Friday, January 26, 2018
Fri-Yay: The Roseanne Reboot and the Trend of Rebooting Old Sitcoms; 227 Marathon on 2/27 on Antenna TV
by Vincent
One of my most anticipated upcoming network comedies is the Roseanne reboot. For anyone who isn't aware, Roseanne will be returning to TV screens this spring in March with its original cast, and creators have said that, like the original series, it will offer a real and in-depth look at issues American families are facing today. Even though I've been generally skeptical of reboot culture, I'm kind of looking forward to the Roseanne reboot. Roseanne was one of the best working class sitcoms of all time, taking a magnifying glass to working class family life in a way that few shows had done before. In our current political climate, there is a serious divide among working class families along political lines, and it will be interesting to see how Roseanne deals with that divide. There are, arguably, even more hot button political topics involving working class families today than there were during Roseanne's original run (and there were a lot then!), so it will be incredibly interesting to see if the show is up to the task of handling it.
CBS also announced today that it would be airing a rebooted Murphy Brown for at least 13 episodes during the 2018-2019 TV season. Similar to Roseanne, Murphy Brown covered many controversial topics that feel just as, if not more, relevant today than during the show's original run, particularly related to female empowerment and feminism. Murphy Brown, like Roseanne, will see star Candace Bergen returning to her role, so it's possible it will once again recapture the spark the original series had. Still, part of me wonders – why don't we focus on the current sitcoms and allow them to cover these polarizing topics? Some shows are already doing a great job of this, like NBC's Superstore or Netflix's One Day at a Time – which is technically a reboot in and of itself, but feels different enough from the original that it's, essentially, a new series.
Still, it'll be fun to see some familiar faces on TV again – and if Roseanne and Murphy Brown can recapture some of their own magic, maybe I'll warm to the idea of TV remakes. I'm not a fan of Fuller House and I've found the Will & Grace reboot to be patchy with some decent moments, but perhaps Roseanne and Murphy Brown will be the shows to change my mind.
Celebrate the classic comedy of 227 on 2/27 when Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast entertainment network airs an 18-hour/36-episode marathon of 227 on Tuesday February 27, 2018. Join Mary, Lester, Brenda, Sandra and the neighbors of 227 Lexington Place on Antenna TV for a "best of" marathon from 5a-11pm ET on 2/27. 227 regularly airs on Antenna TV weekdays at 3pm ET, and weekends at 1:30pm ET. 227 aired on NBC from 1985-1990 originally and starred Marla Gibbs, Hal Williams, Alaina Reed-Hall, Jackée Harry, Regina King, Helen Martin, and Curtis Baldwin. The series had 110 episodes in five seasons.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, March 16
Family Guy - "The Chicken or the Meg" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Meg starts dating a chicken she meets on a reality dating show, Peter disapproves of their love, prompting her to move out; saddened by Meg's absence, Peter decides to get her back from the chicken's house.
Grimsburg - "Daddy Daddy Bang Bang" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When his dad returns to town, Flute will do anything he can to keep his idol around, even if that means getting rid of his sibling rivalry -- his dad's talking car; the detectives must teach Stan about the birds and the bees.
The Great North - "Bust a Moon Adventure" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Moon makes a big decision after clashing with Beef; Judy and Ham hatch a plot to make some extra cash.
Krapopolis - "Love Trap, Baby!" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
A mysterious princess hosts a dating competition to find her new partner; Shlub and Deliria do the worst thing possible while Ty's away -- accidentally improving the city.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 10)
Friday, March 14
- Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Watch Ben on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Married/Second Generation Wayans) - Regina is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Drew Tarver (Running Point/Bless the Harts/The Other Two), Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men/Togetherness), Mary Holland (The Big Door Prize/Hoops/Robbie/Blunt Talk), and Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Drew, Melanie, Mary, and Morris are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Randall Park (Young Rock/Blockbuster/Fresh Off the Boat/Veep/Supah Ninjas) - Randall talks about The Residence on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Scott Foley (The Goodwin Games/A.U.S.A./Scrubs) - Scott talks about Will Trent on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Ben Falcone (God's Favorite Idiot/Nobodies/Joey) - Ben chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso) - Cristo talks about the film Las Tres Sisters on 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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