SitcomsOnline.com News Blog: Bill Cosby Show

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Friday, November 07, 2025

TBS and TNT Holiday Schedule; Hulu's Back 'Four' More Reasonable Doubt; Remembering Diane Ladd of Alice

TBS's All I Watch for Christmas and TNT's Christmas Maximus

Festive films, spirited sitcoms and 24-hour movie marathons return this season as TBS's "All I Watch for Christmas" delivers nostalgic classics and TNT's "Christmas Maximus" showcases blockbuster holiday hits beginning Sunday, November 9.

As part of the networks' annual tradition, TBS and TNT will host 24-hour movie marathons of Elf, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story. Additionally, TNT will air the broadcast premiere of Candy Cane Lane, starring Eddie Murphy, on November 16 along with the network debut of Shrek the Halls on December 2. Other seasonal favorites include Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966), The Polar Express, Four Christmases, and many more.

TBS will also air holiday-themed episodes of Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, American Dad! and Family Matters.

Reasonable Doubt

Hulu's Reasonable Doubt is coming back "four" more. The hit series has been renewed for season four. Season three is currently Thursdays on Hulu, with the season finale set for November 13. You'll judge Jax Stewart for her questionable ethics and wild interpretations of the law...until you're the one in trouble. Then you'll see her for what she is: the most brilliant and fearless defense attorney in Los Angeles who bucks the justice system at every chance she gets.

Season three stars Emayatzy Corinealdi, McKinley Freeman, Tim Jo, Angela Grovey and Joseph Sikora, as well as recurring guest stars including Morris Chestnut, Lori Harvey, Kyle Bary, Rumer Willis, Brandee Evans, Richard Brooks, April Parker Jones, Keith Arthur Bolden and Kash Doll.

Diane Ladd

Actress Diane Ladd, who starred as Belle Dupree in Alice, has died. She died from chronic hypoxic respiratory failure complicated by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at her home in Ojai, California, on November 3. Ms. Ladd was 89.

Ladd starred as Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry in the 1974 romantic comedy drama film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Flo is a hardened, sharp-tongued waitress at Mel and Ruby's Cafe. The film inspired the television series Alice, in which Flo was portrayed by Polly Holliday. Ladd was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for the role. She won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1976.

Alice

She joined the cast of the CBS sitcom Alice as Isabelle "Belle" Dupree in the fourth season in 1980. Belle Dupree is a hard-edged but kind-hearted woman. She had been a waitress of Mel's in the past, during which the two had a romantic relationship. Ladd won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for the role in 1980. Despite Ladd's Golden Globe-winning performance, the character was not retained for the duration of the series and was replaced early in 1981 after she had appeared in 23 episodes in the fourth and fifth seasons. Celia Weston then joined the cast as the good-natured, boisterous truck driver Jolene Hunnicutt, who came from Myrtle Point, South Carolina.

Grace Under Fire

Ladd guest starred as Louise Burdette, the mother of Grace Kelly (Brett Butler), in two episodes of Grace Under Fire in 1994 and 1997. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the episode "Things Left Undone" in 1994. Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included Hazel, The Love Boat (3 episodes), and Young Sheldon.

Enlightened - Diane Ladd and Laura Dern

She had a recurring role as Helen Jellicoe, Amy's (Laura Dern) quiet and rather aloof yet protective mother with her own ghosts from the past, in 18 episodes of the 2011-2013 HBO comedy drama Enlightened. In 2004, she starred as Sally Druse in the ABC horror medical drama Kingdom Hospital. She starred as Nell O'Brien in the 2016-2022 Hallmark Channel drama Chesapeake Shores.

Ladd received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her roles as Charlotte Cooper in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman in 1994 and as Carolyn Sellers in a 1997 episode of Touched by an Angel. Some of her other television guest appearances included Naked City (2 episodes), Perry Mason (1963), The Fugitive (1964), Gunsmoke (3 episodes), The Big Valley, Ironside, Father Dowling Mysteries, In the Heat of the Night, L.A. Law, Sisters, Strong Medicine (2 episodes), Cold Case, ER, and Ray Donovan.

She received Academy Award nominations for her roles in Wild at Heart (1990) and Rambling Rose (1991), in both of which she starred alongside her daughter Laura Dern. They were also nominated for dual Golden Globe Awards in the same year. Some of her other film credits included Chinatown (1974), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Primary Colors (1998), 28 Days (2000), and Joy (2015).

