Friday, June 25, 2021

Fri-Yay: Paramount+'s iCarly Revival Is Light-Hearted Fun for Millennial and Gen Z Viewers; HIMYM Director Joins HIMYF

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

Last week, Paramount+ debuted the first three episodes of the iCarly revival. The iCarly revival, which I've discussed previously, follows the cast of iCarly in present-day as twenty-something adults. The show "grew up" with the cast rather than continuing to be a show aimed at children and teens. Although it's still a family-friendly sitcom, it does have some (mild) swear words and alludes to things like drinking and sex, which obviously would be a no-no if the show continued to be on Nickelodeon. As a result, the 2021 version of iCarly is a pretty fun watch. It's not going to make any "best sitcom of all time" lists, but it's an enjoyable combination of a nostalgia trip and an actually fun 2020s sitcom, particularly if you're a younger millennial or older Gen Z viewer who grew up with the show.

iCarly's reboot is a little more interested in commenting on internet culture and the effects it can have than its predecessor, which makes sense given how the internet has changed drastically since the show's original run from 2007 through 2012. The internet has become a more central part of our lives since then, and has contributed to the rise and fall of many, many people in the time since the show ended. The show covers topics such as getting "canceled" and the difficulty of staying relevant as well as becoming a "meme." It also is very interested in commenting on internet trends and memes. At times, it can feel a little too much like pandering to its younger millenial/Gen Z audience. (The most notable example of this is when the show references the popular Miranda Cosgrove 'interesting' meme that anyone in iCarly's core demographic would be familiar with, even if technically that meme came from Drake & Josh and not iCarly.) But at other times, it actually makes some decent points about how the internet can make us feel a little empty. I don't want to oversell the show, because I don't actually think it's attempting to make many deeper points about the perils of fame or anything like, say, a Bo Burnham special would, but it does hit at those points occasionally. Still, for the most part, this is just a fun, breezy watch for anyone who grew up with iCarly, with enough actually funny and solid jokes to make it more than simply a nostalgia trip. It's the perfect easy summer afternoon watch, and while you might not get much out of it if you aren't in the target demo (I'd say anyone born between roughly 1992 and 2000), you'll definitely have fun with it if you are.


Pam Fryman

A familiar face is joining How I Met Your Father, but you won't see her on screen. Pam Fryman is a multi-camera force well-known for notably directing all but twelve episodes of the 9-season smash hit, How I Met Your Mother and now he returns to direct How I Met Your Father. Pam got her start in the business as a high school intern on The Mike Douglas Show. When given the chance to work on a show in Los Angeles, she jumped at the opportunity and worked her way into game shows, soap operas, and eventually primetime sitcoms. She won numerous Daytime Emmy(R) Awards and has been nominated for multiple DGA awards. Her resume includes seminal comedies of the past two decades including Frasier, Friends, King of Queens, Just Shoot Me, and Two and a Half Men. She most recently directed episodes of Carol's Second Act, One Day at a Time & Call Your Mother. In all, Pam Fryman has directed well over 500 episodes of television over the span of her amazing career.

The 10-episode comedy recently receiving a straight-to-series order from Hulu, produced by 20th Television. In the near future, Sophie (Hilary Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the year 2021 where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options. How I Met Your Father is written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. Executive producers include Aptaker, Berger, Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Pam Fryman. Adam Londy will serve as co-executive producer, and Duff will serve as a producer. How I Met Your Father is a production of 20th Television. And finally, it was recently announced that Chris Lowell was cast as Jesse (character description: smart, a bit of an edge and cynical about love. He's an aspiring musician who works as an Uber driver to make ends meet and lives with his best friend Tom.)


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, July 10

Ghosts - "Smooching and Smushing" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Jay, Sam and the ghosts attempt to fix the ghost trap in hopes of getting Sasappis across the ghost boundary to visit his longtime crush, Shiki.

Bob's Burgers - "Wild Steal-ions" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Tina's lost book of semi-erotic horse-torical fiction lands in the hands of a mysterious stranger with nefarious intentions.

