SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

In addition to its April finales, as we previously announced, the ABC Television Network has announced season finale dates for series ending their prime-time runs in May. Following is a chronological listing (all times Eastern):

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8
8:00-8:30 p.m. The Goldbergs
8:30-9:00 p.m. Schooled
9:00-9:31 p.m. Modern Family
9:31-10:00 p.m. Single Parents

SUNDAY, MAY 12
10:00-11:00 p.m. Shark Tank

THURSDAY, MAY 16
8:00-9:01 p.m. Grey's Anatomy
9:01-10:00 p.m. Station 19
10:00-11:00 p.m. For the People

SUNDAY, MAY 19
7:00-8:00 p.m. AFV
8:00-11:00 p.m. American Idol

MONDAY, MAY 20
10:00-11:00 p.m. The Fix

TUESDAY, MAY 21
800-8:30 p.m. American Housewife
8:31-9:00 p.m. The Kids Are Alright
9:00-9:30 p.m. black-ish
9:30-10:00 p.m. Bless this Mess

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22
10:00-11:00 p.m. Whiskey Cavalier

Emily in Paris found its lead. Golden Globe-nominated actress and author Lily Collins (Tolkien, Rules Don't Apply, To The Bone, Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil, and Vile) announced that she will star as the titular Emily in the half-hour dramedy, which will premiere on Paramount Network in 2020. Collins will also serve as a producer for the new series. Additionally, Emily in Paris will go global as Paramount Network is picking up the series for its international channels.

From perennial hit-maker Darren Star (Younger, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place), Emily in Paris is a dramedy centered on Emily, a driven twenty-something from the Midwest who moves to Paris for an unexpected job opportunity. Tasked with bringing an American point of view to a venerable French marketing firm, cultures clash as she adjusts to the challenges of life in a foreign city, while juggling her career, new friendships and love life. Emily in Paris is created, executive produced and written by Darren Star. Emily in Paris will start production later this year and premiere on Paramount Network in 2020. Paramount Network has quickly become home to high quality scripted series such as Yellowstone, which was 2018's most-watched new cable series and ranked second across all of cable TV series for the year. Season one averaged 5.1 million total viewers per episode and season two returns June 19.

The State of the Union Address was supposed to be last night, but as we all know it didn't happen and is delayed to next Tuesday (Feb. 5) instead. So the networks have to reschedule yet again. NBC is adjusting original episodes of This Is Us, The Village and New Amsterdam to accommodate. It's the finale dates that get affected. On Tuesday, April 2, the season finale of This Is Us will now air on this date at 9:00pm ET/PT followed by an original episode of The Village. The Village will move to its 9pm ET time period the following week for the remainder of the season which was already announced. And now the season of New Amsterdam will now air a week later through Tuesday, May 21. For Fox, Tuesday dramas Lethal Weapon and The Gifted will now have their season finales a week later on Tuesday, February 26. And this means MasterChef Junior and Mental Samurai will now launch yes, a week later, on Tuesday, March 5. ABC and CBS have not released what the impact will be for their Tuesday series, but ABC's American Housewife is still premiering its new night and time Tuesdays at 8pm slot on Tuesday, Feb 5, followed by an original episode of The Kids Are Alright. But black-ish, Splitting Up Together and The Rookie could likely end their season a week later, or a week of less reruns. ABC aired repeats of its Tuesday comedies and The Rookie last night.

Freeform announced that it has signed a script to series deal for Party Girls, a half-hour, single-camera dramedy inspired by the true story of Ericka Suzanne, daughter of the first female leader of the Black Panther Party, Elaine Brown. Set in Oakland in the '70s, Party Girls will follow Ericka's attempt to survive her adolescence as her mother rises in the Party. The plot explores an unconventional mother-daughter relationship, balancing the stakes of the movement with the humor inherent in coming-of-age, and asking the question how do you rebel when your mom is leading a rebellion? From Platform One Media, headed by CEO Katie O'Connell Marsh, Party Girls will be executive produced by Elisa Ellis of Platform One Media (Narcos), Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland of Cinema Gypsy Productions (grown-ish, black-ish), and Lance Krall and Peter Siaggas of Picture It Productions, with Dayna Lynne North (Insecure) set to write the pilot script and serve as executive producer/showrunner, should it go to series. Ericka Suzanne is repped by the Law Office of Adia Z. May, P.C.

