Friday, March 29, 2019

Fri-Yay: Broad City Goes Out on a High Note; Freeform Summer 2019 Premieres Includes grown-ish

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!

Broad City

by Vincent

Last night, Broad City ended its five-year run on Comedy Central. This final season has been surprisingly emotional - it's tied up a lot of loose ends and called back several of the show's famous and most beloved moments and characters, but without feeling forced like shows sometimes do as they're wrapping up. Most importantly, the show has remained hysterical right up until the end. Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer are incredibly talented comic actresses, and even though it does feel as if they've outgrown their Broad City roles to an extent, they still do an excellent job detailing the comic pratfalls of these characters.

Plus, outgrowing their old selves has been a major theme of the final season of Broad City. Ilana and especially Abbi are no longer the young, carefree, aimless 20-somethings having fun in the big city the way they were when the series began. They're older, more mature and ready to get their lives together. That's why (spoilers for the final season of Broad City ahead) Abbi decides to leave New York City and enter an artists in residency program in Boulder, Colorado. Abbi and Ilana are not only growing older, but in some ways, growing apart. The two will always be linked with friendship, but Ilana feels satisfied running around New York City in the most carefree way possible in a way that Abbi has never really felt fully okay with having that be her endgame. It's a sad ending, but it's also one that makes sense for the characters. That makes total sense for a series that, as wacky as it got, has always had a big spot in its heart for its unique central duo. Broad City will be sorely missed in the TV comedy landscape, but what a great way for the show to go out then with a hilarious and heartfelt final season the way it has.


grown-ish

Season two of the critically acclaimed Freeform comedy grown-ish returns for summer session on Wednesday, June 5, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Freeform for the back half of its second season (episodes 11-20). After a cliffhanger spring finale, Zoey (Yara Shahidi) and her friends find themselves at dramatic crossroads in their relationships, academics and adulthood. The second half of the season continues to explore important topics, including cultural appropriation, mental health, academic scandal and more. Starring Yara Shahidi, Trevor Jackson, Francia Raisa, Emily Arlook, Jordan Buhat, Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Luka Sabbat, Deon Cole and Diggy Simmons, who has just been added as a series regular, the show is a contemporary take on the issues that students face in the world of higher education. grown-ish is produced by ABC Signature Studios and executive produced by Kenya Barris, Julie Bean, Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry, Craig Doyle, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and E. Brian Dobbins.

Good Trouble will return for more trouble in its highly anticipated sophomore season on Tuesday, June 18, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Freeform. Good Trouble stars Maia Mitchell, Cierra Ramirez, Tommy Martinez, Sherry Cola, Zuri Adele and Roger Bart. The season one finale airs Tuesday, April 2, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Freeform. Siren, Freeform's fan-favorite mermaid drama, will return Thursday, July 11, at 8:00 p.m. EDT/PDT on Freeform for the second half of its second season. Season 2B stars Eline Powell, Alex Roe, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Ian Verdun and Rena Owen. And finally, Freeform announced that they will say farewell to fan-favorite series Shadowhunters with an extended two and a half-hour finale on Monday, May 6 from 8:00-10:30 p.m. EDT/PDT.


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.

Complete TV Listings


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

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series Check It Out! - The Complete Series The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release) Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)

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

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

07/26 - USA Network Revives Scare Tactics; Apple TV+ Orders Season 2 of Camp Snoopy
07/25 - Apple TV+ Comedy Bad Monkey Premieres August 14; Mel Brooks HBO Doc
07/24 - FX's Final Season of What We Do in the Shadows; Lifetime Acquires Taye Diggs and Meagan Good Film
07/23 - Homicide: Life on the Street Makes Streaming Debut on Peacock August 19; Trailer and Game for Emily in Paris Season 4
07/22 - FETV Acquires Dragnet; CBS Special for Bob Newhart
07/21 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 22, 2024)
07/20 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Apple TV+ Renews Loot for Third Season; CBS Developing Area 51 Comedy
07/19 - Remembering TV Legend Bob Newhart, TV Bad Girl Shannen Doherty of Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, and Doogie Howser TV Dad James B. Sikking
07/18 - 76th Primetime Emmy Nominations; Frasier Returns September 19
07/17 - Fox Fall 2024 Premiere Dates; Apple TV+ Renews Loot for Season 3
07/16 - Survival of the Thickest Season 2 Adds to Cast; Phil Rosenthal Series Renewed by Netflix
07/15 - CBS Fall 2024 Premiere Dates; Disney Entertainment Television at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
07/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 15, 2024)
07/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Martin Prequel in the Works; Wendie Malick to Star in Season 3 of Night Court
07/12 - FX Premiere Dates; CBS Studios San Diego Comic-Con Plans
07/11 - ABC Fall 2024 Premiere Dates; Remembering Doug Sheehan of Day by Day and Clueless and Benji Gregory of ALF
07/10 - NBC Fall 2024 Premiere Dates; New Paramount+ Series with Billy Bob Thornton
07/09 - Futurama Trailer Released for Season 12; Will You Help Solve a Mystery? Unsolved Mysteries Volume 4 Drops July 31
07/08 - Hulu's How to Die Alone Premieres This September; Prime Video's Cross Launches This Fall
07/07 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 8, 2024)
07/06 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Skydance Media Reportedly Taking Over Paramount; Internet Archive Restores MTV News Archives
07/05 - Sitcom Stars Pair Up on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire; TV One Premieres Raising Fame
07/04 - Happy 4th of July; Antenna TV's McHale's Navy Red, White and Navy Independence Day Marathon
07/03 - Netflix Has Baby Fever Again; More Stars Join Sirens
07/02 - Cobra Kai's Final Season Begins July 18; Hell Yeah! Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Premieres July 18 on Max
07/01 - Remembering Martin Mull of Roseanne, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and More; Will Forte Joins Netflix's Upcoming Comedy The Four Seasons
06/30 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 1, 2024)
06/29 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Nancy O'Dell to Host New Daytime True Crime Series; NBC to Use AI Clips of Al Michaels' Voice for Olympics
06/28 - Hulu's Hit-Monkey Trailer Drops; Remembering Character Actor Bill Cobbs
06/27 - New Jersey's North to Shore Festival Brings Out the Stars; ABC's GMA Summer Concert Series 2024
06/26 - Fox Nation Taps Kelsey Grammer for Docudrama; Hallmark Channel's Kansas City Chiefs Christmas Movie