Monday, January 31, 2011

TV Land March 2011 Schedule and Highlights; 17th Annual SAG Awards Winners

TV Land has announced its March 2011 schedule and highlights and there are some changes as well. Looks like Boston Legal is just for February, as All in the Family and Sanford & Son morning airings return in the 8am hour from Tues-Fri starting March 1. Legal starts in the hour on Feb. 8, as we mentioned last month. The only other schedule changes are on weekends and it seems Married...with Children is only lasting in January and February on TV Land. Effective Saturday, March 5, the sitcom is once again off of the schedule. The series aired Saturdays from 4pm-9pm and Sundays from 4pm-8pm. Replacing it on Saturdays is another hour of Bewitched, an hour of Hot in Cleveland repeats, an hour of All in the Family at 6, and Sanford & Son from 7-9pm. And replacing it on Sundays is two more extra hours of Bewitched, an hour of All in the Family at 6 and Sanford & Son in the 7pm hour. No other schedule changes will be made to the regular schedule.
Original series Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35 will continue to air Wednesdays in the 10pm hour. The mid-season finale of Cleveland and the season finale of Retired will air on March 23. Guest starring this month on Cleveland are Jon Lovitz, Isaiah Mustafa, Carl Reiner, Gregory Harrison, Sherri Shepherd and Amy Sedaris. Meanwhile, Retired at 35 welcomes guest star Peter Bonerz in March and Fred Willard returns. Episode info for the month for both series is available on the highlights link below.
To celebrate the upcoming mid-season finale for Hot in Cleveland, TV Land will air a marathon of the previous nine episodes from the season. It's gotten really hot in Cleveland! Elka's trial is only a few days away. Victoria is still broke and scheming. Joy is still trying to figure out a way to avoid deportation. This weekend, find out how the ladies got themselves into this mess when TV Land airs a marathon of season two on Sunday, March 20 starting at 6pm, and then be sure to come back on Wednesday, March 23 to see what fate has in store for Elka, Victoria, Joy and Melanie. The marathon also airs Saturday, March 19 from 4:30pm-9pm.
Join TV Land for a night of laughs on Saturday, April 2 at 8pm as they look back at some of the funniest and most memorable moments from past American Comedy Award shows in The Best of the American Comedy Awards: A Retrospective of Past Award Shows from 1987-2001. For over a decade, the American Comedy Awards celebrated the comedic talent of stars including Mel Brooks, Billy Crystal, Roseanne Barr, Jerry Seinfeld, and everyone's favorite octogenarian- the one and only Betty White. Former Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include comedy geniuses George Carlin and Steve Martin. Be sure to tune in at 8pm on Saturday, April 2 to catch all the fun!
TV Land Monday movie premieres for the month are Die Hard, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Four Weddings and a Funeral, while encore airings will have Naked Gun, Something's Gotta Give and Trading Places.
View the FULL TV Land March 2011 schedule and highlights. Coming in April will be the annual TV Land Awards, so stay tuned for more info on that in the coming weeks!

The 17th Annual Screen Actor Guild Awards (SAG) were last night and the winners were announced. Among the big winners were Modern Family, Boardwalk Empire, Betty White, and Alec Baldwin once again.
Here are the main TV winners:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire, HBO)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, AMC)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Showtime)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men, HBO)
Hugh Laurie (House, Fox)
WINNER: Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire, HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Glenn Close (Damages, FX)
Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU, NBC)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife, CBS)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men, AMC)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer, TNT)
WINNER: Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife, CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, NBC)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC)
Steve Carrell (The Office, NBC)
Chris Colfer (Glee, Fox)
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family, ABC)
WINNER: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie, Showtime)
Tina Fey (30 Rock, NBC)
Jane Lynch (Glee, Fox)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family, ABC)
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland, TV Land)
WINNER: Betty White (Hot in Cleveland, TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
The Closer (TNT)
Dexter (Showtime)
The Good Wife (CBS)
Mad Men (AMC)
WINNER: Boardwalk Empire (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 Rock (NBC)
Glee (Fox)
Hot in Cleveland (TV Land)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Office (NBC)
WINNER: Modern Family (ABC)

View the complete TV portion winners and to discuss the winners!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Week 19 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

2010-11 Week 19 TV Ratings (first four nights averages, Mon-Thu):

Households: 1. Fox 8.7/13.6 rating/share; 2. CBS 5.9/9.5; 3. ABC 4.1/6.6; 4. NBC 3.7/6.0; 5. The CW 1.2/1.9
Total Viewers: 1. Fox 15.44 million; 2. CBS 9.38 million; 3. ABC 6.39 million; 4. NBC 6.11 million; 5. The CW 1.95 million.
Adults 18-49: 1. Fox 5.4/14.5 rating/share; 2. CBS 2.1/5.8; 3. NBC 2.0/5.6; 4. ABC 2.0/5.4; 5. The CW 0.9/2.4

Week 19 (Jan. 24-30) Analysis: Week 19 is seeing Fox dominating so far as many series on CBS and ABC are in repeats. As a result of that, Idol didn't drop much in week two. Through the first four nights Fox leads the way, followed by CBS then ABC and NBC. Last week, week 18, had CBS win big thanks to the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. Fox was in second place across the board thanks to the return of Idol. ABC was third everywhere again while NBC was still stuck in fourth.

Monday saw Fox and ABC battle, with CBS in repeats. ABC started with The Bachelor doing 9.28 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, up from previous week. I think it is going to get better and better now. At 10pm ABC aired a new Castle and did 9.08 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, up from its previous new episode two weeks prior. What an episode it was! CBS was back to repeats with its comedies and Hawaii Five-0. At 8pm, a repeat of How I Met Your Mother started it off with 7.1 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which is good but seems below average. At 8:30, a repeat of Rules of Engagement did 7.05 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, good retention. Even without DVR factored in, it was similar retention. Two and a Half Men followed with a repeat of its own doing 11.46 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, which is great for a repeat. At 9:30, Mike & Molly was a repeat too and did 9.39 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, a solid performance for a repeat. A repeat of Hawaii Five-0 at 10pm did 6.65 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, which is good but most CBS dramas do better in repeats. Could have been better because the previous night had a post-AFC airing doing well. Fox was all-new starting with House doing 10.45 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, up some from previous week. A new episode of Lie To Me followed at 9pm with 7.67 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, up A LOT from previous week. Good job, but is it fool's gold? NBC started its night with a new Chuck doing 6.06 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is down a few tenths from previous week. At 9pm, the struggling The Cape did 5.85 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, down from previous week. At 10pm, week two of Harry's Law aired doing a solid 10.43 million but just a 2.1 18-49 rating. Majority of its audience is out of the 18-49 demo, which isn't what advertisers want. Bright spot was that it was just down a tenth from previous week. If it keeps it up, NBC will take it despite the old skew. The CW was FINALLY back with new episodes as a new 90210 did 1.69 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, on par with its episodes from the fall. Still not too good, though, as ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars towers over it. Gossip Girl followed with a new episode doing 1.58 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating.

Tuesday had President Obama affect primetime with the annual State of the Union Address. CBS started with a repeat of NCIS and did 13.4 million but just a 2.3 18-49 rating. Given the total viewers, the 18-49 should be better. NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife were preempted for The State of the Union, that doesn't count in the ratings due to no commercial breaks. CBS did have an analysis at 10:13pm doing a third place 6.95 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. A repeat of The Big Bang Theory followed at 10:41pm ET doing 5.88 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. For ABC, No Ordinary Family was a repeat in the 8pm hour doing 4.1 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating. However, V and Detroit 1-8-7 were preempted for the State of the Union, which doesn't count in the ratings. ABC's analysis of the speech did a second place 7.06 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. Then a repeat of Cougar Town joined in progress did 2.49 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating. Fox again had a repeat of Glee do 4.75 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which was similar to previous week's repeat. Next Raising Hope was preempted for the State of the Union. NBC aired an abbreviated The Biggest Loser doing 8.58 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, which was up some from previous week despite being just an hour. Then at 9pm, they aired the State of the Union, followed by an analysis from 10:12pm-10:30pm doing 7.73 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, but it dropped in the 10:30pm half-hour to 5.45 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating. Parenthood was preempted. The CW was new with One Tree Hill doing 1.89 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating. Next at 9pm was the new night of Hellcats and that did 2.15 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, improving the hour from normal.

Wednesday had American Idol dominate with minimal drops from previous week. A two-hour airing did 25.33 million and a 9.2 18-49 rating, down a half a point from previous week. It will be interesting when everything is new (and Survivor) returns and Idol is down to an hour, to see how the show does then. CBS started the night off with dud Live to Dance doing just 4.51 million and an embarrassing 1.0 18-49 rating again. Paula Abdul is probably pissed. Veteran drama Criminal Minds was next and did 12.77 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, up some from previous week. At 10pm, the second special Wednesday airing of Blue Bloods did 12.1 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. The problem with this show is, like Harry's Law, The Good Wife, Detroit 1-8-7, the majority of the audience is not in 18-49. ABC had its Laugh On comedy block and had a repeat of The Middle open the night with a solid 6.93 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, great repeat ratings, especially against Idol. A second repeat aired instead of Better With You and did 6.58 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is on par with previous week's all-new Better With You. Wow. ABC aired Modern Family with a repeat at 9pm doing 7.27 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, its best repeat ratings ever, even opposite Idol. Then at 9:30, Cougar Town was the only new airing in the block and got lost in the shuffle doing only 5.03 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating. It will have to do it again this week, but this time with no Idol against it. So maybe it will go up this week. At 10pm, a new episode of new drama Off the Map aired and did 5.06 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, down some from the previous week. It is skewing young, so ABC has something here to watch, which it didn't have for The Whole Truth. NBC started off with a new Minute to Win It at 8pm doing 5.02 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, which was eaten by Idol again. After that a new episode of Chase did only 4.17 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, but it was up a few tenths actually from previous week. At 10pm, Law & Order: SVU was next but in repeat mode, doing 5.47 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating. The CW had repeats, this time with Nikita starting it off at 8pm doing 1.44 million and a 0.4 18-49 rating, similar to previous week. At 9pm a repeat of The Vampire Diaries did only 900,000 viewers and a 0.4 18-49 rating.

