SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Matlock launches on INSP next Monday, November 12. The long-running legal drama will air weeknights at 10pm ET. The fun begins with a two-part event Monday and Tuesday night. In the series premiere, "Diary of a Perfect Murder," Ben Matlock and his daughter Charlene defend a TV journalist accused of killing his ex-wife. A double dose of Matlock can also be seen on WGN America daily at 9-11am ET/6-8am PT.

INSP will present a 14-hour "Black Friday Matlock Marathon" on Friday, November 23 starting at 12pm ET. Many television stars make guest appearances in these episodes, including Don Knotts (The Andy Griffith Show/Three's Company), Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family), Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law, ALF (ALF), Rhea Perlman (Cheers), Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show) and David Carradine (Kung Fu). View the complete marathon schedule here.

Andy Griffith stars in the classic courtroom drama Matlock, playing a Harvard-educated lawyer with a Georgian accent. The 60-minute show centers around his ability to solve a murder mystery to prove his client's innocence and put the real killer behind bars. Matlock aired on NBC for the first six seasons (1986-1992) and then on ABC for three more seasons (1992-1995). Many of the cases were on the sensational side and included Perry Mason-like last-minute revelations on the witness stand. The stories and characters had Griffith's trademark folksy appeal and proved to be his second monster hit, like his classic 1960s sitcom. Several of Andy Griffith's co-stars on the Andy Griffith Show also appeared on Matlock as guest stars. They were Don Knotts (Barney Fife), Aneta Corsaut (Helen Crump), Jack Dodson (Howard Sprague), Arlene Golonka (Millie Hutchins), and Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou).

Moving on to other INSP schedule news, Little House on the Prairie's 10pm airing is being replaced by the newly acquired Matlock. It will remain weekdays at 1pm and 2pm. As we mentioned back in September during our annual schedule barrage, INSP airs sitcoms The Brady Bunch and Happy Days. They recently moved The Brady Bunch from noon (where The Waltons receives an additional airing) to 5-6pm. The two-hour block of Happy Days was cut back an hour to 6-7pm. The rest of their schedule includes classics The Big Valley, The High Chaparral, The Virginian and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

Remember INSP is available in more than 70 million households across the U.S. on more than 2,800 cable systems and on Dish Network channel 259, DirecTV channel 364, AT&T U-verse channel 564 and Verizon FiOs channel 242. Viewers can check their local program guides for channel information or visit www.insp.com.

CBS has announced that its freshman drama Elementary, which provides a modern take on Sherlock Holmes in New York City, will receive the coveted post-Super Bowl slot. A special episode will be aired following Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, February 3 (approximately 10:00-11:00pm, ET/7:00-8:00pm, PT).

The show has performed very well in the ratings on Thursday nights at 10pm ET. It averages 14.2 million viewers and a 3.5 18-49 rating. Elementary is the second most-watched new show of the season. Only CBS' Vegas has averaged slightly more total viewers at 14.5 million.

Elementary stars Jonny Lee Miller as eccentric, mischievous detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson, a former surgeon turned sober companion. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare – a sobriety coach. Now running free in New York solving crimes, it’s simple deduction that he’s going to need someone to keep him grounded, and it’s elementary that it’s a job for Watson.

Also, Aidan Quinn stars as Capt. Thomas Gregson, who knows from previous experience working with Scotland Yard that Sherlock is brilliant at closing cases, along with Jon Michael Hill, who portrays Det. Marcus Bell, a top-notch investigator who is initially skeptical of Holmes and his unorthodox methods.

What do you think of CBS' decision? Discuss it here. View a complete list of Super Bowl lead-out programs here.