SitcomsOnline.com News Blog: Malcolm and Eddie

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Tuesday, November 25, 2025

COZI TV Acquires Malcolm & Eddie and The Steve Harvey Show; 53rd International Emmy® Awards Winners

The Steve Harvey Show and Malcolm & Eddie

COZI TV, NBCUniversal Local's national multicast network that delivers TV's all-time best shows and comedy favorites, is expanding its morning roster with a pair of iconic comedies from Sony Pictures Television: Malcolm & Eddie and The Steve Harvey Show. The fan favorites debut next Monday, December 1, with back-to-back episodes from 8 to 9 a.m. ET and 9 to 10 a.m. ET, respectively. This marks the first time Malcolm & Eddie will be presented on a multicast network.

Malcolm & Eddie (8 to 9 a.m. ET) follows the hilarious misadventures of two unlikely friends—responsible Malcolm McGee and fast-talking Eddie Sherman—as they navigate life, business, and friendship in Kansas City. Starring the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin, Malcolm & Eddie had an original four-season, 89-episode run from 1996 to 2000.

The Steve Harvey Show (9 to 10 a.m. ET) stars the legendary comedian as a former professional musician turned high school teacher and administrator, bringing his signature humor to the classroom. Set in Chicago's West Side, The Steve Harvey Show debuted in 1996 and ran originally for six seasons for 122 episodes.

Both shows replace The Munsters weekday block, but The Munsters will still air on weekends.

International Emmy Awards

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presented Emmys to television creators and performers from nine countries at the 53rd International Emmy® Awards last night in New York City. The Gala was attended by television professionals from around the world and hosted by Live with Kelly and Mark co-hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.

The Founders Emmy® was presented to Dana Walden, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, whose three-decade career has championed creative excellence, supporting the visionary storytellers behind some of the most celebrated series in television history, including 24, Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, Homeland, and This Is Us. The Directorate Award was presented to João Roberto Marinho, Chairman and President of Grupo Globo, honoring his leadership in strengthening the group’s legacy of independent journalism and cultural impact, by TV Globo news anchor William Bonner and Brazilian actress Lilia Cabral.

In addition to the 2 Special Awards, 16 Emmy® statues were presented by the International Academy during the evening. The 16 winning International Emmy® programs and performances are: Ryuichi Sakamoto: Last Days (Arts Programming), Oriol Pla (Best Performance by an Actor), Anna Maxwell Martin (Best Performance by an Actress), Ludwig (Comedy), Dispatches: Kill Zone: Inside Gaza (Current Affairs), Hell Jumper (Documentary), Rivals (Drama Series), Bluey (Kids: Animation), Auf Fritzis Spuren – Wie War Das So In Der DDR? [On Fritz’s Traces – What Was It Like In The GDR?] (Kids: Factual & Entertainment), Fallen (Kids: Live Action), Gaza, Search For Life (News), Shaolin Heroes: Denmark (Non-Scripted Entertainment), La Médiatrice [The Mediator] (Short-Form Series), It’s All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football (Sports Documentary), Deha [The Good & The Bad] (Telenovela), and Lost Boys & Fairies (TV Movie/Mini-Series).

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Remembering Malcolm-Jamal Warner of The Cosby Show and Malcolm & Eddie; Futurama Season 13 Drops September 15

Actor, director and musician Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who starred as Theo Huxtable in The Cosby Show and as Malcolm McGee in Malcolm & Eddie, has died. He died on July 20 while swimming at Playa Cocles in Limón Province, Costa Rica. Authorities reported he was caught in a high current and drowned. Bystanders pulled him from the ocean, but he was declared lifeless upon reaching shore. The official cause of death was confirmed as asphyxia by submersion due to drowning. Mr. Warner was 54.

The Cosby Show

Warner starred as Theodore "Theo" Huxtable in the 1984-1992 NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Theo is the only son of Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad), and the middle one of their five children. The character was based on Bill Cosby's only son Ennis Cosby. He also gave the character dyslexia as his son also had the condition. In 1986, he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards, making him the youngest nominee in history in that category.

