Friday, February 05, 2021

Fri-Yay: Has the Sitcom Revival Bubble Finally Burst?; NBC Announces Rest of Spring 2021 Schedule

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!

The Conners

by Vincent

A few years ago, it seemed like the only way for a sitcom to get greenlit was to be a revival of a previous hit sitcom. In just a few years timespan, we had revivals for Boy Meets World, Full House, Murphy Brown, Will & Grace, One Day at a Time, Roseanne and some others, as well. Now, a few years later, there is just one revival still left on network TV: the Roseanne spin-off The Conners, and its once-robust ratings have taken a huge hit this season. Recently, even the critically acclaimed One Day at a Time reboot, which was widely considered to be the best reboot done yet, was canceled after a two-network run on Netflix and Pop TV. So has the clock finally run out on reboots?

Truthfully, it does seem like reboots tend to follow a trend of high initial interest followed by a gradual decline in popularity. We could clearly see this with the two most-hyped reboots, the Roseanne and Will & Grace reboots. Both shows started with monster ratings, and Roseanne was able to transfer most of its audience to The Conners, as well. But those ratings have taken a huge hit this season, similar to the hit that Will & Grace took in its last few seasons. And while we don't have viewership data for Fuller House, the hype - and the way Netflix seemed to depriortize it after its first few seasons - suggests that it may have followed a similar path. Whether you liked or hated the reboots, it certainly seems as if their time, for now, has come and gone (though some pilot or script orders were ordered for The Wonder Years, Night Court, Kate & Allie and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman). Now there are more drama revivals/reboots on the air, all on CBS/The CW (MacGyver, Magnum P.I., S.W.A.T., Charmed, Dynasty, Nancy Drew, Roswell, Walker and the upcoming The Equalizer & Kung Fu).


Good Girls

NBC is reuniting two of the most popular members of the NYPD in TV history with a must-watch April 1 crossover that will serve as the launch of the highly anticipated new Dick Wolf drama, Law & Order: Organized Crime. A two-hour television event set for Thursday, April 1, this crossover between Law & Order: SVU (9 p.m.) and Law & Order: Organized Crime (10 p.m.) will finally bring back together Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, played by Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni. The spin-off series will run through May 20, just like SVU. Both series will also encore on Saturdays from 8-10 p.m. beginning April 3 through May 8, before NHL Playoffs take over on May 15. In other scheduling news on the scripted side, Good Girls will make its season four premiere on Sunday, March 7 at 10 p.m. thru June 13 as Beth, Ruby and Annie get together once again as the stakes for everyone gets higher and higher. Manifest is back for season three on Thursday, April 1 at 8 p.m. thru June 24 asking what happened to the passengers on Flight 828. Newly crowned Golden Globe Award nominee Jane Levy and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist returns from their hiatus with a new date and time – Sundays at 9 p.m. beginning March 28 thru May 16. And on the unscripted side, Ellen's Game of Games will shift from Mondays to Sundays beginning March 7 at 9 p.m. before moving to 8 p.m. on March 28 (following a repeat at 7pm) thru May 16.

Comedy wise, with the addition of drama Manifest on Thursdays, this means still no word on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but that series was having issues with production due to COVID-19. Superstore is expected to end its series run at the end of March (tentatively March 25), while Mr. Mayor will wrap its 9 episode run on Feb. 25.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 21

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Your Own Medicine" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
After Dave’s disastrous attempt to dunk a basketball, Calvin takes care of his injured neighbor. Also, Gemma befriends a cool mom group while babysitting Daphne.

Poppa's House - "Babygirl" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Junior’s sister, Natalie (Amora Wayans), visits and reveals her engagement, he insists that she make up with their father, whom she still blames for their parents’ divorce.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 21)

