Tuesday, May 09, 2006
SitcomsOnline.com Upfront Preview: ABC; 'Two and a Half Men' To Local Syndication and Their Websites in Fall 2007
Here is the SitcomsOnline.com ABC 2006-07 preview:
New Series Already Picked-Up: In Case of Emergency (sitcom) and Masters of Science Fiction (drama mid-season)
New Series We Think That Are Almost Good To Go: Brothers AND Sisters (drama), Help Me Help You (sitcom), Him & Us (sitcom), Men in Trees (drama), The Nine (drama), Patricia Heaton Show (sitcom), Secrets of a Small Town (drama), Six Degrees (drama), Women of a Certain Age (sitcom).
New Series Perhaps Picked-Up for Mid-Season: Ugly Betty (drama), October Road (drama), and Pink Collar (sitcom)
OUR FALL 2006 PREDICTION:
Sundays
7:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00PM Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00PM Desperate Housewives
10:00PM Secrets of a Small Town (NEW)
Mondays
8:00PM Supernanny
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Six Degrees (NEW)
Tuesdays
8:00PM In Case of Emergency (NEW)
8:30PM Help Me Help You (NEW)
9:00PM Boston Legal
10:00PM Brothers AND Sisters (NEW)
Wednesdays
8:00PM Wife Swap
9:00PM Lost
10:00PM The Nine (NEW)
Thursdays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars
9:00PM The Patricia Heaton Show (NEW)
9:30PM Women of a Certain Age (NEW)
10:00PM Primetime Live
Fridays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars: The Results
8:30PM Him & Us (NEW)
9:00PM Invasion
10:00PM 20/20
Saturdays
8:00PM George Lopez
8:30PM Freddie
9:00PM According to Jim
9:30PM Hope & Faith
10:00PM Men in Trees (NEW)
Comments: I went the aggressive path with ABC on Saturdays. I feel something new is needed on this night where every network is giving up (sorry news magazines do not count!). Men in Trees is a nice high profile drama that has tested well, so maybe Fridays would be more suitable, but I'm being aggressive and scheduling it on a Saturday--who knows ABC could actually win this night. I have brought back Invasion because it is one damn good show. It deserves another shot. As does sitcom Sons & Daughters, which I think ABC will try once again, probably mid-season. A few of my other favorites such as What About Brian and Commander in Chief probably will not get another shot; others that will be canceled or are ending include: Alias, Crumbs, Less than Perfect, Rodney, Hot Properties, The Night Stalker, The Evidence, Jake in Progress, Emily's Reasons Why Not, Miracle Workers and In Justice. I will bring back on the bubble sitcoms Jim, George, Freddie and Hope & Faith one last time, and put them on a night where there is no pressure--Saturdays. It worked for NBC in the late '80s and early '90s with Facts of Life, Golden Girls, 227 and Amen--so why not try again? I think The Bachelor and American Inventor will both return for mid-season. One of them will probably give Dancing with the Stars a break in January, but Dancing will have two installments this season (Sept-Dec and March-May probably) I think. Looking at the fall line-up, ABC has at least one strong show each night (such as Desperate Housewives, Lost) and hopefully they can build or maintain ratings with new shows such as Six Degrees and Secrets of a Small Town. Moving Grey's Anatomy maybe be a risk, but it will help ABC a lot on Mondays and we can look for it to be number one in its time-slot. New sitcom wise, I have penciled in two single camera sitcoms to lead-off Tuesdays, two traditional sitcoms on Thursdays, and a high profile single camera sitcom geared towards women on Fridays from Elton John. On the bench for mid-season I have picked up two new dramas and one new sitcom (single camera). The one new sitcom for mid-season is Pink Collar. I wanted to pick up also Separated at Worth (traditional sitcom) and Let's Rob Mick Jagger, but I don't think they will be picked-up. ABC has Masters of Science Fiction for mid-season probably, could work Fridays or Saturdays. It should be another ratings plus for ABC in the fall. They just have to find a way to maintain it for mid-season.
Click here to see our detailed information on all of ABC's sitcom pilots. And here for ABC's drama pilots.
Remember, next Tuesday (May 16) is the actual date when we will findout ABC's plans for the 2006-07 season. So, come on back next Tuesday and we will let you know the details and you can see how much we were right (or wrong). Stay tuned tomorrow for a preview on CBS's upfront.
In a syndication first, CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men will be available in syndication in fall 2007 not only on local channels, but their websites, too! Warner Bros. Television announced Monday that they will start selling the show to locals this week. And the locals will also put the show online for free on their websites. You'll see the episodes premiere on TV on the local channel, then a week later the episode will be online anytime you want to view on the local channel's website. It is an interesting move and I like it. I'm liking all this free online on demand viewing. I just wish Sony would do it too, so we can watch their classic library online anytime (you know, Diff'rent Strokes, What's Happening!!, Facts of Life, Silver Spoons, Jeffersons, etc). I'm enjoying Warner Bros. programming on In2TV very much and hopefully Paramount's innertunbe puts classic TV programming. Back to Two and a Half Men, the show will be available for cable (bets are on for TBS) in fall 2010, and Warner Bros. will also allow the cable channel to put the episodes on their websites a week later. Cool!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, June 30
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Sting" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Calvin and Marty send Courtney on a mission to find out information about Fuse Box’s impressive new rival. Meanwhile, Malcolm attends an event for his creative writing program at USC, where he scores a meeting with a book agent, Lisa (Angelique Cabral).
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Your Own Medicine" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Dave’s disastrous attempt to dunk a basketball, Calvin takes care of his injured neighbor. Also, Gemma befriends a cool mom group while babysitting Daphne.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 30)
Monday, June 30
- Don Johnson (Kenan) - Watch Don on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- George Clooney (Roseanne/The Facts of Life/ E/R (1984-1985) - George appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Christopher Sieber (It's All Relative/Two of a Kind) - Christopher is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Kel Mitchell (Game Shakers/Kenan & Kel) and Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) - Kel and Thomas are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Evan Handler (And Just Like That...) - Evan talks about And Just Like That... on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere/Nightcap) - Jeff talks about Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Amy Poehler (Duncanville/Parks and Recreation) - NBC's Today has Prompter Wars with Amy in the 10am hour.
- Kevin Hart (Lil Kev/Die Hart/The Big House/Undeclared) - NBC's Today catches up with Kevin in the 10am hour.
- Amy Schumer (Life & Beth), Jillian Bell (Bless the Harts/Idiotsitter/Eastbound & Down/Workaholics) and Brianne Howey (Dollface) - NBC's Today catches up with Amy, Jillian and Brianne on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) - Drew is introducing the newest Drew-crew member, Valerie Bertinelli on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Plus, Valerie is making a shrimp and veggie cups recipe from her latest cookbook, Indulge.
- Mario Cantone (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Mario talks about Max's And Just Like That... on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Edwin Lee Gibson (The Bear/Unprisoned) - Edwin is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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