Wednesday, March 21, 2012
ABC Family Summer 2012 Schedule Has New Sitcom Baby Daddy; Network Notes Includes CBS Renews Many Series, NBC Summer 2012
On Mondays, as previously announced, ABC Family's longest running series The Secret Life of the American Teenager returns with all-new episodes next Monday, March 26 at 8:00PM ET/PT. This summer, The Secret Life of the American Teenager celebrates its fifth season (starting June 11) and 100th episode – a first for an ABC Family scripted series. Joining the drama this summer on Mondays will be the new original series Bunheads starting Monday, June 11 at 9:00PM ET/PT. 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.
On Tuesdays, even after "A" has been revealed, it is only the beginning of the mystery and lies for Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer when the hit original ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars returns for its season three premiere on Tuesday, June 5 at 8:00PM ET/PT. 24 all-new episodes have been ordered and it is expected that it will be split up into two halves, like ABC Family normally does. The hit drama will lead into ABC Family's original series Jane By Design, which will return with all eight new episodes for its second half starting Tuesday, June 5 at 9:00PM ET/PT.
And finally on Wednesdays, as we first broke, Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence return with 15 all-new episodes for the second season of their original sitcom Melissa & Joey with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, May 30 at from 8:00PM–9:00PM ET/PT. The hit sitcom will lead into a new sitcom! The new half-hour comedy original series Baby Daddy premieres a few weeks later on Wednesday, June 20 at 8:30PM ET/PT after Melissa & Joey. From executive producer Dan Berendsen, the series is about a young man (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) who becomes a surprise dad to a baby girl when she's left on his doorstep by an ex-girlfriend. He decides to raise the baby with the help of his mother (Melissa Peterman), his brother (Derek Theler), his best buddy Tucker (Tahj Mowry) and his close female friend, Riley (Chelsea Kane), who is harboring a secret crush on him. The sitcom has a ten episode order. And then a few weeks later, the sitcom will lead into a new reality series. From the production company of The Real Housewives series, Beverly Hills Nannies is a new docuseries that follows the lives of a group of nannies working for families in the most exclusive zip code in the country and premieres on Wednesday, July 11 at 9:00PM ET/PT for eight weeks.
One final note, fan favorite drama Switched at Birth will return with all-new original episodes in Fall 2012, as it has about ten episodes left from its first season order.
It's been a busy past few days, so let's go around the networks with some news. CBS announced it has picked up many returning series for the 2012-2013 broadcast season. The renewals include four comedies, nine dramas, three reality series and two newsmagazines. The returning shows encompass every night of the week and every hour.
RETURNING COMEDIES: The renewed comedies include the previously announced multi-year pickups of How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory, along with rookie hit 2 Broke Girls and sophomore series Mike & Molly. Also in comedy, CBS and Warner Bros. Television are in preliminary discussions regarding "future seasons" for Two and a Half Men. Stay tuned for updates on that.
YET TO BE RENEWED SO FAR: No word on Rob or Rules of Engagement.
RETURNING DRAMAS: Renewed dramas are NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Hawaii Five-0, Criminal Minds, CSI, Person of Interest, The Mentalist, Blue Bloods and The Good Wife.
YET TO BE RENEWED SO FAR: Jury is still out on CSI: NY and CSI: Miami, along with rookies Unforgettable and A Gifted Man.
RETURNING REALITY/NEWSMAGAZINES: Among the Network's returning reality series are The Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and the previously renewed Survivor, along with newsmagazines 60 Minutes and 48 Hours Mystery, will also return in the fall.
NBC unveiled premiere dates for three new and returning series for Summer 2012 that include the return of reality show Love in the Wild (Thursday, June 7, 8-10 pm ET), the series debut of drama Saving Hope (working title; Thursday, June 7, 10pm. ET) and the return of G4's American Ninja Warrior (Monday, May 21, 9-11 pm ET). Following its special two-hour premiere on June 7, Love in the Wild will return in its regular time slot on Thursday, June 14 at 9pm ET. American Ninja Warrior will resume in its regular day and time on Monday, May 28 at 9pm ET). Saving Hope will continue in the Thursday 10pm ET time period. Read about the premiere and finales dates for these three series.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Sunday, September 8
Universal Basic Guys - "Pet Projects (Pilot)" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Threatened by a doctor's kindness toward Tammy, Mark tries to get her an exotic animal; Hank bonds with the chimpanzee via its bluetooth; David's dog saves David and Mernft Man from a pet snake.
Bob's Burgers - "The Big Stieblitzki" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
The family gets invited to Rudy's father's birthday party; Tina attempts to convince a woman to commit to a relationship with Rudy's father.
The Great North - "Welcome To Miami Adventure" / "Worst Drives Club Adventure" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Coming off the heels of her break-up, Judy is taken on a wild adventure with Honeybee and Aunt Dirt; Judy tries to learn to drive.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 2)
Friday, September 6
- Kumail Nanjiani (Bless the Harts/Silicon Valley) - Watch Kumail on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - Michael appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Conner O'Malley (Shrill) - Conner is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Edie Falco (Bupkis/Nurse Jackie) - Edie talks about her film I'll Be Right There on NBC's Today in the 10am hour and on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh is joining Drew and telling her about getting denied from his college's musical theater program and making his return to Broadway after eleven years with bestie Andrew Rannells on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Diane Farr (Splitting Together/Like Family/The Job) - Diane discusses the CBS drama series Fire Country on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
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)
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