Friday, February 14, 2020
Fri-Yay: Thoughts on Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens; HBO's Avenue 5 Gets 2nd Season
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.
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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, April 18
Young Sheldon - "An Ankle Monitor and a Big Plastic Crap House" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Sheldon studies to be Meemaw’s lawyer when she is put on house arrest, and the Coopers have a plumbing emergency.
Ghosts - "Holes Are Bad" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Sam and Jay leave the ghosts home alone for the weekend in an attempt to have a romantic getaway, shocking revelations are made about two of Woodstone’s beloved spirits.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 15)
Thursday, April 18
- Zendaya (K.C. Undercover/Shake It Up) - Catch Zendaya on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Sandra Oh (Arliss) - Sandra is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She talks about Sympathizer on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Reid Scott (Veep/My Boys/It's All Relative) - Reid appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Daniel Radcliffe (Miracle Workers) - Daniel will be on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Dulcé Sloan (The Great North) - Dulcé hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Chris O'Dowd (The Big Door Prize/Family Tree) - Chris appears on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am. He chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Tony Danza (Taxi/Who's the Boss?/Hudson Street/The Tony Danza Show) - NBC's Today catches up with Tony in the 10am hour.
- Jurnee Smollett (On Our Own) - Jurnee talks about We Grown Now on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Jay Hernandez (Hang Time) - Jay discusses his new film The Long Game on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Lil Rel Howery (Rel/The Carmichael Show) - Lil Rel talks about We Grown Now on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Michaela Watkins (Dinner with the Parents/Search Party/The Unicorn/Casual/Trophy Wife) - Michaela is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD/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)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
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