SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

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

If I had to pick one sitcom that's been consistently overlooked, it's A.P. Bio, which started its fourth season on Peacock this past week. A.P. Bio started off with a shaky first season on NBC and just barely squeaked out a second season renewal after low ratings and so-so critical reception. But over the course of the second season, the show began to garner a fanbase for the way it brought cable-like humor to a network sitcom environment. The show was cancelled by NBC after Season 2, but NBC Universal noticed the show’s growing fanbase and decided it was a good choice to use the series to help build the company's new streaming service, Peacock.

Since the move to Peacock, the show has gotten even better, feeling more comfortable to explore its dark side and bringing out the best of its characters even more. Sometimes it feels like the show doesn't quite get the hype given its a Peacock exclusive, but it really does deserve to be mentioned along the best sitcoms on TV right now. It's funny, sarcastic but even has a little bit of heart. I really like the series, and I think anyone looking for a good, sardonic modern sitcom won't be disappointed.

Television producer and writer Irma Kalish, who worked on F Troop, Family Affair, Maude, All in the Family, Good Times, Too Close for Comfort, The Facts of Life and 227, has died. She died on September 3 from complications of pneumonia at the Motion Picture & Television Fund cottages in Woodland Hills, California. Ms. Kalish was 96.

Kalish married her husband and writing partner Austin "Rocky" Kalish in 1948. Their writing careers began on radio for The Martin and Lewis Show, which starred Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

Some of her early sitcom writing credits included The Millionaire, The Patty Duke Show, I Dream of Jeannie, Gidget, My Favorite Martian, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, The Hero, That Girl, F Troop (8 episodes), He & She, The Flying Nun, Family Affair (22 episodes, also a story consultant for 41 episodes) and My Three Sons (8 episodes).

They wrote the 1972 two-part Maude episode titled "Maude's Dilemma," in which Maude contemplates an abortion. They worked on four episodes of All in the Family, including "Gloria the Victim," in which Gloria is the victim of an attempted rape and "Edith's Christmas Story," in which Edith has a breast cancer scare. Some of her other 1970s writing credits included Nanny and the Professor, Anna and the King, The Bob Newhart Show, The Brian Keith Show, Dusty's Trail, Good Heavens, Good Times and Carter Country.

Some of her 1980s writing credits included Too Close for Comfort (8 episodes), Foot in the Door, Oh Madeline, The Facts of Life, 227 and Sugar and Spice (also one of the creators). She was one of the writers of the 1985 TV movie I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later.

Irma and Rocky produced 48 episodes of Good Times from 1976 to 1978. They produced 40 episodes of Too Close for Comfort from 1980 to 1982. She was an executive producer of 46 episodes The Facts of Life for the final two seasons from 1986 to 1988. She was interviewed for the E! True Hollywood Story on The Facts of Life in 1999. Irma was an executive producer of 39 episodes of 227 from 1988 to 1990. Some of her other producing credits included Good Heavens, Carter Country, Out of the Blue (1979), Foot in the Door, Oh Madeline and The Hogan Family.

Irma and Rocky were interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on December 21, 2012. They were married for 68 years until Rocky's death on October 5, 2016.

Survivors include her sister, Harriet Alef; son, television writer-producer Bruce Kalish and his wife and actress Leah Ayres; grandchildren Matthew Biederman Sr. and his wife Cassie Fink, writer-producer Mackenzie Kalish; and great-grandchildren Nicholas and Caden Biederman.

Ms. Kalish was a prolific and pioneering sitcom producer and writer. She worked on around 30 sitcoms in her career. We thank her for the laughs and entertainment she brought us. She will be deeply missed.

Emmy-winning actor Michael Constantine, who starred as high school principal Seymour Kaufman on Room 222, has died. He died on August 31 of natural causes at his home in Reading, Pennsylvania. Mr. Constantine was 94.

Constantine's early television credits included Brenner, The Detectives, The Defenders, Naked City, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, The Untouchables (5 episodes), Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Eleventh Hour, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Perry Mason, Death Valley Days, I Spy and The Fugitive.

His first sitcom starring role was as Jack Ellenhorn on the 1966-1967 NBC sitcom Hey, Landlord. Jack Ellenhorn was a photographer and tenant at a New York City brownstone apartment building in Manhattan's East 30s. The series also starred Will Hutchins, Sandy Baron, Pamela Rodgers, Miko Mayama, Ann Morgan Guilbert and Kathryn Minner.

Constantine's best known television role was as Seymour Kaufman on the 1969-1974 ABC comedy-drama Room 222. Seymour Kaufman was the dryly humorous school principal of the fictional Walt Whitman High School, an extremely racially diverse school in Los Angeles, California. The critically acclaimed series ran for five seasons and 113 episodes. Constantine won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1970. The cast included Lloyd Haynes, Denise Nicholas, Karen Valentine, Howard Rice (1969-1971), Judy Strangis, Heshimu, Pendrant Netherly (1969-1971), David Jolliffe (1970-1974), Ta-Tanisha (1970-1973) and Eric Laneuville (1971-1973).

He next starred as Matthew J. Sirota on the 1976-1977 NBC sitcom Sirota's Court. Matthew J. Sirota was a night court judge in a large metropolitan city. Constantine received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical for the role in 1977. The series also starred Cynthia Harris, Kathleen Miller, Fred Willard, Ted Ross and Owen Bush.

Constantine reprised his role of Gus Portokalos from the 2002 film My Big Fat Greek Wedding on the short-lived 2003 CBS sitcom My Big Fat Greek Life. Gus and Maria Portokalos (Lainie Kazan) owned a neighborhood restaurant. The series also starred Nia Vardalos, Steven Eckholdt, Louis Mandylor, Gia Carides, Andrea Martin and Victoria Adams.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Hogan's Heroes, The Double Life of Henry Phyfe, My Favorite Martian, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Jean Arthur Show, The Good Guys, The Odd Couple, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Love, American Style (1972), Benson, Amanda's, The Love Boat, Mama's Family, Free Spirit, Cosby and In-Laws.

His other film credits included The Last Mile (1959), The Hustler (1961), Skidoo (1968), The Reivers (1969), The North Avenue Irregulars (1979), Prancer (1989), Thinner (1996) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016).

Mr. Constantine was a talented and versatitle character actor. He was outstanding on Room 222. It would be great if the remaining three seasons would be released on DVD. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment he brought us. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Room 222 message board. View photos in our galleries.

Actor and comedian Art Metrano, who starred as Rico Mastorelli on Joanie Loves Chachi, has died. He died on September 8 at his home in Aventura, Florida, of natural causes. Mr. Metrano was 84.

He starred as Nick Marr on the short-lived 1971 CBS sitcom The Chicago Teddy Bears. "Big" Nick Marr was a small-time gangster who wants to take over a Chicago speakeasy. The series also starred Dean Jones, Marvin Kaplan, Mickey Shaughnessy, Jamie Farr, Mike Mazurki, Huntz Hall and John Banner.

