SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Lifetime Daytime Schedule Changes; Maureen McCormick Releases Memoir; Network Notes

Yesterday Lifetime made some last minute schedule changes. Not too drastic, though. We knew about the change last week and posted it on our message boards. But if you missed it, then I'll comment here on it. The 8am hour now will be back-to-back episodes of Still Standing, replacing the Desperate Housewives encore. Then at 1pm an extra Desperate Housewives episode is added following its regular 12 noon airing...so yes, two new episodes of the Housewives every weekday! This move moves the movie to 2-4pm instead of 1-3pm. Thus, it will also shift from 3-5pm to 4-6pm. The 5pm hour will replace Still Standing, and that is why that was moved to the 8am hour. Still Standing will still retain its 7pm hour slot, though.
Don't forget original sitcom Rita Rocks launches this coming Monday at 8:30PM and will air each weeknight all next week before airing Tuesdays at 8:30PM weekly.

Maureen McCormick (Marcia from '70s sitcom The Brady Bunch) has come out with an all-new book called Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. It has some revealing information. The actress writes of her romance with TV sibling Barry Williams, who played Greg Brady, dates with Michael Jackson and Steve Martin, her addictions, depression, and trading sex for drugs. Things became hot and heavy while she and Barry were filming episodes in Hawaii.
I normally wouldn't write about this kind of stuff as it is too gossipy to me, but this is coming from Maureen herself. I think fans of the sitcom and Maureen will definitely want to pick this memoir up. Why did she want to release it now? Who knows, but she finally admits to having a relationship with Barry Williams.
Read the full CBS Early Show story. And if you haven't already, order the memoir.

Time for another round of network notes! The CW has ordered 2 more episodes of Gossip Girl, for total of 24 episodes this season. The show has gotten a little boost this season in the ratings. Meanwhile, NBC has ordered four extra scripts for Knight Rider (which is terrible, by the way...nothing like the 80s series) despite so-so ratings. After its Wednesday, November 19 airing (8 or 9 episodes would have aired by then), it will be off the schedule though for holiday specials through the end of December. But with this four additional scripts order, it could return in January. I wouldn't call anything official until additional episodes are ordered, but more scripts is a good sign.