While this past summer didn't exactly blow audiences away with all kinds of amazing new shows, one sitcom that achieved undeniable popularity was NBC's Marlon. With the unflappable Marlon Wayans at the head, the family comedy was a hit with viewers, and has been renewed for Season 2 by NBC. It's almost surprising that the network waited this long, but I'm sure fans are thankful to be getting it back, no matter when the renewal happened.
Interestingly, the Marlon renewal isn't just your average reupping, since the show's success is causing network execs to rethink how it was brought out to audiences in the first place. Season 1 only had ten episodes, as opposed to 13, and was originally supposed to make a midseason bow at the beginning of the year, but it didn't make it to air until the summer, where the episodes were paired together on a weekly basis. According to Deadline, NBC and show producers are contemplating boosting the number of episodes for Season 2 to a more standard order, and the goal is to possibly give Marlon a more coveted schedule spot for its second season. Whether that means premiering it during the midseason, or waiting until next fall, we're not quite sure.
Created by Christopher Moynihan and Marlon Wayans, Marlon was a summer ratings beast that showed impressive consistency. In Live+Same Day ratings for its 9:00 p.m. airing, the sitcom averaged a 1.5 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, with an average of 5.6 million total viewers. That made it the top new scripted broadcast network show of the summer in the key demo. Granted, it didn't have the biggest batch of competitors on that front, but it's still an excellent point to boast about.
Marlon showcased a different kind of family dynamic, with Marlon Wayans as the titular father and ex-husband who is still close with Ashley (Essence Atkins), his ex-wife and the mother of his kids Marley (Notlim Taylor) and Zack (Amir O'Neil). Despite being divorced -- and despite the social media-hyping character Marlon being a total goofball -- the two parents work together to create a suitable home situation for the kids to grow up in. And it's one that includes not only Marlon's messy advice but also his bizarre best friend Stevie (Diallo Riddle).
It looks like NBC is back on audience's good sides when it comes to comedies. Bringing back Will & Grace was obviously a smart movie, and even though the rest of its entire lineup is also still relatively new, critics and viewers alike have been enjoying Superstore, The Good Place, Great News and Trial & Error. One wonders if the network is going to just give the ever-popular David S. Pumpkins his own weekly show at some point.
We'll be waiting a little while longer to see what kind of built-up future Marlon gets, but expect it to hit your TVs in 2018. While waiting to get more news, check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see everything else coming to the small screen in the coming months.
