SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

AmericanLife January 2010: Rhoda and Phyllis Join Schedule; CBS Pulls Three Rivers, Books 2nd I Get That A Lot Special

One month from today, on Friday, January 1, 2010, AmericanLife Network (ALN) will add the Mary Tyler Moore Show spin-offs Rhoda and Phyllis to its weekday schedule! You'll have two chances to watch them as well! The sitcoms will air in the weekdays at 10am hour and encore in the weekdays at 5pm hour later in the day, if you missed them in the morning! Rhoda and Phyllis will be replacing Bob Newhart Show and Newhart (both will be off the line-up now) in the 5pm hour, and lifestyle programming in the 10am hour.
Rhoda starred Valerie Harper in the title role and aired from 1974-78 lasting 110 episodes. It was about Rhoda Morgenstern, who was the spunky, weight conscious, flamboyantly-fashioned best friend of Mary Richards who left Minneapolis and returned home to New York City.
Phyllis starred Cloris Leachman in the title role and aired from 1975-77 lasting 48 episodes. It was about Phyllis Lindstrom, who was previously Mary Richards' landlady on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In the new series, Phyllis and her daughter Bess Lindstrom moved from Minneapolis to San Francisco, after the death of her husband, Dr. Lars Lindstrom.
In other ALN January 2010 news, Chicken Soul for the Soup will also air on weekdays now! Starting Jan. 1, it will air weekdays at 11am, replacing lifestyle programming. Soup will continue to air on weekends at 6pm as well. Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible will now air weekdays at 6pm, as Sue Thomas F.B.Eye moves to 7pm, replacing L.A. Law. Not to worry, as L.A. Law will now air at 9pm Mon-Thurs, as St. Elsewhere kicks off the night now at 8pm Mon-Thurs and Hill Street Blues closes the night at 10pm Mon-Thurs. Encores of these three dramas start at 12am Mon-Thurs with St. Elsewhere, followed by L.A. Law and Hill Street Blues from 1-3am Mon-Thurs. Airing in between will be an encore of Sue Thomas F.B.Eye weekdays at 11pm. On Fridays, the ALN Classic Movie will air at 8pm, followed by Mission Impossible at 10pm, 12am, & 1am, and The Color Honeymooners at 2am, as that will continue to air Fri-Sun at 2am. Weekends remain the same as now.
And don't forget about the 5pm hour holiday episodes all this month which began yesterday! We get classic Christmas episodes all month long from 5-6pm with classics like WKRP, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and even Mr. Belvedere! Streaks on the china, never mattered before! View the holiday schedule, if you haven't already.

As we first reported on our message board, CBS is pulling Three Rivers off the schedule effective immediately. Cold Case will move into the 9pm hour effective this Sunday, with various crime (what else?) repeats airing at 10pm the next few weeks. NCIS: LA will air this Sunday, Criminal Minds on Dec. 13, and Cold Case on Dec. 27 (as we announced, a repeat of the movie Jesse Stone: Thin Ice will air Dec. 27 from 8-10pm). Survivor finale is on Dec. 20. CBS has not announced yet what will air in the hour starting in January. CBS already has to fill the Sunday 8pm hour starting Dec. 13, since The Amazing Race ends its season this Sunday. A repeat of The Mentalist is slated for Dec. 13, with the Survivor finale on Dec. 20, and the Jesse Stone movie repeat on Dec. 27.
In other CBS updates, a second special of I Get That A Lot will air Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010 in the 8pm hour. The special is a fun filled, hidden camera special, whereby top celebrities perform ordinary jobs, while denying their real identity...only to later reveal that it is indeed them. The first special aired on April Fool's Day earlier this year to good ratings. This special will preempt Old Christine and Gary Unmarried on this night and will lead into The 36th Annual People's Choice Awards from 9-11pm ET/PT.