Back in the game

Lil Rel Howery tries to move on in ‘Rel’

By Francis Babin TV Media

Lil Rel Howery (“Get Out,” 2017) continues the time-honored tradition of standup comedians portraying a character loosely based on their own past experiences, in a new episode of “Rel,” airing Sunday, Dec. 2, on Fox.

Howery looks to replicate the success of comedy legends such as Tim Allen (“Home Improvement”), Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), Bernie Mac (“The Bernie Mac Show”), Ellen DeGeneres (“Ellen”) and Jerry Seinfeld (“Seinfeld”), who all struck gold when they took their act to the small screen.

“Rel” centers around the titular character. He’s a nurse living and working on Chicago’s West Side, and he’s forced to rebuild his life after he discovers his wife is having an affair with his barber. Adding insult to injury, Rel must also learn to be a longdistance single father, as his wife takes their two children to Cleveland with her when she leaves.

Dealing with the implosion of his marriage and the loss of his wife, children and barber, Rel’s motto — “always believe in yourself and great things will come” — is put to the test. The laughingstock of his neighborhood, he finds that even some- thing as simple as riding the bus is now an unpleasant experience, as the local guys roast him relentlessly. It is impossible to escape the reminders of his wife’s indiscretions. from prison, means well and is occasionally helpful but is mostly a thorn in his brother’s side. On the flip side, Brittany is all help with her unfiltered opinions and views and does the best she can to get her bestie out of his rut, convince him to stop sulking and move on.

Not everyone in the neighborhood is so mean-spirited, however. Rel’s friends and family do their best to help him get back on track — and back on the dating scene. There to guide him through the Windy City’s dating pool are his younger brother, Nat (Jordan L. Jones, “Disjointed”), and his best friend, Brittany (Jessica ‘Jess Hilarious’ Moore, “Wild ‘n Out”).

Twenty-five years after “The Sinbad Show” debuted on Fox, the legendary Sinbad himself returns to the network, this time in a supporting role. He plays Milton, Rel and Nat’s father, a recently widowed, pridefulbut-well-meaning man who believes his sons are utter disappointments. In his scene-stealing appearances, Milton constantly reminds his boys about how they have failed to live up to his expectations, but he also helps them in his own special way.

Over the course of the past worked mostly as a voice actor and has focused his attention more and more on his passion for music. But now he’s back in a major way. To

Late Laughs

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon

a younger audience, the influential comedian is now primarily known as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s antagonist in the Christmas classic “Jingle All the Way” (1996), and as an example of the Mandela Effect (when a large group of people believe in the same false memory). In this case, many believe that the comedian starred in a 1990s movie called “Shazaam,” confusing the non-existent movie with Shaqille O’Neal’s 1996 “Kazaam.”

Sinbad may not have starred in that dreamt-up film, but he certainly has a place in the hearts of many. Now he’s back and better than ever, and it’s easy to see how he’s influenced numerous comedy superstars over the years.

Over the past decade, Howery has been making quite the name for himself, much like his television father before him. After making his small-screen debut in NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” he went on to star in the short-lived revival of the sketch comedy series “In Living Color,” as well as “Friends of the People,” another sketch comedy series.

However, Howery’s big break came when he was cast as Bobby Carmichael, Jerrod Carmichael’s brother, in “The Carmichael Show.” His scene-stealing performance in Jordan Peele’s Academy Award-winning “Get Out” (2017) further cemented his reputation as a comedic tour de force.

Tomorrow is election day, which means right now, thousands of Russians are scrambling to get their lastminute hacking done.

Jimmy Kimmel Live

It is important that you vote, and that you bully your friends and family into voting. There’s a lot at stake tomorrow. And for President Trump, that steak is well done and slathered in ketchup.

Trump said the midterms used to be boring but now they’re like “the hottest thing.” Like he’s running a nightclub or something.

Late Night With Seth Meyers

A man in Georgia was arrested over the weekend after he tried to rob a McDonald’s and accidentally shot himself in the thigh. He’s lucky — he came this close to hitting his McNuggets.

People magazine has named actor Idris Elba as its 33rd annual Sexiest Man Alive. And I’m happy to announce that I was voted “also alive.”

Weekend Update With Colin Jost and Michael Che

Well, the midterm elections were on Tuesday, and like a scorned wife after a bitter divorce, the Democrats took back the house.

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Much like “The Carmichael Show,” “Rel” tackles real-world issues, albeit in a much less straightforward way. For instance, in an episode from earlier this season, Rel deals with a local gang that has taken over his laundromat. This gang takeover is a perfect example of what Howery talked about at Fox’s annual Summer TCA party in Hollywood. The funnyman told the audience how he wanted to keep the conversation honest without the series becoming too preachy. He continued by saying that his character, and the political and social issues brought forth in his stories, come from a very personal place.

Over the course of the series, Brittany has been an invaluable friend and has tried hard to help Rel overcome his issues. But now it’s his turn to help. When Brittany’s estranged mom shows up unexpectedly, it’s up to Rel to convince his friend to give her another shot. Find out how things turn out in a new episode of “Rel,” airing Sunday, Dec. 2, on Fox.

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9 French seasoning

10 Bygone airline

13 Former sitcom starring Ken Jeong

16 “___ ___ Jail” (Monopoly instruction)