SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

The CW Picks Up New Sitcom, Fox Alters 'Loop' Schedule; Growing Pains Not on The N Next Week; GSN Honors Charles Nelson Reilly

The CW has picked up an additional sitcom for mid-season. The ensemble single-camera sitcom titled Eight Days a Week co-starring Christina Milian and Mario Lopez, centers on four twenty-somethings who work under the top movers and shakers in New York City.
Meanwhile Fox has altered the schedule for The Loop because new reality series On the Lot has been a big dud. On the Lot will now only air once a week from 8-9pm on Tuesdays, thus The Loop will now only air Sundays, but three times a night on June 24 and July 1 at 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. ET. That is 6 episodes right there. The other four remaining episodes will be airing Sunday, June 10 and 17 at 8:30 and 9:30. Confusing! Replacing On the Lot's Monday slot will be animated encores. You will see The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad mixed in the 8pm hour.

Growing Pains will not be on The N after this week, as of now. The channel announced that Sabrina, the Teenage Witch will return to its regular 12-1am slot next week and also have a mini-marathon on Monday night from 12-6am and airing 12-3am and 4-5am the rest of the week.

Charles Nelson Reilly, the celebrated stage, screen and television star, will be honored by GSN on Saturday, June 2 for his work as one of the most beloved celebrity game show panelists ever to grace the small screen. In honor of Reilly's work, GSN is devoting its programming from 9AM to 7PM ET on Saturday, June 2 to the best Reilly starring episodes of Match Game.
Immediately following the Match Game marathon, GSN's original documentary The Real Match Game Story: Behind the Blank airs from 7PM to 8PM ET.
Additionally, on Sunday night (Monday morning) June 3, GSN will air two classic episodes of his early work on What's My Line? from 1964 at 3:00AM ET and I've Got A Secret from 1972 at 3:30 AM ET.

Nick at Nite June Highlights; MyNetwork TV Upfront

Nick at Nite has finally released its plans for June. No regular changes will be made...at least not yet, of course. They will have a Father's Day marathon on Father's Day evening (June 18) from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. featuring TV dads such as Dr. Cliff Huxtable and Danny Tanner. Shows featured are The Cosby Show, Full House, Fresh Prince, Roseanne and even America's Funniest Home Videos.
And if you haven't had enough Fresh Prince yet, then think again because Nick at Nite will showcase another "wall to wall" marathon the week of June 25-July 1, featuring nothing but Fresh Prince from 9:30pm-5am. That is over 100 episodes! Nick at Nite will also premiere the classic movie Grease in early July. More details on that soon, but for now head on over to the June highlights thread to read more and to discuss your thoughts.

MyNetwork TV had their upfront (I'm serious), and they announced their fall schedule. They will be getting rid of their low rated dramas and replacing them with cheap reality series, which have faired much better for them. They will also bring back the specials they have produced along with more movies on Thursdays and Fridays, which also have done pretty well for them. IFL Battleground will return as well on Mondays. To see their line-up for the fall, click HERE. On that same link, on the second post in that thread, I have my opinions on what MyNetwork TV should do. I say ditch the reality (or at least make them once a week at most), and bring back classic programming that works. How about encores of The Simpsons, which is Fox owned or maybe one of the best shows on Fox ever in Married...with Children. They could even bring back classic 20th TV programming like The X-Files, Ally McBeal, 21 Jump Street, Doogie Howser, Mr. Belvedere, Small Wonder, the list goes on and on. They would do so much better. And why Fox shows, because MyNetwork TV is owned by Fox. corp. You can discuss your thoughts on what I think on that same thread. I would like to hear your thoughts!

AmericanLife TV June Highlights; TBS and TNT Go Broadband

AmericanLife TV Network, the only independent network devoted to the Baby Boomer generation, rolls out new seasons of Til Debt Do Us Part and Profiles In Caring in June, two of the network’s socially-conscious programs. As we mentioned last week, classic television dramas St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law debut on the Network Sunday, June 3. Rounding out the June primetime schedule, classic television programming airs in primetime, featuring many beloved names in entertainment.
Sunday, June 3 marks the addition of St. Elsewhere (8-9 p.m. ET /PT), Hill Street Blues (9-10 p.m. ET /PT) and L.A. Law (10-11 p.m. ET /PT) to AmericanLife TV's primetime programming schedule. All three of these well-loved series will celebrate their new home on television with the broadcast of their very first episodes produced. Other highlights for these classics this month include:

Sunday, June 10
* St. Elsewhere: Tim Robbins guests in “Bypass.”
* Hill Street Blues: David Caruso debuts his recurring role on the series as Shamrock in “Presidential Fever.”

Sunday, June 24
* St. Elsewhere: TV legend Doris Roberts guests in “Cora and Arnie.”

Among the other classic programming highlights in June include:

Wednesday, June 6
* The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: Angela Lansbury guest stars as Effie Van Donck in “The Deadly Toys Affair” (9-10 p.m. ET /PT).

Friday, June 8
* The FBI: Harrison Ford guest stars as Glen Reeverson in “Caesar’s Wife” (8-9 p.m. ET /PT).

Monday, June 11
* Harry O: The late Roddy McDowall plays Arnold Applequist in “The Mysterious Case of Lester and Dr. Fong” (8-9 p.m. ET /PT).

Saturday, June 16
* Chico and the Man: The late Shelley Winters guests as Shirley Shrift in “Ed Steps Out” (10-10:30 p.m. ET /PT).

Tuesday, June 19
* Combat!: Bill Bixby guest stars as Kline in “The Losers” (8-9 p.m. ET /PT).

Saturday, June 23
* Chico and the Man: Legendary and beloved late performer Sammy Davis Jr. is featured as himself in “Sammy Steps In” (10-10:30 p.m. ET /PT).

Monday, June 25
* Harry O: Two famous faces in “Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On:” Cheryl Ladd and Martin Sheen (8-9 p.m. ET /PT).

It looks to be a great June for the network and July looks even better! We have an interview slated with AmericanLife coming soon, so be on the look out as we will learn a lot of new stuff! You won't want to miss this!

TBS and TNT are about to roll out its original summer shows, and if you miss them on TV...you can watch them all online the next day. They plan to stream all seven of their combined original summer series on their respective websites (tbs.com and tnt.tv). For the most part, they will be available the morning after they premiere on TV at around 3am or so and last a month. The shows are: TNT's dramas The Closer, Heartland and Saving Grace, its limited series The Company, and TBS' sitcoms House of Payne, The Bill Engvall Show, My Boys and The Frank Show.
House of Payne premieres next Wednesday (June 6) on TBS at 9pm! We will certainly have more details on that very soon! Check back with us.

Memorial Day Marathons, Include Growing Pains On The N; Flo and She's the Sheriff Among the New In2TV Programming; Remembering Charles Nelson Reilly

Happy Memorial Day from everyone here at SitcomsOnline! If you are not out in the sun enjoying the weather then head to your TV to watch tons of marathons! We will give you a breakdown on who is airing what.
First, let's start off with The N. They will air a marathon of Growing Pains after all the festivities are over for Memorial Day, so you can actually go outside if you want because the marathon will air from 12 midnight to 6am of this show. The N is one of the sister stations of Nick at Nite, so that is how the network is airing this show. The show will air Mon-Thurs at 12 & 12:30 a.m. for the rest of the week, but it is unclear if it will continue after this week. We will let you know as soon as we do.
Imagine the joy of a road trip without leaving the comfort of your own home -- no overheated cars, no flat tires and no getting ripped off at the pump. Beginning Monday, May 28 from 6:00am to 8:00pm (all times ET/PT), TV Land takes viewers on an excursion to cool and exotic places when the network presents Memorial Day Roadtrips, a fourteen-hour marathon of vacation episodes from the network's line-up, culminating with the hilarious pop culture hit movie, National Lampoon's Vacation. Join The Munsters for a frightful night of camping, the Ricardos and the Mertzes on their comedic cross-country journey to Hollywood, the Sanfords for some sun and surf in Hawaii and top off the day's adventures with The Griswolds at the famed Wally World Amusement Park.
FX will travel back to the '70s with That '70s Show's Memorial Day Marathon. Twenty episodes of the 1998-2006 sitcom begin with a 1998 outing in which the gang's finding of a keg of beer demands a party. But tapping the keg proves problematic, and there are parents in pursuit. Airs from 7am-5pm.
Hallmark Chanel will have a M*A*S*H marathon, as we stated before. And as we stated before spend the day with Martin on TV One.
BET will have an epic block for Memorial Day featuring 10 episodes of Run's House, followed by six episodes of The Wayans Bros. and six episodes of The Jamie Foxx Show. Al from 9am-8pm.
G4 will air a marathon of the original Star Trek from 9am-4pm, while Oxygen will air a marathon of the hit sitcom Roseanne from 11am-4pm.
TNT has an all-day Law & Order marathon starting at 10am through 11pm, while the spin-off Law & Order: Criminal Intent will get a marathon on USA Network from 6am-8pm.
A&E will send out the mob for an all-day The Sopranos marathon from 9:24am to 11:37pm. Spike TV will do some investigating this Memorial Day with a CSI marathon from 9am-11pm.
Other notable marathons: VH1's Flavor of Love, style's Biggest Loser marathon, Bravo's Shear Genius, History Channel's Band of Brothers, CourtTV's Beach Patrol: San Diego, Animal Planet's Planet's Funniest Animals, and MTV will also air a Run's House marathon along with some Real World. TBS and Comedy Central will go to the movies all-day.
Wow! I think I covered it all. Something for everyone will air I hope.

