SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

After kicking off with a special post-Olympics send-off for Brooklyn Nine Nine this summer, comedy returns to the schedule in midseason. New series American Auto and Grand Crew will join sophomore successes Kenan, Mr. Mayor and Young Rock for two big nights of funny. Hit comedies Kenan, Mr. Mayor, and Young Rock will also air special holiday episodes.

Decisions are yet to be made on Debris, Ellen's Game of Games, Good Girls, Manifest and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

As part of NBC’s rolling pilot process this year, the following projects have been picked up to pilot with decisions yet to be made on series greenlights: Dangerous Moms, Getaway, Hungry, Night Court, Someone Out There and the Untitled Nick Wootton/Jake Coburn Project. With the NBC’s 52-week scheduling strategy,these pilots could be possibilities for later in the 2021-22 season or could roll over to the 2022-23 season.

Discuss NBC's 2021-22 lineup and view the full press release.


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

Well, it's hard to believe, but we are already at the time of year where networks are getting ready to renew and cancel the remaining shows that they still need to make decisions about for the next TV season. Given this season's truncated nature, it feels so early - although "Upfronts" (as they still exist given they are virtual again this year) are actually later this year than usual, and the network TV season is extending into June for many shows given the late start they had. Looking at the sitcom landscape, there are only a handful of sitcoms left on the bubble, with most shows having their fates sealed one way or the other.

The network with the most questions remaining is ABC. Their entire sitcom slate remains technically in limbo, although some shows are likely a lock to return, such as The Goldbergs, The Conners and black-ish. It will be interesting to see if any of those shows have announced final seasons, given the fact that all three saw significant ratings declines this year (in addition to the fact that The Goldbergs and black-ish are pretty old and probably expensive). Less certain for ABC is the next tier of sitcoms. American Housewife, Home Economics, and mixed-ish are all classic bubble shows, with disappointing-to-OK viewership numbers. It seems likely at least one, maybe two, will return, but it's hard to see room being made for all three. American Housewife is the oldest and probably priciest, but its ratings do edge out the remaining two, so it will be interesting to see which direction ABC goes with. Finally, Call Your Mother is a freshman sitcom that had mostly disappointing ratings and little buzz, and I wouldn't expect it to return. Other than ABC, the only sitcoms left on the bubble are B Positive and United States of Al on CBS - two mediocre rated shows that I'd call a true toss up. It'll be interesting to see how it all shakes out in the near future.

ABC announced early 2021 premiere dates for new and returning scripted series, including the debut of the empty-nester multi-camera comedy series Call Your Mother, from creator Kari Lizer (The New Adventures of Old Christine). The new year will kick off with an all-new season of The Rookie on Sunday, Jan 3 at 10pm. The network's Wednesday night comedy block will see the addition of the new series Call Your Mother as black-ish returns to Tuesday nights. Starring Kyra Sedgwick in her multi-camera comedy debut, the series is set to premiere Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 9:30pm, alongside midseason returns of The Goldbergs, American Housewife and fellow multi-camera sitcom The Conners. On Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 9pm, black-ish returns, followed by the sophomore season premiere of mixed-ish and the mid-season continuation of the David E. Kelley drama Big Sky at 10pm. The Good Doctor returns from a holiday break on Monday, Jan. 11 at 10pm, followed by For Life on Wednesday, Jan. 20 10pm, and the continuation of Thursday staples Station 19, Grey's Anatomy and A Million Little Things on Thursday, March 4. Alternative series premiere dates were previously announced. Additional midseason premiere dates will be shared at a later time including new drama Rebel starring Katey Sagal and game show return of $100,000 Pyramid.

NBC is starting the new year on a high note with the launch of the new Robert Carlock and Tina Fey-created and produced comedy Mr. Mayor, the time period premiere of new Canadian medical series Nurses and the season two return of critically acclaimed Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Starting Jan. 4, Mondays will be a night of fun and games in January and February with the season premieres of hit game shows Ellen's Game of Games (8-10pm) and The Wall at 10pm (moves to 9pm on Jan. 11). A week later on Jan. 11, Weakest Link and host Jane Lynch join the party for its midseason premiere at 10pm. The Voice and Manifest will likely return in March. Tuesdays starting Jan. 5 will mark the celebrated season two return of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist at 8pm for 6 weeks, starring Jane Levy as a whip-smart computer programmer who hears the innermost thoughts of people around her through songs. The series will kick off the night and lead into This Is Us at 9pm. Tuesdays will conclude with Nurses, the network's new Canadian medical drama acquisition will run thru end of February. New Amsterdam is likely returning in early March.

