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
Sunday, May 18
The Simpsons - "Estranger Things" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Bart and Lisa stop watching Itchy and Scratchy together, Marge fears that they'll start to drift apart.
Family Guy - "The Fat Lotus" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Peter suspects Lois of betraying his trust with Quagmire at a swanky vacation resort.
Krapopolis - "Ty Died" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Ty is tired of his family thinking he's not important enough to be assassinated.
Bob's Burgers - "Mr. Fischoeder's Opus" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tina becomes the new advice columnist for the school newspaper; Teddy takes on more than he can handle when he volunteers to build a float for the Bounty of the Bay Parade.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 12)
Friday, May 16
- Lunell (Lopez) - Watch Luenell on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She will also be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:39am.
- Benito Skinner (Overcompensating) - Benito appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) and Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Do Not Disturb/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Mayan and Jerry are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Luke Kirby (Étoile) and Gideon Glick (Étoile/The Other Two) - Luke and Gideon talk about Étoile on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Stanley Tucci (Central Park) - Stanley talks about his new series Tucci in Italy with GMA co-anchor Michael Strahan on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. He will also be on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Howie Mandel (Good Grief) - Howie talks about America's Got Talent on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your lcoal listings.
- Marissa Jaret Winokur (What We Do in the Shadows/Retired at 35/Stacked) - Marissa talks about her latest project Mama I'm a Big Girl Now on Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
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
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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