Friday, April 27, 2018

Fri-Yay: Why Brooklyn Nine-Nine Deserves a Renewal; Celebrity Version of Undercover Boss Starts May 11

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!

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

by Vincent

It's the end of April, which means in the next few weeks TV networks will be making final decisions on what will or won't be making their schedules next year. One of the many shows on the bubble is delightful sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which is ending its fifth season and remains as delightful as ever. And yet, ratings for the series have been steadily declining at a rate even faster than most network TV shows of the era. Even though ratings have perked up some since the show returned to the Sunday slot where it once stood tall, Brooklyn Nine-Nine still remains firmly on the bubble as we head into May upfronts. In fact, creator Dan Goor said that he wrote this year's finale as a "possible series ender" if need be (typically, Brooklyn seasons have ended with cliffhangers each year.)

It would be a real shame if Brooklyn Nine-Nine was cancelled without being given a proper goodbye, especially since the show has shown little signs of decline, a rarity for a sitcom this long into the game. Network sitcoms aren't as plentiful as they were, especially good network sitcoms, and we need to hold onto the great ones for as long as we can. Brooklyn is not only a consistently funny show with a winning cast with the likes of Andy Samburg, Andre Braugher, Terry Crews, Chelsea Peretti and...well, basically everyone, but it's quietly become a progressive one too, with several LGBT characters and excellent diversity representation. And it manages to do so without ever feeling preachy or pandering, but rather just by making these ideals ingrained in the fabric of the show. Plus, Brooklyn's characters are just so damn likable. There's few makeshift families on TV I'd rather spend time with than the quirky oddballs of the 99th precinct. Fox will likely make its final decision on the show's fate within the next few weeks, and whether it has a 6th season on Fox or somewhere else, the show deserves at least another season to properly send off its characters. It would be a shame to let a show like Brooklyn 99 end on a whimper when it deserves to be celebrated and cheered.


Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition

CBS announced that the first season of Undercover Boss: Celebrity Edition, from the team behind the two-time Emmy Award-winning series Undercover Boss, will premiere Friday, May 11 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Celebrities at the top of their chosen fields are going undercover to find talented people and make dreams come true. The nation's best singers, athletes, models and business icons embark on talent searches to pay it forward to deserving yet-to-be-discovered individuals. The first four celebrities appearing this season are: Gabby Douglas (Olympian), Idina Menzel (singer and actress), Bethany Mota (YouTube sensation), and NFL legend Deion Sanders. (Additional stars and airdates will be announced at a later date.) The celebrities were each disguised with state-of-the-art prosthetic makeup and custom-made wigs, which took an average of two and a half hours to apply.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, July 1

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 30)

Tuesday, July 1

  • Sam Rockwell (F Is for Family) - Catch Sam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Isabela Merced (100 Things to Do Before High School/Growing Up Fisher) - Isabela is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Mariska Hargitay (Can't Hurry Love) - Mariska appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People/Parks and Recreation), Nico Santos (Superstore) and Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) - Billy, Nico and Pete are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Annie Murphy (Kevin Can F**k Himself/Schitt's Creek) and Christine Baranski (The Big Bang Theory/Happy Family/Welcome to New York/Cybill) - Annie and Christine talk about Nine Perfect Strangers on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) and Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Olivia and Amanda talk about Your Friends & Neighbors on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Susan Kelechi Watson (Louie) - Susan talks about The Residence on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear) - Liza talks about The Bear on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Zoë Kravitz (High Fidelity) - Zoë is joining Drew to talk about her directorial debut Blink Twice. She's spilling on what it was like working with fiancé Channing Tatum and her take on their viral NYC bike photo 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)
07/08 - 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

07/01 - 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)
06/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Officially Dead After Not Finding New Home; Weigel Announces New WEST Network
06/20 - Great American Media Announces New Danica McKellar Movie; Jennifer Love Hewitt ID True Crime Series
06/19 - Bad Thoughts Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix; Zarna Garg Gets Hulu Special This July
06/18 - Weigel Broadcasting Announces WEST Network with Classic TV Westerns; Hulu's Season 2 of Such Brave Girls
06/17 - Gary Coleman's Ex-Wife on A&E Series; Digman! Returns July 9 on Comedy Central
06/16 - Hulu's Chad Powers Teaser; Prime Video's Jesse Williams Series
06/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 16, 2025)
06/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Mulls Airing The Paper on Primetime Lineup; Fox Revives Baywatch Reboot Talk
06/13 - My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Renewed for 2 More Seasons; Hanna-Barbera Developing Adult Animated Series
06/12 - Comedy Superstar Jack Black Is the King of Comedy at Nickelodeon; Doc Adds Felicity Huffman
06/11 - Celebrities for Celebrity Family Feud Season 11; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Starts Production
06/10 - Warner Bros. Discovery Separates Company; Peacock's Jennifer Garner Series Adds to Cast
06/09 - Comedian Ms. Pat Gets Season 3 of Courtroom Series; Disney Branded Television Animated Slate
06/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 9, 2025)
06/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Cancels Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady; Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune Headed to Streaming
06/06 - Hulu's First Look at Amanda Knox Drama; Prime Video Lands Spy Thriller
06/05 - Disney's Electric Bloom Gets Premiere Date; Conan to Guest on NBC's Late Night
06/04 - Netflix Announces Haunted Hotel with Comedic Voices; Prime Video Unveils Trailer for Thriller
06/03 - Netflix's Nobody Wants This Returns October 23; The CW Renews All American for Final Season
06/02 - Remembering Loretta Swit of M*A*S*H, Valerie Mahaffey of Young Sheldon, and The Simpsons Composer Alf Clausen
06/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 2, 2025)
05/31 - SitcomsOnline Digest: New King of the Hill Reboot Details; CBS Makes Late Night Changes