Broadcast May Upfront Highlights; Black Family Channel Ceases

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Broadcast May Upfront Highlights; Black Family Channel Ceases

We told you about the CBS season finale dates a few weeks back, but CBS hasn't issued an actual May sweeps press release. We do however have ABC, NBC and Fox's for you!
ABC will have high-power episodes of its signature series Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, Dancing with the Stars and more! There are no stunt programming except a special sneak peek on the summer series Traveler on May 10 at 10pm. National Bingo Night, another summer series, will get a preview during the last Friday of sweeps (May 18 at 9). Its all about its series on ABC, so viewers will be glued all month long. To view the May sweep ABC highlights, click HERE.
For fourth place NBC, it is all about stunt programming. NBC will launch a special blockbuster movie night on Sundays for sweeps, such as Along Came Polly. They will also have two SNL specials in primetime, along with two super-sized Thursdays. The NBC signature series will finish with a bang such as Heroes, Deal or No Deal, The Office, My Name is Earl, ER, and Law & Order: SVU. Click HERE for NBC's highlights.
For Fox it will be a mix of series and stunts this May. Fox has announced it has canceled new drama Drive and have replaced it with more House encores (Mondays at 8). The Fridays at 8 House encores will cease on May 4 with encores of Nanny 911 airing instead. Fox has two NASCAR races on two Saturdays, the world broadcast premiere of the movie The Day After Tomorrow, The Simpsons' landmark 400th episode, and of course the finale of American Idol. Fox will also preview summer reality series On the Lot after the first part finale of American Idol. It looks to be a good May for Fox, click HERE for highlights.
May sweeps starts tomorrow! Watch all you can because your favorite series will go on a summer break after the sweeps ends on May 23.

The low-rated cable channel Black Family Channel will go off-air on April 30. The network never really took off after eight years on air. Black networks such as TV One and BET do much better in the ratings. It used to air reruns of the sitcom Roc and the animated Dennis the Menace. Currently it was airing reruns of the animated The Bullwinkle Show and King Leonardo on Saturday mornings.
The network was in 16 million homes, which is not that much really compared to other cable networks.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, December 23

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Vote" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dave gathers everyone for a lengthy ballot-palooza party to discuss the merits of every candidate and prop on each of their election ballots. Also, Gemma is determined to run a tight ship as their local precinct captain when polls open at Walcott Academy.

Poppa's House - "Sleepover" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Dr. Ivy Reed joins Poppa’s family for dinner, she begins scrutinizing Nina and Junior’s relationship for potential catastrophe. Junior spends the night at his dad’s house while Nina and Ivy devise a plan over a bottle of wine.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Black Ice" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
On Valentine's Day, when it comes to showing affection, Bob and Abishola have to find a way to meet each other in the middle.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Where's Your Other Wives, Tunde?" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dottie, Auntie Olu and Uncle Tunde must find a way to reconcile when they're forced to eat dinner together; Bob and Abishola have differing opinions on the progress of their relationship.

The Conners - "Rage Against the Machine" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Dan gets injured while covering D.J.'s vending machine route, the decision to sue the company could cost D.J. his job; Jackie is appalled when Becky seeks life coaching from her nemesis.

The Conners - "Smoking Penguins and Santa on Santa Action" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dan is disappointed when everyone but Becky forgets about his birthday; Darlene faces another issue; Dan excludes Jackie from the family Christmas Santa photo for mistreating Louise.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 23)

Monday, December 23

John Mulaney (Mulaney) - Watch John on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Linda Cardellini (No Good Deed/Dead to Me/Guys Like Us) - Linda is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Sabrina Carpenter (Girl Meets World) - Sabrina appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Nathan Lane (Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Rosemarie DeWitt (United States of Tara) - Rosemarie appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Brandon Kyle Goodman (Human Resources) - Brandon is a guest on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Ilana Glazer (Broad City) - Ilana appears on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Megan Hilty (Sean Saves the World) - Megan appears on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
James Van Der Beek (Friends with Better Lives/Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - James chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - NBC's Today has The 70 Club with Tony in the 9am hour.
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Shaky Ground) - Jennifer talks about Lifetime's The Holiday Junkie on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Alexa PenaVega (Ruby & the Rockits) - Alexa talks about Great American Family's Love at the Kettle on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.