Wednesday, January 10, 2007

TCA Winter Cable Press Tour Day 2; Bush Speech Messes Primetime Schedule Tonight

We are now in day two of the TCA winter Cable Press Tour. Up today: Discovery Networks (Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel), Oxygen, TV One, National Geographic Channel, BBC America, Disney Channel/ABC Family. Of note so far...
New programming coming up in March on Oxygen ranges from the deathly serious (Who Cares About Girls?) to the frivolous (a reality series about Tori Spelling and her new husband, Dean McDermott. Tori & Dean: Inn Love will follow the couple as they invest Spelling's inheritance from her late father, producer Aaron Spelling, by buying an eight-acre bed-and-breakfast in Temecula, Calif.
TV One said it is going into production on a new theatrical competition series, David E. Talbert's Blackstage, with playwright Talbert and Edmonds Entertainment. Eight contestants and two alternates will compete for the chance to be understudies in Talbert's latest play, a touring production of Love in the Nick of Tyme, which stars Morris Chestnut and R&B singer Avant.
Disney Channel announced updates for its various series such as Kim Possible and Handy Mandy. High School Musical fans can go online starting Friday to determine elements of High School Musical 2, which begins filming in Utah in the spring for an August premiere. At the Web site, they can answer 10 poll questions that will determine such elements as the type of dessert that Zeke bakes for Sharpay and the clever sayings on Chad's T-shirts.
Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez have been tapped to star in the ABC Family original movie Holidays in Handcuffs. Production is underway and is scheduled to air in December 2007 as part of ABC Family's annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming event. ABC Family also touted its new series Lincoln Heights, which airs Mondays at 7 p.m.

And yesterday Hallmark Channel and FX were up late. We have updates on both. Hallmark mentioned it will be doing more romance films in February before converting to a scheduling scheme in March that will see each weeknight devoted to genres. The February lineup will include original fare such as Love Is a Four-Letter Word, starring Teri Polo and Robert Mailhouse as cynical divorce attorneys who find love with each other; and acquisitions such as Green Card with Gerard Depardieu and The In-Laws with Albert Brooks and Michael Douglas.
Originals scheduled later in the year include Sacrifices of the Heart, the Davis-penned drama, starring Melissa Gilbert and Ken Howard; Pandemic, depicting a jetliner bearing a toxic virus headed for Los Angeles; and Marco Polo with Ian Somerhalder.
As for FX, Glenn Close is coming back to the network to star in her own legal thriller. Denis Leary's Rescue Me and comedy series It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia will return this summer for fourth and third seasons, respectively on FX.

Up tomorrow: E! Networks (E!, style, G4), ESPN, Lifetime, Starz!, MTV Networks (MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Spike, Nickelodeon/Nick@Nite, TV Land).

Tonight President Bush has scheduled a speech on sending more troops in Iraq at 9 p.m.--which effects the sitcom world in a way. In the east, central and mountain time zones, ABC's The Knights of Prosperity, In Case of Emergency and an abbreviated Primetime Medical Mysteries will air on a half-hour delay. Knights at 9:30 p.m. ET, Emergency at 10:00 p.m. ET and an abbreviated Medical at 10:30 p.m. ET. In the pacific time zone, you'll get the shows in their regular slots of 9-11 p.m. PT. So, don't miss Knights episode two...I've seen it and it is hilarious. Louis the intern will shine in this episode. And episode two of Emergency is funnier than the pilot. Tune in!
Elsewhere, NBC will join Deal or No Deal in progress at 9:30 p.m. ET, but it will be an encore broadcast now (in the pacific time zone, you'll see the full hour encore). CBS will air repeats of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY now instead of all-new episodes, both on a half-hour delay from 9:30-11:30 p.m ET (in the pacific time zone, you'll see the encores in the regular 9-11pm PT slots). And Fox will pre-empt an encore of Bones scheduled 9-10 p.m. ET for an encore of 'Til Death at 9:30 p.m. Not sure what the pacific time zone will air at 9 p.m. PT--I'd image another 'Til Death. See what the President has caused? Anyway go with the ABC comedies...they will be all-new!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, March 25

Scrubs - "My V.I.P." (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
J.D. and Dr. Park are forced to work together when a member of the hospital board experiences a mysterious health crisis. Turk helps Elliot navigate a newfound romance, while the interns practice vulnerability with patients.

