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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 spring, NBC quietly premiered the newest Mike Schur sitcom Abby's. For as much clout as Schur has, Abby's hasn't gotten a whole lot of press, even though it hails from the genius behind The Good Place, Parks and Rec and Brooklyn 99. Some of that may be that it's a multi-camera, and multi-camera sitcoms don't typically appeal to the same kind of viewer that those shows do. Another reason could be that it's not a great show yet - but it shows potential to be one, and frankly, that's basically the same thing I'd say for the early episodes of the shows listed above, particularly Parks and Rec, which had a really rough first season but found itself in Season 2.

Abby's is a series about an "unlicensed bar" that takes places in titular character Abby's backyard, but it's basically just a hangout sitcom about a bunch of friends who like spending time with one another. In some ways, it feels a little like an updated Cheers (Abby's is definitely a place where "everybody knows your name"), but it also recalls early 2010s hang-out sitcoms like Cougar Town, Happy Endings and New Girl, a genre that feels like it's fallen out of favor a bit, as most comedies now are more high-concept, such as The Good Place, or workplace comedies, such as Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The hangout sitcom can sometimes be a little aimless, which is what has stopped Abby's from being great yet, but it's also the type of show that works better once you know the characters well - all of the hangout sitcoms I listed above, for example, really didn't become great until the back half of their first or their second seasons, once their characters were more established. Unfortunately, the ratings for Abby's have been disastrous, and a Season 2 seems unlikely - but you never know, stranger shows have been renewed, and Mike Schur is someone NBC likely wants to stay in business with. I'd like Abby's to stick around to figure itself out, so even though it's not quite great yet, I'd urge you to give it a chance.

Netflix teams with Sean Hayes, Mike Schur and Gabe Liedman for adult animated sitcom Q-Force, coming soon to the streaming service (no premiere date just yet). Netflix has ordered 10 half-hour episodes. Q-Force is a half-hour, animated comedy about a handsome secret agent and his team of fellow LGBTQ superspies. Constantly underestimated by their colleagues, the members of Q-Force have to prove themselves time and again as they embark on extraordinary professional (and personal) adventures. Showrunner/Writer/EP: Gabe Liedman (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, PEN 15). EP: Mike Schur (The Office, The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine). NWEPs: Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, David Miner

Abby's - Thursdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Todd

From Michael Schur (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation and Master of None) and Josh Malmuth (New Girl, Superstore) comes a hilarious new comedy about the best neighborhood bar in San Diego –– home to low prices, good company and, of course, Abby (Natalie Morales, BoJack Horseman, Girls, Parks and Recreation).

This unlicensed, makeshift establishment in Abby’s backyard is the perfect gathering place for locals to find camaraderie and sanctuary. To maintain the perfect bar ecosystem, all patrons must abide by a specific set of rules. This includes no cell phones (not even to look something up), understanding that earning a seat at the bar takes time to rise through the hierarchy and knowing that losing a challenge may have some unpleasant and unpalatable drink-related repercussions.

As bar owner, Abby has found her true calling, hosting friends and newcomers alike. No nonsense, Abby is ex-military, having served two tours as a Staff Sergeant in the Marines. Her world is shaken when new landlord Bill (Nelson Franklin, black-ish, Veep, New Girl), who recently inherited the house from his deceased aunt, unexpectedly shows up citing all kinds of reasons why the whole venture is illegal. Newly divorced, he is a cautious worrier and definite non-risk-taker who eventually warms to the place and agrees to let the bar remain open, provided Abby makes some changes.

The cast of regulars also includes Fred (Neil Flynn, The Middle, Scrubs), a fixture at the bar who is grateful for a place to enjoy a beer and conversation – and refuses to allow some bureaucratic busybody to disrupt his perfect refuge; Beth (Jessica Chaffin, Big Mouth, Search Party, Pitch Perfect 3), a harried mom living next door who can escape the madness of her home life while still keeping an eye on things from her perch atop a bar stool; Rosie (Kimia Behpoornia, Unicorn Store, Pop Rox), the bar manager who prides herself on having memorized all 162 rules and regulations; and James (Leonard Ouzts, Set It Up, Master of None), the gentle scaredy-cat of a bouncer who crumbles in the face of confrontation.

