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Created by and starring Pete Holmes, the critically acclaimed comedy series Crashing returns for its eight-episode third season Sunday, Jan. 20 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Executive produced by Pete Holmes, Judd Apatow (HBO's Girls and The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling), Judah Miller (Playing House) and Igor Srubshchik (Master of None), the series draws on Holmes' own experiences as a comedian, providing a nuanced, hilarious look at the state of comedy today. Fresh off of his two-month college comedy tour, Pete returns to New York City with newfound confidence in his comedic abilities. While growing more assured, he continues to struggle over what he really wants out of comedy and how to find a happy balance between his old, faith-based self and the new, more ambitious comic he's becoming.

Crashing's third season finds Pete reinvigorated - and no longer crashing on people's couches - as he reenters the NYC stand-up comedy world following his college tour. But even though he's improved, that doesn't mean he's at the head of the pack. While continuing to orbit around fellow comic and ex-girlfriend Ali (Jamie Lee), he connects with a new woman, Kat (Madeline Wise), who has a unique perspective on the comedy world and isn't trying to make it big by telling jokes. As Pete edges closer to success one stand-up set at a time, he continues to navigate his faith, dating and the ever-changing comedy scene.

Series veterans featured on season three of Crashing include: Lauren Lapkus (HBO's Animals) as Pete's ex-wife, Jessica; George Basil (Wrecked) as Leif, Jessica's former lover; Jamie Lee (Girl Code) as fellow comic and former love interest Ali Reissen; Zach Cherry (You) as Pete's manager, "Chicken Wing"; Dov Davidoff (Shades of Blue) as Jason; Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts) as Russell; and Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman) as Anaya. Madeline Wise (Peacekeepers) joins the series in the recurring role of Kat, an outgoing city girl who inspires Pete to get serious about his career. Returning guest comics Dave Attell, Artie Lange and John Mulaney appear as versions of themselves. Other established talents making appearances this season are: Ray Romano, Amy Schumer, Estee Adoram, Wayne Federman, Greg Fitzsimmons, Chris Gethard, Kevin Brennan, Elon Gold, Joyelle Johnson, Jessica Kirson, Emo Philips, Colin Quinn, Vanessa Ramos, Modi Rosenfeld, Wil Sylvinces, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Jaboukie Young-White.

Nickelodeon's all-new buddy comedy series, Cousins for Life, will premiere on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The live-action multi-camera series follows 12-year-old cousins and best friends Stuart (Dallas Dupree Young) and Ivy (Scarlet Spencer) as they learn to navigate life under one roof with their families in Portland, despite being from very different backgrounds. Although the cousins don't always see eye-to-eye, they learn that they are better together, and when they team up they are unstoppable. Cousins for Life will air weekly on Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. In the premiere episode, Ivy and Stuart's life is disrupted after their dads, Clark (Ishmel Sahid) and Lewis (Ron G.), have a disagreement and Clark ends up moving into their hangout space in the garage. It's now their missions to resolve their dads' argument and reclaim their space. The episode also stars Micah Abbey as Ivy's brother Leaf, who's always having a good time when he's with his pet pig, Arthur.

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.