Friday, August 18, 2017
Fri-Yay: Sitcom Reboots; ABC and CBS Set Fall Preview Specials
by Vincent
It's no secret that networks have gotten into a little bit of "remake frenzy" over the past couple of years. From Girl Meets World to Fuller House to One Day at a Time to the upcoming relaunches of Will & Grace and Roseanne, networks seem desperate to recapture the hits of yesterday rather than coming up with...well, new hits. Granted, maybe that's not totally fair - there are plenty of beloved modern sitcoms that have found audiences, particularly now that streaming services have entered the mix. And yet, networks currently seem obsessed with the past. Business-wise, it makes sense - a service like Netflix is inviting tons of potential new subscribers by bringing back past favorites with built in fanbases like Full House and Gilmore Girls, and network television would be lucky if even half of the audiences of hits like Will & Grace and Roseanne returned to their reboots. (Of course, that was before alternatives like DVR and streaming services effected ratings, but I digress...). But are these relaunches worth your time? Do they actually have potential, or are they just desperate attempts to relive the past?
The answer is a bit of a mixed bag. Of all of the relaunches, the most successful creatively has been, by far, One Day at a Time. Not coincidentally, One Day at a Time is the remake that is least like its original series - the cast and characters are entirely new, and the only elements that remain are the show's basic structure (a divorced mom raising her kids) and the theme song (which has been given a Cuban flair). Other than that, though, the series is very different, following a Cuban-American family through issues like sexuality, immigration, and post-traumatic stress disorder. One Day at a Time may be a remake, but it feels wholly original, while still retaining the spirit of classic Norman Lear sitcoms.
The other remakes, on the other hand, feel a little bit more like desperate attempts to relive the past. Girl Meets World generally did well as a modern Disney Channel sitcom, but fans expecting it to be a continuation of Boy Meets World may have been disappointed. Fuller House likely appeals quite well to Full House fans, but there's not much else beyond "Full House continued" to make it appealing to anyone else. And while the jury is still out on Will & Grace and Roseanne, it'll be an uphill battle for 15 and 25 (respectively) year old shows to seem relevant in today's television landscape. It's fine if networks want to reach into the past for profit - but hopefully the future is more like One Day at a Time, bringing new ideas to an old premise.
The ABC Fall Preview Special will air Sunday, Sept. 3 at 7:00pm on ABC and will be hosted by the stars of Speechless and American Housewife. Diedrich Bader and Cedric Yarbrough host the special with appearances from the new stars of ABC such as Jason Ritter (Kevin (Probably) Saves the World), Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor), Brandon Micheal Hall and Lea Michele (The Mayor)! The special has been airing on ABC affiliates already on the weekend. There will be clips and features on all of ABC's new shows, ABC's comedy brand and the final season of Scandal.
CBS Fall Preview, hosted by new series stars Iain Armitage (Young Sheldon), David Boreanaz (Seal Team), Mark Feuerstein (9JKL), Shemar Moore (S.W.A.T.), Bobby Moynihan (Me, Myself & I) and Jeremy Piven (Wisdom of the Crowd), is a primetime special highlighting the Network's six new fall series. It will be broadcast Monday, Sept. 4 at 8:30PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network and CBS All Access, the Network's digital subscription video on demand and live-streaming service.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, September 20
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 16)
Friday, September 20
- Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Watch Kumail on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Stephen Curry (Mr. Throwback) - Stephen appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Kevin Hart (Die Hart/The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) and Kimia Behpoornia (Abbott Elementary/Reboot/Abby's) - Thomas and Kimia are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Emma Roberts (Scream Queens/Unfabulous) - NBC's Today catches up with Emma in the 10am hour.
- Kelsey Grammer (Frasier/Partners/Hank/Back to You/Cheers) - Kelsey talks about Frasier on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- George Clooney (Roseanne/The Facts of Life/ E/R (1984-1985) - George talks about Wolfs on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
- Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Emily in Paris) - Philippine talks about Emily in Paris on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
- Vince Vaughn (Bad Monkey/Curb Your Enthusiasm/F Is for Family) - Vince talks about Bad Monkey on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
- Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Vivica A. Fox (Mr. Box Office/Getting Personal/Arsenio/Out All Night) - Vivica talks about her film The Lost Holliday on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Caroline Rhea (Sydney to the Max/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/Pride & Joy) - Caroline performs “Stand Up at THE TALK” on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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