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 / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, October 8

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Hut-Hut Psyche" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin wants Calvin Jr. to play football, but Ella thinks football is too dangerous and pushes him to play tennis instead.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Roll Model" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Vinny's weed smoking is making him a bad role model for Philip, so he attempts to rehab his image by volunteering at Cora's church; Cora lands a date with a promising gentleman.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 7)

Tuesday, October 8

Harrison Ford (Shrinking) - Catch Harrison on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Nathan Lane (Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Rosemarie DeWitt (United States of Tara) - Rosemarie appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Skylar Astin (Ground Floor) and Mary Holland (The Big Door Prize/Robbie/Blunt Talk) - Skylar and Mary are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Drake Bell (Drake & Josh) - E! News has an interview with Drake at 11pm on E!.
Lamorne Morris (Woke/New Girl), Ella Hunt (Dickinson) and Kim Matula (LA to Vegas) - Lamorne, Ella and Kim talk about Saturday Night on NBC's Today some time between 7-9am.
Jim Parsons (Young Sheldon/The Big Bang Theory) - Jim talks about Our Town on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Patricia Clarkson (Davis Rules) - Patricia talks about Lilly on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Quinta talks about the new season of Abbott Elementary on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
Terry Crews (Everybody Still Hates Chris/Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry tells Sherri about the animated new series Everybody Still Hates Chris on Comedy Central on Sherri, so check your local listings.
Ali Wong (Big Mouth/American Housewife/Are You There, Chelsea?) - Ali talks about Ali Wong: Single Lady on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) and Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary/Go On/Everybody Hates Chris) - Quinta and Tyler talk about Abbott Elementary on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke is sharing the secrets behind her shiny and bouncy hair and why she decided to create he own haircare line in her 50s on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa disusses Abbott Elementary on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie) - Sasheer talks about Agatha All Along on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.