Friday, October 26, 2018
Fri-Yay: The Conners Premieres to Praise and Strong Ratings; COZI TV Celebrates The Nanny's 25th Anniversary with Marathon
by Vincent
The Conners made its big debut last week, and it did so to surprisingly strong reviews and ratings that...well, might seem slightly underwhelming, but still comfortably outperformed just about every other network TV show this season. The series bowed to a strong 2.4 in the demo, and in its second week, fell to a 1.7 (all while facing the World Series). Those ratings are definitely smaller than what Roseanne's reboot were doing, but they are still easily ABC's strongest comedy, and even if it falls a bit more, should have no problem seeing a renewal.
So how is the show? Critics seem to be pretty high on it. While I was never a huge Roseanne fan, I appreciate the original series' commitment to serious storytelling that shined a light on tough issues. The Conners seems to be on this path. Killing Roseanne off seems a bit harsh, but doing it due to an opioid addiction (established in the revival season) actually seems like the least obnoxious way to go about it (certainly a lot better than the ridiculous manner Two and a Half Men killed Charlie Sheen's character off.) It allows the show to utilize the dramatic storytelling that worked so well for Roseanne. Another strength is of course, the cast. The cast really gets an opportunity to shine, and Roseanne Barr being absent allows the show to give more screentime to actors like Sara Gilbert and John Goodman, who do a fantastic job in the series.
Of course, it will be interesting to see if interest can sustain itself over the long haul, or whether hype will fade in much the same way it has for Will & Grace (which is performing only marginally now after a strong start.) We'll see if The Conners can keep up its initial hype and goodwill and maintain its quality, but for now, it's one of the more interesting sitcoms to keep an eye on.
While the beloved lead character Fran Fine was always cagey about her true age, there is no denying that this is the year The Nanny turns twenty-five. COZI TV will celebrate this special anniversary on November 3 with an all-day marathon counting down the twenty-five most beloved episodes. Featuring Fran Drescher herself in the on-air packaging and promotion, the marathon begins at 6:30 AM and runs through 7:00 PM. Visit COZITV.com for episode and schedule information and click here to view a promo. Debuting on November 3, 1993, The Nanny ran six seasons with 146 episodes airing between 1993 and 1999. The show catapulted Fran Drescher into global stardom and later became an enduring fan favorite in syndication.
Episodes featured in the Nanny-versary marathon include landmarks like their engagement and wedding, as well as favorites like "My Fair Nanny," where Fran gets an etiquette lesson from Maxwell and butler Niles so she can hold a proper mother-daughter tea with Maxwell's daughter. Also included in the marathon is "Where's the Pearls," when Fran loses guest star Elizabeth Taylor’s pearls and "The Honeymoon's Overboard" in which Fran and Maxwell as they adapt to living on a deserted island after falling off a yacht on their honeymoon. The Nanny is a classic fish out of water tale that follows Queens native Fran Fine, played by Drescher, who finds herself becoming the nanny to three children of a wealthy English widower, Maxwell Sheffield. Plenty of hilarious and heartwarming moments ensue, as Fran adjusts to life with the Sheffield family – and begins a long roller coaster romance with Mr. Sheffield.
The Nanny airs on COZI TV Monday through Friday from 12 AM to 2 AM, and from 10 AM to 11 AM. It also airs Sunday afternoons at 1 PM. The show won an Emmy Award and was nominated for eleven others.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, March 29
Ghosts - "The Traveling Agent" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
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 March 24)
Friday, March 28
- Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones/The Unicorn/Vice Principals) - Watch Walton on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Mike Epps (The Upshaws/Uncle Buck/Survivor's Remorse) - Mike is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building/Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) and Matt Bomer (Mid-Century Modern) - Nathan and Matt talk about Mid-Century Modern on ABC's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Natasha Rothwell (How to Die Alone) - Natasha appeas on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- John Hodgman (Up Here/Married) - John is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am (delayed ET/CT due to NCAA basketball coverage) on CBS.
- Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) and Matt Bomer (Mid-Century Modern) - Nathan and Matt talk about Mid-Century Modern on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Seth Rogen (The Studio/Platonic/Undeclared), Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents), Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) and Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) - Seth, Kathryn, Ike and Chase talk about The Studio on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul talks about Death of a Unicorn on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
- Keshia Knight Pulliam (Tyler Perry's House of Payne/The Cosby Show) - NBC's Today catches up with Keshia in the 9am hour.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie is joining Drew and Ross to cover the latest news on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Connie Britton (SMILF/Lost at Home/The Fighting Fitzgeralds/Spin City) - Connie is telling Drew about her upcoming movie The Life List on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Beth Behrs (The Neighborhood/2 Broke Girls) - Beth is telling Drew about the latest season of the hit show The Neighborhood on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea talks about Netflix's Chelsea Handler: The Feeling on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Joanna Gleason (Bette/Oh Baby/Love & War/Hello, Larry) - Joanna talks about We Had a World on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts