Executives at basic cable’s TBS are surely excited about the premiere of the network’s first original 60-minute comedy tonight, November 16, at 10pm ET. Called Glory Daze, the series features a mix of feel-good male camaraderie and familiar youthful — and often testosterone-fueled — hijinks.

Brought to us by creators and executive producers Walt Becker (Wild Hogs) and Michael LeSieur (You, Me and Dupree), Glory Daze revolves around four college-aged teenagers entering a new stage in their lives as they begin freshman year at an Indiana university in 1986. Playing the four college students are relatively unknown actors Kelly Blatz (Aaron Stone) as middle-of-the-road Joel, Drew Seeley (Freshman Father) as staunch conservative Jason, Harley Sawyer (Killian) as baseball ace Brian and clear comedy standout Matt Bush (High School) as aspiring non-virgin and ladies’ man Eli.

How the four distinct guys end up hanging out together and reluctantly checking out potential fraternities to pledge is just part of the story during the premiere episode. Most of the action depicts how zany situations can get when hormonal college students gather in one place for any length of time, as a continual stream of nostalgia-inducing 1980s music plays in the background. However, the extra length beyond a typical half-hour sitcom also allows viewers to get a taste of — among other things — Joel’s family, including his parents played by former Saturday Night Live cast member Cheri Oteri and Everybody Loves Raymond vet Brad Garrett, and a few quirky faculty members, or at least the bitter divorced professor that Saturday Night Live alum Tim Meadows portrays.

Is Glory Daze comedy gold? Not even close. But if you lower your expectations and accept the inevitable — namely that there’s going to be a lot that seems similar to past college-themed shows and movies, such as the ABC Family dramedy Greek and the oft-mentioned classic 1978 flick Animal House — you might be able to find enough in the newcomer to keep you watching.

Sneak a peek at Glory Daze below before its 10pm premiere.

If you’re a fan of TBS sitcom My Boys, I sure hope you enjoyed the last four seasons as much as I did because the end has officially arrived. This week, the network announced its decision to ax the Chicago-set comedy after four good-natured seasons, the fourth of which just closed last Sunday, September 12. Bummer.

What’s even worse at this point, if you were hoping to catch series regulars Jordana Spiro and Kyle Howard in the upcoming NBC series Love Bites (Spiro) and Perfect Couples (Howard), stop hoping now. Both shows let the actors go due to their obligations on now-defunct My Boys. *sigh* Sometimes TV Land just isn’t fair.

Well, at least fans can catch Reid Scott on the hit rookie Showtime comedy The Big C. He plays the character Dr. Todd Miller on the Monday-night series, which has become an instant hit. No doubt his former colleagues will turn up in new projects soon, too.

…Except for PJ’s older brother, that is. One of the first things viewers learn during the double-episode July 25 Season Four premiere of enjoyable TBS sitcom My Boys is that the Jim Gaffigan character Andy Franklin is no longer around due to a family move abroad for work purposes.

Equally distressing for Brendan and Mike is the fact that both PJ and Bobby as well as Stephanie and Kenny are officially and openly coupled up. That reality makes them the only two single dudes left in the group, which is a difficult situation to endure at their age.

“Addition by Subtraction,” the 10pm ET season premiere proper, focuses on the Andy development, while the 10:30pm second episode, “Gourmets and Confused,” elaborates on the Brendan and Mike issue. Both installments make it clear that Kellee Stewart, who plays PJ’s no-nonsense best friend Stephanie to perfection, will be much more prominent during the new season, which is definitely something to be happy about if you ask me.

So, now that Andy’s (temporarily?) no longer in the picture, PJ and her boys must find a replacement to fill his seat during their regular poker games. “Addition by Subtraction” gives us insight into the lengthy selection process as the gang “audtions” various potential new members. Needless to say, choosing the ideal person isn’t an easy task, especially since the newcomer has to fit in well with the longtime group members, who we all know can be a tad judgmental when it comes to outsiders.

The hourlong season opener ends with a date night of sorts during “Gourmets and Confused.” While PJ, Booby, Stephanie, and Kenny deal with the aftermath of a disappointing “adult” double date at a swank restaurant, left-out Brendan and Mike head to an upscale bar, where they manage to meet two surprisingly classy women.

But how will the evening end when they bump into their coupled friends later at their usual hangout, Crowley’s Tavern? Actually, not as bad as you might think, which is just one reason why it’s great to be back in Chicago with Team PJ for the summer. Fans can expect nine great episodes during the fourth season, and if we’re lucky, perhaps a fifth-season renewal.

