Friday, November 16, 2018
Fri-Yay: An Appreciation for Mike Schur's Comedies; IFC Acquires Pee-wee's Playhouse
by Vincent
Recently, I've been engaging on a rewatch of Parks and Recreation. It's a show I haven't revisited too much since its end, and it's made me forget just what a delightful little show it was. It was funny, optimistic and filled with likable characters, and while its optimistic view on politics already seems somewhat outdated, the show's strengths more than make up for it. What else I saw it in, though, was a little bit of Mike Schur's future sitcoms - Brooklyn Nine-Nine and especially The Good Place. In many ways, the critical adoration of Parks and Recreation could be directly traced to those two shows. So in this blog post, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge Parks and the world of Mike Schur comedies it created.
Although these three shows seem very different in some ways, one thing remains true about them - after you watch them, you feel good about the state of the world. Even The Good Place, with its huge twists and turns, is ultimately a show about how people can change and get better. This is baked into the DNA of Parks, a show that seems to believe anything is possible if you really work hard enough and surround yourself with the right people. That's evident in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, too, a show about how things are a little easier if you surround yourself with a close group of friends. And The Good Place, for all of its intricate plotting, has a similar sunny message. Watching Parks, I can see the DNA for all of these shows, and I can better understand the state of mind that Mike Schur is keeping in mind when keeping his new shows. If you're into either Good Place or Brooklyn Nine-Nine and want to see where it all began, I highly recommend jumping into Parks and Rec - it is, in many ways, where it all began.
The secret word is "Pee-wee" as IFC announced that it will begin airing the cult Saturday morning classic Pee-wee's Playhouse starring Paul Reubens starting on Thanksgiving. The network will kick off its run of the series during a 24-hour marathon, including the iconic holiday special Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse, on Thursday, November 22 starting at 6AM. Subsequently, the show will return to its rightful home on Saturday mornings beginning November 24. Watch, scream out loud and share Pee-wee's return to the silver screen in an all new promo here.
For over 30 years, the enormously popular Pee-wee Herman and innovative television series Pee-Wee's Playhouse, created by, and starring Paul Reubens, has captured a special place in the hearts of millions of viewers, young and old. Since its initial premiere on CBS in 1986, this multiple Emmy(R)-winning children's program became Saturday morning appointment viewing for kids in the 80s and 90s and has been a staple in the pop culture zeitgeist ever since. TV Guide named Pee-Wee's Playhouse "one of the top ten cult television classics of all time."
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Monday, January 30
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Pit Stop, How May I Help You?" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Calvin takes Dave’s suggestion to try a new method of promoting his business, he soon comes to regret it. Also, Gemma recruits Tina to rescue her struggling after-school music program.
Bob Hearts Abishola - "Bibles to Brothels" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bob reconsiders his future at MaxDot and seeks advice from an unexpected source (Joel Murray), while Abishola questions Bob’s erratic behavior.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 30)
Monday, January 30
- Salma Hayek Pinault (30 Rock/The Sinbad Show) - Watch Salma on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She talks about Magic Mike's Last Dance on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
- Austin Butler (Ruby & the Rockits/Zoey 101) - Austin appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Murray Bartlett (Physical/Looking) - Murray is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Christopher Meloni (Happy/Surviving Jack/Misery Loves Company/The Fanelli Boys) - Christopher will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place/Barry) - D'Arcy appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Emma Roberts (Scream Queens/Unfabulous) - Emma is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty/Reno 911!/Betas) - Paul will be 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 will also be on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
- Christa Miller (Shrinking/Cougar Town/Scrubs/The Drew Carey Show) - Christa appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Hilary Duff (How I Met Your Father/Younger/Lizzie McGuire) - Hilary is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face/Russian Doll) - Natasha talks about her new show, her partnership with Maya Rudolph and whether she would do an American Pie reboot on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Sam Jay (Pause with Sam Jay/Bust Down) - Sam appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (October-January)
10/04 - Mr. Mayor - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/04 - The Munsters - Marineland Carnival with The Munsters TV Cast
10/18 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete First Season
11/08 - Frasier - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/08 - Young Rock - Season Two (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/15 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Seven / The Complete Season Eight
11/22 - That '70s Show - The Complete Series (Mill Creek)
11/29 - Ghosts - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/06 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - 70th Anniversary Ultimate Christmas Collection
12/13 - And Just Like That... - The Complete First Season
12/13 - Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/03 - Andy Richter Controls the Universe - The Complete Series (2023 Release)
01/27 - Master of None - Season Three / The Complete Series
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