SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Day 65: WGA's Strike; Sony's Minisodes Now on YouTube; Remembering Bill Idelson

It is day 65 of the strike and now the Golden Globe Awards are canceled. NBC pulled the plug on its traditional Golden Globe Awards telecast scheduled for this Sunday, instead an hour-long live newscast will air at 9PM ET in which the winners in 25 film and TV categories will be announced.
The Writers Guild of America and legendary United Artists Films have reached a mutually beneficial independent agreement. While the details are not being disclosed in this announcement, the comprehensive agreement addresses the issues important to writers, including New Media.
In other strike news, Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno will appear on each other's shows this Thursday! The two have formed a friendship during the strike. Jimmy will come on The Tonight Show taping then Jay will return the favor and appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live later that night. Leno's show tapes earlier in the day while Kimmel tapes at 7pm PT. The Tonight Show airs at 11:35pm on NBC then you can switch over to Jimmy Kimmel Live at 12:06am on ABC to see Jay.

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) announced the debut of the first of several YouTube Brand Channels at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. The first of the ad-supported Channels will be The Minisode Network (TMN), launched yesterday.
With its launch on YouTube, The Minisode Network, which delivers approximately five-minute versions of popular television shows, will grow from 18 to 21 series with the addition of Married...With Children, NewsRadio and a new animation block. Additionally, TMN has begun acquiring programs from other companies, including a recent deal with World Events Productions, distributors of Voltron and Saber Rider.
Other Sony Pictures Television channels available in the future at YouTube are expected to include original content from a variety of genres.
Check out The Minisode Network on YouTube by clicking HERE! You'll also see sitcoms such as Bewitched, 227, What's Happening!!, Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life, Silver Spoons and The Jeffersons.

Bill Idelson, an actor, television writer and producer who as a teenager played the son on the classic radio show Vic and Sade and later played the recurring role of Rose Marie's mother-dominated boyfriend on TV's The Dick Van Dyke Show, has died. He had been hospitalized since June after breaking his hip, died of complications from the injury Monday at a Los Angeles hospital.
Idelson appeared in episodes of dozens of television series, including Dragnet, Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone, My Favorite Martian, The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Will & Grace, My Three Sons, Leave it to Beaver, and most recently on The War at Home.
He has written for a lot of TV shows too, such as The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Twilight Zone, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Andy Griffith Show, Get Smart, The Odd Couple, The Bob Newhart Show, M*A*S*H, Happy Days, Punky Brewster, Bewitched, The Flintstones and many more.
He was also a television producer. Among his credits are The Bob Newhart Show, Anna and the King, The McLean Stevenson Show, Love, American Style and others.
He will certainly be missed as he made his mark certainly in the television world. Mr. Idelson was 88.