Metrano starred as Tom on the short-lived 1977 CBS sitcom Loves Me, Love Me Not. Tom was Dick's (Kenneth Gilman) best friend and his editor at the newspaper. Tom's wife, Sue, was played by Phyllis Glick. Susan Dey starred as Dick's wife, June.

He starred as Lt. Iverson on the short-lived 1986 CBS sitcom Tough Cookies. Lt. Iverson was Det. Cliff Brody's (Robby Benson) tough superior. The series also starred Lainie Kazan, Adam Arkin, Matt Craven, Elizabeth Pena and Alan North.

Metrano starred as Rico Mastorelli on the 1982-1983 ABC sitcom Joanie Loves Chachi, which aired for two seasons and 17 episodes. Rico was Chachi's (Scott Baio) uncle who was the band's manager and helped Joanie (Erin Moran) and Chachi advance in their careers. The series also starred Al Molinaro, Ellen Travolta, Robert Pierce, Derrel Maury and Winifred Freedman.

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Good Guys, Bewitched, Nanny and the Professor, That Girl, The Partridge Family, The Partners, Adam's Rib, Love, American Style (1972, 1973), Barney Miller, All in the Family, The Ted Knight Show, Benson, WKRP in Cincinnati, Punky Brewster, Lenny, The Golden Girls, Nurses, Empty Nest, The John Larroquette Show, Herman's Head and Police Academy: The Series.

He starred as Detective Rod Pena on the 1974-1975 NBC police drama Amy Prentiss. He played Moose on the NBC adventure series Movin' On from 1975 to 1976.

Metrano starred as Lt./Capt./Cmdt. Mauser in Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985) and Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986). Some of his other film credits included They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), The Heartbreak Kid (1972), Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off (1973), History of the World, Part One (1981), Breathless (1983), Teachers (1984) and How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998).

Survivors include his wife, Jamie; his first wife, Rebecca; children Harry (and his wife, Melissa), Zoe (Mark), Roxanne and Howard; and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mr. Metrano was a solid character actor and comedian. We thank him for his work on many television series and in films. He will be sorely missed.

Share your memories on our Joanie Loves Chachi message board. View photos in our galleries.

Finally, we remember legendary The Today Show weatherman Willard Scott. He had an occasional role as Peter Poole on Valerie's Family/The Hogan Family. He died on September 4 of natural causes in Delaplane, Virginia. Mr. Scott was 87.

His career with NBC began as a 16-year-old, working in 1950 as an NBC page at WRC (AM). From 1959–1962, he portrayed Bozo the Clown in the children's television program on NBC Washington, D.C. affiliate WRC-TV. He was the creator and original portrayer of Ronald McDonald from 1963-1965. He became the weatherman for The Today Show in 1980. He announced his full retirement from television on December 11, 2015.

Scott had an occasional role as Peter Poole on five episodes of the NBC sitcom Valerie's Family/The Hogan Family from 1987 to 1989. Peter Poole was the jovial husband of Patty Poole (Edie McClurg), who was the busybody neighor of the Hogan family.

Mr. Scott was a great televison personality with a career spanning 65 years. His tribute greetings segment for people celebrating their 100th or above birthdays were always fun. It's sad that he didn't make it to his 100th birthday. He will be greatly missed.

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

As we look towards the end of this truly strange year, it's time to take a look at the future, which hopefully will be a little more positive than this year was. There are a couple of new and returning sitcoms I'm really excited about in 2021, and I'll outline them in this blog post.

The first sitcom I am excited about is NBC's Mr. Mayor, which was created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, who previously created the brilliant 30 Rock and the very funny Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Mr. Mayor also stars Ted Danson, fresh off his excellent role as Michael on The Good Place. This is easily my most anticipated sitcom of 2021. Also on NBC, Young Rock is set to premiere this year, and I think that could be a really fun show. It will detail the youth of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and NBC is hoping his popularity will be enough to help it launch the future of its comedy brand now that Superstore is on the way out.

Some shows will also be returning in 2021 that I'm interested in. The third season of Cobra Kai, originally made for YouTube Red but now moving to Netflix, came out with a great trailer that makes me really pumped to see where the show goes. Cobra Kai had an excellent first season and an uneven but very gripping second season. I'm hoping Season 3 will work out the kinks and cement its place as an excellent show that straddles the line of comedy and drama. There is also an iCarly reboot in the works, although it is unclear on if it will be ready in 2021. Still, although reboots have had a mixed success rate, it could be a big draw for younger millennials and Gen Z viewers who grew up with the series. There is a lot to look forward to on TV in 2021, and hopefully it'll be a nice palate cleanse from this tough year.

Critically-acclaimed Peacock Original comedy A.P. Bio has been renewed for a fourth season. The 8-episode season will be coming to Peacock in 2021. The first three seasons of A.P. Bio are currently streaming on Peacock. When disgraced Harvard philosophy scholar Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) loses out on his dream job, he is forced to return to Toledo, Ohio, and work as a high school advanced placement biology teacher. As he comes crashing into Whitlock High School, Jack makes it absolutely clear that he will not be teaching any biology. Realizing he has a roomful of honor roll students at his disposal, Jack decides instead to use the kids' brainpower for his own benefit. Over time, his students help him realize his dream job might actually be the one he has right now. Eager to prove that he is still king of the castle, Principal Durbin (Patton Oswalt) struggles to control the force of nature that is Jack Griffin. The series also stars Mary Sohn, Lyric Lewis, Jean Villepique and Paula Pell.

Dancing with the Stars is waltzing its way into the ballroom for its premiere on Monday, Sept. 14 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT on ABC. Episodes can be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu. The unprecedented season welcomes new host Tyra Banks, a fresh take on the competition, and exciting new and returning pros, all while maintaining the heart and soul of the beloved series. Celebrity dancers and additional production details will be announced at a later date. This season features the return of many beloved pro dancers including Sharna Burgess and Keo Motsepe, as well as the addition of professional ballroom dancers Britt Stewart and Daniella Karagach getting celebrity partners for the first time. Viewers will have to tune in to the season premiere to find out with whom their favorite professional dancers are paired.

