Thursday, May 31, 2012

Network Notes Includes Fox Thursday Sitcom Repeats in August; Remembering Television Producer Lee Rich



NYC 22
It's time for another round of network notes! First on CBS, after canceled sitcom How To Be A Gentleman concludes its burn-off, CBS will air burn-off episodes of canceled drama NYC 22 on Saturday nights starting July 7. CBS only aired four episodes of the drama on Sunday nights at 10pm, and will now the remaining nine episodes will air this summer on Saturdays at 8pm and 9pm most weeks through August 18. CBS planned on airing these episodes this summer in the Sunday at 10pm slot, but now will likely go with repeats of dramas instead, as CSI: Miami repeats have already been scheduled for last Sunday (May 27) and June 3. See the schedule for NYC 22.
On ABC, the schedule update is for two summer series from ABC News. First, the previously announced Final Witness for Tuesdays at 10 starting July 10, is being moved to Wednesdays at 10 starting June 27 for 7 episodes. ABC had not announced anything in that time period after the initial Apartment 23 and Modern Family repeats and then two special Duets airings (June 13 and 20). Airing now in the Tuesday at 10 slot where Final Witness was going to air will now be the reality medical series NY Med. This series follows the doctors of NY Presbyterian Hospital, similar to Boston Med in summer 2010. NY Med will air Tuesdays at 10 starting July 10 for likely 8 episodes. See the full information on both of these schedule changes.
Moving on to NBC, America's Got Talent will air its last Monday episode on July 2. The reality staple will move to Wednesdays at 9pm starting July 11 and Tuesdays will expand to two-hours to 8-10pm. In addition, a special three-night event will air Monday, June 25 8-9pm; Tuesday, June 26 9-10pm and Wednesday, June 27 9-11pm. And finally on Fox, they will have Hell's Kitchen and MasterChef on Mondays and Tuesday from 8-10pm starting next week, but the two shows will be cut to one night by end of July. Hell's Kitchen will air back-to-back on Monday nights starting July 30 and MasterChef will air back-to-back on Tuesday nights starting July 31. For both shows, it will be an encore leading into a new episode. And finally, after the Thursday reality series (which premiere next week) conclude, Fox will go with comedy encores of Raising Hope and New Girl in the 8pm hour starting August 2, as Take Me Out concludes July 26. Glee repeats will air at 9pm beginning July 19, as The Choice will conclude July 12.
Lee Rich
Television and film producer Lee Rich, co-founder of Lorimar Productions who produced series including The Waltons, Eight is Enough and Dallas, has died. He died on May 24 of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles. Mr. Rich was 93.

Rich's career began in advertising for Benton & Bowles as ad agency middleman between product company sponsors and television producers. He was involved with The Andy Griffith Show, Make Room for Daddy, The Edge of Night, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and The Dick Van Dyke Show. In 1965, he formed his own production company, Mirisch-Rich Productions. They produced The Rat Patrol and the short-lived sitcom Hey, Landlord. In 1969, he co-founded Lormiar Productions with Merv Adelson and Irwin Molasky. Rich served as an executive producer for The Waltons, Eight is Enough, Dallas and Flamingo Road. During his time at Lorimar, he received five Emmy nominations and won the 1973 Outstanding Drama Series for The Waltons. He also brought us TV movies including The Homecoming, The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (which served as the pilot for The Waltons), Sybil and Helter Skelter. After leaving Lorimar in 1986, Rich joined MGM/UA Communications as Chairman/CEO for two years. He later helped produce films including Passenger 57, Just Cause, Gloria and The Score.

The Archive of American Television has an extensive interview with him from 1999. Rich is survived by his longtime partner, actress Pippa Scott; five children, Michael Henes, Jessica Rich, Miranda Rich Tollman, Blair Rich and Anthony Rich; and seven grandchildren. We thank him for bringing us many quality hours of television. He will be missed.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Castle on TNT Delayed; Nick at Nite Adds Friends Marathon, Schedule Change, and Pilot Episode Week for Hollywood Heights




We announced in late April the TNT start date for reruns of Castle was Thursday, June 7. As of late last week, TNT has delayed the start date for reruns of that popular comedic crime drama. No word yet on when Castle will air on TNT now, but The Mentalist reruns will continue to air on Thursday nights at 9pm and 10pm. In the meantime, viewers can watch Castle reruns on ABC on Mondays at 10pm for the next two weeks (June 4 and 11) before it goes on hiatus until late August. The series will return with brand new episodes on ABC this fall for its fifth season.
Castle is a comedic/romantic crime drama starring Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Desperate Housewives) and Stana Katic (Quantum of Solace, TNT's The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice). Also as part of TNT's TV Everywhere rollout, Castle will also be available for online viewing through mobile phones, tablets, computers and other devices as soon s it starts airing on TNT. They will only be allowed to air the first two seasons for now but will be able to air more than just the first two seasons by Fall 2013. The series also heads to weekend broadcast syndication this fall, so check your local listings for times and station as we get closer to the fall! Stay with us for a new premiere date for Castle on TNT!

Nick at Nite will premiere its new original primetime series a bit earlier than planned! Nick at Nite adds sizzle to summer weeknights with the original primetime drama Hollywood Heights, kicking off with a special preview beginning Monday, June 11 at 9:00 p.m. The debut episode will also encore every night at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) through Friday, June 15, with the series still premiering on Monday, June 18 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and new episodes airing every weeknight thereafter, as we previously announced. Adapted for a U.S. audience from the wildly popular Mexican telenovela Alcanzar una Estrella, Hollywood Heights follows the journey of a teenage girl whose life changes drastically when she becomes a star and wins the love of her rock and roll idol, and both are tested by setbacks, heartbreak and deception. The first season of the 80-episode series, co-produced with Televisa in association with Sony Pictures Television, will air weeknights at 9 p.m. through October 2012. The special preview week (June 11-15) will have back-to-back episodes of Friends as a lead-in from 8-9pm at a special time. As a result, Yes, Dear will air 10-11pm, while another hour of Friends will follow at 11 leading into a block of George Lopez from 12-2am. This means That '70s Show will not air this week, but the sitcom will be joining sister network TV Land's schedule this coming Friday anyway, so perhaps it will be slowly phased out from Nick. This new schedule will likely remain week of June 18, too, but we don't have that confirmed yet.
Nick at Nite also has a Friends week coming up from Monday, June 4 to Friday, June 8 from 8pm-5am ET/PT each night to help promote the premiere of Hollywood Heights the week after. Nick at Nite also has a Father's Day event planned on Sunday, June 17 with My Wife & Kids even making an appearance with George Lopez, Yes Dear and Friends.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Leverage Reruns on ION Begin July 1; Men at Work Premiere Scores on TBS



Leverage
As we mentioned before, ION Television has gotten the rerun rights to the TNT drama Leverage, but now we have the launch date and timeslots! The drama will start Sunday, July 1, 2012 on ION Television with an 11-episode block from 4pm-3am! The series will continue to air every Sunday in the same period as well. All episodes will air in order and there will be no encores, so make sure you watch all eleven hours every Sunday night. As of now, no other timeslots are announced. Maybe the timings will change come July 15. Because the series will enter its fifth season on TNT starting July 15 at 8pm. As soon as we know, we will let you know, but as of now, July 1 and July 8 are full Sunday's of Leverage on ION Television! The series replaces a block of Flashpoint on Sunday nights.
Leverage follows a five-person team: a thief, a grifter, a hacker, a retrieval specialist, and their leader, former insurance investigator Nathan Ford (Academy Award Winner(R) Timothy Hutton), who use their skills to right corporate and governmental injustices inflicted on ordinary citizens.

Men at Work
TBS's all-new comedy series Men at Work scored 2.649 million viewers for its premiere on Thursday. 1.63 million were in adults 18-49 and 851,000 were in adults 18-34, according to cable fast national data. The premiere of Men at Work also drew 14% more adults 18-34 and 7% more adults 18-49 than the prior four weeks of The Big Bang Theory reruns in the Thursday 10 p.m. (ET/PT) timeslot. And it garnered more men 18-34 (395,000) than any previous TBS original sitcom premiere. TBS's second episode of Men at Work followed at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT), averaging 2.29 million viewers in Live + Same Day delivery, with 778,000 viewers in adults 18-34 and 1.433 million in adults 18-49.
Created by Breckin Meyer (Road Trip, TNT's Franklin & Bash), Men at Work centers on four buddies who work together at a magazine. Danny Masterson (That '70s Show) plays the recently dumped Milo, whose friends are determined to help him get back in the dating game. James Lesure (Las Vegas) is Gibbs, a photographer and successful ladies man. Michael Cassidy (The O.C) plays Tyler, a features writer who brings a dose of style and sophistication to the group. And Adam Busch (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is Neal, a somewhat nerdy ad salesman and the only one in the group with a steady girlfriend (Meredith Hagner - Royal Pains). Men at Work airs each Thursday at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). Fans can stay up to speed on the latest Men at Work news through the show's website and Twitter.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Memorial Day 2012 TV Marathons Includes Saved by the Bell on MTV2, The Parkers on BET, and More!

