Friday, August 31, 2007
ABC Family October Changes; JustMyShow Interviews M*A*S*H Stars
Let's move on to weekends. Back-to-back Step by Step replaces Sister, Sister from 8-9am, back-to-back Full House replaces Step by Step at 9-10am, and a Sabrina, the the Teenage Witch double shot replaces Full House 10-11am. Hope you're not confused! Other events for the month include a 7th Heaven 12-hour marathon on Oct. 7, 13 Days of Halloween stunts from Oct. 19-31, and more!
I suggest you view this information by clicking HERE!
M*A*S*H is turning 35 next month and our friend Eric from Just My Show is celebrating the big birthday with longtime cast members Mike Farrell (B.J.), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy), and Jamie Farr (Klinger). And as a special guest, they have Todd Susman as well. Todd Susman served as the M*A*S*H PA announcer throughout the 11 year run of the series.
It is his longest podcast yet...over an hour and twenty minutes of M*A*S*H memories! Talk about a big M*A*S*H bash! And that is not all either. Like usual, special bonus clips are available including a 10 question segment with Mike Farrell!
Click HERE to view all this and you'll be happy you did!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Important Nick at Nite and TV Land Schedule Changes; RTN in Reno in January
So, let's go back to the September schedule to see the fully updated schedule that will start Sept. 10.
In other Nick at Nite news, the movie Grease will air again tonight pre-empting programming from 9pm-11:30pm.
Moving on to TV Land, not many changes really, it is just minor stuff. The Saturday line-up for this Saturday only, September 1, will be changed a bit. We get a Sanford & Son afternoon-thon from 1-4pm, followed by three movies until 10pm, then Andy Griffith mini-marathon will air until 1:10am. I guess this is for Labor Day weekend. Click here to view this change.
The week of Sept. 17, What's Happening Now!! will return for a week at 7am. I guess because M*A*S*H will be airing a lot that week, with the anniversary marathon.
RTN is now coming to Reno, NV! They announced that it has entered into an agreement with COX Broadcasting to bring RTN programming to Reno, NV. The new affiliate will launch Jan. 7, 2008, on a digital channel of COX's KRXI-TV, a FOX affiliate that reaches more than 260,000 households in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area.
"RTN-Reno viewers will delight in seeing a young Michael Douglas in The Streets of San Francisco, one of the original procedurals that spawned many of today's hit shows," said Mark Dvornik, Executive Vice President of RTN, "and they will enjoy hearing Robin Leach say 'champagne wishes and caviar dreams' in Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous on their very own 'Prime Time all the Time' schedule."
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
ME-TV Chicago Fall Schedule; Dancing with the Stars: The Announcement
For the full COMPLETE schedule, I urge you to click HERE! You people in Chicago-land are lucky!!
Dancing with the Stars' fifth competition will start Sept. 24 on ABC and today they announced who will be in it! We had rumors of stars like Aaron Carter, Tori Spelling and Lou Ferigno coming on, but they didn't make it. Looks like some of TMZ's rumors were false. Rumors also swirled on stars like Mark Cuban, Wayne Newton and Jennie Garth, and those came true! Here is the announcement:
In a Dancing with the Stars first, twelve celebrities – six men and six women -- attempt to outshine one another on a fifth season of the hit series, which returns MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 (8:00-9:30 p.m., ET) on ABC. This marks the largest cast assembled to date. It includes an Emmy Award-winning actress, a Vegas icon, an Indy 500 champion, a Spice Girl, a daytime soap star, a Cheetah Girl and a former resident of 90210. As an added twist, viewers get a chance to size up the male vs. the female stars, as each gender hits the dance floor on separate nights during the first week of competition. The women will strut their stuff on Monday night, while the men show off their moves TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 (8:00-9:30 p.m., ET). One couple's fate will be determined the following night, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on Dancing with the Stars the Results Show. Can the women outperform the men, or will the men dance circles around the women?
As announced today on Good Morning America, the twelve stars making their ballroom dancing debut are:
MELANIE BROWN – "Mel B.," a.k.a. "Scary Spice," is best known as a member of the Spice Girls, the hit British music group that put "girl power" on the map and took the world by storm in 1996. She is partnered with MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, who returns for his fourth season.
SABRINA BRYAN – Actress and recording artist Sabrina Bryan starred as a member of an all-girl singing group in Disney Channel's original movie, The Cheetah Girls. She has also starred in The Bold and the Beautiful. Bryan is partnered with newcomer MARK BALLAS.
HELIO CASTRONEVES – The two-time Indianapolis 500 champion began the celebratory tradition of climbing the racetrack fence in 2001, racing for Team Penske. Castroneves teams with reigning champ JULIANNE HOUGH, who returns for her sophomore season.
MARK CUBAN – Cuban is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team. He is the highly successful entrepreneur who founded HDNet, Broadcast.com and MicroSolutions. He is partnered with KYM JOHNSON, who returns for her third season.
JENNIE GARTH – Garth rose to stardom in the popular television series Beverly Hills: 90210. She since starred in the sitcom What I Like About You for four seasons. Garth's partner is newcomer DEREK HOUGH, brother of Season Four winner Julianne Hough.
JOSIE MARAN – Model/actress Josie Maran has graced the pages of some of the biggest magazines, including multiple covers for Glamour and appearances in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue. Maran is paired with Season One winner ALEC MAZO, who makes his third appearance.
CAMERON MATHISON – Mathison joined the cast of All My Children in January 1989 as Ryan Lavery. His television credits also include The Drew Cary Show, CSI, JAG, What I Like About You, F/X: The Series. Mathison's partner is EDYTA SLIWINSKA, the only professional dancer to appear in all five seasons.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER -- "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather is a six-time world champion in five different weight classes and the current RING and World Boxing Council Welterweight Champion of the World, with an astounding undefeated record of 38-0, with 24 knockouts. Mayweather teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her third season.
WAYNE NEWTON – The Legend, Mr. Las Vegas, is enjoying a career that few dare even dream about, having performed more live shows than any other single performer in Las Vegas history, with no signs of slowing down. He is partnered with two-time champ CHERYL BURKE.
MARIE OSMOND – Osmond won the hearts of fans as co-host of the popular variety program, The Donny & Marie Show. Osmond will be led by JONATHAN ROBERTS, who returns for his fourth season.
ALBERT REED – Model Albert Reed has been featured in national ad campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch, Diesel Clothing, Arrow Clothing, Rayban and Reebok, to name a few. He teams up with ANNA TREBUNSKAYA, who returns for her second season.
JANE SEYMOUR - Actress/artist/author/activist/designer and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning British born Jane Seymour is a star of motion pictures and television, including her six-season Western drama, Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. She recently made steamy appearances on the ABC sitcom In Case of Emergency. Seymour is paired with TONY DOVOLANI, who returns for his fourth season.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
TV One Fall Schedule: Parent'hood Joins, All of Us Comes to Weekdays; Scott Baio VH1 Show to Return for 2nd Season
Monday, August 27, 2007
Nick at Nite's September Schedule; RTN in Albany Now
RTN has been added to another city now! If you live in these area and don't have digital cable, there this a good reason for you to get digital cable so you can watch RTN on the DT feeds of these channels. They announced today that it plans to launch a new affiliate on the digital channel of Albany's ABC station, adding more than 550,000 households to RTN's rapidly expanding footprint.
