Friday, November 30, 2018
Fri-Yay: The Prevailing Brilliance of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia; CBS Winter 2018 Comedy Plans
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.
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.
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
Friday, July 26
The Conners - "Keep on Truckin'" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After a sudden turn of events, the Conners are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.
The Conners - "Tangled Up in Blue" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Darlene gets one surprise after another when David introduces his girlfriend at a parent-teacher conference and mentions that Mark & Harris will be spending the weekend with them.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 22)
Friday, July 26
- Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Watch Nick on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) - Michael appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie), Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Burning Love/Reno 911!) and Aparna Nancherla (Corporate) - Sasheer, Joe and Aparna are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jennie Garth (Mystery Girls/What I Like About You) - Jennie chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. NBC's Today catches up with Jennie in the 10am hour.
- Marcus Scribner (grown-ish/black-ish) - Marcus talks about his coming-of-age film How I Learned to Fly on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Delroy Lindo (UnPrisoned) - Delroy talks about UnPrisoned on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Dylan Sprouse (The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody/Grace Under Fire) - Dylan talks about Lionsgate's The Duel on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season / The Complete Series
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
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