Fri-Yay: The Carmichael Show Is Canceled; HBO's Vice Principals Returns in September

Friday, July 07, 2017

Fri-Yay: The Carmichael Show Is Canceled; HBO's Vice Principals Returns in September

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

This week, it was announced that NBC has cancelled The Carmichael Show, a critically acclaimed but little watched sitcom that had aired on the network (mostly during the summer) for three seasons. The Carmichael Show's cancellation wasn't entirely a surprise - the show never gained much of an audience despite its acclaim and some valiant efforts by NBC, including slotting it behind hits like Little Big Shots and America's Got Talent. But it's still pretty upsetting, nonetheless - The Carmichael Show was a genuinely great sitcom, and although it never took off in the ratings, it may be a show whose impact will be felt for years to come. That's because The Carmichael Show, in many ways, restored respectability to the multi-camera sitcom. The multi-camera sitcom never truly died (The Big Bang Theory is the biggest sitcom hit of the decade, after all) but, for many years, it was considered to be an old and outdated form. Critics ravaged multi-camera sitcoms, and many considered the form to be "dead" artistically.

However, in the past few years, there has been a boom of multi-camera sitcoms that gain the attention of critics and television fans for their ability to use the format's strengths to their advantage, shows like The Carmichael Show, Mom, and One Day at a Time. All of these shows use the multi-camera format in much of the same way the best shows of the format from years past did - to relate to their audience in a grounded way while telling stories that are fresh, relevant, and in many ways, like nothing else you could find on TV. When used correctly, the multi-camera sitcom can really make the audience feel what it's trying to get across, and create an experience that is both classic, comforting but also capable of educating and making viewers think. (Think of how Roseanne allowed viewers to experience life in the lower middle class, or the way All in the Family brought real life issues into Americans' living rooms for the first time.) The Carmichael Show realized that, and ultimately paved the way for other shows to do the same. If you haven't checked out this underrated sitcom, I really recommend it - whether you're an old-school fan or whether you prefer snappy new sitcoms, anyone can get something from this multi-camera gem.

Vice Principals

HBO has confirmed the debut date for the second season of the comedy series Vice Principals, which will conclude its 18-episode, two-season run with nine new episodes starting Sunday, Sept. 17 at 10:30pm ET/PT. The tumultuous school year at North Jackson High continues and a new semester brings lots of changes. Gamby and Russell are about to learn that the only thing harder than gaining power is holding on to it, as the darkest comedy on television returns to finish what was started. Danny McBride (Gamby) and Walton Goggins (Russell) star in part two of HBO's hit comedy series, created by McBride and Jody Hill and directed by David Gordon Green. McBride, Hill and Green are joined as executive producers by Jonathan Watson and Stephanie Laing. Also starring in Vice Principals are Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Georgia King, Busy Phillips, Shea Whigham and Sheaun McKinney.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, January 15

Shifting Gears - "Accommodations" (ABC, 8:20PM ET/PT)
Matt joins Riley at Carter’s high school open house, where he’s unsettled to learn about the “accommodations” made for his grandson’s anxiety. Meanwhile, Riley reconnects with Caitlin, a former classmate, and sets her up with Gabriel.

Abbott Elementary - "Testing" (ABC, 8:50PM ET/PT)
Janine must rethink her lesson plans after her class performs poorly on a practice test, while Jacob struggles to engage a disinterested student. The district sends a new custodian to train under Mr. Johnson.

Poppa's House - "Podcast" (CBS, 10:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)

Junior enlists Nina’s help to film a documentary of Poppa’s iconic career, but the direction of the film takes a detour when the radio station begins using AI promos with Poppa’s and Ivy’s voices.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 13)

Wednesday, January 15

Tim Allen (Shifting Gears/Last Man Standing/Home Improvement) - Watch Tim on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Nicole Byer (Grand Crew/Loosely Exactly Nicole) - Nicole appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Severance on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Ben is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Severance on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Pauline Chalamet (The Sex Lives of College Girls) - Pauline stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Denis Leary (Going Dutch/No Good Deed/Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/The Job) - NBC's Today catches up with Denis in the 10am hour. He chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about One of Them Days on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. She also co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Kaitlin Olson (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/The Mick) - Kaitlin talks about High Potential on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Gabriel Basso (The Big C) - Gabriel talks about The Night Agent on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Britt Lower (Ghosted/Man Seeking Woman/Big Lake) - NBC's Today catches up with Britt in the 9am hour.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell/Nobodies/Truth Be Told/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - NBC's Today catches up with Mark-Paul in the 10am hour.
Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - NBC's Today catches up with Andrew in the 10am hour.
Jennifer Lopez (South Central) - Jennifer talks about her film Unstoppable on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim talks about his Hulu comedy special Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny on a repeat Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Jay Pharoah (White Famous/Champaign ILL) - Jay talks about his new virtual reality series Soapstone Comedy Presents on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony discusses his Fox special The Real Full Monty on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Da'Vinchi (grown-ish) - Da'Vinchi is a guest on New York Livng on WPIX in New York at 10:30am.