TCA Summer 2012 Press Tour: Cable Day 1; MeTV Network Announced 3 More Affiliates Includes Salt Lake City

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

TCA Summer 2012 Press Tour: Cable Day 1; MeTV Network Announced 3 More Affiliates Includes Salt Lake City

Today is day one of the TCA Summer 2012 Press Tour for cable networks. Among the cable networks going today through Friday are Current TV, Ovation, BBC America, HBO, GMC, Starz, The Weather Channel, Discovery, National Geographic Channels and ESPN. See below for some day one updates!
Moving on, the syndicated talk show Anderson, with Anderson Cooper, is now changing its name to Anderson Live this fall. The one-hour daily syndicated talk show hosted by Anderson Cooper, returns for its second season as Anderson Live on Monday, September 10, 2012, with a brand new show name, new set and new live format with rotating co-hosts. Anderson Live will tape in front of a live studio audience at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City where Cooper will be joined daily by co-hosts for the show's sophomore season. Anderson Live's new set with live capabilities will enable Cooper to cover stories while they are breaking and update his viewers with the latest news, truly becoming water cooler TV in the daytime. Anderson Live will feature interviews with movie stars from the fall's most anticipated films including Richard Gere and the cast of Arbitrage, as well as Emma Watson and the cast of The Perks of Being a Wallflower; TV stars from hit shows including Modern Family's Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell, The Mindy Project's Mindy Kaling and Scandal's Kerry Washington; Comedian and Author Stephen Colbert as well as classic TV stars including Carol Burnett. So stay tuned this fall every Friday when we cover sitcom stars on talk shows like Anderson Live!

On to summer cable press tour day one updates, TV One has announced that its new sitcom The Rickey Smiley Show will premiere on September 18. Comedian and radio personality Rickey Smiley stars as Rickey Smiley, a character loosely based on his own life - a popular, local DJ based in Atlanta, who is the single father to three children. The all-star cast includes Ray J (Moesha, One on One), J. Anthony Brown (Like Family), Lil JJ (Just Jordan), Roz Ryan (Amen), Noree Victoria and Demetria McKinney (Tyler Perry's House of Payne). The series is being produced in Atlanta for TV One by Bobbcat Films. Executive producers are Roger Bobb, Rickey Smiley, Yolanda Starkes-White and Ward White. Executive in Charge of Production for TV One is Tia Smith.

HBO has confirmed that acclaimed series Enlightened and Girls will have their second-season premieres in January 2013. Both series will return for ten-episode seasons. Enlightened tells the story of an ambitious executive at a global conglomerate, who returns to her fractured life after a humiliating public breakdown, determined to lead a more enlightened existence. Golden Globe Award winner Laura Dern stars in the series with Diane Ladd, Sarah Burns, Luke Wilson and Mike White.
Girls takes a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their early 20s. The cast includes Lena Dunham, Jemima Kirke, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver and Alex Karpovsky. The series recently received five Emmy(R) nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Lena Dunham), Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Lena Dunham) and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Lena Dunham).

Two additional HBO comedies will be back with new episodes in 2013. Veep returns for a ten-episode second season. The Emmy(R)-nominated series stars Emmy(R) winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus as former Senator Selina Meyer, who becomes vice president, only to discover the job is nothing like she expected, but everything she was warned about. The show also stars Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Matt Walsh, Timothy C. Simons, Reid Scott and Sufe Bradshaw.
Eastbound & Down will be returning for an eight-episode fourth season. Danny McBride stars as Kenny Powers, a star pitcher whose self-destructive behavior knocks him out of major league baseball, leaving him broke, delusional and desperate to regain his former glory. The series is executive produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Jody Hill and Danny McBride.

On the heels of five Hearts stations signing on for the MeTV Network, three Newport stations have now committed to the classic TV network. On Monday (July 30) KTVX in Salt Lake City and KOKI in Tulsa launched the MeTV Network. Another Newport Television station in Syracuse will launch MeTV on WSYR on Monday, September 10, 2012. Salt Lake City's MeTV station can be seen over the air on channel 4.2 as well as on Comcast channel 104. Tulsa's MeTV station can be seen over-the-air on channel 23.2 as well as on Comcast channel 302, Charter channel 292 and Wave Broadband channel 60. Syracuse's MeTV station will be seen over the air on channel 9.2 as well as on Time Warner Cable channel 890 and FiOS channel 470. The MeTV Network now clears more than 82% of the country, serving more than 129 affiliates!

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, June 18

Shifting Gears - "Restoration" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Matt, the widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop, is confronted with his most unexpected and challenging project yet when his estranged daughter, Riley, and her adolescent children come crashing back into his life.

Shifting Gears - "Accommodations" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Matt joins Riley at Carter’s high school open house, where he’s unsettled to learn about the “accommodations” made for his grandson’s anxiety. Meanwhile, Riley reconnects with Caitlin, a former classmate, and sets her up with Gabriel.

Shifting Gears - "Job" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Riley, desperate for work, reluctantly takes a job at Matt’s shop. Meanwhile, Gabriel and Stitch secretly stray from Matt’s vision on a high-stakes restomod project.

Shifting Gears - "Grief" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Riley discovers a closet filled with her late mother’s clothes, she insists Matt hasn’t processed her death and urges him to see a grief counselor. Meanwhile, Gabriel faces a crisis of confidence when he’s put in charge of the shop for a day.

Children Ruin Everything - "Emergencies" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
During a family emergency, with both James and Astrid busy at work, they need to rethink their childcare plan.

Children Ruin Everything - "Sex" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Astrid and James get some much-needed adult time when they convince Nisha to take the kids for the night; their night gets complicated however, when a small lie grows out of control.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "House of Probation" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin and Laura are met with unexpected news, while Curtis and Glo join forces against Mrs. Wellington; Calvin and Miranda must navigate the complexities of co-parenting.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "It Takes a Village" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Vinny attempts to take matters into his own hands with the armed crimes around the neighborhood; the facility is in an uproar regarding their safety after the armed crimes around the neighborhood.

The Ms. Pat Show - "The Graduation Party" (BET, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Janelle has a big confession to make at her high school graduation party; Brandon's surprise decision sparks a huge fight with Ashley.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 16)

Wednesday, June 18

Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Luis) - Watch Charlie on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Miley is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Annie Murphy (Kevin Can F**k Himself/Schitt's Creek) - Annie appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Allison Williams (Girls) - Allison drops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Cole Escola (Human Resources/Search Party/Mozart in the Jungle/Difficult People) - Cole appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Reid Scott (Veep/My Boys/It's All Relative) - Reid is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - E! News has an interview with Keke at 11pm on E!.
Retta (Parks and Recreation) - NBC's Today catches up with Retta in the 9am hour.
Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Cynthia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Cynthia talks about The Gilded Age on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Fortune Feimster (FUBAR/Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune is sharing her hilarious take on the hottest headlines of the day and telling Drew about her latest Netflix standup special on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.