SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

by Vincent

This TV season, there were a handful of new sitcoms on network TV that I was looking forward to. However, nearly all of them (with the exception of CBS' Ghosts) were held for mid-season, as the networks seem to be prioritizing unscripted shows over sitcoms again. That said, there are two sitcoms that I'm interested in: NBC's American Auto and ABC's Abbott Elementary (both had special preview premieres in December).

American Auto technically already premiered (in a preview role), and the first two episodes have been entertaining. The show is very much in vein of Superstore (which it shares a creator with), and like that show, I expect a few episodes for it to really find its voice. I still miss Superstore and felt it really had another good season or two left in it, so if American Auto can take after it, I'd be very happy. The show does need to find its own identity beyond just being "the new Office/Superstore," but solid performances from its promising cast make it one to keep an eye on.

I'm also very interested in Abott Elementary (which also had its preview premiere in December, that encores tonight at 10pm, episode two premieres tommorow at 9). There have been few sitcoms to take place in elementary schools, so it seems like an interesting new setting for a workplace comedy. It also has gotten really solid reviews and seems to have a very talented cast. With so many sitcoms having ended in the past 2 years, there really haven’t been many new sitcoms to step up and fill their shoes. Let's hope the spring 2022 class can reach that goal.

Betty White tributes started on Saturday, with TV Land airing the first marathon titled "Celebration of Betty White" with marathon blocks of The Golden Girls and Hot in Cleveland rotating all weekend starting 6pm on Saturday and continuing to 6am this morning. TV Land Sitcoms channel on Pluto TV has been airing non-stop Hot in Cleveland all weekend. NBC re-aired Betty's SNL guest host appearance from 2010 on Saturday at 11:35pm. The Hallmark Channel aired a tribute last night titled "The Lost Valentine: Remembering Betty White," an encore of their Hallmark Hall of Fame movie from 2011 from 8-10pm, followed by a The Golden Girls block from 10pm-1am. But there are much more tributes and marathons to come! Today (January 3) all-day from 9am-4am ET, CMT will celebrate the iconic Betty White with The Golden Girls All-Day Marathon featuring back-to-back episodes of some of the best Rose Nylund episodes of all-time. DECADES airs the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Betty White on Friday, January 7 at 9pm ET and select episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and encore presentations of her Celebrity Roast all weekend long beginning Saturday, January 8 at 12pm ET.

MeTV will air a Sunday block for Betty White with four episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, two episodes of Mama's Family and a guest appearance from The Love Boat on Sunday, January 9 from 2-6pm ET/PT. There were planned 100th birthday marathons already scheduled, as we mentioned a few weeks back, but MeTV has moved those Mary Tyler Moore Show episodes to Jan. 9 instead and will no longer do a 100th birthday salute on the 16th. As of now, Hallmark Channel is still airing the Golden Girls marathon from Jan. 15-17.

This Saturday, January 8 starting at 9 a.m. ET, Game Show Network will air an 8-hour marathon of Match Game episodes featuring the golden girl of game shows and America's sweetheart, Betty White. Buzzr will begin their celebration of Betty White on Saturday, January 8, at 10:30 am EST with episodes of Match Game and Match Game PM. They will feature more game shows on January 16 and 17. Keep it right here with continued updates as we get more information from other TV networks/services.

by Vincent

Last night, NBC's Superstore came to an end. The show has been one of the best network sitcoms of the past decade, and in my mind, one of the most underrated sitcoms of all-time. It's a hilarious show with an excellent ensemble that tackled working class issues that no other show has even come close to tackling, and it deserves to be mentioned in the same conversation as The Office, Community, 30 Rock, The Good Place or any of the other beloved NBC comedies of modern times. The show is also going out with a great season - even though losing America Ferrera and dealing with the issues of the COVID-19 pandemic don't sound like they would make a great Superstore season, they really have. The way Superstore depicts its employees' dealing with the pandemic has made for some great dark and true-to-life humor, and continued its amazing turn of taking serious issues and making funny, thoughtful TV.

