Sunday, July 31, 2011

Summer Week 9 Sitcom Ratings; New Episodes of Sitcoms On Basic Cable

Summer is heating up so we will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still continue to have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long! Here are our summer ratings:

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Summer Week 8, week of July 18-24)
  • American Dad! (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 7pm did 1.78 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, which was on par with the previous week. A repeat at 9:30pm did 3.25 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which is good for summer but down some from previous week.
  • The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat at 8pm did 3.68 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, up from previous week and a good showing.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30pm did 2.0 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, up some week-to-week and the best showing in a while.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat at 9pm did 3.55 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, on par with previous week.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A repeat at 8:30pm did 3.05 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which was up some week-to-week, but it could have been better given the lead-in was up.

Summer Week 9 (July 25-31)

Monday Sitcoms
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 3.88 million and a 11. 18-49 rating for a repeat at 8pm was down some from the previous week.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 5.15 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating for a repeat at 9pm is down week-to-week, as it didn't air in the East and Central until 9:25pm ET due to President Obama's address.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) 2 airings - 5.01 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating for a repeat in its normal 9:30pm slot was down some from previous week as it didn't air until 9:56pm ET in the east and central. But an 8:30pm repeat earlier did 4.26 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, which was just about the same as the previous week.
Tuesday Sitcoms
  • Raising Hope (Fox) - preempted.
Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) - The normal 8pm airing did 3.85 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, down some from previous week and below normal.
  • Modern Family (ABC) 2 airings - A repeat at 9pm did 4.41 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, on par really with the previous week. A repeat at 8:30pm also probably helped doing 3.97 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, also on par really with the previous week.
  • Happy Endings (ABC) - A repeat at 9:30pm did 2.8 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, on par with previous week once again like it has been doing the past few weeks. Hopefully that translates to new viewers this fall, as this show deserves it.
Thursday Sitcoms
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat did 7.15 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which was up a good numbers from the previous week and the best of week 9 thus far for sitcoms.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A repeat of this comedy followed at 8:30pm with 5.69 million and 1.6 18-49 rating, which was also up from previous week.
  • Community (NBC) - A repeat only did 2.02 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, on par with the previous week.
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC) - A repeat in its 8:30pm slot did only 1.98 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, again on par really with the previous week.
  • The Office (NBC) - A repeat at 9pm did 2.38 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, best of the low rated block and on par with the previous week.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) - A repeat at 9:30pm did 2.04 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, also on par with the previous week.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms
  • Family Guy (Fox) - ratings not available at publishing time.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - ratings not available at publishing time.
Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm.

Summing it up. Repeats of The Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement, and the 9pm Modern Family were impressive for the week, along with week 8's The Simpsons & Family Guy. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly) or just plain old terrible (such as the very low NBC Thursday repeats especially, Community).

Feeling the repeat blues? Look for original sitcoms on cable all this summer, with the great Hot in Cleveland on Wednesdays at 10pm, followed by week eight of the decent and getting funnier Happily Divorced starring Fran Drescher this Wednesday at 10:30pm only on TV Land. Also catch the new Comedy Wednesday on ABC Family this Wednesday with a special all-new full-hour of Melissa & Joey at 8pm followed by week six of new comedy State of Georgia starring Raven Symone but this week we get FOUR ALL-NEW episodes from 9-11pm! Loretta Devine is very sassy in this series and makes Mrs. Roper look tame! Also of course House of Payne and Meet the Browns are on TBS Wednesdays. New sitcom airings is the perfect way to beat the summer repeat blues! Watch them!

[Source: Nielsen NTI Ratings. View Travis Yanan's Ratings Website].

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Digital Digest: Exporting Raymond DVD Review; The Color Honeymooners - Best of Collection DVD Review

Welcome to Digital Digest, a place to cool down from the heat in the shade! It's been a very busy news week, thanks to several announcements from Shout! Factory, plus we have two reviews for you this week: Exporting Raymond and The Color Honeymooners - Best of Collection. And we are also back for the second week of our new feature, "Click of the Week," where we introduce you to websites that may be of interest to sitcom fans everywhere, and this week, it is all about the music that we hear in TV shows. So, let's get started!


DIGITAL NEWS

Just this week, MPI released The Honeymooners: The Lost Episodes - Best of Collection, and although it had a nice collection of episodes, fans undoubtedly want more. Little did we know, though, that MUCH more is on the way! On October 4, MPI is set to release The Honeymooners: The Lost Episodes (1951-1957) - The Complete Restored Series, a fifteen disc set that compiles every single one of the still existing lost episodes from that era. That should include all of the ones that air in syndication as "lost episodes," along with many others that have not been seen since they originally aired. It has been reported that archivists at UCLA have restored many of these episodes, though it remains to be seen if they actually will look any better than previous releases from MPI.

Shout! Factory hasn't exactly had a busy week with announcements this week, but some information on TVShowsOnDVD.com let the cat out of the bag (so to speak) about what appears to be their plans through the end of the year. And they have a LOT coming soon, although we just don't know the full details about any of this yet. When we do, we'll tell you more, but here is what we do know. Hazel - Season Two is coming November 1, Webster - Season Four is coming November 22, Designing Women - The Complete Fifth Season is coming December 6 and Adam-12 - Season Six is coming December 13. That is four releases in one sentence! Of course, all of this is subject to change, and there could even be other releases coming that aren't listed here. We'll let you know when we know!

Is The Bob Newhart Show "back from the dead" on DVD? Maybe, because recently, a pre-order for The Bob Newhart Show - The Complete Fifth Season popped up on amazon.com! But there is a lot of mystery here still. For one thing, no release date has been given. Also, we don't even know for certain who could be releasing it. While Fox does own the DVD rights to the series, it is possible that they could have licensed the series out to a third party. There are many unknowns, and it is possible that perhaps the release info is just totally premature. But when we know more, we'll let you know.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (August 2) is mostly a bust for new home media releases, but HBO does have several releases of the series Eastbound & Down, including Eastbound & Down - The Complete Second Season (DVD/Blu-ray) and a Blu-ray release of Eastbound & Down - The Complete First Season.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

It may be true that in America, everybody loves Everybody Loves Raymond, but not all things American translate so well in other countries. And that is what the creator of the series discovers when trying to adapt the series for Russians. The documentary Exporting Raymond is a hilarious behind-the-scenes look at the reality of what happens when trying to do just that. Here is our review of Exporting Raymond (DVD/Blu-ray).

DVD Review: Exporting Raymond (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - $35.99 Blu-Ray/$30.99 DVD)

We don’t usually review movies at SitcomsOnline, but we’re taking unique exception with this one because it directly involves one of the most popular sitcoms in recent history. “Everybody Loves Raymond” was extremely popular during its nine-season run on CBS. In fact the show was so popular, that in 2009, Russian television executives decided they wanted to produce their own version of the show, that for purposes of the film and this review, we’ll call “Everybody Loves Kostya.” “Raymond” show creator and writer Phil Rosenthal was tapped to go to Russia t o help guide the producers of the new show, and that’s the basic plot of the film.

Russian broadcasters had great success with their version of “The Nanny” and wanted to copy that success with “Raymond.” Rosenthal decided it would be fascinating to bring a documentary film crew along with him to Russia to document his odd trip, which Rosenthal almost called off when he was told he would need “K&R” insurance. K&R, by the way, stands for kidnapping and ransom.

The main comedy of this movie comes from the “fish out of water” scenario—Rosenthal trying to adjust to how very different the Russian culture is from American culture, and yet adapt his highly popular American show to fit. And believe me, any culture that considers the work of Britney Spears to be art, is a very different one. One hilarious scene comes when Rosenthal has dinner with one of the Russian network executives, who reveals that the main part of his job is producing lasers. Yes, lasers.

