Friday, June 21, 2019

Fri-Yay: The Amazing Superstore Season 4 Finale; Netflix Has Healing Powers

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!

Superstore

by Vincent

Now that Upfronts are over, and we have a better idea of the outlook of network sitcoms for the next year, I can take a moment to talk about how much I loved the Superstore finale. I know I talk about Superstore a lot, but I feel it's one of the best (maybe the very best?) example of a great, traditional comedy on the air right now, and I also don't feel it gets nearly enough attention for weaving traditional sitcom stories with relevant character work that feels cutting for our times.

The season finale, in which (spoiler alert if you aren't caught up with the show through the Season 4 finale, you Live+35 days viewers) Mateo's undocumented status is finally discovered, is a great example. In some ways, it's a typical "character has a secret" sitcom plot, with all of the characters struggling and failing to try to get Mateo out of the store and not captured by ICE agents. But then it ends in a very dark place - Mateo is, indeed, taken into detention by ICE agents. It's such a perfect example of how the series plays to conventional sitcom tropes, but then spins them on their head with a dark dose of the reality these characters are living. If you aren't watching Superstore, please catch up over the summer and see where this great, relevant sitcom is going when it returns in the fall for Season 5.


The Healing Powers of Dude

Netflix has ordered 8 episodes of The Healing Powers of Dude, a family live action (single-camera) comedy series co-created by Erica Spates and Sam Littenberg-Weisberg (Coop and Cami Ask the World, Victorious and Mystery Girls) with half of the episodes directed by Richie Keen (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Fist Fight, Teachers). When Noah, an 11-year-old boy with social anxiety disorder, has to start middle school, he turns to a mutt named Dude, a sarcastic emotional support dog who might need Noah as much as Noah needs him. The series stars Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!), Larisa Oleynik (10 Things I Hate About You and The Secret World of Alex Mack), Laurel Emory (Heartstrings), Mauricio Lara (The Conners, Young Sheldon, Teachers), Sophie Jaewon Kim, Dude the Dog, and newcomer Jace Chapman.

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, July 8

The Goldbergs - "Pickleball" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Beverly discovers Murray is actually a year younger than they knew so she plans a do-over at celebrating his 50th birthday, while Coach Mellor attempts to prepare non-athletic Adam for tryouts for pickleball.

black-ish - "Kid Life Crisis" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Johnsons go on vacation at an all-inclusive beach resort in paradise. Dre and Bow meet a couple without kids and live a kid-less fantasy for a while but soon begin to crave their kid-filled reality. Junior catches the eye of a cute girl at the resort and vies for her attention, while Jack gets the flu.

The Conners - "Throwing a Christian to a Bear" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Conners struggle to accept a Cheesehead in their midst when Becky brings her new boyfriend, a devout Christian and a Green Bay Packers fan, home to watch the Bears/Packers game. Meanwhile, Dan tries to impress upon Mark the importance of the family’s die-hard loyalty to the Bears. Ben and Darlene try to get a loan for their new magazine.

American Housewife - "One Step Forward, Three Steps Back" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Anna-Kat begins exhibiting past OCD behaviors, Katie and Greg worry their busy schedules are disrupting the family. Meanwhile, Oliver fields a call at the Teen Help Line center that rattles him. And, Taylor and Trip (Peyton Meyer) attempt a trial run at being in a long-distance relationship.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 6)

Wednesday, July 8

  • Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People/Parks and Recreation) - Billy guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Anna Kendrick (Love Life) - Anna appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Kumail is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback/Web Therapy) - Lisa will be on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Adam Scott (Ghosted/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam talks about the game show Don't on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
  • Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family) - Rico is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
  • Amanda Seales (Insecure) - Amanda guest co-hosts a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
  • Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) - Danica appears on Access Daily, so check your local listings.