At the time I'm writing this, I haven't watched the show's series finale yet. But in some ways, I'm dreading the show's end, just because Superstore has been such a consistent delight these past six years, and I'm not ready for the show to end just yet. With Superstore leaving, it'll leave a huge hole in the network TV landscape, and I truly hope that the show has a revival on streaming the way The Office and Parks and Recreation did - as many people as possible deserve to watch this truly incredible series. So farewell, Superstore, and thanks for all of the laughs and real moments you've given us.

Emmy-winning actress Jessica Walter, who starred as Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development, has died. She died in her sleep at her home in Manhattan, New York, on March 24. Ms. Walter was 80.

Walter's early television guest appearances included Flipper, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., Name of the Game, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, Alias Smith and Jones, Mannix, Banacek, Barnaby Jones, The Magician, Columbo, Hawaii Five-0 and Ironside. She won an Emmy Award in 1975 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her work in the NBC police drama Amy Prentiss. Amy Prentiss was a relatively young investigator who becomes the first female Chief of Detectives for the San Francisco Police Department following the previous chief's death. The series was a spin-off of Ironside.

She had a recurring role as Claudia Bradford in eight episodes the 1984-1985 ABC sitcom Three's a Crowd. Claudia Bradford was Vicky Bradford's (Mary Cadorette) mother and James Bradford's (Robert Mandan) ex-wife. The Three's Company spin-off also starred John Ritter and Alan Campbell.

Walter provided the voice of Fran Sinclair on the 1991-1994 ABC sitcom Dinosaurs. Fran Sinclair was a ten-ton allosaurus who was the mother and homemaker of the Sinclair family. The cast providing voices included Stuart Pankin, Jason Willinger, Sally Struthers, Kevin Clash, Florence Stanley, Sam McMurray and Sherman Hemsley.

Walter starred as Celia Calloway on the 1998-2000 Lifetime sitcom Oh Baby. Celia was the bossy mother of Tracy Calloway (Cynthia Stevenson). The series also starred Joanna Gleason, Matt Champagne, Dina Spybey, Doug Ballard, Jack Coleman, Patrick Kerr and Don McMarcus.

She starred as the scheming alcoholic socialite matriarch Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development. Lucille is the wife of George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) and the mother of Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman). Walter received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series for the role in 2005. The series aired on Fox for three seasons from 2003 to 2005 before being revived by Netflix for seasons four (2013) and five (2018-2019). It also stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross and Ron Howard (narrator).

Walter starred as Elaine Robbins on the 2011-2012 TV Land sitcom Retired at 35. It ran for two seasons and 20 episodes. The series follows a successful New Yorker named David (Johnathan McClain), who decides to leave the rat race and his job in the big city and visit his father (George Segal) and mother (Jessica Walter) who live in a retirement community in Florida. The series also starred Josh McDermitt, Ryan Michelle Bathe (Season 1) and Marissa Jaret Winokur (Season 2).

She starred as Maggie Doyle on the 2014 TV Land sitcom Jennifer Falls. The series follows Jennifer Doyle (Jaime Pressly), a single mother who, after losing her high salary job, has to move back in with her mother, Maggie. It also starred Missi Pyle, Ethlan Suplee, Nora Kirkpatrick and Dylan Gelula.

Walter provided the voice of Malory Hunter on the FX/FXX animated series Archer for 11 seasons from 2009 to 2020. Malory Hunter is the mother Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin). The show has been renewed for season 12. Others providing voices include Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Chris Parnell, Adam Reed, Aisha Tyler and Lucky Yates.

Some of her sitcom guest appearances included Love, American Style, Aloha Paradise, Joanie Loves Chachi, The Love Boat, Coach (5 episodes as Susan Miller), You Wish, Just Shoot Me! (as Eve Gallo, the mother of Maya (Laura San Giacomo) and the ex-wife of magazine publisher Jack Gallo (George Segal)), Rules of Engagement, Happy Hour, The Big Bang Theory, The Odd Couple (2016), Difficult People and American Housewife.

She had a supporting role as Phyllis Koster, the wife of David Koster (William Shatner), on the short-lived 1965 CBS police drama For the People. She had a recurring role as Melanie McIntyre, Trapper John's (Pernell Roberts) former wife on the CBS medical drama Trapper John, M.D. from 1979 to 1985. In 1982, she appeared as Anne McPherson on the NBC drama The Round Table. She played Ava Marshall on the short-lived 1983 NBC primetime soap opera Bare Essence. She starred as Connie Lo Verde on the 1988 NBC drama Aaron's Way. She was a regular as Tabitha Wilson on the first half of the first season of 90210 from 2008 to 2009.

