Friday, March 18, 2022

Fri-Yay: Abbott Elementary Renewal - Does This Spell a Bright Future for ABC Sitcoms?; The Flight Attendant Returns April 21

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!

Abbott Elementary

by Vincent

This week, it was announced that ABC renewed Abbott Elementary for a second season. Abbott Elementary has been a commercial success, averaging a 2.9 rating in MP35 ratings (which tracks ratings over the course of 35 days of all linear/digital usage). Its streaming numbers are quite impressive. There is a lot of hope that this could be ABC's new flagship sitcom, which it was in need of after the end of Modern Family and the popularity decline of The Conners (which is in its fourth season).

So once again, it seems ABC is the place to be for high quality and popular sitcoms. This has been nearly a decade of dominance in comedy for ABC, and it shows no signs of stopping soon. CBS may be coming close if it develops more shows like Ghosts, the other big bright shining star of this season. But for now, ABC is leading the way (with more unique comedies potentially on their way like the pilot Josep).


The Flight Attendant - Kaley Cuoco

Season two of the critically acclaimed Max Original dark comedy series The Flight Attendant debuts Thursday, April 21 with two episodes on HBO Max. The eight-episode season continues with two new episodes on Thursday, April 28, followed by one episode weekly concluding Thursday, May 26. In the new season, Cassie Bowden (Kaley Cuoco) is living her best sober life in Los Angeles while moonlighting as a CIA asset in her spare time. But when an overseas assignment leads her to inadvertently witness a murder, she becomes entangled in another international intrigue. The season filmed in Los Angeles, Berlin and Reykjavik. Returning series regulars Kaley Cuoco, Zosia Mamet, Griffin Matthews, Deniz Akdeniz and Rosie Perez. Returning recurring guest stars T.R. Knight, Yasha Jackson and Audrey Grace Marshall. The season also stars new series regulars Mo McRae, Callie Hernandez and JJ Soria, as well as new recurring guest stars Alanna Ubach, Cheryl Hines, Jessie Ennis, Mae Martin, Margaret Cho, Santiago Cabrera, Sharon Stone and Shohreh Aghdashloo.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, December 19

Happy's Place - "Izzy and the Professor" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When a woman inherits her late father's tavern, she's shocked to discover that it's co-owned by a half-sister she never knew existed... who has some interesting new ideas about how to run the family business.

Stumble - "The Tell-Tale Slurp" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After being fired from her champion cheerleading team, coach Courteney Potter is starting over in a small Southern town where she's putting together a brand-new squad of lovable misfits in the hopes of making a comeback and winning it all.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 15)

Friday, December 19

  • Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Married/Second Generation Wayans) - Watch Regina on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Matt Rogers (No Good Deed/I Love That for You) - Matt appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Show) - Rickey is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Bradley Cooper (Kitchen Confidential) and Will Arnett (Murderville/Arrested Development/Flaked/The Millers/Up All Night/Running Wilde) - Bradley and Will discuss Is Thing On? on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. Will tells Drew about playing a dramatic role in new film Is This Thing On? working with Bradley Cooper, and his podcast with pals Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Kumail chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • James Van Der Beek (Friends with Better Lives/Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - James opens up on his cancer battle on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Star Raving Mad/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - NBC's Today catches up with Neil in the 9am hour.
  • Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black talk about Anaconda on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Robby Hoffman (Hacks) - Robby covers the news with Drew on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey and Charlie Cox talk about their new film Merv with the doggie star of the film on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series (DVD)
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two (DVD)
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season (DVD)
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 (DVD)
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

12/18 - The Oscars Moving to YouTube in 2029; Celebs for Hollywood Squares Season 2
12/17 - MeTV Remembers Rob Reiner with Tribute Marathon; MGM+ to Make New The Magnificent Seven Series
12/16 - The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy – ABC News Special; Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Part 2 on CBS
12/15 - Remembering the Legendary Rob Reiner of All in the Family; Trailer for Netflix's His & Hers
12/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 15, 2025)
12/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner/Netflix Merger Gets Complicated; Steve Carell Comedy Rooster Coming to HBO Max in March
12/12 - Survival of the Thickest Final Season Guest Stars; Ted Season 2 Returns in March
12/11 - The Upshaws Final Season Premieres January 15; Mike Epps Gets 5th Netflix Special
12/10 - HBO's Rooster Premieres in March; Fox's Updated Winter 2026 Schedule
12/09 - 83rd Golden Globe Nominations; Paradise Returns on Hulu in February
12/08 - First Look at Bert Kreischer Netflix Comedy Free Bert; School Spirits Season 3
12/07 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 8, 2025)
12/06 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair; Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery
12/05 - FETV Acquires The Carol Burnett Show Uncut; Hey A.J.! Coming to Disney Jr.
12/04 - COZI TV Acquires The Jeff Foxworthy Show; Hulu Renews Chad Powers for Season 2
12/03 - MeTV January 2026 Schedule; Netflix's My Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Season 6 Guests
12/02 - MeTV Acquires Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart & Hawaii Five-O; Apple TV's The First Snow of Fraggle Rock Trailer
12/01 - MeTV to Announce Four New Shows; Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Draws 25 Million Viewers on NBC
11/30 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 1, 2025)
11/29 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Scrubs Reboot; Mad Men Coming to HBO Max
11/28 - Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Encores Tonight (11/28); Hulu's Smash Hit Renewed for Quick 4th Season
11/27 - 2025 Thanksgiving TV Marathons
11/26 - ABC's Scrubs First Teaser During Dancing with the Stars Finale; Eva Green Joins Wednesday Season 3
11/25 - COZI TV Acquires Malcolm & Eddie and The Steve Harvey Show; 53rd International Emmy® Awards Winners
11/24 - Antenna TV's All-You-Can Eat Wings for Thanksgiving Marathon; Rewind TV's Serving Up the Seavers with a Thanksgiving Day Growing Pains Marathon
11/23 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 24, 2025)
11/22 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Disney+ Offers New Simpsons Streaming Channel; Final Eight Unaired Episodes of Joey on YouTube
11/21 - HBO Renews Comedies The Chair Company and I Love LA; Kelly and Mark to Host International Emmy® Awards
11/20 - The CW Midseason 2026 Schedule; Sarah Sherman HBO Max Special
11/19 - Tubi's Comedy Mo' Waffles Premieres December 19; 78th Emmy® Awards Set for September 14, 2026
11/18 - CBS Midseason 2026 Schedule; SNL Closes Out 2025 with 3 Episodes in December