Friday, November 15, 2019
Fri-Yay: Disney+ Launches; NBC Orders 8th Season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine
by Vincent
This week, Disney+ made its grand debut on TV screens (or whatever device you have) all over the country. While the service's claim to fame is likely primarily its library of Disney original movies, there is some reason to be excited as a sitcom fan, as well. If you're a fan of old-school, '90s and '00s era Disney or Disney Channel sitcoms, many of them are now available to be streamed on Disney+ -- and many did not previously have a streaming home. Additionally, every episode of The Simpsons is now available ad-free for the first time ever. It's a big deal for Simpsons fans, although it's somewhat disappointing that the service is not broadcasting the episodes in their original aspect ratio. Still, having every episode of the animated series at your fingertips easily is a great feat. As good as Simpsons World was, the ads and the buggy aspects of the FXNow platform held it down - Disney+, if they fix the original aspect ratio, is a better fit for it.
Still, it's easy to wonder what Disney+ means for the future of TV going forward. 10 million subscribers signed up on the first day, beating the service's own end-of-year estimate of 8 million in the first 24 hours after launch. Perhaps not coincidentally, the live ratings for the ABC sitcom line-up that night tanked to series lows. We know streaming is the future, but having a major new player in the streaming wars certainly nails it into the coffin. It remains to be seen how the streaming landscape will exactly take place (will HBO Max and Peacock see the same type of success? Will Netflix cool off with all of the competition?) but one thing is for sure: the future is streaming.
NBC has renewed its critically acclaimed and Golden Globe Award-winning comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine for an eighth season in 2020-21. The seventh season begins Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020 at 8 p.m. ET/PT with a one-hour premiere before airing in its regularly scheduled 8:30 p.m. timeslot beginning Feb. 13. Last season Brooklyn Nine-Nine averaged a 1.2 rating and 3.2 million viewers overall in "live plus same day" Nielsens for a total-viewer increase of +15% versus the prior season on Fox. After 35 days of linear and digital delayed viewing, the show last season grew to a 3.1 rating in 18-49 and 6.4 million viewers overall, with 59% of that 18-49 rating coming from nonlinear sources - the #1 biggest digital percentage for an NBC series last season. Brooklyn Nine-Nine was also last season's #1 most-social primetime comedy series across television, earning 9 million total interactions (Source: Nielsen Social SCR , 09/24/18-05/23/19, Primetime Daypart, Linear Window, Scripted Series Only. Twitter [Organic + Owned], Facebook [owned only], Instagram [owned only].)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine stars Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Lo Truglio, Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, March 28
The Conners - "Keep On Truckin' Six Feet Apart" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Conners are dealing with the pandemic and life's financial troubles.
The Conners - "Halloween and the Election vs the Pandemic" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Halloween has been canceled, so the family works to create an unforgettable experience.
Son of a Critch - "Airing Out" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The Critches are doing their annual airing-out-the-house ritual; some family secrets are uncovered.
Son of a Critch - "Cabaret" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Mark finally gets the chance to take the stage as a stand-up comedian.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 25)
Thursday, March 28
- Joey King (Bent) - Joey talks about We Were the Lucky Ones on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
- Giancarlo Esposito (Bakersfield P.D.) - Giancarlo discusses his starring role in the AMC crime-thriller series Parish on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Niecy Nash-Betts (Reno 911!/Getting On/The Soul Man/Do Not Disturb) - Niecy stops by to talk about her upcoming starring turn in Ryan Murphy's horror drama Grotesquerie on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa talks about Abbott Elementary on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Lorraine Toussaint (Where I Live) - Lorraine is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (November-March)
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
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