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, October 9

Abbott Elementary - "Back to School" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The neighboring construction site of a new golf course is causing issues at Abbott, forcing the teachers to find creative solutions. An HR representative visits the school. Following their kiss, Janine and Gregory’s relationship status is revealed.

Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Cheat Codes" (Comedy Central, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Chris debates using a cheat code to win a free Nintendo.

Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Halloween" (Comedy Central, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Chris spends Halloween at a church event, hoping to hook up with Tasha.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 7)

Wednesday, October 9

Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Watch Quinta on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She also talks about the new season of Abbott Elementary on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Rachel Sennott (Call Your Mother) - Rachel is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Eric Idle (Suddenly Susan/Nearly Departed) - Eric stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - E! News has an interview with Michael at 11pm on E!.
Ali Wong (Big Mouth/American Housewife/Are You There, Chelsea?) - NBC's Today catches up with Ali in the 10am hour.
Rita Wilson (Girls) - Rita stops by to talk about her new album on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
Goldie Hawn (Good Morning World) - Goldie appears on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl Lee talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. She chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh talks about his new children's book PictureFace Lizzy and fatherhood on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jessica St. Clair (Avenue 5/Playing House/Best Friends Forever/In the Motherhood) - Jessica is sharing her breast cancer experience with Drew and Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz is talking about breast cancer diagnoses on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Abigail Spencer (Extended Family/Burning Love) - Abigail discusses her television series Shatter Belt on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Kim Matula (LA to Vegas) - Kim is a guest on PIX 11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:39am.
Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) - Lea appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.