Monday, October 11, 2010
ABC Family Orders More Melissa & Joey, More Pilots, and 2010 Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas
ABC Family has given the production greenlight to four more pilots as well. The pilots are Untitled Brenda Hampton Project, What Would Jane Do, The Lying Game and The Great State of Georgia. The latter, The Great State of Georgia, is a half-hour multi-camera sitcom about an exuberant plus-sized performer from the south and her science geek best friend who try to make headway in New York City. Pilot writers are Jennifer Weiner (author of the best-selling novels Good in Bed, and In Her Shoes (Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette starred in the feature film version by the same name)) and Jeff Greenstein (Desperate Housewives, Friends, Will & Grace). No casting has been announced yet. The other three pilots are scripted one-hour dramas. In What Would Jane Do, the series follows 16 year-old Jane, who lands a job at a hip retail company when they mistake her for an adult. Jane soon finds herself juggling life as a regular teenager in high school and as an assistant to a high powered executive in the cutthroat world of fashion... all while trying to keep her true identity a secret. Executive producer is Gavin Polone (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gilmore Girls); writer is April Blair (Christmas Caper).
In The Lying Game, the series follows Emma, a kind-hearted foster kid who can't catch a break. She finds out she has an identical twin sister, Sutton, who - unlike Emma - was adopted by wealthy parents and is seemingly living an ideal life. After their initial meeting, Sutton talks Emma into stepping into her life for a few days while she pursues a lead on their birth mother. Initially excited to do this favor for her sister, Emma soon learns that Sutton has gone missing and could be in trouble. Now, Emma must decide whether to come clean to Sutton's family and risk her own safety in the hope of uncovering her twin sister's true whereabouts, along with the truth about why they were separated in the first place. Charles Pratt, Jr. (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives) serves as executive producer and writer; Leslie Morgenstein (Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl) and Gina Girolamo will serve as executive producers. Produced by Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television, the series is based on the upcoming novel by Pretty Little Liars author Sara Shepard.
And in the Untitled Brenda Hampton Project, it is executive produced by Brenda Hampton (The Secret Life of the American Teenager, 7th Heaven), and is a groundbreaking and heartfelt look at the lives and families of four ethnically-diverse teenage girls at a private school in California. The pilot follows the girls and the challenges they face at home -- challenges that include a parent with terminal cancer, a brother with a behavioral disorder, and a father who parents with an unwaveringly strict hand.
And today it is an all ABC Family news day on this Columbus Day holiday, so we will give you their November 2010 highlights, which includes the "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas." The countdown starts Sunday, November 21, 2010. Among the movies airing are Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Holiday in Handcuffs, A Carol Christmas, Aladdin, Ice Age, Dumbo, Mary Poppins, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Snoopy Come Home, Home Alone 2, Home Alone 4, Richie Rich, Happy Feet and the ABC Family original movie premiere of The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation on Sunday, Nov. 28. Holiday episodes include America's Funniest Home Videos Thanksgiving & Christmas episodes and Boy Meets World Christmas episodes. The countdown airs Nov. 21-30, then the actual stunt starts Dec. 1 through 25. As we mentioned earlier, Melissa & Joey has its fall season finale on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 8pm. Leading into the finale will be the first 14 episodes of the season, so you can catch-up with any missed episodes or get hooked for the first time! The marathon airs from 1-8pm. Other November 2010 highlights includes the ABC Family premieres of Evan Almighty, Trading Places and Cheaper by the Dozen. And when the Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas airs on weeknights, My Wife & Kids will have its evening airings at 6pm aired at 1pm instead of 8 Simple Rules.
View the full list of movies and episodes airing on ABC Family's 2010 Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas (Nov. 21-30).
And finally we leave you today reminding you to watch the launch of new network The Hub! The Hub is replacing Discovery Kids and will feature sitcoms starting at 8pm every weeknight. We get Family Ties, The Wonder Years, Doogie Howser, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Batman, as we mentioned! Holy classic TV, Batman indeed! Watch tonight on The Hub!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, October 30
Abbott Elementary - "Costume Contest" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
It’s Halloween at Abbott Elementary! Janine and Gregory proudly show off their couple’s costume, but it fails to translate. Meanwhile, Barbara faces pushback from parents concerned about hygiene and her beloved apple-bobbing tradition.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Saved by the Spell" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
On her first day of school, Billie uses magic to impress Roman's best friend; when a jealous Roman steals Billie's wand, he falls into the grasp of a wizard-hunting phantomus.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Something Wizard This Way Comes" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
On Halloween, Billie tells Roman about Pumpkin Belly, a ghoul who eats anyone whose house isn't spookily decorated; Justin, Milo and Giada defend the home from pranksters.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 28)
Wednesday, October 30
- Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Watch Sheryl on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Salma Hayek Pinault (The Sinbad Show) - Salma appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Kieran Culkin (Solar Opposites/Go Fish) - Kieran is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom stops by 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 After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Adam Pally (Mr. Throwback/Indebted/Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Adam appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
- Keri Russell (Running Wilde/Daddy's Girls) - Keri talks about The Diplomat on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Matty Matheson (The Bear) - Matty talks about improvising scenes on the hit show The Bear and how he started his career in restaurants on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Anna Kendrick (Love Life) - Anna is chatting with Drew about directing her first film Woman of the Hour, the crazy serial killer case the movie is based on, finding boundaries in her life, turning 40 and more on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) - Mayan discusses her sitcom Lopez vs Lopez on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
- Marissa Jaret Winokur (What We Do in the Shadows/Retired at 35/Stacked) - Marissa appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
- Melissa Peterman (Happy's Place/Young Sheldon/Baby Daddy/Working Class/Reba) - Melissa talks about NBC's Happy's Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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