Some of her other drama television guest appearances in the 1970s and 1980s included McCloud, The Streets of San Francisco, McMillan and Wife, Wonder Woman, Quincy, M.E., Knots Landing, Matt Houston, Hotel, Magnum, P.I. and Murder, She Wrote. Her later guest appearances included Babylon 5, Law & Order, One Life to Live (6 episodes), Jack & Jill, Touched by an Angel, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Saving Grace, Gravity, NCIS and Good Girls.

Her film credits included Play Misty for Me (1971), Grand Prix (1966), The Group (1966), Going Ape! (1981), Spring Fever (1983), The Flamingo Kid (1984) and PCU (1994).

Ms. Walter was a brilliant actress. She was so funny and memorable as Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development. She made everything she appeared in much better. We thank her for the many laughs and entertainment she brought us during her long career. She will be deeply missed.

Share your memories on our Arrested Development messsage board. View photos in our galleries.

Character actor Richard Gilliland, who appeared as J.D. Shackelford on Designing Women, has died. He died on March 18 following a short illness in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Gilliland was 71.

Gilliland starred as Lt. Nick Holden in the first season (1977-1978) of the ABC sitcom Operation Petticoat. Lt. Nick Holden was a wheeler-dealer supply officer. The first season also starred John Astin, Melinda Naud, Yvonne Wilder, Dorrie Thomson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bond Gideon, Richard Brestoff and Jim Varney.

He starred as Tom Stafford on the short-lived 1989 CBS sitcom Heartland. The series was about an old-fashioned farmer named B. L. McCutcheon (Brian Keith) moves in with his daughter (Katie Layman), son-in-law (Richard Gilliland) and their family. The series also starred Jason Kristofer, Devin Ratray and Daisy Keith.

Gilliand starred as Keith Barrow on the short-lived 1983 ABC sitcom Just Our Luck. Keith Barrow was a mild-mannered TV weatherman for KPOX-TV who frees a hip, fun-loving 3,000-year-old genie named Shabu (T.K. Carter) after being imprisoned in his bottle for nearly two centuries. The series also starred Ellen Maxted, Rod McCary, Richard Schaal, Hamilton Camp and Leonard Simon.

He had a recurring role as J.D. Shackelford on 14 episodes of the CBS sitcom Designing Women from 1986 to 1991. J.D. Shackelford was Mary Jo Shively's (Annie Potts) boyfriend who worked as a talent scout for the Atlanta Braves. Gilliland married Jean Smart (Charlene Frazier-Stillfield) in 1987. The series also starred Dixie Carter, Delta Burke (1986-1991), Meschach Taylor, Julia Duffy (Season 6), Jan Hooks (Seasons 6-7) and Judith Ivey (Season 7).

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, Mary, Night Court, Valerie, Davis Rules and Becker.

He had a recurring role as Jeffrey Milgrom in seven episodes of thirtysomething from 1989 to 1990. Some of his television drama guest appearances from the 1970 and 1980s included The Streets of San Francisco, Medical Center, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Blue Knight, McMillan and Wife (as Sgt. Steve DiMaggio), Trapper John, M.D., The Waltons, Fantasy Island, Hotel, St. Elsewhere, Hunter, Hearbeat and Jake and the Fatman.

Some of his later guest appearances included Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, Winnetka Road, Touched by an Angel, Dark Skies, Early Edition, The Practice, Party of Five, Judging Amy, Joan of Arcadia, Crossing Jordan, 24, Dexter, Desperate Housewives, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds and Imposters.