Thursday saw once again Fox win the night. But first, ABC opened the night with an all-new Wipeout doing 7.6 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, down two tenths from previous week but actually still solid against Idol. Then Grey's Anatomy was next but it was a repeat doing 4.54 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, off a bit from previous week. At 10pm, Private Practice was also a repeat and did 3.33 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. ABC returns with new episodes to kick-off February sweeps this Thursday. CBS opened with a repeat of The Big Bang Theory and it did 9.03 million and a 2.3 A18-49 rating, good but seems lower and older than normal. Then a new $#*! My Dad Says followed with 8.74 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, down from previous week. Looks like a step back after some consistency. Next, CSI was a repeat and did 9.56 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating. A repeat of The Mentalist did 10.11 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating. OK so onto Fox, at 8pm a new American Idol did 22.48 million and a 7.7 18-49 rating, which is down big from the previous night but only down a tenth from the previous Thursday. A new episode of Bones followed at 9pm and did 12.05 million and 3.9 18-49 rating, up from previous week with the competing CBS drama in repeat mode. NBC was all-new new with its comedies, as Community did 4.59 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. Then new comedy Perfect Couples did 3.49 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, down from previous week but not as bad I thought it would be. Maybe this week it will be killed with everything new. At 9pm The Office was new and did 7.93 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, which is down from previous week. At 9:30pm, a new Parks and Recreation was still decent with 5.83 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, against mostly repeats though. Still with a lot of sitcoms in repeats, this show is a winner for the week. At 10, NBC started with 30 Rock doing 4.92 million and a 2.4 18-49 down some from previous week but still good for 10pm. At 10:30, Outsourced did 4.13 million and 1.9 18-49 rating, which is up a tenth from previous week, though. The CW was next with the return of Vampire Diaries doing a 3.33 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, by far the network's highest rated series... followed by a new Nikita doing 2.62 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, up from recent airings.

Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available as usual, but Friday had Fox win for the second straight week with Kitchen Nightmares and Fringe doing well for Friday in 18-49 rating. Saturday had Fox win again with its crime reality series doing a prelim a 1.7 18-49 rating, with CBS winning total viewers.

Tonight ABC has AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, from 7-10pm, with the latter a repeat and Brothers & Sisters is preempted. Bieber is in the two-hour Home Edition, so maybe a spike in the ratings? NBC has the big screen movie National Treasure from 8-11 following Dateline at 7. CBS has a new 60 Minutes, followed by a Undercover Boss and a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. Fox will preempt animation for the NFL Pro Bowl, which will probably win the night even though no one cares about this game.

As for the week (week 19), Fox will win the week for sure as CBS and ABC were in repeats mainly. CBS will remain second, with ABC following and NBC in fourth. And for the coming week (week 20), has February sweeps starting on Thursday, but before that we still have a mix of new and repeats.

Week 19 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 18 -- Jan. 17-23)

  • The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - A new episode at 8pm did 6.48 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, on par with previous week despite facing NFL on CBS. A repeat at 7pm did an improved 4.47 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - Week three for this series did 4.81 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, down from previous week.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat at 9pm did 5.4 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, building from the lead-in, which was new...so good job.
  • American Dad (Fox) - A new episode at 7:30pm did 4.81 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up a lot from previous week.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A new showing at 9:30pm did 5.19 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, lower than previous week.

Monday Sitcoms

  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A repeat did 7.1 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which is good but lower than the last few repeats. This one week new, one week repeat schedule is frustrating.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 7.05 million for a repeat is solid and the 2.2 18-49 rating is good retention from the lead-in.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.46 million for a repeat is great. A 3.0 18-49 rating is impressive as well. Sheen is now in rehab so the series has only 2 more episodes left to air because the show has just went on production hiatus.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - 9.39 million for a repeat and a 18-49 rating of 2.6, is good and better than the usual repeat performance.

Tuesday Sitcoms

  • Cougar Town (ABC) - Only 2.49 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating following the State of the Union is not good, but just filler as it was joined in progress.
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A special repeat following the State of the Union did 5.88 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. Not much is expected from this, as it was just time filler.

Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) 2 episodes - A repeat of this sitcom did 6.93 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, not bad for a repeat. Another repeat followed and did a similar 6.58 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, skewing younger.
  • Better with You (ABC) - preempted.
  • Modern Family (ABC) - A repeat did 7.27 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, which is its best ratings for a repeat. Good!
  • Cougar Town (ABC) - A new episode of this series followed repeats was sure to be down and did 5.03 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, down from previous week. It skewed very young, but it should have done a bit better like a 2.2-2.4 18-49. The series is renewed anyway because of its young skew.

Thursday Sitcoms

  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat did 9.03 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which is good but below normal it seems for repeats.
  • S#*! My Dad Says (CBS) - A new showing did 8.74 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, down from previous week, but its lead-in was a repeat this time. It didn't fare as well like it did two weeks ago.
  • Community (NBC) - A new episode did 4.59 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. If it can stay above a 2, NBC will take it as it skews very young.
  • Perfect Couples (NBC) - A new episode did 3.49 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, which is down from previous week. Not good, as NBC was in the 2s in this timeslot all season.
  • The Office (NBC) - A new episode did 7.93 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, which is down from previous week's season high.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A new showing did 5.83 million and a good 3.0 18-49 rating. Like shows like Cougar Town, it skews young.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) - At 10pm, a new episode did 4.92 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, down from previous week. ABC AND CBS are new this week in the hour, so let's see if it can be in the 2.4-2.7 range still.
  • Outsourced (NBC) - At 10:30pm, a new episode of this show was actually up a bit from previous week to 4.13 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, but still could be better.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms

  • None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are no comedies.

Summing it up. A mix of new and repeat this week with Modern Family, Two and a Half Men, The Office, Mike & Molly, Parks and Recreation, The Big Bang Theory were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as $#*! My Dad Says, 30 Rock) or just plain old terrible (such as Cougar Town TUES-repeat, Perfect Couples).

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Digital Digest: Airwolf - Season Four DVD Review

Welcome to Digital Digest, your weekly source for news and reviews of all things related to home media and your favorite vintage TV series! It has been an incredibly slow week in the world of home media, but nonetheless, we are here to bring you the news that we do have, in addition to a review of the upcoming DVD release Airwolf - Season Four. Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

It's been a very slow news week, but we have a few updates on some series from Shout! Factory. We'll start with the bad news. According to some message board postings on the Shout! Factory Community, Shout! Factory is having trouble with getting some of their series from the 20th Century Fox library released on DVD. Shout! Factory only licensed the earlier seasons of certain series when they originally obtained the home video rights, and are having significant difficulties with negotiating the rights for additional seasons, particularly Mr. Belvedere and Rhoda. Now what exactly does this mean? It doesn't exactly mean that fans should give up all hope, because from the statements made by Brian Ward, it appears that some effort is being made by Shout! Factory to get obtain the rights and get the series back on track (they had a similar issue with Punky Brewster a few years ago that was later resolved). But for the time being, future releases are not in the horizon due to these difficulties. You can read more about it in Brian Ward's response in this thread.

There is good news to come from Shout! Factory this week, although it isn't exactly something that would amount to an official announcement... but it does suggest a high likelihood that a release is indeed on the horizon. Another thread regarding the series All in the Family includes a response from Brian Ward regarding Brian Blum's intention to include a retrospective episode from the ninth season on a future release of the series. Now, to be clear, this doesn't necessarily mean that such a release is on the immediate schedule, nor does it even mean that it will definitely happen... but what it does mean is that Shout! Factory is indeed looking ahead to this season, and it is very likely that we will hear something about a release in the near future, meaning that the series should finally be completed on DVD.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (February 1) is a very slow day of releases, with the only release of note being Universal's Airwolf - Season Four. We have a review of this set today in Digital Digest.


BLOG DVD REVIEW

The 1980s was full of action dramas such as The A-Team, Knight Rider, Street Hawk, and others, but among those was the series Airwolf, a series about a high-tech military helicopter team that took on various missions--often those involving espionage in a Cold War era. The series ran for three seasons on CBS, and was revived (and completely recast) for a fourth and final season that aired on the USA Network in 1987. Here is our review of that final season (sometimes referred to as Airwolf II), Airwolf - The Fourth Season.

DVD Review - Airwolf - Season Four
by skees53

Airwolf - Season Four (Universal, $39.98) is the final chapter in the classic action espionage series on DVD. The fourth season is practically a completely new series from the previous seasons, with all of the original characters either being assigned elsewhere or killed off, and the action taking place with a new cast of characters, led by Stringfellow Hawke's long-lost brother, Saint John (Barry Van Dyke), with his new crew, including Jo (Michelle Scarabelli), Major Mike Rivers (Geriant Wyn Davies), Jason Locke (Anthony Sherwood), and Newman (William B. Davis).

