We have seen The Goldbergs take on Goonies, Sixteen Candles, Spaceballs and Breakfast Club. Tonight at 8p, they are going to do their own version of National Lampoon’s Vacation with two of the movie’s stars Christie Brinkley and Anthony Michael Hall.
Barry and Erica are getting ready to go away to college and Bev (Wendi McLendon-Covey) wants to do one more family trip before they leave. Of course, she is the only one who wants to do it, until she tells Murray (Jeff Garlin), Adam (Sean Giambrone), Erica (Hayley Orrantia), Barry (Troy Gentile) and Gramps (George Segal) that they are going to go to Disneyland. Then they are all in.
They pack their bags, load the station wagon and then the six of them are off. Before they leave, Geoff (Sam Lerner) tells Erica that he has something he wants to tell her. However, he does not want to ruin her trip. Which of course, he does. That is the first problem that they run into on their long journey across America.
Adam, who is sick of being in the middle seat tells Barry that he is going to be starting all over again in college as a freshman and now the middle child is scared to go away to school. Now Barry’s trip is ruined.
After hours of being smushed in the car, they make a stop at a Western Town, where the Goldbergs do their thing. The poor town will never be the same.
Time for them to get back on the road. This time they stop at a motel and Barry does a Barry and destroys everyone’s night.
Will things get better once they are back on the road? Nope, they crash their car in the middle of nowhere. Will they make it to Disneyland? Will the happiest place on Earth be their saddest one? Not if Bev has anything to do with it.
This episode is another perfect homage from The Goldbergs. Every season we see Adam F. Goldberg live out his dreams as he shares his childhood with the rest of us. A childhood we are all happy to watch through the bad times and the good ones. Since this is a sitcom they are a lot more good days for this family and lots of great Wednesday nights for us.
Plus, who doesn’t love seeing that Christie Brinkley hasn’t aged a day in over 35 years? Anthony Michael Hall has, but he was teenager back then. None of us want to look like an awkward teenager when we are not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS10yEDsfdw
Then at 10p, Cobie Smulders returns to TV in Stumptown. The dramedy is based on the graphic novel with the same name.
Dex Parios (Smulders) is a take no sh!t, ex-marine, taking care of her disabled brother and she is in major debt. She needs a job, but she really does not know what she wants to do.
One day while she is gambling (and losing money) at a local casino in Portland, Or, the owner tells Dex to go find her granddaughter who ran away. Dex has no problem finding her. However, while driving Nina back to her grandmother’s, they get into a fender bender. What Dex didn’t know is the person who hit her is trying to get Nina back. After a close fight, Dex loses and they take Nina with them.
Now, she is going to have to use all of her training to get Nina back. She will work with Detective Hoffman (Michael Ealy) and Lieutenant Cosgrove (Camryn Manheim) to ensure her safe return.
Since she does not work with anyone, she will get herself in trouble as she gets close to the kidnappers. Will she be able to rescue Nina back before it is too late?
Even though she thinks things are not going smoothly, she is considering becoming a private investigator. It is not like she can do worse.
Although, she is having flashbacks to her days overseas and that makes things worse for her with everything else she is going through.
Will she make Portland less safe or more safe? I am thinking the former which is why we will be tuning every week to our latest addiction.
ABC found an interesting way to get us to watch their shows this season. Several of their series are staging reunions the week of October 7th.
For example, on October 9th, The Goldbergs is bringing Cheers’ Kirstie Alley, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger and George Wendt to a bar again. Two days later, Diedrich Bader is reunited with his castmates, Drew Carey, Ryan Stiles and Kathy Kinney, from The Drew Carey Show. That Sunday, we get a Castle reunion on The Rookie when Nathan Fillion gets to see his old pals Seamus Deaver and Jon Huertas again. I wonder where Stana Katic is? Too soon?
We also will see reunions from Girlfriends, Charmed, Blues Brothers 2000, Wet Hot American Summer and Crazy Rich Asians.
To the executive who came up with this brilliant idea, I have two words for you. They are thank and you. I can’t wait to see all the reunions. Then again, I already watch most shows.
To read all about which reunions are happening on what show and what they are doing, then click here!
Afton Williamson plays Talia Bishop on The Rookie. However, she announced today that she will not be returning for the police procedural’s second season. She wrote a long letter on social media explaining why.
