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NBC has shifted a few premiere dates. The fifth season of NBC's drama This Is Us is now set to premiere on Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. It was slated to premiere November 10 originally. NBC will preempt the series however on November 3 for Presidential Election coverage. The series stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Chris Sullivan and Susan Kelechi Watson. NBC has also delayed the premiere of the new comedy Connecting... Originally slated to premiere next Thursday (Oct. 1) at 8:30pm, as NBC has slated The Wall in the hour instead. On October 8, NBC will air a live special. Seth Meyers, one of the most influential voices of late night and a respected thought leader on the political landscape, is moving to primetime leading up to the election with Closer Look Thursday. The half-hour special will air Oct. 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, live from Studio 8G in midtown Manhattan's iconic Rockefeller Center. As the monumental election gets down to the wire, Meyers and Closer Look Thursday will dissect the events of the day, up-to-the-minute breaking news and other important facts as America begins to cast its vote. Connecting... will now instead bow on Oct. 8 at 8pm, before moving to 8:30pm a few weeks later following the season premiere of Superstore on Oct. 29. Details are still to come on the 2-part special Sketchy Times with Lilly Singh, with fellow late night host Lilly Singh as well.

Fox has renewed Bob's Burgers for the 12th and 13th broadcast seasons of the Emmy Award-winning animated series, and renewed Family Guy for its 19th and 20th broadcast seasons, carrying both series through 2023. This Sunday, Sept. 27 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on Fox, Bob's Burgers returns for an 11th season. The series follows Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and his ever-quirky family who together run the restaurant Bob's Burgers. Including its 2020 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program, the series has been nominated for the past seven consecutive years and won twice, in 2014 and 2017. The series also was nominated for a Critics' Choice Award and an Annie Award this year. Bento Box Entertainment serves as the animation studio on Bob's Burgers.

Entering its 18th season this Sunday (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT), Family Guy premieres with its milestone 350th episode. The series continues to entertain its die-hard fan base with razor-sharp humor, spot-on parodies, spectacular animation and orchestra-backed original music. Since its debut in 1999, the series has reached cult status among fans, and its breakout star, a talking baby, has become one of the greatest TV characters of all time. Family Guy has racked up numerous awards, including an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series, only the second animated series in television history to be honored with such a distinction. Most recently, series creator and lead voice actor Seth MacFarlane (voices of "Peter Griffin," "Stewie Griffin," "Brian Griffin" and "Quagmire") won the 2019 Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. Cast member Alex Borstein (voice of "Lois Griffin") won the 2018 Emmy Award in the category. MacFarlane also was nominated that year. He won the 2017 and 2016 Emmy Award in the category, and was nominated from 2013 to 2015. 

With more new shows launching in 2020 than the fall, NBC's winter and spring slate fuels a long-term strategy and features a completely reimagined Little Big Shots as well as three new dramas and one new multi-camera comedy. January kicks off with the return of last season's breakout hit Manifest. Its midseason launch enables fans of the serialized drama to enjoy an interrupted run of Season 2's 13-episodes. Midseason will see the debut of a trio of dramas, beginning on Friday nights in January with crime thriller Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector at 8 p.m., based on the best-selling novel The Bone Collector. The series follows former NYPD detective and forensic genius Lincoln Rhyme (Grimm's Russell Hornsby) and his new partner, Amelia Sachs (Arielle Kebbel, Midnight Texas) in a cat-and-mouse game as they join forces to bring down a notorious serial killer.

Also in January, after tuning in Tuesday, Jan. 7 for a special two-hour Season 3 premiere of Ellen's Game of Games at 8 p.m., audiences will get a sneak peek at the premiere episode of new high-concept drama Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. The series premiere will be available to stream on the NBC App and Hulu following its on-air premiere preview. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist stars Jane Levy (Suburgatory) as a whip-smart computer coder who, following an unusual event, starts to hear the innermost thoughts of the people around her through songs, including her boss played by Lauren Graham (Parenthood) and her mom, played by Mary Steenburgen (The Last Man on Earth). On Sunday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m., Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist makes its regular timeslot debut (with a re-airing of the pilot at 8 p.m.). Beginning in March, it will air between the all-new Little Big Shots with Melissa McCarthy and fan-favorite Good Girls, starring Christina Hendricks, Mae Whitman and Retta, making Sundays nights appointment television with a lineup of true leading ladies.