In the first episode of the season, "Blackjack," Stringfellow (played by Jan-Michael Vincent in his final appearance in the series) is reunited with his M.I.A. brother, St. John (Barry Van Dyke), who ends up taking over as the Airwolf commander after tragedy strikes. Jo is in trouble when her airliner is forced down behind the Iron Curtain in "Escape." A survival course for troubled teens becomes chaos when a crime boss kidnaps his grandson in "A Piece of Cake." In "Deathtrain," an assignment to supervise the dumping of stockpiles of nerve gas goes all wrong when the assignment is hijacked. A young American teacher and her students are lost in the jungle in the midst of a potential nuclear crisis in the two-part episode "Stovograd."
In "X Virus," a deadly virus is about to be unleashed, and St. John has to stop it before he succumbs to it himself. Jo and St. John are taken prisoner by a Japanese client who is seeking revenge against a World War II officer (who happens to be St. John's father) in "Ground Zero." A group of radical pacifists get ahold of the nuclear missiles in an effort to force total disarmament in "The Key." In "Storm Warning," a corrupt general in a small republic disappears with million dollar in aid funds, and it is up to the team to track him down. Jo is determined to go on a mission to search for an old boyfriend who is reported dead in a plane crash in a Middle Eastern desert--with or without her team--in "The Golden One." In "The Puppet Master," Locke is unwittingly controlled by enemies during a brain implant surgery that occurs against his will. The team is chasing an opium shipment around the world in "Poppy Chain." St. John is lured into illegal drug trafficking by a woman he once loved in the series finale, "Welcome to Paradise."

The episodes appear to be unedited, although the episodes "Salvage" and "On the Double" do seem to be a bit short. Those two episodes are also missing the "preview" at the beginning of the episode, so that likely accounts for some (hopefully all) of the missing footage. Runtimes are as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "Blackjack" (46:53)
2. "Escape" (46:42)
3. "A Town for Hire" (46:55)
4. "Salvage" (44:57)

Disc 2:
5. "Windows" (46:55)
6. "A Piece of Cake" (46:54)
7. "Deathtrain" (47:04)
8. "A Code of Silence" (47:02)
9. "Stavograd, Part 1" (46:01)

Disc 3:
10. "Stavograd, Part 2" (46:03)
11. "Mine Troupe" (47:05)
12. "X Virus" (46:21)
13. "Rogue Warrior" (46:54)
14. "Ground Zero" (46:38)

Disc 4:
15. "Flowers of the Mountains" (46:01)
16. "The Key" (46:31)
17. "On the Double" (44:55)
18. "Storm Warning" (46:30)
19. "The Golden One" (46:32)

Disc 5:
20. "The Puppet Master" (46:32)
21. "Malduke" (46:25)
22. "Poppy Chain" (46:38)
23. "Flying Home" (46:54)
24. "Welcome to Paradise" (46:55)

The packaging on the set is fairly standard, but there is one very positive note about it. Universal is still continuing to use slimcases, which (in my opinion) is one of the best packaging designs out there. The cover art for the set has a series of cast photos, along with a picture of the helicopter underneath them, with a purple color scheme. There are several episode snapshots on the back, along with a description of the season. Inside, there are three slimcases, with the first two slimcases containing two discs each and the third one only containing one disc. These have the same artwork as the cover art on the front, and a listing of all episodes with descriptions on the back. Disc 1 contains four episodes, while all of the rest of the discs contain five episodes each.

The menus on the set are basic, with a series of cast photos (the same ones seen on the cover art) on the main menu of each disc, with options of Play All, Episode Index, and Setup. The theme song plays in the background of the main menu. Selecting Episode Index takes you to a menu that lists the episodes, along with a small screen shot from the episode. Upon selecting an episode, it plays right away. There are chapters placed throughout each episode.

The video and audio quality on the set is OK, but definitely leaves quite a bit to be desired. It is clear that the budget for this season was lower than the previous seasons as the series moved from CBS to USA Network, and there is a lot of rough looking stock footage rehashed from previous seasons used in the episodes. Additionally, production was moved to Canada, another surefire sign of cutting production costs. The episodes really do look like a cheap non-network production of the 80s, with a not-so-sharp picture and less-than-stellar audio quality. Still, the episodes are perfectly watchable, and look about like they did at the time. English subtitles are available.

There are no special features on this set at all, perhaps what would have been nice would have been some featurette discussing the changes the occurred on this season. This season is so much different from the previous three, and new fans to the show are likely to be very confused about all of the changes.

I've seen this series many times, and have slowly gained a bit of interest in the series, though this is my first time ever seeing this season. It doesn't exactly have the charm or greatness of the previous seasons (and from what I've gathered, even the most diehard fans of the series feel that way), but it is interesting to watch as a "continuation" of the previous three seasons of the series. If you've never seen the series, this is definitely not the season to begin with. Any of the first three seasons are much better, and if you find yourself liking those, then perhaps you'll want to try out this season. That isn't to say that this season was a major disaster, as the existence of it was vital to ensure that the rest of the series could make it in to syndication, and there are even some great episodes in this season. But it is a major step down from the previous seasons.

(4/5 stars)

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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Airwolf on TV.com


LOOKING AHEAD

We hate these slow news weeks, so we hope that we'll have some more exciting news in the upcoming weeks. We have reviews coming up for The Fugitive, Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends, and more in the upcoming weeks. We also hope to have some Blu-ray Disc reviews for you in the upcoming weeks. Until then, keep it digital!

Friday, January 28, 2011

BET Sitcom Marathons; Working Class Tonight on CMT; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 31, 2011)

BET has slated some sitcom marathons in February. On Saturday, Feb. 5, it is "Bernie Mac Saturday" with a marathon of the sitcom Bernie Mac from 9am-8pm leading into the BET premiere of the big screen movie Mr. 3000 starring Bernie Mac. On Saturday, Feb. 12, it's a "Weekend of Love" with love-themed episodes of sitcoms Everybody Hates Chris, Bernie Mac, Jamie Foxx Show, Girlfriends and The Game from 9am-4:30pm. This will be followed by Love movies such as Love 4 Sale, Love Don't Cost a Thing, Love & Basketball, Love & Other 4-Letter Words, and Love in the Nick of Tyme. On Saturday, Feb. 19 for President's Day Weekend, BET presents a Jamie Foxx Show marathon from 9am-10pm leading into a Girlfriends block from 10pm-12am. And finally on Sunday, March 6, BET presents an Everybody Hates Chris marathon from 10am-6pm part of a Terry Crews Takeover weekend, leading into the BET premiere of the movie First Sunday.

Click for more on CMTs Working Class.
Don't forget tonight is the premiere of new original sitcom Working Class on CMT. Melissa Peterman stars as Carli Mitchell, a vibrant, sexy single mom with two ex-husbands, three kids and a negative checking account balance in the hilarious new sitcom, Working Class. The talented cast also includes TV legend Ed Asner as Carli's cranky, opinionated neighbor/co-worker, along with Steve Kazee and Patrick Fabian. Plus, there will be amazing guest stars all season long, including Reba, John Schneider, Ryan Stiles, Martin Mull, Kathy Kinney, Lesley Ann Warren and more. It's sure to be a blast for the whole family! Preview a clip on Facebeook on the "Sneak Peek" tab, plus behind-the-scenes content and more. And also Valpak and CMT are sponsoring the "Working Class Payday Giveaway" Sweepstakes for a chance to win $1,000! Enter today!

It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Jan. 31-Feb. 4, 2010, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, January 31, 2011
  • Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Amy on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Ed O'Neill (Modern Family/Married...with Children) - Catch Ed on the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS, so check you listings for time.
  • Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) - Watch Billy on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Watch Johnny on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Watch Jesse on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so you'll have to check listings for time and station.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
  • Matthew Perry (Mr. Sunshine/Friends) - See Matthew as he visits ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and later on Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation/George Lopez) - Catch Nick on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Catch Lisa on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings and then later on HLN's The Joy Behar Show at 9pm.
  • Kevin Nealon (Weeds) - Watch Kevin on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on your local affiliate.
  • Suzanne Somers (Three's Company/Step by Step/She's the Sheriff) - Watch Suzanne on CBS daytime series The Talk at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Candace Cameron (Full House) - Watch the former child star on NBC's TODAY show sometime between 7-11am.
  • Tisha Campbell-Martin (My Wife & Kids/Martin/Rita Rocks) - Catch Tisha on The Mo'nique Show on BET at 11pm.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
  • Matt LeBlanc (Episodes/Friends/Joey) - Watch Matt on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm.
  • Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show) - Jennifer visits The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC at 11:35pm.
  • Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Watch Jim on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS at 12:37am.
  • Matthew Perry (Mr. Sunshine/Friends) - Watch Mr. Sunshine himself on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
  • Mindy Kailing (The Office) - Watch Mindy on Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
  • Jean Smart (Samantha Who?/Designing Women) - Catch Jean, who is appearing on a recurring basis on CBS on $#*! My Dad Says, on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Candace Cameron (Full House) - Watch Candace on The Joy Behar Show on HLN at 9pm.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
  • Matt LeBlanc (Episodes/Friends/Joey) - Watch Matt on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS at 12:37am.
  • Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Catch Lisa on Conan on TBS at 11pm.
  • Mike O'Malley (Yes, Dear) - Watch Mike on Conan as well on TBS at 11pm.
  • Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly) - Big Billy visits Lopez Tonight on TBS at 12 midnight.
  • Jim Belushi (According to Jim) - Watch Jim on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) - Watch Valerie with her husband on The Nate Berkus Show, so check listings.
Friday, February 4, 2011
  • None.
Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Nick at Nite February 2011 Schedule; USA Network Adds CSI To Late Nights

Nick a Nite has released its February 2011 schedule and highlights. There will be no changes once again to the regular schedule but there will be a few stunts and marathons. First, there will be a The Nanny: Falling for Fran marathon the week of Feb. 7 for seven straight nights (thru Feb. 13), every night wall-to-wall from 11pm-6am. The following night is Valentine's Day and Nick at Nite has Valentine's themed episodes of your favorite sitcoms starting at 8pm through 12am of My Wife & Kids, Everybody Hates Chris, George Lopez and The Nanny! And finally, there will be a few movie airings as well, including the Nick at Nite premiere of the 1994 film Baby's Day Out on Oscar Sunday (Feb. 27) from 8-10pm. Joe Mantegna, Cynthia Nixon, and Lara Flynn Boyle star.
View the full Nick at Nite February 2011 schedule and highlights.