In2TV, the online TV channel airing tons of TV shows, has added two short lived sitcoms this month! Flo, the spin-off of the hit sitcom Alice was added earlier this month and just recently the short lived first-run syndicated sitcom She's the Sheriff was added. That sitcom starred Suzanne Somers in the title role. Flo joins Alice on In2TV, so both shows are now on the online network. 8 episodes of Flo have been added thus far. And thus far 10 episodes have been added of She's the Sheriff. There is an episode of She's the Sheriff titled "Hair" that has Suzanne Somers' Three's Company co-star Don Knotts in it, along with Jenilee Harrison, who replaced Suzanne Somers on that show...interesting right? That is the episode I'm watching first and you should, too! Click HERE to view it. Also of note, after just one episode was added to In2TV last year, The Ben Stiller Show will now have all 13 episodes online for viewers to view!
And of course new episodes of your favorite In2TV series such as Martin, Head of the Class and Veronica's Closet will have new episodes this month!

Finally, we leave you with some sad news. TV legend Charles Nelson Reilly has died. Reilly was famous for being one of the celebrity panelists on the '70s game show Match Game. He also appeared on The Tonight Show many times. Reilly died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia, his partner, Patrick Hughes, told the New York Times. He wore his trademark giant glasses and colorful suits with ascots on Match Game and Hollywood Squares.
The actor appeared on many sitcoms as well. He appeared on The Ghost and Mrs. Muir from 1968-70. He has guest starred on The Patty Duke Show, Car 54 Where Are You?, The Farmer's Daughter, Nanny and the Professor, Here's Lucy, Arnie, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Love American Style, Charles in Charge, Evening Shade, New WKRP in Cincinnati, Family Matters and The Drew Carey Show. He had done a lot of TV voice work such as SpongeBob SquarePants. Mr. Reilly will be missed. He was 76.

Week 36 (Final Week of Season) Numbers (Final Three Nights); How the Sitcoms Did; Final 2006-07 Ratings

Week 36 numbers (final three nights of the season, Mon-Wed):

Households: Fox: 11.4/18.0; ABC: 9.6/15.2; CBS: 7.3/11.7; NBC: 5.0/7.9; The CW: 1.2/1.9; MNT: 0.6/0.9.
Total Viewers: Fox: 19.53 million; ABC: 14.78 million; CBS: 11.11 million; NBC: 7.53 million; The CW: 1.71 million; MNT: 0.86 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox: 7.5/19.9; ABC: 5.0/13.2; NBC: 2.9/7.6; CBS: 2.8/7.8; The CW: 0.7/1.9; MNT: 0.4/1.0.

Analysis: The 36th week is the final week of the season, and it is a shortened three days. Really only Fox and ABC scheduled actual programming as CBS and NBC were primarily in repeats. CBS's repeats repeated much better than NBC's. Season finales of Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, The Bachelor, Heroes, Lost, 24, Law & Order: SVU, Deal or No Deal, NCIS, etc were on all this week. Finales such as 24 and Law & Order: SVU suffered due to the competition. As usual, Friday and Saturday numbers are not above, since final numbers are not available yet. I also didn;t include Thursday this week, as that is the first day of the summer season.
On Monday Dancing with the Stars continued to rule Mondays for ABC. 20.19 million tuned in for finals, up from the previous week! CBS's CSI: Miami was a repeat at 10pm and did 11.51 million, why on earth did CBS give up here? NBC's Deal or No Deal was way down against Stars, with 9.87 million, but up from last week. CBS aired four encores of Two and a Half Men from 8-10pm, going up in each half hour, but they should have aired at least one new episode of it this week, why waste it last week at 8:30pm? Fox aired the two-hour season finale of 24 with 10.3 million, which was actually down from last week's normal one-hour episode, but I think the 9pm hour was up from last week. ABC aired The Bachelor from 9-11 and did great with 12.67 million, up two million last week's normal 90-minute episode, and NBC aired the season finale of Heroes at 9 with 13.48 million (up almost 2 million from last week), followed by Law & Order: Criminal Intent season finale at 8.85 million, up from last week. The CW's comedies were all in repeats.
Tuesday was ABC's night this week, but Fox was close behind. ABC aired the finale of Dancing with the Stars: The Results doing 22.96 million from 9-11pm, obviously up from last week, with a one-hour special The Bachelor: After the Rose preceding it with a nice 7.97 million. American Idol did 25.24 million at 8 (up from last week) but the premiere of new summer series On the Lot was probably the bomb of the year with just 8.54 million, losing 17 million from its lead-in...ouch. And Fox will air the season finale of House out of sweeps for that? CBS was third with the season finale of Navy NCIS doing a solid 14.13 million followed by a new TV movie called Jesse Stone putting up decent numbers with 13.01 million, but the demos were low. NBC was fourth for for the night with both Law & Order spin-offs doing 6.57 and 10.28 million from 9-11pm (both down from last week), with another Dateline kicking the night off with 5.49 million. The CW aired the two-hour finale of Veronica Mars (1.78 and 2.15 million from 8-10).
Wednesday it was Fox and ABC airing new programming, as the rest surrendered. American Idol's finale for Fox did 30.73 million from 8-10:09pm, down 6 million from last year's finale average. ABC was second with the two-hour season finale of Lost from 9-11pm doing a solid 13.86 million, a clip show repeat aired at 8 and did 5.73 million. CBS was a solid third for the night with repeats of Navy NCIS, Criminal Minds and CSI: NY doing 8.25 million, 9.57 million and 10.25 million, maybe next year CBS should air new episodes here. NBC was again fourth for the night with a repeat of the special SNL in the 90s doing just 4.12 million from 8-10 and yet another Dateline followed with 4.85 million. The CW surrendered with two One Tree Hill repeats...god help us all.
Thursday started the summer season and it was a quite night but Fox did decent for So You Think You Can Dance but On the Lot bombed in its normal slot. Friday saw more repeats with ABC just airing a new show with National Bingo Night and Saturday saw more repeats with the NBA doing similar numbers as they do on TNT/ESPN.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 7-13)

• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - Two new episodes did 4.05 and 5.22 million. Nice for the season finales.
  
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - 9.94 million tuned in to the one-hour episode, up nearly 3 million from last week...nice.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - 9.15 million tuned in to the season finale.
  
• American Dad (Fox) - 7.62 million tuned in to the season finale.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• Two and a Half Men (CBS) 4 repeats - 4 repeats from 8-10 did 7.72, 8.64 (already better than what normally airs here), 11.82, and 12.31 million. They should have aired the season finale this week at 9.
  
• CW Monday Comedies: Chris, All of Us, Girlfriends, The Game. Repeat of Chris started it off with 2.06 million, followed by a repeat of All of Us at 1.85 million, and repeats of Girlfriends and The Game 1.73 and 1.64 million.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None

Wednesday Sitcoms

• None

No new sitcoms at all this week. Isn't that sad?


Final 2006-07 Season Numbers
September 18, 2006 through May 23, 2007

Households:
CBS: 7.9 rating/13 share (-4% from last season), ABC: 6.4/10 (-7), Fox: 6.4/10 (+3), NBC: 5.8/9 (-9), The CW: 2.1/3.

