SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Katz Networks, part of The E.W. Scripps Company, announced three major off-network series licensing agreements. Escape, the over-the-air network reaching women 25-54 with a brand of programming anchored in stories of crime and mystery, has acquired the television rights to Law & Order and Boston Legal in two individual deals. Escape lands the first 12 seasons of Law & Order - the longest-running crime and investigation drama on American primetime television – in a multi-year licensing agreement with Universal Television. The complete series/five seasons of Boston Legal come from Twentieth Television, Inc. Laff, television's fastest-growing network and the nation's first over-the-air network devoted to comedy around-the-clock, has landed the broadcast television rights to all eight seasons of According to Jim, starring Jim Belushi, in an agreement with Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International.

Escape will launch both series on New Year's Day. They join another hit off-network crime drama, Without a Trace, in the Escape line-up. Laff will debut According to Jim in early 2019. These agreements come on the heels of Katz sister network Bounce landing broadcast rights to the iconic series Scandal which just joined Bounce's primetime line-up. According to Jim joins Laff's sitcom hall-of-fame line-up which includes Home Improvement, 3rd Rock from the Sun, That '70s Show, The Drew Carey Show, Night Court, Spin City and more.

YEE-HAW! Co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Elisha Cuthbert just ran 13 stories to tell you when The Ranch is back! What gets Ashton Kutcher up in the morning? Coors or Keystone? How does he feel about Tom Brady? And when can fans expect new episodes of The Ranch?! Running up 13 stories at Netflix, Elisha Cuthbert gets the inside scoop from co-star Ashton Kutcher - the two triumphantly reach the top, marking their victory by shouting from the [Netflix] rooftop, 10 all-new episodes of The Ranch premiere December 7 on Netflix! Set in present day on a Colorado ranch outside Denver, this multi-camera family comedy returns with new episodes (Part 6, 10 new episodes for the back-half of season three) on December 7. Starring Ashton Kutcher, Sam Elliott, Elisha Cuthbert, Debra Winger and new guest star, Dax Shepard - the show follows Colt's (Kutcher) return home after a brief and failed semi-pro football career to run the family ranching business with his father Beau (Elliott). The sitcom has already been renewed for a 4th season of 20 episodes, so look out for Parts 7 and 8 in 2019!

The country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to comedy around-the-clock will launch this spring when Katz Broadcasting debuts LAFF on April 15, 2015. LAFF will feature a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular theatrical motion pictures, with a target audience of adults 18-49. The LAFF brand will cross multiple platforms, with the linear network carried on the signals of local broadcast television stations and corresponding cable carriage while companion digital content will be available at LAFF.com and via the LAFF app.

Katz Broadcasting also announced two major distribution agreements for LAFF: The ABC Owned Television Stations will carry LAFF in New York (WABC-TV), Los Angeles (KABC-TV), Chicago (WLS-TV), Philadelphia (WPVI-TV), San Francisco (KGO-TV), Houston (KTRK-TV), Raleigh (WTVD-TV) and Fresno (KFSN-TV). These stations will carry the network on their .3 subchannel, while the .2 will still be the Live Well Network. The latter network will only remain on the ABC Owned Television Stations and no where else in the country. The E.W. Scripps Company will also launch LAFF on its stations in Detroit (WXYZ-TV), Phoenix (KNXV-TV), Tampa (WFTS-TV), Denver (KMGH-TV), Cleveland (WEWS-TV), Indianapolis (WRTV-TV), Baltimore (WMAR-TV), San Diego (KGTV-TV), Kansas City (KSHB-TV), Cincinnati (WCPO-TV), West Palm Beach (WPTV-TV), Buffalo (WKBW-TV) and Tulsa (KJRH-TV). These initial agreements will make LAFF available to more than 35% of the country, with more distribution additions expected to be announced shortly.

LAFF joins GRIT, the first broadcast network targeting men, and ESCAPE, the first over-the-air network designed for women, in the Katz Broadcasting portfolio. Katz Broadcasting was established in 2014 by Bounce TV founder/COO and former Turner Broadcasting executive Jonathan Katz. Katz is President and CEO of the company while also still serving as COO of Bounce TV, the nation's first and only over-the-air television network for African Americans. Stay with us for continued updates on LAFF, which will include a launch schedule and what sitcoms join the line-up.

Netflix, the world's leading Internet TV network, has ordered Flaked, a new comedy series starring Will Arnett. Eight episodes of the series will premiere exclusively across all Netflix territories in 2016. Set in the insular world of Venice, California, Flaked is the serio-comic story of a self-appointed "guru" who falls for the object of his best friend's fascination. Soon the tangled web of half-truths and semi-bullshit that underpins his all-important image and sobriety begins to unravel. Arnett plays Chip, a man doing his honest best to stay one step ahead of his own lies.

