Friday, June 16, 2017
Fri-Yay: Underrated Sitcoms; Tribune Launches New Talk Show on June 29
by Vincent
At one time, it wasn't all that hard to keep up with all of the good sitcoms on TV. With only a handful of networks producing quality content, one could easily keep up with the worthwhile sitcoms that television had to offer. With so much TV these days, though, it's easy for certain shows to slide under the radar. So I thought for this week's column I'd highlight a few shows that I thought were truly great that maybe didn't get quite as much recognition as they deserved.
One Day at a Time - It's easy to write off this Netflix reboot of the classic '70s sitcom as just another in a long line of lukewarm attempts to drum up nostalgia, but this Norman Lear-produced relaunch is one of the few examples of the form that actually improves upon the original. This heartfelt multi-camera sitcom is one of my favorite shows of 2017 so far, a show that combines laughs with intricate character work and a deft understanding of contemporary social issues. Honestly, if this show keeps up the quality, it could easily stand up with the classic Lear sitcoms of years past - it's that good.
Detroiters - While much of the attention on Comedy Central this year has been related to its political content, the most delightful show to come out of the network this year was the consistently silly and always hilarious Detroiters, which channels Broad City in its commitment to absurdist gags mixed with surprisingly well-drawn character work for its lovable dolt leads. Each episode is 20 minutes of pure absurdist bliss - it doesn't always make much sense, but Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson commit so well to their world's weirdness that it always manages to work.
Review - Review finished up its third season this year, but it flew relatively under the radar through-out its run, which is a shame as it may be one of the most brilliant, darkest sitcoms of all time. The series centers around Forrest MacNeil, a "life reviewer" who has dedicated his life to reviewing "life experiences." Forrest's dedication to his craft forces him to review topics such as Divorce, Murder, and...eating 30 pancakes, all of which cause the complete unraveling of his life. The show's ending is, genuinely, a dark, ambiguous ending not unlike the way The Sopranos ended. Also, it's hilarious.
Search Party - Search Party is sort of part sitcom, part murder mystery, which in and of itself is unique and deserves recognition for being different. Luckily, Search Party is backed up by a stellar cast, clever writing and subtle and hilarious character-based humor. Plus, the mystery is actually fairly compelling, and twists and turns in ways that's genuinely impressive for a sitcom. If you haven't seen it yet, Search Party is a perfect summer binge choice.
Tribune Broadcasting announced the launch of morning dose., a first of its kind, live social "wake-up" show, in partnership with Dose, a top digital media agency that specializes in data-driven, shareable content. Hosted by television personalities Melissa Rycroft (The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars) and Brandon London (former NFL star), and news anchor Laila Muhammad (Eye Opener), morning dose., will launch on Thursday, June 29 and will feature compelling and timely news stories powered by Dose's social storytelling and scientific method to create and distribute content. The series will air live each weekday and will be filmed in Dallas, Texas. morning dose. will air weekdays syndicated in six Tribune markets: KDAF/Dallas, KIAH/Houston, WPHL/Philadelphia, WDCW/Washington DC, WSFL/Miami and KRCW/Portland, OR. Timings are either 6-8am or 5-8am on each station.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, July 12
Mind Your Business - "Love Child" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alfonso and Aaliyah's world is flipped upside down when their mother's secret love child comes into town, while Mia tries to figure out who is sending her gifts every hour on the hour.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 7)
Friday, July 11
- Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Fairview/Corporate) and Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Aparna and Whitney are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Malachi Barton (Stuck in the Middle) and Meg Donnelly (American Housewife) - Malachi and Meg discuss Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires and perform on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. They will also be on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Jean Smart (Hacks/Samantha Who?/Center of the Universe/In-Laws/Style & Substance/Designing Women) - Jean chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton talks about Black Coffee and Ice Water on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) and Joel Kim Booster (Loot/Shrill) - CBS News contributor Lisa Ling talks with Margaret and Joel on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Tamron Hall (repeat) has a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE sitdown with actress/director/author Krysten Ritter who recently released her new thriller/mystery novel Retreat, so check your local listings.
- Maggie Q (Pivoting) - Maggie Q talks about Prime's Ballard on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Tisha Campbell (Act Your Age/Uncoupled/Outmatched/Dr. Ken/Rita Rocks/My Wife and Kids/Martin) and Wendy Raquel Robinson (Poppa's House/The Game/Here We Go Again/The Steve Harvey Show/Minor Adjustments) - Tisha and Wendy chat about their film Operation: Aunties on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings. They will also be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
- David Zayas (The Bear/Saint George) - David appears on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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