New on DVD/Blu-ray (April/May/June/July)

Step by Step - The Complete Seventh and Final Season The Good Place - The Final (Fourth) Season Head of the Class - The Complete First Season Modern Family - The Eleventh and Final Season Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season Seven

04/07 - Cheers - The Complete Series (2020 Release)
04/14 - Police Squad! - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
04/14 - The Righteous Gemstones - The Complete First Season
04/21 - Step by Step - The Complete Seventh and Final Season (WBShop.com)
05/05 - Kidding - Season 2
05/19 - The Good Place - The Final (Fourth) Season
05/19 - The Good Place - The Complete Series - Collector's Edition (Blu-ray)
05/26 - Silicon Valley - The Complete Sixth and Final Season
05/26 - Silicon Valley - The Complete Series
06/02 - Work in Progress - Season 1
06/09 - Head of the Class - The Complete First Season (WBShop.com)
06/09 - How to Be a Gentleman - The Complete Series
06/09 - Letterkenny - Seasons 3 & 4
06/09 - Modern Family - The Eleventh and Final Season
06/09 - No Activity - Season 1
06/09 - Superior Donuts - Season Two
06/23 - Bob's Burgers - The Complete 10th Season
06/23 - Fresh Off the Boat - The Complete Sixth and Final Season
06/23 - Last Man Standing - The Complete Seventh Season
06/23 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Third Season (Blu-ray)
06/30 - Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season Seven
07/07 - Will & Grace - The Revival - Season Three - The Farewell Season
07/21 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Tenth Season
More TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest

Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

07/08 - HBO Max Orders Series Based on Hair Love; Comedy Central Inks Deal with John Mulaney
07/07 - Dead to Me Picked Up for Final Season on Netflix; CBS All Access Orders Star Trek Animated Comedy
07/06 - ABC to Rebroadcast Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times Episodes on Tuesday (July 7); Anthony Anderson and Billy Eichner to Guest Host ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! This Week
07/05 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 6, 2020)
07/04 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Amazon Gets Streaming Rights to Mad Men; Too Close for Comfort on Pluto TV
07/03 - Fri-Yay: Streaming Services Remove Episodes of Sitcoms Due to Racial Jokes; The Kominsky Method Final Season Announced
07/02 - Netflix Renews Never Have I Ever for Season 2; Comedy Central Reviving Beavis and Butt-Head
07/01 - Remembering Comedy Legend Carl Reiner, MeTV and Decades to Air Tributes; HBO Orders Season 11 of Curb
06/30 - Decades 3rd Annual Rod, White & Blue: A Twilight Zone Celebration; Love in the Time of Corona Announces Cast
06/29 - BET Picks Up 2nd Season of Twenties; Vivica A. Fox Teams Up with Krista Allen, Jackée & More for More Wrong TV Movies
06/28 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 29, 2020)
06/27 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Sitcoms Present and Past Deal with Current Racial Issues; Binge Watch Past Favorites on Roku Channel
06/26 - Fri-Yay: Search Party Season 3 Thoughts; HBO Max Teams Up with Marlon Wayans
06/25 - CNN and HLN Announce Slate, with History of Sitcom; Lil Rel Set to Host NBC Game Show
06/24 - REELZ Announces New Specials on John Ritter, Bernie Mac, David Cassidy, Larry Hagman & More; Netflix Releases Unsolved Mysteries Trailer
06/23 - Fox Renews Animated Comedy for 2nd Season Before Series Premiere; Cobra Kai Moving to Netflix
06/22 - Antenna TV Summer 2020 Schedule; USA Network's Cannonball to Sneak Peek on NBC
06/21 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 22, 2020)
06/20 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Comedy Central Picks Up Daria Spinoff; Networks Finally Set Fall Lineup
06/19 - Fri-Yay: Expectations on 30 Rock Remote Special; ABC Schedules Sitcom United We Fall for Summer
06/18 - ABC Upfront 2020-21: Fall 2020 Schedule; Debra Messing Heads to the East Wing on Starz
06/17 - NBC Upfront 2020-21: Fall 2020 Schedule; 30 Rock Returns for Upfront Special on July 16
06/16 - NBC Cancels Indebted, Picks Up Manifest; ABC's For Life Gets 2nd Season, The Baker and The Beauty Doesn't
06/15 - truTV Announces Tacoma FD Return and More; NBC Brings Back Freshman Drama, Cancels Two Others
06/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 15, 2020)
06/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist Renewed for Season 2; Cops and Live PD Cancelled
06/12 - Fri-Yay: Rick and Morty Season 4; HBO Max Orders 2nd Season of Love Life
06/11 - Hulu Changes Premiere Dates of Two Series; ABC Encores Powerful Documentary Next Tuesday
06/10 - Lifetime Moves Variety's Power of Women Special to June 25; Remembering Mary Pat Gleason and Peggy Pope
06/09 - COZI TV's Leslie Jordan After Dark Week; TBS Slates Celeb Game Show with Mayim Bialik
06/08 - TBS Presents Tournament of Laughs; More on HBO's Perry Mason Launch