SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Married with Children Coming to Spike TV, Unsolved Mysteries Also; Save October Road

Spike TV has acquired the rights to all 259 episodes of the hit sitcom, Married ... With Children, which ran 11 seasons from 1987-1997 on Fox. The five year exclusive deal begins September, 2008. The network plans on stripping the series to run in mornings, afternoons, and late night.
As part of the distribution deal with Sony Pictures Television, Spike TV will have broadband rights and can exhibit episodes each week on the network's website at http://www.spike.com/. There are also 40 six-minute minisodes Spike TV can run on broadband or on mobile outlets.
Spike has said to have paid $12 million for the series, coming out to about $50,000 an episode, which is a bargain these days.
The series is currently on the FX cable network and has been airing there since Fall 1999. The series will leave FX this fall, as Spike TV's deal is exclusive.
The series starred Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy, Katey Sagal as Peg Bundy and Christina Applegate as the sexy Kelly Bundy. Later sitcom veteran Ted McGinley joined the series. Discuss this news on our message board. And speaking of Christina Applegate, her sitcom Samanatha Who? returns tonight with new episodes! The first of 6 straight new episodes airing Mondays at 9:30pm ET/PT on ABC! The series is the highest rated new sitcom.
Also coming to Spike TV this fall, is Unsolved Mysteries. They are creating a new collection of 175 re-edited episodes hosted by acclaimed television and film actor Dennis Farina. The new episodes, focusing on more of the dangerous and action-oriented cases, will also be available on Spike's web site, http://www.spike.com/, and mobile outlets. The series will have a five year run on Spike TV starting in October, 2008. Each one-hour episode will feature five stories re-enacted by professional actors, plus brand new show wraps and updates on past stories. The series will be stripped weekday afternoons. Spike TV has said to have paid $26 million for the 175 re-edited episodes, which comes out to about $150,000 per episode.
Related: Since Married with Children is leaving FX this fall, I'll give you a round-up of what is coming to FX and other networks affected by this, this fall. FX will add the sitcom Bernie Mac Show this fall starring Bernie Mac. That '70s Show will still be on FX despite ABC Family and The N also airing the series starting this June. So 3 cable networks will be airing that show. FX has aired the series since September 2005. Also coming to ABC Family this September is My Wife & Kids, the hit sitcom starring Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin.
No word on what else Spike TV has planned this fall (if anything else) besides Married and Mysteries, but another sitcom would be wise to air with Married...with Children. You know what, The Simpsons still doesn't have a cable home, Spike TV could be a good fit.

Fans of on-the-bubble ABC drama October Road are deep into a campaign to save the show from cancelation. Their campaign is called "Pay October Road Forward." The premise of it is that the fans are buying copies of the first season DVD and donating to their local libraries' DVD sections. Along with that, some are donating books. Libraries are sometimes strapped for extra funds to puchase such things so this serves a double purpose. It allows the library to get things they can use at no cost to them and hopefully will produce new viewers for October Road when the DVD is checked out. The second season DVD is not out yet, but hopefully it will be soon.
All who are doing this are having a letter stamped by the library & signed by them and are sending onto ABC. They will be submitting a full report before the end of April to Mr. Stephen McPherson, President of ABC Entertainment about where they are in donations and how they plan to continue with this great campaign. You can view this by clicking HERE! Save the show so it can return for a third season! It really is a nice little show that is addictive. ABC is shopping the series, so they know it must be worth keeping. The series suffered in the ratings this season when it moved out of the post-Grey's Anatomy slot it had in its first season. So far ABC has shopped it to Lifetime, but they passed. I think ABC Family would be a good fit, especially out of their originals such as Greek, Lincoln Heights, Wildfire and Kyle XY. Heck, even The CW would be a good fit. Someone please bring it back! Help out! If Jericho could return, so could this show!