cinderella Story stars Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, and it follows a high schooler who ends up getting an internet pen pal. They decide to meet in person at a Halloween dance, but as with any Cinderella story, there is miscommunication that keeps this from being a quick happily ever after. 

There have been so many reboots and remakes of the classic Cinderella story, but this version has always been one of my personal favorites, because Jennifer Coolidge portrays this movie’s version of the wicked stepmother. But she’s not “wicked” in the way you'd expect her to be. In my mind, Coolidge’s version is just so unhinged in the best way that I find myself holding my stomach in laughter every single time I see her. 

Stream A Cinderella Story on Netflix.
Rent/Buy A Cinderella Story on Amazon.

For Your Consideration (2006)

The last Christopher Guest film on this list is For Your Consideration. However, this one isn’t a mockumentary like the last two and is instead just labelled as comedy, telling the story of actors who find out that the film they are working on – which has yet to be released – is getting a lot of awards buzz. 

You guessed it, several of the stars from past Guest films returned, and Jennifer Coolidge is among them, with her playing Whitney Taylor Brown. As you would expect, she’s just hilarious in every way possible. There’s a reason why she always comes back for these roles and it’s because she really gets to show how funny she is. People who haven’t seen these movies? Please check them out. If Christopher Guest makes another film like this, please, bring her back. 

Rent/Buy For Your Consideration on Amazon.

2 Broke Girls (2012-2017)

The last TV series on this list, Jennifer Coolidge was actually a part of the main cast of 2 Broke Girls. The comedy series, featuring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, followed two young women from completely different backgrounds who both work in a diner and are trying to save up money to start their own business, running into hijinks along the way. 

Jennifer Coolidge was only a recurring character in Season 1, but ended up being promoted to a main character for the rest of the show because of her hilarious character, Zofia Kaczynski, otherwise called “Sophie” in the show. Her chemistry with the rest of the cast was great, and it was awesome to see her in a main series role prior to The White Lotus.  

Stream 2 Broke Girls on the Roku Channel.

Robots (2005)

If you’re looking for an animated film, check out Robots. This fun movie follows the story of Rodney Copperbottom, who looks to become an inventor in the world of robots, but when he gets the chance to meet his idol, he discovers that there’s a conspiracy within his company that threatens the entire existence of everyone in his city. 

This movie is so fun and the cast is just outstanding, with the likes of Robin Williams, Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, and more leading the cast. But, by God, Jennifer Coolidge as Aunt Fanny was just the best pick ever. Her voiceover was absolutely perfect and created some hysterical moments and Fanny literally became an internet meme so everyone loved her just as much as I did. It was like the creators of the film just made Coolidge in animated form. I love her. 

Stream Robots on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Robots on Amazon.

Promising Young Woman (2020)

Last but not least, we have the comedy-thriller, Promising Young Woman. In this critically-praised film, we follow a young woman who takes it upon herself to use her trauma from her past for good in order to get revenge on the people who made her life a living hell. 

While it’s not as comedic as some of her other roles, Jennifer Coolidge’s portrayal of Susan Thomas was just as good, and showed she could balance both comedy and drama in the same film, a welcome change from her comedic entries of the past. The twist at the end of the film is everything, too. You have to watch it if you’ve never seen it before. 

Stream Promising Young Woman on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Promising Young Woman on Amazon.

With so many amazing roles, it feels like an endless amount of films and shows you can watch that feature this amazing actress. I’ll go ahead and re-watch a ton as I wait for The White Lotus Season 2 to come out.  

Actress Beth Behrs landed a role of a lifetime when she teamed up with Kat Dennings on CBS' hit comedy 2 Broke Girls, but since the series came to a close over a year ago (after a questionable cancellation), Behrs hadn't yet locked in a big new role to sink her teeth into. That changed this week, though, with Behrs being brought in as an official replacement lead on the CBS comedy pilot The Neighborhood, which also co-stars New Girl vet Max Greenfield.

For what could potentially be her next big primetime role, Beth Behrs will be playing Gemma, wife of Max Greenfield's Dave. The overly charming and polite Midwestern couple chooses to move into a slightly less-than-ideal neighborhood in L.A., where their positive nature rubs some locals the wrong way. One of those locals will be Cedric the Entertainer, who will play the main neighbor getting mixed up in Gemma and Dave's lives.

The Neighbors is the creation of Big Bang Theory writer and producer Jim Reynolds, who is also executive producing alongside Cedric the Entertainer and sitcom legend James Burrows. According to TVLine, the creative team sought out Beth Behrs after the pilot she was previously attached to, the comedy Culture Clash, was passed over by Fox in the past month. For anyone who thought the actress would have a hard time finding another follow-up project, maybe it would be fun to celebrate with some diner food.

When CBS first started developing The Neighborhood, the comedy series was set to be led by House of Lies' Josh Lawson and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23's Dreama Walker, with "creative reasons" being the reason why neither of them are on the project anymore. James Burrows had already filmed a pilot with those two actors in the roles, so it's assumed that he'll also be helming the revised pilot whenever it's able to go into production.

Since the end of 2 Broke Girls, Beth Behrs has only popped up on TV a couple of times. Once was for a pretty fun guest star spot on The Big Bang Theory, further strengthening her ties with CBS, and the other was The Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary special, where she appeared as herself. (Also on CBS) She also popped up on Ellen at some point near the end of 2017.

Since The Neighborhood is just in the pilot stages, it's unclear when CBS might announce anything else about the project. In the meantime, though, check out what Kat Dennings did for her follow-up series, and bookmark our summer premiere schedule to keep current with all the new and returning shows hitting primetime soon.

