Fri-Yay: Sunnyside Becomes the Season's First Cancellation; Maureen McCormick to Co-Host HGTV Christmas Special

Friday, October 25, 2019

Fri-Yay: Sunnyside Becomes the Season's First Cancellation; Maureen McCormick to Co-Host HGTV Christmas 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!

by Vincent

This past week, the first sitcom of the network TV season fell victim to the cancellation bear - and it was, in fact, the first network TV cancellation across all genres. NBC's Sunnyside was taken off the schedule to be replaced by the last season of Will & Grace. But there is something of a twist - the series will finish out its run on NBC's new streaming service Peacock, so it will get a chance to finish its story rather than ending abruptly to be burned off on Saturdays in the summer or some other terrible fate. Technically, there is even the possibility Sunnyside could move there full-time and score a second season renewal, the way AP Bio did last season. Still, the show's numbers were truly measly, being outdrawn even by The CW, barely managing to keep the eyes of 1.5 million viewers (live+same day) every week.

So is losing Sunnyside a loss for sitcom fans? I thought the pilot showed some promise but also had a lot of flaws. Given that the series is co-created by Mike Schur, it's possible the series could've eventually found its footing. There are certainly the bones of a solid series, and the cast is very talented. But as of now, it's not a show I personally will be actively seeking out when it finishes its run on Peacock. It's a shame that it may never get the chance to become the show it could be, but it's also not a series that felt like, at least at this point, it could hang with shows like Superstore and The Good Place in terms of quality. So farewell (maybe) to Sunnyside, a show that wasn't bad enough to truly "deserve" being the first cancellation of the series, but also just never quite lived up to its potential.

White House Christmas

Maureen McCormick, best known as Marcia Brady of The Brady Bunch and star of HGTV's hugely successful series A Very Brady Renovation, will join home renovation expert and star of Windy City Rehab Alison Victoria to co-host White House Christmas 2019. Cameras will follow Maureen and Alison as they take an exclusive room-by-room tour with staff and volunteers to see the magnificent holiday transformation of the White House. The one-hour special will premiere in December.

In early December, HGTV will announce the premiere date for White House Christmas and details about the 2019 décor theme. Until then, fans can visit HGTV.com/WhiteHouseChristmas for photo galleries of the holiday festivities from years past and can interact via social media using #WhiteHouseChristmas. The special will be available on demand across all platforms and on HGTV GO the same day as the linear premiere.

A Very Brady Renovation: Holiday Edition

Brady Bunch and HGTV superfans will rejoice when the network reunites the six Brady siblings to deck the halls in the iconic Brady Bunch house and celebrate the merriest time of year in A Very Brady Renovation: Holiday Edition. Premiering Monday, Dec. 16, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the holiday extravaganza features Food Network's Ree Drummond, star of The Pioneer Woman, and Jasmine Roth, star of HGTV's Hidden Potential, as they team up with the Brady Bunch cast to whip up 70s-inspired treats, including fondue-style potatoes, a gelatin fruit salad and santapes. They also create retro DIY decorations to adorn the home in festive Brady Bunch style. And, even better than sugar plums and candy canes, fans also can watch the holiday-themed episode on Food Network on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. ET/PT.

During the episode, the Brady siblings Barry Williams (Greg), Maureen McCormick (Marcia), Christopher Knight (Peter), Eve Plumb (Jan), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) will help Ree prep the feast in the famous orange-and-green kitchen. Jasmine will work with them to complete several DIY holiday projects, including transforming shutters into life-size toy soldier lawn decorations. After decor is in place and the tree is trimmed, everyone will sit down for a celebratory holiday meal.

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.