Fri-Yay: Big Bang Ends With No Hype?; ABC to Air Farrah Fawcett Documentary

Friday, May 17, 2019

Fri-Yay: Big Bang Ends With No Hype?; ABC to Air Farrah Fawcett Documentary

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!

The Bing Bang Theory

by Vincent

Last night, CBS' megahit The Big Bang Theory finally closed out its 12-season run. That makes it one of the longest-running sitcoms on TV, and by far the biggest sitcom ratings-wise of the past 20 years. And yet...there's an interesting lack of discussion about the show's end. When previous smash hit sitcoms like Friends and Seinfeld came to an end, there was an endless media parade and countless amounts of chatter and speculation - sort of like what we are seeing around the end of HBO's cultural phenomenon Game of Thrones. But with The Big Bang Theory, it feels as if TV's biggest sitcom is simply quietly riding into the night.

This is partially supported by the show's ratings, which have not held up super well in the final season (of course, even a weaker Big Bang Theory is still the highest rated sitcom on TV). Still, regardless of your opinion on the series, it's hard to not appreciate just how huge the series was. It may not hold the universal love of shows like Friends or Seinfeld, but the show got massive amounts of people watching multi-camera comedy in the 2010s, which is not a small feat. It does make me wonder if Big Bang will be the last traditional sitcom smash hit as comedies continue to go gradually more niche and less widely accessible. The Conners does have the potential to fill that hole, but time will tell if it's here for the long haul or just held up by early Roseanne hype. Either way, last night certainly marked the end of an era for sitcom fans.

This Is Farrah Fawcett

ABC News presents a two-hour prime-time special on America's golden girl Farrah Fawcett. From that iconic red bathing suit poster to her role in the hit show Charlie's Angels, Fawcett took the 1970s by storm and captivated the nation with her every move. But in 2006, Fawcett was confronted with her biggest challenge when she was diagnosed with cancer and began an aggressive fight for her life. Now, almost 10 years after her passing, ABC News reports on her life, career, fame and lasting legacy, told through new interviews with those who knew her best, and rare footage from the intimate video diaries of her fight against cancer. This is Farrah Fawcett airs Thursday, May 23 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

The two-hour documentary features new interviews with actress Jaclyn Smith, Fawcett's co-star on Charlie's Angels; Alana Stewart, Fawcett's close friend who helped record her cancer battle for the two-hour documentary Farrah's Story; Bruce McBroom, the Hollywood photographer who shot Fawcett's iconic swimsuit poster; Mela Murphy, Fawcett's confidante and hairstylist; Dr. Lawrence Piro, Fawcett's primary physician; and Dr. Ursula Jacob, Fawcett's physician in Germany who used alternative treatments for her cancer. The documentary also includes Barbara Walters' landmark interviews with Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal, Fawcett's partner at the time of her death.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Sunday, November 27

Welcome to Flatch - "Flatchural Disaster" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy, Barb and Dylan throw their hats in the ring for town selectperson; when a tornado makes its way through the town, Flatch spins out of control.

The Simpsons - "When Nelson Met Lisa" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A future tale of Springfield's most unlikely couple.

Bob's Burgers - "Show Mama From the Grave" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Bob takes Linda and the kids to visit his mother's grave, but finding the headstone is harder than he expected; Teddy makes a grave mistake while doing repairs in the Belcher's house.

The Great North - "Bee's All That Adventure" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Kima and her family host a very surprising visitor during Lone Moose's exchange student week; Ham fails to care for a cactus.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 21)

Friday, November 25

Tracy Morgan (The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Watch Tracy on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Zach Woods (Avenue 5/Silicon Valley/Playing House/The Office) - Zach appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Matthew Perry (The Odd Couple/Go On/Mr. Sunshine/Friends/Sydney/Boys Will Be Boys) - Matthew chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Tisha Campbell (Uncoupled/Outmatched/Dr. Ken/Rita Rocks/My Wife and Kids/Martin) - Tisha discusses the TV series Uncoupled on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Rosie O'Donnell (SMILF/Stand By Your Man/Gimme a Break!) - Rosie is a guest on a repeat of The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary/Go On/Everybody Hates Chris) - Tyler appears on a repeat of The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Second Generation Wayans) - Regina is a guest on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Howie Mandel (Good Grief) - Howie appears on a repeat of The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
Tia Mowry (Family Reunion/Instant Mom/The Game/Sister, Sister) - Tia uses leftover fruit to make a quick dessert on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Emayatzy Corinealdi (Ballers) - Emayatzy talks about Hulu's Reasonable Doubt ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - NBC's Today has Thanks & Giving Finale with Marlo and Choir in the 10am hour.
Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) - Jack talks about Apple TV+'s Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Tori Spelling (Mystery Girls/So Notorious) - Tori talks about MTV's Love at First Lie on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta) - Brian talks about Causeway and Atlanta on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.