SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

This January getTV is adding more classics from the Sony Pictures Television library. Starting Monday, January 18, primetime gets a makeover starting at 6pm. The dramas Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels and Hart to Hart all join the schedule and will air weekdays between 6pm-11pm for some '70s & '80s fun. They replace Good Times, Sanford & Son and All in the Family, but those three shows will still air elsewhere on the schedule (in fact immediately following these dramas starting at 11pm in late fringe). The only series that will be totally leaving the schedule are Married...with Children, Hot in Cleveland and The Johnny Cash Show. On weekends, three of the four new series will air in late fringe starting at 10pm with Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels, and Hart to Hart airing back-to-back episodes each from 10pm-4am. Currently Mike Hammer is not airing on any diginet, but the other three are on COZI TV. Hart to Hart will be leaving COZI TV as we mentioned last week, but both Starsky & Hutch, & Charlie's Angels will still remain and air on both COZI and getTV. View the full getTV January 2021 schedule, which includes other series from the Sony library such as The Steve Harvey Show but also series from other libraries such as Universal's Amen.

Starting Jan 2, join the biggest stars on Netflix at the The Netflix Afterparty, a weekly comedy show that dives deeper into your favorite Netflix shows with hosts David Spade, Fortune Feimster and London Hughes. The series premiere features comedian Bill Burr and the cast of Cobra Kai, including Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Mary Mouser, Xolo Maridueña, and Tanner Buchanan. Each week will feature different comedians, casts, and creators talking about the buzziest shows and films on Netflix with our hosts. Netflix has ordered 18 episodes. See the trailer below:

Amen is now on getTV! The '80s Sherman Hemsley sitcom joins series like The Steve Harvey Show, Married...with Children, All in the Family, Walker Texas Ranger, Sanford & Son and Good Times on their weekday lineup. Amen is airing weekdays from 6-7am. As of now, no other timeslots for the series but this is a start! Amen of course stars Sherman Hemsley, Clifton Davis, Anna Maria Horsford, Roz Ryan, Barbara Montgomery, Jester Hairston, Tony T. Johnson, Elsa Raven, and Bumper Robinson. Just months after The Jeffersons wrapped its 11-season run, Hemsley moved on down I-95 to his native Philadelphia — or a TV studio depicting it — for six seasons on Amen on NBC. Hemsley plays Ernest Frye, a Philly attorney who's just as greedy, opinionated, and stubborn as George Jefferson, but with a twist. He's a church deacon with little patience for those who disagree with him on how to run the parish. Enter Rev. Reuben Gregory (Clifton Davis), a young pastor on a mission to be the angel on Deacon Frye's shoulder. Conflict ensues, especially regarding Frye's unmarried daughter Thelma (Anna Maria Horsford).

Amen was created by Ed. Weinberger (Taxi) and features a strong supporting cast, including the hilariously deadpan Jester Hairston as elderly board member Rolly Forbes, Roz Ryan and Barbara Montgomery as gossipy sisters Amelia and Casietta Hetebrink, and Elsa Raven as Frye's maid Inga. There are also plenty of African-American TV and film icons in guest starring roles, including Mel Stewart (George Jefferson's brother Henry on All In The Family) and Berlinda Tolbert (daughter-in-law Jenny on The Jeffersons).

The CW, in association with Litton Entertainment, announced the addition of Chicken Soup for the Soul's Animal Tales to its educational and informational (E/I) One Magnificent Mornings Saturday morning lineup, premiering Saturday, January 5, 2019 from 8:00am–11:00am ET/PT. Hosted by TV veteran of All My Children & CSI: Miami, Eva LaRue, Animal Tales centers around our love for animals and the impact they have on our lives. Each episode uncovers stories about amazing and inspiring people from around the world who go above and beyond to care for, love, help, and defend animals everywhere. Viewers will meet animal rescue teams and dedicated animal advocates helping lost pets find forever homes, and even meet some of the incredible pets serving and assisting people in need, including military K9s and therapy animals. The half-hour series is slated for 10am every Saturday.

'80s sitcom Amen is coming to Centric! The series will get a nice marathon beginning at 11:59pm this Saturday (Sept. 24) lasting through Monday, Sept. 26 at 5:30pm. That's a whole lotta Amen! The series will air in a few blocks that week as well before settling into its regular weekdays from 10am-12pm timeslot leading into Family Matters, Bernie Mac and Eve from 12pm-5:30pm. It looks like The Steve Harvey Show and 227 will be on weekends. Deacon Frye, head of the First Community Church of Philadelphia, is trying to keep everything in his church firmly under control. His new assistant, Rev. Reuben Gregory, however, has some very different ideas of how do things. The parishoners, seeing that the best path probably lies between the two, play the two squabbling men off each other to keep things on a more or less even keel. Adding to the fray is the Deacon's daughter Thelma, who gradually becomes attracted to the new Reverend. The sitcom stars Sherman Hemsley, C lifton Davis, Anna Maria Horsford, Roz Ryan, Jester Hairston, Barbara Montgomery, Rosetta LeNoire, Bumper Robinson, Elsa Raven, Tony T. Johnson, and Montrose Hagins. Shine on me!

FX has renewed the acclaimed new comedy series Atlanta and Better Things. The network has ordered 10 episodes for the second season of each series. Atlanta and Better Things each returned with new episodes this week. Atlantaairs Tuesdays at 10 PM ET/PT on FX. In Atlanta, two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families. "Earn Marks" (Donald Glover) is a young manager trying to get his cousin's career off the ground. "Alfred Miles" (Brian Tyree Henry) is a new hot rapper trying to understand the line between real life and street life. "Darius" (Lakeith Stanfield) is Alfred's right-hand man and visionary. "Van" (Zazie Beetz) is Earn's best friend and the mother of Earn's daughter.

Better Things airs Thursdays at 10 PM ET/PT on FX. Better Things centers on Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), a single, working actor with no filter raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Hannah Alligood) and Duke (Olivia Edward) in Los Angeles. She's mom, dad, referee and the cops. Sam also watches out for her mother, Phil (Celia Imrie), an English expatriate, who lives across the street. Sam is flawed and fierce with her love for her daughters, and her own mother, as well. Sometimes, heaping the love on when she feels guilty. Sam's just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters' lives, have fun with a friend or two and also - just maybe - squeeze in some private time once in a while.

Unedited episodes of The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son and Good Times are coming to Encore Black beginning Tuesday, December 1, 2015. The classic '70s sitcom will air in primetime and will be available on Encore Black onDemand. Good Times will start it off at 8pm, followed by Sanford and Son at 8:30pm and then a double dose of The Jeffersons at 9pm & 9:30pm. The lineup will be kicked-off from 7-8pm with Diff'rent Strokes, which has been airing on the network for awhile. Leaving the lineup will be What's Happening!!, 227 and Amen after their airings on Nov. 30. No word on if and when these series will return at some point, but it seems their contracts could have expired, since three shows are coming in to replace them. All three of the newest additions are seen elsewhere on cable (TV One) and on digital simulcast networks (Antenna TV). Stay with us for continued updates on these series and Encore Black.

