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

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

Thursday, June 1

Young Sheldon - "College Dropouts and the Medford Miracle" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sheldon considers dropping out of college to focus on building his database. Also, George Sr. is frustrated when someone else gets credit for his football wins.

Ghosts - "A Date to Remember" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sam and Jay help Thorfinn create a perfect first date with Flower. Also, Hetty feels slighted by the ghosts’ new housemate, Nigel.

Animal Control - "Peacocks and Pumas" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Frank and Victoria stake out a squawking peacock; Emily and Patel attend to Shred.

Animal Control - "Hellhounds and Sturgeons" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Victoria and Patel encounter fish and game officers while on a call; dispatch radios with a report of an aggressive attack dog on the loose.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 29)

Thursday, June 1

Fortune Feimster (Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Catch Fortune on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kathryn Newton (Gary Unmarried) - Kathryn appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Kieran Culkin (Go Fish) - Kieran is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Keri Russell (Running Wilde) - Keri appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Fred Armisen (Los Espookys/Forever/Final Space) - Fred is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Josh Gad (Central Park/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) and Mark Consuelos (Alpha House/Hope & Faith) - E! News has interviews with Kelly and Mark at 11pm on E!.
Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle is live in studio on E! News at 11pm on E!.
Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke is a guest on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso) - Nick chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Constance Wu (Fresh Off the Boat) - Constance gets candid with Drew about her radical honesty in her new collection of personal essays Making a Scene, discussing everything from her mental health battle, sexual harassment and so much more on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jon Heder (Napoloeon Dynamite) - Jon discusses his new animation series Space Junk on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Joel McHale (Animal Control/The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Wendell Pierce (The Odd Couple/The Michael J. Fox Show/The Weber/The Brian Benben Show/The Gregory Hines Show) - Wendell talks about Death of a Salesman on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.