Kat Dennings has been a hot commodity in the television world ever since 2 Broke Girls ended, and now the actress has managed to get attached to another new show in the works. The latest move could see Dennings as a network television staple yet again, with the actress landing a lead female role on an untitled ABC pilot based on the book How May We Hate You? It looks like Dennings will be putting her fictional customer service comedic chops to use yet again, this time as a guest-services specialist.

Kat Dennings' latest TV project is a workplace ensemble comedy that focuses on two guest-service associates working at a high-end resort. Dennings' Ellie is one of those associates, and she's tasked with waiting hand and foot on the resort's guests, who spend more money on one night in the room than Ellie pays for a full month's rent. Deadline reports Ellie bears that frustration with a "plastic smile" and with the help of her best friend Gabe, her co-associate at the hotel. Gabe's casting hasn't been announced yet, but given Dennings' experience in the network comedy realm, it shouldn't be too hard to land a solid actor to buddy her up with.

Formerly titled How May We Hate You? after the book, the title-free project comes from Justin Noble, who may be best known for his work as a writer and producer on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The pilot is being shot as a single-camera comedy and will be executive produced and directed by Will Gluck, who was responsible for helming the animated/live-action hybrid feature Peter Rabbit. Scoring Kat Dennings as the female lead has to be good news for both Noble and Gluck, and her casting has been one of the largest pilot deals for an actress this season so far.

Kat Dennings' casting in How May We Hate You? is a great call by ABC and the producers, as it's a role that should feel familiar to audiences. Dennings' Ellie sounds somewhat similar to Max, the character she played in 2 Broke Girls, and while that series was never universally acclaimed by critics, it definitely had its dedicated fans. Dennings is great at playing the whole "service with a begrudging smile," role quite well, and if she gets an equally strong male lead cast at her side, ABC might have a great comedy on its hands. If not, she still has that YouTube Red series with John Cena and the Hulu pilot Dollface, although her involvement in this new project may imply the latter pilot is not moving forward.

The TV pilot season has been churning out newsworthy stuff as of late, so be sure to keep with CinemaBlend and stay on top of all the latest and greatest things that may be heading to television. For information on some shows that will for sure debut at some point this year, visit our midseason premiere guide.

2 Broke Girls was a CBS sitcom that garnered a pretty respectable audience over its six seasons on the air, but it came to a somewhat unceremonious end earlier this year when it was canceled after its Season 6 finale had already aired. Fans would not get to see what happened after the final episode of Season 6 ended, which had to be frustrating. While the episode didn't exactly end on a crazy cliffhanger, it did open the door for an exciting new era for Max and Caroline. Sadly, a Season 7 was not in the cards. Still, star Kat Dennings would be down with returning to the series someday, as she had this to say about the possibility of more 2 Broke Girls:

Kat Dennings is clearly on board to reprise her role as Max at some point in the future, judging by her comments to Yahoo Entertainment. Fans who stuck around the series and followed the lives (and loves) of Max and Caroline were undoubtedly disappointed by the lack of closure that came with the post-finale cancellation, even though the show had been on the bubble for a while. Closure in the form of a TV special would be a solid way to tie up the stories, if another season isn't an option. Given that revivals of everything from The X-Files to Roseanne have gotten the green light in recent years, perhaps a TV special isn't too far-fetched of an idea.

A two-hour special would probably be doable for the cast, if the opportunity arose. They may be moving on with their careers in the aftermath of the 2 Broke Girls cancellation, but getting back together for a special rather than another full season could potentially be squeezed into their schedules. Kat Dennings at least sounds willing to make it work at some point, although she notably didn't give a timeline for when a revival special would work.

That said, Kat Dennings did share some ideas of what could be covered in a special that won't be tackled in a seventh season:

While 2 Broke Girls' future is currently still as empty as Max's bank account, we just might see it return one day in the future. Until we hear more, there are lots of new and returning shows making their way to the small screen in the near future, and they can be found on our fall TV premiere schedule and our 2018 midseason premiere schedule.

This has been a big week for renewals and cancellations on major TV networks, and there's been quite a bloodbath so far. Now, we have one more show to add to the list of those that have gotten the axe. CBS has decided to cancel sitcom 2 Broke Girls, which has been a notable part of the comedy lineup for six years.

Fans have been waiting a while to find out the fate of 2 Broke Girls. Season 6 came to an end back in April, and renewal negotiations between CBS and distributor Warner Bros. TV have been ongoing. There were positive signs recently that CBS and WB could come to an agreement for an abbreviated season of 13-18 episodes. Now, it's clear that agreement never happened, and the Season 6 finale is now the series finale.

The cancellation is likely a result of CBS simply not wanting to pay for another season of 2 Broke Girls. The network doesn't own 2 Broke Girls, yet still has had to cover the cost of production due to how long it has lasted on CBS. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. TV has made off well with the series over the years with syndication sales to other networks, landing a lucrative deal with TBS that scored them $1.7 million per episode. Deadline reports that CBS was looking to share in the profits with WB, but the network and the studio were not able to hammer out the details to both parties' satisfaction.

Although it sounds like the cancellation resulted mostly from a dispute between network and studio, the ratings were nothing to brag about. In Season 6, 2 Broke Girls averaged only 5.62 million viewers and a 1.31 in the valuable 18-49 age demographic in Live+Same day measurements, which is a significant drop from Season 5's average numbers of 6.42 million viewers and a 1.61 rating.