Preview My Boys‘ fourth-season premiere “Addition by Subtraction” in the sneak peek below. A quick video recap of the show’s third season also follows for those who need a refresher.

Today, June 7, is a pretty big day for TBS. At 10pm ET, the comedy-oriented basic-cable network will air “Sorfindesdrillsalgoho,” the debut episode of the new show Neighbors from Hell. And, yes, that title actually means something.

The first-ever original primetime animated series at TBS is a Fox TV Animation and MoonBoy production with Madagascar and South Park producer heritage, featuring the effective voice work of familiar TV faces like Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens), Will Sasso (MADtv), Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live), and Kurtwood Smith (That ’70s Show). It revolves around the decidedly green and fang-y Hellman family — a name that reminds me of the condiment instead of their origins — who get sent on a mission by Satan to prevent humans from ruining the underworld with their pesky drills.

Of course, Hell natives who live among humans must fit in to avoid revealing their true intentions, which is a tad difficult to accomplish when your complexion is obviously off and you have noticeably long and pointy eye teeth. But the Hellmans do what they have to, and in the process, they notice something interesting about humans — they’re not all that heavenly.

The Hellman family consists of patriarch Balthazor (Sasso), his wife Tina (Shannon), their children Josh (David Soren) and Mandy (Tracey Fairaway), Uncle Vlaartark (Kyle McCulloch), and the family pooch Pazuzu (Patton). Smith voices Kilbride, Bathalzor’s very “direct” boss, and McCulloch also provides the vocals for Bathalzor’s Turkish colleague Chevdet.

I’m sure I won’t be the only viewer who repeatedly thinks about previous spooky-themed series like The Munsters and The Addams Family every time I watch Neighbors from Hell. So, let me just point out now that there are certain similarities, such as the huge size and affable personalities of Balthazor and Herman Munster, for example, and the prickly disposition of their respective wives Tina and Lily. Then there’s oddball Uncle Vlaartark, who could possibly outdo Uncle Fester in the creepy department.

Also make no mistake about the intended audience for the show, which explains its 10pm time slot. Although the series is animated and revolves around a family, some of the humor is very mature and clearly not intended for young’uns. I like what I saw during the first episode, however, including the creative look of the characters and settings, and I intend to watch for the rest of the season.

Learn more about Neighbors from Hell and the people responsible for it in the following behind-the-scenes featurette.

TBS has a brand-new sitcom called Are We There Yet? premiering at 9pm ET on June 2. From executive producer Ice Cube, who also has a recurring role, the comedy is based on the 2005 movie of the same name starring him and Third Watch alumna Nia Long.

The series premiere “The Hyphenated Name Episode” begins where the flick ended, with couple Nick (Terry Crews of Everybody Hates Chris) and Suzanne (Essence Atkins of Half & Half) newly married for six months and setting up a blended life together with their two adolescent children, Lindsey (The Naked Brothers Band‘s Teala Dunn) and Kevin (newcomer Coy Stewart).

The show revolves around the challenges of combining two families in a world where divorces are common. So, in that spirit, the first episode features Nick dealing with his belief that Lindsey and Kevin no longer love him as much and Suzanne’s issues with what her name should be now, hence the punctuation nature of the title.

Ice Cube drops by to play Suzanne’s brother, who just happens to be a member of SWAT and acts like it. Longtime sitcom fans will also be happy to see Family Matters and Gimme a Break! veteran Telma Hopkins, who portrays Nick’s mother, a woman who doesn’t let “maturity” stop her from getting around. Keesha Sharp (Girlfriends) and Christian Finnegan (Chappelle’s Show) complete the cast as Suzanne’s high life-loving best friend Gigi and Nick’s business owner best friend Martin, respectively.

Similar to its established comedy hits House of Payne and Meet the Browns, TBS has ordered an initial ten episodes of Are We There Yet? to see how the rookie performs. If it meets the network’s ratings expectations, then the possibility of an additional 90-episode pickup may become reality.

It definitely helps that the series will air in hourlong double-episode blocks at 9pm, sandwiched between hourlong double-episode blocks of the two Tyler Perry staples at 8pm and 10pm. In fact, viewers who enjoy the older shows will most likely find the newest sitcoms entertaining, too…

…And vice versa, meaning people who don’t care for the older shows will probably find little or nothing to like in Are We There Yet?, as well. But as long as the target audience shows up, the future looks good for Ice Cube’s television venture. Personally, I’d tune in to each episode just to watch Crews busting a few surprisingly modern moves during the opening credits. I had no idea he could get get down like that.