Disney Channel has ordered the comedy series Bizaardvark, which will introduce newcomers Olivia Rodrigo and Madison Hu as the lead characters Paige and Frankie, respectively. Production begins early 2016 for a summer premiere. Bizaardvark creators Kyle Stegina and Josh Lehrman were participants in Disney Channel's inaugural Storytellers program. Now in its second year, the program continues to foster creative ideas and develop the next generation of series creators and writers of programming for kids, tweens and families. Paige and Frankie are quirky 13-year-old best friends who write funny songs and create music videos for their online channel, Bizaardvark. Now with 10,000 subscribers, the girls get to work from a creative studio space that they hope will take their videos to the next level. In this cool new environment - and with the help of family and friends -they'll embark on a series of comedic adventures in their quest to become online stars.

Marc Warren (Full House, Even Stevens, That's So Raven, Cory in the House), who supervised Disney Channel Storytellers, served as Executive Producer for the pilot. Eric Friedman (Austin & Ally, Crash & Bernstein) will serve as Executive Producer and Showrunner. Stegina and Lehrman are co-executive producers. Casting information will be announced at a later date.

ENCORE networks are about to launch classic TV hits, including many sitcoms, to their networks starting Monday, Dec. 2, 2013! We already have classic westerns airing on ENCORE Western, but now two ENCORE networks will rebrand and add sitcoms as a part of their schedule. Already a favorite for consumers as the most widely subscribed premium pay TV service in the United States with 35 million subscribers, Starz has strengthened ENCORE and its family of thematic multiplex channels and service offerings. The new ENCORE pack of channels bring programming enhancements to further super-serve the nation's evolving demographics and focus on groups who over-index in viewing within the premium pay TV category. First up, ENCORE BLACK will be the new name of the current ENCORE DRAMA network. Showcasing popular programming for the African-American community, ENCORE BLACK will bring a terrific combination of commercial-free premium movie content, comedy such as Martin Lawrence's 1st Amendment Stand Up, and the introduction of TV favorites including: What's Happening!!, Diff'rent Strokes, 227, and Amen. The sitcoms will be commercial-free and unedited! ENCORE BLACK will be originated in HD and service the strong viewership from the African-American community, which has historically over-indexed on premium channel viewership. The December 2 launch will spotlight Academy Award® nominee, actor Samuel L. Jackson with films such as Unbreakable, Losing Isaiah, Freedomland, One Eight Seven, and more. Back to the sitcoms, they will launch in primetime on Monday, Dec. 2 with the premiere episode of Sony's Diff'rent Strokes at 8pm, followed by back-to-back episodes of Universal's Amen at 8:30pm and 9pm. '70s classic What's Happening!! from Sony Pictures will round out the night at 9:30pm. These sitcoms will air in primetime in these time periods every weekday, but starting Tuesday, Dec. 3 additional airings will air from 6-8pm in the same order. They will be encores of the previous night in primetime. Starting on New Year's Day (Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014), 227 will join the ENCORE BLACK line-up and will air at 8:30pm and encore the next day at 6:30pm, taking one of Amen's airings. All times are Eastern.

But wait, there's more! Another ENCORE network will add sitcoms starting Dec. 2. ENCORE CLASSIC will be the new name for the current ENCORE LOVE. It is a new addition to the ENCORE HD channel portfolio, ENCORE CLASSIC will be a favorite for the Baby Boomer set, with a mix of generational evergreen movie favorites and classic TV series. Leveraging the deep and broad ENCORE movie library of new release and favorite hits, ENCORE CLASSIC will add TV hits, Murphy Brown, Magnum, P.I., and Night Court to its programming slate. The TV hits will be commercial-free and unedited! Classic movie titles will air every night with a new favorite every day of the month at 9PM ET/PT. Films include Kramer vs. Kramer, American Graffiti, Independence Day, Breaking Away, Stand By Me, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Good Will Hunting, Tootsie, Basic Instinct, The Notebook, and more. Back to the sitcoms, they will launch with in primetime on Monday, Dec. 2 with the premiere episode of Murphy Brown at 7pm, followed by Night Court at 7:30pm. Then Universal-owned drama Magnum, P.I. will round out the night at 8pm leading into the movies at 9pm. These classic TV hits will air in primetime in these time periods every weekday, but starting Tuesday, Dec. 3 additional airings will air from 5-7pm in the same order. They will be encores of the previous night in primetime. And finally on New Year's Day (Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014), Magnum P.I. will have a New Year's marathon on ENCORE CLASSIC starting at 2am on the night of New Year's Eve and will last until 12:20am on New Year's Day. Also on the night of New Year's Eve, the pilot episodes of Murphy Brown and Night Court will air in the 1am hour leading into the Magnum P.I. marathon. All times are Eastern.

This is certainly great news for classic TV fans. Fans can watch their favorite series without commercial interruption and even more importantly, unedited! ENCORE told SitcomsOnline that they "anticipate acquiring more sitcom titles in the future." We are not sure if these are exclusive deals, but 227 is starting a month later. ENCORE says that they "cannot shed any additional light on the contractual specifics for each series including terms of exclusivity." Currently, 227 is airing on GMC on basic cable. As for the other series, only What's Happening!! is on basic cable on TV One. Diff'rent Strokes is airing on digital broadcast on Antenna TV, as is Magnum P.I. on COZI TV. Warner Bros.-owned Night Court and Murphy Brown are not airing anywhere else. In addition, the December 2 roll-out will also feature brand new channel logos, graphics and audio package as part of a fresh, new on-air style representative of the newly improved and fortified ENCORE channels and services. Stay with us for continued updates on ENCORE's new networks and series. For now, find out where these networks on your service by visiting their website.

Moving on, Debmar-Mercury has sold Celebrity Name Game, a nationally syndicated pop culture game show hosted by The Late, Late Show's Craig Ferguson from co-producers FremantleMedia North America and Debmar-Mercury, to Tribune Broadcasting stations covering 40% of the U.S., including seven of the top-10 markets. U.S. distributor Debmar-Mercury has provided a firm fall 2014 launch for the half-hour strip, which will air on Tribune stations including WPIX New York, KTLA Los Angeles and WGN Chicago. We first announced this new series a few weeks ago, but now clearances have been already been made. Courteney Cox and David Arquette's Coquette Productions (Cougar Town) teamed with veteran showrunner Scott St. John (Deal or No Deal), as well as Laura Robinson and Richard Gerrits of North 44 Productions, to develop the fast-paced game show in which celebrities team with contestants to identify famous names, including actors, singers, athletes, pop culture figures, politicians and even cartoon characters. Stay with us for continued updates, especially in January at NATPE and as we get closer to next Fall.

