Fri-Yay: Curb Your Enthusiasm Still Produces Reliable Laughs 11 Seasons In; Jon Hamm Fox Animated Comedy Coming in 2023

Friday, October 29, 2021

Fri-Yay: Curb Your Enthusiasm Still Produces Reliable Laughs 11 Seasons In; Jon Hamm Fox Animated Comedy Coming in 2023

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!

Curb Your Enthusiasm - Larry David

by Vincent

One show that often gets overlooked but is still more than capable of producing reliable laughs is HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. The sitcom has been running for over 20 years now, although it did take a 6 year break from 2011 to 2017. While the snow isn't quite as brilliant as its heyday (which I'd peg as its entire original run from 2000-2011), it's still a reliable laugh producer, which is impressive for a show that's been on as long as it has.

Part of that is due to the consistent comedy stylings of Larry David. But another part of it is because of how the show has managed to adapt well to the times, evolving its comedy to match the styling of the now several different comedy eras it has aired in. It has that in common with fellow long running sitcom It's Always Sunny. That's the secret to having a long life as a sitcom - sticking to what works, but also not being afraid to evolve with the times.

Grimsburg

Fox has ordered the all-new animated comedy Grimsburg, starring and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm (Mad Men, Top Gun: Maverick). Fully owned by Fox Entertainment and created by Catlan McClelland and Matthew Schlissel, Grimsburg will premiere in 2023 and be produced by Fox's Emmy-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment. In Grimsburg, Marvin Flute (Hamm) may be the greatest detective ever to catch a cannibal clown or correctly identify a mid-century modern armoire. But there's one mystery he still can't crack - his family. Now that he's back in Grimsburg, a town where everyone has a secret or three, Flute will follow every lead he's got to redeem himself with the ex-wife he never stopped loving, even if it means hanging out with the son he never bothered to get to know.

Grimsburg joins Fox Entertainment's growing portfolio of owned scripted content that includes Krapopolis, the animated comedy set in mythical ancient Greece from Emmy Award-winning creator Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community) and featuring the voices of Hannah Waddingham, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Pam Murphy and Duncan Trussell; and the country music-themed family drama Monarch, featuring Susan Sarandon, Anna Friel and Trace Adkins. Monarch will premiere Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022, immediately following the NFC Championship, and Krapopolis also will debut in 2022, with a premiere date to be announced.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, October 30

Abbott Elementary - "Costume Contest" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
It’s Halloween at Abbott Elementary! Janine and Gregory proudly show off their couple’s costume, but it fails to translate. Meanwhile, Barbara faces pushback from parents concerned about hygiene and her beloved apple-bobbing tradition.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Saved by the Spell" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
On her first day of school, Billie uses magic to impress Roman's best friend; when a jealous Roman steals Billie's wand, he falls into the grasp of a wizard-hunting phantomus.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Something Wizard This Way Comes" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
On Halloween, Billie tells Roman about Pumpkin Belly, a ghoul who eats anyone whose house isn't spookily decorated; Justin, Milo and Giada defend the home from pranksters.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 28)

Wednesday, October 30

Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Watch Sheryl on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Salma appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Kieran Culkin (Solar Opposites/Go Fish) - Kieran is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Emily Osment (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon/Young & Hungry/Hannah Montana), Tien Tran (How I Met Your Father) and Vinny Thomas (Platonic) - Emily, Tien and Vinny are guests on 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.
Adam Pally (Mr. Throwback/Indebted/Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
Keri Russell (Running Wilde/Daddy's Girls) - Keri talks about The Diplomat on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Matty Matheson (The Bear) - Matty talks about improvising scenes on the hit show The Bear and how he started his career in restaurants on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Anna Kendrick (Love Life) - Anna is chatting with Drew about directing her first film Woman of the Hour, the crazy serial killer case the movie is based on, finding boundaries in her life, turning 40 and more on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) - Mayan discusses her sitcom Lopez vs Lopez on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
Marissa Jaret Winokur (What We Do in the Shadows/Retired at 35/Stacked) - Marissa appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
Melissa Peterman (Happy's Place/Young Sheldon/Baby Daddy/Working Class/Reba) - Melissa talks about NBC's Happy's Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.