Monday, July 09, 2012

ABC Family Acquires Reba; Remembering Ernest Borgnine, McHale's Navy Marathon on Antenna TV and TCM Films Tribute

Reba

Last Tuesday we mentioned that CMT has acquired Reba and Yes, Dear to both start on August 1. We mentioned at the end of the story that Reba would also be coming to another cable network and we can reveal which network that is today! Reba is also joining the ABC Family line-up this August, so this will likely mean the end of Reba on Lifetime, since it will be on ABC Family and CMT. ABC Family will launch the sitcom on Monday, August 6 with a marathon event from 11am-6pm, part of their annual Campus Crush week. Reba will regularly air on ABC Family weekdays from 4-6pm. As a reminder, CMT will air the sitcom weekdays 4-5pm and 7-9pm, so the 4pm hour will have Reba on both ABC Family and CMT. As a result of the change on ABC Family, That '70s Show will shift to 2-4pm (it was airing 3-5pm). This means Grounded for Life will be off the schedule. The rest of the ABC Family weekday line-up will remain the same, which starts off with Boy Meets World from 7-9:30am, leading into the 700 Club stuff from 9:30-11am. Gilmore Girls remains at 11am, followed by an hour of Still Standing at 12 noon and back-to-back 8 Simple Rules at 1pm. All that will lead into That '70s Show from 2-4pm and Reba from 4-6pm, before movies and original encores take over starting at 6pm. In late night, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will remain airing in the 12 midnight hour each weeknight. Back to Reba, series star Reba McEntire will have a new sitcom premiering on ABC in November on Friday nights at 8:30pm, so airing her first sitcom on sister cable network ABC Family is good promotion for that new series.
Elsewhere on ABC Family this August, they have announced season finale dates for their original series. The season finale of drama Jane by Design will air Tuesday, July 31 at 9pm. Reality series Beverly Hills Nannies will move to the Tuesdays at 9pm slot starting August 7, as movies will take over its previous time period of Wednesdays at 9pm. Jumping to Monday, August 20, the season finale of drama Bunheads will air at 9pm, as the series waits for its fate. Will it be renewed for beyond its ten episodes? The following week, August 27, The Secret Life of the American Teenager will have its mid-season finale at 8pm. The series will return for its second half likely in spring 2013, but this is not confirmed yet. On the next night, Tuesday, August 28, ABC Family will present a marathon of Pretty Little Liars from 11am-8pm leading into its shocking mid-season finale at 8pm. The series most likely will return in January 2013 for its second half of the season like it normally does. The mid-season finale will lead right into the season finale of the reality series Beverly Hills Nannies at 9pm. And finally, the sitcoms have finales the next night! A Melissa & Joey marathon will air from 11am-8pm leading into the season finale of Melissa & Joey at 8pm. More episodes could be ordered like last season, so this could be a mid-season finale. Whatever it is, it will be leading into the season finale of Baby Daddy at 8:30pm, but the way that series is doing in the ratings, that could be a mid-season finale too, with more episodes likely to be ordered. Stay with us for any renewal news or more episode news, as we do expect some of these to be getting more episodes!
Movie wise, ABC Family has some movie premieres in August: Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous, Race to Witch Mountain, Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, and My Best Friend's Wedding.

Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine

Oscar and Emmy-winning actor Ernest Borgnine, who starred as Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale in McHale's Navy and Dominic Santini in Airwolf, has died. Borgnine died of renal failure on July 8 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Borgnine was 95.

Borgnine's career in Hollywood began with roles in China Corsair, The Whistle at Eaton Falls and The Mob. His big breakthrough role came in 1953's From Here to Eternity, where he played the sadistic Sergeant "Fatso" Judson, who beats a stockade prisoner in his charge, Angelo Maggio (played by Frank Sinatra). More film roles as villains would follow in Johnny Guitar, Vera Cruz and Bad Day at Black Rock. In 1955, he played the lonely and lovelorn butcher Marty Piletti in Marty. He won the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for the role. Other film roles included The Catered Affair, Torpedo Run, The Vikings, The Flight of the Phoenix, The Dirty Dozen, Ice Station Zebra, The Wild Bunch, Willard, The Poseidon Adventure, The Black Hole, Ravagers and Escape from New York. View a complete list of his over 200 film and television roles at the Internet Movie Database.

Borgnine's television debut was in 1951's Captain Video and His Video Rangers as a character named Nargola. More roles would follow in Goodyear Playhouse, Shadow of the Cloak, Short Short Dramas, The Lone Wolf, The Ford Television Theatre, Waterfront, The Danny Thomas Show, Laramie, and Wagon Train. In 1962, he landed the role as gruff but lovable skipper Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale in McHale's Navy. The show ran for 4 seasons on ABC from 1962-1966. Borgnine was nominated for an Emmy in 1963 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He also starred in the 1964 feature film and had a cameo in the 1997 remake, which starred Tom Arnold and Dean Stockwell. Borgnine later starred as helicopter pilot Dominic Santini in the action and adventure series Airwolf for three seasons from 1984-1986 on CBS. In 1995-1997, he co-starred with Jonathan Silverman in the NBC sitcom The Single Guy as doorman Manny Cordoba. Borgnine's many other television guest appearances included Little House on the Prairie, The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote, Home Improvement, The Commish, JAG, Early Edition, Walker, Texas Ranger, Touched by an Angel, 7th Heaven, Family Law, and The District. In 2009, he received an Emmy nomination for his role as Paul Manning in the final two episodes of ER. He also provided the voice of Mermaid Man for Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants.

The Archive of American Television conducted an extensive interview with him on October 10, 2008. Borgnine is survived by his fifth wife, Tova Traesnaes — whom he married in 1973 — his children Christofer, Nancee and Sharon Borgnine; a stepson, David Johnson; six grandchildren; and his sister, Evelyn Verlardi. We loved his work as the feisty skipper on McHale's Navy. He was an excellent actor and amazing talent over his 60 year career. We've lost two legends in the last week. He will be greatly missed.

McHale's Navy currently airs on Antenna TV weekdays at 1:00pm & 1:30pm, late Friday nights at 1:00am & 1:30am, and Sunday mornings at 10:00am & 10:30am. Antenna TV will commemorate the life of Ernest Borgnine this Sunday, July 15 with "21 Hour Salute to Ernest Borgnine: McHale's Navy Marathon." The 21-hour marathon will begin at 7a ET and run through 4a ET and will feature 42 episodes from the 1962–1966 ABC series starring Ernest Borgnine as Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale. We'll post the episode details when they become available.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will remember the life and career of Academy Award(R)-winning actor Ernest Borgnine with a 24-hour marathon of his films on Thursday, July 26. Borgnine, who passed away Sunday at the age of 95, was a dear friend to the TCM community through his appearances at the TCM Classic Film Festival, on the TCM Classic Cruise and during TCM's annual Road to Hollywood tour.
TCM's 10-film memorial tribute is set to begin at 6 a.m. (ET) with The Catered Affair (1956). The daytime lineup will include such films as Torpedo Run (1958), Ice Station Zebra (1968) and The Dirty Dozen (1967). Primetime will kick off with an encore presentation of TCM's 2009 special Private Screenings: Ernest Borgnine, an hour-long, in-depth interview with the actor and TCM host Robert Osborne. It will be followed by Borgnine's Oscar(R)-winning performance in Marty (1955), as well as memorable roles in films like From Here to Eternity (1953), The Wild Bunch (1969) and Bad Day at Black Rock (1955).

MeTV Network will air the 1964 theatrical film McHale's Navy on Saturday, July 14 at 5pm ET. The film aired during the series' run. Meanwhile, MeToo in Chicago will also air a tribute stunt! They'll air a "Tribute to Ernest Borgnine," Tuesday (tomorrow), July 10, 2012 from 7pm-11pm CT. His Magnum P.I. episode "Mr. White Death" will air at 7pm CT leading into a block of McHale's Navy from 8-11pm CT. McHale's Navy normally broadcasts on MeToo Sundays at 4:30 am and Magnum P.I. Sundays at 4:00 pm. See the episode info on their website.

