Thursday, June 30, 2011

Hallmark Channel Removes Empty Nest, Adds M*A*S*H Stunt; CBS Fall 2011 Premiere Dates

The Hallmark Channel will remove the Richard Mulligan sitcom Empty Nest from its schedule effective this weekend. The sitcom has been airing on weekend mornings and weekend late nights but Hallmark Channel will completely remove it for now. It will likely return at some point, as they still have rights to air the series. Beginning Saturday, July 2, 2011, weekends will now have more I Love Lucy from 7am-9am replacing Empty Nest. The sitcom won't be airing during the 4th of July All-American Laugh-a-thon either. The weekend marathon of sitcoms begins Saturday and runs through Monday, as we mentioned before. It has been changed to mostly Frasier on Saturday, I Love Lucy on Sunday and The Golden Girls on Monday. Anyway, back to the regular schedule changes, weekends will change starting Saturday, July 9. The Golden Girls will move up to 11pm-1am, shifting Frasier to 1am-3am. And 3-5am will now be Cheers, replacing Empty Nest.
One other note is that Hallmark will air a M*A*S*H marathon during the last weekend of July. The marathon airs Saturday, July 30 from 9am-5pm and Sunday, July 31, 2011 from 9am-8pm. The'70s series hasn't aired on Hallmark in a while, so we shall see if it airs more in August or not. Stay tuned...

CBS has announced its premiere dates for Fall 2011. This means we now have premiere dates set for Fox, The CW, ABC and now CBS. NBC is the only network yet to announce premiere dates, so stay tuned for their dates. CBS will air majority of their premieres during premiere week (Sept. 19-25), but there are some exceptions. The new season of Survivor (in the South Pacific) will open up on Wednesday, September 14 at 8pm. Then during premiere week CBS is all-new on Monday, Sept. 19 with two episodes of How I Met Your Mother from 8-9pm leading into Ashton Kutcher's debut on Two and a Half Men at 9pm followed by a special premiere of new comedy 2 Broke Girls at 9:30pm. 2 Broke Girls will move to its regular time period of 8:30pm the following week (Sept. 26), while Mike & Molly makes its season premiere at 9:30pm on that night as well. On Tuesday, Sept. 20, CBS will have its NCIS and NCIS: LA premieres from 8-10pm, followed by new series premiere of Unforgettable. On Wednesday, Sept. 21, Criminal Minds has its season premiere at 9pm leading into the new night and time for CSI at 10pm.
Moving on to Thursday, on Sept. 22, The Big Bang Theory will have a two-episode premiere from 8-9pm to lead into new drama Person of Interest at 9pm, followed by the season premiere of The Mentalist at 10pm. New comedy How To Be A Gentleman will have its series premiere the following week on Sept. 29 at 8:30pm. On to Fridays, all three series will launch on Friday, Sept. 23 with the series premiere of new drama A Gifted Man at 8pm, then season premieres of CSI: NY at 9 and Blue Bloods at 10. CBS will air a scripted series on Saturdays, as comedy Rules of Engagement will move to Saturdays at 8pm starting Sept. 24. 48 Hours Mystery has its season premiere later in the night at 10pm. And finally the Sunday premieres all happen on Sunday, Sept. 25 with 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, the new night for The Good Wife at 9pm and CSI: Miami at 10pm.
View our new day-by-day schedule for CBS that we will update when changes occur.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

MeTV Comes to Philly, Cincinnati; Friends Renewed For Third Broadcast Syndication Cycle

MeTV has announced official station start dates for Philadelphia/Allentown and Cincinnati. We hinted at Philly last week, but now we have a start date! Starting Monday, July 4, they will add MeTV to its growing lineup of digital channels on WFMZ-69. It will be found on 69.3. WFMZ also has The 69 News AccuWeather Channel, which was launched as the nation's first 24-hour AccuWeather Channel in 2001, on 69.2 and RTV on digital channel 69.4, which was introduced to WFMZ viewers in 2009. So WFMZ will have both MeTV and RTV on its digital stations, while Philly also has Antenna TV on WPHL's digital station. Luck Philly!
And one other station note, Cincinnati is set to get MeTV starting THIS Friday (July 1) on WLWT-TV's Channel 5.2. And one more note, MeTV is also coming to Des Moines, IA on Friday on KCCI channel 8.2 (channel 108 on Mediacom digital cable). Stay with us as MeTV officially announces station start dates and station clearances.

They'll be there for you until at least 2017. The Tribune Station Group has renewed Warner Bros.' Friends through 2017 in broadcast syndication. This means the veteran sitcom will be on the air through its third syndication cycle. Tribune renewed the show on 15 stations in a cash-plus-barter deal. In addition, for the first time the show will air in HD, which wasn't available when the show was airing in primetime. This new deal starts in 2013, so you'll have to wait two more years for the HD episodes. Unless you were living under a rock from 1994-2004, Friends starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.
The 15 Tribune stations included in this deal are WPIX-TV (New York), KTLA-TV (Los Angeles), WGN-TV (Chicago), WPHL-TV (Philadelphia), KDAF-TV (Dallas), WDCW-TV (Washington, DC), KIAH-TV (Houston), KCPQ-TV (Seattle), WSFL-TV (Miami), KRCW-TV (Portland, OR), WTTV/WXIN-TV (Indianapolis), WTIC-TV (Hartford), WXMI-TV (Grand Rapids), WGNO-TV (New Orleans) and WPMT-TV (Harrisburg).

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

RTV Changes Schedule, Loses Universal Series; ABC Fall 2011 Premiere Dates

Retro Television (RTV) has changed their line-up effective yesterday. We knew about the changes late last week, but we wanted to give you the FULL details, so we are bringing you that today! Their deal with Universal Pictures ended on Sunday. This means series like Leave it to Beaver, Kate & Allie, The A-Team, Knight Rider and others are no longer airing on the digital station. Now they have acquired mostly have stuff from The Peter Rodgers Organization and a few series from Sony Pictures Television. Among the new series from The Peter Rodgers Organization are a short-lived '70s drama titled Movin' On and British drama The Saint. They join other Peter Rodgers series such I Spy, The Bill Cosby Show, Daniel Boone, The Rifleman, Peter Gunn, Robin Hood and others that have been on RTV.
Completely new to RTV are series from Sony Pictures Television. The series that have joined the line-up are Naked City, Route 66, Starsky & Hutch and Police Story. Also joining the schedule are Canadian dramas that currently air in broadcast syndication: DaVinci's Inquest, Cold Squad and Cold Case Files.
RTV is using a national schedule now for ALL of the affiliates, unless an affiliate preempts something on its own. For example, all RTV affiliates will have Starsky & Hutch weeknights at 8pm followed by Police Story at 9pm nationwide. Joining the line-up next week (Monday, July 4) will be Highway to Heaven and it will air weeknights at 6pm. RTV couldn't get the rights to that in time for this week, so they are airing an extra hour of Daniel Boone this week, in addition to its regular 7pm airing.
We will keep you up to date of any other changes and information, but for now view the FULL RTV schedule.