Total Viewers:
CBS: 12.46 million (-1% from last season), Fox: 10.41 (+3), ABC: 9.93 (-8), NBC: 8.87 (-6), The CW: 3.2.

Adults 18-49:
Fox: 4.0 rating/11 share (-2% from last season), CBS: 3.7/10 (-3), ABC: 3.5/10 (-13), NBC: 3.1/8 (-6), The CW: 1.3/3.

Adults 18-34:
Fox: 3.7 rating/11 share (-5% from last season), ABC: 2.9/9 (-9), CBS: 2.6/8 (even), NBC: 2.5/ 8 (-4), The CW: 1.5/4.

Adults 25-54:
CBS: 4.6 rating/12 share (-4% from last season), Fox: 4.3/11 (-2), ABC: 4.0/10 (-13), NBC: 3.6/9 (-10), The CW: 1.2/2.

- CBS, Fox and ABC all had something to write home about this season, despite a terrible ending to most series this season (technology has a lot to do with this). CBS still was number one in households, viewers and 25-54 despite some losses from last season. Fox was up and down in a few categories, so basically even from last year, even with Idol down slightly. ABC had Monday Night Football and the Super Bowl last season, so taking those out of last year's numbers, ABC is even from last season. NBC didn't do so well again this season coming in 4th in total viewers and adults 18-49, and it had Sunday Night Football this season to boost its fall, but still couldn't turn the season into a positive. The CW showed some gains and losses from UPN and The WB combined from last season.

Mini-DVD Review: CHiPs - The Complete First Season (June 5); Seinfeld - Season 9 Coming to DVD in November

Attention All Units: CHiPs roars onto DVD on June 5! Welcome to another edition of mini-DVD reviews. This week we take a look at Warner Home Video's CHiPs - The Complete First Season. CHiPs is the exciting action series which aired for six seasons from 1977-1983 on NBC and starred Erik Estrada ("Frank 'Ponch' Poncharello"), Larry Wilcox ("Jon Baker") and Robert Pine ("Sgt. Joseph Getraer") and had its fair share of multiple car pile-ups, high speed chases, hijacker plots and of course 1970s nostalgia. This six-disc collection includes all 22 episodes and all-new bonus features. See my mini-DVD review of CHiPs - The Complete First Season:



CHiPs - The Complete First Season (Warner Home Video, $39.98)

License and Registration, Please: The Kick-Start of the Six-Season Series!

Where the rubber meets the road and the bad guys meet the badge -- that's where you'll find California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers Jon (Larry Wilcox) and Ponch (Erik Estrada).

Set in the sun-drenched sprawl of Los Angeles, CHiPs combines action, heroics and fun in 22 Season One episodes whose event-packed storylines range from freeway gridlock (let's use a circus elephant to tow that broken-axled truck!) to wild roadway pursuits (who's that beautiful woman lead-footing a Rolls Royce?), from spilled onions (crying time, fellas) to pure venom (an overturned van loaded with....sssnakes!).

CHiPs, an acronym for California Highway Patrol, premiered on September 15, 1977 on NBC. A total of 139 episodes were produced over the show's six seasons. Other season one cast members included Paul Linke as Officer Arthur Grossman, Lew Saunders as Officer Gene Fritz and Brodie Greer as Officer Barry Baricza. Notable first season guest stars included Jim Backus, Richard Deacon, Broderick Crawford, Vito Scotti, Florence Halop, Gerald McRaney, Alice Ghostley, Ellen Travolta, Robbie Rist, Herb Edelman, Phyllis Diller, Gary Sandy, Edward James Olmos and Joe Penny.

The cover art features a photo of Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada. The "CHiPs" logo is in orange down the side. I'm not a big fan of the arrows all over the packaging. On the back of the box, there are 3 more photos of Estrada and Wilcox, a synopsis of the set, a listing of the special features and the DVD specs. There are 3 slim cases inside the outer cardboard box. Each slim case holds two discs and has two photos each on the front and back cover. Episode titles, writing and directing credits, original airdates and short summaries are provided on the front and back of the slim cases. There's a "P" next to the episodes that have the short introductions by Erik Estrada. Inside the slim cases, there are large photos of Estrada and Wilcox. Embedded plastic holders hold the discs. Discs 1, 3 and 5 feature Estrada and 2, 4, 6 have Wilcox on them.

The main menus feature the same photo and the CHiPs logo as the cover art. The unforgettable CHiPs theme plays in the background and then loops. This is the first season theme and not the updated disco theme they started to use in the second season. There are options for for Play (Play All), Episodes and Language. When you select Episodes, it takes you to another menu where there is another shot of Ponch and Jon. Episode titles are listed vertically in blue text. Next to select episodes, there is a microphone which you push to see the introductions by Erik Estrada. The Languages menu features Ponch and Jon and the Special Features menu on Disc 4 features Ponch, Jon and Gertraer. Chapter stops are available within the episodes, but there are no separate menus for scene selections.

It is hard to believe that CHiPs premiered nearly 30 years ago. The video and audio quality is about what you would expect given the show's age. I would say the episodes look about the same or a bit better than what I saw on TNT and TBS during the 1990's. Since the show was shot on film, there is a lot of dirt and debris and other video artifacts. While all the episodes are certainly watchable and enjoyable, I think they probably could have been cleaned up a bit more. All of the episodes appear to be unedited, running around 47-48 minutes in length. The total running time for the set is 1056 minutes. They are presented in their original broadcast order. For the closing logo enthusiasts, there is the Rosner Television logo embedded on the credits followed by the M-G-M lion. The audio is your basic 1970's mono track. I didn't notice any major problems. The episodes are closed-captioned and subtitles are available in Portuguese and Spanish. No closed-captioning or subtitles are available for the special features.

With this being the 30th Anniversary of CHiPs, I was hoping for many more special features. Unfortunately, the only cast member involved with these extras is Erik Estrada. "Ponch's Police Tips" are all-new introductions with special trivia and his reminiscences on 13 episodes. These run between 1-2 minutes in length. He is standing up in front of the California Highway Patrol center, on a motorcycle or inside the center. One of the most interesting bits of trivia he mentions is that the actor he beat out for the role was in one of the episodes. I think it would be great if they included these intros on all of the episodes and if they were a bit more detailed with trivia bits. The other special feature, "CHiPs: The Ride Out of Spanish Harlem," is found on the sixth disc. This feature runs 11 minutes, 44 seconds. This "ride" down memory lane includes all-new interviews with Author and Media Historian Herbie J Pilato and Erik Estrada. Erik talks about growing up in New York City and his decision of becoming an actor. He talks about how he auditioned for the part after losing out on some other pilots. Other topics include the on-screen chemistry between Erik and Larry, Erik's groundbreaking role for Latinos, the show's realism, and the legacy of CHiPs. While this is a nicely produced and edited feature, there probably won't be anything new for the die-hard fan.

It is a treat to have CHiPs finally available on DVD. I was never a big fan of Starsky & Hutch or The Dukes of Hazzard, but there was something about that CHiPs that drew it to me. It had just the right mix of action, drama and comedy. Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox had great on-screen chemistry and the supporting cast was excellent. If you were like me, you probably watched it religously on TNT and TBS during the 1990's. CHiPs Online was one of the first sites I ever visited on the internet and the inspiration for my own sites. Watching the episodes on DVD, it is like an all-new show to me. It has been been awhile since it's been on, so the episodes aren't really that fresh in my mind. There are a good 4-5 minutes of scenes per episode that were cut in syndication that are on the DVD. I don't think the first season was one of the best of the series, which is typical for many shows. There were better stories and the music of Alan Silvestri starting in the second season. Warner Home Video has done a decent job with the first season, but I'm hoping for bigger and better things for the future seasons. I'm sure Larry Wilcox and the rest of the cast and crew would love to reminiscence about the show. With a new film version starring Wilmer Valderrama set to begin production this year, CHiPs is sure to become a fan favorite of new generations. Be sure to support the first season release so we can get the remaining five seasons soon!

Happy 30th Anniversary to CHiPs!

-- Reviewed by Todd
(4/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
CHiPs Online
CHiPs TV.com Page
CHiPs Internet Movie Database Page
CHiPs Wikipedia Page

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As we first reported in our Seinfeld - Season 8 Review, the ninth and final season will be coming in November! If Sony's previous release pattern holds, the date will be Tuesday, November 20.