USA Network has made some last minute schedule changes that will have CSI now air beyond Friday nights. The series will air late nights on Monday and Wednesday nights starting Monday night (Jan. 31). The series will air Monday nights in the 12am and 1am hours and on Wednesday nights in the 1am hour. The Friday night airings will remain, but the 8pm hour will now be removed and replaced by another NCIS airing to try and boost the ratings for the new acquisition. CSI will air Friday nights starting at 9pm until about 1am some weeks and a bit later other weeks.
CSI has been airing on the network since Jan. 14 on Friday nights in primetime, so now it will be expanded just a bit to other nights.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

NATPE 2011: Day 3 - Fall 2011 Syndication; More Green Hornet Marathons on Syfy

It's the final day at NATPE 2011 and as promised we will give you a list of the shows being offered for fall 2011 syndication. So, without further adieu, here is what is being offered (some might not be bought, so beware) for Fall 2011:

OFF-NETWORK REPEATS

Daily Half-Hour Sitcoms
American Dad! *now a daily strip* (Twentieth Television) - already on cable on TBS/Adult Swim
30 Rock (NBC Universal) - also coming to cable on Comedy Central/WGN America
The Big Bang Theory (Warner Bros.) - also coming to cable on TBS
Futurama *WEEKENDS ONLY* (Twentieth Television) - reruns returning to TBS
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Twentieth Television) - already on cable reruns on Comedy Central and coming to WGN America
'Til Death (Sony Pictures)

Weekly Hour Dramas
Law & Order (NBC Universal)
Law & Order: Criminal Intent *daily strip* (Warner Bros.)
Psych (NBC Universal)

Reality Half-Hour/Hour
Dog the Bounty Hunter *weekly* (Trifecta)

FIRST-RUN SERIES

Talk Shows
Anderson Cooper (Warner Bros.)
The Jeremy Kyle Show (Debmar-Mercury)
Bill Cunningham Show (NBC Universal)

Court Shows
Last Shot with Judge Gunn (Trifecta)
The Lawyers (CBS Television Distribution)
Psychic Court (Mighty Oak)

Game Shows/Reality
Excused (CBS Television Distribution)
Geek Meets Girl (Trifecta)
Who Wants To Date a Comedian? (Entertainment Studios)

News Magazine
N/A

First-Run Weekly Airings
Man Up Stand Up (Trifecta)
Pt. Dume (Twentieth Television)

Remember this is what is being offered. Some of these entries have not gotten clearances, but as soon as they do, we'll let you know. Discuss this update on our message board. Stay with us!

Moving on to the day's other news, Syfy is giving us more Green Hornet stunts! If you missed it on Tuesday, Jan. 11, now you will have two more chances to see each episode. There will be three more chances to watch every single episode of the classic '60s short-lived series! The first stunt will be on Friday, January 28 from 9am-6pm with the first 18 episodes of the series. Then the series continues with the rest of the episodes and then from the beginning again on Wednesday, February 9 from 8am-4pm. And finally on Thursday, February 24 from 8am-5pm with the continuation to finish the run.
Green Hornet also had a stunt on MeTV on Saturday, Jan. 15, as we mentioned. All of these plays are for promotion for the big screen movie of the same name that was released on Jan. 14 starring Seth Rogen.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

NATPE 2011: Day 2 Has Original Sitcoms; CBS Moves Up Mad Love Premiere

It's day two of the 2011 NATPE and still it is pretty light in terms of updates, but we have some sitcom updates! But first, THR reports that Father Alberto Cutie, a bestselling author of self-help books and radio talk show host as well as a former Roman Catholic priest, will join the ranks of talk shows and host a daily syndie strip devoted to life matters. The show is being licensed by Debmar-Mercury and the first station group to step up for a launch test is Fox. The show will preview on a number of as yet unspecified Fox stations this summer. The Fox test markets will include N.Y. and L.A., the country's top two markets. Other non-Fox outlets may be invited to join the test as well.
Sitcom wise, CABLEready is entering the scripted programming arena for the first time, offering up two sitcoms, including one with Married... with Children's David Faustino! The two original comedies are being produced by Dan Garcia Productions. Things We Do For Love is a half-hour multi-camera sitcom with a cast that includes Alfonso Ribeiro, Maria Conchita Alonzo, Tamara Mowry and James Avery. Darren (Alfonso Ribeiro) and his lovely wife Lourdes (Tamara Mowry) have recently been married. They struggle with life as newlyweds sustaining a family owned business. Once their zany in-laws move in (Lourdes' mom and Darren's father), their lives change forever. 5 episodes have been ordered and taped. Clunkers is a half-hour semi-scripted, single-camera comedy with Carl Anthony Payne, David Faustino, Katherine Rose and Sherman Hemsley. The comedy reunites high school best friends Ritchie (Carl Anthony Payne) and Shaun (David Faustino) at a used car lot in the deep south. With a feel of Curb Your Enthusiasm meets Sanford and Son, the show revolves around a former local baseball star, Ritchie, who must swallow his pride and return to his hometown after an injury keeps him from making it in the major leagues. 9 episodes have been ordered and shot. Hopefully more news on these two potential sitcoms will come soon, including what cable networks will pick these up. Our buddy Sean Compton, President of Programming at Tribune, wants original sitcoms in first-run syndication, so these two would be a great start for that even though they are being offered for cable. Stay tuned for further updates!
We hope to have our annual list of what is available for Fall 2011 by tomorrow.

Meanwhile, CBS has moved the premiere date of mid-season sitcom Mad Love to Valentine's Day (Monday, Feb. 14) at 8:30pm. The series was originally slated to premiere a week later on Monday, Feb. 21. This means Rules of Engagement will have its last Monday airing on Feb. 7 now but it will still move to Thursdays at 8:30pm starting Feb. 24. 13 episodes of Mad Love will air, while Rules of Engagement will have 9 episodes to air (from its 24 episode order) on its new night of Thursday.
The sitcom stars Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Tyler Labine and Judy Greer. Matt Tarses and Jamie Tarses are executive producers for Sony Pictures Television in association with CBS Television Studios. Look for our review of the pilot closer to premiere date.

Monday, January 24, 2011

NATPE 2011: Day 1; 24-Hour I Love Lucy Marathon on Hallmark

It's that time of year again where stations buy new programs being offered for syndication next fall (or beyond even). The National Association of Television Program Executive (NATPE) conference is held every year in January and as always we will cover it! NATPE is going on this week from Jan. 24-26 in Miami and is celebrating its 40th year. We will give you a list of what is being offered for Fall 2011 in the coming days, which includes off-network sitcoms.
TV Guide Network is offering plenty of stuff for stations to buy. A range of programming from TV Guide Network is being offered by Lionsgate at NATPE, including the original docu-soap Nail Files. Alongside its own returning flagship series such as Mad Men and Weeds, Lionsgate is debuting Are We There Yet?, a sitcom based on the movie of the same name starring Ice Cube (original episodes air on TBS).
Camelot Entertainment Group, Inc. announced today that Camelot Distribution Group President, Jamie Thompson, will head up the Camelot Distribution sales team at NATPE. Camelot, which is currently attending the Sundance Film Festival, will be exhibiting both new distribution titles and its extensive library that includes television programming such as the 1960's series Daniel Boone and Peter Gunn.
In clearance news, Debmar-Mercury has been signed to distribute the program America Now, a joint venture program between Raycom Media and ITV Studios America, as a daily syndicated strip for fall 2011, reports B&C. Hosted by Bill Rancic and produced by ITV Studios America, America Now is a lifestyle-newsmagazine program featuring content from the various Raycom stations, including WOIO Cleveland and WBTV Charlotte, across the country. Airing weekends on 43 stations in 36 markets, it debuted in October 2010.
Among the first-run series that are a firm go are the Anderson Cooper talk show, The Bill Cunnigham Show, Jeremy Kyle Show and game show Excused. More info will come on these and if any other first-run series are cleared to air.
And finally, ValCom, Inc. announced today that its My Family TV subsidiary has signed affiliation agreements that will place the network in strategic markets across the country. In recent weeks the network signed agreements that will place the network in Detroit, Houston, Fresno, Miami, Key West, Hilton Head, South Carolina, St. George, Utah and Melbourne, Florida to reach over 5 million additional homes. Networks are valued at .25 cents to $3 per home. The addition of these markets helps with our strategic plan and increases shareholder value.
Come on back tomorrow for day 2 at NATPE!