That said, 2 Broke Girls did fare somewhat better in Live+7 day ratings in Season 6, pulling in a 1.8 average in the key demo. The 1.8 rating falls below that of Mom and Life In Pieces and above Man With A Plan and Superior Donuts, all of which have been renewed. Given that 2 Broke Girls tends to skew younger than many CBS series, I have to wonder if CBS will come to regret not hammering out a deal to keep it on the air. It hasn't always made headlines for good reasons, but it will undoubtedly be missed by many.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. Our TV season finale schedule can give you all you need to know about your shows ending.

You ever sit back during a commercial back to look at your own life, wondering how all those characters on TV are scraping by? You really shouldn't stress over such things, since our lives aren't crafted by well-paid writers. And while it's true that some real-life Americans are living lavish existences beyond their means, it usually involves something illegal, and still doesn't match up to your favorite small screen characters' large-scale living. From too-large homes to sky-high expenses, here are 7 TV regulars whose jobs couldn't possibly afford their lifestyles.

Penny Hofstadter (The Big Bang Theory)

While she's now married and sharing an apartment with Leonard, Penny's early situation on The Big Bang Theory was not at all realistic on a financial front. Don't get me wrong, a server can do quite well working at The Cheesecake Factory, but I'm not quite sure you can do Pasadena-well with those tips. With some loose estimations assuming she flubs the numbers on some tips for tax purposes, I put Penny at pulling in about $1,800 a month. When you then put some of the features of her apartment -- one bedroom, hardwood floors, dishwasher -- into some apartment listing sites in the Pasadena area, absolutely nothing comes up in terms of feasible results. The site I used couldn't even find a slum apartment for Penny to sleep in!

Pasadena is a city where rent just below $2,000 is considered a steal and even applying some inflation into the equation, there's almost no way Penny could've swung that rent so early on in the series. Maybe she had a secret slush fund somewhere, or perhaps Leonard floated her some cash considering he was splitting rent with Sheldon?

Al Bundy (Married With Children)

Out of everyone on this list, the Bundy family from Married With Children had about the least glamorous lifestyle on television, at least in how it was presented. It was understood that the family didn't have a lot of extra money, and when you're living on a late '80s shoe salesman's wage (about $4.00 hourly) and living in a two-story home in the Chicago suburbs, that should come as no surprise. The mortgage rate of any three-bedroom multi-level house in most states COULD be possible for someone who makes minimum wage, but it's severely unlike that person could afford anything else, even if it was imperative to survival.

If Peggy Bundy ever would've gotten a steady job, and maybe if they did the laundry as opposed to Peggy buying new clothes all the time, they could probably swing more. I would imagine eating a decent meal that doesn't consist of a "Tangwich" would be motivation enough to for Peggy to pick up a part-time job, or for Al to attempt to find a better one that he actually enjoyed. Also, how did they afford Buck?

Cisco Ramon And Caitlin Snow (The Flash)

I'm not sure what the going rent/mortage rate is in Central City, but I'm guessing "free" isn't it. We've seen the non-impoverished digs of both Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon over the years, and while they're both modest apartments, who is paying for them? It made plenty of sense back in Season 1 of The Flash when Harrison Wells (Eobard Thawne) was on the team, as he was at least well-known and presumably made some handsome sums of money for his breakthroughs in science.

In a world without Wells/Thawne, though, who is paying the S.T.A.R Labs team, or for S.T.A.R. Labs? Seems like the government would have dropped its funding of the laboratory like a hot potato following the particle accelerator incident, and Barry and Joe can't afford to pay both Cisco and Caitlin on their PD salaries. Science can be a high-paying job, but when no one is doing the funding side of things, you're going to have a hard time making ends meet. Maybe the lack of money is what subconsciously drove Caitlin down the path of villainy! We're perfectly fine with Cisco not being rich, since he wasn't the nicest guy in Flashpoint.

Shoshanna Shapiro (Girls)

Let me kick this off by saying none of the main characters in Girls could afford their lifestyles, because come on, but Shoshanna Shapiro was by far the worst offender in that arena. Hands down, she had the best apartment in the series, as well as the most accessories; and that came from being super trendy for years on end. All that, and she didn't even have a job the first 3 seasons of the Girls.

Shoshanna is the youngest of the characters, so it's plausible that she was receiving some type of support from her parents, and that does seem like a safe assumption, considering she was at NYU the first 3 seasons of the show. That would possibly threaten to disqualify her, but it's still an unaffordable lifestyle for her, even if her rent and tuition are paid for. As an interesting side note, Shoshanna's Japanese apartment loft she stayed in when living in Japan runs about $117 a night in Tokyo via Air BNB which is still well out of her price range, but cool to know for anyone vacationing!

Danny Tanner (Full House)

Full House's Danny is a morning show host in San Francisco, and salary sites put a morning anchor in California somewhere around $100k at the time, and that's assuming Danny is really popular in San Francisco. (He was #3 in ratings at one point.) Past reports have said homes in the area of the Tanner household sold for about $750k in the early '90s, which is the info we could find in terms of that specific neighborhood, even though we know the show started in 1987.

Danny can swing that mortgage, but then he has three little girls to raise, as well as two grown men living there that don't always have jobs. Utilities, food, school, and a lot of other activities would put a big strain on Danny's paycheck, although it could be possible his wife had life insurance which could definitely help with some of the costs. (Eesh!) Ultimately, all that struggle would've paid off, as Danny is now sitting on a house valued at around $3 million dollars minimum. It must destroy him knowing that Kimmy Gibbler is now living in it.