One thing he did learn though, is that show business is the same everywhere. The Russian network interfered with casting choices, and generally made things difficult for everyone.

I found the movie to be, while not laugh out loud funny all the time, it did have funny moments, and as someone who works in the television business, I found the storyline fascinating. And as the packaging claims, you do not have to have ever seen an episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond” to appreciate this film.

I received the Blu-Ray version to review, so it came in a standard blue keep case, with the movie’s poster as the cover… Rosenthal dressed in a Russian-style parka holding a large photograph of the “Raymond” cast, surrounded by critics’ reviews and acclaims from various film festivals. The back cover includes some shots from the film, a description, and a list of special features. The disc itself looks similar to the front cover.
The menu is well designed, especially for a Blu-Ray menu, which can be confusing if not laid out well. You have a choice of Play the Movie, Scene Selection, or Bonus Features. Russian-style music plays in the background while clips of the movie play. The disc has closed captions and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. Chapter marks are in appropriate places.


Considering this is a Blu-Ray release, the video and audio quality are quite good. The film makes good use of the full 1080i afforded by Blu-ray, and some of the exterior shots of Russia are quite beautiful. Audio is in 5.1 surround. Although the Blu-Ray format affords 7.1 sound, I think the 5.1 sound is adequate here.

This disc really benefits from its special features. First is a commentary on the film by Phil Rosenthal, that I unfortunately did not have a chance to listen to before the deadline for writing this review, but I’m sure it’s quite entertaining. There are also roughly 11 minutes worth of deleted scenes, that while they were interesting, they were probably best left deleted. There’s also a theatrical trailer.

I did, however, get to enjoy what is probably the most important bonus feature: two episodes of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and their “Everybody Loves Kostya” counterparts based on the same script. Both versions of each show were hilarious, which just goes to show that no matter what the cultural differences are, husband and wife problems translate to all languages. The Russian episodes, which include English subtitles, are quite hilarious and the actors chosen for the show are very talented. I sometimes found myself laughing before even reading the subtitles. One thing that could have been beneficial, especially since this is a Blu-Ray release, would be to be able to watch the Russian and American episodes side by side or picture-in-picture. While the timing would be way off, and the Russian episodes added subplots that were not in the original, I think that could still have been pulled off somehow. At any rate, I enjoyed getting to sample the Russian show.

Overall, this was a very entertaining movie, and I loved the bonus features. The film belongs in any “Raymond” fan’s library, but can just as easily be enjoyed by someone who has never seen the show. The fish out of water story is pretty universal, and some of Rosenthal’s reaction to the Russian wackiness is priceless. The discs are a bit on the pricy side, I suppose because it is an independent film, but you can likely find discounts. I highly recommend the film.

(4.5/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD version, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:

To purchase the Blu-ray Disc version, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:

Related links:


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

There have been many incarnations of The Honeymooners over the years, and perhaps one of the least well-known ones are those that aired from 1966-1970, "from the fun and sun capital of the world, Miami Beach!" The series featured Jackie Gleason and Art Carney, as in the past, but now, Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean take over the roles of Alice and Trixie. Here is our review of The Color Honeymooners - Best of Collection.

DVD Review - The Color Honeymooners - Best of Collection
by skees53

The Color Honeymooners - Best of Collection (MPI, $9.98) brings together four of the "best" episodes from the 1966-1970 version of the classic series with the Kramdens and the Nortons on a single disc. Coming in now from Miami Beach, The Color Honeymooners is a little bit of the old in a whole new environment.

The DVD includes the following episodes:

"Be It Ever So Humble" (September 9, 1967) - Ralph fights a $5 rent increase by moving to the country, but not without his tenants, the Nortons.

"The Sun and Raccoon Capital" (November 22, 1969) - Ralph and Ed vie for Highly Exalted Mystic Ruler.

"Two Faces of Ralph Kramden" (November 18, 1967) - Ralph is set up when he resembles a mob boss (note: this is a remake of one of the original lost episodes, "Stand in for Murder.")

"Double Trouble" (December 6, 1969) - Ralph has trouble with somebody using his likeness and bouncing checks while in Sun Valley, Idaho.

All of the episodes seem to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:

"Be It Ever So Humble" (50:36)
"The Sun and Raccoon Capital" (49:19)
"Two Faces of Ralph Kramden" (50:20)
"Double Trouble" (50:30)

The packaging for the disc is pretty standard. It is just a standard DVD case with a very low-resolution photo of Ralph and Ed on the front. On the back of the case, there is a cast snapshot, along with a brief synopsis of the series. The episode titles are all listed on the back. Inside, the disc contains the same artwork as seen on the cover.

The disc really only contains one menu, the main menu. Here, you have a list of all of the episodes on the disc, a Play All option, and an option for subtitles. Though there are no scene selection menus, chapters are placed throughout each episode.

The video and audio quality of the episodes is on par with the previous releases. The episodes definitely look and sound a lot better than the lost episodes from just a decade earlier, thanks to better preservation techniques and the fact that there actually was an effort to preserve these episodes. Still, there are some defects in the video, and the audio is sometimes difficult to hear due to the fact that the series was performed in an auditorium very obviously not designed for a TV show. Each episode has English subtitles.

There aren't any special features on the DVD, but for a best of release, it is rare to find these anyway.

I have grown to like The Honeymooners over the years, but I really think that these color ones are not the greatest of the series. Sure, they have their place in TV history, but they don't exactly live up to the charm of the "classic 39" or the lost episodes from the 50s. But with that regard, I think that this DVD, containing just four episodes, is perfect for the fan who just wants a taste of this version of the series. There are four other collections out there from MPI which contain many episodes, although not all of the episodes were released (and perhaps never will, due to music rights and other miscellaneous issues). But this low-priced DVD will satisfy many fans, I think.

(4/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
The Honeymooners on TV.com


CLICK OF THE WEEK

Tune Find (www.tunefind.com) - Pop culture has combined TV and music so much in recent years. When we watch really old TV series, such as I Love Lucy or Leave it to Beaver, we pretty much never hear any music aside from public domain tunes or tunes created specifically for the show. In the modern era, TV series are full of music, including music from popular artists and indie artists who peak our interest. Sometimes, we hear songs that we like on these TV series and just want to know what the song is. Just this week, I watched the latest episode of Weeds on Showtime, and wanted to know the name of the song that was playing when Heylia James (Tonye Patano) made her return at the end of the episode.

Well, there are websites out there to help you find the songs, and one of my favorites is Tune Find. Tune Find features episode-by-episode listings for many recent (as in the past decade) series from TV, such as Cougar Town, How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs, Weeds, and many others. The website depends upon user contributions, and seems to have rather thorough information on music used in episodes compared to other similar websites. In fact, they even claim to have "30,100 songs. 13,800 artists. 8,800 episodes and movies." The only pitfall of the site is that they don't include any older series at all. Additionally, even a few current series that occasionally use music within the episodes, such as The Office, are not included. But compared to most similar websites out there, this is definitely the go-to place when you are watching a recent series and just want to know "what was that song?"

That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!

