Fri-Yay: What Sitcoms Can We Expect on Disney+?; National Golden Girls Day on July 30, Event in Florida

Friday, July 26, 2019

Fri-Yay: What Sitcoms Can We Expect on Disney+?; National Golden Girls Day on July 30, Event in Florida

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

This fall, Disney is set to premiere its first major streaming service (it also now owns Hulu, but that was previously a joint venture between NBCUniversal, Fox, and Disney-ABC). It'll be a big moment for entertainment fans of both TV and film, as there are many Disney-owned movies and TV shows set to land on the new streaming channel, as well as a slew of original programming, many of which feature popular Marvel/Disney characters. But Disney owns a whole lot of sitcoms now, too, especially since it recently bought 20th Century Fox's entire output. So what Disney-owned sitcoms will be available to stream on day one (November 12, 2019) of Disney+?

It's not quite as much as you might imagine. While Disney now owns every property that was either owned by Disney ABC studios and 20th Century Fox (that's a lot of sitcoms), many of these shows have licensing deals with other streaming services at the moment and will have to wait for those deals to expire before they land on Disney+. Not to mention that Disney does also completely own Hulu now, and has stated that Hulu will cater to adult audiences while Disney+ will be more family-geared. So it's certainly possible that some of the series that are geared more towards adults (such as Family Guy, American Dad!, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, etc) will remain on Hulu. However, there is one major animated sitcom set to move to Disney+ on launch day, and that's The Simpsons. That's noteworthy as this will be the first time the entire run - yes, all 30 seasons and counting - of The Simpsons will be available on an ad-free streaming service. That alone might make the sticker price ($7/month, considerably cheaper than Netflix) worth it if you're a Simpsons fans as I am. Other than The Simpsons, though, the initial sitcom offerings are somewhat limited. Perhaps the most noteworthy is some '90s and '00s ABC, Fox and Disney Channel sitcoms such as Malcolm in the Middle, Boy Meets World and That's So Raven (the former two series are on Hulu, but That's So Raven currently doesn't have a streaming home). This does suggest that Disney+ will be stocking its back catalog with some past favorites as well as current properties. So if you're a sitcom fan, Disney+ might be a bit of a "wait and see", but there are certainly interesting prospects on the horizon.

National Golden Girls Day

In honor of the ladies who define the term "Squad Goals," ABC Studios and PopSugar are celebrating national Golden Girls Day and National Cheesecake Day with an exclusive one-day-only The Golden Girls pop-up event at Vicky's House in Coconut Grove, Florida, on Tuesday, July 30, from 12:00–10:00 p.m. Fans and their friends are invited to stop by for a limited edition cheesecake milkshake inspired by The Golden Girls, pose for themed photo ops – including a scenic recreation of the ladies' iconic lanai – and shop 'til they drop on new and unique branded merchandise at the retail pop-up store! The pop-up store will offer fans the opportunity to purchase The Golden Girls-themed merchandise. Among the unique merchandise are books, party supplies, pins, dolls, tees, car sunshade, shower curtain and poster. All items can be purchased at https://www.toynk.com/collections/golden-girls.

THURSDAY, JULY 30
Location: Vicky's House
3190 Commodore Plaza
Coconut Grove, FL 33133
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Press preview
1:00 – 10:00 p.m. Open to the public

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, May 18

The Goldbergs - "Adam Graduates!" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Graduation day is approaching and everyone, especially Adam, is ready – except for Beverly who is not coping well with the idea of an empty nest. Meanwhile, with Geoff’s encouragement, Erica decides to try out for Cyndi Lauper as a one-time backup singer replacement. Ultimately, resurrecting her singing dreams doesn’t manifest, but bigger and exciting new beginnings await her and the Goldbergs.

The Wonder Years - "Love, Dean" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
It’s the end of the school year, and summer excitement is all around. When Bill and Lillian each receive major career opportunities, tension builds as they decide who will handle more of the household responsibilities. Meanwhile, Dean and Keisa take shelter together as a tornado tears through Montgomery, providing the perfect moment for Dean to tell her how he really feels.

The Conners - "A Judge and a Priest Walk Into a Living Room..." (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The Conners gear up for a megawedding! Jackie and Neville, Darlene and Ben, and Harris and Aldo are planning for a shared big day, but along the way they discover that some of the couples may not be on the same page about their happily ever afters. Meanwhile, Dan and the family have decked out the house for the occasion, but will all six of the lovebirds make it to “I do”?

Home Economics - "Ticket to Space, $1 Million" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tom attempts to keep Connor grounded after he announces his plans to go to space then falls into a rough patch himself after learning some bad news. Meanwhile, Marina gets stuck while trying to transform their attic into a writing space for Tom.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Woman to Woman" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When Christian wins Student of the Year, Laura gets him an autographed football jersey from a popular NFL player; Miranda takes umbrage with the gesture, citing the player's history of domestic violence.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Wobble Wobble" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The Pleasant Days crew is worried about Vinny's libertine lifestyle of drinking, smoking, poor diet and no exercise; he's not as young as he used to be, so they want him to clean up his act.

The Ms. Pat Show - "Girls Night Out" (BET, 10:00PM ET/PT)
After Pat catches Terry watching porn on his phone, Denise decides they need a girls' night out, while the children wonder if their parents are going to split up.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 16)

Wednesday, May 18

John Mulaney (Mulaney) and Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - John and Andy guest host Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Son of Zorn/Suburgatory) - Cheryl is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Rhea Seehorn (Whitney/I'm with Her) - Rhea appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Ricky Gervais (After Life/The Office) - Ricky unpacks his new comedy special SuperNature on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Quinta returns to talk about the hit ABC series Abbott Elementary on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Caroline Rhea (Sydney to the Max/Sabrina the Teenage Witch) - Caroline guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Ali Wentworth (Nightcap) - Ali appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Rose Mclver (Ghosts/Woke) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Ghosts/White Famous/The Mindy Project) - Rose and Utkarsh are guests on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - NBC's Today catches up with Mario in the 9am hour.
Hilary Duff (How I Met Your Father/Younger/Lizzie McGuire) - NBC's Today catches up with Hilary in the 10am hour.