Friday, September 06, 2019
Fri-Yay: Fall Sitcom Slate Check-In: Fox; Mad About You Gets November 20 Premiere Date

by Vincent
Fox is last up in our check-in of returning sitcom slates. Fox is...well, certainly in a transitional state. The network is still rebuilding its image after Disney's merger with 20th Century Fox, which drastically altered the network's original content. So, needless to say, the sitcom slate has been a bit light recently, and that continues this season. Gone are the days of the mid-2010s, when you could make an argument that Fox had the best sitcom roster of all of network TV with shows like New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Last Man on Earth, and The Mindy Project, as well as short-lived but beloved series like Enlisted and The Mick.
Returning sitcoms: The only returning sitcoms that made Fox's fall schedule were its animated slate. The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers and Family Guy are all back, with the interesting caveat that Bob's later-seasons ratings spike has convinced Fox to move it to the 9pm anchor slot, while the declining Family Guy moves to the lead-out role at 9:30. Still, the block as a whole continues to provide solid and consistent numbers for Fox. The caveat, though, is that they're all 20th Century Fox properties - which, remember, is no longer run by the same company as the Fox network, but by Disney. It's possible Disney sees the value in moving them to a Disney property, so whether or not they're long for the Fox world remains to be seen. Shoved to mid-season is Fox's only returning live action comedy, Last Man Standing. Last Man did very well on Fridays last season, but well...it's also a 20th Century Fox property.
New sitcoms: There's only one new sitcom on Fox's fall schedule, and it's an animated comedy entitled Bless the Harts. The series follows a lower-class family living in the South and could make a good companion to The Simpsons and Bob's Burgers.
The bottom line: Fox is definitely in a transitional state right now, and that transition emphasizes reality series and sports and less scripted content, so aside from the solid block of animated comedies, sitcoms seem to be a second thought on the new Fox. We'll see if that continues going forward, but as of now, the days of FOX being a comedy haven are certainly long gone.
The Buchmans are back! Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt reprise their roles in the Sony Pictures Television-produced limited event series Mad About You on Wednesday, November 20 when the first six episodes drop ad-free exclusively on Spectrum's On Demand platform. The final six episodes will release on Wednesday, December 18. The series will explore the fertile ground of modern marriage through the eyes of the Buchmans as newly minted empty-nesters after dropping their unpredictable, hard-to-control daughter Mabel (Abby Quinn) off at college. The original sitcom ran for seven seasons from 1992-1999 and won multiple Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) awards. All 164 original episodes are now available free on-demand for Spectrum subscribers.
Mad About You is produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Comedy Dynamics. Peter Tolan serves as showrunner, executive producer and writer. Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser executive produce alongside Brian Volk-Weiss, Michael Pelmont and Matthew Ochacher. Danny Jacobson, who co-created the show with Reiser will serve as an executive consultant. Additional cast includes: Original cast members John Pankow and Richard Kind as Ira Buchman and Dr. Mark Devanow, and Abby Quinn as Mabel Buchman.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Thursday, January 26
Young Sheldon - "Blonde Ambition and the Concept of Zero" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sheldon makes a terrifying mathematical discovery while tutoring Billy. Also, Mary is jealous of Missy’s relationship with Mandy and MeeMaw.
Ghosts - "Jay's Friends" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sam becomes alarmed when the ghosts suggest Jay’s new friends may be part of a cult run by a charismatic leader named Micah (Drew Tarver). Also, Pete changes his attitude after Sasappis criticizes his unceasing cheeriness.
Welcome to Flatch - "What Are You, Chicken?" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The saga of the Flatch porch pirate continues; when Kelly and Shrub realize who the culprit is, they must figure out how to do right by Flatch; Joe misses Cheryl, so Barb decides it's time for a makeover.
Call Me Kat - "Call Me Ichabod Evel Knievel" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Kat hires a new baker at the Kat Cafe and shows him around town; Max and Carter wingman for Sheila.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 23)
Thursday, January 26
- George Clooney (Roseanne/The Facts of Life/ E/R (1984-1985) - Jimmy Kimmel Live! celebrates its 20th Anniversary with George at 10pm and repeated at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- David Duchovny (Californication) - David appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Hilary Duff (How I Met Your Father/Younger/Lizzie McGuire) - Hilary is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 10pm on Bravo. She also talks about the new season of Hulu's How I Met Your Father on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
- Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda guest hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Lil Rel Howery (Rel/The Carmichael Show) - Lil Rel will be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- ReneƩ Rapp (The Sex Lives of College Girls) - ReneƩ appears on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
- Julie Bowen (Modern Family/Ed) - Julie is back and talks about a new gig inspired by her tween boys on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
- Benjamin Bratt (Poker Face) - Benjamin talks about Peacock's Poker Face on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (October-January)
10/04 - Mr. Mayor - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/04 - The Munsters - Marineland Carnival with The Munsters TV Cast
10/18 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete First Season
11/08 - Frasier - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/08 - Young Rock - Season Two (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/15 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Seven / The Complete Season Eight
11/22 - That '70s Show - The Complete Series (Mill Creek)
11/29 - Ghosts - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/06 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - 70th Anniversary Ultimate Christmas Collection
12/13 - And Just Like That... - The Complete First Season
12/13 - Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/03 - Andy Richter Controls the Universe - The Complete Series (2023 Release)
01/27 - Master of None - Season Three / The Complete Series
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