Wednesday, August 22, 2012

2012 Network Fall Preview Specials; The Office Ends This Season On NBC

It's almost that time of year again...the start of the new TV season! So let's get ready for that with annual network preview specials to inform us on what is new and returning! See our Fall 2011 preview from last year.

First up we will look at ABC. ABC's Fall 2012 preview special is titled The Chew Presents ABC's Primetime Fall Preview Special. This year ABC will air two versions -- one in primetime and one for local ABC affiliates. The primetime version will be one-hour and air on Sunday, Sept. 2 at 7pm ET. The special showcases the new fall Primetime lineup, including new late news lead-ins 666 Park Avenue and Nashville and the new Wednesday comedy, The Neighbors. The special will also feature the new Shawn Ryan drama Last Resort. The preview show will be hosted by The Chew's Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly and Daphne Oz. A half-hour version will be airing on ABC Affiliates beginning Sept. 15, so check your local listings (WABC in NYC hasn't scheduled it yet). The primetime version will be reaired on ABC on Sunday, Sept. 23 from 3-4PM ET/1-2PM PT. The special usually airs on ABC-owned cable networks as well, but as of now networks like ABC Family have not scheduled it. And also as of now, it isn't on abc.com but it is still early.

Next is CBS. The CBS Fall 2012 preview special, simply titled CBS Fall Preview Sneak Peek will be a primetime special previewing CBS's new fall lineup, to be hosted by the stars of 2 Broke Girls - Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs - will be broadcast on Monday, Sept. 10 from 8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT nationally on the CBS Television Network following an encore of How I Met Your Mother and leading into an encore of 2 Broke Girls. The preview will feature sneak peeks of the five new additions to CBS's primetime schedule this fall: the drama series Vegas, Elementary, and Made In Jersey, and the comedy series Partners. CBS.com doesn't usually post the preview, so you'll have to watch it on-air or if you miss that, your local CBS might air it on a weekend in the daytime -- but that is not confirmed.

Moving on to NBC, the NBC Fall 2012 preview special (titled once again The NBC Primetime Preview Show) has started airing on their cable owned networks & local NBC affiliates (such as USA, Syfy, Bravo, UniHD, Chiller, mun2, MSNBC, CNBC, Oxygen, Sleuth, Xfinity, E! Entertainment Television, mun2, NBC2Go, on-demand and broadband) since Aug. 8 and will continue to run through Sept. 30 (in NYC it is on next on WNBC Sat Sept. 1 at 7pm). The special will be hosted by Matthew Perry and the cast of NBC's new comedy Go On. The entertainment special will focus on NBC's new shows for the fall, including the dramas Revolution and Chicago Fire, along with the new comedies Go On, The New Normal, Animal Practice and Guys With Kids.

Onto Fox, the Fox Fall 2012 preview special starts airing on local Fox affiliates soon on weekends (in NY WNYW Sun Sept. 2 at 3pm) and is simply titled Fox Fall Preview Special. It will only run on local Fox affiliates again and not on Fox in primetime. No information is available as of this writing on who is hosting and what the special features, but it will of course feature their new programs: The Mob Doctor, Ben & Kate, and The Mindy Project. No idea yet also if it will be on fox.com, but check your local Fox listings for on-air showtimes.

And finally we conclude with The CW. The CW's Fall 2012 TV preview special is called The CW Fall First Look is airing on local CW affiliates as of this past weekend (such as NY's WPIX on Sat. Sept 8 at 8pm)! No word if it will also air nationally on The CW like it did last year. Series featured will be Arrow, Beauty and the Beast, and Emily Owens M.D. The affiliate special is a half-hour, and last year's primetime version had fifteen more minutes in primetime. Watch the half-hour special right now


NBC's comedy The Office will end after the upcoming ninth season, it was announced on a conference call by Greg Daniels to reporters on Tuesday. Executive producer Greg Daniels will return as showrunner for this final hurrah, taking over from Paul Lieberstein, who is developing a potential spinoff with Rainn Wilson. Daniels ran the show for the first five seasons. Here is what he had to say:

"This year feels like the last chance to really go out together and make an artistic ending for the show that pays off a lot of the stuff that matters most to fans. This will be the last season of The Office. And we're planning a very big exciting last season. We're going to have a lot of faces coming back. There are a lot of things that I've personally been wanting to do since season two. All questions will be answered this year. We're going to see who's behind the documentary. Now that we know we have an end date we can blow things up and take some chances and it will be very freeing, creatively."

The ninth and final season of The Office premieres Thursday, Sept. 20 at 9pm ET/PT on NBC.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, August 6

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Fan Mail and Old-Timey Organ Music" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie’s upset when Mandy’s new role as weekend weather girl gets her more attention from the men in town, and Connor turns to Jim for help when he’s asked to play the organ at the high school baseball game.

