Friday, January 19, 2018
Fri-Yay: The Return of NBC Thursday Night Sitcoms; Everything Sucks at Netflix
by Vincent
Although this hasn't been the best season for network television, there have been a few bright spots, even in a year with a rather underwhelming freshman class, particularly for sitcoms (the fall's only promising sitcom The Mayor was just cancelled, before it could really live up to its potential). In terms of network comedy, the ultimate bright spot is one that started last year but has expanded this year - the return of NBC's Thursday night comedy line-up. For television fans, NBC Thursdays was long known as the night where you could go to watch smart and high-quality sitcoms, starting with when the night featured shows like Cheers and The Cosby Show in the mid-late 1980s, continuing into the '90s with Friends and Seinfeld, into the 2000s and early 2010s with The Office, 30 Rock, Community, and Parks and Recreation. However, over the course of the 2010s, the power of the night gradually began to fade. NBC attempted to replace departing veterans The Office and 30 Rock with shows that mimicked their sensibilities without quite capturing them - shows like Go On, The Michael J. Fox Show, and A to Z. (If you remember any of those shows, you're in the minority.) Finally, during the 2014 - 2015 TV season, NBC nixed comedy on Thursdays altogether, replacing it with The Biggest Loser and The Blacklist.
However, for the first time in nearly five years, NBC once again has a full slate of sitcoms airing on Thursday nights - and for the first time in even longer, all of them are worth watching! From the consistently funny and charming Superstore to the "possible best show on TV" The Good Place to the uneven but generally worth watching Will & Grace revival to worthy 30 Rock heir Great News, NBC has once again put together a Thursday night line-up full of comedies worth watching. Sure, unlike the line-ups glory days, most of the people watching are likely doing so on demand or on streaming, not on Thursday nights, but it still feels "right" to have Thursday night be a home of great comedy again on NBC. Also encouraging is that the night, with the exception of poor Great News, seems to be catching on with audiences. Maybe the secret to saving NBC's Thursday nights after all was just - surprise - putting in funny, interesting sitcoms that people want to watch.
It's awkward. It's exciting. It's heartbreaking. It's high school. Everything Sucks! launches globally on Netflix on February 16, 1996 2018. The 90s high school experience: Desperate, heartfelt, awkward, exciting, and free of smartphones. Set in the real life town of Boring, Oregon in 1996, Everything Sucks! is a quirky, funny coming of age story that revolves around Boring High School's A/V Club and Drama Club - two crews of nerdy-edgy outsiders, who join forces to make a movie and endure the purgatory known as high school. The series stars Peyton Kennedy (American Fable, The Captive) and Jahi Winston (The New Edition Story) as students Kate Messner and Luke O'Neil, with Patch Darragh (Sully, Boardwalk Empire) and Claudine Nako (Grimm) as their respective parents. The 10-episode, half-hour dramedy is created by Ben York Jones (Like Crazy, Newness) and Michael Mohan (Save the Date, Pink Grapefruit), who will both serve as executive producers.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, July 5
Mind Your Business - "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Aaliyah and Mia try convincing Lucille that the owner of a new nearby lounge is up to no good; Alfonso and Kim deal with AJ's first relationship.
Mind Your Business - "The Boy Is Mine" (Bounce TV, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Alfonso tries to maintain his newfound bromance after Aaliyah breaks up with his new friend; Kim goes the extra mile to inject luxury into their lifestyle to impress the moms of a Black Excellence club.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 30)
Friday, July 4
- Ayo Edebiri (Big Mouth/The Bear) - Watch Ayo on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jay Pharoah (White Famous/Champaign ILL) - Jay is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Frankie Grande (Henry Danger/Danger Force) - Frankie appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Mark Hamill (The Texas Wheelers) - Mark is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Cristin Milioti (The Resort/Made for Love/A to Z/How I Met Your Mother) - Cristin appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger (FUBAR) - Arnold is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Rob Riggle (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/Golan the Insatiable/Gary Unmarried) - Rob appears on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Marsai Martin (black-ish) - Marsai chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Mario Cantone (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Mario talks about And Just Like That... on NBC's Today in the 10am 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 a repeat of 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 a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, 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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