Mr. Gilliland was a talented and versatile character actor. He was a familiar face on many sitcoms and other television series over the years. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our Designing Women message board. View photos in our galleries.

by Vincent

Well, it's official: Brooklyn Nine-Nine will be ending after its 8th season. In a way, this news isn't surprising, considering NBC seems to be moving in a new direction with its comedy series - Superstore was previously announced as ending, and the two shows had very similar vibes and ratings. Additionally, unlike when Fox abruptly cancelled the show after Season 5, the shows' creators seem to be amically ending the series along with the network, feeling that the show has run its course. Both creatively and commercially, it's an understandable decision. Brooklyn Nine-Nine was still a great show, but it was clear that it was starting to lose some ideas for its main characters, with each character beginning to reach a natural endpoint. And after a solid-rated Season 6, the ratings dropped in Season 7. Plus, after the turmoil of 2020, it's questionable whether or not people still want to laugh at a sitcom about police officers.

Still, Brooklyn Nine-Nine ending means one less network sitcom in a world that's already getting a bit short on them. With both Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine gone soon, the future is a question mark for acclaimed and fan beloved network comedies. Will anything step up to take their place? There are some solid new sitcoms on broadcast TV still, but none really rise to the level that either of those two hit. Mr. Mayor shows promise, but isn't there yet - and will it even be a part of NBC's new regime? Still, I'm interested to see where Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes its characters in its final season. Will it address the policing controversies of 2020? How will things end up for the characters? Hopefully, all of those questions will be answered in the final run of 10 episodes, which has been delayed until the 2021-2022 season (the pandemic means Brooklyn Nine-nine will sit the 2020-2021 TV season out completely.)

HBO Max has given an eight-episode order to the half-hour comedy series Rap Sh*t (working title) from Issa Rae (HBO's Insecure and A Black Lady Sketch Show), with Syreeta Singleton (Insecure, Central Park) serving as executive producer and showrunner, and hip hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls serving as co-executive producers. Rap Sh*t (wt) follows two estranged high school friends from Miami who reunite to form a rap group. Rap Sh*t (wt) will be executive produced by Issa Rae and Montrel McKay (A Black Lady Sketch Show, Road Trippp) for HOORAE, as well as Jonathan Berry (Insecure) and Dave Becky (Master of None, Russian Dolls) for 3 Arts Entertainment, along with showrunner Syreeta Singleton, with Rae also writing the pilot. Hip hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls serve as co-executive producers, along with Kevin "Coach K" Lee and Pierre "P" Thomas for Quality Control Films and Sara Rastogi for HOORAE. Rae's audio content company Raedio will handle music supervision for the series. Casting is currently underway. Production is scheduled to begin this summer.

NBC's Superstore will be closing the doors of Cloud 9 with a one-hour series finale on Thursday, March 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Prior to the finale, beginning Thursday, March 4, originals will move to 8:00pm ET/PT followed by repeats of Young Rock at 8:30pm ET/PT through March 18. As mentioned before, Mr. Mayor wraps up its first season run on Feb. 25 at 8pm after 9 episodes. Through its own comedic lens, Superstore has consistently examined many of the country's most topical issues, including health care, immigration, unionization, the plight of the retail worker and many more. The comedy reached more than 37 million viewers last season, has consistently been one of NBC's strongest comedies. Executive producers Justin Spitzer, Gabe Miller and Jonathan Green last year renewed their overall deals with Universal Television. Spitzer is continuing with his relationship with NBC with his pilot American Auto. Executive producers David Bernad and Ruben Fleischer currently serve as EP's on UTV's The Bold Type on Freeform. Superstore is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Spitzer Holding Company, Miller Green Broadcasting and The District.

HBO Max has picked up Max Original Search Party for a fifth season and signed the series' showrunners Charles Rogers and Sarah-Violet Bliss to a two-year overall deal to develop new programming for the streamer. Search Party stars Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early and Meredith Hagner. The first three seasons followed best friends Dory (Shawkat), Drew (Reynolds), Elliott (Early) and Portia (Hagner) through a messy private investigation, semi-accidental murder, absurd cover-up and sensational trial. In season four, Dory was held prisoner by her psychotic stalker Chip (Cole Escola), forcing Drew, Elliott and Portia to once again become a search party – but this time, for Dory. The comedy series, known for its trenchant satire of millennial culture, has a series 97% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. The first two seasons aired on TBS before the series moved to HBO Max for seasons three and four. The first episode of Search Party season four is currently available to stream for free on HBO Max and the HBO Max website.

by Vincent

A few years ago, it seemed like the only way for a sitcom to get greenlit was to be a revival of a previous hit sitcom. In just a few years timespan, we had revivals for Boy Meets World, Full House, Murphy Brown, Will & Grace, One Day at a Time, Roseanne and some others, as well. Now, a few years later, there is just one revival still left on network TV: the Roseanne spin-off The Conners, and its once-robust ratings have taken a huge hit this season. Recently, even the critically acclaimed One Day at a Time reboot, which was widely considered to be the best reboot done yet, was canceled after a two-network run on Netflix and Pop TV. So has the clock finally run out on reboots?

