Wednesday, October 22, 2014
CBS to Launch Decades, A New Digital Subchannel; The CW Orders Full Seasons of The Flash, Jane the Virgin
The CBS Television Stations group and Weigel Broadcasting announced plans to launch Decades, a new national entertainment programming service for distribution across local television stations' digital subchannels – broadcast channels that utilize a local station's available spectrum to provide a companion to that station's primary channel. For example, in the New York market, WCBS-TV will continue to be available digitally as Channel 2.1 and Decades will be available as Channel 2.2. In addition to being available as an over-the-air broadcast channel, Decades will appear on numerous local cable systems and other multichannel video programming distribution services along with the stations’ primary channels.
Utilizing a library of more than 100 classic television series, including select titles from the CBS library such as I Love Lucy from the 1950s, Star Trek from the 1960s, Happy Days from the 1970s and Cheers from the 1980s, as well as a wide selection of theatrical and made-for-television movies and footage of historical news events from the archives of CBS News and Entertainment Tonight, Decades will provide viewers with a new way to experience our shared historical and cultural past. As the ultimate TV time machine, Decades will differentiate itself from other subchannel programming services by varying the classic series and movies that appear on the network every day.
Decades will take viewers into a daily time capsule presentation of entertainment, popular culture and news. The service will feature Decades Retrospecticals, a daily one-hour program that will be produced around the news events and cultural touchstones of a specific day, week or other time frame or theme. The TV series and movies presented each day will reflect that day's theme or commemorative event. For example, Decades will look back at classic series such as Happy Days and its "jump the shark" episode, explain its historical significance and then broadcast that episode. Viewers will also be taken back in time to rediscover events that shaped our world, such as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, the Beatles' U.S. debut on The Ed Sullivan Show and the birth of software and technology companies like Microsoft and Apple. Decades will connect these events to what people were watching on television, seeing at the movies and experiencing as a nation.
Decades is expected to debut during the second quarter of 2015, with the 16 CBS-owned stations that are part of the CBS Television Network serving as the new service's launch group. This includes the CBS stations serving New York City (WCBS), Los Angeles (KCBS), Chicago (WBBM), Philadelphia (KYW), Dallas (KTVT), San Francisco (KPIX), Boston (WBZ), Detroit (WWJ), Minneapolis-St. Paul (WCCO and its satellite stations KCCO and KCCW), Miami (WFOR), Denver (KCNC), Sacramento (KOVR), Pittsburgh (KDKA) and Baltimore (WJZ).
The CW has given full season orders to its two hit freshman series, The Flash and Jane the Virgin. The Flash debuted as the most-watched series premiere ever on The CW, scoring 6.1 million viewers in Live + 3 Day Nielsen ratings, and was the network's highest-rated series premiere among adults 18-49 in more than five years, since The Vampire Diaries debuted in 2009. The most critically acclaimed new series of the season, Jane the Virgin, bowed with The CW's most-watched and highest-rated show in its time period in two years. TV Guide called Jane the Virgin the "#1 Must-See" new show of the season, and named star Gina Rodriguez the "most inspiring young actress on TV today." Tim Goodman of the Hollywood Reporter said Jane the Virgin was "by far the best network pilot –drama or comedy" this season.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, April 23
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Country Club, a Yokel and a New Boss" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie’s plan to make new clients at the local country club backfires when its outdated policies upset Audrey. Meanwhile, Mandy struggles to prove herself at work.
Ghosts - "The Investor" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When a promising opportunity to save Woodstone is threatened by a personal conflict, Sam and Jay are forced into a difficult choice. Meanwhile, election day arrives as Flower and Isaac go head‑to‑head to become Ghost Representative. Justin Kirk gest sars as Tad, the Mayor.
Animal Control - "Golden Moose and Wiener Dogs" (Fox, 9:02PM ET/PT)
The team arrives at the Animal Control Officer of the Year awards and party ahead of the ceremony; it's Frank vs. Templeton for the big prize; Shred and Emily's secret romance is finally exposed.
Going Dutch - "NATOcean's Eleven" (Fox, 9:32PM ET/PT)
Gen. Martin launches a takeover of the base and plans to fire its entire staff; Maj. Shah grapples with a midlife crisis.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 20)
Thursday, April 23
- Ray Romano (Running Point/Everybody Loves Raymond) - Catch Ray on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Tracy Morgan (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Crutch/The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Kate Hudson (Running Point) - Kate is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about Running Point on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- John Lithgow (Trial & Error/Twenty Good Years/3rd Rock from the Sun) - John talks about the Broadway play Giant on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Kate Hudson (Running Point and Justin Theroux (Running Point) - Kate and Justin chat with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. Justin will also be on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 9am hour.
- Cedric The Entertainer (The Neighborhood/The Last O.G./The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric talks about Broadway's Joe Turner’s Come and Gone on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Melissa Peterman (Happy's Place/Young Sheldon/Baby Daddy/Working Class/Reba) - Melissa talks about Happy's Place on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) - D.L. tells Sherri about his latest comedy tour on Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and 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)
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