Fri-Yay: You're the Worst Going Out on a High Note; The CW Picks Up 10 Returning Series for 2019-20

Friday, February 01, 2019

Fri-Yay: You're the Worst Going Out on a High Note; The CW Picks Up 10 Returning Series for 2019-20

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

There are a lot of sitcoms coming to an end in 2019 - from Broad City to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and also to You're the Worst. Today, I'll be spotlighting the final season of FXX's You're the Worst, which is proving to be an incredibly strong one as the sitcom reaches its conclusion. You're the Worst has been a bit of a quiet favorite over its five season run - it never attracted the amount of viewers of a show like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but those who were on its wavelength were incredibly passionate about it, particularly in the show's strong first and second seasons. The series was an incredibly funny but also heartfelt look at what it's like to be in a relationship when you're kind of broken - and it got a lot more real in its second season, when it revealed one of its central characters of its main couple, Gretchen, suffers from depression. The second season was one of the best TV seasons of the 2010s - funny, heartfelt and intricately written. The show hasn't quite reached those heights since - the third season attempted to look at Jimmy in a similar way that the second looked at Gretchen, but it never quite felt as vital as that season, never quite reaching the level of depth that Gretchen's arc did. In Season 4, the show's couple spent most of the time broken up, which felt like something the show needed to do but also made the show feel a bit split and scattered, struggling to find a central focus as strong as Jimmy and Gretchen's relationship.

Now, though, in its final season, You're the Worst is doing an excellent job of bringing everything to a conclusion, and it's doing it by remembering its characters depths and allowing them to be as real and funny as possible. Ultimately, what makes the show such a special one is its willingness to go to places that other shows wouldn't - whether that's in its characters behavior or in the show's format (such as in the premiere, which centers mostly around a fictional story that Jimmy and Gretchen are telling.) It's great to see the show gain its mojo back and once again focus on the depth of its characters, proving that it's a show we'll really miss once its gone.

The CW

The CW Network has given early renewals to ten of its primetime series for the 2019-2020 season. The series being ordered for the 2019-2020 broadcast year include second seasons of The CW's freshman hits Charmed and Legacies, as well as new seasons of Arrow (Season 8), Black Lightning (Season 3), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (Season 5), Dynasty (Season 3), The Flash (Season 6), Riverdale (Season 4), Supergirl (Season 5), and the veteran hit Supernatural (Season 15). Specific premiere dates for each series will be announced at a later time.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, February 24

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Getting Lucky" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin and Dave join Lamar (Kevin Pollack) on a road trip to the casino. Also, Tina and Gemma babysit Daphne while Marty desperately tries to spend time with Courtney alone. Series star Tichina Arnold directs this episode.

Poppa's House - "Slumber Party" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Poppa dodges an invitation to a family slumber party, Junior attempts to change his mind by making him jealous of everyone attending. Charo guest stars as herself. Wendy Raquel Robinson returns as Catherine. Geoffrey Owens returns as J.J.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 24)

Monday, February 24

Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Chris on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Drew appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Wendell Pierce (The Odd Couple/The Michael J. Fox Show/The Weber/The Brian Benben Show/The Gregory Hines Show) - Wendell appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He talks about the latest season of Raising Kanan on Starz on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Sam Waterston (Grace and Frankie) - Sam makes a special appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Christian Slater (Breaking In) - Christian is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Zosia Mamet (Laid/Girls) - Zosia appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Tichina Arnold (The Neighborhood/Survivor's Remorse/Happily Divorced/Everybody Hates Chris/Martin) and Essence Atkins (Poppa's House/Marlon/Mr. Box Office/Are We There Yet?/Half & Half/Smart Guy/Under One Roof) - Tichina and Essence are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS. Tichina appers on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Jon Hamm (Grimsburg/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) - Jon appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11pm on Bravo.
Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris is a guest on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
Kate Hudson (Running Point) - E! News has an interview with Kate at 11pm on E!.
Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) - NBC's Today catches up with Eric in the 9am hour.
Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons and Cedric the Entertainer (The Neighborhood/The Last O.G./The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - CBS Mornings has CBS deals with Anthony and Cedric sometime between 7-9am.
Clifton Davis (Amen/That's My Mama) - Nancy Giles goes behind the scenes of CBS' new series Beyond the Gates with actors Clifton Davis, Tamara Tunie, Daphnée Duplaix and Karla Mosley on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Hank Azaria (The Simpsons/Brockmire/Free Agents/Herman's Head) - Hank chats with the hosts and performs with the EZ Street Band on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Phil Dunster (Ted Lasso) - Phil talks about the new season of Ted Lasso on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Halle Berry (Living Dolls) - Halle is hitting the headlines with Drew and Ross and opening up about finding love again on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Then, Halle is opening up about her experience with menopause and the new platform Respin she made to help women through it.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.