Rounding out the new midseason dramas is Council of Dads, centered on three men who step in to guide their best friend's family through all of life's triumphs and challenges. The new series will follow This Is Us on Tuesdays for two weeks before taking over its 9 p.m. timeslot when the show concludes its fourth season in March. On the comedy front, January marks the conclusion of hit series The Good Place, which will go out with a forkin' good time on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 8:30 p.m. The series finale gives fans an extra-long 90-minute block dedicated to the award-winning show, which includes an extended episode as well as a post-show special featuring the full cast and hosted by Seth Meyers. The series finale makes way for NBC's new Thursday night comedy line-up, including the debut of new family comedy Indebted on Feb. 6 at 9:30 p.m. The multi-camera comedy, which will have the iconic final season of Will & Grace as its lead in, stars Adam Pally (Happy Endings) and Abby Elliot (SNL) as a young couple whose lives get turned upside down by their boomerang parents, played by Fran Drescher (The Nanny) and Steven Weber (Wings).

Feb. 6 also brings the celebratory return of Brooklyn Nine-Nine with a one-hour season premiere at 8 p.m., pre-empting Superstore before airing in its regularly scheduled 8:30 p.m. time slot beginning Feb. 13. NBC's unmatched lineup of alternative hits continue to help power midseason, led by last season's #1 most-watched alternative series, America's Got Talent: The Champions, as well the breakout competition series Ellen's Game of Games, both returning to their winning timeslots on Monday Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m., respectively. Families can also add a new favorite to their lineup: Melissa McCarthy joins as the host of Little Big Shots with a totally reimagined season from executive producer Ellen DeGeneres. The teaming of two of the funniest minds in Hollywood will celebrate the unique kids who inspire us all. The Voice returns to Mondays on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. for Cycle 18, adding multi-platinum and award-winning recording artist, actor and songwriter Nick Jonas to the coaching lineup along with fan favorites Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Blake Shelton. The Voice lands on the schedule once a week in midseason, making way for hit show Ellen's Game of Games to keep its prime spot on the schedule for a few extra months before The Voice moves back to twice weekly for the always-anticipated live shows over the cycle's final three weeks in May.

The CW Network announced dates for the debut of its new series Katy Keene, plus the returns of DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Roswell, New Mexico. A spinoff of the hit Riverdale, The CW's new midseason series Katy Keene, starring Lucy Hale, Ashleigh Murray, Jonny Beauchamp and Julia Chan, debuts Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 8:00pm ET/PT, followed by an original episode of Legacies at 9:00pm ET/PT. DC's Legends of Tomorrow officially kicks-off its fifth season on Tuesday, January 21 at 9:00pm ET/PT, following an original episode of Arrow at 8:00pm ET/PT. Arrow will conclude its eighth season with a two-hour event on Tuesday, January 28, beginning with a finale preview at 8:00-9:00pm ET/PT followed by the Arrow series finale at 9:00pm ET/PT.

Supernatural will move to Monday nights, making its new time period premiere on March 16 at 8:00pm ET/PT, paired with the second season return of Roswell, New Mexico at 9:00pm ET/PT. The week before, on Monday March 9, All American (8:00pm ET/PT) and Black Lightning (9:00pm ET/PT) will have their back-to-back season finales. Supernatural will wrap its historic 15-season journey on Monday, May 18. The premieres of the second season of In the Dark and the final season of The 100 will be announced at a later date.

Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini star in the all-new Netflix Original Series, Dead to Me, an addictive dark comedy launching globally Friday, May 3, 2019 for 10 episodes. We first announced the comedy last year. Jen (Christina Applegate) is a sardonic widow determined to solve her husband's recent hit-and-run murder. Judy (Linda Cardellini) is an optimistic free spirit who's recently suffered her own tragic loss. When the two women meet at a support group, they become unlikely friends despite their polar-opposite personalities. But as they bond over bottles of wine, Entenmann's cookies and a shared affinity for The Facts of Life, Judy desperately tries to shield Jen from a shocking secret that could destroy her life as she knows it. Dead to Me, created by Liz Feldman (2 Broke Girls, One Big Happy), is an addictive dark comedy that dives into the painfully unfiltered, weirdly funny waters of grief, loss and forgiveness.

