Friday, September 27, 2019

Fri-Yay: Primetime Emmy Results for Comedy; AFV Gets 30th Anniversary Special

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!

Phoebe Waller-Bridge - Fleabag

by Vincent

Well, a week ago I tried to predict the Emmys winners, thinking, as usual, the Emmys voters would play it fairly safe. Needless to say, I was quite wrong! This was, apparently, one of those years the Emmys voters have every 3 years or so where they decide to go a little left field, which, well, sort of messed up my predictions. Let's go back through each of my picks just to see how wrong I really was...

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
My Prediction: Ted Danson
Winner: Bill Hader
I thought Ted Danson would take this one, but in reality, it went to Bill Hader, for HBO's Barry. Truthfully, I thought it was kind of a dead heat between the two actors, but because I prefer The Good Place, I went with my own tastes for this one. Clearly, it steered me wrong. However, Bill Hader is totally deserving as well and Barry is a great, unique series, so this was certainly not an unpleasant way for me to get a category wrong.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
My Prediction: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Winner: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
I was not expecting the Emmys to show as much love for Fleabag as they did, but they sure did. Phoebe Waller-Bridge gets the nod here, and it's incredibly deserving, although I'm still frankly shocked JLD didn't get the nod as Selena one last time. Voters didn't seem to love Veep's final season - I guess the year off really did hurt it with Emmys audiences, and it was also arguably the show's weakest season yet. So, again, not displeased with this choice.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
My Prediction: Tony Shaloub
Winner: Tony Shaloub
Hey, I got one right! It wasn't as big of a night for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as many predicted it would be, but Shaloub still easily wins this category, not surprising given he's probably the biggest name of the bunch. Again, a deserving win even if Maisel's second season was a little inconsistent.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
My Prediction: Olivia Colman
Winner: Alex Borstein
Well, the one category that I actually picked Fleabag to win, it didn't. Go figure. Mrs. Maisel ruled the Supporting categories, but I still think Borstein is kind of a surprising choice here. She's great, but it feels like her performance on Mrs. Maisel is one of the more undersung ones, so I'm (pleasantly) surprised that Emmy voters rewarded her, especially since overall the night wasn't a rousing success for the show.

Outstanding Comedy Series
My Prediction: Veep
Winner: Fleabag
Again, I wasn't predicting the Emmys to sour on Veep as much as they did, given how Game of Thrones manages to come back and sweep every year despite taking off years. I also wasn't expecting Fleabag to be as big of a winner as it was, although I did see it as a potential dark horse candidate if the Emmy voters tired of Veep and Mrs. Maisel (which it seems like they did). It's a fun, good win, though - one that hopefully will bring more attention to a show that was critically beloved but didn't get the same amount of audience love. All in all, it was a pretty interesting night, at least as far as the Emmys go.


AFV: America, This is You!

In celebration of AFV's milestone 30-year anniversary, ABC will air AFV: America, This is You!, on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST on ABC, following an all-new episode of AFV. It can also be viewed the next day on ABC.com, the ABC app and Hulu. The special retrospective will take a closer look at the history of the iconic series, including how it originated, the evolution over 30 seasons and its significant influence on pop culture, as well as how changes in technology impacted the show. Additionally, the episode will unlock some of the most memorable video clips in AFV's coveted vault, revealing interviews with past contestants all grown up and how their appearances affected their lives. Audiences can also expect to see some familiar faces, including current host Alfonso Ribeiro and former hosts Bob Saget and Tom Bergeron, reminiscing about AFV's legacy and their individual styles of hosting.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, September 15

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Pickleball" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The new neighbors who moved into Miss Kim’s old house are keeping the Butlers and Johnsons up all night. Meanwhile, Courtney tells Marty she is going on a date.

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Pickle" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Johnsons and Butlers are curious about their new neighbors’ lifestyle and their interest raises some surprising questions. Also, Marty feels pressure to enroll Daphne in the best preschool.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 15)

Monday, September 15

  • Frank Grillo (Battery Park) - Watch Frank on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Keegan-Michael Key (Schmigadoon!/Friends from College/Playing House/Gary Unmarried) - Keegan-Michael appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Zach Cherry (Duncanville/I Feel Bad/Crashing) and Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) - Zach and Pete are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Jennifer and Reese Witherspoon talk about The Morning Show on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - NBC's Today catches up with Michelle in the 10am hour.
  • Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh talks about his latest movie Adulthood on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah is getting real with Drew about women's health on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) - Sarah appears on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Lacey Chabert (Still the King/Baby Daddy/Family Guy) - Lacey is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
  • Persia White (Girlfriends) - Persia appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:15am.


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)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (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

09/15 - 77th Primetime Emmy Award Winners; Letterman TV Adds Late Night with David Letterman
09/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 15, 2025)
09/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Paramount Looking to Merge with Warner Bros. Discovery; Samsung TV+ Adds Late Night with David Letterman
09/12 - Emmy Awards to Create Special Moments; Ricky Gervais Netflix Animated Comedy Alley Cats Coming in 2026
09/11 - Remembering Polly Holliday of Alice and Flo; Prime Video's Overcompensating Renewed for Season 2
09/10 - Netflix Renews Leanne for Season 2; Hazbin Hotel Returns October 29
09/09 - HBO Comedy The Chair Company; Trailer for Disney's Vampirina: Teenage Vampire
09/08 - The Paper Renewed for Season 2, NYC Event on Tuesday; Final Season of Bel-Air
09/07 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 8, 2025)
09/06 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Shifting Gears Picked Up for Three Additional Episodes; The Paper Renewed for Season Two
09/05 - Crutch Premieres November 3 on Paramount+; Trailer for Season 2 of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
09/04 - Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2025 Schedule; Dancing with the Stars Season 34 Cast
09/03 - Live Staged Reading of Three's Company Episode; Freeform Acquires According to Jim for October
09/02 - Hulu's Chad Powers Trailer; BET's The Hospital Premieres September 10
09/01 - TV Marathons on Labor Day 2025 Include Archie Bunker's Place and George Lopez
08/31 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 1, 2025)
08/30 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Saturday Night Live Cast Changes Loom; NBC Renews Password for Third Season
08/29 - HBO's Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television; Adult Swim Slates Two Series for October
08/28 - NBC's Password Renewed for Season 3 for 2026; Pluto TV Streaming CBS Shows Ahead of Fall Season
08/27 - Hulu's Deli Boys Renewed for Season 2 with Fred Armisen; HBO's I Love LA Premieres November 2
08/26 - English Teacher Returns on FX for Season 2; Jesse Williams Prime Video Series Trailer
08/25 - Doc Season 2 Trailer for Fox; Remembering David Ketchum and Jerry Adler
08/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 25, 2025)
08/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Home Improvement Cast Members to Reunite on Shifting Gears; The Paper to Have Binge Drop
08/22 - Hulu's Futurama Season 13 Trailer; A Man on the Inside Returns November 20 on Netflix
08/21 - George Lopez Coming to COZI TV; The Morning Show Season 4 Trailer
08/20 - Welcome Back, Kotter 50th Anniversary Marathon on Rewind TV; Apple TV+ Palm Royale Season 2 Premieres November 12
08/19 - Antenna TV's Archie Bunker's Place Labor Day Marathon; Larry the Cable Guy Prime Video Special
08/18 - Nobody Wants This Season 2 Premieres October 23; HGTV and Retta Continue Partnership
08/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 18, 2025)
08/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Paramount Plans Retool of Cable Networks; King of the Hill Revival Scores Big Ratings
08/15 - Catchy Comedy Acquires Hot in Cleveland; Netflix's Animated Comedy Strip Law Premieres in 2026