Wednesday, October 07, 2015

ABC Family Rebranding to Freeform; Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration on PBS

Freeform

ABC Family President Tom Ascheim announced that ABC Family will be renamed and rebranded as Freeform in January 2016. This evolution builds on ABC Family's existing strategy of super serving "Becomers" - a life stage that spans people who are 14-34. The name, look, feel and attitude of the network will capture the nature of the Becomer audience and the modern way this audience generates and consumes media. The name Freeform speaks to the mindset and attitude of what the channel has defined as Becomers. Traditionally, Becomers are in high school, college and the decade that follows and are navigating the wonderful, fun, exciting, and scary time in life when you experience the most firsts - first car, first apartment, first job, first love, first heartbreak - all the firsts that exists between who they are and who they want to become. Becomers represent a life stage rather than a generation. Eleven years ago, ABC Family was ahead of the curve when it began super-serving Millennials to become their entertainment staple. Today, nearly 70% of 12-34 year olds are Millennials, but in five years, Millennials will be less than half of the target. Becomers are 69 million strong in the US, with an estimated spending power in the trillions. There are two billion Becomers worldwide.

The audience's identity and experience are fluid as they explore endless possibilities and their passions take shape. Freeform personifies this fluidity and will deliver ideas, forms of content and ways of interacting with the brand. Freeform is inspired by the interconnection between content and audience, media and technology, interactive and linear, life stage and life style and the way Becomers interact with them all. The network remains committed to the critically acclaimed original series and programming stunts that have become pop-culture phenomena and made it so successful with the Becomer audience. Pretty Little Liars, The Fosters, Young and Hungry and Baby Daddy will all return in early 2016 for their winter premieres alongside the world premieres of new original series Shadowhunters and Recovery Road. Freeform will also continue the programming trajectory announced this April and will double the networks original programing over the next four years. New series pick-ups and series returns will also be announced later this month.

During the 2014/15 season, ABC Family landmarked as cable TV's #1 network in Prime for the first time in the channel's 15-year history in Women 18-34 and was the #1 ad-supported cable TV network for the fourth-consecutive season in Females 12-34. In addition, ABC Family extended its streak as a Top 5 cable TV network to seven-straight seasons in Women 18-49 and placed among the Top 10 for the seventh season in a row in Adults 18-34 and Viewers 12-34.


Mary Tyler Moore

On the eve of the 45th anniversary of the premiere of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, PBS announces a new documentary about the TV legend featuring new interviews with an array of Moore's colleagues, friends and admirers. Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration airs October 13, 2015, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings). Not only did Moore "turn the world on with her smile," as her show's theme song declared, she also influenced a generation of women to become more independent and to pursue successful and fulfilling careers. Moore's own 50-plus-year career has spanned award-winning films and Broadway shows, as well as two beloved television series that broke ground and continue to entertain viewers. Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration includes heartfelt interviews with Dick Van Dyke, Betty White, Valerie Harper and many others who recall Moore's career highlights and underscore the importance of her television characters in shaping today's society.


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Tuesday, December 2

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 1)

Tuesday, December 2

  • Kevin Nealon (Man with a Plan/Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Catch Kevin on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Reba McEntire (Happy's Place/Malibu Country/Reba) - Reba appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Tim Robinson (The Chair Company/Detroiters) and Zach Kanin (The Chair Company) - Tim and Zach are guests on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Stavros Halkias (Tires) - Stavros appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Nikki DeLoach (Awkward/Misery Loves Company) - Nikki talks about the Hallmark Channel movie A Grand Ole Opry Christmas on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Christy Carlson Romano (Even Stevens) - ABC's Good Morning America has Holiday Candle Gifts with Christy sometime between 7-9am.
  • George Clooney (Roseanne/The Facts of Life/ E/R (1984-1985) - George talks Jay Kelly with Michael Strahan on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Jamie Lee Curtis (The Sticky/Anything But Love/Operation Petticoat) - Jamie Lee talks about Ella McCay with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She will also be on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Denis Leary (Going Dutch/No Good Deed/Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/The Job) - Denis talks about Oh. What. Fun. on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Mario dishes on The Christmas Spark on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Kyle Richards (Down to Earth) - Kyle gives Sherri a sneak peek at the 15th season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Sebastian Maniscalco (Bookie) - Sebastian tells Drew about his hit comedy special, raising his children and wanting to host SNL on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Dave Coulier (Fuller House/Full House) - Dave is a guest on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 9am hour.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series (DVD)
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two (DVD)
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season (DVD)
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2 (DVD)
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (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)
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)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


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