Carrie Bradshaw (Sex In The City)

"Rent Controlled" is often the magical solution in New York City TV shows. Any character can have any job in the best part of the city thanks to an old relative that handed it down or some crazy deal that never seems to happen in real life. Honestly, Carrie Bradshaw's apartment is the least of her problems, as she spent cash like no other; and Lord knows how she got it. Sure, Sex In The City was a popular newspaper column, which would probably give great supplemental income to a full-time employee. Carrie wasn't putting her nose to the grindstone in some cubicle, though, as she was out buying expensive clothes, eating expensive meals, wearing expensive shoes, and taking multiple cab rides.

Even if she was getting $1,000 per weekly column in 1998 (and she likely wasn't), there's no way she could begin to rack up such a massive amount of debt throughout the course of her high-class living on TV. Also, what news company was ever doing fantastic enough to offer $4.00 per word (which is her freelance Vogue rate), Carrie? Should I be the one upset I'm not clearing $5k simply by writing this?!

Max Black And Caroline Channing (2 Broke Girls)

It's a show called 2 Broke Girls, so they're supposed to be poor and struggling, and while Max and Caroline don't exactly scream opulence, their living space does. They have a huge Brooklyn apartment that could house quite literally a horse (albeit temporarily). And sure, a server can make more dough at an NYC diner (average $23.34/hr) than some other places, refer back to the title of the show. Furthermore, it may be completely legal to own a pet horse in New York City, byt the logistics alone of feeding, cleaning, and caring for a Brooklyn equine are astronomical and well above the pay grade of 2 waitresses.

With their best stretch of combined income, Max and Caroline still would not be able to float the minimum $2,700 a month you would need to live in this posh neighborhood let alone their super big apartment. Even if they sold Chestnut when they first got him, Max and Caroline would still need about $200 extra (given current horse rates on Google) to float even one month of rent. What I'm saying here is, you won't find any 2 Broke Girls in the Williamsburg neighborhood.

Those are just a few of the many characters on television who are living well beyond their means. Is there anyone we left off? Let us know who we missed in the comments and make your case as well! Also, keep up with your secretly poor pals and their shows via our midseason premiere guide and summer premiere schedule.

There are plenty of key differences between what cable TV can get away with and what broadcast network TV can get away with. On some levels, cable has the freedom to be much more progressive. We're more likely to get F-bombs and sex scenes and graphic violence on cable that we are on network. Still, there's one major way that network television is actually much more progressive than cable. As it turns out, the networks treat the ladies a lot better than on cable. More major characters on broadcast series were female in the 2015 - 2016 TV season than ever before.

In fact, 41% of main characters on network series were female during the 2015 - 2016 season. To compare, only 28% were female on cable, and 39% on streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu. Additionally, networks offer more racial diversity. 17% of all broadcast characters were black women, with a further that were 5% Latina women. According to the San Diego State report entitled "Boxed In 2015-16: Women On Screen and Behind the Scenes in Television" (via The Wrap), female representation is on the rise across the board on network TV.

Returning series in the 2015 - 2016 season brought back leading ladies like Viola Davis of How to Get Away with Murder, Gina Rodriguez of Jane the Virgin, and Kerry Washington of Scandal. It also introduced a few new shows with female leads, including Quantico (starring Priyanka Chopra), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (starring Rachel Bloom), and Scream Queens (with a whole slew of actresses in the major roles). Supergirl introduced the first lead female superhero into a network genre mostly filled with male superheroes. All in all, 2015 - 2016 was a pretty great season for expanding the roster of shows with women as stars.

Shows starring actresses still don't make up even half of network programming, but progress is being made. A few new series with ladies in lead roles are set to debut in the 2016 - 2017 season, including Pitch on Fox and Doubt on CBS. Cable and streaming just aren't keeping up with the networks' increased focus on starring roles for women. Well done, network TV. Well done.

That said, network TV's representation of women isn't perfect. Hit CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls has been criticized for presenting what some consider to be stereotypical caricatures of women, and programming all around often presents female characters more likely to be defined by their relationships to men than by their own accomplishments. Only 26% of the folks working behind the scenes on TV shows - ranging from directors to writers to executive producers - are women. Progress may be picking up for women on network television, but it has pretty much stalled behind the scenes for network and cable alike.

Only time will tell if network television continues its trend of giving more opportunities for women to star in primetime series. Hopefully cable and streaming platforms will become more progressive when it comes to female leading roles in the future. Check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see what you can catch on the small screen in the near future.

It’s that special TV time of year again for a lot of primetime series. Midseason premieres have aired. February sweeps ratings are in. Numbers are being crunched and shows are being evaluated. We’re in renewal/cancellation season, so news from networks can be very big. CBS has now announced a whopping eleven series that will be returning for another season of laughter, adventure, and/or tears. Blue Bloods, Elementary, Hawaii Five-O, Madam Secretary, Mom, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Scorpion, 2 Broke Girls, Survivor, and The Amazing Race have all been renewed.

Other networks have already been announcing renewals, so CBS finally breaking the news about what series will be returning to the roster come Fall 2016 has to be a huge relief for fans of CBS’ lineup. Ratings juggernauts The Big Bang Theory and NCIS had already been renewed to the surprise of exactly nobody. Thanks to the ratings pulled in by all thirteen of these series, CBS will be able to finish this TV season as America’s most-watched network. It will mark CBS’ 13th victory over the past 14 years.

Fans of 2 Broke Girls should be pleased to learn that the network shuffling the sitcom around last fall didn’t affect whether or not it would be granted a sixth season. Elementary hasn’t exactly been crushing ratings records in its four years so far, but the plot has thickened so much this season that the knowledge that a fifth is on the way is awfully reassuring. Despite Season 31 – no, that’s not a typo – dropping the show to record low numbers, Survivor will keep on surviving. Madam Secretary can boast a Morgan Freeman guest spot from earlier in its second season, and the gimmicky premise of Season 28 of The Amazing Race evidently paid off for CBS.

