Day 66: WGA's Strike; People's Choice Awards Winners

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Day 66: WGA's Strike; People's Choice Awards Winners

We are in day 66 of the strike. A couple of items of scheduling due to the strike were announced. NBC will broadcast the last two original pre-strike episodes of Chuck on Thursday, January 24, at 8 p.m. ET and again at 10 p.m. ET -- sandwiched around an original episode of The Celebrity Apprentice. This means the return of Scrubs will not be on this date. It'll probably be Jan. 31 now. Last new pre-strike episodes of My Name is Earl and 30 Rock air this week and ER has two more episodes left (Jan. 10 and 17). Meanwhile, NBC has announced for this Sunday they will have a two-hour Dateline special called "Going for the Gold" interviewing some of the stars...this will lead-in to the one-hour special announcing the viewers from 9-10pm. It is unclear so far what NBC will air at 10pm.
Dubbed television's smartest reality show, ABC is bringing back The Mole, featuring new "whodunit" game elements, interactivity and a new host. Producers are launching a nationwide search to replace Cooper. In addition to a new host, new features, new games, new locations and online and mobile interactivity are planned for the series. Casting for players begins immediately. Casting information can be found at www.molecasting.com. The series could likely begin this spring before the season ends or as an early summer player. Forgot how the series was played? It follows a group of players as they try to figure out who among them is The Mole, a saboteur trying to keep them from winning money. Players must decide who they think The Mole is and then learn as much about him or her as they can, because, at the end of each one-hour episode, the player who knows the least about The Mole is immediately eliminated from the game. In the final dramatic episode, The Mole is revealed and one of two final players wins a substantial cash prize.

The People's Choice Awards were on last night in a new format because of the strike. Ratings started off OK but went down considerably as each half-hour progressed. Looks like fans didn't like it much. Here are the winners, in case you missed it:

• Favorite TV Drama: House, Fox
• Favorite TV Comedy: Two and a Half Men, CBS
• Favorite Animated TV Comedy: The Simpsons, Fox
• Favorite TV Sci-Fi Show: Stargate Atlantis, Sci-Fi
• Favorite TV Competition/Reality Show: Dancing with the Stars, ABC
• Favorite TV Game Show: Deal or No Deal, NBC
• Favorite Female TV Star: Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
• Favorite Male TV Star: Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
• Favorite Scene-Stealing TV Star: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
• Favorite TV Talk-Show Host: Ellen DeGeneres, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, syndicated
• Favorite New TV Comedy: Samantha Who?, ABC
• Favorite New TV Drama: Moonlight, CBS
You can discuss the winners and the format of last night's show HERE!

More news to come, if any...so try and come back.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, July 13

Ghosts - "Patience" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
While Sam and the ghosts race to find him, Isaac comes face to face with Puritan ghost Patience (Mary Holland) for the first time since she was lost in the dirt.

The Simpsons - "Homer and Her Sisters" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After a fight in an escape room, Krusty's aunt fixes Homer's relationship with Patty and Selma.

Krapopolis - "Ice Week!" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Ty struggles to keep his cool when he gets the hots for a visiting reporter; Shlub is paid a visit by an old friend; Hippocampus and Stupendous risk missing the festivities altogether.

Animal Control - "Giraffes, Gorillas and Penguins" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The crew must contain a freak zoo break; Frank realizes that he needs to break up with Yasmin; Emily finds an unexpected benefactor in a celebrity businesswoman.

Going Dutch - "Pilot" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The colonel is reassigned to take emergency command of USAG Stroopsdorf in the Netherlands; Sgt. Conway provides the colonel and Shah with a tour of the things Stroopsdorf is known for... cheese, laundry and bowling.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 7)

Friday, July 11

Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Fairview/Corporate) and Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Aparna and Whitney are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Malachi Barton (Stuck in the Middle) and Meg Donnelly (American Housewife) - Malachi and Meg discuss Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires and perform on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. They will also be on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Jean Smart (Hacks/Samantha Who?/Center of the Universe/In-Laws/Style & Substance/Designing Women) - Jean chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton talks about Black Coffee and Ice Water on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) and Joel Kim Booster (Loot/Shrill) - CBS News contributor Lisa Ling talks with Margaret and Joel on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Tamron Hall (repeat) has a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE sitdown with actress/director/author Krysten Ritter who recently released her new thriller/mystery novel Retreat, so check your local listings.
Maggie Q (Pivoting) - Maggie Q talks about Prime's Ballard on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Tisha Campbell (Act Your Age/Uncoupled/Outmatched/Dr. Ken/Rita Rocks/My Wife and Kids/Martin) and Wendy Raquel Robinson (Poppa's House/The Game/Here We Go Again/The Steve Harvey Show/Minor Adjustments) - Tisha and Wendy chat about their film Operation: Aunties on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings. They will also be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
David Zayas (The Bear/Saint George) - David appears on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.