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

Normally, this time of year is a big one for TV. It's Upfronts season, the time of the year when TV networks are deciding their line-ups for next year, and renewing and cancelling shows en masse to prepare those line-ups. In recent years, the shine of Upfronts had worn off slightly as networks slowly inch towards a new world with online media and year-round programming. Still, Upfronts remained a centerpiece of television. This year, though, is obviously different. Networks will not be trotting out their line-ups to rooms packed full of advertisers as usual. And renewal and cancellation might be on the back burner. There are lingering questions, mainly, what does TV look like for the foreseeable future? At this point, no one really knows, but here are some options I'm thinking about.

Status quo schedules - Signs are indicating networks are going to keep their schedules mostly status quo since there is so much uncertainly about the next TV season. As of now, there have been many renewals but generally few cancellations. CBS did just cancel a handful of marginal comedy performers such as Man With a Plan, Carol's Second Act and Broke as well as the drama series Tommy. But NBC, Fox, and ABC all have many shows still on the bubble, and it seems possible that more of those bubble or marginal shows will make it to an additional season than usual, since there's no guarantee any new pilots will be ready for series by the fall if production doesn't resume.

Thinking out of the box - Some TV shows are still finding creative ways to continue production amongst the pandemic. Talk shows are still airing, but remotely and without a studio audience. Saturday Night Live has been doing "SNL at Home" using remote sketches. Live performance shows American Idol and The Voice are also doing remote episodes. Parks and Recreation had a special remote reunion episode, and there is talk of other shows doing the same. Some shows are even getting more creative, with both Pop TV sitcom One Day at a Time and NBC drama The Blacklist announcing they will remotely be producing an animated episode of their shows. It's possible we will see an increase in "creative" episodes such as remote episodes centered around video chatting platforms (Modern Family actually did a FaceTime episode back in 2015) or animated specials before production can safely resume. Still, it's hard to imagine too many scripted shows being able to pull off such a drastic format change for more than a handful of one-off specials. I can't imagine too many people would be interested in entire seasons structured this way. But it could be a fun way to keep fans engaged while TV shows are away.

Scaled-back production - There has been talk of, after it is safe to resume production, scaling back production so it can safely begin a bit earlier. It's hard to know when it will be safe for prestige drama series to travel internationally again, or when you can have hundreds of actors and extras packed together in a room again. One video call with Warner employees discussed limiting scenes where actors are close together for a while (so no love scenes). It's hard to imagine many shows existing within these constraints (how can you do Superstore without having the store full of customers? etc.) but it may be a reality some have to face.

Plotlines about Coronavirus - It's inevitable that some shows will want to tackle one of the biggest international crises in history. Coronavirus is arguably the biggest world crisis since World War II, so that makes it the first in television's history. We will probably see storylines about this virus for years to come, some good and some maybe not so good. Brooklyn Nine-Nine creator Dan Goor discussed having his show tackle it when it returns, since its characters would be frontline essential workers. A show like Grey's Anatomy or Superstore seems poised to tackle it, too.

No matter what happens, this is a very interesting time for TV, and it will certainly stand out when people go back and marathon through shows of today and discover strange remote specials or entire seasons where the actors were socially distanced. We'll see if that's reality, but for now, at least we have TV shows of the past.

Speaking of the Coronavirus, Freeform has ordered the limited scripted series Love in the Time of Corona, from executive producers Joanna Johnson (Good Trouble, The Fosters, Hope & Faith), Christine Sacani (Good Trouble, The Fosters) and Anonymous Content's Robyn Meisinger. This four-part romantic comedy series is a funny and hopeful look at the search for love, sex and connection during this time of social distancing. The series will follow several interwoven stories with an ensemble of characters who are sheltering in their homes, some of whom are wondering if a hookup with a roommate can ever be casual, while another is kicking herself for deciding to isolate with an ex. It is a show that takes a fresh look at love that knows no bounds. The series will be filmed using remote technologies while utilizing talents' real living spaces as the backdrop to the stories. Love in the Time of Corona will premiere in August.

CBS announced the return of 23 series, renewing 80% of its top-rated lineup for the 2020-2021 broadcast season. The Network will announce its new series and 2020-2021 primetime schedule in the coming weeks as part of a virtual upfront (more below). The returning shows include top series NCIS, Young Sheldon, FBI: Most Wanted, Bob (Hearts) Abishola, and 60 Minutes. Among the additional renewals are the dramas All Rise, Blue Bloods, Bull, FBI, MacGyver, Magnum P.I., NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, S.W.A.T. and Seal Team; comedies The Neighborhood and The Unicorn; reality series Undercover Boss; and the law and justice program 48 Hours. They join the previously announced renewals of Evil, Mom, Survivor, The Amazing Race and Young Sheldon. It wasn't all good news as four series were canceled: comedies Man with a Plan, Carol's Second Act and Broke and drama Tommy.