There are some notable absences from the list of renewals. All of the eleven are shows that have already clocked in more than one season. None of the freshman series have yet to be officially renewed, although the odds are looking good, at least, for Supergirl.

The odds aren’t looking nearly as good for The Odd Couple and CSI: Cyber, both of which are returning series that have not been picked up just yet for another go. Given that CSI: Cyber has been struggling in the ratings for some time and has had to deal with big name actor Ted Danson departing, fans of that show may want to start crossing their fingers and wishing on stars.

CBS announcing eleven shows at once is promising that progress is being made, so we probably won’t have to wait too terribly long for news about the rest of the lineup. We’re already losing Mike & Molly, Person of Interest, and The Good Wife; knowing what else we shouldn’t be counting on for 2016 – 2017 could help us make it to May sweeps on CBS without too much stress. At the very least, we deserve some good news on the Criminal Minds front in light of recent events.

CBS is on a renewal spree right now. The eye network announced a couple of comedy show renewals this morning, and now has tacked on a third comedy that will definitely be returning next TV season. The Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs-starrer 2 Broke Girls is officially coming back for Season 5!

Now in its fourth season, Denning’s Max and Behrs’ Caroline have really started to save up for their cupcake business. They’ve had their ups and downs just like other seasons, but despite having to be bailed out of jail at one point, the tally for the cupcake business is going as steady as ever, thanks in part to a nice tip from the one and only Kim Kardashian.

The cupcake money is good (enough) and the ratings are pretty similar to what the show was doing at this point last year, making 2 Broke Girls a pretty safe bet for CBS. (Especially, taking into account the downward ratings trajectory of a lot of TV programs in recent memory.)

As Deadline has pointed out, all of the veteran comedies over at the network have officially been picked up at this point. Mike & Molly and Mom were both signed on earlier this week for new seasons. On top of that, The Big Bang Theory earned a mammoth renewal order for three more seasons last spring, which means we already know two more seasons will be coming after Season 8 wraps up.

So, what’s left to renew on CBS? Well, a lot of dramas, as freshman shows NCIS: New Orleans, Scorpion, and Madame Secretary are the only dramas that have been picked up for next TV season. In addition, CBS has given us nary a peep regarding the new—and well-rated--sitcom The Odd Couple, which stars Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon. On the opposite end of the spectrum, The McCarthys has already been pulled from the schedule and is effectively canceled, although CBS isn’t saying anything about that comedy’s fate, either.

In the meantime, at least we’ll for sure get to see Max and Caroline get up to more shenanigans on Monday nights, although I will say I could probably do without another Kim Kardashian guest stint in the future. 2 Broke Girls is currently airing its fourth season. Catch new episodes on CBS on Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET.

CBS has unveiled their 2014-2015 lineup, and in addition to the return of some old favorites -- The Big Bang Theory, NCIS, Survivor and others -- the Eye is lining up a few new dramas and comedies, among which is the NCIS spinoff, NCIS: New Orleans, a psychological thriller called Stalker and a new ensemble comedy called The McCarthys.

CBS' announcement notes a temporary move back to Monday for The Big Bang Theory, which should help kickstart their new Monday night block, which is now more drama than it is comedy. And though there were false reports that the How I Met Your Mother followup How I Met Your Dad had received an order from the network, there's no mention of it on CBS' lineup nor in their announcement at all. So if that series does end up happening, it doesn't look like it'll be at CBS, though a last minute deal could be made (Deadline says unlikely, but the option ends today.)

Here's what is on the lineup. Click the links to view the trailers!

CBS notes that The Big Bang Theory will return to "its Thursday night home" at some point, after which 2 Broke Girls will air on Monday at 8 p.m., paired with Mom. The rest of Monday night will be dedicated to drama, with new series Scorpion set up at 9 p.m. and NCIS: Los Angeles to follow after. Thursday night will hold the network's four-hour comedy block, as TBBT, The Millers, Two and a Half Men and new series The McCarthys will air ahead of Elementary (eventually). And you'll see new drama Madam Secretary lined up ahead of The Good Wife on Sunday night.

Here's what's coming but isn't on the list:

The Odd Couple, starring Matthew Perry.

Battle Creek, Vince Gilligan's new drama starring Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters.

CSI: Cyber, a new CSI spinoff, starring Patricia Arquette.

The Mentalist, Mike & Molly and Undercover Boss will return later in the season.

Yesterday, word broke that CBS had given a massive 3-season renewal to The Big Bang Theory. Today, good news has come down for eighteen -- yes, eighteen! -- other CBS series, including The Good Wife, NCIS, 2 Broke Girls and others. These aren't three-season renewals, but the network has ensured that a lot of their currently airing programs will be back on the air for the 2014-2015 season.

Here are the CBS shows that will be back next season:

The Big Bang Theory (previously announced)

Survivor (previously announced)

NCIS

NCIS: Los Angeles

Person of Interest

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Hawaii Five-0

Blue Bloods

Criminal Minds

Elementary

The Good Wife

2 Broke Girls

The Millers

Mike & Molly

Mom

Two and a Half Men

The Amazing Race

Undercover Boss

60 Minutes

48 Hours

Seems like they've renewed everything, right? Not quite. The Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar freshman comedy The Crazy Ones isn't on the list, nor is the new drama Intelligence. The Mentalist's fate is also left uncertain. CBS could be waiting until they have a look at the pilots in contention at the network before they make any final decisions on the fate of those shows. New comedies Mom and The Millers both secured themselves sophomore runs, but most of the shows on the list are veteran series. Also left off the list were Summer shows like Under the Dome and Big Brother, but CBS tends to do those renewals separately, apart from the Fall/Spring series, so there's no reason to fret there, at least not yet. Also not included on the list is How I Met Your Mother, however it's been known for quite a while now that the series is on its final season, so that's no surprise.

