Friday, January 04, 2019

Fri-Yay: Sitcoms in the Year 2019; Things Get Better Again on FX with Season 3 of Comedy

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!

Corporate

by Vincent

Now that another calendar year is upon us, what can we expect from sitcoms in the year of 2019? 2018 was a year where a lot of sitcoms continued to surprise me. I'd expect shows like Superstore, The Good Place, Bojack Horseman and One Day at a Time will continue to impress with their 2019 batch of episodes. But what are some other, less covered shows that could take off in 2019, and what else is going on in the world of sitcoms?

Personally, I'm interested to see how things shape up on these sitcoms coming to an end: You're the Worst, Broad City, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. All of these shows are poised to reach their conclusions this season, and I'm really sad to see them go but also feel that it might be the right time for many of them to wrap up, and am interested to see just how they wrap things off. All of these shows will certainly be very missed in the sitcom landscape.

And how about new shows, or shows that haven't quite taken off yet? I'll be keeping an eye on Comedy Central's Corporate, a riotously funny show that I hope doesn't go the way of recent Comedy Central projects. I'm also interested in AP Bio on NBC. I wasn't a big fan of the first season, but I saw potential for greatness, and now that it's getting another shot, I'm interested to see if it can build on its potential in its second season. Elsewhere, I'm interested to see if Netflix has any more interesting comedies in the pipeline. It feels as if sitcoms have taken a bit of a backseat on that platform, and I'd love to see some more great, original comedies come out of the streaming service.

2019 will surely bring some surprises, as well, just as 2018 did with shows like Corporate. Still, I feel 2018 was somewhat of a quiet year for sitcoms (and even for TV in general) - let's hope 2019 brings them back with a vengeance.


Better Things

Better Things, the acclaimed and award-winning comedy series directed by, produced by and starring Pamela Adlon, will return to FX for its third season on Thursday, February 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Better Things is the story of Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single mother and working actor with no filter, raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She also looks after her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expat with questionable faculties who lives across the street. Whether she's struggling to keep her daughters close or trying to push one of them out of the nest, Sam approaches every challenge with fierce love, raw honesty and humor. At the end of the day, Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' changing lives, survive her family, have fun with a friend or two, and also - just maybe - squeeze in some private time.

Season three will welcome several new faces as guests: Sharon Stone, Matthew Broderick, Doug Jones, Glynn Turman, Judy Reyes, Cree Summer, Charlie Robinson, Janina Gavankar and Marsha Thomason to name a few. Additionally, recurring players Diedrich Bader, Greg Cromer, Rebecca Metz, Kevin Pollak and Alysia Reiner will return this season, inhabiting their familiar roles. Adlon, who directs all 12 episodes of the third season, also serves as writer, executive producer and showrunner. Better Things is produced by FX Productions. In its first season, Better Things was one of seven entertainment programs to be honored with a Peabody Award. Additionally, in the first and second seasons, Pamela Adlon was nominated for an Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe(R) Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy in season two.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, February 2

St. Denis Medical - "Nod and Agree" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron tries to wrap up a perfect visit from his son, Michael; Alex questions Val's return from jury duty; Bruce feels iced out of a juicy business opportunity.

Stumble - "Button Day" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Courteney makes a deal with the Button Factory owner that if her team performs a dazzling routine, he'll write her department a big check; with Krystal still injured, Courteney's only option is to promote Peaches, who may or may not be ready to fly.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 2)

Monday, February 2

  • Paula Pell (The 'Burbs/Girls5eva/Mapleworth Murders/A.P. Bio) - Watch Paula on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu chats about Oh, Mary! on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Mikey Day (Kath & Kim) - Mikey dishes on Is It Cake? on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Garcelle Beauvais (The Other Black Girl/Survival of the Thickest/The Jamie Foxx Show/Merry Happy Whatever) and Boris Kodjoe (The Last Man on Earth/Second Time Around) - Garcelle and Boris talk about their steamy romance in Lifetime's Tempted 2 Love on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Katherine LaNasa (Three Sisters) - Katherine talks season two of the hit show The Pitt and helps Drew surprise a deserving nurse on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

02/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 2, 2026)
01/31 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Orders Pair of Comedy Pilots; Final Episode Airdate Announced for The Late Show
01/30 - Jury Duty Returns March 20 on Prime Video; Katt Williams 4th Netflix Special
01/29 - Season 4 of Ted Lasso Premieres This Summer; Shrinking Renewed for Season 4 as Season 3 Premieres
01/28 - Nikki Glaser's New Hulu Special Premieres April 24; HBO Announces Late-Night Series
01/27 - Trailer for The Muppet Show Special Event; New Evolution of The Handmaid's Tale Series
01/26 - FETV Acquires '70s S.W.A.T. Series; Paramount+ Releases Date for Can You Keep a Secret? Comedy Series
01/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 26, 2026)
01/24 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Kenan and Kel Back Together for Upcoming Movie; Amazon Barbershop Series Adds to Cast
01/23 - CBS Renews 10 More Series for 2026-27; Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary Return Big in January
01/22 - Dancing with the Stars Live Tour Starts TODAY; Beef Returns April 16
01/21 - Prime Video's Bait Premieres March 25; Production Underway on Season 2 of Arctic-set Comedy North of North
01/20 - Baywatch Casting Call for Reboot on Fox; Mike Epps Netflix Special Trailer
01/19 - MGM+ Comedy Series American Classic; Taylor Tomlinson Returns to Netflix
01/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 19, 2026)
01/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Rockford Files Reboot at NBC; Daniel Stern Fired From ABC Comedy Pilot
01/16 - Ted Season 2 Trailer Released; Remembering T.K. Carter of Punky Brewster, TV Director Tom Cherones, and Others We Recently Lost
01/15 - The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Gets Special Preview; ABC Midseason Changes for Monday and Tuesday Night Lineups
01/14 - NBC Orders Pilots, Including The Rockford Files; The CW to Premiere Celebrity Series
01/13 - 83rd Golden Globe Winners; Tubi's Upcoming YA Film Slate
01/12 - Peacock's The 'Burbs Trailer; The Jeff Foxworthy Show Launch Back on COZI TV
01/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 12, 2026)
01/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Henry Winkler to Star in NBC Legal Comedy Pilot; First Look at Peacock's The 'Burbs
01/09 - HBO's Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! Documentary with Interviews Including Rob Reiner; 83rd Annual Golden Globes Presenters
01/08 - Netflix Orders Nick Kroll Comedy Series; Saturday Night Live January 2026 Hosts and Music Guests
01/07 - Saturday Night Live Bobbleheads from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum; Fox Entertainment Signs Tracee Ellis Ross to Deal
01/06 - Emily in Paris Renewed for Season 6; Audible's New Comedy Series Starring Jenifer Lewis, Cedric the Entertainer, and Niecy Nash-Betts
01/05 - Trailer for The Muppet Show Special Event; Season 3 of Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal on Adult Swim
01/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 5, 2026)
01/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date Set for Malcolm in the Middle Reboot; NBC Pulls The Paper
01/02 - Bridgerton Season 4 Details and Live Premiere Event; NBC Pulls The Paper from Mondays
01/01 - Happy New Year; Shrinking Season 3 Trailer