On Tuesday, May 19 (instead of the original upfront date of May 13), ViacomCBS Upfront @Home will unveil the fall programming lineup of the CBS Television Network and original programming from CBS All Access, the premium subscription video-on-demand platform. CBS will also preview exciting opportunities from CBS Sports, including Super Bowl LV, and highlight the powerful and important work being done by CBS News. This will be the first virtual upfront of the season. NBC is slated to have a virtual upfront sometime in June (full details to come) but no word yet on ABC, Fox and The CW. In place of the original NBC upfront date on May 11, NBCUniversal will do a virtual State of the Marketplace conversation focusing on the One Platform initiative (it will not be an upfront presentation on the 11th, so no fall schedule that day, that will occur in a to be determined date in June).

This May, Comedy Central will be binge-releasing Robbie, an all-new, original, scripted comedy series from stand-up comedian and actor, Rory Scovel (I Feel Pretty, Rory Scovel Tries Stand Up For The First Time). During this unprecedented moment in history when Americans are spending the majority of their time at home, Comedy Central will be making the full season of Robbie available to binge-watch online and through the brand's various viewing platforms. The season premiere episode will first debut on Comedy Central's linear channel on Thursday, May 7 at 11:45 p.m. ET/PT, after an all-new episode of late-night franchise, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

Immediately following its linear premiere, Robbie will be available to watch in its entirety via Comedy Central's YouTube channel, cc.com, the Comedy Central App, Comedy Central Video on Demand, and Comedy Central Now (via Amazon, Apple, & Roku). Robbie is a half-hour scripted series starring Rory Scovel. Robbie is a small town youth league basketball coach living in his father's shadow, until he realizes he has a son of his own who can lead him to greatness. Robbie is written by Rory Scovel and Anthony King (Broad City, Silicon Valley). Co-starring with Rory are Beau Bridges, who plays his father, Sasheer Zamata and Mary Holland. Scovel, King, and Scott Moran are executive producers. Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Betsy Koch and Owen Burke are executive producers for Gary Sanchez Productions. 

CBS announced the spring premieres dates for two comedies. Man with a Plan will return for its fourth season Thursday, April 2 at 8:30 PM ET/PT, after The Unicorn completes its season run, and the new comedy Broke will debut the same night at 9:30 PM ET/PT, after Carol's Second Act completes its season order. Man with a Plan stars Golden Globe Award winner Matt LeBlanc in a comedy about an old-school guy confronting the modern challenges of parenting, marriage and family. Liza Snyder, Kevin Nealon, Stacy Keach, Grace Kaufman, Matthew McCann, Hala Finley, Matt Cook and Kali Rocha also star.

Broke stars Jaime Camil and Pauley Perrette in a comedy about a single suburban mother (Perrette) who's shocked when her estranged sister, her sister's outrageously wealthy, big-hearted, Latin husband (Camil), and her husband's fiercely loyal assistant/driver/friend land on her doorstep in need of a place to live after the couple's money dries up. Though class differences may separate the women, and the size of the house and the number of people living in it will test the limits of family ties, the familiar bond of sisterhood might be the catalyst they need to restore their relationship. Natasha Leggero, Izzy Diaz and Antonio Corbo also star.

Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens has amassed 3.8 million total viewers including replays, streaming and premiere simulcast on a total of seven Viacom networks. Including L+3 playback, the January 22 premiere of Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens is Comedy Central's best primetime series launch in more than three years, notching a 0.56 P18-49 rating and 818,000 total viewers on Comedy Central. Ratings for the Comedy Central premiere telecast jumped double and triple digits in all key demos for L+3 viewing, including +155% among Asian viewers 18-49 (1.32 L+3) and +100% among Women 18-49 (0.59 L+3). Golden Globe winner Awkwafina (The Farewell, Crazy Rich Asians) stars in the half-hour scripted comedy inspired by her real-life growing up in Queens, NY. Raised by her Dad (BD Wong) and Grandma (Lori Tan Chinn) alongside her cousin (Bowen Yang), Nora Lin leans on her family as she navigates life and young adulthood in outer borough-NYC. The series was recently renewed for a second season.