Friday, August 11, 2017
Fri-Yay: Animated Sitcoms; School is Back in Session This Fall on TV Land's Teachers
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.
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 RenĂ©e 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
Friday, July 26
The Conners - "Keep on Truckin'" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After a sudden turn of events, the Conners are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.
The Conners - "Tangled Up in Blue" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Darlene gets one surprise after another when David introduces his girlfriend at a parent-teacher conference and mentions that Mark & Harris will be spending the weekend with them.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 22)
Friday, July 26
- Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Watch Nick on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) - Michael appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie), Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Burning Love/Reno 911!) and Aparna Nancherla (Corporate) - Sasheer, Joe and Aparna are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jennie Garth (Mystery Girls/What I Like About You) - Jennie chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. NBC's Today catches up with Jennie in the 10am hour.
- Marcus Scribner (grown-ish/black-ish) - Marcus talks about his coming-of-age film How I Learned to Fly on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Delroy Lindo (UnPrisoned) - Delroy talks about UnPrisoned on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Dylan Sprouse (The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody/Grace Under Fire) - Dylan talks about Lionsgate's The Duel on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season / The Complete Series
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
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