SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

More on Golden Girls' 20th Anniversary Marathon on Lifetime; Extra Exposure for Hot Properties

We first brought you news back in early October that Lifetime was planning a Golden Girls marathon on Veteran's Day (Nov. 11). Now Lifetime has officially announced it! Twenty years -- and still laughing! To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the The Golden Girls, one of television's most beloved and enduring sitcoms, Lifetime Television is throwing a gala on-air, on-line, wireless party beginning Friday, November 11 from 12noon-11PM (ET/PT) showcasing the series' 20 greatest episodes, followed by an encore presentation of The Golden Girls Reunion -- the network's highest-rated special ever. We posted the schedule back in early October, so see our archives. Lifetime's celebration of The Golden Girls, where more than 16 million people watch the series on Lifetime in any given week -- and which boasted Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry as a writer for three seasons --includes a trivia game at http://www.lifetimetv.com along with innovative wireless features that fans can download onto their cell phones, such as:

-- Ring tones -- The theme song, "Thank You For Being a Friend," available as a ring tone
-- Voice tones -- Funny lines from each of the Girls available as both ring tones and ring backs
-- Original voicemail greetings -- Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan have recorded special greetings fans can send as gifts, such as an Arthur 'Happy Birthday' message
-- Graphics -- The cast of The Golden Girls and series logo accessible as cell phone wallpaper

Additionally, during The Golden Girls Reunion, fans will have the opportunity to text in their "shout out" which will be scrolled on screen throughout the program. As well, comedians Mo Rocca and Judy Gold, along with Michael D. Craig, author of Thank You for Being a Friend: A Golden Girls Trivia Boo, host an on-air roundtable discussion aired as interstitials throughout the day. These interstitials feature the most 'obsessed' "Golden Girl" real life fans expressing their love for this classic sitcom by singing the theme song, showing off their
memorabilia and even doing a dance inspired by the Girls.

In other news, ABC will be trying the new sitcom Hot Properties on a special night and time to try to lure more of an audience to this well written sitcom. The special night and time will be on Tuesday, November 15 at 8:30 p.m. with an all-new episode, pre-empting the sitcom Rodney for the night. This will be a one week showing only, but it could be a test for how Hot Properties performs there (with the best new series Commander in Chief following it) . If it does well, I'm sure they'd move it there and bump Rodney to another night or completely. Hot Properties is coming off a series high in the ratings this past Friday, but with just a 4.4 rating. Hot Properties will still air on Friday at 9:30 p.m. (its regular night & time) the week it will have a special episode on a special night and time. In other sitcom news, NBC has ordered two more episodes of My Name is Earl, bringing the already renewed new sitcom to 24 episodes.

How the Sitcoms Did For Week 6; Hearts Afire S3 DVD Cover

As promised yesterday, here is how the sitcoms did in week six:

Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - Built on last week's already impressive numbers to 11.23 million. Much better than what last season's occupant did.
  
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 10.89 million tuned in and held all of its lead-in's A18-49 ratings.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) -Equaled highest rating of the season with a 5.5 A18-49 rating.
  
• Out of Practice (CBS) - 13.09 million tuned in but lost almost 3 1/2 million viewers from lead-in.
  
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - UPN's best sitcom block, much better than Thursdays, even though Chris is on Thursday.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - A repeat at a special time did very decent. 9.22 million tuned in, but it did lose a lot from the special Charlie Brown Halloween's 10.98 million.
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) - A repeat at a special time did better than what The Office does regularly!
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• George Lopez (ABC) - Up from last week. 8.5 million tuned in.
  
• Still Standing (CBS) - 6.47 million tuned in. Cancelation clock is ticking, even though it was a repeat.
  
• Yes, Dear (CBS) - The inconsistent sitcom scored 6.76 million for a repeat. What happened to the 8.75 it scored a few weeks ago?
  
• Freddie(ABC) - For the first time the sitcom didn't build on George Lopez in total viewers, but it did in A18-49 from a 3.1 to a 3.4 rating.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Joey (NBC) - A repeat, but only 6.06 million? Third in its half hour.
  
• Will & Grace (NBC) - Another repeat of a sitcom this week, scored 6.27 million viewers.
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - Since Joey was a repeat, Chris should have won, but it didn't. 5.39 million tuned in.
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - Time to cancel two of these at least and try something else in the 9 p.m. hour.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• What I Like About You (The WB) 1 Hour - An original and a repeat both were lead last.
• Bernie Mac (FOX) - Bernie might be gone after this season.
  
• Malcolm in the Middle (FOX) - Same goes for this one.
  
• Reba (The WB), Twins (The WB) - The hour was up from last week's 1.8 to a 2.2, which is OK.
  
• Hope & Faith (ABC) - Up from last week and was second place in its timeslot because CBS's drama was in a repeat.
  
• Hot Properties (ABC) - This episode was not as good as the previous ones, but it was probably the highest ratings for the show, once the final numbers come in we'll know if it was.
  

Summing it up, this week's winners: How I Met Your Mother, The King of Queens, Two and a Half Men were the impressive sitcoms this week. Everything else was OK (Out of Practice) or in repeats (According to Jim, My Name is Earl), or pre-empted (The Office, Rodney) or just plain old terrible (such as Malcolm, WB Friday, UPN Thursday).


The sitcom Hearts Afire starring John Ritter, Markie Post and Billy Bob Thornton comes out with Season 2 on DVD this Tuesday. Be sure to buy a copy of this underrated series (see my webpage below). We also have cover art for Season 3 (posted to the left), which comes out Feb. 7. For more information, see my Hearts Afire page (yes, cheap promotion! I love it!).

First Four Day Rating Numbers (Week 6)

Today I will post the numbers for the first four days for Week 6. Tomorrow I will detail all the sitcoms so far for the week.

Potpourri of TV News; Anchor Bay March TV DVDs

We have a lot of news today! First off, please read yesterday's news if you are a big fan of the sitcom Alice. As you can make a difference on what episodes will be on DVD in a best of type set. TV Land has an interesting original series in the works for 2006. TV Land has ordered six half-hours that take a "Before They Were Stars" approach to a celebrity's first big break in showbiz in My Big Break. The first episode of My Big Break centers on the career kick-offs of Katey Sagal (8 Simple Rules) and Jim Belushi (According to Jim). Sagal had a role on The Mary Tyler Moore spin-off Mary while Belushi made his debut on the short-lived Garry Marshall sitcom Who's Watching the Kids. The series should debut sometime in 2006 in the Wednesday 10 p.m. hour. I just hope TV Land airs episodes of the series that the stars caught their first break. It would be nice to see an episode or two of Mary and Who's Watching the Kids again.
Meanwhile, Nickelodeon will air the Nick@Nite sitcom Full House Mon-Thurs at 8:30 p.m. starting Tuesday, November 1. That will of course lead-in to Nick@Nite, which you guessed it, starts off with Full House at 9 p.m.
In related Viacom news, Comedy Central has grabbed reruns of the animated comedy Futurama, which stars the voice of Katey Sagal. Comedy Central will start airing the series in January 2008. Currently reruns can be seen on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Their deal lasts through the end of December 2007.
Finally, ABC will bring back Dancing with the Stars for a second season starting January 5. It will for eight weeks at 8 p.m. on Thursday nights. Hopefully they can grab a sitcom star or two. Look what John O'Hurley did last season!

