Thursday, August 09, 2012

WGN America Fall 2012 Schedule Gives Us Rules of Engagement; ION Television Gets Law & Order: Criminal Intent



Our fall 2012 schedule barrage continues today with the fall schedule for WGN America! Their biggest acquisition this fall is Rules of Engagement. The ensemble comedy featuring David Spade and Patrick Warburton will launch on WGN America on Monday, Sept. 10, 2012. The sitcom will also be joining local broadcast syndication this fall, as we know (in NYC it will be airing weeknights at 6:30pm on WPIX). As for WGN America, Rules of Engagement will air Sun-Fri at 12:00am & 12:30am ET and also in primetime on Wednesdays from 8-10pm ET. Detailing the rest of the line-up, the weekday schedule from 9am-6pm will remain intact, but the 6pm hour will now have Old Christine instead of 30 Rock. Primetime remains the same, but as mentioned Rules heads to Wednesdays replacing AFV. In late night, 30 Rock will move to the 11pm hour, since it loses the 6pm hour. The sitcom will lead into Rules of Engagement at midnight, as we mentioned. WGN America will be losing the rights to South Park, but will be gaining rights to the daytime talk show The Bill Cunningham Show and encores of that series will air at 4am ET beginning Sept. 17. If you're wondering, the week of Sept. 10 will feature a week of Mad About You, returning from its hiatus, but only until Cunningham begins on the 17th.

Onto Saturdays, the late night line-up is completely revamped, as Bones and Bloopers! join the schedule. What is Bloopers? The classic Dick Clark series returns with a fresh new take on an iconic brand. Hosted now by TV and movie star Dean Cain, each half-hour is full of hilarious and spontaneous bloopers, unpredictable hidden camera segments and laugh out loud moments from the web. Bones will air Saturday nights at 11pm and 12am beginning Sept. 29, as it replaces AFV and Old Christine hours. At 1am, the new syndicated entry Bloopers! will air replacing 30 Rock. Back-to-back Old Christine will follow at 1:30am and 2am leading into the return of Cheers from 2:30am-4am. On Sundays, a second Bloopers! will air at 7pm, replacing 30 Rock. Not to fret, 30 Rock will get both weekend airings in one hour now, airing Sundays in the 11pm hour, replacing The Unit. As mentioned, Rules of Engagement is at midnight replacing Monk. Comedies now rule Sunday night as an hour each of Scrubs, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and 'Til Death air from 1-4am.
View the full WGN America Fall 2012 schedule. To recap, hello to Rules of Engagement, Bill Cunningham Show, Bones, and Bloopers!, while a welcome back to Cheers and (for a week only) Mad About You, but goodbye to South Park, Monk, and The Unit. Stay with us for further updates, if anything.

It was just yesterday we told you about ION Television acquiring NUMB3RS, now ION has bought another drama! ION Television continues to strengthen its programming lineup with high-quality content, announcing the acquisition of the critically-acclaimed series Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The off-network licensing rights give ION all 10 seasons (195 episodes) of the crime-drama favorite. Currently the series airs in local syndication, WGN America and on some Universal-owned cable networks like USA Network. It will likely remain on all of those when it comes to ION Television. We know for sure it will remain on WGN America (see above) and the Universal-owned cable networks.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent takes viewers into the minds of its criminals while following the psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve the crimes. Detective Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio), who channels his inner Sherlock Holmes, is an exceptionally bright homicide investigator with well-honed instincts that match up favorably with his criminal quarry. Likewise, his partner, Detective Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe), brings an independence and stylish edge to her work that meshes well with Goren. Law & Order: Criminal Intent was created by Dick Wolf and is the third installment of the Law & Order brand, which stands as the second longest-running scripted primetime series in television history. Executive producers of the series include Wolf, Warren Leight, Peter Jankowski and Norberto Barba. The series was produced by Wolf Films in association with NBCUniversal Cable & New Media Distribution. Law & Order: Criminal Intent aired for 10 seasons, first on NBC (six seasons) and followed by USA Network, concluding in 2011.
We will let you know when ION Television will schedule Law & Order: Criminal Intent, as right now it is unclear on when it will start.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, August 30

The Simpsons - "Guess Who's Coming to Skinner" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Principal Skinner discovers that one of his students is a runaway who has been living in the school library, he has to take the snarky, difficult kid into his home and is forced into a role he never expected or wanted -- being a parent.

Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.

Universal Basic Guys - "Down the Shore" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Hoagies go down the shore; Tammy tries to make amends with her estranged sister.

Grimsburg - "Crystal Ball" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Flute goes for surgery to have a second testicle put in, he finds an unexpected side effect.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 24)

Saturday, August 29 and August 30

  • Amy Poehler (Duncanville/Parks and Recreation) and Will Ferrell (The Hawk/The Office) - Amy and Will bond over their box office bomb on a repeat of The Weekend View on ABC News Live at 7:30am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray) The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/29/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

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08/28 - Apple TV's Brothers Premieres September 23; Remembering Dolly Parton and Tim Curry
08/27 - Antenna TV's Alice 50th Anniversary Marathon; Catchy Comedy's Family Affair 60th Anniversary Marathon
08/26 - Trailer for The Varnell Hill Show on Paramount+; Kevin Langue Heads to Netflix
08/25 - Tubi's Horror-Comedy Film Buzzkill Premieres September 25; Peacock's Wendy Williams Show Documentary Launching in 2027
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08/23 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 24, 2026)
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08/18 - Hollywood Arts Premieres October 15 on Netflix; Remembering Hayden Panettiere
08/17 - Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Renewed for Season 2; Randall Park Joins Minimum Wage
08/16 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 17, 2026)
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08/14 - Hulu's Trailer for Chad Powers Season 2; Freeform's Coven Academy Premieres October 1
08/13 - Trailer for Season 2 of FXX's Adults; Trailer for Season 2 of Peacock's The Paper
08/12 - Brandy to Sing Theme Song for A Different World; Damon Wayans Reuniting with David Alan Grier on St. Denis Medical
08/11 - Peacock's Dig Premieres November 23; Disney+ and Hulu Announce Video Podcasts for Boy Mets World, Scrubs, and Desperate Housewives
08/10 - Conan O'Brien Must Go Season 3; Disney's Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story
08/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 10, 2026)
08/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Joe Dirt Animated Series in the Works at Fox; First Look at The Varnell Hill Show
08/07 - Disney's Big City Greens Brings Out the Guest Stars; The New SuperKitty Premieres Today
08/06 - The Varnell Hill Show Coming to Paramount+ on September 1; Hallmark's 3rd Installment of Holiday Touchdown
08/05 - Colin from Accounts Final Season Premieres September 10; The X-Files: I Want to Believe Gets Director's Cut on Disney+ & Hulu
08/04 - Amazon MGM Studios Orders Improvised Sitcom; The CW Renews Game Shows for Season 3
08/03 - CBS Announces Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen 20th Anniversary Special; Hulu to Debut Exclusive Bob's Burgers Holiday Short
08/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 3, 2026)
08/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Clueless Sequel Series Starring Alicia Silverstone Ordered at Paramount+; Tubi Removing Some Warner Animated Series
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