Friday, May 01, 2020
Fri-Yay: Parks & Rec and SNL Stay at Home Specials; ABC's Ryan Reynolds Produced Game Show Premieres June 11
by Vincent

Last night, NBC aired a Parks & Recreation special, a special treat for fans of the long-running NBC comedy. It was an interesting move to film a remote episode of a series that has been off the air for 5 years, but it also makes a lot of sense. Despite Parks & Rec being low-rated and on the verge of cancellation for essentially its entire run on NBC, the show has found a second life on Netflix, as many people have binged the series and are now huge fans of the show. The show has a pop culture presence that it didn't have during its original run, and with content running low, it makes sense that NBC would jump at the chance to have a popular series from its recent past do a special episode. At the time of writing this, the special has not aired yet (it will have aired when this posts), but I'm very curious to see where the characters are and how they respond to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Parks & Rec finale very neatly tied up where all of the characters end up, so it will be interesting to see if the address the endgame for the characters.
SNL is another show doing remote specials in place of its regular live shows. While the first SNL at Home on April 11 was a bit shaky, the second episode on April 25 brought back beloved characters like What Up With That and found the show on much sturdier ground. When the pandemic ends and life goes on, these remote specials will serve as such an interesting portal back to a strange time, and I guarantee they will be talked about in the TV history books for years. We might even see more of these specials, depending on how long TV production is held up for. But until then, it's nice that creators are giving some kind of attempt to keep the show going even when production isn't possible.
Speaking of Parks & Rec, one of the stars is heading to ABC to host a game show. Executive produced by Ryan Reynolds and hosted by Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, Big Little Lies), Don't is a comedic physical game show where doing nothing is what it takes to win (finally!). Contestants are given the opportunity to team up with their family and friends for the chance to win a cash prize of up to $100,000 by tackling hilarious tasks, each with the simple rule: DON'T. From Banijay Studios North America, ABC's newest summer game show premieres Thursday, June 11 at 9:00 p.m. EDT.
In each episode, members of a four-person team strive to accomplish various challenges, such as "Don't Blink," "Don't Look Back" and "Don't Play Ball in the House," as they work together to build their bank. If they fail a challenge, they don't earn money and suffer ridiculous consequences. Along the way, they'll have the choice to take risks by pushing the Don't Push Button or taking a chance on a Don't You Dare, You. In the end, whatever money they have left in their bank - if anything - is theirs to keep. The series is voiced by Ryan Reynolds and features hilarious, unexpected moments that break from the traditional game show format.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, April 18
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 14)
Friday, April 18
- David Alan Grier (St. Denis Medical/Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - Watch David on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Bernadette Peters (High Desert/Mozart in the Jungle/All's Fair) - Bernadette is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Chet Hanks (Running Point) - Chet appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody takes "The Colbert Questionert" on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Bobby Moynihan (Mr. Mayor/Me, Myself & I), Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) and Mary Eliabeth Ellis (Santa Clarita Diet/The Grinder/Perfect Couples/It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) - Bobby, Thomas and Mary are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Luke Kirby (Étoile) - Luke talks about Étoile on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie is joining Drew and Ross Mathews to hit the headlines on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Annaleigh Ashford (B Positive) - Annaleigh is telling Drew about the thrilling new series Happy Face based on a real life serial killer on The Drew Barrymroe Show, so check your local listings.
- Michael B. Jordan (The Assistants) and Delroy Lindo (UNPrisoned) - Michael, Delroy and others tell Sherri about their highly anticipated new film Sinners on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Joel Kim Booster (Loot/Shrill) - Joel talks about Bravo's Love Hotel on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and 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)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
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