Happy Memorial Day! As we pay tribute to our troops every year on this day, let's have some fun as well watching TV marathons on the tube on this day off! If you're not going outside in the heat (the NY metro area will be close to 90 degrees today), then there are plenty of TV options for you on this day! Are you headed to the shore or would you rather watch some good TV marathons like Saved by the Bell? It's certainly all right! So bring out your lawn chair, throw some burgers on the BBQ, and watch some television!
Among the marathons today are the marathons we have previously mentioned, such as the Antenna TV Movie Heroes marathon from 5am-2am. We also told you about the Andy Griffith Show marathon on TV Land from 10:30am-2pm. We also mentioned a drama marathon of The Waltons starting at noon on INSP! Other cool sitcom marathons on this day is MTV2's Saved by the Bell marathon from 12pm-8pm! TV One has a marathon of Martin marathon from 11am-5am, but technically that is every Monday anyway. BET will air The Parkers marathon from 8am-7:30pm. Get your Mo'Nique on! Oxygen has a morning marathon of Living Single from 6am-10am. Comedy Central has a marathon of the animated comedy South Park from 9am-11pm! MeTV Network will honor the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces this Memorial Day beginning at 7pm ET. The Memorial Day Marathon will feature some of the best episodes from M*A*S*H, Combat! and Twelve O'Clock High. And ION just loves Criminal Minds as they have yet another marathon of the drama from 1pm-3am.

Other marathons include a marathon of the classic '80s animated series Smurfs on Boomerang from 6:30am-6pm, a Perry Mason marathon on Hallmark Movie Channel from 6am-6am, and TV Guide Channel will air multiple episodes of Early Edition & The Guardian starting at 10am through 2am (with a movie break at 6 & 9pm). GMC will have a Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman marathon from 12pm-11pm. GSN will showcase a Family Feud marathon from 7pm-12am. Watch the Law & Order marathon on TNT from 10am-8pm, while on USA Network you can watch the long-running series NCIS with a marathon starting at 6am through 9pm. Showoff your sexiness with the Sex and the City marathon on from 12pm-8pm. Spike TV will go the Band of Brothers marathon route from 9am-9pm. and Universal HD will show us The Unit with a 24-hour marathon beginning at 6am. And if you STILL get SOAPnet, they have a One Tree Hill marathon from 10am-7pm. Nathan & Haley, Always & Forever!

If you like movies on TV, watch Lifetime, Centric, ReelzChannel TV, TBS, AMC, Syfyf and as mentioned earlier, Antenna TV. Reality TV wise, A&E has a Storage Wars marathon, History has a Pawn Stars marathon starting at 8am, TLC has a Cake Boss marathon beginning at 6am, and Discovery has a Deadliest Catch marathon from 9am-10pm.
For the full times of these marathons and much more marathons we didn't cover (like American Ninja Warrior on G4 and Top Gear on BBC America), check out the full list from our pals at TV Tango!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Final Week of 2011-12 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

2011-12 Week 36 TV Ratings (final three nights of the season average, Mon-Wed): 

Households: #1. Fox 7.9 rating/12.6 share; #2. ABC 7.2/11.6; #3. CBS 4.5/7.2; #4. NBC 3.9/6.3; #5. The CW 0.4/0.7
Total Viewers: #1. Fox 13.51 million; #2. ABC 10.94 million; #3. CBS 6.75 million; #4. NBC 6.43 million; #5. The CW 0.64 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox. 4.2 rating/12.0 share; #2. ABC 2.6/7.3; #3. NBC 2.1/5.9; #4. CBS 1.5/4.3; #5 . The CW 0.3/0.8

Week 36 (May 21-27) Analysis: Week 36 is the final week of the season but it is only the first three days of the week, so really there is only 35 1/2 weeks during a TV season. For the final three nights of the season, Fox had the commanding lead thanks to American Idol. ABC was in second place across the board lead by its finales of Dancing and Modern Family. CBS was mainly in repeats , with only one hour of new programming only, so it had to settle for a distant third in HH/viewers but fourth in adults 18-49. NBC was fourth in HH/viewers, even losing to repeats on CBS, but they did beat them in adults 18-49. As for last week, week 35, Fox beat CBS by a tenth for the 18-49 crown again, while CBS again took home HH/total viewers. ABC was second in HH/viewers, but third in 18-49 (only a tenth behind CBS for second), while Fox was third in HH/viewers. And that left NBC fourth across the board again. NBC did finish the 2011-12 season in third place in 18-49 thanks to the Super Bowl. Without it, they would be down two tenths and back in fourth. Thanks to that bonus they were in third, but in all likelihood, barring a huge hit, they will be back in fourth next season. Fox won the season in adults 18-49, followed by CBS, NBC and ABC.

On Monday, it was NBC edging ABC by a tenth and Fox by two tenths. First, on ABC, Dancing with the Stars: The Finals started it off from 8-9pm doing a first place 16.84 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, up three tenths from previous week when it aired 8-9:30pm. From 9-11pm, The Bachelorette did a solid 7.53 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, off just two tenths from previous week's 90-minute premiere. For CBS, How I Met Your Mother was a repeat for some reason (the second year in a row CBS has done repeats the last week of the season) and did 4.06 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating. A repeat of 2 Broke Girls followed doing 4.62 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, building from its lead-in. A repeat of Two and a Half Men followed at 9 with 7.23 million and a 2.0 rating, the best of the block as usual even though it seems below normal for a repeat. A repeat of Mike & Molly was next and did 6.29 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which is serviceable. At 10, Hawaii Five-0 was preempted for a new Clash of the Commercials special doing 5.96 million and only a 1.3 18-49 rating, which is down from last season's special. Fox started off the night with a House retrospective special doing 6.27 million and a 2.1 rating, up two tenths from the season finale of Bones the previous week. Then at 9, it was the series finale of House doing 8.72 million and a 2.9 rating, up seven tenths from previous week. Not bad, but no where near what the series has done in the past. NBC started it off with America's Got Talent at 8 and did 9.66 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, which was down four tenths from previous week's two-hour premiere. Then from 9-11pm, NBC premiered the summer series America Ninja Warrior doing a solid 6.2 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating. It did better than the way more expensive Smash finale. The CW aired a repeat of One Tree Hill and did just 0.57 million and a 0.3 18-49 rating. Another repeat airing followed with 0.53 million and a 0.2 rating. Probably one of the last network airings of this series ever, if not the last one.

On Tuesday, it was Fox with the win. NCIS: LA at 8 started it off at a special time with a repeat doing 7.51 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. Then two hour of repeats of NCIS at a special time did 9.17 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating at 9 and 9.34 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating at 10. ABC aired an encore of the previous night's Dancing with the Stars: The Finals at 8 and did 8.83 million and a 1.3 18-49, which beat the one-hour of Cougar Town the previous week. From 9-11pm, the live Dancing with the Stars: The Finale did 17.75 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, up eleven tenths from previous week, as we crowned Donald Driver the season 14 champion. The lowest rated finale for this show, but still solid enough. Fox aired part one of the American Idol finale and it did 14.85 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating, great numbers but no where near what it was doing in the past. It's almost back to earth. At 9, the season finale of Glee did 7.46 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, up four tenths from previous week. This show is no longer a big hit already. NBC was next with the an encore of America's Got Talent at 8 doing 5.24 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating in an hour of many repeats except for Idol. An all-new episode followed at 9 and did 9.44 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week's two-hour Tuesday premiere. At 10, a 20th Anniversary of Dateline special did 4.98 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, on par with previous week's Fashion Star finale. Yet NBC is bringing that reality series back? The CW had a repeat of of Hart of Dixie doing only 730,000 viewers and a 0.2 18-49 rating, in its new time period next fall. Then at 9pm, a new episode of LA Complex did just 450,000 viewers and a 0.2 18-49 rating, on par with the previous week. What a disaster!

Wednesday it was all Fox with the Idol finale.  First, CBS started the night off with two comedy repeats. The Big Bang Theory aired at 8 doing 5.63 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, up five tenths from previous week's comedy encore. At 8:30, a repeat of Two and a Half Men did 4.38 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, only up a tenth from previous week's comedy encore despite a higher lead-in. Then at 9, a repeat of Criminal Minds did 6.41 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating. Another repeat followed at 10 doing a similar 6.25 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating. ABC was all-new for its Laugh On comedy block, as the season finale of The Middle started it off doing 6.52 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week as it could be better but spring has hampered it a bit. A Modern Family encore at 8:30pm did 6.0 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, up three tenths from previous week's Suburgatory season finale. The mega hit Modern Family was next at 9pm with its season finale and it did 10.07 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating, which was up two tenths from previous week. At 9:30pm, the season finale of the hilarious Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23 did 5.6 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, up a solid five tenths from previous week.  At 10pm the addicting Revenge season finale did 7.85 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, up four tenths from previous week. WOW! What a finale! The series moves to Sundays at 9 next fall and I expect a solid upswing for this promising series. Fox aired American Idol season finale from 8-10:06pm doing 21.49 million and a 6.4 18-49 rating, of course up from previous week by a large amount but its lowest rated finale since season one. NBC opened the night with a new Betty White's Off Their Rockers doing 5.39 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. Another all-new episode followed at 8:30pm and did a similar 5.28 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week. Will return next season in mid-season again. At 9pm, a repeat of Law & Order: SVU at 9pm did 3.66 million and a 0.9 18-49, up a tenth from previous week. And at 10pm, the season finale of Law & Order: SVU did 7.16 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, up three tenths from previous week. The CW had a repeat of Top Model start it off at 8pm doing 740,000 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating, down a tenth week-to-week. A new America's Next Top Model followed at 9 and did just 830,000 viewers and a 0.4 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week.

Starting from Thursday on, the summer season started! So we won't do an analysis, but stay tuned all summer to see how your favorite network sitcoms are doing--repeat or not!