The Sept. 14 date is right on target with a mid-September premiere as in past Fall seasons, so the pandemic could not delay this series! This season's professional dancers include (in alphabetical order) the following:

Brandon Armstrong
Alan Bersten
Sharna Burgess
Cheryl Burke
Val Chmerkovskiy
Sasha Farber
Jenna Johnson
Daniella Karagach
Keo Motsepe
Peta Murgatroyd
Pasha Pashkov
Gleb Savchenko
Emma Slater
Britt Stewart

A.P. Bio: The Podcast dropped yesterday (Tuesday, Aug. 18) in preparation for the series' third season, which launches Sept. 3 on Peacock. This marks the first podcast series for Peacock, NBCUniversal's new streaming service. Join hosts and fellow castmates Eddie Leavy ("Anthony") and Sari Arambulo ("Grace") on A.P. Bio: The Podcast as they chat with guests, including A.P. Bio series creator Mike O'Brien, stars Glenn Howerton ("Jack") and Patton Oswalt ("Principal Durbin"), and additional cast members. Listen to get insider access to the A.P. Bio cast and crew as they reveal behind-the-scenes anecdotes, audition stories, character evolutions and more.

When disgraced Harvard philosophy scholar Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) loses out on his dream job, he is forced to return to Toledo, Ohio, and work as a high school Advanced Placement biology teacher. As he comes crashing into Whitlock High School, Jack makes it absolutely clear that he will not be teaching any biology. Realizing he has a room full of honor roll students at his disposal, Jack decides instead to use the kids' brainpower for his own benefit. But are his students instead helping him to realize his dream job might actually be the one he has right now? Eager to prove that he is still king of the castle, Principal Durbin (Patton Oswalt, Veep) struggles to control the force of nature that is Jack Griffin. The series also stars Mary Sohn (Work in Progress), Lyric Lewis (Baskets), Jean Villepique (Sharp Objects) and Paula Pell (Saturday Night Live).

A.P. Bio: The Podcast adds to the catalog of podcasts released by NBC Entertainment Podcast Network, including The Law & Order SVU: The Squadroom, Late Night with Seth Meyers Podcast, The Good Place: The Podcast, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Podcast and American Ninja Warrior Podcast. 

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

This week, NBC released the trailer for the third season of A.P. Bio, which will air exclusively on Peacock. For those who don't know, A.P. Bio aired its first two seasons on NBC Thursday nights, but was cancelled after Season 2 due to low ratings. However, the show, which stars Always Sunny's Glenn Howerton and popular comedian Patton Oswalt, was able to gain something of a cult following, which convinced NBC to bring it back as a flagship streaming exclusive for its budding service Peacock. So is it worth your time? A.P. Bio is probably Peacock's highest caliber original series thus far, so it's worth it to see if the series is worth checking out.

Personally, I'd recommend checking out A.P. Bio on Peacock this fall, for a few reasons. I liked, but didn't love, the first two seasons of the show - I felt it always had the feeling of the show just on the verge of breaking out and embracing its potential. The show had some funny jokes, but it often felt torn between going full out dark like Howerton's other show Always Sunny and grounding itself as a network television show. Some of that was likely the result of being on NBC - there's a limit to how "dark" a series can really get, and that limit sometimes seemed to restrain the show. However, I'm interested to see if the move to a streaming service and subsequent removal of the "rules" of network TV will free the show up creatively and allow it to really be the dark, oddball show it seems to want to be. Another good reason to check out A.P. Bio is...well, sitcoms might be in short supply this fall. Television production is still mostly at a standstill, and so far network sitcoms haven't provided a premiere date or even an idea of when they will return. So if you're looking for new sitcom content this fall, A.P. Bio might be one of your only options. And if it can improve on its solid first two seasons, it just might be a pretty good alternative.

HBO Max has announced that the upcoming seasons of the critically acclaimed comedies The Other Two and South Side from Comedy Central Productions are joining the streaming platform as new Max Original series. The first seasons of The Other Two and South Side will land on the platform in 2021 followed by brand new seasons to stream exclusively as Max Original series. Matching the Max Originals mandate for unique stories that speak to a younger skewing demographic,

The Other Two, created by former Saturday Night Live co-head writers, follows two millennial siblings as they navigate their teenage brother's rise to internet fame and South Side, shot on location in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, is an authentic, comedic look at two friends, ready to take one world, once they stop working at the local rent-to-own. As part of this deal, HBO Max has become the exclusive streaming home to the semi-autobiographical comedy Awkawfina is Nora from Queens, from the Golden Globe Award Winner(R) Awkwafina (Nora Lum). Season one is available to stream now on HBO Max. Season two will premiere and air in its entirety on Comedy Central next summer before becoming available on HBO Max.

NBCUniversal announced "Peacock" (www.peacocktv.com) as the name for its new streaming service. Peacock is a nod to NBC's iconic logo and NBCUniversal's rich legacy of creating beloved films, TV series, characters and franchises that have been at the epicenter of pop culture and will continue to define the future of entertainment. Peacock will deliver a world-class slate of originals while also offering treasured hits from the vaults of NBC, including The Office and Parks and Recreation, two of the most-watched streaming series. The service will also feature blockbusters and critically-acclaimed films from Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination and Hollywood's biggest studios. In addition, Peacock will tap into NBCUniversal's unmatched ability to deliver a broad range of compelling topical content across news, sports, late-night and reality.

Peacock rolls out in April of 2020 with over 15,000 hours of content and takes center stage at the end of July during the 2020 Summer Olympics. As previously announced, Peacock will be both advertising and subscription supported. Details on pricing and distribution will be announced closer to launch. The platform's new original comedies include Rutherford Falls, co-created by Emmy and Peabody Award-winner Mike Schur, Ed Helms, and Sierra Teller Ornelas, and starring Ed Helms; Straight Talk, from Emmy(R) Award nominee Rashida Jones and NAACP Image Award(R) winner Jada Pinkett Smith; reboots of two beloved series - Saved By the Bell, from Emmy(R) Award winner Tracey Wigfield (30 Rock), featuring original cast members including Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez, and Punky Brewster, starring Soleil Moon Frye as a grown-up version of her former character; an all-new season of A.P.Bio, starring Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt; and the second movie spinoff from the long-running series Psych. And drama wise, a reboot of the critically acclaimed and award-winning Battlestar Galactica, from Golden Globe(R) winner and Emmy-nominated Mr. Robot and Homecoming EP Sam Esmail.

In addition to the exclusive streaming rights to the beloved NBC sitcoms The Office and Parks and Recreation, some of the most popular NBC and classic TV series of all time will be available on Peacock, including 30 Rock, Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Cheers, Chrisley Knows Best, Covert Affairs, Downton Abbey, Everyone Loves Raymond, Frasier, Friday Night Lights, House, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, King Of Queens, Married... With Children, Monk, Parenthood, Psych, Royal Pains, Saturday Night Live, Superstore, The Real Housewives, Top Chef and Will & Grace.

