Fri-Yay: Reboot Fever Continues with Talks of Designing Women and Frasier Reboots; E! Gets Busy...Philipps

Friday, August 17, 2018

Fri-Yay: Reboot Fever Continues with Talks of Designing Women and Frasier Reboots; E! Gets Busy...Philipps

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!

Frasier

by Vincent

Just when you thought reboot fever might be dying down, it's back again. That's right...reboot fever is back in action with talks of a Designing Women reboot as well as some "murmurs" of a Frasier revival.

We'll start with the Frasier reboot, reports of which surfaced a few weeks ago. Deadline reported that Kelsey Grammar is interested in the idea of a Frasier reboot that would "explore the idea of Frasier in a new city." Although no deal seems imminent, talks are that Grammar is shopping the reboot at different networks, and it seems to be at least a possibility. The Designing Women reboot is in similarly nascent stages, although it seems a bit further along as it has Sony on board. Supposedly, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony has tapped on original series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason to re-create the series in a way it speaks to "the politically divided state of our current nation" (which is interesting as the original Designing Women never seemed particularly political.) It seems as if the Designing Women reboot would be more of a fresh reboot with a new cast a la the new One Day at a Time rather than a continuation like the new seasons of Roseanne and Murphy Brown.

Personally, it really seems to me as if this is getting a bit out of control. Of these two remakes, the Frasier remake makes at least a little bit more sense, as Frasier has gained some surprising momentum as a Netflix favorite for millennials. But I'm still unsure that either of these long-running series are exactly dying to be revisited. I really wish the TV industry would focus a bit more on fresh ideas rather than drudging up the past. Nevertheless, more remakes and reboots are set to come to TV this fall - the new season of Murphy Brown will be premiering on CBS in the fall, as well as a rebooted version of Charmed on The CW. Whether I like it or not, it certainly seems as if reboot culture is here to stay.

Busy Philipps

E! brings viewers all the best in pop culture as the new late night talk show, Busy Tonight, hosted and executive produced by actress and social media sensation, Busy Philipps (Cougar Town), premieres on Sunday, October 28 at 10pm ET/PT. The half hour talk show, airing every Sunday through Wednesday, will feature everyone's favorite unfiltered Hollywood best friend giving her hilarious and outspoken opinions on the latest pop culture stories and trending topics with candid celebrity guest interviews and original comedic segments. The network has also tapped former Co-Executive Producer of Bravo Media's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Caissie St.Onge, to serve as showrunner.

Longtime writer and producer, Caissie St.Onge, joins Busy Tonight after nine years with Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and has previously worked on popular, Emmy-winning talk shows such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show and The Late Show with David Letterman.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 20

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Purse Dog" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin reluctantly agrees to dog-sit a glamorous little companion, only to face an awkward twist when someone else lays claim to it. Meanwhile, a joint celebration prompts Malcolm to question whether he and Mercedes are moving too fast. Amber Stevens West guest stars as Mercedes, Malcolm's Girlfriend.

DMV - "Drive-ory Tower" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Colette tries to bridge a growing divide at the office by bringing the driving examiners and counter clerks together. Meanwhile, Vic stubbornly avoids seeing a doctor after an unusual injury, forcing Barb to get creative to help him.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 20)

Monday, April 20

Kal Penn (The Santa Clauses/Sunnyside/We Are Men) - Watch Kal on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Quinta appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Don Cheadle (The Wonder Years/Black Monday/House of Lies/The Golden Palace) - Don is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Hazardous History with Henry Winkler on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Aaron Tveit (Schmigadoon!) - Aaron is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
B.J. Novak (The Office) and Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon/The Big Bang Theory) - Andy Cohen interviews B.J. and Jim on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
William Stanford Harris (Abbott Elementary) - William talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Ramy Youssef (#1 Happy Family USA/Ramy/See Dad Run) - Ramy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie talks about Big Mistakes on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) - NBC's Today catches up with Jane in the 9am hour.
Christopher Briney (Hacks) - Christopher talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair tells Sherri about his new memoir A Soldier's Wife: My Mother, the Marvelous Mrs. Marilyn A. Underwood on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Phoebe Dynevor (Younger) - Phoebe is telling Drew about her new movie Thrash on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Dan Bucatinsky (The Comeback/Marry Me/Web Therapy) - Dan appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.