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

Thursday, June 26

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "McAllister Auto Loves the Ladies" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Jim feels ganged up on when Georgie and Audrey make changes to the tire store, and Mandy helps Georgie navigate a fight between her parents.

Ghosts - "The Bachelorette Party" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Alberta’s descendant hosts a bachelorette party at Woodstone Mansion, Alberta becomes suspicious of her fiancĂ©. Also, Jay is excited about a positive review on his restaurant.

Bob's Burgers - "Hope N' Mic Night" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The kids want to host an open mic night at the restaurant, but the hidden costs keep mounting and Bob worries that the night will ruin them.

Grimsburg - "Haunted Housewife" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Annoyed by Flute ruining her dates, Harmony pushes him to move out, resulting in him moving into a house haunted by a doting housewife who does all his chores, transforming him into a real adult.

Family Guy - "Lois C.K." (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Lois becomes a stand-up comic, using real life stories about Peter as content; Peter tries his best to straighten his life out to avoid being ridiculed by Lois's act.

The Great North - "Bots on the Side Adventure" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Ham gets a singing job at a local pizza place; the rest of the family decide on a name for the new boat.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 23)

Thursday, June 26

  • Emma Stone (The Curse) - Catch Emma on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) - Jeremy is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Mariska Hargitay (Can't Hurry Love) - Mariska appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She also talks about My Mom Jayne on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Lennon Parham (Minx/Bless This Mess/Schooled/Playing House/Best Friends Forever) and Tim Baltz (The Righteous Gemstones) - Lennon and Tim are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jameela Jamil (Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin/The Good Place) - Jameela talks about Elio on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa appears on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, 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

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
05/30 - FX's Adults Pilot Available on Social Platforms; BET and BET+ Premiere New Tyler Perry Series in June
05/29 - Netflix's New Chuck Lorre Sitcom Leanne; Apple TV+ Season 4 Premiere of The Morning Show
05/28 - Max Renews Hacks for Season 5; Byron Allen Coming Back to CBS Late Night
05/27 - Antenna TV Summer 2025 Schedule; Rewind TV Summer 2025 Schedule
05/26 - Memorial Day 2025 TV Sitcom Marathons
05/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 26, 2025)