ION March 2008 Highlights; CW Announces Post-Strike Returns; CBS Renews 11 Shows for 2008-09 Season

Friday, February 15, 2008

ION March 2008 Highlights; CW Announces Post-Strike Returns; CBS Renews 11 Shows for 2008-09 Season

We told you before that Baywatch is coming to ION Television in March 2008, but we didn't have the full month's highlights yet. Now we do. There will be no other changes, so Baywatch will start March 3 at 10pm, airing Mon-Thurs. If anyone is wondering, they will be going in production order, but will be starting with Season 3...which is the first season with Nicole Eggert and Pamela Anderson. They will skip the two-part season premiere it seems, as they will start with the episode "Rookie of the Year." No other changes will be made to the line-up, as of now, so we can expect back-to-back Wayans Bros, Alice, Mama's Family and Drew Carey Show from 6-10pm Mon-Thurs leading into Baywatch at 10pm. RHI will continue to air Fri-Sun from 7-11pm with movies and mini-series such as Merlin, Arabian Nights, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
We will keep you up to date if anything changes, but for now click HERE for the March highlights where you can also discuss the programming.

The CW is now the third network (joining CBS and NBC) to officially announce plans of what series will return this season with new episodes following the end of the writers' strike. Everybody Hates Chris and Aliens in America already completed production before the strike started and still has episodes left over. So, they will launch first. Chris has 12 new episodes left (for a total of 22 this season), while Aliens has 8 left (for a total of 18 this season). Both will return Sunday, March 2. CW will return their highest rated sitcom The Game on March 23 with an expected 9 new episodes. Production will be underway soon. It is not good news however for long-running sitcom Girlfriends. The CW has announced it will not return, which the show will now end after 8 long seasons. CW could plan a series finale or a special for its final airing. One Tree Hill still has about 5 pre-strike episodes left still, but 6 new ones will be produced and will start on April 14, which is a Monday, so it seems the show will move to Mondays at 9. The current batch of new episodes, aka: the pre-strike episodes, will air Tuesdays at 9 still. Smallville will return Thursday, April 17 with 5 new episodes. I believe a few episodes before the strike also remain to air...the show will air a total of 20 episodes this season. Rookie drama Gossip Girl will return with 5 new episodes starting Monday, April 21. The show had been in repeats since early January because it ran out of episodes. Another rookie drama, Reaper will return to air on Tuesday, April 22 with 5 new episodes. The show has aired 9 so far and a few pre-strike episodes still remain and will air in its upcoming Thursday at 9 slot before moving to Tuesdays at 9 with post-strike episodes. Finally, Supernatural will return with 4 new episodes starting Thursday, April 24. This coming Thursday (Feb. 21) Supernatural will be all-new for its last pre-strike episode before goina on hiatus until April 24.
We will bring you ABC and Fox's plans as soon as they are "officially" announced.

Meanwhile, CBS has renewed 11 series for next season in a move that will return 10 hours of the network's primetime schedule and eight of the top twenty scripted series on television. Cold Case, Criminal Minds, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Ghost Whisperer, NCIS, Numb3rs, Two and a Half Men, Without a Trace and the Freshman Comedy The Big Bang Theory join previously announced Survivor and The Amazing Race as series returning next season (2008-09).
The jury is still out on shows like How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, Old Christine, Shark, The Unit, Moonlight, and Jericho for next season, but we could expect a few of these to indeed return.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, December 8

DMV - "The Next Window" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
At the Big Sac holiday party, Colette tries to impress Noa before his single “window” closes. Meanwhile, Barb’s effort to save the East Hollywood DMV backfires when she accidentally tackles the director, but assistant Sally (Leslie Jones) steps in to help.

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Secrets and Santas" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
The Butlers’ anniversary plans take an unexpected turn when a blast from the past, Calvin’s ex-girlfriend, resurfaces. Meanwhile, Malcolm’s meeting gets hijacked, Marty makes a big move toward commitment and Gemma finds herself caught in a holiday misunderstanding.

St. Denis Medical - "No Wonder His Kidney Wants Out" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron and Alex react very differently to a seemingly selfless patient; Joyce runs into an old flame; Matt helps Bruce find a new best friend.

The Paper - "Scam Alert" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Ned chases a story about a local scammer operating through a dating app and realizes he may already have the scoop when he learns Esmeralda was one of his victims; Nicole is full of vengeful glee.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 8)

Monday, December 8

Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Watch Quinta on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Mila Kunis (Family Guy/That '70s Show) - Mila appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Zooey Deschanel (Physical/New Girl) - Zooey is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Sabrina Carpenter (Girl Meets World) - Sabrina appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ashley Park (Emily in Paris/Only Murders in the Building/Girls5eva/Nightcap) - Ashley talks about Emily in Paris on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Ana Gasteyer (American Auto/People of Earth/Lady Dynamite/Suburgatory) - Ana chats about Sugar & Booze: A Holiday Spectacular with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - All Access with Linsey Davis sits down with Henry to talk about his life, career and new children's book Detective Duck: The Mystery at Emerald Pond on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Mark Hamill (The Texas Wheelers) - Mark talks about The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Connie Britton (SMILF/Lost at Home/The Fighting Fitzgeralds/Spin City) - Connie tells Sherri about starring in The Family McMullen, the sequel to The Brothers McMullen, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Reba McEntire (Happy's Place/Malibu Country/Reba) - Reba talks about season two of her hit sitcom Happy's Place on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Justine Lupe (Nobody Wants This/Cristela) - Justine talks about Netflix's Nobody Wants This on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.