Week 36 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 35 -- May 14-20)
  • The Simpsons (Fox) - The season finale at 8pm did 4.82 million and just a 2.1 18-49 rating, which is below normal but up two tenths from previous week. Not good. Lowest rated finale ever it seems for this show. At 7pm, a repeat did 2.36 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, which was up a tenth from previous week.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - The season finale at 7:30pm did 3.01 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. Way too low.
  • Bob's Burgers (Fox) - The season finale at 8:30pm did 3.57 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, which is not too good and down a tenth from previous week despite its lead-in going up.  This show really should not be back.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - The one-hour season finale did 5.35 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, for the best of the block and up two tenths from previous week. Lowest rated finale for this show ever.
  • American Dad! (Fox) - preempted.
Monday Sitcoms
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A repeat (yes in sweeps) did 4.06 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating. Seems low.
  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A repeat of this comedy did 4.62 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, growing from its lead-in. Will it be ready at 9pm to anchor the night? I don't think total viewers will be as strong as Men.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A repeat did 7.23 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating. This show usually repeats better. We shall see how it does this summer.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - 6.29 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating for a repeat is OK.
Tuesday Sitcoms
  • Last Man Standing (ABC) - preempted.
  • Cougar Town (ABC) - preempted, one-hour finale this Tuesday.
  • New Girl (Fox) - preempted.
Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) - The season finale did 6.52 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. Should bounce back to high 2's/low 3's in fall.
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A special repeat did 5.63 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating at 8. Solid!
  • Suburgatory (ABC) - preempted.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A special repeat at 8:30pm did just 4.38 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. Losing steam from its lead-in. Weird.
  • Modern Family (ABC) - The season finale of this mega hit did 10.07 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating, up two tenths from previous week's season low.
  • Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23 (ABC) - The season finale did 5.6 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, up five tenths from previous week. Pretty impressive against the final half-hour of Idol finale.
Thursday Sitcoms
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat at 8 did 8.27 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, off two tenths from previous week. Should stay above a 2 all summer.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A repeat did 6.12 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating.
  • Community (NBC) - preempted.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) - preempted
  • The Office (NBC) 2 airings - A repeat at 8 did just 2.26 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating.  Another repeat followed at 8:30 doing an embarrassing 1.86 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) - preempted.
Friday Sitcoms
  • None.
Saturday Sitcoms
  • How to Be a Gentleman (CBS) 2 episodes - Two burn-off airings did nothing.
Airing tonight (Sunday) are no comedies.

Summing it up. Airings of Modern Family, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Middle, Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23) or just plain old terrible (such as The Office).

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Digital Digest: Harry O and Spenser: For Hire DVDs Potentially in the Works; Rookie Blue - The Complete Second Season DVD Review


Happy Memorial Day weekend, and welcome to Digital Digest! You could spend your weekend having a cookout in the sweltering heat or watching a bunch of cars going in circles a couple hundred times, but whether or not you do, you can start here, where we have all of your regular features (including a LOT of news, it has been an incredibly busy week), along with a review of Rookie Blue - The Complete Second Season (DVD/Blu-ray). Let's get going.


DIGITAL NEWS

As we've mentioned before, Warner Archive maintains a Facebook page where they regularly keep fans updated on everything that is "in the works." In the past week, a fan asked about the series Harry O, a classic crime drama starring David Janssen which aired on ABC for two seasons between 1974 and 1976, to which Warner Archive proudly responded with the following:
"We're working on Season One of HARRY O right now. Hopefully we should have it ready in the next few months. Season Two will follow shortly thereafter."
So there you have it! Not only is the first season of the classic series in the works, but in fact, both seasons appear to be on the way! It is also interesting to note that this classic series also featured Farrah Fawcett-Majors as the title character's next-door neighbor and on-again/off-again girlfriend, and the series was actually cancelled in 1976 by Fred Silverman in favor of a little series called Charlie's Angels, which (again) featured Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

Interestingly enough, in the same post, the same person asked about the classic '80s series Spenser: For Hire, which was one of many crime/detective series starring Robert Urich (and let's not forget, even when he was on Soap, he was heavily involved in a case of crime/detective work!). As it turns out, this series is not in the works for Warner Archive, but the reasoning behind that is even better news for fans:
"SPENSER is being considered for mass-merchant release, but if that doesn't pan out, we'll be happy to take up the cause for his liberation."
So, it looks as if the series may not only be coming to DVD, but it may even be coming out as a mass-merchant release! And if it doesn't pan out, it sounds like Warner Archive will potentially take over. However, given the interest in '80s detective series, this one feels like one which would really work as a general retail release, so we're hoping to see some movement in this direction for this series. We'll let you know when we know more.

Mill Creek also maintains a Facebook page where they give some solid hints of "coming attractions." While they haven't been giving quite as solid hints lately, some of their latest information has hinted that more Heathcliff DVDs are coming, but it'll be a while, perhaps in early 2013. We hope to have more information to follow up on this in the near future.

A poster on the website Home Theater Forum brought out some details of some upcoming releases from Timeless Media Group (which was recently acquired by Shout! Factory), and it appears that TMG has a LOT coming up from MGM's vast library of series... though sadly none are sitcoms, and most are (as is common for TMG) westerns. The series included in the deal, per the information provided by the poster (and remember, this is not confirmed news, although the particular poster has developed a reputation for providing only reputable information) are:
  • Bearcats!
  • Tombstone Territory
  • West Point
  • Harbor Command
  • Science Fiction Theatre
  • Stoney Burke
  • MacKenzie's Raiders
  • Lee Marvin Presents The Lawbreakers
  • Target
Hopefully, we'll learn more about these acquisitions (and get some further confirmation) in the near future. We'll let you know when we do.

A few weeks ago, Cagney & Lacey series creator Barney Rosenzweig finally released details of the upcoming release of the series on DVD. It appears that the truly complete series will only be made available in a limited run of 3000 sets. By truly complete, this means that this particular set will include every episode of the series from every season, along with all of the special features. These sets will even be autographed by Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly, and will be available sometime this summer. Later in the fall, a general release will be available, at a lower price. However, this set will not contain the first season, which was much different than the rest of the series (in fact, Sharon Gless' role of Cagney was played by Meg Foster in the first season).

We've talked about international DVDs here several times, as sometimes you can obtain releases of series from the US which have never even been released, which you can watch if you import them to the US and have a region-free DVD player (note, most DVDs which you buy off the shelf at the store are NOT region-free, at least not straight out of the box). It has been almost a decade since Fox released Malcolm in the Middle - The Complete First Season, and there is little to no hope that we'll ever see future seasons in the United States. Fox stated shortly after the release that it was in fact a successful release, but music rights issues prohibited future releases (and considering that the series is not quite as popular now as it was when it was still airing new episodes, Fox perhaps shot themselves in the foot by missing that golden opportunity). However, in the United Kingdom, the releases are actually about to finally START, as Fabulous Films is set to release a region 2 version of the first season on June 4. That isn't a huge deal for Americans right now, as the region 1 version is still apparently in print and readily available, but this indicates that the studio has some commitment to the series, and there is hope that we may even see some future releases of the series, even if it does come from the UK.

We mentioned a few weeks ago that Inception Media Group would be The Real McCoys - Season One in July, but apparently, we really missed out on the details of the deal that Inception Media Group made with distributor SFM and publicly announced nearly a year ago, news that even posters on our own message boards mentioned (but we failed to notice). The deal includes several SFM properties, including The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (which they have already released the first volume of), and of course, The Real McCoys. There is no word on what other series may be included, but SFM has an interesting array of some of the more "rare" series from the '50s and '60s.

Finally, we have news of new additions to the online service Hulu. The service has recently added the first season of the classic series My Favorite Martian to the online streaming service, and it is available to watch for free! We haven't seen much in regards to new additions of classic series lately, so this is a very welcome addition to the service.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (May 29) is another day without any sitcom releases, but there are a few releases of interest to us, including Rookie Blue - The Complete Second Season (DVD/Blu-ray). We have a review of the DVD version of Rookie Blue today in Digital Digest. Additionally, Warner debuts a classic western series (a much anticipated one) with Maverick - The Complete First Season.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW



Blog DVD Review: Rookie Blue - The Complete Second Season (Entertainment One, $44.98)
by Pavan

The hit ABC summer primetime cop show Rookie Blue returns for another season on DVD and Blu-ray with the complete second season! We're reviewing the DVD, like we did for the first season. After seven months on the beat, these five rookies have kicked in doors, taken down criminals, kept people safe, and saved each other in the process. Now they'll do it all over again in season two...only better. The drama is produced in Canada and is a Canadian production and also airs on Global in Canada.

Serve, Protect. Don't Screw Up. And this show doesn't screw up at all. Not since NYPD Blue has there been a cop drama like this (OK maybe Detroit 1-8-7 was gritty like that show). It has a twist of danger, sex and high-stakes drama. The Division 15 at Metropolitan Police are good at their job from the rookies, the officers, detectives and the sergeant. The series stars Missy Peregrym as Andy McNally, Enuka Okuma as Traci Nash, Gregory Smith as Dov Epstein, Travis Milne as Chris Diaz, Charlotte Sullivan as Gail Peck, Eric Johnson as Luke Callaghan, Matt Gordon as Oliver Shaw, Noam Jenkins as Jerry Barber, Melanie Nicholls-King as Noelle Williams, Lyriq Bent as Sergeant Frank Best, and Ben Bass as Sam Swarek. Camille Sullivan recurs as Detective Jo Rosat.