As any regular patron of Abby’s will attest to, hanging out there is a coveted honor. And once you’re in, you’re family.

Cast Details:

Natalie Morales as Abby
Neil Flynn as Fred
Nelson Franklin as Bill
Jessica Chaffin as Beth
Leonard Ouzts as James
Kimia Behpoornia as Rosie


Natalie Morales (Abby) starred as Claire Lacoste in the Fox comedy The Grinder. She had a recurring role as Lucy in Parks and Recreation. Some of her other credits include Santa Clarita Diet, Girls and Trophy Wife. She starred in the first season of White Collar.

Neil Flynn (Fred) is best known for his roles as Janitor in Scrubs and Mike Heck in The Middle. Some of his sitcom guest appearances include Seinfeld, The Drew Carey Show, Ellen, That '70s Sho Show, Norm, Joey, My Boys, Surviving Jack and Undateable.

Nelson Franklin (Bill) starred as Adam in the CBS sitcom The Millers. He starred in the short-lived Fox comedy Traffic Light. He's had recurring roles in black-ish, New Girl, Veep and The Office.

Jessica Chaffin (Beth) appeared as Marie Faldonado in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan. She had a recurring role as Coco Wexler on Nickelodeon's Zoey 101. Some of her sitcom guest appearances include Search Party, Veep, Episodes, New Girl and 2 Broke Girls.

Leonard Ouzts (James) is a stand-up comedian who has made guest appearances in Master of None. His film credits include Set It Up and Like Father.

Kimia Behpoornia (Rosie) has made guest appearances in Adam Ruins Everything, After Hours, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Modern Family and Station 19.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs March 28 at 9:30PM ET)

Abby's (Natalie Morales) unlicensed backyard bar hits a major snag when new landlord Bill (Nelson Franklin), who recently inherited the house from his deceased aunt, shows up and proposes major changes.

Analysis:

Abby's is a multi-camera sitcom produced by Universal Television, Fremulon, Waila Inc. and 3 Arts Entertainment. The series is created by Josh Malmuth. The producers include Malmuth, Michael Schur, David Miner and Pamela Fryman. The "Pilot" episode is written by Josh Malmuth and directed by Pamela Fryman. Ten episodes have been ordered.

In the "Pilot" episode, we meet Abby, her co-workers and some of the regular bar patrons. Abby gives Fred a drink and calls him the Cal Ripken, Jr. of low grade alcohol. Fred wants to be compensated with free drinks. They discuss the pros and cons of keeping a dart board. Fred fact checks Abby that darts are British. Fred agrees to the challenge, but must accept a sugary, disgusting lime not beer when he loses the bet. Bill walks in and asks for Abby. He is Abby's new landlord since his Aunt Alice has passed away. Bill is told there is a vetting process before customers are able to take a seat the bar. Bill says the bar needs to be shut down. Abby gives him a tour of the bar. She tells him that it's more than a bar and that it's a community center. Bill tries to document everything, but Abby kicks away his phone. The gang talks about Abby's past. They show the 162 rules and regulations the bar has, including no cell phones. Abby begs Bill to keep the bar open. Bill suggests some changes to get a liquor license, have an emergency plan, get some business insurance and lose the grill. Fred, Beth and Rosie go inside Abby's house and tell her they need the bar. Abby tells Bill they will make some changes to keep the bar open.

