Thursday, March 05, 2009

According to Jim Returns March 24 With Final 12 Episodes; Fox Schedules Glee, Osbourne Special

ABC has announced it will return According to Jim on Tuesday, March 24 and air it in the 8-9pm hour with two back-to-back episodes. The series aired 6 episodes during the holidays and didn't do too well, but that was during a low-rated month. Now the series has 12 episodes left and these will be the final 12 for this long-running sitcom. They will air them in six weeks through Tuesday, May 5, which will be the series finale (they will be preempted on April 7 for Charlie Brown Easter). According to Jim will replace Homeland Security, USA, which will have its final Tuesday broadcast next week. The show still has 5 episodes left in this season's order, and will likely air elsewhere.
With the return of According to Jim, ABC will have comedy hours three nights a week in the 8-9pm hour from Tuesdays through Thursdays. Scrubs returns with new episodes and Better Off Ted launches Wednesdays starting March 18 in the 8pm hour, then Jim returns Tuesdays starting March 24, and Thursdays will see the launch of In the Motherhood and the return of Samantha Who? starting March 26.
According to Jim and Scrubs are both ending their runs after eight seasons a piece this season and ABC is trying to create a comedy block for next year, so the end of these two will provide a start. Both series will have their series finale on back-to-back nights (May 5 and May 6). Dancing with the Stars will probably give the comedies a good push for promotion, as the new Bob Saget sitcom Surviving Suburbia will premiere a few weeks later on Monday, April 6 at 9:30pm, giving ABC another comedy. ABC hasn't had this many sitcoms since like 2002 and 2003, when their promotion were called "ABC Happy Hour" and "Comedy Rules." For the sake of sitcoms, let's hope this works and I could certainly see a four-comedy night return to ABC next fall...with hopefully all traditional multi-camera sitcoms. Surviving Suburbia is a good start!
As for you Jim fans, here are the episode titles the first two weeks: March 24 - "The Ego Boost" and "The Yoga Bear." March 31 - "Kyle's Crush" and "The Meaningful Gift." Then jumping a month later on May 5, the series finale "Heaven Opposed to Hell" will have many guest stars! Kimberly Williams-Paisley returns and Dan Aykroyd, Erik Estrada, Lee Majors, and Mitch Rouse are among the guests who also return.

In a broadcast first, Glee, the new one-hour musical comedy series from Ryan Murphy, will get a special preview following American Idol's performance finale on Tuesday, May 19 from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT on Fox. The show will then premiere in the fall (date to be announced). So the series will get a special preview before returning about four months later. Will this work? It won't have an Idol lead-in in the fall, that's for sure. We shall see.
Glee is an uplifting series with biting humor that features a soundtrack of hit music from past to present, so it should blend well with American Idol.
But before Glee, Fox will hop aboard the "Crazy Train" when Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly Osbourne turn another television convention upside down and inside out with their new series Osbournes: Reloaded premiering after American Idol on Tuesday, March 31 from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT.
The variety series features audience interaction, rowdy comedy and hilarious stunts that will shock and amuse. Outrageous sensibility and brash humor are at the core of the series filmed on location and in front of a studio audience that never knows what to expect from the First Family of Rock. Following the premiere, Osbournes: Reloaded will return to the Fox schedule as a series of one-hour specials to air later in the season, as six episodes were ordered in all. So this means Fringe won't return until April 7. The creepy drama series has 7 episodes left from its 21 episode order and hasn't aired since Feb. 10. So with the Glee premiere and the preemption on March 31 for the Osbournes, the Fringe finale will likely air out of sweeps with no American Idol lead-in on May 26. And if Osbournes does very well, Fringe could be preempted more likely. So Fringe has to watch its back, as the show really hasn't done that well in the ratings.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, June 25

Children Ruin Everything - "Connection" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
With work keeping him busy, James feels even more disconnected from Felix; when Felix shares a personal secret with Astrid, James goes too far trying to learn the secret himself.

Children Ruin Everything - "Adulthood" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When James finally pays off his student loans, he celebrates by buying an expensive chair; the kids threaten to ruin it with their stain-inducing activities; Astrid discovers that someone from her past has taken out a peace bond against her.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "House of Second Chances" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Curtis and Floyd must navigate the intricacies of business, while Jazmine grapples with her rollercoaster of emotions.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Diamond in the Rough" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Cora has a new romantic suitor, which causes a rift between her and Mr. Brown; everyone celebrates Philip for his recent academic achievements, and he receives an unexpected gift.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 23)

Wednesday, June 25

  • Abby Elliott (The Bear/Indebted/Odd Mom Out) - Watch Abby on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about The Bear on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Brandy Norwood (Zoe Ever After/The Game/Moesha/Thea) - Brandy and Monica are guests on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Allison Williams (Girls) - Allison appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Andy Richter (Andy Barker, P.I./Quintuplets/Andy Richter Controls the Universe) and Tim Bagley (The Great North/Teachers/Grace and Frankie/Web Therapy/Stril Mall) - Andy and Tim are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Frankie Grande (Henry Danger/Danger Force) - Frankie talks about Rhythm of Love on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Luna Blaise (Fresh Off the Boat) - NBC's Today catches up with Luna in the 9am hour.
  • DulcĂ© Sloan (The Great North) - DulcĂ© joins Tamron Hall (repeat) for a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE as she serves laughs and looks from her brand-new tour, 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


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