Grimsburg - "How to Lose an Ankle Monitor in 10 Days" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When the criminals of Grimsburg go on strike, the police force gets furloughed.

Family Guy - "Karenheit 451" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Lois becomes the leader of a group of mothers who want to ban books from schools.

The Great North - "Bust a Moon Adventure" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Moon makes a big decision after clashing with Beef; Judy and Ham hatch a plot to make some extra cash.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 7)

Thursday, July 10

  • Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke is a musical guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Rhys Darby (Wrecked/How to Be a Gentleman/Flight of the Conchords), Rory Scovel (Grace and Frankie/Robbie/Ground Floor) and Baron Vaughn (Corporate/Grace and Frankie) - Rhys, Rory and Baron 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.
  • Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together/Rules of Engagement/My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star) - Oliver is a guest on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie appears on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Jessica Lowe (Wrecked) - Jessica talks about Elixir's Red Flag Green Flag on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

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

07/09 - New Girl Summer on Hulu; Vir Das Gets Brand New Netflix Special
07/08 - Tubi Comedy Series Demascus Premieres in August; LEGO Masters Jr. Lines Up Celebs for 4-Week Event
07/07 - Digman! Season Premiere Moved to July 23; Hulu's Reasonable Doubt Returns September 18
07/06 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 7, 2025)
07/05 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Comedy Central Delays South Park and Digman! Season Premieres; Jackée to Appear in Guest Role in Netflix Series
07/04 - Happy 4th of July; Antenna TV's McHale's Navy Red, White and Navy Independence Day Marathon
07/03 - The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Season 3 Premieres August 6; South Park New Season Moves by Two Weeks
07/02 - FETV Acquires The Rookies; Hulu Renews The Bear for Season 5
07/01 - Bert Kreischer Gets Netflix Sitcom; NBC Gets Into Survival Mode This Summer
06/30 - The Comeback Makes Another...Comeback; First Look at Black Rabbit at Netflix
06/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 30, 2025)
06/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Comeback Returning for a Third and Final Season; South Park to Remain on HBO Max
06/27 - The White Lotus Star Teams Up with Netflix; Remembering Bobby Sherman, Lynn Hamilton, and Rick Hurst
06/26 - The CW's Fall Movie of the Week; First Look at New York Comic Con 2025
06/25 - Netflix Renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2; My Life with the Walter Boys First Look for Season 2
06/24 - Marc Maron Gets Second HBO Comedy Special; Outlander Prequel Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere
06/23 - MeTV Summer Changes, Adds Adventures of Superman; Jimmy Kimmel Live! Summer Guest Hosts
06/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 23, 2025)
06/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Officially Dead After Not Finding New Home; Weigel Announces New WEST Network
06/20 - Great American Media Announces New Danica McKellar Movie; Jennifer Love Hewitt ID True Crime Series
06/19 - Bad Thoughts Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix; Zarna Garg Gets Hulu Special This July
06/18 - Weigel Broadcasting Announces WEST Network with Classic TV Westerns; Hulu's Season 2 of Such Brave Girls
06/17 - Gary Coleman's Ex-Wife on A&E Series; Digman! Returns July 9 on Comedy Central
06/16 - Hulu's Chad Powers Teaser; Prime Video's Jesse Williams Series
06/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 16, 2025)
06/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Mulls Airing The Paper on Primetime Lineup; Fox Revives Baywatch Reboot Talk
06/13 - My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Renewed for 2 More Seasons; Hanna-Barbera Developing Adult Animated Series
06/12 - Comedy Superstar Jack Black Is the King of Comedy at Nickelodeon; Doc Adds Felicity Huffman
06/11 - Celebrities for Celebrity Family Feud Season 11; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Starts Production
06/10 - Warner Bros. Discovery Separates Company; Peacock's Jennifer Garner Series Adds to Cast
06/09 - Comedian Ms. Pat Gets Season 3 of Courtroom Series; Disney Branded Television Animated Slate