In the announcement CBS released, Nina Tassler, Chairman of CBS Entertainment noted the benefit of a strong line-up of veteran shows as it relates to new series:

CBS also has new comedies Friends with Better Lives and Bad Teacher on deck to premiere. Bad Teacher's set to arrive in April, and Friends with Better Lives airs March 31. Check out the trailer for that one below...

Lindsay Lohan might not be back to toplining features yet, but she’s certainly taking baby steps in the right direction. On the same week the trailer broke for her documentary series on OWN, the starlet booked a guest starring role on the always popular 2 Broke Girls.

Lohan took to her official Twitter account to hype the news. You can check out the tweet in question below…

According to E! Online, the specifics of the episode will see Lohan play a bride named Claire who enlists Max and Caroline to take care of her wedding cake. Sounds like a win, right? Wrong. Apparently, Lohan will turn into a bridezilla who constantly asks for changes and basically turns the girls’ work lives into a living hell.

The episode in question will air on April 14th, which just so happens to be the first evening the show will take over for How I Met Your Mother in the Monday timeslot it has held for so many years in a row. There’s no reason to think 2 Broke Girls won’t continue that same success, but as with any timeslot, we’ll just have to wait and see.

At one point in time, Lohan was rapidly turning into one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Mean Girls was a smash hit and the future looked really, really bright. Unfortunately, years of below-average movies and brushes with the law sourced her reputation and eventually booted her from the A-list. The trailer for her OWN reality show makes it very clear she realizes this is her last opportunity to get back in the public’s good graces. A guest starring spot on a popular television show like this should help.

Lohan might not be one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood, but she’s a hell of a lot better than people give her credit for. She has a certain magnetism when she’s on screen. She’s able to own a scene and set a tone, and that’s why, despite all of her issues, we should still be rooting for her to crush this guesting spot out of the park.

For a reminder of the good old days, you can watch a clip from Mean Girls below…

While a handful of shows made their debuts last week, this week the major networks will begin to really roll out their fall programming. In addition to the return of some beloved series, tonight has a few new items on the menu, including a CBS comedy and two suspenseful looking dramas. Check out the trailers ahead!

First up, we have Mom, Chuck Lorre's new comedy starring Allison Janney and Anna Faris. as mother and daughter, who are both recovering alcoholics and trying to get along, as Faris' Christ attempts to raise her own daughter.

In addition to Faris and Janney, Mom's cast includes Nate Corddry, French Stewart and Spencer Daniels. Mom premieres tonight (Monday, September 23) at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, after the returns of How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls.

Following Mom is CBS' new drama Hostages, which comes from Jerry Bruckheimer, written by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and stars Toni Collette, a top surgeon who's set to operate on the President of the United States when her family is taken hostage by Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott), a rogue FBI agent who wants her to assassinate the Present while he's on the operating table.

Tate Donovan also stars, playing Toni Collette's character's overbearing husband Brian. Hostages is set to debut tonight at 10:00 p.m. on CBS, competing with NBC's new drama The Blacklist.

Because TV is always better with Spader, we get The Blacklist, NBC's exciting looking new drama from Jon Bokenkamp, which stars James Spader as Red Reddington, one of FBI's most wanted fugitives. Known as "The Concierge of Crime," Reddington's had dealings with criminals all over the world, and for some reason, he's decided to turn himself into the FBI and offer them assistance in catching these criminals, but he'll only work with Liz Keen (Megan Boone).

What's this guy's deal? We're not sure, but The Blacklist sure looks like it could be great. See what Jessica had to say about the series premiere in her review here. And tune in to The Blacklist tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBC.

In addition to the debuts of Mom, The Blacklist and Hostages, tonight's TV lineup also includes the season premieres of How I Met Your Mother (8, CBS), The Voice (8, NBC), 2 Broke Girls (9, CBS) and Castle (10, ABC). And don't forget that Sleepy Hollow returns for its second episode on Fox at 9:00 p.m.

Ready for the fall? Yeah, me neither. The summer TV season is only just getting started but CBS is already getting their ducks in a row for the Fall and those who want to plan ahead can get a look at what the Eye has in store for their viewers come September.

Check out the schedule below. New series are in caps and you can click the links for those to watch the trailers and check out the information that was released for each new series during the up fronts last month.

CBS' fall season begins with the 27th season of Survivor, followed by the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards. But it's not until the last full week of the month that the network will really start rolling things out, beginning with the altered Monday-night comedy line-up on September 23, which begins familiarly enough, with the returns of How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls, which are accompanied by new comedy Mom, and eventually (starting September 30) We Are Men. That newcomer is arriving a week late to the party to make room for How I Met Your Mother's hour-long (final) season premiere. CBS' other comedy night is Thursday, which will host The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men along with The Crazy Ones and The Millers. All of those premiere September 26. Among the returning series, it's mostly business as usual, apart from Hawaii Five-0 moving from Monday to Friday, joining Blue Bloods and Undercover Boss, beginning Friday, September 27.

