Day 24: WGA's Strike; Hallmark Channel Acquires 7th Heaven, Cheers, I Love Lucy; Animated Dennis the Menace to DVD!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Day 24: WGA's Strike; Hallmark Channel Acquires 7th Heaven, Cheers, I Love Lucy; Animated Dennis the Menace to DVD!

It is day 24 now of the writers' strike. It is still early in the day, but no news yet on an agreement. We do have some news. Talk show host Carson Daly has crossed the picket line. Which means his show, NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, will soon be back with new episodes. The half-hour talk show airs on NBC late nights at 1:35am. Unlike other talk show hosts like Kimmel, Letterman and Leno, Daly is not a member of the WGA, so it was easier for him to cross. The WGA is however disappointed. No word yet when we will see new episodes, but I'm betting starting next week.

Hallmark Channel has just completed a major deal to acquire several award- winning series, including the critically acclaimed 7th Heaven, the ever popular Cheers and classic baby boomer favorite, I Love Lucy, along with additional episodes of Matlock and Touched By An Angel from CBS Television Distribution. The deal also includes rights to 12 off-net holiday movies, including Finding John Christmas, Town Without a Christmas and When Angels Come to Town.
7th Heaven is the first show that will be ready to launch on Hallmark Channel as early as January of 2008 with Cheers having the next window later in 2008 and I Love Lucy in January of 2009. Matlock has been renewed through 2011, with a similar extension for Touched By an Angel.
Now what does this mean for ABC Family still airing 7th Heaven? That fate will be revealed on tomorrow's blog as we announce ABC Family January. Come on back for that...it will include a new show for ABC Family!
As for Cheers and I Love Lucy, Hallmark says it is not an exclusive cable deal, so TV Land could still run it, but Cheers is expiring from TV Land in September 2008 and I Love Lucy expires on TV Land in December 2008, which makes me think TV Land will not renew both series and Hallmark will just air it. That is still awhile away, so we will find out more details soon. I bet Cheers will launch next fall on Hallmark. Anyway, stay tuned for further details! We hope to have the January line-up soon. For now click HERE to view the press release and to discuss this big news!

Finally, a personal favorite of mine, the '80s animated series Dennis the Menace is finally coming to DVD this March! Dennis The Menace: Trouble, Trouble Everywhere debuts on DVD March 18, 2008 from Fox Home Entertainment.
In Dennis The Menace: Trouble, Trouble Everywhere entire nations can't run and hide. If they did, they surely would when lovable troublemaker Dennis Mitchell pays a visit! Like most families, the Mitchells love taking vacations, but wherever they go, young Dennis seems to wind up in the center of numerous hilarious catastrophes. Whether he’s chasing crooks in Venice or kangaroos in Sydney, outrunning Mayans in South America, or bulls in Spain – or even proving that erupting volcanoes in Hawaii wreak less havoc than he does, Dennis is always drawn to find trouble, wherever it is!
I wish it was a full set with full episodes and not just a best of set. I hope this sells well so we can get all of them on DVD in the full form. Episodes on this set are: "Dennis in Venice," "Mayan Mayhem," "The Big Candied Apple," "A Royal Pain," "Dennis and the Kangaroo Cavalry," "Dennis Plasters Pamplona," and "Black and Blue Hawaii."
To read more about this and to discuss this, click HERE!

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, March 19

Shifting Gears - "Kiss" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Jimmy returns with a new job and a proposition for Riley and the kids to move into his house, Riley is torn between her past and her future. Meanwhile, Matt's feud with Eve flares up once again after she damages his car.

Abbott Elementary - "Audit" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Ava and the teachers must band together to hide the golf-course contraband.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 17)

Wednesday, March 19

Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Watch Lauren on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Danielle Brooks (Close Enough) - Danielle appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Eva Longoria (Only Murders in the Building/Telenovela) - Eva is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Dove Cameron (Schmigadoon!/Liv and Maddie) - Dove appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Drew Barrymore (Santa Clarita Diet) - Drew is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Paula Pell (Girls5eva/Mapleworth Murders/A.P. Bio) - Paula appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Danny Pudi (Going Dutch/Mythic Quest/Powerless/Community), Jessie Ennis (Mythic Quest) and Ashly Burch (Final Space) - Danny, Jessie and Ashly are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Anthony Carrigan (Barry) - Anthony appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
Nick Kroll (Big Mouth/The League/Cavemen), Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) and Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Nick, Ben and Quinta are guests on Everybody's Live with John Mulaney at 10pm on Netflix.
Tyler Lepley (Harlem) - Tyler talks about Tyler Perry’s Duplicity on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John talks about Bob Trevino Likes It on ABC News Live Prime at 7pm.
Daniel Stern (Shrill/Danny/Dilert/The Wonder Years) - Daniel talks about Home and Alone on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney appears on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Annaleigh Ashford (B Positive) - Annaleigh talks about Happy Face on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
Dennis Quaid (Merry Happy Whatever) - NBC's Today catches up with Dennis in the 9am hour.
Stanley Tucci (Central Park) - Stanley is joining Drew and telling her about why he hates when people wear sweatpants and his 2025 goal of cleaning less on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jessica Hecht (Red Oaks/What About Joan?/The Single Guy) - Jessica is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
Drew Sidora (Mind Your Business/The Game/That's So Raven) - Drew appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:30am.