Thursday, February 09, 2012
Hallmark Channel Acquires Mary Tyler Moore Show In April 2012; ABC Family Orders Original Drama From Gilmore Girls Creator
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and "love is all around" as The Hallmark Channel has acquired the rights to the classic CBS '70s sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show! Who can turn the world on with her smile? Only the great Mary Tyler Moore can, along with the help of the rest of the brilliant cast: Betty White, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Ted Knight, Ed Asner, Gavin McLeod, and Georgia Engel. The series of course was about Mary Richards who was jilted by her fiancé, so she moves to Minneapolis and eventually winds up as Associate Producer of The Six O'Clock News. She also befriends her new neighbor, Rhoda Morgenstern, with whom she is initially at odds.
While Valentine's Day is next week, Hallmark will not premiere the classic sitcom until Sunday, April 1, 2012. The series will premiere with a marathon on Sunday, April 1 (and no, we're not foolin') with an all-day marathon. Details are still to come, but the marathon will also feature the 2000 ABC Monday Night TV movie Mary & Rhoda, starring Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper. In the movie, Mary Richards and Rhoda Morgenstern find themselves alone after the death of Mary's husband and Rhoda's divorce. Both have relocated to New York City and try to jumpstart their dormant careers and reconnect with their daughters. Currently, the classic sitcom airs on the digital network MeTV Network and on cable on FamilyNet, so Hallmark's rights are not exclusive.
Hallmark Channel recently added The Bob Newhart Show to its schedule (started in mornings, now in late night), so it looks like they are adding classic sitcoms (both this and Mary Tyler Moore Show are MTM Enterprises sitcoms). We can't reveal the April 2012 schedule just yet, but stay with us in the coming weeks to see if The Mary Tyler Moore Show does indeed "make it after all" on the regular schedule after this marathon event. More details on the marathon are still to come, too, so stay tuned. You're gonna make it after all!
ABC Family continues to expand its original programming slate, giving the greenlight to the new drama series Bunheads (working title). Executive-produced by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) and headlined by Tony Award®-winning actor Sutton Foster, Bunheads is the tale of a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law's dance school. Bunheads joins ABC Family's recently announced new original sitcom Baby Daddy and original reality series Beverly Hills Nannies. All three series will begin production in Spring 2012. More details will come, such as more casting and when it will premiere. Stay with us!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Tuesday, August 16
What We Do in the Shadows - "Pine Barrens" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Nandor and Lazslo air out their differences on a hunting trip at an isolated cabin; Nadja has a girls' night; Guillermo reconnects with his family for the first time in 12 years.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 15)
Tuesday, August 16
- Bob Odenkirk (The Larry Sanders Show) - Catch Bob on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Al Franken (LateLine) - Al guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi is a musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Murray Bartlett (Physical/Looking) - Murray is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Vanessa Bayer (I Love That for You) - Vanessa will be on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Brett Gelman (Fleabag/Married/Go On) - Brett appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle is a guest on a repeat of Watch What Happens: Live at 3:30am on Bravo.
- Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect/Suddenly Susan) - Sherri chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She guest hosts a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
- Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel will be on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
- Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling talks about Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
- Jodie Sweetin (Fuller House/Hollywood Darlings/Full House) - Jodie is a guest on E!'s Daily Pop at 11am.
- Wendie Malick (Hot in Cleveland/Big Day/Jake in Progress/Just Shoot Me!) - Wendie talks about her new movie Mack & Rita on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
- Melba Moore (Melba) - Melba will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
- Suraj Sharma (How I Met Your Father) - Suraj appears on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 11:30am ET.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (April-August)
04/05 - Up All Night - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
04/26 - The Danny Thomas Show (aka Make Room for Daddy) - The Complete Fourth Season
04/26 - Jackie Gleason TV Treasures - 70th Anniversary Collection (including Honeymooners Rarities)
05/03 - No Activity - Season Three
05/13 - The Donna Reed Show - The Complete Seasons 1-5 (Time Life)
05/31 - Becker - The Complete Series (2022 Release)
06/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Eleventh Season
06/14 - Hacks - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/14 - Rutherford Falls - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/21 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season One / Season Two
07/19 - The Neighborhood - Season Four
07/19 - Reno 911! - The Hunt for QAnon (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/26 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Three / Season Four
08/16 - And Just Like That... - The Complete First Season (Warner Bros. - Canada)
08/16 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Fourth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
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