Day 47: WGA's Strike; SitcomsOnline.com Interactive: Your Top Sitcom Christmas Episodes; Nick at Nite's Family Initiative

Friday, December 21, 2007

Day 47: WGA's Strike; SitcomsOnline.com Interactive: Your Top Sitcom Christmas Episodes; Nick at Nite's Family Initiative

We are in day 47 of the strike. Two more late night talk shows will go back in production without writers now. This time Comedy Central's The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. "We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence. We continue to hold out hope for a swift resolution to the current stalemate that will enable the shows to be complete again," the network said in a statement.
They will go on without writers on Monday, Jan. 7. The WGA was not pleased by the decision: "Comedy Central forcing Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert back on the air will not give the viewers the quality shows they've come to expect. The only way to get the writing staffs back on the job is for the AMPTP companies to come back to the table prepared to negotiate a fair deal with the Writers Guild."
In scheduling news, ABC has indeed moved the last new pre-strike episode of Grey's Anatomy to Thursday, Jan. 10. Literally within minutes of that move, NBC moved Celebrity Apprentice's premiere back to Jan. 3 to avoid Grey's. What a cat and mouse game! NBC is so scared. I hope ABC doesn't move Grey's back to Jan. 3 now. The Donald is dead anyway just as his hair has been dead for years.

After a long lay-off our special feature SitcomsOnline.com Interactive is back! In the past we have asked for similar sitcom plot episodes and what sitcoms you would want to see on ION Television. Since we are very close to Christmas, we will ask you sitcom fans to list your top sitcom Christmas episodes. It could be just two, or 5 or even as high as 10. Make sure you name the show and episode title. If you don't know the episode title, please describe what happened in the episode. For example: Three's Company: "Three's Christmas," Perfect Strangers: the one where Larry can't go home for Christmas, and Diff'rent Strokes: "Santa's Helper."
We are trying to see which holiday episode is the most liked. So, let's get your favorite Christmas episodes ready and post them HERE!
We'll start this now and end it by next Friday, and we'll post the most liked ones here next week!

Just in time to make those New Year's resolutions, Nick at Nite announces the launch of "Kick One, Pick One" (KOPO), the network's new pro-social campaign to encourage families to eat smarter, get fit and spend more time together. Bowing Jan. 1, KOPO is an on-air, online and grassroots initiative campaign that continues Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group's legacy of empowering its audiences with information and tools to help better their lifestyles and communities.
The campaign launches on-air Jan. 1 with funny and fact-filled PSAs and time-anchored lower thirds (graphics at the bottom of the TV screen) communicating KOPO's goals for the New Year: activity, nutrition and togetherness. Additional spots, focusing on breaking a bad habit in 21 days, are scheduled to debut on-air and online throughout 2008. The campaign will run into the fall of 2008, leading up to Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group's annual Worldwide Day of Play celebration. Worldwide Day of Play is a global celebration of kids' and families' KOPO accomplishments for the year.
for complete details, click HERE!

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, December 22

Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion Pt. 2 (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
CBS is gifting viewers an extra special holiday present this season, the brand-new EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION PT. 2,” airing Monday, Dec. 22, (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.*

This one-hour show gives viewers who loved the first special another opportunity to reminisce and revisit the laughter and joy from the original CBS series. The brand-new broadcast follows the success of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND: 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION, which originally aired Monday, Nov. 24, with an encore presentation Friday, Nov. 28, garnering 10.08 million live plus 7-day multiplatform viewers across both broadcasts and streaming.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal, this fresh hour brings fans closer than ever to the original series, with exclusive stories and heartfelt memories shared by beloved cast members gathered together to honor one of TV’s most iconic sitcoms. Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal share their thoughts on the magic of being back on set and reuniting with the cast. Additionally, viewers can enjoy never-before-seen content, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage. Plus, guest stars, writers and producers will provide unique insights into the creation and legacy of this beloved series.

St. Denis Medical - "Get Me in the Pod, Brother" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alex and Ron spar over the wisdom of open communication; Joyce brings in a body scanner that proves overly distracting.

The Paper - "I Love You" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
With Marv camped out in the newsroom while his office is painted, Ned and the staff find their unresolved attitudes toward authority bubbling up; Esmeralda and Ken plot a betrayal that leaks.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 22)

Monday, December 22

Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Watch Kenan on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Stark Raving Mad/Wings) - Tony appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ron Funches (Loot/Powerless/Undateable) and Jeff Garcia (Mr. Box Office) - Ron and Jeff are guests on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Andy Cohen interviews Kate on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo. She also talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee talks about Ella McCay with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) - Simu talks about The Copenhagen Test on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Hugh Jackman (Human Resources) - Hugh talks about Song Sung Blue on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle gives Sherri a sneak peek at the 15th season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul and Jack Black are telling Drew all about their hilarious adaptation of Anaconda on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Odessa A'zion (I Love LA/Fam) - Odessa tells Drew about her role in new movie Marty Supreme and hit series I Love LA on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - Melissa is guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:10am.