Click here to see the insert included with Season 8 that shows the cover art for Season 9.

Don't forget Seinfeld - Season 8 is coming on June 5th. It is jam-packed as usual with approximately 13 hours of extras and classic episodes including "The English Patient," "The Yada Yada" and "The Muffin Tops."

Hallmark Channel June Change, Adds 'Murder, She Wrote', Drops 'Waltons'; Fox Burns off 'The Loop' Episodes in Summer

The Hallmark Channel has made a schedule change. They have acquired Murder, She Wrote and will add it to its line-up, airing it weekdays at 8 & 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. and 12 midnight starting June 4. The morning airings will replace The Waltons, which will now be off the line-up again. The late night airings will be replacing a movie. Hallmark will also air the two-hour editions of Murder on Sunday nights at 7 p.m.
Murder, She Wrote is of course the classic mystery drama starring Angela Lansbury. The show has aired in reruns on A&E and The Biography Channel in recent years. I think it still air on Biography from time to time.
To view these changes and to discuss this new acquisition, click HERE.

Fox will return the second year sitcom The Loop for its final 10 episodes on Tuesday, June 5 now. The show will air at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, June 5 and 12. It will also air Sundays at 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on June 10, June 17, June 24 and July 1. So all 10 will air by July 1. Talk about a burn-off! Only Fox's The Winner was burned off faster earlier this year.

WABC-7 in NY Wins May Sweeps And Highest Rated Channel in the Nation; ABC Family Adds More 'Heaven' in June

WABC-TV is New York's most watched broadcast station for the twenty-eighth consecutive rating period, delivering a 4.1 rating/11 share in DMA Households, Monday-Sunday sign-on to sign-off in Nielsen's May 2007 sweeps, providing WABC-TV with a huge 52% lead over its nearest competitor. With each rating point representing 73,670 Tri-State area TV households, Channel 7 attracts a larger audience than any other station in the NATION!
WABC won all the local news races, along with the network news race at 6:30pm, and has strong syndicated programming like Live! With Regis & Kelly, Oprah, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! Not to mention the primetime programming such as Grey's Anatomy, Dancing with the Stars and Desperate Housewives.
It just amazes me how strong this channel is and it beats the local competition in everything. WABC won everything except the 7-9am weekday morning show race, with WNBC's Today show winning by 0.4 of a rating over Good Morning America, 4.2 to 3.8. WABC did win last May, 4.5 to 4.1.
For full details, including how the local syndicated airing of the sitcoms like King of Queens on WWOR and Everybody Loves Raymond on WPIX did, click HERE.

And remember last week when we posted the new June line-up for ABC Family Channel? Well family drama 7th Heaven will only be airing Sundays at 7 & 8am we reported...but now ABC Family has also added Saturday mornings at 7 & 8am starting June 16. I guess that is better than nothing. Weekday airings of 6pm will be removed by 8 Simple Rules on June 12.

AmericanLife TV Acquires Classic 20th TV Shows, WKRP, Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore, Batman, etc.; Nick at Nite Schedule Switcharoo

AmericanLife TV Network, the only independent network devoted to the Baby Boomer generation, has reached a long-term agreement with Twentieth Television for a library of classic television series. Among the series that they have acquired are: Batman, Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Lost in Space, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Newhart, St. Elsewhere, WKRP in Cincinnati.
Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere and L.A. Law will debut June 3 in an all-new Sunday "The Greatest Drama" primetime schedule from 8-11pm (with an encore from 11pm-2am). The other programs acquired (such as Batman and Lost in Space) will be airing in varying time slots later this year. We will let you know when we know when they will launch! It seems the current Sunday night shows ("The Greatest Drama" block) The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Mayberry RFD, I'll Fly Away and Homefront will be off the line-up completely.
Click HERE to view the press release and to discuss this news!

A Nick at Nite change (yes, what else is new?)...Roseanne will return to Sun-Thurs 10-11PM now and Fresh Prince will move back to Sun-Thurs 11PM-12AM starting May 28. Fresh Prince will still air 11PM-12AM on Fri-Sat.

Kate and Allie Comes to WE tv; Show Me the Money to GSN

The popular family-friendly sitcom, Kate & Allie will be coming to WE tv. The show will launch with a marathon on Saturday, June 2 from 12 noon to 9 p.m. ET before settling into its regular weeknight slot of 7 & 7:30 p.m. starting Monday, June 4. Kate & Allie joins Hope & Faith (weeknights 5-6pm) and Dharma & Greg (weeknights 6-7pm) as the only sitcoms on the schedule. Now all they need is Laverne & Shirley, and they have every woman's based show basically with the ampersand (&)! Unless I'm missing one? Anyway, here is a synopsis of the show from WE tv:
Kate is a woman recently divorced from her unstable actor husband. She has a teenage daughter, Emma. Allie is also recently divorced from her successful, but unfaithful doctor husband. She also has a teenage daughter, Jennie, and a younger son, Chip. The two friends decide to live together, along with their children. Neither Kate nor Allie have ruled out remarriage but view their new situation as a provisional reprieve, a time for both women to come to know and appreciate themselves.

Short lived game show Show Me the Money will come to reruns on GSN. The game show hosted by William Shatner just lasted 5 episodes this past November on ABC and also has 2 unaired episodes. GSN will air all 7 starting June 12, airing it Tuesdays at 8.
Click HERE to read more.

CMT Schedule News; Spike Schedule Note; Fresh Prince Week on Nick at Nite

It's back to the basics, schedules galore for us! Today we have schedule updates from CMT, Spike and Nick at Nite!

CMT will be ending its run of The Dukes of Hazzard later this summer. We don't exactly know when yet, but through the end of June it is on the schedule still. "After a fantastic two-year run, it's time to give the Dukes a proper CMT farewell with a summer primetime block," says Mary Beth Cunin, vice president of programming strategy, CMT. "We want fans to be able to watch the series from the beginning and relive their favorite Dukes moments before the General Lee rides off into the sunset."
The show will now air weeknights at 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. starting May 28. CMT will also do a CMT's Top Twenty Countdown on the DukesFest which will air on June 7 from 4-7pm. CMT will also air the reunion movie at 10pm that night along with the Hollywood movie at midnight. On June 10, there will be a special block from 6pm-12am with two episodes and the two movies.
In other CMT news, they will create an afternoon block starting Monday, June 11 with four-year (2001-05 series) court show Texas Justice airing back-to-back from 1-2pm and two episodes of the sitcom Mama's Family weekdays from 2-3pm! We knew they couldn't just keep Mama as a special block! Now we get to see it regularly and it will still be a regular on ION Television in primetime!

Fans of The Three Stooges or Seven Days will be happy because they will return to Spike TV in July. The problem is you will never know when they are on. Spike TV has scheduled them for 3am or 3:30am slots a few times a week. So be on the look out! Spike also has relegated Star Trek: Deep Space 9 to sometimes in the overnights, usually 2am...ouch. They have released schedules through September, and you guessed it, the Labor Day marathon (Sept. 3) is CSI from 9am-9pm. No other changes.

Yes, Nick at Nite will have another Fresh Prince of Bel-Air week all this week from 9:30pm-5am Mon-Thurs, Sun and 10:30pm-5am on Fri-Sat. Aren't you all just so excited? This show, Roseanne, and Cosby Show are the only ones ever getting week-long marathons these days from Nick at Nite.

Week 35 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Week 35 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: CBS: 8.4/13.5; ABC: 8.3/13.4; Fox: 8.0/12.8; NBC: 5.1/8.3; The CW: 2.2/3.6; MNT: 0.9/1.4.
Total Viewers: Fox: 13.34 million; CBS: 12.96 million; ABC: 12.52 million; NBC: 7.84 million; The CW: 3.48 million; MNT: 1.22 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox: 5.1/13.9; ABC: 4.2/11.4; CBS: 3.9/10.5; NBC: 2.9/8.0; The CW: 1.6/4.3; MNT: 0.4/1.2.

