A Different World Joins BET Line-Up On April 28; ION and A&E Acquire Criminal Minds for Fall 2009

Thursday, April 24, 2008

A Different World Joins BET Line-Up On April 28; ION and A&E Acquire Criminal Minds for Fall 2009

BET will add another sitcom to its line-up this Monday (April 28)! The sitcom is the late '80s/early '90s sitcom A Different World. The popular spin-off of the Cosby Show will air weeknights at 11:00pm & 11:30pm with an encore later that night at 3:00am & 3:30am ET/PT. The 11pm-12am airings will replace an hour of Malcolm & Eddie, but not to fear that show will still air weekdays 10-11am and 4-5pm. The 3-4am encore will replace In Living Color, which will now be off the schedule. A Different World spun-off Denise Huxtable into Hillman College, but that only lasted one season and the show changed by season two and became more popular even.
A Different World comes from the same deal that Nick at Nite/The N had, so it is all Viacom related, as BET is also part of Viacom. The show will get a mini-marathon as well on Saturday, May 3 from 8:30pm-11pm. In addition to the weeknight airings, the show will also get a weekly three episode evening block on Sundays. The times vary, but the first Sunday (May 4) it will be 8p-9:30p. Future Sunday times are tentative, but here are the times as of now for May: 7p-8:30pm on May 11, 6:30p-8pm on May 18 and 8:30p-10:00pm on May 25.
There is one slight other change to the schedule as well. BET will remove the Sundays 12-1pm Sanford airings starting Sunday, May 4. Instead two episodes of The Parkers will air Sundays 12-1pm. Not to fear, Sanford will still air late Saturday nights (early Sunday mornings), usually 3-4am.

ION Television today announced it has entered into a content agreement with CBS Television Distribution for the broadcast syndication rights to the hit television drama series, Criminal Minds starring Mandy Patinkin and Joe Mantegna. ION Television will debut this popular show in prime time beginning in Fall 2009. The deal continues the network's positioning momentum as a general entertainment destination.
Criminal Minds joins recent additions, including Boston Legal & M*A*S*H coming to ION off-network this Fall, as well as The Steve Harvey Show, Family Feud and Quantum Leap, currently airing in ION Television's expanded entertainment schedule.
ION will have their annual upfront presentation a week from today (Thursday, May 1). We will bring you the latest from that next week...and we hope to get an interview with them regarding their future. Also, B&C is reporting in addition to Criminal Minds, ION will also acquire off-network reruns of Ghost Whisperer starring Jennifer Love Hewitt from CBS Television Distribution also starting in Fall 2009. We will bring you the official announcement on that when available! It'll probably be at upfront.
In addition to coming to ION in Fall 2009, Criminal Minds will also get a cable home! A&E Television has bought the cable rights to the series beginning in Fall 2009, where it will air five-days a week. However, before that, A&E has rights to air the series once a week starting with season one and through season three. The once a week play starts next month (May) on A&E. We will bring you the exact times and dates as soon as A&E announces that. A&E will have their upfront presentation next week as well, so we should know very soon.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, March 12

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Big Birthday and Tequila Shots" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy struggles to celebrate Georgie’s 21st birthday after hitting a rough patch in her career.

Ghosts - "St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A St. Patrick’s Day staffing emergency gives Hetty the chance to step into an unlikely role at the restaurant as she regains her once-a-year ability to be seen and heard by the living. Meanwhile, Kyle returns to watch over the ghosts and finds himself caught in an amusing supernatural dynamic.

Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.

Going Dutch - "Tinker, Tailor, Colonel, Spy" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Rick takes a sabbatical from the CIA and returns to the base, hoping to rekindle his strained relationship with Capt. Maggie; paranoia runs high when a mole is suspected to be operating inside the base.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 9)

Thursday, March 12

Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris/Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan talks about Broadway's Death of a Salesman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana joins Tamron to talk about her fashion evolution and her role in the all-star cast of the new series Scarpetta on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren talks about Reminders of Him on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Valerie in the 10am hour.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil and Lily Rosenthal join Drew for a taste test of weird foods and talk about their children's book Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book) on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.