Abbott Elementary - "No Homework" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Ava implements a no-homework policy at Abbott, sparking debate amongst the teachers.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "A Split Tree Grows" (BET, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Efe has a mock teaching session with the assisted living facility to prepare him for the classroom; Jeremy is on the fence about the court system's harsh punishment of the young robbers.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "A Rolling Stone" (BET, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mr. Brown receives a surprise that brings up his sinful past; Reginald and Jeremy are at odds with the court system.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 23)

Wednesday, March 25

  • Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Watch Ariana on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Rocky Carroll (Roc/Welcome to New York) - Rocky talks about NCIS on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Patricia Arquette (High Desert) - NBC's Today catches up with Patricia in the 9am hour.
  • Heather Graham (Californication/Scrubs/Emily's Reasons Why Not) - NBC's Today catches up with Heather in the 10am 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 Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie joins Drew and Ross to cover the news with a special cleaning theme on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Melissa Peterman (Happy's Place/Young Sheldon/Baby Daddy/Working Class/Reba) - Melissa talksa about Happy's Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

03/24 - Hacks Returns for Final Season on April 9; America Says Is Back for Sixth Season on Game Show Network
03/23 - The Roast of Kevin Hart LIVE on Netflix; HBO Renews Late-Night Series
03/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 23, 2026)
03/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Sets Plans for Final Episode of The Neighborhood; ABC Pulls The Bachelorette
03/20 - TBS Orders Season 13 of Impractical Jokers; HBO's Josh Johnson Comedy Special
03/19 - Netflix Casts Scooby-Doo Live-Action Series; Darren Star's Next Comedy Series Uncorked
03/18 - Saturday Night Live UK to Launch This Weekend; Hulu Renews Paradise for Season 3
03/17 - Netflix Renews Free Bert for Season 2; The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special in April
03/16 - Color Theories by Julio Torres on HBO; Lifetime's Ripped from the Headlines Spring Slate with Two New Movies
03/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 16, 2026)
03/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Family Guy's Stewie Griffin Getting Spinoff; NBCUniversal Cancels Several Daytime Shows, Including Last of the Daytime "Trash Talk"
03/13 - NBC Summer 2026 Schedule; Malcolm in the Middle Revival Series Trailer
03/12 - Season 9 of Rick and Morty This May; Fox Entertainment Studios Lines Up Frankie Quiñones for Comedy Series
03/11 - Antenna TV's Hazel 65th Anniversary Marathon; Kountry Wayne Prime Video Comedy Special
03/10 - XO, Kitty Season 3 Trailer Released for April 2 Launch; The Drew Barrymore Show Talker Gets 2 Season Renewal
03/09 - Beef Returns April 16 on Netflix; Remembering Jennifer Runyon of Charles in Charge
03/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 9, 2026)
03/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Scrubs Returns to Big Ratings; New Garfield Series Coming to Paramount+
03/06 - The Four Seasons Returns on May 28; More Details on I Suck at Girls
03/05 - COZI TV Pairs Up Al Bundy and Hondo at Last; ABC Renews Abbott Elementary for Season 6
03/04 - ABC's Scrubs Returns Big; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Renewed for Season 2
03/03 - Prime Video's Kevin Premieres April 20; Fox Renews Best Medicine
03/02 - Running Point Returns April 23 on Netflix; A Different World Sequel Starts Production
03/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 2, 2026)
02/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner Now Set to Merge with Paramount, Not Netflix; X-Files Reboot Given Greenlight
02/27 - The Comeback Returns for Final Season on March 22; Animal Control Renewed for Season 5; Remembering Lauren Chapin of Father Knows Best and Robert Carradine of Lizzie McGuire
02/26 - AspireTV Gets First Ever Original Sitcom; Sullivan's Crossing Returns for Season 4 in April on The CW
02/25 - Scrubs Returns Tonight, Sneak Peek at Title Sequence; Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Reveals Odessa A'zion as Nikki Baxter
02/24 - Netflix's Wednesday Season 3 Adds to Cast; Wonder Pets: In the City Returns March 20