Now for your DVD news of the day. Anchor Bay Entertainment has announced their March 2006 TV DVD plans to us. We of course knew Three's Company Season 6 was coming in March, but I sort of kept quiet on the actual date. You can expect season 6 on March 7. See my Three's Company page for more details on the DVDs and don't forget to pick up your copy of season five in a few weeks! And on March 21, Anchor Bay will release season 3 of Roseanne and season 5 of 21 Jump Street. Don't forget you can get season 4 of 21 Jump Street this coming Tuesday and Roseanne Season 2 in early December. Anchor Bay is going very fast on nearly all of their TV DVDs, which is very good. Unfortunately, The Commish is the only odd one out. I guess the sales of the first two seasons were not good and maybe the best of set for season one that followed also didn't sell well. That is too bad as it was an underrared series starring a great actor (Michael Chiklis).

Warner Home Video Wants to Know...What Are Your Favorite 'Alice' Episodes?

Finally the classic '70s sitcom Alice starring Linda Lavin is coming to DVD in 2006 and Warner Home Video wants to know what your favorite ten episodes are of the 202 episodes that were made. They will be releasing a "TV Favorites" (basically a one disc set with six episodes) set of the sitcom in 2006 and they need your help! Click here to post your ten favorite episodes of Alice and you will help them a lot! The deadline is Tuesday (Nov. 1)--so hurry! All fans HAVE to buy the set when it comes out because if this sells well--you will indeed get the complete first season on DVD. So, this set will be testing the waters for potential season sets for the show. Many thanks to Warner Home Video for choosing our website for a place people can post their top episodes.

They also promise "TV Favorites" sets of Family Matters, The Drew Carey Show, Step by Step, and Night Court. We hope all of those garner season sets, too. It is strange for Night Court though since season one of that sitcom is already out. The sitcom Friends seems like it will be continuing to come out on DVD even after the tenth and final season comes out on DVD next month, with themed TV Favorite sets such as the Holiday episodess and Best ofs for each character.
We will bring you more news on Warner Bros. TV DVDs as soon as we hear some.

Who's the Boss? Reunion on The Tony Danza Show; Three's Company Episode Info for Nick@Nite

The Tony Danza Show, which airs in first run syndication all across the country (check local listings for time and channel), will have a reunion of the hit '80s sitcom Who's the Boss? Tony Danza, who starred on the show hosts the reunion on his talk show. Danza is now in its second season on the air and all of the cast members did make an appearance last season on separate shows. Tune in on November 8 for the reunion of Tony Danza's Who's the Boss? cast members -- Judith Light, Katherine Helmond, Alyssa Milano and Danny Pintauro. Good move by Danza and Buenta Vista Television!

A few days ago we announced that Nick@Nite made massive changes. Three's Company was coming back and weekends would be marathons of ratings sensations Fresh Prince and Roseanne. Now we know what episodes Nick@Nite will air for Three's Company. They will start with episode 132 on Tuesday, November 1. When TV Land gives the show a hiatus on November 4, they will stop on episode 131, so basically Nick@Nite will continue off where TV Land left off. But remember the first three days that Nick@Nite airs the show, it will ALSO be on TV Land, too! Talk about a double dose! For complete episode schedule for the show, go to my website on the show's On TV section for details (will be up by later tonight!).

Charlie Brown Halloween on Tonight; Growing Pains S1 DVD in February

Probably the best Halloween themed program ever will air tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. That is of course, It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The classic 1966 special airs every year and is an annual Halloween tradition. Charlie Brown is finally invited to a Halloween party, Snoopy engages the Red Baron in a dogfight and Linus waits patiently in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin. Charlie Brown has two more classic specials coming up for Thanksgiving and Christmas; we will have more information on those classics closer to the airings. And there is an all-new special in the works, titled He's a Bully, Charlie Brown. ABC will air that sometime this season. But tonight tune in at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT for the Halloween special only on AB(oo!)C.

And in your DVD news, both TVShowsonDVD.com and I have brought you updates on the Growing Pains DVD. Now, Warner Bros. has officially announced the title for a February 7 street date! Show me that smile again! Some extras are planned, such as scenes from the unaired pilot, bloopers, and possibly an all-new reunion just for the DVD (or it could be one of the two reunion movies that has already aired on ABC). So click here for the official announcement, details, and even the cover art!

Nick@Nite Schedule Overhaul Starting November 1; TV Land Re-Airs Good Times Marathon for Thanksgiving Weekend!

Nick@Nite has almost totally changed its line-up for November and December. Starting November 1, Nick@Nite will bring back fan favorite Three's Company! Three's Company is slated to be on hiatus from TV Land due to contract issues after the November 4 airing. Both Nick@Nite and TV Land do indeed share the show, so you may wonder why is Nick@Nite airing it then if there are some issues with the contract? Well, Nick@Nite will only be airing four episodes a week, almost half of what TV Land is airing right now (seven episodes a week, though for a long time they aired fourteen episodes a week). Nick@Nite will air the show Mon-Thurs nights at 11 p.m. ET/PT with an encore at 2:00 a.m. ET/PT starting November 1. So, for three nights you will see Three's Company on BOTH TV Land and Nick@Nite at 11 p.m. (on Nov. 1, 2 and 3)--gotta love that! Nick@Nite will most likely skip around, so do not be surprised or upset, because there really is contract issues and please understand that. You may also ask why would it move back to Nick@Nite and not just air four times a week on TV Land? Well, I believe Nick@Nite might have needed a little bit of a boost from Three's Company for ratings. Remember when Coach bombed on Nick@Nite, Three's Company came in to the rescue. And then later again when Wings bombed in primetime. And TV Land has really a seven day a week schedule where all of the regular shows air seven days a week.
Not to fear, to me this new Nick@Nite schedule looks very temporary, but expect it to last through the end of December at least. Some of the other changes include Fresh Prince Saturdays and Roseanne Sundays--watch those shows all night on those days. Click here to view all the changes to this almost totally revamped line-up.

Also, keep in mind you will still see Three's Company pop-up a few times on TV Land for stunts, such as on Thanksgiving the Best of Three's Company episode will air, the Christmas episode will air Dec. 11 & 25, and possibly the first episode on the first day of the new year. I also expect it to move back to TV Land sometime in 2006. The current contract expires in the fall of 2007, so we still have a while to go.

And finally, TV Land will reair the Good Times launch marathon that we saw in July again on November 26-27 during Thanksgiving weekend. The sitcom has performed to great numbers and the marathon was a historical ratings event for TV Land in July, scoring the best numbers ever. What better way to celebrate the Thanksgiving weekend having 'good times' with your family watching J.J. say dyno-mite! Click here to see the list of episodes and to refresh your memory on what else is on tap for TV Land November.

How the Sitcoms Did For Week 5

As promised yesterday, here is how the sitcoms did in week five:

Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - The sitcom is very steady. 10.47 million this week, down just a few thousand.
  
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Up from last week's 9.84 million to 10.14, but the better news is that this week it built on in A18-49, last week it did not.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - Excellent week for the show. Highest rated of the season with a 5.5 A18-49 rating. A close second for any sitcom in that measure, behind Earl's 5.6/14 on Tuesday.
  
• Out of Practice (CBS) - Still losing three million viewers from its lead-in each week. But at least it is consistent!
  
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - Like last week, all four are consistent each week. 3.5 to 4 million viewers for each.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - Down more from last week, to 7.59 million. Charlie Brown Halloween will be on this week and then a Jim rerun from last season at 8:30 p.m.
  
• Rodney (ABC) - Built slightly on its lead in with 7.62 million. Will be pre-empted this week.
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) - Highest rated sitcom for 18-49 again, but this time it almost wasn't. 5.6/14, up from last week's 5.5/13, but CBS's Men was way up from the previous week. 12.19 million total viewers tuned in, down slightly from last week, good for second place behind Commander in Chief--the season's highest rated new show among total viewers.
  
• The Office (NBC) - 8.02 million, not bad, but could be much much better. NBC should expect 10 million since the lead in gets at least 12 million.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• George Lopez (ABC) - Down from last week to 7.94 million, but still beat the CBS competing comedy.
  
