Fri-Yay: Big Bang Ends With No Hype?; ABC to Air Farrah Fawcett Documentary

Friday, May 17, 2019

Fri-Yay: Big Bang Ends With No Hype?; ABC to Air Farrah Fawcett Documentary

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!

The Bing Bang Theory

by Vincent

Last night, CBS' megahit The Big Bang Theory finally closed out its 12-season run. That makes it one of the longest-running sitcoms on TV, and by far the biggest sitcom ratings-wise of the past 20 years. And yet...there's an interesting lack of discussion about the show's end. When previous smash hit sitcoms like Friends and Seinfeld came to an end, there was an endless media parade and countless amounts of chatter and speculation - sort of like what we are seeing around the end of HBO's cultural phenomenon Game of Thrones. But with The Big Bang Theory, it feels as if TV's biggest sitcom is simply quietly riding into the night.

This is partially supported by the show's ratings, which have not held up super well in the final season (of course, even a weaker Big Bang Theory is still the highest rated sitcom on TV). Still, regardless of your opinion on the series, it's hard to not appreciate just how huge the series was. It may not hold the universal love of shows like Friends or Seinfeld, but the show got massive amounts of people watching multi-camera comedy in the 2010s, which is not a small feat. It does make me wonder if Big Bang will be the last traditional sitcom smash hit as comedies continue to go gradually more niche and less widely accessible. The Conners does have the potential to fill that hole, but time will tell if it's here for the long haul or just held up by early Roseanne hype. Either way, last night certainly marked the end of an era for sitcom fans.

This Is Farrah Fawcett

ABC News presents a two-hour prime-time special on America's golden girl Farrah Fawcett. From that iconic red bathing suit poster to her role in the hit show Charlie's Angels, Fawcett took the 1970s by storm and captivated the nation with her every move. But in 2006, Fawcett was confronted with her biggest challenge when she was diagnosed with cancer and began an aggressive fight for her life. Now, almost 10 years after her passing, ABC News reports on her life, career, fame and lasting legacy, told through new interviews with those who knew her best, and rare footage from the intimate video diaries of her fight against cancer. This is Farrah Fawcett airs Thursday, May 23 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

The two-hour documentary features new interviews with actress Jaclyn Smith, Fawcett's co-star on Charlie's Angels; Alana Stewart, Fawcett's close friend who helped record her cancer battle for the two-hour documentary Farrah's Story; Bruce McBroom, the Hollywood photographer who shot Fawcett's iconic swimsuit poster; Mela Murphy, Fawcett's confidante and hairstylist; Dr. Lawrence Piro, Fawcett's primary physician; and Dr. Ursula Jacob, Fawcett's physician in Germany who used alternative treatments for her cancer. The documentary also includes Barbara Walters' landmark interviews with Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal, Fawcett's partner at the time of her death.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Tuesday, May 21

American Housewife - "A Mom's Parade" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The extraordinary musical episode includes four original songs by renowned composer Justin Paul (“The Greatest Showman,” “Dear Evan Hansen”) and Glenn Slater (“Tangled,” “School of Rock-The Musical”), as well as choreography from famed choreographer Ashley Wallen (“The Greatest Showman”). Frustrated by the lack of appreciation for all she does, Katie decides to go “full Westport” and leaves the family to fend for themselves. Katie’s plan quickly backfires when the kids seem to be doing just fine, leaving Greg to suffer the brunt of her absence.

The Kids Are Alright - "Irish Goodbye" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Peggy struggles with Lawrence’s decision to move out of the house, especially after she discovers that he is secretly moving in with a girlfriend she’s never met. Lawrence’s determination to keep Peggy out of his personal life only causes her to investigate further, while Mike welcomes his departure. Meanwhile, Timmy can’t find his ventriloquist dummy, Knuckles, and learns that Joey took him without asking.

black-ish - "Relatively Grown Man" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
After Junior gets an offer for his dream job working with Migos, Dre and Bow are determined to convince him to return to college and get his degree.

Bless This Mess - "The Estonian Method" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Mike and Rio enter the “best hen” competition at the county fair with their prized chicken Priyanka in order to prove themselves to the community. Meanwhile, romantic sparks fly between Rudy and Constance, only to be halted by a run-in with someone from Rudy’s past; and Kay and Beau struggle with some marital issues.

The Last O.G. - "Mama Said Knock You Out" (TBS, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Tray reunites with his estranged mom, Rose, who only softens when she learns she has grandchildren.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 20)

Tuesday, May 21

Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. He will also be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Elizabeth Banks (Scrubs/30 Rock) - Elizabeth drops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Beanie Feldstein (What We Do in the Shadows) - Beanie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) - Bryan visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Eric stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Mary McCormack (The Kids Are Alright/Welcome to the Family) - Mary guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Billie Lourd (Scream Queens) - Billie appears on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
David Duchovny (Californication) - David talks about Miss Subways on ABC's Strahan & Sara at 1pm.
Allison Williams (Girls) - Allison talks about The Perfection on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Katy Mixon (American Housewife/Mike & Molly) - Katy is a guest on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
Pam Grier (Bless This Mess) - Pam talks about the Brown Sugar streaming service on the BUILD Series at 11am.