Friday, June 19, 2020
Fri-Yay: Expectations on 30 Rock Remote Special; ABC Schedules Sitcom United We Fall for Summer

by Vincent
Another week, another announcement of a remote special of a beloved past comedy series. This week, NBC announced that 30 Rock would air a remote reunion special in July that also doubled as an advertisement for the network's upcoming fall slate. The announcement came with the unveiling of NBC's fall schedule, which is almost entirely made up of returning series with the exception of Law and Order: SVU spin-off Law & Order: Organized Crime, likely due to the inability to finish new pilots due to COVID-19. It will also likely advertise NBC's upcoming streaming service Peacock, set to debut next month. It's not a fully standalone episode of the show like Parks & Recreation, so fans should temper their expectations, but it will still be a lot of fun to see where the TGS gang is these days and hear some fresh Tina Fey & Robert Carlock wordplay. I'm not expecting it to be on the level of prime 30 Rock, but it'll be fun to watch nevertheless.
With fall TV production still very much in question, it's worth wondering if any other shows will try the "remote reunion" approach. Community and The Office did have remote reunion specials, but they didn't premiere new, scripted episodes the way Parks & Recreation and 30 Rock are. Could those shows take the "one more" approach and premiere a new episode? Or perhaps other fan-beloved comedies of the 2010s like New Girl, Happy Endings or Cougar Town? It seems possible, given networks' need for content, given that scripted shows and sports are currently on hiatus, and while both have plans to return by the fall, there's no guarantee they'll be able to. We'll see if the trend continues, and if the 30 Rock special can be as fun as the Parks & Rec special.
Parenting can be tough. Throw some overzealous extended family members into the mix and chaos will undoubtedly ensue. Join the ride with the latest addition to ABC's comedy slate, United We Fall, set to premiere with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, July 15 (8:00–9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. Repeats of The Conners will follow from 9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT. ABC will also encore an hour of the ABC classic Modern Family Tuesdays from 8:00-9:00pm this summer leading into black-ish and mixed-ish repeats from 9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT. Eight episodes of United We Fall will air, before The Goldbergs and American Housewife return for encores in mid-August.
The profoundly realistic family sitcom follows the trials and tribulations of Jo and Bill, parents of two young kids, as they try to make it day to day as a functioning family. Bill's very judgmental live-in mother and Jo's large Latinx Catholic family will never hesitate to let our couple know they’re seemingly screwing up, but Bill and Jo will always have each other's backs, united against everyone – other parents, teachers, doctors, specialists, coaches, co-workers and especially their kids. United We Fall is the latest addition to ABC's iconic family comedy brand, which includes two of TV's top four comedies – The Conners and The Goldbergs – plus the Emmy® Award-nominated black-ish and its spinoff mixed-ish, which is about to enter its sophomore season; American Housewife starring Katy Mixon; and the new comedy Call Your Mother, starring Kyra Sedgwick, which debuts next season.
United We Fall stars Will Sasso as Bill Ryan, Christina Vidal Mitchell as Jo Rodriguez, Jane Curtin as Sandy Ryan, Guillermo Diaz as Chuy Rodriguez and Ella Grace Helton as Emily Ryan.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Monday, June 5
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 5)
Monday, June 5
- Dwayne Johnson (Young Rock) - Watch Dwayne on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Allison appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle/The Louie Show) - Bryan is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) - Brett appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Sterling K. Brown (Solar Opposites/Starved) - Sterling will be on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Jaren Lewison (Never Have I Ever) - Jaren is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Stark Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil and David Burtka talk about the new competition series Drag Me to Dinner on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony talks about Flamin' Hot on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Josh Segarra (The Big Door Prize/The Moodys/The Other Two) - Josh talks about Apple TV+'s The Big Door Prize on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- The Cast of Cheers - NBC's Today has 30 Years of Cheers with Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger, George Wendt and Jim Burrows sometime between 7-9am.
- Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules/Ladies Man) - NBC's Today catches up with Kaley in the 9am hour.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (January-June)
01/03 - Andy Richter Controls the Universe - The Complete Series (2023 Release)
01/27 - Master of None - Season Three / The Complete Series
02/21 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Nine / The Complete Season Ten
02/28 - Growing Pains - The Complete Series
03/28 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/04 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Fifth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/18 - Blondie - The Complete 1957 Television Series (Blu-ray)
04/25 - Cheers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
05/23 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Eleven / The Complete Season Twelve
05/23 - Go On - The Complete Series
05/23 - Kate & Allie - The Complete Series (Universal)
05/29 - Gimme a Break! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/29 - Kate & Allie - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/30 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
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