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.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Tuesday, December 5

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 4)

Tuesday, December 5

  • Bill Burr (F Is for Family/Townies) - Catch Bill on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock/Scrubs) - Elizabeth appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Emma Stone (The Curse) and Ramy Youssef (Ramy/See Dad Run) - Emma and Ramy talk about Poor Things on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan chats about When I Was Your Age on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Jane Seymour (B Positive/The Kominsky Method/Let's Get Physical/Modern Men) - Jane talks about Acorn TV's Harry Wild on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings. She will also be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Issa Rae (Insecure, Aida Osman (Rap Sh!t and KaMillion (Rap Sh!t) - Issa talks about her starring role in the upcoming film, American Fiction, and introduces Sherri to the stars of her show, Rap Sh!t, Aida Osman and KaMillion, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Mark-Paul Gosselaar (mixed-ish/Truth Be Told/Saved by the Bell/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Mark-Paul appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-December)

Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

12/05 - Who's the Boss? Now on Hulu; The CW Announces New Series Wild Cards
12/04 - The Upshaws Renewed for Season Prior to Season 5 Launch; Fox Holiday Movie with Justin Long
12/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 4, 2023)
12/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Bob ♥ Abishola Coming to an End; Only Murders in the Building Gets Limited Run on ABC
12/01 - Abbott Elementary Post-Oscars Airing, Only Murders on ABC; Remembering Frances Sternhagen, Marty Krofft and Others We Recently Lost
11/30 - Bob ♥ Abishola Ending After This Season; NBC Renews Rookie Dramas
11/29 - Antenna TV January 2024 Schedule; Max December Comedy Specials
11/28 - Prime Video's Hazbin Hotel; Lacey Chabert Gets Hallmark Unscripted Series
11/27 - Sundance Now Gets Original Comedy; Hallmark Original Returns for Season 2 in January
11/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 27, 2023)
11/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Kelsey Grammer Ready to Do 100 Episodes of Frasier; TBS Cancels Miracle Workers
11/24 - Fox Winter 2024 Schedule; An Evening From the Heart John Ritter Foundation NYC 2023 Event
11/23 - 2023 Thanksgiving TV Marathons
11/22 - Kerry Washington's UnPrisoned Gets Season 2; Classic Comedy Shorts Celebrate 40th Anniversary
11/21 - NBC Winter 2024 Schedule; Netflix Renews Rob Lowe Comedy
11/20 - BUZZR Celebrates Bob Barker's 100th Birthday; Ted Prequel Series on Peacock Gets Premiere Date
11/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 20, 2023)
11/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Young Sheldon Coming to an End After Seven Seasons; The CW International Sitcom Approach Not Going So Well
11/17 - ABC Winter 2024 Schedule; CBS Celebrates 98th Birthday of Dick Van Dyke
11/16 - Whoa Mama! Urkel Is Back for the Holidays!; Hulu Gets Such Brave Girls Comedy
11/15 - COZI TV's A Very COZI Christmas Schedule; Young Sheldon to End This Season on CBS
11/14 - CBS Winter 2024 Schedule; The CW Pulls 2 Comedies
11/13 - Antenna TV 2023 Holiday Marathons Schedule; Rewind TV 2023 Holiday Marathons Schedule
11/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 13, 2023)
11/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: SAG-AFTRA Strike Finally Ends; New Digital TV Broadcast Networks Coming
11/10 - AXS TV's The Partridge Family Thanksgiving Marathon; AspireTV Holiday Programming
11/09 - Bookie Premieres November 30 on Max; Ted Lasso Star Holiday Special on Apple TV+
11/08 - FX Renews The Bear for Season 3; Hulu's Australian Original Series Premieres November 29
11/07 - Disney+ Holiday Specials Extravaganza; Apple TV+ Peanuts Feature Film Coming Soon
11/06 - NBC Holiday Specials; Fox Holiday Specials
11/05 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 6, 2023)