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
Scrubs - "My Return" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
John “J.D.” Dorian unexpectedly finds himself back at Sacred Heart, reuniting him with new and old faces.
Scrubs - "My 2nd First Day" (ABC, 8:32PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
J.D. navigates a new normal, while Elliot and Turk clash over the budget.
Family Guy - "Bringing Up Buddy" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Meg pursues an unlikely friendship with an NFL great; Stewie and Brian host a dinner party at a home furnishing store.
Universal Basic Guys - "Go Fund Mernft" (F
Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mark helps Mernft Man build the house of his dreams; Tammy's fundraising campaign reveals a surprising side of Mernft.
American Dad! - "The Flume Flume Room" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Stan struggles to appreciate Francine's niche interest in flume rides.
Family Guy - "Dear Francis" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Peter calls out the name "Francis" while making love with Lois, but she believes he meant his deceased father, leading to a round of therapy; things worsen when Lois discovers "Frances" is the name of the Clam's new, pretty waitress.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 23)
Friday, February 27
- Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Nick is a musical guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Sam Rockwell (F Is for Family) - Sam appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Guy Torry (Good News) - Guy is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Michael B. Jordan (The Assistants) - Michael and director Ryan Coogler talk Oscar nomination with ABC News' Chris Connelly on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Eva Marcille (Born Again Virign/Tyler Perry's House of Payne) - Eva talks about Lifetime's Pushed Off a Plane and Survived on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Courteney Cox (Shining Vale/Cougar Town/Friends/Family Ties) - Courteney talks about Scream 7 on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Tony Danza (Taxi/Who's the Boss?/Hudson Street/The Tony Danza Show) - It's a cooking flashback with Tony in the kitchen on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Tracy Morgan (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Crutch/The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - It's a little bit extra with from Drew's interview with the hilarious Tracy on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Dorian Missick (Zoe Ever After) - Dorian talks about Prime's 56 Days on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, 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)
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