The second season has 13 episodes, like the first season. We get all 13 of those season two episodes on this DVD! Among the memorable episodes is the season premiere "Butterflies," where Andy's world explodes by a seemingly senseless act of violence during a concert shooting and when she sets out to unravel the details, she comes into direct conflict with Luke's former partner, Detective Jo Rosati, a new detective with Division 15. In "Might Have Been," Andy and Gail participate in a drug bust by going undercover as cocktail waitresses but things don't go smoothly. In "Stung," Division 15 sets up a sting operation to catch suspects with outstanding warrants. The last three episodes of the season are must see. In "A Little Faith," Andy, Dov and Traci participate in an undercover training exercise which results in some unplanned situations and choices, as Andy and Traci run into Swarek and almost blow their covers to save a girl's life. In "On The Double," while undercover, Swarek finds himself in a life threatening situation when he and Andy can't stay apart. In "God's Good Grace," Swarek's gone missing and Andy tries to find clues that will help her and the rookies locate him before it's too late, while investigating this case will implicate one officer and threaten Andy's job. We get all 13 unedited episodes on this DVD. Runtimes for each episode follow:

Disc One
1. Butterflies (41:50)
2. Might Have Been (41:49)
3. Bad Mood Rising (43:00)
4. Heart and Sparks (41:02)

Disc Two
5. Stung (42:20)
6. In Plain View (42:22)
7. The One That Got Away (41:15)
8. Monster (43:01)

Disc Three
9. Brotherhood (40:22)
10. Best Laid Plans (42:59)
11. A Little Faith (42:55)
12. On the Double (41:29)

Disc Four
13. God's Good Grace (42:59)

The DVD comes in a case held by an outer thin box. The thin outer box is in blue (fitting!) and has the series logo on top, followed by a cast photo of the five rookies and the complete second season mention. The back of the thin outer box has info on the set and series, with a nice quote from the L.A. Times. We have a nice cast photo of the rookies as well, along with five episodic images (one includes Andy in a cocktail dress!). There is a little box showcasing the bonus features as well. When we remove the outer box, we get to the case. The case has the same artwork as the thin box, so everything is the exact same, unlike last time for season one. Inside the case we have nice artwork of a Metropolitan Police badge on the panels itself. There is also a disc-by-disc breakdown on the right panel listing episode episode title per disc and bonus features. The discs themselves are on two little plastic holders that you can flip like a page in a book, similar to the first season. Each disc is in the blue design with the series logo and the Metropolitan Police badge in the background. Disc one holds episodes 1-4, disc two holds episodes 5-8, disc three holds episodes 9-12 and disc four has episode 13 and all the bonus features. There is also an Entertainment One booklet showcasing other DVDs, and it is placed on the left panel. Most of this section is very similar to the first season DVD.

The menu design is great and has moving video clips playing in the background while we listen to the closing music from the show. The series logo is also placed on the main menu, with episode numbers/titles listed right on the main menu below the video clip that is playing. The only sub-menu is for Set-up, where we can choose either English 5.1 Digital Dolby audio or 2.0 Stereo. English SDH subtitles can also be turned on. Special Features option is on disc four only. Auto trailer appear on disc one before the main menu for series like Haven, Sanctuary, Hell on Wheels, Titanic.

Video and audio quality are both outstanding once again. This is a DVD review, so I'm sure the Blu-ray version looks even better. This set is superb. You can turn on the 5.1 surround sound and watch the series in great audio quality as well. Each episode has 7 chapter stops, so it is easy to jump through an episode if you are looking for something in particular like McNally in the cocktail dress in the second episode of the season or the steamy scenes between McNally and Swarek during the last two episodes of the season.

There are some special features on this set as well! They are all on disc four and are decently produced again. However, we don't have as much as we did last time. All of the special features on this set are seven making-of featurettes. These are all done while they are filming the episodes. I think that is very cool, as we get reactions right away. First up, we have "Season 2: Every Day Is Still A First" (3:48). These are not actual sit-down interviews, so this makes it more spontaneous having it done right on the set when filming. The rest of them are: "Shots Fired: Inside the Season Premiere" (3:48), "Horsing Around" (3:28), "Cops on Coffee" (3:13), "Travis Talk" (3:13), "Disorderly Conduct" (1:41) and "Split Screen Behind-the-Scenes Footage" (12:30). The latter is actually showing us the way it looks on the set compared to what we really see in the finished product. Wow, that finished product looks really good compared to what it actually looks. That was a very unique special feature!

I think Entertainment One did a good job with this set again. The episodes just get better and better. The last three episodes of the season are a must-see. The menus, packaging and bonus features are all good as well. I just think the special features were dropped in quantity this time. But what we had here was certainly unique. This is a summer series, so we only have 13 episodes each season. Wish it was more, but quality over quantity, right? ABC/Global will air 13 more episodes this summer, as the third season premiere was this past Thursday at 10/9 central. Watch every Thursday all summer-long! But if you need to catch-up, start or just to have this in your collection, then click the order link below! Don't screw up!

(4/5 stars)

To purchase Rookie Blue - The Complete Second Season on DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:

To purchase Rookie Blue - The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:

Related links:


CLICK OF THE WEEK

The A-Team Resource Page (www.ateamresource.com/) - We continue our theme of '80s action series this week with a site for yet another one of the most memorable series of the era, The A-Team. The A-Team Resource Page sounds like just a page of information, but by no means is it just that. In fact, it is a full-fledged website dedicated to the classic series about a group of Vietnam soldiers gone AWOL after being sent to prison to face charges for a crime they didn't commit, only to spend their AWOL time solving problems for ordinary people back at home in the United States.

The website is, like last week's website, relatively new, and isn't even completely finished yet. However, significant progress towards filling out the content is being made, and the information which is on there has been very detailed. You can find information about the series, such as information about the characters, the vehicles, the weapons, a detailed frequently asked questions section, historical articles, archives of an online newsletter about the series (from 1994!), games (although they are admittedly a bit cheesy), episode transcripts, official (yes, official) fan fiction, and much more. The only thing that this site is missing--and by the way, the one missing thing is what the website creator is actively working on--is a thorough episode guide. But even some of the episodes have had detailed information added to the episode guide, and from what can be seen from what has been included, it appears that the full episode guide is a very lengthy and detailed project which will be worth the wait. 

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

Friday, May 25, 2012

TV Land Orders 2 Sitcom Pilots, Guest Stars for The Soul Man; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 28, 2012)


TV Land has ordered cast-contingent pilots for two new original sitcoms. The first, I'm Not Dead Yet, is a single-camera comedy from Ben Silverman's multimedia entertainment studio Electus. The sitcom is about a man who finds out that he has a rare heart condition that could cause him to die at any moment, and so he decides to finally start speaking his mind and live life to the fullest. The second, Brothers-in-Law, is executive produced by Scott Stuber (Whitney, Role Models) and revolves around the family dynamic between a husband and the eccentric fiancé of his wife's twin sister. Although the men have nothing in common, the sisters constantly force them to bond. It is a multi-camera comedy. I'm Not Dead Yet, adapted from the DBS produced Israeli format Zanzuri, is written by Jon Sherman (Frasier) with Electus's Jimmy Fox co-executive producing alongside executive producer Ben Silverman (The Office, Ugly Betty). Brothers-in-Law is written and executive produced by Bill Martin and Mike Schiff (3rd Rock From The Sun), who will also serve as showrunners, and produced by Quan Phang (Whitney).
The Soul Man
As of now, these are just pilot orders and are cast-contingent. In other TV Land news, they have officially announced the annual TV Land Presents: AFI Life Achievement Award and it will be presented to Academy Award®-winner Shirley MacLaine by fellow Academy Award®-winner Meryl Streep, her co-star in Postcards From The Edge. The event will celebrate MacLaine's extraordinary life and all her endeavors, from movies and television to Broadway, writing books and beyond. The ceremony tapes Thursday, June 7 in Los Angeles and will air on TV Land on Sunday, June 24 at 9PM ET. And finally, TV Land has announced that Tamar and Trina Braxton (Braxton Family Values), Anthony Anderson (Law & Order, Hang Time), Sherri Shepherd (The View), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown) and Kim Coles (Living Single) will guest star on the first season of TV Land's new sitcom The Soul Man, starring Cedric "The Entertainer" and Niecy Nash, premiering Wednesday, June 20 at 10pm ET/PT on TV Land. Anthony Anderson has been tapped to appear this season as Sweet Brown, Boyce's (Cedric) old music-writing partner. Brown visits St. Louis to help Boyce get over his writer’s block for an upcoming sermon, but ends up pulling Boyce back into his old R&B star habits. Shepherd will guest star as Sherie, Lolli's (Nash) cousin who is always up to no good. Trina and Tamar Braxton will play Rose and Catherine Pinkney, sisters who audition for the church choir only to find out that they are both dating Stamps (Wesley Johnathan), Boyce's handsome younger brother. Kim Coles makes an appearance as Wanda, a church-going woman who stops by Lolli's salon hoping to get a special shampoo that all the ladies are raving about. Finally, Robert Forster will guest star as Father Ignatius, the head of a St. Louis clergy organization that seems to closely resemble the mob.


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, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of May 28-June 1, 2012, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, May 28, 2012
  • Adam Pally (Happy Endings) - Watch Adam on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Jim stops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Ellie Kemper (The Office) - Ellie visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) - Jaleel appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
  • Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Tune in to see Amy on a repeat of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
  • Rachael Harris (Notes from the Underbelly/Fat Actress) - Catch Rachael on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) - Margaret is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
  • Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy) - Watch Robin on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Alan Alda (M*A*S*H) - Alan visits The Colbert Report at 11:30pm on Comedy Central.
  • John Krasinski (The Office) - John appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Jenny Slate (Bored to Death/Brothers) - Jenny is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) - Melissa drops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) - Tune in to see Sarah on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Jackée Harry (Let's Stay Together/227/Sister, Sister) - Jackée joins the Chew Crew on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
  • Joey Lawrence (Melissa & Joey/Brotherly Love/Gimme a Break) - Joey stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
  • Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Catch Jim on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. He will also be on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
  • Tony Hale (Arrested Development) - Tony appears on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric talks about his movie, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, on NBC's Today between 10-11am.
  • Ellie Kemper (The Office) - Ellie is a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
  • Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life) and Kim Fields (The Facts of Life/Living Single) - Mindy and Kim reunite on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Friday, June 1, 2012
  • Jim Gaffigan (My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Watch Jim on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Jeff visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) - Margaret chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Joey Lawrence (Melissa & Joey/Brotherly Love/Gimme a Break) - Joey drops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - 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!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

2012-13 New Sitcoms Preview

Today we preview the new sitcoms that made the 2012-13 broadcast network schedules. Series descriptions, cast lists, video previews and related links are provided below. There will be a total of nine new sitcoms on the fall schedule. Three are traditional multi-camera sitcoms. Six are single-camera comedies. Seven additional sitcoms have been ordered for mid-season. Six are single-camera comedies. One is a multi-camera series from CBS.

