Tuesday, November 13, 2012
FamilyNet Merges with Rural TV on January 1, 2013; ABC Picks Up Full Season of Nashville
Rural Media Group, Inc., the parent company for both RFD-TV/RFD HD and Rural TV, is proud to announce that it has purchased FamilyNet, a 32-year-old basic cable channel currently distributed into 14.8 million U.S. homes, from Interactive Television And Gaming Networks, LLC (formerly Comstar Media). The move takes RMG's total distribution into over 61,000,000 homes through its cable and satellite carriers in all 50 states. The program schedules of Rural TV and FamilyNet will be formally merged into one network on January 1, 2013. As of now, some of the series from FamilyNet have already started popping-up on Rural TV, including primetime sitcoms Mr. Belevdere, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart from 8-10pm ET, airing right now on both networks. Rural TV also airs Highway to Heaven weeknights at 10pm and Bonanza on Saturday nights.
The acquisition of FamilyNet brings, for the first time, Rural Media Group's popular rural-themed program library to many major U.S. cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles, plus the countryside of Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, and California. In addition, the expanding list of quality advertisers and sponsors who seek family-oriented programming and demographics now have another choice with a proven track record that delivers a large, and growing, Nielsen-rated audience. FamilyNet was bought by Comstar in December 2009, after Comstar bought AmericanLife TV Network. It later reprogrammed AmericanLife into YouToo TV, with a social media focus, allowing viewers to upload their own videos.
Stay with us for further information on Rural TV and to see if any more series programming will air on the network after the merger is complete on January 1! Will we see other FamilyNet series like Remington Steele? Stay tuned!
ABC has picked up a full season of new drama Nashville. Nashville joins previously announced full season orders for new comedy The Neighbors and returning second-year drama series Scandal. No decision yet on fellow ABC new dramas Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue, while new comedy Malibu Country is only in its second week, but is headed for a full-season pick-up. Stay tuned. Nashville airs Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET on the ABC Television Network.
Nashville stars Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes, Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne, Eric Close as Teddy Conrad, Clare Bowen as Scarlett O'Connor, Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley, Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott, Robert Ray Wisdom as Coleman Carlisle and Powers Boothe as Lamar Wyatt.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, September 3
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Bus Bench and Faith out the Wazoo" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Audrey and Mary’s (Zoe Perry) feud rears its head when Georgie needs their help with the tire store, and Jim’s forced to confront his age after a visit to the DMV.
Ghosts - "Up the Creek" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Woodstone’s future is put in jeopardy, Sam and Jay join forces with the ghosts to protect the mansion by securing its place in history, on part one of the two-part fifth season finale.
Adults - "Talia" (FX and FXX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Anton learns that his sister is starting a family, while Issa begins thinking about her own fertility. Written by Shaun Menchel; Directed by Maggie Carey.
Adults - "Raccoon" (FX and FXX, 9:32PM ET/PT)
Issa and Paul Baker host Acid Night. Written by Sanaz Toossi; Directed by Oz Rodriguez.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 31)
Thursday, September 3
- Olivia Rodrigo (Bizaardvark) - Catch Olivia on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Show) - Rickey appears on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Stephen Root (Barry/Ladies Man/NewsRadio) - Stephen is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) and Steve Zahn (Chad Powers/The Righteous Gemstones) - Glen and Steve talk about Chad Powers on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. Steve and Frankie Rodriguez will be on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Sophia Bush (Partners) - Sophia guest co-hosts a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - NBC's Today has the Best of Fun & Games with "Queen of Quips" with Michelle in the 10am hour.
- Casey Wilson (The Righteous Gemstones/Black Monday/The Hotwives/Marry Me/Happy Endings) and Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - NBC's Today has the Best of Fun & Games with "Beat the Box" with Casey, Andrew and Prue Leith in the 10am hour.
- Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere/Nightcap) - Jeff talks about Apple TV's Widow's Bay on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and 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) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/29/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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