Hallmark Channel March 2014 with The Middle; USA Network Schedules Second Comedy, Playing House, for April 29

Monday, March 03, 2014

Hallmark Channel March 2014 with The Middle; USA Network Schedules Second Comedy, Playing House, for April 29

Hallmark Channel launched its new acquisition The Middle yesterday (Sunday, March 2) with airings at 11:00pm & 11:30pm. The sitcom didn't get the planned marathon on March 2 as originally planned, though. The Middle will air weeknights (Mon-Fri) starting tonight at 9:00pm & 9:30pm and also Sunday nights at 11:00pm & 11:30pm, which started last night. The Brady Bunch is the odd series out on the schedule, as its 2-5pm block is replaced by more Little House on the Prairie, now extended and moved to 2-5pm. The Waltons will follow and air four episodes from 5-9pm, leading into The Middle. Just to note, The Middle was originally planned to air in primetime from 8-10pm, but now Hallmark has decided to launch it for an hour only with The Waltons as a lead-in. The Middle started in syndication this past September in local syndication and also on cable on ABC Family. Back to Hallmark, the rest of the Hallmark Channel schedule in March will remain intact with I Love Lucy, The Golden Girls, Frasier, Cheers and original daytime talker Home & Family. Stay with us for continued updates on Hallmark and The Heck clan.

Playing House

USA Network's first comedy Sirens is launching this Thursday, but now they have scheduled a second original comedy series! USA Network's new comedy Playing House will premiere Tuesday, April 29 at 10:00pm & 10:30pm ET/PT immediately following top comedy series Modern Family with two back to back episodes. Following the premiere, the series will resume with a new half-hour episode every Tuesday beginning May 6 from 10-10:30pm ET/PT. The series, starring and executive produced by Jessica St. Clair (Best Friends Forever) and Lennon Parham (Best Friends Forever), is a single-camera buddy comedy about what happens when two best friends come back together just when they need each other the most. Childhood best friends Maggie Caruso and Emma Crawford have shared countless adventures growing up together in the charming town of Pinebrook, CT. Now, Maggie and Emma are in store for one of their biggest adventures yet - raising a baby. When Maggie discovers that her husband is having an online affair with a muscular German woman, Emma gives up her burgeoning business career in China to stay in their hometown and help Maggie raise her baby. Meanwhile, as Maggie prepares for the birth of her first child and the fallout of her marriage ending, Emma must confront the past that she abruptly left behind thirteen years ago -- her first love and local cop Mark (Keegan-Michael Key), her prim-and-proper mother (Jane Kaczmarek) and a small town that she's never felt comfortable in. Despite their differences - Emma is brash, bold, and assertive while Maggie is grounded, rational, and safe - the women complement each other the way only best friends can, by facing the challenges of their past, present and future--together.

Joining St. Clair and Parham are comedic actors Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele), Jane Kaczmarek (Malcom in the Middle), Brad Morris (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World), Zach Woods (The Office) and Gerry Bednob (The 40-Year-Old Virgin). Additionally, an all-star line-up of comedy vets will stop by the small town of Pinebrook, Connecticut. Bobby Moynihan (SNL), Lindsay Sloane (Horrible Bosses), Jason Mantzoukas (The League), Ian Roberts (Upright Citizen Brigade Co-Founder), Andy Daly (Eastbound and Down) John Lutz (SNL, Larry Wilmore (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and Ryan McPartlin (Chuck) will all appear in guest star roles on the series.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Tuesday, July 7

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times - (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
“Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times’,” the holiday-inspired live event that captivated audiences back in December, is set to rebroadcast on ABC, TUESDAY, JULY 7 (8:00-9:30 p.m. EDT). Produced by Sony Pictures Television, “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times’” recreates installments of Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin’s Emmy® Award-winning series “All in the Family” and groundbreaking sitcom “Good Times,” created by Mike Evans, Eric Monte and developed by Lear.

All-star cast members taking on the famed “All in the Family” roles include Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ellie Kemper and Ike Barinholtz reprising their iconic roles as Archie and Edith Bunker, Gloria Stivic and Meathead, along with Kevin Bacon as Pinkie Peterson, Jesse Eisenberg as David Brewster and Justina Machado as Teresa Bettencourt.

A lineup of all-star talent tackling “Good Times” roles include Viola Davis and Andre Braugher as Florida Evans and James Evans, Jay Pharoah as J.J Evans, Asante Blackk as Michael Evans, Corinne Foxx as Thelma Evans and Tiffany Haddish as Willona Woods. Jharrel Jerome also stars as Jimmy Pearson, while ABC’s Anthony Anderson and the legendary Patti LaBelle join forces for a show-stopping musical performance.

black-ish - "Boss Daddy" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dre’s torn at the office between looking out for Junior as his dad or letting him make his own mistakes. Meanwhile, Jack loses a friendship after trying to look cool in front of the basketball team.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 6)

Tuesday, July 7

Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) - Catch D.L. on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio/The Goldbergs/The King of Queens) - Patton is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
Lauren Ash (Superstore/Super Fun Night) - Lauren is a guest on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Ben Feldman (Superstore/A to Z/Living with Fran) - Ben appears on a repeat of A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Rob Lowe (The Grinder/Parks and Recreation) - Rob is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Yvette Nicole Brown (The Mayor/The Odd Couple/Community) - Yvette chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Denise Richards (Blue Mountain State) - Denise appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Jada Pinkett Smith (A Different World) - Jada is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
Ron Funches (Final Space/Powerless/Undateable) - Ron appears on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect) - Sherri is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) - Kym will be on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Paul Reiser (The Kominsky Method/Mad About You/Red Oaks/My Two Dads) - Paul appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Jim Carrey (Kidding/The Duck Factory) - Jim talks about Memoirs and Misinformation on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom is a guest on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen talks about The World Needs More Purple People on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.