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

Tuesday, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by 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 Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.