Fri-Yay: The Year in Sitcoms; NBC Sets Premiere for A.P. Bio

Friday, December 15, 2017

Fri-Yay: The Year in Sitcoms; NBC Sets Premiere for A.P. Bio

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

As we wind down to the end of 2017, with most networks now off for the season, I thought I take a look back at how 2017 was for sitcoms overall. All in all, there were some genuinely great new sitcoms to be excited over this year. Netflix's One Day at a Time was a wonderful addition to the sitcom slate, and one of the best multi-camera sitcoms in several years. Additionally, Netflix's GLOW was a very different kind of sitcom (arguably something of a dramedy, but it was structured similarly to a sitcom) but still managed to be a worthy addition to the canon. While those are the two major new sitcoms that stand out in my mind as being especially noteworthy, they were pretty excellent additions, ones that I can (hopefully) see myself enjoying for years and years.

However, much of my sitcom enjoyment from the past few years involves returning series. My favorite show of the entire year was The Good Place, which I've raved about enough times, but - to rave again - is the most innovative and unique network sitcom in quite some time. There's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which is going to seriously incredible dark and moving places this season. There's long-running but still great stalwarts like Bob's Burgers and Brooklyn Nine-Nine that continue to impressively chug along producing excellent episodes every week. And then there's left-field, strange but incredible cable comedies like Broad City, Search Party, and Nathan for You that continue to innovate, experiment and keep us on our toes week after week.

There are plenty of great sitcoms on the air. Peak TV has pretty much guaranteed that, at any time, there will be an endless stream of quality content on the airwaves - and if you're not satisfied with that, you have an entire library of old classics waiting for you. All in all, it was another good year to be a sitcom fan.

A.P. Bio

NBC has set a premiere date for a new comedy. A.P. Bio, from Executive Producers Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels and Mike Shoemaker and starring Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt, will have a special preview on Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 9:30pm ET/PT. The season premiere will be Thursday, March 1, 2018, after the Olympics conclude, at 8:30pm ET/PT, with a second new episode at 9:30pm ET/PT. The latter will remain its time period through the rest of its season through May 3, 2018. When disgraced Harvard philosophy scholar Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) loses out on his dream job, he is forced to return to Toledo, Ohio, and work as a high school Advanced Placement biology teacher. As he comes crashing in to Whitlock High School, Jack makes it absolutely clear he will not be teaching any biology. Realizing he has a room full of honor roll students at his disposal, Jack decides instead to use the kids for his own benefit. Eager to prove that he is still king of the castle, Principal Durbin (Patton Oswalt) struggles to control the force of nature that is Jack Griffin.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 20

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Purse Dog" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin reluctantly agrees to dog-sit a glamorous little companion, only to face an awkward twist when someone else lays claim to it. Meanwhile, a joint celebration prompts Malcolm to question whether he and Mercedes are moving too fast. Amber Stevens West guest stars as Mercedes, Malcolm's Girlfriend.

DMV - "Drive-ory Tower" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Colette tries to bridge a growing divide at the office by bringing the driving examiners and counter clerks together. Meanwhile, Vic stubbornly avoids seeing a doctor after an unusual injury, forcing Barb to get creative to help him.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 20)

Monday, April 20

Kal Penn (The Santa Clauses/Sunnyside/We Are Men) - Watch Kal on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Quinta appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Don Cheadle (The Wonder Years/Black Monday/House of Lies/The Golden Palace) - Don is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Hazardous History with Henry Winkler on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Aaron Tveit (Schmigadoon!) - Aaron is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
B.J. Novak (The Office) and Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon/The Big Bang Theory) - Andy Cohen interviews B.J. and Jim on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
William Stanford Harris (Abbott Elementary) - William talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Ramy Youssef (#1 Happy Family USA/Ramy/See Dad Run) - Ramy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie talks about Big Mistakes on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) - NBC's Today catches up with Jane in the 9am hour.
Christopher Briney (Hacks) - Christopher talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair tells Sherri about his new memoir A Soldier's Wife: My Mother, the Marvelous Mrs. Marilyn A. Underwood on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Phoebe Dynevor (Younger) - Phoebe is telling Drew about her new movie Thrash on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Dan Bucatinsky (The Comeback/Marry Me/Web Therapy) - Dan appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.