Friday, July 29, 2011

TeenNick's '90 Block Delivers Ratings; TCA Summer 2011 Press Tour: Cable; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 1, 2011)

The '90s really are all that, as TeenNick's late-night launch of its retro "The'90s Are All That" block forges a brand-new viewing destination for young-adult viewers and sparks a social media fan frenzy. Launched Monday, July 25, the 12a-2a (all times ET) block raised TeenNick's ratings by record triple digits among A12-24 (+225%), A12-34 (+167%) and A18-34 (+500%) according to Nielsen Media Research. The network also was propelled into the top five (#4) with A12-24 and top ten (#6) with A12-34 among otherwise fully distributed basic cable networks in the time period.
Reaching its highest late-night viewership levels ever, TeenNick had four of the top ten programs - every show in the block - from 12a-2a across all basic cable with A12-24: Kenan & Kel (from 1995) at 12:30 a.m. reached #3; All That (1996) at 12 a.m. hit #4; the very first episode of Doug (1991) at 1:30 a.m. was #6; and Clarissa Explains It All (1992) was #8.
Overall, the entire two-hour block averaged a 1.3 rating and 417,000 viewers among A12-24, up 225% in rating compared to last year. Among A12-34, the block garnered a 0.8 rating and 456,000 viewers, up 167%; and with A18-34, it averaged a 0.6 rating and 229,000 viewers, up 500%. Total viewership also was strong, with 555,000 total viewers tuning in, +114% more than last year's time period.
Each show also performed well individually across key young-adult demos--A12-24, A12-34 and A18-34--and raised year-ago levels by incredible triple-digits across the board. Among total viewers, All That averaged 613,000 total viewers (up +108%); Kenan & Kel averaging 597,000 total viewers (+199%); Clarissa Explains It All averaged 478,000 viewers (up +73%): and an average of 532,000 total viewers tuned in to Doug (up +101%).
The first night of "The '90s are All That" also bested the most recent weekly averages for broadcast and basic cable late-night talk shows among young adults. Each show in the block's July 25 debut garnered bigger A12-24 audiences than The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Lopez Tonight and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Also, among A12-34s, All That out-delivered Leno, Letterman, Fallon, Lopez and Kimmel.
During the block's premiere, the Nickelodeon brand had a total of 20 worldwide trending topics on Twitter - owning 8 of 9 trending topics worldwide and all 9 organic trending topics locally in New York City. Both Nickelodeon Twitter handle and '90s Facebook page are still growing rapidly. The Nick '90s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/90sAreAllThat) doubled in fans overnight by 100,000, and the search volume for the series Doug reached the volcanic level on Google. According to Trendrr.tv, a social television chart ranking television's daily social activities, 4 of the top 10 cable shows on Monday, July 25, were part of "The '90s Are All That" block.
That is some start, but that was only the premiere night. We'll keep you up to date of the ratings progress as we get it and we'll continue to of course bring you any programming updates!

Back to the TCA Summer 2011 Press Tour, yesterday the big network to present was HBO with other nets like AMC and BBC America also presenting. We'll cover what HBO and AMC presented and stay tuned for updates from the MTV Networks presentation that will be today, as the cable portion comes to a close today. HBO has confirmed the fall debut dates for the new and returning series Boardwalk Empire, Hung, How To Make It In America, Bored to Death and Enlightened.
Boardwalk Empire kicks off its 12-episode second season Sunday, Sept. 25 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. The Golden Globe-winning drama series stars Steve Buscemi as "Nucky" Thompsonand is created by Terence Winter, who also serves as executive producer with Martin Scorsese, Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg and Tim Van Patten. Hung launches its ten-episode third season Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10:00 p.m.. The Emmy-nominated comedy series stars Thomas Jane. Next, How To Make It In America begins its eight-episode second season also on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10:30- p.m. Bryan Greenberg and Lake Bell star and Mark Wahlberg is one of the executive producers. Another comedy, Bored to Death, returns for its eight-episode third season Monday, Oct. 10 at 9:00 p.m. The comedy series stars Jason Schwartzman. Finally, the new series Enlightened launches its ten-episode season Monday, Oct. 10 at 9:30 p.m. Laura Dern stars in the series, which she also executive produces.

Onto AMC, after breaking the Western mold with the hit mini-series Broken Trail, AMC returns to the genre with the epic drama Hell On Wheels, starring Anson Mount, Common, Colm Meaney, Dominique McElligott, Ben Esler, Philip Burke and Eddie Spears. Hell On Wheels, is set to premiere on the network with a ten episode run on Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 10PM ET/PT.
Of course the second season of The Walking Dead will premiere on Sunday, October 16th at 9PM ET. The Walking Dead is based on the comic book written by Robert Kirkman and published by Skybound and Image comics. The 13-episodes of season two will continue to tell the story of a group of survivors fighting for their lives after a zombie apocalypse.


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of August 1-5, 2011, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, August 1, 2011
  • Jamie Foxx, Chris Rock, Tina Fey and Betty White - Gayle's funniest guests appear on a Best of: Lolz special of The Gayle King Show at 10am and repeated at 8pm on OWN.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
  • Hank Azaria (The Simpsons) - Hank stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC. The Smurfs is now in theaters.
  • Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down) - Catch Danny on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Jason Batman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Jason visits Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm. The Change-Up opens in theaters on Augus 5.
  • Kevin Nealon (Weeds) - Watch Kevin on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Steve Harvey and Paul Reiser - Steve and Paul appear on a Best of: Big Daddies special of The Gayle King Show at 10am on OWN.
  • Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith - View inside Will and Jada's home on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
  • Jeremy Piven (Entourage/Ellen) - Jeremy appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Jason Batman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Watch Jason NBC's Today between 7-9am and later on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Lisa is a guest on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
  • Adrian Grenier (Entourage) - Catch Adrian on Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
  • Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa and Joey/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) - Melissa visits LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
  • Roseanne Barr (Roseanne) - Roseanne stops by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Jeremy Piven (Entourage/Ellen) - Jeremy continues to make the rounds on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Jason chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT and then later visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Hank Azaria (The Simpsons) - Hank drops by Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
  • Caroline Rhea (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) - Watch Caroline on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Alyson Hanigan (How I Met Your Mother) - Catch Alyson on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Tichina Arnold (Happily Divorced/Everybody Hates Chris/Martin) - Tichina visits The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Friday, August 5, 2011
  • Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) - Mario is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Jason Ritter (The Class) - Catch Jason on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Spike TV Fall 2011 Schedule Adds 2 Sitcoms; TCA Summer 2011 Press Tour: Cable

We have Spike TV's Fall 2011 schedule for you and they will be adding two sitcoms to the line-up! One of them is The King of Queens, which we first reported about them acquiring it last fall. The Kevin James comedy will be shared with TBS, which has been airing the comedy since 2006 and has rights until 2019. Spike TV will air the series for at least two years then it will move to sister network TV Land in 2013, if all goes planned. Spike TV will have primetime and late night rights, as TBS will have daytime and afternoons. Spike TV will launch the popular sitcom with a launch marathon on Sunday, October 2, 2011 from 8pm-3am. The series will then join the regular line-up the very next day (Monday, October 3, 2011), airing weeknights (except Tuesdays) at 8:00pm & 8:30pm. The series will also air every weekday at 12 midnight & 12:30am. In addition, The King of Queens will air in a Sunday primetime block from 8:00pm to 10:00pm. We'll have its timings on TBS when we reveal their fall 2011 schedule by next week.
The other sitcom addition is a new comedy to syndication, but will be getting a second cable home. It's the Brad Garrett comedy 'Til Death, which is also coming on cable to WGN America and local broadcast stations this fall. As we reported earlier this week, the sitcom will air on WGN America in the overnight (3-4am). And Spike TV will be airing it late night as well, however they will just air it a bit earlier. 'Til Death joins the line-up on Monday, October 3, 2011 and will air weeknights (except Wednesday ans Thursday nights) at 1:00am & 1:30am, following The King of Queens. The sitcom lasted four seasons but the last two seasons really were ordered to get a syndication deal, so they mass-produced a bulk of episodes which Fox just simply burned-off, so most of these episodes will be new to everyone as they have aired just once and during weird times and nights (like Christmas Day 2009).
The rest of the Spike TV line-up will be pretty much the same as it is now, with CSI: NY weekdays at 9am, followed by a block of CSI from 10pm-1pm, another CSI: NY at 1pm and another CSI at 2pm. Reality stacks will air from 3pm-8pm with series like Jail, Auction Hunters, 1000 Ways to Die, and UFC Unleashed. The Friday schedule has a marathon of Gangland from 9am-8pm. In primetime, we mentioned The King of Queens from 8-9pm, original series/reality follows until 12 midnight. After The King of Queens and 'Til Death from 12-2am, at 2am will be Spike's Most Amazing Videos from Mon-Wed, The Shield on Thursdays and Son of the Beach on Fridays. At 3am, Spike TV will air Entourage seven days a week, which is leaving broadcast syndication and WGN America this fall, but it will remain on cable on Spike TV. MANswers follows at 3:30am to close the night off. Weekends will have a mix of movies and marathons, with a block of The King of Queens in prime on Sunday nights as I mentioned earlier.
It looks like some series like Walker Texas Ranger and Unsolved Mysteries will be leaving, but those have been airing recently once or twice a week in late night.
View the Spike TV Fall 2011 schedule. Come on back on Monday and every weekday for the rest of the summer for some fall 2011 schedules!