He directed five episodes of the series from 1990 to 1992. He appeared as Theo Huxtable in two episodes of the spinoff A Different World in 1988 and 1989. In 1990, he appeared as Theo Huxtable in The Earth Day Special on ABC. The Cosby Show cast also included Sabrina Le Beauf, Lisa Bonet (1984-1991), Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Geoffrey Owens (1986-1992), Joseph C. Phillips (1989-1992), Raven-Symoné, and Erika Alexander (1990-1992).

Here and Now

Warner starred as Alexander "A.J." James in the short-lived 1992-1993 NBC sitcom Here and Now. Alexander "A.J." James is a recent college graduate who majored in psychology now attending post graduate school. He returns to his old neighborhood in Harlem to become a counselor at a local youth center. The series also starred Charles Brown, S. Epatha Merkerson, Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, Rachael Crawford, Jessica Stone, Pee Wee Love, and Shaun Weiss.

Malcolm & Eddie

He starred as Malcolm McGee in the 1996-2000 UPN sitcom Malcolm & Eddie. Malcolm McGee is a responsible and sensible twenty something who ends up sharing an apartment and a business venture with relentlessly enthusiastic tow truck owner Eddie Sherman (Eddie Griffin) in Kansas City, Missouri (which is Eddie Griffin's hometown). Warner directed 17 episodes of the series from 1997 to 2000. He wrote the story for an episode in 1997. The cast included Karen Malina White, Jaime Cardriche (1996-1998), Miriam Flynn (1996-1997), Christopher Daniel Barnes (1998-2000), and Ron Pearson (1998-2000).

Listen Up

Warner starred as Bernie Widmer in the 2004-2005 CBS sitcom Listen Up. The sitcom was based loosely on the life and exploits of the popular sportswriter and sports-media personality Tony Kornheiser. Tony Kleinman (Jason Alexander) is a Philadelphia based sports show host whose sidekick is Bernie Widmer, a former NFL player; together they host the TV show Listen Up. The series also starred Wendy Makkena, Daniella Monet, and Will Rothhaar.

Sherri

In 2009, he starred as Kevin Robinson in the short-lived Lifetime sitcom Sherri. Kevin Robinson is the cheating husband of Sherri Robinson (Sherri Shepherd) who she divorces. The cast included Tammy Townsend, Brandon Khalil, Kali Rocha, James Avery, and Kate Reinders.

Reed Between the Lines

He starred as Dr. Alex Reed in the 2011 BET and 2015 Centric sitcom Reed Between the Lines. The show follows a modern-day blended family as they navigate life's ups and downs with wit and humor. It centers on Dr. Carla Reed (Tracee Ellis Ross), a busy psychologist, wife and mom struggling to balance her job and her happy but chaotic home life along with her husband, Dr. Alex Reed, an English professor at NYU. Warner directed two episodes of the series in 2011. In 2012, he was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a comedy series at the NAACP Image Awards for his role. The series also starred Nadji A. Jeter, Zoë Soul, Zoé Hendrix, Melissa De Sousa (Season 1), Anna Maria Horsford (Season 1; guest in season 2), Michole White, Tony Rock (Season 2), and Chrlie Robinson (Season 2).

Warner appeared as himself in a 1990 episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He played Eric Sanders, Hilary Banks' (Karyn Parsons) boyfriend, in a 1991 episode. He had a recurring role as Andre Bennett, the ex-husband of Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown), in four episodes of Community from 2011 to 2012. Some of his other sitcom guest appearances included The Michael J. Fox Show, Detroiters, White Famous, The Wonder Years (2023), and grown-ish.

He was also known for his work in dramas. He starred as Kurdy Malloy in the 2002-2004 Showtime post-apocalyptic action drama Jeremiah. He was a recurring cast member as Lt. Chuck Cooper in TNT's Major Crimes from 2013 to 2016. He played Al "A.C." Cowlings in FX's The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story in 2016. He had a recurring role as prison counselor Julius Rowe in six episodes of USA's Suits from 2016 to 2017. He starred as Dr. AJ Austin in the 2018-2023 Fox medical drama The Resident.

Some of his other television guest appearances included Matt Houston, Fame (1983), Call to Glory, Matlock (1987), Tour of Duty, Touched by an Angel, Sliders, Dexter, The Cleaner, HawthoRNe, Sons of Anarchy (3 episodes), American Horror Story (3 episodes), House of Lies, Lethal Weapon, Accused, 9-1-1 (4 episodes), and Alert: Missing Persons Unit (3 episodes).

