Sunday, November 27, 2005

Network Holiday Programming: The WB; Week 10 Ratings

The WB will kick off their holiday programming with a special movie, Felicity: An American Girl Adventure. Note, this has nothing to do with the series that aired on The WB some years back, at least I don't think.
A World Premiere Movie Based on the Popular American Girls Doll Series -- This heartwarming family drama centers around the life of spunky, strong-willed Felicity Merriman (Shailene Woodley), a ten-year-old girl growing up in colonial Williamsburg. Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden and Smallville's John Schneider also star. Airs Tuesday, November 29 at 8 p.m. and encores Sunday, December 4 at 8 p.m.

Grandma Got Run-Over By a Reindeer:
An Animated Christmas Special Based On The Hit Holiday Song -- Based on the hit song that became a worldwide holiday phenomenon, this goofy and heartwarming adventure features young Jake Spankenheimer on the quest of a lifetime to track his missing grandma down on Christmas Eve and prove that Santa Claus is indeed real. Michele Lee (Knots Landing) provides the voice of Jake's greedy Cousin Mel and recording artist Elmo Shropshire provides the narration. Airs Sunday, December 11 at 7:30 pm. ET/PT.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas:
The Animated Holiday Classic Returns to The WB -- The Grinch plots to ruin Christmas for the holiday-loving Whos of Whoville. But while he's stealing their presents and roast beast, he learns a most unexpected lesson about the holiday. Airs Wednesday, December 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

A Scooby Doo Christmas:
When the Scooby Gang stumbles upon the quaint town of Winter Hollow, they quickly discover that strangers are not welcome and Christmas is not discussed due to a ghostly headless snowman that appears every Yuletide to destroy people's houses, along with their holiday joy. To Shaggy and Scooby's dismay, Fred, Daphne and Velma decide to spend a chilling Christmas Eve at the local inn to solve the mystery of the snowman and bring the spirit of Christmas back to Winter Hollow. Airs Friday, December 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Samantha: An American Girld Holiday:
A Holiday Special Based on the Most Popular American Girl Doll --"Samantha: An American Girl Holiday" stars Mia Farrow, Anna Sophia Robb, Kelsey Lewis, Jordan Bridges and Rebecca Mader. The movie focuses on 9-year-old Samantha Parkington™, an orphan who lives with her wealthy grandmother in Mount Bedford, New York in 1904. Samantha is one of the three original American Girl® characters, as well as the most popular doll in the collection. Airs Sunday, December 18 at 5:30 p.m. ET/PT

The Wizard of Oz:
The Beloved Family Classic Based On The Novel By L. Frank Baum -- When a tornado sweeps Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) away from her Kansas home and off to the magical land of Oz, located "somewhere over the rainbow," she is befriended by a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a Tin Man (Jack Haley) and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), who help her avoid the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) as they travel down the yellow brick road to see the Wizard (Frank Morgan), whom they believe can help Dorothy return home. The film was directed by Victor Fleming and King Vidor and written by L. Frank Baum, Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf with original music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. Airs Sunday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT.

The WB has not released yet if their series programming will have holiday episodes. So you'll have to check back with us if shows like Twins and Reba will have a holiday episode. And as of now, UPN has no holiday programming and they also have not released if their series will have holiday episodes. So stay tuned!

Now to the ratings game. I do not have the final numbers for Wednesday and on (thanks to the holiday weekend), so I can't show you how the networks did the first four days, but I can still break down the sitcoms that aired this week.

Monday Sitcoms
  • The King of Queens (CBS) - 10.98 million tuned in and a 3.7 A18-49 rating.
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Solid, but slightly down from lead-in. 10.29 million and 3.6 A18-49 rating.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - Up from last week's 15.17 million to 15.74 million. And a sitcom leading 5.2 A18-49 rating for the week.
  • Out of Practice (CBS) - Has been much better lately, 13.26 tuned in. Pretty good retention from lead-in. And a 4.3 A18-49 rating. I hope the hiatus in January and February won't hurt this sitcom.
  • One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - Consistent again, between 3.3-3.9 million.

Tuesday Sitcoms
  • My Name is Earl (NBC) - Up from previous week to 12.22 million.
  • The Office (NBC) - 8.09 million tuned in, over 4 million drop from lead-in. Concerning for NBC.

Wednesday Sitcoms
  • Still Standing (CBS) -With ABC and FOX airing a special and a movie, this was the only sitcom in the half hour. It should have done better, but it didn't.
  • Yes, Dear (CBS) - Same as above.
Thursday Sitcoms
  • Joey (NBC) - Yes, I know it is Thanksgiving Day, but Joey had its lowest ratings ever probably. Why did NBC air an original on Thanksgiving? Do they think this show is like Friends? People want to watch Charlie Brown on Thanksgiving, not Joey-- and they did, as ABC beat NBC in this half hour.
  • Will & Grace (NBC) - Not what it once used to be. I know it was Thanksgiving Day, but still, the rating was below a 4.
  • Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - I don't have final numbers, but UPN was dead last in the 8 p.m hour.
  • Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - 9 p.m. hour average was only a 1.2. Yes, I know it is Thanksgiving and sweeps, but UPN should have aired a special instead.

