Friday, April 27, 2018
Fri-Yay: Why Brooklyn Nine-Nine Deserves a Renewal; Celebrity Version of Undercover Boss Starts May 11
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.
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
Thursday, May 22
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Diet Crap" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tensions rise when Georgie intrudes on Mandy’s new sales gig. Meanwhile, Audrey’s conflicted when Jim makes it a point not to coddle Connor.
Ghosts - "Sad Farnsby" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Sam accidentally creates a rift between Sam and Jay’s neighbors, the Farnsbys, Henry Farnsby moves into Woodstone B&B. Also, Isaac and Nigel battle over a belated wedding present.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 19)
Thursday, May 22
- Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Catch Miley on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Chloe Fineman (Big Mouth/Search Party) - Chloe appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm. Featured host Vlad Duthiers sits down with Ronny on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock/Scrubs) and Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Elizabeth and Amanda are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10:15pm on Bravo.
- Cynthia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Cynthia talks about ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Bill Bellamy (Mr. Box Office/Men, Women & Dogs/Cousin Skeeter) - Bill brings the laughs to the third annual cookout on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Finola Hughes (Blossom) - Finola dishes on General Hospital on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Jason Schwartzman (Blunt Talk/Mozart in the Jungle/Bored to Death) - Jason talks about Mountainhead on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling is telling Drew all about playing a secret service agent in the thrilling new show Paradise on a repaet of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Midori Francis (The Sex Lives of College Girls) - Midori is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
New on DVD and 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)
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