SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Fox Extends '5th Grader'; Fox Adds More Shows to Affiliate Sites; NBC's Must See TV Thursday Era Is Over; ABC Scoop!

Fox will not be flunking Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? It has extended the show for another four weeks, Fox says. The scores are in and the A+ quiz show Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? leads the class and Thursday nights with four original one-hour episodes scheduled to air Thursdays, March 29, April 5, April 12 and April 19 all from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT, in addition to the previously announced time period airings on Thursdays, March 15 and 22 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT. Episodes also will air after American Idol tonight (March 1) and Thursday, March 8 from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT on FOX. Due to the extension, Fox has cut out on moving Nanny 911 and Trading Spouses to Thursdays. No idea yet when they will air, but encores of Family Guy & American Dad will follow 5th Grader starting March 15 at 9/8 central.
The show has done massive in the ratings in its first two outings (which were both just half-hours) thanks to American Idol. Let's see how it does on its own starting March 15 when it has to face an all-new Ugly Betty and Survivor. The show is hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy (The Jeff Foxworthy Show), is an atypical game show measuring adults lack of knowledge as revealed by how much theyve forgotten since grammar school.

Fox today unveiled a landmark plan to extend FOX television programming to its affiliate Web sites, enabling more than 200 broadcast network affiliates to offer their local viewers the ability to watch or buy FOXs critically acclaimed shows, including 24, Bones, Prison Break and more.
Programming will be delivered via FOX on Demand, the company's leading video distribution platform. To date, FOX on Demand has offered an ad-supported, streaming-only platform; now, it will enable visitors to purchase television shows for play on the go on a computer or portable device. FOX on Demands new commerce functionality is powered by FIMs Direct2Drive (http://www.direct2drive.com) digital retail store, which also offers top-selling video games, blockbuster movies, anime and more.
Since launching in October, FOX on Demand has streamed free, full episodes of hit FOX shows such as 24, Prison Break and Bones on MySpace (http://myspace.com/fox) and on 24 of FOXs owned-and-operated MyFOX local Web sites. FOX on Demand is expected to be available on more than 200 FOX affiliate station Web sites throughout the U.S. in the coming year. Visitors to FOX.com (http://www.fox.com) will have the option to enter their zip code and be directed to the FOX local affiliate FOX on Demand video hub for viewing.
The lineup of shows currently available on FOX on Demand includes 24, Bones, Prison Break, Standoff, Vanished, Talkshow With Spike Feresten, Til Death, The Loop, War at Home, American Dad and The Winner debuting this weekend with continuous updates and exclusive premieres. New episodes will be available to watch and stream in high quality video or buy and download the night after they air on TV. Shows are sold at a variety of price points as individual episodes or as part of season packages.

And NBC's Must See TV Thursday comedy night is now over. No, the comedies will still be there, but the new slogan for the block is now, "Comedy Done Right." All four of the sitcoms on the block are single camera and more smarter than traditional comedies. While I have never been a fan really of these type of sitcoms, some have been very good (Scrubs, Knights of Prosperity, Sons & Daughters). I wish we see more traditional sitcoms with studio audiences. CBS and Fox usually have those, but to me, none are funny (I mean Happy Hour was the worst sitcom ever probably). It is sad when George Lopez and According to Jim are the best traditional comedies out there these days. Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother has its fans, but I'm not one of them. Men is still the sitcom king and I'm glad that it beats any single camera sitcom, because then we would see even more of those. Here is to more traditional sitcoms for 2007-08!

We have the first scoop on Donny Osmond's new reality show coming to ABC, a feel good reality show in the same style as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. You heard it here first, the show, titled The Great American Dream Vote will premiere right after the Dancing with the Stars: Results show on Tuesday, March 27 at 10 p.m. Then it will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. starting March 28. No word yet on what will air at 9 p.m. and if the current sitcoms will be moved or cut in half or cut in all. Stay tuned! For now, click here to view more about the show and times.