Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Lifetime Announces Halloween Programming; Remembering TV Composer Neal Hefti
Lifetime hits the ground running Halloween week beginning Monday, October 27 every day at 11 AM (ET/PT), with five new episodes of Lisa Williams: Voices From the Other Side, featuring the renowned clairvoyant's eerie encounters beyond the grave. Each day's show will feature a lead-in of a quite different brand of terror with themed episodes of Wife Swap at 10 AM (ET/PT). Halloween-themed episodes of the sitcoms Frasier, Reba, Still Standing and Will & Grace will also pepper the week-long schedule.
Over on sister channel Lifetime Movie Network, it's a full weekend of supernatural movies (Saturday, October 25-Sunday, October 26) ranging from the classic scares of The Rage: Carrie 2 and The Unquiet to contemporary paranormal stories like The Watch, You Belong to Me and Nightmare at End of the Hall.
Neal Hefti, a TV composer who composed the memorable themes for the movie The Odd Couple and the campy hit TV series Batman, has passed away. Hefti died Saturday (October 11) at his home in Toluca Lake, said his son, Paul. He did not know the cause of death, but said his father had been in good health.
While known primarily as a film composer, his two TV themes are his most famous work. Among his credits as a film composer are Sex and the Single Girl, Harlow (one of his most famous tunes, "Girl Talk," came out of the score), How to Murder Your Wife, Boeing Boeing, Duel at Diablo, Barefoot in the Park, A New Leaf, Last of the Red Hot Lovers and The Odd Couple, whose theme he reprised for the 1970s ABC TV series. Hefti also gained wide notice for composing the energetic title theme for Batman, the over-the-top 1966-68 ABC superhero series that became an overnight sensation. Hefti's Batman theme became a Top 40 hit and won a 1966 Grammy Award for best instrumental theme.
Hefti retired in 1976. He will be deeply missed but his themes will live on forever. Mr. Hefti was 85.
We'll return with more news, if any...stay tuned!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, April 12
Family Guy - "A Few More Ways to Die in the West" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
In this Griffin family spoof of the Old West, Peter, known as Quiet Burp, and his gang of outlaws agrees to escort a wealthy businessman on a train journey.
Universal Basic Guys - "Crowmaster" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Mark trains crows to bring him valuable sports cards; Darren faces off with a gaming nemesis.
American Dad! - "Idol Threat" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
The school bully saves Steve's life at the carnival and is celebrated as a local hero by everyone but Steve.
Family Guy - "Tall Stewie" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Stewie puts on a pair of boots that make him slightly taller, his newfound confidence changes the power dynamic in the Griffin family.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 6)
Friday, April 10
- Jason Segel (Shrinking/How I Met Your Mother/Undeclared) - Watch Jason on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Crazy Ones) - Sarah appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- John Mulaney (Mulaney) - John is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock/Scrubs) - Elizabeth and Matthew Macfadyen talk about The Miniature Wife on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm. Elizabeth will also be on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
- Eva Longoria (Only Murders in the Building/Telenovela) - Eva talks about Searching for France on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Michelle Pfeiffer (Margo's Got Money Troubles/Delta House) - Michelle talks about Margo's Got Money Troubles and The Madison on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
- Rachel Dratch (Grimsburg/Imaginary Mary/30 Rock) - Rachel talks about The Rocky Horror Show on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray sits down with Sherri to talk about his star turn in Broadway's All Out on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Keanu Reaves (Swedish Dicks) and Matt Bomer (Mid-Century Modern) - Keanu, Matt and the cast of Outcome are guests on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
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