Analysis: The 35th week thus far is a close race! Fox, CBS, and ABC are all very close to each other, as you can see above. This is the last full week of the season, as this coming week it is only Mon-Wed...then the long summer season starts. NBC still remains a distant 4th place in all categories. As usual, Friday and Saturday numbers are not above, since final numbers are not available yet. Tonight has ABC airing its high profile season finales while showcases a movie. ABC should win big for the final Sunday of the year. Fox's comedies are also all-new with The Simpsons' 400th episode and NBC has yet another Dateline followed by the movie National Treasure.
On Monday Dancing with the Stars continued to rule Mondays for ABC. 19.58 million for the semi-final, slightly up from the previous week...it should be even higher tomorrow for the finals! CBS's CSI: Miami was all-new at 10pm and did 16.63 million, down a bit from last week and NBC's Deal or No Deal was way down against Stars, with 8.84 million, down from last week by nearly two million again. How I Met Your Mother season finale and a special time period of Two and a Half Men aired on CBS from 8-9pm, doing 7.7 and 10.16 million. Two and a Half Men at its normal time last week did 13.27 million. The one-hour series finale of King of Queens aired from 9-10 doing 13.61 million, up a bit from last week. Fox aired a repeat of House doing 7.23 million (down a bit from last week), followed by 24 with 10.57 million, also down a bit from last week. ABC aired The Bachelor from 9:30-11 and did a decent 10.64 million, up from last week, and NBC aired hit Heroes at 9 with 11.54 million (up a bit from the numbers from last week), followed by Law & Order: Criminal Intent at 7.2 million. The CW's comedies are still under performing on this night, with Chris at just 2.34 million, down from previous week.
Tuesday was Fox's night. American Idol did 24.23 million at 8 (down from last week) and House did 21.19 million, slightly down from last week. ABC was on the map thanks to Dancing with the Stars: The Results doing 18.44 million at 9 (up from last week), with a one-hour version of last night's semi-finals preceding it with 9.07 million. Boston Legal at 10 was at its normal levels with 10.28 million. CBS was third with just 9.27 million for The Academy of County Music Awards from 8-11. NBC was fourth for for the night with both Law & Order spin-offs doing 6.93 and 12.75 million from 9-11pm (SVU was up though at 10), with another Dateline kicking the night off with 5.51 million. The CW aired the series finale of Gilmore Girls (4.86 million) and Veronica Mars (2.1 million). The latter's finale is this week...90% chance it is the series finale!
Wednesday again Fox got the boost from that show called American Idol, doing 28.05 million at 9pm, down slightly from last week. Bones preceded with 10.88 million at 8 for pre-Idol tune-in. CBS was second for the night with a Price is right: Million Dollar Spectacular special doing a healthy 13.99 million (up big from previous week's timeslot) followed by a new Criminal Minds and a new CSI: NY doing 13.21 and 13.07 million, both slightly up from previous week. ABC followed with According to Jim & Notes from the Underbelly doing OK to open up the night with 5.4 and 4.56 million (both down from last week), followed by a repeat of According to Jim & the season finale of Notes from the Underbelly doing 4.18 and 3.87 million, down from last week's sitcom repeats, and an all-new Lost closed the night off with a solid 12.32 million. The shocking two-hour season finale is this week! NBC was again fourth for the night with a new Thank God You're Here doing 4.58 million (down a million from last week again), Crossing Jordan followed with just 6.44 million for a new episode, though up from last week. A new Medium followed built on the lead-in with 7.75 million, slightly down from last week. The CW was in the game at 8 with the season finale of America's Next Top Model doing an impressive 6.42 million, followed by One Tree Hill doing just 2.68 million, with the lead-in it had, it was still down from last week! Pathetic!
On Thursday we saw CBS and ABC take control. The 75 minute season finale of Grey's Anatomy for ABC at 9pm did 22.57 million, obviously up from last week. The season finale of Ugly Betty opened the night off with 10.5 million, up from last week. A Lost: The Answers special aired at 10:15pm and did 9.12 million...season finale this Wednesday from 9-11pm! CBS's special Bob Barker: 50 Years was first at 8 with 14.33 million, up from last week's timeslot holder, but down in the demos from last week's holder. Season finale of CSI and a repeat of CSI followed with 20.45 and 13.33 million. NBC was third with one-hour season finales of its comedies and the season finale ER, which just did 9.51 million, slightly up from last week. Fox was way back with the movie The Day After Tomorrow with just 4.2 million. And CW aired new episodes of its Thursday dramas doing 4.14 and 2.72 million, first one was up from last week and the latter again down from last week.
Friday (numbers not counted in our ratings), saw CBS win the night with the season finale of NUMB3RS, but the 8-10pm specials on Walter Cronkite and Dr. Phil didn't nearly do as well as Bob Barker's special, though Dr. Phil won its timeslot. NBC did much better from 8-10 with Dateline and it looks like that is helping Law & Order at 10, as its season finale did well. ABC aired the season finale of America's Funniest Home Videos at 8 and was first in viewers but second in households, followed by National Bingo Night at 9 at a disappointing third place (but still did over 6 million...better than what ABC does usually in this slot since Men in Trees left), and finally 20/20.closed the night in third in its slot. Fox aired repeats of House & Bones for 4th place. The CW was last for its WWE coverage
Saturday ratings are not available thus yet, look for CBS to win in viewers and either Fox or ABC in 18-49. As for tonight, ABC will win big with its season finale. As for this week in general, it should be a race to the finish for the last three days! We have season finales of Dancing with the Stars, Heroes, 24, American Idol, and Lost!

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 7-13)

• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - 2.9 million for a repeat and 3.68 million for a new episode, both down from previous week.
  
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - 6.54 million for a new episode followed by a repeat at 6.86 million...both down well over a million from previous week.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - 7.22 million for a new episode, slightly down from previous week, but the highest of the animation block.
  
• American Dad (Fox) - 5.67 million, down from previous week again.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Season finale did 7.7 million...up from previous week's 7.69 million.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 10.16 million...down about 3 million from last week, but this week it aired at 8:30pm.
• King of Queens (CBS) - 13.61 million for the one-hour series finale, a bit up from last week. 9:30 saw a huge jump.
  
• CW Monday Comedies: Chris, All of Us, The Game. All-new episode of Chris started it off with 2.32 million, followed by a new episode of All of Us at 2.5 million, and the one-hour finale of The Game did 2.51 million.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None

Wednesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - New episode at 8 did 5.4 million, down from last week. A repeat at 9 did 4.18 million.
  
• Notes from the Underbelly (ABC) - 4.56 million, down from last week. The season finale at 9:30 at a special time did 3.87 million...a series low.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - 7.88 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating for the one-hour season finale. Up a bit up from last week in viewers, same in 18-49.
  
• Scrubs (NBC) - 5.28 million for the one-hour finale, down slightly from last week.
  

Friday Sitcoms
None.

Saturday Sitcoms
None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox comedies.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, The Office, and King of Queens were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as How I Met Your Mother, According to Jim) or just plain old terrible (Notes from the Underbelly, Everybody Hates Chris).

Mini-DVD Review: Kyle XY - The Complete First Season (May 22)

Welcome to another edition of mini-DVD reviews. This week we take a look at Buena Vista Home Entertainment's Kyle XY: The Complete First Season - Declassified. Kyle XY is the hit summer series that aired on ABC Family last summer, when a teenage boy with extraordinary abilities appears out of nowhere and later stays with a family. See my mini-DVD review of Kyle XY - Declassified: The Complete First Season:

