SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Yesterday we mentioned some NBC shows are still in the bubble. Now the fates have been revealed. First up, NBC has renewed its hit mystery thriller Manifest for a third season. After a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers of Flight 828 disembarked to find the world had aged five-and-a-half years and their friends, families and colleagues had given up hope of ever seeing them again. Now, faced with the impossible, the passengers' dreams of a second chance at life evaporate as they encounter the imminent danger surrounding them, both tangible and unexplained. With the stakes higher than ever, the passengers of Flight 828 will embark on an unexpected journey into a world grounded in hope, heart and destiny. The cast includes Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina, Parveen Kaur and Matt Long. Midseason sitcom Indebted was given the pink slip, however. The series starred Adam Pally, Abby Elliott, Jessy Hodges, Steven Weber and Fran Drescher. And finally, NBC made it official on two shows that were long done: drama Bluff City Law and comedy Sunnyside, which aired remaining episodes online.

Meanwhile, ABC had two shows still left in limbo. One got renewed and one has been canceled. Powerful drama For Life will get a second season, despite low ratings, but its plot is more timelier than ever right now. However, similarly rated comedy-drama The Baker and the Beauty has gotten canceled. The latter had vibes of Ugly Betty and surprised ABC didn't give it another chance. The Baker and the Beauty takes viewers on a flavor-filled adventure between relatable everyman Daniel and international superstar Noa. Daniel Garcia is working in the family bakery and doing everything that his loving Cuban parents and siblings expect him to do. But on a wild Miami night, he meets Noa Hamilton and his life moves into the spotlight. Will this unlikely couple upend their lives to be together and pull their families into a culture clash? The series starred Victor Rasuk, Nathalie Kelley, Carlos Gómez, Dan Bucatinsky, Lisa Vidala, David Del Rio, Belissa Escobedo and Michelle Veintimilla.

In For Life, from creator Hank Steinberg and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, and inspired by the life of Isaac Wright Jr., For Life is a fictional serialized legal and family drama about an imprisoned man, Aaron Wallace, who becomes a lawyer fighting to reverse his own life sentence for a crime he didn't commit. His quest for freedom is driven by his desperate desire to get back to the family he loves—his estranged wife and daughter—and reclaim the life that was stolen from him The drama stars Nicholas Pinnock, Indira Varma, Joy Bryant, Mary Stuart Masterson, Boris McGiver, Glenn Fleshler, Dorian Missick, Tyla Harris and Timothy Busfield. 

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! We're only a month into the fall season and we've already got our first cancellation, as well as a renewal of another new series that hasn't exactly been a breakout hit. We're also hearing of a surprising DVD release of a very old sitcom. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

The 11th and final season of Will & Grace will begin Thursday, Oct. 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC replacing Sunnyside, which will be pulled from the linear schedule. The remaining six episodes of the 10-episode Sunnyside order will air weekly on NBC.com and other digital platforms where NBC programming is viewed beginning October 24. They are currently in production on episode nine and will finish production of all 10 episodes.

NBC's fall strategy was to capitalize on the compatibility of both of Mike Schur's The Good Place and Sunnyside. NBC sees huge opportunity for potential on the digital side for Sunnyside and want to move the show exclusivity to digital. Sunnyside has generated substantial increases through digital and linear delayed viewing, which has expanded the 18-49 audience of the show's premiere episode by 150% versus its next-day rating. As for Will & Grace, as of now it is being booked thru January 2, but it will air beyond that to finish up its 18 episode order for its final season.

CBS All Access, CBS' digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, announced that all eight episodes of the third season of its original comedy series No Activity will be available to binge beginning Thursday, Nov. 21. Following last season's disastrous bust, season three finds detectives Nick Cullen and Judd Tolbeck back in uniform with a revolving door of quirky new partners and even quirkier criminals, while robots edge in on Janice and Fatima in dispatch. Co-developer, executive producer, writer and star Patrick Brammall will reprise his role as Detective Nick Cullen, a low-level cop who has spent far too much time in a car with his partner, Detective Judd Tolbeck. Among the new guest stars this season are Beth Behrs, Joe Keery, Keegan-Michael Key, Dylan McDermott and Paula Pell. They will be joined by returning guest stars including Sunita Mani as dispatch operator Fatima, Jason Mantzoukas as an undercover FBI agent, Amy Sedaris as dispatch's mother hen, Janice, and Academy Award® winner J.K. Simmons as Leon, the internal affairs investigator with a fondness for deep sea fishing.