One of the most beloved comedies in television history will light up the airwaves starting on New Year's Eve, Monday, December 31 at 10:00 p.m. and ending on New Year's Day, Tuesday, January 1 at 9:00 p.m. when WLNY-TV (Channels 10/55) in New York City presents The Odd Couple marathon. The marathon will include 46 episodes from the classic series, culminating with the 1975 "To Bowl or Not to Bowl" episode, featuring Felix and Oscar's bowling team battling for the championship (8:00 p.m.) and the 1975 "Felix Remarries" episode when Felix convinces his ex-wife to remarry him (8:30 p.m.). WLNY's The Odd Couple marathon will also feature the 1973 "The Ides of April" episode where Felix inadvertently gets Oscar called in for an audit from the IRS (6:30 p.m.) and 1973's "Take My Furniture Please" episode where both Felix and Oscar take turns redecorating their apartment (6:00 p.m.).

The ABC Television Network has ordered additional episodes of many hit comedies. The comedies getting the more than 22 episode treatment are black-ish, The Goldbergs, The Kids Are Alright and Single Parents for the current 2018-2019 season. Additional episode orders are as follows:

black-ish (Tuesdays, 9:00-9:30 p.m.) - 2 episodes (total of 24 episodes)
In its 5th season on the network, ABC's black-ish was created by Kenya Barris and is executive produced by Barris, Jonathan Groff, Kenny Smith, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, E. Brian Dobbins, Gail Lerner, Courtney Lilly and Lindsey Shockley. The series is produced by ABC Studios.

The Goldbergs (Wednesdays, 8:00-8:30 p.m.) - 1 episode (total of 23 episodes)
Adam F. Goldberg, Doug Robinson, Alex Barnow, Chris Bishop, Lew Schneider, David Guarascio and Andrew Secunda are executive producers of The Goldbergs, in its 6th season on the network. "The Goldbergs" is produced by Happy Madison, Doug Robinson Productions and Adam F. Goldberg Productions, in association with Sony Pictures Television.

The Kids Are Alright (Tuesdays, 8:31-9:00 p.m.) - 1 episode (total of 23 episodes)
New series The Kids Are Alright is from ABC Studios. From creator and executive producer Tim Doyle (Last Man Standing, The Real O'Neals), the series is inspired by Doyle's childhood. Randall Einhorn is also an executive producer.

Single Parents (Wednesdays, 9:31-10:00 p.m.) - 1 episode (total of 23 episodes)
Freshmen comedy Single Parents is from 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios. JJ Philbin and Elizabeth Meriwether are creators and executive producers. Katherine Pope, Erin O'Malley and Jason Winer are also executive producers.

American Housewife already had an extra episode picked-up earlier this season, for a total of 23 episodes, while Splitting Up Together got 5 extra episodes on its original order (18 total episodes). The other ABC comedies, which includes Modern Family, Fresh off the Boat and Speechless will air 22 episodes each. The Connors ends its first season 11-episode run in late January. ABC has two all-new mid-season comedies coming in Schooled (13 episodes) and Bless this Mess (6 episodes).

COZI TV has put out extra place settings for several Unexpected Guests joining viewers throughout Thanksgiving weekend. The national multicast network today announced a special four-day marathon featuring many of the most memorable episodes of Will & Grace, Murder, She Wrote, Frasier and more. This will kick-off on Thursday, November 22 at 9 AM and conclude Sunday, November 25 at midnight (check local listings). COZI TV's Unexpected Guests marathons will include Little House on the Prairie all day Thanksgiving Day, with guest stars like Johnny Cash and Lou Gossett Jr. Then its Frasier all evening Thursday featuring Kristen Chenoweth, Ted Danson and more. Murder, She Wrote takes over all day Friday with Bryan Cranston, Courtney Cox and many others. Will & Grace showcases Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, Elton John and more on Friday night. Plus the weekend line-up continues filled with a wide variety of stars and shows, from Boy George on The A-Team to Harrison Ford on The Virginian.

ABC Tuesday night comedies The Kids Are Alright and Splitting Up Together have been given full-season orders. New series The Kids Are Alright, from ABC Studios, premiered in October. From creator and executive producer Tim Doyle, the series is inspired by Doyle's own childhood. This ensemble stars Michael Cudlitz as Mike Cleary, Mary McCormack as Peggy Cleary, Sam Straley as Lawrence Cleary, Caleb Foote as Eddie Cleary, Sawyer Barth as Frank Cleary, Christopher Paul Richards as Joey Cleary, Jack Gore as Timmy Cleary, Andy Walken as William Cleary and Santino Barnard as Pat Cleary. Randall Einhorn is also an executive producer. Sophomore comedy Splitting Up Together is developed for American television by Emily Kapnek (Suburgatory), who serves as executive producer with Ellen DeGeneres, Dean Holland and Jeff Kleeman. The series stars Jenna Fischer as Lena, Oliver Hudson as Martin, Bobby Lee as Arthur, Diane Farr as Maya, Lindsay Price as Camille, Olivia Keville as Mae, Van Crosby as Mason and Sander Thomas as Milo. Mette Heeno, Mie Andreasen and Hella Joof are also executive producers. The series is produced by Piece of Pie Productions and A Very Good Production in association with Warner Bros. Television.