As of last week, The Hallmark Channel has scheduled a 24-hour marathon for classic '50s sitcom I Love Lucy for Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. The marathon begins at 6am on Saturday and lasts all day and night through 6am the very next day. The marathon will be a "true" marathon with no episodes repeating.
This is in addition to the already scheduled 24-hour marathon for '70s drama Little House on the Prairie on the very next day (Sunday, Jan. 30) starting at 6am.
I Love Lucy regularly airs on Hallmark weekday mornings from 6am-8am and on late nights on Sunday nights from 2-4am, while Little House on the Prairie airs weekdays 3pm-6pm and in primetime at 8pm.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Week 18 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

2010-11 Week 18 TV Ratings (first four nights averages, Mon-Thu):

Households: 1. CBS 8.0/12.8 rating/share; 2. Fox 7.9/12.2; 3. ABC 4.1/6.6; 4. NBC 4.0/6.4; 5. The CW 0.8/1.2
Total Viewers: 1. Fox 14.04 million; 2. CBS 12.97 million; 3. ABC 6.55 million; 4. NBC 6.5 million; 5. The CW 1.22 million.
Adults 18-49: 1. Fox 4.9/13.1 rating/share; 2. CBS 3.0/8.1; 3. NBC 2.3/6.1; 4. ABC 2.1/5.6; 5. The CW 0.5/1.3

Week 18 (Jan. 17-23) Analysis: Week 17 will see NFL playoffs determine the winner, like previous week. Last week NBC had the primetime NFL game on Saturday and Fox had an overrun on Sunday, this week it was Fox with a primetime game on Saturday and CBS with an NFL overrun tonight. But for now, through the first four nights CBS has the lead in HH/viewers, with ABC in second. ABC leads the 18-49 race over CBS. NBC is in third everywhere and Fox is back in fourth. Last week, week 17, had CBS edge NFL-driven Fox for first in HH/viewers. CBS was however second in 18-49 as Fox took home the 18-49 crown thanks to the big Saturday primetime NFL playoff game. CBS had a big NFL playoff overrun on Sunday, doing 50.55 million (and a 17.4 18-49 rating) from 7pm-7:48pm, thus they secured second in 18-49 for the week. ABC was third everywhere while NBC was back in fourth as it has no more NFL.

Monday saw CBS cruise to an easy win with Fox a distant second. ABC was third for the night overall with The Bachelor doing 8.8 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, basically on par with previous week. At 10pm ABC aired a repeat of Castle and did 5.57 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating. It will be all-new tomorrow with a big episode. CBS was back to new episodes with its comedies and Hawaii Five-0. At 8pm, a new How I Met Your Mother started it off with 10.54 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating, which is excellent at 8pm these days. At 8:30, a new Rules of Engagement did 9.89 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, good but the 18-49 could have been slightly higher. Two and a Half Men followed with a new showing of its own doing 15.56 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, which is tops overall for sitcoms in total viewers. At 9:30, Mike & Molly was new too and did 12.8 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, a solid performance. A new showing of Hawaii Five-0 at 10pm did 10.83 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, which is good for 10pm. Fox returned House for a new episode and it came in lower than normal doing 10.52 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating. Quietly this show has fallen quite a bit, yet no one says anything in the media. A new episode of Lie To Me followed at 9pm with 5.93 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, up some from previous week. NBC started its night with a new Chuck doing 5.97 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which is actually a season high. At 9pm, new series The Cape didn't impress with 6.22 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, declining from its lead-in even. Not good for its second episode. At 10pm, the series debut of Harry's Law aired doing a solid 11.07 million but just a 2.2 18-49 rating. That is too old and basically cancels out its total viewer performance, which doesn't really matter anyway on Madison Ave. The CW was next with a repeat of 90210 doing 960,000 total viewers and a 0.4 18-49 rating, on par from previous week in 18-49. Gossip Girl followed with a repeat registering just 700,00 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating, down a lick from previous week.

Tuesday had CBS win once again. CBS started with an all-new episode of NCIS and did 21.09 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating, down from previous week's series high in total viewers. NCIS: Los Angeles was next and new and did a great 17.29 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, but also down from previous week. At 10pm, The Good Wife aired and did a solid 11.43 million but only a 2.1 18-49 rating, both down from previous week. For ABC, No Ordinary Family was all-new in the 8pm hour doing 5.71 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, going up from previous week's series low. At 9pm, a new V aired doing 5.7 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is up a tenth from previous week. At 10, Detroit 1-8-7 was new preempted for A Special Edition of 20/20 with Diane Sawyer doing 6.13 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, which is not too good but better than Detroit the previous week. Fox again had a repeat of Glee do 4.41 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which was off some with previous week's repeat. Next Raising Hope weas preempted for the finale of Million Dollar Money Drop again doing 5.29 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, up some from previous week. NBC did decent with The Biggest Loser doing 8.24 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, but down some from previous week. Parenthood was next and new doing 5.58 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week. The CW was preempted One Tree Hill for the final two episodes of Life UneXpected that did 1.54 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating at 8pm and 1.48 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating at 9pm. Not too good.

Wednesday had the return of American Idol and it dominated despite it being down double digits from last season. The two-hour premiere did 26.23 million and a 9.7 18-49 rating. Great of course. I don't think it will be this high again though until probably the season finale, so other networks will have good chance, I think. The series should settle into 20-22 million and 6-7 18-49 rating for the rest of the season, which is still tops on TV. CBS started the night off with dud Live to Dance doing just 5.08 million and an embarrassing 1.0 18-49 rating. Veteran drama Criminal Minds was next and was on the low side with 12.02 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating. At 10pm, the first of three special Wednesday airings of Blue Bloods did 12.3 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating. That is about as good as The Defenders in 18-49 where it matters most. ABC was all-new with its Laugh On comedy block and had The Middle open the night with a solid 8.32 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, down some from its series highs the previous week. Better With You was back after being preempted the previous week, doing an OK 6.37 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, opposite Idol. ABC aired Modern Family with a new episode at 9pm doing 10.94 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, actually up from previous week in 18-49 despite Idol. It's just too bad the next two weeks are repeats, as I think Modern would even do better. Cougar Town was also new and did 5.68 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, which is below normal for this series and was down the most of all the comedies from usual thanks to Idol. At 10pm, a new episode of new drama Off the Map aired and did 5.79 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which is not down too much from the premiere the previous week. It skewed younger than the premiere...by a lot, too. NBC started off with a new Minute to Win It at 8pm doing 5.06 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which was eaten by Idol. After that a new episode of Chase on its new night and time barely registered with only 4.35 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating. At 10pm, Law & Order: SVU was next and was all-new doing 6.97 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which was down from previous week thanks to a horrendous lead-in. The CW had more repeats, this time with Nikita starting it off at 8pm doing 1.56 million and a 0.4 18-49 rating, down from previous week. At 9pm a repeat of Hellcats did only 820,000 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating, which was down from previous week.

Thursday saw once again Fox win the night in a rare Thursday win. But first, ABC opened the night with an all-new Wipeout doing 8.26 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, down quite a bit from previous week but still good against Idol and these numbers are on par with the summer version this past summer. Then Grey's Anatomy was next but it was a repeat doing an above average 4.72 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating. At 10pm, Private Practice was also a repeat and did 3.27 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, which isn't too good. CBS opened with a new The Big Bang Theory and it did great with 13.63 million and a 4.2 A18-49 rating, virtually unaffected against Idol, like Modern the previous night. Then a new $#*! My Dad Says followed with 10.29 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, which is on par with previous week. This series has been consistent lately, which is a good sign. Next, CSI was new and did 14.34 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, which is a bit better than lately. A new The Mentalist did 14.82 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, which seems below normal. OK so onto Fox, at 8pm a new American Idol did 22.9 million and a 7..8 18-49 rating, which is down big from the previous night but still way above anything else. It was also down big from night two last season. This is all expected, though. A new episode of Bones followed at 9pm and did 10.55 million and 3.5 18-49 rating, which good, Fox doesn't need to air this solid show here. It could be used elsewhere and do the same type of ratings. NBC was back with new episodes with its comedies, as Community did 4.73 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, its highest ratings in a while. Surprising since Idol/Bang did great. Then the timeslot premiere of new comedy Perfect Couples did 4.15 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating. It will just get worse, I think from here as the comments from those who watched were brutal. I expect about a 25% drop this week. This premiere was also already lower than what this slot usually was doing this season. At 9pm The Office was back and did a season high in in 18-49 of a 4.5 18-49 rating. It also did 8.26 million, which is not as high. At 9:30pm, the season premiere of Parks and Recreation got off to a decent start with 6.14 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating. That is good, but will it be like this the rest of the season? At 10, NBC started with 30 Rock doing 5.34 million and a 2.7 18-49. That is actually good for 10pm, but then Outsourced ruined it will only 3.95 million and 1.8 18-49 rating, for series lows. However, the 18-49 rating average for the hour came out to a 2.3, which is OK for 10pm these days. The CW was next with a repeat of Vampire Diaries doing a 1.35 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, on par with previous week... followed by a repeat of Nikita doing 1.32 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, also basically on par with previous week.

Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available as usual, but Friday had a rare win for Fox with the season premiere of Kitchen Nightmares and the new night for Fringe both do a prelim 1.9 18-49 rating, which is great for Friday (sadly). Oh how have times changed. Fox was a half a point better than second place ABC. Saturday had Fox win again with its crime reality series doing a prelim a 1.7 18-49 rating, as CBS and ABC were tied for a distant second place.