Ms. Ladd was a talented and versatile actress. She appeared in over 200 television shows and films in her career spanning over 70 years. We thank her for her work on television and in films. She will be deeply missed.

Ralph Senensky

We also remember television director Ralph Senensky. He died in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, on November 1. Mr. Senensky was 102.

Senensky's sitcom directing credits included The Courtship of Eddie's Father (9 episodes), The Bill Cosby Show (4 episodes), Nanny and the Professor (6 episodes), The Partridge Family (7 episodes), and Getting Together (3 episodes).

He directed 16 episodes of The F.B.I. from 1966 to 1972, 6 episodes of Star Trek from 1967 to 1969, and 12 episodes of The Waltons from 1973 to 1978. Some of his other directing credits included The Twilight Zone, Route 66 (2 episodes), Naked City (3 episodes), Arrest and Trial (2 episodes), The Doctors and the Nurses (2 episodes), Breaking Point (3 episodes), Dr. Kildare (5 episodes), 12 O'Clock High (4 episodes), The Fugitive (4 episodes), The Wild Wild West (2 episodes), Mission: Impossible, Ironside (2 episodes), Dan August (5 episodes), Banyon (3 episodes), Barnaby Jones (3 episodes), Eight Is Enough, Dynasty (4 episodes in 1981), Hart to Hart (7 episodes), Paper Dolls (3 episodes), and The Paper Chase (7 episodes).

He was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television in 2011.

Mr. Senensky was the last surviving person to have directed an episode of Star Trek (1966-1969). He chronicled and discussed his adventures in film and television on his official website Ralph's Cinema Trek. We thank him for his work on television. He will be greatly missed.

Lee Weaver

Actor Lee Weaver had a recurring role as Brian Kincaid in The Bill Cosby Show and starred as Ricardo Williams in Easy Street. He died at his home in Los Angeles on September 22. Mr. Weaver was 95.

Weaver had a recurring role as Brian Kincaid in seven episodes of the 1969-1971 NBC sitcom The Bill Cosby Show. Bill Cosby played the role of Chet Kincaid, a physical education teacher at a Los Angeles high school, a bachelor, and an "average cool guy" trying to earn a living and help people out along the way. Brian Kincaid is Chet's brother. The cast included Lillian Randolph (1969-1970), Beah Richards (1970-1971), Olga James, Sid McCoy, Joyce Bulifant, and Joseph Perry.

Easy Street

He starred as Ricardo Williams in the 1986-1987 NBC sitcom Easy Street. The series stars Loni Anderson as L.K. McGuire, a onetime showgirl who manages to nab a young wealthy husband, Ned McGuire, only to have him die and leave her fending for herself against his embittered sister, who's out to get L.K. out of the picture and away from her inherited money. Meanwhile, L.K. reconnects with a down-on-his-luck uncle, Bully Stevenson (Jack Elam) who has been on and off the streets of Los Angeles. L.K. invites him and his pal, Ricardo Williams, to move into her vast mansion, to the horror and consternation of her snobbish in-laws, Eleanor and Quentin Standard (Dana Ivey and James Cromwell).

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Some of his sitcom guest appearances included Good Morning World, Julia, Love, American Style (1969), Nanny and the Professor, That's My Mama, Sanford and Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Soap, Mork & Mindy, AfterMASH, Diff'rent Strokes, What's Happening Now!!, 227 (2 episodes), Webster (3 episodes), Amen, Dear John, A Different World, The Cosby Show (2 episodes), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Nurses, Night Court (1992), Step by Step, Living Single, Roc, Sister, Sister (1994), Martin (2 episodes), Sparks (2 episodes), The Jamie Foxx Show, Good News (2 episodes), Suddenly Susan, For Your Love, Men, Women & Dogs, My Wife and Kids, The Parkers, The Bernie Mac Show, That's So Raven, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, My Name Is Earl (2 episodes), Community, Family Tools (4 episodes), and Grace and Frankie (2 episodes).

Some of his other television credits included Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (6 episodes), I Spy (2 episodes), The Blue Knight (4 episodes), Flamingo Road (6 episodes), Hill Street Blues (6 episodes), Reasonable Doubts (2 episodes), and NYPD Blue (3 episodes). He was the voice of Alpine in the animated television series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero from 1985 to 1986.