Preview the very first scene of the very first Are We There Yet? episode in the following sneak peek.

Yale graduate, In Living Color alum, and Chocolate News creator David Alan Grier is heading back to the tube tonight, June 28, to host a TBS standup-comedy special called David Alan Grier: Comedy You Can Believe In.

The program is part of the cable network’s A “Very Funny” Festival: Just for Laughs, a series of comedy events that were filmed around Chicago from June 17 to 21 and that are currently airing in hourlong presentations hosted by well-known comedy veterans.

Former Saturday Night Live player Martin Short got things off to a rousing start on Friday, followed by daytime talker Ellen DeGeneres on Saturday, and now, tonight, Grier. Like the others, the third presentation features a number of talented comics doing their thing to make viewers laugh, such as Grier’s old friend Mark Curry from the 1992–1997 ABC sitcom Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper and former Last Comic Standing competitor Ralph Harris.

I had the chance to throw a few questions Grier’s way during an interview in support of the special. The bulk of the Q&A is live at the comedy-TV website Comedy Centric, with a teaser below to whet your appetite and motivate you to click on over for the rest of the goods. And don’t forget to check out David Alan Grier: Comedy You Can Believe In on TBS at 10pm ET tonight when you’re all done.

Did training in Shakespeare at Yale in any way help you prepare for the type of comedy you do now?

DAVID ALAN GRIER: I’m going to say yes and no. Probably yes when I’m having a really bad night where you just have to persevere and keep going. Did it help me? Yeah. I think so. I never imagined my career would go through the travails that it has.

I mean, there was a point where my goal was to be like in the chorus of a Bus Set truck production of a play because I thought, “Wow, what fun.” You ride in a bus across the country with other actors and you act every night. So, thankfully my goals were a lot higher than that, but I feel like I’ve had a great career.

Well, you are classically trained. You went to Yale. And I know that you want to do more drama, so I’m curious about The Nation.

DAVID ALAN GRIER: Okay, look. People ask me about that, the Wikipedia thing [Wikipedia states without citing a source that Grier is set to play controversial Nation of Islam figure Louis Farrakhan in a musical, then quotes the following remark attributed to Grier: "It has always been a dream of mine to take the controversy filled life of Minister Farrakhan and incorporate song and intricate dance routines. I really feel this could be my career defining role"]. The best I can gather is I was making a joke that someone put in there as verbatim.

That’s hilarious.

DAVID ALAN GRIER: Read it. It is material. Come on. Everybody tells me about The Nation, the Louis Farrakhan musical, because I was trying to think of something bizarre that would never actually happen, and now by way of the Internet, people actually think I am doing it.

It might need to happen now.

DAVID ALAN GRIER: Yes. Yes it might. Yes. Exactly. I’m backed into yet another interesting project.

Ever since NBC announced last month — at the very last minute possible — that it wasn’t going to renew the sitcom My Name Is Earl for another season, fans and the show’s production studio, Twentieth Century Fox TV, had hoped another network would step in to rescue the comedy. Well, on June 11, those hopes evaporated because My Name Is Earl reached the end of the line and became officially over after four seasons.

According to Variety and other entertainment news outlets, My Name Is Earl‘s last potential savior, Turner-owned basic-cable network TBS, has passed this week on the chance to continue airing fresh episodes of the comedy, just like Fox and ABC before it. The reason is reportedly because the two sides, TBS and Twentieth Century, couldn’t reach a financial agreement that would avoid significant cuts from the sitcom’s cast, production budget, and writing staff.

If there’s any good news in all of this — and I’m sure no news is consolation to the show’s team right now — it’s that enough episodes of My Name Is Earl were produced to continue airing in syndication for some time to come — 96, to be exact, just four short of the hallmark 100. TBS is the place to catch those syndicated episodes as of last year.

Both My Boys and Sons of Anarchy received the highest form of approval possible from their respective networks this week when each series was rewarded with an additional season.

As a result of the renewals, fans of My Boys can look forward to a third season of nine episodes during the first quarter of 2009, and those who enjoy Sons of Anarchy will get a second season with thirteen episodes next year, too.

Since the latter show hasn’t even aired its sixth episode yet — that happens tonight with “AK-51” — there’s no telling where the story will resume when the sophomore run begins. But, as viewers know, My Boys closed its last season with a huge cliffhanger that saw Bobby (Kyle Howard) finally realizing he has feelings for PJ (Jordana Spiro) just as PJ struck up a relationship with his brother during preparations for his wedding. Thank goodness we’ll get to see how that twisted predicament ends!