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

Thursday, March 12

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Big Birthday and Tequila Shots" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy struggles to celebrate Georgie’s 21st birthday after hitting a rough patch in her career.

Ghosts - "St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A St. Patrick’s Day staffing emergency gives Hetty the chance to step into an unlikely role at the restaurant as she regains her once-a-year ability to be seen and heard by the living. Meanwhile, Kyle returns to watch over the ghosts and finds himself caught in an amusing supernatural dynamic.

Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.

Going Dutch - "Tinker, Tailor, Colonel, Spy" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Rick takes a sabbatical from the CIA and returns to the base, hoping to rekindle his strained relationship with Capt. Maggie; paranoia runs high when a mole is suspected to be operating inside the base.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 9)

Thursday, March 12

Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris/Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan talks about Broadway's Death of a Salesman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana joins Tamron to talk about her fashion evolution and her role in the all-star cast of the new series Scarpetta on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren talks about Reminders of Him on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Valerie in the 10am hour.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil and Lily Rosenthal join Drew for a taste test of weird foods and talk about their children's book Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book) on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.