SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

You saw that title correctly, Weigel's Me-TV (Memorable Entertainment TV) is going national starting Wednesday, December 8, 2010! It is expanding beyond just stations in Chicago and Milwaukee! This is wonderful news and the coming months are shaping up to be great for fans of classic TV, as we also will be getting Antenna TV in many markets on digital local stations starting Jan. 1. See our previous stories on Antenna TV.
Back to Me-TV, it will be a free, over-the-air television network for local broadcasters, just like Tribune's Antenna TV. It will run 24 hours/7 days a week with iconic television series in all the classic genres: comedy, drama, western adventure and crime/courtroom/detective series. More than 50 series from the 1950s-1980s have been licensed for air on the national Me-TV Network from multiple studios and independent producers. This allows for the type of seasonal and thematic program stunts which have defined Me-TV in Chicago for more than seven years as the destination for true, classic television presented with respect for the programs and viewers.
Among the series on the national Me-TV will be The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Bob Newhart Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, Laverne & Shirley, The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, Happy Days, M*A*S*H, Cheers, Beverly Hillbillies, Streets of San Francisco, The Big Valley, Hawaii Five-0, Star Trek, Gunsmoke, Marshall Dillon, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Honey West, Taxi, The Brady Bunch, My Three Sons, Cannon, The Odd Couple, The Honeymooners, The Untouchables, Gomer Pyle, Hogan's Heroes, Get Smart, Rawhide, Combat, 12 O'Clock High, Phil Silvers Show, The Wild Wild West, Petticoat Junction, Car 54 Where Are You? and Family Affair! Most of these series are from CBS Paramount with a few from 20th Century Television as well. View and discuss the complete schedule.
So what does Antenna TV think of this? Sean Compton, VP of Tribune Broadcasting, told us this: "I'm glad they are launching, the dot 2 spectrum is going to be filled with great programming. Me-TV is a competing yet at the same time complementing service. We have opposite shows and they don't run movies. (It) should be fun having both of us out there. I wish them luck; they are good guys." We also spoke with Neal Sabin, VP of Weigel Broadcasting, and he added the following: "Sean and I have a great relationship, we are sort of co-competitors of sorts. There is a mutual admiration between us, and I think the market place benefits from having both of us out there. In every market where Tribune or local TV has the Antenna TV affiliation, we become an option for the other broadcasters." -- We agree 100% with both Sean and Neal! The more classic TV, the merrier! SitcomsOnline.com supports both services and cannot wait for both to launch!
So now we have to ask, what markets will Me-TV be in? Antenna TV has secured nearly all of the top markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, but what about Me-TV? We will let you know clearances very soon, but unfortunately there is no clearance yet for New York City, but hopefully they can secure a spot soon. Chicago and Milwaukee will of course still remain with their current line-up. Stay tuned for clearances for Me-TV national!
View more on the national Me-TV Network. Me-TV is owned by Weigel Broadcasting Company.

Moving on to the other news of the day, Fox has set the finale date for struggling comedy Running Wilde. Fox has said they are not going to order more than the initial 13 episodes of the comedy, but it is all but canceled. They haven't said the "c" word, but after the terrible ratings, it seems it has zero chance of coming back next season.
The comedy starring Will Arnett and Keri Russell still has six episodes left to air and they will ALL air in December. It will air at its normal time of Tuesdays at 9:30pm next week (Nov. 30) and the following week (Dec. 7). The next two Tuesdays, Fox will preempt the series (Glee repeats on Dec. 14 and a new Million Dollar Money Drop on Dec. 21). As a result, Fox will move the show to Sundays for the next three weeks: Sunday, Dec. 12 at 7pm, Sunday, Dec. 19 at 7pm and Sunday, Dec. 26 at 9:30pm. The final two episodes will air on its normal night of Tuesdays, with back-to-back airings in the 9pm hour on Tuesday, Dec. 28.