Friday, October 02, 2020
Fri-Yay: The Return of Sitcoms: black-ish & Superstore; Bounce Acquires Everybody Hates Chris & Greenleaf

by Vincent
It's been a long time since we had an actual new sitcom episode on television that wasn't filmed remotely (or before the pandemic like United We Fall), but this month we will have two veteran sitcoms returning: black-ish and Superstore. It's going to be really interesting to see these two shows return, especially given both shows are known for tackling current issues. So will the shows address the crazy dumpster fire that has been 2020? The promos for both shows suggest they will be - in fact, black-ish's return episode is technically an "election special," so it will surely tackle the issues of 2020, and Superstore's promos remind everyone that its characters are essential workers. It'll be interesting to see these shows tackle modern issues, especially since they generally do a great job doing so. (black-ish returns with the Election special this Sunday at 10pm ET and season premiere on Wed. Oct 21 at 9:30pm on ABC, while Superstore returns Thursday, Oct. 29 at 8 on NBC.)
Additionally, South Park aired a "pandemic special" this past week, which tackled the pandemic in a very humorous and typically South Park way. It's taken a while, but we are finally getting our first taste of scripted shows genuinely dealing with the pandemic. NBC's new series Connecting will also do so next week (premieres Oct. 8, look for our review in the coming days), covering the pandemic concept of "Zoom hangouts." It'll be really interesting to see just how all of these shows tackle these complex issues.
Bounce, the first and only multi-platform entertainment network focusing on African Americans, announced the addition of two popular series, Greenleaf and Everybody Hates Chris. Bounce will air Greenleaf, the multiple NAACP Image Award-winning drama, Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. (ET) starting October 4. Everybody Hates Chris, the hit sitcom loosely based on the life of comedian Chris Rock, will be seen weeknights at 7:00 p.m. beginning Monday, October 5.
Executive produced and narrated by Chris Rock, Everybody Hate Chris chronicles the misadventures of teenage Chris as he grows up in 1980s Brooklyn. Starring The Walking Dead's Tyler James Williams as Chris, the ensemble also includes Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Terry Crews and The Neighborhood's Tichina Arnold as Chris' parents Julius and Rochelle.
Bounce has licensed the rights to all five seasons of Greenleaf, which recently completed a very successful run on OWN. Executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, the series follows the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family with scandalous secrets and lies, and their sprawling Memphis megachurch. Keith David (The Princess And The Frog, The Bible) and Lynn Whitfield (Madea's Family Reunion, How To Get Away With Murder) lead the ensemble as the charismatic Bishop James and "First Lady" Daisy Mae Greenleaf, whose lives are rocked upon the return of their eldest child Grace (The Night Shift's Merle Dandridge) following a 20-year estrangement. Bounce also announced] today that Greenleaf co-star Gregory Alan Williams (The Righteous Gemstones, Chicago Med) is joining the cast of the network's hit drama Saints & Sinners for its fifth season, premiering in 2021.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, May 17
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 12)
Friday, May 16
- Lunell (Lopez) - Watch Luenell on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She will also be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:39am.
- Benito Skinner (Overcompensating) - Benito appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) and Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Do Not Disturb/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Mayan and Jerry are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Luke Kirby (Étoile) and Gideon Glick (Étoile/The Other Two) - Luke and Gideon talk about Étoile on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Stanley Tucci (Central Park) - Stanley talks about his new series Tucci in Italy with GMA co-anchor Michael Strahan on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. He will also be on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Howie Mandel (Good Grief) - Howie talks about America's Got Talent on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your lcoal listings.
- Marissa Jaret Winokur (What We Do in the Shadows/Retired at 35/Stacked) - Marissa talks about her latest project Mama I'm a Big Girl Now on Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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