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

Monday, April 20

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Purse Dog" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin reluctantly agrees to dog-sit a glamorous little companion, only to face an awkward twist when someone else lays claim to it. Meanwhile, a joint celebration prompts Malcolm to question whether he and Mercedes are moving too fast. Amber Stevens West guest stars as Mercedes, Malcolm's Girlfriend.

DMV - "Drive-ory Tower" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Colette tries to bridge a growing divide at the office by bringing the driving examiners and counter clerks together. Meanwhile, Vic stubbornly avoids seeing a doctor after an unusual injury, forcing Barb to get creative to help him.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 20)

Monday, April 20

Kal Penn (The Santa Clauses/Sunnyside/We Are Men) - Watch Kal on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Quinta appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Don Cheadle (The Wonder Years/Black Monday/House of Lies/The Golden Palace) - Don is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about Hazardous History with Henry Winkler on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Aaron Tveit (Schmigadoon!) - Aaron is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
B.J. Novak (The Office) and Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon/The Big Bang Theory) - Andy Cohen interviews B.J. and Jim on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
William Stanford Harris (Abbott Elementary) - William talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Ramy Youssef (#1 Happy Family USA/Ramy/See Dad Run) - Ramy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie talks about Big Mistakes on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) - NBC's Today catches up with Jane in the 9am hour.
Christopher Briney (Hacks) - Christopher talks about Hacks on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair tells Sherri about his new memoir A Soldier's Wife: My Mother, the Marvelous Mrs. Marilyn A. Underwood on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Phoebe Dynevor (Younger) - Phoebe is telling Drew about her new movie Thrash on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Dan Bucatinsky (The Comeback/Marry Me/Web Therapy) - Dan appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.