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

Thursday, March 12

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Big Birthday and Tequila Shots" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy struggles to celebrate Georgie’s 21st birthday after hitting a rough patch in her career.

Ghosts - "St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A St. Patrick’s Day staffing emergency gives Hetty the chance to step into an unlikely role at the restaurant as she regains her once-a-year ability to be seen and heard by the living. Meanwhile, Kyle returns to watch over the ghosts and finds himself caught in an amusing supernatural dynamic.

Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.

Going Dutch - "Tinker, Tailor, Colonel, Spy" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Rick takes a sabbatical from the CIA and returns to the base, hoping to rekindle his strained relationship with Capt. Maggie; paranoia runs high when a mole is suspected to be operating inside the base.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 9)

Thursday, March 12

Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris/Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan talks about Broadway's Death of a Salesman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana joins Tamron to talk about her fashion evolution and her role in the all-star cast of the new series Scarpetta on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren talks about Reminders of Him on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Valerie in the 10am hour.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil and Lily Rosenthal join Drew for a taste test of weird foods and talk about their children's book Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book) on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.