Wednesday, April 05, 2006

'Desperate Housewives' Reruns Coming to Lifetime?; Syndie Sitcoms Score; Couric to CBS

Variety is reporting that Lifetime is about to pick up reruns of ABC's Desperate Housewives for about $500,000 per hour-long episode. The women’s cable network will begin running the show in fall 2008 – likely both stripping it on weeknights and repurposing new episodes after they air on ABC, according to a source close to the deal. Lifetime, which has not yet finalized the deal, declined to comment on the matter. Lifetime, which passed the show over before it ended up on ABC, will actually be paying less for Housewives than it did for Frasier, which recently joined its schedule in reruns and has not done too well. Reports put the price Lifetime shelled out for each episode of the half-hour Frasier at $600,000. The $500,000 Desperate price tag is twice what Bravo just paid per episode for reruns of the HBO mortuary drama Six Feet Under.

The March 20-26 syndicated ratings just came out. And sitcom Friends hit a season high. The sitcom averaged a season-high 6.6 household rating for the week, up 43% from the previous period -- the biggest leap of any show in syndication for the week -- due to a weekend marathon of the show on cable network TBS. Usual off-network sitcom leader Everybody Loves Raymond slipped to No. 2 with a 6.1, flat for the week. Seinfeld (5.6) fell by 3%, and That '70s Show (4.0) jumped 8%.

And in the big TV news of the day. Katie Couric of NBC's Today show made it official this morning that she is indeed heading to CBS. "I wanted to tell all of you out there who have watched the show for the past 15 years that after listening to my heart and my gut, two things that have served me well in the past, I've decided I'll be leaving 'Today' at the end of May," she said this morning on Today.
Katie Couric, one of broadcasting's most respected and popular journalists, is joining CBS News, it was announced today by Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation, and Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports. As part of the multi-year agreement, Couric will become Anchor and Managing Editor of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric beginning in September. Couric also will contribute to 60 Minutes, the most successful program in television history and its most respected news magazine, and will anchor CBS News primetime specials as well. With the appointment, Couric becomes the first female solo anchor of a network evening news broadcast.
Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 8:41 PM

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, November 2

St. Denis Medical - "He Ain't Noah Wyle" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alex clashes with Ron's self-righteous replacement as he recovers; Matt and Serena define the relationship; Joyce collects votes for a hospital administrator award.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "We Keep the Kisses" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Reggie and Monica struggle to capitalize on new opportunities; Carmelo's secret relationship with their rivals' daughter threatens to tear the family apart.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 2)

Monday, November 2

  • Bill Hader (Barry) - Watch Bill on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela) - Justine appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sam Rockwell (F Is for Family) - Sam is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Niecy Nash-Betts (Reno 911!/Getting On/The Soul Man/Do Not Disturb) - Niecy stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Daniel Radcliffe (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Miracle Workers) - Daniel appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Paula Pell (The 'Burbs/Girls5eva/Mapleworth Murders/A.P. Bio) - Paula is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She also talks about The Cat in the Hat on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Megan Hilty (Sean Saves the World) - Andy Cohen interviews Megan on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
  • Andy Richter (Andy Barker, P.I./Quintuplets/Andy Richter Controls the Universe) - Andy talks about Elf Unwrapped on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA3 at 1pm.
  • Tracy Morgan (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Crutch/The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy talks about season two of The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Tituss Burgess (Schmigadoon!/Central Park/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) - NBC's Today catches up with Tituss in the 9am hour.
  • Jane Leeves (Hot in Cleveland/Frasier/Throb) - Jane is a guest on New York Living at 10am on WPIX in New York.

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)
10/20/26 - 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

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