Fri-Yay: Modern Family Announces Next Season Will Be Its Last; The Kominsky Method Gets Three Veterans for Season 2

Friday, February 08, 2019

Fri-Yay: Modern Family Announces Next Season Will Be Its Last; The Kominsky Method Gets Three Veterans for Season 2

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

The end of yet another sitcom has been announced - Modern Family was renewed for an 11th and final season this week on ABC, with confirmation that the 2019-2020 TV season will be the final one for the landmark family comedy. It's yet another announced ending in a year that is seeing a lot of veteran comedies announcing their end. Just this year alone, we have The Big Bang Theory, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Broad City, You're the Worst and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend coming to an end. Next year, we already have the confirmed ending for Modern Family. There's quite a lot of sitcoms coming to their close within the next year or so - confirming that it's the end of an era for TV comedy.

As the decade draws to a close, it's not particularly surprising to see shows bowing out, but it certainly serves as proof that things are going to begin changing for sitcoms. The loss will be particularly felt by the end of Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory, arguably the two biggest sitcoms on network TV for the better part of this decade. As these two huge shows begin to wind down, there's really nothing in the works that immediately suggests it'll be taking their place as the commercial center of the sitcom universe. There are other hit sitcoms, to be sure - ABC still has a solid roster of family comedies (though the rest of their slate is beginning to age as well), CBS has Big Bang spin-off Young Sheldon pulling in big numbers, and of course there's The Conners still doing quite well. But nothing has burst onto the scene quite as much as those two shows did at their peak. Perhaps as we move deeper into the streaming age, huge, landmark sitcoms like these two on broadcast television might become a thing of the past, and sitcoms will become more and more niche-orientated. Time will tell - but until then, enjoy this last year of Modern Family while you can.

Jane Seymoud, Jacqueline Bisset and Paul Reiser

Jane Seymour, Jacqueline Bisset & Paul Reiser join Michael Douglas & Alan Arkin in season 2 of The Kominsky Method. The trio of actors will be joining Douglas and Arkin in the second season as recurring guest stars in multiple episodes. Jane Seymour plays Madelyn, a seventy-something, well-to-do woman who Norman (Arkin) had a mad love affair with in the Sixties before he met his wife. Fifty years later, they meet and start again. Jacqueline Bisset plays Gabrielle, Mindy's (Sarah Baker) mom and Sandy's (Douglas) French ex-wife who delights in still being able to push the buttons of her ex-husband. Ans Paul Reiser plays Martin, a sixty-something high school teacher who gets romantically involved with Sandy's (Douglas) daughter, Mindy (Baker).

The sun isn't setting yet on the once famous Sandy Kominsky and his longtime agent Norman Newlander. Academy Award(R) Winners Michael Douglas (Kominsky) and Alan Arkin (Newlander) continue their journey as two friends tackling life's inevitable curveballs as they navigate their later years in Los Angeles, a city that values youth and beauty. Both comedic and emotional, The Kominsky Method is a half-hour single camera comedy created by 8-time Emmy Award Nominee Chuck Lorre. Lorre, Al Higgins and Michael Douglas executive produce the series which is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, August 21

The Goldbergs - "The Wedding Singer" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Barry and Lainey’s wedding date is right around the corner, and Beverly is in her element as she tries to make everything perfect for her schmoopie’s big day. Geoff is concerned about Adam’s shortcomings as a wedding videographer. Meanwhile, Barry begins to have second thoughts.

Schooled - "Be Like Mike" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
It’s 1990-something, and since Lainey still hasn’t achieved rock ‘n’ roll greatness, she returns to William Penn Academy as the new music teacher. Lainey has a hard time adjusting to being an authority figure, but she realizes she might not be so bad at it when she discovers a kindred spirit in Principal Glascott’s niece, Felicia. Meanwhile, Coach Mellor struggles with Michael Jordan’s influence on modern-day basketball.

Modern Family - "The Wild" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mitch, Cam and Phil crash Jay’s annual hiking trip to find an elusive bald eagle after Gloria asks them to keep an eye on him. Meanwhile, Gloria, Alex, Claire and Haley get together to plan her baby shower.

Single Parents - "Pilot" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Will Cooper has been so focused on raising his daughter, Sophie, he’s lost sight of who he is as a man and has headed deep into the parental vortex. When the other single parents – Angie, Douglas, Poppy and Miggy – at his daughter’s school see just how far down the rabbit hole of PTA, parenting and princesses Will has gone, they band together to get him out in the world and make him realize that being a great parent doesn’t mean sacrificing everything about your own identity.

Younger - "It's All About the Money, Honey" (TV Land, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Liza is shocked to see an unexpected costar in her Infinitely 21 ad campaign. Kelsey and Charles head to Chicago with a plan. Josh considers his options beyond Inkburg.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 19)

Wednesday, August 21

Donald Glover (Atlanta/Community) - Watch on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place/Barry) - D'Arcy appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Joe Namath (The Waverly Wonders) - Joe appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Fred Savage (What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage/Friends from College/The Grinder/Working/The Wonder Years) - Fred is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jane Lynch (Angel from Hell) - Jane drops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men/Partners/The Famous Teddy Z) - Jon is a guest on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin stops by LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Jennifer appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Iain Armitage (Young Sheldon) - Iain is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
Brian Austin Green (Anger Management/Freddie) - Brian talks about BH90210 on Access Live, so check your local listings.
Melissa Peterman (Reba/Working Class/Baby Daddy) - Melissa guest co-hosts Access Live, so check your local listings.
Justine Lupe (Cristela) - Justine will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah opens up about how she balances her personal and professional life and her latest mission to combat the stigma of mental health on a repeat of The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie talks about Kids Baking Championship on the BUILD Series at 2pm.