Wednesdays continue with Windy City favorites Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., all season long. Mr. Mayor, starring Ted Danson and Holly Hunter, will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 7 with two episodes at 8 and 8:30 p.m. ET/PT before moving to its regular 8 p.m. timeslot on Jan. 14 with Superstore shifting to 8:30 p.m. From Emmy Award winners Robert Carlock and Tina Fey, Mr. Mayor follows a retired businessman (Danson) who runs for mayor of Los Angeles to prove he's "still got it." Once he wins, he has to figure out what he stands for, gain the respect of his biggest critic (Hunter) and connect with his teenage daughter, all while trying to get anything right for America's second weirdest city. Both comedies are set to run through mid-March, as other comedies March will likely premiere in mid-March (options of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Young Rock and Kenan). At 9pm will be Law & Order: SVU for the rest of the season. Dateline NBC will hold the 10pm slot through mid-March until likely Law & Order: Organized Crime premieres. The eighth season of The Blacklist will resume Jan. 22 at 8pm and run all season long, followed by two-hour Dateline NBC episodes. Saturdays will be encore performances of Ellen's Game of Games, followed by Dateline Saturday Mystery and SNL Vintage. And finally on Sundays after NFL ends, January and February will see repeats (of series such as Weakest Link, The Wall, and SVU) until after the Golden Globes on Feb. 28. Sunday line-up beginning in March will be announced at a later date.

by Vincent

Next week is the official launch of HBO Max, the latest in a rapidly increasing streaming service wars that's emerging between the major media companies. HBO Max enters a market already pretty crowded by Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon, along with other recent launches like Apple TV, not to mention HBO's own HBO Go (which isn't going away despite the launch of HBO Max, somewhat confusingly.) But can HBO Max carve out its own niche in an increasingly crowded streaming market? It is debuting with a pretty impressive line-up, with shows with large established fanbases like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who, South Park and Rick and Morty soon to call the streamer home, along with upcoming originals such as the third season of Search Party (moving over from TBS following two critically acclaimed seasons), a handful of upcoming DC superhero-based projects (an area Netflix couldn't quite make work with its Marvel agreement ending after just a few years). Still, I have some reservations about HBO Max's success.

HBO Max, in a lot of ways, seems like a direct competitor to Netflix, seeming to aim for their mix of high-brow series with mainstream fare. That's different than something like Disney+, which was purely aimed at families and younger audience and has done a good job cornering that demographic. But there's really nothing separating HBO Max from the already-established trilogy of streamers other than their streaming library. Having Friends especially is an admittedly a big get. There's also not a clear brand for HBO Max, and the marketing has been slightly confusing. A lot of people might simply assume HBO Max is some sort of HBO Go extension, but there's really nothing particularly "HBO" about HBO Max other than the fact that you can get it through an HBO Go subscription. Still, in the increasingly competitive streaming wars, a brand for a service is very important. Netflix's brand has basically become "the streaming service" (it's widely the most used and being on Netflix almost gives way to a popularity boost in and of itself). Disney+ has a very strong brand thanks to its Disney content and its family-friendly approach. Hulu (which is now owned by Disney) is becoming Disney+'s more mature and experimental cousin (sort of what FX is to Fox). Amazon and Apple TV+ don't have great brands either, but they're also owned by billion-dollar conglomerates and are treated more as side projects of those mega corporations. But what is HBO Max? The branding so far seems to be "where you can watch Friends," which honestly might be enough given the popularity of Friends, but I remain skeptical. At the highest price point of any streamer ($14.99 a month following the initial $11.99 early deal puts it slightly above Netflix and ad-free Hulu, and well above Disney+'s $4.99 a month and Hulu Basic's $5.99 a month), it's hard for me to see too many people who aren't giant Friends or Big Bang Theory fans rushing to sign up for a subscription. Still, having two of the biggest sitcoms of the past 30 years on your service could be enough to buy the service time to carve a niche for itself. Whatever happens, these are interesting times for streaming services. With this and the launch of NBCUniversal's Peacock later this year, it'll be very interesting to see whether consumers are okay with throwing more money at an increasingly number of streaming services, or if they're okay sacrificing some of their favorite shows and movies for a smaller streaming bill at the end of the month.