GMC has rolled out its sitcom holiday episodes plan along with a new weekday lineup that is starting Wednesday, December 26, 2012! First, the holiday marathon is on Saturday, December 22 starting at 11am. Airing in this marathon will be Sister, Sister at 11am, 227 at 11:30am & 12pm, Amen from 12:30-3:30pm, and Moesha at 3:30pm. A Touched by an Angel Christmas episode marathon follows from 4pm-1am. Also, all this week in their regular time periods, you can catch holiday episodes of shows like Amen, 227, Family Ties, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and more. And you can also watch The Waltons - The Homecoming: A Christmas Story on GMC Sunday, Dec. 23 at 9pm with an encore on Christmas Eve at 6pm. This is a GMC exclusive special that hasn't been seen on TV in over 20 years!

As for the new schedule, among the changes, The Waltons will air weekdays at 10 and 11am. 7th Heaven will remain at 12 noon, 5pm, & 6pm but will gain 7pm. Back-to-back Judging Amy and Dr. Quinn will remain from 1-5pm. Touched by an Angel airs weekdays at 8pm and Mon-Thurs 9-11pm. 227 remains in its Mon-Thurs 11pm hour. Sister, Sister returns to the weekday line-up and will air Mon-Thurs at 12 and 12:30am replacing Amen, while a second hour of 227 airs Mon-Thurs 1 and 1:30AM. Family Ties remains Mon-Thurs in the 2am hour. On Saturdays starting Saturday, December 29, we now have Family Ties from 9-11am, leading into 227 from 11am-1pm, Sister Sister from 1pm-3pm and then Moesha the rest of the day! Back to Amen, yes, it will be off the regular schedule actually after its airing this Thursday night and the Christmas episodes marathon on Saturday. Luckily Deacon Frye and company will still be airing on TV One. Stay with us for continued updates on GMC!

It was just last week we told you about the Hallmark Channel January 2013 schedule, now before it even starts they have altered the schedule a bit in the daytime. The lifestyle block will get two-more hours starting Jan. 2 because they will add an encore of Home & Family, now from 8-10am. New episodes will air 10am-12pm. Marie will now air at 12 noon with a repeat at 1pm, both replacing the previously listed The Waltons. One other schedule change will be two more hours of Happy Days, airing weekdays 2-4pm, replacing the previously scheduled Little House on the Prairie. Yes, this means both The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie are not currently listed on the January 2013 schedule. Happy Days will still air Mon-Thurs 8-10pm in addition to this newly added Mon-Fri 2-4pm block. As previously mentioned, The Brady Bunch also joins the schedule starting Jan. 2 airing weekdays 6-8pm.

Discuss this updated Hallmark schedule on our message board and to view the full Hallmark Channel January 2013 schedule. Keep it right here for continued updates on both sitcoms and Hallmark Channel in general!

It is 12/12/12, and usually in December when we think of 12 we think of 12 days of Christmas. We're not quite at 12 days yet, but we're close! TV One is getting into the holiday spirit with laughs again! They will celebrate the holidays with two Christmas marathons featuring holiday episodes of sitcoms! First up on Saturday, Dec. 22, wake up early to watch a full day of sitcom Christmas episodes beginning at 6am through 8pm. Airing will be The Jeffersons from 6-8am, followed by more Sherman Hemsley, but this time in Amen from 8am-10:30am. Then we get even more The Jeffersons from 10:30am-1pm, followed by Eve from 1-2pm, and A Different World from 2pm-4:30pm. Then it's Living Single from 4:30pm-6pm and Martin from 6-8pm to close the marathon out. And if you missed any of the marathon, they will encore some of it in the late night from 12-6am with Martin from 12-2am, Living Single from 2am-3:30am and A Different World from 3:30am-6am.
But wait, that's not all! You'll have another chance on Christmas Day itself - Tuesday, December 25 - from 6am-8pm to watch these holiday episodes on Christmas! What a present! A Different World will air first this time from 6-8am, then it's Amen from 8am-10:30am, and The Jeffersons from 10:30am-1pm. In the afternoon, it's Eve from 1-2pm, then A Different World from 2pm-4pm, Living Single from 4pm-5:30pm and Martin from 5:30-8pm. Missing from this list is Good Times, which was quietly removed from TV One recently along with Half & Half. Stay with us for continued updates!

FEARnet's first original television series, Holliston, created by and starring modern genre master Adam Green (Frozen, Hatchet), returns with a brand new one-hour Christmas special and a season 1 marathon on Tuesday, December 18 to whet viewers' appetites for the premiere of season 2 in June 2013. Catch up on all the Holliston hijinks with the complete season 1 Holliston marathon at 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT. Tune in as aspiring horror filmmakers Adam and Joe (Joe Lynch) - along with Joe's girlfriend, Laura (Laura Ortiz) and Adam's childhood sweetheart, Corri (Corri English) - deal with life, love, and Lance Rockett (Dee Snider), while having run-ins with genre legends Kane Hodder, Tony Todd and John Landis, and receiving sincere-yet-terrible advice from GWAR's Oderus Urungus, who lives in Adam's closet.

Directly following the marathon at 8pm ET/5pm PT on Tuesdy, Dec. 18, the most wonderful time of the year quickly turns into "Silent Night, Deadly Night," when a blizzard strikes the town of Holliston, trapping Adam, Joe, Corri and Laura inside with no power in the Holliston Christmas Special. To make matters worse, a crazed serial killer has just escaped and is said to be lurking somewhere in the area. Fearing for their lives and having nothing but flashbacks to entertain them, the gang reminisces about the moments in their past that brought them all together. Derek Mears (Friday the 13th) guest stars.

Today we bring you the GMC Fall 2012 schedule! They will be adding one new series this fall, the popular '90s drama Touched by an Angel. The series will fit right in with fellow dramas like The Waltons, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and 7th Heaven. The new addition will have a launch marathon on Saturday, September 15 from 7pm-3am and an even longer one the day on Sunday, September 16 from 9am-2am. The series will then settle into its regular weekday timeslots starting Monday, September 17 at 7pm and 8pm. The series will also air on Monday nights at 9 and 10pm in primetime. All of its airings will be replacing a few 7th Heaven airings, but not to worry, that show is still scheduled in its other timeslots (see below). In fact other than these changes for Touched, there are no other schedule changes at all. We still have Family Ties kicking off weekdays 10am-12pm, 7th Heaven at noon, back-to-back hours of Judging Amy from 1-3pm, two episodes of Dr. Quinn from 3-5pm, then a double shot of 7th Heaven from 5-7pm leading into twice as nice Touched from 7-9pm. Primetime will still have a different program each night from 9-11pm: Mondays it is now Touched by an Angel, Tuesdays it is still 7th Heaven, Wednesdays still is Heartland, Thursdays it is The Waltons (which are its only regular airings now), and a movie on Fridays. Late nights will still feature two episodes of sitcom 227 at 11pm, followed by two episodes of the Sherman Hemsley comedy Amen and then two more episodes of 227 at 1am. And finally on Saturdays, it is still Sister, Sister mornings from 9am-1pm then Moesha in the afternoon and evening from 1-7pm.

