Fri-Yay: Underrated Sitcoms; Tribune Launches New Talk Show on June 29

Friday, June 16, 2017

Fri-Yay: Underrated Sitcoms; Tribune Launches New Talk Show on June 29

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

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.

Morning Dose

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

Tuesday, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.