Onto to the TCA Summer 2011 press tour, yesterday Hallmark Channel, GMC, and Lifetime were among the notable networks to present. There wasn't anything big to announce, but we will share news anyway. For Hallmark, their new daytime entry, Emeril's Table, featuring Chef Emeril Lagasse, will debut Monday, September 26 at 11:00 am ET and will air weekdays at 11am ET. Hallmark Channel also announced the September 26 debut of season two of Martha Bakes, a Hallmark Channel Original Series and part of the Hallmark Channel Home block. The 13-episode series airs Mondays at 11:30 a.m. ET/PT.
At Hallmark Channel, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! During the holidays, there is not a more popular retail destination than Hallmark, and for family holiday entertainment, the most popular viewing destination on television is Hallmark Channel. Hallmark Channel announces its most highly anticipated seasonal event, "Countdown to Christmas," will commence on November 12. For those who cannot wait for Christmas, the network is whetting appetites with a sneak peek of its "Countdown to Christmas" campaign with the World Premiere of Mistletoe Over Manhattan, a Hallmark Channel Original Movie starring Tricia Hefler and Greg Bryk on Sunday, November 6 (8 p.m. ET/PT). Before the holiday 2011 season ends, Hallmark Channel will air more than 1300-plus hours of holiday-themed programming, making it America's premier holiday destination on television. Hallmark Channel's programming slate includes 14 Hallmark Channel Original Movies and one-of-a-kind Hallmark Channel Original Animated Specials, like the first-ever, interactive entertainment program Jingle All the Way, starring Hallmark's Jingle, the Husky Pup.(TM) The campaign also includes hours of holiday-themed programs in its daytime block, including episodes of The Martha Stewart Show, Emeril's Table, Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn and Martha Bakes, a Martha Stewart primetime original Christmas special, and the 123rd Tournament of Roses Parade. Among the stars in the Hallmark Channel Original Movies this season are Nancy McKeon, Wes Brown, Julie Mond, Cheryl Ladd, Bruce Boxleitner, Kim Delaney, Martin Mull, Rhea Pearlman, Catherine Bell, Chris Potter, Elizabeth Berkley, Judd Nelson, Dean Cain, Rachel Blanchard, Tom Cavanagh, Faith Ford, Sir Roger Moore, Maria Thayer, Vivica A. Fox, Sam Page, Ryan Bittle, Vicki Lawrence, Melissa Gilbert, and Billy Ray Cyrus.

There was nothing noteworthy to report from Lifetime and GMC. Stay tuned tomorrow for more updates from the cable portion.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

FX Fall 2011 Schedule Has How I Met Your Mother; The Nanny Reunion on Happily Divorced; TCA Summer 2011 Press Tour: Cable

Today we are revealing FX's Fall 2011 schedule. This will be easy because most of the day schedule will be movies. However, they are adding a sitcom, which we hinted at in April. How I Met Your Mother joins the FX line-up starting Monday, Sept. 5, 2011 with a Labor Day Marathon to kick-off its FX premiere! The marathon will air from 12 noon to 12 midnight. The series will then join the schedule the following day. Now due to movie timings, FX's sitcom do not have set times, so it is hard to post an actual schedule, but you can expect most of the time to get two full hours of How I Met Your Mother every weekday, paired with two-hours of Two and a Half Men. These are the only off-network sitcoms left on the line-up, as they recently lost Bernie Mac and Malcolm in the Middle.
You can expect How I Met Your Mother usually weekdays anytime between 2pm-10pm, but looks like it isn't airing on Wednesdays. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, they are airing the game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? as a filler on some weekday mornings, usually in the 7am hour. How I Met Your Mother will also remain on Lifetime and broadcast syndication on WGN America and your local stations. That's legendary status airings!
Of course FX is known for their original series. FX opens its fall season with the return of the award-winning hit drama Sons of Anarchy on September 6, and will continue to run Tuesdays at 10 PM ET/PT. The 13-episode season kicks off with a special 90-minute premiere episode.
Next, a mainstay on FX's fall schedule since 2007, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia begins its seventh season on September 15, airing Thursdays at 10 PM ET/PT for 13 weeks. Sunny has grown into a huge success to become one of the top scripted comedies on cable. FX's new drama series American Horror Story makes its debut on October 5 and will run Wednesdays at 10 PM ET/PT. The akl-star cast features Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Taissa Farmiga, Jessica Lange, Evan Peters and Denis O'Hare.
Comedy The League kicks off its third season on October 6, airing Thursdays at 10:30 PM ET/PT for a 13-episode run. The League, which debuted in September of 2009, is set against the backdrop of a fantasy football league. Finally, FX's acclaimed animated series Archer will get a special three-week run with all new episodes September 15, 22 and 29, Thursdays at 10:30 ET/PT behind It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It will officially be launching its third season in early 2012 with a 13-episode run.
This summer FX is getting strong performances from its original series. The new critically acclaimed comedy series Wilfred is delivering the highest first-season ratings ever of any FX comedy. Wilfred's season one finale airs on Thursday, September 8 at 10 PM ET/PT. Louie, starring Louis C.K., is having an impressive second season, posting year-over-year gains and C.K. recently received Emmy(R) Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (an FX first) and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. The season two finale of Louie airs on Thursday, September 8 at 10:30 PM ET/PT. And finally this summer, FX's award-winning drama Rescue Me debuted its seventh and final season last Wednesday. The groundbreaking series will air its series finale on Wednesday, September 7.

There's going to be a sitcom reunion on TV Land's original sitcom Happily Divorced starring Fran Drescher! Charles Shaughnessy (The Nanny), who played Fran's employer-turned-husband in the popular sitcom, The Nanny, guest stars as Gregory, a guy that both Fran and her ex-husband Peter (John Michael Higgins) want to date in the season finale of Happily Divorced, airing August 17. To date, the series is averaging over 2.2 million viewers every week. Last week, Happily Divorced was renewed for a second season of 12 episodes.
And that's not all! Also making a special guest appearance this season will be Fran's nosy and overbearing mother from The Nanny, Renée Taylor, who will play Marilyn, an old friend of Fran's mother, Dori (Rita Moreno) on the August 3 episode. Additionally, Angie Everhart guest stars as the sister of Fran's ex-boyfriend, Elliot (D.W. Moffett), Lou Diamond Phillips will appear as a man that chooses Judi (Tichina Arnold) over Fran, and Jennifer Holliday will guest star as herself. Most recently, Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills, 90210) guest-starred as a handsome support group leader who helps Fran realize that she has not moved on from her divorce.
Happily Divorced airs on Wednesday nights at 10:30pm ET/PT immediately following new episodes of Hot in Cleveland.