No Activity is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Funny Or Die, Jungle, and Gary Sanchez Productions, and is based on the Stan original series produced by Jungle. The series is co-developed and executive produced by Trent O'Donnell and Patrick Brammall, alongside executive producers Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Joe Farrell, Mike Farah, Joe Hardesty and Jason Burrows. Nina Pedrad serves as co-executive producer. As in previous seasons, Trent O’Donnell will direct all episodes.

Sunnyside - Thursdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Vincent

Sunnyside is a sitcom about a city councilman who lost his way amidst the power and glamour of politics. When his downward spiral got him busted for public intoxication (and downright stupidity), it was all caught on tape and ended his career. Now, Garrett's crashing with his sister, Mallory, and wondering where it all went wrong. That is, until he's hired by a diverse group of hopefuls who dream of becoming American citizens and believe he can help - giving him a new sense of purpose and a chance for redemption, as long as he remembers where he came from.

Cast Details:

Kal Penn as Garrett Modi
Diana Maria Riva as Griselda
Joel Kim Booster as Jim Hao
Kiran Deol as Mallory
Poppy Liu as Mei Lin
Moses Storm as Brady
Samba Schutte as Hakim

Kal Penn (Garrett) is known for playing Lawrence Kutner on the television program House, as well as the character Kumar Patel in the Harold & Kumar film series. He is also recognized for his performance in the film The Namesake and the ABC/Netflix drama Designated Survivor.

Diana Maria Riva (Griselda) is an actress known for her guest appearances on Murder One, Party of Five, The X Files, NYPD Blue, The Drew Carey Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, CSI, Less Than Perfect and Castle.

Joel Kim Booster (Jim) is a stand-up comedian known for his Comedy Central Presents special.

Moses Storm (Brady) is an actor known for his guest roles on This Is Us and Arrested Development.

Sambra Schutte, Kiran Duol, and Poppy Lui are new actors. Sunnyside will be their first major roles.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs Thursday, Sep. 26 at 9:30PM ET)

A former New York City Councilman finds his calling when he meets a group of immigrants in search of the American dream.

Analysis:

Sunnyside is another one of those shows where I'm more interested in the show's future than with the show's present. What I mean by that is that there is a lot here that I could see myself eventually loving, especially with Mike Schur at the helm and a cast led by Kal Penn and some very promising comic actors. The premise is also one that feels very appropriate for America in 2019, and could provide some moments of genuine meaning, and yet is also fun and light-hearted enough to be, well, a sitcom, and one that makes you laugh a lot. The cast and characters are a lot of fun, and I couldn't wait to see, by the end of the pilot, where this was going, and how it will develop.

The problem, then, is that the pilot is just...okay. Which isn't bad - the amount of comedy pilots that are truly great are far and few between, and most just offer a glimmer of hope, which Sunnyside does. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't hoping to laugh just a bit more at the pilot. The jokes are a little flimsy and feel half-baked - which, again, isn’t uncommon for a comedy pilot. Still, I won't say I wasn't expecting the pilot to be just a bit better than it was. Despite that, the seeds are absolutely there for this to be a great series - I just hope viewers give it a chance to arrive at where it's going, rather than being turned off by a decent-but-not-great pilot.

Conclusion:

I'm very confident that Sunnyside is going to eventually turn into a great, must-watch sitcom. It has very similar DNA and sensibility to shows like The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation, and in about five or six episodes, I'm sure it will be must-watch TV. All of the characters are fun, the premise is great, and the writing shows promise. The pilot isn't necessarily a must-see, and it leaves a lot to be desired in the laughs department, but the foundation is there for a great show. Let's hope it lives up to that potential.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Sunnyside Photo Gallery

Preview:

Carol's Second Act - Thursdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Todd

Emmy Award winner Patricia Heaton stars in new a comedy about a woman who embarks on a unique second act after raising her children, getting divorced and retiring from teaching: pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor. At age 50, Carol is a medical intern and must sink or swim with peers who are half her age. It’s her enthusiasm, perspective and yes, even her age, that may be exactly what will make her second act a great success.