From creator and executive producer Liz Feldman, Dead to Me stars Christina Applegate (Jen), Linda Cardellini (Judy), James Marsden (Steve), Ed Asner (Abe) and Brandon Scott (Nick). Jessica Elbaum (Gloria Sanchez Prods.), Christie Smith and Christina Applegate also serve as executive producers, in addition to Adam McKay and Will Ferrell for Gloria Sanchez Productions.

NBC continues to lock in its summer schedule with the series premiere of new drama The InBetween as well as the return of top-rated newsmagazine Dateline NBC on its new night and popular alternatives series The Wall and Hollywood Game Night. This is all in addition to the tentpoles that were announced. New drama The InBetween premieres Wednesday, May 29 from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT. Harriet Dyer, Anne-Marie Johnson, Cindy Luna, Chad James Buchanan, Justin Cornwell and Paul Blackthorne star. Dateline NBC premieres Monday, June 10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. It will also continue to air Friday nights. The Wall returns on Thursday, June 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT (one-time episode at 9 p.m. on June 20 as well). LeBron James, Chris Hardwick, Maverick Carter and Andrew Glassman executive produce.

And finally, Hollywood Game Night premieres Thursday, July 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Hollywood Game Night, hosted by Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Jane Lynch, returns for a sixth season with a variety of actors, performers and familiar faces, including The Good Place's Jameela Jamil, D'Arcy Carden and Marc Evan Jackson; World of Dance's Derek Hough and NE-YO; This Is Us stars Chris Sullivan, Jon Huertas and Susan Kelechi Watson; Superstore's Ben Feldman, Colton Dunn, Lauren Ash and Nico Santos; American Ninja Warrior hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila; and NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt as well as Amanda Seales, Joel McHale, Kal Penn, Laverne Cox, Rob Riggle and Sasheer Zamata, among many others.

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 fall (or at least almost fall), which means a few things: cooler weather, pumpkin spice flavored everything, and...a brand new slate of network sitcoms! Now, that was a much more exciting prospect even 5 or 10 years ago. As cable and streaming services have boomed, it feels increasingly less like there's a real "TV season - even the networks themselves aren't always restricting themselves to the old September to May model, with many promising shows being held for mid-season and airing shorter seasons. Yet, the networks will still trot out a whole bunch of new shows this fall. I'll be taking a closer look at each show over the next few weeks, but I thought I'd take this week's column to give my opinion on the overall slate of sitcoms and what shows I'm particularly keeping an eye on.

Last fall was a pretty weak one for new sitcoms, and frankly, this fall isn't all that much better. You can very clearly see the response to the success of the Roseanne reboot in this fall's sitcom slate, as many of the buzziest prospects on networks are actually revivals - from the revived Murphy Brown to the "re-imagined" version of the Roseanne reboot The Conners to the also "revived" Last Man Standing. Expect these shows to get a lot of buzz regardless of quality - especially since, frankly, the rest of the slate is pretty weak. Still, there's a couple of shows I'll be keeping my own. Fox largely destroyed its comedy block at Upfronts this past spring, but it is premiering new series Rel, starring The Carmichael Show's Lil Rel Howery. Howery was a strong part of Carmichael, so it'll be interesting to see him in a new role. I'll also be keeping an eye on ABC's Single Parents, which gets the post-Modern Family slot and stars SNL alum Taran Killam. That suggests it should at least be watchable if ABC is giving it that plum slot, right? Plus, Killam is a great comedic talent who should bring liveliness to the role regardless of the quality of the rest of the show. I'm also interested in NBC's I Feel Bad, which is produced by Amy Poehler and stars Sarayu Blue in her first TV role. It's interesting to see Poehler giving a chance to a fresh voice, and I'll be keeping an eye out. Finally, Fox will be pairing its revived Last Man Standing with The Cool Kids, a multi-camera sitcom about a retirement home...which sort of shows you the audience they'll be courting for their Friday night comedy block. Oh, and CBS is premiering a drama called God Friended Me, about...a podcast host who becomes friends with God. It certainly has the potential to be the most, uh, interesting show of the fall.