Finally the TCA Summer 2011 Press Tour started yesterday with cable day one and there wasn't much to update. The only thing of note is that truTV will air their off-network acquisition Wipeout (which we announced in April) on Friday nights at 8:00pm beginning Friday, Sept. 2. truTV has acquired exclusive, off-network cable rights to air this exciting series in which contestants 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" and is a big hit on ABC, now in its fourth season.
Stay with us for more notable updates from cable and then more in-depth coverage of the broadcast networks.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

WGN America Fall 2011 Schedule; MeTV Network Celebrates Lucille Ball's 100th Birthday With 100 Episodes of Lucy Series

It's day two of our annual fall schedules for cable and up today will be WGN America! Earlier this summer we hinted at the acquisitions for WGN America like 'Til Death and Mad About You and the ones we already knew for a while: 30 Rock, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Futurama. Now it is time to tell you WHEN they will air!
Premiering first on WGN America this fall will be 'Til Death starting Monday, Sept. 12, 2011. The Brad Garrett comedy will air weeknights at 3:00am & 3:30am, replacing Paid Programming. It will also air on Saturday nights at 3:00am & 3:30am. The sitcom will also be entering broadcast syndication, so check your listings. WGN America will also add an hour of Dharma & Greg at 4:00am & 4:30am starting Sept. 12 replacing Star Trek: The Next Generation, which leaves syndication. And we mentioned in the past, Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm will be leaving syndication after just one season due to low ratings, and WGN America will replace them with two-hours of AFV from 1am-3am, for the week of Sept. 12 only.

The actual fall schedule will begin a week later on Monday, Sept. 19, 2011. First up, classic TV fans will see Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie move into the 8am hour with an episode each replacing an hour of The Beverly Hillbillies, which will be leaving the schedule. The morning and afternoon dramas will remain intact with back-to-back Matlock and In The Heat of the Night from 9am-1pm, followed by a News break, then two airings of Walker, Texas Ranger at 2pm & 3pm. The 4pm hour will now be an hour of the 80s/90s comedy Cheers, replacing Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, which moved to mornings. The 5pm hour will see back-to-back episodes of new acquisition Mad About You, replacing Cheers. The 6pm hour will now have Old Christine, as it replaces Dharma & Greg, which will be moving to 4am. AFV will remain at 7pm.

In primetime, new addition 30 Rock and How I Met Your Mother will fill the block from 8-10pm. 30 Rock will air for two-hours on Mondays and How I Met Your Mother will be two-hours on Thursday, due to network conflicts from NBC and CBS. After a break at 10pm for the news, the new late night line-up begins with lots of comedy. Scrubs will continue to kick-it off at 11pm, but its 11:30pm airing will now be a 30 Rock airing. The duo will air on Saturday nights as well from 11pm-12am. At midnight, WGN America will premiere It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia airing Mon-Sat from 12-1am replacing South Park, but that comedy will air later in the night. Sunny will also air Saturday nights from 1-2am, creating a 12-2am block on Saturday nights. Who needs SNL? Next, Sunny will lead into another new acquisition, the animated comedy Futurama which will air Mon-Fri from 1-2am replacing Entourage/Curb Your Enthusiasm. Bender and company will also air Saturday nights from 2-3am. South Park will move to weeknights at 2am & 2:30am replacing another hour of Entourage/Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Weekends are pretty much the same with In the Heat of the Night, Walker Texas Ranger and Law & Order: Criminal Intent pretty much covering daytime on Saturdays, but Bones will be leaving the line-up so an airing each of The Unit and America's Funniest Home Videos will air in primetime. Saturday late nights will be comedies, as we mentioned above, from 11pm-4am, followed by a movie at 4am. Sundays will have Matlock and In the Heat of the Night start it off at 9am followed by movies. Scrubs will remain in the 5pm hour, followed by Old Christine at 6pm. At 7pm, an episode of 30 Rock will air replacing How I Met Your Mother, which will still air its Sunday block but now from 7:30pm-10pm. The news follows at 10pm, with three airings of Monk remaining from 11pm-2am, followed by a movie and AFV at 5am.
View the FULL WGN America Fall 2011 schedule. Stay tuned tomorrow for another cable fall 2011 schedule and also updates from the TCA Summer 2011 press tour, which starts today.


It's a weekend long tribute to America's favorite redhead on MeTV Network! MeTV Network presents "Lucy's 100th Birthday Celebration," featuring 100 of the most popular episodes of I Love Lucy, We Love Lucy and The Lucy Show. The party starts on Friday, August 5 at 12AM ET/11PM CT, and the festivities end on Monday, August 8 at 8AM ET/7 AM CT (The selection of Lucille Ball series and episodes may vary by market, so check your local MeTV Network listings).
This tribute carries on the MeTV Network tradition of paying homage to the lives and careers of classic TV stars. Click here to watch the promo. Currently, MeTV Network is on-air and under contract in more than 50% of the country. Stations to recently launch MeTV include: WFMZ-TV in Philadelphia/Allentown, WESH-TV in Orlando, WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, KCCI-TV in Des Moines and WKOW-TV in Madison, WI.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Antenna TV Fall 2011 Schedule; OWN and TLC Acquires Undercover Boss Repeats for Fall 2012

Welcome to the 2011 edition of our annual look at the fall schedules for cable and digital TV! We are launching this schedule barrage with the digital network Antenna TV! We have Antenna TV's Fall 2011 schedule and they will be expanding the comedy line-up to feature more sitcoms every weekday! The line-up of comedies will return to start at 1pm ET, like the original launch schedule had. However, this time the comedies will last longer into the night, too! The comedies will run until 5am Sun-Thurs nights, instead of 3am. Antenna TV will also be launching a new logo come this fall. You can take peek at what it looks like below. It is subject to change.


On to the schedule, the new fall 2011 schedule will begin on Monday, Sept. 19, 2011. From Mon-Fri, Antenna TV Theater will air from 5am-1pm with movies from all eras. Then every weekday from 1pm-6pm will feature classic sitcoms with an hour each of Burns & Allen, Father Knows Best, Dennis the Menace, Hazel in new time periods and the return of The Partridge Family to weekdays. Hazel is also returning to the daytime line-up, as currently it is airing every night at 2:00am. Mon-Thurs in the 6pm hour will continue to feature the Antenna TV staple Three's Company with the spin-offs of the series mixed in the rotation. In fact, The Ropers will join the second half-hour (6:30pm and 12:30am) for about seven weeks starting Monday, Aug. 29! This will be the second time The Ropers will be featured on Antenna TV, so catch all 28 episodes before it goes back to Three's Company for the full hour! On Fridays, the 6pm hour will continue to feature the DLT Entertainment sitcom Too Close for Comfort. Weekdays in the 7pm hour will also still have Good Times, but the sitcom will not be seven days a week anymore, though it will remain Sundays at 7pm. Moving on to primetime, Sanford & Son returns to its original 8pm hour replacing Maude, which will be moving to weekends only (Saturdays 7-8pm and Sundays 6-7pm, more on that below). The block of All in the Family, Married...with Children, Mad About You and Three's Company remains in primetime from 9pm-1am. From 1am-3am we have a schedule change though. Mon-Thurs nights will feature one episode each of weekend staples The Partridge Family, The Monkees, The Flying Nun and Gidget as they move from weekend afternoons to weekday late nights! These will replace the late night hours of Sanford & Son and Hazel. Antenna TV will replace another movie with a black & white overnight block from 3am-5am with an episode each of their signature black & white series: Hazel, Dennis the Menace, Father Knows Best, and Burns & Allen.
Fridays will be the same as Mon-Thurs essentially, except as I mentioned above the 6pm hour is Too Close for Comfort still and the continued Three Stooges Friday night prime block from 8pm-11pm, followed by Benny Hill from 11pm-2am in late night. One other change is the 2am hour will now feature Totally Tooned In, replacing Hazel. Antenna TV Theater remains from 3am-5am, so we don't get a black & white block on Friday nights (or Saturday nights either).
Moving on to Saturdays, Antenna TV Theater will still kick it off at 5am and another movie has been added at 7am, replacing Totally Tooned In (as these two hours are moving to Fri-Sat 2am). The classic animated shorts will remain in the Saturday 9am hour, though. From 10am-1pm will be the E/I block which will see some new additions starting Saturday, Sept. 3. Antenna TV Theater will now run on Saturday afternoons from 1pm-5pm, since Gidget, Flying Nun, The Monkees and The Partridge Family are moving to weeknights. Antenna TV Theater will air on Sundays from 1pm-5pm, too, replacing those four comedies. The 5pm hour on both Saturdays and Sundays will still be Too Close for Comfort and in the 6pm hour, All in the Family will now air in the hour leading into spin-off Maude in the 7pm hour. This is unique scheduling and it will be unique on Sundays well as the 6pm hour will feature Maude leading into spin-off Good Times in the 7pm hour. Love that!
Weekends in primetime will still have Benny Hill on Saturdays from 8pm-11pm followed by late night The Three Stooges from 11pm-2am. The 2am hour on Saturday nights will now be Totally Tooned In, like on Friday nights (as we mentioned) leading into a movie at 3am. And Sundays in primetime will have Sanford & Son join the 8pm hour, like on Mon-Thurs, followed by All in the Family and Soap remaining in the 9pm and 10pm hours. However, Soap will lose its 11pm hour on Sunday nights as NewsRadio joins the Antenna TV line-up airing every Sunday night! Hopefully they are saving the plays on Soap so maybe in the winter it could move to weekdays? Anyway, Too Close for Comfort will remain Sunday nights at 12am, as well Burns & Allen in the 1am hour on Sunday nights but also it gains the 2am hour creating a two-hour block of Burns & Allen. Then the black and white overnight block that will air Mon-Thurs will also air Sunday nights, so it will be airing five nights a week!

