Leave it to Beaver Leaves TV Land in December; ABC Family Pilot Phys Ed Begins Production

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Leave it to Beaver Leaves TV Land in December; ABC Family Pilot Phys Ed Begins Production

TV Land will be losing the rights to the sitcom Leave it to Beaver after its November 30 airing. The classic sitcom airs weekday mornings from 9-10am on TV Land but starting Dec. 3, the sitcom's contract is not renewed and it will be off the schedule. The series will be replaced by The Dick Van Dyke Show in the hour, as it moves from 10-11am. I Love Lucy also moves up, going from 11am-12pm to 10am-11am. The series that gains in this schedule change is The Andy Griffith Show, as the series now gets a two-hour block from 11am-1pm instead of just airing 12-1pm. As for Leave it to Beaver, not to worry as it will still be on television on Antenna TV.

Elsewhere on TV Land, they will have movie premieres for Mission Impossible (Sunday, Dec. 2 at 6pm) and Starsky & Hutch (Monday, Dec. 17 at 10:30am) in December, and we mentioned last week about their annual Thanksgiving Laugh More-a-thon (Nov. 22-25), which includes Leave it to Beaver. Also, season four of Hot in Cleveland will premiere on TV Land on Wednesday, November 28 at 10:00pm and the second half of season two of Happily Divorced will begin at 10:30pm on the same night. Stay with us in the coming weeks for the TV Land Merry-thon schedule airing on Christmas Day that will consist of classics like The Andy Griffith Show, M*A*S*H, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and modern classics like Everybody Loves Raymond and The King of Queens.

ABC Family begins production this week in Los Angeles on the multi-camera comedy series pilot Phys Ed, starring Ryan Sypek (Wildfire), Kate Lang Johnson (Persons Unknown), Sunkrish Bala (I Just Want My Pants Back, Notes from the Underbelly), Samm Levine (Freaks and Geeks), and Chelsea Harris (Just Jordan). We mentioned the casting news last month, but now production has begun on the pilot.
Phys Ed is a half-hour multi-camera comedy about a high school's star jock, Ed (Sypek), who returns to teach at his former alma mater only to find that, even though he's changed, nothing else really has. Ed's new colleagues include Janie (Johnson), a Government/Civics teacher at the school who was ignored by Ed in high school and now finds herself cautiously drawn to his affections; nerdy and needy chemistry teacher Matt (Levine), who quickly befriends Ed and provides him with the latest faculty gossip; popular English teacher Alan (Bala), who likes being the alpha male at school and feels an overpowering need to put Ed in his place, just as if they were still both in high school; and Wendy (Harris), a hot history teacher and cheerleading coach who is rumored to be having an affair with Alan.

The pilot is written and executive-produced by David H. Steinberg (American Pie 2) and directed by Ted Wass (Melissa & Joey). It is produced by Prodco, Inc. Ryan Sypek is an ABC Family alum, having starred in the network's first original scripted series Wildfire. As we mentioned before, should Phys Ed get picked-up to series, we will let you know...but for now this is just a pilot order.

Thanksgiving comes a week early on ABC Comedy Wednesday! A four-course meal of Thanksgiving comedy starts tonight beginning at 8/7c!

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Wednesday, August 5

United We Fall - "My Favorite Marta" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Jo steps in as a role model for her teenage niece, Marta, much to her strict father Chuy’s dismay. Bill plays matchmaker for Sandy who, under the influence of post-colonoscopy drugs, inadvertently professes her love for her first husband, Dave.

The Goldbergs - "Schmoopie's Big Adventure" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mother and son have a bonding experience when Beverly buys a bicycle for Adam just like the one from “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,” while Barry and Erica turn Murray’s furniture store into an after-hours lounge for college students.

The Conners - "Live From Lanford" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mark is watching the results of the primary for a school report with Harris who is apathetic to the electoral process and believes money’s influence in politics means real change is impossible. The rest of the Conners share their differing takes on why they all think everyone should vote, including their working-class perspective that you may have to vote for a candidate you don’t love but one that will “screw you the least.” All of this happens against the backdrop of romance when Louise (guest star Katey Sagal) gets an opportunity that might send her away from Lanford, prompting the family to interfere in Dan’s (John Goodman) complicated relationship with her by throwing Louise a surprise going-away party, creating major new tensions between Dan and his daughters.

American Housewife - "Senior Prank" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Against Greg’s better judgment, Katie pushes Taylor to lighten up and participate in her school’s senior prank. Meanwhile, Anna-Kat asks Oliver to give Franklin (Evan O’Toole) a makeover so he won’t embarrass himself at a classmate’s party.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 3)

Wednesday, August 5

Jamie Foxx (The Jamie Foxx Show) - Watch Jamie on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Tig Notaro (One Mississippi) - Tig appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Seth Rogen (Undeclared) - Seth is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Gillian Jacobs (Love/Community) - Gillian appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
David Tennant (Final Space) - David is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Karen Gillan (Selfie) - Karen appears on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Carpoolers) - Jerry is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 10pm on Bravo. He also talks about The Secret: Dare to Dream on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Steven Weber (Indebted/Cursed/Wings) - Steven appears on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
Rob Riggle (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/Golan the Insatiable) - Rob is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
Lecy Goranson (The Conners/Roseanne) - Lecy talks about the season finale of The Conners on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Cedric Yarbrough (Carol's Second Act/Speechless/Reno 911!) - Cedric talks about the return of Reno 911! on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.