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

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!

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

Tuesday, January 31

Night Court - "Dan v. Dating" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
With Abby's encouragement, Dan attempts to venture back into the dating world, but reigniting his love life proves more complicated than anticipated; Gurgs and Olivia search for a new office and find something they weren't expecting.

American Auto - "Most Hated CEO" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Ian and Sadie attempt to rehab Katherine's image from the pawl controversy by staging a phony video with Katherine's family and a visit to "Late Night with Seth Meyers."

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 30)

Tuesday, January 31

Pamela Anderson (Stacked/Home Improvement) - Catch Pamela on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Christ) - Terry is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Sally Field (Gidget/The Flying Nun/The Girl with Something Extra) - Sally will be on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Scott Caan (Entourage) - Scott appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
D. L. Hughley (The Hughleys/Double Rush) - D. L. guest hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm. He talks about taking over the responsibilities as guest host of The Daily Show on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kal Penn (The Santa Clauses/Sunnyside/We Are Men) - Kal gives all the details about the upcoming ABC special Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Tia Mowry (Family Reunion/The Game/Sister, Sister) - Tia will be on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect) - Sherri talks about her new talk show on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Jennifer Grey (Red Oaks/It's Like, You Know...) - Jennifer talks about her Lifetime film Gwen Shamblin on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on NBC's Today in the 10am hour..
Kyla Pratt (Call Me Kat/The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder/Let's Stay Together/One on One) - Kyla talks about the new Disney+ series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Harry Hamlin (Movie Stars) - Harry talks about AMC's Mayfair Witches on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Reyn Doi (That '90s Show) - Reyn will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:50am.
Drew Barrymore (Santa Clarita Diet) - Drew appears on NBC's Today some time between 7-9am.
Nathan Lane (Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!) - NBC's Today catches up with Nathan in the 9am hour.