Overall, the "Pilot" episode is fast paced and well produced. There are many funny one-liners from all of the characters. It provides a good introduction to the characters. More of the characters personal lives will be explored in future episodes. They have assembled a talented cast. There's a good mix of comedy veterans and relative newcomers. The cast already has some good chemistry in the first few episodes. It should be easy for them bring in good guest stars for future episodes. Since the show is set in San Diego, maybe the Padres new star Manny Machado will make an appearance.

One of the unique aspects of the series is that it's filmed completely outdoors in front of a live studio audience. This is a regular occurrence with many single-camera series these days with no audience, but it's the first time that it's been done for a multi-camera comedy. They did an excellent job with designing the backyard bar set. It looks like a real bar with the attention to detail and the strung up lights. The bulk of scenes are on the bar set, but they also show the kitchen inside Abby's house. I like how they show overhead shots of the bar set with the studio audience in bleachers during some of the transitions. One minor complaint is the near constant music in the background. It adds to the authenticity of the setting at a bar, but it makes the dialogue a little difficult to hear at times. There's a lot happening with audio when you add in the audience laughter.

Conclusion:

Abby's has the potential and ingredients to be a solid hit. The producers have a great track record with their other sitcoms. They have put together a strong and likable cast. Natalie Morales is very charming and funny as Abby in her first lead role. The always funny and reliable Neil Flynn makes a welcome return to NBC where he starred in Scrubs. The rest of the supporting cast is a nice mix of comedy veterans and newcomers who seem to enjoy working together. The writing is very funny with many rapid fire jokes. It's always nice to see another traditional multi-camera sitcom on the air, but this one has a fresh idea with it being shot outdoors in front of a live studio audience. I think we'll see others filmed outdoors if it has any success. Abby's is basically an outdoors version of Cheers, but that's not a bad thing. It serves up some good, clean laughs. It should fit in well with the rest of the NBC Thursday night comedies.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

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

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Abby's Photo Gallery

Preview:

Fox is announcing summer premiere dates for returning series Beat Shazam, MasterChef and So You Think You Can Dance, as well as for new series Spin the Wheel. Air dates for Paradise Hotel and Miss USA® were previously announced. Beat Shazam keeps the jams coming with the Season Three premiere Monday, May 20 at 8:00PM ET/PT. Celebrating its milestone 10th season, MasterChef will air two nights per week, kicking off Wednesday, May 29 at 8:00 PM ET/PT and joining the Thursday lineup on Thursday, June 20 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Hosted by Cat Deeley, the Emmy Award-winning So You Think You Can Dance returns with an all-new season on Monday, June 10 at 9:00PM ET/PT.

Brand-new high-stakes game show Spin the Wheel will debut Thursday, June 20 at 9:00 PM ET/P), following MasterChef's time-period premiere on the night. Executive-produced by four-time Emmy Award-winning actor and 10-time Grammy Award-winning musician Justin Timberlake, and hosted by actor, director, writer and comedian Dax Shepard, the show offers life-changing opportunities to win fortunes each episode with the spin of a massive, unpredictable wheel.

Fox in-season finales include: Gotham (Thursday, April 25, 8:00 PM ET/PT); The Orville (Thursday, April 25, 9:00PM ET/PT); The Resident (Monday, May 6, 8:00PM ET/PT); Empire (Wednesday, May 8, 8:00PM ET/PT); Star (Wednesday, May 8, 9:00 PM ET/PT); Last Man Standing (Friday, May 10, 8:00 PM ET/PT); The Cool Kids (Friday, May 10, 8:30 PM ET/PT); Proven Innocent (Friday, May 10, 9:00 PM ET/PT); The Simpsons (Sunday, May 12, 8:00PM ET/PT); Bob's Burgers (Sunday, May 12, 8:30PM ET/PT); Family Guy (Sunday, May 12, 9:00PM ET/PT); 9-1-1, at a special time (Monday, May 13, 8:00PM ET/PT); Mental Samurai (Tuesday, May 21, 9:00PM ET/PT); and MasterChef Junior, in a special two-hour episode (Tuesday, June 4, 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