The new network will launch Oct. 1 on WTEN-TV, a Young Broadcasting station that serves upstate New York, western Massachusetts and southern Vermont. Shows like Matlock, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii 5-0 and Streets of San Francisco are expected.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Mini-DVD Review: Heroes - Season 1 (Aug. 28)
Heroes: Season 1 (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, $59.98)
Discover the phenomenon that is sweeping audiences everywhere as Heroes: Season 1 comes to DVD! Experience the suspense, mystery, and electrifying twists as this astonishing series follows seemingly unconnected, ordinary people around the globe who discover they have extraordinary powers. As they come to terms with their unique abilities, their risky decisions will affect the futures of everyone around them ... and the world. Join their epic journey in this seven-disc set packed with hours of fascinating and revealing bonus features, including the never-before-aired series premiere from show creator Tim Kring.
Created by Tim Kring ("Providence," "Crossing Jordan"), Heroes features an extraordinary ensemble cast that includes Sendhil Ramamurthy (Blind Guy Driving), Milo Ventimiglia ("Gilmore Girls"), Adrian Pasdar ("Judging Amy"), Hayden Panettiere (Bring It On: All Or Nothing), Ali Larter (Final Destination), Noah Gray-Cabey ("My Wife & Kids"), Leonard Roberts ("Smallville"), Santigo Cabrera ("Empire"), Tawny Cypress (NBC's "Third Watch"), Greg Grunberg ("Alias"), Masi Oka (NBC's "Scrubs"), Jack Coleman ("Dynasty"), James Kyson Lee (NBC's "Las Vegas"), Zachary Quinto ("24"), Ashley Crow (NBC's "American Dreams"), Cristine Rose (NBC's "Friends"), Jimmy Jean-Louis (Monster-in-Law), Eric Roberts ("Less Than Perfect") and Malcolm McDowall ("Entourage").
This 7-disc set has some very stylish packaging. The outer slip cover has a black background and an embossed Heroes title logo. On the back of the slip cover, there is a synopsis of the set, a listing of the nearly 3 hours of bonus features, and a painting of the destruction of New York City. The main Digipak packaging slides out from the left of the outer slip cover. It features a nice photo of the 11 main cast members on a city street. Short summaries of the episodes and the DVD extras are listed for discs 5-7 on the back of packaging. Inside the Digipak, discs 1-4 are listed. Since there are so many deleted scenes and audio commentaries, the listings aren't incredibly detailed. I think they could have used an icon to note which episodes have commentaries. All but a few of the episodes have deleted scenes. The 7 discs are held in clear plastic holders. Underneath the holders, there are various color paintings and black & white photos of the cast. The discs are very plain looking with just the Heroes logo and disc number on them.
The menus are very attractive and easy to navigate. The main menu opens with Earth and the Heroes logo. That leads to Isaac's loft and his paintings. The camera zooms in on to them to show the scenes from the actual episode. The opening theme and music from the show is heard in the background. At the bottom of the screen, there are options for "Play All," "Chapter Index," "Bonus Materials," and "Languages" on each disc. A red splatter icon is next to the option that you highlight that turns orange upon your selection. Comic book drawings are featured on all of the sub-menus. When you select "Chapter Index," it takes you to a sub-menu where there are 1-2 episodes listed per screen. You have the option of playing the deleted scenes and commentaries from these menus, or you can find more detailed information on them on the "Bonus Materials" menus. There is a Play All button on those menus where you can play all of the deleted on each disc together. From the "Languages" menu, you can play the commentaries or turn on the English SDH, French or Spanish subtitles. Chapter stops are available within the episodes but no separate scene selection menus are offered. When you first insert disc 1, there are Previews which you can play or skip directly to the main menu.
Moving on to the video and audio quality, the excellence is continued. The set is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors are vibrant and clean. The picture is very sharp and detailed. Some of the night time scenes can look a little grainy, but that can be expected. Overall, the lighting is excellent and the outdoor scenes are beautifully shot. These episodes look even better than how they were originally broadcast. All of the episodes appear to be unedited, running around 43-44 minutes in length. They have the "Previously On" Heroes openings as originally broadcast. There is nothing on the packaging to indicate that any of the original music had to be replaced. The audio is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. I didn't notice any major problems on the episodes I've watched so far. The dialogue is at a good volume and easy to understand. I love the music score and other sound effects that are used in the episodes. Subtitles are available in English, French and spanish. The bonus features are not rated and not all are subtitled.
Nearly 3 hours of bonus features are included. They will blow you away! There is the original, unaired, extended 73-minute pilot episode with optional audio commentary. Besides the original pilot commentary, there are 12 additional commentaries by the cast and crew. 50 Deleted and Extended Scenes are offered for all but 4 of the episodes. Most of them were probably cut for pacing and time. Five featurettes are found on disc 7. I will break the extras down by disc.
Disc 1
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Unaired Pilot: The Tim Kring Cut - This is the full 73 uninterrupted minute version of the original, unaired, extended pilot episode, as Heroes' creator Tim Kring first envisioned it. It features an unseen character, Omid, and a terrorist storyline. It also introduced the Matt Parkman character. If this original pilot ever aired, it surely would have been a 2-hour premiere. Due to review deadlines, this was the only commentary I've been able to listen to so far in its entirety. It is a very good one. Tim Kring covers many different topics, such as the technical aspects of filming, shooting locations, effects shots and how they did them, the terrorist storyline and why it was nixed, Parkman's wife being recast, Sylar's silhouetted introduction, and how various scenes were reshot for the final broadcast version. There are additional deleted and exteneded scenes from the pilot available in the deleted scenes section.
Deleted and Extended Scenes (10:22)
1. Genesis - 8 Scenes - DL Escapes From His Cell (:24), Meant For Something Special (:30), Simone's Breaking Point (1:43), The Only Way Out (1:33), DL's Promise (:29),
The Terrorist (:47), Time's Up (:31), Micah Saves His Dad (:50)
2. Don't Look Back - 4 Scenes - A Spark Ignites (:40), Niki's Mistake (:31), Behind Niki's Garage Door (1:57), Blood on the Map (:34)
Disc 2
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Deleted and Extended Scenes (7:45)
3. One Giant Leap - 2 Scenes - Hiro's Book of Revelations (1:45), Niki Confronts Her Mother-in-Law (2:34)
4. Collision - 2 Scenes - The You That Ain't You (:13), Micah's Plea (:40)
5. Hiros - 3 Scenes - Claire's Miracle (:37), Strangers In Our Own Home (:56), Brody's Cheer (1:02)
Disc 3
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Deleted and Extended Scenes (16:02)
7. Nothing to Hide - 8 Scenes - Matt's Voices (:42), Tough Love (:55), Nathan's Paternity Suit (2:28), You Can't Tell Anyone (:55), Stakeout (:36), Claire the Freak (2:09), Jessica Gets Her Gun (:47), Lyle's Secret (1:09)
8. Seven Minutes to Midnight - 3 Scenes - Appearances Can Be Deceiving (1:14), Eden's New Life (:47), Matt and Janice Reminisce (:54)
9. Homecoming - 1 Scene - The Battle For Claire (1:00)
10. Six Months Ago - 2 Scenes - Dad Is Dead (1:43), Jessica Takes Care of Busines (:50)
Disc 4
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Deleted and Extended Scenes (7:14)
11. Fallout - 1 Scene - Mohinder's Discovery (1:46)
12. Godsend - 2 Scenes - Claire's Media Moment (:26), Peter's Awakening (1:29)
13. The Fix - 1 Scene - The Dishonest Plumber (1:20)
14. Distractions - 3 Scenes - A Shock to the System (:19), You're My Business (:38), Niki's Homecoming (1:19)
Commentary on "Godsend" by Jack Coleman, Leonard Roberts and Sendhil Ramamurthy
Commentary on "The Fix" by Greg Grunberg, Hayden Panettiere and Natalie Chaidez (Episode Writer & Co-Executive Producer)
Commentary on "Distractions" by Milo Ventimiglia, Zachary Quinto, Greg Grunberg, Jeanot Szwarc (Episode Director), Jack Coleman and Michael Green (Episode Writer and Co-Executive Producer)
Disc 5
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Deleted and Extended Scenes (6:00)
15. Run! - 3 Scenes - Mr. Bennet's Phone Calls (:27), Janice Panics (1:26), The Haitian's Talent (1:35)
17. Company Man - 3 Scenes - Generation Gap (:53), The Cover-up (:42), Thompson's Mandate (:14)
18. Parasite - 1 Scene - Lonely Wolf (:47)
Commentary on "Run!" by Greg Grunberg, Kevin Chamberlin, Adam Armus and Kay Foster (Episode Writers and Supervising Producers)
Commentary on "Unexpected" by Greg Beeman (Episode Director and Co-Executive Producer), Zachary Quinto, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Jeph Loeb (Episode Writer and Co-Executive Producer)
Commentary on "Company Man" by Jack Coleman, Allan Arkush (Episode Director and Executive Producer) and Bryan Fuller (Co-Executive Producer and Episode Writer)
Commentary on "Parasite" by Allan Arkush (Executive Producer), Jimmy Jean-Louis and Christopher Zatta (Episode Writer)
Mind Reader Game - Matt Parkman's mind reading abilities reveal your inner Hero with a series of simple tests. You pick a number from 1-100, add the two digits together and subtract that from the original number. Then you find your hero on the next screen and he guesses your hero. He correctly picked mine!