• Still Standing (CBS) - Just 6.98 million tuned in two weeks and what did it do this week? The exact same. Last week it scored close to 7.5 million.
  
• Yes, Dear (CBS) - Down more than a million viewers from last week's 8.75 to this week's 7.56 million.
  
• Freddie (ABC) - Lost a little but still won its half hour in adults 18-49 and close second in total viewers, but beat CBS's competing comedy.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Joey (NBC) - Up from last week, but each week NBC is closer to brining rookie hit My Name is Earl here. Joey is running out of time.
  
• Will & Grace (NBC) - Built on lead-in again. NBC could move this to Tuesdays if Earl does indeed move to Thursdays, or this show will just stay put here.
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - 5.52 million tuned in this week. For any other network (besides The WB and UPN), that would be terrible for a sitcom, but for UPN that is their best! 6.33 million tuned in last week though, so a little loss.
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - Freefall! See numbers go down by a lot here! 5.52 from 8 p.m. to 2.45 by the end. Hurley from Lost couldn't even lose that much weight.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• What I Like About You (The WB) 1 Hour - The WB made some changes. It didn't help in this hour. Who wants to see reruns of What I Like About You at 8:30??
• Bernie Mac (FOX) - Bernie came back after baseball pre-empted it last week. Didn't help much, just a 2.7 rating.
• Malcolm in the Middle (FOX) - I doubt anyone thinks this show is still on, just a 2.4 rating.
  
• Reba (The WB), Twins (The WB) - Final numbers are not in yet, but the avg for the hour was a 1.8 rating. Worse than what it did last week.
  
• Hope & Faith (ABC) - Almost the same as last week. It needs to do numbers like it did for the season premiere to be respected again.
  
• Hot Properties (ABC) - An excellent show no one is watching. Spread the words because these ladies are HILARIOUS!
  

Summing it up, this week's winners: My Name is Earl, How I Met Your Mother, Freddie, The King of Queens, Two and a Half Men were the impressive sitcoms this week. Everything else was OK (such as Everybody Hates Chris, George Lopez) or just plain old terrible (such as Malcolm, WB Friday, UPN Thursday).

Stay tuned tomorrow for details on Nick@Nite November and December. Massive schedule changes to the regular schedule! A show will be 'knocking on Nick@Nite's door' again!

First Four Day Rating Numbers (Week 5)

Today I will post the numbers for the first four days for Week 5. Tomorrow I will detail all the sitcoms so far for the week.

Week 5 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):
Households: CBS: 9.8/15.2; NBC: 7.3/11.3; ABC: 7.2/11.2; FOX: 5.8/9.1; The WB: 2.8/4.3; UPN: 2.2/3.4
Total Viewers: CBS: 15.09 million; ABC: 10.94 million; NBC: 10.74 million; FOX: 8.87 million; The WB: 4.32 million; UPN: 3.36 million.
Adults 18-49: CBS: 5.0/12.9; NBC: 4.2/10.8; ABC: 4.0/10.5; FOX: 2.9/7.7; The WB: 1.9/4.9; UPN: 1.5/3.8.

Analysis: CBS and ABC were almost exactly the same as last week through the first four days in households. The WB was exactly the same in households, UPN was just slightly down. NBC was up a bit in households thanks to above average showings for shows like ER and E-Ring. FOX was way down from last week as the ALCS and NLCS baseball games ended early. The World Series Game 1 airs tonight (Saturday), FOX is expected to dominate tonight but not as much as they'd like. But can it win for game two tomorrow against ABC's red-hot Sunday line-up? Expect those Housewives and Grey to win.
As usual, look for CBS to win in total viewers again and ABC making a run (thanks to Sunday) in the key demos (A18-49, A18-34), but A25-54 will be a close race between CBS and ABC.

In other news, I spent most of the day researching the episode situation for DuckTales and Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. It is quite confusing, but I think I have it all figured out. Check out my posts at HTF (page 2) and UltimateDisney.com (page 17) for all the details.

More on the Jeannie DVD!

A few weeks ago we mentioned that with the Bewitched Season 2 DVD, there is a trailer for I Dream of Jeannie on DVD. We have more news now on this! Larry Hagman's official website is reporting that the DVD is indeed in the works and special features are also coming! They state:
"I DREAM OF JEANNIE comes to DVD! Larry, along with his I DREAM OF JEANNIE co-stars, Barbara Eden and Bill Daily, participated in the DVD release with on-camera interviews and audio commentaries. Stay tuned for more details!" Visit Mr. Hagman's official website here.

If I were to guess, we would get this release when Bewitched Season 3 comes out or next fall when the I Dream of Jeannie big screen movie comes.

Some DVD Answers; Full Season Pick-Ups

We have found out some answers to some of our own questions recently. A&E Home Video will release Ellen Season 3 on February 28. Be sure to buy a copy when it arrives.
Remember last week when I mentioned Maude could be paired up with "Archie Bunker?" Sony has told me that when they said "Archie Bunker" they did indeed mean Archie Bunker's Place! So we can expect season one of Archie Bunker's Place sometime in 2006. Some may think that is strange since we are only on season 5 of All in the Family. Remember Season 5 hits stores January 3. All in the Family lasted nine seasons, so we would be about halfway through when season five arrives. After season 9 All in the Family basically turned into Archie Bunker's Place, a follow-up series. I am expecting Archie Bunker's Place and Maude to be paired up. We hope to find out more information soon. Remember to check TVShowsonDVD.com for official information.

And two more new series have been picked-up for the remainder of the season. Variety reported that ABC's hit Tuesday drama Commander in Chief has been picked up for the remainder of the season. And we will be the first ones to announce this, but ABC has told me that they also picked up the mysterious supernatural drama Invasion for the remainder of the season! ABC will have a press release on both pick-ups very soon. Earlier in the week NBC sort of picked up the supernatural drama Surface for "additional episodes." They did not state how many, though. Chief and Invasion will get at least 22 episodes this season.

TV Land to Study Boomer Entertainment Trends; The WB Moves 'Twins' & Puts 'Fran' on Hiatus

TV Land has secured the services of Ken Dychtwald, the nation's leading expert on Baby Boomers, and his San Francisco-based consulting firm - Age Wave - to conduct a comprehensive study exploring consumer behaviors and attitudes of the Baby Boom generation, generally defined as Americans born between 1946 and 1964. As consultants to TV Land, Dychtwald and Age Wave have been assigned two primary projects: 1) to develop and execute a "state-of-the generation" presentation to TV Land advertisers in March, 2006 and 2) to conduct a national study that examines their social influence and consumer trends on a wide range of issues pertaining to entertainment. The study's findings are slated to be released by TV Land and Age Wave in September, 2006. To read more from this press release click here.

The WB has made various schedule shifts to their primetime line-up. Most notably are sitcoms Twins and Living with Fran. Twins will move from Fridays 8:30 p.m. to Fridays 9:30 p.m., which means Living with Fran is on hiatus--who knows if it will ever return, though The WB promises it will. The WB will air reruns of What I Like About You in Twins' old slot at 8:30 p.m. I won't go into more detail, but you can see the full changes here.

Ellen DVD IS in the Works

Last week we posted that A&E Home Video had no current plans for season 3 of Ellen but we also found out that Benny Hill Set 4 would come out Jan. 31. Yesterday TVShowsonDVD.com relayed all of our stories from last week, including the A&E update, and someone very close to the Ellen DVDs at A&E e-mailed them and told them that season 3 IS indeed in the works. I'm sure that is a big relief for fans of the hit sitcom, as we have not seen a DVD release since late February 2005 when season two came out. And it looks like we will see season three around the same time in 2006. It seems a February or March release date for season three right now. Maybe they are giving Ellen a second chance? Since it will be at least a year between seasons. If a second chance is the case, you better make sure you buy a copy if you are a fan and urge others to as well. And we apologize for saying that there were no plans for Ellen season 3. I was just relaying what I was told. It is a good thing we mentioned something about Ellen at least, or we still would have not found out if there were plans for season three! To read the full story from TVShowsonDVD.com click here.

