Fri-Yay: The Good Place's Season Premiere; FXX to Air All Season One Episodes of The Mick on September 23

Friday, September 22, 2017

Fri-Yay: The Good Place's Season Premiere; FXX to Air All Season One Episodes of The Mick on September 23

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!

by Vincent

Last week, I gave a spotlight to a comedy that I would call one of the best shows on TV right now - BoJack Horseman. This week, I'd like to give a similar spotlight to a show that I feel may be equally as fantastic - The Good Place, which returned to NBC on Wednesday night for a second season. The Good Place is a high concept comedy about a woman named Eleanor who dies and ends up in the "good place" - only to quickly find out that it may not be where she belongs.

So much of The Good Place has to be seen rather than read - it's one of the most unique and fascinating shows to ever air on network television. In many ways, The Good Place is reinventing what the network sitcom could be. Granted, there are plenty of great, more traditional sitcoms on network television that are excellent, and I don't think the traditional sitcom format will go away or even needs to. But The Good Place offers something genuinely fresh, that neither a traditional network sitcom or traditional cable drama can offer. In many ways, it feels like a marriage of the two forms. It has the quirky and relatable characters of network sitcoms, along with the often hilarious and wide-reaching jokes. It also has the intricate storytelling and carefully mended serialization of a drama on par with a series like LOST or Breaking Bad - the kind of show that's so addicting and full of unexpected twists and turns that you can't help but keep watching. There have been few shows that have seamlessly blended the two types of television, or even attempted it - nevertheless done it as well as The Good Place.

In addition, The Good Place is the rare TV show that actually deals with rather big questions of ethics. Much of the first season revolved around ethical arguments that Eleanor attempted to learn to better fit into the world of The Good Place. As the season continued, those ethical arguments began to occur about the actual world the show was taking place in, and the rigid "good place, bad place" divide the show's afterlife forced humans into. Those questions become more apparent as the series enters its second season - all in a half-hour sitcom on NBC. Quite frankly, there's nothing quite like it.

The Mick

Saturday is Binge Day! FXX will air all 17 episodes from Season One of The Mick on Saturday, September 23 beginning at 3:30PM to 12:00AM ET/PT.

Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “dysfunctional family,” hit comedy The Mick returns for its second season with all-new outrageous shenanigans – from inadvertent kidnappings to minor crossbow injuries. The series stars Kaitlin Olson as MICKEY, an unapologetic degenerate stuck raising her spoiled niece (Sofia Black-D’Elia) and nephews (Thomas Barbusca, Jack Stanton) amid the lap of luxury in Greenwich, CT. Although constantly pulled between enjoying her lavish new lifestyle and trying to control three monstrous children who have unlimited lines of credit, Mickey is now in it for the long haul. With the help of her on-again, off-boyfriend (Scott MacArthur) and the kids’ live-in housekeeper (Carla Jimenez), she is determined to make it work, or, at the very least, black out during the parts that don’t.

Season Two of The Mick premieres on Fox at a new time on Tuesday, September 26 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT).

In "The Hotel," Mickey and the kids are forced to downgrade from their temporary residence at a hotel after their financial advisor cuts them off due to excessive spending. Mickey and Sabrina refuse to accept the decision and launder up a plan to prevent anyone from stopping their stride. Meanwhile, Jimmy teaches Chip that the tricks to living in a luxurious hotel can be simple.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, December 22

Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2 (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
CBS is gifting viewers an extra special holiday present this season, the brand-new EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION PT. 2,” airing Monday, Dec. 22, (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.*

This one-hour show gives viewers who loved the first special another opportunity to reminisce and revisit the laughter and joy from the original CBS series. The brand-new broadcast follows the success of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION, which originally aired Monday, Nov. 24, with an encore presentation Friday, Nov. 28, garnering 10.08 million live plus 7-day multiplatform viewers across both broadcasts and streaming.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal, this fresh hour brings fans closer than ever to the original series, with exclusive stories and heartfelt memories shared by beloved cast members gathered together to honor one of TV’s most iconic sitcoms. Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal share their thoughts on the magic of being back on set and reuniting with the cast. Additionally, viewers can enjoy never-before-seen content, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. Plus, guest stars, writers and producers will provide unique insights into the creation and legacy of this beloved series.

St. Denis Medical - "Get Me in the Pod, Brother" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alex and Ron spar over the wisdom of open communication; Joyce brings in a body scanner that proves overly distracting.

The Paper - "I Love You" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
With Marv camped out in the newsroom while his office is painted, Ned and the staff find their unresolved attitudes toward authority bubbling up; Esmeralda and Ken plot a betrayal that leaks.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

Monday, December 22

Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Watch Kenan on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ron Funches (Loot/Powerless/Undateable) and Jeff Garcia (Mr. Box Office) - Ron and Jeff are guests on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Andy Cohen interviews Kate on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo. She also talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee talks about Ella McCay with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu talks about The Copenhagen Test on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle gives Sherri a sneak peek at the 15th season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black are telling Drew all about their hilarious adaptation of Anaconda on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Odessa A'zion (I Love LA/Fam) - Odessa tells Drew about her role in new movie Marty Supreme and hit series I Love LA on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - Melissa is guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.