ABC is adding four new sitcoms to their schedule, with two (one single-camera and one multi-camera) for the fall and two single-camera series for mid-season in January. Top-rated CBS adds only one multi-camera sitcom in the fall to their strong Monday block. A second multi-camera sitcom has been ordered for mid-season. Fox adds two new single-camera comedies to their Tuesday lineup. They have a third single-camera comedy ordered for mid-season. NBC goes for the laughs with seven new comedies (all single-camera except one): four for the fall and three for mid-season. The CW, once again, will be the only broadcast network without any sitcoms on the schedule.

Some familiar faces returning to sitcoms this season include Jami Gertz, Reba McEntire, Sara Rue, Kyle Bornheimer, Leah Remini, Sarah Chalke, Brad Garrett, Lucy Punch, Mindy Kaling, Matthew Perry, Tyler Labine, Kym Whitley, Anthony Anderson, Tempestt Bledsoe, Jenna Elfman and Jeffrey Tambor.



ABC

ABC Fall Schedule

New Fall: The Neighbors, Malibu Country (November)
New Mid-Season: How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) (Single-Camera Comedy) (Tuesdays at 8:00pm in January), The Family Tools (Single-Camera Comedy) (Tuesdays at 8:30pm in January)
Returning Fall: Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Happy Endings, Last Man Standing (November), The Middle, Modern Family, Suburgatory

The Neighbors

The Neighbors - Wednesdays at 9:30PM EST/PST on ABC (Single-Camera)

How well do you know your neighbors?

Meet the Weavers, Debbie (Jami Gertz) and Marty (Lenny Venito). Marty, in hopes of providing a better life for his wife and three kids, recently bought a home in Hidden Hills, a gated New Jersey townhome community with its own golf course. Hidden Hills is so exclusive that a house hasn't come on the market in 10 years. But one finally did and the Weavers got it!

It's clear from day one that the residents of Hidden Hills are a little different. For starters, their new neighbors all have pro-athlete names like Reggie Jackson (Tim Jo), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Toks Olagundoye), Dick Butkis (Ian Patrick) and Larry Bird (Simon Templeman). Over dinner, Marty and his family discover that their neighbors receive nourishment through their eyes by reading books, rather than eating. The Weavers soon learn that the entire community is comprised of aliens from Zabvron, where the men bear children and everyone cries green goo from their ears.

The Zabvronians have been stationed on Earth for the past 10 years, disguised as humans, awaiting instructions from home, and the Weavers are the first humans they've had the opportunity to know. As it turns out, the pressures of marriage and parenthood are not exclusive to planet Earth. Two worlds will collide with hilarious consequences as everyone discovers they can "totally relate" and learn a lot from each other.

The Neighbors stars Jami Gertz (Entourage, Modern Family, Still Standing, Ally McBeal) as Debbie Weaver, Lenny Venito (Bored to Death, Men in Black III, Person of Interest, Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Marty Weaver, Simon Templeman as Larry Bird, Toks Olagundoye as Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Clara Mamet as Amber Weaver, Tim Jo (Glory Daze) as Reggie Jackson, Ian Patrick (Wanderlust) as Dick Butkis, Max Charles (The Three Stooges, The Amazing Spider-Man) as Max Weaver, Isabella Cramp as Abby Weaver.

Guest starring are Mitch Rouse as Real Estate Agent and Doug Jones as Alien. Co-Starring are Bruce Green as Angry Man and Mary K. DeVault as Angry Woman.

The Neighbors was written by Dan Fogelman (Cars, Tangled, and Crazy, Stupid, Love) who is also an executive producer with Aaron Kaplan, Jeff Morton (Modern Family) and Chris Koch (Workaholics, Modern Family). The Neighbors was directed by Chris Koch and is from ABC Studios.

Cast:

Jami Gertz as Debbie Weaver
Lenny Venito as Marty Weaver
Simon Templeman as Larry Bird
Toks Olagundoye as Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Clara Mamet as Amber Weaver
Tim Jo as Reggie Jackson
Ian Patrick as Dick Butkis
Max Charles as Max Weaver
Isabella Cramp as Abby Weaver

Preview:



Links:

  • ABC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Malibu Country

    Malibu Country - Fridays at 8:30PM EST/PST on ABC (Starting in November) (Multi-Camera)

    When Reba Gallagher (Reba) discovers that her husband, Bobby, (Jeffrey Nordling) a country music legend, has a cheatin' heart, her world is turned upside down. Reba dreamt of becoming a country star herself, but put her career on hold to raise a family. Now she's questioning all of that, big-time. With the ink on her divorce barely dry, Reba packs up her sharp-tongued mother, Lillie Mae (Lily Tomlin), her two kids and the U-Haul and heads for sunny California to begin a new chapter. Leaving Nashville in the rear view, they start over at their Malibu residence -- the last remaining asset they have. Reba gets to know her new open and loving neighbor Kim (Sara Rue) and her son, Sage, but also discovers that relocation to Southern California is going to be quite an adjustment for a traditional southern belle: the West Coast seems like the polar opposite of Music City, and Reba feels like an outsider. Still, with the support of her family she sets about finding her voice, jump-starting her music career with the help of her new music agent, Geoffrey (Jai Rodriguez), and embracing this chance to begin again.

    Malibu Country stars country music superstar Reba (Reba, Tremors) as Reba, Sara Rue (Rules of Engagement, Less Than Perfect) as Kim, Justin Prentice as Cash, Juliette Angelo as June, Jai Rodriguez (Bones, How I Met Your Mother, one of the original hosts of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) as Geoffrey and Lily Tomlin (Eastbound and Down, Damages, Desperate Housewives, West Wing, Nine to Five, All of Me, Nashville) as Lillie Mae.

    Malibu Country is from Kevin Abbott (Last Man Standing, My Name Is Earl, Reba) who executive produces along with Michael Hanel & Mindy Schultheis, Reba McEntire & Narvel Blackstock, Dave Stewart & Pam Williams, John Pasquin. The pilot for Malibu Country was directed by John Pasquin. The series is from ABC Studios.

    Cast:

    Reba McEntire as Reba
    Sara Rue as Kim
    Justice Prentice as Cash
    Juliette Angelo as June
    Jai Rodriguez as Geoffrey
    Lily Tomlin as Lillie Mae

    Preview:



    Links:

  • ABC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia


    ABC Mid-Season

    How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)

    How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) - Tuesdays at 8:00PM EST/PST on ABC (Starting in January) (Single-Camera)

    Polly (Sarah Chalke) is a single mom who's been divorced for almost a year. The transition wasn't easy for her, especially in this economy. So, like a lot of young people living in this new reality, she and her daughter, Natalie (Rachel Eggleston), have moved back home with her eccentric parents, Elaine (Elizabeth Perkins) and Max (Brad Garrett). But Polly and her parents look at life through two different lenses. Polly's too uptight. Her parents are too laid back. Polly's conservative when it comes to dating (no action, whatsoever), while her parents are still sexually adventurous. They think Polly turned out okay, so what's the big deal? Well, they say it takes a village to raise a child...and in Polly's case, this village is on fire. But with help from her best friend Gregg (Orlando Jones), her lovable yet irresponsible ex-husband Julian (Jon Dore) and her cool and fun assistant Jenn (Rebecca Delgado Smith) Polly takes her first steps toward getting a life, starting with a social one.

    How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) stars Sarah Chalke (Mad Love, Scrubs) as Polly, Jon Dore as Julian, Rachel Eggleston as Natalie, Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond, 'Til Death) as Max, Orlando Jones (Rules of Engagement) as Gregg, Elizabeth Perkins (Weeds) as Elaine, Rebecca Delgado Smith as Jenn.

    How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) was written by Claudia Lonow, who is also an executive producer along with Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo. The pilot for How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) was directed by Julie Anne Robinson. The series is produced by 20th Century Fox and Imagine Television.

    Cast:

    Sarah Chalke as Polly
    Jon Dore as Julian
    Rachel Eggleston as Natalie
    Brad Garrett as Max
    Orlando Jones as Gregg
    Elizabeth Perkins as Elaine
    Rebecca Delgado Smith as Jenn

    Preview:



    Links:

  • ABC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia


    The Family Tools

    The Family Tools - Tuesdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on ABC (Starting in January) (Single-Camera)

    Mixing family with business is never easy, and Jack Shea (Kyle Bornheimer) is about to learn that lesson the hard way. When Jack's father, Tony (J.K. Simmons), has a heart attack and is forced to hand over the keys to his beloved handyman business, Jack is eager to finally step up and make his father proud. Unfortunately Jack's past career efforts have been less than stellar, so everyone seems to be waiting for him to fail. His new job isn't made any easier by Tony's rebellious, troublemaker assistant, Darren (Edi Gathegi), and Darren's flirtatious sister, Liz (Danielle Nicolet), who works at the local hardware store. Yet with the support of his Aunt Terry (Leah Remini) and his oddball yet endearing cousin Mason (Johnny Pemberton), Jack Shea may just find his true calling right at home.

    The Family Tools stars Kyle Bornheimer (Bachelorette, Romantically Challenged, Perfect Couples) as Jack Shea, J.K. Simmons (Ultimate Spiderman, Generator Rex, The Closer) as Tony Shea, Edi Gathegi (X Men: First Class) as Darren, Johnny Pemberton (21 Jump Street, Aim High) as Mason, Danielle Nicolet (X Men TV Series) as Liz and Leah Remini (In the Motherhood, King of Queens) as Terry.

