SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

TV Land May 2007 Highlights; NBC Thursday Sitcom Changes; TBS/TNT Upfront

TV Land has announced its monthly highlights for May, 2007. As of now, there are no changes to the regular schedule. They will have lots of stunts and specials. Friday Night Movies continue for a second straight month, airing Fridays at 10pm. Movies include National Lampoon's Vacation, Soapdish, and Punchline. TV Land celebrates Mother's Day with classic TV moms...some not known for being mothers like Aunt Esther and Aunt Bea, but TV Land has found episodes where they are motherly. They will of course have June Cleaver and Florida Evans in there, too. And the weekend of May 20-21 in primetime, TV Land will air episodes that dealt with mail calling of M*A*S*H.
Finally, on Memorial Day, take a roadtrip with TV Land, as classic TV shows go out on the road to start the summer off. See Sanford & Son go to Hawaii, Lucy in Hollywood, Andy also in Hollywood, and camping episodes.
For the complete May 2007 highlights, click HERE.

NBC will be messing around with the Thursday sitcom line-up, especially the 9pm hour, with 30 Rock moving to 9pm. To start this off, NBC announced it will return 30 Rock on Thursday, April 5, for a special night of super-sized comedies (times approximate): The Office (8-8:40 p.m. ET); 30 Rock (8:40-9:15 p.m. ET); Scrubs (9:15-9:50 p.m. ET); Andy Barker, P.I. (9:50-10:20); and an encore episode of My Name Is Earl (10:20-11 p.m. ET).
The following Thursday, April 12, 30 Rock takes over its new regular time period, Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET and original ER episodes will resume at 10-11 p.m. ET. Andy Barker, P.I. will air between those two. Andy Barker, P.I. will conclude its run in the Thursday 9:30 p.m. ET slot on April 12. Scrubs moves into that time period the following Thursday, April 19.
The episode of Scrubs previously announced for the 9:00 time period on April 12 has been re-scheduled as part of a special back-to-back Scrubs hour on Thursday, May 3. It is likely Scrubs will air for an hour the rest of May, too, as 30 Rock concludes its season on Thursday, April 26, at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Wow...was that confusing or what? I tried to make it as easy to read as I could.

Turner Broadcasting had their upfront today. Networks include TBS, TNT, TCM, CNN and Court TV. TBS will stream full episodes of Family Guy online. TBS and Cartoon Network run the show on TV but will now stream episodes online in a virtual "living room" designed to look like the cartoon's set. The site will offer social-networking capabilities so consumers can connect over episodes they watch. TBS will also stream full episodes and extras from its new originals
Among their announcements were original sitcoms for TBS. Jamie Foxx and former basketball star Kenny Smith, an analyst for TBS' sister network TNT, will executive-produce Big Shot, a half-hour scripted comedy about a teenager who lives with his parents although he's a rich NBA rookie. Adrienne Lopez and Marcus King are also executive-producing the series, currently in development.
Comic Larry Miller is executive-producing and starring in Uncommon Sense, a half-hour scripted comedy about a newspaper columnist in suburbia with a wife and two kids. The show, from Sony Pictures Television and currently in development, is co-written and executive-produced by Miller and Eileen Conn (Just Shoot Me).
Also in development is an untitled project written by Dave Caplan (The Drew Carey Show). The half-hour scripted comedy, from Sony and Original Films, is based on Caplan's childhood experience with a single mother raising him and two sisters while managing a business. The show will focus on a woman who keeps her sense of humor after her husband walks out on her, her kids and their lumberyard.
Some other shows TBS has in development include Bob Newhart: In Search of Comedy, a half-hour late-night anthology series hosted and executive-produced by the TV legend, and an untitled project from Jenny Hunter, an associate producer from The Daily Show.
And TBS also touted its new programming coming this summer: The Bill Engvall Show, a domestic comedy about a family therapist and his own family, and a second seasons of original sitcoms My Boys & 10 Items Or Less. Debuting this summer in late night is a new sketch comedy The Frank Show.
TNT has dramas in the works. They include: Mrs. America, the hour-long drama, from Warner Horizon Television, centers on a woman trying to balance home and career. Leverage, the hour-long drama, from Electric Entertainment, focuses on six modern-day heroes who act as Robin Hoods, sometimes going to illegal measures to do good for others. The Saint, a remake of the 1960s. And finally, A.D. (working title), a drama series being developed by Angelo Pizzo and David Anspaugh. Previously announced projects in development include The Talisman, a six-hour adaptation of the Stephen King-Peter/Straub novel from Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks TV, and an untitled legal drama from Steven Bochco.
Coming this summer: Two new series Saving Grace and Heartland; the six-hour limited series The Company; and the third-season return of The Closer.
Finally, Court TV is changing its name, look and logo. It will no longer be called Court TV as of Jan. 1, 2008, and will revamp its daytime trial coverage and add several new reality series for primetime. The 16-year-old channel's new name was not revealed as of yet, but it will focus on "real engagers." They will chop Nancy Grace's weekday show in half to make way for The Star Jones Reynolds Show. Grace's Closing Arguments, currently two hours, will be now one-hour and will run at 3PM followed by Star's show at 4PM. Trial coverage will move to the network's broadband Website during the afternoon, if you are looking for that.