Friday, July 09, 2021

Fri-Yay: CNN's History of the Sitcom Looks Like a Treat for Sitcom Fans; Rutherford Falls Renewed for 2nd Season; Remembering Suzzanne Douglas of The Parent 'Hood

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!

CNN's History of the Sitcom

by Vincent

The summer is usually a pretty slow time for sitcom news, but sitcom fans have an interesting treat starting this Sunday. CNN is airing an 8-part series History of the Sitcom, which is from the same producers who did the similar series The Story of Late Night. The show will walk viewers through 60 years of sitcoms on TV, from The Dick Van Dyke Show to The Brady Bunch to The Office. According to CNN's own description of the event, the show will "explores the genre through multiple lenses, including themes of family and sex." The first two episodes will air back-to-back on Sunday.

It will be interesting to see how the show deals with the many changing faces of the sitcom through the years. In recent years, the genre of "sitcom" has become more open-ended. For years, it meant a series with a live audience or a laugh track, but obviously that has changed in the past 20 years, to the point where most sitcoms now are single-camera and ditch the laugh track. The show will also talk about modern comedies like Insecure or Master of None, which may not fit the typical "sitcom" feel but still often comedy and interesting viewpoints to their viewers. If you're interested in the evolution of the sitcom, CNN's History of the Sitcom seems like a good choice for you.


Rutherford Falls

Critically-acclaimed Peacock Original comedy series Rutherford Falls from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, has been renewed for a second season. Rutherford Falls represents a breakthrough moment in Native representation in comedy television both in front of and behind the camera. The series is a comedy about two lifelong best friends, Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), who find themselves at a crossroads - quite literally - when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wakeup call. The series stars Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover), Jana Schmieding, Michael Greyeyes (I Know This Much Is True), Jesse Leigh (Heathers) and Dustin Milligan (Schitt's Creek).

Rutherford Falls is one of the largest Indigenous writer's rooms on television with five Native writers staffed on the series including co-creator and executive producer Sierra Teller Ornelas (Navajo), Bobby Wilson (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota), Tai Leclaire(Kanien'kehá:ka [Mohawk Nation]/Mi'kmaq), Jana Schmieding (Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux), and Tazbah Chavez (Bishop Paiute/Diné/San Carlos Apache). Jana Schmieding (Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux) and Michael Greyeyes ([Nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation - Treaty Six Territory in Saskatchewan]) star in the series.

Suzzanne Douglas

Actress Suzzanne Douglas, who was best known for her role as matriarch Jerri Peterson on The WB sitcom The Parent 'Hood, has died. She died on July 6 at her home on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. She had been suffering from pancreatic cancer in the two years leading up to her death. Ms. Douglas was 64.

The Parent 'Hood

Douglas starred as Jerri Peterson on The WB sitcom The Parent' Hood, which aired from 1995 to 1999. The series is about the Petersons, an upper-middle-class black family in Harlem, New York City. Jerri Peterson is a law student and mother of four kids. It ran for five seasons and 90 episodes. The series also starred Robert Townsend, Kenny Blank (seasons 1-3), Reagan Gomez-Preston, Curtis Williams, Ashli Adams, Bobby McGee (season 1), Carol Woods (season 1), Faizon Love (seasons 2-4), Tyrone Dorzell Burton (seasons 4-5) and Kelly Perine (season 5).

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included The Cosby Show as Rebecca Shorter in 1990, The Parkers in 1999 and 2000 (2 episodes as Constance McFarland) and Are We There Yet? in 2011.

She starred as Yvette Carruthers on the 1990-1991 Fox dramedy Against the Law. She played Grace Cuffe on the 2019 Netflix crime drama miniseries When They See Us. Some of her other drama credits included Guiding Light, A Man Called Hawk, I'll Fly Away (3 episodes), Angel Street, Touched by an Angel (2 episodes), NYPD Blue, Promised Land (4 episodes), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Good Wife, Bones and Bull.

Douglas starred with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. in the 1989 film Taps. She played Cissy Houston in the 2015 Lifetime TV movie Whitney. Some of her other film credits included The Inkwell (1994), Jason's Lyric (1994) and How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998).

Ms. Douglas was a talented and versatile actress. She was very funny as the mother on The Parent 'Hood. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our The Parent 'Hood message board. View photos in our galleries.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, July 14

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Pomp and Circumstance" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Tina and Gemma plan a joint graduation party for Malcolm and Grover, on part one of the hour-long seventh season finale.

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Venice" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Butlers and Johnsons help Malcolm start a new chapter in a new city that, while just across town, is worlds away from the neighborhood, on part two of the hour-long seventh season finale.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 14)

Monday, July 14

  • Chris Distefano (Benders) - Chris guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) - Watch Hannah on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Shane Gillis (Tires) - Shane appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear) - Liza is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) - Jack appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Paul Feig (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/The Louie Show/The Jackie Thomas Show/Dirty Dancing) and Anna Kendrick (Love Life) - Paul is a guest and Anna makes a special appearance on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Amy Sedaris (No Activity/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/Strangers with Candy) and Dan Levy (Schitt's Creek) - Amy and Dan are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
  • Julie Bowen (Modern Family/Ed) - Julie chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Jason Priestley (Call Me Fitz/Sister Kate), Vanessa Morgan (The Latest Buzz) and Giacomo Gianniotti (Backpackers/Selfie) - Jason, Vanessa and Giacomo talk about the dramedy Wild Cards on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Malin Akerman (Dollface/Sin City Saints/Trophy Wife/Childrens Hospital) - Malin talks about The Hunting Wives on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Meg Donnelly (American Housewife) - Meg talks about Disney's Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Rosemarie DeWitt (United States of Tara) - Rosemarie and Eric Bana talk about Netflix's Untamed 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

07/14 - CBS Fall 2025 Premiere Dates; HBO and Larry David Team Up Again
07/13 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 14, 2025)
07/12 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Reboot Headed to ABC; New King of the Hill Trailer Released
07/11 - The Office Spinoff The Paper Premieres September 4; Upload Season 4 Returns August 25
07/10 - The Big Bang Theory's Stuart Spinoff Ordered by HBO Max; Long Story Short Premieres August 22 on Netflix
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