VH1 Brings You I Love The '80s in ... 3D!

From the network that brought you I Love The '80s, I Love The '70s, I Love The '80s: Strikes Back, and I Love The '90s, brings you the third installment of the '80s with I Love The '80s: 3D. VH1 says: When you think of '80s television, Gimme A Break is sure to come to mind. Nell, little Joey and the rest of the Kanisky family starred in one of the many classic television shows looked back on in VH1's outrageous ten-hour, five-night flashback, I Love the 80s: 3D, the sixth installment in VH1's I Love The... franchise.

We're back, we're funnier than ever, and because we haven't run out of ideas, we're taking it to the third dimension, with gnarly special effects that'll-like-blow your mind! That's right. Put on your 3D glasses and check out that chick's bangs, with I Love The 80s: 3D! I Love the 80s: 3D premieres next Monday-Friday, October 24-28, beginning at 9:00 p.m. each night with back to back new episodes.

Classic '80s stars such as Emmanuel Lewis (Webster), Chuck Woolery, Dom Deluise, Weird Al, Nadia Comaneci, Wil Wheaton, Alan Thicke (Growing Pains), Gilbert Gottfried, Nicole Eggert (Charles in Charge), and much more will be interviewed. Current stars and personalities include Desperate Housewives' Mary Alice herself, Brenda Strong.

We also have information on where you can pick up the 3D glasses! Viewers can pick up their free 3D eyeglasses at Best Buy stores nationwide while supplies last beginning Saturday, October 22. Take a chill pill because even if you can't get the glasses you'll still have a bodacious time watching the series as a result of new 3D technology.

To view the entire press release click here and don't forget to tune in next week in 3D! Gnarly dude!

TV DVD Story from VB

Video Business has an excellent story on why we haven't seen season two of shows on DVD such as Happy Days, Twin Peaks, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley and Malcolm in the Middle. We don't have much news today for you, so I will turn it over to Sue Ault from VB. Click here to read the story and click here for some analysis and insight from TVShowsonDVD.com.

I think we will see the Happy Days family (Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy) on DVD again in some form. Whether it be complete season sets with, or without original music, or maybe best of sets. I just hope they release complete seasons. I don't think fans will mind much if the music is not intact. It has been well over a year since these three have seen another DVD release, so hopefully if they do release something, everyone will rush to buy a copy or two. I know when ABC aired the Happy Days reunion special this past February the DVD sales went up high, at least on Amazon, I wonder if Paramount noticed that? Happy Days was the show I tried to get something out of them and was hoping to bring everyone the reason and answer if we would see more, but PHE has been very quiet.

How Sitcoms Did This Week In The Ratings; Week 4 Numbers Thus Far

Week four saw some ups and some downs for the current sitcoms on the air. I will break it down once again:

Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - Up from last week's 10.31 to 10.5 million viewers this week. The move back to Mondays has helped this sitcom.
  
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Last week we saw this sitcom build on its lead-in, this week it did not. Down to 9.84 million viewers this week. CBS gave it a full season order, so expect it to stick around.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) -Up from last week's 4.8/11 A18-49 rating to a 5.0/12, but still not Raymond-like.
  
• Out of Practice (CBS) - Still lost three million viewers from its lead-in, but more viewers tuned in this week with 12.26 million from last week's 11.73. CBS ordered three extra scripts, but still not the back nine.
  
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - I put all four together, because all four are consistent each week. 3.5 to 4 million viewers for each.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - Down to 7.84 million from last week's 8.03 million, with even that it is doing better than what My Wife & Kids did in early 2005.
  
• Rodney (ABC) - After bad season premiere numbers. Rodney built on Jim with 7.98 million viewers, up from the season premiere's 7.49 million. Don't count Rodney out just yet!
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) - Highest rated sitcom for 18-49 again. Though down from last week's 6.0/15 in that measure to a 5.5/13 this week. 12.62 million total viewers tuned in, good for second place behind Commander in Chief.
  
• The Office (NBC) - Lowest rated sitcom on Tuesday this week. NBC has to get a better lead-out.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• George Lopez (ABC) - After ABC saw George score 9.13 for its one-hour season premiere, I knew that this hour would be ABC's until probably January, when that American Idol non-sense comes in for FOX. George scored 8.75 million this week.
  
• Still Standing (CBS) - Just 6.98 million tuned in last week. This week it improved, but not as much as they would want to. 7.48 tuned in.
  
• Yes, Dear (CBS) - Only 6.79 million tuned in last week, but this week it grew almost two million viewers with 8.76 million.
  
• Freddie (ABC) - Impressive debut, thanks to the Lost halo-effect. 9.38 million tuned in and built on George in that and A18-49 with a 4.2/11.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Joey (NBC) - 5.2/9 in households this week, slightly up from last week's 5.0/8, but this is not what NBC had hoped.
  
• Will & Grace (NBC) - Built on lead-in by a lot. NBC should try this at 8 p.m. and move Joey to Tuesdays at 9:30 and then can it in January.
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - 6.33 million viewers tuned in this week. Not too bad, only off about one million from Joey.
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - UPN should rename 8:30-10pm to A.C. (After Chris). Freefall from 3.9 million at 8:30 to 2.88 by the end of the night.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• What I Like About You (The WB), Twins (The WB) - WB doesn't expect much but it is constantly getting below a 2 rating in this hour, though Twins is building on its lead-in. Like should be canned soon.
  
• Reba (The WB) - This might be the last season, thanks to WWE Smackdown.
  
• Living with Fran (The WB) - Not too good, same level as 8-9 p.m.
  
• Hope & Faith (ABC) - Last week was terrible, this week it did a bit better with a 4.3 rating.
  
• Hot Properties (ABC) - Down from last week's premiere and this week did not build on its lead-in. This is a good show everyone--watch it!
  

Summing it up, this week's winners: My Name is Earl, George Lopez, Yes Dear, Freddie, The King of Queens, Two and a Half Men were the impressive sitcoms this week. Of note, Yes Dear went from terrible last week to a winner this week. Everything else was OK (such as Rodney, Out of Practice) or just plain old terrible (such as The Office, WB Friday, UPN Thursday).


Week 4 numbers (first four nights):
Households: CBS: 9.8/15.1; FOX: 7.8/12.3; ABC: 7.2/11.2; NBC: 7.2/11.1; The WB: 2.8/4.3; UPN: 2.3/3.6
Total Viewers: CBS: 15.35 million; FOX: 11.6 million; ABC: 11.09 million; NBC: 10.69 million; The WB: 4.38 million; UPN: 3.6 million.
Adults 18-49: CBS: 5.1/13.0; ABC: 4.2/10.7; NBC: 4.1/10.4; FOX: 3.8/10.1; The WB: 1.8/4.7; UPN: 1.6/4.1.

Analysis: Thanks to MLB's League Championship Series, FOX made a slight dent to everyone's ratings. But still this is nothing like last year when the Yankees and Red Sox were involved. Even with baseball, expect FOX to finish 3rd in viewers and third or even fourth in 18-49 for the week. CBS continues to do well, but needs help on Wednesdays at 8 and the Monday 8:30-10 comedies could be better. ABC has improved Tuesdays by a lot this year but Thursdays is still a problem. Primetime Live has taken a big hit. If I were ABC, I'd play a drama in there, since NBC's ER is quickly fading. NBC still has the most problems out of the big three. Earl is a good start but they need a better companion with it at 9:30, so they can move that show to 9pm soon and Earl to Thursdays so AfterFriends errr Joey, could be put out of its misery. Look for CBS to win in total viewers again and ABC making a run (thanks to Sunday) in the key demos (A18-49, A18-34), but A25-54 will be a close race between CBS and ABC.