Having just solidified its position as the No. 1 network in entertainment among Adults 18-49 for the first time in four years, ABC is announcing its 2020-2021 programming slate, which includes renewals for 19 series and two straight-to-series orders from its current crop of pilots – David E. Kelley's thriller Big Sky and the multi-camera comedy Call Your Mother (formerly My Village) from Kari Lizer (The New Adventures of Old Christine) – as well as the previously announced alternative series Supermarket Sweep with Leslie Jones. Nineteen series were renewed yesterday: American Housewife, The Bachelor, black-ish, The Conners, Dancing with the Stars, The Goldbergs, A Million Little Things, mixed-ish, The Rookie, Shark Tank, Stumptown, 20/20 and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. They join previously announced renewals of America's Funniest Home Videos, American Idol, The Bachelorette, The Good Doctor, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19 and the series order of Supermarket Sweep. Schedule to be announced at a later date.

Series that didn't make the cut for 2020-21 were Emergence, Bless This Mess, Single Parents, Schooled and Kids Say The Darndest Things. As for the new series pick-ups (so far): From visionary storyteller David E. Kelley comes Big Sky, a thriller created by Kelley, who will write multiple episodes and serve as showrunner in its premiere season. Private detectives Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury) and Cody Hoyt (Ryan Phillippe) join forces with his estranged wife and ex-cop Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick) to search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana. But when they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area, they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken. Natalie Alyn Lind and John Carroll Lynch also star. In the comedy, Call Your Mother from Kari Lizer, this multicamera comedy follows an empty-nester mom who wonders how she ended up alone while her children live their best lives thousands of miles away. She decides her place is with her family and as she reinserts herself into their lives, her kids realize they might actually need her more than they thought. Kyra Sedgwick stars.

Five Sisters Productions is back with a new six-episode comedic series, Old Guy, starring the Five Sisters' father, Roger Burton (Fargo, Shameless, Baskets), their mother Gabrielle Burton, and Peri Gilpin (Frasier's Roz). Beginning April 23, 2020, one episode will premiere each Thursday through May 31 on Vimeo and YouTube as well as Facebook and Instagram TV. Old Guy is a comedic series about ageism in media. Harry, played by Roger Burton, is going back to acting later in life, after raising his family and retiring from his traditional job. The show looks at his relationships with his wife, played by his real-life spouse Gabrielle Burton, who is a writer and tries to advise him on the value of the jobs he takes, and with his agent, Peri Gilpin, who is more interested in her commission than in what types of roles he plays. In each episode, Harry is challenged by playing an undeveloped character type that humorously highlights different stereotypes about old age. Old Guy will make you laugh, and make you think.

Old Guy is based on the real-life experiences of the Burton sisters' father, a psychology professor and musician who moved to Los Angeles after retirement. Soon after, he was "discovered" at a party and cast in a major motion picture, thus starting an acting career in his 70s. In contrast to his vital and active life as a man embarking on a 3rd career, Roger noticed that most of his parts fell into a limited number of narrow stereotypes - incontinent, impotent, lecherous - and were often not even given a character name other than... "Old Guy". The Burtons' mother, novelist and screenwriter Gabrielle B. Burton, who was in the middle of writing Don't Sit Down Yet, a book about aging and living fully until you die, thought Roger's experience was good fodder for a series and brought the idea to Five Sisters Productions. Looking deeper, Five Sisters found that studies show that television often depicts and thus reinforces a narrow stereotype of old age, and so were inspired to shine a comic light on the issue with the creation of Old Guy.

ABC will encore the first three episodes of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as a marathon for Wednesday, April 29 from 8-11pm. The ABC comedies will be preempted on the night so they can be extended into the May sweep. The ABC Wednesday comedies (The Goldbergs, Schooled, American Housewife, Single Parents) will have their season finales on Wednesday, May 13. All three Millionaire episodes to date hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will encore back-to-back in anticipation of its move to Thursday nights at 8pm on Thursday, April 30 where it will air for five weeks. ABC will air more Shark Tank Wednesdays at 10pm beginning May 6 replacing Millionaire's former slot. In other news, ABC Tuesday comedies (The Conners, Bless this Mess, mixed-ish, black-ish) will have their season finales on Tuesday, May 5. And finally, ABC's American Idol will finally go "live" on Sunday, April 26 for its final 4 episodes of the season. The live broadcasts will all be broadcast remotely. 