ABC has announced premiere dates for Fall 2011. They join The CW and Fox in announcing Fall 2011 premiere dates. ABC will start the new season of 20/20 on Friday, Sept. 16 at 10pm, but the real stuff gets going starting Monday, Sept. 19 with the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars at 8pm followed by the season four premiere of Castle at 10pm. On Tuesday, September 20, ABC will air the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars: The Results at 9pm and the second season premiere of Body of Proof at 10pm. Tuesday at 8pm is missing, but more on that in a bit. On to Wednesday, Sept. 21, ABC will have one-hour season premieres of The Middle and Modern Family from 8-10pm leading into new primetime soap Revenge at 10pm. The following Wednesday will have the series premiere of Suburgatory at 8:30pm and the season premiere of Happy Endings at 9:30pm starting Sept. 28. On Thursday, Sept. 22, ABC will launch the new Charlie's Angels at 8pm leading into the two-hour season premiere of Grey's Anatomy from 9-11pm. This means Private Practice will launch its new season the following week on Sept. 29 at 10pm.
Fridays will have encore programming from 8-10pm for the first four weeks of the season, so we will come back to that in a bit for what will normally air here. Saturdays will have College Football all fall. On Sunday, Sept. 25, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will have a two-hour season premiere from 7-9pm as it gets ready for a Friday move. The eighth season premiere of Desperate Housewives follows at 9pm leading into new series Pan Am at 10pm. America's Funniest Home Videos will premiere the following week on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7pm. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will air three one-hour episodes on Sundays at 8pm on Oct. 2, 9 and 16 before it moves to Fridays, starting Friday, Oct. 21. The Friday airings will now be two-hours in the fall from 8-10pm. As a result, ABC will now premiere the third season of Shark Tank (slated for Fridays at 9pm in the fall) in January in the timeslot and will still produce 13 episodes. New Sunday drama Once Upon a Time from the producers of Lost will start Sunday, Oct. 23 at 8pm for ample promotion.
Back to Tuesdays, ABC has not yet announced what will air Tuesdays at 8pm for the first three weeks of the season. The Tim Allen comedy Last Man Standing will premiere on Tuesday, Oct. 11 with back-to-back episodes from 8-9pm. New single-camera comedy Man Up! will premiere the following week on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 8:30pm following Last Man Standing at its normal time.
There are some question marks still to be filled (like Tuesdays at 8 for the first three weeks of the season), so please keep an eye out on our new day-by-day schedule for ABC! Stay with us.

Monday, June 27, 2011

MTV2 Acquires Malcolm & Eddie, In Living Color; Remembering Columbo - Peter Falk

MTV2 has been airing comedies Martin and The Wayans Bros. and it seems they have had some success with them that they will bring in more comedy! Martin started it off on MTV2 airing morning, but it did well for them that they moved it to primetime. Then they brought in The Wayans Bros. last month and that also seems to be working. Starting this Friday (July 1, 2011), MTV2 will bring in Malcolm & Eddie, the late '90s comedy starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin. The sitcom will premiere from 8pm-10pm. MTV2 has also brought in the sketch comedy In Living Color, which airs on sister Viacom network Centric, so this is not an actual new acquisition. In Living Color will premiere on Friday as well in the late night from 1am-6am.
Both In Living Color and Malcolm & Eddie will air part of a 4th of July weekend filled with sitcom marathons. As we mentioned the marathon stunts start on Friday, July 1 at 8pm with Malcolm & Eddie, followed by The Wayans Bros. from 10pm-1am and then In Living Color from 1am-6am. The marathons continue on Saturday, July 2 with Martin from 9am-11am, Malcolm & Eddie from 11am-1pm, The Wayans Bros. from 1pm-4pm, In Living Color from 4pm-7pm, more Martin from 7pm-11pm, more Malcolm & Eddie from 11pm-1am and even more Martin from 1am-6am. On Sunday, July 3 the marathons are not as broad, but we still have some with Martin from 1pm-5pm, Malcolm & Eddie from 5pm-8pm, The Wayans Bros. from 8pm-11pm, and In Living Color from 1am-3am. And on the 4th of July itself, salute the day with more comedy! Martin takes center stage with a 12-hour marathon from 9am-9pm, followed by blocks of Malcolm & Eddie from 9pm-11pm, The Wayans Bros. from 11pm-1am, and In Living Color from 1am-3am.
What about regularly? Well the regular schedule will start Tuesday, July 5 and will be every weeknight, with Malcolm & Eddie airing in the 9pm hour leading into Martin from 10pm-12am, The Wayans Bros. from 12am-2am and an hour of In Living Color from 2-3am. Weekends are not regular, but Sundays usually has a marathon block of a show or two, with mostly The Wayans Bros. starting it off in the afternoons.
That's all for now, but let's hope MTV2 gets even more comedy. 4 shows is a good start!

Peter Falk

And just one more thing. We leave you with some sad news. Peter Falk, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo, has died. Falk died at his Beverly Hills, CA home on June 23, at the age of 83. No cause of death has been released. He had been suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease according to his daughter, Catherine Falk.

Falk played the squinty, rumpled detective Columbo for over 30 years in primetime television from 1968-2003. The Columbo character first appeared on TV in a 1968 ninety-minute pilot titled Prescription: Murder. Columbo was part of the NBC anthology series, The NBC Mystery Movie (1971-1978), where it would rotate with McCloud and McMillan & Wife. Steven Spielberg directed and Steven Bochco wrote the premiere Columbo episode in 1971. It returned occasionally on ABC with one or two TV movies a season from 1989 to 2003. The final Columbo movie aired on January 30, 2003. Falk won four Emmy Awards for his iconic role.

His early television appearances included Robert Montgomery Presents, Studio One, Kraft Television Theater, New York Confidential, Naked City, Have Gun, Will Travel, Decoy, The Law and Mr. Jones, and Target: The Corruptors. Falk's first lead TV role was in the 1965-66 drama The Trials of Mr. O'Brien. He appeared in numerous films, including Murder, Inc. (Oscar nominated), Pocketful of Miracles (Oscar nominated), Robin and the 7 Hoods, The Great Race, The In-Laws and The Princess Bride.

Mr. Falk is survived by his wife Shera and his two daughters, Jackie and Catherine. Unfortunately, Columbo hasn't aired on national cable since A&E broadcast it in late 1990s or early 2000s. We always loved their Columbus Day Columbo marathons. Thanks to Mr. Falk for playing one of TV's all-time greatest detectives. He will be deeply missed.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Summer Week 4 Sitcom Ratings; New Episodes of Sitcoms On Basic Cable

Summer has started so we will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long! Here are our summer ratings:

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of June 13-19)
  • American Dad! (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 7pm did 1.72 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, which was down from previous week. A second repeat in the later airing of 9:30pm did 3.37 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, down a bit week-to-week.
  • The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat at 8pm did 3.25 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, up a tad from previous week.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30pm dropped from its lead-in again with just 1.6 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, the loser of the block again.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat at 9pm did 3.82 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, the best of the block again but down some from previous week.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A repeat at 8:30pm did 3.19 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, up some from previous week.

Summer Week 4 (June 20-26)

Monday Sitcoms
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 2 airings - 4.15 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating for a repeat in its normal slot was down some from previous week. A repeat at 8:30pm did 4.32 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, improving from the first airing and on par week-to-week.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 6.18 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating for a repeat is considerably lower than its ratings from last summer but up some from previous week.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - 6.02 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating for a repeat, is down some from previous week. Didn't build from the lead-in this time.
Tuesday Sitcoms
  • Raising Hope (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 9pm did 2.6 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. A second repeat at 9:30pm did lower with 2.31 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, but still basically on par with previous week.
Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) 2 airings - A repeat at 8pm started at 8:16pm in the east/central time zones due to Obama's speech and did 4.18 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, down a tad from previous week. The 8:30pm repeat went down to 3.99 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, also down a tad from previous week.
  • Modern Family (ABC) - A repeat at 9pm did 4.47 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, on par with previous week again.
  • Happy Endings (ABC) - A repeat at 9:30pm did 2.79 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating for the very funny "hipster" episode.
Thursday Sitcoms
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - Final ratings for Thursday are not available yet, so we will use prelim ratings. A repeat did a prelim 7.19 million and a prelim 1.7 18-49 rating, basically on par with previous week's final numbers.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A repeat of this comedy followed at 8:30pm with a prelim 5.65 million and a prelim 1.3 18-49 rating, also on par with previous week's final numbers.
  • Community (NBC) - A repeat only did a prelim 2.33 million and a prelim 0.8 18-49 rating, up some from previous week's finals.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) - A repeat at 8:30pm did a prelim 2.11 million and a prelim 0.7 18-49 rating, a bit higher than previous week's final ratings. Syndication won't be pretty for this show this fall, as it repeats poorly.
  • The Office (NBC) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 2.43 million and a prelim 1.0 18-49 rating, down some week-to-week's final ratings.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A 9:30pm repeat didn't do well, doing a prelim 2.21 million and a prelim 0.9 18-49 rating, down some week-to-week's final ratings.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms
  • None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm.