Friday Sitcoms
  • What I Like About You (The WB) - A repeat, but dead last in its slot.
  • Reba (The WB) - A repeat at 8:30 improved on its lead-in.
  • Hope & Faith (ABC) - ABC should have aired a repeat or a special since no one wants to watch sitcoms on the holiday weekend, as NBC found out last night.
  • Hot Properties (ABC) - See above.
  • Twins (The WB) - A repeat that was dead last in its slot.
Summing it up. My Name is Earl, Out of Practice, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, and The King of Queens were the only impressive sitcoms this week--maybe because they aired pre-Thanksgiving. Everything else was pre-empted or in reruns or did terrible on holiday airings (Joey, Will & Grace, Hope & Faith, Hot Properties).


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Sunday, June 4

The Simpsons - "My Life as a Vlog" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Through a series of YouTube recommended videos, the story of the rise and fall of the Simpson family vlog is revealed.

Family Guy - "Oscars Guy" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Griffins perform a retelling of three Oscar-winning stories: "Silence of the Lambs," "American Beauty" and "Forrest Gump."

HouseBroken - "Who's Nocturnal?" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
After Honey loses a clutch of baby possums she is supposed to be caring for, she and The Gray One set out to find them; Shel and Nibbles try to apprehend a critter that has been pooping on Shel's shell at night; Diablo gets abducted by an owl.

HouseBroken - "Who's Married?" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
A new playmate upends Honey and Chief's relationship; Tabitha helps Chico find the perfect anniversary gift for Kevin; Nibbles goes searching for her special someone.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 29)

Saturday, June 3

  • Ronald Gladden (Jury Duty) - Ronald can be heard on SiriusXM's Ben +1 at 9am.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (January-June)

Cheers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Gimme a Break! - The Complete Series (VEI) Kate & Allie - The Complete Series (VEI) Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series

01/03 - Andy Richter Controls the Universe - The Complete Series (2023 Release)
01/27 - Master of None - Season Three / The Complete Series
02/21 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Nine / The Complete Season Ten
02/28 - Growing Pains - The Complete Series
03/28 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/04 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Fifth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/18 - Blondie - The Complete 1957 Television Series (Blu-ray)
04/25 - Cheers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
05/23 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Eleven / The Complete Season Twelve
05/23 - Go On - The Complete Series
05/23 - Kate & Allie - The Complete Series (Universal)
05/29 - Gimme a Break! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/29 - Kate & Allie - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/30 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

06/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Declares Rating Victories for 22-23 Season; Australian Version of The Office in the Works
06/02 - HBO Renews Somebody Somewhere for a Third Season; Remembering Marlene Clark of Sanford and Son and Other Sitcom Stars We Recently Lost
06/01 - MeTV's Marry Me Block on June 4; TBS Sets Miracle Workers: End Times Premiere Date for July 10
05/31 - Amazon Freevee's Jury Duty Gets Special Release; Stars on Mars Fan Experience
05/30 - 75th Emmy Awards Nominations on July 12; Final Season of HBO's How to with John Wilson
05/29 - Memorial Day 2023 TV Sitcom Marathons
05/28 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 29, 2023)
05/27 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Wins 2022-2023 Ratings Game; Netflix Ends Sharing of Passwords
05/26 - Prime Video Renews Priyanka Chopra Series; Sex and the City 25th Anniversary Event in NYC
05/25 - Brady Bunch House on the Market; The Family Stallone Gets 2nd Season
05/24 - Antenna TV's Father Knows Best Father's Day Fest Marathon; Netflix Gets Glamorous This June
05/23 - CBS Summer 2023 Reality Schedule; Apple TV+ Announces Peanuts Programming
05/22 - More Details on Zoey 102; New Lifetime Movie Series Coming July 8
05/21 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 22, 2023)
05/20 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Showtime Looking to Bring Back Two Old Favorites; Disney+ Removing Content
05/19 - Futurama Triumphantly Returns July 24; Final Season of Physical Drops August 2; Primo Premieres May 19 on Amazon Freevee
05/18 - The CW Upfront 2023-24: Fall 2023 Schedule; Netflix Upfront 2023
05/17 - Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2023; Sarah Silverman HBO Special Premieres May 27
05/16 - ABC Upfront 2023-24: Fall 2023 Schedule; FX's Summer 2023 Slate
05/15 - FOX Announces 2023-24 Programming Slate; iCarly Season 3 Premieres June 1
05/14 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 15, 2023)
05/13 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Season Finale Brings Back a Familiar Face; Comedy Central Renews Digman! for Second Season
05/12 - NBC Upfront 2023-24: Fall 2023 Schedule; Hulu Orders Deli Boys from Onyx Collective
05/11 - CBS Upfront 2023-24: Fall 2023 Schedule; The CW Summer Lineup Has Comedies
05/10 - Minx Returns in July on STARZ; Never Have I Ever Final Episodes Premieres June 8, Trailer Drops
05/09 - The CW Acquires Son of a Critch; FX's The Bear Returns June 22
05/08 - NBC's Hot Wheels Gets Celeb Judges; Zooey Deschanel's Max Series Premieres May 23
05/07 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 8, 2023)
05/06 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Week of Writers' Strike Already Sees Early Casualties; Fox Cancels Call Me Kat
05/05 - BUZZR's Classic TV Moms Week; Fox's Stars on Mars Celebs Announced
05/04 - Dancing with the Stars Returning to ABC in Fall; Conan O'Brien Producing New Podcast Miniseries
05/03 - Roku 2023 NewFront; Peacock Schedules Kaley Cuoco Series