View the FULL Antenna TV Fall 2011 schedule, so you get the full details. So to recap, Antenna TV is not dropping any shows this fall, while we get more sitcoms on weekdays (1pm-5am), and the addition of NewsRadio to Sunday nights! If there are any changes to this, we will let you know. Stay with us the rest of the summer every weekday for updates on other fall schedules for cable. Coming up will be WGN America, TBS, FX and much MUCH more!
And if that is not all, the TCA Summer 2011 Press Tour starts tomorrow with cable up first and will run through Aug. 8, so even more of a reason to stay with us everyday! Dog days of summer are over here on the blog now! It's time to think about the Fall, as the summer speeds by!

Moving on, we have one story that we saved for a week or two to bring you today. OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and TLC have acquired the off-network rights of Undercover Boss from CBS Television Distribution. TLC and OWN will each have access to the library and will determine their independent scheduling strategies with regularly scheduled episodes of the hit series set to begin airing Fall 2012. However, TLC will being airing the series once a week starting Monday, Aug. 1, 2011 airing Mondays at 8PM with and encore at 11PM. It is unclear if OWN will air the series once a week until it is available for regular airings in Fall 2012.
Undercover Boss is a one-hour reality series that follows high-level corporate executives as they slip anonymously into the rank and file of their own companies. Each week, a different executive will leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their corporation. While working alongside their employees, they will learn about themselves, the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organization, the perception of their company, and discover the unsung heroes of their work force.
We will have more on this when we get near Fall 2012, but for now TLC will be airing it Mondays at 8pm & 11pm starting next week. Stay tuned for more!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Summer Week 8 Sitcom Ratings; New Episodes of Sitcoms On Basic Cable

Summer is heating up so we will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still continue to have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long! Here are our summer ratings:

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of July 11-17)
  • American Dad! (Fox) 2 airings - The Sunday ratings for this night are preliminary, as we don't have finals yet. A repeat at 7pm did a prelim 1.72 million and a prelim 0.8 18-49 rating, which was down some from the previous week. A repeat at 9:30pm did a prelim 3.51 million and a prelim 1.7 18-49 rating, which is excellent for summer in 18-49.
  • The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat at 8pm did a prelim 3.14 million and a prelim 1.4 18-49 rating, down from previous week.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30pm did a prelim 1.76 million and a prelim 0.8 18-49 rating, losing a bit week-to-week.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 3.8 million and a a prelim 1.8 18-49 rating, the best of the block again and on par with previous week.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A repeat at 8:30pm did only a prelim 2.91 million and a prelim 1.3 18-49 rating, which was down week-to-week.

Summer Week 8 (July 18-24)

Monday Sitcoms
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 4.16 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating for a repeat at 8pm was on par with the previous week really.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 5.97 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating for a repeat at 9pm is up a tick week-to-week.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) 2 airings - 5.51 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating for a repeat in its normal 9:30pm slot, up some from previous week. But an 8:30pm repeat earlier did 4.27 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, was down a tad from previous week.
Tuesday Sitcoms
  • Raising Hope (Fox) - preempted.
Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) - The normal 8pm airing did 4.28 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, up some from previous week when it aired at 8:30pm.
  • Modern Family (ABC) 2 airings - A repeat at 9pm did 4.14 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, up a good amount from previous week as the 17 Emmy nominations probably helped. A repeat at 8:30pm also probably helped doing 4.14 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating.
  • Happy Endings (ABC) - A repeat at 9:30pm did 2.54 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, on par with previous week once again.
Thursday Sitcoms
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat did 6.31 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which was down a lick from previous week but still the best of week 8 thus far for sitcoms in total viewers.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A repeat of this comedy followed at 8:30pm with 4.98 million and 1.3 18-49 rating, which was up tad from previous week.
  • Community (NBC) - A repeat only did 1.96 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, down some from previous week.
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC) - A repeat in its 8:30pm slot did only 1.84 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, on par really with the previous week.
  • The Office (NBC) - A repeat at 9pm did 2.43 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, best of the low rated block but down some from previous week.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) - A repeat at 9:30pm did 2.27 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, also down a lick from previous week.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms
  • Family Guy (Fox) - A Saturday repeat at 9pm only did a prelim 2.09 million and a prelim 0.8 18-49 rating.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A Saturday repeat at 9:30pm of this show did worse with a prelim 1.79 million and a prelim 0.7 18-49 rating.
Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm.

Summing it up. Repeats of The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, and the 9pm Modern Family were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of The Middle, Rules of Engagement) or just plain old terrible (such as the very low NBC Thursday repeats especially, Community).

Feeling the repeat blues? Look for original sitcoms on cable all this summer, with the great Hot in Cleveland on Wednesdays at 10pm, followed by week seven (already?) of the decent and getting funnier Happily Divorced starring Fran Drescher this Wednesday at 10:30pm only on TV Land. Also catch the new Comedy Wednesday on ABC Family with the funny Melissa & Joey at 8pm (which has a great new longer opening theme) followed by week five of new comedy State of Georgia starring Raven Symone at 8:30pm! Loretta Devine is very sassy in this series and makes Mrs. Roper look tame! Also of course House of Payne and Meet the Browns are on TBS Wednesdays. New sitcom airings is the perfect way to beat the summer repeat blues! Watch them!

[Source: Nielsen NTI Ratings. View Travis Yanan's Ratings Website].

