SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Beginning next Monday (Oct. 11), ABC Family will make a few schedule changes. It looks like newly added drama Friday Night Lights isn't doing too well in the ratings because it be moving out of its weekdays at 6:00pm slot and move to weekdays at 11:00am replacing the Gilmore Girls morning airing. Replacing Friday Night Lights in the weeknights at 6:00pm hour will be back-to-back episodes of My Wife & Kids, which was airing in the weekdays 1:00pm hour. So what will air now in the 1:00pm hour? 8 Simple Rules will return to the schedule and replaces My Wife and Kids and will air back-to-back in the hour every weekday afternoon! It's certainly great to see 8 Simple Rules back on the regular schedule! Stay with us for any further changes, but this is good news for sitcom fans and bad news for fans of FNL, though it is still on at least.

The Inspiration Networks has announced a major rebrand for its flagship network INSP - The Inspiration Network that is slated to debut on Monday, October 18, 2010. The rebranded network will launch under the theme "It's a New Day!" with new network graphics and a refocused programming lineup.
Among the series joining will be two classic dramas. The Inspiration Networks announced an agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution that brings the family television classics The Waltons and Our House to INSP - The Inspiration Network. Beginning Monday, October 18, 2010, the network will strip '70s family drama The Waltons Monday-Friday at 1pm and 8pm ET and the '80s family drama Our House Monday-Friday at 7pm and 1am ET. The program additions are part of INSP's "It's a New Day!" rebrand, which targets socially-conservative Baby Boomers with values-based entertainment programming. INSP already airs the drama Highway to Heaven, another classic '80s family drama.
The new INSP lineup will tailor to the viewing habits of this demographic with a combination of original and acquired high-quality content that spans the drama, comedy and documentary genres, along with interstitials, award-winning specials, and top-tier music and teaching programs that viewers have come to expect from INSP.
INSP is available in more than 60 million homes across the US on more than 2,800 cable systems and on DIRECTV channel 364 and DISH Network channel 259. Viewers can check their local program guides for channel line-up information or visit www.insp.com.

As promised, today we will pay tribute to the late great Stephen J. Cannell. The bestselling novelist and Emmy-winning TV producer of hits like The A-Team, The Rockford Files and 21 Jump Street, died at his Pasadena home of complications of melanoma on Thursday (Sept. 30, 2010). Earlier in his career, he wrote for iconic series including Adam-12, Mission: Impossible and It Takes a Thief before founding Stephen J. Cannell Productions in 1979, a company that churned out classic action adventure series The Rockford Files, Baretta, Black Sheep Squadron, The A-Team, Riptide, The Greatest American Hero, Hunter, Hardcastle and McCormick, Stingray, Wiseguy, 21 Jump Street, Silk Stalkings, Renegade, The Commish, Profit and so many more!
Cannell most recently served as Producer and Creative Consultant for the big-screen adaptation of The A-Team and has appeared as himself in episodes of the current ABC television series, Castle, where he joined fellow authors James Patterson and Michael Connelly as one of Castle's (Nathan Fillion) poker buddies. He was also a producer for Castle and appeared on a season two DVD bonus feature with Fillion that is still one of my favorite special features ever.
Though he is not a sitcom star or involved in any sitcoms, he is a legend and we have to pay tribute to him for bringing so many great TV series, especially in the '80s. He will be deeply missed and I'm sure all of you out there like AT LEAST one show he created or wrote. He has done so many shows and I have liked dozens of them! Mr. Cannell was only 69.