Tuesday, June 04, 2013

New By Decade Classic TV Networks Coming Soon?; USA Network Orders New Sitcom Pilot

Four decade-themed classic TV networks could be coming in 2014, if all goes well. The four decades that will be of focus are the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s. Longtime TV executive Garth Ancier and now head of Zeus Media Partners, is pitching this and he's brought industry veterans Diane Robina, Alan Goodman and Michael Ross along to help. Robina and Goodman were formerly of TV Land back in the late '90s. These four networks will be actual cable networks and not over-the-air digital stations like Antenna TV and MeTV Network. They will be free to cable, satellite and telco TV operators and supported by advertising. Zeus Media Partners plans to launch these four networks around this time next year (second quarter 2014). Ancier is looking to create something like how Sirius XM's satellite radio channels that are grouped by decade, but for television and TV series. The company is in preliminary talks with all major studios like CBS Paramount, Sony Pictures Television, 20th Century Fox, MGM, NBC, Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. and Carsey Werner for programming options. Zeus is not looking to obtain exclusive cable rights to any of these programs, so you can expect most of these shows to be run on multiple networks on cable. Among the shows Ancier said he is looking to obtain are Three's Company (currently licensed by TV Land but on hiatus) and Lost in Space (airs on digital station MeTV), since they are not airing much right now.

There is still a very long way to go but this is a good start. We will of course bring you any future news updates on this, so stay with us. It would be good to see some shows that haven't been aired in a while as well, such as One Day at a Time, Alice, Welcome Back Kotter, Webster and Small Wonder, in addition to the major stuff like Three's Company and Good Times. No programming has been officially announced of course since it is just preliminary talks, but anything could be possible! Stay tuned! Sound off on Facebook and tell us what shows you would like to see from the '60s-90s!


USA Network has greenlit a new original half hour comedy pilot with an order for Divide & Conquer from executive producer and writer Peter Ocko (The Office, Pushing Daisies). The news comes on the heels of the network's first comedy series pickups for Sirens and Playing House and another pilot order for Love is Dead, as we all announced before. The network's first original comedies are slated to premiere in first quarter 2014, following the launch of the award-winning and top-rated comedy off-network reruns of Modern Family, on USA on Tuesday, September 24 at 8/7c.

Divide & Conquer is a family comedy about love, support, attention and all the other things parents do to mess up their kids. In a world where failure is the new F-word, and normal is the new stupid, Ben and Charlotte are just hoping their kids make it out of the house someday. Divide & Conquer gets into the heads of a big family: four children finding their way to adulthood in these complicated times, and the parents whose lives they're sucking dry to get there. Written and executive produced by Ocko, the pilot is from Universal Cable Productions. Stay with us for continued updates and if this series is ordered to series with Sirens and Playing House.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, May 1

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 27)

Friday, May 1

  • Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Watch Henry on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Lea Michele (The Mayor) - Lea appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Rita Wilson (Girls) - Rita performs on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 9am hour.
  • Jon Cryer (Extended Family/Two and a Half Men/The Trouble with Normal/Partners/The Famous Teddy Z) - Jon chats about Off-Broadway's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) and Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) - Valerie, Eric and Henry Czerny talk about Lifetime's Love, Again on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

05/01 - ABC Renews Shifting Gears and Scrubs for 2026-27; AMC Upfront 2026
04/30 - Apple TV Season 5 of Trying; Netflix Announces Dad's House
04/29 - Ted Lasso Season 4 Premieres August 5; Heads Will Roll to Return on Audible
04/28 - The Big Bang Theory Spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Premieres in July on HBO Max; The CW Revives Private Eyes
04/27 - Hulu's Alice and Steve Premieres June 8; Prime Video Renews Hazbin Hotel for a Fifth and Final Season
04/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 27, 2026)
04/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at Scooby-Doo: Origins; Clueless Sequel Series Not Going Forward at Peacock
04/24 - A Different World Sequel Wraps Production and Adds More Cast Members; Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro Coming to ABC and Hulu in July
04/23 - Antenna TV's One Day at a Time and Rewind TV's 227 Mother's Day Marathons; Valerie Bertinelli's Lifetime Movie Love, Again Premieres May 9
04/22 - Stavros Halkias Returns to Netflix; CNN to Air Matt Friend Comedy Special Friday
04/21 - COZI TV Acquires Two and a Half Men and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper This May; Deli Boys Season 2 First Look
04/20 - Pluto TV Spring Slate Includes My Wife and Kids; Hulu Adding Podcasts with New Girl, Prison Break and This Is Us Stars
04/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 20, 2026)
04/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Law & Order: Organized Crime Ending After Five Seasons; Price Is Right to Get Live Primetime Episode in December
04/17 - Great Entertainment Television Acquires Community; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Stars Reuniting
04/16 - CBS Fall 2026-27 Schedule; The White Lotus Season 4 Filming Commences
04/15 - Audible Series with Kevin Hart This Father's Day; Pop Culture Jeopardy! Returns May 11
04/14 - Peacock Renews The 'Burbs; ABC's Drama Hits Get 2026-27 Renewals
04/13 - FETV Acquires Car 54, Where Are You?; Hacks Events Ahead of Final Season
04/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 13, 2026)
04/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: ABC Buys Multi-Cam Pilot Pitch from Creator of Mom; Final Three Saturday Night Live Hosts Announced
04/10 - HBO Renews Rooster for Season 2; Studio C with Special Guest Star Rainn Wilson
04/09 - Additional Stars for Nobody Wants This Season 3; Saturday Night Live Closes Out Season 51 in May
04/08 - Mindy Kaling's Not Suitable for Work Drops June 2; Lisa Ann Walter: It Was An Accident Premieres May 15 on Hulu
04/07 - CBS Announces Late-Night Lineup After Colbert Ends; Hulu Special Nikki Glaser: Good Girl Drops April 24
04/06 - Bonus Episodes of Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat Coming to Prime Video; Ramy Youssef's Third HBO Special
04/05 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of April 6, 2026)
04/04 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Colin Jost Lands Role in New Peacock Series; Cincinnati Radio Station Gets WKRP Letters
04/03 - Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Final 4-Part Event; Hulu's Deli Boys Returns May 28
04/02 - Prime Video Releases More Details on Kevin; Additional Cast Members Joining Tires Season 3 on Netflix
04/01 - Hulu Releases First Look at Alice and Steve; Tubi to Stream 250 Sesame Street Episodes
03/31 - CBS 2026 Season Finale Dates; Wanda Sykes Returns with Third Netflix Special