Monday, April 21

  • Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Watch Quinta on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Anna Camp (Perfect Harmony/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Mindy Project) and Milana Vayntrub (Other Space) - Anna and Milana are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Christopher Meloni (Happy/Surviving Jack/Misery Loves Company/The Fanelli Boys) - E! News has an interview with Christopher at 11pm on E!. He will also be on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • George Clooney (Roseanne/The Facts of Life/ E/R (1984-1985) - Gayle King sits down with George on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Penn Badgley (Do Over) - Penn talks about You on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Eva Longoria (Only Murders in the Building/Telenovela) - Eva stops by Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Annaleigh Ashford (B Positive) - Annaleigh chats with the hosts on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Justina Machado (One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Justina in the 9am hour.
  • Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That.../Divorce/Sex and the City/Square Pegs) - NBC's Today catches up Sarah in the 10am hour.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Chloe Fineman joins Drew and Valerie in the kitchen to share a delicious recipe on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Amy Schumer (Life & Beth), Jillian Bell (Bless the Harts/Idiotsitter/Eastbound & Down/Workaholics) and Brianne Howey (Dollface) - Amy, Jillian and Brianne about starring in Netflix's new comedy Kinda Pregnant on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • James Brolin (Life in Pieces) - James talks about Netflix's Ransom Canyon on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two

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

04/21 - Peacock's Twisted Metal Returns July 31; Poker Face Lines Up Big Guests for Season 2
04/20 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 21, 2025)
04/19 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Clueless Reboot in the Works at Peacock; King of the Hill Cast Reunion and Revival Preview at ATX TV Festival Next Month
04/18 - 2025 TIME100 on ABC; Atsuko Okatsuka: Father Premieres June 13 on Hulu
04/17 - BET+ Orders Martin Spinoff Varnell Hill; It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Returns in July
04/16 - And Just Like That... Season 3 on Max This May; MGM+ Comedy Series Adds Big Stars
04/15 - HBO's Harry Potter Series; Classic TV Comes to Life in NYC
04/14 - TV Stars Lineup for Summer of 69 Hulu Film; Jessica Kirson Comedy Special
04/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 14, 2025)
04/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: FX Sets Premiere Date for Adults; Netflix Picks Up Monopoly Themed Reality Competition Series
04/11 - Bounce TV Renews Mind Your Business; AMC Networks 2025 Upfront Highlights
04/10 - David Spade's Prime Video Comedy Special; Brett Goldstein's HBO Comedy Special Filmed in New Jersey
04/09 - Paramount+ Orders Season 3 of Colin from Accounts; FX's Adults Premieres May 28
04/08 - Prime Video's New Comedy Overcompensating; Nine Perfect Strangers Returns on Hulu in May
04/07 - NBC Celebrates Joan Rivers with Special; Remembering Jay North of Dennis the Menace
04/06 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 7, 2025)
04/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Renews Three Animated Series and Brings Back a Fourth for Four More Seasons; ABC Renews Shifting Gears
04/04 - ABC 2025-26 Season Renewals for Scripted Series; New Season of Phineas and Ferb Returns June 5
04/03 - Fox Renews Animated Hits for 4 Additional Seasons and American Dad! Returns; South Park Season 27 Premieres July 9
04/02 - Rick and Morty Season 8 Premieres May 25; Netflix's Tires Returns June 5
04/01 - Disney Renews Wizards Beyond Waverly Place for Season 2; Prime Video Details Final Season of The Summer I Turned Pretty
03/31 - Prime Video's Dance-World Comedy Étoile; Netflix's Tom Segura Dark Comedy Bad Thoughts
03/30 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 31, 2025)
03/29 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Gives Pilot Order to A Different World Sequel; Malcolm in the Middle Reboot Recasts Role of Dewey
03/28 - Pat Sajak's Final Spin on Wheel and Return of Jeopardy! Masters; Remembering George Foreman and Wings Hauser
03/27 - IFC Renews SisterS for Season 2; Netflix Orders Live-Action Scooby-Doo Series
03/26 - Hulu Spring 2025 Slate; The Making of The Americas Special Narrated by Tom Hanks on NBC
03/25 - Deli Boys Now Streaming All Episodes on Hulu; Heartland Season 18 on UP Faith & Family
03/24 - Peacock April Highlights Include Three's Company; Antenna TV's 50 Years on the Beat Barney Miller Anniversary Marathon
03/23 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 24, 2025)
03/22 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* Coming to DVD; American Dad! Moving Back to Fox
03/21 - Big Mouth Final Season; The Four Seasons Premieres in May on Netflix