For the dramas, CBS has the exciting looking thriller-drama Hostages set to premiere on Monday, September 23, while they've already locked Intelligence down to take over the time-slot come midseason (February 24). Not on the list yet, but presumably slated for midseason is Bad Teacher, which did receive a series order.

CBS has announced their 2013-2014 schedule today, revealing their plans to shuffle things around to make room for the four new comedies and new dramas they have joining the line-up. Person of Interest will move to Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m., while Hawaii Five-0 has been shifted to Fridays. The Eye has new series Hostages set to air Monday nights following their two-hour comedy block, which features two returning shows and two new comedies.

While Two and a Half Men will air on Thursday nights as part of CBS' planned two-hour comedy block later in the week, Monday will host How I Met Your Mother, We Are Men, 2 Broke Girls and Mom in that order, followed by Hostages in the fall, then Intellegence during midseason.Mike & Molly will return, but it's been shelved until midseason. Here's the full schedule.

It's going to be interesting to see how Hawaii Five-0 does on Friday nights. On one hand, Fridays isn't always the best night for TV. But on the other hand, it's coming in ahead of Blue Bloods, which tends to do well at the end of the week. It also looks like CBS is ramping up their comedy presence on Thursdays, moving Two and a Half Men to that night to join The Big Bang Theory and newcomers The Millers and The Crazy Ones.

Speaking of newcomers, among the talent joining CBS' lineup are Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men), Anna Farris & Allison Janney (Mom), Will Arnett, Beau Bridges and Margo Martindale (The Millers), Robin Williams & Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones), Dylan McDermott and Toni Collette (Hostages) and Josh Holloway (Intellegence), to name a few. We'll have more information and hopefully some videos to share with you later! In the meantime, check out the other network line-ups and trailers here.

CBS passed along some good news for more than a dozen of their primetime shows. 18 series received renewals from the Eye today, among which are The Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls, NCIS, and newcomer Elementary. CBS is also moving forward with three of their popular reality series, Survivor, The Amazing Race and Undercover Boss.

On the drama side of the renewals, in addition to Elementary, which is this season's most-watched new program, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, The Mentalist and Hawaii Five-0 have secured themselves another run at the network. Below is the full list of eighteen scripted and unscripted shows set to return for the 2013-2014 season.

The Big Bang Theory

How I Met Your Mother

2 Broke Girls

Mike & Molly

NCIS (previously announced)

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

NCIS: Los Angeles

Person Of Interest

Elementary

Hawaii Five-0

The Mentalist

Blue Bloods

The Good Wife

The Amazing Race

Survivor

Undercover Boss

60 Minutes

48 Hours

Note, Two and a Half Men isn't on the list. CBS points out that they're still in discussions with Warner Bros. Television regarding another season of the comedy. So the fate of that one remains uncertain for the time being. The same might be said for Golden Boy and Rules of Engagement, which were also left off the list (and not mentioned in CBS' announcement). The above renewals come ahead of the up fronts this spring, which isn't out of the ordinary for CBS. In fact, the above list looks a lot like last year's list of renewals, which indicates that things are pretty status quo for the network. That's good news for the many fans of their series, who can now enjoy what's left of the above listed shows this season, knowing they'll be back next season.

Rules of Engagement is the little comedy that could, facing struggling ratings (by CBS standards anyway) and a temporary move to Saturdays, the series will chug along to its 100th episode it its upcoming seventh season, which is included among the midseason schedule CBS released today.

While other networks tend to introduce a few new shows to their line-up during midseason, it's mostly business as usual for CBS this winter, with one new drama joining the line-up. Cop series Golden Boy will eventually fill the spot vacated by the cancelled freshman drama Made in Jersey on Friday nights, but before it moves to its regular timeslot before Blue Bloods on Friday nights, the new series will be previewed on Tuesday nights for two weeks, beginning February 26.

Executive produced by Greg Berlanti and Nicholas Wootton, Golden Boy stars Theor James as Walter William Clark, Jr., an ambitious cop who becomes the youngest police commissioner in the history New York City. Chi McBride plays McBride plays a veteran detective and James' character's mentor and partner. Also among the cast is Kevin Alejandro, Holt McCallany, Stella Maev and Bonnie Somerville.

Rules of Engagement will slide into the post-HIMYM time slot on Monday nights, beginning February 4. This spot was previously occupied by CBS' other cancelled freshman series Partners. You can view the full midseason premiere schedule below.

While Sandy may be making her way up the East Coast at the moment, CBS is making sure the hurricane doesn't cause their East Coast viewers to miss their Monday night line-up. The network has decided to air reruns tonight, rather than the previously scheduled new episodes of their comedies and Hawaii Five-0.

CBS originally had new episodes of How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, Partners, Mike & Molly and Hawaii Five-0 set to air tonight during their three-hour primetime block, however due to the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, who from what I hear, has already knocked down trees and caused power outages in some areas, the network has opted to show reruns tonight. EW confirmed this, stating that CBS is pushing the schedule off by one week due to the storm. The CW is doing the same, with 90210 and Gossip Girl tonight, so those hoping to catch new episodes of the network's dramas will either be disappointed (if they have power and functioning cable) or relieved to know they haven't missed anything, if they're among those without power.

ABC is set to air a new episode of Castle and presumably Dancing with the Stars as scheduled. We haven't heard of any scheduling changes from NBC so unless we post an update stating otherwise, a new episode of The Voice and Revolution will air as planned.

It's annoying when weather causes changes to the TV schedule, but given the varying degrees of devastation a hurricane can cause, we can only hope that a bit of primetime rescheduling is the worst inconvenience people experience while this storm passes through. To all those in Sandy's path, stay safe and dry!

