Fri-Yay: Beyond Friends and The Office: Other Great Sitcoms on Streaming Services; Mad About You Launches During Holiday 2019 Season

Friday, July 19, 2019

Fri-Yay: Beyond Friends and The Office: Other Great Sitcoms on Streaming Services; Mad About You Launches During Holiday 2019 Season

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

The past few weeks have brought news that Friends and The Office will be leaving Netflix within the next few years. This is a big deal for many people, as Friends and The Office are reportedly the two most-streamed sitcoms in our current era. But while both of these shows deserve titles as classics in their respective decades, there's no reason your search for great comedy needs to end there. If you're someone who has spent all of your time at Dunder Mifflin or at Central Perk, consider giving these similar comedies a try:

Parks and Recreation (streaming on Netflix): Parks and Recreation is another popular mockumentary comedy similar to The Office - in fact, helmed by longtime Office writer Michael Schur and co-created by Office exec Greg Daniels, the series is in some ways a little sister to the show. It's a warm, sunny series about the workers of the Pawnee parks department that, like The Office, puts big stock in its characters and cares deeply about them under its silly exterior.

30 Rock (streaming on Hulu): 30 Rock and The Office were timeslot partners for much of each of their lives, and it makes sense why: both are fast-paced, smart and well-crafted comedies that demonstrate the single-camera, 21st century sitcom at its finest. 30 Rock, like The Office, follows a workplace that seems too ridiculous to be true much of the time. If you like the fly-on-your-seats humor of The Office, you'll love 30 Rock.

New Girl (streaming on Netflix): New Girl follows the relationship/friendship model of Friends very closely - there are definitely parallels between Jess/Nick and Ross/Rachel - and is set up, in many ways, like Friends, following a group of young professionals in the big city (except this big city is LA, not New York). However, New Girl has the humor stylings more in line with The Office or 30 Rock - the characters are all incredibly funny and silly people, who make you laugh, cringe, and cry. The humor is also fast-paced and bizarre in a way similar to The Office, so if you're looking for a show that melds the best of the two worlds, New Girl is a great choice.

Happy Endings (streaming on Hulu): You've probably heard of the other shows on this list, but you may not have heard of Happy Endings. Although the series was cut short after three seasons, its legacy has lived on via internet memes by its most ardent supporters. In many ways, Happy Endings can be thought of as a millennial Friends. The set up is very similar - six friends living near each other in Chicago - but the humor is over-the-top, ridiculous and cutting, in a way that feels very appropriate for our current era. If you love Friends but want something that's a bit more reflective of our times, check out Happy Endings.

Better Off Ted (streaming on Hulu): Another short-lived series (cut down after just 2 seasons), this show is like an even more satirical version of The Office that takes a real look at how the workplace runs. I won't give too much away, but it's the sort of comedy where you can't believe what's happening much of the time, much like the cringiest episodes of The Office. If you like that side of the show, you'll love Better Off Ted.

Mad About You

Winner of a coveted Peabody and a Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series, Mad About You aired its final episode in May 1999. Now, 20 years later, Spectrum Originals reunites stars Paul Reiser and Emmy(R) Award winner Helen Hunt for a new limited series, debuting for the Holidays in late 2019. To set the stage for this comedic return, Spectrum will make all 164 episodes of the original series available free on-demand, exclusively for Spectrum subscribers beginning August 1. Over seven seasons of the beloved original series, Reiser and Hunt played Paul and Jamie Buchman, a married couple in New York City who mine the gentle humor in domesticity and life's everyday situations. For its limited-series return, Mad About You will explore the fertile ground of modern marriage through the eyes of the Buchmans as empty-nesters. Spectrum Originals is a premier destination for premium original series available exclusively to Spectrum video subscribers on-demand and ad-free. This free service launched with the Sony and Bruckheimer-produced drama L.A.'s Finest, starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 13

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to the Breaking Point" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
After a frightening encounter, Dave takes a hard look at his health, prompting Calvin to help him find a healthier way to let off steam. Meanwhile, Tina has a hard time letting go of old memories, and Marty and Malcolm argue over a valuable find from their past.

DMV - "Fresh Ink" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When the SoHo DMV lands a glossy magazine feature, Barb struggles with feeling overlooked, stirring up old insecurities she thought she’d left behind. Meanwhile, Gregg and Vic go head‑to‑head in a competitive quest to earn their first positive review after a rough streak online.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "Mischief and Memories" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Dinkins family bands together for their annual push to get Reggie into the hall of fame, but Jerry Basmati stands in their way.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "A Real Cinderello Story" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Monica tries to sign an exciting new prospect; Jerry Basmati unexpectedly takes revenge on Reggie.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 13)

Monday, April 13

Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Watch Henry on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Tracy Morgan (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Crutch/The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Maya Rudolph (Loot/Bless the Harts/Forever/Up All Night) - Maya appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Nick Offerman (Margo's Got Money Troubles/Parks and Recreation) - Nick stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Rachel Dratch (Grimsburg/Imaginary Mary/30 Rock) - Rachel makes a special appears once on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. Andy Cohen interviews Rachel on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11pm on Bravo.
Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Rachel Dratch (Grimsburg/Imaginary Mary/30 Rock) - Andy Cohen interviews Rachel on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
Elle Fanning (Margo's Got Money Troubles) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Margo's Got Money Troubles/Delta House) - Elle and Michelle talk about Margo's Got Money Troubles on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jennie Garth (Mystery Girls/What I Like About You) - Jennie talks about I Choose Me: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose & Embracing Reinvention on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am, on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings), on NBC's Today in the 10am hour, and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Sarah Chalke (Scrubs/Roseanne/Mad Love/How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)) - Sarah talks about Scrubs on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Anthony Norman (Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat) - Anthony talks about Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 9am hour and on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Bob Odenkirk (The Larry Sanders Show) - All Access sits down with Bob to discuss his life, career and new film Normal on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Daniel Radcliffe (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Miracle Workers) - Daniel tells Sherri about his new sitcom, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, and his hit Broadway play, Every Brilliant Thing, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Jake and Jazz Smollett (On Our Own) - Jake and Jazz talk about their lifestyle series, Living By Design, on CLEO TV on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Dan Levy (Big Mistakes/Schitt's Creek) and Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Dan and Laurie talk to Drew about their upcoming comedy crime show Big Mistakes on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Drew is joined by the entire cast of Big Mistakes: Dan Levy, Laurie Metcalf, Jack Innanen and Taylor Ortega.
John Stamos (Palm Royale/UnPrisoned/Fuller House/Grandfathered/Jake in Progress/Full House/You, Again?) and Jodie Sweetin (Fuller House/Hollywood Darlings/Full House) - - John and Jodie are guests on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.