Ghosts - "The Others" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sam and the ghosts face The Others, a new group of spirits from one ghost’s past. Meanwhile, Trevor tries to deal with a demanding Patience, who seeks a committed relationship in the wake of their holiday hookup.

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Will and a Dead Man’s Wife" (CBS, 10:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie’s not ready for his mother to start dating again. Meanwhile, Jim and Audrey struggle to make their wills.

Ghosts - "The List" (CBS, 10:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sam and Jay work to secure Woodstone B&B a coveted spot on a prestigious luxury hotel list, only to face unexpected chaos when a vengeful newly discovered bunker ghost disrupts a crucial visit. Meanwhile, Flower and Thor clash over who gets to call the shots in their relationship.

The Bear - "The Original Beef of Chicagoland" (FX, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Series Finale)
After service.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 3)

Thursday, August 6

  • Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons) - Colman guest hosts a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Shane Gillis (Tires) - Shane appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Betty Gilpin (GLOW/Nurse Jackie) - Betty is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons) - Colman appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Lauren Lapkus (Stuart Fails to Save the Universe/Crashing/Clipped/Are You There, Chelsea?) - Andy Cohen interviews Lauren on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:31am on Bravo.
  • Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle swings by the studio on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Kristin Davis (And Just Like That.../Bad Teacher/Sex and the City) - It's a little bit extra with Kristin who reminisces about her favorite moments playing Charlotte on Sex and the City on a repeat of The Drew Barrmyore Show, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray) The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (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

08/05 - Colin from Accounts Final Season Premieres September 10; The X-Files: I Want to Believe Gets Director's Cut on Disney+ & Hulu
08/04 - Amazon MGM Studios Orders Improvised Sitcom; The CW Renews Game Shows for Season 3
08/03 - CBS Announces Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen 20th Anniversary Special; Hulu to Debut Exclusive Bob's Burgers Holiday Short
08/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 3, 2026)
08/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Clueless Sequel Series Starring Alicia Silverstone Ordered at Paramount+; Tubi Removing Some Warner Animated Series
07/31 - Netflix's Leanne Season 2 Trailer; Paramount+ Greenlights Clueless Event Series Starring Alicia Silverstone
07/30 - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 Premieres August 17 on FXX, FX and Hulu; Chad Powers Season 2 Premieres September 3 on Hulu
07/29 - Ted Lasso Returns to the Pitch August 5 on Apple TV; Hulu Unveils Futurama Season 14 Trailer and Announces Three XXXL-Sized Specials
07/28 - ABC Fall 2026 Premiere Dates; CBS Fall 2026 Premiere Dates
07/27 - Netflix's Tires Season 3 Debuts August 13; Family Guy Halloween and Holiday Specials Return Exclusively to Hulu This Year
07/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 27, 2026)
07/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Paramount and Warner Merger on Hold; Paramount+ Cancels Crutch
07/24 - Hulu's Desperate Housewives Wisteria Lane Block Party; Whitmer Thomas HBO Comedy Special
07/23 - Fox's Stewie Announces Voice Cast; Clash of the Thundermans Premiere Date and Details, with Ariel Winter Joining the Cast
07/22 - Nirvanna the Band the Show on Hulu & Hulu on Disney+; Netflix's Untold Returns August 25
07/21 - First Look at Netflix's A Different World; Great American Family's 6th Annual Christmas Slate Begins in October with Laura Vandervoort Movie
07/20 - Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Official Podcast; All-Star Cast for Elizabeth Banks Apple TV Comedy
07/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 20, 2026)
07/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Warner to Release Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series on Blu-ray; Chloe Fineman Exits Saturday Night Live
07/17 - Remembering Hal Williams of Sanford and Son, 227 and More; The CW Renews Sullivan's Crossing
07/16 - Trailer for Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Finale Event; HGTV's Totally '90s House with '90s TV Stars
07/15 - Fox Fall 2026 Premiere Dates; FX's The Shards Trailer
07/14 - Netflix's Monopoly Coming in 2027; Prime Video Carrie Series Premieres This Fall
07/13 - The Hawk Premieres Thursday on Netflix; Snoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy Trailer
07/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 13, 2026)
07/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Rob Reiner Receives Posthumous Emmy Nomination; Season Premiere Date Set for American Horror Story
07/10 - Great Entertainment Television Acquires House; Remembering Louise Lasser of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
07/09 - 78th Primetime Emmy Award Nominations; Disney's The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen
07/08 - Ian Ziering Hosting The CW Road Trip Series; Shark Tank Season 18 Guest Sharks
07/07 - Great Entertainment Television's Psych 20th Anniversary Marathon; Netflix Announces Cast for Myron Bolitar
07/06 - Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Capsule; Michael Weatherly Returns to NCIS
07/05 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of July 6, 2026)