On the beloved Touched by an Angel, an angel named Monica (Roma Downey) and her supervisor, Tess (Della Reese), are tasked with bringing messages of love from God to troubled people. From the third season on, Monica and Tess are frequently joined by Andrew (John Dye), the angel of death (who first appeared as a recurring character in season two). In the later seasons, they are joined by Valerie Bertinelli, another rookie angel. Many guest stars appeared in the series, including Jasmine Guy, Delta Burke, Bill Cosby, John Ritter and many others. Touched By An Angel ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion in 2003.

As for other stunts, this coming Monday they will have a "Labor" Day marathon! It's a full day of your favorite TV moms in their finest hour, or two, or 13... whatever it takes! If you love babies, or even puppies, you'll want to tune in for GMC's 13 Hours of Labor Day Marathon beginning at 10am ET with Family Ties, then The Waltons, Judging Amy, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and many episodes of 7th Heaven.

View the full GMC Fall 2012 schedule. We will let you know if anything comes later this fall, but so far the only new addition is Touched by an Angel.

It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of September 3-7, 2012, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, September 3, 2012

• Thomas Haden Church (Wings) - Watch Thomas on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
• Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) - Kelly is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Kristen Johnston (The Exes/3rd Rock from the Sun) - Tune in to see Kristen on a repeat of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Breckin Meyer (Married to the Kellys/Inside Schwartz) - Breckin appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Ana Gasteyer (Suburgatory) - Ana visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
• Jami Gertz (The Neighbors/Still Standing/Square Pegs) - Jami is interviewed in an encore airing of The Chew Presents ABC's Fall Primetime Preview Special at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Reba McEntire (Malibu Country/Reba) - Reba is interviewed in an encore airing of The Chew Presents ABC's Fall Primetime Preview Special at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

• Jamie Foxx (The Jamie Foxx Show) - Catch Jamie on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
• Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Kathy visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jim Gaffigan (My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Jim appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Marilu Henner (Taxi) - Marilu is a guest on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/One Day at a Time) and Jane Leeves (Hot in Cleveland/Frasier) - Two of the stars of Hot in Cleveland appear on a repeat of The Nate Berkus Show, so check your local listings.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

• Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show/Newhart/Bob) - Watch the legendary Mr. Newhart, who celebrates 40 years on television, on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
• Ellen Barkin (The New Normal) - Ellen drops by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance) - Demi talks about The X Factor on NBC's Today between 7-9am. She also visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings. Finally, she will also be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Big Time Rush - The cast of Big Time Rush are guests on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
• Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) - Yvette guest co-hosts a repeat of The Nate Berkus Show, so check your local listings.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

• Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen) - Catch Ellen on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) - Adam stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
• Angela Kinsey (The Office) - Angela visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jenny McCarthy (Two and a Half Men/Jenny) - Jenny appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty is a guest on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda stops by NBC's Today between 7-9am.

Friday, September 7, 2012

• Matthew Perry (Go On/Mr. Sunshine/Friends) - Watch Matthew on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Lizzy Caplan (Party Down/The Class/The Pitts) - Lizzy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Ellen Barkin (The New Normal) - Ellen talks about The New Normal on NBC's Today between 7-9am.

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

This fall TV One won't be making many schedule changes, but they will premiere a new original sitcom on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 9pm with a two-episode premiere. The Rickey Smiley Show, as we previously mentioned, is a hilarious and heart-warming multi-camera sitcom starring comedian and radio personality Rickey Smiley, who plays a character loosely based on his own life - a popular, local DJ based in Atlanta, who is a single father to three children. The show's stories are inspired by Rickey's challenges and triumphs raising his children by himself while still trying to have a personal life. In addition to his personal life, the series takes viewers behind-the-scenes of his radio station, which is a hot-bed of office politics, back stabbing, sexual innuendo, social issues, celebrity appearances, music and, of course, humor. The all-star cast includes Ray J (Moesha, One on One), J. Anthony Brown (Like Family), Lil JJ (Just Jordan), Roz Ryan (Amen), Noree Victoria and Demetria McKinney (Tyler Perry's House of Payne).

Stunts airing in September on TV One include a Martin marathon on Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 3) from 7am-9pm. A marathon of Hawthorne will air Sunday, Sept. 9 from 12pm-8pm. On Tuesday, Sept. 18, TV One will present a special marathon of encores of original sitcom Love That Girl 10am-2:30pm, followed by Martin 2:30pm-9pm to lead into the two-episode premiere of original sitcom The Rickey Smiley Show. As far as the regular schedule goes, not many changes to report but Friday nights will now be a set schedule of sitcoms in primetime starting at 8pm with back-to-back episodes of Good Times, The Jeffersons, Amen, That's My Mama, Living Single, Martin, and Half & Half through 3am. TGIF! From 3-6am, there will be a two-hour block of Eve. Previously there were stunts on Friday nights of most of these sitcoms and some others like Flip Wilson and Richard Pryor Show. The rest of the weekday daytime line-up remains intact, see the schedule below.

View the full TV One Fall 2012 schedule. And stay with us for continued updates should anything change or be added to the schedule.

TBS is turning up the volume on comedies with its newest original series, Wedding Band, starring Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills 90120, Desperate Housewives), Harold Perrineau (Lost, Oz), Peter Cambor (NCIS: Los Angeles, Notes from the Underbelly) and Derek Miller (Secret Girlfriend). The series follows four friends - three single, one married, all with day jobs - who escape their daily stress and responsibilities by playing "weekend rock gods" in Seattle's premier wedding and events band, Mother of the Bride. This hour-long comedy series also stars Melora Hardin (The Office), Jenny Wade (The Good Guys) and Kathryn Fiore (MADtv). TBS's Wedding Band is set to air Saturdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), beginning Nov. 10 for ten episodes. Airing on Saturday nights is a pretty questionable call. The series had been announced as a series order for awhile now (since May 2011) so perhaps TBS didn't like how the subsequent episodes were coming out? Just a speculation since the night it is airing is very strange.

Delivering equal parts comedy and heart, Wedding Band centers on the bromance between four likable but occasionally reckless young men who can't figure out their own lives. One thing they have figured out, however, is that weddings are the wildest parties in town. After all, the groupies are bridesmaids, the drinks are free and the best part, there's a paycheck waiting at the end of the night. And it's not just weddings. Mother of the Bride also brings the party to bar mitzvahs, high-school reunions and even bachelorette parties. On lead vocals and playing the crowd is perennial bachelor Tommy (Green). Shredding it on guitar is his best friend and married father of two, Eddie (Cambor). Behind Eddie on drums - and everything else in life - is his rock-obsessed brother, Barry (Miller), whose mission is to bring the arena-rock spectacle to black-tie events. New to the band is Stevie (Perrineau), a bassist and session musician who's jammed with all the big rock giants, "from AC to ZZ," but he's never been an official member of a band until Mother of the Bride. Together these four guys provide the soundtracks to other people's lives. But now the band is ready to take things to the next level. That means attracting the attention of top event Roxie Rutherford (Hardin), and her novice associate Rachel (Wade) and keeping Eddie out of trouble with his wife, Ingrid (Fiore).

