Fri-Yay: An Appreciation for Mike Schur's Comedies; IFC Acquires Pee-wee's Playhouse

Friday, November 16, 2018

Fri-Yay: An Appreciation for Mike Schur's Comedies; IFC Acquires Pee-wee's Playhouse

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

Recently, I've been engaging on a rewatch of Parks and Recreation. It's a show I haven't revisited too much since its end, and it's made me forget just what a delightful little show it was. It was funny, optimistic and filled with likable characters, and while its optimistic view on politics already seems somewhat outdated, the show's strengths more than make up for it. What else I saw it in, though, was a little bit of Mike Schur's future sitcoms - Brooklyn Nine-Nine and especially The Good Place. In many ways, the critical adoration of Parks and Recreation could be directly traced to those two shows. So in this blog post, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge Parks and the world of Mike Schur comedies it created.

Although these three shows seem very different in some ways, one thing remains true about them - after you watch them, you feel good about the state of the world. Even The Good Place, with its huge twists and turns, is ultimately a show about how people can change and get better. This is baked into the DNA of Parks, a show that seems to believe anything is possible if you really work hard enough and surround yourself with the right people. That's evident in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, too, a show about how things are a little easier if you surround yourself with a close group of friends. And The Good Place, for all of its intricate plotting, has a similar sunny message. Watching Parks, I can see the DNA for all of these shows, and I can better understand the state of mind that Mike Schur is keeping in mind when keeping his new shows. If you're into either Good Place or Brooklyn Nine-Nine and want to see where it all began, I highly recommend jumping into Parks and Rec - it is, in many ways, where it all began.

Pee-wee's Playhouse

The secret word is "Pee-wee" as IFC announced that it will begin airing the cult Saturday morning classic Pee-wee's Playhouse starring Paul Reubens starting on Thanksgiving. The network will kick off its run of the series during a 24-hour marathon, including the iconic holiday special Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse, on Thursday, November 22 starting at 6AM. Subsequently, the show will return to its rightful home on Saturday mornings beginning November 24. Watch, scream out loud and share Pee-wee's return to the silver screen in an all new promo here.

For over 30 years, the enormously popular Pee-wee Herman and innovative television series Pee-Wee's Playhouse, created by, and starring Paul Reubens, has captured a special place in the hearts of millions of viewers, young and old. Since its initial premiere on CBS in 1986, this multiple Emmy(R)-winning children's program became Saturday morning appointment viewing for kids in the 80s and 90s and has been a staple in the pop culture zeitgeist ever since. TV Guide named Pee-Wee's Playhouse "one of the top ten cult television classics of all time."

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, February 21

The Big Bang Theory - "The D&D Vortex" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When the gang finds out Wil Wheaton hosts a celebrity Dungeons and Dragons game involving William Shatner, Joe Manganiello, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Smith, deception and betrayal are the path to make it to the one open seat.

Young Sheldon - "A Loaf of Bread and a Grand Old Flag" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Things spiral out of control when Sheldon boycotts his favorite bread company. Also, Georgie offers Veronica a shoulder to cry on when she’s dumped by her boyfriend.

Mom - "Skippy and the Knowledge Hole" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Christy finds it challenging to quit smoking, while Bonnie helps Tammy prepare to take the GED test.

Fam - "Drunk in Love" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
During their engagement party, Clem and Nick are both shocked to learn that the other has been keeping an embarrassing secret about how they met.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "The Honeypot" (NBC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Jake and Holt clash over the merits of a new hire in the 99th precinct. Terry, Amy, Rosa and Charles try to do something about the cluttered bullpen.

Will & Grace - "The Pursuit of Happiness" (NBC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Grace (Debra Messing) is enlisted by Malcolm (guest star Alec Baldwin) to help him win back Karen's (Megan Mullally) affections. Will's (Eric McCormack) flirtation with his co-worker, Paul (guest star Barrett Foa), takes a turn when details about Paul's home life put Will in an ethical dilemma. And Jack's (Sean Hayes) run-in with Zusanna (guest star Andrea Martin), the sister of his former acting teacher, reignites Jack's passion for performing.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 18

Thursday, February 21

Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Catch Ken on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. He will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Strahan & Sara at 1pm.
James Spader (The Office) - James stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Kal Penn (Deadbeat/We Are Men) - Kal visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Chris O'Dowd (Family Tree) - Chris is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Mark Duplass (Togetherness/The Mindy Project/The League) - Mark appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
Reba McEntire (Reba/Malibu Country) - Reba drops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911!) - Wendi chats on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Finesse Mitchell (A.N.T. Farm) - Finesse is a panelist on The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig is a guest on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Bill Pullman (1600 Penn) - Bill appears on Access Live, so check your local listings.
D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place) - D'Arcy will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.