Friday, March 12, 2021

Fri-Yay: Paramount+ to Launch with More Revived Sitcoms; CBS Shifts New Comedy to Earlier Slot

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!

iCarly

by Vincent

It's hard to believe, but there's yet another streaming service on the horizon, although it's not quite new as much as revamped. CBS has rebranded its streaming service CBS All Access as Paramount+. Although it's technically not a new service, CBS is clearly trying to make a more serious play at the streaming wars, rebranding their (not very successful) service as Paramount+, hoping to attract the same kind of brand interest that (wildly successful) Disney+ has done, and that NBC is clearly also hoping to emulate with Peacock. Of note for sitcom fans, though, is that the service is promising two revivals to help draw interest to its service: one of a beloved and critically acclaimed sitcom, and one of a 2000s Nickelodeon series that holds a special place in younger millennials and Generation Z's heart - Frasier and iCarly.

It's a pretty clever move given the two series are basically polar opposites, so Paramount+ is clearly trying to attract many different types of viewers to its streaming service. And the projects do sound intriguing. Frasier was a big hit on Netflix and still has a large following, and iCarly will "age up" with its viewers as a sitcom geared towards young adults. These sound like possibile ways to get a lot of people to check out your service, and at $4.99/month it'll be cheaper than many other services out there. Still, given the fading of once hyped revival projects like The Conners and Fuller House, I do wonder if the time has run out for revived sitcoms, especially ones that are being asked to help launch a streaming service. Time will tell - and Paramount+ is certainly hoping it goes as well as it can.


United State of Al

The series premiere of new CBS comedy United States of Al on Thursday, April 1 will now debut in its new time period, 8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT. Thursday's freshman comedy B Positive will shift to 9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT. United States of Al stars Adhir Kalyan and Parker Young in a comedy about the friendship between Riley (Young), a Marine combat veteran struggling to readjust to civilian life in Ohio, and Awalmir ("Al") (Kalyan), the Interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan and has just arrived to start a new life in America. The series also stars Elizabeth Alderfer as Lizzie, Riley's sister; Dean Norris as Art, Riley's father; Kelli Goss as Vanessa, Riley's ex-wife; and Farrah Mackenzie as Hazel, Riley and Vanessa's daughter. Chuck Lorre, David Goetsch & Maria Ferrari, Reza Aslan and Mahyad Tousi are the executive producers. The series is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, March 27

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 24)

Thursday, March 27

  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Catch Chelsea on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Jon Gries (Dream Corp LLC/Martin) - Jon is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Matt Bomer (Mid-Century Modern) - Matt stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Parker Posey (Search Party/The Return of Jezebel James) - Parker appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) and Matt Bomer (Mid-Century Modern) - Nathan and Matt talk about Mid-Century Modern on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Seth Rogen (The Studio/Platonic/Undeclared) - Seth talks about The Studio on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 9am hour.
  • Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike talks about The Studio on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
  • Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building/Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena and Benny Blanco are joining Drew chat about their new album together I Said I Love You First on The Drew Barrymore Show, 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

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
03/20 - HBO's Brett Goldstein Comedy Special; Disney+ Adds The Simpsons 24/7 Stream
03/19 - Solar Opposites Final Season This Fall; NBC to Move Grosse Pointe Garden Society to Fridays
03/18 - Game Show Network New Shows Launch April 14; NBC Picks Up 3rd Comedy Pilot, While Bobby Moynihan Joins Tracy Morgan Pilot
03/17 - It's True! Ted Lasso Renewed for Season 4; Jane Goodall Returns for Jane Season 3
03/16 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 17, 2025)
03/15 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Neighborhood Renewed for Eighth and Final Season; NBC Picks Up New Cheerleading Comedy
03/14 - NBC Comedy Pilots Wheeling & Dealing; Hulu's Got to Get Out
03/13 - Prime Video Comedy Series Overcompensating Premiere Date; Eric Stonestreet Joins Dexter: Resurrection
03/12 - Hacks Season 4 Premieres April 10; Nickelodeon Orders Wylde Pak
03/11 - The Neighborhood Renewed for Final Season; Max's The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast
03/10 - Netflix Renews Running Point for Season 2; Apple TV+ Trailer for The Studio
03/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 10, 2025)
03/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Tracy Morgan to Star in NBC Pilot from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock; Nobody Wants This Returning for Second Season
03/07 - Trailer for Apple TV+ Comedy Government Cheese; Remembering Saved by the Bell and TV Producer Peter Engel
03/06 - The CW Spring Premiere Dates; Henry Winkler Heads to HISTORY Channel
03/05 - Hacks Brings Out the Stars in Season 4; NBC Orders Pilot with Tracy Morgan
03/04 - Apple TV+ Side Quest Launches March 26; Krysten Ritter Joins Dexter: Resurrection
03/03 - HBO's The Rehearsal Returns April 20; Sharon Horgan Signs Deal for HBO Comedy Series
03/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 3, 2025)
03/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Premiere Date for Mid-Century Modern Set; Roseanne Remastered in High Definition
02/28 - Remembering John Lawlor, Michelle Trachtenberg, Lynne Marie Stewart, Alice Hirson, Isaac Ruiz Jr., and Others We Lost in February
02/27 - Fox Orders Season 2 of Doc; Law & Order: Organized Crime Moves to Peacock in April