Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Hallmark Channel Revises Sundays in January; Fox Announces Idol Dates, Orders New Midseason Series

We gave you Hallmark Channel's January 2009 highlights last month, now we have some changes in store for Sundays! Sundays from 10am-3am has been changed totally! Effective Sunday, January 4, we will now get a block of 7th Heaven from 10am-3pm, that's five straight episodes of the Camden family on family day...Sunday! This will basically replace a movie, Diagnosis Murder movie, a Perry Mason movie, and a Matlock movie. Regular movies will now air from 3pm-1am, yes, five straight movies will air. These movies will basically replace the four Murder, She Wrote episodes in the evening. Finally, we get more I Love Lucy! As I Love Lucy will also air Sunday nights from 1-3am now replacing the Matlock movie. So to recap the times for I Love Lucy now...Saturdays 6-9am & 1-3am, Sundays 8:30am-10am & 1-3am, weekdays 8-9am and weekdays 4-5pm. Whole lotta Lucyyyyyyyy!

Fox has announced the American Idol schedule through March 10 (3/11-5/20 dates and times will be announced at a later date). As we know, Idol launches Jan. 13 and 14 with a two-night premiere from 8-10pm both nights. Then it will regularly air 8-9pm on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but there are times when it will be expanded to 8-10pm and two special Thursday airings will air on Jan. 29 and March 5. March 5 is the first night of March sweeps, as this year there is no February sweeps due to the transition to DTV on Feb. 17.
Why is this Idol schedule important? Because it looks like Bones will be preempted on Thursday, Jan. 29 now, since Idol is airing that night leading into the season premiere of Hell's Kitchen. Bones will return the following week (Feb. 5), though. Bones moves to the Thursdays at 8pm slot on Jan. 15 leading into the final two episodes of Kitchen Nightmares on Jan. 15 and 22.
Also, only 4 episodes of Fringe will air after American Idol through March 10 it seems. Fringe is slated to air for four weeks in a row on 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, and 2/10, then Idol expands to two-hours the next four weeks AT LEAST, so Fringe will probably not return until the end of March sweep. The news is better for new drama Lie to Me out of Idol, Idol will only be two-hours on a Wednesday on Feb. 11, so Lie to Me will air for three straight weeks then be preempted then air again for another three weeks at least, maybe more.
Meanwhile, Fox has ordered 13 episodes of Glee, an inspiring musical comedy series from Ryan Murphy. The one-hour series follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the school's Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of them all: Nationals. The show will debut in 2009 and features a soundtrack of hit songs from past to present. It could be the perfect fit out of American Idol, so Fringe and Lie to Me need to do very well, if not then Glee will fit like a glove likely out of Idol.
View our previous story on Fox's 2009 midseason schedule for the rest of the schedules besides Tues-Thurs.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, January 21

St. Denis Medical - "Gimme the Scuttlebutt" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
An "intimacy in the workplace" discussion leads Joyce to discover she's out of the loop on office gossip; Alex gets self-conscious about her sex life; Bruce tries to fight a new policy about dating co-workers.

Night Court - "The Jakeout" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After learning that Jake has never been in a long-term relationship, Abby is determined to find his secret dealbreaker; Dan and Julianne go head to head to prove they don't have feelings for each other.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 20)

Tuesday, January 21

  • Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Watch Sterling on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Bobby Cannavale (Angie Tribeca/Will & Grace) - Bobby is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Britt Lower (Ghosted/Man Seeking Woman/Big Lake) - Britt appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She also talks about Severance on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings
  • Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Adam stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Severance on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Mary Lynn Rajskub (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/How to Be a Gentleman/Veronica's Closet/The Larry Sanders Show), Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) and Brian Posehn (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Mary Lynn, Patton and Brian are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Stephanie Hsu (Laid) - Stephanie is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Frankie Grande (Danger Force/Henry Danger) - Frankie talks about Henry Danger The Movie on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on CBS Mornings Plus in the 9am hour.
  • Megan Hilty (Sean Saves the World) - Megan and Jennifer Simard talk about Death Becomes Her on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Ben talks about Severance on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Yvette Nicole Brown (Act Your Age/The Odd Couple/Community/The Big House) - Yvette talks about BET+'s The Family Business on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Chyler Leigh (That '80s Show) - Chyler is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series

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