Thursday, February 10, 2011
More on TV Land Sitcom Pilots; ION Television's January 2011 Ratings Is Best Month Ever; 2011 Valentine's Day Weekend TV Marathons
Furthering TV Land's expansion into the original sitcom landscape, the network announced that it has signed several popular television and film actors to star in its three upcoming pilots. Fran Drescher (The Nanny), Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris), John Michael Higgins (Kath & Kim), D.W. Moffett (Friday Night Lights), Rita Moreno (West Side Story), Valente Rodriguez (George Lopez) and Robert Walden (All The President's Men) will star in Happily Divorced based on Drescher's life.
Donald Faison (Scrubs), Wayne Knight (Seinfeld, Hot in Cleveland), David Alan Basche (The Starter Wife) and Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From The Sun) will headline an untitled Mark Reisman sitcom.
And Christine Taylor (Arrested Development), Barry Watson (Samantha Who?, 7th Heaven) and Sherri Shepherd (The View) will star in a comedy pilot by Terri Minsky tentatively titled Rip City. Anne Meara (The King of Queens) will guest star in Minsky's pilot. All three pilots, which were previously announced in January, will be multi-camera and will tape in front of live audiences in February.
View more on these pilots and stay with us for any details on if these pilots are picked-up to series. I could imagine at least one of these being picked-up for air.
ION Television kicked off 2011 with continued ratings growth, celebrating January as its best month ever, according to Nielsen Media Research. ION's growing mix of TV series and movies, presented under its "Positively Entertaining" consumer tagline, posted growth across key demos during the month, and, for the first time, ranked among the top 10 cable entertainment networks in A25-54, households and total viewers in the 7pm-12am sales prime time period. Shows airings weeknights from 7pm-12am are Without a Trace and Criminal Minds blocks. Movies air on weekends in this time frame.
ION Television closed out January with double-digit growth in household viewers, up 15% (1,002,000) and up 13% (1,315,000) in total viewers, compared to January 2010, representing new network highs. The network also registered record high numbers in the A18-49 demo (493,000).
Additionally in January, ION Television ranked #9 among cable entertainment networks in A25-54, households and total viewers -- marking the first time ION is positioned among the top 10 nets. January also registered ION's best week ever (1/3/11) in A18-49 (545,000) and total viewers (1,455,000).
ION's 11pm hour (Criminal Minds on weeknights/movies on weekends) also became a driving force for the network's ratings last month as viewers turned to ION as an alternative destination to late night talk and cable reality reruns -- making it the most viewed hour in the 7pm-12am daypart for the network among A25-54 and A18-49. During the 11pm hour in January, ION's rankings also saw a boost, positioning at:
· #3 in total viewers as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (1,669,000)
· #5 in A25-54 as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (690,000)
· #6 in households as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (1,092,000)
· #8 in A18-49 as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (645,000)
January's record ratings generates momentum for the general entertainment network as ION Television recently celebrated 2010 as its most watched year ever in its key demos.
Looking for new ways to celebrate Valentine's Day Weekend? Last night ABC had hilarious all-new Valentine's Day episodes The Middle, Better With You and Modern Family that did well in the ratings and tonight NBC's comedy line-up celebrates Valentine's Day and romance. ABC delivers the classic Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown on Friday at 8pm with the newer classic A Charlie Brown Valentine following. All weekend long you can fall in love all over again during Hallmark's Countdown to Valentine's Day, which includes the world premiere of the movie Accidentally in Love starring Jennie Garth on Saturday.
For more V-Day options, you should check out these 195 TV Series & Movie Marathons and Specials at TVTango that air during this coming week, including the long Valentine's Day weekend.
And more love will be discussed tomorrow during our pilot review of the upcoming CBS comedy Mad Love, which premieres on Monday--Valentine's Day!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Monday, June 27
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Knockout" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
As Dave nears his 40th birthday, Calvin offers to coach his friend for an amateur boxing tournament. Also, sparks fly when Marty meets a new woman at the gym.
Bob Hearts Abishola - "Cats in a Bathtub" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Bob accidentally reveals Morenike is gay, Abishola and Kemi are forced to defend her against their church, and even their own families. Also, Douglas comes clean to Olivia about not being poor.
Breeders - "No More: Part One" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Jim and Jackie are both struggling under their new circumstances; Luke has to choose between Jacob and Ruby; at Alex's 65th birthday party, Ally meets someone who makes her see Paul in a new light.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 27)
Monday, June 27
- Joey King (Bent) - Watch Joey on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Martin Lawrence (Martin/Partners) - Martin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Loot) - Michaela appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea will be on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
- Kieran Culkin (Go Fish) - Kieran appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Tig Notaro (One Mississippi) - Tig is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) and Finesse Mitchell (Outmatched/A.N.T. Farm) - Kym and Finesse guest co-host a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
- John Hodgman (Married/Bored to Death) - John talks the Judge John Hodgman podcast on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie stops by to talk about her cooking show Valerie's Home Cooking and book Enough Already, plus she joins the Tam Fam kitchen to cook a delicious dish on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl talks about Freeform's Motherland: Fort Salem on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
- Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family) - Danny will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (March-June)
03/08 - Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season Eight
03/08 - Brooklyn Nine-Nine - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
03/15 - Head of the Class - The Complete Fourth Season
03/15 - The Proud Family - The Complete Original Series - Anniversary Collection
03/22 - The Honeymooners Specials - The Complete Collection
03/29 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-5 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
03/29 - Young Rock - Season One
04/05 - Up All Night - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
04/26 - The Danny Thomas Show (aka Make Room for Daddy) - The Complete Fourth Season
04/26 - Jackie Gleason TV Treasures - 70th Anniversary Collection (including Honeymooners Rarities)
05/03 - No Activity - Season Three
05/13 - The Donna Reed Show - The Complete Seasons 1-5 (Time Life)
05/31 - Becker - The Complete Series (2022 Release)
06/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Eleventh Season
06/14 - Hacks - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/14 - Rutherford Falls - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/21 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season One / Season Two / Season Three (07/26) / Season Four (07/26)
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