Hallmark Channel Cuts Lucy From Daytime; Amen and Good News Come to Gospel Music Channel

Friday, July 03, 2009

Hallmark Channel Cuts Lucy From Daytime; Amen and Good News Come to Gospel Music Channel

Hallmark Channel has made a last minute schedule change that will be in effect starting Monday (July 6, 2009). I Love Lucy will be removed again from daytime. So it will lose its two-hour weekday block of 11am-1pm and will be replaced by two episodes of Touched by an Angel. Touched will remain in its weeknights at 8pm slot as well, while I Love Lucy will now only air weeknights at 2:30am. It's been a bumpy ride for I Love Lucy on Hallmark Channel, as they want it to work, but it doesn't seem like it is doing ratings gold for them. They have tried it over and over again, and sometimes they have pulled it very fast, but this time they gave it a longer period before pulling it. Stay up until 2:30am and watch the show!

A few weeks ago we mentioned that The Gospel Music Channel has picked-up three dramas for their weekday schedule, now they have picked-up two sitcoms! They have picked-up '80s sitcom Amen starring Sherman Hemsley and the short-lived late '90s sitcom Good News. Good News as a spin-off of Sparks on UPN and lasted only 22 episodes. The series starred David Ramsey as a young acting pastor designated to South Central's African American Church of Life. Roz Ryan was also in it, and she of course was in Amen as well. Amen was of course the popular NBC comedy of the late '80s set at the First Community Church of Philadelphia and focusing on the comical differences between Deacon Ernest Frye (Sherman Hemsley) and the Reverend Reuben Gregory (Clifton Davis).
Amen will air Monday nights at 8:00pm, 8:30pm and 9:30pm with encores at 12:00am, 12:30am, and 1:30am, while Good News will also air Monday nights at 9:00pm with an encore at 1:00am.
Both of these shows can be found on TV One as well, so it isn't all that rare. Wow so the short-lived Good News is on two cable networks? That is pretty crazy, though TV One is now only airing the show from time to time, but Amen is airing every weekday morning.
Let's hope Gospel Music Channel brings in more sitcoms. If they want to focus on church comedies, then how about acquiring the short-lived late '80s sitcom Have Faith? The series was produced by John Ritter and starred Joel Higgins.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, March 12

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Big Birthday and Tequila Shots" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy struggles to celebrate Georgie’s 21st birthday after hitting a rough patch in her career.

Ghosts - "St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A St. Patrick’s Day staffing emergency gives Hetty the chance to step into an unlikely role at the restaurant as she regains her once-a-year ability to be seen and heard by the living. Meanwhile, Kyle returns to watch over the ghosts and finds himself caught in an amusing supernatural dynamic.

Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.

Going Dutch - "Tinker, Tailor, Colonel, Spy" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Rick takes a sabbatical from the CIA and returns to the base, hoping to rekindle his strained relationship with Capt. Maggie; paranoia runs high when a mole is suspected to be operating inside the base.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 9)

Thursday, March 12

Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris/Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan talks about Broadway's Death of a Salesman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana joins Tamron to talk about her fashion evolution and her role in the all-star cast of the new series Scarpetta on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren talks about Reminders of Him on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Valerie in the 10am hour.
Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil and Lily Rosenthal join Drew for a taste test of weird foods and talk about their children's book Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book) on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.