Fri-Yay: Is Hulu Moving Away From Comedy?; Antenna TV to Air New Year Kickoff with Coach Marathon

Friday, November 17, 2017

Fri-Yay: Is Hulu Moving Away From Comedy?; Antenna TV to Air New Year Kickoff with Coach Marathon

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!

Hulu

by Vincent

This week, Hulu announced the cancellation of Difficult People. Difficult People was in its third season, and although it was never a huge hit, it had gained a dedicated following and was one of the first Hulu originals that seemed to grab a decent-sized following. After Difficult People came Casual, another half-hour comedy (with dramatic elements) that gained some minor awards attention and a dedicated fanbase. The success of those two shows was combined with Hulu's acquisition of The Mindy Project after it was cancelled by Fox. Hulu seemed to be the home of beloved, if not incredibly well watched, comedies. However, over the past few months, Hulu has quietly announced the end of nearly its entire comedy slate. Casual will end with its next season, The Mindy Project is currently airing its final season, and Difficult People was cancelled without even an announcement.

This is an interesting move considering quirky, off-beat comedies and dramedies were what made Hulu stand out from its streaming competitors. However, Hulu was undoubtedly the little guy in the streaming wars - until it became the first streaming service to take home an Outstanding Series award with The Handmaid's Tale this year. The Handmaid's Tale was a cultural phenomenon that toppled over everything else Hulu had done up to that point, so it's not especially surprising that they would be switching up directions. Still, it's unfortunate to see any service that was once big on comedy turn their back towards it, so let's hope Hulu still has room for some original comedies.

Coach

Huddle around your TV New Year's Day for 18-straight hours of friends, football and fun with Antenna TV's "New Year Kickoff with Coach" marathon. Starting at 5am on January 1, 2018, Antenna TV will lineup the best episodes of Coach, starring Craig T. Nelson, as college football coach Hayden Fox, leading his team at home and on the field. Special episodes include Fox and his team's appearances in the "Pineapple Bowl," "Popcorn Bowl," "Patriot Bowl" & "Pioneer Bowl." Kickoff the new year with Coach, Antenna TV's newest lineup addition. As we mentioned earlier this week, beginning January 2, 2018, Coach will air weekdays at 11pm ET and weekends at 4:30pm ET.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, November 19

St. Denis Medical - "Weird Stuff You Can't Explain" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Ron hexes the day to prove superstitions aren't real, things at the hospital start getting weird; Joyce and Matt discover an employee's secret.

Night Court - "The Judge's Boyfriend's Dad" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Suspecting Dan might be her boyfriend's father, Abby does some investigating; a blast from Dan's past resurfaces as the court's new prosecutor.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "All Hands on Deck" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Curtis calls on his family to help work the food truck.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living "Cancel Culture" - (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)

Sandra wants to switch her college major, but she's afraid to tell her parents; Anastasia enlists Philip to help her build her social media presence.

Churchy - "The Fall" (BET, 10:00PM ET/PT)
After a viral video scandal at his father's church, Corey returns home and finds himself facing difficult personal and professional decisions; Rodney explores a new romance.

Churchy - "Easter" (BET, 10:26PM ET/PT)
Rodney contemplates his need to grow independently; after introspection and a heartfelt conversation with his father, Corey makes a big decision about his future as a pastor.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 18)

Tuesday, November 19

Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Catch Keke on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
Ted Danson (A Man on the Inside/Mr. Mayor/The Good Place/Bored to Death/Help Me Help You/Becker/Ink/Cheers) - Ted appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He sits down with Kelly and Mark to talk aabout his series A Man on the Inside on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
Oscar Montoya (Minx) - Oscar is a guest on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show) - Gayle King sits down with Jennifer on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
Melissa Rauch (Night Court/The Big Bang Theory) - NBC's Today catches up with Melissa in the 9am hour.
Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob opens up about being married six times and is sharing all about his new show Landman on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela) - Justine is telling Drew about her viral wardrobe moment with Kathy Bates and shares behind the scenes moments of filming Succession, revealing the cast member she had a crush on, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Yara Shahidi (grown-ish/black-ish) - Yara tells Sherri about her new Sirius XM podcast, The Optimist Project, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) - Jeremy talks about the new season of FBI on CBS on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced/9 to 5) - Rita talks her new Barbie doll and upcoming 93rd birthday on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.