SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

by Vincent

This past week, the first sitcom of the network TV season fell victim to the cancellation bear - and it was, in fact, the first network TV cancellation across all genres. NBC's Sunnyside was taken off the schedule to be replaced by the last season of Will & Grace. But there is something of a twist - the series will finish out its run on NBC's new streaming service Peacock, so it will get a chance to finish its story rather than ending abruptly to be burned off on Saturdays in the summer or some other terrible fate. Technically, there is even the possibility Sunnyside could move there full-time and score a second season renewal, the way AP Bio did last season. Still, the show's numbers were truly measly, being outdrawn even by The CW, barely managing to keep the eyes of 1.5 million viewers (live+same day) every week.

So is losing Sunnyside a loss for sitcom fans? I thought the pilot showed some promise but also had a lot of flaws. Given that the series is co-created by Mike Schur, it's possible the series could've eventually found its footing. There are certainly the bones of a solid series, and the cast is very talented. But as of now, it's not a show I personally will be actively seeking out when it finishes its run on Peacock. It's a shame that it may never get the chance to become the show it could be, but it's also not a series that felt like, at least at this point, it could hang with shows like Superstore and The Good Place in terms of quality. So farewell (maybe) to Sunnyside, a show that wasn't bad enough to truly "deserve" being the first cancellation of the series, but also just never quite lived up to its potential.

Maureen McCormick, best known as Marcia Brady of The Brady Bunch and star of HGTV's hugely successful series A Very Brady Renovation, will join home renovation expert and star of Windy City Rehab Alison Victoria to co-host White House Christmas 2019. Cameras will follow Maureen and Alison as they take an exclusive room-by-room tour with staff and volunteers to see the magnificent holiday transformation of the White House. The one-hour special will premiere in December.

In early December, HGTV will announce the premiere date for White House Christmas and details about the 2019 décor theme. Until then, fans can visit HGTV.com/WhiteHouseChristmas for photo galleries of the holiday festivities from years past and can interact via social media using #WhiteHouseChristmas. The special will be available on demand across all platforms and on HGTV GO the same day as the linear premiere.

Brady Bunch and HGTV superfans will rejoice when the network reunites the six Brady siblings to deck the halls in the iconic Brady Bunch house and celebrate the merriest time of year in A Very Brady Renovation: Holiday Edition. Premiering Monday, Dec. 16, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the holiday extravaganza features Food Network's Ree Drummond, star of The Pioneer Woman, and Jasmine Roth, star of HGTV's Hidden Potential, as they team up with the Brady Bunch cast to whip up 70s-inspired treats, including fondue-style potatoes, a gelatin fruit salad and santapes. They also create retro DIY decorations to adorn the home in festive Brady Bunch style. And, even better than sugar plums and candy canes, fans also can watch the holiday-themed episode on Food Network on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m. ET/PT.

During the episode, the Brady siblings Barry Williams (Greg), Maureen McCormick (Marcia), Christopher Knight (Peter), Eve Plumb (Jan), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) will help Ree prep the feast in the famous orange-and-green kitchen. Jasmine will work with them to complete several DIY holiday projects, including transforming shutters into life-size toy soldier lawn decorations. After decor is in place and the tree is trimmed, everyone will sit down for a celebratory holiday meal.