Tonight ABC's regular Sunday of AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters is only new from 7-9pm, so the dramas are in repeats. NBC has the the network television premiere of the big screen movie Sex and the City from 8-11 which could do OK. CBS is the winner tonight of course with NFL AFC Championship Game from 6-10pm that will lead into a special new episode of Hawaii Five-0 on a special night. Fox has new episodes of animation from 7:30-10pm, except Family Guy is a repeat at 9pm. Look for season lows for the rest of the animated comedies.

As for the week (week 18), with the NFL playoff game tonight, CBS will take over and win the week over Idol-fueled Fox. Fox will be second across the board. ABC and NBC will battle for third. And for the coming week (week 19), is a slow week with a good mix of new and repeats. The State of the Union airs Tuesday at 9pm on all of the major networks.

Week 18 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 17 -- Jan. 10-16)

  • The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - A new episode at 8pm did 6.38 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, down big from previous week where it had a HUGE direct NFL playoff overrun lead-in. Still solid, but lower than normal. A repeat at 7pm did only 2.63 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating opposite the NFL on CBS.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - The second episode for this series did 5.07 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, which is OK but could be better. And of course this also was down big from previous week.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - A new episode at 9pm did 7.06 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, which is solid and and built a full point from the lead-in.
  • American Dad (Fox) - This series is now at 7:30pm, and a new episode didn't do too good with just 3.54 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating. Not good, but it was opposite the NFL everywhere but out west. We'll see how it does in the coming weeks without NFL in the mix.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A new showing at 9:30pm did a solid 5.52 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, also could be better.

Monday Sitcoms

  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A new episode did 10.54 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating, which is great and nothing to complain about these days.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 9.89 million for a new episode is solid as is the 3.3 18-49 rating, but it could be a bit better. In live ratings, the retention is much better as the lead-in is heavily DVRed.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 15.56 million for a new episode is excellent. A 4.6 18-49 rating is normal business for this show.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - 12.8 million for a new episode and a 18-49 rating of 3.7, is good but of course no Big Bang from last season. Still serviceable out of a big lead-in.

Tuesday Sitcoms

  • Raising Hope (Fox) - preempted.
  • Running Wilde (Fox) - preempted.

Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) - A new episode of this sitcom did 8.32 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, down from previous week's series highs but this was facing the season premiere of American Idol.
  • Better with You (ABC) - A new episode did 6.37 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which is OK and certainly decent but it could be better.
  • Modern Family (ABC) - A new episode did 10.94 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, which is up from previous week when it was 20 minutes late (thanks to the President's speech) in all time zones but out west. Actually that is very good against Idol, which grew each half-hour.
  • Cougar Town (ABC) - A new episode of this series did 5.68 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, which that may be one of its lowest ratings of the season, keep in mind it was on against the final half-hour of the Idol premiere and this series probably has the same type of audience of any of these comedies with Idol. If it can do these numbers the next week or two, it would be good, especially since the other three comedies are repeats the next two weeks.

Thursday Sitcoms

  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A new episode did 13.63 million and a 4.2 18-49 rating, which is amazing considering Idol aired against it.
  • S#*! My Dad Says (CBS) - A new showing did 10.29 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, basically on par with previous week even though Idol was on. And keep in mind, the previous week its lead-in was a repeat. It will be like that this week as well...can it do it again?
  • Community (NBC) - A new episode did 4.73 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, its best ratings in a while. The question is, will it go below a 2 by this week? I have kept it off the loser list this week, as it was up and even faced new Idol/Bang.
  • Perfect Couples (NBC) - The actual premiere of this show did 4.15 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which is up from the sneak peek it had last month...BUT it is the worst performance of the season in this timeslot. And I think it will get worse.
  • The Office (NBC) - A new episode did 8.26 million, which is up from recent episodes and it also did a 4.5 18-49 rating, which is a season high. Quite surprising actually it went up that much, as it was doing mid to high 3's.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) - The return did decent with 6.14 million and a good 3.2 18-49 rating. Now that it has the exposure after a hit show...can it find an audience finally? We shall see.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) - The new time was off to a decent start doing 5.34 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating. The latter especially is good at 10pm these days. Let's see if it can continue though, especially when ABC returns with new episodes for sweeps.
  • Outsourced (NBC) - This was by far the worst performance of the block, as a new episode on its new night did only 3.95 million at 10:30pm and a 1.8 18-49 rating, for series lows. A second season seems far away now, but let's see if it can hold or go up in the next few weeks.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms

  • None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are Fox's animated comedies from 7:30-10 with new episodes.

Summing it up. Modern Family, Two and a Half Men, The Office, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, Rules of Engagement were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Cougar Town, 30 Rock) or just plain old terrible (such as Outsourced, Perfect Couples).

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Digital Digest: Matlock - The Sixth Season DVD Review

Welcome to your weekly dose of news and reviews in Digital Digest! We've got a light week for you this week, but we are here nonetheless with your news, a preview of what is coming out on Tuesday, and a review of Matlock - The Sixth Season. Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

We've been giving you quite a few updates on Dennis the Menace - Season One, and now we've got some information on the special features that will be included on the set. The official press release indicates that the set will include both on-screen and radio interviews of Jeannie Russell (Margaret) and Gloria Henry (Alice), as well as original promos, and the episode of The Donna Reed Show that we had previously mentioned. It looks like it is shaping up to be a great set, so we can't wait to see it!

A few weeks ago, we announced that the next release of the series Dynasty would be coming in a few months, but, as it turns out, it isn't on the schedule, at least not yet. According to information on the CBS Home Entertainment Facebook page, a date for the set has not yet been finalized, but it should be announced sometime in the near future.

Our final piece of news for this week is about South Park. It should come as no surprise that the fourteenth season is coming soon to DVD (as well as Blu-ray Disc), and this article has given us some information that is a little more firm: it is coming to both formats on April 26. Of course, we'll have a review of this set when the time comes.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (January 25) has just two releases worth noting here, beginning with the long anticipated release of Webster - Season One. The three disc set contains every episode from the first season, along with a trivia game as a special feature. You can read our review of this set here. Also on Tuesday is Matlock - The Sixth Season, where Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith) goes to bat for some clients to prove their innocence in the court of law. You can read our review of this set today in Digital Digest.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith) is back again to defend murderers with spunk and a little southern charm in Matlock - The Sixth Season. Much like Raymond Burr's title character in Perry Mason decades earlier, Matlock is headed some of the most difficult cases imaginable for those who seem to have no alibi at all, yet he manages to clear the name of his clients through careful detective work and sometimes the most ruthless tactics. Here is our review of this DVD set.

DVD Review - Matlock - The Sixth Season
by skees53

Matlock - The Sixth Season (CBS, $49.99) brings all 18 episodes of the 1991-1992 season of the legal drama to DVD in a six disc set. The sixth season, the last one to air on NBC before the series moved to ABC, is consistent with all of the previous seasons in the crimes that occur (invariably murder) and Matlock not only proving his client not guilty, but being able to point out the real criminal in the courtroom.

The sixth season begins with "The Witness Killings," where Ben returns to his hometown for the first time in decades for a family reunion, but naturally, crime and murder never takes a rest and he ends up defending a client (and making himself unpopular back home in the process). Matlock's life may be at stake in "The Strangler," but not until his reputation is ruined first. Matlock gets a bump on the head and ends up having a dream about having to defend Conrad in "The Nightmare." In "The Marriage Counselor," a marriage counselor who just so happened to be sleeping with the wives he was supposed to be treating ends up dead. Matlock goes back to the past in "The Dame." Michelle has to defend a father charged with killing his child's drug dealer in "The Suspect." Matlock has to defend a teen accused of killing his own father in "The Defense." A game show producer is found murdered (and Michelle goes undercover as a contestant) in "The Game Show." Who's your caddy? Hopefully not a dead man, as is the case with Ben's latest client in "The Foursome."
Ben reluctantly agrees to help his cousin in the two-part episode "The Picture." In "The Outcast," Matlock decides he is ready to retire, but undoubtedly, something will stop him. Michelle helps an investigator prove that a man killed his wealthy wife to collect insurance money in "The Big Payoff." Michelle is in some deep trouble with mobsters in "The Abduction." Could a comic book artist get Matlock's latest client off the hook? Possibly, in "Mr. Awesome." A disgruntled ex-journalist is the prime suspect in a murder in the two-part episode "The Evening News." The season ends with a father-daughter clash in "The Assassination."

The episodes appear to be unedited (although as has been the case with the previous sets, the preview of the upcoming episode is missing for all episodes), with runtimes as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "The Witness Killings" (1:32:57)
2. "The Strangler" (46:58)
3. "The Nightmare" (47:27)

Disc 2:
4. "The Marriage Counselor" (46:59)
5. "The Dame" (46:59)
6. "The Suspect" (1:33:52)

Disc 3:
7. "The Defense" (47:24)
8. "The Game Show" (46:20)
9. "The Foursome" (47:25)

Disc 4:
10. "The Picture (Part 1)" (47:28)
11. "The Picture (Part 2)" (45:56)
12. "The Outcast" (1:31:47)

Disc 5:
13. "The Big Payoff" (47:25)
14. "The Abduction" (47:25)
15. "Mr. Awesome" (47:26)

Disc 6:
16. "The Evening News (Part 1)" (47:24)
17. "The Evening News (Part 2)" (45:54)
18. "The Assassination" (1:32:51)

The set is packaged just like all of the previous sets, in a standard Viva-pack, with the cover art having a photo of Matlock, Michelle, and Conrad, with Matlock playing his trademark banjo. The back gives a little info about the season, along with a single snapshot of Matlock. Inside, there is a listing of all episodes with a description and original airdate. The discs have fairly standard artwork (just a gray background and the series logo), with each disc containing exactly three episodes.