Freddie Episode Changes; Sony TV DVD Note

The new sitcom Freddie, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. debuted this past Wednesday for ABC with good numbers, 9.4 million total viewers and a 4.2 adult 18-49 rating. As we mentioned before, ABC aired the second episode that night and opted to air the pilot episode the week after. Well, that has changed now again! It seems this pilot episode is not scheduled at all anymore! The episode titled "Food Critic" is on next Wednesday instead. The Halloween episode will be on the week after that one and the first Wednesday for November sweeps has another episode scheduled. We reviewed the pilot here at SitcomsOnline.com and it wasn't too good, so maybe ABC also thought that. We also reviewed episode two, which actually aired as the first episode, and that episode was a bit better. I hope you all are not confused!

We forgot to mention something the other day in our Sony TV DVD news feature, so I decided to post it today. Remember DVDEmpire.com put up the Classic TV Christmas DVD up for pre-order this past summer? They originally said Sept. 20, but of course that was wrong. They still have it listed with an unknown date but when I talked to Sony, they know nothing about this set! So, I do not think we will be seeing this set, at least not this Christmas. They have already announced titles through Dec. 20, and there is no sign of it. So fans of Benson, The Facts of Life, Barney Miller, Maude and Bewitched will have to wait or just not expect this set at all. Hopefully shows like Benson, Maude and The Facts of Life are released through season sets instead!

ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas; GSN Remembers Louis Nye

ABC Family Channel will continue its annual 25 days of Christmas tradition this year with jolly specials, merry movies, and much more! Join ABC Family for timeless specials with Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jack Frost and more. ABC Family will bring you two new original movies which are yet to be named even and holiday classics from the past such as Home Alone 2, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and sitcom's number one family The Brady's in A Very Brady Christmas! You can even catch all the Christmas episodes of ABC Family's favorite sitcom Full House. I'm sure the other sitcoms they air will have holiday episodes in their regular timeslots as well. For the full 25 days of Christmas line-up, which is still not final, click here. We will update it constantly, so keep checking back!

GSN will be airing a tribute on Saturday, Oct. 15 to TV talent Louis Nye, who passed away last Sunday at the age of 92. Nye, a well known comedian, made his first television appearance on The Steve Allen Show where, as the character Gordon Hathaway he coined the phrase "Hi Ho Steverino." Over the years, Nye was a guest star on multiple TV shows, including Love American Style, The Love Boat, Laverne & Shirley, and St. Elsewhere. His most recent TV appearance was on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Saturday, October 15
3:00am I've Got a Secret Ep. 11/23/64
Nye is a guest celebrity who cooks a meal in 10 minutes with the use of a microwave oven. Panelists include: Bess Myerson, Betsy Palmer, Bill Cullen, and Henry Morgan. Steve Allen serves as host.

3:30am Beat The Clock Ep. 562
Nye is the celebrity panelist with Jack Narz as the host.

TV Land & Nick@Nite December Schedules; Day 3 of Sony 3-Day TV DVD News Event

Both TV Land and Nick@Nite has announced their December highlights and schedules. Both network are not making any schedule changes but there are a lot of specials and marathons as one would expect during the holidays. TV Land will be debuting a 5-part series titled TV Guide and TV Land Present - The 100 Most Unexpected Television Moments the week of December 5 at 10 p.m. It is a must see. It will encore on New Year's Eve from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., if you miss any episodes. They will also debut a five part series that will air in weekly installments titled Sitdown Comedy with David Steinberg. Tune in Wednesdays at 10 p.m. starting December 14 and you'll see Steinberg with guests such as Mike Myers and George Lopez. Finally, it has been a tradition for TV Land the last six years to air holiday episodes. This year they will air it not once, but twice! On Sunday, December 11 and again on Sunday, December 25! Tune in for Christmas episodes of series like What's Happening!!, Good Times, Three's Company, The Brady Bunch, Night Court and so much more! To view the entire TV Land December packet, click here.

Nick@Nite December will feature a week-long Fresh Prince of Bel-Air marathon the week of December 12, a Christmas episode night on December 18 with your favorite Nick@Nite shows, and on the last day of the year spend New Year's Eve with musical guests from all of the Nick@Nite shows from Full House to Murphy Brown! To view all that and more click here.

And now for our final day on the Sony TV DVD news report. Today I will reveal the other returning sitcom for Sony on DVD. You know the world don't move to the beat of just one drum, when Sony releases the complete second season of Diff'rent Strokes on January 31! After well over a year we finally get the second season of this popular '80s sitcom with Gary Coleman. And you better make sure you buy a copy (or two!) so we can speed it up next time around. Now, remember this is not official information. You will just have to wait and see if this is indeed the official date when Sony announces it and TVShowsonDVD.com will have that information.

So some people are wondering on some other Sony TV DVDs that have not seen subsequent seasons in a while. 227 season two was on the radar but Sony has put that on TBD, just like they did for One Day at a Time (which hasn't come out at all yet). Sony still has not put a decision up, as far as I know, for Who's the Boss? season two. And I spoke to them about Maude, it is indeed in the works, they told me they will pair it up with a future All in the Family release, but I'm sure it won't be in time for season 5 on January 3. Maybe season 6? But... actually instead of All in the Family they told me "Archie Bunker," could that mean Archie Bunker's Place paired up with Maude? Only time will tell...

Fatherhood on Nick@Nite; A&E TV DVD Update; Sony Day 2 of 3 TV DVD News

Nick@Nite has issued press material on the second batch of new episodes for season two of the hit animated comedy, Fatherhood. The series stars Blair Underwood and Sabrina LeBeauf and is executive produced by Bill Cosby for Nick@Nite along with Charles Kipps (Little Bill, Cosby Mysteries), Mike Milligan (The Jeffersons, Dear John, Here and Now) and David Brokaw (Little Bill). The season premiere on October 18 guest stars Henry Winkler. Other guest stars throughout the season include Betty White, Wayne Brady, Tavis Smiley, Ed Asner and Lou Rawls. Jim Belushi and Don Knotts reprise their roles from this past spring. To view the episode information click here.

We spoke to A&E Home Entertainment on future installments of Ellen, and it doesn't look good for that sitcom. Many people have asked us why the sudden slow-down on Ellen. The first two seasons have been released on DVD, but as of now, they have no plans to release seasons three and on. Poor sales must be the reason. The Benny Hill Show has been doing decent for them, so we can expect Set 4 of the hit British comedy on January 31!

Finally, our three-part Sony TV DVD News feature. Yesterday I mentioned Party of Five's second season coming Dec. 20, today I will release one of the two "returning" sitcoms that I have found out about. We can expect to see more Archie, the dingbat, the Meathead, and the little girl on January 3, as Sony releases season 5 of All in the Family! Speaking of All in the Family, the hit spin-off The Jeffersons Season 4 streets today--buy your copy today so we can speed up on that series! Remember, this title has not been officially announced yet so it could be moved to another date. Keep checking TVShowsonDVD.com for official information.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the other returning sitcom from Sony in January and some answers to some of your questions regarding Sony TV DVDs! Be sure to come back tomorrow!