Truthfully, it does seem like reboots tend to follow a trend of high initial interest followed by a gradual decline in popularity. We could clearly see this with the two most-hyped reboots, the Roseanne and Will & Grace reboots. Both shows started with monster ratings, and Roseanne was able to transfer most of its audience to The Conners, as well. But those ratings have taken a huge hit this season, similar to the hit that Will & Grace took in its last few seasons. And while we don't have viewership data for Fuller House, the hype - and the way Netflix seemed to depriortize it after its first few seasons - suggests that it may have followed a similar path. Whether you liked or hated the reboots, it certainly seems as if their time, for now, has come and gone (though some pilot or script orders were ordered for The Wonder Years, Night Court, Kate & Allie and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman). Now there are more drama revivals/reboots on the air, all on CBS/The CW (MacGyver, Magnum P.I., S.W.A.T., Charmed, Dynasty, Nancy Drew, Roswell, Walker and the upcoming The Equalizer & Kung Fu).

NBC is reuniting two of the most popular members of the NYPD in TV history with a must-watch April 1 crossover that will serve as the launch of the highly anticipated new Dick Wolf drama, Law & Order: Organized Crime. A two-hour television event set for Thursday, April 1, this crossover between Law & Order: SVU (9 p.m.) and Law & Order: Organized Crime (10 p.m.) will finally bring back together Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, played by Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni. The spin-off series will run through May 20, just like SVU. Both series will also encore on Saturdays from 8-10 p.m. beginning April 3 through May 8, before NHL Playoffs take over on May 15. In other scheduling news on the scripted side, Good Girls will make its season four premiere on Sunday, March 7 at 10 p.m. thru June 13 as Beth, Ruby and Annie get together once again as the stakes for everyone gets higher and higher. Manifest is back for season three on Thursday, April 1 at 8 p.m. thru June 24 asking what happened to the passengers on Flight 828. Newly crowned Golden Globe Award nominee Jane Levy and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist returns from their hiatus with a new date and time – Sundays at 9 p.m. beginning March 28 thru May 16. And on the unscripted side, Ellen's Game of Games will shift from Mondays to Sundays beginning March 7 at 9 p.m. before moving to 8 p.m. on March 28 (following a repeat at 7pm) thru May 16.

Comedy wise, with the addition of drama Manifest on Thursdays, this means still no word on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but that series was having issues with production due to COVID-19. Superstore is expected to end its series run at the end of March (tentatively March 25), while Mr. Mayor will wrap its 9 episode run on Feb. 25.

by Vincent

Last week, it was announced that NBC was ending Superstore at the conclusion of its current sixth season. The announcement came as a big surprise, as while Superstore's ratings have taken a hit this season, it's still one of NBC's only remaining comedies, and is still a generally solid performer that gets critical acclaim and fan support. Superstore was undergoing a major shift as its lead actress America Ferrera departed the show at the beginning of the season, and it also was getting a lot of acclaim for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move makes some amount of sense - losing a lead actor has often spelled the downfall of many sitcoms, such as fellow NBC comedies The Office and Scrubs before it - but it still comes as a surprise to see NBC send off what is arguably its flagship comedy with only a limited amount of time for a goodbye.

