Wednesday, March 21, 2012

ABC Family Summer 2012 Schedule Has New Sitcom Baby Daddy; Network Notes Includes CBS Renews Many Series, NBC Summer 2012



ABC Family sets a sizzling summer line-up with the world premiere of three new original series -- the one-hour drama, Bunheads, the half-hour comedy series Baby Daddy and the one-hour docuseries Beverly Hills Nannies. In addition, season premiere dates have also been set for the hit ABC Family original series Pretty Little Liars, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Jane By Design and Melissa and Joey to round-out the three nights of original programming line-up.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager

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.

Baby Daddy

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

Friday, April 3

Happy's Place - "Borrowin' Trouble" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Bobbie and Isabella learn Monica will inspect the speakeasy and devise a plan to get her in and out without running into Emmett; Steve and Takoda join Emmett at the fishing shack after Gabby implies he's mad at them.

Happy's Place - "An Accountant Prepares..." (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bobbie pushes Steve into auditioning for a local commercial to keep him busy, not realizing she signed herself up to be his scene partner; Isabella gives Emmett notes on his new appetizer for the tavern.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 30)

Friday, April 3

  • Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) and Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Luis) - Watch Chris and Charlie on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Elijah Wood (Wilfred) - Elijah is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • David Alan Grier (St. Denis Medical/Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!/The Cool Kids/The Carmichael Show/Bad Teacher/Life with Bonnie/DAG) - David appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea and the Broadway cast and orchestra of Chess perform on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Nick is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • John Early (The Afterparty/Search Party) - John appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Allison Tolman (St. Denis Medical/Downward Dog) - NBC's Today catches up with Alison in the 9am hour.
  • Arsenio Hall (Arsenio) - Arsenio talks about Arsenio: A Memoir on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Zach Braff (Scrubs/Alex, Inc.) - Zach chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


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