Friday, August 16, 2019

Fri-Yay: Fall Sitcom Slate Check-In: CBS; E! Gets Reality Sitcom Meet the Frasers

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!

Carol's Second Act

by Vincent

Believe it or not, but summer is coming to an end and in just a few weeks, the fall TV season will be upon us. I'll be spending the next few weeks looking at each network's sitcom slates and making some early judgement calls about how the TV season is going to go for these new and returning sitcoms. First, let's take a look at CBS!

Returning sitcoms: CBS is a network in search of their next big comedy hit, now that The Big Bang Theory has retired. The network will be banking on spin-off Young Sheldon (which has also proven to be a big hit much like its parent series, if not quite Big Bang-level) and Mom (which has never reached the level of previous Chuck Lorre successes Big Bang and Two and a Half Men but nevertheless remains a solid performer) to anchor its Thursday line-up in the 8:00 and 9:00 hours. On Monday, promising sophomore The Neighborhood, which didn't light the world on fire but did better than many expected to as a rookie last year, gets the nod to anchor a line-up full of newbies on Monday.

New sitcoms: CBS has three new sitcoms on the fall line-up - the most of any network this fall - which I previewed back in May during Upfronts time, but just to reiterate, we have Chuck Lorre's latest project Bob ♡ Abishola on Mondays (which centers around a man falling in love with his nurse), single-camera The Unicorn on Thursdays at 8:30 (which centers around a recently widowed man entering the dating scene), and Patricia Heaton-fronted Carol's Second Act at 9:30 (which centers around a woman in her 50s becoming a doctor). All of these sitcoms make some sense with their placement, and they seem fairly on brand for CBS's audience (though The Unicorn being single-camera is somewhat interesting.)

The bottom line: CBS comedy is definitely in a transitional state right now, but CBS is smart to be testing out so many new sitcoms, and even riskier choices like single-camera The Unicorn. Most of these sitcoms seem on brand, but the success of CBS comedy this year lies a lot on questions we don't know the answer to yet, like if Young Sheldon can hold up its strong ratings without its parent series, or if The Neighborhood will either grow or collapse in Season 2. With Mom entering its later years, it's time for some new blood to step up and take the CBS comedy crown. Perhaps it'll be one of CBS's new sitcoms they're trying - they certainly hope so.


Meet the Frasers

E! Entertainment will make a big splash in the tiny state of Rhode Island with the half-hour reality sitcom Meet the Frasers, produced by MGM's Evolution Media, premiering in 2020. Following Rhode Island’s local celebrity couple, 28-year-old psychic medium Matt Fraser and his pageant queen girlfriend, 21-year-old Alexa Papigiotis, the docu-series will showcase their lives, careers, and their very involved extended families. As Cranston's emerging golden couple, the duo is recognized everywhere from their local Italian restaurant to the latest stop on Matt's coast to coast tour. It doesn't hurt that they're often seen in an SUV branded with Matt’s face and name. This twosome is climbing their way to the top, with the biggest challenge being the opinionated loved ones who want to have a say in everything they do.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, July 26

Mind Your Business - "The Generational Bridge" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When AJ's band samples Henry's music without permission, it becomes a generational battle of the principles of sampling.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 21)

Friday, July 25

  • Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Cedric the Entertainer (The Neighborhood/The Last O.G./The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Watch Cedric on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) - Jeremy is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Timothy Olyphant (Stick/Santa Clarita Diet) - Timothy appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Emily Ratajkowski (Too Much) - Emily is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear/Girls) - Ebon talks about The Fantastic Four: First Steps on a repeat of ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Leanne Morgan (Leanne) - Leanne talks about Neflix's Leanne on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Kristen Johnston (Leanne/Mom/The Exes/3rd Rock from the Sun) - Kristen talks about Netflix's Leanne on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Tony Danza (Taxi/Who's the Boss?/Hudson Street/The Tony Danza Show) - Tony talks about his brand-new show Tony Danza: Sinatra & Stories on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Michael Jai White (Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse) - Michael is a guest on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

07/25 - TV One Honors Malcolm-Jamal Warner; Comedy Central Season 3 of Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head; Remembering Kenneth Washington of Hogan's Heroes
07/24 - Only Murders in the Building Season 5 Premieres September 9; Apple TV+ Stick Renewed for Season 2
07/23 - Apple TV+ Ted Lasso Season 4 Details; NBC Orders Stumble to Series
07/22 - Remembering Malcolm-Jamal Warner of The Cosby Show and Malcolm & Eddie; Futurama Season 13 Drops September 15
07/21 - Hallmark Channel Acquires Gilmore Girls; Freida Pinto to Star in Netflix Series
07/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 21, 2025)
07/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Cancels The Late Show; Gilmore Girls Headed to Hallmark
07/18 - ABC Fall 2025 Premiere Dates; The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to End in May 2026
07/17 - Netflix's Geek Girl Season 2 Starts Production; The CW Picks Up Sullivan's Crossing for Season 4
07/16 - Antenna TV's Still Dreaming of Jeannie 60th Anniversary Marathon; 77th Primetime Emmy Nominations
07/15 - Shark Tank Season 17 Guest Sharks; Tubi YA Comedy Film with Paris Berelc
07/14 - CBS Fall 2025 Premiere Dates; HBO and Larry David Team Up Again
07/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 14, 2025)
07/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Reboot Headed to ABC; New King of the Hill Trailer Released
07/11 - The Office Spinoff The Paper Premieres September 4; Upload Season 4 Returns August 25
07/10 - The Big Bang Theory's Stuart Spinoff Ordered by HBO Max; Long Story Short Premieres August 22 on Netflix
07/09 - New Girl Summer on Hulu; Vir Das Gets Brand New Netflix Special
07/08 - Tubi Comedy Series Demascus Premieres in August; LEGO Masters Jr. Lines Up Celebs for 4-Week Event
07/07 - Digman! Season Premiere Moved to July 23; Hulu's Reasonable Doubt Returns September 18
07/06 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 7, 2025)
07/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Comedy Central Delays South Park and Digman! Season Premieres; Jackée to Appear in Guest Role in Netflix Series
07/04 - Happy 4th of July; Antenna TV's McHale's Navy Red, White and Navy Independence Day Marathon
07/03 - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 Premieres August 6; South Park New Season Moves by Two Weeks
07/02 - FETV Acquires The Rookies; Hulu Renews The Bear for Season 5
07/01 - Bert Kreischer Gets Netflix Sitcom; NBC Gets Into Survival Mode This Summer
06/30 - The Comeback Makes Another...Comeback; First Look at Black Rabbit at Netflix
06/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 30, 2025)
06/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Comeback Returning for a Third and Final Season; South Park to Remain on HBO Max
06/27 - The White Lotus Star Teams Up with Netflix; Remembering Bobby Sherman, Lynn Hamilton, and Rick Hurst
06/26 - The CW's Fall Movie of the Week; First Look at New York Comic Con 2025
06/25 - Netflix Renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2; My Life with the Walter Boys First Look for Season 2