It also poses the question of where NBC's comedy brand is headed. Just a few years ago, NBC seemed to have once again have a strong comedy line-up with the acclaimed and popular pairing of Superstore and The Good Place, in addition to the hyped Will & Grace reboot and the fan beloved Brooklyn Nine-Nine, borrowed from Fox. But now, The Good Place has ended on its own terms, Will & Grace was cancelled again due to a huge downturn in ratings, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine's future is questionable after the series put its writing on hold after the Black Lives Matter movement, which put a question mark on TV's portrayal of police. Brooklyn 99 announced in the spring it scrapped all of its scripts for Season 8 and is trying to tackle the movement head on, but as of now Season 8 does not have an anticipated premiere date, and it seems possible the show may sit out of the 2020-2021 TV season, or at the very least might not return until late spring. NBC has a few promising comedies premiering in 2021, including Tina Fey's Mr. Mayor (starring Ted Danson) and the Young Rock comedy series. Those two shows will have to hold up the fort as NBC undergoes yet another comedy transformation.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been renewed for four additional seasons. With season 15 due next year, Sunny will set the record as the longest-running live-action comedy series in television history, bypassing The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. Sunny's remarkable run has also racked up more than 1.5 billion hours viewed since its premiere in 2005. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia follows the misguided dreams and blundered schemes of everyone's favorite bar owners - The Gang at Paddy's Pub - Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dee (Kaitlin Olson) and Frank (Danny DeVito).

by Vincent

Next month, The Office, long the most streamed series on Netflix, will be exiting the streaming service and moving exclusively to its new home on Peacock. It's been a move known for nearly two years now, but it's getting closer and closer and now feels all the more real. The same recently happened to its sister series Parks and Recreation, which left Netflix as well as Hulu and is now available only on Peacock. It's the latest, and maybe the biggest move, in the ever changing streaming wars. At one time, nearly everything was centrally located on one of the original big 3 streaming platforms: Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. But now with more streaming services popping up, it has become increasingly splintered.

The question is, who will be hurt more? Netflix has lost two of its biggest streamers. At the same time, it has gained shows, too - Seinfeld will move to Netflix in 2021, and it has also picked up shows like Community and Sister, Sister this year, which have drawn buzz to the platform, along with their continued production of originals like Cobra Kai (swooped up from YouTube Red, of course) and Never Have I Ever that drew attention and acclaim. People are used to and comfortable with Netflix's interface, and are willing to find new shows to replace ones they've streamed many times before. On the other hand, it's possible people who love watching The Office will check out Peacock and ultimately prefer their selection (which includes most recent NBC comedies), or will simply just buy box sets of the show and stop participating in the streaming warms. Time will certainly tell on what comes of these "streaming wars" in the long run.

After 113 episodes, NBC's critically acclaimed comedy Superstore will be concluding at the end of its current sixth season. Through its own comedic lens, the series has consistently examined many of the country's most topical issues, including health care, immigration, unionization, the plight of the retail worker and many more. Superstore, which reached more than 37 million viewers last season, has consistently been one of NBC's strongest comedies. Following the winter hiatus, Superstore returns to the NBC lineup on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 8:30 p.m. There are currently 11 more episodes to air this season, which will end in the spring.

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

Last week, NBC's Superstore returned for Season 6. It was a big premiere for the show for several reasons. Amy, the show's lead character played by America Ferrera, will be departing the show after the second episode, so the premiere partly serves as the beginning of her farewell. And, notably, the premiere was the show's first episode after production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it addressed the pandemic's impact on its characters. And it did so brilliantly, putting together the best piece of media I've seen regarding the pandemic and one of the show's best episodes to date.

Superstore has always been a show not afraid to tackle big issues while also remaining funny and light-hearted, so it's not surprising that the show did such a great job tackling the issue of the virus. Additionally, given the show's setting in a retail store, the pandemic uniquely affects its characters, and it's sure to make us realize that. The characters are called "essential workers" but don't receive the same treatment from the public or their bosses as other essential workers do. The way the characters have to be at the front lines of the pandemic but don't get the tools to properly protect themselves is very real. And yet, the show still remained funny and managed to make some really funny jokes about the pandemic more successfully than I may have expected. I was very unsure about shows handling the pandemic, but if they can take Superstore's lead, they'll be making some really strong content.

