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

Friday, November 8

Happy's Place - "Fish Fry Monday" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Emmett sees Bobbie drowning in work, he devises a clever ruse to give her a much-needed day off fishing, all under the guise of reviving the tavern's Fish Fry Mondays; Isabella dives into the world of bartending with Gabby.

Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs the Roast of George Lopez" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After George experiences a minor fall that leaves him with cake on his face, the family begins to treat him like a fragile old man; when Chance is caught using a curse word, Rosie questions Mayan's modern parenting techniques.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Wizards Just Wand to Have Fun" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Billie and Justin work together to undo a spell when Billie's prank goes awry; Roman gets some new muscles thanks to a magical muscle tee; Milo's class pet is loose in the house.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "The Legend of Creepy Follows" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Billie uses a spell on her BadgerBook profile and accidentally enchants her classmates; she tries to find a way to break it to get everyone back to normal.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 4)

Friday, November 8

  • Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Watch Allison on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Salma is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kathy Bates (Disjointed) - Kathy appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Pamela Anderson (Stacked/Home Improvement) - Pamela is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rachel Bloom (Reboot) and Jim Rash (Community/Help Me Help You/Thanks/Katie Joplin) - Rachel and Jim are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Lauren Graham (M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren is in the house on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Tim Matheson (Just in Time/Window on Main Street) - Tim talks about his book, Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches, on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) and Judy Greer (Kidding/Married/Mad Love/Miss Guided/Arrested Development) - Pete and Judy are chatting about their new holiday movie, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Blockbuster/The Millers/Bent/'Til Death) - JB talks about Buy It Now on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Jeremy Piven (Entourage/Ellen/Pride & Joy/The Larry Sanders Show) - Jeremy is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:45am.
  • Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show) - Ms. Pat appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD) Young Sheldon - The Complete Series Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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)
02/04 - 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

11/08 - CBS Orders Full Season for Poppa's House; The CW Acquires Bob ♥ Abishola Reruns; Remembering Alan Rachins of Dharma & Greg
11/07 - A Very Merry MeTV 2024 Schedule; Stranger Things Final Season in 2025
11/06 - Outer Banks to End with Season 5; Nothing to See Here Season 2 on Netflix
11/05 - ABC Holiday Schedule for 2024; NBC Holiday Schedule for 2024
11/04 - Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas Schedule 2024; A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin at NJPAC
11/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 4, 2024)
11/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Simpsons Themed Monday Night Football Alternate Telecast in December; MeTV Planning for Christmas
11/01 - BET+ Renews Churchy for Season 2 and The Ms. Pat Show for Season 5; Remembering Teri Garr
10/31 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Gets Full Season Order; Fox's Going Dutch Trailer
10/30 - Clifton Davis Joins CBS Daytime's Beyond the Gates; Ronny Chieng's 3rd Netflix Special
10/29 - The Simpsons Monday Night Football Disney+ Telecast; Prime Video Announces The Sticky
10/28 - Fortune Feimster Gets 3rd Netflix Special; Cruel Intentions Series for Prime Video
10/27 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 28, 2024)
10/26 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Matlock Renewed for Second Season; Happy's Place Off to a Solid Start
10/25 - Peacock's Based on a True Story Returns November 21; CBS to Honor Jerry Mathers at Awards Show
10/24 - Family Guy's Gift of the White Guy Holiday Special; Laid Arrives December 19 on Peacock
10/23 - Bad Sisters Season 2 Returns November 13; Trailer for Hulu's Interior Chinatown
10/22 - Goosebumps: The Vanishing Premieres January 10; Michelle Buteau Gets 2nd Netflix Special
10/21 - Fox Adds Martin Short to Grimsburg; Secret Level Cast Announced by Prime Video
10/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 21, 2024)
10/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Rick and Morty Renewed for Two More Seasons; A Look at Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Crossover
10/18 - Apple TV+ Renews Shrinking for Season 3; Guest Voices for Phineas and Ferb New Season
10/17 - Watson Premieres January 2025 on CBS; Anthony Jeselnik Gets 3rd Netflix Comedy Special
10/16 - Lifetime's It's a Wonderful Lifetime 2024 Schedule; YouTube Sitcom Gets Season 4
10/15 - Tom Papa Is Home Free on Netflix; Apple TV+ Reveals Season 2 Details for Silo
10/14 - ABC Halloween 2024 Schedule; Reba Creates Happy's Place Theme Song
10/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 14, 2024)
10/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Spinoff of The Big Bang Theory in the Works; Velma Canceled by Max
10/11 - Netflix Renews Nobody Wants This; Alicia Silverstone to Lead Acorn TV Series
10/10 - Max's The Sex Lives of College Girls Returns November 21; FETV Acquires Laramie
10/09 - HBO's Seth Meyers Special Debuts October 26; New Late Night Comedy Series Focuses on Crazy Florida
10/08 - Somebody Somewhere Returns for Final Season; Virgin River Season 6 Drops for Holiday Season