Friday, March 27, 2009

WGN America Adds Marathons, More Spring Changes; Fox Summer 2009 Schedule; NBC Chops Chopping Block from Schedule

Two weeks ago we gave you the WGN America's spring 2009 line-up, but now there are some changes and additions! First, I want to give you the marathons they have added. The first marathon is an afternoon marathon of Matlock on Sunday, April 5 from 1pm-5pm ET, yes four episodes of Ben Matlock representing clients. Then the following Sunday on Sunday, April 12 from 1pm-5pm will be In the Heat of the Night. For this event, we get two episodes followed by a 1995 TV-movie called In the Heat of the Night: Grow Old Along with Me (1995). The next marathon is a primetime launch of the classic animated series The Bullwinkle Show! The marathon will be Friday, April 17 from 8-10pm ET (5-7pm PT). As we mentioned last time, the series will regularly air Saturdays at 12am ET (9pm PT) starting April 18. Great to see this series back on national TV! The four episode marathon will be the first four parts of the story arc "Wossamotta U" from the fifth season. The regular airings will start with the second season episode "Rue Britannia, Part 1." The final marathon they have scheduled so far is probably the best one because it is for a show that doesn't air on the regular schedule! On Sunday, April 19 during the classic block "Outta Sight Retro Night" hours we will get The Munsters! Yes, from 5pm-10pm and 11pm-2am ET. WGN America will preempt Cosby Show, ALF, WKRP, Newhart, Honeymooners, Bewitched, Jeannie, and Hillbillies for one night for Herman Munster and gang! The last time the series aired on WGN America was for a Halloween marathon. Check out the episode schedule for this marathon!
As for the regular changes starting week of April 13, what we gave you before it pretty much right...but there are a few changes now. The weeknights at 1am ET hour will no longer be a rotating wheel. We will now get Star Trek: The Next Generation (except Thursday nights is still the delayed Scrubs airings). Four nights a week of Star Trek: TNG, so the Tuesday primetime airings will be replaced by movies or baseball games now. The only other changes are to late nights. Tuesday late nights from 4am-5:30am ET will now be Moesha instead of a second night of Corner Gas. But as of now, when Moesha leaves at the end of June (looks like it is expiring), the second night of Corner Gas will return in July. Replacing the Thursday airing of Moesha at 5am ET starting the week of April 13 will be Reno 911. Since Reno 911 will be replaced at 1am hour, the airings will be moved to Friday late nights from 4am-5:30am ET replacing Funniest Pets & People. And the fifth airing of Reno 911 is still Sundays at 5am ET. As I said, July will see more late night changes. Sister, Sister will also be removed after June as well it seems. Because its Wednesday 4am-5:30am ET block will be replaced by Funniest Pets & People starting in July. Thursdays and Fridays in July will see a bit of a change, too...4-5am ET will be Reno 911 and 5am ET will be Funniest Pets & People. Why the change? Because new reality series Around the World for Free concludes at the end of June, so the Bob & Tom Show encore won't air at 4am ET on Thursdays anymore. I know...confusing. That's all we have for now. Stay tuned for more WGN America news, since we were told to expect more sitcom marathons in the summer and possibly new shows on Sunday nights in the fall!

Fox's summer 2009 season begins this May with season five of So You Think You Can Dance and the premiere of new medical drama Mental. Fan-favorites heat up the summer with the next installment of culinary competition Hell's Kitchen and all-new episodes of Don't Forget the Lyrics!, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, Cops and America's Most Wanted.
So You Think You Can Dance kicks off with a two-night, four-hour premiere Thursday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 27 both from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. Once the auditions conclude, weekly performance shows will air Wednesdays from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT, and weekly results shows will air Thursdays from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT.
Mental will debut Friday, May 22 at 9:00PM ET/PT. The series follows Dr. Jack Gallagher (Chris Vance), a dynamic, young psychiatrist who serves as Director of Mental Health Services at a Los Angeles hospital. Leading into Mental, will be the return of Don't Forget the Lyrics! as it returns to lock-in the lyrics with all-new episodes starting Friday, May 22 at 8:00 PM ET/PT.
Then six weeks later, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? heads back to the classroom for summer session and all-new episodes starting Friday, July 3 at 8:00PM ET/PT.
The summer gets even hotter when the next installment of Hell's Kitchen kicks off with a special two-hour premiere Tuesday, July 21 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. The intensity continues Tuesdays beginning July 28 in its regular hour of 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT as Chef Gordon Ramsay narrows down the field of competing chefs until only one remains standing in the kitchen.
Finally, Cops and AMW will be new all summer long on Saturdays. And as previously announced, Teen Choice 2009, the annual special that celebrates the year's hottest teen icons in film, television, music, sports and fashion, will air Monday, August 10 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT.

NBC has chopped its last meal for Chopping Block. NBC has pulled the Wednesday at 8pm cooking-reality competition series from the schedule after just three airings. The series has gone down in the ratings in each episode and was pulled after just a 1.8 HH rating and just 2.58 million viewers. Those are Saturday numbers! The show will be replaced by repeats of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which was scheduled to air repeats starting April 29, so it is coming 5 weeks earlier than planned. No, these will not be the new season of Criminal Intent, that starts on NBC in June on Mondays. But USA Network will air the new season first starting April 19.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, May 23

Happy's Place - "Sisters Ink" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Isabella gifts Bobbie matching sister mugs, Bobbie is forced to quickly think of an equally thoughtful gift, resulting in Isabella expecting the sisters to get matching tattoos; Steve and Takoda investigate where Emmett has been sneaking off.

Happy's Place - "Whiskey Business" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Steve drops his favorite pen down a crack in the bar, Bobbie decides to pry the bar open to find it, discovering a very valuable bottle of whiskey in the process; Steve is thrown by Emmett's reaction to breaking a knife that Steve gifted him.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 19)

Friday, May 23

  • Milly Alcock (Sirens) - Watch Milly on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Michael Urie (Shrinking/Krapopolis/Partners), Jessica Williams (Shrinking/Love Life/Just for Kicks) and Luke Tennie (Shrinking) - Michael, Jessica and Luke are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That.../Divorce/Sex and the City/Square Pegs) - Sarah talks all things And Just Like That... on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Method Man (Method & Red) - Method Man talks about his new film Bad Shabbos on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) - Hannah talks about Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Joe Jonas (Jonas) - NBC's Today catches up with Joe sometime between 7-9am.
  • Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry talks about Shadow Force on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • David Hyde Pierce (Frasier) - NBC's Today catches up with David in the 9am hour.
  • Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel joins Sherri to talk about starring in the new film Juliet & Romeo on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Terri J. Vaughn (She the People/Mann & Wife/Meet the Browns/All of Us/The Steve Harvey Show) - Terri talks about starring in the new Netflix series She the People on a repeat of Sherri, 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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