Cast Details:

Patricia Heaton as Carol Kenney
Ito Aghayere as Dr. Maya Jacobs
Jean-Luc Bilodeau as Daniel Kutcher
Sabrina Jalees as Lexie
Kyle MacLachlan as Dr. Stephen Frost
Ashley Tisdale as Jenny Kenney

Patricia Heaton (Carol Kenney) is a three-time Emmy winner who has played not one, but two beloved TV moms. She starred as Debra Barone in the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996-2005 and as Frances "Frankie" Heck in the ABC sitcom The Middle from 2009-2018. She twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Everybody Loves Raymond. Her other sitcom starring roles include the Fox sitcom Back to You and the ABC sitcom Room for Two.

Ito Aghayere's (Dr. Maya Jacobs) television guest appearances include Orange Is the New Black, The Knick, The Unforgettable, Forever, BrainDead, Elementary, The Blacklist, Master of None and Instinct.

Jean-Luc Bilodeau (Daniel Kutcher) starred as Ben Wheeler in the ABC Family/Freeform sitcom Baby Daddy. He made his starring debut as Josh Trager in the science fiction drama Kyle XY.

Sabrina Jalees (Lexie) has made guest appearances on Search Party, Transparent, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Last Comic Standing, Adam Devine’s House Party and Best Week Ever.

Kyle MacLachlan (Dr. Stephen Frost) is best known for his role as Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks. Some of his other television credits include Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother, Portlandia, The Good Wife, Believe and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

Ashley Tisdale (Jenny Kenney) starred as Maddie Fitzpatrick in the Disney Channel sitcom The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Her other starring credits include Hellcats and Clipped. She will appear in the upcoming Netflix comedy Merry Happy Whatever.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs Thursday, Sep. 26 at 9:30PM ET)

Carol Kenney enthusiastically begins her first day as an internal medicine intern, but has a rocky start when she disregards direct orders from her boss in order to help a patient. Also, Carol meets Dr. Frost, a senior attending physician who may be the ally Carol needs in her second act.

Carol's Second Act is a multi-camera sitcom from Halpern/Haskins Productions, FourBoys Entertainment, Kapital Entertainment and CBS Television Studios. Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins; Patricia Heaton, Adam Griffin, David Hunt and Rebecca Stay (Four Boys Entertainment); Aaron Kaplan and Dana Honor (Kapital Entertainment); and Pamela Fryman (pilot only) are executive producers for CBS Television Studios.

Analysis:

This is one of the better pilot episodes that I've watched in recent seasons. There has been a lack of quality new multi-camera sitcoms the last few years. Carol's Second Act is an old school sitcom shot in front of a studio audience. The premise of the series is pretty basic. It's basically a sitcom version of Grey's Anatomy with a 50-year-old intern working with some younger interns. There are plenty of jokes and one-liners, with most of them about Carol's age or her short stature. They seem to have an endless supply of jokes about Carol being older, but I think they will eventually want to mix things up a little bit more in the future episodes. There is one good dramatic scene in the premiere episodes. All of the scenes in the first two episodes are at the hospital. It would be nice to see them elsewhere as a change of pace.

They have assembled a talented cast with a mix of TV veterans and some promising newcomers. This is set up to be very much a vehicle for Patricia Heaton. She's in nearly every scene. They do a nice job of giving the other cast members a good amount of lines and a chance to shine. Newcomer Ito Aghayere plays Dr. Maya Jacobs, the Chief Resident in charge of Carol and the other three interns. The scenes between Maya and Carol are very tense and funny. They are some of the highlights of the episode. Aghayere could be one of the breakout stars of the season.

The other interns with Carol include Jean-Luc Bilodeau as Daniel Kutcher, Sabrina Jalees as Lexie Gilani and Lucas Neff as Caleb Summers. They all do a solid job and have some good chemistry together. Kyle MacLachlan plays Dr. Steven Frost, the accomplished senior attending physician who finds Carol charming. He's mostly known for his work in dramas, but he shows he has some good comedy skills as well. Ashley Tisdale plays Carol's daughter, Jenny Kenney. She has just one brief scene at the end of the "Pilot" episode. She is a pharmaceutical rep who has an arrangement to have an office at the hospital, so we see more of her in the second episode. Bonnie Dennison was originally cast in the role, but maybe they decided to make it an expanded role. Cedric Yarbrough from Speechless appears in a few scenes of the "Pilot" before being introduced as the nurse Dennis in the second episode.