Kyle XY: The Complete First Season - Declassified (Buena Vista, $39.99) brings all ten episodes from the first season of the highest rated original series in ABC Family Channel's history! When a boy emerges from the forest with no recollection of who he is, a kind social worker takes him into her family and everyone wants to know: who is Kyle XY? As the Trager family works to help Kyle discover his world, they must also address the truths in their own lives as they struggle to adjust to the newest member of their family. TV's most compelling new family drama comes to DVD in a 3-disc set features each thrilling first season episodes as well as bonus features that reveal more than ever about the remarkable boy named Kyle. Only on DVD can you get declassified show secrets and an exclusive alternate season pilot and extended season finale.
You will be hooked and want to watch each episode in order because it is very entertaining and interesting. So all 10 are memorable to me, but the ones that stand out are the "Pilot," "Diving In," and "End Game." Each episode runs approx. between 43-45 minutes (highest being 44:43 and lowest being 42:53). There are about 8 or 9 chapter stops per episode and the video and audio is superb, as it should be. The video is in widescreen and for those who watched it on ABC Family, will like it even more this way! Packaging has a nice outer box with Kyle showing he has no belly-button on the front cover...the back cover has tons of information and more pictures. Inside the box is the digipak case. All three discs are inside. There are three panels, the first panel holds an ad for season two coming this summer on television and a coupon for Sour Patch candy...if you watched the show, this product is featured in many episodes. The second panel holds discs one and two...overlapping each other. The third panel has the final disc. Disc art is cool, with Kyle on disc one (same art as cover), disc two has the entire family, and disc thee has another shot of Kyle. The episodes per disc are four each, but the final disc has two episodes and the extras.
The menu screen has Play All, Episode Selection, Set Up, Audio Commentary, Sneak Peeks, and Bonus Features. The first three are on each disc. Audio Commentary and Sneak Peeks are just on disc one and Bonus Features is just on disc three. The main menu has a nice piano type music playing in the background with nice clips playing, with some white confetti type thing on the clips. It looks classical. The selector is cool, when we point to an option, the wordings below the actual wording turns upside down. Auto previews playing before the menu comes on disc one (they are the same previews as in sneak peeks). Set Up has where you can choosewhich language (English or Spanish) and subtitles (English, Spanish, or French).
Moving on to the extras. Disc one has the audio commentaries. "Pilot" has commentaries from Matt Dallas (Kyle), Eric Brass (co-creator), David Himelfarb (executive producer) and Julie Plec (producer). "Diving In" has commentaries from Matt Dallas (Kyle), April Matson (Lori), and Julie Plec (producer).
Then on disc three we have the remaining extras. An alternate pilot episode that runs 41:44. It has a different voice of Kyle with the narration, different opening credits, and more. Interesting to see. Then we have the extended season finale ("End Game"). It runs 45:39, so we get over a minute or so of new material. They should have given us deleted scenes instead, I guess. Finally, we have a featurette called "Kyle XY Declassified." It runs 18:02. The first 14 minutes or so it declassifies for us what happened in the first season, via clips and narration. The final four minutes or so has cast and crew interviews about season two, which is well underway. Season 2 premieres June 11 at 8pm on ABC Family! The extras are good, but they could have been a bit better...especially since BV usually gives a whole bunch of extras on their current series.
I highly do recommend any fan to pick up this set. And if you never have watched the show, pick this set up...this is the best basic cable series EVER! I am hooked and I cannot wait to watch the second season. It has comedy, drama, action, science fiction, and everything you can imagine. It is a fun show not just for families, but everyone. So, pick-up this set and join Kyle and the Trager family try to find out who he is!
-- Reviewed by Pavan
(4/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Kyle XY TV.com Page
Official Website

New Fall 2007 Sitcoms Preview

Today we take a look at the new sitcoms that made the networks' schedules. There will be a total of 10 new sitcoms this season, including 1 that will air in January and 3 that will air at mid-season. 6 will be single-camera. 4 will be multi-camera. Some familiar faces returning to sitcoms include Christina Applegate, Jennifer Esposito, Jean Smart, Fred Goss, Faith Ford, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton and Amy Pietz.

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ABC



Sam I Am - Mondays at 9:30PM EST/PST (9:00PM EST/PST after Dancing with the Stars concludes) on ABC

When a terrible accident leaves Samantha “Sam” Newly in a coma for eight days, she wakes up with no recollection of any past experiences, memories or events. Faced with amnesia, Sam must start over. To her dismay she discovers that she wasn’t a particularly honest, good-hearted or loving person. In fact she was self-involved, narcissistic and devoid of real relationships - essentially a bitch. Sam must now struggle with her desire to be good and her temptation to be...not so good. Finding the line between good and evil is never easy.

Cast:
Christina Applegate (“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”): Sam
Jennifer Esposito (“Related”): Andrea
Kevin Dunn (“Prison Break”): Howard
Melissa McCarthy (“Gilmore Girls”): Dena
Tim Russ (“Without a Trace”): Frank
Jean Smart (“24”): Regina
Barry Watson (“What About Brian”): Todd

Credits:
Story By: Cecelia Ahern & Donald Todd
Teleplay: Donald Todd (“Ugly Betty”)
EP: Donald Todd (“Ugly Betty”)
EP: Peter Traugott (“Frangela”)
Director: Robert Duncan McNeill (“Crossing Jordan”)
Production Company: ABC Studios

Links:

ABC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Wikipedia



Cavemen - Tuesdays at 8:00PM EST/PST on ABC

Cavemen is a unique buddy comedy that offers a clever twist on stereotypes and turns race relations on their head. Inspired by the popular Geico Insurance commercials, the series looks at life through the eyes of the ultimate outsiders - three modern cavemen - as they struggle to find their place in the world. Joel, his cynical best friend, Nick, and easy-going little brother, Jamie, are contemporary cavemen who live in the suburban south and simply want to be treated like ordinary thirty-something guys. Despite their attempts at assimilation, Nick doesn’t believe mainstream society will ever completely accept them, Jamie seems to take it all in stride and Joel straddles the middle, torn between his friends, his more traditional values and his loving fiancée.

Cast:
Bill English (“The Pavement”): Joel
Nick Kroll (“Arranged”): Nick
Dash Mihok (“Hollywoodland”): Jamie
Kaitlin Doubleday (“Catch Me If You Can”): Kate
John Heard (“Prison Break”): Trip
Stephanie Lemelin (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”): Thorne

Credits:
EP: Daniel Rappaport (“Office Space”)
EP: Guymon Casady (“Hope & Faith”)
EP/Director: Will Speck & Josh Gordon (“Blades of Glory”)
EP: Bill Martin (“Grounded for Life”)
EP: Mike Schiff (“Grounded for Life”)
Co-EP/Writer: Joe Lawson
Production Company: ABC Studios

Links:

ABC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Wikipedia



Carpoolers - Tuesdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on ABC

Less about saving the environment than male bonding, four guys from very different backgrounds relish their daily commute as they commiserate about their lives, jobs and families in the carpool lane. There’s Laird, the recently divorced playboy; Aubrey, the timid homemaker and breadwinner; the conservative and traditional Gracen; and eager newlywed Dougie. Together, between the pressures of home and work, these men find time to be themselves while driving to and from the office.

Cast:
Fred Goss (“Sons & Daughters”): Gracen
Faith Ford (“Hope & Faith”): Leila
Jerry O’Connell (“Crossing Jordan”): Laird
Jerry Minor (“Arrested Development”): Aubrey
Allison Munn (“That ‘70s Show”): Cindy
Tim Peper (“The Guiding Light”): Dougie
T.J. Miller: Marmaduke

Credits:
EP/Writer: Bruce McCulloch (“Saturday Night Live”)
EP: Justin Falvey (“Las Vegas”)
EP: Darryl Frank (“Las Vegas”)
EP: David Miner (“30 Rock”)
EP/Director: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo (“You, Me and Dupree”)
Production Company: ABC Studios

Links:

ABC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Wikipedia



Miss/Guided - Mid-Season on ABC

Having navigated the awkward and sometimes traumatic world of high school, Rebecca Freely returns to her alma mater as a guidance counselor, free of the insecurities and orthodontia of her school days. Amidst student behavioral problems and the persistent romantic advances of the male nurse, Gary, Rebecca is certain of one thing -- she is interested in the hot auto-shop-turned-Spanish-teacher, Tim. However, much as in high school days of unexpected teenage angst, Lisa, a former cheerleader and nemesis of Rebecca’s, returns as the new English teacher determined to make Rebecca relive her unpopular past, setting sights on Tim as well.

