TCA Winter 2011 Press Tour: ABC; First Ever Comedy Awards on Comedy Central

Monday, January 10, 2011

TCA Winter 2011 Press Tour: ABC; First Ever Comedy Awards on Comedy Central

Today at the TCA Winter 2011 Press Tour the broadcast networks begin. Up today will be ABC. The schedule started after breakfast with an executive session with Ben Sherwood of ABC News, followed by an executive sessions with Paul Lee of ABC Entertainment. ABC News will produce more documentaries year-round for primetime, similar to series like Boston Med. On the entertainment side, we learned that ABC has given early pick-ups for the 2011-12 season for Castle, Cougar Town, Grey's Anatomy, The Middle, Modern Family and Private Practice. All of those are no-doubters for us. Desperate Housewives is not on this list yet due to contract negotiations going on for the cast, but it will come back we think, as it is one of the top shows still in 18-49. Brothers & Sisters is also likely for some sort of pick-up, but it depends on the rest of 2011 performance. Lee has "ambitions" on picking it up Decisions on freshman shows, like Detroit 1-8-7, won't be announced for another 2-3 months or at upfront. V only has 10 episodes this season because of "quality control" and it has paid off. Lee would also like to have two nights of comedy next season. He didn't specify if the second night would be an hour or a two-hour block. Pilot pick-ups so far are an untitled Shonda Rhimes crisis management project and comedies Man Up and Smothered. Casting and more still to come on these pilots. ABC is also working on an Incredible Hulk revival from Marvel in the next year or so.
After the executive session, there was a cocoa klatch with Winter Wipeout. Host John Henson, co-host Jill Wagner, showrunner Matt Kunitz and even Ballsy were on hand for casual conversation and a tasty, hot beverage. Winter Wipeout airs Thursdays at 8pm on ABC and is off to a fantastic start in the ratings. After that, there was an executive session with new ABC Family President Michael Riley. We learned that ABC Family has given new season orders to two of the network's hit series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager" which has been renewed for a fourth season, and Pretty Little Liars, which was picked-up for a second season. Both new seasons are slated to start airing sometime in summer 2011. Both series still have to finish their second halves of the current season, with Liars airing Mondays through March 21, then Secret Life returns March 28 for its last batch of episodes this season.
Following that, there were panels for ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars (airs Mondays at 8pm) and ABC's new tropical medical drama Off the Map, which premieres Wednesday at 10pm. Then it was off to lunch with Disney Junior with Gary Marsh (President, Disney Channels Worldwide) and Nancy Kanter (SVP, Disney Junior Worldwide) for casual conversation and a special performance by The Never Land Pirate Band.
Following the lunch break, there was an actual session with Gary Marsh of Disney Channels Worldwide. The new network Disney Junior launches on Monday, Feb. 14. That was followed by a panel with the cast and producers of the upcoming Disney Channel original movie Lemonade Mouth starring Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko, Naomi Scott, Blake Michael, Nick Roux and Tisha
Campbell-Martin. The event concludes tonight with an Off the Map Mid-season Mixer where we are joined by the stars and showrunners of many of ABC's mid-season series for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres themed to Off the Map. The reason why there weren't any panels for upcoming sitcoms Mr. Sunshine and Happy Endings, drama Body of Proof, and reality series Secret Millionaire, was because they all had panels already at the TCA Summer 2010 press tour. Stay tuned tomorrow for an update from the Fox's day at the TCA press tour.

Comedy Central and MTV Networks, both divisions of Viacom, have tapped New York City to host The Comedy Awards, the first-ever multi-network, multi-platform, annual event dedicated to honoring and celebrating the world of comedy. A night for comedy of all kinds, The Comedy Awards will be taped at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday, March 26 and will premiere on Sunday, April 10, 2011, simultaneously across MTV Networks' Comedy Central, Spike TV, TV Land, VH1 and Nick at Nite. All of these networks feature some sort of comedy.
Comedy elite including James Burrows, Billy Crystal, Will Ferrell, Whoopi Goldberg, Brad Grey, Seth MacFarlane, Adam McKay, Jimmy Miller, Jay Roach, Ray Romano, Rory Rosegarten, Phil Rosenthal and many more are among the first to join "The Comedy Awards" Board of Directors which will be responsible for selecting the nominees. The winners will be chosen by an invitation-only voting body comprised of 500-1000 members from the comedy community -- including writers, producers, performers and directors. The event will also feature several special awards that will include the voice of the fans through online voting at the event site thecomedyawards.com.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 6

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Gemma Johnson's Day Off" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Gemma reaches her limit at work, and when a car issue forces her to slow down, an unexpected break helps her rethink what she really wants next. Meanwhile, Marty and Malcolm’s plans are thrown off course when unexpected opportunities arise, and Dave embraces a new career path.

The Neighorhood - "A Farewell Special" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
CBS presents The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special, an Entertainment Tonight production, airing Monday, April 6 (8:30-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+. Hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier and filmed on location on The Neighborhood's stages, the special celebrates the acclaimed CBS comedy's final season, honoring eight seasons, 156 episodes, and eight unforgettable years of laughter, heart and community, leading up to the series finale on May 11.

This celebratory event features exclusive new interviews with the cast reflecting on their journey, revisiting early days on set, and looking back at the show's evolution and cultural impact. From its heartfelt exploration of friendship and family to its comedic take on life in a changing community, The Neighborhood has become a beloved part of CBS' comedy legacy.

The special includes never-before-seen footage and archival interviews from the ET Vault, offering fans a nostalgic look at the series' most iconic moments and the relationships built along the way. Viewers will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the emotional final days of production, including the cast and crew's last table read, intimate moments from the final tapings, and heartfelt goodbyes.

Additionally, The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special brings audiences inside the cast's final wrap party, capturing the laughter, speeches, memories, and surprises that marked the end of an era. To cap off the evening, fans will get an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming series finale, with the cast and producers sharing what viewers can expect as the Butlers and Johnsons say farewell to the neighborhood they've called home for nearly a decade.

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to New Horizons" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Dave’s silent auction wins lead to a classical concert outing with Gemma and the Butlers that quickly goes off the rails. Meanwhile, Malcolm’s ghostwriting gig takes a surprising turn when Tina encourages him to dive into reality TV for inspiration – sparking an unexpected obsession.

St. Denis Medical - "We Make Time" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When a doctor becomes a patient, his co-workers rally around him, whether he likes it or not; Matt and Serena need to talk.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "The Loyalty Swamp" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Tobin's past comes back to haunt him; Reggie and Brina struggle to set a wedding date.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 6)

Monday, April 6

Jason Segel (Shrinking/How I Met Your Mother/Undeclared) - Watch Jason on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Keanu Reaves (Swedish Dicks) - Keanu is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Outcome on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - ABC's Good Morning America has George Stephanopoulos' exclusive interview with Melissa sometime between 7-9am.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie talks about Big Mistakes on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Mindy Kaling (Running Point/The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy talks about Mindy's Book Studio on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry and Rebecca King-Crews make an exclusive announcement on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. Terry will also be on in the 9am hour.
Sterling K. Brown (Starved) and Ryan Michelle Bathe (First Wives Club/Retired at 35) - Sterling and his wife Ryan Michelle tell Sherri about the highly anticipated new season of Paradise now streaming on Hulu & Disney+ on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda talks season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors and her new film Fantasy Life on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.