Fri-Yay: Cobra Kai Continues to Be a Delight; Fox Announces Premiere Date for Welcome to Flatch, Hulu to Release First 7 Episodes on Same Day

Friday, January 14, 2022

Fri-Yay: Cobra Kai Continues to Be a Delight; Fox Announces Premiere Date for Welcome to Flatch, Hulu to Release First 7 Episodes on Same Day

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!

by Vincent

Cobra Kai continues to be one of my most strange loves. The show is extremely cheesy in almost every way. The characters are exaggerated, the situations are unbelievable, and the whole world of the show seems captivated by... teenagers doing karate. And yet, much like the movies it is based on, Cobra Kai's cheesy and goofy dedication to itself is what makes it so delightful.

In a world where every show wants to be an important event, Cobra Kai being dedicated to being silly is actually a breath of fresh air. It's such an easy watch, the type of show where you just turn off your brain and enjoy. While it's not a sitcom in the traditional sense, it really feels like one in the way it has a cast of characters in a crazy and exaggerated world. Plus, it's funny! Every episode gets a few laughs out of me. In its own weird way, Cobra Kai might just be the funniest show on TV right now.

Welcome to Flatch

All-new single-cam docu-com Welcome to Flatch premieres on linear television on Thursday, March 17 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox. That same day, Fox also will unlock the first seven episodes of the series across non-linear platforms, including Hulu, Fox Now and On Demand, so you can binge most of the series before Fox even airs the first episode that day. Inspired by BBC Studios' BAFTA-winning BBC format, This Country, Welcome to Flatch is a half-hour comedy written and executive-produced by Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City, The Greatest Showman) and directed and executive-produced by DGA Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Paul Feig (The Office, Bridesmaids), who also wrote two episodes.

When a documentary crew sets out to explore the lives of residents in a small American town - their dreams, their concerns - they stumble upon the midwestern town of Flatch, which is made up of many eccentric personalities. It's a place you want to visit and maybe even stay. If there was a decent motel. Which there is not. The documentary crew finds worthy subjects in cousins and best friends KELLY MALLET (newcomer Holmes) and LLOYD "SHRUB" MALLET (Sam Straley, "The Kids Are Alright") who let the documentary crew in on their lives and local current events. JOSEPH "FATHER JOE" BINGHOFFER (Seann William Scott, "Lethal Weapon," "American Pie" franchise) is the local minister who also attempts to guide Kelly and Shrub. He moved to Flatch with his former girlfriend, CHERYL PETERSON (Aya Cash, You're The Worst), who is the editor of the local newspaper, "The Flatch Patriot." Other Flatch residents include MICKEY ST. JEAN (newcomer Justin Linville), who relentlessly attempts to become Shrub's best friend; Kelly's frenemy, NADINE GARCIA-PARNEY (Taylor Ortega, Succession), who runs the Flatch Historical Society; and MANDY MATTHEWS (newcomer Krystal Smith), a magnetic force of nature who lives life on her own terms. The first seven episodes of Welcome to Flatch will be released on Hulu, Fox Now and On Demand on Thursday, March 17 at 12:01 AM.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.