Friday, September 08, 2017

Fri-Yay: 2017-18 New Sitcoms; Nick at Nite Fall 2017 Schedule with The Goldbergs

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!

The Mayor

by Vincent

Last week, I took a look at the returning sitcoms that I'm looking forward to this fall. This week, I'll be doing something similar - only instead of returning series, I'll be taking a glance at some of the most exciting new sitcoms the networks have to offer this year. I'll be honest - it seems like a bit of a light slate this year, and not much is quite popping out to me as super promising. But there's still a handful of interesting shows that I think might be worth tuning into. I haven't seen any of these shows yet, but these are the shows I'm most looking forward to based on their trailers, promos, synopses and cast details.

The Mayor (ABC) - Of all of the network sitcoms premiering this fall, The Mayor has the most promise. The series follows a young rapper named Courtney who decides to run for mayor of his small California town as a joke and a publicity stunt, only to actually win. With a stacked cast (including Community's Yvette Nicole Brown and Glee's Lea Michele), an interesting (and uh, incredibly relevant) premise, and promos that already have some pretty good jokes, The Mayor is the comedy I'm most looking forward to this fall, and I'm hoping it delivers on its promise.

Ghosted (Fox) - Ghosted is another high-concept comedy from FOX, who has been experimenting in sci-fi-meets comedy for the past few years, sometimes to success (like with The Last Man on Earth, entering its fourth season this fall) and sometimes to...less success (such as with the quickly cancelled Making History). Ghosted is described as "an action-packed comedy about two down-on-their-luck polar opposites tasked with saving the world from aliens.") This sounds like the sort of show that will either be a delightfully weird and wild time or a total train-wreck. Either way, it should be a good time!

Will & Grace Revival (NBC) - Okay, well, technically this isn't a new series, but...it sort of is, right? It's a revival of long-running hit Will & Grace, which aired on NBC from 1998 to 2006 and is coming back for a ninth go around this fall. I'll be honest, I don't have super high hopes for Will & Grace: the original series had its moments but feels a little dated already, and I'm not sure there's much of a place for it in the current TV landscape. Still, it's always interesting when a long-dead TV show makes its way back onto the airwaves and tries to make itself relevant in a different era. I'll be watching Will & Grace and hoping it's better than I'm expecting it to be.

Me, Myself & I (CBS) - This is another high-concept comedy, but this time from CBS, who typically plays it a little more conventional (although they do have the uniquely-structured Life in Pieces which they've found some success with, so maybe they're getting a little more daring.) It revolves around follows a single character, Alex (portrayed, primarily, by Bobby Moynihan) in three distinct parts of his life: adolescence (1991) adulthood (present day) and old age (in 2042). Bobby Moynihan was a long-running staple of Saturday Night Live who had tons of hilarious characters and impressions, so I'm interested to see how he transitions into a starring role. He certainly has the talent to carry a show on his own, and the concept here is pretty fascinating, so hopefully everything settles into place and this can be the star vehicle that Moynihan deserves.

Those are the network sitcoms that have stuck out most to me this year based on their initial concepts and promotion, As usual, though, I'm always hoping to be surprised by an underdog who comes out of nowhere and surprisingly becomes excellent. Either way, I'll be checking out all of the sitcoms that the networks have to offer, as usual, hoping for the best!


The Goldbergs

Nickelodeon is bringing Walkmans, stonewashed denim and big hair to Nick at Nite with the addition of the popular family sitcom The Goldbergs, beginning Monday, Sept. 18, at 1 a.m. (ET/PT). The series follows the adventures of the Goldberg family as they share the ups and downs of life together in the '80s. Following the series launch, the four-season, 95-episode library of The Goldbergs will continue to air daily at 1 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nick at Nite. The Goldbergs is entering its fifth season this fall on ABC. The comedy will premiere on Monday, September 18, 2017 and will air every night at 1:00am & 1:30am. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will move down to 2-3am, with George Lopez overnight getting sliced to 3am-7am. Nick at Nite's prime schedule will remain as is, with Full House and Friends from 8pm-1am. However, the week after starting Sept. 25, Fresh Prince will air in the 10pm hour as well, taking an hour from House. Back to The Goldbergs, it will also premiere on local broadcast syndication as we mentioned before, starting Sept. 11 with stations like WPIX in NY airing it weeknights at 7:00pm & 7:30pm. And also as we mentioned before, The Goldbergs will air in primetime on Pop TV starting Tuesday, Sept. 26. More info on Pop TV's schedule will be coming soon, so stay tuned.

In The Goldbergs, there was a simpler time called the '80s--before there were parenting blogs, trophies for showing up and peanut allergies. For geeky and movie obsessed youngest child Adam (Sean Giambrone), these were his wonder years, and he faced them armed with a video camera to capture all the crazy. The Goldbergs are a loving family like any other--just with a lot more yelling. Mom Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) is a classic "smother," an overbearing, overprotective matriarch who loves her delicious kids, but still rules this brood with 100% authority and zero sense of boundaries. Dad Murray (Jeff Garlin) is gruff and sometimes oblivious, parenting with half his attention span but all his heart. Sister Erica (Hayley Orrantia) is popular and terrifying, doing her best to cover up that she's the smartest of the clan. Barry (Troy Gentile) is a passionate dreamer, who maybe dreams a little too big and who always gets the short end of the stick. Adam (Sean Giambrone) is the youngest, a camera-wielding future director who's navigating first love, and growing up with his family. Rounding out the family is beloved grandfather Al "Pops" Solomon (George Segal), the wild man of the clan, a shameless Don Juan who's learning as much from his family as he teaches them.