HBO Max, the upcoming streaming platform from WarnerMedia set to launch in the spring of 2020, has secured the first-ever U.S. streaming rights to all 12 seasons of the massive comedy hit, The Big Bang Theory. All 279 episodes will be available on HBO Max when it launches in spring of 2020. In addition, TBS has extended its agreement to continue airing the show through 2028. The Big Bang Theory, created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, premiered on CBS in September 2007. Two hundred and seventy-nine episodes later, the longest running multi-camera comedy series in U.S. TV history ended its 12-season run as the year's most viewed entertainment series, the first show to be able to make that claim in 21 years. The series received 55 Emmy® nominations and 10 wins, and seven Golden Globe® nominations.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's a slightly busier than usual summer week, and we're hearing about a potential new sitcom starring Ted Danson, a reprieve for A.P. Bio, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're in the summer, so it's a slow season, but we've got news about a pilot under consideration at ABC, cancellations of two NBC comedies, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

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

Upfronts ended a few weeks ago, but there's still some renewal and cancellations that networks have yet to figure out. One of those was AP Bio, until NBC announced they decided to cancel the series this week. It's a decision that doesn't come with much surprise. AP Bio had a mediocre-rated first season, but NBC decided to give the show a second chance, as they've done before with shows that had slow starts like 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation and Community. While those shows wound up running for years, AP Bio's ratings actually dropped drastically in its second season, so NBC pulling the plug is not a surprise. However, it is a shame. AP Bio wasn't necessarily a great sitcom, but it was a very enjoyable one that was perhaps on the way to finding its greatness.

AP Bio started off seeming like a too-mean spin off of Community, a show that wanted to have a cable comedy-esque streak of dark comedy but didn't have the talent to pull it off. However, over the course of the first and especially into the much improved second season, the series began to find its direction by strengthening the personalities of its students out of stereotypes and pinning down into humor sense. The show, like Community, also found some heart, without feeling too preachy, and was becoming a delightfully absurdist network sitcom that actually made you care about the characters...even though the humor could sometimes be dark or even borderline mean, the show did a much better job of tiptoeing that line in its second season. It will be a shame to see it go, and that it will never take off into the great sitcom it had the potential to be.

Showtime has ordered an eight-episode season of the new half-hour comedy series Work in Progress, created by Abby McEnany and Tim Mason. McEnany stars in the series, expected to premiere later this year. Mason directed the pilot. Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix, Sense8) will co-write the first season and executive produce with McEnany and Mason. Showtime acquired the project after its premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it was an official selection of the Indie Episodic program. A funny and uniquely human comedy, Work in Progress features McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke from Chicago whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago-based performers Theo Germaine and Karin Anglin co-star alongside Celeste Pechous, with Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live, Shrill) appearing in a crucial role as herself.

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

Last week, Comedy Central cancelled both Detroiters and Another Period. It was, frankly, a shame - both shows, particularly Detroiters, were truly weird, funny, and creative in ways the best Comedy Central shows are. As Comedy Central cancels these two series and also looks to the end of Broad City next year, it leaves me wondering: what does the future look like for the comedy-focused cable network? For the past five years or so, the network has enjoyed something of a creative renaissance, with shows like Broad City, Review, Nathan for You, Inside Amy Schumer, Another Period and Detroiters giving the network a lot of excellent, creative series and allowing it a reputation for being a home for daring and experimental comedy. Now, though, most of those shows have either been cancelled (Review, Nathan for You, Detroiters, Another Period), will be ending soon (Broad City) or on a seemingly never-ending hiatus (Inside Amy Schumer).

So what's left? Well, the network still has Corporate, which is in a similar vein as the network's past shows, but other than that...it certainly seems as if it may be moving away from the constant stream of high-quality originals it once had. It's unfortunate, especially for a show like Detroiters, cut down in its prime. There is currently an online movement to get another network to pick up Detroiters - and while it seems like a bit of a long shot for a small scale cult hit, I'm hoping that zany comedy like Detroiters can find a home somewhere.




The sixteenth season of The Voice will premiere on Monday, February 25, 2019 from 8:00-10:00pm ET/PT with new coach John Legend joining Kelly, Blake and Adam on the panel. It will be followed on Monday nights by The Enemy Within, the new drama starring Jennifer Carpenter and Morris Chestnut at 10:00pm ET/PT. Both will air through May 20. The Voice will also air on Tuesdays from 8:00–9:00pm ET/PT through March 5. On February 26, it will be followed by the third season premiere of World of Dance from 9:00–11:00pm ET/PT. The Voice will return to Tuesday nights when live episodes begin on April 23 and will air from 8:00–9:00pm ET/PT through the rest of the season thru May 21.

World of Dance moves to its normal time period Sunday, March 3 where it will air from 8:00–10:00pm ET/PT followed by the second season of Good Girls at 10:00pm ET/PT through May 12. The second season of comedy A.P. Bio will premiere on Thursday, March 7 at 8:30pm ET/PT where it will air through May 16. Following This Is Us on Tuesday, March 12, NBC will premiere the new drama The Village at 10:00pm ET/PT. It will air in that time period following the remaining three episodes of This Is Us and then will move to 9:00PM ET/PT from April 2-May 14 followed by New Amsterdam which is at 10:00pm ET/PT.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're learning that some long running (but still popular) sitcoms that were expected to wrap up at the end of the upcoming season may be going on a little longer anyway. Also, we're hearing that NBC has missed a deadline to renew Trial & Error, meaning that a third season could still appear elsewhere. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

NBC has ordered two new comedies and picked-up A.P. Bio for a second season so far in pre-upfront news. From the producers of The Good Place comes a hilariously aspirational new comedy titled Abby's, about the best bar in San Diego, home to good prices, great company and, of course, Abby. This unlicensed, makeshift bar nestled in her backyard is the opposite of everything annoying about today's party scene. There are rules at Abby's: no cell phones (not even to "look something up"), earning a seat at the bar takes time and losing a challenge means drinking a limey, sugary "not-beer" drink. As the oddball cast of regulars will tell you, hanging out at Abby's is a coveted honor. But once you're in, you're family. The cast for this traditional multi-camera sitcom has Natalie Morales, Nelson Franklin, Kimia Behpoornia, Jessica Chaffin, Leonard Ouzts and Neil Flynn.

Next, they have ordered single-camera comedy I Feel Bad. Emet is the perfect mom, boss, wife, friend and daughter. OK, she's not perfect. In fact, she's just figuring it out like the rest of us. Sure, she feels bad when she has a sexy dream about someone other than her husband, or when she pretends not to know her kids when they misbehave in public, or when she uses her staff to help solve personal problems. But that's OK, right? Nobody can have it all and do it perfectly. From executive producer Amy Poehler comes a modern comedy about being perfectly OK with being imperfect. The cast includes Sarayu Blue, Paul Adelstein, Aisling Bea, Zach Cherry, Johnny Pemberton and James Buckley. NBC has also picked-up a second season of A.P. Bio. The comedy stars Glenn Howerton, Patton Oswalt, Lyric Lewis, Mary Sohn, Jean Villepique, Tom Bennett, Paula Pell, Charlie McCrackin, Jacob McCarthy, Aparna Brielle, Nick Peine, Allisyn Ashley Arm, Eddie Leavy, Jacob Houston, Sari Arambulo, Tucker Albrizzi and Spence Moore II also star.

