Friday, March 23, 2018

Fri-Yay: No Season 4 for Rick and Morty?; Ashlynn Yennie Cast in TV Thriller Buried Secrets

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!

Rick and Morty

by Vincent

This week, TV internet was abuzz with news that Rick and Morty hasn't been renewed for a fourth season yet. Technically, this isn't really news - Adult Swim hasn't cancelled the series, its fate simply remains on the bubble, just as it has since Season 3 ended in October. And yet, Dan Harmon confirming on Twitter that Adult Swim has yet to pick up the smash hit animated comedy for a fourth season came as a surprise, because I guess everyone just...assumed it had been renewed? To be fair, this includes myself. It makes sense - Rick and Morty is a huge, blockbuster hit for Adult Swim. It's their highest rated series ever. This season averaged about 3 million viewers and a 1.4 in the 18-49 demo. Those are numbers that beat out most primetime network comedies these days, nevermind a late-night series on a basic cable network. Plus, it took two years for the Rick and Morty team to complete work on Season 3, even with an early renewal. (Rick and Morty was picked up for a third season before its second season had even finished airing.) That means that even if Season 4 were picked up tomorrow, it would likely be several years before we saw it on TV. Even stranger is that Season 3 was both Rick and Morty's highest-rated season and arguably its buzziest, what with McDonald's Sczechuan sauce causing a mini national crisis. It would make sense to capitalize on that buzz and try to order up a fourth season as soon as possible. So what's the hold up here?

Well...the internet likes to speculate, and some speculation has been about possible behind-the-scenes tension. After all, it was after its third season that Dan Harmon was fired from Community for disruptive behind-the-scenes behavior. (He was later hired back for Seasons 5 and 6.) There have also been rumors of Roiland and Harmon clashing, and that their clashing is partially what led to the unusually long wait between Seasons 2 and 3. Until we get any details, all of this remains speculation. And if I had to bet, I would bet that Adult Swim won't let their biggest hit ever quietly end with a whimper after only 3 seasons. But it is odd that the network has waited this long to pick the series up for a fourth season given its astronomical success, and the fact that Harmon is freely tweeting about the network's lack of renewal adds to the mystery. I guess us Rick and Morty fans are just going to have to wait and see about what the future holds for the series - but no matter what happens, we'll at least always have those magnificent three seasons that we've already gotten.


Ashlynn Yennie

Time for a SitcomsOnline Scoop! Actress Ashlynn Yennie (The Wrong Neighbor, Submission, The Human Centipede) has been cast as the lead in the new thriller film Buried Secrets from Marvista Entertainment, directed by Kenny Gage and Devon Downs. Adam Rockoff wrote the picture with Kimberly A. Ray producing. The Executive Producer is Michael Moran. Also starring in the thriller with Ashlynn are Paige Searcy, Chris McKenna, Garrett Weston and Lofton Shaw. Ashlynn Yennie was last seen in the TV movie thriller The Wrong Neighbor last year that aired on Lifetime, where a recently separated father and his teenage daughter become the deadly obsession of their neighbor (played marvelously by Ashlynn Yennie) -- a beguiling, deranged young woman willing to do whatever's necessary to take her rightful place as their wife and mother. No details yet on the plotline for Buried Secrets, though. There is no premiere date set yet for Buried Secrets, or a network, but usually Marvista Entertainment films air on Lifetime in the U.S. You'll have to stay with us for continued updates on Buried Secrets.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, July 22

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 21)

Tuesday, July 22

  • Fortune Feimster (FUBAR/Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune guest hosts on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Pete Davidson (Bupkis) - Pete stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Leanne Morgan (Leanne) - Leanne is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Mary Beth Barone (Overcompensating) - Mary appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) - Paul is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building/Mulaney/I'm a Big Girl Now/The Associates) - Martin talks about Match Game on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Molly Gordon (The Bear/Ramy) - Molly talks about Oh, Hi! on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Paul Reiser (Mad About You/Red Oaks/Married/My Two Dads) - Paul is telling Drew about his huge return to comedy after thirty years with his standup special, Life, Death and Rice Pudding, and his new movie The Gutter on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (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)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

07/22 - Remembering Malcolm-Jamal Warner of The Cosby Show and Malcolm & Eddie; Futurama Season 13 Drops September 15
07/21 - Hallmark Channel Acquires Gilmore Girls; Freida Pinto to Star in Netflix Series
07/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 21, 2025)
07/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Cancels The Late Show; Gilmore Girls Headed to Hallmark
07/18 - ABC Fall 2025 Premiere Dates; The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to End in May 2026
07/17 - Netflix's Geek Girl Season 2 Starts Production; The CW Picks Up Sullivan's Crossing for Season 4
07/16 - Antenna TV's Still Dreaming of Jeannie 60th Anniversary Marathon; 77th Primetime Emmy Nominations
07/15 - Shark Tank Season 17 Guest Sharks; Tubi YA Comedy Film with Paris Berelc
07/14 - CBS Fall 2025 Premiere Dates; HBO and Larry David Team Up Again
07/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 14, 2025)
07/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Reboot Headed to ABC; New King of the Hill Trailer Released
07/11 - The Office Spinoff The Paper Premieres September 4; Upload Season 4 Returns August 25
07/10 - The Big Bang Theory's Stuart Spinoff Ordered by HBO Max; Long Story Short Premieres August 22 on Netflix
07/09 - New Girl Summer on Hulu; Vir Das Gets Brand New Netflix Special
07/08 - Tubi Comedy Series Demascus Premieres in August; LEGO Masters Jr. Lines Up Celebs for 4-Week Event
07/07 - Digman! Season Premiere Moved to July 23; Hulu's Reasonable Doubt Returns September 18
07/06 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 7, 2025)
07/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Comedy Central Delays South Park and Digman! Season Premieres; Jackée to Appear in Guest Role in Netflix Series
07/04 - Happy 4th of July; Antenna TV's McHale's Navy Red, White and Navy Independence Day Marathon
07/03 - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 Premieres August 6; South Park New Season Moves by Two Weeks
07/02 - FETV Acquires The Rookies; Hulu Renews The Bear for Season 5
07/01 - Bert Kreischer Gets Netflix Sitcom; NBC Gets Into Survival Mode This Summer
06/30 - The Comeback Makes Another...Comeback; First Look at Black Rabbit at Netflix
06/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 30, 2025)
06/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Comeback Returning for a Third and Final Season; South Park to Remain on HBO Max
06/27 - The White Lotus Star Teams Up with Netflix; Remembering Bobby Sherman, Lynn Hamilton, and Rick Hurst
06/26 - The CW's Fall Movie of the Week; First Look at New York Comic Con 2025
06/25 - Netflix Renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2; My Life with the Walter Boys First Look for Season 2
06/24 - Marc Maron Gets Second HBO Comedy Special; Outlander Prequel Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere
06/23 - MeTV Summer Changes, Adds Adventures of Superman; Jimmy Kimmel Live! Summer Guest Hosts
06/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 23, 2025)