Mr. Weaver was a familiar face who wore stylish hats in many sitcoms. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment that he brought us during his 70 year career. He will be sorely missed.

Friday, September 05, 2014

SitcomsOnline Book Club - Cosby: His Life and Times; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 8, 2014)

SitcomsOnline Book Club Review - Cosby: His Life and Times

by Skees

Bill Cosby is, by all means, one of the greatest and most well-known comedians of the past fifty years. In fact, he is considered by many to be an American icon. Many of his fans know of his work on television and stand-up comedy (or as he prefers, sit-down comedy), and perhaps they know a little bit about his background. Through it all, though, Cosby has never quite had a major biography written about him. That is, until now, as former CNN managing editor Mark Whitaker has finally taken on the task of writing a through and detailed (and authorized) biography of the legendary actor and comedian, complete with actual stories and accounts of the life of Cosby directly from Cosby and many of his closest friends and associates.

The average Bill Cosby fan remembers that he got his start on television series I Spy, and look at the great things that happened in his life from that point forward. But Cosby's life took on so much more before he went into this role, and much of it was far from perfect. His ancestors spent their lives in slavery, and freedom from the slavery was not complete freedom in life. Eventually, his family made their way to Philadelphia. In 1936, Anna Hite and William Cosby were married, and gave birth to their son, William Henry Cosby Jr., almost a year later. Everything appeared to be going well for the family on the surface, but at home, he was dealing with an abusive father who also happened to be an alcoholic, which lead to a childhood of living in the Philadelphia housing projects.

Naturally, his childhood was not the perfect way to grow up, but he repeatedly showed potential throughout school. Unfortunately, there were a lot of distractions along the way, which ultimately caused him to leave high school… but he was determined to go on, and he does in the Navy and eventually to Temple University, where he becomes a bartender at a bar called the Cellar, and it was here where he discovered his talents, and was on to become comedian and eventually a much beloved actor. In fact, his comedic success ended up leading to an appearance on The Tonight Show in 1963 that a sixteen-year-old Rob Reiner happened to be watching. The appearance impressed the young Reiner so much that his father, Carl, had to meet Cosby, which ended up leading Cosby to a meeting with Sheldon Leonard, and of course, most Cosby fans know what happened from that point.

And that is just a (very) small part of what Whitaker captures in the first 1/3 of his book. From this point, readers get to experience the person Cosby is best known for today, including his experiences and anecdotes from I Spy, The Bill Cosby Show, Fat Albert, The Cosby Show, Cosby, and even The Cosby Mysteries… and beyond. Every detail that a fan could possibly want to know is in this book. It tells of his successes in standup, as well as some of his less memorable events of life, such as a revival of the Groucho Marx series You Bet Your Life. And of course, there is a significant amount of material in the book dedicated to his son Ennis Cosby, and the tragedy of his death in 1996 and other family struggles. The only thing missing from the book is what will come in the future.

Personally, I've never been a huge fan of biographies, but this is one that is well worth reading. At 468 pages, along with a complete "Cosbyography" of everything he has done and a gallery of 38 photos, virtually every detail that any fan would want to know about Cosby's life can be found here. This is a book that will take a while to read and has moments of triumph as well as tragedy, but every last detail is worth reading. So far, Cosby has lead a fascinating life and the details are great, and even though this book is most likely incomplete given that he seems to have quite a future ahead (as seen in the recent resurgence in interest in his stand-up comedy appearances and a potential new sitcom that could be in the works). But for now, fans of Cosby can read this book, which would be more aptly titled Bill Cosby: His Life and Times (So Far).