The Goldbergs stars Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids) as Beverly Goldberg, Sean Giambrone as Adam Goldberg, Troy Gentile (Good Luck Chuck) as Barry Goldberg, Hayley Orrantia (The X Factor) as Erica Goldberg, with George Segal (Just Shoot Me) as Pops Solomon and Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Murray Goldberg.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, April 22

St. Denis Medical - "Bruce-ic and the Mus-ic" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
At the annual fundraiser, Alex and her husband, Tim, try to have a wild, kid-free night; Ron and Joyce butt heads over hosting duties; Bruce sets out to win this year's "Dancing with the Caregivers" competition.

Night Court - "Passing the Bar" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby gets more than she bargained for when she offers to help Wyatt's friend stay sober for the night; Dan and Julianne battle for the best prize in Gurgs' annual evidence locker lottery.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Piece by Piece" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Calvin teams up with his ex-wife Miranda to get to the bottom of why Laura broke off their engagement; Calvin works with Ella to repair his relationship with Calvin Jr.; Curtis and Floyd attempt to get publicity for their barbecue sauce brand.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Tough Love" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Phillip makes a decision, Jeremy rethinks the way he handled the recent argument between them; everybody worries about Phillip's safety; Jeremy wonders if his tough love did more harm than good; Mr. Brown goes through a breakup.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 21)

Tuesday, April 22

  • Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Eva Longoria (Only Murders in the Building/Telenovela) - Eva is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Dove Cameron (Schmigadoon!/Liv and Maddie) - Dove appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Keegan-Michael Key (Schmigadoon!/Friends from College/Playing House/Gary Unmarried) - Keegan-Michael makes a special appearance on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Rob Delaney (Bad Monkey/Catastrophe) - Rob appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite/Benched) - Maria is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Eva Longoria (Only Murders in the Building/Telenovela) - Eva talks about Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Jon Bernthal (The Class) - Jon talks about The Accountant 2 on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
  • Terry Crews (Everybody Still Hates Chris/Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry is hitting the headlines with Drew and Ross Mathews on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Drew and Valerie are covering the latest headlines and hearing from a dance group of all senior citizens on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Susan Kelechi Watson (Louie) - Susan talks about Netflix’s unique murder mystery The Residence on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Daniella Pineda (The Detour) - Daniella is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two

11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season

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

04/21 - Peacock's Twisted Metal Returns July 31; Poker Face Lines Up Big Guests for Season 2
04/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 21, 2025)
04/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Clueless Reboot in the Works at Peacock; King of the Hill Cast Reunion and Revival Preview at ATX TV Festival Next Month
04/18 - 2025 TIME100 on ABC; Atsuko Okatsuka: Father Premieres June 13 on Hulu
04/17 - BET+ Orders Martin Spinoff Varnell Hill; It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Returns in July
04/16 - And Just Like That... Season 3 on Max This May; MGM+ Comedy Series Adds Big Stars
04/15 - HBO's Harry Potter Series; Classic TV Comes to Life in NYC
04/14 - TV Stars Lineup for Summer of 69 Hulu Film; Jessica Kirson Comedy Special
04/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 14, 2025)
04/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: FX Sets Premiere Date for Adults; Netflix Picks Up Monopoly Themed Reality Competition Series
04/11 - Bounce TV Renews Mind Your Business; AMC Networks 2025 Upfront Highlights
04/10 - David Spade's Prime Video Comedy Special; Brett Goldstein's HBO Comedy Special Filmed in New Jersey
04/09 - Paramount+ Orders Season 3 of Colin from Accounts; FX's Adults Premieres May 28
04/08 - Prime Video's New Comedy Overcompensating; Nine Perfect Strangers Returns on Hulu in May
04/07 - NBC Celebrates Joan Rivers with Special; Remembering Jay North of Dennis the Menace
04/06 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 7, 2025)
04/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Renews Three Animated Series and Brings Back a Fourth for Four More Seasons; ABC Renews Shifting Gears
04/04 - ABC 2025-26 Season Renewals for Scripted Series; New Season of Phineas and Ferb Returns June 5
04/03 - Fox Renews Animated Hits for 4 Additional Seasons and American Dad! Returns; South Park Season 27 Premieres July 9
04/02 - Rick and Morty Season 8 Premieres May 25; Netflix's Tires Returns June 5
04/01 - Disney Renews Wizards Beyond Waverly Place for Season 2; Prime Video Details Final Season of The Summer I Turned Pretty
03/31 - Prime Video's Dance-World Comedy Étoile; Netflix's Tom Segura Dark Comedy Bad Thoughts
03/30 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 31, 2025)
03/29 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Gives Pilot Order to A Different World Sequel; Malcolm in the Middle Reboot Recasts Role of Dewey
03/28 - Pat Sajak's Final Spin on Wheel and Return of Jeopardy! Masters; Remembering George Foreman and Wings Hauser
03/27 - IFC Renews SisterS for Season 2; Netflix Orders Live-Action Scooby-Doo Series
03/26 - Hulu Spring 2025 Slate; The Making of The Americas Special Narrated by Tom Hanks on NBC
03/25 - Deli Boys Now Streaming All Episodes on Hulu; Heartland Season 18 on UP Faith & Family
03/24 - Peacock April Highlights Include Three's Company; Antenna TV's 50 Years on the Beat Barney Miller Anniversary Marathon
03/23 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 24, 2025)
03/22 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* Coming to DVD; American Dad! Moving Back to Fox
03/21 - Big Mouth Final Season; The Four Seasons Premieres in May on Netflix