Disc 6
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Deleted and Extended Scenes (2:05)
19. .07% - 1 Scene - Linderman's Missing Sword (:30)
20. Five Years Gone - 1 Scene - Old Friends (:43)
21. The Hard Part - 1 Scene - Marty, That's An Order (:54)
Commentary on ".07%" by Chuck Kim (Episode Writer), Andrew Chambliss (Asst. to Tim Kring) and Timm Keppler (Asst. to Dennis Hammer)
Commentary on "Five Years Gone" by Greg Grunberg, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Jack Coleman
Commentary on "The Hard Part" by Jason Kyson Lee, Noah Gray-Cabey and Ian Quinn (Stunt Coordinator)
Commentary on "Landslide" by Masi Oka, George Takei and Matthew Armstrong
Disc 7
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Commentary on "How to Stop an Exploding Man" by Tim Kring (Creator/Executive Producer & Episode Writer), Dennis Hammer (Executive Producer) and Allan Arkush (Executive Producer & Episode Director)
"Making of" (10:00) - From concept to pop culture phenomenon, a behind-the-scenes look at the hottest new series on television. Ths featurette includes interviews with Creator/Executive Producer Tim Kring, Masi Oka, Milo Ventimiglia, Hayden Panettiere, Ali Larter, Adrian Pasdar, Greg Grunberg, Leoanrd Roberts, Co-Executive PRoducer Jeph Loeb and Sendhil Ramamurthy. It is divided into various sections: The Saga Begins, Casting, The First Screening and A Phenomenon Is Born. Tim talks about how he came up with the idea of the show and about superheroes. The actors talk about their characters. The casting was an easy process for them. Footage is shown from the first screening of the extended pilot at Comic Con in San Diego in 2006. The final section is about fan's reactions to the show. Overall, this was a decent featurette but I would have preferred a much longer, more in-depth special.
Special Effects (8:45) - The secrets behind the eye-popping visuals that give the Heroes their amazing powers. This featurette includes interviews with Visual Effects Supervisor Mark Kolpack, Masi Oka, 3D Artist Tony Ocampo and 2D Artists Ryan Wieber. The special effects are created in post production after everything is shot. The focus here is on the scene of Hiro first time-freezing moment of saving the red-ribboned girl from the truck.
The Stunts (10:22) - A back stage look at the show's hair-raising stunts. This featurette includes interviews with Stunt Coordinator Ian Quinn, Adrian Pasdar, Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka, George Takei, Zachary Quinto and Sendhil Ramamurthy. Ian Quinn talks about his background in stunts, his cameo as the firefighter, and how they try to let the actors do as much as possible to bring realism. The scenes covered here include Claire in the burning train wreckage, Nathan flying from the car and Heidi's accident, Peter being thrown off the roof, Hiro's sword fighting, and Mohinder's being stuck on the ceiling.
Profile of Artist Tim Sade (11:26) - A look at the Eisner Award-winning comic book artist (Spiderman, Batman, Daredevil) behind much of the Manga-influenced artwork used in the show. This featurette includes interviews with Tim Sale and Santiago Cabrera. Tim talks about his background as a comic book artist for 20 years and how he got involved with the show. It is interesting how he creates the artwork from the final finished scenes. Santiago Cabrera gives a tour of Isaac's loft. Tim talks about he met Santiago and gave him some tips for his character.
The Score (8:58) - Go behind the scenes with Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (of Prince's The Revolution) as they create their ASCAP Award-winning musical score. This featurette includes interviews with composers Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin and audio engineer Michael Perfitt. They are interviewed in their studio where they create the music. They talk a little about the vocals of Shankar, how the score is identifiable by one note, and how they mix different instruments from around the world. They do about 30 minutes of music per episode. I think they do an excellent job on the score. Hopefully somebody will release a score album like other series, such as Lost or 24.
Sneak Peeks (6:11) - Trailers for Friday Night Lights, House, Las Vegas, The Office, 30 Rock, Miami Vice, Nissan, Bring It On: All or Nothing
Final Comments: A truly outstanding set for a remarkable show! This was my favorite new drama from last season. I was hooked from the very first episode and liked everything about it. The storylines, actors, character backgrounds, music, stunts and visual effects - everything works for a thrilling ride. Die-hard fans will want to relive the excitement and enjoy the many hours of special features to learn new facts about the show. Others can discover it for the first time and prepare to start watching Season 2 in a few weeks. I can't wait for the second season to see what they have in store. New season, new story begins September 24 on NBC!
-- Reviewed by Todd
(5/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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A HD DVD version is also being released on the same day. Purchase it here.
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Heroes Official Site
Heroes TV.com Page
Heroes Internet Movie Database Page
Heroes Wikipedia Page
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Mini-DVD Review: Man About the House - First Two Series; Solomon's Weekly Rant: ESPN Classic; Weather-Mania on Local News
Man About the House: The Complete First and Second Series (BCI, $29.98) brings the first 13 episodes of the Britcom that Three's Company was based on to America on DVD for the first time! In England, the seasons are usually very short. Also they don't call a season a season, they call it a series for some reason. "Series" one had 7 episodes and "series" two had 6 episodes. This britcom lasted for six series from 1973-1976. And like Three's Company here in the U.S., it gave away to two spin-offs...George and Mildred (The Ropers was the spin-off here) and Robin's Nest (Three's a Crowd was the spin-off here). This series starred Richard Sullivan as Robin Tripp (equivalent to Jack Tripper), Paula Wilcox as Chrissy Plummer (equivalent to Janet Wood), Sally Thomsett as Jo (equivalent to Chrissy Snow), Brian Murphy as George Roper (equivalent to Stanley Roper), Yootha Joyce as Mildred Roper (equivalent to Helen Roper), and Doug Fisher as Larry Simmonds (equivalent to Larry Dallas).
Most of the episodes in these first two series are similar to some episodes from Three's Company. Three's Company had based a lot of the episodes early on on Man About the House. Some of those episodes include the pilot called "Three's a Crowd" where Chrissy & Jo find Robin in the tub and he moves in. "And Mother Makes Four" where Chrissy's mother comes to town the day Robin moves in. In the U.S. it was Chrissy Snow's character whose mother came to visit...as Chrissy in this series is really our Janet Wood. "No Children, No Dogs" where Robin is lumbering a puppy, which is not allowed in the building. "It's Only Money" where the trio's rent money has disappeared. "Colour Me Yellow" is similar to the Three's Company episode "Jack the Giant Killer," where Robin battles a big bully at the saloon. So, all of Three's Company's first season episodes except for Roper's Niece were based on Man About the House episodes. Some other episodes that were similar were "In Praise of Older Men," which was similar to the season two episode of Three's Company titled "Chrissy's Date," where Chrissy dates an older man who later turns out to be married. And the episode "Two Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" was similar to the Three's Company episode from season two titled "The Baby Sitters," where Robin and Chrissy babysit.
Each episode has that Thames logo before each episode that runs like 8 seconds or so. The runtimes for each episode vary. The highest is 25:23 and the lowest is 22:20, but I doubt anything is edited. Most of the episodes run in the 23-24 min range. There are two chapter stops per episode. The first chapter is the first part of the episode and the second chapter is part two of the episode. This series had bumpers saying end of part one and start of part two...and they are intact on this DVD. The video looks good, but it isn't perfect! The audio is decent, nothing too bad about it and you can hear everything fine.
Packaging has a slip cover outer box that holds the actual case. I think that is pointless. The cover for the box has the trio with the show logo above them and above that we see Jo's pink panty, Robin's blue boxer, and Chrissy's pink bra. The color scheme is like a lime green. The back of the box has synopsis of the show with four small cool screenshots (two of them are familiar to Three's Company fans, the shaving of the balloon and Robin in that apron that looks like a bra). We also have a shot of the trio near the couch. The case's cover and back is the exact same as the box. What is the point of this slip cover box?? The case only would have been OK. Inside the case we have the two discs in a separate holder. The left side of the case has a episode guide booklet for us so we have the synopsis of the first two series. Disc one's artwork has Robin's blue boxers and disc two has the girls' pink bra and panty. The overall color of the discs is lime green, like the set.
The menu screen has Play all and Episodes. The main menu has the theme playing in the background (and it loops), with a photo of the trio in the middle and moving images above that. Episodes is where we can choose the classic episodes. They are listed in a separate sub-menu and the theme is also playing in the background there.
Unfortunately this set has no special features. Oh well, at least we can finally watch some episodes and compare them to Three's Company.
I highly do recommend any fan of britcoms or Three's Company to pick this set up. It is a fun show and hilarious, though it is not as good I think as Three's Company. It is cool to note the similarities and differences to the American version. Head on over to the Mucky Duck Saloon (their Regal Beagle) and have a blast watching this DVD!
-- Reviewed by Pavan
(4/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Man About the House TV.com Page
Jack's Bistro: Three's Company Page
Solomon's Weekly Rant
Saturday, August 25, 2007
"ESPN Classic is the Sports Version of TV Land; Weather-Mania on Local News"
By Solomon Davis
ESPN Classic needs to take programming tips from The Golf Channel because that will allow viewers to see what they are supposed to on a sports classic network which is classic sports. I never see The Golf Channel air programming about swimming or horse racing because the programmers at that network know that they are supposed to air everything that has to do with golf. So if ESPN Classic can stop trying to become the sports version of TV Land by airing programs that has nothing to do with classic sports, the channel would actually become more watchable. ESPN Classic wants to air programs like American Gladiators, World Series of Poker, and sports movies instead of classic pro sports. The network has tried to stay somewhat in the neighborhood of classic sports by airing classic bowling but that's not really something most of us want to see when we think of classic sports. So just like TV Land, the network is trying to be too creative in grabbing more viewers that they actually forgot the name of their network. So maybe the actual goal of the network in the next year will be to change the title of the network to TVandSportsLand which would be a better fit for the type of programming they like to present to viewers.
Why does it seem like whenever there is a heatwave during this time of year our local news stations turn into The Weather Channel? The last time I looked at the calender I noticed that this is the month of August so a heatwave can't be that big of a story. I strongly believe that everyone on this site has experienced being outside when the temperature is over 90 degrees so for news like this to be the very top story as soon as the news comes on is very confusing. It's not deadly stuff like 105+. We don't need to see video footage of people walking down the street wiping sweat because that's what they are supposed to do this time of year. It's a shame that these news directors don't understand that a news story about a heatwave is only major news if it's in the month of December not August.
My TV Highlight of the Week: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - Lauren Jones on the premiere of Fox's now canceled Anchorwoman.
My TV Lowlight of the Week: Monday, August 20, 2007 - Emmit Smith fidgeting and studdering on the air on his second show as a ESPN studio analyst.
Agree or disagree with Solomon? Discuss it here.
DISCLAIMER: Remember, Solomon is not the voice of SitcomsOnline. He is just stating his opinions and does not reflect what SitcomsOnline says or thinks. It is just his 'View' but it is always quite entertaining.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Fox Pulls Anchorwoman for 'Til Death Repeats; WWOR Update; Baywatch Mon-Fri This Fall
The network will air repeats of sitcom 'Til Death in its place for at least the next three weeks, but you can catch unaired episodes of Anchorwoman at FOX.com and via the Fox On Demand service.
We have a weekend update for the weekend of Sept. 29/30 for WWOR in NY. That weekend Farscape will be off of syndication in every market. On WWOR, it will be replaced by The Dead Zone, which premieres in syndication that weekend. WWOR will air it Sundays at 7PM starting Sept. 30, leading into the new two-hour Law & Order: SVU block from 8-10pm on Sunday nights.
And we went to clarify something. We mentioned earlier this week that Baywatch is coming back to syndication this fall on weekends. Actually it will be weekdays! Yes, Mon-Fri of your favorite beach babes (Pamela Anderson, Nicole Eggert, Yasmine Bleeth, Carmen Electra, and just about anyone else!) starting this fall. I don't think it was cleared for NYC, but it has been cleared in LA for KDOC-TV. We will let you know more when we know.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
RTN Added in Green Bay, Adds Hip Hop Harry to Weekends; Seinfeld Last Season DVD and Complete Series DVD; Price and Wheel News
"Our new agreement with RTN will allow WBAY-TV to provide the Green Bay market with a new viewing option that will be a complementary blend of the station's local programming and news with RTN's Prime Time all the Time classic hit show format," said Deb McDermott, President of Young Broadcasting.
Meanwhile, RTN announced today that it has acquired the over-the-air broadcast rights for weekend mornings for the Emmy-nominated children's show Hip Hop Harry. Under the terms of the agreement, the network will air the program on Saturday mornings in all RTN markets, beginning in mid-September. Hip Hop Harry is produced by C to the B Productions and is a musically-based, live action program designed to entertain, educate and inform pre-school aged children.
As we first announced this morning on our message board, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release the final season of Seinfeld on DVD on November 6 along with a huge complete series set featuring all nine seasons.
Seinfeld: Season 9 is a four-disc boxed set including all 24 episodes from the ninth and final season of the long-running series, including the finale that drew viewership numbers of over 75 million and hours of exclusive, never-before-seen bonus footage. The holiday must-have of the year, Seinfeld: The Complete Series, offers the ultimate and most comprehensive Seinfeld experience ever. The 32-disc, two-volume set offers 180 unforgettable episodes of the multiple Emmy® Award-winning show along with "The Official Coffee Table Book," a 226-page, bound anthology filled with photos, quotes, trivia from every episode, and personal reflections from Jerry. The collectible book also includes a bonus disc featuring "The Roundtable," an exciting hour-long round table discussion among the four cast and creator Larry David reminiscing about the award-winning show's run on air. A total of 104 hours of bonus features are included with Seinfeld: The Complete Series. also on Nov. 6. Sounds good! Read more about it and discuss here.
We end today with some classic game show news. CBS's Emmy-Award winning The Price is Right, with new host Drew Carey, will have its 36th season premiere on Monday, October 15 (11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, ET; 10:00-11:00 AM, PT), on the CBS Television Network. Carey was recently named host of television's long-running game show, succeeding former host Bob Barker, who retired in June after 35 years on the show.