ABC is the home for unforgettable holiday programming as the network celebrates the joy of the season. In November, the network serves up a bounty of Thanksgiving-themed episodes and the classic animated special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. In December, ABC decks the halls with special Christmas and Hanukkah-themed episodes - the return of fan-favorite series The Great Christmas Light Fight on Monday, Dec. 2 and The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition on Thursday, Dec. 12; and an all-new holiday movie, Same Time, Next Christmas, starring Lea Michele on Thursday, Dec. 5. Timeless cartoons and beloved holiday films will also return. The fun continues after Christmas with New Year's-themed programming ringing in 2020.

The Conners, Bless this Mess, mixed-ish, black-ish, The Goldbergs, Schooled, Modern Family, Single Parents, Fresh off the Boat, American Housewife and Stumptown are among the series to feature holiday episodes. 'Tis the Season for The Great Christmas Light Fight, The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition and CMA Country Christmas all return with new installments, along with the all-new film Same Time, Next Christmas joins beloved holiday specials and movies, including A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Sound of Music, Prep & Landing, Shrek the Halls, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Toy Story Time That Forgot and more! View the ABC lineup of specials.

E! is rolling out fresh pop culture programming in January with new episodes of the Very Cavallari, starring lifestyle tastemaker and entrepreneur Kristin Cavallari, and the series premiere of new reality sitcom Meet the Frasers, following Rhode Island celebrity medium Matt Fraser and his family. The third season of Very Cavallari premieres Thursday, January 9 at 9:00pm ET/PT, and Meet the Frasers premieres Monday, January 13 at 10:00pm ET/PT on E!

Matt Fraser, a 28-year-old psychic medium, and his 21-year-old pageant queen girlfriend Alexa Papigiotis are highly visible local celebrities in their hometown of Cranston, Rhode Island. Matt and Alexa are envisioning big things for their future; Matt's captivating live reading events are growing more popular and his book "When Heaven Calls" will soon be published. And while Alexa supports Matt on his coast to coast tour, she's got big dreams of her own. She's setting her sights on winning her next pageant title and procuring a fabulous engagement ring. This couple is definitely on the rise - as long as their overly-involved families don't get in the way. The eccentric family does everything together, from driving to Matt's readings in an SUV emblazoned with his likeness, to debating if there's such a thing as too much bling when Matt decides they need to wear matching jackets while working his events. Matt and Alexa can always count on their families to give them unwavering support and advice – even when they haven’t asked for it.

ABC's hit fall series mixed-ish and Stumptown have been given full-season orders, while The Rookie received a spring season pickup. ABC's mixed-ish is the No. 1 new comedy of the season in Adults 18-49. The new ABC comedy grows to a 1.80 rating with Adults 18-49 across all platforms in L+7. Stumptown is the No. 1 playback gainer for a new series this season in Total Viewers, soaring by nearly +4.0 million viewers after seven days to double its Live + Same Day average (+99%). Through its first three episodes, the new ABC drama is averaging 9.7 million Total Viewers and a 2.18 rating with Adults 18-49 across all platforms in L+7. Season to date, The Rookie is improving its new Sunday time slot for ABC by triple digits in Total Viewers (+214%) and Adults 18-49 (+175%), marking ABC's most-watched series in the time slot in four years. A big gainer in delayed viewing, The Rookie more than doubles its Live + Same Day Total Viewer average (+103%) and Adult 18-49 rating (+117%) after seven days of TV playback.

Lifetime's It's a Wonderful Lifetime slate just sleighed the holidays even more with a special surprise! Premiering December 1 at 8pm ET/PT, You Light Up My Christmas from executive producer and star Kim Fields, brings back together the wonderful actresses of the beloved sitcom The Facts of Life, with Fields, Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn and Nancy McKeon sharing the screen once again for special appearances. Inspired by true events, You Light Up My Christmas is the story of Emma (Fields), who returns to her hometown built around her family's pioneer Christmas Light Factory two weeks before Christmas. However, upon Emma's return, she discovers the lights have gone dim in the once festive town, prompting her to reconnect with an old flame (Adrian Holmes) to set their hearts and the town ablaze with light again. You Light Up My Christmas is produced by Johnson Production Group. Tim Johnson, Kim Fields and Art Rutter serve as executive producers.

ABC is the place for ghoulish good fun as the network counts down to Halloween with special holiday-themed episodes of comedies, plus America's Funniest Home Videos, Dancing with the Stars, Grey's Anatomy and Jimmy Kimmel Live! On daytime, all of Port Charles gathers for a Halloween bash on General Hospital. Classic Halloween specials It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Toy Story OF TERROR! also return for encore performances. The fun begins Sunday, October 20! We will highlight all of ABC's comedies for this stunt:

FRIDAY, OCT. 25
8:00PM American Housewife - "The Maze" - Katie ignores Greg's warning and takes Anna-Kat through a terrifying zombie-themed maze at the annual Halloween carnival. Once inside, Katie quickly regrets her decision and sends Anna-Kat to find help. Meanwhile, Greg has entered a pumpkin carving contest and is ready to go head-to-head against the previous year's winners.
8:30PM Fresh Off the Boat - "HAL-LOU-WEEN" - It's Halloween again, and with Eddie getting closer to college (maybe), the Huang boys are determined to find a group costume they can all agree on. Meanwhile, Louis decides this is the year he'll finally show Jessica why his favorite spooky holiday is so great.

TUESDAY, OCT. 29
8:00PM The Conners - "Nightmare on Lunch Box Street" - Halloween brings nothing but horror for Jackie after she uncovers a shocking secret when trying to reopen the Lunch Box. Meanwhile, Mary gets upset when a woman assumes she is adopted, and Darlene continues to deal with her complicated love life.
8:30PM Bless This Mess - "Scare Night" - Mike and Rio first met on Halloween years ago, so now Mike loves to commemorate the holiday by scaring the wits out of Rio all night. Unbeknownst to Mike, Rio actually hates the scares but is afraid to tell Mike. When Rio turns the tables on Mike and tries to scare him into ending Scare Night, Mike gets bitten by a bat and the night escalates from there.
9:00PM mixed-ish - "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - The popular girls at school ask Rainbow to join their group Halloween costume as Tootie from The Facts of Life. She thinks this is finally her opportunity to fit in, but Denise views the situation differently. Meanwhile, Alicia doesn't want the kids to go trick-or-treating after Harrison and his colleagues tell her about all the dangerous things that can happen.
9:30PM black-ish - "Everybody Blames Raymond" - Halloween is around the corner and the Johnsons are definitely not seeing eye to eye on the family costume. The only thing they do agree on is that Jack's new friend Raymond has got to go. Meanwhile, Junior wants Devante's first trick-or-treating experience to be perfect.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30
8:00PM The Goldbergs - "A 100% True Ghost Story" - Beverly scores a bargain on four paintings. Once they make it home, she and Adam determine something supernatural is causing them to be destroyed. Much to Murray's dismay, they call a psychic for help. Meanwhile, Barry decides to throw a huge "Rocky Horror Picture Show"-themed party against Erica's wishes. Their confrontation leads to a visit to the dean's office. Rocky Horror Picture Show alum Barry Bostwick guest stars as Professor Majors.
8:30PM Schooled - "Run, Rick, Run" - Coach Mellor is excited to celebrate Halloween in a couple's costume with Julie, but his plan might be derailed by Principal Glascott's faculty-parent dating rules. Meanwhile, CB uses The Blair Witch Project to attempt to scare the students into not tormenting each other during the school's annual Halloween parade.
9:00PM Modern Family - "The Last Halloween" - Phil is determined to finally scare Claire on Halloween. Meanwhile, for the first time, Gloria is feeling self-conscious about her age when someone correctly assumes she is Jay's wife; and Mitch and Cam head to the WeHo Halloween Carnival after Lily decides to go to her first Halloween party alone.
9:30PM Single Parents - "Welcome to Hell, Sickos!"- It's Halloween night at Hilltop Elementary and the kids head to the school for a spooky celebration with Douglas. Will struggles with whether he should stay with Sophie at the school party or if he should swing by his girlfriend Tracy Freeze's birthday, which results in a stressful night for Will trying to do both. Meanwhile, Poppy and Angie throw a Halloween party for teens at Douglas' house in order to try to prove to themselves that they are cool moms.

truTV's hit series The Carbonaro Effect, starring comedian and prankster Michael Carbonaro, returns with its fifth season on Thursday, November 7 at 10:00pm ET/PT with more hilarious, mind blowing hidden camera magic than ever before. In these all-new eight half-hour episodes, viewers will watch in disbelief as Michael raises the spirt and body of a nun and takes the phrases "cat lady" and "grass fed beef" literally! Whether working at a bookstore, antique shop, or auditioning for his next big role, Michael's hilarious and bewildering illusions leave audiences both scratching their heads and rolling with laughter! In the premiere episode, Michael wows directors with costume changes but cracks when he sings. Plus, things get sticky when he demos flying post-its. Then, Michael's co-worker's jaw drops when a shapeshifting tenant returns while they clean house.

