Fans of workplace mockumentaries have it good this week, thanks to the DVD releases for NBC’s longtime Thursday-night favorite The Office and recent newbie Parks and Recreation.

The Office returns for its sixth season on Thursday, September 17, at 9pm ET. Catch up on everything that happened during the fifth season with the five-disc boxed set, which contains all 26 episodes and numerous features, including webisodes.

Saturday TV is looking up this weekend.
Tonight (June 6), CBS will air “The Party,” the 16th and last new episode of the rookie comedy Worst Week. The network officially canceled the sitcom last month, although viewers and industry watchers saw it coming long before that.

Since the summer is almost here, some networks are doing a bit of seasonal cleaning to get rid of the residue left behind by all the series they just canceled last month or earlier. The good news for us TV fans is that we now get the chance to say a final goodbye to some of …read more

Worst Week fans, don’t forget that tomorrow night’s new episode is the first-season finale for the newbie.
Judging from the title “The Epidural,” it’s safe to guess that it’s baby time for Sam and Mel. Yet, before the big arrival, Sam manages to wind up at the wrong hospital after Mel calls him with the news she’s in labor and he misunderstands the name.
Worst Week hasn’t been renewed for a second season yet, but the show’s chances are more good than bad. I personally find it just mildly entertaining, but it pulls in decent ratings, no doubt thanks to …read more

Fans of CBS’ Monday-night comedy lineup can rejoice right now because the two-hour block resumes tonight with all new episodes from all four sitcoms.
The gimmick casting of note is the appearance of The Hills cast members Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt on How I Met Your Mother, along with additional guest stars Kendra Wilkinson, the Playboy Playmate from The Girls Next Door, and Kim Kardashian of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
CBS is billing all of the guests as reality stars, but considering the female cameos, I thought the casting was going to have something to do with a wet-dream sequence …read more

In case you missed the news, rookie sitcoms Kath & Kim on NBC and Gary Unmarried on CBS have both received full-season orders of 22 and 20 episodes, respectively, from their home networks.
Considering the fact that neither show is posting impressive ratings, the pickups seem to demonstrate a new reality in the current climate of sluggish viewership: nurture the shows with potential to perform better in the future, or at least hang on to those shows you already have in the stable to keep your schedule free of holes.
Less-than-stellar average ratings of about 6 million (Kath & Kim) and 7.4 …read more

Lifetime Premieres Rita Rocks
And Nicole Richie guests on Chuck.
Notable Comedy TV scheduled for Monday, October 20 follows.
All times are Eastern Standard.
The Big Bang Theory — The Euclid AlternativeLeonard confronts Sheldon about his fear of driving.[8pm-8:30pm | CBS]
Chuck — Chuck Versus the CougarsNicole Richie guest stars as Sarah’s high school nemesis Heather, whose marriage to a major player in a new investigation, her husband Mark (Ben Savage), causes Sarah much anxiety, especially at their high school reunion.[8pm-9pm | NBC]

Emmy-Winning Samantha Who? Is Back!
Notable Comedy TV scheduled for Monday, October 13 follows.
All times are Eastern Standard.
The Big Bang Theory — The Griffin EquivalencyAfter his article is published, Raj gets flush with momentary fame and puts the moves on Penny. It’s not too hard to guess how that will ultimately end (Poor Raj!).[8pm-8:30pm | CBS]
Chuck — Chuck Versus the Break-UpOh, yeah! Chuck’s college nemesis Bryce Larkin (Matthew Bomer) appears out of nowhere — love it when he visits — and a touchy-feely assignment that requires him to team up again with his old partner and ex-lover Sarah makes …read more

Catch the Final Monday-Night Life
In addition to new Chuck and CBS sitcoms.
Notable Comedy TV scheduled for Monday, October 6 follows.
All times are Eastern Standard.
The Big Bang Theory — The Barbarian SublimationPoor Penny gets addicted to online gambling when Sheldon shows her the ropes.[8pm-8:30pm | CBS]
Chuck — Chuck Versus the SeductionThe long-anticipated arrival of guest star John Larroquette (Boston Legal, Night Court) is finally here. He plays renowned debonair spy Roan Montgomery, while The O.C. veteran Melinda Clarke portrays an enchanting spy known as the Black Widow. In order to go undercover to successfully retrieve the Cipher from the …read more

Original Air Date: September 29, 2008
I’m sensing possible issues ahead for Worst Week because the second episode is nowhere near as funny as the series pilot. Hopefully, the difference is just a fluke.
Realizing he’ll probably never make any headway with her father, Sam decides to focus all of his energy and charm on Mel’s mother Angela instead. The idea is to get her to like him so that her approval will somehow rub off on her husband Dick. First things first, though, such as getting over the vomit in the vase incident (Mel’s morning sickness) and walking …read more

This just in: Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winner (1987’s Moonstruck) and multiple Emmy nominee Olympia Dukakis is taking her act to CBS’ new hit sitcom Worst Week.
Dukakis is set to guest star on the episode called “The Ring” as Melanie’s paternal grandmother June Clayton. That would make her the mother of intimidating judge Dick Clayton, so hopefully her appearance will explain a thing or two about her son’s sour disposition.
But, of course, Worst Week is mostly about bumbling Sam. That’s why the plot centers around him losing the invaluable wedding rings that belonged to June’s own grandparents …read more