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
Sunday, March 16
Family Guy - "The Chicken or the Meg" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Meg starts dating a chicken she meets on a reality dating show, Peter disapproves of their love, prompting her to move out; saddened by Meg's absence, Peter decides to get her back from the chicken's house.
Grimsburg - "Daddy Daddy Bang Bang" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When his dad returns to town, Flute will do anything he can to keep his idol around, even if that means getting rid of his sibling rivalry -- his dad's talking car; the detectives must teach Stan about the birds and the bees.
The Great North - "Bust a Moon Adventure" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Moon makes a big decision after clashing with Beef; Judy and Ham hatch a plot to make some extra cash.
Krapopolis - "Love Trap, Baby!" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
A mysterious princess hosts a dating competition to find her new partner; Shlub and Deliria do the worst thing possible while Ty's away -- accidentally improving the city.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 10)
Friday, March 14
- Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Watch Ben on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Married/Second Generation Wayans) - Regina is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Drew Tarver (Running Point/Bless the Harts/The Other Two), Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men/Togetherness), Mary Holland (The Big Door Prize/Hoops/Robbie/Blunt Talk), and Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Drew, Melanie, Mary, and Morris are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Randall Park (Young Rock/Blockbuster/Fresh Off the Boat/Veep/Supah Ninjas) - Randall talks about The Residence on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Scott Foley (The Goodwin Games/A.U.S.A./Scrubs) - Scott talks about Will Trent on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Ben Falcone (God's Favorite Idiot/Nobodies/Joey) - Ben chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso) - Cristo talks about the film Las Tres Sisters on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and 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
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts