SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we're hearing about a full season order for a NBC sitcom (something they haven't done for a sitcom in years), a potential reboot (with a twist) of Magnum P.I. at ABC, and more. Let's get going!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Sony is bringing the first season of Dr. Ken to DVD as a MOD release on October 11, with Dr. Ken - Season One.

TUESDAY (SEPTEMBER 27) HOME MEDIA RELEASE

• The Wonder Years - Season Six (DVD, $29.95): For those who "savor" their DVD releases rather than buying them all at once as a complete series, Time Life wraps up this series with the retail release of the final season.

Who to Follow: Minnie Driver (Twitter, Instagram), "Mother/Actress/Singer-songwriter/Darwinian Feminist. Instagram: @driverminnie"

Claim to Fame: Once again, we're featuring another star of one of the new sitcoms for this fall, and this week we have Minnie Driver, who plays Maya DiMeo in the ABC sitcom Speechless. Of course, Minnie Driver is not exactly new to acting, as she has been an accomplished movie actress for over two decades (with her most prominent role being in the film Good Will Hunting), but she has dabbled in television some. She appeared on the FX series The Riches in 2007 and 2008, and most recently she appeared in the NBC sitcom About a Boy.

Son of Zorn - Sundays at 8:30PM ET/PT on FOX
Premiered Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 8:00PM ET/PT

by Skees

Zorn is the warrior who has everything that a man could want... well, almost everything. While he spends almost all of his time in his animated kingdom of Zephyria, he has an ex-wife and son back home in California, and he visits his son on the weekend. At least on the weekend every couple of years. In his most recent trip back to California, he has discovered that his ex-wife Edie has moved on to a new romance that doesn't include him, and even worse, his son Alangulon (aka Alan) is now a teenager, and there seems to be no room in his life for his estranged father anymore.

Cast Details:

Jason Sudeikis as the voice of Zorn     
Johnny Pemberton as Alan
Cheryl Hines as Edie
Tim Meadows as Craig
Artemis Pebdani as Linda

Jason Sudeikis (Zorn) is the only star of the series who never actually appears on camera (since his character his animated), but his voice can be heard in each and every episode. Sudeikis came to fame by being hired as a writer for Saturday Night Live in 2003, but like many writers on the series, he was eventually upgraded to cast member by 2005. While he was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, he also had a recurring role on 30 Rock as Floyd DeBarber, and his voice could be heard in all but eight episodes of The Cleveland Show. Most recently, he had a major story arc role playing Phil Miller's brother in the Fox sitcom The Last Man on Earth. Additionally, he has movie credits in films such as Horrible Bosses and We're the Millers.

Johnny Pemberton (Alangulon, aka Alan) is a stand-up comedian who is best known for his work on the movies 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street. His television work includes roles on Family Tools, The Kroll Show, and most recently, Superstore.

Cheryl Hines (Edie) is best known for playing the role of Cheryl on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. On broadcast television, she played the role of Dallas Royce on the ABC comedy Suburgatory. She also briefly appeared in the (quickly canceled) ABC sitcom In the Motherhood in 2009 and voiced Kate in the series Father of the Pride.

Tim Meadows (Craig) is best known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live throughout most of the 90s. Since then, he has appeared as a regular in The Michael Richards Show, The Bill Engvall Show, and Mr. Box Office. He has appeared in films such as Mean Girls and Grown Ups.

Artemis Pebdani (Linda) is best known for a recurring role that she had on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She has also appeared in guest roles in How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, and numerous other sitcoms.


Pilot Plot:

"Return to Orange County" (Aired September 11 at 8:00PM ET)

In the pilot episode of the series, warrior Zorn returns to California to see his ex-wife and son. Only now he has found that things have changed since he last saw them, and not necessarily for the best. At least not for Zorn. His ex-wife, Edie, is not only over him, but she is also now engaged to Craig. He finds it impossible to relate to his son Alan. Seeing how things have changed while he is gone, he decides that he needs to get an apartment back in California and get an ordinary office job, but no matter what, this new life is going to be a major adjustment for Zorn.

"Defender of Teen Love" (Airs September 25 at 8:30PM ET)

In the second episode of the series, Craig wants to reclaim the garage to store his bikes, which means that Edie has to tell Zorn to get all of his belongings out of the garage. While cleaning out his belongings, Zorn finds his "Stone of Sight," a unique tool that allows him to spy on anybody at all. What he ends up using this tool for may be a blessing or a curse to Alan, when he uses it to try to help Alan get the girl he is attracted to.



Analysis:

This is definitely an odd series, much different from pretty much anything that has ever aired as a primetime broadcast network series (though not exactly a first if you consider some of the odd stuff that has aired on cable). It is odd in that the series is essentially a live-action series, except for Zorn. Zorn is animated, everything that belongs to him is animated, and his friends and acquaintances "back home" are all animated. But everything else in the series is live-action. So while Zorn himself joins the Fox Sunday night animated lineup as one of their characters, it is much different from the other animated series in the lineup that are completely animated. That hybrid nature of the series alone could be a make or break factor (for me, it makes it more interesting), because it is new territory for where it is airing.

That new territory, though, is certainly refreshing for TV. Before I watched the pilot, I expected to not like the series. I had a few different ideas of what the series would be like before watching, even when I fully knew it was an hybrid with animation and live-action, and none of the ideas of what I thought it would be were things that I was particularly interested in. After watching the pilot, though, I knew it was something different than anything that I've seen, and something that I liked.

The first episode is a typical pilot that introduces us to all of the characters and gives us a good idea of who they are, what their problems are, and what they're going to do to solve them. Of course, like many series, you can't really judge the show too much from the pilot, because all of the introductions leave little time for any real plot. The second episode, "Defender of Teenage Love," gives a real sense of what the series will be like, and that is what gave me a good feeling about the series. It shows that the series will frequently be about Zorn trying to achieve two goals: his positive goal of getting his son to love and respect him and his somewhat nefarious goal of trying to get his ex-wife to leave her fiance and come back with him. Not surprisingly, it looks like his goal of getting his son back in his life shows some promise, and the goal of getting his ex-wife back appears that it will be a constant dead end for him.

The only concern that I have, and it isn't so much a bad thing about the series but more about where it is airing, is that the experimental nature of it certainly feels like something that would be streamed on something like Netflix or Amazon Prime. I feel confident that the series could take off without any issues on a streaming service like that. On a broadcast network primetime lineup, it is hard to know where it'll go, but I'd certainly say it has a chance for survival beyond a few episodes.

Conclusion:

I liked the two episodes of the series that I watched. It is certainly something different for television, and much like The Last Man on Earth (the other Sunday night series on Fox that Phil Lord and Chris Miller serve as executive producer for), it has those quirky and unique qualities that are refreshing to see on TV. In other words, they've once again been able to come together to produce something that is legitimately funny, yet nothing like anything else that is airing on TV. That is hard to do these days when there are a finite number of ideas, most of which have been beat to death.

I'm hopeful that the series can survive, and that it can find an audience. Fox has positioned it in exactly the right place if it could ever hope to do it on a primetime lineup. As previously mentioned, it certainly might have been better positioned for an online streaming service. It is quirky, as many of those series are, and that is not to mention that the uncensored nature of those services could make the series more "interesting." But nonetheless, I think that this series can get a fair shake on the Fox Sunday night lineup, and it strikes me as the type of series that won't have a lot of difficulty finding a fan base as long as it is given a fair chance.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

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

Discuss the show after you watch it on Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

FOX.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Son of Zorn Photo Gallery

Preview:

It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Sep. 26-30, 2016, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!


Saturday, September 24, 2016

• Norm Macdonald (Norm) - Watch Norm on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

• Mark Consuelos (Hope & Faith) - Catch Mark on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.

Monday, September 26, 2016

• Zach Galifianakis (Baskets) - Watch Zach on on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Rob Lowe (The Grinder/Parks and Recreation) - Rob appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Code Black on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings. He will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Kal Penn (We Are Men/How I Met Your Mother) - Kal is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) - Will visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Norm Macdonald (Norm) - Norm stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Johnny Pemberton (Son of Zorn) - Johnny is a guest on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) - Margaret appears on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) - Jaleel is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Patton Oswalt (The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Whoopi Goldberg (Whoopi/Bagdad Cafe) - Whoopi drops by Harry, so check your local listings.
• Kristin Chenoweth (Kristin) - Kristin performs live on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. She also talks about her new album on the AOL Build Show at 3pm.
• Sutton Foster (Younger) - Sutton talks about Younger on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• The Cast of Younger) - Sutton Foster, Debi Mazar, Hilary Duff, Nico Tortorella, Peter Hermann, Miriam Shor and Molly Bernard are guests on the AOL Build Show at 2:15pm. Hilary will also be on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York sometime between 7-10am.
• Michael Rosenbaum (Impastor) - Michael is a guest on WSJ Live at 11:30am and Yahoo! Facebook Live at 2pm.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

• J.K Simmons (Growing Up Fisher/Family Tools) - Catch J.K. on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Sutton Foster (Younger) - Sutton appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Allison is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS. She will also be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Kristin Chenoweth (Kristin) - Kristin performs for the audience on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Gabourey Sidibe (The Big C) - Gabourey visits Harry, so check your local listings.
• Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen stops by Harry, so check your local listings.
• Cheryl Hines (Son of Zorn/Suburgatory/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Cheryl is a guest on The Real, so check your local listings.
• Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom talks about Hidden Heroes on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Jennifer Esposito (Samantha Who?/Spin City) - Jennifer is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) - Melissa is a guest on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York sometime between 7-10am.
• Michael Rosenbaum (Impastor) - Michael appears on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC. He will also be on Good Morning Football on NFL Network sometime between 7-10am.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

• Sarah Jessica Parker (Divorce/Sex and the City/Square Pegs) - Watch Sarah on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Daveed Diggs (black-ish) - Daveed stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• January Jones (The Last Man on Earth) - January appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She will also be on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings and on the AOL Build Show at 11am.
• Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer visits The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Ken Marino (Marry Me/Party Down/Men Behaving Badly) - Ken is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Ted Danson (The Good Place/Becker/Cheers) - Ted stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley/The Goodwin Games/Carpoolers) - T.J. appears on Chelsea on Netflix.
• Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Kristin Chenoweth (Kristin) - Kristin joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Nathan Lane (Modern Family/Encore! Encore!/Charlie Lawrence) and John Goodman (Roseanne) - Nathan and John talk about The Front Page on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Hilary Duff (Younger/Lizzie McGuire) and Debbie Mazar (Younger/Entourage/Working) - Hilary and Debbie talk about Younger on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. Hilary will also be on People Now at 8:30am.
• The Cast of Impastor - Michael Rosenbaum, Sara Rue, Mircea Monroe, David Rasche and Mike Kosinski discuss Impastor on the AOL Build Show at 12pm and on Facebook Live. Sara will also be on PIX Morning News on WPIX in New York.
• Marcia Gay Harden (Trophy Wife) - Marcia is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Norm Macdonald (Norm) - Norm appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

• Judith Light (Transparent/Phenom/Who's the Boss?) - Catch Judith on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Tim Meadows (Son of Zorn/Marry Me/The Michael Richards Show) - Tim appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on the AOL Build Show at 3pm.
• Max Greenfield (New Girl/Modern Men) - Max drops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community), Dave Foley (Dr. Ken/NewsRadio) and Suzy Nakamura (Dr. Ken/Go On) - Ken, Dave and Suzy are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight. Ken will also be on Harry, so check your local listings.
• January Jones (The Last Man on Earth) - January stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Sarah Jessica Parker (Divorce/Sex and the City/Square Pegs) - Sarah appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Alfonso Ribeiro (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/In the House/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT. He will also be on the AOL Build Show at 11am.
• Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men/The Powers That Be) - Holland talks about The Front Page on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Guys with Kids) - Jamie-Lynn is a guest on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York sometime between 7-10am.
• Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

Friday, September 30, 2016

• Minnie Driver (Speechless/About a Boy) - Watch Minnie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
• Nathan Lane (Modern Family/Encore! Encore!/Charlie Lawrence) - Nathan visits The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Abby Elliott (Odd Mom Out) - Abby appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Clark Gregg (The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Clark is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen appears on Chelsea on Netflix.
• Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Margo Martindale (The Millers) - Margo joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Alfonso Ribeiro (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air/In the House/Silver Spoons) - Alfonso will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Ashley Williams (The Jim Gaffigan Show/How I Met Your Mother/Good Morning, Miami) - Ashley talks about her Hallmark Channel original movie Love on a Limb on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah stops by Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Tim Daly (Wings) - Tim talks about Madam Secretary on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Sara Rue (Impastor/Less Than Perfect) and Michael Rosenbaum (Impastor) - Sara and Michael talks about Season 2 of TV Land's Impastor on People Now at 8:30am.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Netflix announced the premiere date for Fuller House Season 2 which launches globally December 9, 2016 on Netflix, along with the debut of the new key art (seen above). In the spinoff series, Fuller House, the adventures that began in 1987 on Full House continue, with veterinarian D.J. Tanner-Fuller (Candace Cameron-Bure) recently widowed and living in San Francisco. D.J.'s younger sister/aspiring musician Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) and D.J.'s lifelong best friend/fellow single mother Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), along with Kimmy's feisty teenage daughter Ramona, all move in to help take care of D.J.'s three boys - the rebellious 12-year-old Jackson, neurotic 7-year-old Max and her newborn baby, Tommy Jr. Fuller House stars Candace Cameron Bure as D.J. Tanner-Fuller, Jodie Sweetin as Stephanie Tanner, Andrea Barber as Kimmy Gibbler, Juan Pablo Di Pace as Fernando, Soni Nicole Bringas as Romona, Michael Campion as Jackson, Elias Harger as Max, Dashiell and Fox Messitt Twins as Baby Tommy, Scott Weinger as Steve Hale, John Brotherton as Matt Harmon, and Ashley Liao as Lola.

The CBS Television Network has given a series order to Superior Donuts, a new half hour multi-camera comedy from CBS Television Studios. The Network has ordered 12 additional episodes plus the pilot episode for broadcast during the 2016/17 season. Starring Judd Hirsch and Jermaine Fowler, Superior Donuts follows the relationship between the gruff owner (Hirsch) of a small donut shop, his enterprising new young employee (Fowler) and their loyal patrons, in a quickly gentrifying Chicago neighborhood. Based on the play by Tracy Letts, the comedy also stars David Koechner, Maz Jobrani, Anna Baryshnikov, Darien Sills-Evans, Rell Battle and Katey Sagal.

'80s sitcom Amen is coming to Centric! The series will get a nice marathon beginning at 11:59pm this Saturday (Sept. 24) lasting through Monday, Sept. 26 at 5:30pm. That's a whole lotta Amen! The series will air in a few blocks that week as well before settling into its regular weekdays from 10am-12pm timeslot leading into Family Matters, Bernie Mac and Eve from 12pm-5:30pm. It looks like The Steve Harvey Show and 227 will be on weekends. Deacon Frye, head of the First Community Church of Philadelphia, is trying to keep everything in his church firmly under control. His new assistant, Rev. Reuben Gregory, however, has some very different ideas of how do things. The parishoners, seeing that the best path probably lies between the two, play the two squabbling men off each other to keep things on a more or less even keel. Adding to the fray is the Deacon's daughter Thelma, who gradually becomes attracted to the new Reverend. The sitcom stars Sherman Hemsley, C lifton Davis, Anna Maria Horsford, Roz Ryan, Jester Hairston, Barbara Montgomery, Rosetta LeNoire, Bumper Robinson, Elsa Raven, Tony T. Johnson, and Montrose Hagins. Shine on me!

FX has renewed the acclaimed new comedy series Atlanta and Better Things. The network has ordered 10 episodes for the second season of each series. Atlanta and Better Things each returned with new episodes this week. Atlantaairs Tuesdays at 10 PM ET/PT on FX. In Atlanta, two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families. "Earn Marks" (Donald Glover) is a young manager trying to get his cousin's career off the ground. "Alfred Miles" (Brian Tyree Henry) is a new hot rapper trying to understand the line between real life and street life. "Darius" (Lakeith Stanfield) is Alfred's right-hand man and visionary. "Van" (Zazie Beetz) is Earn's best friend and the mother of Earn's daughter.

Better Things airs Thursdays at 10 PM ET/PT on FX. Better Things centers on Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single, working actor with no filter raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She's mom, dad, referee and the cops. Sam also watches out for her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expatriate, who lives across the street. Sam is flawed and fierce with her love for her daughters, and her own mother, as well. Sometimes, heaping the love on when she feels guilty. Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' lives, have fun with a friend or two and also - just maybe - squeeze in some private time once in a while.

Speechless - Wednesdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at 8:30PM ET/PT

by Pavan

Maya DiMeo is a mom on a mission who will do anything for her husband, Jimmy, and kids Ray, Dylan, and J.J., her eldest son with cerebral palsy. As Maya fights injustices both real and imagined, the family works to make a new home for themselves and searches for just the right person to help give J.J. his "voice."

Cast Details:

Minnie Driver as Maya DiMeo
John Ross Bowie as Jimmy DiMeo
Mason Cook as Ray DiMeo
Micah Fowler as JJ DiMeo
Kyla Kenedy as Dylan DiMeo
Cedric Yarbrough as Kenneth

Minnie Driver (Maya) first came to the attention of audiences and critics alike in 1995 for her critically acclaimed performance in Circle of Friends, in which she starred with Chris O'Donnell. She went on to earn Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations, both in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Miramax's award-winning feature Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant. In 1998 she was honored with ShoWest's prestigious Female Star of Tomorrow for her work. On the small screen, Driver recently starred as Fiona, a needy, highly strung single mom in the charming comedy About a Boy. Driver starred in the television movie Return to Zero, a devastating true story of a couple's attempts to navigate their way through a pregnancy filled with doubt, grief and trepidation. She was nominated for a 2014 Critics' Choice Television Award and a 2014 Primetime Emmy Award on behalf of her performance in the film.

John Ross Bowie (Jimmy) is best known to TV audiences as Barry Kripke on The Big Bang Theory. John has also appeared on Veep, Love, Fresh Off The Boat, Chasing Life, The Wrong Mans, Episodes, House of Lies, Curb Your Enthusiasm, A.U.S.A., two of the CSI series, and as Sven the Singing Seahorse on Sofia the First.

Conclusion:


Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4.5/5
Funniness: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, September 22, 2016 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

ABC Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Speechless Photo Gallery

Preview:

The summer is coming to a close and Freeform is already getting ready for the merriest time of the year - the network's beloved "25 Days of Christmas" programming event (airing December 1 - 25). While the home of 25 days of holiday-themed programming has a new name, the network still has all of the same jolly movies that Christmas fans love, including Elf, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The Santa Clause, The Polar Express and much more. So enjoy the beginning of the fall season knowing you are only 100 days from Christmas! And "25 Days of Christmas" is turning 20 this year, as it will be the 20th annual event. Wow. Stay with us soon for more details on programming for this event. The countdown is on!

The Good Place - Thursdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Series Preview Monday, September 19, 2016 at 10:00PM & 10:30PM ET/PT; Timeslot Premiere on Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 8:30PM ET/PT

by Vincent

The Good Place is a unique new comedy that follows Eleanor Shellstrop, an ordinary woman who, through an extraordinary string of events, enters the afterlife where she comes to realize that she hasn't been a very good person. With the help of her wise newfound afterlife mentor, she's determined to shed her old way of living and discover the awesome (or at least the pretty good) person within.

Cast Details:

Kristen Bell as Eleanor
Ted Danson as Michael
Jameela Jamil as Tahani
William Jackson Harper as Chidi
Manny Jacinto as Jianyu
D'Arcy Carden as Janet

Kristen Bell (Eleanor) is known for her role as the titular character in the cult teen drama series Veronica Mars. She is also well-known for her voice role as Ana in the smash hit animated Disney film Frozen. She also starred as Jeannie in the Showtime drama series House of Lies and has appeared in guest roles on shows such as Party Down, Parks and Recreation, and The Simpsons.

Ted Danson (Michael) is known for his role as Sam Malone on the long-running NBC sitcom Cheers as well as the 2000s sitcom Becker. He also spent multiple years in a lead role on CSI and most recently had a major part in the second season of FX's Fargo adaptation. He has also appeared on shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bored to Death, Help Me Help You and Damages.

Jameela Jamil (Tahani) is an English actress and television/radio presenter. She is best known as the host of the UK radio show The Official Chart as well as several TV music programs such as Music Zone and Freshly Squeezed. The Good Place will be her first major starring role as an actress.

William Jackson Harper (Chidi) is an actor who is best known for his role as Danny on The Electric Company. He has also appeared on shows such as 30 Rock, Person of Interest, and High Maintenance,

Manny Jacinto (Jianyu) is an actor who has previously appeared in guest roles on shows such as The 100, iZombie, and Bates Motel.

D'Arcy Carden (Janet) is a comedic actress known for her roles on Broad City and Comedy Bang! Bang! She also appeared in a guest role on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the indie film Other People, and is a regular in CollegeHumor online videos.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot/Flying" (Airs September 19 at 10:00PM & 10:30PM ET)

Thanks to some kind of error, Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), an ordinary woman, enters the afterlife and is sent to the Good Place -- which is definitely not where she belongs. While hiding in plain sight from Michael (Ted Danson), the wise architect of the Good Place who is unaware that he's made a mistake, she's determined to shed her old way of living and discover the awesome person within. Helping Eleanor navigate her new surroundings are Chidi (William Jackson Harper), her kind, open-hearted "soulmate" who sees the good in people but finds himself facing quite a dilemma; her frustratingly perfect new neighbors, Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jianyu (Manny Jacinto); and Janet (D'Arcy Carden), a walking, talking source for all the knowledge in the universe.

Analysis:

The Good Place has perhaps the highest pedigree of any new sitcom this fall. It comes from Michael Schur, former Office staff writer and the man behind critically acclaimed and fan beloved Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It also stars Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, two of the most talented actors working in TV right now. So, needless to say, my expectations for The Good Place were sky-high, even with a somewhat off-kilter premise that seems better-suited for a quirky indie film than a network television series. And while I do have some concerns about the sustainability of its premise over long periods of time, the first five episodes of The Good Place are charming, confident, funny, and a great use of its talented cast. It's pretty rare to see a network comedy as fully-formed as The Good Place is from the start – the show's pilot, while somewhat exposition-heavy (which is hard to avoid with a premise like this), is a great, funny, and entertaining introduction to an incredibly unique world, and the show only builds upon its that over the next four episodes, each of which do a little bit to expand our knowledge of the show's universe and the characters that populate it.

Although The Good Place is one of the more ambitious network comedies I've seen in recent years, the show does mostly settle into a formula after its whimsical, sci-fi-heavy pilot. Each episode loosely revolves around Eleanor attempting to be a good person, failing for some various reason, and then learning some kind of "lesson" by the end of the episode. This isn't a criticism whatsoever – every sitcom, even the very best ones, finds some kind of formula they can easily repeat to sustain themselves year after year, and it's actually encouraging to see that The Good Place has already found a way to lend its creative premise into network-TV friendly storylines each week without losing what makes it so interesting in the first place. In fact, The Good Place is really smart about getting around the fact that it's a network sitcom with a more cable or streaming-esque premise (there's an amusing runner dealing with how the foul-mouthed Eleanor can't curse in the afterlife, and all of her f-bombs turn into "forks"). Still, if there's a key to The Good Place remaining fresh through-out the rest of its first season and into any potential future seasons, it's to dig a bit deeper into its supporting characters and the world its created alongside the "Eleanor tries to be a good person" narrative. The show already seems to be doing this by the end of these five episodes, and you can certainly see the Parks & Rec­-esque world-building beginning to form, but I think the show could use just a bit more of it, as it's likely its best chance at sustaining a premise that's fascinating but could run out of steam fast. Still, for now, I'm liking just about everything The Good Place has to offer.

Conclusion:

The Good Place is a highly creative and nearly fully-formed new sitcom with great talent both in the writing room and on screen. The show's premise is incredibly unique and yet still lends itself well to the confines of a network sitcom, and the performances from both Kristen Bell and Ted Danson as well as the mostly-newcomer supporting cast are some of the best you'll find on TV this fall. There are certainly questions to be had about the sustainability of a premise like this over long periods of time, and it would be nice to see the show dig deeper into its world-building and supporting cast a bit more in future episodes, but overall there's not much about The Good Place right now that isn't...well, good.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 5/5
Funniness: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Monday, September 19, 2016 at 10:00PM & 10:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

Fox.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

The Good Place Photo Gallery

Preview:

The 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards aired last night on ABC. Here are the winners!

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
black-ish (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)
Master Of Non (Netflix)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Transparent (Amazon)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Veep (HBO)
WINNER: Veep (HBO)

OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTOR
Anthony Anderson, black-ish (ABC)
Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth (Fox)
Aziz Ansari, Master of None (Netflix)
Louis C.K., Louie (FX)
William H. Macy, Shameless (Showtime)
Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley (HBO)
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon)
WINNER: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon).

OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTRESS
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie (Netflix)
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish (ABC)
Laurie Metcalf, Getting On (HBO)
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmid (Netflix)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)
WINNER: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO).

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
Louie Anderson, Baskets (FX)
Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele (Comedy Central)
Ty Burrell, Modern Family (ABC)
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Tony Hale, Veep (HBO)
Matt Walsh, Veep (HBO)
WINNER: Louie Anderson, Baskets (FX)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS
Niecy Nash, Getting On (HBO)
Judith Light, Transparent (Amazon)
Allison Janney, Mom (CBS)
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent (Amazon)
Jane Krakowski, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Anna Chlumsky, Veep (HBO)
WINNER: Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Caul (AMC)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
House of Cards (Netflix)
Homeland (Showtime)
Mr. Robot (USA Network)
The Americans (FX)
WINNER: Game of Thrones (HBO)

OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTOR
Bob Odenkirk, Netter Call Saul (AMC)
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline (Netflix)
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards (Netflix)
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA Network)
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime)
Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX)
WINNER: Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA Network)

OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTRESS
Taraji P. Henson, Empire (Fox)
Claire Danes, Homeland (Showtime)
Robin Wright, House of Cards (Netflix)
Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder (ABC)
Keri Russell, The Americans (FX)
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)
WINNER: Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul (AMC)
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline (Netflix)
Kit Harrington, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Michael Kelly, House of Cards (Netflix)
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan (Showtime)
WINNER: Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline (Netflix)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS
Maura Tierney, The Affair (Showtime)
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey (PBS)
Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Constance Zimmer, UnReal (Lifetime)
WINNER: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey (PBS)

OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
American Crime (ABC)
Fargo (FX)
The Night Manager (AMC)
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
Roots (History)
WINNER: The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)

OUTSTANDING LEAD LIMITED SERIES/MOVIE ACTOR
Bryan Cranston, All the Way (HBO)
Idris Elba, Luther (BBC America)
Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager (AMC)
Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
Cuba Gooding, Jr., The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (PBS)
WINNER: Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)

OUTSTANDING LEAD LIMITED SERIES/MOVIE ACTRESS
Felicity Huffman, American Crime (ABC)
Lili Taylor, American Crime (ABC)
Kerry Washington, Confirmation (HBO)
Kirsten Dunst, Fargo (FX)
Keri Russell, The Americans (FX)
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill (HBO)
Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Stor (HBO)
WINNER: Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Stor (HBO)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING LIMITED SERIES/MOVIE ACTOR
Jesse Plemons, Fargo (FX)
Bokeem Woodbine, Fargo (FX)
Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager (AMC)
Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Stor (HBO)
David Schwimmer, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Stor (HBO)
John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Stor (HBO)
WINNER: Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Stor (HBO)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING LIMITED SERIES/MOVIE ACTRESS
Melissa Leo, All the Way (HBO)
Regina King, American Crime (ABC)
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Hotel (FX)
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Hotel (FX)
Jean Smart, Fargo (FX)
Olivia Colman, The Night Manager (FX)
WINNER: Regina King, American Crime (ABC)

View the full list of winners.

We're in Summer mode. We will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis NEXT WEEK but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did for the last week of summer! Here are our summer ratings: