Fri-Yay: Thoughts on Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens; HBO's Avenue 5 Gets 2nd Season

Friday, February 14, 2020

Fri-Yay: Thoughts on Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens; HBO's Avenue 5 Gets 2nd Season

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

A few weeks ago, Comedy Central premiered its first 2020 original series, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens. It's the first new series the network has premiered this season, and it comes at a time when the network is in a state of transition. Through-out the mid-to-late 2010s, Comedy Central was home to some of the most daring and acclaimed comedy series, such as Broad City, Nathan for You and Review - not to mention the back-to-back hitters of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. However, in recent years, groundbreaking comedy has been gravitating more towards streaming services. Combined with the fact that Comedy Central slashed some of its own series in their prime (such as Detroiters and Another Period), the network feels as if its a bit lost, with last year's The Other Two being the only show of real promise as of late.

Enter Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, a series very much in that same Workaholics/Broad City vein, following a woman named Nora living with her grandmother in Queens. The series certainly has potential to rise up and be a memorable Comedy Central series along with The Other Two to ring in a new decade. Awkwafina is a funny and likable presence who brings a lot of energy to the screen, but the show is currently recycling a few too many of the same beats as Broad City. I'd like to see the show develop its own voice that matches Awkwafina's true potential. Comedy Central was a great source of excellent comedy in the 2000s, and it'd be great if it could be again.

Avenue 5

Following the debut of the first season on January 19, comedy series Avenue 5 has been renewed for a second season. Created and executive produced by Armando Iannucci of Veep, the HBO comedy Avenue 5 is set forty years in the future when traveling the solar system is no longer the stuff of sci-fi fantasy, but a booming, multibillion-dollar business. The series kicked off its nine-episode season January 19.

The series stars Hugh Laurie (Emmy(R) nominee for Veep, Golden Globe winner for House M.D.) as Avenue 5 Captain Ryan Clark; Josh Gad (Murder on the Orient Express) as billionaire Herman Judd, the mercurial face and name behind Avenue 5; Zach Woods (HBO's Silicon Valley) as head of customer relations Matt Spencer; Rebecca Front (Poldark, BAFTA winner for The Thick of It) as strong willed passenger Karen Kelly; Suzy Nakamura (Dr. Ken) as Iris Kimura, Judd's right hand woman; Lenora Crichlow (Being Human") as engineer Billie McEvoy; Nikki Amuka-Bird (CINEMAX's Quarry) as Rav Mulcair, head of Judd Mission Control; and Ethan Phillips (Inside Llewyn Davis) as Spike Martin, a space enthusiast and former astronaut.

Season one guests include Andy Buckley as Karen's husband Frank; Jessica St. Clair (American Housewife) and Kyle Bornheimer (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as feuding couple Mia and Doug; Neil Casey (HBO's Silicon Valley) as Cyrus, an Avenue 5 engineer; Matthew Beard (The Imitation Game) as Rav's deputy Alan Lewis; Himesh Patel (Yesterday) as stand-up comedian Jordan Hatwal; Paterson Joseph (Timeless) as Judd's business rival Harrison; and Daisy May Cooper (This Country) as Sarah, a member of the bridge crew.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, January 20

Young Sheldon - "A Pink Cadillac and a Glorious Tribal Dance" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Sheldon attends his first comic book convention. Also, Mary tries selling make-up.

United States of Al - "Poker / Pokar" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Art grows concerned when Al gets hooked on playing poker, misses a class and is late for work. Also, Lizzie and Brett’s relationship grows stronger, but she struggles with dating again for the first time in a few years.

Ghosts - "The Vault" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Just as Sam and Jay are set to host a friend’s wedding that could get their B&B business off the ground, the ghost of Hetty’s husband, Elias Woodstone (Matt Walsh), tries to ruin it.

B Positive - "Louisville, Bubbaroo and Sully" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Gina hires Peter’s son to be her lawyer, but things get complicated when he asks her out. Also, Drew and Harry’s van breaks down during their road trip.

Call Me Kat - "Call Me a Sporty Giant" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
While staying in Kat's apartment, Randi starts to feel overwhelmed by Kat's quirks; Max and Carter try to teach Phil how to ride a bike.

Pivoting - "The Giving Tree" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Sarah drags Amy and Jodie out on a night of hijinks; Amy struggles to balance a work crisis and her new dedication to motherhood; Jodie's anxiety takes over after sending a flirty text to Matt and doesn't get a response.

Single Drunk Female - "Pilot" (Freeform, 10:00PM ET/PT)
A public flameout forces 20-something alcoholic Sam to move back home with her overbearing mother, Carol; surrounded by all the triggers that made her drink, Sam tries to move past her worst self and figure out her best self.

Single Drunk Female - "One Day at a Time" (Freeform, 10:00PM ET/PT)
An awkward run-in with her former best friend and her ex inspires Sam to own up for her past mistakes, both emotionally and financially; as she resets her relationship with her mother, Sam is horrified to learn Carol is dating.

Warped! - "Pilot" (Nickelodeon, 7:30PM ET/PT)
Milo, the beloved head geek at a comic book shop, finds his world disrupted after his boss hires the quirky and excitable Ruby.

Warped! - "Challenged!" (Nickelodeon, 8:00PM ET/PT)
After Milo's nemesis Carl beats his world record, Ruby helps him try to reclaim it.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 17)

Thursday, January 20

Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/George and Leo/Chicago Sons/Simon/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Catch Jason on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Will appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - Jennifer is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
David Cross (Arrested Development/Running Wilde/Oliver Beene) - David appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Laura Linney (The Big C) and Kristin Davis (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Laura and Kristin are guests on Watch What Happens: Live at 10:30pm on Bravo. NBC's Today catches up with Laura in the 9am hour.
Ricky Gervais (After Life/The Office) - Ricky chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Sharon Gless (House Calls/Turnabout) - Sharon chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones/Vice Principals/Partners) - Edi will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ed Helms (Rutherford Falls/The Office) and Randall Park Fresh Off the Boat/Veep) - Ed and Randall talk about Peacock's True Story with Ed and Randall on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT and on PEOPLE in 10 at 8am.
Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) and Finesse Mitchell (Outmatched/A.N.T. Farm) - Kym and Finesse guest host The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Game/Here We Go Again/The Steve Harvey Show/Minor Adjustments) - Wendy talks about Paramount+'s The Game on The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie talks about her new book Enough Already on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Chris Kattan (The Middle) - Chris is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Kyle Mooney (Arrested Development) - Kyle appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
John Early (Search Party) - John talks about the final season of Search Party on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen talks about The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere/Camping/Lady Dynamite>) - Bridget talks about Somebody Somewhere on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Sofia Black-D’Elia (Single Drunk Female/The Mick) and Ally Sheedy (Single Drunk Female - Sofia and Ally talk about Freeform's Single Drunk Female on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Marsai Martin (black-ish) - Marsai talks about Remix My Space on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.