ION Television February 2010: My Name is Earl on Weekends; USA Network Acquires CSI Starting Dec. 2010, Exclusive Rights Start Sept. 2014

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

ION Television February 2010: My Name is Earl on Weekends; USA Network Acquires CSI Starting Dec. 2010, Exclusive Rights Start Sept. 2014

ION Television has done very well in the ratings, especially in primetime, that they haven't made many schedule changes to their schedule lately. In February 2010, they will add two new shows to their line-up, while one show leaves. First off, they will add My Name is Earl to its weekends line-up whenever a movie doesn't start at 3pm. The series starts Saturday, Jan. 30 in the 3pm hour. It will also air Feb. 7 at 3pm, Feb. 13 from 3-4pm, Feb. 21 from 3-4pm, and Feb. 28 from 3-4pm. So it isn't anything regular, which is strange. It is replacing Family Feud at these times, but that show airs weekdays from 5-7pm anyway. I think ION is probably limited to airing My Name is Earl on weekends because broadcast stations are also airing the series on weekdays as is TBS on cable. It seems weird that it is only airing on weekends, though.
As for weekdays, starting Feb. 1, weekdays in the 4pm hour will now be back-to-back episodes of the court show Texas Justice, replacing Reba, which is now gone totally. Texas Justice was a court show which had cases that were judged by Larry Joe Doherty. The program was recorded at the studios of Fox station KRIV (Channel 26) in Houston, Texas. The series lasted for 4 1/2 seasons in syndication from January 2001 until it was cancelled in September 2005. Reba will remain on cable in Lifetime, so it isn't totally gone from television at least. No word when or if Reba will return to ION.
Other ION February 2010 notes includes a M*A*S*H sighting! But it is only one airing on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 3pm with the episode "The Pilot" airing. Strange, but at least an episode is airing. Movie premieres for ION in February are Basic, Twisted and Elopement. Movies encoring are Unbreakable, Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions, City of Angels, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Guarding Tess, and The Pelican Brief.
View the full ION Television February 2010 schedule and highlights.

USA Network has acquired the rights to reruns of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for its second cycle. Under the agreement, USA will have non-exclusive rights to seasons 1-10 beginning December 2010 (shared with Spike TV). Starting Fall 2011, USA will also have the exclusive off-network rights to premiere CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Seasons 11 and beyond. Beginning September 2014, NBCU shall be the exclusive home of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, as Spike TV loses the rights to the series. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation will be available to air on other NBCU owned networks like Bravo. Sources close to the deal say USA is paying in the neighborhood of $500,000 per episodes for the CBS TV Studios-produced show.
CSI will join the rerun rose of NCIS, JAG, Law and Order: SVU, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, House, and more. NCIS spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles is also set to make USA its rerun home in Fall 2011 airing weekly then weekdays by Fall 2013. With a lineup of originals led by Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, & White Collar that continues to set ratings highs, USA was No. 1 basic cable network in 2009 in the 18-49 demo, increasing 29% from 2008.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, December 6

Happy's Place - "Ho-Ho Howey" (NBC, 9:15PM ET/PT)
When the tavern's health insurance is threatened to be canceled, Gabby has a plan; she'll persuade her friend Danny to host his company party at Happy's, but the catch is everyone must call Bobbie "Gabby" and Gabby "Bobbie."

Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs Santa" (NBC, 9:45PM ET/PT)
While Mayan tries to track down the perfect Christmas gift for Chance, George has to settle a feud with Santa that stretches back to George's childhood; Quinten tries to shake Rosie out of her holiday blues.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "We Were Beggars, Now We Are Choosers" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Abishola gives her previous suitor a second chance, Uncle Tunde goes behind Auntie Olu's back to warn Bob about the other man who's courting his niece.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Ice Cream for Breakfast" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bob must gain the confidence to fight for Abishola when she goes on another date with Chukwuemeka; Uncle Tunde finds an unlikely friend in Dottie in the aftermath of his fight with Auntie Olu.

Children Ruin Everything - "Chores" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Astrid and James question the effectiveness of their own parenting when they meet one of Felix's friends with impeccable manners; Astrid and James worry about the types of adults their kids will become.

Children Ruin Everything - "Feelings" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
James, feeling left out when Ennis makes a new friend, inserts himself in Ennis' dodgeball tournament; Astrid struggles to get Viv to control her emotions, especially when frustrations at work make it hard to lead by example.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 2)

Friday, December 6

Ralph Macchio (Eight Is Enough) - Watch Ralph on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Ben is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced/9 to 5) - Rita appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Emily Osment (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon/Young & Hungry/Hannah Montana), Tien Tran (How I Met Your Father) and Vinny Thomas (Platonic) - Emily, Tien and Vinny are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Hilary Swank (Camp Wilder) - NBC's Today catches up with Hilary in the 10am hour.
The Cast of Sex Lives of College Girls - The Sex Lives of College Girls creator Mindy Kaling is joining Drew on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Then, the case of the show, Pauline Chalamet, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Amrit Kaur, Mia Rodgers and Gracie Lawrence are all chatting about the latest season of the hit show.
Ryan Destiny (grown-ish) and Brian Tyree Henry (HouseBroken/Atlanta) - Ryan and Brian talk about their new film The Fire Inside on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Steve Howey (Reba) - Steve talks about NBC's Happy Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Krysten discusses her film Sonic 3 on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Melissa Joan Hart (Baby Daddy/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) - Melissa is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.