Friday, September 01, 2017
Fri-Yay: Returning Fall Sitcoms; The 2017 NBC Primetime Preview
by Vincent
It's been a long summer for sitcom fans. Granted, summer isn't as desolate as it used to be, and we had great shows like Insecure and Rick & Morty to entertain us over the hot summer days, but it'll still be a relief when the fall season arrives and we have a handful of our favorite shows back. Here's a short list of returning shows that I'm particularly excited about this fall that I'd recommend catching up on if you haven't checked them out yet! If you're planning on watching any of these shows but haven't yet, be warned there may be mild spoilers for some of them below.
You're the Worst - This sardonic romantic comedy series returns for its fourth season on September 6. You're the Worst has done an excellent job through-out its three seasons of taking down romantic comedy tropes and satirizing them while still keeping us invested in in its highly flawed lead couple. The show's fourth season will supposedly revolve around the couple's break up and aftermath, so it should be interested to see how the series deals with common break-up tropes and applies them to its zany world.
Bojack Horseman - This dark animated comedy returns with its entire fourth season on Netflix on Friday, September 8. Bojack Horseman has been one of TV's consistently funniest and most engaging comedies (it was actually my #1 favorite show of 2016), so I'm incredibly eager to see the show's latest batch of episodes. The third season ended on a heartbreaking note, with BoJack losing his former TV co-star Sarah Lynn and alienating nearly all of his friends and colleagues. Given how deep the show has gotten with BoJack's loneliness before, and how it still manages to weave in fun and silly jokes and gags about its strange human-animal world, the fourth season should certainly prove to be a hilarious and heartbreaking ride.
The Good Place - Last season, The Good Place became one of the most successful and funniest high-concept network TV sitcoms in years, revolving around a woman named Eleanor who has died and accidentally been sent to heaven (or "the good place") when she really belongs in hell ("the bad place."). The show then created a warm and winning portrayal of the afterlife with a Parks and Rec-ian array of supporting characters (it was created by Mike Schur, who also created Parks and Rec), but what really made The Good Place especially special was the way it weaved an intricate, well thought out plot-line that consistently bended and turned in unexpected ways, the likes of which haven't been seen on network TV since LOST. The show returns on September 20, and while I won't spoil the first season's final twist, let's just say I've been eagerly anticipating the show's next move since the moment it ended its season.
Superstore - The Good Place's timeslot companion Superstore may not be quite as high-concept, but its low-concept workplace vibe has quietly become one of TV's most consistently rewarding half-hours. Superstore picks right up where previous NBC workplace comedies like The Office and 30 Rock left off in creating a warm and funny world of characters with their own quirks and personalities that clash in interesting ways. Season 2 saw the show experimenting with relationships and character pairings in ways that paid off really well emotionally, so the show's third season should hopefully pick up right where it left off - although if you've seen the second season finale, you know that might be easier said than done given the events that went down.
"ABC Funny" sitcoms - It's hard to spotlight just one ABC family sitcom that deserves your attention, because nearly all of them have been doing great work, from the constant boundary pushing and racial examinations of black-ish to the combination of refreshing immigrant stories with surreal humor of Fresh Off the Boat to the always heartfelt and interesting look into lower middle class life on The Middle. The Middle in particular is a show I'll be really interested in watching this year, as the series is finally coming to an end after nine consistently strong seasons. But at this point, ABC can basically do no wrong with their family sitcoms - sure, maybe Modern Family is getting a little long in the tooth, but ABC has really crafted together a line-up for the ages over its now two nights of family-friendly comedy.
NBC is unwrapping its fall lineup with The 2017 NBC Primetime Preview, which will be hosted by the cast of Great News and includes a special appearance by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey. The half-hour show will begin its run on Sept. 1 and continue through Oct. 8. It is expected to air more than 300 times across a wide horizon of NBCUniversal media platforms and on over 240 participating NBC broadcast affiliates and owned television stations. In addition, the special will run on many stations' D2 channels, NBCU cable channels, NBC.com, station websites and social media pages, as well as sales and marketing events across the country.
The 2017 NBC Primetime Preview will take a peek at the network's new fall offerings, including the return of the landmark comedy series Will & Grace (premiering Sept. 28 at 9 p.m.), producer Dick Wolf's event series Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (premiering Sept. 26 at 10 p.m.) and the powerful new drama The Brave (premiering Sept. 25 at 10 p.m.), which focuses on America's elite undercover military heroes. Other series to be featured in the special include last season's #1 new series, This Is Us, which earned 10 Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series; The Voice, featuring coaches Jennifer Hudson, Miley Cyrus, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton for the upcoming season; Superstore, the popular workplace comedy entering its third season; The Good Place, one of last season's most critically acclaimed new comedies; Great News, the hot second-year comedy from executive producers Tracey Wigfield, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock; and Sunday Night Football, the #1-rated show on broadcast television.
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.
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
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)
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