Friday, April 12, 2019

Fri-Yay: Why NBC's Abby's Deserves a Chance; Netflix Orders Adult Animated Comedy Q-Force

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!

Abby's

by Vincent

This spring, NBC quietly premiered the newest Mike Schur sitcom Abby's. For as much clout as Schur has, Abby's hasn't gotten a whole lot of press, even though it hails from the genius behind The Good Place, Parks and Rec and Brooklyn 99. Some of that may be that it's a multi-camera, and multi-camera sitcoms don't typically appeal to the same kind of viewer that those shows do. Another reason could be that it's not a great show yet - but it shows potential to be one, and frankly, that's basically the same thing I'd say for the early episodes of the shows listed above, particularly Parks and Rec, which had a really rough first season but found itself in Season 2.

Abby's is a series about an "unlicensed bar" that takes places in titular character Abby's backyard, but it's basically just a hangout sitcom about a bunch of friends who like spending time with one another. In some ways, it feels a little like an updated Cheers (Abby's is definitely a place where "everybody knows your name"), but it also recalls early 2010s hang-out sitcoms like Cougar Town, Happy Endings and New Girl, a genre that feels like it's fallen out of favor a bit, as most comedies now are more high-concept, such as The Good Place, or workplace comedies, such as Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The hangout sitcom can sometimes be a little aimless, which is what has stopped Abby's from being great yet, but it's also the type of show that works better once you know the characters well - all of the hangout sitcoms I listed above, for example, really didn't become great until the back half of their first or their second seasons, once their characters were more established. Unfortunately, the ratings for Abby's have been disastrous, and a Season 2 seems unlikely - but you never know, stranger shows have been renewed, and Mike Schur is someone NBC likely wants to stay in business with. I'd like Abby's to stick around to figure itself out, so even though it's not quite great yet, I'd urge you to give it a chance.


Sean Hayes, Mike Schur and Gabe Liedman

Netflix teams with Sean Hayes, Mike Schur and Gabe Liedman for adult animated sitcom Q-Force, coming soon to the streaming service (no premiere date just yet). Netflix has ordered 10 half-hour episodes. Q-Force is a half-hour, animated comedy about a handsome secret agent and his team of fellow LGBTQ superspies. Constantly underestimated by their colleagues, the members of Q-Force have to prove themselves time and again as they embark on extraordinary professional (and personal) adventures. Showrunner/Writer/EP: Gabe Liedman (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, PEN 15). EP: Mike Schur (The Office, The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine). NWEPs: Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, David Miner


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, February 14

Happy's Place - "Accountability" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Isabella accidentally implies she doesn't trust Steve's work on the tavern's taxes, Bobbie and Steve decide to have some fun and teach her a lesson; Gabby goes on a health kick enlisting Takoda as her personal trainer.

Happy's Place - "Dear Jack" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Bobbie catches Isabella doing a slow-fade breakup with her long-distance boyfriend, she convinces her to send a Dear John letter; Steve brings in a review praising Chef Emmett's cooking and acknowledging the tavern's bartender, "Abby."

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Raiders of the Locked Archive" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Russos go to the Wizard World, where Billie finds out a secret that will change her life, and potentially the world, forever!

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 10)

Friday, February 14

  • Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Watch Ariana on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Bernadette Peters (High Desert/Mozart in the Jungle/All's Fair) - Bernadette is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Kieran Culkin (Go Fish) - Kieran appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Will Forte (HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Will is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Conner O'Malley (Shrill) - Conner appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Harry Hamlin (Movie Stars) - Harry and Lisa Rinna are guests on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) and
  • Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together/Rules of Engagement/My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star) - Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos and fiancé Chock Chapple are telling Drew about their experience falling in love on television on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. The love panel of Valerie Bertinelli, Taye Diggs, Oliver Hudson and Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry is back and answering audience questions in a sex and relationships Q&A. Plus, Drew is joined by love gurus Valerie Bertinelli, Taye Diggs, Oliver Hudson and Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry for a dating Q&A.
  • Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal) - Anthony talks about starring in the highly anticipated new film Captain America: Brave New World on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Monica Barbaro (FUBAR) - Monica can be heard on The Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

02/13 - Antenna TV and Rewind TV Celebrate Valentine's Day; The Handmaid's Tale Returns for Final Season
02/12 - Official Trailer for Hulu's Deli Boys; Doctor Odyssey Returns with a 2-Part Event
02/11 - Trailer for Shoresy Season 4; More Stars for SNL50: The Anniversary Special
02/10 - First Ever SNL Episode This Saturday on NBC; FX Renews English Teacher for Season 2
02/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 10, 2025)
02/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: English Teacher Renewed at FX; MeTV Toons to Launch House of Hanna-Barbera Programming Block
02/07 - SNL50's Star-Studded Lineup; Adult Swim Presents Oh My God... Yes! A Series of Extremely Relatable Circumstances
02/06 - Prime Video Iliza Shlesinger Special; Kate Hudson Stars in Netflix Comedy
02/05 - Fox Midseason Tuesday Change; 2025 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Rosters
02/04 - NBC Summer Staples Return in Summer 2025; Gronk Guests on Animal Control
02/03 - The Conners Final Season Premieres March 26; Tyler Perry Gets 2nd Comedy Series for Netflix
02/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 3, 2025)
02/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Little House on the Prairie Reboot Headed to Netflix; George Sr. Set to Return on Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage
01/31 - Final Season of The Righteous Gemstones; Kenya Barris and Malcolm Gladwell's Audible Original
01/30 - Netflix's New Little House on the Prairie Series Coming Soon; Sabrina Brier Gets Awesomeness TV Series
01/29 - MGM+ Orders Comedy Series; Peacock's Amanda Seyfried Series Premieres March 13
01/28 - Ellen Pompeo's Hulu Series Gets Premiere Date; The White Lotus Season 3 Launches February 16
01/27 - Hulu's Deli Boys Adds Tan France; Joel McHale Taking Over The 1% Club
01/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 27, 2025)
01/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Righteous Gemstones to End After Upcoming Season; Mid-Century Modern to Pay Tribute to Linda Lavin
01/24 - Prime Video George Lopez Special; Netflix Renews The Lincoln Lawyer for Season 4
01/23 - Tubi's New Comedy The Z-Suite Launches February 6; The White Lotus Renewed for Season 4
01/22 - Fox Announces Animation Domination 2025 Schedule; Abbott Elementary Renewed for Season 5
01/21 - Fox Renews Murder in a Small Town; O.J. Simpson Netflix Docuseries
01/20 - Rewind TV February 2025 Schedule; Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary Score Big for Premieres
01/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of January 20, 2025)
01/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Frasier Reboot Canceled at Paramount+; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Coming to MeTV Toons
01/17 - Remembering Bob Uecker of Mr. Belvedere, Punky Brewster Creator David W. Duclon, and Others We Recently Lost
01/16 - Apple TV+ Prime Target Trailer; Apple Cider Vinegar Premieres in February on Netflix
01/15 - My Three Sons to Join FETV Lineup Starting February 3; St. Denis Medical Renewed for Season 2
01/14 - Game Show Network Acquires The Wall; NBC's The Hunting Party to Premiere After NFL Divisional Playoff Game
01/13 - Antenna TV February 2025 Schedule; SNL First Two 2025 Episodes Before 50th Anniversary Event