Friday, March 07, 2008

Urgent TV Land Schedule Changes Starting Monday (March 10), High School Reunion Scores; Remembering Two Sitcom Behind the Scenes Stars

TV Land has just announced some urgent schedule changes that will happen starting this Monday (March 10). Just to remind you last week, they changed the overnight schedule a bit, with mainly just time shifts and removing The Brady Bunch...but the Bradys will return! We will tell you when in a bit. Also returning will be All in the Family, airing weekday mornings at 9:30am, replacing Good Times which will move to 11am-12pm replacing Three's Company and I Love Lucy. Coming to the 10am hour now are The Jeffersons, replacing the second Good Times and Designing Women. TV Land Goes West airs Mondays from 12pm-4pm currently, but now it will move to 1-5pm and Gunsmoke will start the block off now from 1-3pm followed by Bonanza from 3-5pm. Weekdays 12-1pm will now be I Love Lucy rather than Beaver, as Leave it to Beaver moves to 1-2pm on Tues-Fri. 2-3pm will now be The Beverly Hillbillies as it moves up an hour. Gunsmoke airs at 3pm and Bonanza at 4pm Tues-Fri. Leave it to Beaver returns to early evenings from 5-6pm as it replaces I Love Lucy.
Then we move to every night. Just Shoot Me will be replaced from 12-1am by The Andy Griffith Show. I believe its ratings were not up to par here, but it will still be on the line-up in other slots such as 8:30am and 3:30am, replacing Three's Company in the latter slot. Designing Women moves up a half-hour to 4am, and yes, The Brady Bunch will return to its 4:30am slot after just a week off. And with Three's Company out of its 11am weekday and 3:30am every night slot, the show is not on the schedule at all now. So, it will be on a hiatus. I think they didn't want to waste airplays in the middle of the night. Hopefully it will return soon. We still have tonight (1-2am, 3:30am) to enjoy the show, though! Unfortunately they removed the 5:30-8pm marathon for Saturday in favor of The Beverly Hillbillies. So tonight is the last chance to see Jack Tripper and the gang until it returns at a later date. On weekends, the 7am hour will now be Bonanza, replacing the second Gunsmoke. Saturdays 10-11pm (whenever it is not preempted) will be I Love Lucy now instead of Three's Company. Finally, Little House on the Prairie will return on March 22 airing Saturday and Sunday late nights (early Sunday and Monday mornings) at 5am replacing Beaver/Lucy for weekends only.
And there you have it. To discuss these changes to to see these changes in a list format, click HERE!

Meanwhile, Wednesday night's premiere of TV Land's newest original reality series, High School Reunion, scored impressive gains across key demos over the same time period last year. The new series, which reunites classmates from a Texas high school more than 20 years after graduation, gave TV Land triple digit gains across the network's target demo, Adults 25-54, and double digit gains among the network's core audience, Adults 40-54.
High School Reunion posted a 0.4 rating (426,000 viewers) among A25-54, up 105% in rating and +113% in viewers over last year. The network averaged 735,000 total viewers, up +62% over a year ago, with a median age of 46. Among the network's core A40-54 audience, the premiere earned a 0.5 rating (260,000 viewers), an increase of +62% in rating and +69% in viewers over last year.

Today we will remember the lives of two sitcom veterans, but you never saw them on your TV screens. Director Herbert Kenwith and Writer Richard Baer.
Herbert Kenwith died Jan. 30 in Los Angeles of complications of prostate cancer, but it was just announced only recently. Working for Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear's Tandem Productions, he worked as producer and director on series including Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, Good Times, Sanford & Son, All That Glitters, One Day At A Time and Joe's World. He was mainly known for his directing and producing on Diff'rent Strokes and Good Times, but he also directed many other series such as Love American Style, Star Trek, Here's Lucy, Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Doctors, Temperatures Rising, Too Close for Comfort, Bosom Buddies, Brady Brides, 9 to 5, Private Benjamin, Gimme a Break!, It's Your Move and Amen. He directed the first episode of the soap opera The Young And The Restless. He did start his career as an actor on Broadway, but directing television shows was where he would end up. Mr. Kenwith had been retired from the business for quite some time. He will certainly be missed, but his work continues to air on TV every single day. Mr. Kenwith was 90.
Emmy-nommed writer Richard Baer wrote for TV shows including Leave It To Beaver, Bewitched, The Munsters, Barney Miller and M*A*S*H. He died Feb. 22 in Santa Monica, Calif. after suffering a heart attack in January.
He began his TV career on The Life of Riley, starting as an assistant and then writing several episodes. In 1960, he started working on the series Hennessey starring Jackie Cooper, earning an Emmy nomination and writing 38 episodes. Over the next 25 years, he wrote for more than 56 shows, including F-Troop, That Girl, Doris Day Show, Love on a Rooftop, Petticoat Junction, New Dick Van Dyke Show, Archie Bunker's Place, Who's the Boss?, and The Andy Griffith Show.
Mr. Baer will certainly be missed by sitcom fans as his writings will live on forever, whether it be Bewitched, The Munsters or Hennessey, or anything else he did. He will be missed. He was 79.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Friday, December 8

