Freeform Says Everything's Gonna Be Okay with New Comedy; HBO Max Teams Up with Ellen for 4 Projects

Monday, September 30, 2019

Freeform Says Everything's Gonna Be Okay with New Comedy; HBO Max Teams Up with Ellen for 4 Projects

Freeform announces Josh Thomas' return to television with Everything's Gonna Be Okay, premiering Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. Critically acclaimed for his series Please Like Me, Thomas once again takes on a multifaceted role as creator, writer, executive producer and star of the 30-minute comedy, which introduces Nicholas (Josh Thomas), a neurotic twenty-something-year-old visiting his dad and teenage half-sisters, one of whom is on the autism spectrum. When Nicholas' trip is extended due to his father's untimely death, the siblings are left to cope with not only a devastating loss, but also the realization that Nicholas is the one who will have to rise to the occasion, move in, and hold it all together. A first-look clip wherein Nicholas proposes guardianship of his sisters, Matilda and Genevieve, is available here.

Navigating autism, budding sexuality, consent, parenthood, adolescence, family and grief, the heartfelt comedy will follow this imperfect family as they discover the importance of finding happiness in the middle of really difficult moments, one awkward conversation at a time. Neurodiverse actress and activist Kayla Cromer stars as Matilda, a high school senior who is driven to succeed and on the autism spectrum. She is Nicholas' bright and outgoing half-sister who is curious and contemplative; if she doesn't initially understand something, she'll put in the work to figure it out. 17-year-old stand-up comedienne Maeve Press stars as Genevieve, Nicholas' other half-sister who has a unique comedic sensibility; she is clever, dramatic and definitely a little weird. At school she's at odds with her authentic self, hanging around a group of girls who sharply contrast her kind-hearted family and struggling to find her place in the world. Newcomer Adam Faison rounds out the cast of series regulars as Alex, Nicholas' romantic interest introduced in the first episode.

Ellen DeGeneres - HBO Max

HBO Max, the upcoming direct-to-consumer offering from WarnerMedia set to launch in the spring of 2020, has teamed up with Emmy(R) Award Winner Ellen DeGeneres, ordering three original shows straight to series: Ellen's Home Design Challenge, First Dates Hotel, and Little Ellen, as well as docu-series Finding Einstein in development. DeGeneres announced the pickups last week on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and didn't stop there. She also surprised her audience with a two-year HBO Max subscription in celebration of the news.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Sunday, October 13

The Simpsons - "Treehouse of Horror XXIX" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Homer wins an oyster-eating contest against the mythical Cthulhu; Springfield is overrun by plant body-snatchers; Lisa finally snaps; Mr. Burns opens a retirement home with some Jurassic upgrades.

Bob's Burgers - "The Gene Mile" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When the kids have to run a mandatory mile for school on free-ice-cream day, they hatch an elaborate plot to sneak away; Bob and Linda frantically try to secure discount tickets to a show at the Wharf Arts Center.

The Simpsons - "The Fat Blue Line" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
During the San Castellanta street festival, much of the town finds their wallets have been pickpocketed; after the state investigator puts the wrong man in jail, Chief Wiggum sets out to catch the real criminal and show he's still up for police work.

Bless the Harts - "Jenny Unfiltered" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When the town has split opinions over a controversial statue, Jenny learns to play both sides to appease her customers and make some extra money; Violet accompanies Betty to visit a blast from the past that does not go as planned.

Bob's Burgers - "Motor, She Boat" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Tina and Bob participate in the Thundergirls father-daughter cardboard boat race; Tina tries to hide her feelings about Bob's terrible boat-building skills; Linda drags Louise and Gene to a fire station open house and overstays her welcome.

Family Guy - "Absolutely Babulous" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Stewie receives a participation medal in his school's toddler games, he begins to question everything he has ever won; Peter causes a fight between Lois' parents and must repair the damage he caused.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 7)

Friday, October 11

The Cast of The Brady Bunch) - Watch Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Mike Lookinland and Susan Olsen on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Judy Greer (Kidding/Married/Mad Love/Miss Guided) - Judy appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Jim is a guest on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Tisha Campbell (Dr. Ken/Rita Rocks/My Wife and Kids/Martin) - Tisha guest co-hosts The Real, so check your local listings.
Alfonso Ribeiro (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/In the House/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso visits The Real, so check your local listings.
Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke plays a round of “Guess Our Guests” with Rach on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Julie Andrews (Julie) - Julie will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Penelope Ann Miller (A Minute with Stan Hooper/The Popcorn Kid) - Penelope talks about Lifeitme's The College Admissions Scandal on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
Liza Koshy (Liza on Demand) - Liza guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.