The CW to Expand to 6 Nights; Netflix Gets 5th Season of Grace and Frankie

Thursday, February 15, 2018

The CW to Expand to 6 Nights; Netflix Gets 5th Season of Grace and Frankie

For the upcoming 2018-2019 season, The CW Network will expand its primetime schedule to include Sunday night, growing its line-up of original first-run programming from five nights to six nights. When the new season launches in October 2018, The CW will offer 12 hours of primetime series each week, Sunday-Friday (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). The CW launched in 2006 as America's fifth broadcast network, with programming targeting younger viewers, a demographic highly sought after by advertisers. The CW, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, will broadcast a six-night, twelve-hour primetime lineup, Sunday through Friday, beginning in Fall 2018, as mentioned. The CW's primetime programming is also available to stream for free, without authentication, on the ad-supported cwtv.com and The CW app, now available on every major OTT platform. In daytime, The CW broadcasts a Monday through Friday afternoon block and a three-hour Saturday morning kids block. The CW's digital network CW Seed launched in 2013 and offers original short-form digital content as well as past seasons of fan-favorite television series.

Grace and Frankie

Netflix announced the renewal of its hit show Grace and Frankie for a fifth season. The series, produced by Skydance Television and starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen, and Sam Waterston, will return in 2019. In addition, RuPaul joins the cast as a guest star in season five as 'Benjamin Le Day,' a formidable and quick-witted adversary who faces off with Grace and Frankie. Season 4 of Grace and Frankie premiered globally on January 19.

Grace and Frankie's third season earned nine major television nominations, the most of any prior season, including Primetime Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for both Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, a Writers Guild Award nomination, an NAACP Image Award nomination, as well as a Costume Designers Guild and two Makeup and Hairstyling Awards. In Grace and Frankie, Jane Fonda ("Grace") and Lily Tomlin ("Frankie") star as two women whose lives are turned upside down when their husbands reveal they are gay and leave them for each other. Both sparring partners and partners-in-crime, Grace and Frankie form an unlikely and unbreakable bond and face their uncertain futures head-on, hand-in-hand. Together with their ex-husbands and children, they discover the true definition of "family," with laughter, tears and plenty of mood enhancers along the way.

The comedy stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen, Brooklyn Decker, June Diane Raphael, Ethan Embry, and Baron Vaughn.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, March 12

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Big Birthday and Tequila Shots" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy struggles to celebrate Georgie’s 21st birthday after hitting a rough patch in her career.

Ghosts - "St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A St. Patrick’s Day staffing emergency gives Hetty the chance to step into an unlikely role at the restaurant as she regains her once-a-year ability to be seen and heard by the living. Meanwhile, Kyle returns to watch over the ghosts and finds himself caught in an amusing supernatural dynamic.

Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.

Going Dutch - "Tinker, Tailor, Colonel, Spy" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Rick takes a sabbatical from the CIA and returns to the base, hoping to rekindle his strained relationship with Capt. Maggie; paranoia runs high when a mole is suspected to be operating inside the base.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 9)

Thursday, March 12

Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris/Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan talks about Broadway's Death of a Salesman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana joins Tamron to talk about her fashion evolution and her role in the all-star cast of the new series Scarpetta on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren talks about Reminders of Him on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Valerie in the 10am hour.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil and Lily Rosenthal join Drew for a taste test of weird foods and talk about their children's book Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book) on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.