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
Friday, April 4
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)
Friday, April 4
- Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Watch Ike on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Bill Burr (F Is for Family/Townies) - Bill appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Kevin Hart (Lil Kev/Die Hart/The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Annaleigh Ashford (B Positive) - Annaleigh appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Tichina Arnold (The Neighborhood/Survivor's Remorse/Happily Divorced/Everybody Hates Chris/Martin) and Essence Atkins (Poppa's House/Marlon/Mr. Box Office/Are We There Yet?/Half & Half/Smart Guy/Under One Roof) - Tichina and Essence are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Laurence Fishburne (black-ish) - Laurence talks about The Amateur on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin talks about The Bondsman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Dulé Hill (The Wonder Years) - Dulé talks about Good American Family with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Lea Michele (The Mayor) - NBC's Today catches up with Lea in the 10am hour.
- Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!) - NBC's Today catches up with Alan in the 10am hour.
- Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys), Matt Bomer (Mid-Century Modern) and Nathan Lee Grahm (Mid-Century Modern/LA to Vegas/The Comeback) - The cast of Mid-Century Modern are sitting down with Drew to talk about their hilarious new show on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - In a new Weekender Drew, Ross Mathews, and Valerie are sharing their best picks for the perfect weekend on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) and Raven Goodwin (Good Luck Charlie/Just Jordan) - Sarah, Raven and Amber Filey talk about Lifetime's Single Black Female 3: The Final Chapter on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
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