Thursday, September 24, 2020
NBC Moves This Is Us, Connecting Premieres; Fox Orders 2 More Seasons for Bob's Burgers & Family Guy

NBC has shifted a few premiere dates. The fifth season of NBC's drama This Is Us is now set to premiere on Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. It was slated to premiere November 10 originally. NBC will preempt the series however on November 3 for Presidential Election coverage. The series stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Chris Sullivan and Susan Kelechi Watson. NBC has also delayed the premiere of the new comedy Connecting... Originally slated to premiere next Thursday (Oct. 1) at 8:30pm, as NBC has slated The Wall in the hour instead. On October 8, NBC will air a live special. Seth Meyers, one of the most influential voices of late night and a respected thought leader on the political landscape, is moving to primetime leading up to the election with Closer Look Thursday. The half-hour special will air Oct. 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, live from Studio 8G in midtown Manhattan's iconic Rockefeller Center. As the monumental election gets down to the wire, Meyers and Closer Look Thursday will dissect the events of the day, up-to-the-minute breaking news and other important facts as America begins to cast its vote. Connecting... will now instead bow on Oct. 8 at 8pm, before moving to 8:30pm a few weeks later following the season premiere of Superstore on Oct. 29. Details are still to come on the 2-part special Sketchy Times with Lilly Singh, with fellow late night host Lilly Singh as well.
Fox has renewed Bob's Burgers for the 12th and 13th broadcast seasons of the Emmy Award-winning animated series, and renewed Family Guy for its 19th and 20th broadcast seasons, carrying both series through 2023. This Sunday, Sept. 27 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on Fox, Bob's Burgers returns for an 11th season. The series follows Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and his ever-quirky family who together run the restaurant Bob's Burgers. Including its 2020 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program, the series has been nominated for the past seven consecutive years and won twice, in 2014 and 2017. The series also was nominated for a Critics' Choice Award and an Annie Award this year. Bento Box Entertainment serves as the animation studio on Bob's Burgers.
Entering its 18th season this Sunday (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT), Family Guy premieres with its milestone 350th episode. The series continues to entertain its die-hard fan base with razor-sharp humor, spot-on parodies, spectacular animation and orchestra-backed original music. Since its debut in 1999, the series has reached cult status among fans, and its breakout star, a talking baby, has become one of the greatest TV characters of all time. Family Guy has racked up numerous awards, including an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, only the second animated series in television history to be honored with such a distinction. Most recently, series creator and lead voice actor Seth MacFarlane (voices of "Peter Griffin," "Stewie Griffin," "Brian Griffin" and "Quagmire") won the 2019 Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. Cast member Alex Borstein (voice of "Lois Griffin") won the 2018 Emmy Award in the category. MacFarlane also was nominated that year. He won the 2017 and 2016 Emmy Award in the category, and was nominated from 2013 to 2015.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Thursday, December 7
Ghosts (UK) - "The Grey Lady" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT)
After a photographer accidentally captures a photo of Fanny and posts it on social media, Alison and Mike try to capitalize on the attention by offering admission to the haunted Button House.
Ghosts (UK) - "About Last Night" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
After a night of partying, Alison tries to figure out why the ghosts are acting so strangely as she and Mike scramble to clean up the house for a wedding planner to view.
Son of a Critch - "The Perfect Storm" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mark learns new things about his parents after a historic storm knocks out power to the Critch house; when his father's back goes out, Mike Jr. has to broadcast all night alone.
Children Ruin Everything - "Weekends" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT)
With long days at the office, Astrid cannot shake the feeling that she is missing out on key moments with their kids; Astrid convinces James that what the family needs is an adventure together.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 4)
Thursday, December 7
- Halle Bailey (grown-ish) - Catch Halle on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Olivia Rodrigo (Bizaardvark) - Olivia is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Daniel Radcliffe (Miracle Workers) - Daniel appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Sara Bareilles (Girls5eva) - Sara is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle) - Gael appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Michelle Pfeiffer (Delta House) - Michelle appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Allison Williams (Girls) - Allison and writer/director Allison Flom talk about joining forces in their new podcast, Erased: The Murder of Elma Sand, on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings. She can also be heard on the Morning Mashup on SiriusXM.
- Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - NBC's Today catches up with Tony in the 9am hour.
- Kelsey Grammer (Frasier/Partners/Hank/Back to You/Cheers) - Kelsey talks about the reboot of Frasier on Paramount+ and opens up about the loss of his friend, Kirstie Alley, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Dennis Quaid (Merry Happy Whatever) - Dennis talks about Paramount+'s Lawmen: Bass Reeves on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jack Cutmore-Scott (Frasier) - Jack talks about Paramount+'s Frasier on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- John Brotherton (Fuller House) - John and Erin Cahill are guests (tentative) on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:15am.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-December)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
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