Friday, January 31, 2020
Fri-Yay: The Good Place Officially Ends; Starz Picks Up Comedy with Amber Stevens West
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
Yesterday, The Good Place ended its four year run on NBC. While I haven't seen the finale yet at the time of writing this blog post, I have a lot to say about the season up to this point and particularly about last week's amazing penultimate episode.
The Good Place has always been a very philosophical series, but it honestly really surprised me with how deep it got last week in its discussion of the afterlife and "Heaven" (or the good place.) The show essentially argued that human life is shaped by the knowledge that we're going to die, so the "good" place is really not so good after all - without that strive to do great, it becomes a big pile of mush. Frankly, part of me wishes this concept had been explored a little longer. I could've done a whole season watching the good place crew fix...well, the good place. But nevertheless, I'm happy the show appears to be going out high and on its own terms. The show has always remained an absolute mind-bending delight, stretching the sitcom form as wide as it could possibly go. Now I'm interested to see if any series steps up in its place. I certainly hope so - the show is leaving behind a big gap in its absence. There's really no series with the level of humor and insight that The Good Place has right now. Still, I'm beyond overjoyed that the series was able to make it this long at all, so cheers to The Good Place and the end of one of TV's very best sitcoms.
Starz announced it has given an eight-episode series order for Run the World. The half-hour comedy is created and written by Leigh Davenport (The Perfect Find, untitled Wendy Williams biopic) who will executive produce with showrunner Yvette Lee Bowser (Lionsgate's Dear White People, Living Single) and Lionsgate Television, where Bowser's SisterLee Productions is under an overall deal. Millicent Shelton (black-ish, P-Valley) directed the pilot. Run the World is the story of a group of Black, vibrant, fiercely loyal best friends who work, live and play in Harlem as they strive for world domination. At its core, it's an unapologetically female show about enviable friendship and not only surviving - but thriving together.
The previously announced cast include Amber Stevens West (The Carmichael Show, Happy Together) as "Whitney," Andrea Bordeaux (NCIS: Los Angeles) as "Ella," Bresha Webb (A Fall from Grace, Marlon) as "Renee," Corbin Reid (Valor) as "Sondi" and Stephen Bishop (Moneyball, Imposters) as "Matthew."
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, March 4
Scrubs - "My Rom-Com" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Elliot faces a dilemma with a stubborn patient, while J.D. discovers online doctor reviews. Meanwhile, Turk teaches his interns about new surgical technology and unexpected life lessons.
Abbott Elementary - "Aide" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Janine asks Ava for a classroom aide, and the school seeks out a new gym teacher. Meanwhile, Dominic confides in Jacob.
Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "The Stages of Love" (BET, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin makes a bold move for love. Ella is blessed with a realization and moves forward in forgiveness.
Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Heaven Sent" (BET, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Leah and Jeremy get their money's worth with the consultant they hired to inspect the assisted living facility; the family is concerned about the decline of Reginald's mental health.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 2)
Wednesday, March 4
- Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Watch Ike on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Steve Carell (Rooster/Space Force/The Office/Come to Papa/Watching Ellie) - Steve appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Erika Alexander (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Run the World/Living Single/The Cosby Show) - Erika talks about The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Christina Applegate (Dead to Me/Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Jesse/Married... with Children) - Christina chats about her new memoir You with the Sad Eyes with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Yvette Nicole Brown (Act Your Age/The Odd Couple/Community/The Big House) - Yvette talks about K-Pops! with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Danielle Deadwyler (Rooster) - Danielle talks about Rooster on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy/American Dad!/The Cleveland Show) - Seth talks about season 2 of Ted on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 9am hour with Max Burkholder.
- Christa Miller (Shrinking/Cougar Town/Scrubs/The Drew Carey Show) - Christa talks about Shrinking on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Tig Notaro (One Mississippi) - Tig talks about the Stand Up For Equality event on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and 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)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
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