Thursday, April 14, 2011

Acquisitions Central: TV Guide Gets Spin City, Wipeout Coming To truTV, GMC Acquires Heartland

Winning? TV Guide Network is shaking up its programming with the '90s sitcom, Spin City, which starred Charlie Sheen for the last two seasons. Beginning this Saturday (April 16), TV Guide Network will air the "Sheen Seasons" of the political satire sitcom every Saturday. Seasons five and six will continue to air in marathon form every Saturday (with the exception of April 30 due to the Royal Wedding programming) from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., engaging new and long-time fans. The series will also air in a special primetime block Monday, April 18 from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. with an encore from 12:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. There will be airings on most weeknights in the 1:00 a.m. hour besides the Saturday airings. Late night Sheen!
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

Friday, April 18

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 14)

Friday, April 18

  • David Alan Grier (St. Denis Medical/Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - Watch David on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Bernadette Peters (High Desert/Mozart in the Jungle/All's Fair) - Bernadette is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Chet Hanks (Running Point) - Chet appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody takes "The Colbert Questionert" on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Ike Barinholtz (The Studio/The Afterparty/Bless the Harts/The Mindy Project/Eastbound & Down) - Ike appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Bobby Moynihan (Mr. Mayor/Me, Myself & I), Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) and Mary Eliabeth Ellis (Santa Clarita Diet/The Grinder/Perfect Couples/It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) - Bobby, Thomas and Mary are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Luke Kirby (Étoile) - Luke talks about Étoile on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie is joining Drew and Ross Mathews to hit the headlines on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Annaleigh Ashford (B Positive) - Annaleigh is telling Drew about the thrilling new series Happy Face based on a real life serial killer on The Drew Barrymroe Show, so check your local listings.
  • Michael B. Jordan (The Assistants) and Delroy Lindo (UNPrisoned) - Michael, Delroy and others tell Sherri about their highly anticipated new film Sinners on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Joel Kim Booster (Loot/Shrill) - Joel talks about Bravo's Love Hotel on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two

11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


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