Summing it up. Repeats of The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, and Mike & Molly were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement) or just plain old terrible (such as the very low NBC Thursday repeats, Raising Hope).

Feeling the repeat blues? Look for original sitcoms on cable this summer, with the great Hot in Cleveland on Wednesdays at 10pm followed by week three of the decent Happily Divorced starring Fran Drescher this Wednesday at 10:30pm only on TV Land. Also premieres THIS Wednesday on ABC Family will be the return of the funny Melissa & Joey followed by new comedy premiere State of Georgia starring Raven at 8:30pm! I've seen both premieres and they are good, look for Raven in a nice "thick seduction" scene and Loretta Devine is very sassy in this series! Also of course House of Payne and Meet the Browns are on TBS Wednesdays. New sitcom airings is the perfect way to beat the summer blues!

[Source: Nielsen NTI Ratings. View Travis Yanan's Ratings Website].

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Digital Digest: Rookie Blue - The Complete First Season DVD Review

Every week, we come here to bring you news, a preview of the upcoming week, and reviews about all things digital, and we're back this week to bring you even more of that! Unfortunately, this has legitimately been one of our worst and slowest weeks ever for news, but nonetheless, we have scoured the internet for news over the past few months that we haven't covered, and thus you may have missed. But we're not totally in "what you missed" mode, because we've also got a fresh review of Rookie Blue - The Complete First Season this week! Let's get going.

DIGITAL NEWS

Before we get into our older (but overlooked) news, we have a few updates on some definite releases that we've already mentioned here. As was previously mentioned, Parks and Recreation - Season Three is coming to DVD on September 6. Now, TVShowsOnDVD.com has a complete list of special features for that release, to include commentaries, deleted scenes, gag reels, and more. You can, of course, pre-order the set now.

Another current series with an upcoming release is Family Guy, with a fall release of Family Guy - Volume 9. While the studio has not yet released an official press release on this, we found this info on TVShowsOnDVD.com that gives what appears to be a list of special features. They do give a caveat that the information may or may not be correct, but it looks like it is along the lines of previous releases. Of course, we'll have a review of this set once it is released, and we'll see if this list is correct or not.

Now we delve into our "news we may have missed" segment of our news. The first piece, we'd like to put in the "rumor" category because it is not confirmed, but it comes from a poster on Home Theater Forum, a website that tends to attract rumors that are more often than not the truth. It seems that the sixth season of Perry Mason may be on the way to DVD, with the first volume to be released October 4. But of course, this is NOT anything official, and we'll let you know when (and if) this is confirmed.

Back in January, a lot of information came out directly from Shout! Factory on the website Home Theater Forum. The news isn't so good for fans of Mad About You. Although they did pick up the rights for a few seasons a while back, their response regarding the final seasons is as follows:
"our two releases of MAD ABOUT YOU didn't sell enough to warrant the expensive of acquiring the last two seasons."
Of course, at least Shout! Factory released some episodes of that series. The next post in the thread indicates that Shout! Factory doesn't even have any interest in the series Benson and One Day at a Time.

But it isn't all bad news from Shout! Factory. Digging a little further into the very same thread as mentioned above, they respond to the status of Designing Women by simply stating:
"Yes it will continue."
Hopefully they will indeed follow through on future releases of Designing Women!

Keep in mind that these stories from the Home Theater Forum message boards are more "in-flux" stories than we typically include here. We wanted you to come here to find something new on this slow news week!


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (June 28) is the true goose egg of DVD release dates. There are no sitcoms on the slate, and really, there aren't any series that fit within the scope of our site scheduled for release on Tuesday either. However, if you are a fan of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, you can pick up Law & Order: Criminal Intent - The Sixth Year on Tuesday.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

At the police academy they trained together. Now they're on the job together. Rookie cop Andy McNally (Missy Peregrym) and her fellow new recruits are ready to brave anything, but in the world of big city policing, even the smallest mistake can have life-or-death consequences. The complete first season of Rookie Blue is now available on DVD from Entertainment One. Here is our review of this set.

DVD Review: Rookie Blue - The Complete First Season

Rookie Blue - The Complete First Season (Entertainment One, $44.98) is now on DVD and you won't want to miss out! The breakout ABC hit summer primetime series was the number one show in its timeslot last summer and the highest-rated summer scripted premiere in six years! Don't go in without backup, so arm yourself with every episode from the rookies' debut season with tons of bulletproof bonus features! The drama is produced in Canada and is a Canadian production ans also airs on Global in Canada.

Not since NYPD Blue has there been a cop drama like this. It has a twist of danger, sex and high-stakes drama. Each episode follows the lives of five inexperienced rookies plunged into the world of big city policing, where even the smallest mistake can have life or death consequences. This group of twenty-somethings is about to learn the hard way that no amount of training can prepare them for the job...or for real life. The series stars Missy Peregrym as Andy McNally, Enuka Okuma as Traci Nash, Gregory Smith as Dov Epstein, Travis Milne as Chris Diaz, Charlotte Sullivan as Gail Peck, Eric Johnson as Luke Callaghan, Matt Gordon as Oliver Shaw, Noam Jenkins as Jerry Barber, Melanie Nicholls-King as Noelle Williams, and Ben Bass as Sam Swarek.

The first season has 13 episodes. We get all 13 of them on this DVD! Among the memorable episodes are the premiere episode "Fresh Paint," where a roup of rookie police officers start their first day, however their first call is to a domestic disturbance, which turns out to be a murder and in an attempt to catch the shooter, Andy McNally unknowingly arrests an undercover cop, ruining eight months of work. In "Signals Crossed," McNally, Peck and Diaz are tasked as prostitutes in a sting operation, Nash however has been sent to work with Callaghan on a murdered John Doe, as McNally is unable to perform and she is pulled. In "Hot and Bothered," McNally and Swarek arrest a minor for stealing an ice-cream truck and Swarek believes that the theft was an act of rebellion, but McNally who believes otherwise is sent out with Shaw to pursue leads. In "In Blue," during her evaluation, McNally confides in Best about her fears of ruining her life because of the job. And on the season finale, "Takedown," McNally and Diaz make an untimely arrest, which compromises a major heroin bust, while Swarek goes undercover posing as the buyer with McNally as his girlfriend, to try and salvage the operation. We get all 13 unedited episodes on this DVD. Runtimes for each episode follow:

Disc One
1. Fresh Paint (41:48)
2. Mercury Retrograde (42:42)
3. Fite Nite (41:56)
4. Signals Crossed (42:12)

Disc Two
5. Broad Daylight (41:30)
6. Bullet Proof (42:07)
7. Hot and Bothered (43:01)
8. Honor Roll (42:01)

