Thursday, April 14, 2011
Acquisitions Central: TV Guide Gets Spin City, Wipeout Coming To truTV, GMC Acquires Heartland
Spin City ran for six seasons from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on ABC. The series starred Michael J. Fox as Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty, with Charlie Sheen taking over Fox's role as new Deputy Mayor Charlie Crawford. The cast also starred Richard Kind as Press Secretary Paul Lassiter, Alan Ruck as Chief of Staff Stuart Bondek, Michael Boatman as Head of Minority Affairs Carter Heywood, and Heather Locklear as Mayor Winston's campaign manager, Caitlin Moore.
Spin City was last seen on cable on FX until this past fall, so it hasn't been airing on TV since. No word if TV Guide plans to air the first four seasons starring Michael J. Fox, but as of now it's only Charlie Sheen's seasons! Watch out for warlocks! Finally, as you all know, TV Guide Network also airs Ugly Betty, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Weeds, Punk'd, and The Hills.
From Charlie Sheen to big balls, in one of the most significant programming acquisitions in the network's history, truTV has licensed the exclusive, off-network cable rights to the smash hit comedic series Wipeout from Disney-ABC Domestic Television, beginning in fall 2011. Wipeout will join truTV's successful lineup, which currently includes such hit original series as Operation Repo, Hardcore Pawn, All Worked Up and Lizard Lick Towing.
truTV's acquisition of WIPEOUT comes as the network has been enjoying tremendous success with its lineup of original series. truTV now ranks as one of basic cable's Top 10 networks among men 18-49 and Wipeout will certainly help in that demo.
Created and produced by Endemol USA, the hit reality competition series Wipeout premiered on ABC in summer 2008. The show challenges contestants to complete what is billed as the world's largest obstacle course. They must face wildly outrageous barriers, from Big Balls to complex contraptions, for the chance at winning a cash prize. Wipeout, which is also shown in numerous international versions around the globe, ranks among the world's top-rated game shows. The series was recently voted by Entertainment Weekly's readers as "Reality TV's Guiltiest Pleasure."
The series, which is currently in its fourth season on ABC, is hosted by John Anderson (SportsCenter), John Henson (Talk Soup) and co-hosted by the sexy Jill Wagner. The series starts its new summer season on ABC on Tuesday, June 21.
And we have one more rerun acquisition to announce! GMC, America's favorite channel for uplifting music and family entertainment, announced that the recently-acquired family drama Heartland will make its network premiere tonight (Thursday, April 14) with back-to-back episodes at 7 and 8 pm ET (encores at 9 and 10 pm ET and 11 pm and midnight ET, and on Sunday at 11 pm and midnight ET). The series has been airing in local broadcast syndication in many markets on weekends since the fall.
The hour-long Heartland, a top-rated series in Canada called "a modern-day Little House on the Prairie," was acquired by GMC in a U.S. cable deal with Genesis International Television and Film.
Starring Amber Marshall (The Elizabeth Smart Story), Heartland is the struggle of a debt-ridden family of Rocky Mountain horse ranchers fighting to keep a dream alive against a backdrop of young love, conflict and intrigue. Veteran actor Shaun Johnston (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee); Michelle Morgan (Stargate: Atlantis) and Graham Wardle (In the Land of Women, Yesterday) also star. In Canada, the series - now in its fifth season -- leads in households and all key individual female and male demos in its 7 p.m. time slot on Sundays on CBC Television (Canada's national broadcaster).
This series is not to be confused with the TNT original series that aired in 2006-07 with Treat Williams and Kari Matchett. This series on GMC will join such series like The Waltons and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, May 25
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 19)
Friday, May 23
- Milly Alcock (Sirens) - Watch Milly on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Michael Urie (Shrinking/Krapopolis/Partners), Jessica Williams (Shrinking/Love Life/Just for Kicks) and Luke Tennie (Shrinking) - Michael, Jessica and Luke are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That.../Divorce/Sex and the City/Square Pegs) - Sarah talks all things And Just Like That... on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Method Man (Method & Red) - Method Man talks about his new film Bad Shabbos on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) - Hannah talks about Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Joe Jonas (Jonas) - NBC's Today catches up with Joe sometime between 7-9am.
- Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry talks about Shadow Force on a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- David Hyde Pierce (Frasier) - NBC's Today catches up with David in the 9am hour.
- Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel joins Sherri to talk about starring in the new film Juliet & Romeo on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Terri J. Vaughn (She the People/Mann & Wife/Meet the Browns/All of Us/The Steve Harvey Show) - Terri talks about starring in the new Netflix series She the People on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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