Fri-Yay: Why One Day at a Time Cancelation Is a Mistake; COZI TV Remembers Tanya Roberts with Charlie's Angels Special

Friday, January 08, 2021

Fri-Yay: Why One Day at a Time Cancelation Is a Mistake; COZI TV Remembers Tanya Roberts with Charlie's Angels Special

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know I was and still am a huge champion of the Netflix (turned Pop TV) revival of One Day at a Time. The sitcom is, in my mind, still the golden standard of what a revival should be, utilizing the bones of Norman Lear's original sitcom to tell a story that is modern, diverse and very relevant to our times. It shows Norman Lear, after nearly 50 years of making sitcoms, still has an eye for sharp, cutting and relevant comedy. Unfortunately, Pop TV quietly canceled the sitcom in December, and a few weeks later it was announced that Sony would not be looking for an unprecedented home for the streaming series. In some ways, it's not a surprise. One Day at a Time's network Pop TV decided shortly after picking it up that it would be retiring from the scripted entertainment game, and the show's tryout on CBS drew very few viewers. The writing had been on the wall for a while, especially after Pop TV cut the fourth season short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and announced it would not be completing the rest of the season.

However, the fact that One Day at a Time could not find an audience is something that I find a little sad for the state of the sitcom in the year 2021. There is no reason a show like One Day at a Time, which deals with relevant and relatable topics and has a sense of humor that is both clever but also broad enough to reach wide audiences, couldn't exist in 2021. In a way, it shows the tough spot the sitcom is in right now. With streaming services looking more towards longer-form content, they are often forgetting that sitcoms can sometimes be their bread and butter. They're the shows that keep people coming back, as seen by the outcry when Netflix removed The Office (something I'll be covering in my column next week.) Hopefully, networks and streaming services realize the power of the sitcom soon and we don't end up with more shows like One Day at a Time, cut down well before their time.

Tanya Roberts - Charlie's Angels

On Saturday, January 9, starting at 3 p.m. COZI TV will air a three-hour special of Charlie's Angels in remembrance of the late Tanya Roberts, who passed away this week at the age of 65. The Saturday special will showcase the first three episodes of season five that introduced us to Roberts' character, Julie Rogers. Roberts appeared in Charlie's Angels for one season (1980-81), playing Private Detective Julie Rogers. She was the sixth actress to play one of the Angels, following in the footsteps of Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd and Shelley Hack.

Saturday, January 9 Tanya Roberts Special schedule (check local listings):
3:00 p.m.: Charlie's Angels, Angel in Hiding (Part 1)/Season 5
4:00 p.m.: Charlie's Angels, Angel in Hiding (Part 2)/Season 5
5:00 p.m.: Charlie's Angels, To See an Angel Die/Season 5

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, July 9

Shifting Gears - "Gummies" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Riley is horrified when she finds weed gummies in Carter’s pocket, prompting surprising advice from Matt. Meanwhile, Eve inadvertently lands Gabriel and Stitch in hot water after asking them to donate to a charity auction.

Shifting Gears - "Kiss" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Jimmy returns with a new job and a proposition for Riley and the kids to move into his house, Riley is torn between her past and her future. Meanwhile, Matt's feud with Eve flares up once again after she damages his car.

Abbott Elementary - "Volunteers" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Ava announces the school district is sending a group of volunteers to help out at Abbott; however, when they arrive, things don’t go as planned.

Abbott Elementary - "100th Day of School" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
During Abbott’s 100th day of school celebrations, Barbara receives a surprise from her daughter. Melissa, Jacob and Mr. Johnson join forces to conduct a search party.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary" (FXX and FX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Months after the Gang visited, Abbott's Principal Ava walks viewers through some of the unseen footage of the Gang's volunteerism and reveals their true intentions.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "Frank Is in a Coma" (FXX and FX, 9:33PM ET/PT)
The five stages of grief set in for Dee as Frank lies on his deathbed; the Guys plot their new path forward by pitching their business ventures to Philadelphia's elite.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 7)

Wednesday, July 9

Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Watch Salma on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Jean Smart (Hacks/Samantha Who?/Center of the Universe/In-Laws/Style & Substance/Designing Women) - Jean is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Cole Escola (Human Resources/Search Party/Mozart in the Jungle/Difficult People) - Cole appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Richie Moriarty (Ghosts), Betsy Sodaro (Ghosts/Duncanville/Disjointed/Animal Practice) and Punam Patel (Ghosts/Return of the Mac/Kevin from Work) - Richie, Betsy and Punam are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
Tika Sumpter (mixed-ish/Final Space/The Game) - Tika sits down with the Tam Fam to talk about her new children's book I Got It From My Mama a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Isabela Merced (100 Things to Do Before High School/Growing Up Fisher) - Isabela chats about her film Superman on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Anna Camp (Perfect Harmony/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Mindy Project) and Justin Bartha (The New Normal/Teachers) - Anna and Justin discuss their film Nuked on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) - Simon talks about Peacock's Poker Face on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.