Disc Three
9. Girlfriend of the Year (42:50)
10. Big Nickel (41:39)
11. To Serve or Protect (42:07)
12. In Blue (42:57)

Disc Four
13. Takedown (43:02)

The DVD comes in a case held by an outer thin box. The thin outer box is in blue (with "Police Line, Do Not Cross" ribbons in the background) and as the series logo and the complete first season mention. In the middle of the cover, we have a square hole that peaks into the case, so wee see artwork of the five rookie cops! The back of the thin outer box has info on the set and series, with a nice quote from the L.A. Times. We have a nice cast photo of the rookies as well, along with five episodic images. There is a little box showcasing the bonus features as well. When we remove the outer box, we get to the case. The case has a grey-ish color scheme. The cover art has that artwork of the five rookies. The back of the case is similar to the back of the thin outer box, but different episodic images. Inside the case we have nice artwork of the five rookies on the panels itself with a nice city style background. There is also a disc-by-disc breakdown on the panels listing episode episode title per disc and bonus features. The discs themselves are on two little plastic holders that you can flip like a page in a book. Each disc is in the grey-ish/blue design with the series logo and the serve and protect seal in the background. Disc one holds episodes 1-4, disc two holds episodes 5-8, disc three holds episodes 9-12 and disc four has episode 13 and all the bonus features. There is also an Entertainment One booklet showcasing other DVDs, and it is placed on the left panel.

The menu design is great and has moving video clips playing in the background while we listen to music from the show. The series logo is also placed on the main menu, with episode numbers/titles listed right on the main menu. The only sub-menu is for Set-up, where we can choose either English 5.1 audio or 2.0. English SDH subtitles can also be turned on. Special Features option is on disc four only. Auto trailer appear on disc one before the main menu with a sneak peek scene from the season two premiere, movie trailers and a trailer for the series Haven.

Video and audio quality are both outstanding. This is a DVD, so I'm sure the Blu-ray version looks even better. It is superb. You can turn on the 5.1 surround sound and watch the series in great audio quality. Each episode has 7 chapter stops, so it is easy to jump through an episode if you are looking for something in particular like McNally in that green outfit from "Signals Crossed" or the hot scene from "Hot and Bothered."

There are some special features on this set as well! They are all on disc four and are decently produced. First up, we have "Making of Featurettes." There are three different ones for these on this set. The first one is "A New Breed of Life" (3:10) and it has interviews with Missy Peregrym, Tassie Cameron (Showrunner), Travis Milne and Enuka Okuma. The next one is "Meet the Rookies of 15 Division" (3:59) and all five rookies are featured: Missy Peregrym, Enuka Okuma, Gregory smith, Travis Milne and Charlotte Sullivan. And the final featurette here is "Rookie Training" (2:53) with Missy Peregrym, Gregory Smith, Travis Milne, Charlotte Sullivan and showrunner Cassie Cameron. The next series of bonus features are called "The Skylar Report: Behind the Scenes on Rookie Blue." There are eight different "episodes" along with a teaser preview. These were made by a Global TV reporter ans he even appears on an episode as an extra cop named Skylar. Featured on these eight episodes that run a total of 23:25 are Anne Dixon (costume designer), Enuka Okuma, Melanie Nicholls-King, Gregory Smith, Charlotte Sullivan, Travis Milne, Matt Gordon, Eric Johnson, Ellen Vanstone & Morwyn Brebner (co-creators/writers), Matthew Davies (production designer) and Rob Gardner (assistant director).
The final two extras are trailers and teasers. "Season 1 Trailer" recaps season one and runs 1:58, while we also get a "Season 2 On-Set Teaser" running 3:06. Interviewed on the latter are Missy Peregrym, Gregory Smith, Charlotte Sullivan, Travis Milne, Enuka Okuma, and Eric Johnson.

I think Entertainment One did a good job with this set. This is a good show so it deserves a quality DVD set. The Blu-ray set is only $5 more, so if you have a Blu-ray player, then by all means get that! The DVD version is the one we got for review and it has great audio/video too, if you don't have Blu-ray. The menus, packaging and bonus features are all good as well. I wish the show has more than 13 episodes, but that will be the case since it is a summer series. ABC/Global will air 13 more this summer, as the second season premiere was this past Thursday at 10/9 central. Watch every Thursday all summer-long! We recently did an interview with Enuka Okuma and we will bring that for you to read very soon. So check back this week right here on the blog. For now, you won't get arrested for buying this DVD and you don't need to be a rookie either, so buy the set below because you'll be sucked in right away!

(4/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD release, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

To purchase the Blu-ray release, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main DVD Reviews Page
Rookie Blue
TV.com page


LOOKING AHEAD

We'll be back next week with more Digital Digest, and we hope to make some adjustments in the upcoming weeks to make up for these slow news weeks that we've been having lately! We have plenty of reviews coming up in the upcoming months, so we'll have a lot of those for you, and we are hoping to do some retooling to Digital Digest to bring you some more creative content. But don't worry, when we say retooling, we aren't going to get rid of any of our current features! Until next time, keep it digital!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Fox Fall 2011 Premiere Dates; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 27, 2011)

Fox has announced premiere dates for its Fall 2011 line-up. Among the headlines are new comedy New Girl premiering Tuesday, September 20 at 9pm. New Simon Cowell reality series The X Factor will launch with a two-night premiere with two-hour episodes on Wednesday, September 21 and Thursday, September 22. New adventure drama Terra Nova will launch with a two-hour premiere on Monday, September 26. And the two other new fall series will be asked for duty later in the fall, with new animated comedy Allen Gregory getting ready on Sunday, October 30 and new multicamera comedy I Hate My Teenage Daughter not until Wednesday, November 23.
As for returning series, Cops has its season 23 premiere on Saturday, September 10. Glee enters its third season on Tuesday, September 20 at 8pm and second year comedy Raising Hope moves to a new time of 9:30pm. Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and the drama thriller Fringe both return Friday, September 23. The Fox Animation Domination lineup launches Sunday, September 25 with The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, Family Guy and American Dad! from 8-10pm, as new animated series Allen Gregory won't launch at 8:30pm until Oct. 30 (so by then Cleveland will slide to 7:30pm). Veteran drama House checks in on Monday, October 3 at a new time of 9pm. America's Most Wanted will air two-hour specials every three months and the first one will air on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 8-10pm, as it moves away as a regular series. And finally, Bones digs up a new season starting Thursday, November 3. View the press release for more information.
We will track every network's daily schedule this season and we will keep it up to date frequently. As of now, here is Fox's daily schedule for Fall 2011. Keep checking back!


