Friday, October 22, 2021
Fri-Yay: Are Ghosts and The Wonder Years the Saving Graces of Network Comedy?; Ghosts Receives Full Season Order

by Vincent
It's no secret that broadcast comedy has been in a rough state for a few years. There really hasn't been a hit, either critically or commercially, in some time now. But this year, network TV has two sitcoms drawing solid reviews, some acclaim, and even decent ratings. Those shows are The Wonder Years on ABC, which has gotten strong reviews and is doing a respectable job of holding the audience of the rest of the evening, and Ghosts on CBS, which a lot of critics and fans have given very strong reviews to, and has also pulled in respectable numbers - particularly for a high concept sitcom, on CBS of all places. (Not typically known for their daring, high concept comedies.)
These shows aren't exactly, say, Cheers or Modern Family, which were massive hits that many say "saved" the sitcom genre in their time. But maybe in 2021, a well liked sitcom with respectable reviews is the closest we can get to those massive hits. Either way, I hope both shows continue to impress.
Speaking of Ghosts... CBS has given a full-season order to Ghosts for the 2021-2022 broadcast season. The CBS Original series premiered Thursday, Oct. 7 with a special one-hour debut. In Live+7, its debut has the largest lift of all new and returning comedy premieres this season, adding +2.2 million viewers, bringing total viewers to 7.76 million. Ghosts airs Thursdays (9:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and is available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Ghosts is a single-camera comedy starring Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar as Samantha and Jay, a cheerful freelance journalist and up-and-coming chef from the city, respectively, who throw both caution and money to the wind when they decide to convert a huge rundown country estate they inherited into a bed & breakfast - only to find it's inhabited by the many spirits of deceased residents who now call it home. The departed souls are a close-knit, eclectic group that includes a saucy Prohibition-era lounge singer (Danielle Pinnock); a pompous 1700s militiaman (Brandon Scott Jones); a '60s hippie fond of hallucinogens (Sheila Carrasco); an overly upbeat '80s scout troop leader (Richie Moriarty); a cod-obsessed Viking explorer from 1009 (Devon Chandler Long); a slick '90s finance bro (Asher Grodman); a sarcastic and witty native from the 1500s (Román Zaragoza); and a society woman and wife of an 1800s robber baron who is Samantha's ancestor (Rebecca Wisocky), to name a few. If the spirits were anxious about the commotion a renovation and B&B will create in their home, it's nothing compared to when they realize Samantha is the first live person who can see and hear them.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, May 12
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 12)
Monday, May 12
- Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Nick on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Michael McKean (Laverne & Shirley) - Michael appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Ryan Reynolds (Two Guys and a Girl) - Ryan stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Adam Pally (Mr. Throwback/Indebted/Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Jon Gabrus (Younger/The Hotwives of Las Vegas) - Jon drops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens), Ed Helms (Rutherford Falls/The Office) and Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie) - Patton, Ed and Sasheer are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Rob Lowe (Unstable/The Grinder/Parks and Recreation/A New Kind of Family) and Jane Seymour (B Positive/Modern Men) - NBC's Today catches up with Rob and Jane in the 9am hour.
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim will be on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Chloe Fineman (Big Mouth/Search Party) - Chloe chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Benito Skinner (Overcompensating) - Benito is telling Drew all about the inspiration behind his hilarious new show Overcompensating with co-stars Mary Beth Barone and Wally Baram on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and 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)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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