The Keatons are in the house! Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley announced that Meredith Baxter (Elyse Keaton), Michael Gross (Steven Keaton), Michael J. Fox (Alex P. Keaton), Tina Yothers (Jennifer Keaton), Marc Price (Irwin "Skippy" Handelman), and Scott Valentine (Nick Moore), will reunite on Stars in the House on Tuesday, November 10 at 8PM ET to discuss all things Family Ties, and reminisce about their time on one of the most beloved sitcoms in television history.

The reunion episode will stream exclusively on PEOPLE social platforms Facebook and Twitter, as well as on PeopleTV's Facebook and Twitter, and on the Stars In The House YouTube channel, and StarsInTheHouse.com, where fans may tune in to ask questions and donate to The Actors Fund for a chance to have their names read by the stars on air. Of course, there will be live music. Family Ties joins the incredible line-up of casts that Seth and James have brought together to sing, share stories, and raise money to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, including Night at the Museum, Scandal, Knots Landing, Melrose Place, Frasier, Glee, 30 Rock, Desperate Housewives, SCTV, White Collar, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Taxi, Fame, and Star Trek: Voyager.

Stars In The House airs new episodes Mondays-Saturdays at 8PM ET on its YouTube channel and StarsInTheHouse.com. For more information and to see upcoming guests, please visit starsinthehouse.com and follow @StarsInTheHouse, Seth (@SethRudetsky) and James (@JamesWesleyNYC) on Twitter and Instagram.

NBC has pulled new comedy Connecting... from the lineup effective immediately. Only four episodes of its eight episode order have aired. Starting this Thursday, reruns of Superstore will air at 8:30pm for the next three weeks to close out November sweep. New episodes of Superstore will air at 8pm as planned. Meanwhile, Connecting... will have its remaining four episodes air online on NBC.com and on streaming service Peacock. The series was an ensemble comedy about a group of friends trying to stay close (and sane) through video chats as they share the highs and lows of these extraordinary times.

Fox has announced its new animated comedy The Great North will premiere in February on Animation Domination, while also releasing the trailer. No exact premiere date just yet, though. The Great North is a new animated comedy from Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard, Wendy and Lizzie Molyneaux and Minty Lewis. The series follows the Alaskan adventures of the Tobin family, as a single dad does his best to keep his weird bunch of kids close - especially his only daughter, whose artistic dreams lead her away from the family fishing boat and into the glamorous world of the local mall. The series will feature the voices of Alanis Morissette, Aparna Nancherla, Dulcé Sloan, Jenny Slate, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Paul Rust and Will Forte. Stay tuned for an exact premiere date. A few weeks back Fox also announced their Monday (9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star) and Tuesday (The Resident and Prodigal Son) drama lineups starting in January, but no exact date was given.

by Vincent

It's been a long time since we had an actual new sitcom episode on television that wasn't filmed remotely (or before the pandemic like United We Fall), but this month we will have two veteran sitcoms returning: black-ish and Superstore. It's going to be really interesting to see these two shows return, especially given both shows are known for tackling current issues. So will the shows address the crazy dumpster fire that has been 2020? The promos for both shows suggest they will be - in fact, black-ish's return episode is technically an "election special," so it will surely tackle the issues of 2020, and Superstore's promos remind everyone that its characters are essential workers. It'll be interesting to see these shows tackle modern issues, especially since they generally do a great job doing so. (black-ish returns with the Election special this Sunday at 10pm ET and season premiere on Wed. Oct 21 at 9:30pm on ABC, while Superstore returns Thursday, Oct. 29 at 8 on NBC.)

Additionally, South Park aired a "pandemic special" this past week, which tackled the pandemic in a very humorous and typically South Park way. It's taken a while, but we are finally getting our first taste of scripted shows genuinely dealing with the pandemic. NBC's new series Connecting will also do so next week (premieres Oct. 8, look for our review in the coming days), covering the pandemic concept of "Zoom hangouts." It'll be really interesting to see just how all of these shows tackle these complex issues.

Bounce, the first and only multi-platform entertainment network focusing on African Americans, announced the addition of two popular series, Greenleaf and Everybody Hates Chris. Bounce will air Greenleaf, the multiple NAACP Image Award-winning drama, Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. (ET) starting October 4. Everybody Hates Chris, the hit sitcom loosely based on the life of comedian Chris Rock, will be seen weeknights at 7:00 p.m. beginning Monday, October 5.

