Friday, March 29, 2019
Fri-Yay: Broad City Goes Out on a High Note; Freeform Summer 2019 Premieres Includes grown-ish
by Vincent
Last night, Broad City ended its five-year run on Comedy Central. This final season has been surprisingly emotional - it's tied up a lot of loose ends and called back several of the show's famous and most beloved moments and characters, but without feeling forced like shows sometimes do as they're wrapping up. Most importantly, the show has remained hysterical right up until the end. Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer are incredibly talented comic actresses, and even though it does feel as if they've outgrown their Broad City roles to an extent, they still do an excellent job detailing the comic pratfalls of these characters.
Plus, outgrowing their old selves has been a major theme of the final season of Broad City. Ilana and especially Abbi are no longer the young, carefree, aimless 20-somethings having fun in the big city the way they were when the series began. They're older, more mature and ready to get their lives together. That's why (spoilers for the final season of Broad City ahead) Abbi decides to leave New York City and enter an artists in residency program in Boulder, Colorado. Abbi and Ilana are not only growing older, but in some ways, growing apart. The two will always be linked with friendship, but Ilana feels satisfied running around New York City in the most carefree way possible in a way that Abbi has never really felt fully okay with having that be her endgame. It's a sad ending, but it's also one that makes sense for the characters. That makes total sense for a series that, as wacky as it got, has always had a big spot in its heart for its unique central duo. Broad City will be sorely missed in the TV comedy landscape, but what a great way for the show to go out then with a hilarious and heartfelt final season the way it has.
Season two of the critically acclaimed Freeform comedy grown-ish returns for summer session on Wednesday, June 5, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Freeform for the back half of its second season (episodes 11-20). After a cliffhanger spring finale, Zoey (Yara Shahidi) and her friends find themselves at dramatic crossroads in their relationships, academics and adulthood. The second half of the season continues to explore important topics, including cultural appropriation, mental health, academic scandal and more. Starring Yara Shahidi, Trevor Jackson, Francia Raisa, Emily Arlook, Jordan Buhat, Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Luka Sabbat, Deon Cole and Diggy Simmons, who has just been added as a series regular, the show is a contemporary take on the issues that students face in the world of higher education. grown-ish is produced by ABC Signature Studios and executive produced by Kenya Barris, Julie Bean, Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry, Craig Doyle, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and E. Brian Dobbins.
Good Trouble will return for more trouble in its highly anticipated sophomore season on Tuesday, June 18, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Freeform. Good Trouble stars Maia Mitchell, Cierra Ramirez, Tommy Martinez, Sherry Cola, Zuri Adele and Roger Bart. The season one finale airs Tuesday, April 2, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Freeform. Siren, Freeform's fan-favorite mermaid drama, will return Thursday, July 11, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Freeform for the second half of its second season. Season 2B stars Eline Powell, Alex Roe, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Ian Verdun and Rena Owen. And finally, Freeform announced that they will say farewell to fan-favorite series Shadowhunters with an extended two and a half-hour finale on Monday, May 6 from 8:00-10:30 p.m. EDT/PDT.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Tuesday, March 19
Night Court - "The Duke's a Hazard" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Gurgs' royal boyfriend pays a surprise visit, she questions their compatibility; Dan defends his family's honor after he discovers a feud that dates back centuries.
Extended Family - "The Consequences of Being Irish" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Jim learns of Trey's St. Patrick's Day fundraiser plans, he offers his expertise in an effort to save Trey and the Celtics from embarrassment.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 18)
Tuesday, March 19
- Tracy Morgan (The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Catch Tracy on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale/God's Favorite Idiot/American Housewife/The Odd Couple/About a Boy) - Leslie appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso), Marc Maron (GLOW/Maron) and Zainab Johnson (Upload) - Brendan, Marc and Zainab are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Hilary Swank (Camp Wilder) - NBC's Today catches up with Hilary in the 10am hour.
- The cast of Girls5eva) - Busy Philipps, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell and Sara Bareilles are guests on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse talks about his podcast Dinner's On Me on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Annie Potts (Young Sheldon/Over the Top/Love & War/Designing Women/Goodtime Girls) - Annie talks about her legendary career and new film, Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire, on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Joe Manganiello (How I Met Your Mother) - Joe stops by Tamron hall to chat about hosting the new Deal or No Deal Island, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (November-March)
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (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)
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