Some of his other directing credits included The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Kenan & Kel (2 episodes), All That (6 episodes), and The Resident. He directed music videos including New Edition's "N.E. Heart Break" (1989), rapper Special Ed's "I'm the Magnificent" (1989) and British R&B group Five Star's "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" (1994).

In 2015, Warner received a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for the song "Jesus Children" alongside Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway.

He was interviewed for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television on July 3, 2013.

Mr. Warner was a talented and versatile actor. He grew up on television as Theo Huxtable for eight funny and memorable seasons of The Cosby Show. We thank him for the laughs and entertainment that he brought us in his career. He will be greatly missed.

Share your memories on our The Cosby Show and Malcolm & Eddie message boards.

Alan Bergman

We also remember Hall of Fame songwriter Alan Bergman. He wrote the theme song lyrics for Maude, Good Times and Alice with his wife Marilyn Bergman. He died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on July 17. Mr. Bergman was 99.

Alan and Marilyn Bergman wrote the theme song lyrics for the 1972 CBS sitcom The Sandy Duncan Show, with Dave Grusin providing the music. They wrote the theme song lyrics for "And Then There's Maude" for the 1972-1978 CBS sitcom Maude, with Dave Grusin providing the music. It was performed by Donny Hathaway. They wrote the gospel-style theme song lyrics for the 1974-1979 CBS sitcom Good Times, with Dave Grusin providing the music. It was sung by Jim Gilstrap and Motown singer Blinky Williams with a gospel choir providing background vocals. They wrote the theme song lyrics for "There's a New Girl in Town" for the 1976-1985 CBS sitcom Alice, with David Shire providing the music. It was performed by Linda Lavin.

The Bergmans were honored with three Academy Awards (1969, 1974, 1984), three Emmy Awards, the Grammy Award for Song of the Year, and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Their notable compositions included "The Way We Were", "The Windmills of Your Mind" and "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." We thank him and his wife for writing the lyrics for the memorable theme songs of Maude, Good Times and Alice. He will be sorely missed.

David Flebotte

Television writer and producer David Flebotte worked on Ellen, Suddenly Susan, 8 Simple Rules, and Will & Grace. He died from cystic fibrosis at a hospital in Missoula, Montana, on July 8. Mr. Flebotte was 65.

Flebotte's sitcom writing credits included Good Advice, The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (2 episodes), Ellen (7 episodes), Suddenly Susan, The PJs (3 episodes), The Geena Davis Show, 8 Simple Rules (3 episodes), and Will & Grace. In 1999, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the category Best Animated Program for his work on the Fox stop motion-animated sitcom The PJs. He created the short-lived 2009 Lifetime sitcom Sherri, which starred Sherri Shepherd.

Some of his sitcom producing credits included Ellen, Suddenly Susan, The Geena Davis Show, The Bernie Mac Show, 8 Simple Rules, Will & Grace, Sherri, and Raising Hope.

He created the 2017-2018 Showtime comedy-drama I'm Dying Up Here. Some of his other producing credits included Men in Trees, Dirt, Desperate Housewives, Boardwalk Empire, Masters of Sex, and Tulsa King.

Mr. Flebotte worked extensively in television as a writer and producer, contributing to both sitcoms and dramas across major networks and streaming platforms. We thank him for work on television. He will be greatly missed.

Futurama

Futurama season 13 lands on Hulu on September 15 at 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET with all 10 episodes at once. Hulu has also debuted seven First Look images from the upcoming season. Season 13 will also premiere September 15 at 8/7c with two episodes weekly on FXX. Futurama seasons 11 and 12 previously premiered on Hulu with one episode at launch and one new episode weekly.

Bender is rampaging out of control! A volcano is about to explode! Fry confronts a rival for Leela's love! And Dr. Zoidberg is rising up to heaven?! The excitement might be too much! You've been warned... it's an all new season of Futurama!