Netflix announced that the bloody good Santa Clarita Diet has been renewed for a third season. The comedy series is slated to return in 2019 with ten all-new episodes. In Santa Clarita Diet, Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and Sheila (Drew Barrymore) are husband and wife realtors leading vaguely discontented lives in the L.A. suburb of Santa Clarita with their teenaged daughter Abby (Liv Hewson), until Sheila goes through a dramatic change sending their lives down a road of death and destruction...but in a good way. Starring: Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, Skyler Gisondo

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

It's pretty fair, at this point, to say that this was a bust year for new sitcoms. After NBC's AP Bio has gotten off to a slow start both commercially and critically, it becomes the latest in a long line of disappointing network comedies. Is this the end for network comedies? Have streaming and cable finally overtaken the network sitcom we all know and love? Well...maybe not. Every time there's an off year for sitcoms, it seems that armies of people become ready to bury the network sitcom, and yet it always comes back eventually. Still, it'd be nice to have a solid new slate of sitcoms next year. Here are some things I'd like to see from upcoming network sitcoms.

Interesting concepts. The best comedy on network TV right now is The Good Place, and while that show works largely because of its excellent cast and top-notch writing, its truly unique concept certainly helps. The show feels absolutely nothing like anything else on TV, and it's managed to still be a critical and commercial success. I would love to see more of The Good Place's innovation on network television. After all, its success proves that show can be as original and mind-blowing as The Good Place and still pull in a large enough audience to be an easy renewal every year. So what's network TV's excuse?

Ensemble comedies. Over the past few years, the ensemble comedy has sort of fallen by the wayside. The one major exception is NBC's Superstore, another of the few critical and commercially successful comedies left on broadcast TV. A few years ago, ensemble series were all the rage, from Community to The Office to Happy Endings to Cougar Town. I'd love to see them make a comeback. A good ensemble comedy can feel like hanging out with a cherished group of friends week after week.

High quality multi-camera sitcoms. The multi-camera sitcom has experienced a small creative resurgence with shows like The Carmichael Show (rest in peace...), One Day at a Time and Mom, but it still feels like networks aren't really giving them much effort. Even CBS, long the staple of the multi-camera sitcom, is focusing its attention more on its single-cams as of late than its multi-cams. But when done right, a multi-camera sitcom can be something special, broad enough to appeal to a wide audience but specific enough to really appeal to audience its crafted for. It would be great to see a show like One Day at a Time on broadcast television. Perhaps the Roseanne remake will do the trick. Which leads me to...

Less remakes. C'mon, networks - I get that it's tempting, but how long can this remake trend really last? After all, even Will & Grace has come down quite a bit since its big start. Remakes aren't sustainable, but new ideas and new talent is.

Nickelodeon announced it has greenlit a new live-action series, Cousins for Life (20 episodes), from veteran creators and executive producers Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert (Austin & Ally, All That). The new buddy comedy centers on 12-year-old cousins Stuart (Dallas Young) and Ivy (Scarlet Spencer), best friends who come from very different backgrounds, and learn to navigate life under one roof with their families. Cousins For Life begins production in Los Angeles this summer, and the series is scheduled to air later this year.

After Stuart's mom is deployed overseas, his fun-loving dad Clark (Ishmel Sahid) decides to move the family to Portland to live with his uptight brother Lewis (Ron G.) and his family, which includes Stuart's confident, socially active cousin Ivy and her younger, overly-curious brother Leaf (Micah Abbey). Now living in a brand new city, Stuart embarks on a variety of endeavors with Ivy that lead to hilarious adventures. Although the cousins do not always see eye-to-eye, Ivy and Stuart learn they are better together, and when they team up, they are unstoppable.

Living Biblically - Mondays at 9:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres Monday, February 26, 2018 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Todd

Chip Curry is a modern day man at a crossroads in his life, who decides to live strictly in accordance with the Bible. A film critic for a New York Newspaper and a soon-to-be father, Chip wants to be a better man following the loss of his best friend. He decides to put his slightly obsessive temperament to use and start living his life 100% by the Bible to find direction. His smart, pregnant wife, Leslie, while both skeptical and entertained by her husband’s new passion, supports him completely. Knowing he'll need some practical advice, Chip forms a “God Squad” with Father Gene, a Catholic Priest who helps Chip translate the rules of the Bible to a modern world; and Father Gene's best friend, easygoing Rabbi Gil Abelman, who respects Chip's chutzpah and is glad to serve as a sounding board when they meet at their local bar. At Chip's newspaper, he finds support from his no-nonsense boss, Ms. Meadows, who knows Chip’s self-penned story will sell newspapers, and his co-worker and friend, Vince, who is quick with a reality check and likes to wind Chip up for his own amusement. As he begins his sincere spiritual journey toward a more moral life with the help of his wife and friends, Chip wonders if he'll be able to take a page – or every page – out of the Good Book, and if the effect will be of Biblical proportions.

Cast Details:

Jay R. Ferguson as Chip Curry
Lindsey Kraft as Leslie Curry
Ian Gomez as Father Gene
David Krumholtz as Rabbi Gil Abelman
Tony Rock as Vince
Camryn Manheim as Ms. Meadows

Jay R. Ferguson (Chip Curry) recently starred in The Real O'Neals. His first sitcom starring role was as Taylor Newton in Evening Shade. Some of his other television credits include The Outsiders, Glory Days, Judging Amy, Surface, Easy Money, Mad Men and Twin Peaks.

Lindsey Kraft (Leslie Curry) has appeared in the recurring role of Allison in Grace and Frankie. Some of her other television credits include NCIS, 2 Broke Girls, Getting On, Veep, Modern Family, Suits, The Newsroom, The Ranch, Lethal Weapon, Childrens Hospital and Bones.

Ian Gomez (Father Gane) starred as Courteney Cox's lovable neighbor Andy in Cougar Town. Some of his other starring credits include The Drew Carey Show, Felicity, The Norm Show, Jake in Progress and Rita Rocks.

David Krumholtz (Rabbi Gil Abelman) is best known for his role as Charlie Eppes in Numb3rs. Some of his other credits include Chicago Sons, The Trouble with Normal, The Lyon's Den, Partners and The Deuce.

Tony Rock (Vince) starred as Dirk Black in All of Us. Some of his other credits include Everybody Hates Chris and Mann and Wife. He is the younger brother of Chris Rock.

Camryn Manheim (Ms. Meadows) is best known for her roles as attorney Ellenor Frutt in The Practice and as Delia Banks in Ghost Whisperer. Some of her other television credits include The L Word, Harry's Law, Criminal Minds, Person of Interest and Extant.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs February 26 at 9:30PM ET)

Chip Curry (Jay R. Ferguson) is a modern-day man at a crossroads in his life who decides to live strictly in accordance with the Bible.