What are your favorite Ernest Borgnine memories? Discuss them on our McHale's Navy message board. View photos in our photo galleries.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, February 18

Abbott Elementary - "Team Building" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The teachers prepare for the upcoming school year with new faces and big changes on the horizon.

Abbott Elementary - "Cheating" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Melissa tries to outsmart her students; Tariq causes chaos in Janine’s class, and a new guidance counselor joins the school.

Abbott Elementary - "Ballgame" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Abbott crew heads to the ballpark for Teachers’ Appreciation Night at the Philadelphia Phillies game.

Abbott Elementary - "Game Night" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Gregory steps in to host game night at his apartment. Mr. Johnson, Ava, Barbara and Melissa head to the DMV to renew their licenses.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Life Is Long" (BET, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin must come to terms with his breakup from Laura. Calvin encourages Malik to remain committed to their workouts.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Figuring It Out" (BET, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Anastasia is conflicted about continuing her walks with Reginald due to his memory loss; Detective Elliot warns Jeremy about a new DA on the case who plans to throw the book at the young robbers.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 16)

Wednesday, February 18

  • Tyler Perry (House of Payne/Love Thy Neighbor) - Watch Tyler on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Kyle MacLachlan (Carol's Second Act/Sex and the City) - Kyle appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Delroy Lindo (UNPrisoned) - Delroy talks about Sinners on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am. He also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Arielle Kebbel (Ballers) - Arielle talks about Marshals on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am. She also talks about her new film I Can Only Imagine 2 on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Wendell Pierce (The Odd Couple/The Michael J. Fox Show/The Weber/The Brian Benben Show/The Gregory Hines Show) - Wendell talks about Elsbeth on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Tracy Letts (Mr. Throwback/Divorce) - Tracy talks about Bug on
  • Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Married/Second Generation Wayans) - Regina tells Drew all about her action-packed film One Battle After Another on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Teri Hatcher (The Odd Couple/Sunday Dinner/Karen's Song/The Love Boat) - Teri is whipping up a delicious meal in the kitchen with her Desperately Devoted Podcast Co-Hosts onscreen daughter Andrea Bowen and real-life daughter Emerson Tenney on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

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

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

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


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

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02/17 - New Animated Comedy from Big Mouth Creators Coming May 22; Scottish Comedy Returns to Hulu February 25
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02/15 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of February 16, 2026)
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02/12 - ABC's Scrubs Revival Trailer and Details; XO, Kitty Returns April 2 on Netflix
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02/03 - NBC Renews St. Denis Medical and Happy's Place for Season 3; Pilot Orders for Comedy Projects on NBC
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01/30 - Jury Duty Returns March 20 on Prime Video; Katt Williams 4th Netflix Special
01/29 - Season 4 of Ted Lasso Premieres This Summer; Shrinking Renewed for Season 4 as Season 3 Premieres
01/28 - Nikki Glaser's New Hulu Special Premieres April 24; HBO Announces Late-Night Series
01/27 - Trailer for The Muppet Show Special Event; New Evolution of The Handmaid's Tale Series
01/26 - FETV Acquires '70s S.W.A.T. Series; Paramount+ Releases Date for Can You Keep a Secret? Comedy Series
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01/23 - CBS Renews 10 More Series for 2026-27; Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary Return Big in January
01/22 - Dancing with the Stars Live Tour Starts TODAY; Beef Returns April 16
01/21 - Prime Video's Bait Premieres March 25; Production Underway on Season 2 of Arctic-set Comedy North of North
01/20 - Baywatch Casting Call for Reboot on Fox; Mike Epps Netflix Special Trailer
01/19 - MGM+ Comedy Series American Classic; Taylor Tomlinson Returns to Netflix
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