Tuesday, July 15, 2008

TV Land Acquires 3rd Rock From the Sun; Summer 2008 TCA Press Tour: Fox, Day 2

TV Land has acquired the hit '90s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun for this Fall. All 139 episodes of the 1996-2001 NBC series will be coming to TV Land starting Saturday, October 25. We don't have any other details than that yet. The series stars John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Wayne Knight, and Jane Curtin. The series was last seen on ABC Family Channel. It didn't air much on there, mainly airing weekends on and off in 2004 and 2005, before briefly returning for a bit in 2006. ABC Family's contract has now expired. The show really hasn't been seen much since Sept. 2004, that is when the local channel contract expired.
3rd Rock From the Sun is about a group of aliens that have come to Earth to learn about its population, customs, etc. To avoid detection, they have taken on human form which gives them human emotions, physical needs etc. WITHOUT the understanding of what they mean or the inhibitions normally present in humans. Their leader takes the position of a college professor, their military expert as his sister, their intelligence expert, supposedly oldest of group takes form of his teenage son. The uninhibited reactions turn everyday events into unusual situations.
We will let you know more on 3rd Rock From the Sun coming to TV Land in the coming months. Speaking of TV Land, we will have their September line-up for you shortly...hopefully by the end of the week. As you all know, Scrubs is coming Sept. 1 and The Cosby Show fully moves to TV Land on Sept. 15. In other TV Land news, the second season of the original series TV Land Myths & Legends has been pushed back to October 8. It was originally slated to start August 27, as we mentioned in the TV Land August highlights. So after Family Foreman concludes after its August 20 finale, there is no original series on Wednesdays on TV Land until October 8.

It is the second and final day for the Fox portion of the summer 2008 TCA press tour. We have some tidbits from yesterday that we need to mention today. Fox will have two development seasons this year at least. The first one will happen in December. Kevin Reilly said about eight shows are in development for that period. Expect some announcements for pick-ups then. The regular development season in the spring will still happen also. As for the rumored Prison Break spin-off, Fox is still planning one. However, it doesn't seem it will be introduced within the show but rather as its own series. The plan is to call it Cherry Hill and it'll be about a women's prison. Fox also discussed a bit about the 24 prequel and upcoming season along with the planned Osbournes variety series. Finally, there is still no end in sight for The Simpsons, so it'll likely extend beyond next season, which will be its 20th season. Oh and Fox is going to move its upfront date next year from Thursday to Monday it seems. Today at the tour will be all FX really. FX only has the morning half. On the panel will be casts and crews of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Damages, Sons of Anarchy, and The Shield. Some FX notes...FX has placed a 13 episode order for the new half-hour comedy series Testees (working title) and will air Thursdays at 10:30pm following It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia starting October 9. Speaking of Sunny, FX intends to produce 39 more episodes in addition to the 13 currently in production. The series' fourth season premieres on Thursday, September 18 at 10 p.m. FX will order 19 additional episodes of Nip/Tuck and the series will end its historic run in early 2011. FX and Sony Pictures Television closed a deal with Michael J. Fox for a four-episode arc for the fifth season of Rescue Me. The 22-episode fifth season begins in the spring of 2009 and he will appear in the season five opener. Finally, Damages' second season starts in January 2009 with new cast members Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Timothy Olyphant. Ted Danson will return in season two for several episodes.
The rest of the day is a TCA day with lunch being sponsored by the new upcoming syndicated talk show The Bonnie Hunt Show followed by a set visit for AMC's Mad Men. After that it is the evening program with dinner and cocktails. The Championship Gaming Series (CGS) World Championship Kickoff Event for media will be held Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The CGS is the first global professional video gaming league where head-to-head competition is televised live and in HD on DIRECTV's 101 Network. They are sponsoring the evening program.
Coming up tomorrow is ABC Day 1!

Also coming up tomorrow on the blog is our annual Emmy Awards Preview with our predictions of the nominees. The actual Emmy nominees will be announced the following day, Thursday.
We will also have more news, so make sure you come back tomorrow! This is a big week!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, July 2

Shifting Gears - "Restoration" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Matt, the widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop, is confronted with his most unexpected and challenging project yet when his estranged daughter, Riley, and her adolescent children come crashing back into his life.

Shifting Gears - "Accommodations" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Matt joins Riley at Carter’s high school open house, where he’s unsettled to learn about the “accommodations” made for his grandson’s anxiety. Meanwhile, Riley reconnects with Caitlin, a former classmate, and sets her up with Gabriel.

Shifting Gears - "Grief" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Riley discovers a closet filled with her late mother’s clothes, she insists Matt hasn’t processed her death and urges him to see a grief counselor. Meanwhile, Gabriel faces a crisis of confidence when he’s put in charge of the shop for a day.

