Friday, March 22, 2019
Fri-Yay: Original Comedies at Netflix; ABC Announces April Finales, Including TGIF
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
With the cancelation of One Day at a Time last week, one can stand to wonder what the state is of sitcoms on Netflix. Frankly, sitcoms are the one area that it feels like the streaming giant hasn't necessarily figured out yet at this point in time. When it comes to animated comedies, the streaming service has done a lot better - Bojack Horseman and Big Mouth being two examples. But it feels as if none of the service's sitcoms have reached the height of its dramas. Sure, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was very popular for a while, but it didn't last - the show will be ending after four seasons. The same could be said for Fuller House, which started off with a lot of hype but couldn't quite become a long-running smash the way its predecessor was. So will we ever see a streaming sitcom blow up the way network comedies have the potential to?
Honestly, I do have my doubts. Part of me feels as if the Netflix model just doesn't work as well for sitcoms. A sitcom is a show that gives you comfort - it's a show that you unwind with weekly at the end of a long day. It's not a show you feel the need to dust off in a 72-hour binge and then forget about for a year. Yet, that's what the Netflix algorithm demands, and it's shows that are well-suited to that kind of viewing that tend to stick around on the service. But maybe I can be proven wrong - maybe the right show just hasn't been discovered yet. Still, with a great show like One Day at a Time apparently not succeeding on the service, it's hard for me to get my hopes too high up.
The ABC Television Network has announced season finale dates for scripted series ending their prime-time runs in April. The first finale is on Tuesday, April 9 with the season finale of Splitting Up Together at 9:30pm. The series premiere of Bless This Mess premieres the following week (Tuesday, April 16), as we previously mentioned. Then on TGIF, on Friday, April 12, Fresh Off the Boat has its season finale at 8:00pm. That is followed by the season finale of Speechless at 8:30pm. No word yet on what ABC will air 8-9pm on Friday nights in May, but the NBA Playoffs are on April 19 and the 2019 NFL Draft is on April 26. Finally, ABC's hit freshman drama The Rookie will have its first season finale on Tuesday, April 16 at 10pm. ABC has not announced yet what will air Tuesdays at 10pm for the reminder of the season. Stay tuned for the other season finale dates for May when ABC announces them.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, June 1
The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Baby Proofing" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
While Marty heads to San Diego for a tech convention and Courtney is away for the weekend, Tina’s insistence on babysitting Daphne sparks a baby-proofing fiasco that leaves Calvin and Dave unexpectedly locked inside the bathroom.
The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Walk of Roses" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Calvin receives an unexpected honor that sparks mixed emotions, while Malcolm’s ghostwriting gig takes a wild turn after a viral outburst from his celebrity client.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 1)
Monday, June 1
- Tina Fey (The Four Seasons/Only Murders in the Building/30 Rock) - Watch Tina on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about The Four Seasons on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 9am hour..
- Marlon Wayans (Marlon/The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Brett Goldstein (Shrinking/Ted Lasso) - Brett is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Jason talks about HBO's DTF St. Louis and Netflix's Black Rabbit on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia swings by the studio to talk about Your Friends & Neighbors on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Tony Hale (Veep/Arrested Development) - Tony talks about Pixar's Toy Story 5 on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am, on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings), and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Anna Faris (Mom) - Anna talks about Scary Movie on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Katie Lowes (How We Roll) - Katie and Jamie Ray Newman talk about The Hunting Wives on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Erika Henningsen (The Four Seasons/Girls5eva) and Kerri Kenney-Silver (The Four Seasons/Maggie/Superstore/Reno 911!/The Ellen Show) - Erika and Kerri talk about The Four Seasons on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster/Sabrina the Teenage Witch) - Soleil appears on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea tells Drew about starring in Chess on Broadway plus she gets a surprise from a favorite restaurant of hers on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
11/04/25 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11/25 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11/25 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11/25 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02/25 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16/25 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16/25 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
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