I will not be returning for Season 2 of The Rookie. I owe it to you my amazing fans to share the Truth. Throughout the filming of the pilot, I experienced Racial Discrimination/Racially Charged inappropriate comments from the hair department and bullying from Executive Producers. During the Season, it continued along with Sexual Harassment from a recurring guest star and the racist commentary & bullying from the Hair Dept. Head escalated into Sexual Assault at our Wrap party.The Sexual Harassment though reported directly to the Showrunner/EP remained undocumented and was not reported to HR as promised. The Hair Dept. Head was fired ONLY after the sexual assault and NOT for an entire year of outward racism/racially charged language and bullying behavior in and out of the Hair and Makeup trailer. HR protocol was never adhered to following the above reports given by me to my Showrunner/EP and an investigation was never issued for any of my claims. The only time I was asked to participate in an investigation was after a meeting I called in June following our Season 2 announcement. This meeting included the Showrunner and two other producers as well as my agent and SAG-AFTRA Union Rep. It was clear to all present in the meeting that the Showrunner had not shared my reports with the any of the producers. After my initial report of sexual harassment, I was assured that the actor would be fired. I was also asked to film with him the very next day as a courtesy to the script, even though we had not begun filming the episode yet. This actor reappeared on our call sheet at the end of the season, I was even written in scenes with him. I asked the Showrunner about this and he admitted to me that the actor had not been fired nor had he gotten HR involved. I was asked to return this season, and promised that “everything was handled.” The investigation hadn’t even begun and Season 2 had already started filming. I turned it down and I walked. Now is the best time in the world to be a woman and I have a platform so it’s time to use my Voice. Strength comes from within. It comes from Above. “Greater is He that is within Me than he that is in the world” ❤️🙏🏽
I think she will be OK careerwise. She is starring in the movie Otherhood that is out now. Earlier this year she wrapped production on the film Meet Me in My Happy Place. Somewhere I hope she is now that she is free of that harassment. I guess we have only come so far after #MeToo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcnQjti7hlc ABC revealed when the old shows will be back and when their new ones will debut. So far it is pretty status quo. I just wish they would have brought Station 19 back in the fall over a Million depressing Little Things. However, I am happy Schooled will begin when school starts and not after winter break.
MONDAY, SEPT. 16
8:00-10:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (Season 28 premiere)
MONDAY, SEPT. 23
10:00-11:00 p.m. “The Good Doctor” (Season 3 premiere)
TUESDAY, SEPT. 24
8:00-8:30 p.m. “The Conners” (Season 2 premiere)
8:30-9:00 p.m. “Bless This Mess” (Season 2 premiere; new time)
9:00-9:30 p.m. “mixed-ish” (Series premiere)
9:30-10:00 p.m. “black-ish” (Season 6 premiere; new time)
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Emergence” (Series premiere)
THURSDAY, SEPT. 26
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy” (Season 16 premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m. “A Million Little Things” (Season 2 premiere)
10:00-11:00 p.m. “How to Get Away with Murder” (Season 6 premiere)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 27
8:00-8:30 p.m. “American Housewife” (Season 4 premiere; new day and time)
8:30-9:00 p.m. “Fresh Off the Boat” (Season 6 premiere; new time)
9:00-11:00 p.m. “20/20”
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29
7:00-8:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (Season 30 premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m. “Shark Tank” (Season 11 premiere)
10:00-11:00 p.m. “The Rookie” (Season 2 premiere, new day and time)
SUNDAY, OCT. 6
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Kids Say the Darndest Things” (Series premiere)
When ABC announced that they were going to do live versions of one episode from All in the Family and The Jeffersons, I thought it was going to crap all over the sitcoms’ legacy. I have been cursing out everyone involved and was prepared to freaking hate it. Shockingly, I really liked it.
When Woodly Harrelson opened his mouth and sounded like Archie Bunker, I was like what is going on? Can Marisa Tomei do just as well? I mean, we all think her Oscar was a joke. Well, she deserved it. It was like watching Jean Stapleton as Edith. Now when it comes to Mike and Gloria, Ike Barinholtz was OK and Ellie Kemper was beyond awful. Why was she the only one who did not wear a wig? She needs to stick at playing being cute and not try to be a good actress. She does not have the chops for it.
When it comes to the Jeffersons on that episode, Jovan Adepo nailed Lionel. As much as I enjoyed him, I wish they would have had someone else play him in the next episode. Just like the original series that had two Lionels. I never realized until last night that Wanda Sykes sounds like Isabel Sanford. She even looked like the late actress. Anthony Anderson was alright as Uncle Henry. He just did not have that fierceness that Mel Stewart had.
And then there was Jamie Foxx as George Jefferson. He came in like the hurricane that was Sherman Hemsley. It was like the late actor possessed him. Of course, he messed up but it just reminds you that they are doing this all live.
Next up was The Jeffersons, and we are getting a live version of the pilot episode. Jackée Harry played Diane and was not much like the original actress but she fit in perfectly. Kerry Washington was believable as Helen Willis. However, I wanted Lenny Kravitz to play Roxie Roker, his mom’s part. Amber Stevens West did OK as Jenny, but she did not have a lot to do. Unlike Stephen Tobolowsky (Mr. Bently) and Will Ferrell (Tom Willis). Both played their characters very calming, but not with the oomph that Paul Benedict and Franklin Cover made their roles their own. Tobolowsky just couldn’t hold his British accent for more than a few words. But it was still better than Kemper trying to do a New Yawk accident. Every time she talked, it sent a shiver down my spine.
Finally, the oddest casting choice to me was Justina Machado as Florence. Well, that was all a ruse. They decided to surprise us all and have Marla Gibbs reprise her role. Which meant she got to repeat her infamous line, “How come we overcame and no one told me?”
Her appearance was the cherry on top of what was a surprisingly good evening of programming. Hopefully, next up will be the Maude abortion episode and James’ death on Good Times. As Esther Rolle said, “Damn! Damn! Damn!” that will be good.
Oh, and I will take down that Jimmy Kimmel photo with all of the darts that I have thrown at it over the last few weeks. Sorry!