The new season will start out with some exciting wins, as several contestants make some lucky spins on the big Wheel. Others have the chance to win some of the most expensive cars ever given away on the show, as well as trips to exotic locations and more amazing prizes. In addition, the familiar set has been refreshed to give it an updated look while keeping the recognizable Price is Right theme and appearance.
Meanwhile, Wheel of Fortune, which has ranked as television's #1 syndicated series every year since its premiere, marks its historic 25th season with all new shows beginning on Monday, September 10, 2007.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Nick at Nite Details Home Improvement and George Lopez Launches; Disney Channel Fall and Some Lifetime Changes
Home Improvement, starring America's #1 family movie star Tim Allen, premieres with a seven-day marathon on Monday, September 3 running through Sunday, September 9 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. (ET/PT). Tim Allen will host the week-long marathon for one-hour every evening from 9-10 p.m. offering viewers a look at his favorite episodes with anecdotes from behind-the-scenes of the celebrated series.
George Lopez, starring famed comedian George Lopez, promptly follows the week after, premiering Monday, September 10, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). The executive producers of The Drew Carey Show -- Bruce Helford, Academy Award(R) winner Deborah Oppenheimer and Robert Borden -- team up with superstar actress/producer Sandra Bullock for this comedy loosely based on Lopez's own experiences as a Mexican-American native of Los Angeles.
We will have more on Nick at Nite September very soon!
Disney Channel has released their fall line-up, which starts on Sept. 4, and it looks like there will be no Boy Meets World! The sitcom will be leaving the line-up after its August 31 airing. The sitcom also airs on ABC Family currently, and they also will remove it after that day. So, it seems to me that maybe the contract expired? We will try to find out. In case anyone is wondering the full schedule, I won't detail it here, but you can view the complete schedule HERE! Yes, it still has your favorite Disney tween sitcoms like Hannah Montana, That's So Raven, The Suite Life, Cory in the House, etc.
Disney is coming off a historical weekend when the TV movie sequel High School Musical 2 poured in a basic cable record of 17.2 million on Friday! I suggest you read about that here because this is TV history.
Lifetime has moved around their once a week repeats of current dramas once again. Grey's Anatomy now airs Saturdays at 11PM ET/PT and Desperate Housewives follows at 12AM ET/PT. Medium now airs Sundays at 11PM ET/PT.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
New York Update: WNYW and WWOR Fall 2007 Schedules; RTN Adds Stations in Pittsburgh and San Fran
Let's start with WNYW. Their new schedule for weekdays will start on Monday, Sept. 10. Not many changes, but the second run of Montel Williams will return back to the station and air weekdays at 10am. The first run will continue to air on sister net WWOR. WNYW will add the new first-run news magazine TMZ TV weeknights at 6:30pm and a second run at 12 noon. Not many sitcom changes, but they have Still Standing at 4:30am. This will be the second run, while the first run will continue to air on WWOR. Since TMZ TV is coming, The Simpsons' second slot will now be at midnight. Weekends will see various changes from week to week until early October. Right now we only have the schedule through Sept. 23, so we don't have any new additions except Saved by the Bell airing Saturdays at 7am starting Sept. 22. Comics Unleashed, The Outer Limits and Alias will be leaving WNYW and in syndication nationwide.
I suggest you view the full line-up for WNYW by clicking HERE!
Let's move on to WWOR. They have made more changes than WNYW, but not as much as WPIX did. WWOR's new weekday schedule will take in effect on Sept. 17, but there are some additions on Sept. 10 such as new court show Judge David Young back-to-back from 11a-12p, new game show Temptation back-to-back 2-3p and Girlfriends leaving the network and in syndication. On weekends, we see Star Trek come on Sundays at 11PM. The show has aired on WNBC this season. Then on Sept. 17, their full new weekday line-up begins with The Cosby Show leaving at 7:30-8:30a replaced by One on One and Half & Half. Half & Half will air its primary run at 4pm. Law & Order: Criminal Intent joins the weekday line-up starting this week and will air weeknights at 11pm, shifting the sitcoms from 12-2a only. We get Bernie Mac, Malcolm in the Middle, Still Standing and King of the Hill. For the weekends, Half & Half will air Saturdays also from 6-7pm and Law & Order: SVU joins the network airing Sundays at 8 & 9pm. As the case with WNYW, we don't have details on anything past Sept. 23, so the weekend schedule is being edited for each week until everything premieres. We have yet to see Baywatch scheduled, and that is coming back to syndie this year, but not sure if a local in NY has picked it up. My guess is WWOR or WNYW will have it starting the weekend of Sept. 29/30. I'll let you know.
Anyway click HERE for the WWOR Sept. 10 changes and Sept. 17 line-up.
Last week we mentioned a RTN affiliate was added in Raleigh-Durham, NC. Now we have updates for Pittsburgh and San Francisco! Retro Television Network (RTN) announced that it has entered into an agreement with COX Broadcasting to bring RTN programming to Pittsburgh. The new affiliate will launch Oct. 15 on COX's WPXI-DT, a station that reaches more than 1.1 million households in one of the nation's top-25 markets. Starting Oct. 15, WPXI will celebrate its 50th anniversary by launching a new "classic" TV station, featuring programs from the 60's, 70's and 80's. This Retro Television Network (RTN) will include shows like I Love Lucy, The Rockford Files, Mission Impossible, Magnum PI, Little House on the Prairie, Laverne and Shirley, Happy Days and Family Ties. At least 19 other TV markets nationwide offer or soon will launch RTN channels.
The new WPXI channel would be RTN's Pittsburgh affiliate. The local station would have more programming flexibility than WPXI already does with its NBC affiliation. For instance, RTN normally might offer Little House on the Prairie at 9 p.m., but if you wanted to run Mission Impossible instead, they can get you Mission Impossible while still offering Little House on the Prairie to everyone else, so, it's a neat way of using new technology!
RTN also announced that it has entered into an agreement with Young Broadcasting to launch an RTN affiliate in San Francisco. The new affiliate will launch Oct. 1 on the digital stream of KRON, Young Broadcasting's flagship station that reaches more than 2 million households in one of the nation's top-5 markets.
"KRON-TV and RTN are set to bring Bay area viewers a new network on our digital channel featuring classic shows from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s (such as Hawaii 5-0, Matlock, Mission: Impossible and Streets of San Francisco)," said Mark Antonitis, President and General Manager of KRON. "We believe that Bay Area viewers will love seeing these hit shows, in addition to the local programming and news that will complement the network."
This is sounding so good! I hope one in NYC gets turned into a RTN affiliate soon! We will have continued RTN updates right here on the blog.
Monday, August 20, 2007
AmericanLife Adds Sci-Fi Thursday Line-Up in September; Network Notes for CBS, ABC, Fox
Lost in Space (Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT) premiered in 1965 starring June Lochart, Guy Williams, Angela Cartwright, Mark Goddard and child actor Billy Mumy. In the series, the space family Robinson embarks on a five-year mission to colonize a new planet, all while being sabotaged by a stowaway. Also accompanying the family on their spaceship "Jupiter II" is their friendly robot.
The Time Tunnel (Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT) follows the adventures of two scientists working on Project TicToc, a government time travel program. However, the system has a slight glitch -- passengers can travel between the past and the future but are unable to stay in the present. Starring Robert Colbert and James Darren, the series aired for one season (1966-67).
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (Thursdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT) details the adventures of the officers and men of the atomic submarine "Seaview," including their battles with human and alien villains. Based on the 1961 film of the same name, the series aired for four years and stars David Hedison, Arch Whiting, Paul Trinka, Robert Dowdell, Richard Bull, Richard Basehart and Del Monroe.