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Digital Digest: Hey Dude - Season One DVD Review

Welcome to Digital Digest, your cool refuge from the very hot weather many of us have been facing this summer! This week, in addition to our regular news and upcoming week preview, we have reviews of Hey Dude - Season One (note: we planned to have some animated series DVD reviews, but that will be postponed to next week). We've also got a new feature that we are introducing this week that will appear every week at the end of Digital Digest called "Click of the Week," where we introduce you to a different website every week that you may not have (or in some cases, perhaps you have) visited before. So let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

CBS material has been on Netflix for some time now, but now that exclusivity with Netflix seems to be over. Now, that doesn't mean that the material will be leaving Netflix, but now, it will also be available to view on amazon.com for their Amazon Prime members! This brings a new level of competition to the online streaming game as amazon.com is trying to step up their game in competing with Netflix. According to the press release:
Amazon Prime customers will be able to instantly watch thousands of episodes from the CBS library at no additional cost to their membership. With the deal, Amazon will add 2,000 episodes to grow the total number of Prime instant videos to more than 8,000 movies and television shows, and offer full seasons for 18 popular television series, including The Tudors, Numb3rs, Medium, the complete Star Trek franchise, Frasier and Cheers. Starting this summer, dozens of CBS shows will also become available to Amazon Instant Video customers.

"Our new deal with CBS makes Amazon Prime even better for customers," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com CEO. "We're excited to add thousands of popular CBS programs to our already great selection, all of which stream at no additional cost to Amazon Prime members."
Mill Creek just recently acquired the rights to release several Carsey-Werner series, but they are really hitting the ground running. Several season 1 and season 2 announcements were made a few weeks ago, but this week, there is even more! On September 27, they will release Roseanne - Tricks and Treats, which will contain every Halloween episode of the classic sitcom (note that there was a previous Halloween release by Anchor Bay, but that one did not include one of the episodes). Additionally, on October 11, they get into the winter holiday season with That 70s Show - Holiday Edition, which contains a 10 episode mix of Christmas, Halloween, and Thanksgiving episodes of that series. Neither of these is available to pre-order yet.

Fox is getting into the animated spirit just in time for Christmas. We already mentioned a few weeks ago that December 6 will tentatively (this isn't confirmed yet) bring The Simpsons - The Fourteenth Season, but just one week later, on December 13, comes Family Guy - Volume 9. But you can't stop shopping for your animated fan just yet! Yet another week later, on December 20, comes Futurama - Volume 6 comes to DVD. As for Futurama, will a Blu-ray Disc release also be in the works? We don't know just yet.

Finally, we have this from TVShowsOnDVD.com about another release of Celebrity Bowling. This time, it is bowling with the Brady Bunch in Celebrity Bowling - The Bradys Go Bowling. The 50 minute disc will be released on October 11 at a $9.98 MSRP.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (July 26) has a trio of "best of" releases from MPI, including Here's Lucy - Best of Collection, The Color Honeymooners - Best of Collection, and The Honeymooners: The Lost Episodes - Best of Collection. Also, Shout! Factory has Dennis the Menace - Season Two on tap.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

It's time to get down to the ranch with one of Nickelodeon's earliest original series, Hey Dude. Premiering in 1989, the comedy series followed a ranch owner, his son, and five teenage summer employees through their summer employment on the ranch. Here is our review of Hey Dude - Season One.

DVD Review: Hey Dude - Season One (Shout! Factory, $19.93)

“It’s a little wild and a little strange, when you make your home out on the range,” states the first few lines of the show’s theme song and when you watch this show, you believe it. Hey Dude aired on Nickelodeon from 1989-1991 (and in reruns for nearly a decade after that.)

The series takes place on the Bar None Dude Ranch (hence the title) in Arizona. In the first episode, it’s explained that New York City nerdy accountant Ben Ernst (David Brisbin) bought the ranch to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, bringing his pre-teen son Buddy (Josh Tygiel) with him, who would have rather stayed in the city. A group of teens from a wide variety of backgrounds is hired to staff the ranch, and it’s here where most of the storylines come from. The first season only featured four teens: Ted (David Lascher,) a troublemaker who’s always trying to find a new scheme; Danny (Joe Torres,) a less uptight Hopi Native American; girl-next-door Melody (Christine Taylor); and rich girl but great horse rider Brad (Kelly Brown.) Also on hand were ranch hand Lucy (Debra Kalman) and Buddy’s dog Cassie.

Episodes involve Mr. Ernst’s sometimes vain attempts to become accustomed to ranch living, Ted’s wild schemes (some of which involve trying to win over Brad,) and the various problems that go along with a dude ranch: wild horses, annoying guests, and getting in trouble with management.

The show was mainly geared towards teenagers, and while I wasn’t quite in that age range when the show originally aired, I still enjoyed it and thought it was funny. The laughs mostly tend to hold up here. Some of the jokes do tend to be a bit on the corny side, but in my opinion, that only makes the show that much more endearing.

The episodes run around 24 minutes each and thus, appear to be uncut.

Disc 1:
1. Day One at the Bar None (24:01)
2. Battle of the Sexes (24:01)
3. Goldilocks (24:02)
4. Ted’s Saddle (24:01)
5. The Competition (24:02)
6. Rehearsal for Romance (24:01)
7. Perfect Father (24:01)

Disc 2:
8. The Good, the Bad, and the Obnoxious (24:02)
9. Rainmen (24:01)
10. Ted & Brad Get Handcuffed (24:01)
11. Suspicion (24:01)
12. Employee of the Week (24:03)
13. Pain in the Neck (24:00)

This two-disc set comes in a clear Amaray case with a page to hold the second disc. The outer artwork, while attractive at first glance isn’t without problems. All of the artwork has a western dude ranch motif, which looks good. The front of the case has the show’s logo, the words “Season 1” and a cast photo from the first season. The photo, however, appears to be at a very low resolution. It’s a little pixilated, and not very clear. Looks like it may have come from an internet fan site or something. The rear cover features some more (clearer) photos of the cast and a description of the series. The interior of the box maintains the western motif, and each side of the case lists the episodes and gives a short description. The discs themselves have the show’s logo and a photo of the cast.

The main menu is quite attractive and features the same photo as the front cover (although clearer) and gives the options of Play All or Episodes (and on disc two, Bonus Feature). The show’s logo animates onto the screen in the same way it does during the opening theme, and the show’s closing theme song plays. Another piece of background music plays as you select one of the menu options. Chapter marks are placed at appropriate spots throughout the shows. There are however, no closed captions or subtitles.

Audio and video quality are very good considering the age and source of this series. This was a videotaped show from the late 80s/early 90s, and was really Nickelodeon’s first venture into episodic television. The videotape masters, while not always the sharpest, are as clear as one could really expect them to be. Audio is clear and in stereo. Mainly the music benefits from the stereo sound, but there are some other effects, including making actors’ voices sound like they are coming from off-screen.

There is only one special feature on this set, but it is a nice one. “Interview With Christine Taylor” runs 17:05. In the interview, Christine reveals a lot of interesting facts from behind the scenes, including how she got the role of “Melody,” how the cast interacted (varying from being friends, to having crushes on each other, to getting mad and not speaking to each other) and the effect that the show has had on the rest of her career and the rest of the world. Christine has had a wide and varied career, including playing Marcia Brady in both of the Brady Bunch movies, and tons of other roles on television and in movies, and is now married to megastar Ben Stiller. She says she owes it all to her first big break, “Hey Dude.” She also shares an interesting story about how a girl who looked about her age came up to her saying “You were Melody on Hey Dude! I watched that show since I was five years old!” and someone else tells her that girl was Paris Hilton.

While I thoroughly enjoyed that interview, there are other bonus features that could have been included, and hopefully are on future sets. Anything from Nickelodeon promos, to blooper reels (which Christine mentioned in her interview) would have been good to include. At least there are four seasons to go.

In general, I think this is a very good set and Shout Factory did a good job putting it together. The show brings back a lot of memories for me, having watched it on Nickelodeon in the early 90s (back-to-back with Salute Your Shorts, another show I hope comes to DVD eventually). The show wasn’t ground breaking comedy, and it wasn’t great television, but it was a neat little show that appealed to the Nickelodeon crowd at the time, and it’s great that so many of these retro Nick shows are finally getting proper treatment on DVD. I hope to see future seasons of this show released soon.