MPI Home Video News; Day 1, For 3 Day Sony TV on DVD Feature

MPI Home Video is probably one of the best TV on DVD companies out there. They have released nearly every set they have put out with tons and tons of added value (bonus material). They have released a lot of '60s gems such as Doris Day, Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction and more. And we brought you news that they will be releasing Family Affair and The Color Honeymooners in 2006. But guess what? They have more sets coming out! They will be releasing Volume 2 of The Beverly Hillbillies on February 28. I think that might be all for MPI in terms of the Hillbillies. Only Paramount has the rights to the rest of the series. The question is whether they will continue where MPI left off or just start from the beginning? Or not release the show at all? I just hope Paramount gives MPI the rest of the series, because they have done such a good job. I don't think MPI has rights to any more Petticoat Junction episodes either. And in more MPI news, they have told me that two more TV series are in the works for DVD in 2006. They have not told me which yet, so please be patient until it is officially announced and I'm sure TVShowsonDVD.com will have that as soon as it is available. It has gotten me thinking though on what could it be. Could one of them be My Three Sons, since they like releasing '60s sitcoms?

Remember our four day Paramount TV on DVD news feature last month? Well, now I have a three day Sony TV on DVD news feature this month. For Sony, the news I have are for all returning series on DVD. The first one up is not a sitcom, but is very popular. Party of Five - The Complete Second Season is finally coming to DVD on December 20 after a long long wait that spanned more than a year and half. TVShowsonDVD.com should have full information later today when Sony announces it. Stay tuned in the next two days for two sitcoms that will have subsequent releases on DVD in January 2006. You will not be disappointed, I'm sure!

The Ratings Game

For this week final numbers for the first four days were not available to me (I only have the first three days), so I thought it would be pointless to post. Also, instead of the "what caught my eye" and "what didn't" feature, I will just focus on all the sitcoms' performances this week.

Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - Still solid, number one its timeslot in viewers and 18-49. 10.31 million and 3.5/10 this week.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Building on its lead in in both measures, 10.44 and 3.9/10.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - CBS has to be not pleased with this show. It is way down from Raymond, and not even number one, but three in its slot in 18-49. 4.8/11 in 18-49, tied with Las Vegas, while Monday Night Football put up close to a 6.
• Out of Practice (CBS) - It is losing a lot of viewers from its lead-in, and it is a big concern for CBS. 11.73 million, down a big 3 million from its lead in. And over a point in 18-34 with a 3.7/9.
  
• Arrested Development (FOX) - What more can I say? Critics love it, but viewership is even lower than before. Just 4.47 million viewers.
  
• Kitchen Confidential (FOX) - Like its lead-in, not doing well. 4.08 million and only a 1.9/5 in 18-49.
  
• One on One (UPN) - UPN doesn't expect much anywhere, but this is a solid line-up for them that builds on. One on One is only 2 shares below Arrested Development overall, that will tell you the whole story.
  
• All of Us (UPN) - We are down to just one share below FOX now (2.3/3 vs. 2.5/4) overall.
  
• Girlfriends (UPN) - Highest rated UPN sitcom for the night with a 2.5/4 rating, 3.64 million viewers, and 1.5 18-49 rating.
  
• Half and Half (UPN) - Not a big drop from its lead-in, makes this pretty good. 3.33 million overall.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - ABC expected a loss this season since this show is moving to an earlier slot, but still a solid 8.03 million tune in. 18-49 is not good, though, with only a 2.9/8.
  
• Rodney (ABC) - The season premiere was not so good, just 7.49 million, but it still held most of Jim's audience.
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) - Highest rated sitcom for 18-49, as I have said many times, 6.0/15 in that measure this week. 13.23 million overall tuned in, good for second place behind Commander in Chief.
  
• The Office (NBC) - Scrubs can hold more of Earl's audience than this show.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• George Lopez (ABC) - ABC was smart by moving sitcoms in this hour with the Lost halo-effect working well. The show pulled in an impressive 9.13 million, good for first in the hour! I expect Freddie to get a decent sampling this week at 8:30, thanks to the Lost halo-effect.
  
• Still Standing (CBS) - CBS might be thinking of canceling this very soon. Just 6.98 million. NBC's relocated E-Ring even beat this.
  
• Yes, Dear (CBS) - Last year when this aired at 9:30, it was building on King of Queens, not so this year, just 6.79 million this week. Where is 60 Minutes II when you need it?
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Joey (NBC) - Tick tock, tick tock. Getting worse each week. Just a 5.0/8 this week, for third place in its slot.
  
• Will & Grace (NBC) - Built on its lead-in, but down from last week's live episode. NBC should air this at 8 p.m.
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - After a good premiere week, the last two weeks has been way down. It's back down to UPN levels.
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN) - UPN Thursday sitcom block is not working like Mondays.
  
• Eve (UPN) - This should move to 8:30 and they should cancel Love, Inc.
  
• Cuts (UPN) - Another show that should be canceled. A drama at 9 p.m. would work better.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• Bernie Mac (FOX) - A lost soul on Fridays.
  
• Malcolm in the Middle (FOX) - I'm sure many thought this was gone by now. Anyway, both this and its lead-in were terrible. Smackdown was better even.
  
• What I Like About You (The WB) - This has to be the last season.
  
• Twins (The WB) - While building on its lead-in, it still is drawing a less than 2 rating.
  
• Reba (The WB) - Barely hitting the 2.0 mark this season.
  
• Living with Fran (The WB) - Not too good, same level as 8-9 p.m.
  
• Hope & Faith (ABC) - After an impressive season premiere, the show was down more than a rating point this week. Not good news in a wide open hour.
  
• Hot Properties (ABC) - Built on its lead-in for the series premiere, but still not an impressive start. Mrs. Huber from Desperate Housewives is guest starring soon, that should hopefully draw more viewers.
  

Summing it up. My Name is Earl, George Lopez, How I Met Your Mother and The King of Queens were the only impressive sitcoms this week. Everything else was OK (such as According to Jim, Two and a Half Men) or just plain old terrible (such as Yes Dear, Still Standing, WB Friday, UPN Thursday).

As for the final ratings, I expect CBS to win again in total viewers for the third straight week and ABC again for the third straight week to win in the major demos (18-34, 18-49, and 25-54). Enjoy Sunday night, whether it be baseball or Desperate Housewives.

Anchor Bay February Sitcoms on DVD; Shout! Factory Has Something Up Their Sleeves for 2006

Anchor Bay Home Entertainment has released their February 2006 sitcom DVD titles. On February 7 we can expect the first season of Grounded for Life on DVD. The show is from Carsey-Werner Productions, the same people who gave us classics such as The Cosby Show, Roseanne, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and A Different World. And Anchor Bay will continue the Carsey-Werner pattern later in February with the third season release for 3rd Rock from the Sun on February 21. Don't forget that season two is out in about three weeks on Oct. 25!

Now let's move on to Shout! Factory, who have released sitcoms such as Punky Brewster and The Job. They have already told us plans that they plan to release the complete series for the short lived sitcom All-American Girl starring Margaret Cho on Jan. 31. They also have plans for other series in 2006 such as Bravo's Significant Others on Jan. 31 and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show in March! But that is not all! They have a secret sitcom (or two) coming soon. They are keeping their mouths shut right now on it. All I could get out of them is that one (or more?) is a '70s sitcom! Could it finally be WKRP in Cincinnati? Or will it be the much delayed by Sony, One Day at a Time? Or even Maude? It is quite possible that Shout! Factory could obtain Sony shows, as they have already released the first two seasons of Punky Brewster. WKRP is from 20th Century FOX, and I highly doubt they will release that, so Shout! is perfect for this. Do NOT, I repeat do NOT, e-mail or call Shout! Factory asking what this title or titles is/are going to be. They will announce it when they are ready to. They didn't tell me, so don't ask me either. Just keep this in the back of your mind for now and just wait when Shout! is ready to announce this, and I'm sure the world-renowned TVShowsonDVD.com will have the full details when available. Remember, patience is a virtue. 2006 is shaping up to be very good!

