Friday, January 10, 2020

Fri-Yay: Top Sitcoms of the Decade, Part 2; PIX11 Celebrates 45th Anniversaries of The Jeffersons and Barney Miller

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!

Community

by Vincent

Last week, I went through my top sitcoms of the 2010s from #12 to #6. This week, I'll be doing the same thing, going through my top 5. So here are my top 5 sitcoms of the 2010s!

5. The Good Place (NBC, 2016 - present): Of all of the sitcoms this decade, I don't think any of them can claim to be quite as inventive as The Good Place, which somehow manages to be an excellent sitcom and sci-fi/fantasy series all in one. Without spoiling too much, this show asks some of the biggest questions I've ever seen asked about humanity on TV - all while managing to be a delightful and funny sitcom all the same with a lovable cast of characters.

4. Parks and Recreation (NBC, 2009 - 2015): Parks and Recreation will forever go down as one of the most lovable shows to ever be on TV. With an incredibly likable cast of characters and a beating heart and love for all of them, watching this show is like a dose of happiness. Pawnee and the Parks department is truly a place you want to keep coming back to, which is why Parks was one of the most lovable sitcoms of the 2010s.

3 Bob's Burgers (Fox, 2011 - present): Bob's Burgers has become such a staple of TV that it's hard to believe it only started less than 10 years ago. The Belchers practically feel like my family at this point, I know them and their antics so well, and after 10 seasons I still feel like everything they do is as funny and fresh as ever. Bob's Burgers is the very definition of a landmark TV show.

2. BoJack Horseman (Netflix, 2014 - present): BoJack Horseman is both a great comedy and a seriously depressing drama. It's one of the realest shows on TV, and it's also an animated sitcom about a talking horse in a world where animals and humans are on equal footing. It's a show of contradictions, but what makes BoJack shine is its upsettingly amazing ability to crush your heart in pieces, and then make you laugh a few minutes later. Few shows can accomplish what BoJack can.

1. Community (NBC and Yahoo!, 2009 - 2015): Community was perhaps one of the first true genre-bending sitcoms, fitting into a different genre (mystery, D&D, paintball action movie) whenever it felt like it. It became known for its ability to "break the fourth wall" and break the entire structure of the sitcom down whenever it pleased. But what kept the show running was its rock solid core of characters, a makeshift family of weirdos at a community college. What made Community truly special was how it was able to balance its weirdness with its heart, and that's what makes it not just my favorite sitcom of the decade, but one of my favorite sitcoms of all-time.


The Jeffersons and Barney Miller

This January, PIX11 will celebrate the 45th anniversaries of The Jeffersons and Barney Miller with marathons on the 18th and 25th during the station's "New York's Very Own" Sitcom Block which consists of NY specific retro sitcoms. On Saturdays, PIX11's "New York's Very Own" sitcom block features Good Times, Sanford and Son, All in the Family, Barney Miller, The Jeffersons and The Honeymooners. To celebrate the 45th anniversaries of The Jeffersons (Jan 18, 1975) and Barney Miller (Jan 23, 1975), PIX11 will air a mini-marathon of each show during the block. On Saturday, January 18, PIX11 will air a marathon of The Jeffersons from 7pm-10pm. On Saturday, January 25, the station will air a marathon of Barney Miller from 6pm-10pm.



Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, December 19

Happy's Place - "Izzy and the Professor" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When a woman inherits her late father's tavern, she's shocked to discover that it's co-owned by a half-sister she never knew existed... who has some interesting new ideas about how to run the family business.

Stumble - "The Tell-Tale Slurp" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After being fired from her champion cheerleading team, coach Courteney Potter is starting over in a small Southern town where she's putting together a brand-new squad of lovable misfits in the hopes of making a comeback and winning it all.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 15)

Friday, December 19

  • Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Married/Second Generation Wayans) - Watch Regina on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Matt Rogers (No Good Deed/I Love That for You) - Matt appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Show) - Rickey is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Bradley Cooper (Kitchen Confidential) and Will Arnett (Murderville/Arrested Development/Flaked/The Millers/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Bradley and Will discuss Is Thing On? on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. Will tells Drew about playing a dramatic role in new film Is This Thing On? working with Bradley Cooper, and his podcast with pals Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Kumail chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • James Van Der Beek (Friends with Better Lives/Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - James opens up on his cancer battle on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Star Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - NBC's Today catches up with Neil in the 9am hour.
  • Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black talk about Anaconda on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Robby Hoffman (Hacks) - Robby covers the news with Drew on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey and Charlie Cox talk about their new film Merv with the doggie star of the film on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series (DVD)
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two (DVD)
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season (DVD)
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 (DVD)
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)
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)

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

12/18 - The Oscars Moving to YouTube in 2029; Celebs for Hollywood Squares Season 2
12/17 - MeTV Remembers Rob Reiner with Tribute Marathon; MGM+ to Make New The Magnificent Seven Series
12/16 - The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy – ABC News Special; Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Part 2 on CBS
12/15 - Remembering the Legendary Rob Reiner of All in the Family; Trailer for Netflix's His & Hers
12/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 15, 2025)
12/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner/Netflix Merger Gets Complicated; Steve Carell Comedy Rooster Coming to HBO Max in March
12/12 - Survival of the Thickest Final Season Guest Stars; Ted Season 2 Returns in March
12/11 - The Upshaws Final Season Premieres January 15; Mike Epps Gets 5th Netflix Special
12/10 - HBO's Rooster Premieres in March; Fox's Updated Winter 2026 Schedule
12/09 - 83rd Golden Globe Nominations; Paradise Returns on Hulu in February
12/08 - First Look at Bert Kreischer Netflix Comedy Free Bert; School Spirits Season 3
12/07 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 8, 2025)
12/06 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair; Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery
12/05 - FETV Acquires The Carol Burnett Show Uncut; Hey A.J.! Coming to Disney Jr.
12/04 - COZI TV Acquires The Jeff Foxworthy Show; Hulu Renews Chad Powers for Season 2
12/03 - MeTV January 2026 Schedule; Netflix's My Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Season 6 Guests
12/02 - MeTV Acquires Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart & Hawaii Five-O; Apple TV's The First Snow of Fraggle Rock Trailer
12/01 - MeTV to Announce Four New Shows; Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Draws 25 Million Viewers on NBC
11/30 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 1, 2025)
11/29 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Scrubs Reboot; Mad Men Coming to HBO Max
11/28 - Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Encores Tonight (11/28); Hulu's Smash Hit Renewed for Quick 4th Season
11/27 - 2025 Thanksgiving TV Marathons
11/26 - ABC's Scrubs First Teaser During Dancing with the Stars Finale; Eva Green Joins Wednesday Season 3
11/25 - COZI TV Acquires Malcolm & Eddie and The Steve Harvey Show; 53rd International Emmy® Awards Winners
11/24 - Antenna TV's All-You-Can Eat Wings for Thanksgiving Marathon; Rewind TV's Serving Up the Seavers with a Thanksgiving Day Growing Pains Marathon
11/23 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 24, 2025)
11/22 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Disney+ Offers New Simpsons Streaming Channel; Final Eight Unaired Episodes of Joey on YouTube
11/21 - HBO Renews Comedies The Chair Company and I Love LA; Kelly and Mark to Host International Emmy® Awards
11/20 - The CW Midseason 2026 Schedule; Sarah Sherman HBO Max Special
11/19 - Tubi's Comedy Mo' Waffles Premieres December 19; 78th Emmy® Awards Set for September 14, 2026
11/18 - CBS Midseason 2026 Schedule; SNL Closes Out 2025 with 3 Episodes in December