BYUtv’s Fall Premieres Feature Puppet Sitcom “9 Years to Neptune,” and More [VIDEO]

BYUtv, a family entertainment network available over cable, satellite, and free streaming, today announced the premiere dates of its fall programming, including “9 Years to Neptune” – a new scripted workplace comedy set in outer space and featuring puppets and live actors. The network will also present a unique symphonic concert special from beloved performer Marie Osmond, as well as the Halloween premiere of a fresh limited series adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s “The Canterville Ghost” from BBC Studios Productions for BYUtv, starring Anthony Head. New sci-fi sitcom “Overlord and the Underwoods” will debut on the BYUtv app in concert with the show’s fall 2021 worldwide launch.

Returning series include season 14 of sketch hit “Studio C,” season eight of genealogy-based competition “Relative Race,” season seven of hidden-camera series “Random Acts,” season four of sports competition “All-Round Champion,” season three of unscripted animal show “The Wizard of Paws,” the second half of season three of the service-focused “Making Good” and season three of the music-focused “Grace Notes,” along with the sophomore returns of the inspirational “Hello Sunday” and “Artful.” All aired episodes of all programming will be available to stream for free on the BYUtv app and @ BYUtv.org.

The fall premiere schedule of new and returning shows is as follows:

Sunday, September 5

“Artful” (season two) @ 12:30PM ET/10:30AM MT/9:30AM PT

Tuesday, September 7

“All-Round Champion” (season four) @ 8PM ET/6PM MT/5PM PT

Sunday, September 19

“Relative Race” (season eight) @ 8PM ET/6PM MT/5PM PT

Wednesday, September 22

“Making Good” (season three return) @ 7:30PM ET/5:30PM MT/4:30PM PT

Monday, September 27

“Studio C” (season 14) @ 7PM ET/5PM MT/4PM PT

“9 Years to Neptune” (season one) @ 7:30PM ET/5:30PM MT/4:30PM PT (SERIES PREMIERE)

Friday, October 1

“An Evening with Marie” @ 9PM ET/7PM MT/6PM PT

Sunday, October 3

“Hello Sunday” (season two) @ 2PM ET/12PM MT/11AM PT (special time)

“Grace Notes” (season three) @ 2:30PM ET/12:30PM MT/11:30AM PT (special time)

Wednesday, October 6

“Random Acts” (season seven) @ 7PM ET/5PM MT/4PM PT

Sunday, October 10

“Grace Notes” (season three) @ 12PM ET/10AM MT/9AM PT (regular time)

“Hello Sunday” (season two) @ 1:30PM ET/11:30AM MT/10:30AM PT (regular time)

Wednesday, October 27

“The Wizard of Paws” (season three) @ 8PM ET/6PM MT/5PM PT

Sunday, October 31

“The Canterville Ghost” (limited series) @ 9PM ET/7PM MT/6PM PT (SERIES PREMIERE)

“BYUtv brings families together, both around the TV and in life, and more than ever before through this year’s fall lineup of unscripted stories, competition, and comedy,” said Andra Johnson Duke, head of content at BYUtv. “All the core fan favorites are back, from long-running hits ‘Studio C‘ and ‘Relative Race‘ to successes from recent years like ‘All-Round Champion‘ and ‘The Wizard of Paws.’ We’re honored to present Marie Osmond’s stunning new concert special and to partner with BBC Studios to share our retelling of ‘The Canterville Ghost‘ with audiences for the first time. And the endearing puppets of ‘9 Years to Neptune‘ infuse the show with just the kind of wacky, yet sophisticated humor that both young and old will absolutely fall in love with.”

“9 Years to Neptune” is BYUtv’s new, hilarious scripted workplace comedy for the whole family. An eccentric billionaire decides to fund a mission to Neptune, but he insists on doing it on the cheap. He assembles a ragtag group of misfit puppets, including Hollywood’s top actor, a hot tub repairman, Britain’s craziest scientist, and a hypochondriac doctor. This mismatched crew learns life lessons as they work together to reach the solar system’s most distant planet. Space travel has never been so much fun… or dysfunctional!

Noah Kershisnik and Andriana Manfredi star, with voices and puppeteering provided by Nate Begle, Dallin Blankenship, Tyler Campbell, Julia Jolley, Calvin Lester, Andy Manjuck, Tori Pence, Ambyr Reyes, Yolanda Stange, and Cedric Williams. “9 Years to Neptune” is produced by Cosmic Pictures (“Stalking Santa,” “Making Good“) and BYUtv.