    Based on the UK series White Van Man, The Family Tools teleplay is by Bobby Bowman. The Family Tools is executive-produced by Bobby Bowman, Mark Gordon (Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds) and Andrea Shay (It Takes a Village, Virtual Virgin) and Paul Buccieri (Prime Suspect). The pilot for The Family Tools was directed by Michael Fresco (Suburgatory, Raising Hope, Better Off Ted, My Name Is Earl, Northern Exposure, St. Elsewhere). The series is from ABC Studios.

    Cast:

    Kyle Bornheimer as Jack Shea
    J.K. Simmons as Tony Shea
    Edi Gathegi as Darren
    Johnny Pemberton as Mason
    Danielle Nicolet as Liz
    Leah Remini as Terry

    Preview:



    Links:


  • ABC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia




    CBS

    CBS Fall Schedule

    New Fall: Partners
    New Mid-Season: Friend Me
    Returning Fall: How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men
    Returning Mid-Season: Rules of Engagement

    Partners

    Partners - Mondays at 8:30PM EST/PST on CBS (Multi-Camera)

    PARTNERS is a comedy based on the lives of creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, about two life-long best friends and business partners whose “bromance” is tested when one of them is engaged to be married. Joe (David Krumholtz) is an accomplished architect who leads with his head and not his heart, especially in his love life. That’s in stark contrast to his gay co-worker, Louis (Michael Urie), who is spontaneous, emotional and prone to exaggeration. Both have found joy in their love lives: Joe is newly engaged to Ali (Sophia Bush), a beautiful and sophisticated jewelry designer, while Louis is dating Wyatt (Brandon Routh), a vegan nurse who Louis insists is just a promotion away from becoming a doctor. As news of Joe’s engagement settles, time will tell if their business and personal bond can adapt to the addition of two other important relationships. Emmy Award winners David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are executive producers for Warner Bros. Television. Emmy Award winner James Burrows directed the pilot.

    Cast:

    Michael Urie as Louis
    David Krumholtz as Joe
    Sophia Bush as Ali
    Brandon Routh as Wyatt

    Preview:



    Links:

  • CBS.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    CBS Mid-Season

    Friend Me

    Friend Me - Mid-Season on CBS (Multi-Camera)

    FRIEND ME is a comedy about two 20-something best friends who just moved from Indiana to Los Angeles to start cool new jobs, but can’t agree on how to socially engage in their new city. Rob (Nicholas Braun) is eager to embrace the L.A. scene and meet new people who aren’t looking down at their smart phones or laptops. Evan (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), however, prefers to socialize online at home in his underwear, web-chatting and playing poker with his Hoosier buddies Mike (Parvesh Cheena), Sully (Tim Robinson) and Farhad (Dan Ahdoot) just a keystroke away. Meanwhile, Rob’s had enough of iChatting, and naively posts a flyer seeking new friends on the coffee house bulletin board, despite Evan’s warning that no good can come from meeting strangers in person. Soon the calls start rolling in, some with potential, some just disturbing, and Rob and a reluctant Evan embark on what will be a series of the most epic adventures – and disasters – of their lives. Alan Kirschenbaum and Ajay Sahgal, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum, are executive producers for CBS Television Studios, in association with The Tannenbaum Company. The pilot was directed by Pamela Fryman.

    Cast:

    Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Evan
    Nicholas Braun as Rob
    Parvesh Cheena as Mike
    Tim Robinson as Sully
    Dan Ahdoot as Farhad

    Preview:


    Links:

  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia





    Fox

    Fox Fall Schedule

    New Fall: Ben and Kate, The Mindy Project
    New Mid-Season: The Goodwin Games
    Returning Fall: Raising Hope, New Girl, The Cleveland Show, The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, American Dad

    Ben and Kate

    Ben and Kate - Tuesdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on Fox (Single-Camera)

    What happens when an exuberant, irresponsible dreamer who always says "yes" moves in with his overly responsible little sister to help raise her five-year-old daughter? BEN AND KATE, a new single-camera young ensemble comedy, follows these odd-couple siblings as they push each other out of their comfort zones and into real life.

    KATE FOX (Dakota Johnson, The Social Network) followed the rules all her life...until she got pregnant in college and dropped out just shy of graduation. After the birth of her daughter, MADDIE (Maggie Jones, We Bought a Zoo, Footloose), Kate put her twenties on hold. Now working as a bar manager to make ends meet and maximize her time with five-year-old Maddie, she's uber-prepared for every possible catastrophe - except for the arrival of her older brother, BEN FOX (Nat Faxon, Bad Teacher).

    Ben likes trouble a lot more than his sister does. His infectious energy makes you want to follow him into any number of bad ideas. He'll totally screw up your life, but somehow, you'll feel good about it. Where Kate is all about planning and preparing, Ben is big on spontaneity and out-of-the-box ideas. But don't let the Velcro wallet fool you - he'll probably be a millionaire someday.

    When Ben comes to crash on Kate's couch for a few days, he finds a sad state of affairs. Kate's surviving, but not living. Ben realizes that for the first time in their lives, Kate needs his help and he's determined to bring some much-needed chaos into her overly stable world. He starts by offering to help look after Maddie so Kate can get back to experiencing her mid-twenties and making mistakes, since the one real "mistake" she's made turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her.

    Always there to help with Ben's crazy schemes is his partner-in-crime, TOMMY (newcomer Echo Kellum), who worships Ben like a hero and nurses a serious crush on Kate. Kate's British best friend, BJ (Lucy Punch, "Bad Teacher"), is a cocktail waitress at the bar that Kate manages and an all-around hot mess who would do anything for Kate, even if her advice is often questionable and occasionally illegal.

    From writer/executive producer Dana Fox (NEW GIRL, What Happens in Vegas) and executive producer/director Jake Kasdan (NEW GIRL, Bad Teacher), BEN AND KATE is a heartwarming story of deeply mismatched siblings: a sister who needs to go for her dreams and a brother who needs to get his head out of the clouds.

    BEN AND KATE is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment. The series is created and written by Fox. The series is executive-produced by Fox, Peter Chernin (NEW GIRL) and Katherine Pope (NEW GIRL). Kasdan serves as an executive producer and directed the pilot.

    Cast:

    Dakota Johnson as Kate Fox
    Nat Faxon as Ben Fox
    Maggie Jones as Maddie
    Lucy Punch as BJ
    Echo Kellum as Tommy

    Preview:



    Links:

  • Fox.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    The Mindy Project

    The Mindy Project - Tuesdays at 9:30PM EST/PST on Fox (Single-Camera)

    THE MINDY PROJECT is a new single-camera comedy from Emmy Award-nominated writer/producer and New York Times best-selling author Mindy Kaling (The Office) that follows a woman who, despite having a successful career, desperately needs to break bad habits in her personal life. After all, how many doctors make inappropriate toasts at their ex-boyfriend's wedding, nearly drown at the bottom of a stranger's pool and get arrested for disorderly conduct just moments before having to deliver a baby?

    Funny, impatient and politically incorrect, MINDY LAHIRI (Kaling) can quote every romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan that exists. She loves the good ones and the bad ones, because the girl always gets the guy. Mindy is determined to be more punctual, spend less money, lose weight and read more books - all in pursuit of becoming a well-rounded perfect woman...who can meet and date the perfect guy.

    Mindy is a skilled OB/GYN and shares a practice with a few other doctors, none of whom make life any easier for her. JEREMY REED (British writer/comedian Ed Weeks) is the walking definition of total bad news. He not only shares a practice with Mindy, but sometimes her bed as well - despite her best efforts to resist. He is funny, self-absorbed and super sexy. In contrast, DANNY CASTELLANO (Chris Messina, Damages) is a hothead and guys' guy who has a habit of stealing Mindy's patients. Danny criticizes her for everything, including her struggling love life and her lack of professionalism - even though it's obvious to everyone except Mindy that he secretly admires her work. His blue-collar childhood gives him a big chip on his shoulder, but he is a dedicated physician, which Mindy can't stand to admit because he's always getting on her case.

    Rounding out the office staff are the receptionists - BETSY PUTCH (Zoe Jarman, Huge), young, earnest and easily excitable, who thinks the world of Mindy and is always trying to impress her; and SHAUNA DICANIO (newcomer Dana DeLorenzo), a self-assured Jersey Girl who is indifferent to Mindy, always knows where the cool party is and carries a poorly concealed torch for Danny.

    Mindy is in constant communication with her beloved best friend from college, GWEN GRANDY (Anna Camp, The Good Wife), who also happens to be the governor's daughter. Gwen is a hilarious, sometimes too-blunt friend, and secretly a former carefree party girl (which only Mindy seems to remember). Although Gwen is now happily married to a financial analyst, with a six-year-old daughter, this lawyer-turned-Pilates mom remains squarely in Mindy's corner.

    As Mindy attempts to get her career off the ground and meet a guy who passes her red flag test (no drug habits, no skinny jeans and no secret families, among others), only time will tell if she gets her romantic comedy ending.

    THE MINDY PROJECT is produced by 3 Arts Entertainment in association with Universal Television. The series is created and written by Mindy Kaling. Kaling and Howard Klein (The Office, Parks and Recreation) are executive producers. Charles McDougall (The Office, Parks and Recreation) and B.J. Novak (The Office) served as executive producers on the pilot, which McDougall directed.

    Cast:

    Mindy Kaling as Mindy Lahiri
    Chris Messina as Danny Castellano
    Ed Weeks as Jeremy Reed
    Anna Camp as Gwen Grandy
    Zoe Jarman as Betsy Putch
    Dana DeLorenzo as Shauna DiCanio

    Preview:



    Links:

  • Fox.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Fox Mid-Season

    The Goodwin Games

    The Goodwin Games - Mid-Season on Fox (Single-Camera)

    Where there's a will, there's a way. And when that will's worth more than 20 million dollars, you can bet someone's going to find a way to get the cash.