Cast:
Judy Greer (“Two and a Half Men”): Becky
Brooke Burns (“Pepper Dennis”): Lisa
Earl Billings (“How I Met Your Mother”): Principal Huffy
Kristoffer Polaha (“CSI: Miami”): Tim
Jonathan Sadowski (“American Dreams”): Gary

Credits:

EP: Ashton Kutcher (“That ‘70s Show”)
EP: Jason Goldburg (“Beauty and the Geek”)
EP: Karey Burke (“The Real Wedding Crashers”)
EP/Writer: Caroline Williams (“The Office”)
EP/Writer: Gaby Allan (“Scrubs”)
Director: Todd Holland (“Malcolm in the Middle”)
Production Company: 20th Century Fox TV & ABC Studios

Links:

ABC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Wikipedia

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CBS



The Big Bang Theory - Mondays at 8:30PM EST/PST on CBS

THE BIG BANG THEORY is a comedy from the Emmy Award nominated Co-Creator and Executive Producer of "Two and a Half Men" Chuck Lorre, about brainy best friends Leonard (Johnny Galecki, "Roseanne") and Sheldon (Jim Parsons "Judging Amy"), who can tell you anything you want to know about quantum physics, but when it comes to dealing with everyday life here on earth they're lost in the cosmos. Neither fully understands that scientific principles don't always apply in matters of the heart - until they meet their sexy new neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco, "8 Simple Rules..."), a friendly screenwriter/waitress from the midwest who also happens to be newly single. She quickly makes an impression on the other members of Leonard and Sheldon's geek squad - Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"), who portrays himself as the Casanova of Cal Tech, and fellow whiz kid Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar, "NCIS"), who is rendered speechless around anyone unprepared to converse about the Theory of Relativity or other scientific jargon. The chemistry between this gaggle of geniuses and a delightful damsel is about to undergo a stimulating series of inter-personal experiments. Multiple Emmy Award winner James Burrows ("Will & Grace") directed the pilot. Lorre and Bill Prady ("Gilmore Girls," "Dharma & Greg") are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television.

Cast:
Johnny Galecki (“Roseanne”): Leonard
Jim Parsons (“Judging Amy”): Sheldon
Kaley Cuoco (“8 Simple Rules”): Penny
Simon Helberg (“Studio 60 at the Sunset Strip”): Wolowitz
Kunal Nayyar (“NCIS”): Koothrappali

Links:

CBS.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Wikipedia

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Fox

Fall 2007



Back to You - Wednesdays at 8:00PM EST/PST on Fox

In the 90s, the local TV news scene in Pittsburgh was dominated by one team: CHUCK DARLING (Kelsey Grammer, "Frasier," "Cheers") and KELLY CARR (Patricia Heaton, "Everybody Loves Raymond"). They had that elusive quality all news teams need: chemistry ... at least on-screen. Off-screen, Chuck was a bit of a self-centered womanizer, Kelly a bit of an uptight know-it-all. So when Chuck got the call to move up to a larger market, no tears were shed. But after an embarrassing on-air tirade ended up on the Internet, Chuck found himself on the downswing career-wise. He even questioned whether his lifestyle of chasing women and living in hotels was as exciting as it used to be. So when he got the call to return to Pittsburgh, to reunite with Kelly and try to take the newscast back to No. 1, it was an offer he couldn't refuse. Back in Pittsburgh, Chuck has a new coworker in RYAN CHURCH (Josh Gad, "Mary and Joe"), the overstressed news director. There are also familiar faces like MARSH McGINLEY (Fred Willard, "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Best in Show"), the affable, endlessly inappropriate sports anchor, and GARY CREZYZEWSKI, pronounced Kre-shoov-ski (Ty Burrell, "In Good Company," "Out of Practice"), the perennially put-upon field reporter who always seems to get left out in the snow. But, mostly, there's Kelly, now a single mom to 10-year-old GRACIE (Laura Marano, "Without a Trace"). There was magic between them once. Can they find it again?

Cast:
Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier,” “Cheers”): Chuck
Patricia Heaton (“Everybody Loves Raymond”): Kelly
Fred Willard (“Best in Show”): Marsh
Josh Gad (“Mary and Joe”): Ryan
Ty Burrell (“Out of Practice”): Gary
Laura Marano (“Without a Trace”): Gracie

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Levitan/Lloyd Productions
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS/CREATORS: Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd
DIRECTOR: James Burrows

Links:

FOX.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Wikipedia

January 2008



The Return of Jezebel James - Wednesdays in January 2008 at 8:30PM EST/PST on Fox

Can two estranged sisters, polar opposites, live together when one agrees to carry the other's baby? SARAH THOMKINS (Parker Posey, "For Your Consideration," "Best in Show") is a bright, optimistic, determined woman who seems to have it all a great job as a children's book editor, an eager-to-please assistant, BUDDY (Michael Arden), who helps keep her life together, and a no-strings-attached personal relationship with successful businessman MARCUS SONTI (Scott Cohen, "Kissing Jessica Stein"). Nevertheless, as her father, RONALD (Ron McLarty, "Law & Order"), is constantly pointing out, something is missing from Sarah's life. Her hard work may garner accolades, but when she goes home at night, she is very much alone. All too aware that she isn't getting any younger, Sarah decides to have a baby on her own and gets the shock of her life when the doctor tells her she can't get pregnant. Having no concept of the term "can't," Sarah wills herself to execute a plan. With nowhere else to turn, Sarah sets up a meeting with her quirky younger sister, COCO (Lauren Ambrose, "Six Feet Under"), and proposes a plan for Coco to carry her baby. They haven't seen each other in a while, and Coco refuses to go along with such a huge favor. But something happens when Sarah mentions that she's turned Coco's imaginary childhood friend, Jezebel James, into a children's book. Even though she doesn't say so out loud, Coco is clearly touched, and, realizing that her current living situation sharing a couch with her friend's sick dog isn't working out, Coco decides that this just might be worth a try.

Cast:
Parker Posey (“For Your Consideration”): Sarah
Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”): Coco
Scott Cohen (“Kissing Jessica Stein”): Marcus
Michael Arden: Buddy
Ron McLarty (“Law & Order”): Ronald

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Regency Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dan Palladino
DIRECTOR: Amy Sherman-Palladino

Links:

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Spring 2008



The Rules for Starting Over - TBD/Spring 2008 on Fox

From the creatively fruitful minds of the Farrelly Brothers comes a single camera comedy, set in Boston, about a group of newly single friends learning the painful lessons of starting over in their 30s. They'd all love to get remarried, if they could just find their true loves. JACK "GATOR" GATELY (Craig Bierko, "Cinderella Man," "Boston Legal") is a charismatic, optimistic leader who never expected to be single again. But now that he is, he's determined to make the best of it. He's going to sift through all the bruised, damaged, occasionally psychotic fruit until he finds "the one." Joining Gator in bachelorhood redux is his thrice-divorced best friend TOMMY (Johnny Sneed, "The Guardian," "Fever Pitch"). The founder and brewmaster of an upstart microbrewery, Tommy has a voracious appetite for food, beer and women. He falls in love easily and always disastrously, yet truly hopes his fourth starter marriage will be "the one." DR. FREDDY SAHGAL (Shaun Majumder, "24," "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle") has seen some pretty strange stuff during his years as a successful surgeon, but he's never seen any of it through the eyes of a single man. Probably the least equipped of the group to handle this unexpected life change is Dr. Freddy, who can execute a triple bypass in his sleep, but is all thumbs when it comes to the opposite sex. Rounding out the group is KATE (Rashida Jones, "The Office"), a smart, successful attorney who handled all three of the boys' divorces. Having just turned 30, Kate finds herself dumped after a seven-year engagement. She reluctantly joins the guys in negotiating the treacherous waters of dating. Kate owns the brownstone next to Gator's. Over time, this pair may find that "the one" is just a brick wall away.

Cast:
Craig Bierko (“Cinderella Man”): Gator
Rashida Jones (“The Office”): Kate
Johnny Sneed (“Fever Pitch”): Tommy
Shaun Majumder (“Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”): Dr. Freddy Sahgal

PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Conundrum Entertainment, Watson Pond Productions
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly, Bradley Thomas, Brad Johnson
WRITERS: Chris Pappas, Michael Bernier, Kevin Barnett
DIRECTORS: Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly

Links:

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

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NBC



The IT Crowd - Mid-Season on NBC for 6 episodes

Ever wonder what's up with those quirky techies who come to fix the office computer when no one's around? "The IT Crowd" is an offbeat series, based on the critically acclaimed British comedy, that offers a humorous behind-the-scenes peek at the people who truly keep the office humming. Roy (Joel McHale, "The Soup") and Moss (Richard Ayoade, "The IT Crowd" -- U.K.) are the misunderstood masters of their high-tech domain, but they lack the people skills to befriend anyone but each other. Their company's head is Denholm (Rocky Carrol, "Chicago Hope"), who wants the IT department to stay segregated and forever banished to the basement. Executive producers are Moses Port ("Just Shoot Me"), David Guarascio ("Just Shoot Me"), Joe Port (NBC's "The Office"), Joe Wiseman ("The Office"), Graham Linehan ("The IT Crowd" -- UK) and Steve Tao ("Red Doors"). Gail Mancuso ("Scrubs," "30 Rock") directed the pilot. "The IT Crowd" is produced by NBC Universal Television Studio.