(5/5 stars)

To purchase this book, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Mark Whitaker Discusses Bill Cosby:
The History of the Cosby Sweater
Bill Cosby's Take on Race Relations in America
A Personal Connection to Cosby

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 Sept. 8-12, 2014, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, September 8, 2014

Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Watch Jason on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Steve appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. He will also be on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. Finally, he is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
Lena Dunham (Girls) - Lena stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation/House of Lies) - Ben talks about his new film This Is Where I Leave You on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Katey Sagal (8 Simple Rules/Married with Children) - Katey visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
Max Greenfield (New Girl/Modern Men) - Max is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun/Twenty Good Years) - John drops by The Colbert Report at 11:30pm on Comedy Central.
Michael J. Fox (The Michael J. Fox Show/Spin City/Family Ties) - Michael chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Zosia Mamet (Girls) - Zosia is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo. She will also be on Morning Joe sometime between 6-9am on MSNBC. Finally, she is a guest on HuffPost Live at 4pm.
Jennie Garth (Mystery Girls/What I Like About You) - Jennie talks about single parenting and her BFF Tori Spelling on the Better Show, so check your local listings.
The Cast of The Carol Burnett Show - Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner and costume designer Bob Mackie reunite on a repeat of of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
Danielle Fishel (Girl Meets World/Boy Meets World) - Danielle talks about her new book (Normally, This Would Be Cause for Concern: Tales of Calamity and Unrelenting Awkwardness) on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Donal Logue (Grounded for Life/The Knights of Prosperity) - Donal talks about Gotham on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Judith Light (Who's the Boss?/Phenom) - Judith will be on HuffPost Live at 3:30pm.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Debra Messing (Will & Grace) - Catch Debra on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael visits The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
Louie Anderson (Life with Louie/The Louie Show) - Louie drops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Jason is a guest on The Colbert Report at 11:30pm on Comedy Central. He also talks about his book (Nightmares!) on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Anna Faris (Mom) - Anna appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Jason visits ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. He also talks about his new film This Is Where I Leave You, on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP) - Keke discusses her role in Broadway's Cinderella on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Chris Rock (Everybody Hates Chris) - Chris appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Steve joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
George Lopez (Saint George/George Lopez) - George is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch) - Tune in to see Florence on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
Zosia Mamet (Girls) - Zosia will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds) - Connie is a guest on HuffPost Live at 12pm.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Nick on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds) - Connie is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
Cheryl Hines (Suburgatory/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Tune in to see Cheryl on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair (Playing House/Best Friends Forever) - Lennon and Jessica are guests on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
Seth Green (Dads/Family Guy/Greg the Bunny) - Seth appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show) - Steve stops by Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Nick Jonas (JONAS L.A.) - Nick is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class and Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Jesse and Eric chat with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Justin Long (Mom/Ed) - Justin drops by LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City/Square Pegs) - Sarah appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Kim Wayans (In the House/A Different World) - Kim shares the inside scoop of her new movie role on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
Josh Charles (Sports Night) - Josh talks about Bird People on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Danielle Fishel (Girl Meets World/Boy Meets World) - Danielle talks about her new book (Normally, This Would Be Cause for Concern: Tales of Calamity and Unrelenting Awkwardness) on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
Judith Light (Who's the Boss?/Phenom) - Judith will be on Morning Joe on MSNC sometime between 6-9am.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Catch Jason on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development/The Larry Sanders Show/The Ropers) - Watch Jeffrey on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC. He can also be heard on EW Live on EW Radio on SiriusXM at 10:30am.
Josh Charles (Sports Night) - Josh visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Nick Jonas (JONAS L.A.) - Nick is the musical guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation/House of Lies) - Ben visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
George Lopez (Saint George/George Lopez) - Catch George on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
David Spade (Rules of Engagement/8 Simple Rules/Just Shoot Me!) - David appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Sara Gilbert (Roseanne/The Big Bang Theory/Bad Teacher) - Sara is a guest on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
Danielle Fishel (Girl Meets World/Boy Meets World) - Danielle chats about her new book (Normally, This Would Be Cause for Concern: Tales of Calamity and Unrelenting Awkwardness) on Wake Up with Taylor on SiriusXM Stars Channel 109 sometime between 7-10am.
Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael will be on SI Now at 1pm.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/The Office) - Watch Mindy on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. She talks about The Mindy Project on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. She will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings. Finally, she is a guest on HuffPost Live at 11:45am.
Justin Long (Mom/Ed) - Justin appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Connie Britton (Spin City/The Fighting Fitzgeralds) - Connie talks about her new film This Is Where I Leave You on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
Jennie Garth (Mystery Girls/What I Like About You) - Jennie discusses her new book (Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde) on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
Nick Jonas (JONAS L.A.) - Nick performs live on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. He will also be on in the 9am hour.
Danielle Fishel (Girl Meets World/Boy Meets World) - Danielle discusses her new book (Normally, This Would Be Cause for Concern: Tales of Calamity and Unrelenting Awkwardness) on Windy City Live in Chicago on WLS-ABC7 at 11am CT.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. 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!