    From the executive producers of How I Met Your Mother, THE GOODWIN GAMES is a single-camera comedy that tells the story of three grown siblings who return home after their father's death, and unexpectedly find themselves poised to inherit a vast fortune - if they adhere to their late father's wishes.

    If any of the Goodwin kids feel like they deserve the money, then it's HENRY (Scott Foley, Grey's Anatomy, Felicity), the eldest child and an overachieving surgeon. He sees himself as a role model for his less successful siblings - and reminds them every chance he gets. Returning home will force Henry to question the choices he's made, especially as he reconnects with his first love and true soulmate, LUCINDA (Felisha Terrell, Days of Our Lives).

    Middle sibling CHLOE (Becki Newton, Ugly Betty) was a child prodigy in math, and her unofficial role as "the smart one" of the family still sends Henry into fits of jealousy. But long ago, Chloe gave up academics in favor of being the popular girl. Now, through a series of hidden messages, her late father will lead Chloe back to her old love of numbers - and back to the person she's meant to be.

    Of the three siblings, the youngest, JIMMY (Jake Lacy, Better With You), could use the inheritance the most. A small-time ex-con and dull-witted guitarist who's deep in debt to a loan shark, Jimmy may be the family screw-up, but he has more heart than anyone. Like his siblings, Jimmy's also returning to something in this town: his eight-year-old daughter.

    Pulling the strings from beyond the grave is the children's late father, BENJAMIN (guest star Beau Bridges, The Descendants), a college math professor. Guilty over not parenting his kids better, Benjamin has left behind a series of unique challenges - administered by his estate attorney APRIL (newcomer Melissa Tang). Through these tasks, Benjamin hopes he can get his children to rediscover their true selves and learn the lessons he failed to instill in them while he was alive.

    Their potential reward? More than 20 million dollars - a fortune that they never knew their father had - and the chance to become the people their father wanted them to be. So let THE GOODWIN GAMES begin!

    THE GOODWIN GAMES is a 20th Century Fox Television production. The series is created, written and executive-produced by Carter Bays (How I Met Your Mother), Craig Thomas (How I Met Your Mother) and Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother). Peyton Reed ("The Break-Up") also serves as an executive producer and director of the pilot.

    Cast:

    Scott Foley as Henry
    Becki Newton as Chloe
    Jake Lacy as Jimmy
    Felisha Terrell as Lucinda
    Melissa Chang as April

    Preview:



    Links:

  • Fox.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia



    NBC

    NBC Fall Schedule

    New Fall: Go On, The New Normal, Animal Practice, Guys with Kids
    New Mid-Season: Save Me, 1600 Penn, Next Caller
    Returning Fall: 30 Rock, Up All Night, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Whitney, Community

    Go On

    Go On - Tuesdays at 9:00PM EST/PST on NBC (Single-Camera)

    Misery loves company. Unless you're sportscaster Ryan King (Matthew Perry, Friends, Mr. Sunshine) who thinks misery should just be left alone. After taking some time off, Ryan – who recently lost his wife in a car accident – is now ready to get back to work. And while he seems like his same old charming, cocky self, his boss won't set him back on the air until he seeks counseling. So, Ryan reluctantly joins a support group with one goal in mind: get in, get out and get back on the radio as quickly as possible. Played by the fast-talking, sarcastic, and charismatic Perry, Ryan gives grief a real run for its money. Within one day of group therapy, he hijacks the meeting and suddenly the downtrodden are cajoled into playing a game of "who's got the best sob story?" And in no time all of them are battling it out, trying to one-up each other's despair. Now, this is fun! Ryan's total lack of interest in healing might be just what this group needs – and maybe, exactly what he needs to move on with his life.

    Also starring are Tony winner Laura Benanti (The Playboy Club), Julie White (Transformers), Suzy Nakamura (Dodgeball), Khary Payton (General Hospital) and Allison Miller (Terra Nova). From the Emmy-winning writer and executive producer Scott Silveri (Perfect Couples, Friends) comes a new series that proves grief can be good. Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle) and Karey Burke (Free Agents, Miss/Guided) also serve as executive producers. The pilot was directed by Holland. Go On is a production of Universal Television, Dark Toy Entertainment and Silver & Gold Productions.

    Cast:

    Matthew Perry as Ryan
    Laura Benati as Lauren
    Julie White as Anne
    Khary Payton as Don
    Suzy Nakamura as Yolanda
    Allison Miller as Carrie

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    The New Normal

    The New Normal - Tuesdays at 9:30PM EST/PST on NBC (Single-Camera)

    These days, families come in all forms – single dads, double moms, sperm donors, egg donors, one-night-stand donors… It's 2012 and anything goes. Bryan (Andrew Rannells, Girls, The Book of Mormon) and David (Justin Bartha, The Hangover) are a Beverly Hills couple and they have it all. Well, almost. With successful careers and a committed and loving partnership, the one thing missing is a baby. And just when they think the stars will never align, enter Goldie (Georgia King, One Day), an extraordinary young woman with a checkered past. A Midwestern waitress and single mother looking to escape her dead-end life and small-minded grandmother (Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor Ellen Barkin), Goldie decides to change everything and move to L.A. with her precocious 8-year-old daughter. Desperate and broke – but also fertile – Goldie quickly becomes the guys' surrogate and quite possibly the girl of their dreams. Surrogate mother, surrogate family.

    The New Normal is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Productions. Murphy serves as creator/executive producer and director along with executive producer/creator/writer Ali Adler (Glee, Chuck) and executive producer Dante Di Loreto (Glee, American Horror Story).

    Cast:

    Andrew Rannells as Bryan
    Justin Bartha as David
    Georgia King as Goldie
    Bebe Wood as Shania
    Ellen Barkin as Jane
    NeNe Leakes as Rocky

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Animal Practice

    Animal Practice - Wednesdays at 8:00PM EST/PST on NBC (Single-Camera)

    Meet Dr. George Coleman (Justin Kirk, Weeds), a top-dog New York veterinarian. With an unorthodox style of operating, George's success comes from his undeniable gift with animals of all kinds. That is, all but the human kind. Dorothy Crane once held the key to George's heart, but today she also holds the key to the family business as she takes over Crane Animal Hospital. Not only is she George's new boss, but her romantic history with him and her lack of experience with animals is seriously cramping his style. Dorothy is whip-smart and ambitious, and she's going to make George pay for the past. Needless to say, he's determined not to make any changes in his (animal) kingdom -- which includes poker games with a resident capuchin monkey. Also starring are Tyler Labine (Reaper, Sons of Tucson) as Dr. Doug Jackson, a vet who's great with animals but hapless in matters of the heart, Bobby Lee (Harold & Kumar) as Dr. Yamamoto, and newcomer Betsy Sodaro as Angela.

    Animal Practice is a production of Universal Television and American Work Inc. The executive producers are Scot Armstrong (The Hangover Part II, Old School) and Ravi Nandan (Best Friends Forever) of American Work Inc. (Best Friends Forever) along with Emmy Award winners Joe & Anthony Russo (Community, Arrested Development). Animal Practice was written by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka (The Sitter), who also serve as executive producers. Gail Lerner (Happy Endings) also is an executive producer. Directed by the Emmy-winning Russo brothers, Animal Practice is a comedy where the animals are running the asylum.

    Cast:

    Justin Kirk as Dr. George Coleman
    Bobby Lee as Dr. Yamamoto
    Tyler Labine as Dr. Doug Jackson
    Kym Whitley as Juanita
    Betsy Sodaro as Angela
    Crystal the Monkey as Dr. Zaius

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Guys with Kids

    Guys with Kids - Wednesdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on NBC (Multi-Camera)

    From Emmy winner and executive producer Jimmy Fallon comes a new comedy about three thirty-something dads trying to hold on to their youth, while holding onto their new babies' hands. Easy, right? Thankfully, Chris (Jesse Bradford, The West Wing), Nick (Zach Cregger, Friends with Benefits) and Gary (Anthony Anderson, Law & Order) have each other to help navigate their survival as new dads, while still trying desperately to remain dudes. Balancing work or staying at home, painfully married or happily divorced, they know that taking care of the little ones while maintaining a social life is a daily challenge. Whether it's hosing the little squirt down in the kitchen sink or hitting the bar strapped with a baby björn, these guys are on a roller-coaster adventure – parenting like you (and they) have never seen before. Also starring are Jamie Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos) and Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show). Someone once said it is much easier to become a father than to be one. These three guys are about to find out just how true that is.

    Guys with Kids is produced by Universal Television and Holiday Road. Fallon (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) serves as executive producer/creator along with executive producer/creator/writer Charlie Grandy (NBC's The Office) and executive producer/creator Amy Ozols (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) as well as executive producers Rick Wiener and Kenny Schwartz (Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, American Dad). Emmy-nominated director Scott Ellis (Modern Family, 30 Rock) is the director.

    Cast:

    Anthony Anderson as Gary
    Zach Cregger as Nick
    Jesse Bradford as Chris
    Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Emily
    Tempestt Bledsoe as Marny

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    NBC Mid-Season

    Save Me

    Save Me - Mid-Season on NBC (Single-Camera)

    Welcome to the Midwestern suburbs, where exciting things never happen. Well, almost never. After a near-death experience (choking on a hero sandwich), Beth (Emmy nominee Anne Heche, Hung) is revived only to realize she now has a direct line to God. Of course, her husband Tom (Michael Landes, Final Destination 2) is skeptical and dismissive – and his mistress (Alexandra Breckenridge, American Horror Story) is stunned to learn that her lover's wife is now a prophet! But when inexplicable things begin to happen, everyone's beliefs are tested. Beth starts to say and do things that shock her family and entrance her friends, but she isn't going to be your typical "fire and brimstone" prophet. Let's just say, if God had a desperate housewife as His mouthpiece, Beth would be it! She is the absolute last person on Earth who would be chosen. Then again, they say He works in mysterious ways. And this one is a real mystery! Heather Burns (Bored to Death) and Madison Davenport (Shameless) also star.