CAST: John DiMaggio, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil Lamar, David Herman

Friday, August 29, 2014

FamilyNet Fall 2014 Schedule with Sony TV Classics; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 1, 2014)

FamilyNet's Fall 2014 schedule is in! They have announced a five-year agreement with Sony Pictures Television, which now has a minority stake with the network. Effective Monday (Sept. 1), the entire line-up will be classic TV shows from the Sony library. The weekday line-up begins with laughs with back-to-back episodes of I Dream of Jeannie at 8am, followed by two episodes of Bewitched at 9. Then from 10am-2pm, it's classic Sony dramas with TJ Hooker, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels, and Fantasy Island in 70s/80s action. The late afternoon block will feature more sitcoms, this time from the '70s and also urban sitcoms, starting at 2pm with an episode each of All in the Family, Barney Miller, Malcolm & Eddie, followed by two episodes of Good Times and an episode of What's Happening Now!! at 4:30pm. And if you miss all of that from 8am-5pm, they will do it all over again from 5pm-2am. Paid programming will close the night out from 2am-8am.

With the addition of all of these shows, current series Highway to Heaven and The Beverly Hillbillies will be leaving the schedule. Moving on to weekends, there will be a few more series! Saturdays from 7am-2pm will feature series, starting with the short-lived Michael Strahan sitcom Brothers from 7-8am, followed by a two-hour The Monkees block from 8-10am, an hour each of I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched and then an episode each of dramas Charlie's Angels and Fantasy Island. Sony movies will air at 2pm & 4pm, leading into an evening block of sitcoms with All in the Family and Barney Miller from 6-8pm. Movies return in primetime from 8pm-12am into late night sitcoms Good Times and Brothers from 12-2am. And finally on Sundays, Brothers will air from 7-8am into religious programming from 8am-2pm. The afternoon movies will air at 2 and 4pm on Sunday, too. The Sunday early evening block will feature TJ Hooker and Charlie's Angels at 5 & 7pm, leading into movies in primetime from 8pm-12am. Urban sitcoms Malcolm & Eddie and Good Times round out Sunday night from 12-2am. This is excellent news for us sitcom fans...keep it right here for continued updates on FamilyNet's line-up!

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. 1-5, 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 1, 2014

Jennifer Aniston (Friends) - Watch Jennifer on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. There's a Friends reunion with Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Joseph is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
Derek Waters (Married to the Kellys) - Derek appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Judy Greer (Mad Love/Arrested Development/Miss Guided) - Tune in to see Judy on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
Kym Whitley (Young & Hungry/Animal Practice/Sparks) - Kym is a guest on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) - Yvette guest co-hosts a repeat of ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Drew is a guest on a repeat of @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
Patricia Heaton (The Middle/Back to You/Everybody Loves Raymond - Patricia sells a treasure from The Middle on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Debi Mazar (Entourage/Working) - Debi and her husband, Gabriele Corcos, share their passion for Tuscan food and each other on a repeat of Katie, so check your local listings.
Jane Leeves (Hot in Cleveland/Frasier/Throb) - Jane appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Catch Allison on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
David Koechner (The Office/Hank) - David stops by @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
George Lopez (Saint George/George Lopez) - George appears on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
Albert Tsai (Trophy Wife) - Albert is a guest on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
Seth Green (Dads/Greg the Bunny) - Seth talks about his new film The Identical on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
Marlon Wayans (The Wayans Bros.) - Marlon appears on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
Brooklyn Decker (Friends with Better Lives) - Tune in to see Brooklyn on a repeat of The Queen Latifah Show on your local station or at 3am on BET.
Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP) - Keke is a guest on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Watch Terry on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Tony Hale (Veep/Arrested Development) - Tony is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
J.B. Smoove (The Millers/Curb Your Enthusiasm/'Til Death) - J.B. appears on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
Jay Thomas (Cheers/Love & War/Murphy Brown) - Jay is a guest on a repeat of The Better Show, so check your local listings.
Allison Williams (Girls) - NBC's Today goes behind the scenes of Peter Pan with Allison Williams in the 10am hour.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Catch Larry on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) - Sarah visits Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray appears on a repeat of The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
Chris D'Elia (Undateable/Whitney) and Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Chris and Whitney are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
Patrick Duffy (Step by Step/Welcome to Sweden) - Patrick chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Leah Remini (The King of Queens/Family Tools) - Leah appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Kirstie Alley (Kirstie/Veronica's Closet/Cheers) - Kirstie throws down a figure-friendly chicken dinner and gives the inside scoop on her weight-loss journey on a repeat of Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
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.
Judy Greer (Married/Arrested Development/Miss Guided and Nat Faxon (Married/Ben & Kate) - Judy and Nat are guests on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
The Cast of The League - Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Steve Rannazzisi and Jon LaJoie will be on SI Now at 1pm.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Watch Tina on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
Seth Green (Dads/Family Guy/Greg the Bunny) - Seth visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls/Joey) - Jennifer chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Juliette Lewis (I Married Dora) - Juliette is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings. She will also be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
Joely Fisher (Ellen/'Til Death) - Joely appears on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
Amanda Fuller (Last Man Standing) - Amanda talks about Lifetime's The Brittany Murphy Story on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.

