Friday, September 01, 2017
Fri-Yay: Returning Fall Sitcoms; The 2017 NBC Primetime Preview
by Vincent
It's been a long summer for sitcom fans. Granted, summer isn't as desolate as it used to be, and we had great shows like Insecure and Rick & Morty to entertain us over the hot summer days, but it'll still be a relief when the fall season arrives and we have a handful of our favorite shows back. Here's a short list of returning shows that I'm particularly excited about this fall that I'd recommend catching up on if you haven't checked them out yet! If you're planning on watching any of these shows but haven't yet, be warned there may be mild spoilers for some of them below.
You're the Worst - This sardonic romantic comedy series returns for its fourth season on September 6. You're the Worst has done an excellent job through-out its three seasons of taking down romantic comedy tropes and satirizing them while still keeping us invested in in its highly flawed lead couple. The show's fourth season will supposedly revolve around the couple's break up and aftermath, so it should be interested to see how the series deals with common break-up tropes and applies them to its zany world.
Bojack Horseman - This dark animated comedy returns with its entire fourth season on Netflix on Friday, September 8. Bojack Horseman has been one of TV's consistently funniest and most engaging comedies (it was actually my #1 favorite show of 2016), so I'm incredibly eager to see the show's latest batch of episodes. The third season ended on a heartbreaking note, with BoJack losing his former TV co-star Sarah Lynn and alienating nearly all of his friends and colleagues. Given how deep the show has gotten with BoJack's loneliness before, and how it still manages to weave in fun and silly jokes and gags about its strange human-animal world, the fourth season should certainly prove to be a hilarious and heartbreaking ride.
The Good Place - Last season, The Good Place became one of the most successful and funniest high-concept network TV sitcoms in years, revolving around a woman named Eleanor who has died and accidentally been sent to heaven (or "the good place") when she really belongs in hell ("the bad place."). The show then created a warm and winning portrayal of the afterlife with a Parks and Rec-ian array of supporting characters (it was created by Mike Schur, who also created Parks and Rec), but what really made The Good Place especially special was the way it weaved an intricate, well thought out plot-line that consistently bended and turned in unexpected ways, the likes of which haven't been seen on network TV since LOST. The show returns on September 20, and while I won't spoil the first season's final twist, let's just say I've been eagerly anticipating the show's next move since the moment it ended its season.
Superstore - The Good Place's timeslot companion Superstore may not be quite as high-concept, but its low-concept workplace vibe has quietly become one of TV's most consistently rewarding half-hours. Superstore picks right up where previous NBC workplace comedies like The Office and 30 Rock left off in creating a warm and funny world of characters with their own quirks and personalities that clash in interesting ways. Season 2 saw the show experimenting with relationships and character pairings in ways that paid off really well emotionally, so the show's third season should hopefully pick up right where it left off - although if you've seen the second season finale, you know that might be easier said than done given the events that went down.
"ABC Funny" sitcoms - It's hard to spotlight just one ABC family sitcom that deserves your attention, because nearly all of them have been doing great work, from the constant boundary pushing and racial examinations of black-ish to the combination of refreshing immigrant stories with surreal humor of Fresh Off the Boat to the always heartfelt and interesting look into lower middle class life on The Middle. The Middle in particular is a show I'll be really interested in watching this year, as the series is finally coming to an end after nine consistently strong seasons. But at this point, ABC can basically do no wrong with their family sitcoms - sure, maybe Modern Family is getting a little long in the tooth, but ABC has really crafted together a line-up for the ages over its now two nights of family-friendly comedy.
NBC is unwrapping its fall lineup with The 2017 NBC Primetime Preview, which will be hosted by the cast of Great News and includes a special appearance by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey. The half-hour show will begin its run on Sept. 1 and continue through Oct. 8. It is expected to air more than 300 times across a wide horizon of NBCUniversal media platforms and on over 240 participating NBC broadcast affiliates and owned television stations. In addition, the special will run on many stations' D2 channels, NBCU cable channels, NBC.com, station websites and social media pages, as well as sales and marketing events across the country.
The 2017 NBC Primetime Preview will take a peek at the network's new fall offerings, including the return of the landmark comedy series Will & Grace (premiering Sept. 28 at 9 p.m.), producer Dick Wolf's event series Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (premiering Sept. 26 at 10 p.m.) and the powerful new drama The Brave (premiering Sept. 25 at 10 p.m.), which focuses on America's elite undercover military heroes. Other series to be featured in the special include last season's #1 new series, This Is Us, which earned 10 Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series; The Voice, featuring coaches Jennifer Hudson, Miley Cyrus, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton for the upcoming season; Superstore, the popular workplace comedy entering its third season; The Good Place, one of last season's most critically acclaimed new comedies; Great News, the hot second-year comedy from executive producers Tracey Wigfield, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock; and Sunday Night Football, the #1-rated show on broadcast television.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, April 25
Young Sheldon - "A Fancy Article and a Scholarship for a Baby" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Sheldon’s published paper leads to a frenzy of grad school recruiting, and Georgie tries to speak more properly in front of his daughter.
Ghosts - "The Traveling Agent" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Pete discovers a power that he never knew he had – one that brings him closer to his buddy Jay (and further apart).
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 22)
Thursday, April 25
- Rob McElhenney (Mythic Quest/It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) - Catch Rob on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Carol Burnett (Palm Royale/Mad About You/Mama's Family) - Carol appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Tim Robinson (Digman!/Detroiters) - Tim is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Wendell Pierce (The Odd Couple/The Michael J. Fox Show/The Weber/The Brian Benben Show/The Gregory Hines Show) - Wendell appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Fred Armisen (Los Espookys/Forever/Final Space) - Fred sits in with The 8G Band on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld) - E! News has an interview with Jerry at 11pm on E!. He also talks about Unfrosted on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
- Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny guest co-hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Jason Ritter (The Class) - Jason is a guest on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim talks about Unfrosted on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am. NBC's Today catches up with Jim in the 9am hour.
- Vivica A. Fox (Mr. Box Office/Getting Personal/Arsenio/Out All Night) - Vivica talks about Not Another Church Movie in the 10am hour.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie talks about her new book Indulge: Delicious and Decadent Dishes to Enjoy and Share on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Pam Grier (Bless This Mess) - Pam talks about Prime Video's Them: The Scare on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Luenell (Lopez) - Luenell stops by before her performance at the famous Apollo Theater in New York City on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Tichina Arnold (The Neighborhood/Survivor's Remorse/Happily Divorced/Everybody Hates Chris/Martin) - Tichina guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD/Blu-ray
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
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