Land of the Giants (Thursday nights at 12:00 a.m. ET/PT) chronicles the lives of the crew and passengers of spacecraft "Spindrift." After traveling through a space warp, "Spindrift" crashes on a planet where everything is 12 times normal size. Airing for two seasons beginning in 1968, the record-high budgeted series stars Stefan Arngrim, Don Matheson, Kurt Kasznar, Gary Conway, Deanna Lund, Heather Young and Don Marshall.
Here are the highlights for September featuring classic TV stars on other classic TV shows:
Saturday, September 1
Chico and the Man: Penny Marshall guest stars in "Chic and the Van" (1 a.m. ET/PT).
Monday, September 3
Newhart: Alley Mills guests in "Sprained Dreams" (9:30 p.m. ET/PT).
Tuesday, September 4
Combat!: Telly Savalas guest stars in "Anniversary" (8:00 p.m. ET/PT).
Friday, September 7
The FBI: Dabney Coleman guests in "Incident in the Desert" (9:00 p.m. ET/PT).
Sunday, September 9
Hill Street Blues: Mimi Rogers guest stars in "Rite of Spring" (9-10:00 p.m. ET/PT).
Monday, September 10
77 Sunset Strip: Janet Lake guests in "A Check Will Do Nicely" (8:00 p.m ET/PT).
Newhart: Rue McClanahan guest stars in "The Way We Thought We Were" (9:30 p.m. ET/PT).
Saturday, September 15
My Favorite Martian: Linda Evans guests in "Martin’s Favorite Martian" (8 p.m. ET/PT).
Welcome Back, Kotter: Catch the first episode of this series, when Mr. Kotter returns to his alma mater to teach the Sweathogs, a group of remedial students (1:30 a.m. ET/PT).
Monday, September 17
The Bob Newhart Show: Pat Morita guests in "Bob & Emily & Howard & Carol & Jerry" (10:30 p.m. ET/PT).
Sunday, September 23
I Spy: Cicely Tyson guest stars in "Trial by Treehouse" (6:00 p.m. ET/PT).
Wednesday, September 26
I Spy: Richard Kiel guests in "A Few Miles West of Nowhere" (8:00 p.m. ET/PT).
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.: Boris Karloff guest stars in "The Mother Muffin Affair" (10:00 p.m. ET/PT).
Friday, September 28
The FBI: Tom Skerritt guests in "Unknown Victim" (10:00 p.m. ET/PT).
Sunday, September 30
St. Elsewhere: Judith Light guest stars in "Dog Day Hospital" (8:00 p.m. ET/PT).
And remember coming in October is Mission: Impossible and possibly more series! So come on back for more AmericanLife news!
Remember the other day when we said The Knights of Prosperity was removed from abc.com and looks like we will never see the final two episodes? Well guess what? The full season is now back on abc.com and includes the final two unaired episodes! Get on the website and watch them! What a funny show! Too bad it didn't do well in the ratings. And as we mentioned, The Nine has the two most recent episodes that aired and the subsequent two unaired episodes are available right now. There will be an additional two unaired episodes posted one per week for the next two Thursdays.
A CBS summer schedule change! CBS has ordered four additional episodes of game show Power of 10, to be broadcast on Tuesdays at 8:00 PM, ET/PT in addition to its regular Wednesdays at 8:00 PM, ET/PT time period. This means reruns of NCIS will relocate to Tuesdays at 10:00 PM, ET/PT for the rest of the summer. The Tuesday Power of 10 broadcasts begin Aug. 21 (with a rebroadcast of last Wednesday's episode) with subsequent first-run broadcasts on Aug. 28, Sept. 4, Sept. 11 and Sept. 18.
Power of 10 will have its season finale on a special night, Sunday, Sept. 23 at 8:00 PM, ET/PT, so not to conflict with the reality series premiere of Kid Nation on Wednesday, Sept. 19.
Finally, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest will host next month's 59th Primetime Emmy Awards on Fox airing Sunday, Sept. 16
Seacrest will also host the entertainment portion of this year's Super Bowl broadcast on Fox. And he remains the managing editor and host for E! Entertainment Television's E! News. This guy is everywhere.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Mini-DVD Review: JAG Season Four (Aug. 21)
JAG - The Complete Fourth Season (CBS, $64.99) is now on DVD. Catch the long running Donald Bellisario classic series, on DVD from CBS DVD! Another season of another show I remember fondly, and another JAG DVD set with an absurd MSRP. $64.99 is just absurd. That said, this is a good season. The show starts off strong, with the episode "Gypsy Eyes," a continuation of the finale from last season. Harm and Mac are found after being shot down. The Russians are reporting they're dead, but Admiral Chegwidden doesn't buy it. In "People vs. Mac," Mac is arrested and placed on trial for a felony, along with her former commanding officer. Harm volunteers to defend her, but this efforts are thwarted. Nonetheless, he's determined to figure out just what's going on. Near the end of the season, Harm gets his night blindness fixed, and turns in his request to fly again to the admiral. The concern over Harm's future at JAG would span through the final two shows, "Yeah Baby" and "Goodbyes." Obviously we all know how this turns out now, but it's still quality television nonetheless.
The actual set itself could still use work. The packaging is the TV DVD standard-issue outer box with inner slimcases. The cover art is similar to the previous sets, with in this instance Harm and Mac standing in front of a background with the US flag and gavel below them. For season 4, the predominant color in the packaging is teal. The menu features an image in a faux-letterbox style, with the American Flag serving in place of the black bars on top and bottom. In the center is a photo. Show logo and season 4 appear in top left, with episode titles appearing as text links on the left side. Another plain-Jane CBS DVD menu. To my absolute shock, there IS a special feature. On Disc 6 we get a Gag Reel that runs 4:08. I'm shocked, and extremely pleased, at this feature's presence. For $65 MSRP, I'd certainly like to see more though. Video quality is exceptional, I freely admit. No flaws, with perfect color balance, no noticeable compression issues. For standard-definition video that's almost ten years old, this is extremely good. Closed- Captioning is available. Chapter Stops appear at each commercial break plus before and after the opening titles. Runtimes hover in the mid-40 minute range – acceptable for a late 90s TV show.
I really think CBS DVD/Paramount is slowly starting to "get it," this set features nearly flawless video – as far as I could tell anyway – high quality audio, and actually has a bonus feature. Now just work on *more* features and a lower MSRP, and I'll certainly be a happy man. I think if you're a fan of the show you'll be happy too.
-- Reviewed by Seth Thrasher
(4/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
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Saturday, August 18, 2007
Mini-DVD Review: South Park Season 10 (Aug. 21); Solomon's Weekly Rant: Anchor Bay Annoys Three's Company Fans By Not Releasing Spin-offs on DVD
South Park: The Complete Tenth Season (Comedy Central DVD, $49.99) presents all 14 episodes from 2006 season of the hit Comedy Central series. Kyle, Stan, Cartman, Kenny (he doesn't even die at all this season), and of course Butters join up for 14 great episodes of what may be the greatest season of the show so far. The season begins with "The Return of Chef," where Chef comes back from joining the Super Adventure Club and realizes that he wants to make love... with the children! The series takes on Family Guy (which the creators seem to hate; why can't they learn to co-exist?) in the two-part episode "Cartoon Wars," where Cartman decides to do whatever he can to get an episode of Family Guy banned. We get to see Cartman's mom trying to find a solution to solve his behavior issues (by using reality shows, including Nanny 911, Supernanny, and even The Dog Whisperer) in "Tsst." Cartman and Butters are decide to reveal who they think was responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks in "Mystery of the Urinal Deuce." The kindergarten teacher and one of her students are the main topic of "Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy," which I think the title says exactly what it is about. Cartman wants a Nintendo Wii and Richard Dawkins comes to South Park to explain evolution in the episodes "Go God Go" and "Go God Go XII."
