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!
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.
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
Monday, February 23
The Neighorhood - "Welcome to the Zhuzh" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin secretly coaches Dave during a big job interview. Meanwhile, Marty plans his proposal and Malcolm’s secret romance hits the tabloids.
DMV - "Hot Gurlz" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Colette goes on a date with Ceci’s cousin Miguel (Eddie Ramos) and discovers he may be the key to Ceci’s heart. Meanwhile, Barb finds out about Gregg’s lawsuit against the DMV while Vic helps Noa deal with rude customer Brent (Mark Feuerstein).
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "Pilot" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Twenty years after a career-ending scandal, former running back Reggie Dinkins enlists filmmaker Arthur Tobin to make a documentary he hopes will rehabilitate his image.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "Nittany Means Big" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Tobin spends the day with Monica and uncovers the truth about Reggie's famous food poisoning game; Reggie struggles to apologize to Brina.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 23)
Monday, February 23
- Christina Applegate (Dead to Me/Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Jesse/Married... with Children) - Watch Christina on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Tracy Morgan (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Crutch/The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He also talks about The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
- Ray Romano (No Good Deed/Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He sits down with Sherri to talk about his star turn in Broadway's All Out on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Tiffany Haddish (The Last O.G./The Carmichael Show) - Tiffany is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling discusses Paradise on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Isabel May (Alexa & Katie/Young Sheldon) - Isabel talks about Scream 7 on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Laura Linney (The Big C) - NBC's Today catches up wit Laura in the 9am hour.
- Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Drew is sharing more of her sit-down interview with Jennifer on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (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
Sitcoms Online Main Page
Contact Us