'90s Cosby Sitcom Now on Gospel Music Channel; Remembering TV Writer Barry Blitzer

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

'90s Cosby Sitcom Now on Gospel Music Channel; Remembering TV Writer Barry Blitzer

Gospel Music Channel (GMC) has quietly added the '90s sitcom Cosby to its schedule since Monday (Feb. 1). The series aired from 1996-2000 on CBS. The series previously aired in repeats in broadcast syndication and on cable on TBS shortly after its run ended on CBS. Bill Cosby stars as Hilton Lucas, a hard-working, devoted husband and father trying to make sense out of the challenges of everyday life. Also starring are Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show), Doug E. Doug and the late Madeline Kahn. The series is airing weekdays in the 9am ET hour and encoring later in the day in the 11pm ET hour. View the promo GMC has created for the series.
You can win a 10 CD prize pack on Twitter if you retweet their status. Contest ends Friday (Feb. 5) at 12 noon ET, so hurry Hilton Lucas fans!
They have also quietly added Funniest Pets & People airing weekdays in the 7am hour. With the additions of Cosby and Funniest Pets & People, there are some time changes for their existing series. Airing weekdays in the 8am hour now will be Sister, Sister in between the two new series. In the 10am hour we now have an hour of Amen. Joyful Noise Cafe has now moved to 11am-1pm, as it used to air 7am-9am, which means Christy is now gone from 12 noon. Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman will still remain in the 1pm, 2pm, 6pm and 7pm hours. Faith & Fame replaces Promised Land at 3pm, but Promised Land will now move to 10pm. Sue Thomas, F.B.eye will remain weekdays at 4pm and 8pm, while Doc also remain weekdays at 5pm and 9pm. Sister, Sister is replaced from 10pm-12am with the aforementioned Promised Land and Cosby hours. Various gospel progamming remains airs at 12 midnight ET and Amen continues to air with back-to-back episodes in the 1am ET hour, which is in addition to its 10am ET hour.
For weekends, everything looks the same with the weekly Sister, Sister Saturday marathons from 9am-2pm leading into movies the rest of the day. Sundays will still have a mix of movies and gospel programming.
View the full Gospel Music Channel schedule and to discuss these new changes.

Veteran television writer Barry Blitzer, who wrote for classic TV shows such as Get Smart and The Flintstones, died last Wednesday (Jan. 27) in Santa Monica, Calif from complications after abdominal surgery. Blitzer shared a Writers Guild nomination in 1968 for Get Smart, with co-writer and frequent collaborator Raymond Brenner. He wrote for comedies including The Phil Silvers Show, Gomer Pyle, Andy Griffith Show, The Love Boat, Hot L Baltimore, Too Close for Comfort, McHale's Navy, Filthy Rich, Small Wonder, and Good Times.
In addition to The Flinstones, Blitzer also wrote episodes for other Hanna Barbera cartoons like The Jetsons, The Flinstone Kids, The New Yogi Bear Show, and Top Cat, as well as children's programs including Land of the Lost. He was also the last surviving member of the group of writers who shared a 1956 Best Comedy Writing Emmy for The Phil Silvers Show (for the episode, "You'll Never Get Rich").
He was also a story editor for the animated versions of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley (The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang and Laverne & Shirley in the Army), along with writing episodes for The Partridge Family animated series Partridge Family 2200 AD.
Mr. Blitzer will certainly be missed even though he has not written anything since 1990. He was 80.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Monday, November 29

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Family Business" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Tina struggles to keep up with her job at Calvin’s auto shop, due to her burgeoning baking business, he faces a tough decision: should he fire his own wife? Also, Malcolm delays breaking up with a girlfriend when her son becomes an unexpected asset to his youth baseball team.

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Light Duty" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abishola and Kemi take a directionless Christina to see a Yoruba priest, where she learns that her toxic relationship with her mother may be stifling her growth. Also, Bob deals with the fallout of promoting Kofo over Goodwin when Goodwin has a panic attack at work.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 29)

Monday, November 29

Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Watch Kathy on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Alan Ruck (Spin City/Muscle/Going Places) - Alan appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Tracy Morgan (The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Rami Malek (The War at Home) - Rami appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Vanessa Lachey (Truth Be Told/Dads) - Vanessa will be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT. NBC's Today has Make Ahead Monday with Vanessa in the 9am hour.
Harry Hamlin (Movie Stars) - Harry is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Leah Remini (Kevin Can Wait/The Exes/Family Tools/The King of Queens/Fired Up) - Leah guest co-hosts The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Jennifer appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is a guest on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Jane Levy (Suburgatory) - Jane will be on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
AnnaLynne McCord (Let's Get Physical) - Anan discusses her childhood sexual abuse, trauma and dissociative identity disorder diagnosis on a repeat of The Doctors, so check your local listings.
Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin talks about True Story on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.
Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced/9 to 5) - Rita talks about West Side Story on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Julie Bowen (Modern Family/Ed) - NBC's Today catches up with Julie in the 9am hour.
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) - Tituss talks about NBC's Annie Live! in the 9am hour.
Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke talks about Castle for Christmas in the 10am hour.
Kim Fields (The Upshaws/Living Single/The Facts of Life/Baby, I'm Back) - Kim talks about VH1's Adventures in Christmasing on Access Live, so check your local listings.
Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle is a guest on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.