Party Down’s Ryan Hansen is signed on for the movie version of Starz’s cult comedy, but in the interim, he’s been taking some short term gigs to supplement his resume. The actor will be joining the CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls in a recurring role that will pit him as competition for our two loveable, broke protagonists. He also may get the chance to play a love interest.

Hansen is set to play Candy Andy, a character that is described as a “Willy Wonka” type of person, who, you guessed it, produces candy for a living. TV Line first broke the news, also noting Candy Andy will run into Max and Caroline during the course of one of their cupcake sales pitches.

Hansen is expected to show up in the sixth episode of the season, and TV Line is speculating the handsome young actor may find himself the romantic opposite of Caroline, who isn’t currently dating anyone on the program. I’m not so certain this will go down. As cute as Hansen is, any character with a touch of Willy Wonka in them is bound to be a little off his or her rocker. Still, Hansen’s set for a recurring role, and that means the writers will have to find some sort of extended plotline for the actor. Besides, half the fun will be figuring out whether Candy Andy will simply be a bothersome competitor, an ally, or even more than a friend.

You can catch CBS’ 2 Broke Girls when it premieres on Monday, September 24, at 9 p.m. ET.

CBS renewed more than a dozen TV series, which join the previously renewed The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. Not all of the network’s shows made the list, but it looks like most of the network’s Monday night comedy line-up will be left intact.

CBS made the announcement today that they’ve renewed a number of series, including NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Good Wife, Mike & Molly, and of course, 2 Broke Girls. No surprise there, given the new comedy series’ strong ratings. Here’s the full list of comedies, dramas and unscripted series set to return next season...

Renewed:

NCIS

NCIS: Los Angeles

Hawaii Five-0

Criminal Minds

CSI

Person of Interest

The Mentalist

Blue Bloods

The Good Wife

The Amazing Race

Undercover Boss

Survivor

2 Broke Girls

Mike & Molly

The Big Bang Theory

How I Met Your Mother

60 Minutes

48 Hours Mystery

According to TV Guide, talks are in the works between CBS and Warner Bros. on the fate of Two and a Half Men. And absent from the list are CSI: NY, CSI: Miami, Unforgettable, A Gifted Man, Rob, Rules of Engagement and NYC 22, which doesn’t premiere until next month. I suppose it’s possible some of those shows could receive late pick-ups. CBS may be waiting to see how things look on the pilot front before they make final decisions on the remaining comedies and dramas.

The TCA panel for new CBS series 2 Broke Girls didn’t go quite as expected today. Show creator and executive producer Michael Patrick King was surprised by the criticism thrown at him during the session, including accusations of stereotyping and inappropriate humor, but stood his ground and defended the series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It’s been brought up before – the question of whether Matthew Moy’s Asian character Han Lee is a racial stereotype given little in the way of dimension. King was quick to point out that most of the jokes thrown at Moy’s character were more to do with height than race. He also defended the show against the question of requests from CBS to “dimensionalize” the characters, requesting that critics give the show some time to add dimension to characters only “seen in segments of 21 minutes.”

King also called on comic license to defend stereotyping and pointed out that as a gay man, he isn’t offended by gay jokes. He added that such jokes are “about being a comedy writer” as well as the ability to “poke fun at what people think about other people”. He bristled at the suggesting that he was using his sexual preference as a license to make jokes about other marginalized groups.

Ethnic stereotypes were not the only issue thrown at King, who was joined on the panel by the show’s stars Kat Denning and Beth Behrs. Up next he was asked to defend the show’s somewhat lowbrow humor and free use of the word “vagina”. King stepped up to respond that:

King stated leaving the discussion that he was disappointed in the results, having expected it to be “a blast”. Instead it seems he just got blasted. Stereotypes on TV are nothing new and show up in comedy frequently; the use of satire is a big part of getting laughs. Can a show be funny without making fun of anyone? Possibly - but I can't think of a single sitcom that hasn't done it at some point. Crass lowbrow comedies count among some of the best in history: Married With Children and Roseanne just to name two. The question really comes down to whether King's characters really do have heart and dimension - and time will tell.

CBS has their premiere schedule set up for the Fall 2011 season. Changes in CBS’ schedule are minimal as network adds in a few new comedies and procedurals to go with the rest of their primetime programming, which consists largely of comedies and procedurals. The eye does have a couple of reality shows and it’s Survivor that’s on deck to start things off with its 23rd edition premiere set to air on September 14th.

The rest of the premieres begin airing the following week, starting on Monday, September 19th with the season premieres of How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and Hawaii Five-0, along with the series premiere of 2 Broke Girls.

CBS’ Monday night comedy block starts out with a double dose of How I Met Your Mother on September 19th, however Mike and Molly returns the following Monday, pushing 2 Broke Girls into its regular timeslot (8:30 p.m. after HIMYM). Unforgettable premieres after the two hour NCIS/NCIS: Los Angeles block on Tuesday nights. Procedural enthusiasts will appreciate that, as well as Wednesday night’s lineup, which includes Criminal Minds and CSI.

Thursday night is a blend of comedy and dramas with The Big Bang Theory and eventually How to Be a Gentleman on at 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. respectively, followed by hour-long dramas Person of Interest and The Mentalist. And those who love The Good Wife, The Amazing Race and CSI: Miami will find them on Sunday nights.

A Gifted Man, which sounds more like a serialized drama than a procedural, is set to premiere on Friday nights, followed by CSI: NY and cop drama Blue Bloods.

Last but not least, CBS has Rules of Engagement tucked away on Saturday night, where I expect many will forget about it or else, mistake it for a rerun should they happen across it.