Actor Sherman Hemsley, best known for his role as the cranky George Jefferson on All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on Amen, has died. He died on July 24 at his home in El Paso, Texas, apparently of natural causes. Mr. Hemsley was 74.

Hemsley's professional acting career began as a stage actor in New York. He made his Broadway debut in Purlie in 1970 and toured with the show for a year. In 1971, Norman Lear called him and offered him the role of George Jefferson, a neighbor of the Bunkers, on All in the Family. Hemsley declined the offer because of his theatre work, but he joined the cast two years later. He made his debut as the character on October 25, 1973, in the episode "Henry's Farewell." From 1973-1975 he appeared in a total of thirteen episodes of the series, plus two additional episodes after he left for the spinoff. The Jeffersons premiered on CBS on January 18, 1975. The show became an immediate ratings hit and was one of the most successful and longest-running spinoffs in history. It ran for 11 seasons and 253 episodes. At the time of its cancellation in 1985, it was the longest-running primetime scripted series on the air. Hemsley received an Emmy nomination in 1984 and Golden Globe Award nomination in 1985. The actors on the show were nominated for Emmys a total of 13 times. His television wife, Isabel Sanford, was nominated seven times from 1979-1985 and won in 1981. Although they were twenty years apart in real life, Hemsley and Sanford had great chemistry together. They also appeared together in two episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1995 and 1996. In the late 1990s and in the early 2000s, they appeared in a series of commercials for The Gap, Old Navy and Denny's. The cast also reunited for a Jeffersons stage-play. Hemsley and Sanford appeared at the 2nd Annual TV Land Awards in 2004. Hemsley's final credited acting appearance was as George Jefferson in a 2011 episode of Tyler Perry's House of Payne. His Jeffersons co-star Marla Gibbs also appeared in the episode as Florence Johnston.

Hemsley's second major role was on the 1986-1991 NBC sitcom Amen. He starred as the fiery Deacon Ernest Frye for five seasons. The series, which co-starred Clifton Davis, Anna Maria Horsford, Roz Ryan, Barbara Montgomery and Jester Hairston, ran for 110 episodes. Hemsley next voiced the character of B.P. Richfield, Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, on the live-action 1991-1994 ABC sitcom Dinosaurs for four seasons. In 1996-1997, he co-starred with Dorien Wilson on the UPN sitcom Goode Behavior. Hemsley played the role of Willie Goode, a newly paroled con artist, for one season. In 2006, he was a cast member on the celebrity reality series The Surreal Life. His other television guest appearances include The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, E/R (1984 CBS sitcom as George Jefferson), The Twilight Zone (1985), 227, What a Dummy, Designing Women, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Burke's Law, Thunder in Paradise, Lois & Clark: The New Adventure of Superman, Me and the Boys, Family Matters, The Wayans Bros., In the House, Martin, Clueless, Sister, Sister, City Guys, The Hughleys, and Family Guy (voice). Hemsley's film credits include Love at First Bite, Stewardess School, Mr. Nanny, Senseless, and American Pie Presents: The Book of Love.

The Archive of American Television conducted an interview with him on August 17, 2003. No information on any survivors has been released. He never married and had no children. Mr. Hemsley was a very talented and funny actor. George Jefferson was one of the most memorable and iconic characters in the history of television. George wasn't the the most likable character, but Hemsley made him enjoyable and beloved. He's movin' on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky. He will be greatly missed.

Share your Sherman Hemsley memories on our The Jeffersons or Amen message boards. View Sherman Hemsley photos in our The Jeffersons and Amen photo galleries.

Many networks will honor Sherman Hemsley as a tribute to him. First up, Centric will air his episodes of 227 ("The Big Deal") and The Wayans Bros. ("It's Shawn, It's Marlon, It's Super Boys") today (Wednesday, July 25) at 12 noon and 5pm ET. The Wayans Bros. episode will also encore at 9pm ET tonight. On Friday, July 27, TV One will replace this Friday's scheduled Good Times marathon with The Jeffersons from 8pm-12am and 1-2am (Good Times airs 12-1am still, though). This marathon will feature episodes centered around Sherman Hemsley's Emmy-nominated performance of George Jefferson. Episodes airing are: the series premiere "A Friend in Need," "George's First Vacation," "Movin' on Down," "Louise Suspects," "George the Philanthropist," "Once a Friend," "The Ones You Love," and "The List." An hour later from 1-2am, The Jeffersons was already scheduled to air, as was Amen from 2-3am, so the Sherman Hemsley marathon sort of continues in the late night as well! If you want more Amen, the following Friday (Aug. 3), will have Amen (which was already scheduled) from 8-11pm. Both The Jeffersons and Amen airs weekday mornings on TV One in a block from 7-9am.

Elsewhere, TV Land will have a 4-hour marathon of The Jeffersons this Saturday starting at noon ET through 4pm ET. Episode information will be released shortly. The TV Land Facebook page will also pay tribute to Hemsley, celebrating some of his greatest moments on television.

Antenna TV will commemorate the life of Sherman Hemsley this Sunday, July 29 with "All in the Family - Tribute to Sherman Hemsley." The three hour marathon will begin at 9pm ET/6pm PT and feature six George Jefferson themed episodes of All in the Family. They will include his first appearance ever as that character and The Jeffersons backdoor pilot episode that aired as an All in the Family episode.

9:00pm All in the Family "Henry's Farewell"
9:30pm All in the Family "Lionel's Engagement"
10:00pm All in the Family "Pay the Twenty Dollars"
10:30pm All in the Family "Lionel, the Live-In"
11:00pm All in the Family "George and Archie Make a Deal"
11:30pm All in the Family "The Jeffersons Move Up"

MeToo in Chicago, IL honors the life and career of Sherman Hemsley, best known as George Jefferson on the iconic television series The Jeffersons. On Saturday, July 28, beginning at 11 AM CT, tune in to MeToo for episodes of Amen, All in the Family and The Jeffersons. MeToo is available over the air on 26.4, XFINITY 247/358, RCN 22, WOW 171 and U-VERSE 48. The Jeffersons airs regularly on MeToo Monday through Saturday at 5:00 pm with All in the Family following at 5:30 pm CT. Amen airs on sister station The U Too weekdays at 12 noon CT.

Stay with us as we receive any further TV tribute news. Other possible networks include GMC TV (they also air Amen). We will post it right here, so come on back! Mmm hmm mmm!