The Golden Palace Back on Lifetime in December, Golden Girls Marathon; Remembering Hamilton Camp

Lifetime aired The Golden Palace for about a month and half (8/1/05-9/16/05) this summer, but guess what, it is coming back! You'll have to wait a few months but it will be back weeknights at 12:00 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. starting Wednesday, December 14. It seems that Lifetime has added it to the Golden Girls rotation, at least for the 12 a.m. hour. Meaning, after the last episode of Golden Girls, they will now air Golden Palace. Again, it seems only for the 12 a.m. hour. To view the episodes and full schedule, please click here.

Speaking of Lifetime, they have a huge Veteran's Day marathon scheduled for The Golden Girls. That's Friday, November 11 from 12 noon to 11:30 p.m. Even the reunion special that aired on Lifetime a few years ago will be airing. For a full list of episodes airing in this nice marathon, please click here. Thank you for being a friend!

And yet another actor has passed on. This time Hamilton Camp. You might not know his name but he provided voices to many shows and guest starred on many sitcoms. He also starred in two short lived series in the late '60s: He & She in 1967 and Turn On in 1969. Hamilton had a recurring role on the hit show Too Close for Comfort in 1981. He also had another short lived sitcom in 1983 titled Just Our Luck. But it was his voice-work that he will always be known for. He voiced memorable characters on The Smurfs, DuckTales, & TaleSpin. And he guest starred in many sitcoms in memorable roles such as Mr. Furley's brother on Three's Company, Alice, SOAP, WKRP in Cincinnati, Mork & Mindy, and more recently on Titus. We last saw Hamilton guest star on the mega ABC hit Desperate Housewives last season. The veteran Englishman died on Sunday of a heart attack at the age of 70. He would have been 71 on Oct. 30.

I Dream of Jeannie DVD Coming; Network Sitcom Full Season Pick-Ups

I got my DVD review copy of Bewitched - The Complete Second Season in black & white a week ago or so, and much to my surprise there was a trailer for I Dream of Jeannie - The Complete 1st Season. But what is odd is at the end of the trailer it said, "own it now on DVD." Of course, it is not available at all right now. Sony usually has very old trailers on their TV DVDs, but this is the first time I've ever seen this trailer! This has to be taken as very good news. I think we will see this possibly when Bewitched's third season comes on DVD or whenever that I Dream of Jeannie big screen movie is out, right now it is slated for fall 2006 starring Jimmy Fallon and possibly Jessica Alba as Jeannie. The trailer seemed to have all color clips. Fans should be patient and wait for the official word from Sony, and of course TVShowsonDVD.com will bring that to you whenever that comes.

And look for my review of Bewitched's second season DVD very soon, as soon as we get the colorized copy as well!

And two new sitcoms have been picked up for the back nine, meaning ordered for a full 22-episode season. The two are UPN's Everybody Hates Chris and NBC's My Name is Earl, which is the highest rated sitcom among adults 18-49. And despite very poor ratings, NBC's sophomore sitcom The Office has been upped to 13 episodes, instead of the six that were originally ordered. Meanwhile, the FOX drama Prison Break was the first new series to be picked up for the back nine.

Maude DVD Is In the Works; TV Land Celebrates Black History Month With a Special

There is word that Maude, the '70s sitcom starring Bea Arthur, is finally coming to DVD! No official word has been given, but a nice article on Bea Arthur mentioned this. Here is their exact quote: "Maude will be released on DVD, although no release date is available yet." You can discuss this piece of news and view the full article here. Of course TVShowsonDVD.com will bring you the official announcement, if it is indeed in the works. I will see what I can dig up, as Sony really prefers releasing '70s sitcoms over any other decade. Now they have two popular '70s sitcoms in the works--Maude & One Day at a Time. And they have released mostly all the other '70s ones they own such as All in the Family, Good Times, Sanford & Son, The Jeffersons, What's Happening!!, and even That's My Mama!

TV Land knows 'what I'm talkin' about.' TV Land has signed on On Screen Entertainment and Tonya Lewis to produce a three-part special for Black History Month this February titled, That's What I'm Talkin' About. To see what I'm talkin' about, click here.

TV Schedule News; SitcomsOnline Remembers Nipsey Russell

The Honeymooners is now back in New York City! You will have to be an early bird if you want to catch it. It will air every early Monday mornings at 4 and 4:30 a.m. on WPIX. WPIX has been airing the series on and off for many years now. Like I mentioned before, New York City has not had so much classic TV at once for a long time now. But still, nothing can beat Chicago's current classic TV shows.

And the animated '80s classic Dennis the Menace is now back on cable! I have always liked this show for some reason. Of all the channels, it is airing on The Black Family Channel (formerly known as the MBC Network). I never knew Dennis was black! At least one of Dennis' friends was black on the show, lol. I'm sure many do not get this channel, if you do, then you can catch it weekday afternoons at 3:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. Dennis has aired on cable before, such as on FOX Family Channel and Cartoon Network.

And we leave you today with some sad news that Car 54, Where Are You's Nipsey Russell has passed away at age 80. He of course played Officer Anderson on the popular '60s sitcom. Nipsey also starred in the one year wonder Barefoot in the Park in 1970. He was also famous for being a celebrity panelist on Match Game. And some of you might have known him as Tinman from the feature film The Wiz. He was a very funny man and will be missed by many. Nipsey would have turned 81 on Oct. 13.

Hallmark Channel Schedule Changes; TV Guide Old Covers Being Re-Done

The Hallmark Channel is removing its Saturday morning line-up of sitcoms and replacing it with three episode of Little House on the Prairie, starting this Saturday (October 8) from 6:00 to 9 a.m. So, Hogan's Heroes, The Beverly Hillibillies & Gilligan's Island are now totally gone and will not be airing at all. The Hillbillies will still be on WGN, Hogan will be on some locals and HDNet but Gilligan will not be airing at all anywhere. While I'm sure many of you love Little House, this is not a good change at all since Little House airs quite a lot on the channel (and TV Land also airs it in the evenings) while these three shows do not air at all now on Hallmark. This channel used to air so many sitcoms in the past such as The Facts of Life, ALF, Gomer Pyle, & Bewitched, but now they don't air any sitcoms except M*A*S*H. This is not good at all. We hope they are planning to acquire some, but as of now, they will not be. Look for the drama Diagnosis Murder to come to Hallmark next, most likely in December. At least sitcom stars Dick Van Dyke and Scott Baio are in that!

Before TV Guide Magazine gets its new "bigger" look, they will celebrate the past with nine collectible covers of older shows with a new look cast. See the Bernie Mac cast as the Evans family from Good Times; Regis & Kelly as the Major & Jeannie; and Charlie Sheen & Jon Cryer as The Odd Couple! For the rest of the covers, click here. Look for the issue in your mailbox or on newsstands this week!

Fall 2005 Pilot Reviews

We have come to a close in all of our pilot reviews. We reviewed whatever we got from the networks, which included every new sitcom (except Kitchen Confidential and Love, Inc., these two will be canceled soon probably anyway) and we hope you enjoyed what we thought of them and hopefully you agreed with us. The pilots for sitcoms Freddie and Hot Properties have not debuted yet, so please check those reviews out, if you haven't already. We will also be reviewing episode two of those two series, since we obtained them with the pilots.
For Freddie, ABC is opting to air the second episode first (Oct. 12) and the pilot episode second (Oct. 19). We really did not like the pilot for that series so maybe many people thought the second episode was stronger. So, check back with us for a little episode two review within the pilot reviews of those two shows.