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of June 27-July 1, 2011, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, June 27, 2011
  • Louis C.K. (Louie) - Watch Louis on an all-new Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Shia LaBeouf (Even Stevens) - Shia drops by The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. Transformers: Dark of the Moon releases in theatres on June 29.
  • Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) - Catch the lovely Melissa on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Adam Pally (Happy Endings) - Adam is a guest on a May repeat of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Jennifer Aniston (Friends) - Jennifer stops by Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
  • Niecy Nash (Reno 911!/The Cleveland Show) - Niecy guest co-hosts a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Henry Winkler (Happy Days) - Henry talks about his book, I've Never Met an Idiot on the River: Reflections on Family, Fishing, and Photography, on NBC's Today between 7-9am ET/PT.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom stops by The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. Larry Crowne will be released in theatres on July 1.
  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Catch Jason on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Louis C.K. (Louie) - Watch Louis on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
  • Andy Richter (Andy Richter Controls the Universe/Andy Barker, P.I.) - Andy drops by Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
  • John Larroquette (Night Court/The John Larroquette Show) - Tune in to see John on a May repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena visits LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Shia LaBeauof (Even Stevens) - Shia talks about his film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, on NBC's Today between 7-9am ET/PT.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
  • Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Watch Larry on a repeat from a couple of weeks ago on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom continues his appearances this week on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings and later on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
  • Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell) - Catch Mark-Paul on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Cedric the Entertainer (The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric makes an appearance on Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
  • Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) and Joey Lawrence (Melissa & Joey/Blossom/Gimme a Break) - Watch Melissa & Joey on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
  • Kirstie Alley (Cheers/Veronica's Closet) - Catch Kirstie on a repeat from May on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Shia LaBeuof (Even Stevens) - Shia continues to make the rounds on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings and later on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Henry Winkler (Happy Days) - Henry stops by Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom wraps up his appearances this week on NBC's Today between 7-9am ET/PT on NBC and later on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire) - Watch Hilary on a repeat from October on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
Friday, July 1, 2011
  • Cedric the Entertainer (The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric drops by the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) - Melissa and the cast of Bridesmaids appear on a May repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Henry Winkler (Happy Days) - The legendary Mr. Winkler wraps up his appearances this week on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Nick at Nite July 2011 Has Summer Marathons And Married with Children; Ricky Gervais Producing New HBO/BBC2 Comedy

Nick at Nite will return to summer marathons this summer starting Monday, July 4, 2011! The summer marathons will air every weeknight starting at 11pm through 5am, with the current regular schedule leading in from 8pm-11pm (and the 5am-7am Family Matters will lead-out). The marathons will have a new addition to Nick at Nite as well: the 1987-97 comedy Married...with Children. This is NOT a new acquisition, since Viacom had already rights to the series and they have aired it on their other network like Spike TV, TV Land, Comedy Central, and CMT, but this will be its first airing on Nick at Nite. Al Bundy and family will now try their fifth Viacom network to see if it can be a fit on Nick at Nite. The series has been airing on CMT on weekend afternoons in marathon blocks, but it will be removed after this Saturday's (June 25) airing at 2pm-3:30pm so Nick at Nite can try the series now.
There is no real reason why it keeps moving from network to network in the Viacom family, as it did pretty well in the ratings on TV Land I know. Married...with Children will air on Nick at Nite's summer marathons starting this July, but there is no word if it will be anything more than that. The marathons kick off with George Lopez on Mondays from 11pm-5am starting July 4. Tuesdays will have The Nanny air from 11pm-5am. Wednesdays will be the night for Married...with Children, but it will only air from 11pm-3am, as TBS has the rights in the overnight and early mornings. So, airing from 3am-7am will be an expanded Family Matters (instead of its normal 5-7am). On Thursdays Nick at Nite will air marathons of That '70s Show from 11pm-5am. And the marathons start late on Friday nights as My Wife & Kids will air on Friday nights from 1am-5am, after the regular schedule from 9pm-1am.
Marathons will not air on weekends, so expect the current regular weekend schedule. There will be one slight change, though. Home Improvement will be removed from the schedule after its airing this weekend and it won't air Sunday nights (early Monday mornings) from 4am-6am anymore and will be replaced by more Family Matters. It's just too bad Urkel and the Winslows are not airing anytime before 3am anymore. One other show that will be reduced a lot will be Everybody Hates Chris. Due to the marathons, it will only be airing Sunday nights from 2-3am.
We will have more on Nick at Nite July 2011 soon, if there is anything further to elaborate. Whoaaaaaaaa Bundy!

Production has begun in London on Life's Too Short, the new comedy series from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (creators of the Golden Globe-winning BBC comedy series The Office and the HBO series Extras and The Ricky Gervais Show). The seven-episode series will debut on BBC2 later this year and on HBO in 2012.
Life's Too Short is a faux documentary starring actor Warwick Davis (Willow, the Harry Potter and Star Wars films) as a fictionalized version of himself: a down-and-out little person desperately trying to hustle and connive his way back into the spotlight. Each episode will feature cameos by top stars, including Johnny Depp, Sting and Steve Carell, along with Gervais and Merchant playing themselves in minor roles. Other cast regulars include Jo Enright as Davis' wife Sue, and Rosamund Hanson as his assistant Cheryl.
Life's Too Short is written, directed and executive produced by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant; produced by Charlie Hanson.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Critics' Choice Television Awards Winners; The CW Fall 2011 Premiere Dates, Announces Summer Changes

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA), a new offshoot of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, announced the winners of the first-ever Critics' Choice Television Awards. The star-studded luncheon to acknowledge and honor the best in television was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Monday and hosted by So You Think You Can Dance star Cat Deeley.
Mad Men took home the prize for Best Drama Series while Modern Family won in the Best Comedy Series category. Cable and satellite network ReelzChannel TV will broadcast the Critics' Choice Television Awards premiering TONIGHT (Wednesday, June 22) at 8 p.m. ET and repeating at 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. ET. The Awards will be rebroadcast throughout the week, so catch it if you can. Here are the full list of winners:

Best Comedy Series
Archer (FX)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Community (NBC)
Glee (Fox)
Louie (FX)
The Middle (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Office (NBC)
Parks and Recreation (NBC)
30 Rock (NBC)
WINNER: Modern Family (ABC)

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, NBC)
Steve Carell (The Office, NBC)
Louis C.K. (Louie, FX)
Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, FX)
Joel McHale (Community, NBC)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory, CBS)
WINNER: Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory, CBS)

Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Courteney Cox (Cougar Town, ABC)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie, Showtime)
Tina Fey (30 Rock, NBC)
Patricia Heaton (The Middle, ABC)
Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope, Fox)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
WINNER: Tina Fey (30 Rock, NBC)

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, CBS)
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family, ABC)
Danny Pudi (Community, NBC)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family, ABC)
WINNER: Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, CBS)

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen (Modern Family, ABC)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock, NBC)
Jane Lynch (Glee, Fox)
Busy Philipps (Cougar Town, ABC)
Eden Sher (The Middle, ABC)
Sofía Vergara (Modern Family, ABC)
WINNER: Busy Philipps (Cougar Town, ABC)

See a full list of winners including from other TV genres. And visit their official website for more details on these new awards and who votes.

The CW Network will launch the 2011-2012 season on Tuesday, September 13, with four new series and returning favorites on new nights. On Tuesday, September 13, the graduates from 90210's West Beverly High move over to Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET. Following it will be the new drama Ringer (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET), starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as a woman on the run who assumes her twin sister’s identity, only to discover that her sister's life is just as complicated and dangerous as the one she's trying to escape. The next night, Wednesday, September 14, The CW's new reality series H8R, hosted by Mario Lopez, makes its debut at 8:00 p.m. ET, bringing celebrities face-to-face with the people who love to hate them. Then immediately following that premiere will be the first-ever All-Star cycle of America's Next Top Model staying in its new 9:00 p.m. ET slot. On Thursday, September 15, The CW's #1 show, The Vampire Diaries returns in its 8:00 p.m. ET timeslot. However, a new drama will air after the series, as The Secret Circle, also from executive producer Kevin Williamson and based on a series of books by author L.J. Smith, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Britt Robertson stars as Cassie, an orphaned teenage girl who discovers the truth about her lineage – she's a witch who holds the key to an ancient battle between good and evil.
The following week, on September 23, The CW unveils its new action-packed Friday, with Nikita moving to its new night and time of Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by the return of the Winchester brothers on Supernatural in its 9:00 p.m. ET timeslot. And last but not least, the Upper East Side of New York drama, Gossip Girl, returns on Monday, September 26, as the teen drama moves back to its former timeslot of 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by new drama Hart of Dixie at 9:00 p.m. ET. From Gossip Girl executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, Hart of Dixie stars Rachel Bilson as Dr. Zoe Hart, a sophisticated New York City woman who finds herself practicing medicine in a small Southern town.

