Thursday, November 29, 2012
ABC Picks Up More Episodes of Last Man Standing, Malibu Country; FX Schedules Season 2 of Anger Management for January 17, 2013
ABC has picked up five additional episodes each of Friday night comedies Last Man Standing and Malibu Country, giving each series 18 total episodes each for this season. These pick-ups join previously announced orders for new drama Nashville, new comedy The Neighbors, and sophomore drama Scandal. Both comedies Last Man Standing and Malibu Country air Friday nights at 8:00 and 8:30pm ET/PT, respectively, on ABC. Since its season premiere on Nov. 2, ABC sophomore comedy Last Man Standing starring Tim Allen is the top-rated show in Friday's 8:00pm half-hour with Adults 18-49 (2.1/7). Boosting its time period year to year by 76% in Total Viewers and by 91% in Adults 18-49 on average, Last Man Standing premiered with ABC’s biggest numbers in the Friday 8pm half-hour in well over 2-1/2 years – since 1/1/10.
Retaining 100% Adult 18-49 lead-in (2.1/7) from Last Man Standing and gaining total viewers, ABC's Malibu Country starring Reba stands as TV's most-watched freshman comedy this season (8.7 million). The new ABC sitcom is No. 1 in the time period across all key Women demographics (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54) and is the broadcast leader with Teens 12-17. Like its lead-in, the sitcom is producing big year-over-year increases for ABC, improving its half-hour by 85% in Total Viewers and by 91% in Adults 18-49 from the same nights last year. Among Adults 18-49, Malibu Country opened as Friday's top-rated scripted series debut on any network in over 5 years -- since October 2007.
The comedies premiered late in the fall so a full season is probably not necessary to order, but 18 episodes should be enough to last them the rest of the season. ABC will air seven episodes each through December, so at least 11 episodes will be able to air from Jan-May. ABC has yet to announce its midseason 2013 schedule, so we will give that to you as soon as it is announced. With the additional episodes for Malibu Country, we now know the fate for all of ABC's fall freshman series as 666 Park Avenue and Last Resort are the only ones not moving forward after the initial 13 episodes.
FX has announced its early 2013 release dates, which includes season two of Charlie Sheen's sitcom Anger Management. First up, the Emmy(R) Award-winning Justified returns for its fourth season on January 8, and will continue to run Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT. Anger Management will begin its back-90 run on Thursday, January 17 with consecutive episodes at 9:00 & 9:30pm before airing in its regularly scheduled timeslot of Thursdays at 9:30pm ET/PT. Charlie Sheen stars as "Charlie," a non-traditional therapist specializing in anger management. FX's acclaimed animated series Archer returns for its fourth season starting January 17 and will air Thursdays at 10pm ET/PT. Archer is an animated, half-hour comedy that revolves around the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS) and the lives of its employees. FX will premiere its newest original comedy series Legit, on January 17 at 10:30pm ET/PT immediately following Archer. In Legit, Jim Jefferies is an edgy, foul-mouthed stand-up comedian from Australia, in his mid-30s and living in LA, struggling to make his life and career more "legit," only to find it a difficult, uncomfortable uphill struggle every step of the way. Jim is encouraged in his quest by Steve (Dan Bakkedahl), his neurotic best friend and roommate, a cyber-law library salesman who struggles to stay on his feet in the wake of a divorce, and Steve's brother, Billy (DJ Qualls), who suffers from advanced staged Muscular Dystrophy and is confined to a wheelchair. FX has ordered 13 episodes of Legit.
In late night, Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell will return with a new cycle of episodes Thursday, January 17 at 11pm ET/PT. Totally Biased, from Bell and Executive Producers Chris Rock, Chuck Sklar and Keri Smith Esguia, stars standup comedian W. Kamau Bell as he hilariously dissects politics, pop culture, race, religion, sex and the media from his own unique point of view. The show features live guests and taped segments.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, July 12
Mind Your Business - "Love Child" (Bounce TV, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Alfonso and Aaliyah's world is flipped upside down when their mother's secret love child comes into town, while Mia tries to figure out who is sending her gifts every hour on the hour.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 7)
Friday, July 11
- Aparna Nancherla (The Great North/Fairview/Corporate) and Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Aparna and Whitney are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Malachi Barton (Stuck in the Middle) and Meg Donnelly (American Housewife) - Malachi and Meg discuss Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires and perform on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. They will also be on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Jean Smart (Hacks/Samantha Who?/Center of the Universe/In-Laws/Style & Substance/Designing Women) - Jean chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton talks about Black Coffee and Ice Water on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Margaret Cho (All-American Girl) and Joel Kim Booster (Loot/Shrill) - CBS News contributor Lisa Ling talks with Margaret and Joel on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Tamron Hall (repeat) has a DAYTIME EXCLUSIVE sitdown with actress/director/author Krysten Ritter who recently released her new thriller/mystery novel Retreat, so check your local listings.
- Maggie Q (Pivoting) - Maggie Q talks about Prime's Ballard on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Tisha Campbell (Act Your Age/Uncoupled/Outmatched/Dr. Ken/Rita Rocks/My Wife and Kids/Martin) and Wendy Raquel Robinson (Poppa's House/The Game/Here We Go Again/The Steve Harvey Show/Minor Adjustments) - Tisha and Wendy chat about their film Operation: Aunties on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings. They will also be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
- David Zayas (The Bear/Saint George) - David appears on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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