Once again, the special features are the mini-commentaries for every episode. They last less than five minutes each, and honestly, it is frustrating that they can't do full commentaries. But there really aren't any other special features aside from the Comedy Central Quickies (essentially just really good clips from current Comedy Central programs) and that is a little disappointing (but what we have come to expect from these South Park DVDs). The video and audio on the set is as good as we would expect, but there was one very unusual thing about the closing credits on the episodes... they used the Comedy Central version of the closing credits! Basically all they did was replaced the part of the screen that would show what is coming up next on Comedy Central with a brief scene from the episode. I guess it is only a minor annoyance (because it isn't like we ever saw original closing credits on Comedy Central in the first place), but it would look nice to have real closing credits presented on the DVD set. Still, there are many great episodes on this DVD set that any fan would want to own!
-- Reviewed by skees53
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
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Solomon's Weekly Rant
Saturday, August 18, 2007
"Anchor Bay Annoys Three's Company Fans By Not Releasing the Spin-offs on DVD"
By Solomon Davis
Anchor Bay (or now known as Starz Home Entertainment) has told Three's Company fans that they don't have the rights to release the Three's Company spin-offs (The Ropers, Three's a Crowd)on DVD which is why they are not released on DVD yet. So most fans accepted that explanation but what I won't accept is what I call "Sympathy DVD Releases." Sympathy DVD releases are DVD's that were released to make fans feel better about what they can't get while draining money from us at the same time. And that's exactly what Anchor Bay gave Three's Company fans when they released those un-entertaining Jack and Janet's best-of Favorites DVD's. They are nothing but a best-of Three's Company DVD which says to fans "we are sorry that we don't have the rights to the spin-offs, but here are the same Three's Company episodes again." So if Anchor Bay knows they don't have the right to the spin-offs, then why try and release something else connected to the show so that more money can be made? There is not one Three's Company fan who feels better about having a Jack and Janet's Favorites DVD over the spin-offs.
So what will Anchor Bay release Three's Company wise next before 2008 arrives for us to have in our collection? Maybe Mike the Bartender's favorites or Mr. Angelino's favorites?? I wish just Anchor Bay would stop trying to make us forget that we don't have the spin-offs with these so-called replacement DVD releases and give the fans what they really want. Anchor Bay is doing the same thing to Three's Company fans that Comcast did to NFL fans I think. Comcast knew they couldn't acquire the rights to the Sunday NFL Ticket so they offered NFL fans a college football package instead to make us feel a lot better. NFL fans had no interest in that crap and Three's Company fans have no interest in a Best of DVD, especially since all eight seasons are already out on DVD. And this really shows me that Anchor Bay is trying to take advantage of our love for the show and basically don't care about our spin-off DVD dreams. So enough with these sympathy DVD releases Anchor Bay because Three's Company is complete on DVD and I'm sure no fan wants to see Felipe's Favorites in 2008.
My TV Highlight of the Week: Sunday, August 12, 2007 - Flavor Flav being Roasted.
My TV Lowlight of the Week: Monday, August 13, 2007 - Enrique Iglesias wearing a baseball cap while guest hosting with Kelly Ripa on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly.
Agree or disagree with Solomon? Discuss it here.
DISCLAIMER: Remember, Solomon is not the voice of SitcomsOnline. He is just stating his opinions and does not reflect what SitcomsOnline says or thinks. It is just his 'View' but it is always quite entertaining.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Even More TV Land Updates; Network Notes
Moving on to TV Land original programming, TV Land and Wilhelmina Models, Inc. announced a partnership to discover the next new face of the fashion industry. Documented in a six-part series tentatively titled The Next Great Supermodel, TV Land and Wilhelmina Models, Inc. will scour the country -- and put the would-be models to the test -- to find their next star: a woman 35 or over who exudes sophistication, beauty and confidence.
The Next Great Supermodel will premiere on TV Land in the Spring of 2008 and is being executive produced by Emmy Award Winner Allison Grodner (Big Brother, Blowout). The winner of the reality series competition will receive a lucrative modeling contract with Wilhelmina Models, Inc.
For more details, including how to apply, click HERE.
Effective immediately, as of Tues., Aug. 21 and Wed., Aug. 22, the time slots of ABC News programs i-CAUGHT & Primetime: Crime (Tues.) and NASCAR IN PRIMETIME & Primetime: The Outsiders (Wed.) are being flipped. Meanwhile, ABC has announced that they will indeed burn-off The Nine on abc.com. 9 episodes aired on television, with 4 still in the can. Episodes 10 and 11 launched yesterday I believe, with episode 12 coming Aug. 23 and episode 13 on Aug. 30. Go to abc.com to watch this. They have removed their video section for The Knights of Prosperity completely, so it doesn't look like we will ever see the final two episodes...let's pray for a DVD!
NBC will preview the upcoming syndicated game show Merv Griffin's Crosswords in primetime on Saturday, September 8 at 8:30PM ET/PT following the NBC Fall Preview Show. The first-run syndicated series will launch on various NBC owned-and-operated stations on Monday, September 10, 2007...check local listings for time and channel (here in NY, WNBC will air it back-to-back from 4-5pm).
Thursday, August 16, 2007
TV Land Adds Bob Newhart Anniversary Stunt, Possible Beverly Hillbillies Anniversary Stunt; RTN Adds New Station in North Carolina
TV Land will continue to celebrate the 35th anniversary of M*A*S*H as well for an entire week, from Sept. 17-21 from 8-11pm Mon-Thurs and 8-10pm on Friday. This is in addition to the already scheduled primetime stunt they announced for Sept. 15-17. So, it will be nothing but M*A*S*H in primetime from Sept. 15-21...almost an entire full week! September 17 is the actual date the series premiered 35 years ago. We don't have episode info yet from Sept. 17-21, but it will be posted on the above link when available to us.
Finally, the last marathon will also be a week-long marathon from Sept. 24-28 from 8-11pm Mon-Thurs and 8-10pm on Friday. TV Land hasn't formally announced what the show is yet, but all guesses hint that it will be a 45th Anniversary marathon for The Beverly Hillbillies! The show premiered Sept. 26, 1962...so what else can they air that week? I'm sure fans will be happy with this! We will confirm when they announce it! And could this be one of the '60s shows they have acquired for regular play starting sometime in 2008? Maybe!
Anyway, these are in addition to the week-long marathons of I Love Lucy and Sanford & Son for the first two weeks of October, before the regular primetime schedule returns Oct. 15 with the addition of Designing Women.
Retro Television Network (RTN), which is owned and distributed by Equity Media Holdings Corporation, announced today that it will partner with Capitol Broadcasting to bring RTN programming to Raleigh-Durham. The new affiliate will launch Sept. 10 on Capitol Broadcasting's WRAZ-DT, a station that reaches more than 22 counties in North Carolina. The new 24 hour-a-day network will be available over-the-air on digital channel 50.2 and on Time Warner Digital Cable channel 251 in the Raleigh, NC area.
RTN is a new television network that provides each affiliate a customized feed with classic hit shows, in addition to local programming including news, weather and sports. RTN is specifically designed to go on a broadcast digital channel and provides local broadcasters with a way to get ratings and successfully monetize their digital spectrum.
RTN is home to dozens of classic TV shows, such as Hawaii 5-0, Brady Bunch, Family Ties, Matlock, Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible, Hogan's Heroes and Gomer Pyle USMC.