    Save Me is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Original Film. Novelist John Scott Shepherd (Henry's List of Wrongs, The Days) is executive producer/creator along with executive producer/director Scott Winant (Breaking Bad, True Blood, Californication) and executive producers Neal H. Moritz (The Big C, Prison Break, Fast Five), Vivian Cannon (The Big C) and Alexa Junge (Friends, Sex and the City).

    Cast:

    Anne Heche as Beth
    Michael Landes as Tom
    Alexandra Breckenridge as Carly
    Heather Burns as Jenna
    Madison Davenport as Emily

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    1600 Penn

    1600 Penn - Mid-Season on NBC (Single-Camera)

    The Gilchrists are just the average American family dealing with all the everyday issues – like a grown kid who's forced to move back home, children who are smarter than their teachers and a stepmom (Jenna Elfman, Dharma and Greg) desperately trying to win over the kids. They're loving, fun and a little crazy. In other words, just like everybody else. With one exception: they live in a very special house. The White House! Whether it's entertaining foreign dignitaries, sneaking away for a night out, dealing with middle school crushes or putting out fires – figuratively and sometimes literally – there's never a dull moment in the Gilchrist White House. For example, the First Son (Josh Gad, star of Broadway sensation The Book of Mormon) is one of the administration's biggest liabilities, but also the glue that holds this family together. The President (Bill Pullman, Independence Day, While You Were Sleeping) knows too well that the only thing harder than being Head of State is being head of the family. Also starring are Martha MacIsaac (Superbad), Andre Holland (Friends with Benefits), Amara Miller (The Descendants) and Benjamin Stockham (Sons of Tucson).

    Modern Family meets The West Wing in this election-year comedy from Emmy-winning executive producer/director Jason Winer (Modern Family). The executive producers are Winer, Gad and Jon Lovett (former White House speechwriter). Winer also directed the pilot. 1600 Penn is produced by 20th Century Fox.

    Cast:

    Bill Pullman as President Gilchrist
    Jenna Elfman as Emily Nash Gilchrist
    Josh Gad as Skip
    Martha MacIsaac as Becca
    Amara Miller as Marigold
    Benjamin Stockham as Xander
    Andre Holland as Marshall

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia

    Next Caller

    Next Caller - Mid-Season on NBC (Single-Camera)

    What happens when a foulmouthed satellite radio DJ – played by the multi-platinum selling artist and outrageously charming Dane Cook (My Best Friend's Girl) – is forced to share the mic with a chipper NPR feminist? It's anyone's call in this sharp new comedy from producer Stephen Falk (Weeds) and Emmy-winning director Marc Buckland (Grimm, My Name Is Earl). It's her first day in New York City, and 26-year-old Stella Hoobler (Collette Wolfe, Young Adult) is ready to take on the world. After a stint on public radio, she's been hired to co-host the no-holds-barred show Booty Calls with Cam Dunne. Smart, spunky and passionate, Stella is determined to elevate the show beyond its boy's-club-locker-room humor into a respected debate about men, women and the state of human relationships. But there's a problem: Cam! She's going to find out the hard way that he's got no intention of sharing the spotlight, especially with someone like her. It's going to be a tense fight, but with the station's one rule being "make some noise," Cam and Stella could be a winning combination – as long as they don't knock each other out on their way to success. Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), Joy Osmanski (True Jackson, VP) and Wolé Parks (Premium Rush) also star.

    The series is created and executive-produced by Stephen Falk (Weeds) and directed by Emmy Award-winning director Marc Buckland (Grimm, My Name Is Earl), who also serves as executive producer on the pilot. Next Caller is produced by Lionsgate Television and Universal Television.

    Cast:

    Dane Cook as Cam Dunne
    Collette Wolfe as Stella Hoobler
    Jeffrey Tambor as Jefferson Mingus
    Wolé Parks as Keith Calhoun
    Amara Miller as Marigold
    Joy Osmanski as Winnie Hyde

    Preview:



    Links:

  • NBC.com Official Site
  • IMDB
  • TV.com
  • Wikipedia



    The CW

    No sitcoms on the schedule.



    Discuss the fall schedules here:

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    What's Your Fall 2012 Viewing Schedule?

    Which new sitcoms are you looking forward to?

    Stay tuned for our reviews of the pilots for these new sitcoms in the upcoming months!

  • Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

    Friday, December 6

    Happy's Place - "Ho-Ho Howey" (NBC, 9:15PM ET/PT)
    When the tavern's health insurance is threatened to be canceled, Gabby has a plan; she'll persuade her friend Danny to host his company party at Happy's, but the catch is everyone must call Bobbie "Gabby" and Gabby "Bobbie."

    Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs Santa" (NBC, 9:45PM ET/PT)
    While Mayan tries to track down the perfect Christmas gift for Chance, George has to settle a feud with Santa that stretches back to George's childhood; Quinten tries to shake Rosie out of her holiday blues.

    Bob Hearts Abishola - "We Were Beggars, Now We Are Choosers" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    After Abishola gives her previous suitor a second chance, Uncle Tunde goes behind Auntie Olu's back to warn Bob about the other man who's courting his niece.

    Bob Hearts Abishola - "Ice Cream for Breakfast" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    Bob must gain the confidence to fight for Abishola when she goes on another date with Chukwuemeka; Uncle Tunde finds an unlikely friend in Dottie in the aftermath of his fight with Auntie Olu.

    Children Ruin Everything - "Chores" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
    Astrid and James question the effectiveness of their own parenting when they meet one of Felix's friends with impeccable manners; Astrid and James worry about the types of adults their kids will become.

    Children Ruin Everything - "Feelings" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
    James, feeling left out when Ennis makes a new friend, inserts himself in Ennis' dodgeball tournament; Astrid struggles to get Viv to control her emotions, especially when frustrations at work make it hard to lead by example.

    Complete TV Listings


    Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 2)

    Friday, December 6

    • Ralph Macchio (Eight Is Enough) - Watch Ralph on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
    • Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Ben is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced/9 to 5) - Rita appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
    • Emily Osment (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon/Young & Hungry/Hannah Montana), Tien Tran (How I Met Your Father) and Vinny Thomas (Platonic) - Emily, Tien and Vinny are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
    • Hilary Swank (Camp Wilder) - NBC's Today catches up with Hilary in the 10am hour.
    • The Cast of Sex Lives of College Girls - The Sex Lives of College Girls creator Mindy Kaling is joining Drew on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Then, the case of the show, Pauline Chalamet, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Amrit Kaur, Mia Rodgers and Gracie Lawrence are all chatting about the latest season of the hit show.
    • Ryan Destiny (grown-ish) and Brian Tyree Henry (HouseBroken/Atlanta) - Ryan and Brian talk about their new film The Fire Inside on Sherri, so check your local listings.
    • Steve Howey (Reba) - Steve talks about NBC's Happy Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
    • Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Krysten discusses her film Sonic 3 on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
    • Melissa Joan Hart (Baby Daddy/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) - Melissa is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.


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    10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
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    11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
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    12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
    02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (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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    11/27 - Henry Danger The Movie Premieres in January; Dexter: Original Sin Trailer
    11/26 - The Way Home Returns for Season 3; Matthew Broderick and Son to Guest Star on Elsbeth
    11/25 - Peacock's Laid Premieres December 19; Jon Hamm Drama Gets Season 2 Before Series Premiere
    11/24 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 25, 2024)
    11/23 - SitcomsOnline Digest: HBO Renews It's Florida, Man; Simpsons Voice Actor Announces Retirement
    11/22 - NBC's Happy's Place Gets Full Season; HBO Renews It's Florida, Man for Another Zany Season
    11/21 - The CW Midseason 2025 Schedule; Voice of Milhouse Leaving The Simpsons
    11/20 - NBC Midseason 2025 Schedule; Apple TV+ Announces The Studio
    11/19 - Antenna TV's Thanksgiving on the Eastside: The Jeffersons Marathon; Fox Midseason 2025 Schedule
    11/18 - Conan O'Brien to Host Oscars for First Time; Celebs for Season 3 of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test
    11/17 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 18, 2024)
    11/16 - SitcomsOnline Digest: HBO Orders Kaley Cuoco Comedy from Hacks Creators; Reboot of Friday Night Lights in the Works
    11/15 - Bookie Season 2 Premieres December 12 on Max; Apple TV+ Mythic Quest Is Back in January
    11/14 - CBS Midseason 2025 Schedule; Reasonable Doubt Renewed for Season 3 on Hulu
    11/13 - Harlem Season 3 Drops in January; James Acaster HBO Comedy Special
    11/12 - ABC Midseason 2025 Schedule; Jim Gaffigan Gets First Hulu Comedy Special
    11/11 - We Got Time Today, A New Tubi Talk Show; Bill Maher Gets 13th HBO Special
    11/10 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 11, 2024)
    11/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Two New Sitcoms in the Works at CBS; The CW Adds Bob ♥ Abishola to Lineup
    11/08 - CBS Orders Full Season for Poppa's House; The CW Acquires Bob ♥ Abishola Reruns; Remembering Alan Rachins of Dharma & Greg
    11/07 - A Very Merry MeTV 2024 Schedule; Stranger Things Final Season in 2025
    11/06 - Outer Banks to End with Season 5; Nothing to See Here Season 2 on Netflix