Friday, March 22, 2019
Fri-Yay: Original Comedies at Netflix; ABC Announces April Finales, Including TGIF
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
Tuesday, April 23
Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs Dreams" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When George's vivid dreams reveal he has feelings for Rosie, he avoids sleeping and gets distracted at work; when Chance tests at a genius-level IQ, Mayan and Quinten fear that they're a couple of dum-dums.
Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs Lisa" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mayan worries when George gets into a hairy situation dating a hot hairdresser; Josué gets locked into a competition with the other man in Rosie's life: her grandson, Chance.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 22)
Tuesday, April 23
- Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Catch Wanda on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Gabriel Iglesias (Mr. Iglesias/Cristela) - Gabriel appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Esther Povitsky (Dollface/Alone Together) - Esther appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Hannah Waddingham (Krapopolis/Ted Lasso) - Hannah is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Maya Rudolph (Loot/Bless the Harts/Forever/Up All Night) - Maya appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) and Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) - Drew and Thomas are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Bebe Neuwirth (Cheers/Frasier) - Bebe will be on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
- John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - NBC's Today catches up with John in the 9am hour.
- Zendaya (K.C. Undercover/Shake It Up) - Zendaya will be on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
- Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Gina Rodriguez (Not Dead Yet) - Gina talks about ABC's Dead to Me on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Jennifer talks about the new season of Chucky on USA & SYFY Networks on Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
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)
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