Directed by Andy Ackerman
Written by Patrick Walsh
Guest stars: Sara Gilbert as Cheryl, Joe DeRosa as Gary, June Squibb as Mrs. Murphy, Carla Renata as Gracie, Tiffany Panhilason as Josie

"False Idols" (Airs March 5 at 9:30PM ET)

When Father Gene and Rabbi Gil (the “God Squad”) point out to Chip that his addiction to his smartphone is the same as worshiping a false idol, Chip decides to stop using it, causing his wife, Leslie, and his officemates to worry about his whereabouts.

Directed by Andy Ackerman
Written by Sophia Lear
Guest stars: Sara Gilbert as Cheryl, Lateefa Holder as Ticket Clerk, Gary Kraus as Rick, A.J. Rivera as Florist, Forte Rodriguez as Police Officer

Analysis:

Living Biblically is a multi-camera sitcom from Alcide Bava Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. The series is created by Patrick Walsh. It's based on the The New York Times bestselling book The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. Patrick Walsh, Johnny Galecki, Andrew Haas and Spencer Medoff are the executive producers.

In the "Pilot" episode, Chip goes to a confessional booth to talk to a priest (Father Gene). He's a lapsed Catholic who is not there to confess. Chip tells him that he wants to live his life 100% by the Bible to the letter, which causes Father Gene to laugh uncontrollably. In some flashback scenes, Chip tells a long story on how he came to his decision. His best friend of 30 years, Ray, died recently. He talks to Ray's mother, Mrs. Murphy. Chip reviews movies for a newspaper in Manhattan. He talks to his co-workers Gary and Vince. He talks to Ms. Meadows who has fired an employee. His wife, Leslie, drops a bombshell that she is pregnant. He later goes to the bookstore and talks to an employee there named Gracie. A copy of the Bible is in his basket and he receives a sign. He tells Leslie that he wants to live his life according to the Bible until they have their baby. Father Gene gives him his card. Chips wears some new threads to work and brings donuts. Chip later talks to Father Gene and his friend, Rabbi Gil, at a bar. Leslie calls them Chip's answer guys or "God Squad". Chip and Leslie have dinner and the restaurant where they see Gary with his mistress, Josie. Ms. Meadows later offers Chip 3 more articles per week and more money to write about his journey. The episode closes with a scene of Chip remembering his departed friend Ray.

The "Pilot" episode is very good overall. Sitcom veteran Andy Ackerman (Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine) does a fine job directing. It's fast-paced, funny and enjoyable. They do a good job of introducing the characters in a short amount of time. There's a nice mix of workplace, bar and home comedy. It feels a little bit like The Office, Cheers and How I Met Your Mother. It will be interesting to see these characters further developed in future episodes.

Living Biblically boasts a talented and experienced cast. Jay R. Ferguson was recently in The Real O'Neals and brings plenty of comedy experience. Lindsey Kraft is a relative newcomer compared to the rest of cast, but she has plenty of television credits. The "God Squad", Ian Gomez and David Krumholtz, are both comedy veterans. The workplace group of Tony Rock, Camryn Manheim and Sara Gilbert bring some funny laughs and one-liners. Sara Gilbert is listed as a special guest star, but she has a good-sized role in the first two episodes. Her Roseanne co-star Johnny Galecki is one of the executive producers of the series. JoBeth Williams guest stars as Leslie’s mother, Diana, a scientist who spars with Chip about the power of prayer in an upcoming episode.

Conclusion:

Living Biblically has some good potential. It features a likable and veteran cast. There are many familiar faces to television audiences. This is Lindsey Kraft's first major starring role. She has some good chemistry already with Jay R. Ferguson. They are an appealing couple. It has a good amount of laughs mixed in with some poignant moments. There's a nice blend of workplace, bar and home comedy. I'm not familiar with the book the series is inspired by, but it makes for an interesting premise for a weekly sitcom.

The show should fit in well on CBS' Monday night schedule of multi-camera sitcoms. CBS tried a religion-based comedy with Angel from Hell a few years ago, but it didn't have much success and was cancelled quickly. This one should have more of a chance to catch on because it's a more traditional sitcom filmed in front of a studio audience. There haven't been any really successful religion-themed sitcoms since Amen, so this seems like a fresh and interesting concept. It should be entertaining to follow Chip's journey in future episodes. I'm a believer in Living Biblically. Tune in on Monday nights on CBS at 9:30PM ET/PT.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3.5/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Monday, February 26, 2018 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

CBS.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Living Biblically Photo Gallery

Preview:

NBC is switching the time periods for two new comedies starting next Thursday (March 8). The time periods for A.P. Bio and Champions will switch starting Thursday, March 8, the day of the series premiere of Champions. The timeslot premiere of A.P. Bio will air at 8:30pm ET/PT through May 17, while the series premiere of Champions will air at 9:30pm ET/PT through May 3. In Champions, Vince, a charismatic gym owner with no ambition, lives with his younger brother Michael, a gorgeous idiot. Their simple life of women and working out is put on hold when the teenage son of Vince is dropped off on their doorstep by Priya (Mindy Kaling), one of his old high school flings. The cast includes Anders Holm, Andy Favreau, J.J. Totah, Mouzam Makkar, Nina Wadia and guest star Mindy Kaling.

In A.P. Bio, when disgraced Harvard philosophy scholar Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) loses out on his dream job, he is forced to return to Toledo, Ohio, and work as a high school Advanced Placement biology teacher. As he comes crashing in to Whitlock High School, Jack makes it absolutely clear he will not be teaching any biology. Realizing he has a room full of honor roll students at his disposal, Jack decides instead to use the kids for his own benefit. Eager to prove that he is still king of the castle, Principal Durbin (Patton Oswalt) struggles to control the force of nature that is Jack Griffin. Mary Sohn, Lyric Lewis, Jean Villepique, Jacob McCarthy and Tom Bennett also star.

A.P. Bio - Thursdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Vincent

When disgraced Harvard philosophy scholar Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) loses out on his dream job, he is forced to return to Toledo, Ohio, and work as a high school AP Bio teachers. Jack makes it absolutely clear he will not be teaching any biology. Realizing he has a room full of honor roll students at his disposal, Jack decides instead to use the kids for his own benefit.

Cast Details:

Glenn Howerton as Jack Griffin
Patton Oswalt as Principal Durbin
Tom Bennett as Myles
Tucker Alibrizzi as Colin
Allisyn Ashley Arm as Heather

Glenn Howerton (Jack) is best known for his role as Dennis Reynolds on the long-running FX hit comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He has also appeared in recurring roles on The Mindy Project and Fargo.

Patton Oswalt (Principal Durbin) is a comedic actor, known for his role as Spencer on The King of Queens and Remy in the Pixar film Ratatouille. He is also a popular stand-up comedian and has guest starred on many shows, including Parks and Recreation, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Veep.

