Thursday, January 17, 2008

Day 74: WGA's Strike; ION Initiative for African-American Programming

Welcome to day 74 of the strike. I can't believe I said welcome. Welcome to hell would be more like it. The Directors Guild of America just sealed their deal with producers already! The current deal was set to expire at the end of June. But after just five days of formal negotiations the Directors Guild of America has reached agreement with the producers on a new three-year contract. The deal turns the spotlight again on the striking film and TV writers who must now examine the directors' deal and decide if they will accept a similar contract. Let's hope! Screen Actors Guild's current contract expires at the end of June, so that is another deal let's hope that gets resolved.

ION Media Networks, Inc. in collaboration with African-American TV syndicator Star Media and Omnicom's OMG Entertainment & Sports unit, announced today a strategic partnership for the creation and exhibition of African-American programming on the ION Television Network. The initiative already has backing from major charter sponsors McDonald’s, State Farm and P&G, with others expected to follow.
Initially, the partnership will use the syndication marketplace and TV libraries of Warner Bros. and other major television studios to program urban and diverse content. The longer term goal is to reinvest net proceeds from this enterprise into an original programming fund that can help create new African-American and diverse content to be aired on ION Television. The initiative launched on Monday, January 14 in the 6-7 p.m. ET timeslot on ION Television, with the return of The Wayans Bros. to broadcast television. Warner Bros. Domestic Television is the programming partner for this series.
This might be some good news. Since initially they will use reruns, maybe they will expand the hours a bit, say the daytime, and we could get more shows in. Hopefully shows like Diff'rent Strokes, Hangin' with Mr Cooper, Webster could air and maybe Amen can return once again. To discuss this news, head on over to the ION January thread.
Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 5:15 PM
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, March 17

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 16)

Tuesday, March 17

  • Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Catch Chelsea on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me/Guys Like Us) - Linda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Elijah Wood (Wilfred) - Elijah stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • David Alan Grier (St. Denis Medical/Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - David is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea and the Broadway cast and orchestra of Chess perform on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Affion Crockett (First Wives Club) - Affion is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Mark Consuelos (Alpha House/Hope & Faith) - Andy Cohen interviews Mark on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
  • Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) and Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Josh and Andrew discuss the 15th anniversary of The Book of Mormon on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between7-9am.
  • Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Riz Ahmed (Bait) - Riz talks about Bait on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
  • Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi talks about One Plate at a Time: Recipes for Finding Freedom with Food on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Lena Waithe (Master of None) - Lena tells Sherri about her playwriting and stage debut in Trinity at Baltimore Center Stage on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias (The Santa Clauses/Mr. Iglesias/Cristela) - Gabriel is a guest on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Judy Reyes (Scrubs) - Judy appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
  • Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) and Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Luis) - Chris talks about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. Chris and Charlie will be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)

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