Friday, December 11, 2020
Fri-Yay: Superstore to End - What Does That Mean for NBC Comedy?; FXX Gets 4 More Years of Sunny
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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
Sunday, February 23
Family Guy - "Live, Laugh, Love" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Peter realizes Joe has never found him funny, he is determined to make Joe laugh; Lois chaperones Chris and Meg's school trip, where she strives to reunite the principal with his long-lost love.
Grimsburg - "Molly" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Flute forgets to buy Stan a gift for his birthday, he steals an AI doll from the evidence locker; Wynona is forced to confront her ex-boyfriend.
The Great North - "Bots on the Side Adventure" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Ham starts performing at Yet-E-Cheddar's and develops a strange relationship with an animatronic Freddie the Yeti, that puts his relationship with Crispin in jeopardy; the new Tobin boat turns out to have a cursed name.
Krapopolis - "Stavros Live and in Concert" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Tyrannis' favorite singer Stavros is in town, but he also happens to be the favorite singer of Athena and her radical followers; Deliria goes on a little getaway.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 17)
Friday, February 21
- Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal) - Watch Anthony on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Lizzy Caplan (Party Down/The Class/The Pitts) - Lizzy appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Tina Fey (Only Murders in the Building/30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (Duncanville/Parks and Recreation) - Tina and Amy are guests on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) - NBC's Today catches up with Jane sometime between 7-9am.
- Alan Ritchson (Blue Mountain State) - Alan talks about Reacher on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie appears on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (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
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