Writers' Strike Officially Over; CBS Announces Post-Strike Returning Series; Remembering Ron Leavitt

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Writers' Strike Officially Over; CBS Announces Post-Strike Returning Series; Remembering Ron Leavitt

The writers' strike is officially over! The membership of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) voted overwhelmingly in favor of lifting the restraining order and ending their 100-day strike that began on Nov. 5. 3,775 writers turned out in Los Angeles and New York to cast ballots or fax in proxies, with 92.5% voting in favor of ending the work stoppage.
WGAW and WGAE members will next vote to ratify the tentative three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The membership ratification vote will be conducted by mail and also at membership meetings on February 25, 2008.

CBS has announced return dates for new episodes of nearly all of its returning scripted series! Between 4-9 episodes for each series will be produced immediately for air. The first returning series with new episodes will be the Monday sitcoms on March 17. We will see 9 new episodes each of How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men starting March 17. Old Christine will not be going back into production it seems, but it still has a handful of episodes left from before the strike. The other CBS Monday sitcom Rules of Engagement will be back with 6 new episodes starting April 14. What about Welcome to the Captain? Only 6 were ordered and they will all air by March 10. Slim chance it returns next season.
Moving on to the dramas, CSI: Miami will have the most for dramas and will return Monday, March 24 with 8 new episodes. Sunday drama Cold Case will air for 5 new weeks starting March 30. The other Sunday drama Shark is expected to produce 4 new episodes, but it is unclear when they will air, if at all this season. Wednesday dramas Criminal Minds and CSI: NY return April 2 with 7 new episodes. Thursday dramas CSI and Without a Trace will each have 6 new episodes each starting April 3. Moving on to Fridays, Ghost Whisperer and NUMB3RS will return April 4 for 6 new episodes and rookie Moonlight will return April 11 with the first of 4 new episodes. Finally, the Tuesday dramas will only see Navy NCIS return on April 8 with the first of 7 new episodes. The Unit will not return this season and Cane will also not. Only a slim chance Cane will return at all. CBS will continue to use Big Brother, Showtime's Dexter, and Jericho to fill the void of no The Unit, Shark, and Cane. Yet to premiere mid-season drama Swingtown is resuming production, but when it will air is still a question mark.

Hopefully ABC, NBC, Fox and The CW will release something similar soon. When they do, we will bring it to you for sure.

Finally we leave you today with some sad news. Ron Leavitt, a TV writer and producer who co-created the successful Fox sitcom Married With Children, has died. He died Sunday of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles. He and Michael G. Moye co-created the hit sitcom. Michael also served as the show's executive producer and helped write nearly 150 episodes. He even appeared in some episodes as a one-liner, usually the character of Jack Dallas.
He was a major player in sitcoms behind the scenes. He wrote for series such as Busting Loose, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and The Bad News Bears. He wrote the pilot episode for the hit '80s sitcom Silver Spoons. He was also a producer of sitcoms such as Unhappily Ever After, Laverne & Shirley, The Jeffersons and It's Your Move. Ron also was the creator of two short-lived Married with Children spin-offs, Top of the Heap and Vinnie & Bobby, both of which starred a pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc. Ron was last seen on the short lived 2004 WB sitcom The Help as a writer and director.
Fans of sitcoms, especially Married with Children, will miss Ron, but his work will live on forever. Ron will be missed. He was 60.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, February 26

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A New Hobby, a Pervert and a Part-Time Job" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Audrey and Mandy urge Jim to find a new hobby now that he’s retired and driving them crazy.

Ghosts - "The Others" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Sam and the ghosts face The Others, a new group of spirits from one ghost’s past. Meanwhile, Trevor tries to deal with a demanding Patience, who seeks a committed relationship in the wake of their holiday hookup.

Animal Control - "Roosters and Moles" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When Templeton is nominated for Animal Control officer of the year, Frank sets out to rescue 24 animals in 24 hours; Victoria steps in for Shred after he's bitten by a kitten; Templeton tries to sabotage Frank's mission.

Going Dutch - "Swapadakis" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Major Shah needs the weekend off to celebrate his anniversary with Celeste; Capt. Maggie makes an emotional hair choice.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 23)

Thursday, February 26

Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Catch Sterling on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. He also talks about Hulu's Paradise on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Dave "Lil Dicky" Burd (Dave) - Dave is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Bobby Cannavale (Angie Tribeca/Will & Grace) - Bobby appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Jon Hamm (Grimsburg/Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) - Jon stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Hoppers on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Christa Miller (Shrinking/Cougar Town/Scrubs/The Drew Carey Show) - Christa talks about Shrinking on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
Amy Landecker (Transparent/The Paul Reiser Show) and Bradley Whitford (Perfect Harmony/Trophy Wife) - Amy and Bradley talk about For Worse on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. NBC's Today catches up with Bradley in the 9am hour.
Jackson White (Mrs. Fletcher) - Jackson talks about Tell Me Lies on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Gina Gershon (Red Oaks/How to Make It in America) - NBC's Today catches up with Gina in the 10am hour.
Kym Whitley (Act Your Age/Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) - Sherri's BFF Kym stops by to introduce her to some single men on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Emeril Lagasse (Emeril) - It's a cooking flashback when Emeril surprises Sunny on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Kristin Davis (And Just Like That.../Bad Teacher/Sex and the City) - It's a little bit extra with Kristin who reminisces about her favorite moments playing Charlotte on Sex and the City on The Drew Barrmyore Show, so check your local listings.
Piper Curda (I Didn't Do It) and Bobby Moynihan (Mr. Mayor/Me, Myself & I) - Piper and Bobby talk about Hoppers on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about her film Operation Taco Gary on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi talks about her It's Not That Deep tour on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.