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

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

Thursday, August 18

Young Sheldon - "Money Laundering and a Cascade of Hormones" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Missy asks some uncomfortable questions at church, and Meemaw and Georgie go into business together. Bill Fagerbakke returns as Officer Jake.

Ghosts - "Jay's Sister" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Jay’s sister, Bela (Punam Patel), comes to visit Sam and Jay after being dumped by her boyfriend, they’re shocked to discover that she’s communicating with someone they know on a dating app.

Welcome to Flatch - "The Devil's Backbone" / "On the Hooky" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
To increase their social media following, Kelly and Shrub plan to record a surprise reunion with Father Joe and another former member of his religious boy band; Shrub gets a new job detailing cars; Cheryl and Mandy bond over a day of playing hooky.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 15)

Thursday, August 18

Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place/Love/Downward Dog) - Catch Kirby on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Nicole Byer (Grand Crew/Loosely Exactly Nicole) - Nicole guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Martin Short (Mulaney/The Martin Short Show) - Martin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi is a musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Rhea Seehorn (Whitney/I'm with Her) - Rhea appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Juliette Lewis (Camping/A Family for Joe/I Married Dora) - Juliette is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Craig Robinson (Killing It/Ghosted/Mr. Robinson/The Office) - Craig chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Jenifer Lewis (black-ish/The PJs) - Jenifer will be on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Mark Consuelos (Alpha House/Hope & Faith) - Mark guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie/Malibu Country)- Lily appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
David Duchovny (Californication) - David is a guest on a repeat of The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show) - Ms. Pat appears on a repeat of The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Dave Coulier (Fuller House/Full House) - Dave speaks candidly about being an alcoholic and the moment that led him to sobriety on a repeat on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Topher Grace (Home Economics/That '70s Show) - Topher is a guest on a repeat on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect/Suddenly Susan) - Sherri guest hosts a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters) - Sharon talks about Bad Sisters on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Martha Plimpton (Sprung/The Real O'Neals/Raising Hope) and Garret Dillahunt (Sprung/The Guest Book/Raising Hope) - Martha and Garret talk about Freevee's Sprung on Access Daily, so check your local listings.