Frankly, if you're someone who believes network sitcoms are losing their relevancy, this slate of sitcoms may not change your mind. But I'm an optimist who believes great shows like The Good Place, Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine are proving the network sitcom can still be excellent, so I'll be hoping these shows defy the odds and step up to the plate.

TV Guide has launched its first-ever 100 Best Shows list. Ahead of the fall TV season, TV Guide's team of editors and pop culture experts have curated the site's first annual ranking of the best shows available to watch right now. TV Guide's 100 Best Shows ranking focuses on highlighting what the editorial team believes to be the most outstanding shows right now. Eligibility is limited to ongoing shows that have at least one more season slated to air.

The top 10 highest-ranked shows include:

The Good Place (NBC)
Atlanta (FX)
Better Call Saul (AMC)
One Day at a Time (Netflix)
Killing Eve (BBC America)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Big Little Lies(HBO)
This Is Us (NBC)
Bob's Burgers (FOX)

Out of all the outlets and streaming services, Netflix racked up the most mentions with 20 shows on the list; HBO followed with 10, and FX had seven. Several TV creators stood out among their peers with more than one show on the list, including Michael Schur (The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag and Killing Eve). TV fans can visit tvguide.com/100BestShows to view the full list, learn more about the featured series, take a personality quiz to recommend their next binge and watch behind-the-scenes footage from the stars of top-ranked shows, including Sterling K. Brown, Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, Brian Tyree Henry, Patrick Fabian and more.

Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken) and director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) will reunite for Jeong's hour-long Netflix comedy stand-up special, which Chu is set to direct. This marks Jeong's first comedy special, which will premiere globally in 2019 on Netflix. This is the first comedy special that Chu has directed. Tentatively titled Ken Jeong: First Date, Jeong will reflect on how he went from being a doctor to a comedy superstar, and will open up about how his wife's battle with breast cancer led to him starring in one of the biggest comedy franchises of all time, The Hangover. Jeong will executive produce with Brett Carducci. Filming will take place on September 15, 2018 at the Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena, California, where Jeong first got his start in comedy.

Jeong recently starred as Wye Mun Goh in the current #1 box office hit, Crazy Rich Asians. Upcoming films include: Goosebumps 2, Boss Level and Wonder Park. In television, Jeong starred along an ensemble cast in the cult comedy series Community, and was mostly recently seen starring on ABC's Dr. Ken, which he was the creator, writer, and Executive Producer. He also appears as a guest panelist on ABC's The Gong Show. He will next be seen this Winter 2019 as a judge in the highly anticipated Fox celebrity singing competition The Masked Singer.

As a celebration of one of the most popular and culturally significant dramas of the past decade as well as serving as a prelude to the highly anticipated season three premiere, NBC will air The Paley Center Salutes This Is Us on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The one-hour special captures the excitement of This Is Us with clips, interviews with the stars and creators, and a behind-the-scenes look at how the series comes together each week. The highlights of the first two seasons bring new viewers up to speed and give avid fans a chance to see their favorite scenes in a new light. Cast members, writers and producers contribute their own interpretations of the events and explain why they made certain crucial choices with the characters and plot.

The third season of This Is Us is set to premiere Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. This Is Us stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Chris Sullivan and Susan Kelechi Watson.

NBC has announced premiere dates for its 2018-19 fall schedule, which includes Sunday Night Football, This Is Us, the launch of Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis' new drama, Manifest, The Voice, Tuesday night's new Ryan Eggold-starrer New Amsterdam, the new season of Will & Grace, and the third season of Mike Schur's mind-bending comedy The Good Place. The network begins its new season Monday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT with a two-hour telecast of the Blind Auditions for season 15 of The Voice, which features coaches Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. The Voice will immediately be followed at 10 p.m. by the premiere of Manifest, an emotionally rich, unexpected mystery journey that is jump-started following a turbulent but seemingly routine flight.

