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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Saturday, October 11

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 6)

Friday, October 10

Seth Rogen (The Studio/Platonic/Undeclared) and Aziz Ansari (Master of None/Parks and Recreation) - Watch Seth and Aziz on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Carrie Preston (Crowded/Happyish/Emeril) - Carrie is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Rose Byrne (Platonic/Physical) - Rose appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She also chats about If I Had Legs I’d Kick You with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT and on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Bill Bellamy (Mr. Box Office/Men, Women & Dogs/Cousin Skeeter) - Bill is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Michael J. Fox (Family Ties/Spin City/The Michael J. Fox Show) - Michael discusses his new book Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Kenzi Richardson (Vampirina: Teenage Vampire) - Kenzi talks about Vampirina: Teenage Vampire on ABC's The View at 11am ET/10am CT-PT and on GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Morris sits down for a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE to chat about the Season 2 premiere of Watson on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Maya Rudolph (Loot/Bless the Harts/Forever/Up All Night) - Maya stops by the studio to discuss Loot on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Greta Lee (HouseBroken/Russian Doll) - Greta talks about Disney's Tron: Ares on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Dermot Mulroney (The Righteous Gemstones/Four Weddings and a Funeral) - Dermot is a guest on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Idris Elba (Turn Up Charlie) - Idris and Rebecca Ferguson talk about A House of Dynamite on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey talks about her new book Luna and the Witch Throw a Halloween Party on NBC's Today in the 10am hour and on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl stops by to chat with Sherri about the new season of Abbott Elementary on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - TV legend Henry shares details about his 40th book, Detective Duck: The Mystery at Emerald Pond, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Teri Hatcher (The Odd Couple/Sunday Dinner/Karen's Song/The Love Boat) - Teri and her daughter Emerson Tenney talk about the Desperately Devoted podcast on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Jeremy Piven (Entourage/Ellen/Pride & Joy/The Larry Sanders Show) - Jeremy is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.