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!

One Day at a Time

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, July 1

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 30)

Tuesday, July 1

  • Sam Rockwell (F Is for Family) - Catch Sam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Isabela Merced (100 Things to Do Before High School/Growing Up Fisher) - Isabela is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Mariska Hargitay (Can't Hurry Love) - Mariska appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People/Parks and Recreation), Nico Santos (Superstore) and Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) - Billy, Nico and Pete are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Annie Murphy (Kevin Can F**k Himself/Schitt's Creek) and Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory/Happy Family/Welcome to New York/Cybill) - Annie and Christine talk about Nine Perfect Strangers on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) and Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Olivia and Amanda talk about Your Friends & Neighbors on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Susan Kelechi Watson (Louie) - Susan talks about The Residence on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear) - Liza talks about The Bear on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Zoë Kravitz (High Fidelity) - Zoë is joining Drew to talk about her directorial debut Blink Twice. She's spilling on what it was like working with fiancé Channing Tatum and her take on their viral NYC bike photo on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (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)
07/08 - 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

07/01 - Bert Kreischer Gets Netflix Sitcom; NBC Gets Into Survival Mode This Summer
06/30 - The Comeback Makes Another...Comeback; First Look at Black Rabbit at Netflix
06/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 30, 2025)
06/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Comeback Returning for a Third and Final Season; South Park to Remain on HBO Max
06/27 - The White Lotus Star Teams Up with Netflix; Remembering Bobby Sherman, Lynn Hamilton, and Rick Hurst
06/26 - The CW's Fall Movie of the Week; First Look at New York Comic Con 2025
06/25 - Netflix Renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2; My Life with the Walter Boys First Look for Season 2
06/24 - Marc Maron Gets Second HBO Comedy Special; Outlander Prequel Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere
06/23 - MeTV Summer Changes, Adds Adventures of Superman; Jimmy Kimmel Live! Summer Guest Hosts
06/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 23, 2025)
06/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Officially Dead After Not Finding New Home; Weigel Announces New WEST Network
06/20 - Great American Media Announces New Danica McKellar Movie; Jennifer Love Hewitt ID True Crime Series
06/19 - Bad Thoughts Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix; Zarna Garg Gets Hulu Special This July
06/18 - Weigel Broadcasting Announces WEST Network with Classic TV Westerns; Hulu's Season 2 of Such Brave Girls
06/17 - Gary Coleman's Ex-Wife on A&E Series; Digman! Returns July 9 on Comedy Central
06/16 - Hulu's Chad Powers Teaser; Prime Video's Jesse Williams Series
06/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 16, 2025)
06/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Mulls Airing The Paper on Primetime Lineup; Fox Revives Baywatch Reboot Talk
06/13 - My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Renewed for 2 More Seasons; Hanna-Barbera Developing Adult Animated Series
06/12 - Comedy Superstar Jack Black Is the King of Comedy at Nickelodeon; Doc Adds Felicity Huffman
06/11 - Celebrities for Celebrity Family Feud Season 11; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Starts Production
06/10 - Warner Bros. Discovery Separates Company; Peacock's Jennifer Garner Series Adds to Cast
06/09 - Comedian Ms. Pat Gets Season 3 of Courtroom Series; Disney Branded Television Animated Slate
06/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 9, 2025)
06/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Cancels Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady; Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune Headed to Streaming
06/06 - Hulu's First Look at Amanda Knox Drama; Prime Video Lands Spy Thriller
06/05 - Disney's Electric Bloom Gets Premiere Date; Conan to Guest on NBC's Late Night
06/04 - Netflix Announces Haunted Hotel with Comedic Voices; Prime Video Unveils Trailer for Thriller
06/03 - Netflix's Nobody Wants This Returns October 23; The CW Renews All American for Final Season
06/02 - Remembering Loretta Swit of M*A*S*H, Valerie Mahaffey of Young Sheldon, and The Simpsons Composer Alf Clausen
06/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 2, 2025)
05/31 - SitcomsOnline Digest: New King of the Hill Reboot Details; CBS Makes Late Night Changes