Tom Bennett (Myles) is a British actor who has appeared in many British television shows, including The Hunt for Tony Blair, Red Cap, The Worst Week of My Life, My Hero, Life Begins, The Booze Cruise II, Foyle's War, Midsomer Murders and EastEnders, playing Steve Clarke.

Tucker Alibrizzi (Colin) is a young comedic actor, known for his role on shows such as Big Time Rush and Good Luck Charlie, as well as in films such as Bridesmaids and I Am Number Four.

Allisin Ashley Arm (Heather) is an American actress known for her main role as Zora Lancaster on Sonny with a Chance and in Disney Channel's sketch comedy series So Random!

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs Thursday, February 1 at 9:30PM ET)

Jack Griffin is the newest AP Bio teacher in Toldeo, Ohio, but he makes it clear he will not be teaching any biology – instead, Jack decides instead to use the kids to enact revenge on his rival and take the job that is rightfully his, much to the chagrin of his principal, who is attempting to balance Jack and the school while maintaining his "nice guy" composure.

Analysis:

AP Bio is a weird show. It feels like it wants to be a cable comedy along the lines of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, disregarding things such as plot, character development and empathy and employing a go-for-broke dark humor where everything is a target for laughs. Of course, anyone who watches It's Always Sunny (or You're the Worst or Broad City or any similarly-veined cable comedy) knows that these shows don’t actually disregard plot or character development or even empathy – they just deploy them in less traditional, in-your-face ways. It's Always Sunny may be about a group of sociopaths, but it depicts them in ways that are interesting and most importantly, funny. AP Bio, unfortunately, didn’t seem to realize that was a requirement.

One might look at AP Bio and assume that it will follow the "cold-hearted jerk winds up being inspired by a group of lovable misfits" progression – I saw a lot of Community comparisons when the trailer was released last spring. However, AP Bio makes it clear early on that it has little interesting in transforming its truly deplorable lead character – in the first 5 minutes of the pilot, he tells his students, "I will not be learning from you." That's fine! A truly rotten lead character in a comedy series could be a great source of laughs. But AP Bio doesn't seem to have any direction for its lead character other than "he's a jerk." There are plenty of jerks depicted on TV. "Jerk" is not an interesting character trait in and of itself, and through-out the four episodes released to critics, Griffin never seems to become anything other than "jerk."

On top of it all, AP Bio is just downright mean. It feels like a leftover from 2000s-era sitcoms, when network TV was desperately trying to recreate Seinfeld and did so by churning out a handful of dark, cynical comedies where nothing ever seemed to go right for anyone. Most of these shows were terrible, but some went on to be classics – I'd probably say The Office and 30 Rock had some of this vibe, but those shows succeeded by creating interesting worlds of characters that felt like human beings, and the cynicism of those shows worlds were crafted in a way that was funny and felt like a commentary on their own premises. AP Bio just feels mean for the sake of being mean. It has a great cast, some funny lines, and all of the makings of a good show, but underneath its glossy surface, there's not much there. Hopefully, it can take a cue from some of the excellent comedies on the network it airs on such as The Good Place and Superstore and craft an identity of its own, otherwise it's going to stick out like quite a sore thumb on an excellent line-up.

Conclusion:

AP Bio isn't a total waste of time – Glenn Howerton does good work with a fairly uninspiring lead character, and there are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Unfortunately, the show suffers from being too mean-spirited and operating without much of a purpose. There's nothing about Jack Griffin or anyone on AP Bio that feels unique or lived in – they're just hollow joke machines, churning out jokes that are sometimes funny but not frequently enough to excuse just how little there it the show. There is potential here, so hopefully the creative team can re-evaluate some of the series’ flaws and make better use of its talented cast.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 2/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 2.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

A.P. Bio Photo Gallery

Preview:

Freeform, Disney's young adult television network, announced that rising star Sofia Carson (Descendants) has joined the cast of the drama pilot Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. Carson will play Ava, a beautiful trendsetting blogger and coder, who strives to be a fashion icon. She joins Pretty Little Liars stars Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish in the spinoff pilot. Carson will also appear on the upcoming season of Freeform's series Famous in Love, which like Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists is executive produced by I. Marlene King. Carson will guest star on the series as Sloane, the daughter of a movie mogul, who becomes entwined with Paige Townsen and her friends. The second season of Famous in Love will premiere on Wednesday, April 4 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Freeform, streaming, and on demand. Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, is based on the popular book series "The Perfectionists," written by Sara Shepard, who also penned the No. 1 New York Times bestselling book series "Pretty Little Liars." Everything about the town of Beacon Heights seems perfect, from their top-tier college to their overachieving residents, but nothing in Beacon Heights is as it appears to be. The stress of needing to be perfect leads to the town's first murder. Behind every Perfectionist is a secret, a lie and a needed alibi.

Moving on to NBC at the TCA 2018 Winter Press Tour, we have news on a new comedy. From Executive Producers Mindy Kaling and Charlie Grandy, Champions will premiere Thursday, March 8 and will air at 8:30pm through May 17. From executive producers Charlie Grandy (The Mindy Project, Guys with Kids) and Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project), Vince is living every bachelor’s dream. He owns the fifth largest gym in Brooklyn, dates an endless string of beautiful women and lives with his dumb, lovable brother Matthew. But Vince's simple life gets complicated fast when his high school fling Priya (Mindy Kaling) unexpectedly drops off their 15-year-old son Michael so he can attend a city school for super-talented kids. How will Vince handle this wildly ambitious and hilariously witty teenager? Well, somehow he’ll have to work it out. Next, fresh off its stellar debut, NBC has ordered a 13-episode second season of its new hit alternative series Ellen's Game of Games.

NBC's newest comedy A.P. Bio, starring Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt with Seth Meyers and Lorne Michaels as executive producers, will premiere two original episodes on digital platforms. As we mentioned, A.P. Bio will launch as a special preview on NBC Thursday, Feb. 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT with Will & Grace as its lead-in. The following two episodes (along with the pilot) will be available across digital platforms, including the NBC App, Hulu and those run by NBC owned and affiliated stations, beginning Feb 2, one day after the show debuts on the network. The digital episodes will then air when the series returns on NBC, first on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 10:30 p.m., immediately following the Closing Ceremony of the Winter Olympics from PyeongChang, South Korea; and then on Thursday, March 1 at 8:30 p.m. A.P. Bio will move to its normal 9:30 p.m. Thursday timeslot beginning March 1. And finally, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will host a star-studded guest lineup in Minneapolis for its special post-Super Bowl episode on Sunday, Feb. 4, including Justin Timberlake, Dwayne Johnson and the cast of NBC's hit series This Is Us: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley. The show will air live from the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis following NBC's broadcast of Super Bowl LII, an original episode of This Is Us and late local news.

