SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC to Air Brooklyn Nine-Nine Next Season as Fox Appears to Move in New Direction; New Perfect Strangers DVDs Coming Soon

Saturday, May 12, 2018

SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC to Air Brooklyn Nine-Nine Next Season as Fox Appears to Move in New Direction; New Perfect Strangers DVDs Coming Soon

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, there has been a huge uproar over a decisions that Fox has made regarding their sitcoms, that even wades into the political divide seen in the country. That isn't all that people have been talking about with renewals and cancellations, though, and we've got that and a lot more (and there is actually even more that we couldn't fit in here this week). Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

You may have noticed on your social media feed that people are screaming bloody murder and talking about a cultural war (OK, maybe not quite that big, but close) after Fox made a decision to cancel most of their live-action sitcoms (and the prospects are bad for the remaining live-action series), ostensibly to make room for series that fit in better with their new pickup, Last Man Standing... (SitcomsOnline)
... meanwhile, in the very early of this morning, NBC announced that they have become the hero of the day for fans of the most popular of the series canceled by Fox, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, by picking it up for a sixth season... (Entertainment Weekly)
... and we can't go without a third story about all of this. It has been rumored for weeks, but this week, Fox has officially announced they indeed will be airing a new season of Last Man Standing. (Time)
The Big Bang Theory is coming back for a twelfth season, but will that be the final season? (Deadline)
Rick and Morty was renewed for 70 more episodes, and without a fixed schedule as to when those episodes will air, so most people expect that to mean about ten more seasons worth of episodes. (Hollywood Reporter)
If you're having trouble keeping track of what has been renewed or canceled, just bookmark this Vox article, which updates everything as news comes in one way or the other, and there have been a lot this week that we simply didn't have time to cover. (Vox)
Norman Lear has been working on a new project, Guess Who Died, that was planned for NBC, but the network has officially passed on the pilot. (Deadline)
It appeared that Disney would be the one to acquire 21st Century Fox, but now Comcast is trying to get in on the battle as well to take over 21st Century Fox. (Forbes)
Antenna TV is making a few lineup changes. (SitcomsOnline)

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Details are still sparse, but TVShowsOnDVD.com reports that the fourth season of Perfect Strangers is coming soon from Warner Archive.
Mill Creek announced that they would be releasing Happy Endings - The Complete Series on August 7, both on DVD and Blu-ray.

HOME MEDIA RELEASES (MAY 15)

Rick and Morty - Season Three (DVD, $24.99; Blu-ray, $29.98): It has been renewed for 70 more episodes, so these won't be the last as some have feared, but you can catch up on the most recent season with this release.

WEEKLY PLANNER (MAY 12 - MAY 18)

13 Reasons Why returns for a second season on Netflix on Friday.
Amy Schumer is the host for the new episode of Saturday Night Live tonight.
Antenna TV starts their new lineup on Monday, which you can see here.
This weekend, the binge on Decades is Father Dowling Mysteries.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, October 20

The Goldbergs - "An Itch Like No Other" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
With Beverly’s encouragement, Mr. Glascott moves in next door to the Goldbergs and slowly goes from friendly neighbor to cluelessly intrusive. Adam and Murray become increasingly disgruntled while Beverly comes up with a plan to occupy Mr. Glascott’s time with a new friend, Mr. Woodburn. Meanwhile, Barry lands in urgent care with a case of poison ivy in a compromising area – his rear end. Erica and Geoff are called to task to take care of Barry and his ridiculous demands – inadvertently testing their parenting skills and patience with one another.

The Wonder Years - "The Lock In" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Dean is reluctant to attend the annual church lock-in until Kim tells him it’s where she got her first kiss. He enlists his friends to help him pair up with Keisa, but his plans are thwarted when he instead gets paired up with the pastor’s daughter, Charlene.

The Conners - "Trucking Live in Front of a Fully Vaccinated Studio Audience -- East Coast" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Lights, Camera, Action: “The Conners” is going live for both the East and West Coast broadcasts of the season four premiere episode. This iconic TV family continues to deal with the current pandemic while navigating breakups and newfound sobriety, all while planning an upcoming wedding.

Home Economics - "Giant Jenga, $120" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tom spirals when Connor dates a woman who broke his heart at summer camp. Then, family game night becomes an all-or-nothing competition between Marina and Denise.

Superstar - "Robin Williams" (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT)
The new episode recounts his life through Robin Williams’ own voice, describing “the spark of madness” which defined his life. From his early days in the San Francisco Bay Area comedy scene to his meteoric rise on “Mork & Mindy,” the one-hour special explores the experiences that made Williams into a one-of-a-kind talent and reveals what gave voice to the characters in his mind. It also chronicles the creative force driving critically acclaimed films like “Good Will Hunting” and “Dead Poets Society,” as well as fan favorites such as “Aladdin.” The special explores his personal struggles, including substance abuse and depression, and his battle with Lewy Body Dementia before his tragic death in 2014. “Superstar: Robin Williams” features interviews with famous comedians and actors who knew and admired Williams, including Margaret Cho, Howie Mandel, Lewis Black, Jimmie Walker, Paula Poundstone, Gina Hecht and Pauly Shore, as well as Barry Levinson, director of multiple films starring Williams including “Good Morning, Vietnam.” The program also contains interviews with Williams from the ABC News archives, in which he opens up about his life and the highs and lows of his distinguished career.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 18)

Wednesday, October 20

Rami Malek (The War at Home) - Watch Rami on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Issa Rae (Insecure) - Issa appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Billy Bob Thornton (Hearts Afire) - Billy Bob is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jamie Foxx (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Jamie Foxx Show) - Jamie appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah guest hosts The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Debra Messing (Will & Grace/Ned & Stacey) - Debra talks about her latest project: how self-care can change the world on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Ron Howard (Arrested Development/Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) and Clint Howard (Gung Ho) - Ron and Clint discuss their new book, The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Amy Sedaris (No Activity/BoJack Horseman/Strangers with Candy) - It's a TV exclusive with sister and brother duo Amy and David Sedaris appearing together for the first time on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) - Jeremy talks about FBI on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
David Eigenberg (Sex and the City) - David talks about NBC's Chicago Fire on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick talks about Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.