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

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!

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, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento 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.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.