Shifting Gears - "Valentine's" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
A Valentine’s Day visit to his late wife’s grave sparks an unexpected connection for Matt in an unlikely place. Meanwhile, Riley is thrust into the spotlight for a promotional video at the dance studio.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Protector in Chief" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
House of Payne is the hilarious comedy about Retired fire chief Curtis Payne and his lovely wife Ella.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Speed Demons" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
After losing his job, Jeremy decides to move to the backwoods of Georgia to help his grandfather, who has purchased a rundown home for the elderly.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 30)

Wednesday, July 2

  • Will Arnett (Murderville/Arrested Development/Flaked/The Millers/Up All Night/Running Wilde), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/George and Leo/Chicago Sons/Simon/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) and Sean Hayes (Will & Grace/The Millers/Sean Saves the World) - Watch Will, Jason and Sean on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Monica Barbaro (FUBAR) - Monica appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Owen Thiele (Overcompensating), Amita Rao (Deli Boys) and Malik Elassal (Adults) - Owen, Amita and Malik are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Glen Powell (Scream Queens) - NBC's Today catches up with Glen in the 10am hour.
  • Casey Wilson (The Righteous Gemstones/Black Monday/The Hotwives/Marry Me/Happy Endings) - Casey talks about The Great American Baking Show on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) - The Drew Barrymore Show has a repeat their skincare show and Drew and Valerie Bertinelli are talking all things moisturizers and hydration with board certified dermatologist and TikTok sensation Dr. Shereene Idriss.
  • Joe Manganiello (How I Met Your Mother) - Joe talks about Netflix's Nonnas on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

07/02 - FETV Acquires The Rookies; Hulu Renews The Bear for Season 5
07/01 - Bert Kreischer Gets Netflix Sitcom; NBC Gets Into Survival Mode This Summer
06/30 - The Comeback Makes Another...Comeback; First Look at Black Rabbit at Netflix
06/29 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 30, 2025)
06/28 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Comeback Returning for a Third and Final Season; South Park to Remain on HBO Max
06/27 - The White Lotus Star Teams Up with Netflix; Remembering Bobby Sherman, Lynn Hamilton, and Rick Hurst
06/26 - The CW's Fall Movie of the Week; First Look at New York Comic Con 2025
06/25 - Netflix Renews Ransom Canyon for Season 2; My Life with the Walter Boys First Look for Season 2
06/24 - Marc Maron Gets Second HBO Comedy Special; Outlander Prequel Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere
06/23 - MeTV Summer Changes, Adds Adventures of Superman; Jimmy Kimmel Live! Summer Guest Hosts
06/22 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 23, 2025)
06/21 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Night Court Officially Dead After Not Finding New Home; Weigel Announces New WEST Network
06/20 - Great American Media Announces New Danica McKellar Movie; Jennifer Love Hewitt ID True Crime Series
06/19 - Bad Thoughts Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix; Zarna Garg Gets Hulu Special This July
06/18 - Weigel Broadcasting Announces WEST Network with Classic TV Westerns; Hulu's Season 2 of Such Brave Girls
06/17 - Gary Coleman's Ex-Wife on A&E Series; Digman! Returns July 9 on Comedy Central
06/16 - Hulu's Chad Powers Teaser; Prime Video's Jesse Williams Series
06/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 16, 2025)
06/14 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Mulls Airing The Paper on Primetime Lineup; Fox Revives Baywatch Reboot Talk
06/13 - My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Renewed for 2 More Seasons; Hanna-Barbera Developing Adult Animated Series
06/12 - Comedy Superstar Jack Black Is the King of Comedy at Nickelodeon; Doc Adds Felicity Huffman
06/11 - Celebrities for Celebrity Family Feud Season 11; Netflix's Little House on the Prairie Starts Production
06/10 - Warner Bros. Discovery Separates Company; Peacock's Jennifer Garner Series Adds to Cast
06/09 - Comedian Ms. Pat Gets Season 3 of Courtroom Series; Disney Branded Television Animated Slate
06/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of June 9, 2025)
06/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox Cancels Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady; Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune Headed to Streaming
06/06 - Hulu's First Look at Amanda Knox Drama; Prime Video Lands Spy Thriller
06/05 - Disney's Electric Bloom Gets Premiere Date; Conan to Guest on NBC's Late Night
06/04 - Netflix Announces Haunted Hotel with Comedic Voices; Prime Video Unveils Trailer for Thriller
06/03 - Netflix's Nobody Wants This Returns October 23; The CW Renews All American for Final Season
06/02 - Remembering Loretta Swit of M*A*S*H, Valerie Mahaffey of Young Sheldon, and The Simpsons Composer Alf Clausen