Sticking with The CW, they have announced summer repeat changes as well. Beginning Monday, July 18, Gossip Girl repeats will move into its new timeslot of 8:00 p.m. as it gets ready for its new time period this fall. Also beginning Monday, July 18, One Tree Hill repeats will move to Mondays at 9:00 p.m. This means beginning Tuesday, July 19, 90210 will move out of Mondays and move to Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. as it also gets ready for its fall move. Airing in the 9:00 p.m. on Tuesdays will be repeats of the reality series Shedding for the Wedding. Wednesdays will remain the same all summer long as repeats of America's Next Top Model airs from 8-10:00 p.m. Repeats of The Vampire Diaries will remain on Thursdays as well at 8:00 p.m., but beginning Thursday, July 21 at 9:00 p.m., repeats of reality series Plain Jane will air in the hour, as Nikita gets ready for its Friday move. Beginning Friday, July 22, repeats of Nikita will air in its new 8:00 p.m. timeslot leading into repeats of Supernatural, which remains in its 9:00 p.m. timelsot.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

MeTV Network Gets More Affiliate Coverage; ABC Renews Wipeout for Season 5, Signs Vanessa Minnillo As Co-Host

We haven't given much updates on MeTV Network affiliate signings, as we were waiting for the official details, but now we can tell you where MeTV has been brought on-air! MeTV Network started of course in Chicago, then South Bend and Milwaukee but now has gone national as of December, but for months only these three markets were getting the digital network. Now that has changed! Officially on board are: WSB 2.2 Atlanta, GA; KDOC 56.3 Anaheim, CA; WPXI 11.2 Pittsburgh, PA; WRAZ 402. Raleigh, NC; KAZT 7.2 Phoenix, AZ; KPXJ 21.2 Shreveport, LA; WFLI 53.2 Chattanooga, TN; KWWL 7.3 Waterloo-Cedar Rapids-Dubuque-IWC, IA; WITN 7.2 Greenville-New Bern-Washington, NC; WJAC 6.2 Johnstown-Altoona-State College, PA; WFXB 43.4 Myrtle Beach-Florence, SC/Lumberton, NC; WTLH 49.3 Tallahassee, FL-Thomasville, GA; KAME 21.2 Reno, NV; KRCR 7.2 Chico-Redding, CA; WFXS 55.2 Wausau-Rhinelander, WI; KXLT 47.2 Rochester-Austin, MN-Mason City, IA; WYME 9.2 Gainesville, FL; KECI 13.2/KCFW 9.2 Missoula-Kalispell, MT; WZMQ 19.1 Marquette, MI; and KTVM 6.2 Butte-Bozeman, MT.
These are not the only stations that are signed on. These are the ones on-air right now and there are many more to come such as WFMZ in Allentown/Philadelphia and WLKY 32.2 in Louisville. Keep checking back with us for more station clearances as soon as they are official and of course we will be on top of any programming news/stunts and changes! The network airs classic sitcoms and dramas such as I Love Lucy, The Bob Newhart Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Brady Bunch, Cannon, Perry Mason, Hawaii Five-0, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Happy Days, Taxi, M*A*S*H and many more classics from the CBS Paramount, 20th Century Fox and independent studio vaults.
View the MeTV Network website for much more details on your station!

ABC has announced that television personality Vanessa Minnillo will be the new co-host of the popular hit reality series, Wipeout, beginning next season. The fifth season pickup includes Winter and Summer edition Wipeout episodes for 2011-2012. Next season will also feature new camera technology, bringing viewers even closer to the action to witness the best "wipeouts" to date. Minnillo will first appear during Winter Wipeout. Twenty-four energetic contestants of all shapes and sizes will compete on the world's largest extreme obstacle course, highlighting contestants bouncing off the iconic Big Balls and falling head over heels throughout the qualifier until the final three make it to the ever challenging Wipeout Zone, providing laughs for the entire family. Wipeout is currently hosted by John Anderson (ESPN's SportsCenter), John Henson (E! Entertainment's Talk Soup) and co-hosted by Jill Wagner, who will leave after this season to purse more acting.
The fourth summer premiere of Wipeout is tonight, as season four continues on. The series will air air a special all-new sneak peek episode tonight before moving to Thursdays at 8:00pm for the rest of the summer starting this Thursday. Special episodes will also appear on Tuesdays the next few weeks, so it's double the wipeouts!

Speaking of Wipeout, ABC has launched a brand new series of hilarious video eCards called Wipeout Yourself. Each week, game show contestants take on extreme obstacle courses and experience some epic spills. Now it's time for you and your friends to star in your very own Wipeout! To get started, choose from 3 different obstacle courses, upload a photo of yourself or your friends and family, and customize with a soundtrack and sound effects. Then add a personal message and share your Wipeout through Facebook, Twitter, or Email. Have a colleague who needs cheering up, a sibling you'd love to see knocked into a pool of mud, or a friend who deserves a healthy dose of humiliation? Create as many cards as you want and make it happen.
Begin creating your own Wipeout Yourself video eCards now: http://abc.go.com/shows/wipeout/wipeout-yourself?cid=WIPyourself_proutreach_lbi_general

Monday, June 20, 2011

Rules of Engagement Coming to Broadcast Syndication In Fall 2012; Pretty Little Liars DVD Contest

Sony Pictures Television has sold the hit comedy series Rules of Engagement to local broadcast stations in the nation's top markets in off-network syndication for Fall 2012. In the top 3 markets, Rules of Engagement has been sold to WPIX-TV New York (Tribune), KCAL9 Los Angeles (CBS) and WCIU-TV Chicago (Weigel). Other leading station groups buying the series include Tribune, CBS, Weigel, Belo and Meredith. As of now, it has been sold so far to 45% of the country.
Rules of Engagement is a comedy about the different phases of male/female relationships, as seen through the eyes of a newly engaged couple, Adam (Oliver Hudson) and Jennifer (Bianca Kajlich), a long-time married pair, Jeff (Patrick Warburton) and Audrey (Megyn Price), and a single guy on the prowl, Russell (David Spade) and his assistant, Timmy (Adhir Kalyan). As they find out, the often confusing stages of a relationship can seem like being on a roller coaster. People can describe the ride to you, but to really know what it's like you have to experience it for yourself.
A consistent utility player in every time slot for CBS during its broadcast network run, Rules of Engagement builds its time period in each of its five seasons. Rules of Engagement is also the #1 CBS network comedy in repeatability, retaining most of its original episode audience. The series heads to its sixth season this fall, but on a new night and time of Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Stay tuned for more clearances and a cable deal as well. As of now, Rules hasn't been sold to cable, but if Sony can sell 'Til Death to cable (WGN America), then Rules will be next. Stay with us!

Our DVD contest for Pretty Little Liars - The Complete First Season that we announced on last week's Digital Digest, is about to end tomorrow (Tuesday, June 21) at 11:59pm ET. So if you have not entered yet, please do so! Some lucky fans out there will win a free DVD from us! All you have to do is post on our Facebook post for this DVD and tell us who you think "A" is (or are?)? So if you're a fan and want to own this DVD...tell us and the best entries will win a DVD!
Don't forget to read our DVD review and watch the second season all summer long on Tuesdays at 8pm on ABC Family! Can you keep a secret?

