Perry Mason Returns To Hallmark Movie Channel; Leverage Heads To Syndication In Fall 2012

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Perry Mason Returns To Hallmark Movie Channel; Leverage Heads To Syndication In Fall 2012

Hallmark Channel's movie network The Hallmark Movie Channel will bring back reruns of Perry Mason starting President's Day! The classic Raymond Burr series will start off with a 24-hour President's Day Marathon on Monday, Feb. 20, 2012 starting bright and early at 6am! Perry Mason will then start airing every weekday as well starting Tuesday, Feb. 21 and will air weekdays at 12 noon ET and 1pm ET, replacing Matlock. It seems Matlock will be off the schedule, but the two-hour movies will still pop-up on weekends from time to time. No word on when the regular Matlock airings will return, but you can still catch it on WGN America and in local syndication (if your market airs it). Perry Mason will be the lead-in to Murder, She Wrote, which remains weekdays at 2pm & 3pm ET. The Angela Lansbury drama will also still air at 12am & 1am, but Perry Mason will not get an encore. As you know, Murder, She Wrote also airs on TV Land, while Perry Mason can also be seen on MeTV Network and the two-hour movies pop-up from time to time on Encore Suspense.
No other series airs on The Hallmark Movie Channel and rightfully so, since it is a movie network. Stay with us for any further updates and we'll let you know if Matlock does indeed return at some point, but for now the verdict is in and Perry Mason is in!

Trifecta Entertainment & Media announced a two year deal to bring Leverage, the hit TNT television drama from Dean Devlin's Electric Entertainment, to the CBS-owned stations in 13 markets, beginning in Fall 2012. The fast-paced, light hearted caper series, recently picked up for its fifth season on TNT, will air on weekends on WCBS in New York, KCAL/KCBS in Los Angeles, WBBM in Chicago, KYW/WPSG in Philadelphia, KTVT/KTXA in Dallas, KPIX/KBCW in San Francisco, WBZ/WSBK in Boston, WUPA in Atlanta, WWJ/WKBD in Detroit, KSTW in Seattle, WCCO in Minneapolis, WPCW in Pittsburgh and WJZ in Baltimore.
Leverage follows a five-person team: a grifter, a hacker, a thief, a retrieval specialist, and their leader, former insurance investigator Nathan Ford (Hutton), who use their skills to right corporate and governmental injustices inflicted on ordinary citizens. In its fourth season, Leverage averaged more than 4.8 million viewers, up 10% over season three.

Speaking of syndication, the annual NATPE conference is Jan. 23-25 from Miami and we will bring you some news from that next week. We promise some classic TV sitcom news will come out of this as well. What will it be? Stay with us next week and find out!

SITCOMS AIRING TONIGHT (June 19)

The Middle - "The Name" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Frankie's sister, Janet (Molly Shannon), comes to the rescue and offers to help run the Heck household while Frankie studies for her dental assisting school finals. But the sheer amount of disorganization in the house throws perfectionist Janet for a loop. Meanwhile, when Cassidy's ex-boyfriend pays an unexpected visit from college, Axl tries to take the high road and not act like a jealous boyfriend; and Sue wants to legally change her middle name -- which is also Sue -- in order to have a normal name on her driver's license.

Family Tools - "The Big Event" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Jack and Darren get locked in a room at a client's house, their bickering reveals the underlying reasons for their continuous conflict. At home, Jack and Darren's unexplained absence has a ripple effect on Terry, Tony, Mason and Stitch as they prepare for the annual Mapleport Classic Car Parade.

Modern Family - "Open House of Horrors" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Claire has overdone it in Halloweens past and the neighbors definitely don't share her enthusiasm, so this year she's being forced to tone it down and keep it "kid-friendly," and Phil has an idea to hold an open house on Halloween night. Meanwhile, Mitch and Cam host a costume party while contending with Lily wondering who her real mom is, and Gloria's pregnancy hormones are on overdrive, making her even more hotheaded than usual.

How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) - "How to Help the Needy" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Polly is a hit at Elaine's birthday lunch, Elaine is left feeling uninteresting, so Polly gets her an audition for a movie to boost her ego. But Polly soon realizes she's fallen into an old pattern of putting her mother's dream before her own.

Melissa & Joey - "Oh Brother" (ABC Family, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Joe thinks Mel may be related to one of her childhood friends; Lennox learns that her blog sponsor uses unfair labor practices.

Baby Daddy - "The Slump" (ABC Family, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Danny meets with a psychologist to learn why his hockey game is suffering; Riley avoids Fitch in the hope that Danny will make a move; Ben's latest fling competes with Tucker for a promotion.

Hot in Cleveland - "It's Alive!" (TV Land, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Elka and Mamie's illegal business activities endanger the group; a local mobster and his mother offer help.

The Exes - "Toy Story" (TV Land, 10:30PM ET/PT)
The guys try to fix Holly's vibrator before she finds out they have broken it.

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