Cast:
Joel McHale (“The Soup”): Roy
Richard Ayoade (“The IT Crowd” -- U.K.): Andrea
Rocky Carroll (“Chicago Hope”): Denholm
Jessica St. Clair: Jen
Rob Reins: Barry
Shea Curry: Emily

Links:

NBC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Wikipedia

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The CW



Aliens in America - Mondays at 8:30PM EST/PST on The CW

Justin Tolchuk (Dan Byrd, "The Hills Have Eyes") is a sensitive, lanky 16-year-old just trying to make it through the social nightmare of high school in Medora, Wisconsin, with the help of his well-meaning mom Franny (Amy Pietz, "Caroline in the City"), aspiring-entrepreneur dad Gary (Patrick Breen, "Kevin Hill"), and his popular sister Claire (Lindsey Shaw, "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide"), who is sweetly unaware of how good-looking she is. When Franny signs up for the school's international exchange student program, she pictures an athletic, brilliant Nordic teen who will bestow instant coolness on her outsider son. However, when the Tolchuk's exchange student arrives, he turns out to be Raja Musharaff (Adhir Kalyan, "Fair City"), a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim. Despite the cultural chasm between them, Justin and Raja quickly develop an unlikely friendship that just might allow them to navigate the minefield that is contemporary high school. It's going to be a very interesting year for Raja, Justin, his family and the entire population of Medora. ALIENS IN AMERICA is from CBS Paramount Network Television Inc. and Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Tim Doyle ("Jake in Progress"), Moses Port ("Just Shoot Me," "Mad About You") and David Guarascio ("Just Shoot Me," "Mad About You"). Luke Greenfield ("The Girl Next Door") directed the pilot.

Cast:
Dan Byrd (“The Hills Have Eyes”): Justin
Amy Pietz (“Caroline in the City”): Franny
Patrick Breen (“Kevin Hill”): Gary
Lindsay Shaw (“Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide”): Claire
Adhir Kalyan (“Fair City”): Raja

Links:

CWTV.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Wikipedia

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Discuss the fall schedules here: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW.

What's Your Fall Viewing Schedule?

Which new sitcoms have the best chance at success? Vote in our poll.

Which sitcom actor are you happiest about returning in a new show? Vote in our poll.

Stay tuned for our reviews of the pilots for these new sitcoms in the upcoming months!

Fox and The CW Upfront 2007-08: Fall 2007 Schedule; ABC Family Adds 'Sister', '8 Simple Rules'

Your first look at Fox's official line-up!

Fox 2007-08
Fall 2007

Sundays
7:00PM NFL Postgame
8:00PM The Simpsons
8:30PM King of the Hill
9:00PM Family Guy
9:30PM American Dad

Mondays
8:00PM Prison Break
9:00PM K-Ville (NEW!)

Tuesdays
8:00PM New Amsterdam (NEW!)
9:00PM House

Wednesdays
8:00PM Back to You (NEW!)
8:30PM 'Til Death
9:00PM Bones

Thursdays
8:00PM Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00PM Kitchen Nightmares (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM The Search for the Next Greatest American Band (NEW!)
9:00PM Nashville (NEW!)

Saturdays
8:00PM Cops
9:00PM America's Most Wanted


January 2008:

Sundays
7:00PM King of the Hill
7:30PM American Dad
8:00PM The Simpsons
8:30PM Family Guy
9:00PM The Sarah Connor Chronicles (NEW!)

Mondays
8:00PM K-Ville (January)/Prison Break (Spring)
9:00PM 24

Tuesdays
8:00PM American Idol
9:00PM House

Wednesdays
8:00PM Back to You
8:30PM The Return of Jezbel James (NEW!)
9:00PM American Idol Results Show
9:30PM 'Til Death

Thursdays
8:00PM Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00PM Canterbury's Law (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM Bones
9:00PM New Amsterdam

Saturdays
8:00PM Cops
9:00PM America's Most Wanted

Fox has not yet scheduled a slot for mid-season comedy The Rules for Starting Over.
To recap, Fox will launch two new dramas, one new comedy and three new reality series in the fall. Two new dramas and two new sitcoms will launch in mid-season.

Discuss Fox's 2007-08 line-up here.



Your first look at The CW's official line-up!

The CW 2007-08

Fall 2007

Sundays
7:00PM Online Nation (NEW!)
7:30PM The CW Now (NEW!)
8:00PM Life is Wild (NEW!)
9:00PM Top Model Encore

Mondays
8:00PM Everybody Hates Chris
8:30PM Aliens in America (NEW!)
9:00PM Girlfriends
9:30PM The Game

Tuesdays
8:00PM Beauty and the Geek
9:00PM Reaper (NEW)

Wednesdays
8:00PM America's Next Top Model
9:00PM Gossip Girl (NEW!)

Thursdays
8:00PM Smallville
9:00PM Supernatural

Fridays
8:00PM WWE Smackdown!


Mid-Season:

Coming off the bench in mid-season are returning drama series One Tree Hill and returning reality series Pussycat Dolls Present along with two new reality series Crowned and Farmer Wants a Wife.

Discuss The CW's 2007-08 line-up here.


ABC Family has made changes to its June line-up and will be adding two sitcoms to its afternoon and evening line-up! Joining the line-up at 2 & 2:30 p.m. weekdays starting June 11 will be the Tia & Tamara sitcom Sister, Sister! Also joining the line-up, airing weekdays at 6 & 6:30 p.m. starting June 12 (a movie will air here on June 11 for that night only) will be the John Ritter sitcom 8 Simple Rules! Now because of these changes, ABC Family will edit some other timeslots. Step by Step which was airing 2 & 2:30 p.m. will move to 8 & 8:30 a.m. weekdays. 8 & :30 a.m. was Boy Meets World, now that will move to afternoons at 3 & 3:30 p.m. Full House was 3 & 3:30 p.m., now that will move down to 4 & 4:30 p.m., replacing Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which is now going to be weekdays at 9:00 a.m, replacing America's Funniest Home Videos. Grounded for Life will return to the weekday line-up and air at 7 & 7:30 p.m. 8 Simple Rules and Grounded for Life will replace 7th Heaven and Smallville. Smallville is going to be moving to 12 midnight replacing America's Funniest Home Videos. It will only air Wed-Fri because original encores air in the slot on Monday and Tuesday nights. What about 7th Heaven? It will only air Sunday mornings now at 7 & 8 a.m...ouch.
To view the full schedule, click HERE.

CBS Upfront 2007-08: Fall 2007 Schedule; ABC Schedule Change for Next Tuesday

Your first look at CBS's official line-up!

CBS 2007-08

Fall 2007

Sundays
7:00PM 60 Minutes
8:00PM Viva Laughlin (NEW!)
9:00PM Cold Case
10:00PM Shark

Mondays
8:00PM How I Met Your Mother
8:30PM The Big Bang Theory (NEW!)
9:00PM Two and a Half Men
9:30PM Rules of Engagement
10:00PM CSI: Miami

Tuesdays
8:00PM Navy NCIS
9:00PM The Unit
10:00PM Cane (NEW)

Wednesdays
8:00PM Kid Nation (NEW)
9:00PM Criminal Minds
10:00PM CSI: NY

Thursdays
8:00PM Survivor
9:00PM CSI
10:00PM Without a Trace

Fridays
8:00PM Ghost Whisperer
9:00PM Moonlight (NEW!)
10:00PM NUMB3RS

Saturdays
8:00PM-10:00PM Crime Repeats
10:00PM 48 Hours Mystery


Mid-Season:

Coming off the bench in mid-season are returning series The Amazing Race and The New Adventures of Old Christine along with new drama Swingtown and new gameshow Power of 10.

Discuss CBS's 2007-08 line-up here.

ABC has made a schedule change for next Tuesday (May 22). ABC will move the two-hour season finale of Dancing with the Stars from 8-10pm to 9-11pm! Boston Legal's season finale was scheduled at 10pm and will move to the following Tuesday (May 29) at 10pm. ABC will air The Bachelor: After the Final Rose special at 8 p.m. on May 22.