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
Wednesday, February 1
Abbott Elementary - "Holiday Hookah" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
On the last day of school before winter break, Janine is convinced by her friend to go to a popular Hookah Club where she runs into unexpected colleagues. Elsewhere, Jacob crashes Barbara and Melissa’s traditional holiday dinner and in the process begins to learn the true meaning of Christmas.
Abbott Elementary - "Read-A-Thon" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The competition heats up between Melissa and Janine as their classrooms go head-to-head in a read-a-thon sponsored by a local pizza shop. Both teachers encourage their students to hit the books hard but face some unexpected obstacles on their path to pizza glory. Meanwhile, Jacob and Gregory join forces and attempt to get their student-podcasting club off the ground.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 30)
Wednesday, February 1
- Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Nick on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Harrison Ford (Shrinking) - Harrison appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face/Russian Doll) - Natasha is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Adam Pally (Indebted/Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- D. L. Hughley (The Hughleys/Double Rush) - D. L. guest hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!) - Alan appears on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your local listings.
- Jay Ellis (Insecure/The Game - Jay will be on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Drew is a guest on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
- Michael Urie (Shrinking/Younger/Partners) - Michael talks about the new Apple TV+ Shrinking on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Abby Quinn (Mad About You) - Abby will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 8:50am.
- Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - NBC's Today catches up with Terry in the 9am hour.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (October-January)
10/04 - Mr. Mayor - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/04 - The Munsters - Marineland Carnival with The Munsters TV Cast
10/18 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete First Season
11/08 - Frasier - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/08 - Young Rock - Season Two (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/15 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Seven / The Complete Season Eight
11/22 - That '70s Show - The Complete Series (Mill Creek)
11/29 - Ghosts - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/06 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - 70th Anniversary Ultimate Christmas Collection
12/13 - And Just Like That... - The Complete First Season
12/13 - Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/03 - Andy Richter Controls the Universe - The Complete Series (2023 Release)
01/27 - Master of None - Season Three / The Complete Series
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