The debut of grown-ish (Jan. 3, 2018, 8:00-8:31 p.m. EST) ranked as Freeform's biggest series launch in 2 years among Total Viewers (1.562 million), Adults 18-49 (917,000/0.71 rating), Women 18-49 (658,000/1.01 rating), Women 18-34 (340,000/0.98 rating) and Females 12-34 (448,000/0.96 rating) - since Shadowhunters on 1/12/16. Freeform's grown-ish out-delivered the channel's most-recent comedy debut by strong triple digits (Kevin From Work on 8/12/15) across all key demographics: Total Viewers (+111%), Adults 18-49 (+132%), Women 18-34 (+170%), Females 12-34 (+152%) and Female Teens 12-17 (+108%). In fact, grown-ish opened as Freeform's best comedy debut in nearly 6 years in Total Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Women 18-49 - since long-running hit Baby Daddy on 6/20/12.

Competitively, the grown-ish debut opened as Wednesday's No. 1 scripted series on cable TV among Women 18-49, Women 18-34 and Females 12-34. The 8:00 p.m. debut of grown-ish was the strongest scripted comedy series launch on basic cable among Women 18-49 since April 2014 (MTV's Faking It), among Women 18-34 since July 2014 (FX's Married) and among Adults 18-49 since September 2016 (FX's Atlanta).

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

As we wind down to the end of 2017, with most networks now off for the season, I thought I take a look back at how 2017 was for sitcoms overall. All in all, there were some genuinely great new sitcoms to be excited over this year. Netflix's One Day at a Time was a wonderful addition to the sitcom slate, and one of the best multi-camera sitcoms in several years. Additionally, Netflix's GLOW was a very different kind of sitcom (arguably something of a dramedy, but it was structured similarly to a sitcom) but still managed to be a worthy addition to the canon. While those are the two major new sitcoms that stand out in my mind as being especially noteworthy, they were pretty excellent additions, ones that I can (hopefully) see myself enjoying for years and years.

However, much of my sitcom enjoyment from the past few years involves returning series. My favorite show of the entire year was The Good Place, which I've raved about enough times, but - to rave again - is the most innovative and unique network sitcom in quite some time. There's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which is going to seriously incredible dark and moving places this season. There's long-running but still great stalwarts like Bob's Burgers and Brooklyn Nine-Nine that continue to impressively chug along producing excellent episodes every week. And then there's left-field, strange but incredible cable comedies like Broad City, Search Party, and Nathan for You that continue to innovate, experiment and keep us on our toes week after week.

There are plenty of great sitcoms on the air. Peak TV has pretty much guaranteed that, at any time, there will be an endless stream of quality content on the airwaves - and if you're not satisfied with that, you have an entire library of old classics waiting for you. All in all, it was another good year to be a sitcom fan.

NBC has set a premiere date for a new comedy. A.P. Bio, from Executive Producers Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels and Mike Shoemaker and starring Glenn Howerton and Patton Oswalt, will have a special preview on Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 9:30pm ET/PT. The season premiere will be Thursday, March 1, 2018, after the Olympics conclude, at 8:30pm ET/PT, with a second new episode at 9:30pm ET/PT. The latter will remain its time period through the rest of its season through May 3, 2018. When disgraced Harvard philosophy scholar Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton) loses out on his dream job, he is forced to return to Toledo, Ohio, and work as a high school Advanced Placement biology teacher. As he comes crashing in to Whitlock High School, Jack makes it absolutely clear he will not be teaching any biology. Realizing he has a room full of honor roll students at his disposal, Jack decides instead to use the kids for his own benefit. Eager to prove that he is still king of the castle, Principal Durbin (Patton Oswalt) struggles to control the force of nature that is Jack Griffin.

getTV presents beloved leading man Burt Reynolds in the rare 1970 police drama Dan August, airing 10 classic episodes as part of the network's "Get Lost In TV" block on Sunday, May 21, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Dan August stars Reynolds - one year before his breakthrough role in the classic thriller Deliverance - as the titular lieutenant investigating the homicide beat in his hometown of Santa Luisa, CA. August's job is complicated by figures from his past, with whom he often finds himself at odds, as he works to keep the streets safe with the help of his partner, Sgt. Wilentz (Norman Fell, before Three's Company), and Chief Untermeyer (Richard Anderson, three years before his star turn on The Six Million Dollar Man).

The Dan August "Get Lost In TV" block features a slew of impressive guest appearances, bringing together future famous duos such as Harrison Ford and Billy Dee Williams before they joined the Rebellion as Han Solo and Lando Calrissian in Star Wars; as well as John Ritter, in just his second acting role, and Norman Fell before they met up at the Regal Beagle on Three's Company; and Donna Mills and Joan Van Ark before they moved into Knots Landing. Other notable guests include Mickey Rooney, Martin Sheen, Larry Hagman, Ricardo Montalban, Lee Meriwether, Carolyn Jones, Vera Miles, Dabney Coleman, and Gary Busey in his third acting role.

We are less than a week away from the annual upfront week and NBC has ordered three new series...so far. The series are: comedy A.P. Bio and dramas Rise and For God and Country. In A.P. Bio, when a philosophy scholar loses out on his dream job and goes to work as a high school Advanced Placement biology teacher, he makes it clear he will not be teaching any biology. Realizing he has a room full of honor roll students at his disposal, he decides instead to use the kids to his own benefit. The cast includes Glenn Howerton, Patton Oswalt, Lyric Lewis, Mary Sohn, Aparna Brielle, Jacob McCarthy, Nick Peine and guest star Vanessa Bayer.

Rise is a heartening new drama about finding inspiration in unexpected places. When dedicated teacher and family man Lou Mazzuchelli (Josh Radnor) sheds his own self-doubt and takes over the school's lackluster theater department, he galvanizes not only the faculty and students but the entire working-class town. Inspired by a true story. The cast includes Josh Radnor, Rosie Perez, Marley Shelton, Auli'i Cravalho, Damon J. Gillespie, Amy Forsyth, Rarmian Newton, Ted Sutherland, Casey Johnson, Taylor Richardson, Joe Tippett and Shirley Rumierk.

In For God and Country, from the production team behind Homeland comes a fresh, heart-pounding journey into the complex world of America's elite undercover military heroes. While D.I.A. Deputy Director Patricia Campbell (Anne Heche) and her team of analysts wield the world's most advanced surveillance technology from Washington, D.C., Adam Dalton and his heroic Special Ops squad of highly trained undercover specialists use their unbreakable bond and commitment to freedom to save lives of innocent people and execute missions in some of the most dangerous places in the world. The cast includes Anne Heche, Mike Vogel, Sofia Pernas, Tate Ellington, Natacha Karam, Demetrius Grosse, Noah Mills and Hadi Tabbal.