Conclusion:

Patricia Heaton makes a welcome return to CBS. It's a great TV moment when she first appears on screen. The audience gives her a big round of applause. She became a household name and won two Emmy Awards for her role as Debra Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996 to 2005. She had another good run for eight seasons as Frankie in The Middle. It's interesting that she plays a 50-year-old when she's really a very youthful looking 61 in real life. She has a lot of enthusiasm and energy. Whatever her secret is, she should try to bottle it. It would be pretty easy for her to slow down or retire, but she clearly loves to act and work. It's way too early to say that this sitcom will have a run of nine seasons like her other two major hits, but it's easy to envision her winning another Emmy or two for her hilarious role as Carol Kenney.

Carol's Second Act is one of the most promising new sitcoms of the season. It wouldn't be surprising if it's the highest rated new sitcom this fall. It has a strong and likable cast, funny writing and a great timeslot on CBS' rebuilt Thursday night lineup. The end of The Big Bang Theory leaves a big hole in their schedule, but they have a solid crop of new comedies. This may not be an immediate blockbuster hit, but it wouldn't be shocking if it's anchoring their comedy lineup in a season or two. They say laughter is the best medicine. This series delivers plenty of good, clean laughs. The doctor is in Thursday nights on CBS!

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

CBS.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Carol's Second Act Photo Gallery

Preview:

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

NBC is next up in our check-in of returning sitcom slates. Currently, NBC has once again found itself to the home of a well-loved, critically adored group of sitcoms in Superstore, The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. However, just as was the case in the first half of the decade with 30 Rock, Community, The Office and Parks and Recreation, those shows haven't always translated to the best ratings. So we'll see what NBC has on the burner for the upcoming season.

Returning sitcoms: In my opinion, NBC probably has the strongest block of comedies quality-wise if only because Superstore and The Good Place call the network home, and I'd call those two shows the best sitcoms on TV right now. Both shows have pulled in a solid amount of viewers, but neither are necessarily huge, network-defining hits, and The Good Place is ending this season as creator Mike Schur has felt the show is reaching its natural endpoint. Therefore, NBC is definitely in the hunt for a new show that it can rest its comedy laurels on. The network probably thought that could've been the revival Will & Grace, but after a strong start, the series has faltered enough in the ratings that it wasn't even given a fall timeslot - instead, its on the back-burner with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which similarly returned after its Fox cancellation to big numbers that gradually faded over the course of the season. NBC isn't in a dire spot comedy-wise, but it could definitely use some new blood.

New sitcoms: NBC is keeping with the experimental theme that worked for it with The Good Place with its two new comedies Perfect Harmony and Sunnyside. Perfect Harmony is a musical comedy and Sunnyside is a high-concept series from Kal Penn and Mike Schur about a NYC councilman who dedicates his life to helping immigrants. Even if Superstore and The Good Place aren't huge hits, NBC seems to be banking on their viewers sticking around for all of Thursday night - these are definitely right from those show's playbook, with the issues-based comedy of Superstore and the high-concept fun of The Good Place. Maybe after years of trying to attract "broad" audiences, NBC has finally realized it's better off cultivating a small but dedicated audience for its comedies.

The bottom line: NBC is certainly not ABC or even CBS in terms of its abilities to develop high-rated, huge hit comedy shows. However, after spending several seasons desperately trying and failing to emulate those networks with laughable attempts at recreating their biggest hits (remember Go On? Sean Saves the World? The Michael J. Fox Show? Yeah, not many other people do, either...), it seems like NBC may be finally accepting that the not huge, but solid and dedicated audiences that follow smart, well-crafted comedies like Superstore and The Good Place might be their best way forward in the comedy department. It seems as if NBC is planning to develop that audience with their new comedies, and I think it's a strong strategy for the network going forward.