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 night on Comedy Central, it was the beginning of an end of an era: Broad City premiered its final season, as the show looks to end its run after five seasons of non-stop laughs and wildly funny antics. It's sad to see Broad City coming to an end, but it also is nice to see a show going out on its own terms while it's still on top, rather than puttering away after years of mediocrity. Broad City was truly a landmark series, one of the funniest sitcoms of the decade and certainly one that played fast and loose with established comedy rules and format. It's a show that I expect will very much define the comedy of the 2010s, and I'll miss it being such a consistent provider of laughs. I'm really trying to savor everything I have left with the show, because it truly was something special - and I know I'll be rewatching it endlessly in reruns.

Immediately after the final season of Broad City, Comedy Central will air the first season of The Other Two, an original comedy from Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, former SNL head writers. The Other Two is still in its early going, but it seems to hold a lot of promise, and the critical reception surrounding it has generally been quite positive. It certainly feels a bit like a "passing of the baton" situation, and The Other Two has some similarities with Broad City - it seems interested in breaking sitcom norms, follows quirky young people in New York City, and has an off-beat, wild sense of humor. The Other Two isn't quite at Broad City levels yet, but it certainly could get there with some time, and hopefully Comedy Central gives it a fair shot, as it'd be great if Broad City's departure didn't spell the end for high-quality comedy on the network. (Side note that Corporate is still airing and is still very darkly funny, and I really hope it doesn't go the way of poor Detroiters and get cancelled after its sophomore season.) So if you're interested in great cable comedy, Thursdays from 10 to 11 on Comedy Central for the next 10 weeks will be your spot. (Or, you know...streaming them on Hulu the next night.)

NBC will launch its new 10-episode midseason comedy Abby's on Thursday, March 28 at 9:30 p.m., following two weeks of Will & Grace lead-in at 9 p.m. on March 28 and April 4. The new comedy will run through Thursday, June 13, when it has its season finale. Abby's is executive produced by Josh Malmuth, Michael Schur and David Miner. Pamela Fryman directed the pilot. Abby's is shot outdoors in front of a live studio audience, the first time a multi-camera comedy has done so. This unlicensed, makeshift establishment in Abby's backyard is the perfect gathering place for locals to find camaraderie and sanctuary. To maintain the perfect bar ecosystem, all patrons must abide by a specific set of rules. This includes no cell phones (not even to look something up), understanding that earning a seat at the bar takes time to rise through the hierarchy and knowing that losing a challenge may have some unpleasant and unpalatable drink-related repercussions.

As bar owner, Abby (Natalie Morales, Parks and Recreation, The Grinder, Trophy Wife) has found her true calling, hosting friends and newcomers alike. No nonsense, Abby is ex-military, having served two tours as a Staff Sergeant in the Marines. Her world is shaken when new landlord Bill (Nelson Franklin, black-ish, Veep, New Girl), who recently inherited the house from his deceased aunt, unexpectedly shows up citing all kinds of reasons why the whole venture is illegal. Newly divorced, he is a cautious worrier and definite non-risk-taker who eventually warms to the place and agrees to let the bar remain open, provided Abby makes some changes.

The cast of regulars also includes Fred (Neil Flynn, The Middle, Scrubs), a fixture at the bar who is grateful for a place to enjoy a beer and conversation - and refuses to allow some bureaucratic busybody to disrupt his perfect refuge; Beth (Jessica Chaffin, Big Mouth, Search Party, Pitch Perfect 3), a harried mom living next door who can escape the madness of her home life while still keeping an eye on things from her perch atop a bar stool; Rosie (Kimia Behpoornia, Unicorn Store, Pop Rox), the bar manager who prides herself on having memorized all 162 rules and regulations; and James (Leonard Ouzts, Set It Up, Master of None), the gentle scaredy-cat of a bouncer who crumbles in the face of confrontation.

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