SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Seinfeld will be starting its fourth broadcast syndication cycle during the week of March 20, 2011. That is pretty rare these days to have such big clearances for a fourth term. Seinfeld has been in broadcast syndication for 15 years now (since Sept. 1995) and this fourth cycle will have it last through March 2015. Seinfeld will be moving in many markets to other stations, though starting March 20. Tribune Broadcasting has gotten the sitcom back in at least three markets from Fox: New York (WPIX), Dallas (KDAF) and Washington (WDCW). It was airing on the local Fox stations in those three markets for the last 10 years. In Seattle, Tribune's KZJO (MyNetwork affiliate) will get the show now after airing on CBS-owned KSTW (CW affiliate). Other non-Tribune stations will also get the show, such as in Boston, Seinfeld leaves Fox's WFXT for CBS-owned independent WSBK. In Chicago it will go from the Fox-owned station WFLD to Weigel-owned independent WCIU. It is remaining on Fox-owned KTTV in Los Angeles because they renewed it. It is best that you check your local listings for the week of March 20, 2011 to see if Seinfeld has moved to another station in your market that we haven't mentioned here.
As for WPIX in NYC, we have the full details of Seinfeld's timeslots and the changes being made as a result on WNYW/WWOR! Seinfeld will start on WPIX on Sunday, March 20 at 9pm & 9:30pm with the very first two episodes. Then it will start weekdays the very next day on Monday, March 21 at 11pm & 11:30pm. Best-of episodes will be airing, so it isn't in any order. The Sunday airings will be going in order, though. As a result of Seinfeld joining the WPIX schedule, some changes will be made on three stations. Essentially WNYW is replacing Seinfeld with a third Simpsons airing at 11:30pm and a third TMZ on TV airing at 12:30am. The weekend airing will be replaced by an airing of Everybody Loves Raymond on Sundays at 11:30pm. Sister network WWOR aired the show Sundays at 7:30pm, but now they will add a second run of The Deadliest Catch. WPIX of course has made the most changes. On Sundays, they will split up Ugly Betty. It was airing 7pm and 8pm, now it will be 1pm and 7pm, with Friends moving into the 8pm hour since Seinfeld is coming at 9pm. For weekdays, Old Christine is getting the late night treatment and being reduced to just a half-hour going from 5-6pm to 1:30am. Family Guy will now air weekdays in the 6pm hour instead of 7:30pm and 1am, while Two and a Half Men gets the 7pm hour now since Seinfeld has taken the full 11pm hour. Seinfeld will lead into Curb Your Enthusiasm at 12am, to try and boost that series' ratings. And finally, Frasier is leaving local broadcast syndication nationwide before the start of the week of March 7. So, March 5 or March 6 will be the last airings. In New York, it is on WPIX and it is only airing Friday and Saturday late nights (early Saturday and Sunday mornings), but it seems American Dad! isn't doing well in the ratings as its primetime Saturday 9pm & 9:30pm airings is going to being moved to 4:30am & 5am. Ouch. It will remain in the Saturday 12am hour, though.
View the full list of changes in New York as a result of Seinfeld moving and Frasier leaving broadcast syndication.

We have some network notes for you today as well. NBC issued pickups for three returning alternative series in 2011-12 in The Biggest Loser, Who Do You Think You Are? and the singing competition series The Sing-Off. Missing from this list is Minute to Win It, which has done OK in the ratings but suffers a lot against heavy competition. Also missing is The Apprentice, but the celebrity version starts on Sunday, March 6.
Syfy has acquired both seasons (31 episodes) of the acclaimed fan-favorite Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. With the movie Terminator 3 as the lead-in, the series will join the Syfy line-up on Thursday, April 7 with two episodes from 9-11PM (ET/PT). The regular time slot will be Thursdays from 7-11PM (ET/PT). Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles ran for two seasons (2007-09) on Fox and Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau, Brian Austin Green, Garret Dillahunt, Shirley Manson, Leven Rambin and Richard T. Jones starred in the series. Elsewhere on Syfy April 2011, there is a Mork & Mindy sighting on Thursday, April 1, 2011 at 8am--no foolin' either! This is in addition to the March sightings. Monday, April 11, at 11am will see a filler airing of short-lived drama Moonlight. And Thursday nights (early Friday mornings) at 5am will see drama Early Edition air all month starting April 7.
And finally, CSI gets yet another airing removed on USA Network. Another episode of NCIS will replace CSI on Fridays at 9pm starting Friday, March 4, 2011. NCIS will now air on Fridays from 7pm-10pm, while CSI will air from 10pm-12am.