Unruly ghosts, a terrifying masked murderer and everyone's favorite sister witches are heading your way for Freeform's annual "31 Nights of Halloween" programming event. From Oct. 1-31, fans of the most spooktacular time of year can enjoy all of the haunts with fan-favorite feature films, a new original special, marathons of The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (premieres Oct. 2) and more all month long. After last year's highly successful "Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash," Freeform will continue the party this year with a new original special, 31 Nights of Halloween Fan Fest. Taping on Sept. 12th at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California, the celebration of Halloween's biggest pop culture moments will honor the icons of the season as we celebrate the most beloved movies, television shows and musical artists who have become synonymous with Halloween. More details about the special will be announced at a later date.

The network has also added more chills and thrills with new movies to the line-up. Marking its 35th anniversary, the classic hit Ghostbusters and its sequel Ghostbusters 2, as well as the first three Scream films, will be airing throughout the stunt, joining other "31 Nights of Halloween" staples including Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Addams Family. And not to be forgotten, Freeform is THE home for the iconic Halloween feature film Hocus Pocus, airing throughout the stunt and a back-to-back-to-back marathon on Oct. 31. For the second year, Freeform opens its ghoulish gates to Freeform's Halloween House, an interactive experience in the heart of Hollywood and the ultimate destination for Halloween lovers. View the full 2019 schedule here.

CBS unveiled fall premiere dates last Friday, now we have some other networks as well. NBC has unveiled premiere dates for the 2019-20 season that features two innovative new Thursday comedies (Perfect Harmony and Sunnyside on Sept. 26) and an inspiring new Monday legal family drama starring TV icon Jimmy Smits (Bluff City Law on Sept. 23). The three freshman shows are novel additions to an incredibly stable lineup that includes the four-time Emmy Award-winning music competition series The Voice (Sept. 23 8-10pm and Sept. 24 8-9pm), cultural phenomenon This Is Us (Sept. 24 at 9pm), first-year sensation New Amsterdam (Sept. 24 at 10pm), a power-packed Wednesday lineup of Chicago dramas (Sept. 25 8-11pm) that each just delivered their most-watched seasons ever, and beloved Thursday comedy favorites Superstore and The Good Place (Sept. 26), the latter of which is set to begin its victory lap in this, its final season. Staple Law & Order: SVU launches another season on Sept. 26 at 10pm. All premieres will be week of Monday, September 23 during "Premiere Week" except The Blacklist season premiere will be in week two on Friday, October 4 at 8pm. An encore of the premiere of Bluff City Law will air on Friday, Sept. 27 at 8pm.

Premiere dates for NBC's new midseason series - dramas Council of Dads, Lincoln and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist and comedies Indebted and The Kenan Show - will be announced later. The #1 show in primetime, Sunday Night Football, kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 8:20 p.m. ET/PT when the Green Bay Packers head to Chicago to face the Bears before the Sunday debut on Sunday, Sept. 8. On Saturday Oct. 5, one change is The Voice encores have been added to the line-up at 8:00pm, then Dateline Saturday Night Mystery returns from 9-10pm followed by Saturday Night Live (encores) at 10:00pm

The CW Network has also unveiled premiere dates for its Fall 2019 primetime schedule beginning in October. Gotham's newest crime fighter Batwoman comes to The CW in her series debut on Sunday, October 6 at 8:00pm ET/PT followed by the season five premiere of Supergirl at 9:00pm ET/PT. All American returns for its sophomore season on a new night on Monday, October 7 at 8:00pm ET/PT. For the next two Mondays, original episodes of All American will lead into encore presentations of The CW's new series Batwoman on October 7 and Nancy Drew on October 14. The season three premiere of Black Lightning will air Monday, October 21 at 9:00pm ET/PT following a new episode of All American at 8.

The CW's multiplatform hit The Flash returns for its sixth season Tuesday, October 8 at 8:00pm ET/PT, followed by a second encore presentation of the series premiere of Batwoman at 9:00pm. On Tuesday, October 15 at 9:00pm ET/PT the final season of Arrow begins on a new night after an original episode of The Flash. The Riverdale phenomenon returns for its fourth season Wednesday, October 9 at 8:00pm ET/PT followed by the series premiere of The CW's suspenseful, supernatural take on the iconic detective Nancy Drew at 9:00pm ET/PT. Thursday, October 10 at 8:00pm ET/PT marks the premiere of the 15th and final season of Supernatural, followed by the season two premiere of Legacies at 9:00pm ET/PT. Charmed conjures up even more powerful magic for its second season on a new night, Friday, October 11 at 8:00pm, followed by the high drama between the Carringtons and the Colbys in the season three premiere of Dynasty at its new time of 9:00pm ET/PT.