Executive produced and narrated by Chris Rock, Everybody Hate Chris chronicles the misadventures of teenage Chris as he grows up in 1980s Brooklyn. Starring The Walking Dead's Tyler James Williams as Chris, the ensemble also includes Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Terry Crews and The Neighborhood's Tichina Arnold as Chris' parents Julius and Rochelle.

Bounce has licensed the rights to all five seasons of Greenleaf, which recently completed a very successful run on OWN. Executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, the series follows the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family with scandalous secrets and lies, and their sprawling Memphis megachurch. Keith David (The Princess And The Frog, The Bible) and Lynn Whitfield (Madea's Family Reunion, How To Get Away With Murder) lead the ensemble as the charismatic Bishop James and "First Lady" Daisy Mae Greenleaf, whose lives are rocked upon the return of their eldest child Grace (The Night Shift's Merle Dandridge) following a 20-year estrangement. Bounce also announced] today that Greenleaf co-star Gregory Alan Williams (The Righteous Gemstones, Chicago Med) is joining the cast of the network's hit drama Saints & Sinners for its fifth season, premiering in 2021.

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. 

by Vincent

Last week ABC, CBS and NBC announced their fall schedules and return dates, which differed significantly from the fall schedules they announced in the spring. As scripted television has only now begun to slowly ramp up production, there will be few scripted shows returning this month, with most scripted premieres held for October or November - or later. As of now, the only sitcoms scheduled to premiere on network TV this fall are: Superstore (which will return in October and will be the first returning broadcast sitcom to resume airing new episodes post-COVID shutdown), Connecting... (a new "socially distanced" sitcom airing on NBC and taking the spot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which has yet to resume production and is now being held for 2021), One Day at a Time (which will make its broadcast TV debut airing episodes previously aired on Pop TV this past spring - it has not yet resumed production of new episodes) and Fox's Sunday animation block (which was unaffected by COVID shutdowns.) All other sitcoms on broadcast TV are being held until further notice - that includes Brooklyn Nine-Nine as well as ABC and CBS's entire sitcom slates, although some have resumed production and may be able to return before the end of 2020 (including The Goldbergs and black-ish, the latter will air two Election themed episodes on Oct. 4).

It is certainly going to be a bare fall for sitcoms on network TV. However, it also provides a unique opportunity for those shows that will be returning. TV ratings have overall been higher since the pandemic hit (given there's simply less to do now, although the return of sports is likely to dent those ratings a bit), so perhaps more eyeballs will get to see a show like One Day at a Time, which has had a long journey from its Netflix cancellation to ultimately airing on broadcast TV. Perhaps the future of the show, if enough broadcast viewers flock to it, could be on CBS, where it sort of feels like it was meant to be anyway with the way the show uses traditional sitcom storytelling to tell fresh and original stories. If you haven't checked it (or Superstore) out, now's your chance to catch up on one of the best sitcoms currently on TV.

As we already announced, Laff, the country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to comedy around-the-clock, has announced the addition of the one of the most-popular sitcoms of all time, licensing the television rights to all nine seasons and 208 episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Now we know the timeslots! Laff will premiere the multiple Emmy Award winning series with a two-day marathon Sunday, Sept. 6 and Monday, Sept. 7 running from 8:00 a.m. – 12 Midnight (ET) both days. How I Met Your Mother will then be seen on Laff every night from 9:00 p.m. to Midnight (ET) starting Tuesday, Sept. 8.

How I Met Your Mother follows Ted Mosby, played by Josh Radnor, as he looks back and tells his children the story of how he met their mom, as told through memories of his friends Marshall (Jason Segel), Lily (Alyson Hannigan) Robin (Cobie Smulders) and Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), narrated by Bob Saget as the older Ted. How I Met Your Mother was a staple of the CBS lineup 2005-2014, earning multiple EMMY, Golden Globe and People's Choice nominations and wins across its nine-year run. How I Met Your Mother joins Laff's sitcom hall-of-fame line-up that includes Home Improvement, That '70s Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, According To Jim, Night Court and more. Laff airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage and features a programming mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular movies geared toward an audience of adults 18-49. Laff is part of The E.W. Scripps Company.