ABC's other Tuesday night comedies The Conners and black-ish have already full season orders.

The Kids Are Alright - Tuesdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 8:30PM ET/PT

by Vincent

Set in the 1970s, this ensemble comedy follows a traditional Irish-Catholic family, the Clearys, as they navigate big and small changes during one of America's most turbulent decades. In a working-class neighborhood outside Los Angeles, Mike and Peggy raise eight boisterous boys who live out their days with little supervision. The household is turned upside down when oldest son Lawrence returns home and announces he's quitting the seminary to go off and "save the world." Times are changing and this family will never be the same. There are 10 people, three bedrooms, one bathroom and everyone in it for themselves.

Cast Details:

Michael Cudlitz as Mike Cleary
Mary McCormack as Peggy Cleary
Sam Straley as Lawrence Cleary
Caleb Martin Foote as Eddie Cleary
Sawyer Barth as Frank Cleary
Christopher Paul Richards as Joey Cleary

Michael Cuditz (Mike) is an American actor, known for portraying John Cooper on the TNT drama series Southland, Sergeant Denver "Bull" Randleman on the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, and Sergeant Abraham Ford on the AMC horror series The Walking Dead.

Mary McCormack (Peggy) is American actress who has had leading roles as Justine Appleton in the series Murder One as Deputy National Security Adviser Kate Harper in The West Wing, as Mary Shannon in In Plain Sight, and as Casey in the British comedy/drama series Loaded by Channel 4.

Sam Straley (Lawrence) is a young actor. Aside from a few guest appearances on Chicago PD, The Kids Are Alright will be his first major role.

Caleb Foore (Eddie) an actor, known for American Horror Story, Grey's Anatomy, and S Is for Revenge. This will be his first major starring role.

Sawyer Barth (Frank) is an actor known for films such as Super Dark Time, Bridge of Spies, and And Then I Go.

Christopher Paul Richards (Joey) is a young actor who has appeared in shows such as Me Myself and I, Billions, and Law & Order: SVU.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 8:30PM ET)

Lawrence, the prodigal eldest Cleary son, returns home from the seminary and breaks the news to his family that he's dropping out for good, leaving Mike and Peggy upset and wondering why. Meanwhile, Timmy decides he wants to audition for a children's theatre production but when Peggy finds out where it's being held she forbids him from participating. Elsewhere, Eddie tries to keep his girlfriend a secret after Frank finds out and tries to blackmail him.

Analysis:

The Kids Are Alright is a perfectly fine show. It's the kind of show that anyone who tunes into the hyped Roseanne spin-off The Conners could leave on without finding much to complain about. These ABC family single-cams have achieved a base level of consistency at this point that you can't complain too much. They are a well-oiled machine, and they can comfortably rise to the level of "pretty good" without breaking a sweat. I could watch hours of these shows, even a lower-middle fare like The Kids Are Alright, and be happy, but with a show like The Kids Are Alright, I wouldn’t be taking much away from the time I spent with it, either. Unlike other ABC sitcoms like black-ish, Speechless, Fresh Off the Boat or even early seasons of Modern Family, there's not much here that feels like it's trying to be or say something of note. That's fine - not every show needs to. Shows like The Goldbergs and American Housewife aren't really, either, and they're doing perfectly fine, adequate work, and bringing in big audiences. But unlike those shows, The Kids Are Alright isn't particularly unique or have a "style" about it that distinguishes it from the rest of television. And that may be the series' greatest misstep.

The Kids Are Alright's success will likely live or die by the success of the rest of the ABC line-up. If the rest of the line-up holds up and The Conners is even a quarter as popular as the rebooted season of Roseanne last year, it will do fine - this is not a show that you feel the need to turn off if you are watching the rest of the line-up. However, it's also not one you would go out of your way to watch. And that may prove to be a problem. ABC's line-up is still doing well, but there are starting to be some cogs in the machine. Modern Family is slowly fading (though still doing well), The Goldbergs and black-ish are solid anchors but aren't quite the forces they were a few years ago, and obviously there is still a lot of doubt and uncertainty about the future of The Conners and the Roseanne brand name. Speechless and Fresh Off the Boat aren't doing so hot in the new TGIF slot (at least in live numbers), and American Housewife doesn't look to be "anchor show" material, at least not yet. ABC really needs to start building a future, and The Kids Are Alright isn't the type of show you do that with. It's...well, alright. The cast is alright, the jokes are alright, but it's hard to see too much to get excited about here.

Conclusion:

The Kids Are Alright is...alright. It's watchable, the cast is likable, and there are some funny jokes scattered about. But it's not particularly memorable, and the show's ho-hum concept may prevent it from ever becoming something to the likes of ABC's strongest family sitcoms. It's not a bad addition to the line-up, but it's also nothing to write home about.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

ABC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

The Kids Are Alright Photo Gallery

Preview:

Breeders, a new comedy series starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard, has been ordered to series at FX. The 10-episode first season will premiere on FX in 2020 and is being produced by FX Productions, Avalon Television and Sky Original Productions. Breeders exposes the parental-paradox that it is possible, in the very same moment, to love your child to the horizon of the universe, while being apoplectically angry enough to want to send them there. Martin Freeman stars as a caring father discovering he's not quite the man he thought he was.

Academy Award(R)-nominee and double Emmy(R) Award-winner Simon Blackwell (Veep, Back, Peep Show) is Showrunner. Breeders is created by Blackwell, double Emmy Award and Directors Guild of America-winner Chris Addison (Veep, The Thick of It, The Hustle) and Emmy and Bafta(R)-winning Martin Freeman (Fargo, Sherlock, Black Panther, Captain America: Civil War, The Hobbit, Cargo, Ghost Stories), who stars along with Daisy Haggard (Hang Ups, Episodes, Black Mirror). Executive producers are Blackwell, Addison, Freeman, Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, David Martin, Jon Thoday and Michael Wiggs. Breeders was commissioned for Sky by Zai Bennett, director of programmes, and Jon Mountague, head of comedy, with Josh Cole set to be the commissioning editor.

The ABC Television Network will launch an exciting 2018-19 season with a slate of returning hit shows and several new series, beginning with the premiere of the 27th installment of Dancing with the Stars on Monday, Sept. 24 from 8-10pm, immediately followed by the highly anticipated season premiere of last year's No. 1 new drama, The Good Doctor at 10. This fall's new dramas A Million Little Things, which is about a group of friends coping with an unexpected loss, premieres Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 10pm; and The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion as one of the newest - and oldest - police trainees in Los Angeles, premieres Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 10pm. That same night, ABC will launch two new comedies - The Conners, a spinoff of the groundbreaking show Roseanne at 8, and The Kids Are Alright at 8:30, inspired by creator Tim Doyle's Irish-Catholic upbringing in the turbulent '70s. Single Parents, which is about a group of adults who lean on each other to raise their children while trying to hold on to their personal lives, rounds out the new comedy slate, and premieres Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9:30pm.

Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, which will pair celebrity kids with professional junior ballroom dancers, launches with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, Oct. 7 from 8-10pm. Rounding out the roster of new fall titles is The Alec Baldwin Show, featuring in-depth conversations with some of today's most intriguing personalities. Starring the three-time Emmy(R) winner, the hour-long show, which first aired as a sneak preview last March, will premiere Sunday, Oct. 14 at 10pm. Friday nights herald the return of TGIF on ABC, which first launched the iconic programming block nearly 30 years ago. The new TGIF premieres Oct. 5 and will feature Fresh Off the Boat at 8 and Speechless at 8:30pm on their new night, followed by Child Support with Ricky Gervais and Fred Savage, at its new time at 9pm.

Shark Tank celebrates its 200th episode and 10th season premiere on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 10pm, before moving to its regular timeslot the following Sunday, Oct. 14 at 9pm. ABC's longest-running prime-time drama series, Grey's Anatomy, kicks off its record-breaking 15th season with a two-hour premiere on Thursday, Sept. 27 from 8-10pm, followed by the fifth season premiere of How to Get Away with Murder at 10. Station 19 returns to the TGIT lineup the following Thursday, Oct. 4 at 9pm. American Housewife returns Wednesday, Sept. 26, at a new time at 8:30. Fan favorites America's Funniest Home Videos, black-ish, The Goldbergs, Modern Family and Splitting Up Together complete the fall lineup.

TBS comedy Wrecked premieres its third season on Tuesday, August 7 at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). This season, the Wrecked gang find themselves shipwrecked on a mysterious billionaire's private island where they're forced to hunt each other to the death in a basic-cable battle royale. Last season, pirates invaded the island. This was bad news for Danny, Owen and the other stranded airline passengers, who've only recently recovered from the loss of wi-fi, indoor plumbing and Steve's attempted takeover of the island. Season three stars Ally Maki, Asif Ali, Brian Sacca, Brooke Dillman, Jessica Lowe, Rhys Darby, Will Greenberg, and Zach Cregger, along with guest stars Rob Corddry, Eugene Cordero, Jonno Roberts, Karan Soni, Rachel House, Robert Baker, and Will Hines.