FULL SEASON ALERT: Cristela

ABC has given a vote of confidence to struggling Friday newbie Cristela by giving it a full season order. The comedy, starring comedienne Cristela Alonzo, got off to a pretty decent start by Friday standards, but it has struggled in recent weeks with retention out of the modest ratings for lead-in Last Man Standing. The show was critically panned but most critics agree that Alonzo is a pretty likable personality.

Cristela joins Black-ish, How to Get Away with Murder, and Forever on the full season order list for ABC. Selfie and Manhattan Love Story have been cancelled. ABC has announced a lot of its spring plans including Marvel's Agent Carter and Galavant in January, and Secrets & Lies and American Crime in March. This pickup makes me wonder what will happen to promising midseason comedy Fresh Off the Boat. There is seemingly no place for it in the lineup but we'll see.

Comments

SEASON IN REVIEW: 2017-18 Miscellaneous Awards

As usual, I am ending the season with a few miscellaneous awards. The blog will be quiet this summer but I will continue to do the week ahead posts with broadcast TV news as it happens this summer. Then I'll be back for previews, pilot reviews, and more in the fall! BEST RETURNING COMEDY Superstore (NBC) - Superstore was awarded my "Best Returning Comedy" last year, but it only got better in season three. The funniest ensemble on TV took another step forward with some truly hilarious moments (the season premiere, the Golden Globes party, and the Christmas episode to name a few) and some major plot points moving forward. It also has the potential to be surprisingly sentimental at times. I think back to the first year of the show and how I felt like it had so many funny elements but didn't always bring it completely together. Well now it does on a weekly basis and it is one of those shows that just seems to be in the sweet spot of what will hopefully be a long run. ...

EPISODE GUIDES: Happy Days Season Five (Part 1)

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show by season. Today I am looking at Season 5 (Part 1) of Happy Days ! HAPPY DAYS: SEASON FIVE 1977-1978 27 episodes Season Five is the year where Fonzie infamously jumps the shark. It happens at the beginning of the season and while Happy Days does eventually decline in quality, it is not this season. In fact, this season graded out slightly higher than the previous season even though it doesn't feel as strong. I think that's because there's not a lot of outright stinkers in this season. It's a very solid season with the show continuing to hum along. There are some signs of the troubles to come but it doesn't happen on a regular basis in the fifth season. Starring Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham (27 episodes) Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli (27 episodes) Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham (27 episodes) Marion Ross as Marion Cunningham (27 episodes) Anson Williams as Potsie Webber ...

EPISODE GUIDES: That 70s Show Season Seven

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Seven of That 70s Show ! THAT 70s SHOW: SEASON SEVEN 2004-2005 25 episodes The seventh season of That 70s Show is the final season with Topher Grace as a series regular and also the final full season for Ashton Kutcher. Despite still having both of those cast member, the show finds itself flailing especially with Topher Grace's Eric, who is stuck in a terrible arc for most of the season. The show also brings many characters back at one point or another but everything just feels tired. This season actually graded out the worst for me. Even worse than the often maligned final season (more on that next week). Every title this season is named for a Rolling Stones song. Starring Topher Grace as Eric Forman (25 episodes) Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart (25 episodes) Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso (25 episodes) Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde (25 e...

Benjamonster's TV

Search This Blog