Friday, November 22, 2019
Fri-Yay: Rick and Morty Season 4; ABC Midseason 2020 Schedule
by Vincent
After a long, long wait, the fourth season of Rick and Morty is finally airing on [adult swim]. In some ways, it's a miracle that the show, after all of its long hiatuses, still has as dedicated of a following as it does. The show started in 2014 but is just now starting its fourth season, as other comedies from the 2014 class such as Broad City, You're the Worst and BoJack Horseman are all ended or ending. But the show has an extremely dedicated fanbase, a testament to how well-written and perfectly crafted the series in. Four seasons in, the series still feels fresh, a sign of just what a well-constructed series it is.
Season 4 of Rick and Morty, which premiered last week and just aired its second episode, is as fresh as ever. Yes, the series has lost some of that "wow" factor it had in its first two seasons, but that's likely just a result of us adjusting to the show's wavelength. The show is still able to creatively mix comedy and time travel, and do so effortlessly. It's remarkable that even with so much time passing in between seasons (it's been over 2 years since the end of Season 3), I'm still just as drawn in by the show as ever. Even if it takes another two years, I'll always be down for more Rick and Morty.
ABC has announced its 2020 midseason schedule. Among the highlights include the new drama For Life, from Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 10:00 p.m. EST and launches a new season of American Idol on Sunday, Feb. 16 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST, following The Oscars® a week prior on Sunday, Feb. 9. On Thursday, Jan. 23 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST, Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy” start the evening with a powerful two-hour crossover event followed by the highly anticipated return of A Million Little Things at its new time period of 10:00 p.m. EST. Station 19 debuts in its new time period at 8 p.m. EST followed by Grey's Anatomy moving back to 9 p.m. EST, in its powerhouse timeslot of many years.
As previously announced, The Bachelor kicks off Monday, Jan. 6 from 8:00-11:00 p.m. EST, with a three-hour premiere, with The Good Doctor returning with brand new episodes on Jan. 13 at 10:00 p.m. EST. The multiple, consecutive night event JEOPARDY! The Greatest of All Time premieres Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8:00 p.m. EST. As far as ABC comedies, mixed-ish and black-ish return with winter premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 9:00 p.m. EST, while Modern Family & Single Parents return on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 9:00 p.m. EST. ABC's 8:00 p.m. EST comedies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (The Connors, Bless this Mess, The Goldbergs, Schooled) will return following the conclusion of the JEOPARDY! primetime event (the returns could be Jan. 15 and Jan. 21). Friday comedies American Housewife and Fresh off the Boat return on Friday, Jan. 17, with Fresh ending its run on Friday, Feb. 21.
Other returning series dates include Emergence on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 10, Stumptown on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 10, The Rookie on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 10 and the final episodes of How to Get Away with Murder on Thursday, April 2 at 10. Additional premiere dates (such as new comedy United We Fall and new drama The Baker & the Beauty) and schedule details will be announced at a later time (AFV, Kids Say, Shark Tank are expected to continue to air on Sundays this winter).
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, November 10
Bob's Burgers - "The Tina Table: The Tables Have Tina-Ed" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tina attempts to save her school news segment by interviewing Mr. Frond about his revolutionary new computer game; Bob and Linda entertain Teddy by making up the plots to popular horror movies they haven't seen.
Krapopolis - "Remedial Archeology" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tyrannis buys a magic shell; Shlub takes Deliria to a monster wedding.
The Simpsons - "Women in Shorts" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Homer and Marge Simpson raise Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie in Springfield, where eccentric residents make everyday life interesting.
Universal Basic Guys - "Mr. Cupcake Man" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mark writes a hit song that becomes the next Baby Shark, and enlists his family and neighbors to join his management team; David tries to capitalize in Mark's wake by resuscitating his old and out of touch climate change educational magic act.
Bob's Burgers - "Hope N' Mic Night" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The kids want to host an open mic night at the restaurant, but the hidden costs keep mounting and Bob worries that the night will ruin them.
Krapopolis - "National Lampoons's The Odyssey" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The family takes a vacation to Storgos for Shlub's mother's birthday.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 4)
Friday, November 8
- Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Watch Allison on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Salma is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Kathy Bates (Disjointed) - Kathy appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Pamela Anderson (Stacked/Home Improvement) - Pamela is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Rachel Bloom (Reboot) and Jim Rash (Community/Help Me Help You/Thanks/Katie Joplin) - Rachel and Jim are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Lauren Graham (M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren is in the house on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- Tim Matheson (Just in Time/Window on Main Street) - Tim talks about his book, Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches, on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) and Judy Greer (Kidding/Married/Mad Love/Miss Guided/Arrested Development) - Pete and Judy are chatting about their new holiday movie, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Blockbuster/The Millers/Bent/'Til Death) - JB talks about Buy It Now on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Jeremy Piven (Entourage/Ellen/Pride & Joy/The Larry Sanders Show) - Jeremy is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:45am.
- Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show) - Ms. Pat appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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