Thursday, July 05, 2012

The Hub's ALF Week Hosted By ALF Kicks-Off New Schedule; ASPiRE TV Launches With Julia, Bill Cosby Show, Flip Wilson

Television's favorite alien life form is back with all-new material, when the comedic pop-culture icon ALF makes a special return to television for "ALF Week" (July 16-19, from 7:30-10pm) on The Hub TV Network, a destination for kids and their families. The beloved, wise-cracking alien will host the network's primetime programming lineup for the week-long event, featuring ALF's brow-raising, sense of humor as he gives his take on favorite episodes of his own series and classic shows on The Hub primetime, which are Mork & Mindy, Happy Days and The Facts of Life. Viewers can learn what ALF has to say about life since his popular series was produced in the late 1980's as he was living with the Tanner clan. ALF will lead into these three comedies starting at 7:30pm for this special week.
The week will kick-off changes to the schedule in primetime. ALF will air in the 7:30pm half-hour the week of July 16, as the sitcom marathon blocks move up to 8-10pm, rather than 9-11pm. ALF was airing at 8:30pm since it launched, but for this week only it will air at 7:30pm. The 10pm hour every weeknight will now have the return of The Wonder Years to weeknights, since the marathons are 8-10pm now! Mork & Mindy will remain on Mondays, but from 8-10pm, while Happy Days remains on Tuesday shifting to 8-10pm, and The Facts of Life stays on Wednesdays but with the change to 8-10pm. On Thursdays, the block will now be ALF from 8-10pm, replacing Sabrina the Teenage Witch. What will happen to Sabrina now? We don't know just yet, but it is still on the schedule in late nights on weekends (Fri-Sun, 3-4am). ALF will not air at 7:30pm starting July 23, so perhaps Sabrina will move there? We'll let you know soon. But the new primetime schedule from 8-10pm and The Wonder Years hour at 10 will remain after the ALF Week as well, as it is their new primetime schedule. Laverne & Shirley and Batman remain at 11pm. After an animation break, the primetime block will encore late night still as well beginning at 2am ET (1:30am for ALF the week of July 16). On weekends, Lois & Clark is doing well and will remain airing 8-11pm in primetime on Sundays, with an immediate encore from 11pm-2pm.
Stay with us for further updates on The Hub schedule, as we will confirm Sabrina's timeslots soon.

Julia Cast
We mentioned a while back about the new network from NBA legend Magic Johnson coming soon, now it has launched. ASPiRE, the new television network from Magic Johnson Enterprises, launched Wednesday, June 27 at 8:00 pm ET with a unique mix of original and groundbreaking programming aimed at African-American viewers. The network launched with inaugural distribution partners Comcast and Time Warner Cable. At launch, ASPiRE is available in approximately seven million homes and in 16 of the top 25 African-American markets including New York City, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, DC. ASPiRE also launched on FAVE TV and with five charter brand partners: The Chrysler Group, L'Oréal USA, Nationwide Insurance, Coca-Cola and Walmart. ASPiRE celebrated its historic kickoff on June 27 with a private, star-studded event at Cipriani Dolci in New York City.
ASPiRE's mission is to entertain, enlighten and inspire. It will shine a light on the positive contributions African-Americans have made to American culture and be a window through which we can experience the next generation of ground breakers and game changers. ASPiRE offers a diverse slate of programming spanning five categories: movies (including features, documentaries and short films); music; comedy (vintage sitcoms); visual and performing arts; and faith and inspirational shows. The network's initial schedule has many programming blocks. Of note for us is: Groundbreaking Comedies (Tuesdays, 2pm, 8pm & 11pm) – Hosted by actor and comedian Jonathan Slocumb (Meet the Browns, The Steve Harvey Show), ASPiRE's Groundbreaking Comedies will celebrate trailblazing Black funnymen and women with iconic TV series including The Bill Cosby Show (Chet Kincaid), The Flip Wilson Show and more. Slocumb will share with audiences the known and not-so-known facts about the shows, their stars, and their enduring influence on popular culture.
Besides The Bill Cosby Show and The Flip Wilson Show, which also airs weekdays, the network is also airing the '60s sitcom Julia every weekday from 1-2pm and 7-8pm. In addition to Tuesdays, The Bill Cosby Show airs weekdays 12-1pm, 6-7pm and 2-3am, while The Flip Wilson Show airs weekdays 10-11pm. Also on the schedule is I Spy weekdays 11am, 5pm and 1am and Soul Train weekdays 10am and 4pm.
View the ASPiRE website and see if it is available in your area! Stay with us for further updates and we hope more vintage comedies are coming!

