Fri-Yay: Never Have I Ever, Netflix's Best Sitcom; Ramy Gets Season 3 on Hulu

Friday, July 10, 2020

Fri-Yay: Never Have I Ever, Netflix's Best Sitcom; Ramy Gets Season 3 on Hulu

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!

by Vincent

This past week, Netflix renewed Never Have I Ever for Season 2. If you weren't aware, Never Have I Ever is a teen sitcom on Netflix created by Mindy Kaling (previously known for her writing and starring role on The Office and for creating and starring in The Mindy Project.) Never Have I Ever is a refreshing and funny high school sitcom, the first really good example of the form in a while, and now that it's been renewed for a second season, I encourage everyone to check it out.

Never Have I Ever follows the trials and tribulations of an Indian American teenager Devi. The show follows some familiar high school beats (Devi tries to be cool, find romance, etc.) but also feels uniquely tailored in many ways to follow an Indian American's experience. Also, the show is just populated with a lot of really funny and likable characters, and has Kaling's sense of humor mixed with honesty that was apparent in her Office scripts and also, in spurts, on The Mindy Project. I'm a fan of Kaling's work, particularly on The Office, but I never felt The Mindy Project (both during its Fox run and its subsequent move to Hulu) quite lived up to her talents, constantly feeling torn between many different styles and voices and never quite finding the right groove for longer than a string of episodes. But Never Have I Ever is strong, consistent, funny and perfectly dramatic, and feels like just the right showcase for Kaling's talents. I highly recommend the series, which I'd rank as Netflix's best in quite some time, especially for anyone who enjoys a good coming of age tale.

Ramy

Hulu has renewed A24's Ramy, from Golden Globe-winner Ramy Youssef, for a 10-episode, third season. The second season debuted on Hulu on Friday, May 29. The series follows first-generation, Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan (Youssef) who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. Ramy brings a new perspective to the screen as it explores the challenges of what it's like to be caught between a religious community who believes life is a moral test, and a millennial generation that doubts an afterlife even exists. In the second season, Ramy delves further into his spiritual journey, finding a new Muslim community and embracing a deeper commitment to his faith.

Ramy is written, executive-produced, created by and starring Ramy Youssef, executive produced by A24's Ravi Nandan, co-creators Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, Jerrod Carmichael, Chris Storer, and produced by A24. The series stars Youssef, Hiam Abbass, Amr Waked, Laith Nakli, May Calamawy, Dave Merheje, Mohammed Amer and Steve Way. Season two also featured Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, October 6

Young Sheldon - "Future Worf and the Margarita of the South Pacific" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Sheldon and Missy try to help the family’s finances. Also, Mary struggles to find her footing without the church.

Ghosts - "Alberta's Podcast" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Sam decides to host a podcast exploring the mystery surrounding Alberta’s death. Also, Hetty develops an unusual relationship with a broken washing machine.

Welcome to Flatch - "Blackout" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
A major heatwave passes through Flatch and gender-reveal cakes, lizards and chickens are melting when the town has a blackout; everyone must band together to stay cool, but wild antics and chaos erupt.

Call Me Kat - "Call Me Skeeter Juice" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
It's time for Sheila to renew her driver's license, but she refuses to go take the test; Phil urges the group to try his mama's moonshine despite their skepticism; Max finally sells a song to be used in a national commercial.

Atlanta - "Work Ethic" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
One time I was gonna be an extra on this TV show but then they started asking me about Social Security numbers and taxes and being up there at 5am. I know y'all ain't doing that with Taraji.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 3)

Thursday, October 6

Tony Hale (HouseBroken/Veep/Arrested Development) - Catch Tony on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Zach Woods (Avenue 5/Silicon Valley/Playing House/The Office) - Zach appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Constance Wu (Fresh Off the Boat) - Constance will be on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11pm.
Mila Kunis (Family Guy/That '70s Show) - Mila is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wendell Pierce (The Odd Couple/The Michael J. Fox Show/The Weber/The Brian Benben Show/The Gregory Hines Show) - Wendell talks about making history by starring in the revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, becoming the first Black actor to take on the classic role of Willy Loman on Broadway, on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Do Not Disturb/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry is a guest on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Fran Drescher (Indebted/Happily Divorced/Living with Fran/The Nanny/Princesses) - Fran talks about her new picture book N is for The Nanny on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Zachary Levi (Less Than Perfect) - Zachary talks about his memoir Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Mike Myers (The Pentaverate) - Mike talks about Amsterdam on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Tori Spelling (Mystery Girls/So Notorious) - Tori talks about Love at First Lie on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.