Fri-Yay: The Prevailing Brilliance of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia; CBS Winter 2018 Comedy Plans

Friday, November 30, 2018

Fri-Yay: The Prevailing Brilliance of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia; CBS Winter 2018 Comedy Plans

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

Recently, I caught up with the most recent season of FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Always Sunny is currently the longest-running live action sitcom on TV, having just finished its 13th season. The show premiered in 2005, an age that seems so far long and feels extraordinarily different from the current era, and yet, Sunny still fits seamlessly into the current TV landscape. In its 13th season, the show still feels vital and relevant - sometimes, in new ways than it did previously.

The buzziest episode of the 13th season was the finale, in which long-closeted gay character Mac performs an elaborate dance sequence, expressing his feelings about his sexuality. It was, by far, the most emotional Sunny has ever gotten, and many fans were put off by it. Personally, I'm happy that Sunny keeps experimenting and innovating its own process, even 13 seasons in. It's part of why the show has lasted the test of time, and why 13 seasons in, I'm still not waiting for the end. Granted, there were some signs of wear within Sunny's 13th season - not every episode was a hit, and the show missed Dennis who was only in the season sporadically - but the show is still brave, often hilarious, and still truly giving it its all. It's not a show that's resting on its laurels for easy laughs, the way many long-running sitcoms do. It's really hard to find many sitcoms that have remained relevant and hilarious as long as Sunny has - and it's why it remains a special part of the sitcom landscape.

Fam

CBS announced the comedy portion of its winter 2019 scheduling moves, including the series premiere of Fam and the return of Man with a Plan. CBS will premiere the new comedy Fam on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 9:30PM, ET/PT after Murphy Brown completes its season order. Fam stars Nina Dobrev and Tone Bell in a comedy about a woman whose vision of a perfect life with her adoring fiancé and his wonderful parents is radically altered when her 16-year-old, out-of-control half-sister unexpectedly comes to live with her. As the family Clem (Dobrev) chose and the family she has blend, Clem realizes that this new happy fam may be the perfection she's always been seeking. Odessa Adlon, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Sheryl Lee Ralph also star.

Man with a Plan

Also, Man with a Plan will return for its third season on Monday, Feb. 4 at 8:30PM ET/PT after Happy Together completes its season run. Man with a Plan stars Golden Globe Award winner Matt LeBlanc in a comedy about an old-school guy confronting the modern challenges of parenting, marriage and family. Liza Snyder, Kevin Nealon, Stacy Keach, Grace Kaufman, Matthew McCann, Hala Finley, Matt Cook and Kali Rocha also star. The season premiere of Life in Pieces will be announced at a later date.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, January 21

Shifting Gears - "Toys" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Riley’s new relationship feels perfect until Matt crashes in, throwing some unexpected obstacles her way. Meanwhile, Matt’s toy car project is derailed when he and Gabe are tasked with working together. Jesse Williams and Maria Bamford guest star.

Abbott Elementary - "Mall Part 3: Heroes" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After the faculty finds surprising success operating the school in the mall, they quickly realize they are being taken advantage of. Meanwhile, a new custodian arrives to join Mr. Johnson.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 19)

Wednesday, January 21

Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building/Mulaney/I'm a Big Girl Now/The Associates) - Watch Martin on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Jackson White (Mrs. Fletcher) - Jackson appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) - Jane is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Jessica Williams (Shrinking/Love Life/Just for Kicks) - Jessica stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Bert Kreischer (Free Bert) - Bert appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also chats about Unfunny Bunny and Saturday Night Live with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan share details of his new children’s book, Unfunny Bunny, and more on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Scott Foley (The Goodwin Games/A.U.S.A./Scrubs) - Scott talks about Will Trent and It's Not Like That on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That.../Divorce/Sex and the City/Square Pegs) - Sarah discusses her love of reading and protecting her vision with Lara Spencer on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Jennette McCurdy (Sam & Cat/iCarly) - Jennette talks about Half Her Age on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Arden Myrin (Free Bert/Working/Still the King) - Arden dishes about her new Netflix series Free Bert on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Jason Biggs (Outmatched/Mad Love/Drexell's Class) and Meaghan Rath (Children Ruin Everything/Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life/The Assistants) - Jason and Meagahn talk about their film Untitled Home Invasion Romance on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Kim Fields (The Upshaws/Living Single/The Facts of Life/Baby, I'm Back) - Kim talks about Netflix's The Upshaws on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.