Let's hope more stations announce plans to carry RTN! We will let you know of course.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
ABC Family Makes September Changes, Boy Meets World Dropped; ION Acquires 48 Hours Mystery
ION Television today announced a multi-year acquisition deal with CBS Television Distribution to air the highly rated, hour-long television news program, 48 Hours beginning in the fourth quarter of 2007 airing weeknights.
Hosted by Erin Moriarty, one of the veteran CBS News correspondents, the newsmagazine blends real-life news events with expert storytelling, shedding new light on true-crime cases and examining issues facing everyday Americans. Under terms of the agreement, previously aired installments of 48 Hours will be updated with new graphics and wraps by Ms. Moriarty, who will provide the audience with new findings in ongoing investigations. Ms. Moriarty has been a correspondent for 48 Hours since June 1990 and has a law degree. She previously had been the consumer correspondent for CBS This Morning and the CBS Evening News.
So this show will be added probably in October, I'd say, which will be this fall. Let's hope this means ION expands a bit, at least in the afternoons, say Mon-Thurs 3-6pm, and adds more classic sitcoms that we have been waiting for like Perfect Strangers, Diff'rent Strokes, Silver Spoons and the return of sitcoms like Alice & Growing Pains. We don't want to lose out by adding 48 Hours, which will more than likely be sometime between 6-11pm.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
TV Land Elvis Month Cut By 1 Week; GSN Honors Merv Griffin
GSN will honor the late Merv Griffin with some tribute marathons. The GSN marathons are in two five-hour blocks Saturday, August 18 and Sunday, August 19 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM ET. Saturday's Griffin tribute will feature an early Chuck Woolery Wheel of Fortune appearance, Vanna White's debut in 1982 and the show's first road trip to New York City. Sunday's Jeopardy marathon includes "The $1,000,000 Masters Tournament of Champions" episodes.
Additionally, during its black-and-white programming block Sunday night, the network is showcasing episodes of two classic series which Griffin himself hosted. At 3:00 AM, GSN will air the first nighttime episode of Play Your Hunch, (Griffin's first network hosting job) from 1960, in which Griffin sings. Following at 3:30 AM, is a 1961 To Tell The Truth episode featuring Griffin as its host filling in for a vacationing Bud Collyer.
Griffin had a very meaningful connection with GSN. When the network launched as Game Show Network on Dec. 1, 1994, he was one of the honored guests who flipped the switch launching the network.
Monday, August 13, 2007
TV Land October 2007 Highlights; The N and Noggin To Turn To Two 24/7 Channels, Nick GAS Turning Broadband
Week-long primetime marathons of I Love Lucy and Sanford & Son are scheduled the first two weeks of the month. Lucy on Oct. 1-5 and Sanford on Oct. 8-12. Mon-Thurs from 8-11pm and Friday from 8-10pm. No idea why, but fans will be happy. The regular primetime schedule returns Oct. 15. Join TV Land as they celebrate Halloween with a mini-marathon of its hit original series TV Land's Myths & Legends on Sunday, October 28 from 8-10pm. TV Land's Friday movies are all-new this October with The Blues Brothers which features Jake Blues, just out from prison, puts together his old band to save the Catholic home where he and brother Elwood were raised. Other movies include Rainman and Throw Momma from the Train. Every Friday at 10pm only on TV Land!
To discuss and view the complete October highlights, click HERE!
Noggin/The N nework will both turn into two separate TV channels by the end of the year (Dec. 31, 2007)! Both networks will be 24/7 with Noggin taking over the current Noggin/The N channel full-time, while The N will take over Nick GAS full-time. Nick GAS will now only be an online broadband channel called TurboNick.
The N has acquired reruns of That '70s Show for June 2008, which ABC Family has also acquired for 2008. New original shows for The N include its first comedies, About a Girl, which follows a college sophomore living with four male roommates, and another with the working title Interns, from the creators of its series South of Nowhere. The half-hour Gigantic will take a fictional look at teenagers growing up in the shadow of Hollywood stars.
And because a cable network is nothing without its own reality show these days, The N plans its first one, with the working title Queen Bees. The Degrassi Spring Break Movie, the network's first Degrassi TV movie, scheduled to premiere in April 2008, will feature the cast from Degrassi Community High as they take their first college road trip.
Let's hope since The N will be turning 24/7 they bring back series like Growing Pains and A Different World. Who knows maybe they will even air The Brady Bunch, which aired on The N for a few weeks some years back. We will keep you up to date on The N and its full 24/7 schedule when it is announced. So stay tuned!
For complete details on this and to discuss this news, click HERE.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
ABC Pulls Knights and The Nine; TV Legend Merv Griffin Passes Away
As for those remaining episodes of The Knights and The Nine, we can expect the remaining episodes to appear on abc.com. We are not sure how they will roll-out, but it will probably be every Wednesday until they finish, similar to what ABC did with Six Degrees and Day Break. We'll let you know...but it is too bad about The Knights, that was one good funny sitcom. It almost came back for a second season, but Ray Romano didn't sign on unfortunately.
We have some breaking news just in to SitcomsOnline, TV legend Merv Griffin just passed away this morning. Griffin died of prostate cancer, according to a statement from his the family that was released by Marcia Newberger, spokeswoman for The Griffin Group/Merv Griffin Entertainment. Griffin was recently hospitalized for a recurrence of the disease, which had been treated successfully more than 10 years ago.
Merv of course is known for his talk show The Merv Griffin Show that ran from 1962-1986 and for creating the hit game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Let's watch both of those shows tomorrow and see if they do a little tribute...both shows are on summer hiatus though, and will return with new episodes in September. Merv has appeared as himself on several sitcoms like Sanford & Son, Golden Girls, Hope & Gloria, and Newhart. Merv also produced the new Lifetime series Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead. He was recently seen on TV Land Moguls as the host, appeared on TV Land's ALF's Hit Talk Show, and appeared on Fat Actress.
He will be deeply missed and you can catch his newly produced series Merv Griffin's Crosswords in first-run syndication this fall. Hopefully that will still be coming on air as a tribute to him. Mr. Griffin was 82.
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, November 24
The Simpsons - "Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
A tattooed man at a mysterious night circus transports Lisa into three strange stories from the innocent 1950s, the chilling retro-present and a brutalist future where prestige TV rules the world.
Universal Basic Guys - "Mark Men" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mark throws his hat into the ring as an Ad Man after being shown up by a group of execs at his favorite bar.
Bob's Burgers - "Boogie Days" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When Louise signs up for a father-daughter boogie board contest, Bob's past comes back to haunt him.
Krapopolis - "Ty Man Woman Table Chairs Food" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
There's this new thing called a map, and all the cool cities are on it; Tyrannis and Hippocampus start a restaurant to earn Krapopolis its spot; Stupendous follows the map to face her longtime foe.
The Conners - "Driving, Dating and Receipt" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mark is anxious to get his driver's license when a job opportunity presents itself across town; Darlene attempts to teach Mark to drive, but her frantic energy sends him running to Ben for help; Harris meets a new guy online.
The Conners - "Parent Traps and Heart Attacks" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When a relative passes away unexpectedly, the family must debate about who should gain custody of a jaded nephew, who is just shy of his 18th birthday.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 18)
Friday, November 22
- Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Watch Kerry on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jimmy O. Yang (Interior Chinatown/Space Force/Silicon Valley) - Jimmy is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Ariana appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Andy Richter (Andy Barker, P.I./Quintuplets/Andy Richter Controls the Universe), Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) and Aparna Nancherla (Lopez vs Lopez/Search Party/Corporate) - Andy, Thomas and Aparna are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about her new book Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Drew is joined by the hilarious Andrew to celebrate all things Thanksgiving on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Rosie Perez (Human Resources/Search Party) - Rosie tells Sherri about her new Apple TV+ psychological thriller Before on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House/Full House) - Candace will be on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:15am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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