Friday, December 11, 2020
Fri-Yay: Superstore to End - What Does That Mean for NBC Comedy?; FXX Gets 4 More Years of Sunny

by Vincent
Last week, it was announced that NBC was ending Superstore at the conclusion of its current sixth season. The announcement came as a big surprise, as while Superstore's ratings have taken a hit this season, it's still one of NBC's only remaining comedies, and is still a generally solid performer that gets critical acclaim and fan support. Superstore was undergoing a major shift as its lead actress America Ferrera departed the show at the beginning of the season, and it also was getting a lot of acclaim for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move makes some amount of sense - losing a lead actor has often spelled the downfall of many sitcoms, such as fellow NBC comedies The Office and Scrubs before it - but it still comes as a surprise to see NBC send off what is arguably its flagship comedy with only a limited amount of time for a goodbye.
It also poses the question of where NBC's comedy brand is headed. Just a few years ago, NBC seemed to have once again have a strong comedy line-up with the acclaimed and popular pairing of Superstore and The Good Place, in addition to the hyped Will & Grace reboot and the fan beloved Brooklyn Nine-Nine, borrowed from Fox. But now, The Good Place has ended on its own terms, Will & Grace was cancelled again due to a huge downturn in ratings, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine's future is questionable after the series put its writing on hold after the Black Lives Matter movement, which put a question mark on TV's portrayal of police. Brooklyn 99 announced in the spring it scrapped all of its scripts for Season 8 and is trying to tackle the movement head on, but as of now Season 8 does not have an anticipated premiere date, and it seems possible the show may sit out of the 2020-2021 TV season, or at the very least might not return until late spring. NBC has a few promising comedies premiering in 2021, including Tina Fey's Mr. Mayor (starring Ted Danson) and the Young Rock comedy series. Those two shows will have to hold up the fort as NBC undergoes yet another comedy transformation.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been renewed for four additional seasons. With season 15 due next year, Sunny will set the record as the longest-running live-action comedy series in television history, bypassing The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. Sunny's remarkable run has also racked up more than 1.5 billion hours viewed since its premiere in 2005. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia follows the misguided dreams and blundered schemes of everyone's favorite bar owners - The Gang at Paddy's Pub - Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dee (Kaitlin Olson) and Frank (Danny DeVito).
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, October 29
Shifting Gears - "Scary" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Matt plans to spend Halloween with Eve, but the real terror begins when Eve wants to sleep over. With Carter and Georgia out for the night, Riley invites Gabe and Stitch to a Halloween party, hoping to relive the crazy, epic Halloweens of her past.
Abbott Elementary - "Camping" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Barbara organizes a Halloween camping trip for older kids.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 27)
Wednesday, October 29
- Keegan-Michael Key (Only Murders in the Building/Schmigadoon!/Friends from College/Playing House/Gary Unmarried) - Watch Keegan-Michael on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Brittany Snow (Ben and Kate) - Brittany appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building) - Steve is a musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me) - Isla appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela) - Andy Cohen interviews Justine on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11pm on Bravo.
- Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey talks about Luna and the Witch Throw a Halloween Party on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Roy Wood Jr. (Sullivan & Son) - Roy talks about The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Tracy Morgan (The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Co-host Nate Burleson sits down with Tracy on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Leanne Morgan (Leanne) - Leanne co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie is whipping up swamp potatoes on The Drew Barrymore Show, 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)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season
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