The CW's Fall season officially as usual kicks off with the exclusive broadcast of the iHeartRadio Music Festival airing over two nights Wednesday, October 2 from 8:00-10:00pm ET/PT and Thursday, October 3 from 8:00-10:00pm ET/PT.

NBC has already picked up two series for 2019-20 season! Comedy Sunnyside and drama Bluff City Law. In Sunnyside, Garrett Modi was living the American Dream. As the youngest New York City Councilman ever, he was rubbing elbows with the political elite, attending star-studded parties and was the pride of Queens. But instead of spending his time in office helping the people that got him elected, he lost his way amidst the power and glamour of politics. When his downward spiral got him busted for public intoxication (and downright stupidity), it was all caught on tape and ended his career. Now, Garrett's crashing with his sister, Mallory, and wondering where it all went wrong. That is, until he's hired by a diverse group of hopefuls who dream of becoming American citizens and believe he can help - giving him a new sense of purpose and a chance for redemption, as long as he remembers where he came from. The cast includes Kal Penn, Diana Maria Riva, Joel Kim Booster, Kiran Deol, Poppy Liu, Moses Storm and Samba Schutte.

In Bluff City Law, coming from a famous Memphis family known for taking on injustice, brilliant lawyer Sydney Strait used to work at her father Elijah's celebrated law firm until their tumultuous relationship got in the way. After barely speaking to him for years, Sydney is suddenly thrust back into the family fold when her philanthropist mother passes away unexpectedly. In the wake of her loss, hoping to reconnect with the daughter he loves, Elijah asks Sydney to rejoin his firm. She agrees because despite her lingering resentment and distrust, she knows that working alongside her father is her best hope at changing the world... if they can ever get along. The cast includes Jimmy Smits, Caitlin McGee, Scott Shepherd, Barry Sloane, Michael Luwoye, MaameYaa Boafo, Stony Blyden and Jayne Atkinson.

Bust out the crepe paper! FX has renewed its hit verité vampire comedy series What We Do in the Shadows for a second season. Four new episodes remain in season one with the finale set for Wednesday, May 29, and season two will debut in 2020. What We Do in the Shadows returns tonight, Wednesday, May 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX with an extraordinary lineup of guest vampires in "The Trial." Featuring a surprise line-up of all-star guest stars, the seventh episode finds Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) on trial before an international vampire tribunal who gather to judge them for the death of Baron Afanas. Written by Jemaine Clement; Directed by Taika Waititi.

Based on the feature film of the same name from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, What We Do in the Shadows is a documentary-style look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of four vampires who've "lived" together for hundreds of years. In Staten Island. The self-appointed leader of the group is Nandor The Relentless (Kayvan Novak), a great warrior and conqueror from the Ottoman Empire, who has taken the helm of the group despite many of his Old World tactics resulting in what some might politely refer to as bupkis. Then there's the British vampire Laszlo (Matt Berry) - a bit of a rogue and a dandy and a fop, he might say. He's a lover of mischief and a great soirée, but not as much as he loves seeing Nandor fail miserably in every attempt. And then there's Nadja (Natasia Demetriou): the seductress, the temptress, the vampiric Bonnie to Laszlo's Clyde. Her wisdom and provocative tales from times past allow us insight into the many ups and downs of living an immortal life.

Also cohabiting in the vampire household is Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), Nandor's familiar (a.k.a. servant/protector during the daylight hours), who wants nothing more than to be made a real vampire just like his master. Also lurking about is Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), an energy vampire and day-walker of sorts -- he feasts on humans, but not on their blood. A frequent visitor is Nadja's new friend, Jenna (Beanie Feldstein), a student at a nearby community college. She loves LARPing, boys, and art history, and for some reason has been rather confused lately as to why it is she so ravenously craves the flesh of the living. After an unexpected visit from their dark lord and leader, Baron Afanas, the vampires are reminded of what they were initially tasked with upon their arrival in Staten Island over a hundred years ago - total and complete domination of the New World. But what exactly is the best way to go about achieving said domination? Our vérité camera crew follows along as the vampires set out to answer this query.