Executive producers Will Arnett and Mark Chappell (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret) co-created and co-wrote the series. Ben Silverman (Founder and Chairman of Electus), Peter Principato and Mitch Hurwitz (Arrested Development) also serve as executive producers on the show. Electus and Principato-Young are providing production services. Flaked is a Netflix production. Will Arnett, a five-time Emmy Award nominee, also stars in Netflix's animated comedy BoJack Horseman and Arrested Development. Arnett recently starred in the blockbuster films Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Lego Movie.

Welcome to SitcomsOnline Digest! This week, we've got news about what may be next for Craig Ferguson, a Wonder Years music update (including which songs are missing), and news of more Mill Creek releases. Let's get started!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB

HOME MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Every week, it seems that we have more news about the release of The Wonder Years - The Complete Series, and this week is no exception, as the studio gave a complete listing of all of the original music that will be included... an astonishing 96% of the original music can be found. And for those who wonder what's missing, a fan of the series on the website Home Theater Forum made a list of songs that appeared in the series that are not on the list provided by StarVista. While we suspect some of the "missing" songs may be oversights (such as public domain songs that StarVista didn't bother to include on their list), it is worth noting that music is notably missing from The Doors, Richie Havens, and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
• Mill Creek is re-releasing more Sony DVD sets on October 21, with Married... With Children - Seasons 5 and 6 and Square Pegs - The Complete Series.
• Universal will be re-releasing the classic series Quantum Leap as a complete series on November 4, with Quantum Leap - The Complete Series.

AUGUST 19 HOME MEDIA RELEASES

• The Millers - The First Season (DVD, $49.98): The first season of the CBS sitcom arrives on DVD, along with a nice collection of special features.
• The Mindy Project - Season Two (DVD, $29.98): The sophomore season of the Fox sitcom debuts on DVD with this release.
• Newhart - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD, $29.93): Fans of the classic series can return to the Stratford Inn with this release.
• Parks and Recreation - Season Six (DVD, $39.98): The NBC sitcom starring Amy Poehler returns to DVD once again with this release.
• Three's Company - The Complete Series - Come and Knock on Our Door (DVD, $134.98): Return to the place where the kisses are hers and hers and his with this complete series release, which puts all of the previously released season sets into one box.

Who to Follow: Antenna TV (Facebook, Twitter), "A new digital multicast network dedicated to hit movies and classic TV shows."

Claim to Fame: We're not going with a person for our "Follow Me" this week, because people aren't the only thing on Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes, a TV channel or other other similar entity is worth following on Twitter, and Antenna TV is a good example of this. Antenna TV, of course, was the broadcast digital network that debuted on January 1, 2011, and is known primarily for airing several classic TV series and movies. They're worth following since they post meaningful updates about their programming from people who really know and understand the programming seen on Antenna TV (as opposed to other networks, which may tend to just post generic updates reminding fans to watch a show without saying anything special about the episodes) and they're willing to interact with fans.

Pick of the Tweets: "LUCY FANS, get ready for a Lucille Ball double feature, tonight starting with "Yours, Mine and Ours" at 8p ET, and then "The Facts of Life" at 10:30p ET. What is your favorite Lucy movie?" (August 16, 2014)

TBS will be airing a month's worth of episodes of the first season of the current CBS sitcom Mom. The series stars Anna Faris and Allison Janney and follows Christy Plunkett (Anna Faris), a single mother who, after dealing with her battle with alcoholism and drug abuse, decides to restart her life in Napa, California's wine country working as a waitress and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. It just completed its 22-episode first season last season and you can now relive 20 episodes over a course of a month on TBS. Mom will air weekdays at 7:30pm for a limited time from Monday. Aug. 25 to Friday, Sept. 19. This will be of course just in time for the second season on CBS, which premieres Monday, Sept. 29. The Big Bang Theory will lead-in at 7pm for a month to give Mom a good lead-in. Not to worry Seinfeld fans, the 6-8pm block will return come Sept. 22, but from Aug. 25-Sept. 19, Seinfeld will air 6-7pm only.

As for the rest of the TBS line-up, we will let you know soon how the Fall will shape-up. There are no big acquisitions coming, but something will be replacing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air starting Sept. 15 in daytime, as that series heads exclusively to BET/Centric this fall. Stay with us on that and the rest of TBS this fall!

