Fri-Yay: 2019 New Sitcoms; Hulu Acquires Popular Comedy Letterkenny

Friday, June 07, 2019

Fri-Yay: 2019 New Sitcoms; Hulu Acquires Popular Comedy Letterkenny

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

Next year promises to be an interesting one for new sitcoms. Several networks are preparing to lose big, landmark series - The Big Bang Theory, of course, has ended, and Modern Family will also be ending after next season. In this column I'll be taking a look at what the networks will be doing to replenish their sitcom stock in 2019.

ABC is clearly going to be relying on Kenya Barris (creator of black-ish) to rocket them into a new era. mixed-ish, the Rainbow-centric spinoff of black-ish, will be the networks big new comedy premiere. It seems ABC is really dedicated to it, pairing it with its parent series for a Tuesday launch. That means half of ABC's Tuesday comedy line-up will be produced by Kenya Barris. The other half will be The Conners and the decently rated sophomore Bless This Mess. It may wind up being that Tuesday overtakes Wednesday as ABC's dominant comedy night.

CBS is also going with a storied producer for its future - the network will be debuting Chuck Lorre's (creator of Big Bang Theory) new comedy Bob Loves Abishola on Mondays at 8:30. It will also be premiering the new Patricia Heston vehicle Carol's Second Act on Thursdays at 9:30. Young Sheldon (which moves into the lead-off slot). CBS is counting on these big names to fill its big holes, and we'll have to see if it works out for them.

Letterkenny

Hulu announced that following the acquisition of award-winning Canadian fan favorite and Crave Original comedy series Letterkenny, the show will return as a Hulu Original. In a new licensed deal with New Metric Media and DHX Media, Hulu will now have exclusive U.S. streaming rights to all upcoming seasons of the series. Created by and starring Jared Keeso, the half-hour comedy revolves around the dustups Wayne (Keeso) and his pals get into with their small-town rivals. For the hicks, skids and hockey players of Letterkenny, getting your ass kicked is a legitimate concern on a day-to-day basis. In the upcoming six-episode seventh season premiering Monday, October 14, the Hicks start an agricultural call-in show. Fans can still binge the first six seasons of Letterkenny on Hulu, now under the new Hulu Original moniker.

In addition to Wayne (Keeso), Key residents of Letterkenny are Daryl (Nathan Dales), Wayne's free-spirited younger sister Katy (Michelle Mylett), and Wayne's buddy, Dan (K Trevor Wilson) - while Dylan Playfair and Andrew Herr are Hockey Players Jonesy and Reilly. Tyler Johnston and Evan Stern are Skids Stewart and Roald, Mark Forward is the temperamental Coach, and Tiio Horn is the badass leader of The Natives, Tanis.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, September 10

The Hospital - "Imposter Syndrome/Scrub Money" (BET, 11:00PM ET/PT)
The worst hospital in America, run by the worst doctors and nurses imaginable.

The Hospital - "Blood Type/Home Remedy Roulette" (BET, 11:30PM ET/PT)
The worst hospital in America, run by the worst doctors and nurses imaginable.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 8)

Wednesday, September 10

Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle/The Louie Show) - Watch Bryan on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Christopher Lloyd (Taxi/Stacked) - Christopher appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Stephen Curry (Mr. Throwback) - Stephen stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He will also be on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am, in the 9am hour, and in the 10am hour.
Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Jennifer is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Paramount's Adulthood on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Sunita Mani (Government Cheese/No Activity/GLOW) - Sunita is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Lumi Pollack, Carmen Sanchez and Ruby Marino (Electric Bloom) - Lumi, Carmen and Ruby talk about Electric Bloom on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Christopher Gorham (2 Broke Girls/Out of Practice) - Christopher talks about Tempest on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Mark Duplass (Big Mouth/Togetherness/The Mindy Project/The League) - Mark talks about The Morning Show on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Christopher Guest (Family Tree/Morton & Hayes), Michael McKean (Laverne & Shirley), Harry Shearer (The Simpsons) and Rob Reiner (All in the Family/Morton & Hayes) - Christopher, Michael, Harry and Rob talk about Spinal Tap II: the End Continues on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Queen Latifah (Living Single) - NBC's Today catches up with Queen Latifah in the 10am hour.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) - Valerie appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) - Drew is chatting with father-son duo Michael and Cameron Douglas on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.