Today it is day two for the NBC portion of the TCA Summer 2012 Press Tour. However, NBC will be showcasing their cable networks today, so we won't cover in detail. The day will start out with breakfast with the cable network mun2. Oxygen and Style will showcase some series after that, including reality series Tia & Tamera. Then it will be time for lunch and E! will be showcasing their series. Panels will follow, like for the upcoming talk show Love You, Mean It with Whitney Cummings. E! will have all sessions after lunch. So not much to report, but we do have some NBC updates from yesterday that we will cover now.
NBC will air two live half-hour Saturday Night Live Election Specials on Thursday, Sept. 20 and Thursday, Sept. 27 at 8pm ET. These were pretty popular in 2008 when Sarah Palin was in the limelight, but will it be as popular this time? As previously announced, 30 Rock will premiere on Oct. 4 in the time period. Also, NBC and Sky Living announced the co-production of Dracula, a provocative new drama series version of the classic Bram Stoker novel starring Golden Globe winner Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the title role. Dracula is from the producers behind the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning hit Downton Abbey, Carnival Films & Television, along with Flame Ventures and Playground, and will begin production later this year. The 10-episode series introduces Dracula as he arrives in London, posing as an American entrepreneur who maintains that he wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. In reality, he hopes to wreak revenge on the people who ruined his life centuries earlier. There's only one circumstance that can potentially thwart his plan: Dracula falls hopelessly in love with a woman who seems to be a reincarnation of his dead wife.

Stay tuned tomorrow for TCA Summer 2012 Press Tour: ABC Day 1!

TV One is going back to the '70s and '80s on Friday nights in primetime starting this month! Last Friday (July 6), TV One aired a mixture of The Jeffersons and Good Times starting at 8pm and running through 2am. The rest of the month will feature these two classic CBS sitcoms as well! For the next two Fridays (July 13 and July 20), enjoy episodes of The Jeffersons in a block from 8pm-1am, with an hour of Good Times at 1am. On Friday, July 27, Good Times takes over the entire block starting at 8pm. In August, we have more shows being added to the mix! Friday, August 3 will have two Clifton Davis series airing, first up Amen from 8-11pm, followed by That's My Mama from 11pm-2am. More marathons will be announced in the coming weeks.

In other TV One news, there will be plenty of sitcom marathons/stunts, especially on Saturdays starting at 12 noon following the regular Saturday morning (6am-12pm) sitcom block. The Saturday marathon/stunts starting at 12 noon will feature sitcoms such as Martin, A Different World, Living Single, and Good Times. So make sure to check your listings to see these shows! Returning to the TV One line-up in August will be the short-lived sitcom Between Brothers, every Saturday from 10-11am in their Saturday morning block. Stay with us for further updates on TV One, as there are no new additions right now. Possibly this fall? We'll let you know on our annual cable fall schedule barrage starting very soon!

Saturday mornings are about to get more cooler and '80s style when everything was great! FEARnet, cable's premier destination for horror, suspense and thriller content, is adding a new two-hour weekend programming block starting Saturday, August 18. The morning segment, dubbed "Funhouse," features half-hour animated programs The Real Ghostbusters from the '80s and Tales from the Cryptkeeper from the '90s, as well as live-action suspense dramas Eerie, Indiana from the early '90s and Canadian export Dark Oracle which aired from 2004-06. The "Funhouse" block will be broadcast Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET and re-aired the next day, Sunday, in the same time period on the linear TV channel.
FEARnet's new "Funhouse" lineup marks the first time that the emerging cable network has broadcast both animated and live-action acquired series in a combined themed block of time. In fact, the block will highlight three all-time favorite television shows that haven't been nationally broadcast in over a decade. Dark Oracle currently airs on THIStv Sunday mornings at 9-10am ET. The line-up on both days has The Real Ghostbusters at 10am ET, followed by Tales from the Cryptkeeper at 10:30am, Eerie Indiana at 11am and Dark Oracle at 11:30am. The Real Ghostbusters was last seen on the former Fox Family Channel (now known as ABC Family) in 1999, so has been a long time since it has aired on television. I ain't afraid of no ghost!
FEARNet does have an original sitcom titled Holliston and it wrapped up its first season this past spring with six half-hour episodes. The Adam Green comedy was renewed for a second season and will return in summer 2013. FEARnet's first original scripted television series, is a riotous and offbeat multi-camera, buddy comedy starring Adam Green and Joe Lynch. Set in the town of Holliston (near Boston), the series shines a light on the post-college life where everything is a struggle, and nothing works out like it's supposed to. With terrifyingly funny results, Adam and Joe struggle to become big-time horror filmmakers while hosting late night scary movies at the local cable station, and Adam embarrasses himself as he tries to win back his high school girlfriend. Think of Holliston as Big Bang Theory meets Evil Dead 2. The ensemble cast features Laura Ortiz, Corri English (Worst Audition Ever, lead singer of Brokedown Cadillac), Dee Snider and Oderus Urungus.

As we announced nearly two weeks ago, Moesha is now on GMC. The sitcom premiered with a marathon this past Saturday (April 14) from 9am-7pm. Now we can reveal its regular airings. It will air every Saturday from 12pm-3pm right after Sister, Sister from 9am-12pm. Both sitcoms only air on Saturdays on the cable network. 227 will follow on Saturdays from 3-5pm and then Cosby from 5-7pm. Both 227 and Cosby, along with Amen, also air weeknights starting at 11pm. So none of that is changing, only the Saturday schedule is altered a bit to make room for Moesha. The sitcom will not air on weekdays.

The rest of the weekday schedule is of course filled with family dramas: The Waltons, Judging Amy, and Dr. Quinn Medicine Women along with reality series Don't Forget the Lyrics! We have a new acquisition coming soon to GMC to be added to this mix. GMC has acquired the rights to the family drama 7th Heaven. We cannot reveal just yet when it will air, but stay tuned for full information! Currently 7th Heaven is not airing anywhere, which is quite surprising as it has been seen on Hallmark, ABC Family and WGN America in recent years.

Moving on, we haven't blogged about this yet, but our good friend Chris Mann of Retroality.tv has posted episodes 9 and 10 of his podcast Reimagine That! Both episodes feature an interview with Kenneth Johnson, who opens up about his iconic '70s series The Bionic Woman and The Incredible Hulk, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and offering candid insights into why others' small-screen and big-screen "reimaginings" of these two franchises failed. The acclaimed and forever-forward-thinking storyteller -- whose 1983 NBC miniseries V was also recently rebooted without his involvement -- discusses why heart, humanity and humor were essential in his creations of Jaime Sommers (as embodied by Lindsay Wagner) and David Banner (as personified by the late Bill Bixby), and how all three components were missing in NBC's failed 2007 Bionic Woman reboot and recent CGI-driven Hulk motion pictures. At the end of part one, Johnson shares how he got started in television as a director-producer for The Mike Douglas Show and game shows and why he parted ways with The Bionic Woman when Wagner reached the pinnacle of her celebrity. Also in episode none, Reimagine That! announcer and producer Linda Kay shares with Chris some of her fondest memories of late Monkees singer Davy Jones and iconic composer Robert Sherman. Listen to episode nine of Reimagine That!