Friday, August 01, 2008

TV One September 2008 Schedule and Highlights; TV Rebels: Bill Cosby

Our look at the fall 2008 season on cable continues with TV One's September 2008 line-up. This September TV One will be adding the hit '90s sitcom Living Single to its African-American line-up. Living Single premieres on TV One in a week-long marathon event that airs each weeknight from 7pm-12am ET/PT (encores 3-6am ET/PT). Each character will be showcased on various nights -- Khadijah on Monday, Synclaire on Tuesday, Regine on Wednesday, Max on Thursday, and The Boys (Overton and Kyle) on Friday. Living Single was a situation comedy that centered on the lives of a group of six African American friends living in (or near) a Brooklyn brownstone. The series focused on the personal and professional lives of each character, as well as their relationships with one another.
After the marathon, Living Single settles into its regular time-slot weeknights at 8:30pm & 9pm starting Monday, September 29, with an encore from 3-4am ET/PT.
Other changes include the fall 10am-4pm block. Beginning on Monday September 8 and continuing until further notice, the TV One daytime marathons which air weekdays from 10am to 4pm will have a steady schedule consisting of the following: Eve (Mondays), Movies (Tuesdays), Wanda At Large/Divorce Court/Between Brothers rotate (Wednesdays), TV One on One/Roc rotate (Thursdays) and All of Us (Fridays).
On Monday, September 29, the TV One fall schedule settles into place with changes taking place after 5pm. View the full TV One September 2008 line-up for complete details.
Moving on to other highlights, on Saturday September 20 beginning at 1pm, it's girl power time as TV One presents the "Eve-Sisters Doin' It For Themselves-Marathon" that showcases episodes of the sitcom Eve that feature the women taking charge while resolving their own problems and issues that will keep viewers laughing as well as fired up with emotion as Shelly (Eve) and her crew prove that new millennium women have it all together.
Future Outlook: TV One has also acquired the sitcom Half & Half for later in the fall...we will have details on that at a later date!
So, don't forget to view and discuss the TV One September Line-Up!

It's time for another edition of TV Rebels. We originally had special permission to publish the first 6 essays on TV shows and actors that will be featured in the upcoming book TV Rebels: 100 People and Programs That Shaped the Medium by authors Lou Orfanella and Oscar De Los Santos...and as we mentioned in April, we have now gotten rights to 6 additional essays (for a total of 12!), so we will be bringing you one each month until at least November! Upcoming TV Rebel columns coming soon are about Rod Serling and Desi Arnaz. The book is in the works and will be released in 2009.

So without further adieu, we bring you the eighth essay of TV Rebels:

Bill Cosby: Double Rebel
by Lou Orfanella

In 1965 standup comic Bill Cosby earned critical praise and the first of three consecutive Emmy Awards as outstanding lead actor in a dramatic series as he began his three year run as globetrotting government agent Alexander Scott on the NBC drama I Spy. More significant and media changing than his triple Emmy feat was that this was the first instance of a major dramatic starring role by a black actor on a network television series. The groundbreaking weekly adventure costarred white actor Robert Culp as Scott's partner Kelly Robinson. "Coinciding with the crest of the civil rights movements, the series' light touch was 'balm for the jangled American psyche of the time,' said the New York Times. It was a historic moment in casting when a black man was placed along side a white man as his equal and it created international interest in the show" ("Biography").
After I Spy ended in 1968, Cosby headlined the sitcom The Bill Cosby Show on NBC ffrom 1969-1971 as well as the variety shows The New Bill Cosby Show (CBS) and Cos (ABC) in 1972 and 1976 respectively. He entered the Saturday morning children's shows arena from 1972-1977 with the message filled animated offering Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. It was in 1984 however, that Cosby would achieve his greatest success and become a double TV rebel.
In 1984 with the situation comedy genre mostly left for dead by network executives, Cosby returned to weekly series duty as the unflappable dad Cliff Huxtable on NBC's The Cosby Show, a light hearted family sitcom that skyrocketed to the top of the ratings and rejuvenated the genre during its eight year run. In the process it became the anchor of what was to become NBC's Thursday night lineup of "Must See TV." The Cosby Show was the most watched show on the air for five of its seasons and is credited with reviving the viability and profitability of the situation comedy genre.
In many ways The Cosby Show allowed its star to extend the social changes he had been a part of with I Spy. Two decades after Alexander Scott showed that blacks and whites could be equal partners, The Cosby Show depicted the black family on equal footing with middle and upper class white families, rather than as low income ghetto dwellers such as in previous shows as Good Times and Sanford and Son. "The Cosby Show discontinued familiar sitcom formulas filled with disrespectful children and generational conflict and presented instead a two-parent family in which both partners worked as professionals. In the Huxtable household, viewers were exposed to the existence and culture of historically black colleges and universities" ("Cosby"). Black art and music as well as black history were all apparent in the Huxtable universe expanding the traditional and often stereotypical view of black families television had presented.
During the 1990s the man known widely as simply "Cos" would star in three additional series. First came the revival of the comedic quiz show You Bet Your Life with Cosby filling the legendary shoes of Groucho Marx. The Cosby Mysteries followed, and the Cosby (CBS, 1996-2000) sitcom closed the decade. He also hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things for CBS. While none of those efforts made an indelible mark on television history, Cosby's legacy had long been secured with I Spy and The Cosby Show, two series that helped change the face of television.

Works Cited
Biography of Bill Cosby. The Kennedy Center. 7 August 2007 http://www.kennedy-center.org.
Cosby, Bill. The Museum of Broadcast Communications. 7 August 2007 http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/humlC/cosbybill/cosbybill.htm.

Monday, July 02, 2007

DMGI Acquires Bill Cosby Show; Atlanta TBS, WTBS to Rename to WPCH

Digital Music Group, Inc. (DMGI), a content owner and global leader in the digital distribution of independently owned music and video catalogs, announced today a number of new long-term digital distribution agreements for classic television content totaling over 300 episodes including The Bill Cosby Show, Route 66, The Super Dave Show, and Dangerous Assignment.
The Bill Cosby Show: Aired for two seasons on NBC between 1969 and 1971, The Bill Cosby Show is a lighthearted comedy starring Bill Cosby playing the role of Chet Kincaid, physical education teacher at a Los Angeles high school.
Route 66: This classic television series starred George Maharis and Martin Milner as two young men driving around the US working at odd jobs, helping people, and searching for adventure.
The Super Dave Show: Regarded by some as one of the funniest television shows ever, The Super Dave Show starred Bob Einstein as "accomplished" stuntman Super Dave Osborne.
Dangerous Assignment: Starring Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell, undercover agent for the U.S. government, this 1950's spy thriller includes over 50 episodes.
As we announced previously, DMGI has The DMGI Classics channel which features classic TV series from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, including: I Spy (82 episodes), Daniel Boone (165 episodes), My Favorite Martian (107 episodes), Invisible Man (26 episodes), The Cisco Kid (156 episodes), Peter Gunn (114 episodes), The Adventures of Robin Hood (113 episodes), and Hopalong Cassidy (52 episodes and 60 feature length films).
For more details, vist the DMGI webpage.

WTBS will become WPCH (short for Peachtree TV) on Oct. 1, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The network will feature nightly blockbuster prime-time movies and a daytime line-up packed with sitcoms targeted to the Atlanta audience, such as Family Guy, The King of Queens, The Jeffersons, Diff'rent Strokes, Cheers, The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, The Steve Harvey Show, Friends and Frasier. Peachtree TV will also bring local viewers 45 Atlanta Braves baseball games called by fan favorites Skip Caray, Chip Caray and Joe Simpson.
While Peachtree TV takes over the local broadcaster position currently held by WTBS, TBS' national cable feed will become available to Atlanta's local cable and satellite operators, offering the network's signature comedy programming.
So for people not in the Atlanta area, we all still will get the TBS Superstation, and not Peachtree TV, as that is JUST for Atlanta. Peachtree TV won't develop its own newscast.

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