Escape, the nation's first-ever over-the-air broadcast television network for women, has acquired the rights to 538 episodes of three popular true crime series in three individual licensing agreements: Snapped (150 episodes) from NBCUniversal Television & New Media Distribution, U.S. & Canada; Unsolved Mysteries (175 episodes) hosted by Dennis Farina from Cosgrove/Meurer Productions; Forensic Files (213 episodes) from Trifecta Entertainment & Media. Escape will target women 25-54 with a mix of off-net series and theatrical motion pictures which will emphasize heroines and heroes that slip away from pursuit or peril. The network, set to launch later this summer, is part of Katz Broadcasting, a new company established by current Bounce TV founder/COO and former Turner Broadcasting executive Jonathan Katz, who serves as President and CEO. Escape's brother-network Grit will be the first-ever over-the-air broadcast television network for men and will also launch later this summer. Escape and Grit are both currently cleared to be seen in 50% of the country, with more distribution to be announced shortly. The networks will be seen in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Houston, Miami, San Francisco and other major markets.

USA Network announced a 13-episode order for season two of the original, half-hour comedy series Sirens from Fox Television Studios and executive producers Denis Leary and Bob Fisher. The series, starring Michael Mosley, Kevin Daniels, Kevin Bigley, Jessica McNamee and Josh Segarra, follows a group of Chicago's best EMTs who are rock stars professionally, but struggle to keep their personal lives in order. In its first season, Sirens quickly drew a loyal and consistent audience, earning its place as the top new basic cable comedy series debut of the year among total viewers P2+ averaging 1.62MM and in the key P25-54 demo averaging 870,000. The series renewal comes on the heels of the network's reality series pick up of a second season of hit show Chrisley Knows Best.

Sirens follows the ridiculous and rowdy antics of EMTs Johnny (Mosley), Hank (Daniels) and Bryan (Bigley) and police officers Theresa (McNamee) and Billy (Segarra). Throughout season one, they tackled everything while on the job; from heart attack victims and gunshot wounds to ambulance chasers and doppelgangers, all in life-threatening situations. Personally, things were equally outlandish, between Johnny's inability to commit to Theresa (McNamee), Hank's unsteady relationship with his ex and Brian's over-eagerness and general naiveté. Season one guest stars included Lenny Clarke, Jean Smart, Loretta Devine, Nora Dunn and John Scurti. The series is complemented with an immersive digital experience at usanetwork.com, featuring videos of the Sirens EMTs' unique personal take on all aspects of life -- including different types of "emergencies," such as work, romance and health.

Two new demo-specific broadcast networks created by Jonathan Katz, the architect and Chief Operating Officer of successful African American network Bounce TV, will launch this summer. Escape will target women 25-54 with a brand of programming that's daring, sexy and anchored in stories of crime and mystery. The network's mix of theatrical motion pictures and off-net series will emphasize heroines and heroes that slip away from pursuit or peril, while providing viewers themselves the opportunity to escape from their daily lives. With a heavy focus on western and war genres, action-oriented Grit will be a new television brand built around the classic male hero archetype. Featuring stars like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Chuck Norris, the network will reach men 25-54 with theatricals and off-network series that are bold, brave and legendary. Univision Television Group, which owns and/or operates television stations in major U.S. markets, will launch both Escape and Grit as a multicast channel on stations representing more than 30% of U.S. television households. Initial markets include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Miami.

We will have more details on the off-network acquisitions soon, but as of now they have acquired the television rights to 135 demo-targeted motion pictures in a multi-year licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD). Warner Bros. drama and thriller titles earmarked for Escape include: The contemporary classic Body Heat starring Kathleen Turner; Demi Moore in Disclosure; the Nicole Kidman thrillers Dead Calm and Malice; Kathy Bates creating Misery for James Caan, based on the Stephen King story; Bates in another King tale, Dolores Claiborne with Jennifer Jason Leigh; Copycat starring Sigourney Weaver; Blink with Madeline Stowe and Cate Blanchett as Charlotte Gray; John Grisham's Presumed Innocent; Michelle Pfeiffer in Tequila Sunrise; Star 80 and more. Among the stars and titles headed to Grit in the WBDTD agreement: Clint Eastwood - As Dirty Harry in Sudden Impact, leading the charge in Kelly's Heroes and also Bronco Billy; Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser; Sylvester Stallone in Cobra, Demolition Man and Victory; Jackie Chan starring in Rumble in the Bronx and Jackie Chan's First Strike; Steven Seagal (Hard to Kill, Fire Down Below, On Deadly Ground and Out of Reach); Denzel Washington (Fallen) and more. Grit also lands such westerns as the John Wayne classics Cahill, U.S. Marshall, Chisum and The Cowboys; Young Guns and Young Guns 2; The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford starring Brad Pitt and such war and military movies as Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Memphis Belle and Purple Hearts.