We have very standard menus on the set, with the main menu of each disc giving options of Play All, a list of episodes, and a Set Up option. Set Up takes you to a menu to turn on the English subtitles. The menus all have a few cast snapshots, and no background audio or anything. Chapters are placed appropriately throughout each episode.

The episodes on the set look and sound great, without any major problems of concern. The picture is a little soft throughout the set, but it isn't a big deal. The audio is presented in English Surround Sound, with English subtitles available on the episodes.

Unfortunately, there are no special features again on this set. It would be nice to see some of the cast members (particularly Andy Griffith) to do some kind of interview for one of these sets at least once. Even the episode previews would be nice as a special feature.

This is basically another standard barebones set (we've become used to that with this series), but I think it is good enough for most fans. This is one of those series that really did stay consistent throughout the entire run, and this season is no better or no worse than any other season, just solid and consistent entertainment. The series found a formula that worked and never had much trouble deviating from that formula, and even with a cast of supporting characters that at times seemed like a revolving door, it maintained consistency. Something has to be said for a series that can pull that off. Perhaps that is why the series, unlike any other legal drama from the same era, continues to air every single day all across the country. Now we just need to wait for the final three seasons to come along.

(4/5 stars)

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Related links:
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LOOKING AHEAD

We'll be back next week with a lot more "bull" with our very special review of Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends - The Complete Series and a review of Airwolf - Season Four. Until then, keep it digital!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Mixed Results for Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35 Premieres on TV Land; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 24, 2011)

Against fierce competition from premieres on the broadcast networks, TV Land's critically-acclaimed hit original sitcom Hot in Cleveland scored decent numbers for its second season premiere on Wednesday, January 19th at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The series was the most-watched show in its 10 p.m. half-hour for all of cable with 2.95 million total viewers as well as the #1 scripted series for the night on cable among Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54. Additionally, the series premiere of TV Land's second original sitcom, Retired at 35, which premiered right after Hot in Cleveland, averaged 2.01 million total viewers and posted impressive triple-digit gains across all key demos versus the channel's primetime average. Hot in Cleveland did a 0.7 A18-49 rating, losing to TBS original sitcom Are We There Yet (which did a 0.8) at 10pm, while Retired at 35 did a 0.5 A18-49 rating, losing to a second original episode of Are We There Yet on TBS, which did a 0.8 18-49 rating. Hot did win in total viewers against the TBS comedy (2.95 to 2.22 million), but Retired did not (2.06 to 2.01 million).
Hot in Cleveland posted a 1.4 A25-54 rating and 1.4 million A25-54 viewers in the network's target Adults 25-54 audience, up a whopping 243% in rating and 239% in viewers over the network's primetime average. TV Land averaged nearly 3 million total viewers, an increase of 199% over primetime. Among Women 25-54, TV Land scored a 1.6 rating and 819,000 viewers, up 244% in rating and viewers over network channel average. Among the channel's core audience of Adults 40-54, the network scored a 1.9 rating and 1.1 million viewers, an increase of 248% in rating and 247% in viewers over TV Land primetime average.
Retired at 35 averaged over 2 million total viewers, up 104% over channel primetime average. The sitcom scored a 0.9 A25-54 rating and 982,000 viewers in that demo, up 135% in rating and 134% in viewers among A25-54 versus TV Land primetime average. Among Women 25-54, it scored a 1.1 rating and 555,000 viewers, up 133% in rating and viewers over channel norm. Among A40-54, the network posted a 1.4 rating and 798,000 viewers, up 157% in rating and viewers over channel average.
It was a decent start, but Hot in Cleveland was down from its first season finale which did 3.4 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating on Aug. 18. However, the season premiere was up from the two episodes prior to that season finale (on Aug. 4 and 11). And while Hot in Cleveland was #1 for the night on basic cable among originals, a rerun of NCIS on USA Network at 8pm was #1 for the night on basic cable primetime with a 2.6 HH rating and 4.18 million total viewers. Hot in Cleveland is now taking a back seat as the highest rated sitcom on basic cable overall, as it is miles behind BET's The Game on Tuesday nights at 10, which continued its high ratings for week two (5.94 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating).


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Jan. 24-28, 2010, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, January 24, 2011
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) - Watch Valerie on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS and also on The Wendy Williams Show with Jane Leeves (Hot in Cleveland/Frasier) and Wendie Mallick (Hot in Cleveland/Just Shoot Me!/Big Day), so check your listings or watch on BET at 12am.
  • Ed O'Neill (Modern Family/Married...with Children) - Catch Ed on the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS, so check you listings for time.
  • Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) - Watch the lovely star on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your listings.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
  • Regina King (227) - The former sitcom star visits CBS's The Talk at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Joel McHale (Community) - Catch Joel on The Ellen DeGeneres Show so check your listings for time and station.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
  • Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Watch the funny lady on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12:06am.
  • Betty White (The Golden Girls/Hot in Cleveland/Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty visits The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT on CBS then in late night on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS at 12:37am.
  • Busy Phillips (Cougar Town) - Watch Busy on Lopez Tonight on on TBS at 12 midnight.
  • Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) - Watch Yvette on ABC's The View at 11am ET/10am CT-PT on ABC.
  • Jerry O'Connell (Carpoolers) - Watch the funnyman on The Rachel Ray Show, so check your local listings.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
  • Matt LeBlanc (Episodes/Friends/Joey) - Watch Matt on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS at 12:37am.
  • Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) - Catch Jon on Conan on TBS at 11pm.
  • Kelsey Grammer (Frasier/Cheers/Back to You/Hank) - Watch Kelsey on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly so check your listings.
  • Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Steve visits The TODAY Show on NBC so watch him sometime between 7-11am, probably 10am hour.
  • Suzanne Somers (Three's Company/Step by Step/She's the Sheriff) - Watch Suzanne on The Rachel Ray Show, so check listings.
Friday, January 28, 2011
  • Kelsey Grammer (Frasier/Cheers/Back to You/Hank) - Catch Kelsey on a REPEAT of Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Jay Mohr (Gary Unmarried) - Watch Jay on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC at 11:35pm.
  • Fran Drescher (The Nanny) - Catch Fran on the Oprah show so check your local listings.
Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

TV One February 2011 Schedule Has 'Way Black When' Month; ABC Mid-Season 2011 Update

TV One will celebrate Black History Month in February 2011, like they did last year. Thee will not be any changes to the regular schedule, but there will be plenty of stunts. To celebrate "Our History Month," beginning Monday, Jan. 31 at 10 PM ET, and airing each weeknight over four weeks, TV One will present "Way Black When," a month of high-profile programming designed to reflect back on the golden age of black culture that emerged during the 1970s, '80s and '90s. The centerpiece of the initiative is Way Black When: Prime Time, a high-energy, one-hour talk show that will showcase Black pop culture icons across three decades – the '70s, '80s and '90s -- including actors, comedians, athletes, musicians and many more--from Black Power through Hip Hop. Guiding a live studio audience and television viewers on their trip back through 'blackness,' will be three hosts, each of whom embodies a decade's essence. Comedian and actor Sinbad will conduct a fantastic voyage through the 70's...Niecy Nash keeps it moving and groovin' through the 80's... and comedian and actor Chris 'Kid' Reid picks up the final leg of the Way Black When journey with 90's Hip Hop.
Each night, guests who characterize the specific week's decade will be showcased, along with a musical act and a comedian who provide the tunes and the tone of the time. The series will include a "Retro Trek" segment of nightly comedic sketches spoofing memorable hairstyles, fashion trends, and cultural fads from each decade. Each week, TV One will feature Heroes, Newsmakers, Icons and Celebs (HNIC) segment in which "Washington Watch" host Roland Martin will provide a look back at the major news events of the day.

