Fri-Yay: Expectations on 30 Rock Remote Special; ABC Schedules Sitcom United We Fall for Summer

Friday, June 19, 2020

Fri-Yay: Expectations on 30 Rock Remote Special; ABC Schedules Sitcom United We Fall for Summer

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!

30 Rock

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.

United We Fall

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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, April 9

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Stuffed Monkey and an Ex-Girlfriend" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When CeeCee loses her favorite toy, Mandy and Meemaw (Annie Potts) take it as an opportunity to make some money. Meanwhile, Connor contemplates revisiting an old relationship.

Ghosts - "Michael Jackson Goes to HR" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Trevor lands himself in trouble when an inappropriate gift to a co‑worker forces him into an HR meeting only Jay can handle. Meanwhile, Pete unintentionally sparks drama with Alberta after casually mentioning a surprise visit to his ex.

Animal Control - "Scaredy Cats and Card Sharks" (Fox, 9:02PM ET/PT)
When Frank and Daisy lose $5,000 in union funds, they try to win the money back by gambling; Shred and Patel cover the late-night shift at the precinct.

Going Dutch - "The Heart Locker" (Fox, 9:32PM ET/PT)
After throwing out his back, the Colonel is ordered to bed rest; the base is sent to sweep for landmines at a local farm, where Major Shah suddenly finds himself in serious danger when he steps on one.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 6)

Thursday, April 9

Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Catch Kerry on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Riz Ahmed (Bait) - Riz is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Arsenio Hall (Arsenio) - Arsenio is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon/The Big Bang Theory) - Jim appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Judy Reyes (Scrubs) - Judy talks about Scrubs and High Potential on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Dany Levy (Big Mistakes/Schitt's Creek) - Dan talks about Big Mistakes on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Felicity Huffman (Sports Night) - Felicity dishes on Doc on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair/Malcolm in the Middle/The Louie Show), Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair/Malcolm in the Middle) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair/Malcolm in the Middle/Help Me Help You) - Bryan, Frankie and Jane talk about Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
John C. Reilly (Moonbase 8) - NBC's Today has "Head or Tails" with John in the 9am hour.
Billy Magnussen (The Franchise/Made for Love) - NBC's Today catches up with Billy in the 9am hour.
Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Tamron Hall has a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE with Terry and Rebecca King-Crews revealing for the first time Rebecca's health battle, so check your local listings.
Kenya Barris (blackAF) - Kenya talks about Prime's Jerry West: The Logo on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Juliette Lewis (Camping/I Married Dora) - Juliette tells Drew about her current run in Broadway show The Rocky Horror Show on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.