On the second part, Kenneth Johnson shares his hopes and plans for his long-awaited, big-budget V feature (or triology thereof!), explaining how it will stay true to and reinvigorate his original vision as expressed in his franchise-launching V NBC miniseries nearly 30 years ago. The always-forward-thinking creator also opens up about his feminism and the diverse audience affection for The Bionic Woman, and he explains how he and series star Lindsay Wagner have in recent years come full circle in their relationship following a long estrangement. Finally, he offers insight into his experience adapting "Alien Nation" for TV audiences in the late '80s and '90s.
Also, inspired in part by Kenny's hopes to "reinvigorate" his original V vision ("V"ision?), Chris talks about his full-circle journey as a writer/storyteller while previewing an upcoming podcast segment tentatively titled "Reality Reimagined." Listen to episode ten of Reimagine That!

TV One has been pretty quiet in terms of making changes to its regular schedule, but as always TV One will celebrate the holidays with holiday episodes all month long. Catch holiday episodes of your favorite TV One sitcoms in their normal time periods for shows such as The Jeffersons, Amen, Good Times, Sanford & Son, Living Single, Martin, and original sitcom Love That Girl, so keep checking the episode titles for these series. But if you want to watch a marathon of holiday episodes, then TV One has just the thing for you! On Christmas Eve (Saturday, Dec. 24), TV One presents a holiday marathon featuring multiple holiday episodes of A Different World, Good Times, Love That Girl, Martin, and Living Single from 9am-4pm.
On New Year's Eve (Saturday, Dec. 31), TV One will present its annual marathon of Martin beginning at 1pm ET and lasting into the night as we welcome in 2012.

G4 recently started airing reruns of the sci-fi series Quantum Leap every weekday. The series is airing weekdays at 11am and 12 noon since last Thursday (Dec. 1). The 1989-93 drama was last seen on cable on Syfy (then known as Sci Fi Channel) and also on ION Television in 2008. The NBC series starred Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist from the (then future) year of 1997, who becomes lost in time following a time travel experiment, temporarily taking the places of other people to "put right what once went wrong." G4 doesn't air any other scripted series but airs reality series such as Cops and Cheaters.
Stay with us for further information and if G4 decides to add any other series to its line-up.

It's going to be legendary! WGN America invites fans of How I Met Your Mother to share their Mother's Day messages using social media with a chance to see their post on-air. Viewers can tweet and post their How I Met Your Mother's Day message on WGN America's Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MeetatMacLarens and WGN America's HIMYM Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/meetatmaclarens using the #HIMYMothersDay hash tag.
Beginning today (Tuesday, May 3), fan messages will run on WGN America in on-screen snipes in the 9pm ET/6pm PT broadcast of How I Met Your Mother throughout the week, and culminate in the mother of all marathons... a How I Met Your Mother's Day Marathon on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 8, which will feature six How I Met Your Mother episodes from 7-10pm ET/4-7pm PT.
Earlier this year, WGN America launched a social media campaign for How I Met Your Mother using Facebook and Twitter to great success. In just under 2 months, WGN America's HIMYM fan page has amassed over 150,000 followers.
As part of WGN America's social media strategy, the network has partnered with Story Worldwide, a global content marketing agency, to help create and curate the ideal fan experience and drive tune-in to WGN America on air.
HIMYM currently airs on WGN America Tuesday through Friday (9pm ET/6pm PT), Saturday (11:30pm ET/8:30pm PT) and Sunday (7pm ET/4pm PT). In the coming months, WGN America plans to expand the HIMYM footprint and to develop separate social media campaigns for the new programming coming in September, including 30 Rock, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Futurama. We will have more on WGN America's fall 2011 schedule in the coming months...there will be more shows coming, we'll tell you that!

Sticking with the Mother's Day theme, GMC will have an entire day for mom with The Waltons! The Mother's Day marathon airs on Sunday, May 8 from 11am-7pm leading into the movie Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain at 7pm and again at 9pm. In the movie, Mary Ellen marries Jonesy but they have a tragic start. While on their honeymoon, she suffers an accident that leaves her unable to bear children. Mary Ellen shuts everyone, even Jonesy out. She decides to go to the one person who can understand what she's going through, her mother, who is in Arizona recuperating from an illness.
Anyway, The Waltons now regularly airs on GMC every weekday at 12pm & 1pm and 5pm & 6pm, instead of 9pm & 10pm as it originally started. Sitcoms airing on the network are still 227 (weeknights at 11pm-12am and Saturdays 2pm-7pm), Amen (now earlier, weeknights 12-1am), and Sister Sister (Saturdays from 9am-2pm).

TV One will celebrate Black History Month in February 2011, like they did last year. Thee will not be any changes to the regular schedule, but there will be plenty of stunts. To celebrate "Our History Month," beginning Monday, Jan. 31 at 10 PM ET, and airing each weeknight over four weeks, TV One will present "Way Black When," a month of high-profile programming designed to reflect back on the golden age of black culture that emerged during the 1970s, '80s and '90s. The centerpiece of the initiative is Way Black When: Prime Time, a high-energy, one-hour talk show that will showcase Black pop culture icons across three decades – the '70s, '80s and '90s -- including actors, comedians, athletes, musicians and many more--from Black Power through Hip Hop. Guiding a live studio audience and television viewers on their trip back through 'blackness,' will be three hosts, each of whom embodies a decade's essence. Comedian and actor Sinbad will conduct a fantastic voyage through the 70's...Niecy Nash keeps it moving and groovin' through the 80's... and comedian and actor Chris 'Kid' Reid picks up the final leg of the Way Black When journey with 90's Hip Hop.
Each night, guests who characterize the specific week's decade will be showcased, along with a musical act and a comedian who provide the tunes and the tone of the time. The series will include a "Retro Trek" segment of nightly comedic sketches spoofing memorable hairstyles, fashion trends, and cultural fads from each decade. Each week, TV One will feature Heroes, Newsmakers, Icons and Celebs (HNIC) segment in which "Washington Watch" host Roland Martin will provide a look back at the major news events of the day.