Among the many guests (including performers and comedians) included in Way Black When, which airs weeknights at 10 PM and repeats weeknights at 1 AM, will be:
  • Way Black When: The '70s – hosted by Sinbad (Monday, Jan. 31-Friday, Feb. 4) – actor and pro football Hall of Famer Jim Brown; Peabody Award-winning comedian and radio personality J. Anthony Brown; comedian Don "DC" Curry; The Emotions (Best of My Love) ; former NFL great Vince Evans; actor Antonio Fargas (Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch); Cuba Gooding, Sr (The Main Ingredient, Everybody Plays the Fool); singer/songwriter/musician Larry Graham; comedian and activist Dick Gregory; The Hues Corporation (Rock the Boat); Grammy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated singer/musician James Ingram; groundbreaking model, actress and sportscaster Jayne Kennedy; vocalist Evelyn "Champagne" King; comedian Paul Mooney; actress Denise Nicholas (Room 222, In the Heat of the Night); Freda Payne; actor/producer, husband/wife duo Daphne and Tim Reid; actor Ernest Thomas (What's Happening!!); singer/songwriter and fashion icon Jody Watley (originally of Shalamar); and actor and martial artist Michael Jai White.
  • Way Black When: The '80s – hosted by Niecy Nash (Monday, Feb. 7-Friday, Feb. 11) – R&B duo Alexander O'Neal & Cherrelle; singer/songwriter Bobby Brown; rapper and record producer Kurtis Blow; actor Todd Bridges (Diff'rent Strokes); comedian Joe Clair; actor/director Bill Duke (Sister Act 2); rap trailblazer Doug E. Fresh; recording industry executive André Harrell; Anna Maria Horsford (Amen); R&B singer and actress Miki Howard; rapper Kool Mo Dee; R&B singer Louis Price (The Temptations) and his wife, actress Fay Hauser; director/producer Michael Schultz (Cooley High); hip hop pioneer Roxanne Shante; drummer and percussionist Sheila E.; R&B star Al B. Sure; actor Taimak (The Last Dragon); actor Glynn Turman (A Different World, The Wire); and The Whispers.
  • Way Black When: The '90s – hosted by Chris "Kid" Reid (Monday, Feb. 14-Friday. Feb. 18) – Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, TV One's new original sitcom, Love That Girl!); R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe; producer and former actor Carl Craig; comedian and actor Tommy Davidson; commentator and author Dr. Michael Eric Dyson; comedian Earthquake; R&B singer/songwriter Johnny Gill; singer and performer Ginuwine; actress Jasmine Guy (A Different World); comedian and actress Jackée Harry (227, Sister, Sister); R&B superstars K-Ci & JoJo (originally of Jodeci); Christopher "Play" Martin; actor Darius McCrary (Family Matters); Grammy Award-winning hip hop group Naughty By Nature; comedian and actress Ajai Sanders (A Different World); new jack swing/R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!; director, actor and comedian Robert Townsend; actor Ben Vereen; actress Lynn Whitfield; actor Malik Yoba; comedian YoYo; and from New Jack City - director Mario Van Peebles and cast members Vanessa Williams, Christopher Williams, and William Cobbs, plus New Jack Swing group Guy, who sang the title song from the groundbreaking film.
  • The fourth week of Way Black When: Primetime, Monday, Feb. 21 – Friday, Feb. 25, will offer a "Best Of" week that will feature the best interviews, comedy sketches and performances of the prior three weeks, plus original, unseen material, with the Best of the '70s airing on Monday, Feb. 21; the Best of the '80s airing on Tuesday, Feb. 22; the Best of the '90s airing on Wednesday, Feb. 23; plus an all-stand-up comedy show on Thursday, Feb. 24 and an all-musical performance show on Friday, Feb. 25.
There will also be stunt programming to go along with these weeks. Both TV series and movies will surround these specials. TV series airs weeknights at 9 and the movies at 11. Series for the '70s week will be The Flip Wilson Show (Tuesday and Wednesday) and The Richard Pryor Show (Thursday and Friday). Movies for the '70s week are Cooley High, Superfly, Shaft, Black Caesar and Cotton Comes Harlem. Every Saturday will feature a marathon block in February of the week's shows. On Saturday, Feb. 5 TV One airs a marathon of The Flip Wilson Show from 12pm-8pm, followed by the movie Shaft, and a marathon of The Richard Pryor Show from 8pm-6am. Also on Sunday, Feb. 6, TV One will air two classic '70s sitcoms in Sanford & Son from 12pm-7pm and Good Times from 8pm-2am.
Moving on to the '80s week, series will be A Different World (Tuesday and Wednesday) and Amen (Thursday and Friday). Movies for the '80s week are Disorderlies, Harlem Nights, Beat Street, Young Blood and Purple Rain. On Saturday, Feb. 12 TV One airs a marathon of A Different World from 12pm-8pm, followed by the movie Purple Rain, and a marathon of Amen from 8pm-6am.
And then on to the '90s week, series will be Martin (Tuesday and Wednesday) and Living Single (Thursday and Friday). Movies for the '90s week are Juice, Distinguished Gentleman, Fresh, Double Platinum and Livin Large. On Saturday, Feb. 19 TV One airs a marathon of Living Single from 12pm-8pm, followed by the movie Two Can Play That Game, then the movie Three Can Play That Game, and then another marathon of Living Single from 12am-6am. Martin got a special stunt on Sunday, Feb. 13 from 1pm-4am instead. On Sunday, Feb. 20, TV One will air 6 episodes of NY Undercover from 12pm-6pm.
Finally, the last week of the month will be a best-of week. Series will be A Different World on Tuesday, Martin on Wednesday, Living Single on Thursday and Amen on Friday. Movies for the best-of week are Don King: Only in America, Blood Done Sign My Name, Tyson, Dead Presidents and A Raisin in the Sun. On Saturday, Feb. 26 from 12pm-4:30am, TV One airs a movie marathon featuring Young Blood, Black Caesar, Cotton Comes Harlem, Superfly, Cooley High, Harlem Nights, Distinguished Gentleman, and Cooley High again. Random airings of Martin and Good Times follow from 4:30am-6am.

Finally, ABC has added two more pieces to its mid-season 2011 schedule. We broke the news for both on Twitter last night. Reality series Shark Tank will return for a second season on Friday, March 25 at 8pm. The series was ordered for a second season with 8 all-new episodes including guest panelists Mark Cuban and Jeff Foxworthy joining for a few episodes each. The series also had one episode left-over from last season that they could air. Shark Tank will replace Supernanny on Fridays at 8pm. Supernanny is ending its run this season, so it looks like the series finale will air on March 18.
Meanwhile, after Wipeout's Winter edition ends, ABC will have to plug in something on Thursdays at 8pm for the last 6 weeks of the season. Replacing Wipeout starting Thursday, April 14 at 8pm will be Take The Money and Run, from Jerry Bruckheimer. This six-week series is a game of cat and mouse between two teams to try and win $100,000. Wipeout was supposed to end its Winter run starting March 4, but it seems like they have ordered four more episodes, bringing the total to 12 (instead of 8). Thursdays, March 3-April 7 is 6 weeks, so Wipeout will be repeats for two weeks in that span.
Still yet to be scheduled for ABC is game show Million Dollar Mind Game, reality series Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, Mark Burnett's new reality series Expedition Impossible, and returning reality series Wife Swap & Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Most of these could be for summer now. Everything else for ABC is scheduled for mid-season including comedy Mr. Sunshine (Feb. 9), reality series Secret Millionaire (March 6), drama Body of Proof (March 29), and comedy Happy Endings (April 13). Stay with us for updates.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, March 18

The Neighborhood - (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)

Bob Hearts Abishola - "Worth the Cooties" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
After Christina kicks Abishola and Dottie out for making light of her pre-pregnancy preparations, Christina bonds with Douglas and Abishola spends a fun day with Dottie. Also, when Bob, Goodwin and Kofo are stumped on a work issue, Bob insists they go out to lunch to loosen up.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 18)

Monday, March 18

  • Christina Applegate (Dead to Me/Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Jesse/Married with Children) - Watch Christina on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Carrie Preston (Crowded/Happyish/Emeril) - Carrie is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Rachel Dratch (Grimsburg/Imaginary Mary/30 Rock) - Rachel appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie) and John Hodgman (Up Here/Married) - Sasheer and John are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg (Two and a Half Men/Jenny) - Jenny appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
  • Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa will be on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
  • Brett Gelman (Camping/Fleabag/Married/Go On) - Brett talks about The Terrifying Realm of the Possible: Nearly True Stories on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
  • William Shatner ($h*! My Dad Says) - NBC's Today catches up with William in the 9am hour.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (November-March)

Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Father Knows Best - The Complete Series The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)

That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

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03/12 - Roseanne Couch Week on COZI TV; The CW Orders Leighton Meester Series for 2025
03/11 - Every Grey's Anatomy Episode Now on Hulu; You Season 5 Casting Update
03/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 11, 2024)
03/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Tim Allen Headlining ABC Comedy Pilot; NBC Developing Bewitched Inspired Sitcom
03/08 - Amazon Freevee Gets New Comedy Series; Apple TV+ Loot Returns April 3
03/07 - Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik Reprising Their Characters from Big Bang; Monsters at Work Returns for Season 2
03/06 - CBS Orders Multi-Camera Spin-off of Young Sheldon; FETV Acquires Highway Patrol
03/05 - Fox Summer 2024 Schedule, In-Season Finales; CBS Renews Tracker for Season 2
03/04 - Laff Acquires Matthew Perry and Will Arnett Sitcoms; Lisa Whelchel Returns for MeTV Series
03/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 4, 2024)
03/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Pluto TV Adds More Channels Including Universal Action; CBS Renews Young and the Restless for Four More Years
03/01 - Lopez vs Lopez Season 2 Brings Out the Stars; Prime Video's Música Drops April 4
02/29 - Season 3 of Hacks Adds Star Power; Remembering Richard Lewis
02/28 - BUZZR Celebrates Women's History Month in March; 10th Anniversary of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
02/27 - Little House on the Prairie Big 5-0 Stunt on COZI TV; Netflix Orders Tires Starring Shane Gillis
02/26 - Hulu Orders Chad Powers Starring Glen Powell; Netflix's Mindy Kaling Produced Comedy Rounds Out Cast
02/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 26, 2024)
02/24 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Frasier Reboot Gets Second Season; Jimmy Kimmel Hints at End of Talk Show
02/23 - Paramount+ Renews Frasier for Season 2; Netflix Orders Series from Maid Showrunner
02/22 - 30th SAG Awards Presenters Announced; Jay Pharoah Heads to Fox
02/21 - SNL Loads Up for Next 3 Weeks; Tig Notaro Prime Video Special
02/20 - Brittany Snow to Star Opposite Malin Akerman in Starz Series; Dennis Quaid Joining Paramount+
02/19 - Rewind TV's 227 on 2/27 Marathon; Dolly Parton's Pet Gala with Special Guests
02/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 19, 2024)