Fox Schedule Update, Loses NFL Lead-In for New Series; Friends Reunion Tonight on ABC's Cougar Town

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Fox Schedule Update, Loses NFL Lead-In for New Series; Friends Reunion Tonight on ABC's Cougar Town

The NFL for some reason changed the playoff schedule for Sunday, Jan. 17. Instead of Fox having the late afternoon playoff game, it will now be CBS, which was scheduled to have the early afternoon playoff game. However, Fox will now have the late afternoon playoff game (Green Bay at Arizona) this coming Sunday (Jan. 10) instead. But I'm sure Fox is pissed because now on Jan. 17, the premiere of new series Human Target will NOT get a direct NFL lead-in. Also airing that night on Fox is the season premiere of 24 from 9-11pm and it also won't have that inflated lead-in. A repeat of the season finale of 24 from last season will air in the 7pm hour opposite the ending of the NFL playoff game on CBS. CBS will use the huge NFL playoff lead-in for 60 Minutes at a special time of 8pm. It will be followed by an all-new Cold Case and a repeat of NCIS at 10pm.
As mentioned above, Fox will get to have a big NFL lead-in this coming Sunday though for the 450th episode of The Simpsons at 8pm followed by a one-hour 20th anniversary special, and an all-new Cleveland Show at a special time of 9:30pm. While that is good for Fox, but they would have preferred the huge lead-in for Jan. 17 instead, I'm sure. My guess is the 450th episode will do very well, but then the night will go back to normal levels quickly.
Here is the NFL playoff schedule for the networks the next two weeks: Saturday, Jan. 9 NBC late afternoon and primetime; Sunday, Jan. 10 CBS early afternoon and Fox late afternoon; Saturday, Jan. 16 Fox late afternoon and CBS primetime; Sunday, Jan. 17 Fox early afternoon and CBS late afternoon. Early afternoon is 1pm ET, late afternoon is 4:30pm ET, and primetime is 8:00pm ET.

Wishing for a Friends reunion? Well tonight on ABC, you'll probably get the best Friends reunion you can get right now. Lisa Kudrow guest stars tonight on the ABC comedy Cougar Town starring Courtney Cox at 9:30pm ET/PT. Yes, Phoebe and Monica together again...but on Cougar Town they will not be friends, they will be frenemies! Despite fearing the meanest and most unrelenting dermatologist in town, Dr. Amy Evans (Lisa Kudrow), Jules (Courtney Cox) and Ellie (Christa Miller) are willing to endure the harsh ridicule and wrath for an appointment with the best in the business. But when Jules learns Dr. Evans is seeing her ex-husband Bobby (Brian Van Holt), she's determined to stand up to her and protect him. I'll be there for you, indeed! Meanwhile, her son Travis (Dan Byrd) gets a job working for the cougar Barb (Carolyn Hennesy) that turns out to be more than he bargained for. Scott Foley also guest stars.
Maybe Jennifer Aniston is next? View the promo and a sneak peak for tonight's reunion:

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, December 11

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Bitin’, Spankin’ and a Load of Yankee Psychobabble" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie and Mandy get upset when Audrey disciplines CeeCee without their permission.

Ghosts - "The Life and Times of Esther Greene" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Now a successful podcaster, Todd Pearlman returns to profile Sam and Isaac’s book, but becomes obsessed with Jay. Meanwhile, Pete tries to get to the bottom of why Alberta changed her name, forcing her to admit a hidden truth.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 8)

Thursday, December 11

Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Catch Jamie Lee on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Rachel Sennott (I Love LA/Call Your Mother) - Rachel appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Elon Gold (Stacked/In-Laws) - Elon is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
Zooey Deschanel (Physical/New Girl) - Andy Cohen interviews Zooey on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo. She also talks about Merv on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris) - Lucien talks about Emily in Paris on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Kyra Sedgwick (Call Your Mother/Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kyra and Kevin talk about The Best You Can with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Loretta Devine (Family Reunion/The Carmichael Show) and Lela Rochon (The Wayans Bros.) - Co-host Gayle King sits down with Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon, original cast of Waiting to Exhale, on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea talks about Broadway's Chess on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. She also performs in the 10am hour.
Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters - NBC's Today catches up with Daryl in the 9am hour.
Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Mila Kunis (Family Guy/That '70s Show) - Mila tells Drew about her role in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Ashley Park (Emily in Paris) - Emily tells Drew about what to expect in season five of Emily in Paris on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Joey McIntyre (Return of the Mac/The McCarthys) - Joey talks about Roku's Jingle Bell Wedding on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) - Danica is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:15am.