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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, April 30

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A New Scoreboard and a Horse’s You Know What" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie and Fagenbacher (Matt Letscher) go head to head when Fagenbacher tries to sabotage Georgie’s attempt to honor his dad. Additional guest stars include Zoe Perry as Mary, Lance Barber as George Sr. and Raegan Revord as Missy.

Ghosts - "Under New Management" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When new pressures threaten Sam and Jay’s control over Woodstone, they’re forced to navigate unexpected challenges to protect its future. Meanwhile, a long-absent ghost returns, reopening emotional connections that complicate new relationships.

Animal Control - "Lost Dogs and Bar Flies" / "French Bulldogs and White Broncos" (Fox, 9:02PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Roman Park takes Frank's beloved dog away from him; in an effort to get his dog back, Frank and Shred find themselves on a late-night rescue mission; Frank scrambles to find a date for a romantic sunset horse ride; Patel hosts a "sip 'n snip."

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 27)

Thursday, April 30

Desi Lydic (Awkward) - Catch Desi on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Olivia Rodrigo (Bizaardvark) - Olivia appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Hokum on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour and on the Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM.
Juliette Lewis (Camping/I Married Dora) - Juliette drops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
B.J. Novak (The Office) - B.J. talks about The Devil Wears Prada 2 on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Stanley Tucci (Central Park) - Co-host Gayle King talks with the cast of The Devil Wears Prada 2 on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer tells Sherri about his role on NCIS on CBS on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kate Hudson (Running Point) and Justin Theroux (Running Point) - Kate joins Drew to chat about season two of Running Point with co-star Justin Theroux on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie and Drew chat with Wolfgang Van Halen and his wife Andraia about his new music, plus a performance from his band on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
John Goodman (The Conners/The Righteous Gemstones/Roseanne/Center of the Universe/Normal, Ohio) - NBC's Today catches up with John in the 9am hour.
Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) - Jack talks about HGTV's Zillow Gone Wild on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Jess Hilarious (Rel) - Jess is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.