Home Improvement Returns To TBS; Network Notes Includes More Happy Endings

Monday, May 02, 2011

Home Improvement Returns To TBS; Network Notes Includes More Happy Endings

TBS is bringing back Home Improvement out of its hiatus starting TODAY. The series returned to the cable network this morning airing in the 7am hour. The series will air weekdays at 7:00am & 7:30am replacing an hour of Saved by the Bell. Not to worry Saved by the Bell fans, "its alright" because the series will remain in the 8am hour airing back-to-back. Home Improvement has not aired on TBS since the fall when it aired once a week.
Both Home Improvement and Saved by the Bell are shared with other networks, as you know. Home Improvement airs on TV Land and Nick at Nite (both in the late night, with Nick at Nite airing it just once a week), while Saved by the Bell will be returning to TeenNick, after a hiatus as we announced.

The new comedy Happy Endings has a happy ending to the season! The new comedy will be aired back-to-back now for the rest of the season gaining 10:30pm after positive buzz and a ratings climb last week. We first announced this news on Thursday night. The comedy will air back-to-back at 10:00pm & 10:30pm with all-new episodes through May 18 and the season finale will air at 10:30pm on Wednesday, May 25 (after the one-hour Cougar Town Hawaii season finale from 9:30-10:30pm). Happy Endings produced 13 episodes, but as of now 12 are scheduled. Not sure yet if that one left-over episode will be aired this season or saved for next season. The only slot open is Wednesday, May 25 at 8:30pm, but that could be very well be a repeat of The Middle, like it will be on May 18 (Better With You has its season finale on May 11). As of now, chances for a second season are good. Happy endings, indeed!
Moving on to some NBC scheduling news, a whole bunch of updates were announced on Friday. The new reality competition series The Voice got off to a hot start for its two-hour premiere last week and it will still be two-hours this week (May 3) as well, as planned. The Voice will not move to the planned 8pm hour starting Tuesday, May 10 until after sweeps and The Biggest Loser isn't moving to 9-11pm for the final three weeks now. This means starting next Tuesday (May 10), The Biggest Loser will air from 8-10pm and The Voice at 10pm. Will that hurt the new series airing in a later hour? We shall see. The Voice at 10pm is just for three weeks, because in its summer airings it will move to 8pm to make room for America's Got Talent starting May 31. The other NBC change of note is in summer with repeats of 30 Rock moving to 8:30pm starting Thursday, June 2, as the one-hour comedy Love Bites will finally air, airing Thursdays at 10pm. It's just a burn-off, though. Becki Newton stars.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, April 1

St. Denis Medical - "Anything to Push Zaluva" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Ron's teasing makes Joyce question whether her friendship with a pharmaceutical rep is genuine; Alex has trouble letting Serena take on a new task; Matt finds a mentor in Bruce.

Night Court - "Hot to Trot" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Abby's friendship with her ex-boyfriend's mother leads to romantic complications; when Julianne's wealthy aunt passes away, the gang vies for a piece of her inheritance.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Love At First Swipe" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
C.J. and Janine receive marital advice from an unlikely source; Peanut seeks help with his newfound online lover.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Failure 2 Launch" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Assisted Living is the new situation comedy by Tyler Perry about three generations who must make a new start in the rural backwoods of Georgia.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 31)

Tuesday, April 1

Adam Scott (Ghosted/Veep/Parks and Recreation/Party Down) - Catch Adam on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) - Kevin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Paul Rudd (The Shrink Next Door/Living with Yourself/Wild Oats) - Paul stops by 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 Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Paul F. Tompkins (The Great North/BoJack Horseman/DAG) and Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Lopez vs Lopez/Corporate) - Vinny, Paul and Aparna are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio/Bupkis) and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Chase and Kathryn are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9:30pm on Bravo.
Will Ferrell (The Office) and Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - E! News has interviews with Will and Jennifer at 11pm on E!.
Román Zaragoza (Ghosts) - Román talks about Ghosts on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny talks about Dying for Sex on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Michael Angarano (Laid/I'm Dying Up Here/Will & Grace) and Michael Cera (Life & Beth/Arrested Development/I Was a Sixth Grade Alien) - Michael and Michael talk about Sacramento with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) - Hannah talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Tasha Smith (Survival of the Thickest/Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse/The Tom Show/Boston Common) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Tasha and Tone talk about the new season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Kathryn Hahn (The Studio/Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn is dishing on her new comedy series The Studio on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer and Freddy Rodriguez chat about their podcast Dos Amigos on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Brenda Song (Running Point/Dollface/Dads/The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) - Brenda talks about Netflix's Running Point on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Paul Walter Hauser (The Afterparty) - Paul is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.