Friday, August 11, 2017

Fri-Yay: Animated Sitcoms; School is Back in Session This Fall on TV Land's Teachers

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!

Rick and Morty

by Vincent

Animated sitcoms have been a staple of the genre for many decades, at least since the days of shows like The Jetsons and The Flintstones. Of course, the genre really came onto its own in the '90s, with classic series like The Simpsons and, later, South Park and Futurama paving the way for adult animation to be considered a viable and equally respectable genre of sitcom capable of achieving the same heights as live-action series. These days, plenty of TV's best, most interesting, and most innovative television can be found in the world of adult animation. From shows like Bojack Horseman to Bob's Burgers to Archer, animated sitcoms today are some of the funniest and most daring series in all of television. And one of those excellent animated shows, Rick and Morty, returned for its third season a few weeks ago, and is continuing its run as one of TV's best, smartest, and most fun shows.

Rick and Morty, like many Adult Swim shows, is a truly weird, sometimes dark, and incredibly unique show. It follows the science fiction adventures of the brilliant but slightly sociopathic time traveler Rick and his grandson Morty - think of it as a darker take on the Back to the Future franchise. However, while many Adult Swim shows are content to get by on their conceptual weirdness (which can lead to TV that's interesting but a little alienating), Rick and Morty grounds its out-of-this-world adventures with genuine human connection and empathy. Dan Harmon (the co-creator of the show, along with Justin Roiland) brings the same pathos he brought to Community to the series, which makes it feel like more than just a collection of weird science fiction concepts and violent humor. The show feels like it has something to say about the human condition - take, for example, a line from Morty in the show's first season, in an episode where Rick allows the family to watch TV that shows programs from other dimensions, Morty consults his distraught sister (who has just learned she may have ruined her parents' happiness after seeing their lives in a dimension where she wasn't born) with: "Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, we're all going to die, so just come watch TV." This line basically sums up Rick and Morty's worldview: even if our lives aren't effected by a mad time traveler grandpa, they're still full of chaos and unpredictability. So why not enjoy it while we can? Rick and Morty doesn't always get this philosophical, but it can - and even when it doesn't, it's still an incredibly great time. If you're looking for a new and interesting show that's just a little different from anything else on TV, I highly recommend Rick and Morty.


Teachers

School is back in session this fall! Don't be late for class on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT, when TV Land's critical darling Teachers returns for the second half of season two. The first 10 episodes of the Grade-A comedy's second season, which The Hollywood Reporter hailed as "stronger and funnier than ever," aired earlier this year and hit multiple series high ratings. Teachers revolves around a group of elementary school teachers who are trying to mold the minds of America's youth, but don't have their own lives together at all. The series is created by and stars the improv group The Katydids – Caitlin Barlow, Katy Colloton, Cate Freedman, Kate Lambert, Katie O'Brien and Kathryn Renée Thomas. The second part of season two will see Ms. Bennigan (O'Brien) keep naively pursuing Hot Dad (guest star Ryan Caltagirone), Ms. Watson (Lambert) in an unexpected relationship, Mrs. Adler (Thomas) and Ms. Feldman (Freedman) dealing with a "serial pooper" around the school, Ms. Snap (Colloton) finding the school's forgotten library, Ms. Cannon (Barlow) discovering an artistic prodigy, and even an entire episode taking place in the 1940s. Teachers has already been renewed for a 20-episode third season to premiere in 2018.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, July 22

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 21)

Tuesday, July 22

  • Fortune Feimster (FUBAR/Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune guest hosts on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Pete Davidson (Bupkis) - Pete stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Leanne Morgan (Leanne) - Leanne is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Mary Beth Barone (Overcompensating) - Mary appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) - Paul is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building/Mulaney/I'm a Big Girl Now/The Associates) - Martin talks about Match Game on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Molly Gordon (The Bear/Ramy) - Molly talks about Oh, Hi! on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Paul Reiser (Mad About You/Red Oaks/Married/My Two Dads) - Paul is telling Drew about his huge return to comedy after thirty years with his standup special, Life, Death and Rice Pudding, and his new movie The Gutter 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)
07/22 - 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

07/22 - Remembering Malcolm-Jamal Warner of The Cosby Show and Malcolm & Eddie; Futurama Season 13 Drops September 15
07/21 - Hallmark Channel Acquires Gilmore Girls; Freida Pinto to Star in Netflix Series
07/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 21, 2025)
07/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Cancels The Late Show; Gilmore Girls Headed to Hallmark
07/18 - ABC Fall 2025 Premiere Dates; The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to End in May 2026
07/17 - Netflix's Geek Girl Season 2 Starts Production; The CW Picks Up Sullivan's Crossing for Season 4
07/16 - Antenna TV's Still Dreaming of Jeannie 60th Anniversary Marathon; 77th Primetime Emmy Nominations
07/15 - Shark Tank Season 17 Guest Sharks; Tubi YA Comedy Film with Paris Berelc
07/14 - CBS Fall 2025 Premiere Dates; HBO and Larry David Team Up Again
07/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 14, 2025)
07/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Reboot Headed to ABC; New King of the Hill Trailer Released
07/11 - The Office Spinoff The Paper Premieres September 4; Upload Season 4 Returns August 25
07/10 - The Big Bang Theory's Stuart Spinoff Ordered by HBO Max; Long Story Short Premieres August 22 on Netflix
07/09 - New Girl Summer on Hulu; Vir Das Gets Brand New Netflix Special
07/08 - Tubi Comedy Series Demascus Premieres in August; LEGO Masters Jr. Lines Up Celebs for 4-Week Event
07/07 - Digman! Season Premiere Moved to July 23; Hulu's Reasonable Doubt Returns September 18
07/06 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 7, 2025)
07/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Comedy Central Delays South Park and Digman! Season Premieres; Jackée to Appear in Guest Role in Netflix Series
07/04 - Happy 4th of July; Antenna TV's McHale's Navy Red, White and Navy Independence Day Marathon
07/03 - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 Premieres August 6; South Park New Season Moves by Two Weeks
07/02 - FETV Acquires The Rookies; Hulu Renews The Bear for Season 5
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)