Bob Hearts Abishola - Mondays at 8:30 PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres Monday, September 23, 2019 at 8:30PM ET/PT

by Vincent

ABC is next up in our check-in of returning sitcom slates. ABC has been a big center of family comedies in recent years, and that mostly continues in 2019-2020. Let's jump into their line-up:

Returning sitcoms: ABC's solid block of family sitcoms are all returning, from Modern Family to The Goldbergs to The Conners to black-ish to Fresh Off the Boat. The big change, though, will be coming after this TV season, as the upcoming 11th season will be the final season of Modern Family. Just as CBS is scrambling to find its Big Bang replacement, ABC is likely doing the same thing with Modern Family - with the big caveat that ABC does have The Conners, which actually rated higher than Modern last season and is returning as the network's biggest ratings hit. Whether The Conners will be able to keep its strong Season 1 numbers now that we're fairly far removed from the Roseanne situation and hype is certainly a question, but even if it can maintain half of its Season 1 audience, it'll be a big hit for the network. Otherwise, except more of the same from the anchor sitcoms - The Goldbergs and black-ish continue to be strong tentpoles, Fresh Off the Boat is holding down the fort on Fridays, and promising sophomores Bless This Mess, Single Parents and Schooled are also back on the line-up hoping to build on their respectable Season 1 showings. The only real downgrade is American Housewife, which gets bumped to Fridays after just a so-so rated third season last year.

New sitcoms: There's only one new sitcom on ABC's fall schedule, the black-ish spin off mixed-ish, which follows Rainbow's upbringing. First spinoff grown-ish has been a fairly strong hit for Freeform, so it makes sense that ABC is continuing to build off the solid black-ish brand. Still, it's somewhat surprising to not see more new comedies, but I guess ABC is thinking "if it's not broke, don't fix it." Though ABC does have multi-camera sitcom United We Fall waiting in the wings for mid-season that could be a potential companion for The Conners.

The bottom line: ABC is probably in the best place sitcom-wise of all four networks. They have a really strong core of anchors and enough solid performers to fill two and a half entire blocks and not have any real weak spots. It says a lot that ABC felt they could essentially bring back their entire slate last season and not have to add many new pieces. Yes, there are some questions - will The Conners be as big in Season 2 as Season 1? Is anything being set up to take over for Modern Family? Can the modest sophomore hits like Bless This Mess, Single Parents and Schooled step up and become anchors in their second season the way shows like The Goldbergs and black-ish were eventually able to? Those are questions that will eventually have to be answered, but for now, things are good in sitcom land at ABC.

Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting's multicast network, announced the addition of five classic series to the network's 2020 lineup, with four sitcoms starting in January 2020 and one in Fall 2020. Antenna TV, which airs in 136 TV markets across the U.S. reaching 89% of TV households, continues to aggressively invest in programming acquisitions. Beginning in January 2020, Antenna TV will add The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes, Designing Women and NewsRadio. In Fall 2020, Who's the Boss? will join the lineup. All five series come from Sony Pictures Television and originally aired in the late '70s through late '90s. Diff'rent Strokes and NewsRadio are returning to Antenna TV in new deals, while The Facts of Life, Designing Women and Who's the Boss? are brand new to Antenna TV! Both Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life are currently airing on MeTV, but will migrate over to Antenna TV by Jan. 2020. Designing Women was last seen on getTV, while NewsRadio hasn't aired since Antenna TV last aired it and Who's the Boss? is coming to a multicast network for the first time.

This Labor Day, take a break at Archie's! Antenna TV is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Archie Bunker's Place with a marathon of 40 classic episodes airing on Monday, September 2, 2019 beginning at 7am ET. Antenna TV's Archie Bunker's Place 40th Anniversary Marathon will include classic episodes featuring guest stars Sammy Davis Jr., Don Rickles, Reggie Jackson, and Meathead (Rob Reiner) himself. Archie Bunker's Place regularly airs on Antenna TV Weeknights 7pm ET/4pm PT & 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT.

