Freeform Acquires The Office Starting January 2022; 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards Nominees

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

Freeform Acquires The Office Starting January 2022; 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards Nominees

Freeform announced that it has licensed all nine seasons of The Office from NBCUniversal Global Distribution in a non-exclusive deal and will begin airing the series beginning on Jan 1, 2022. Comedy Central will continue to air on cable through 2025. To celebrate this new addition, Freeform will air two marathons over New Year's weekend, starting with a countdown of the 30 Best Episodes, as determined by fans and multiple publications, on Saturday, Jan 1, from 1 p.m.-12 a.m EST/PST. On Sunday, Jan. 2, Freeform will air a second marathon of episodes showcasing cast favorites, based on interviews with the cast of The Office, from 1 p.m.-11 p.m EST/PST. In celebration of the news, The Office star Melora Hardin recorded a video announcement as well.

The addition of the beloved show also signals a change in Freeform's weekday program lineup. The Office will air Monday-Thursday from 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. EST/PST. The network will continue airing its originals throughout the week (such as grown-ish/Single Drunk Female on Thursdays from 10-11pm), as well as episodes of Family Guy on Fridays from 1pm-1am and movies now airing exclusively on weekends. This updated program schedule reflects Freeform's shift toward more irreverent, adult comedy and content while still providing family favorites on the weekends. The rest of the schedule on weekdays has black-ish from 7-9am, The Middle from 10:30am-2pm (Fridays it is 10:30am-1pm), Movies from 2pm-6pm, and The Simpsons from 12am-2am.

27th Annual Critics Choice Awards

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced the TV category nominees for The 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards. The winners will be revealed at the star-studded Critics Choice Awards gala, which will broadcast LIVE on The CW and TBS on Sunday, January 9 from 7:00 - 10:00 pm ET (delayed PT). HBO's Succession leads this year's TV contenders with eight nominations. In addition to Best Drama Series the show racked up a slew of acting nominations including nods for both Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Several of their co-stars also find themselves vying with each other, as Nicholas Braun, Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen all scored nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, while J. Smith-Cameron and Sarah Snook are both up for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Mare of Easttown (HBO) and Evil (Paramount+) impressed with five nominations each. Mare of Easttown is up for Best Limited Series, with Kate Winslet nominated for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, Evan Peters for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television, and both Julianne Nicholson and Jean Smart nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television. Evil is nominated for Best Drama Series, Mike Colter for Best Actor in a Drama Series, Katja Herbers for Best Actress in a Drama Series, and both Andrea Martin and Christine Lahti are up for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Several programs earned four nominations each, Only Murders in the Building (Hulu), Ted Lasso (Apple TV+), The Good Fight (Paramount+), This Is Us (NBC), and WandaVision (Disney+).

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, November 22

Happy's Place - "Happy's House" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Bobbie agrees to take Isabella to Happy's house in search of a connection to their late father, leading Bobbie to worry about what they may find; Gabby hopes to strike it rich by searching through Happy's penny collection looking for a rarity.

Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs Orlando" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Rosie's spoiled nephew Orlando visits, Mayan sets out to expose Rosie's cultural gender bias; George wants to teach Chance the value of hard work, but, instead, helps him create a toxic work environment.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Whacking the Mole" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Abishola has a romantic dream about Bob, she tries to suppress her feelings for him and pays the price.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Ralph Lauren and Fish" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bob and Abishola finally go on a proper date, which is interrupted by Dottie's medical emergency.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Tough Like a Laundromat Washing Machine" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bob hires Abishola to take care of Dottie in his home while she recovers; Dottie has a hard time dealing with her limitations and takes it out on Abishola.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Useless Potheads" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
With Abishola only helping part-time, Bob, Douglas and Christina struggle to take care of Dottie.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Wiz-Taken Identity" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Billie struggles with a spell, Roman says he could do it if he was a wizard: to prove him wrong, Billie uses a Power Glass to transfer her powers to Roman.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - " Ain't Gnome Party Like a Wizard Party" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Justin embraces mortality to live with his family; his new challenge arises when Alex introduces Billie, a wizard-in-training, seeking Justin's mentorship.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 18)

Friday, November 22

Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Watch Kerry on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Jimmy O. Yang (Interior Chinatown/Space Force/Silicon Valley) - Jimmy is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Ariana appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Andy Richter (Andy Barker, P.I./Quintuplets/Andy Richter Controls the Universe), Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) and Aparna Nancherla (Lopez vs Lopez/Search Party/Corporate) - Andy, Thomas and Aparna are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about her new book Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Drew is joined by the hilarious Andrew to celebrate all things Thanksgiving on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Rosie Perez (Human Resources/Search Party) - Rosie tells Sherri about her new Apple TV+ psychological thriller Before on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House/Full House) - Candace will be on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:15am.