Friday, March 23, 2007

TV Land Upfront 2007, Original Series Announced, Scrubs and Just Shoot Me Coming in 2008; ABC Pilots for 2007-08 Season; SOAPnet April Line-Up

This is an unusually busy Friday. We have lots of news for you. So much that we will have to hold off on some news until a later date...but we will give you the biggest ones today. Let's start off with TV Land, of course. TV Land had its upfront presentation today. Upfront is where networks showcase their programming plans for the year. Bill Clinton was on hand at Madison Square Garden as the keynote speaker for the TV Land Upfront. The theme of the upfront for TV Land was catering to the baby boomers. Let's start off with the original programming. They detailed some of the major awards for the TV Land Awards. Hosted by Kelly Ripa and premiering April 22 at 9, TV Land will honor Roots, which will feature the reunion of several cast members in honor of the epic's 30th Anniversary; Lucille Ball, whose Legacy of Laughter Award will be accepted by her children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr.; The Brady Bunch, which will be feted with the Pop Culture Award in an on-stage reunion of the cast; and Hee Haw, which will be honored with the Entertainer Award. TV Land Confidential season two will launch on July 11. Each 30-minute episode of this returning TV Land series is filled with anecdotes, interviews and clips, bringing viewers the tales behind their favorite TV shows, musical performers and movies. High School Reunion will premiere on August 8. TV Land reunites more than a dozen alumni from a 1986 high school class. As announced before August is Elvis month and TV Land is developing an original special to go along with the hours of acquired programming for the month. TV Land Myths & Legends: Elvis Presley, thirty years after his death, TV Land takes an in-depth look at some of the most popularly held notions about the "King of Rock and Roll" and dissects them to separate fact from fiction, premieres August 16, 2007. Coming this fall is Back to the Grind, where classic TV stars take on their professions of their classic TV characters. Loni Anderson and Harry Anderson are among the stars participating. Premieres October 10. Entertainment Weekly & TV Land Present: The 50 Greatest TV Icons, a new-two-hour special. TV Land partners with America's premier entertainment magazine to create a comprehensive look at the 50 Greatest TV Icons, all culled from over 50 years of television. As we announced a few days ago Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams will be back in...Penny & Cindy. This scripted buddy comedy reunites actresses and real-life friends Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, who gained fame and prominence on their enduring sitcom, Laverne & Shirley. There are MUCH more originals in development. Click HERE to view them all. Originals were not the only thing announced. Acquired programming includes Just Shoot Me coming in early 2008 and Scrubs in October 2008. TV Land also announced more titles for its Movie Land block on Friday nights. The Blues Brothers Movie; Beetlejuice; Caddyshack; Fletch; National Lampoon's Vacation; Pleasantville; White Men Can't Jump; Working Girl; Young Frankenstein are some of the titles we will see. They announced some other non-programming related material that sounds interesting, but you will just have to read the huge press release they issued for the upfront. Again click HERE. And it is that time of the year again--our 5th annual previewing the pilots in development for ABC! They have 16 sitcoms and 13 dramas for consideration for 2007-08 season. The pilots sound great, especially the dramas. Which will make the cut and which won't? We will find that out in mid-May, but for now you can see who is starring in the pilots, what the pilots are about, and more! 12 of the 16 sitcoms are single camera. I hope we get all four multi-camera sitcoms on the schedule at some point because they are lacking now and most single camera sitcoms have never found an audience. Among the stars in the sitcom pilots are Danny Comden, Faith Ford, Jerry O'Connell, Fred Goss, Jennifer Coolidge, Robert Vaughn, Wendie Mallick, Ricki Lake, Brooke Burns, Rachel Boston, Jay Harrington, Amy Yasbeck, Barry Bostwick, Jane Curtin, Gregory Itzin, Jayma Mays, Christina Applegate, Jean Smart, Kurt Fuller, Oliver Platt, Michael McKean, Michael Boatman, Orlando Jones, Ben Savage, Ashley Williams, and Scott Wolf. For the list of the 16 ABC sitcoms in development, click HERE. As for the dramas, the pilots all sound good. ABC usually has the best drama pilots, especially the last 2-3 seasons. 13 drama pilots are in development, which include the Grey's Anatomy spin-off starring Kate Walsh. The pilot will premiere May 3 and if it works, we might see it as a series this fall, if it makes it. Among the stars in the drama pilots are Lucy Liu, Frances O'Connor, Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh, Victor Garber, Natasha Henstridge, Eddie Cibrian, Holly Robinson-Peete, Lucy Lawless, Ving Rhames, James Van Der Beek, Gabrielle Union, Kiele Sanchez, Louise Lombard, Jason O'Mara, Chi McBride, Charles Dutton, Michael Vartan, Christopher Titus, Dylan McDermott, Alyssa Milano, Mary Steenburgen, Angie Harmon, Laura Harris, and the all-star cast of the Grey's Anatomy spin-off: Kate Walsh, Paul Adelstein, Taye Diggs, Tim Daly, Amy Brenneman, Merrin Dungey, and Chris Lowell. For the list of the 13 ABC drama pilots in development, click HERE. On those preview posts please also discuss what shows you want to see and what shows you want to see make it on the air! SOAPnet has announced its April 2007 line-up that starts April 9. The O.C. and One Tree Hill are joining the line-up, as we mentioned some time back, but now we have the full line-up. Highlights include One Tree Hill @ 1 & 5p; The O.C. @ 2 & 6p; Dallas moving to 11a & 12p with repeats @ 5a and 6a; 90210 moves to 3p & 4p; Days of Our Lives moves to 7p and 12a; Young & the Restless moves to 11p with repeats @ 4a & next day at 10a; Port Charles (Sat) & Ryan's Hope (Sun) move to the weekends @ 6/6:30a; Melrose Place will just air on Saturday mornings 7p-10a; and Another World is off line-up. Click HERE to view the full line-up.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, June 6

Happy's Place - "Ladies' Night" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Gabby's latest heartbreak, Bobbie and Isabella throw a Ladies' Night at the tavern to show Gabby she doesn't need a man to be happy, but things don't go as planned; Steve and Takoda tease Emmett about his sudden interest in dating apps.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 1)

Friday, June 6

  • Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Watch Paul on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • David Oyelowo (Government Cheese), Bokeem Woodbine (Government Cheese/Battery Park) and Simone Missick (Government Cheese) - David, Bokeem and Simone are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney appears on Real Time with Bill Maher at 10pm on HBO.
  • Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That...) - Sarita talks about And Just Like That... on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Mark Hamill (The Texas Wheelers) - Mark chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Brianne Howey (Dollface) - Brianne chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Steve Guttenberg (No Soap, Radio/Billy) - Steve talks about Kidnapped by a Killer: The Heather Robinson Story on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andrew talks about I Don't Understand You on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
  • Lena Waithe (Master of None) and Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show/Cosby) - Lena and Phylicia talk about The Chi on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Mark Hamill (The Texas Wheelers) - NBC's Today catches up with Mark in the 9am hour.
  • Natasha Rothwell (How to Die Alone/Insecure) - Natasha talks about The White Lotus on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (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)

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

06/06 - Hulu's First Look at Amanda Knox Drama; Prime Video Lands Spy Thriller
06/05 - Disney's Electric Bloom Gets Premiere Date; Conan to Guest on NBC's Late Night
06/04 - Netflix Announces Haunted Hotel with Comedic Voices; Prime Video Unveils Trailer for Thriller
06/03 - Netflix's Nobody Wants This Returns October 23; The CW Renews All American for Final Season
06/02 - Remembering Loretta Swit of M*A*S*H, Valerie Mahaffey of Young Sheldon, and The Simpsons Composer Alf Clausen
06/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 2, 2025)
05/31 - SitcomsOnline Digest: New King of the Hill Reboot Details; CBS Makes Late Night Changes
05/30 - FX's Adults Pilot Available on Social Platforms; BET and BET+ Premiere New Tyler Perry Series in June
05/29 - Netflix's New Chuck Lorre Sitcom Leanne; Apple TV+ Season 4 Premiere of The Morning Show
05/28 - Max Renews Hacks for Season 5; Byron Allen Coming Back to CBS Late Night
05/27 - Antenna TV Summer 2025 Schedule; Rewind TV Summer 2025 Schedule
05/26 - Memorial Day 2025 TV Sitcom Marathons
05/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 26, 2025)
05/24 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Zach Braff Joins Scrubs Reboot; 7th Heaven Reboot in the Works
05/23 - Discovery Channel's Shark Week with Tom Bergeron; Apple TV+ Season 2 of Hit Series
05/22 - TV Legend Henry Winkler's New HISTORY Series; The CW Renews Family Law
05/21 - Remembering George Wendt of Cheers; Platonic Season 2 First Look
05/20 - The CW Renews Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble; Mike Birbiglia: The Good Life on Netflix May 26
05/19 - North to Shore Festival Returns This June in NJ; S.W.A.T. Sets Spinoff Series
05/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 19, 2025)
05/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Picks Up New Dan Levy Comedy; First Look at King of the Hill Reboot Artwork
05/16 - Michael J. Fox to Guest Star on Shrinking; The CW Picks Up Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent
05/15 - 2025 Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront; 2025 Netflix Upfront
05/14 - Chad Powers Premieres September 30 on Hulu; Upfront Premiere Dates for FX on Hulu
05/13 - ABC Upfront 2025-26: Fall 2025 Schedule; Ted: The Animated Series Coming to Peacock
05/12 - NBC Upfront 2025-26: Fall 2025 Schedule; Fox Upfront 2025-26: Fall 2025 Schedule
05/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 12, 2025)
05/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Cancels Night Court and Lopez vs. Lopez; ABC Renews Duo of Game Shows
05/09 - Peacock Orders Dig from Amy Poehler; Apple TV+ Comedy Stick Premieres June 4; Remembering Ruth Buzzi
05/08 - CBS 2025-26 Schedule; Animal Control and Going Dutch Renewed by Fox
05/07 - Netflix's A Man on the Inside Bulks Up Cast for Season 2; The Studio Renewed by Apple TV+
05/06 - Netflix's Long Story Short Announces Cast; NBC Renews All Chicago Series for 2025-26