TV Week's TV Land Article; ABC Family Channel Announces Marathons for January

Saturday, December 10, 2005

TV Week's TV Land Article; ABC Family Channel Announces Marathons for January

TV Week had an excellent article on TV Land earlier this week. I saved it to show you all today. They mention that the recent acquisitions of Good Times and What's Happening!! has brought TV Land high ratings and also even higher ratings among African Americans. TV Land has aired black sitcoms in the past such as The Jeffersons and Sanford & Son (which is still a staple today), but now they have a nice little African American sitcom block with Sanford & Son, Good Times and What's Happening!!. No, TV Land is NOT trying to become the home of African American sitcoms, it just happens to be that those two new acquisitions have done very well. TV Land has also added Night Court this year, which showcases two supporting black stars (Charles Robinson and Marsha Warfield), but they also have added a pure white show in the drama Little House on the Prairie. Both have done well, especially Little House. All have done well because of how broad their popularity is, especially Good Times. Good Times is clearly becoming the new staple for TV Land, which The Andy Griffith Show was for TV Land for many years. Andy still does well, but the Good Times marathon broke a lot of records for TV Land and brought TV Land to its highest ratings ever. Andy remains the only pre '70s show in primetime, the rest of the pre '70s shows can still be found in the mornings.
More African American-led fare is on its way. TV Land will produce a three-hour Black History Month special to run in February. Recently TV Land announced it has ordered a reality show pilot starring Mr. T, and more acquisitions of African American-led shows are being considered, such as Benson in June. They will also add Miami Vice and The A-Team to weekends in January. Both '80s dramas had a black star in the cast.
Lucy, Munsters, and the rest of your favorite '50s and '60s shows are being cut down to morning slots because the broad popularity and ratings for the '70s sitcoms have done very well for TV Land. TV Land's focus is viewers 25-54, and they want to cut their median age of 52 way down, so '70s laughers are the right start. In fact, the '70s sitcoms don't just mean black sitcoms, because Three's Company and All in the Family have also done very well for them. Now if TV Land can bring us The Jeffersons, Alice, One Day at a Time, and Maude we can all party like it's 1977!
You can read the full text of the article here. You can also post your thoughts there as well.

ABC Family Channel won't be making any changes to its regular line-up in January but they have a lot of marathons in the works! Start off the New Year with some home improvement during the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Marathon. Seven self-contained episodes of award winning series will be aired back-to-back with each episode featuring a team of designers, contractors and several hundred workers who have just seven days to rebuild an entire house for one deserving family. Airs Sunday, January 1 from 12 noon to 7 p.m.
Spend a whole day with Kris, Junior, Dani and Matt in this all day Wildfire marathon. Relive all the drama, secrets and seductions from season one from the beginning, where Kris finds her way to Raintree, to the very end – with Kris in a neck-and-neck race during the Sandpiper Classic on Wildfire. Stay tuned for the second season premiere of Wildfire following the all-day marathon. The marathons Airs Monday, January 2 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET/PT. Followed by the second season premiere at 8 p.m.: ABC Family's highest rated adult-targeted primetime drama, returns for an exciting new season. The episode opens at last year’s cliff hanger with Kris riding Wildfire in the Sandpiper Classic. In a nose-to-nose race, Wildfire and Kris are distracted by rival jockey Tina Sharp and end up losing the race to Avatar. Despite the loss, Kris becomes a local celebrity as a jockey, and well-known sports agent, Kerry O'Connell tries to convince her to become his client.
Have you ever wondered whether the grass is greener on the other side of the fence? Two wives discover that it often isn't when they hand over the keys to their homes and literally switch families for two weeks on the reality show Wife Swap. In the first week of the swap, the wives move in with their new family and adopt their very different lifestyle. They agree to follow a manual written by the departing wife that sets out the rules of their new household. But then, in the second week, everything changes. The new wives take charge and introduce their own set of rules and run the new household their way. At the end of the show, the two couples meet for the first time. In a highly-charged exchange of views, both couples make a frank assessment of each other and talk about what they've learned from the experience. Catch the Wife Swap marathon on Sunday, January 15 from 12 noon to 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 6

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Gemma Johnson's Day Off" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Gemma reaches her limit at work, and when a car issue forces her to slow down, an unexpected break helps her rethink what she really wants next. Meanwhile, Marty and Malcolm’s plans are thrown off course when unexpected opportunities arise, and Dave embraces a new career path.

The Neighorhood - "A Farewell Special" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
CBS presents The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special, an Entertainment Tonight production, airing Monday, April 6 (8:30-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+. Hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier and filmed on location on The Neighborhood's stages, the special celebrates the acclaimed CBS comedy's final season, honoring eight seasons, 156 episodes, and eight unforgettable years of laughter, heart and community, leading up to the series finale on May 11.

This celebratory event features exclusive new interviews with the cast reflecting on their journey, revisiting early days on set, and looking back at the show's evolution and cultural impact. From its heartfelt exploration of friendship and family to its comedic take on life in a changing community, The Neighborhood has become a beloved part of CBS' comedy legacy.

The special includes never-before-seen footage and archival interviews from the ET Vault, offering fans a nostalgic look at the series' most iconic moments and the relationships built along the way. Viewers will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the emotional final days of production, including the cast and crew's last table read, intimate moments from the final tapings, and heartfelt goodbyes.

Additionally, The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special brings audiences inside the cast's final wrap party, capturing the laughter, speeches, memories, and surprises that marked the end of an era. To cap off the evening, fans will get an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming series finale, with the cast and producers sharing what viewers can expect as the Butlers and Johnsons say farewell to the neighborhood they've called home for nearly a decade.

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to New Horizons" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Dave’s silent auction wins lead to a classical concert outing with Gemma and the Butlers that quickly goes off the rails. Meanwhile, Malcolm’s ghostwriting gig takes a surprising turn when Tina encourages him to dive into reality TV for inspiration – sparking an unexpected obsession.

St. Denis Medical - "We Make Time" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When a doctor becomes a patient, his co-workers rally around him, whether he likes it or not; Matt and Serena need to talk.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "The Loyalty Swamp" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Tobin's past comes back to haunt him; Reggie and Brina struggle to set a wedding date.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 6)

Monday, April 6

Jason Segel (Shrinking/How I Met Your Mother/Undeclared) - Watch Jason on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Keanu Reaves (Swedish Dicks) - Keanu is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Outcome on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - ABC's Good Morning America has George Stephanopoulos' exclusive interview with Melissa sometime between 7-9am.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie talks about Big Mistakes on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Mindy Kaling (Running Point/The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy talks about Mindy's Book Studio on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry and Rebecca King-Crews make an exclusive announcement on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. Terry will also be on in the 9am hour.
Sterling K. Brown (Starved) and Ryan Michelle Bathe (First Wives Club/Retired at 35) - Sterling and his wife Ryan Michelle tell Sherri about the highly anticipated new season of Paradise now streaming on Hulu & Disney+ on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda talks season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors and her new film Fantasy Life on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.