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Summer Week 3 Sitcom Ratings; New Episodes of Sitcoms On Basic Cable

Summer has started so we will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long! Here are our summer ratings:

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of June 6-12)
  • American Dad! (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 7pm did 2.23 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, which is basically on par with previous week. A second repeat in the later airing of 9:30pm did 3.71 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, up a bit week-to-week.
  • The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat at 8pm did 3.07 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down from previous week as the NBA Finals took center stage.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30pm dropped from its lead-in in viewers with just 2.07 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, the loser of the block again.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat at 9pm did 4.12 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, the best of the block again and on par with previous week.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A repeat at 8:30pm did 3.07 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down from previous week.

Summer Week 3 (June 13-19)

Monday Sitcoms
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 2 airings - 4.49 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating for a repeat in its normal slot was basically on par with previous week again, but still low. A repeat at 8:30pm did 4.42 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, improving from the first airing but down a tad week-to-week.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 6.0 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating for a repeat is considerably lower than its ratings from last summer and also down some from previous week again. All the repeats from February and on has hurt this show. Everyone knows it is a repeat every week.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - 6.27 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating for a repeat, is up some from previous week. Good sign of building from the lead-in but the lead-in has been in repeats since February.
Tuesday Sitcoms
  • Raising Hope (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 9pm did 2.84 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, up a tad from previous week. A second repeat at 9:30pm did lower with 2.65 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating.
Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) 2 airings - A repeat at 8pm did 4.32 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. The 8:30pm repeat went down to 3.9 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, also on par with previous week.
  • Modern Family (ABC) 2 airings- A repeat at 9pm did 4.41 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, on part with previous week. And the second repeat at 9:30pm did similar ratings with 3.97 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down a bit week-to-week.
  • Happy Endings (ABC) - preempted, moving to its regular 9:30pm timeslot starting June 22.
Thursday Sitcoms
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat did 6.76 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, down some from previous week but still good summer repeat numbers.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A repeat of this comedy followed at 8:30pm with 5.6 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, but lower than previous week again.
  • Community (NBC) - A repeat only did 2.23 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, so low but actually up some from previous week.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) - A repeat at 8:30pm did 2.01 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, also very low on par with previous week. Syndication won't be pretty for this show this fall.
  • The Office (NBC) - A repeat at 9pm did 2.82 million and 1.1 18-49 rating, up a tad week-to-week.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A 9:30pm repeat didn't do well, doing 2.63 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, but up a bit week-to-week.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms
  • None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm.

Summing it up. Repeats of The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family 9p, and Mike & Molly were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement) or just plain old terrible (such as the very low NBC Thursday repeats, Raising Hope).

Feeling the repeat blues? Look for original sitcoms on cable this summer, with the great Hot in Cleveland on Wednesdays at 10pm followed by week two of the decent Happily Divorced starring Fran Drescher this Wednesday at 10:30pm only on TV Land. Also on deck next week on ABC Family will be the return of the funny Melissa & Joey followed by new comedy premiere State of Georgia starring Raven at 8:30pm starting June 29! I've seen both premieres and they are good, look for Raven in a nice "thick seduction" scene and Loretta Devine is very sassy in this series! Also of course House of Payne and Meet the Browns are on TBS Wednesdays. New sitcom airings is the perfect way to beat the summer blues!

[Source: Nielsen NTI Ratings. View Travis Yanan's Ratings Website].

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Digital Digest: The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones DVD Review

Welcome to Digital Digest, your weekly dose of all things digital relating to all of your favorite sitcoms! This week, we have a review of The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones. Let's get moving from the stone age all the way into the space age!

DIGITAL NEWS

It's been a slow few weeks, but we've got a plethora of news this week! We start with current TV series, specifically current series on NBC. This week, the recently canceled series Outsourced - The Complete Series was announced for a September 13 release at a $39.99 MSRP. Just one week later, on September 20, Parks and Recreation - Season 3 will be released at the same MSRP.

The CBS series Mike & Molly gets a DVD release with Mike & Molly - The Complete First Season on September 20, but it'll also get a Blu-ray Disc release on the same date. The DVD comes at a $44.98 MSRP while the Blu-ray comes at a $54.97 MSRP.

Now over to ABC, the current series The Middle - Season 2 has a DVD release scheduled for September 27 at a $44.98 MSRP. We'll have reviews of this and all other current sitcoms when they are released, of course.

That actually isn't all for the sitcoms, though... TBS has sitcoms too, and now, Meet the Browns will finally get a DVD release. Meet the Browns - Season 1 comes August 30 at a $29.98 MSRP.

We head off from current sitcoms into classic sitcoms now, with The Lucy Show - The Official Fifth Season! Although it isn't set in stone yet, a tentative release date seems to be planned for December 6. We'll have more information on this when we know it. It is not yet available to pre-order.

Over to classic series that aren't sitcoms, Shout! Factory made some big announcements this week, with an announcement of Police Story - Season One (coming September 6 at a $39.97 MSRP) and Kojak - Season Two (coming September 27 at a $44.99 MSRP)

Have you ever wanted to watch Family Matters from your computer? Well, now, amazon.com is offering the second season of the series for online streaming! You can watch the entire season for $39.99 or individual episodes for $1.99. However, there is one problem, is it does appear that the episodes are syndicated versions.

UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (June 21) has only one sitcom release, with Mister Ed - The Complete Fifth Season, from Shout! Select. Shout! Factory is also releasing Rocko's Modern Life - Season One on Tuesday, as a wide retail release.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

In the 60s, Hanna-Barbera brought what could perhaps be considered among their most iconic series to the small screen, with The Jetsons and The Flintstones. Despite one taking place in the space age and the other taking place in the stone, the series had very similar premises, with different families living an ordinary life in a time period that nobody at that time (or even at this time) would never actually experience. In the '80s, these two series clashed together toward the end of the syndication run of new episodes of The Jetsons for a classic crossover movie, The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones. Here is our review of this set.

DVD Review: The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones

The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (Warner Archive, $14.95) is FINALLY on DVD and it's a great cross-over movie from 1987 between two of the most beloved animated series of all-time! It's the wackiest animated adventure of all space-time when the world's favorite Modern Stone Age Family comes face to face with the First Family of the Future in a match-up that only Hanna-Barbera Studios can delightfully make possible! Thanks to Elroy's malfunctioning tie machine, the Flintstones and Rubbles are zapped into the robot-run future while the Jetsons suddenly find themselves in the dinosaur-filed past. Can our fearless families adapt? And more importantly, will they ever get back home? Find out, in a time-hopping animated feature-length romp packed with all the gags, gadgets and nonstop fun unleashed when The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones.

The movie originally aired in 1987 in local syndication. If you love The Jetsons and The Flintstones, then this is a dream movie for you. Yes, the voices for these differ from the original series, as we have new voices. However, The Jetsons was revived in local syndication from 1985-87, so the new voices are the same people who were in that series. The Jetsons originally aired on ABC for one season in 1962-63. It was so popular in repeats it was revived in the mid-80s as a new series. The Flintstones aired on ABC from 1960-1966 and was popular from the start. There were many reincarnations and specials after that, so The Flintstones never really disappeared from TV when this movie aired in 1987. In fact, more TV movies and specials were created for this series after this movie aired, so back to the original point about the original series voices--it doesn't matter, because there were so many specials and movies.
Anyway, the movie runs 92:05 and is unedited of course. We have 10 chapter stops for the movie, but it is every 10 minutes rather than at the end of acts.

The DVD comes in a movie-style case. The cover art has a nice shot of Fred & Wilma in the Jetsons' car, while George, Jayne & Elroy are in the Flintstones car. Dino and Astro are outside running around. There are some characters missing, but oh well. But the back of the case has nearly everyone. We have a nice episodic image of Fred and George looking at each other, along with info on the movie & set, and three smaller episodic images. Inside the case we just have the disc on the right panel. The panels are not decorated, so it is just plain black. The disc art is the same as the cover art, but the disc art is more zoomed in.