Filmed at the scenic red rocks of the Tuacahn Amphitheatre, “An Evening with Marie” celebrates multihyphenate Marie Osmond’s talent and versatility, with song selection ranging from her iconic tune “Paper Roses” to a cover of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” to a new Broadway medley, all accompanied by the Southwest Symphony. Two special guests will join Marie onstage – her nephew David Osmond (“American Idol”) and Daniel Emmet (“America’s Got Talent”), also performing numbers of their own. The concert repertoire will feature songs from her upcoming symphonic classical and Broadway album, including “Flower Duet,” “The Prayer” (with Emmet), and “But the World Goes ‘Round.” “An Evening with Marie” is produced by Kaleidoscope Pictures (“Christmas Under the Stars,” “Studio C“) and BYUtv.

On Halloween, BYUtv will premiere “The Canterville Ghost,” produced in the U.K. by BBC Studios Productions with a cast of notable British actors. Set in leafy 21st century rural England, “The Canterville Ghost” sees American tech billionaire Hiram Otis buy Canterville Chase, unaware that the contents include a malevolent family ghost, Sir Simon de Canterville, who has been haunting the premises for centuries. The four-part contemporary reimagining of the classic Oscar Wilde comedy revolves around three families – the aristocratic Cantervilles, the Romani Lovells, and the American Otises – who must come together to find redemption and heal the past.

The accomplished cast of “The Canterville Ghost” includes Anthony Head (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer“), James Lance (“Ted Lasso“), Caroline Catz (“Doc Martin“), Laurel Waghorn (“Holby City“), Carolyn Pickles (“Broadchurch“), Haydn Gwynne (“The Windsors“), Jack Bardoe (“Belgravia“), Harry Gostelow (“The Crown“), Lizzy Connolly (“Call the Midwife“), Fred Fergus (“Wonder Woman“), Jeff Rawle (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire“), Harry Taurasi (“The Borgias“), Cathy Tyson (“Mona Lisa“) and Jonty Stephens (“Life on Mars“), among others. “The Canterville Ghost” is produced by BBC Studios Productions (“Father Brown,” “Shakespeare & Hathaway“) for BYUtv, with BBC Studios distributing internationally.

“Overlord and the Underwoods” follows the Underwoods, whose life is turned upside down when their distant cousin, Overlord, the second most-wanted villain in the universe, seeks refuge in their home after being forced into intergalactic witness protection. After snitching out his boss, the evil Mega-Lord Supreme, Overlord is sent to live with his incredibly nice, distant cousins on Planet Earth. Over the course of the series, the evil Overlord and the very sweet Underwoods discover a thing or two about each other as they learn to treasure the value of family and the importance of true friendship, diversity, and compassion.

The new sitcom stars Ari Resnick (“Ranger Rob“), Troy Feldman (“Reign“), Patrice Goodman (“The Umbrella Academy“), Darryl Hinds (“Designated Survivor“), and Kamaia Fairburn (“Holly Hobbie“). “Overlord and the Underwoods” is produced by marblemedia in association with Cloudco Entertainment, CBC, Nickelodeon International, ITV, and BYUtv. It will debut on the BYUtv app in concert with the show’s fall 2021 worldwide launch.

BYUtv’s returning original programming slate this fall includes season 14 of long-running, viral sketch comedy series “Studio C” with an updated cast, including original cast member Jason Gray and new featured players Megan Rico and Naomi Winders; season eight of “Relative Race,” the first family-history based competitive reality show, which follows four teams as they meet relatives linked by DNA for the first time in a race throughout the United States; season seven of “Random Acts,” an unscripted hidden-camera reality show that highlights the altruistic nature of human beings by featuring real people who are the recipients of random acts of kindness; the fourth season of “All-Round Champion,” with outstanding young athletes competing in each other’s sports, for the first time including both summer and winter sports, a para athlete, and host Perdita Felicien mentoring on hurdles; “The Wizard of Paws” season three, with animal prosthetist Derrick Campana as he travels the country in pursuit of all kinds of animals in desperate need of his services; and the mid-season return of “Making Good” season three with host Kirby Heyborne, who loves helping people and eagerly volunteers for organizations regardless of the circumstances and his background or experience.

BYUtv’s Sunday lineup is anchored by season three of “Grace Notes,” hosted by Elaine Bradley from Neon Trees and showcasing exclusive performances and interviews with Amy Grant, Michelle T. Williams, Ben Rector, Michael W. Smith, CeCe Winans, Kirk Franklin, and many others; season two of “Hello Sunday,” sharing stories about life’s little miracles from across the globe with experts in everything from ballet and mountain climbing to fashion design and space engineering; and season two of “Artful,” providing a rare, intimate glimpse into the lives of artists, the inner workings of the creative spirit and how personal faith influences them and their art.

BYUtv is available across the country via cable, satellite, and multiple digital media platforms. For a complete listing of BYUtv’s programming and to view full episodes, visit www.byutv.org or download the app. BYUtv streams for free with no subscriptions, in-app purchases, or ads. The network is always streaming live, and past and current seasons are all available to binge.