Among the many guests (including performers and comedians) included in Way Black When, which airs weeknights at 10 PM and repeats weeknights at 1 AM, will be:

• Way Black When: The '70s – hosted by Sinbad (Monday, Jan. 31-Friday, Feb. 4) – actor and pro football Hall of Famer Jim Brown; Peabody Award-winning comedian and radio personality J. Anthony Brown; comedian Don "DC" Curry; The Emotions (Best of My Love) ; former NFL great Vince Evans; actor Antonio Fargas (Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch); Cuba Gooding, Sr (The Main Ingredient, Everybody Plays the Fool); singer/songwriter/musician Larry Graham; comedian and activist Dick Gregory; The Hues Corporation (Rock the Boat); Grammy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated singer/musician James Ingram; groundbreaking model, actress and sportscaster Jayne Kennedy; vocalist Evelyn "Champagne" King; comedian Paul Mooney; actress Denise Nicholas (Room 222, In the Heat of the Night); Freda Payne; actor/producer, husband/wife duo Daphne and Tim Reid; actor Ernest Thomas (What's Happening!!); singer/songwriter and fashion icon Jody Watley (originally of Shalamar); and actor and martial artist Michael Jai White.
• Way Black When: The '80s – hosted by Niecy Nash (Monday, Feb. 7-Friday, Feb. 11) – R&B duo Alexander O'Neal & Cherrelle; singer/songwriter Bobby Brown; rapper and record producer Kurtis Blow; actor Todd Bridges (Diff'rent Strokes); comedian Joe Clair; actor/director Bill Duke (Sister Act 2); rap trailblazer Doug E. Fresh; recording industry executive André Harrell; Anna Maria Horsford (Amen); R&B singer and actress Miki Howard; rapper Kool Mo Dee; R&B singer Louis Price (The Temptations) and his wife, actress Fay Hauser; director/producer Michael Schultz (Cooley High); hip hop pioneer Roxanne Shante; drummer and percussionist Sheila E.; R&B star Al B. Sure; actor Taimak (The Last Dragon); actor Glynn Turman (A Different World, The Wire); and The Whispers.
• Way Black When: The '90s – hosted by Chris "Kid" Reid (Monday, Feb. 14-Friday. Feb. 18) – Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, TV One's new original sitcom, Love That Girl!); R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe; producer and former actor Carl Craig; comedian and actor Tommy Davidson; commentator and author Dr. Michael Eric Dyson; comedian Earthquake; R&B singer/songwriter Johnny Gill; singer and performer Ginuwine; actress Jasmine Guy (A Different World); comedian and actress Jackée Harry (227, Sister, Sister); R&B superstars K-Ci & JoJo (originally of Jodeci); Christopher "Play" Martin; actor Darius McCrary (Family Matters); Grammy Award-winning hip hop group Naughty By Nature; comedian and actress Ajai Sanders (A Different World); new jack swing/R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!; director, actor and comedian Robert Townsend; actor Ben Vereen; actress Lynn Whitfield; actor Malik Yoba; comedian YoYo; and from New Jack City - director Mario Van Peebles and cast members Vanessa Williams, Christopher Williams, and William Cobbs, plus New Jack Swing group Guy, who sang the title song from the groundbreaking film.
• The fourth week of Way Black When: Primetime, Monday, Feb. 21 – Friday, Feb. 25, will offer a "Best Of" week that will feature the best interviews, comedy sketches and performances of the prior three weeks, plus original, unseen material, with the Best of the '70s airing on Monday, Feb. 21; the Best of the '80s airing on Tuesday, Feb. 22; the Best of the '90s airing on Wednesday, Feb. 23; plus an all-stand-up comedy show on Thursday, Feb. 24 and an all-musical performance show on Friday, Feb. 25.

There will also be stunt programming to go along with these weeks. Both TV series and movies will surround these specials. TV series airs weeknights at 9 and the movies at 11. Series for the '70s week will be The Flip Wilson Show (Tuesday and Wednesday) and The Richard Pryor Show (Thursday and Friday). Movies for the '70s week are Cooley High, Superfly, Shaft, Black Caesar and Cotton Comes Harlem. Every Saturday will feature a marathon block in February of the week's shows. On Saturday, Feb. 5 TV One airs a marathon of The Flip Wilson Show from 12pm-8pm, followed by the movie Shaft, and a marathon of The Richard Pryor Show from 8pm-6am. Also on Sunday, Feb. 6, TV One will air two classic '70s sitcoms in Sanford & Son from 12pm-7pm and Good Times from 8pm-2am.
Moving on to the '80s week, series will be A Different World (Tuesday and Wednesday) and Amen (Thursday and Friday). Movies for the '80s week are Disorderlies, Harlem Nights, Beat Street, Young Blood and Purple Rain. On Saturday, Feb. 12 TV One airs a marathon of A Different World from 12pm-8pm, followed by the movie Purple Rain, and a marathon of Amen from 8pm-6am.
And then on to the '90s week, series will be Martin (Tuesday and Wednesday) and Living Single (Thursday and Friday). Movies for the '90s week are Juice, Distinguished Gentleman, Fresh, Double Platinum and Livin Large. On Saturday, Feb. 19 TV One airs a marathon of Living Single from 12pm-8pm, followed by the movie Two Can Play That Game, then the movie Three Can Play That Game, and then another marathon of Living Single from 12am-6am. Martin got a special stunt on Sunday, Feb. 13 from 1pm-4am instead. On Sunday, Feb. 20, TV One will air 6 episodes of NY Undercover from 12pm-6pm.
Finally, the last week of the month will be a best-of week. Series will be A Different World on Tuesday, Martin on Wednesday, Living Single on Thursday and Amen on Friday. Movies for the best-of week are Don King: Only in America, Blood Done Sign My Name, Tyson, Dead Presidents and A Raisin in the Sun. On Saturday, Feb. 26 from 12pm-4:30am, TV One airs a movie marathon featuring Young Blood, Black Caesar, Cotton Comes Harlem, Superfly, Cooley High, Harlem Nights, Distinguished Gentleman, and Cooley High again. Random airings of Martin and Good Times follow from 4:30am-6am.

Finally, ABC has added two more pieces to its mid-season 2011 schedule. We broke the news for both on Twitter last night. Reality series Shark Tank will return for a second season on Friday, March 25 at 8pm. The series was ordered for a second season with 8 all-new episodes including guest panelists Mark Cuban and Jeff Foxworthy joining for a few episodes each. The series also had one episode left-over from last season that they could air. Shark Tank will replace Supernanny on Fridays at 8pm. Supernanny is ending its run this season, so it looks like the series finale will air on March 18.
Meanwhile, after Wipeout's Winter edition ends, ABC will have to plug in something on Thursdays at 8pm for the last 6 weeks of the season. Replacing Wipeout starting Thursday, April 14 at 8pm will be Take The Money and Run, from Jerry Bruckheimer. This six-week series is a game of cat and mouse between two teams to try and win $100,000. Wipeout was supposed to end its Winter run starting March 4, but it seems like they have ordered four more episodes, bringing the total to 12 (instead of 8). Thursdays, March 3-April 7 is 6 weeks, so Wipeout will be repeats for two weeks in that span.
Still yet to be scheduled for ABC is game show Million Dollar Mind Game, reality series Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, Mark Burnett's new reality series Expedition Impossible, and returning reality series Wife Swap & Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Most of these could be for summer now. Everything else for ABC is scheduled for mid-season including comedy Mr. Sunshine (Feb. 9), reality series Secret Millionaire (March 6), drama Body of Proof (March 29), and comedy Happy Endings (April 13). Stay with us for updates.