The menu design is good and uses the same artwork as the cover art, but a bit more focused and in an oval shape. The menu is very simple as well. There is only one option: Play Movie. It's as simple as that. I wish we had options for subtitles at least, though. And maybe scene selections? There isn't music playing in the background either. It's all good though, as long as we get to watch the movie!

Video and audio quality are both good. There are some dust and debris here and there, but it looks good. This isn't re-mastered or anything, so it isn't HD quality. It's better than your VHS recordings of this movie, I'm sure. It's the best you can get anywhere.
There are no special features, which isn't really surprising since this is a made on-demand set from Warner Archive. It would have been nice to have some original promos or something, but it is what it is and I'm just happy this movie is FINALLY on DVD!

I think Warner Archive did a decent job on this set. They bring a lot of rare items that would never be released on Warner Home Video, so they focus on the main feature itself rather than bonus features or any other item. That being said, yes the packaging, menu features, the special features and even the audio/video could be better, but this isn't a general release, so expectations are lower. I hope more The Flintstones movies and specials get released by Warner Archive, as I'm a big fan of the franchise. It just seems Warner Home Video won't release those for some reason, so Warner Archive is the way to go! Get ready for two classic animated series families getting together in a wild and wooly mammoth movie treat! Fred or George? Sound off to us on Twitter and Facebook!

(3.5/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Warner Archive

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main DVD Reviews Page
The Jetsons TV.com page
The Flintstones TV.com page

LOOKING AHEAD

Be sure to come back next week for more Digital Digest. We'll have more news and reviews for you, and we hope that you'll be back for it. Until then, keep it digital!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Summer Premiere of Hot in Cleveland and Series Premiere of Happily Divorced Score for TV Land; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 20, 2011)

Summer officially began on TV Land with the premiere night of Hot in Cleveland Seasons 2B and Happily Divorced starring Fran Drescher, which drew over four million total viewers for each series (according to The Nielsen Company, L+SD). Additionally, June 15 was the second highest day this year for TVLand.com, up more than 4x the 2011 average daily audience.
Hot in Cleveland's summer season premiere at 10 p.m. (all times ET/PT) attracted 2.39 million total viewers (as a comparison, the March finale did 1.8 million). When combined with its 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. encores, the series brought in 4.3 million total viewers to TV Land. Happily Divorced drew in 2.41 million total viewers (slightly buildings from its lead-in's ratings) at 10:30 p.m. and when combined with its encores at 11 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. attracted 4.4 million total viewers. Acclaimed actors John Michael Higgins, Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris), Rita Moreno, Robert Walden and Valente Rodriguez (George Lopez) also star in the series which was inspired by Drescher's real life story.
At 10 p.m., (all times ET/PT) Hot in Cleveland picked up right where the show left off in March: Elka (Betty White) had just been convicted of being in possession of stolen goods and is now on the run, while Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli), Victoria (Wendie Malick) and Joy (Jane Leves) are left wondering where she is. Now, the women must scramble to find Elka and get her back in time for her sentencing, and they find her in the last place anyone would expect...Amish country. Happily Divorced at 10:30 p.m. is co-written by and stars Fran Drescher (The Nanny) in a story inspired by her own life as Los Angeles florist Fran (Drescher) whose 18-year marriage ends suddenly when her husband (Higgins) announces he's gay.
In more numbers, Wednesday night's 10 p.m. summer season premiere of Hot in Cleveland posted a 0.9 among TV Land's target Adults 25-54 audience and a 1.2 among Women 25-54. Following Hot In Cleveland, the Fran Drescher comedy Happily Divorced posted a 0.8 among A25-54 and a 1.2 among W25-54. Both series also posted a 0.5 18-49 rating, so that is up slightly from the 0.4 rating Hot did for its March finale. Divorced was up a bit more from Retired at 35's March finale that only did a 0.3 18-49 rating (and 1.21 million), so TV Land might have something here. We'll keep an eye on this for you! And as a reminder, TV Land recently renewed Hot in Cleveland for a third season with a 24-episode order coming later this season (late fall), so there will be plenty of "hotness" to come!


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of June 20-24, 2011, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, June 20, 2011
  • Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Watch Neil on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Jada Pinkett-Smith (A Different World) - Jada drops by Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
  • Courteney Cox (Cougar Town/Friends) - Catch Courteney on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Tina is a guest on a May repeat of The Gayle King Show at 10am on OWN.
  • Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - Kick start with Marlo on Today on NBC on Monday-Wednesday between 7-9am.
  • Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) - The lovely Lea is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Jason stops by The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Sarah Chalke (Mad Love/Scrubs/Roseanne) - Catch Sarah on a May repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Kirstie Alley (Cheers/Veronica's Closet) - Kirstie is a guest co-host on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Fran Drescher (Happily Divorced/The Nanny) - Fran joins the ladies for a "tawk" about her new show on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Watch Betty on a May repeat of The Gayle King Show at 10am on OWN.
  • Persia White (Girlfriends) - Persia is a guest on The Mo'nique Show at 11pm on BET.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
  • Kevin James (The King of Queens) - Watch Kevin on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. Zookeeper opens in theaters on July 8.
  • Louis C.K. (Louie) - Catch Louis on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC. Louie returns to FX on June 23.
  • Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Larry appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Molly Shannon (Kath & Kim/Cracking Up) - Molly drops by by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Paul Reiser (The Paul Reiser Show/Mad About You/My Two Dads) - Watch Paul on a May repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) - Tune in to see Melissa on a May repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jami Gertz (Still Standing/Square Pegs) - Jami chats with Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Watch Jesse on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Mindy Kaling (The Office) - Catch Mindy on a repeat from last November on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Suzanne Somers (Three's Company/Step by Step/She's the Sheriff) - Suzanne stops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
  • Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Catch Jason on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Selena Gome (Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena is a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Zachary Levi (Less Than Perfect) - Zachary stops by Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
  • Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke chats with the ladies The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Watch the funny lady Amy on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Tisha Campbell-Martin (My Wife and Kids/Martin) - Tisha guest hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney is a guest on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
  • Terry Crews (Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry drops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Friday, June 24, 2011
  • Raven-Symoné (That's So Raven/Hangin' with Mr. Cooper/The Cosby Show) - Raven makes an appearance Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Watch Alec on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) - Catch Melissa on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, March 18

The Neighborhood - (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Worth the Cooties" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After Christina kicks Abishola and Dottie out for making light of her pre-pregnancy preparations, Christina bonds with Douglas and Abishola spends a fun day with Dottie. Also, when Bob, Goodwin and Kofo are stumped on a work issue, Bob insists they go out to lunch to loosen up.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 18)

Monday, March 18

  • Christina Applegate (Dead to Me/Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Jesse/Married with Children) - Watch Christina on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Carrie Preston (Crowded/Happyish/Emeril) - Carrie is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Rachel Dratch (Grimsburg/Imaginary Mary/30 Rock) - Rachel appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie) and John Hodgman (Up Here/Married) - Sasheer and John are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg (Two and a Half Men/Jenny) - Jenny appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
  • Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa will be on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
  • Brett Gelman (Camping/Fleabag/Married/Go On) - Brett talks about The Terrifying Realm of the Possible: Nearly True Stories on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
  • William Shatner ($h*! My Dad Says) - NBC's Today catches up with William in the 9am hour.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (November-March)

Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Father Knows Best - The Complete Series The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)

That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

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