Friday, September 04, 2020
Fri-Yay: Fall Network TV Schedule Is Scarce on Sitcoms; Laff's How I Met Your Mother Labor Day Weekend Launch Marathon

by Vincent
Last week ABC, CBS and NBC announced their fall schedules and return dates, which differed significantly from the fall schedules they announced in the spring. As scripted television has only now begun to slowly ramp up production, there will be few scripted shows returning this month, with most scripted premieres held for October or November - or later. As of now, the only sitcoms scheduled to premiere on network TV this fall are: Superstore (which will return in October and will be the first returning broadcast sitcom to resume airing new episodes post-COVID shutdown), Connecting... (a new "socially distanced" sitcom airing on NBC and taking the spot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which has yet to resume production and is now being held for 2021), One Day at a Time (which will make its broadcast TV debut airing episodes previously aired on Pop TV this past spring - it has not yet resumed production of new episodes) and Fox's Sunday animation block (which was unaffected by COVID shutdowns.) All other sitcoms on broadcast TV are being held until further notice - that includes Brooklyn Nine-Nine as well as ABC and CBS's entire sitcom slates, although some have resumed production and may be able to return before the end of 2020 (including The Goldbergs and black-ish, the latter will air two Election themed episodes on Oct. 4).
It is certainly going to be a bare fall for sitcoms on network TV. However, it also provides a unique opportunity for those shows that will be returning. TV ratings have overall been higher since the pandemic hit (given there's simply less to do now, although the return of sports is likely to dent those ratings a bit), so perhaps more eyeballs will get to see a show like One Day at a Time, which has had a long journey from its Netflix cancellation to ultimately airing on broadcast TV. Perhaps the future of the show, if enough broadcast viewers flock to it, could be on CBS, where it sort of feels like it was meant to be anyway with the way the show uses traditional sitcom storytelling to tell fresh and original stories. If you haven't checked it (or Superstore) out, now's your chance to catch up on one of the best sitcoms currently on TV.
As we already announced, Laff, the country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to comedy around-the-clock, has announced the addition of the one of the most-popular sitcoms of all time, licensing the television rights to all nine seasons and 208 episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Now we know the timeslots! Laff will premiere the multiple Emmy Award winning series with a two-day marathon Sunday, Sept. 6 and Monday, Sept. 7 running from 8:00 a.m. – 12 Midnight (ET) both days. How I Met Your Mother will then be seen on Laff every night from 9:00 p.m. to Midnight (ET) starting Tuesday, Sept. 8.
How I Met Your Mother follows Ted Mosby, played by Josh Radnor, as he looks back and tells his children the story of how he met their mom, as told through memories of his friends Marshall (Jason Segel), Lily (Alyson Hannigan) Robin (Cobie Smulders) and Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), narrated by Bob Saget as the older Ted. How I Met Your Mother was a staple of the CBS lineup 2005-2014, earning multiple EMMY, Golden Globe and People's Choice nominations and wins across its nine-year run. How I Met Your Mother joins Laff's sitcom hall-of-fame line-up that includes Home Improvement, That '70s Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, According To Jim, Night Court and more. Laff airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage and features a programming mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular movies geared toward an audience of adults 18-49. Laff is part of The E.W. Scripps Company.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, February 10
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the e-Neighborhood" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
A new community social app shakes up the neighborhood. Also, Marty and Courtney attend a family class with Daphne and unexpectedly bump into Marty’s high school sweetheart.
Poppa's House - "Dirty Laundry" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Junior and Poppa’s relationship hits a rough patch when Junior agrees to film a commercial for JJ’s foam roller company, only to be ridiculed by Poppa on his podcast.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 10)
Monday, February 10
- Betty Gilpin (GLOW/Nurse Jackie) - Watch Betty on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Will Ferrell (The Office) - Will is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Paula Pell (Girls5eva/Mapleworth Murders/A.P. Bio) - Paula appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Zach Cherry (Duncanville/I Feel Bad/Crashing) and Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) - Zach and Pete are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Amy Schumer (Life & Beth) and Brianne Howey (Dollface) - Amy and Brianne are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
- Scott Foley (The Goodwin Games/A.U.S.A./Scrubs) - Scott stops by Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- George Wallace (Clean Slate/The Parkers/Arli$$/Tall Hopes) - George talks about Clean Slate on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men/Togetherness) and Lauren Ambrose (The Return of Jezebel James) - Drew is chatting with Yellowjackets cast Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress and Lauren Ambrose about working as cast of women in their forties, supporting each other as working moms and the newest season of their thrilling show on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Plus, they're playing a rousing round of confession session and Drew is trying to match their fun revealing facts to the right person.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
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