And here is all our pilot reviews, which include some bonus drama pilots:

• Hot Properties (09/12/05)
• Freddie (09/12/05)
• Invasion (09/12/05)
• Twins (09/12/05)
• The War at Home (09/12/05)
• My Name Is Earl (09/14/05)
• Everybody Hates Chris (09/14/05)
• How I Met Your Mother (09/17/05)
• Out of Practice (09/18/05)
• Night Stalker (09/25/05)
• Commander in Chief (09/27/05)

Stay tuned to SitcomsOnline this mid-season for reviews of all the new mid-season sitcom pilots, such as the hilarious Crumbs, the pilot for Thick & Thin, and the smart Emily's Reasons Why Not starring Heather Graham.

Weekly TV Ratings Round-Up; What Caught My Eye? And What Didn't?

Week two has seen ups and downs for all the networks. Good in week one rookies like Invasion, Everybody Hates Chris, My Name is Earl, all took a bit of a hit but still were positive for their respective networks and all should last the season. How I Met Your Mother is doing decent for CBS but Out of Practice isn't doing as well as they would like after Two and a Half Men. Bad in week one rookies got even worse such as The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, Inconceivable and Kitchen Confidential. There was an impressive series debut from Commander in Chief but it didn't do quiet as well in adults 18-49 but it is an ultra competitive timeslot. The season premieres of Alias and Smallville in a tough timeslot were both pretty good. Smallville did well in adults 18-49 and Alias was second to Survivor in the hour in total viewers. And the season premiere of the "live" Will & Grace built considerably on the soon to be canceled Joey. The series premiere of Night Stalker was down from Alias' 8.21 million to 7.12 million but built on Alias' adult 18-49 rating in a timeslot occupied also by CSI and The Apprentice.

Week 2 numbers (first four nights):
Households: CBS: 9.5/14.6; ABC: 7.6/11.9; NBC: 7.3/11.2; FOX: 4.7/7.2; The WB: 2.6/4.0; UPN: 2.3/3.4
Total Viewers: CBS: 14.68 million; ABC: 11.78 million; NBC: 10.74 million; FOX: 7.33 million; The WB: 3.49 million; UPN: 3.4 million.
Adults 18-49: CBS: 4.8/12.4; ABC: 4.2/11.0; NBC: 4.1/10.5; FOX: 3.1/8.1; The WB: 1.6/4.2; UPN: 1.5/3.8

Analysis: All of the networks are down from week one but CBS and FOX. The WB was also up thanks to a nice showing of Smallville on Thursday. Remember this is not including last night, tonight and Sunday. Last night saw NBC going way downhill. NBC usually wins Fridays but Three Wishes was way down from its premiere and Inconceivable was even down more from its terrible premiere. 9:00 p.m. Friday is very weak right now that even Threshold with its OK numbers is winning the hour. Look for CBS to win in total viewers like in week one and possibly ABC making a run (thanks to Sunday) in the key demos like in week one.

So what shows caught my eye this week (in terms of ratings)?
MONDAY
- King of Queens & How I Met Your Mother: Not big time players but solid enough to win the hour in both measures.
- Two and a Half Men: Almost not on this list but still the highest rated sitcom despite not putting up what Raymond did last year in this slot.
- CSI: Miami & Medium: With the football game not as competitive, Medium strived. CSI: Miami won the hour by a lot, but was also down from the season premiere by a lot.
- Prison Break: A nice little hit for FOX building almost 5 million viewers on the viewerly challenged Kitchen.
TUESDAY
- NCIS: No one ever talks about this show, it just wins its hour and no one notices. It even wins in adults 18-49 now.
- According to Jim one hour episode: Built on the season premiere last week and still a solid second place in its slot in total viewers but 18-49 is still shaky and was not almost on this list.
- Commander in Chief: Excellent debut with total viewers and adults 25-54. 18-49 was not as good, but ABC has another hit as the show built in the second half hour.
- My Name is Earl: Down a lot from the pilot but still won its half hour in adults 18-49 and was the highest rated sitcom in that measure for the week.
- Law & Order: SVU & Boston Legal: No one expected Boston Legal to win this hour and it didn't but still it was a solid second place in total viewers. 18-49 was not so good, but ABC will live with that as it did win Tuesday in total viewers.
WEDNESDAY
- Lost encore: Even an encore won its hour. Lost is certainly not lost in its second season.
- Lost: Down just slightly in both measures and dominated the hour.
- UPN: Top Model 5 was its usual self but Veronica Mars came out and had its best ratings ever!
- 10 p.m. dramas: A highly competitve hour and all three shows had something to write home about. Law & Order was up from its premiere thanks to a crossover with spin-off Law & Order: SVU. Invasion was down big in total viewers but still had enough to win the hour in adults 18-49. And CSI: NY's season premiere was decent for second place in total viewers but a not so good third place in A18-49.
THURSDAY
- CBS: Dominant in all three hours led by CSI's 28 million viewers.
- Will & Grace: Yes, it's on this list actually. It built on Joey A LOT. Maybe because it was a live episode? Maybe they should just do it live every week if they want ratings.
- Smallville & Alias: Both showed good signs in a tough timeslot. Alias with total viewers and Smallville in A18-49.
FRIDAY
- Ghost Whisperer: I expected a big drop, but it was practically identical to is premiere. So CBS has done well with this show so far.
- Hope & Faith: A nice one hour season premiere and built on Supernanny by a lot.
- NUMB3RS: Highest rated show of the night.
- 20/20: Still going strong and probably won the hour in A18-49 (Friday final numbers are not in yet).


What didn't?
MONDAY
- Monday Night Football: Chiefs at Broncos: Down considerably from last week's game and almost cost ABC the night in adults 18-49 and did in total viewers.
- Surface: Big drop from the series premiere and looks like it will continue to drop.
- Arrested Development & Kitchen Confidential: Both down even more. Both will never get an audience. Will FOX risk it?
- Just Legal: Cancelation clock is ticking.
- Out of Practice: Airing after the highest rated sitcom should help this show but CBS is expecting more like what Men did last season after Raymond. Practice had a 3 million drop and almost two ratings point of a drop.
TUESDAY
- Sex, Love, & Secrets: 1.4 million? Ouch!
- The Office: Why did NBC pick-up seven more episodes? It continues to go way down from Earl.
- The Amazing Race 8: Decent in adults 18-49 but terrible in total viewers, down a lot from previous installments.
WEDNESDAY
- The Apprentice: Martha Stewart: Maybe she should do the show from her jail cell? She should just go back to jail for terrible ratings. Next week she'll be up against Lost as NBC has made a switch.
- E-Ring: Down over two million viewers from premiere and is on the move to 8:00 p.m. next week. Criminal Minds was second in this hour behind Lost. Will the move to 8 p.m. help? We'll see.
THURSDAY
- Joey: NBC has three new mid-season comedies coming plus Scrubs. Joey needs to shape-up or it will be gone faster than Matt LeBlanc can say Mel Blanc (I know, corny joke).
- Reunion: The show had so much potential out of The O.C., but is almost now in the range of other post O.C. timeslot shows.
- Primetime Live: Terrible. Cost ABC from a decent night as Alias and Night Stalker had some positive things to it.
- Post 8:30 p.m. on UPN: UPN is not "getting it on" after Everybody Hates Chris. Going from 6.01 million at 8 p.m. to 2.75 million at 9:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
- NBC: What a terrible night for NBC. Even Dateline was VERY weak. Three Wishes did decent last week but it had a BIG drop this week and went from 1st place to 3rd place in its slot. Inconceivable at 10 p.m. is my next pick for cancelation.
- Supernanny: It should do better than a 4.2 rating.
- FOX: Fox's ratings continue to do bad on Fridays with Bernie Mac and Malcolm doing bad and their new drama at 9 p.m. is even worse.
- The WB Comedies: Even Reba is now last place thanks to Smackdown.