Award-winning musical legend Mariah Carey will lend her iconic voice and songwriting talents to the theme song of mixed-ish, the newest spinoff of the black-ish franchise coming to ABC this fall. Entitled "In The Mix," the track is written by Carey and produced by Carey and Daniel Moore. Fans can catch the song when the series premieres Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 9:00 p.m. EDT on ABC. ABC's mixed-ish will follow Rainbow Johnson as she recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the '80s and the dilemmas they face to acclimate in the suburbs while staying true to themselves. Bow's parents, Paul and Alicia, decide to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family. As her parents struggle with the challenges of their new life, Bow and her siblings navigate a mainstream school in which they're perceived as neither black nor white. This family's experiences illuminate the challenges of finding one's own identity when the rest of the world can't decide where you belong.

The series stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Paul Johnson, Tika Sumpter as Alicia Johnson, Christina Anthony as Denise, Arica Himmel as Bow Johnson, Ethan William Childress as Johan Johnson, Mykal-Michelle Harris as Santamonica Johnson and Gary Cole as Harrison.

ABC has set fall premiere dates for its new and returning series for the 2019-2020 season. It all starts with the return of TV's preeminent competition series, Dancing with the Stars, on Monday, Sept. 16 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT. The Good Doctor resumes its residency one week later – Monday, Sept. 23 at 10:00 p.m. EDT. On Tuesday, Sept. 24, The Conners returns at 8:00 p.m. EDT, followed by Bless This Mess at its new time at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Next, the black-ish universe expands with the series debut of mixed-ish at 9:00 p.m. EDT, which tells the story of Rainbow Johnson's (Tracee Ellis Ross) experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the '80s; and black-ish launches its sixth season at its new time at 9:30 p.m. EDT. The night culminates with the series premiere of new drama Emergence, starring Allison Tolman as a police chief trying to unravel a mystery involving a young child at 10:00 p.m. EDT.

The Goldbergs kicks off the night on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, followed by Schooled at 8:30 p.m. EDT; the historic, final season debut of Modern Family at 9:00 p.m. EDT; and the season two premiere of Single Parents at 9:30 p.m. EDT. The series premiere of new drama Stumptown, based on the graphic novel and starring Cobie Smulders, rounds out the night at 10:00 p.m. EDT. The longest-running prime-time medical drama, Grey's Anatomy, launches its 16th season on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, followed by the season premieres of A Million Little Things at 9:00 p.m. EDT and How to Get Away with Murder at 10:00 p.m. EDT. American Housewife bows on its new night and time on TGIF, Friday, Sept. 27 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, followed by the season premiere of Fresh Off the Boat at its new time at 8:30 p.m. EDT, and ABC News' 20/20 from 9:00-11:00 p.m. EDT. On Sunday, Sept. 29, AFV launches its 30th season at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Shark Tank, dives into season 11 at 9:00 p.m. EDT; followed by The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion, which premieres on its new night and time at 10:00 p.m. EDT.

And finally, Sunday, Oct. 6, marks the series premiere of Kids Say the Darndest Things at 8:00 p.m. EDT. This fresh take on a TV classic is hosted and executive produced by comedic superstar Tiffany Haddish. No word yet on what will air at 8:00 p.m. on this night on Sept. 29.

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Seinfeld at The Shops at Columbus Circle (second floor mezzanine) in New York City with an interactive Seinfeld experience; take the Seinfeld trivia quiz; or have a seat in Jerry's living room (now there's a photo op or social media post). Guests will receive Seinfeld 30th anniversary prizes, including limited-edition Junior Mints and an exclusive Seinfeld 30th anniversary dictionaries survival kit. The Catch (as George would say): None. Nada. Nil. The interactive installation is free and open to the public – no reservations or tickets are required. The celebration lasts Saturday, July 6 until Tuesday, July 9 at The Shops at Columbus Circle - 10 Columbus Circle (59th St., Second Floor Mezzanine) in New York City. Visit www.theshopsatcolumbuscircle.com. Share your experience and tag your experience on Instagram @theshopsatcolumbuscircle @SeinfeldTV and use #Seinfeld30.

by Vincent

Next year promises to be an interesting one for new sitcoms. Several networks are preparing to lose big, landmark series - The Big Bang Theory, of course, has ended, and Modern Family will also be ending after next season. In this column I'll be taking a look at what the networks will be doing to replenish their sitcom stock in 2019.

