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
Sunday, January 23
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 17)
Friday, January 21
- Dan Aykroyd (Soul Man) - Watch Dan on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Ernie Hudson (Grace and Frankie/The Last Precinct/Highcliffe Manor) - Ernie is a guest on a repeat ofLate Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt/The Office) - Ellie appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Steve will be on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Andy talks about Hotel Transylvania: Transformania on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
- Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones/Vice Principals/Partners) - Edi talks about The Righteous Gemstones on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
- Adam DeVine (Workaholics/Modern Family) - Adam guest hosts The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Nina Dobrev (Fam) - Nina will be on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
- Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat/Veep) and Ed Helms (Rutherford Falls/The Office) - Randall and Ed are guests on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
- Drew Barrymore (Santa Clarita Diet) - Drew dishes on The Drew Barrymore Show on The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie talks about her new book Enough Already The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Jacob Bertrand (Kirby Buckets/Marvin Marvin) - Jacob talks about the new season of Cobra Kai on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl talks about Abbott Elementary on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
- Jim Belushi (According to Jim) - NBC's Today catches up with Jim in the 9am hour.
- Joshua Malina (Sports Night) - Joshua talks about the podcast Chutzpod! on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (October-January)
10/19 - Maude - The Complete Series (2021 Release)
11/02 - The Honeymooners Specials - A Christmas Carol
11/02 - Mom - The Eighth and Final Season
11/02 - Punky Brewster - The Complete Series (2021 Release)
11/02 - Sex and the City - The Complete Collection (Blu-ray)
11/09 - Saved by the Bell (2020) - Season One
11/09 - Younger - The Complete Series
11/16 - Kevin Can F*** Himself - Season 1 (Blu-ray)
11/23 - Dead Pixels - Seasons One and Two
11/30 - I Dream of Jeannie - The Complete Series (Mill Creek) (2021 Release) (Blu-ray)
12/07 - The Andy Griffith Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/07 - Rick & Morty - Season 5 (Blu-ray) (Blu-ray Limited Edition Steelbook)
12/14 - The Abbott and Costello Show - Season 1 (Blu-ray)
12/14 - Letterkenny - Season 9
01/04 - Work in Progress - Season 2
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