Norman Lear: A Life on Television

CBS announced the new entertainment special Norman Lear: A Life on Television, to air tonight - Friday, Dec. 8 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs). Presented by Entertainment Tonight, this one-hour special features new interviews with stars of the long-running comedies Lear created, including Jimmie Walker from Good Times and Mackenzie Phillips from One Day at a Time, in addition to never-before-seen interviews from the ET vault. Also included with this new footage and interviews is an in-depth sit-down interview with Lear that ET host Kevin Frazier conducted when Lear celebrated his 100th birthday, in which he reflected on his lengthy, groundbreaking career.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 4)

Friday, December 8

  • Eddie Murphy (The PJs) - Watch Eddie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Only Murders in the Building/High Fidelity/People of Earth/Selfie) - Da'Vine appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • John Caponera (The Good Life) - John is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
  • Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Triumph the Insult Comic Dog aka Robert Smigel chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Noah Galvin (The Real O'Neals) and Molly Gordon (Ramy) - Noah and Molly talk about Theater Camp on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Eric Stonestreet (The Santa Clauses/Modern Family) - Eric talks about The Santa Clauses on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan sits down with Sherri to talk about his new book, When I Was Your Age, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Sebastian Maniscalco (Bookie) - Sebastian appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-December)

Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

12/08 - CBS Norman Lear Tribute Special Tonight; Peacock Renews Twisted Metal
12/07 - Harlem Renewed for Season 3; Netflix Orders Drama Ransom Canyon
12/06 - Remembering TV Legend Norman Lear; Critics Choice Awards Nominees
12/05 - Who's the Boss? Now on Hulu; The CW Announces New Series Wild Cards
12/04 - The Upshaws Renewed for Season Prior to Season 5 Launch; Fox Holiday Movie with Justin Long
12/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 4, 2023)
12/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Bob ♥ Abishola Coming to an End; Only Murders in the Building Gets Limited Run on ABC
12/01 - Abbott Elementary Post-Oscars Airing, Only Murders on ABC; Remembering Frances Sternhagen, Marty Krofft and Others We Recently Lost
11/30 - Bob ♥ Abishola Ending After This Season; NBC Renews Rookie Dramas
11/29 - Antenna TV January 2024 Schedule; Max December Comedy Specials
11/28 - Prime Video's Hazbin Hotel; Lacey Chabert Gets Hallmark Unscripted Series
11/27 - Sundance Now Gets Original Comedy; Hallmark Original Returns for Season 2 in January
11/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 27, 2023)
11/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Kelsey Grammer Ready to Do 100 Episodes of Frasier; TBS Cancels Miracle Workers
11/24 - Fox Winter 2024 Schedule; An Evening From the Heart John Ritter Foundation NYC 2023 Event
11/23 - 2023 Thanksgiving TV Marathons
11/22 - Kerry Washington's UnPrisoned Gets Season 2; Classic Comedy Shorts Celebrate 40th Anniversary
11/21 - NBC Winter 2024 Schedule; Netflix Renews Rob Lowe Comedy
11/20 - BUZZR Celebrates Bob Barker's 100th Birthday; Ted Prequel Series on Peacock Gets Premiere Date
11/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 20, 2023)
11/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Young Sheldon Coming to an End After Seven Seasons; The CW International Sitcom Approach Not Going So Well
11/17 - ABC Winter 2024 Schedule; CBS Celebrates 98th Birthday of Dick Van Dyke
11/16 - Whoa Mama! Urkel Is Back for the Holidays!; Hulu Gets Such Brave Girls Comedy
11/15 - COZI TV's A Very COZI Christmas Schedule; Young Sheldon to End This Season on CBS
11/14 - CBS Winter 2024 Schedule; The CW Pulls 2 Comedies
11/13 - Antenna TV 2023 Holiday Marathons Schedule; Rewind TV 2023 Holiday Marathons Schedule
11/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 13, 2023)
11/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: SAG-AFTRA Strike Finally Ends; New Digital TV Broadcast Networks Coming
11/10 - AXS TV's The Partridge Family Thanksgiving Marathon; AspireTV Holiday Programming
11/09 - Bookie Premieres November 30 on Max; Ted Lasso Star Holiday Special on Apple TV+
11/08 - FX Renews The Bear for Season 3; Hulu's Australian Original Series Premieres November 29