ABC is clearly going to be relying on Kenya Barris (creator of black-ish) to rocket them into a new era. mixed-ish, the Rainbow-centric spinoff of black-ish, will be the networks big new comedy premiere. It seems ABC is really dedicated to it, pairing it with its parent series for a Tuesday launch. That means half of ABC's Tuesday comedy line-up will be produced by Kenya Barris. The other half will be The Conners and the decently rated sophomore Bless This Mess. It may wind up being that Tuesday overtakes Wednesday as ABC's dominant comedy night.

CBS is also going with a storied producer for its future - the network will be debuting Chuck Lorre's (creator of Big Bang Theory) new comedy Bob Loves Abishola on Mondays at 8:30. It will also be premiering the new Patricia Heston vehicle Carol's Second Act on Thursdays at 9:30. Young Sheldon (which moves into the lead-off slot). CBS is counting on these big names to fill its big holes, and we'll have to see if it works out for them.

Hulu announced that following the acquisition of award-winning Canadian fan favorite and Crave Original comedy series Letterkenny, the show will return as a Hulu Original. In a new licensed deal with New Metric Media and DHX Media, Hulu will now have exclusive U.S. streaming rights to all upcoming seasons of the series. Created by and starring Jared Keeso, the half-hour comedy revolves around the dustups Wayne (Keeso) and his pals get into with their small-town rivals. For the hicks, skids and hockey players of Letterkenny, getting your ass kicked is a legitimate concern on a day-to-day basis. In the upcoming six-episode seventh season premiering Monday, October 14, the Hicks start an agricultural call-in show. Fans can still binge the first six seasons of Letterkenny on Hulu, now under the new Hulu Original moniker.

In addition to Wayne (Keeso), Key residents of Letterkenny are Daryl (Nathan Dales), Wayne's free-spirited younger sister Katy (Michelle Mylett), and Wayne's buddy, Dan (K Trevor Wilson) - while Dylan Playfair and Andrew Herr are Hockey Players Jonesy and Reilly. Tyler Johnston and Evan Stern are Skids Stewart and Roald, Mark Forward is the temperamental Coach, and Tiio Horn is the badass leader of The Natives, Tanis.

by Vincent

This week, Hulu renewed Ramy for a second season. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, it's a comedy in the style of Master of None or Louie revolving around a young Muslim man living in New Jersey. The series was created by Ramy Youssef as a semi-autobiographical look at his own life growing up as a Muslim man and entering the entertainment industry. It premiered to widespread critical acclaim, and was promptly given a second season renewal by the streaming network.

Ramy is a really smart, funny, and well-crafted comedy, and now that a second season has already been confirmed I'd definitely recommend checking it out. It tells a really original and fresh point of view, which is something I'm noticing is becoming a bit of a trend with Hulu comedies. Between Shrill and Ramy, as well as the surprisingly addictive Future Man, Hulu seems like the place for originally-crafted and author-focused comedy right now, and I'd definitely say the streaming service has figured out a format that works for it. I'm eager to see if Hulu can continue this trend, and happy it seems to be giving all of these series a chance to find audiences.

The Johnsons will be back for Season 6 of black-ish, as The ABC Television Network announced it is picking up the acclaimed comedy for the 2019-2020 season. In addition, ABC will expand the award-winning black-ish franchise even further, with the network giving an early series order to mixed-ish, a spinoff about Rainbow Johnson's experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the '80s. The back-door pilot episode "Becoming Bow" of mixed-ish airing inside black-ish, originally scheduled to air May 7, will now be held for next season (2019-20). Bless This Mess original episode "The Predators," will now air in the 9:00 p.m. time slot that night, followed by a repeat from earlier this season at 9:30pm, so black-ish is preempted.

In mixed-ish, Rainbow Johnson recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the '80s and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves. Bow's parents Paul and Alicia decide to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family. As her parents struggle with the challenges of their new life, Bow and her siblings navigate a mainstream school in which they're perceived as neither black nor white. This family's experiences illuminate the challenges of finding one's own identity when the rest of the world can’t decide where you belong. The series stars Arica Himmel as Bow Johnson, Tika Sumpter as Alicia Johnson, Christina Anthony as Denise, Mykal-Michelle Harris as Santamonica Johnson and Ethan Childress as Johan Johnson.