SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Beginning today (Nov. 29), GMC will air an array of holiday films, including the network's first world premiere Christmas movie, a Yule log marathon, memories from music and entertainment stars in the form of exclusive interstitials and holiday episodes from popular series. GMC will air more than 300 hours of Christmas-themed fare this holiday season, reports B&C!
Christmas-themed episodes from their regular series such as Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, Amen, Highway to Heaven, Doc, Sister Sister and 227 beging to air starting tonight. The Amen two-part episode "Miracle On 134th Street" airs tonight at 1am. On Tuesday, the Amen holiday episode "Your Christmas Show of Shows" airs at 1am. On Sunday, Dec. 5, there will be a marathon of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Christmas episodes from 3pm-7pm, and again on Monday, Dec. 6 from 5pm-9pm. Highway to Heaven Christmas episodes first air Tuesday, Dec. 7 and Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 1pm. 227 first airs their Christmas episodes on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 5:30pm-7pm, with encore airings in the 11pm hour on Saturday, Dec. 11, Monday, Dec. 13, and Tuesday, Dec. 14. The Christmas episodes air again on Friday, Dec. 17 from 2:30pm-4pm in a special 227 Friday marathon from 2:30pm-7pm. A Sister, Sister "Christmas" airs Friday, Dec. 17 at 2pm, following a special Friday marathon of that show from 10am-2pm.
Christmas with a Capital C, their first GMC World Premiere Christmas movie, premieres on Sunday, December 5 at 7 p.m. ET. The movie will encore at 9 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET. 'Tis the season to be jolly, but holiday traditions are under attack when lawyer Mitch Bright returns to his hometown of Trapper Falls, Alaska. Residents of the small town who once looked forward to each year with enthusiasm and taking great care to drape the town with Christmas cheer every season, find themselves in the heat of a legal battle with a former member of their community. Christmas with a Capital C stars Daniel Baldwin (Cold Case) as Mitch Bright and Ted McGinley (Married... with Children) as Mayor Dan Reed.
Other Christmas features include The Perfect Gift on Sunday, December 5; Fred Hammond's Christmas Who Needs It? on Saturday, Dec. 11; the Arnold Schwarzenegger-directed Christmas in Connecticut (starring Dyan Cannon, Kris Kristofferson, Tony Curtis) on Saturday, Dec. 18; Miracle of the Cards (starring Kirk Cameron) on Saturday, Dec. 18; The Christmas Box (starring Richard Thomas, Annette O'Toole, Maureen O'Hara) on Saturday, Dec. 18; Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie's Story (starring Susan Lucci) on Sunday, Dec. 5; The Secret of Giving (starring Reba McIntire) on Sunday, Dec. 12; The Joyriders (starring Martin Landau, Elizabeth Moss, Kris Kristofferson) on Wednesday, Dec. 8; and Papa's Angels (starring Cynthia Nixon, Scott Bakula) on Tuesday, Dec. 14.
Also running throughout the month, GMC will serve up Top Spin: Top 12 Songs of Christmas, hosted by Tiffany Thorpe (premiering Friday, Dec. 3 at 8am), while Christmas Voices, presenting the festive sounds of Christmas music by the world's most popular inspirational singers, will sound every Monday to Saturday through Christmas Day at 7am (and other times, too). Throughout the month, the GMC Presents franchise will focus on original Christmas concert specials featuring performances from the likes of Natalie Grant, Jars of Clay, Mary Mary, Mercy Me, Mandisa, Take 6, George Huff, among others. The specials are also available on GMC onDemand. Scheduled for all dayparts during the month, GMC will offer exclusive interstitials in which stars including Jane Seymour, Joe Lando, Tia and Tamera Mowry, Kim Fields, Amy Grant, Mary Mary, Brian McKnight, Ledisi share their fondest holiday moments and memories.
Finally, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, GMC will burn brightly with its Christmas Yule Log Gospel Music Video Marathon" starting at 8 p.m. (ET) on Dec. 24.

Finally, we pay tribute to Leslie Nielsen, who passed away yesterday. Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in the 1980 movie Airplane! and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun trilogy (1988, 1991, 1994), died on Sunday (November 28, 2010) in Fort Lauderdale, FL in his sleep in a hospital after complications from pneumonia.
While Nielsen was know for movies and TV dramas, he appeared on sitcoms as well. He played Detective Frank Drebin first in the 1982 TV comedy series, Police Squad, which trashed the cliches of Dragnet and other cop shows. Despite good reviews, ABC canceled it after only four episodes to low ratings. The series aired Thursdays at 8pm and was paired with Bosom Buddies. The remaining two episodes were aired in the summer of 1982. Years later, CBS aired reruns of the short-lived comedy in the summer of 1991 when the film The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear came out in theatres. Nielsen was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 1982 for the role. Of course 6 years later the series turned into The Naked Gun film trilogy. Police Squad has been available on DVD since 2006. After Police Squad, he had another sitcom on ABC titled Shaping Up in mid-season 1984 lasting only 5 episodes despite being paired with Three's Company on Tuesdays at 9:30pm.
Earlier in his career he was a regular on dramas. The Swamp Fox on ABC in 1959, The New Breed on ABC in 1961, Peyton Place on ABC in 1964, Bracken's World on NBC in 1969, The Protectors on NBC in 1969, and the mini-series Backstairs at the White House on NBC in 1979.
He has also guest starred on many sitcoms such as The Farmer's Daughter, M*A*S*H, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, 227, Who's the Boss?, The Golden Girls, Evening Shade, Herman's Head, Day by Day, and Flesh 'n' Blood. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Day by Day. He also guest starred on many dramas like Lights Out, Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Route 66, The Fugitive, Daniel Boone, Wagon Train, The Defenders, The Virginian, Ben Casey, The Wild Wild West, Dr. Kildare, Bonanza, It Takes a Thief, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, Night Gallery, Medical Center, The Mod Squad, The FBI, Barnaby Jones, The Streets of San Francisco, Hawaii Five-0, Ironside, Kojak, The Rookies, Lucas Tanner, Kung Fu, Cannon, Columbo, SWAT, Vega$, Hotel, Finders of Lost Love, Murder She Wrote, Highway to Heaven, Father Dowling Mysteries, Due South, and many more! Wow! I bet nobody knew he was on that much TV!
He has appeared in many TV movies as well such as Chance of a Lifetime in 1981 on NBC opposite Betty White, Cave-In! on NBC in 1983, The Wonderful World of Disney: Safety Patrol in 1998 for ABC and The Wonderful World of Disney: Santa Who? in 2000 for ABC.
Mr. Nielsen will be DEEPLY missed by his many fans. He was on TV dramas, films, and comedies. AMC is airing Airplane! tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6pm & 12am, while GMC is airing his episode of 227 on Tuesday at 11:30pm. These were already scheduled before his death, though. If there are any tributes, we will let you know. Let's hope someone airs Police Squad! Mr. Nielsen was 84.