This Is Us makes its highly anticipated season three return on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. immediately following The Voice. At 10 p.m. is the premiere of New Amsterdam, which stars Ryan Eggold as hospital medical director Dr. Max Goodwin, who sets out to tear up bureaucracy, provide exceptional care to patients and return the hospital to the glory that put it on the map. Wednesday, Sept. 26 launches the all-Chicago lineup as Chicago Med begins its fourth season at 8 p.m., Chicago Fire starts its seventh season at 9 p.m. and the evening concludes at 10 p.m. with the sixth season premiere of Chicago P.D. Mike Schur's award-winning comedy The Good Place will begin its third season with an hourlong episode on Thursday, Sept. 27 beginning at 8 p.m., leading into the two-hour premiere of Law & Order: SVU, which begins its 20th season on a new night.

The following Thursday, Oct. 4, will see the return of comedy favorites Superstore at 8 p.m. and Will & Grace at 9 p.m., with I Feel Bad launching at 9:30 p.m. Finally, Blindspot, starring Sullivan Stapleton and Jaimie Alexander, begins its fourth season at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 and Midnight, Texas starts season two at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26.

Bounce is set to kick off Season Four of its hit original comedy series In The Cut on Monday, July 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, with new episodes every Monday night this summer. Coming off its highly-rated third season, In The Cut stars Dorien Wilson (The Parkers, Dream On) as Jay Weaver, an accomplished entrepreneur and barbershop owner who is kept on his toes by Cheryl, played by Kellita Smith (The Bernie Mac Show, The First Family), the co-owner of the beauty salon next door and his love interest-turned-fiancee. Ken Lawson (The Parkers) returns as Jay's thirty-something illegitimate son from a short-lived fling now in on the family business, as does John Marshall Jones (The Smart Guy) as fellow barber and pal Smitty. Among this season's storylines: Marriage planning, pressures of single life, love triangles, hilarious barbershop/beauty shop camaraderie and much more. Guest stars will include Dorion Renaud, Michael Jai White, Kyla Pratt, Emmanuel Hudson, Angie Stone, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Vanessa Simmons, Flex Alexander, Milan Christopher and more.

In 2017, the season three double-episode premiere of In The Cut ranked as Tuesday night's #1 sitcom vs. all ad-supported cable programming in its time period in Households, Persons 18-49, P25-54 and Total Viewers among Bounce's target audience of African Americans. This series was created by Bentley Kyle Evans and is produced by Evans and partner Trenten Gumbs, both of whom produce the Bounce TV hit original series Family Time.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! It's been a nice spring week or a freezing cold winter week (or maybe both) depending upon where you are, but we've got news for you, including a new streaming service for those who like classic cartoons, a Roseanne reunion on The Talk, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Who to Follow: Sara Gilbert (Twitter), "yeah, it's me"

Claim to Fame: Sara Gilbert is sort of sitcom royalty, in that her grandfather helped createdone of the first big sitcoms, The Honeymooners. And it isn't just sitcoms that her family is involved in. Her siblings Melissa Gilbert and Jonathan Gilbert both appeared on Little House on the Prairie. Sara Gilbert found her own fame in a show that was a lot less wholesome (but a lot more like a middle class family life) as Darlene in Roseanne. She has had other appearances since then, such as a recurring role on ER and the short-lived series Twins on The WB, and she also played the role of Leslie Van Winkle on The Big Bang Theory. That character was mostly written out due to a lack of plot ideas for the character, but she did reappear in it once last year. She doesn't need the work, though, because since 2010, she has been very busy with the successful CBS daytime series The Talk, for which she is the creator, executive producer, and one of the hosts.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing of a Community reunion (of sorts) on Dr. Ken, some ratings news that NBC has to be enjoying, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

Who to Follow: Chrissy Metz (Twitter), "Actress and lipstick enthusiast on @NBCThisIsUs"

Claim to Fame: Chrissy Metz has not had a very long career in television, and up until recently, her career has consisted of guest roles on series such as Entourage, My Name is Earl, and All of Us. In 2014, she landed a recurring role on American Horror Story: Freak Show. But now, she has suddenly found her biggest hit yet, with her role of Kate Pearson on the NBC series This is Us, a role for which she has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.