Friday, March 06, 2009

Good Ratings for Wednesday's High School Reunion for TV Land; Network Notes Includes Seinfeld Reunion on Curb?

TV Land's original series High School Reunion averaged nearly 1 million total viewers for this past Wednesday's 10 p.m. telecast, making it the most-watched episode of the season to date, according to Nielsen Media Research. The telecast also gave TV Land double-digit gains over previous week's airing across the network's target demo, Adults 25-54, and among the network's core audience of Adults 40-54.
Wednesday's installment -- the third episode of the new season of High School Reunion -- posted a 0.6 rating and 592,000 viewers among A25-54, up 30% in rating and 32% in viewers over previous week in the 25-54 demo. Among the network's core A40-54 audience, the episode posted a 0.8 rating and 452,000 viewers, up a whopping 82% in rating and 81% in viewers over previous week in the core 40-54 demo. It also scored double digit gains among total viewers with nearly 1 million (954,000 total viewers), up 38% over previous week, with a median age of 48.
The telecast posted huge gains with Men 25-54 and Women 25-54 over previous week. Among M25-54, it scored a 0.5 rating and 271,000 viewers, up 49% in rating and 48% in viewers over previous week's episode in M25-54. Among W25-54, it posted a 0.6 rating and 321,000 viewers, up 20% in rating and viewers versus last week in W25-54. Adding those two up, you get the 592,000 viewers among Adults 25-54.

It's time for a round of network notes! Multi-platinum singer/songwriter Jewel and Access Hollywood host Nancy O'Dell have withdrawn from Season Eight of ABC's Dancing with the Stars citing injuries. Jewel was diagnosed with a fractured tibia in both legs, O'Dell a torn meniscus. The injuries were sustained while training for the competition.
Jewel and O'Dell will appear on the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars, this Monday (March 9) at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT to address their injuries. The women were paired with professional dancers Tony Dovolani and Dmitry Chaplin, respectively. Additional changes to the cast will also be announced during Monday's premiere...so watch it LIIIIVE (as Tom Bergeron would say)!
ABC is ending Life on Mars after it finishes its 17 episode run on April 1. No fooling. The show hasn't done too well in the ratings since the move to Wednesdays following Lost. The show did a bit better in the fall on Thursdays after Grey's Anatomy, but maybe the hiatus between the two was the downfall for the show, as it was off the air for two months. It is too bad, because the show is wonderful and has top-notch actors.
The show is based on a British series of the same name. What's more, the U.S. version will end up more closely resembling its British predecessor, which lasted for 16 episodes and also was a close-ended series. While the British series spawned a sequel of sorts, called Ashes to Ashes, no such plans are in the works Stateside.
Ensuring a definitive ending for Life on Mars might also make it easier to promote the show's 17-episode run as a DVD release or, possibly on a cable network should the series land an off-net run in reruns. ABC also had an actual ending on the series Day Break a few years ago and since then it has been released on DVD and also airs weekly in reruns on TV One. So Life on Mars will go out properly, as producers will be able to write and shoot a definitive ending to the saga. Groovy!
Finally, the four main stars of the hit '90s NBC comedy Seinfeld will appear together, playing themselves, in a multi-episode arc on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm alongside creator Larry David, who created both series. Yes, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards all reunite! The episodes are part of Curb's upcoming seventh season. 10 episodes have been ordered for the seventh season but there is no premiere date yet or how many episodes they will appear in.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, January 24

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "There's Something About the Russos" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Billie's neighbor, Bella Bianchi, sees her using magic, Billie and Milo try to convince her it is fake... until their efforts result in Bella getting stuck in the lair.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Ready Player Wand" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Billie's excited for her first Family Game Night with the Russos, but when she chooses a wizard game, the entire family is transported into it!

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 20)

Friday, January 24

  • Bill Burr (F Is for Family/Townies) - Watch Bill on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Ben is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Pauline Chalamet (The Sex Lives of College Girls) - Pauline appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Joel Kim Booster (Loot/Shrill) - Joel is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Lucy Liu (Joey/Pearl) - Lucy talks about her film Presence on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Topher Grace (Home Economics/That '70s Show) - Topher talks about Flight Risk on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm/Broad City/Baby Boom) - Drew is chatting with best friend duo Susie and Joy Behar on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. They're also doing an audience Q & A about love.
  • Morris Chestnut (Out All Night) - Drew is chatting with Morris about starring in Watson on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Martin Lawrence (Partners/Martin/What's Happening Now!!) - Martin stops by to talk about his new standup tour on Sherri, so check your local listings.


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

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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