(4/5 stars)

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CLICK OF THE WEEK

Bone the Fish (http://www.bonethefish.com) - Remember the website Jump the Shark? It was an excellent website where you could look up practically any TV series that has ever existed, and leave comments as to when the series "jumped the shark." The phrase refers specifically to the moment that the series went from being a great series to an awful series, and usually the moments included major plot changes, deaths, births, and the ever-present category of Ted McGinley. Many of the comments and reasons were often very humorous and fun to read. Then, sadly, a few years ago TV Guide purchased the website and destroyed everything on it, leaving behind their "new" Jump the Shark which consisted of some really lame articles about TV series "jumping the shark" written by their staff writers very infrequently. In a sense, the website itself "jumped the shark."

But enough about Jump the Shark. It is ancient history. But it was certainly missed by many, and the creators of Bone the Fish came together to bring a new website that revives the spirit of the old website that has long by now "jumped the shark." On Bone the Fish, you can log in to vote on when a series "boned the fish" and leave comments on that as well. You can also read comments submitted by other users. It doesn't have as much content as Jump the Shark did (mostly because it is a newer website in an internet age dominated by social networks like Facebook and Twitter, whereas the original Jump the Shark was birthed in a different era), but it is the best continuation of what was. So, check out this website, and until next time, keep it digital!

Friday, July 22, 2011

The Exes Premieres Nov. 30 on TV Land, Hot in Cleveland Hits Season High; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 25, 2011)

TV Land announced that production starts this week on the network's new original sitcom, The Exes (working title). The series, which is written by Mark Reisman (Frasier), will debut on TV Land on Wednesday, November 30 at 10:30 pm ET/PT immediately following the season three premiere of Hot in Cleveland. The series was originally slated to begin in winter 2012, but will now begin in late fall! The program stars critically-acclaimed actors Donald Faison (Scrubs), Wayne Knight (Seinfeld, Hot in Cleveland), David Alan Basche (The Starter Wife), Kelly Stables (Romantically Challenged) and Emmy® Award-winner Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From The Sun).
In TV Land's latest sitcom, divorce attorney Holly (Johnston) introduces her newly-single client Stuart (Basche) to his new roommates – ladies' man Phil (Faison) and homebody Haskell (Knight), who share an apartment which Holly owns. Things start off a little shaky when the two bachelors have reservations about living with clingy Stuart, but Holly is right across the hall to help them avoid any catastrophes. To top it all off, Holly's assistant, Eden (Stables), doesn't exactly let her professionalism get in the way of prying into her boss' personal life.
The addition of The Exes to TV Land's original sitcom roster takes the network to a total of four scripted comedy series with several more in development. The network recently announced that it has picked up Fran Drescher's Happily Divorced for a second season with 12 new episodes slated to air in Spring 2012. TV Land's other hit sitcoms, Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35 (latter returns in early 2012), have also been picked up for new seasons.

Meanwhile, TV Land's audience continues to grow as last night's all-new episode of Hot in Cleveland guest starring Doris Roberts (who got punched by Betty White's Elka character) scored a season high with total viewers. On the heels of two Emmy® nominations, including Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Betty White, Hot in Cleveland averaged 2.44 million total viewers at 10 PM ET/PT, up 22% over the prior week, according to Nielsen. Additionally, the series scored a 1.0 rating with A25-54, also up 22% versus the prior week and it posted a 1.5 rating with Women 25-54, up 31% from last week. Among Adults 18-49, it posted a 0.6 rating. TV Land recently renewed Hot in Cleveland for a third season with a 24-episode order, which we learned today will start airing on Wednesday, November 30, 2011.


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of July 25-29, 2011, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, July 25, 2011
  • Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Watch Zach on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Don Rickles (C.P.O. Sharkey) - Mr. Warmth appears on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil guest co-hosts LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings and later appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
  • Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell) - Mark-Paul stops by Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
  • Megan Mullally (Will & Grace)) - Megan visits The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen (Full House) - Catch the Olsen twins on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Tia Mowry, Coby Bell, Hosea Chanchez, Pooch Hall and Wendy Raquel Robinson - The stars of The Game appear on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
  • Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve stops by LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings and later visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Catch Betty on a repeat of Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
  • Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Watch Jim on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick - The stars of Hot in Cleveland appear on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
  • Craig Ferguson (The Drew Crew Carey Show) - Craig appears on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Watch Neil on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Kevin Connolly (Entourage/Unhappily Ever After) - Kevin is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Catch Sofia on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Mike O'Malley (Yes, Dear) - Tune in to see Mike on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Danielle Spencer (What's Happening!!/What's Happening Now!!) - Danielle drops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
  • Louis C.K. (Louie) - Louie appears on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Matt LeBlanc (Episodes/Friends) - Tune in to see Matt on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Lisa stops by Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Adam Pally (Happy Endings) - Watch Adam on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:37am on NBC.
  • Adrian Grenier (Entourage) - Adrian visits Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Catch Jesse on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Swoosie Kurtz (Mike & Molly) - Swoosie drops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Friday, July 29, 2011
  • Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation) - Catch Aziz on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Mario Cantone (Sex and the City) - Mario chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Watch Kathy on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Craig Ferguson (The Drew Carey Show) - Craig visits LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings and also NBC's Today between 10-11am ET/PT.
  • Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, November 11

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Great Beyond" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
The Butlers and Johnsons receive shocking news about their neighbor that changes their outlook on life.

Poppa's House - "School Days" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Junior and Nina turn to their parents for help paying tuition when their son gets accepted into a prestigious private school. While Poppa believes the kids will be just fine at public school, his ex-wife, Catherine (Wendy Raquel Robinson), and Nina’s father, JJ (Geoffrey Owens), try to convince him that his grandson’s education is worth the investment.

The Conners - "Three Ring Circus" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Ben and Darlene are excited to share their good news with the family, but Neville, Jackie, Aldo and Harris share some very similar news of their own.

The Conners - "A Judge and a Priest Walk into a Living Room..." (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Conners gear up for a megawedding; Jackie and Neville, Darlene and Ben, and Harris and Aldo are planning for a shared big day, but along the way, they discover that some of the couples may not be on the same page about their happily ever afters.

What We Do in the Shadows - "Laszlo's Father" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Laszlo's father's ghost returns to make amends; Nadja and Nandor deal with the shapeshifters who have moved in next door.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 11)

Monday, November 11

  • William Stanford Davis (Abbott Elementary) - Watch William on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Dwayne Johnson (Young Rock) - Dwayne appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He will also be on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
  • Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon/The Big Bang Theory) - Jim is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Wendi McClendon-Covey (St. Denis Medical/The Goldbergs/Rules of Engagement/Reno 911!) - Wendi stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She also talks about St. Denis Medical on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Milana Vayntrub (Other Space), Jessica Lowe (Wrecked) and Jason Ritter (Another Period/The Class) - Milana, Jessica and Jason are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - E! News has an interview with Kyle at 11pm on E!. She will also be on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Kristin Chenoweth (Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin talks about Our Little Secret on NBC's Today some time between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
  • Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters/Catastrophe) - NBC's Today catches up with Sharon in the 9am hour. Sharon and Eve Hewson talk about Bad Sisters on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
  • Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl joins Kelly and Mark in Greater Palm Springs to talk about the new season of ABC's hit show Abbott Elementary on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair joins the Tam Fam to talk about his new series Celebrity Crime Files on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Donna Mills (The Good Life) and Joan Van Ark (We've Got Each Other/Temperatures Rising) - Donna, Joan and Michele Lee chat about the 45th anniversary of Knots Landing on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
  • Paul Scheer (Black Monday/Fresh Off the Boat/The League) - Paul talks about his new book Joyful Recollections of Trauma and his upcoming How Did This Get Made tour on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD) Young Sheldon - The Complete Series Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

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