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, June 13, 2013

Jamie Foxx Returns to Centric, Malcolm & Eddie Departs; MeTV Network Adds 3 More Stations, Now Clears 90% of U.S.

Centric has brought back The Jamie Foxx Show on the regular schedule. The sitcom had been airing just in marathon blocks of late on both BET and Centric, but now it is back on the regular schedule. It is airing weekdays back-to-back from 12-1pm, replacing an hour of The Wayans Bros. Not to worry, that sitcom will remain airing in its other block from 5-6pm. Centric is also adding another hour of Moesha replacing Malcolm & Eddie weekdays from 2-3pm. Moesha will also remain in its 12-1am block as well and in the mornings on BET, but Malcolm & Eddie is now off of the Centric schedule. No word on when it will return, but as always, we will let you know if and when it does. No other schedule changes will be made to the regular schedule. Centric also has 227 on the bench and they air it from time to time in marathon blocks. Back to The Jamie Foxx Show, it will have a marathon on Friday, June 21 from 9am-6pm. In fact, all this month Centric will have Friday marathons, with Steve Harvey Show this Friday, Jamie Foxx as mentioned on June 21, and Moesha on June 28.

Centric will also continue to air marathons on weekends as well, with The Cosby Show getting the Father's Day weekend marathon this weekend (June 15-16) from 10am-10pm. Other weekend marathons are: The Wayans Bros. June 22-23, New York Undercover & The A-Team on June 29-30, Girlfriends on July 6-7, The Jamie Foxx Show again on July 13-14, more The Wayans Bros. July 20-21 and Bernie Mac July 27-28. As for the 4th of July, Centric will celebrate the holiday with the first family, with a marathon of the first-run syndicated comedy The First Family from 11am-5pm. Fellow comedy Mr. Box Office will get the marathon treatment the following day from 11am-7pm. As always, stay with us for the latest updates.

The MeTV Network has signed three new affiliation agreements with Gray Television stations in these markets: KSNB (Lincoln, Nebraska - DMA #105), WSWG (Albany, Georgia - DMA #145) and WTVY (Dothan, Alabama - DMA #169). These new affiliates bring MeTV to 150 markets and the network now clears 90% of the country. In addition to being available in all top ten television markets, the network can be found in 28 of the top 30 markets in the U.S. Some several major media groups, including Hearst, Gannett, Raycom, Allbritton, Media General, Post-Newsweek, Nexstar, London Broadcasting, Belo, Hubbard, Cordillera, Bahakel, Fisher, Cox, Morgan Murphy, Grant, New Press Gazette, New Age, Granite, Capitol, Dispatch, Journal, Bonten and Titan. MeTV features a wide range of programming which audiences and advertisers find comfortable and engaging. MeTV's library includes almost 100 series from Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, CBS Television Distribution, NBCUniversal Television as well as many independent series owners and producers. MeTV's line-up include some of the most beloved television programs ever produced, including: M*A*S*H, The Brady Bunch, The Beverly Hillbillies, Perry Mason, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, and the original Hawaii Five-O series.

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

BET/Centric 2013 Upfront Notes, Adds Malcolm & Eddie; Episodic Review: The Middle - "The Bachelor" Airing Tonight on ABC

BET and Centric held its upfront presentation yesterday and we had some sitcom worthy announcements. First up, BET has picked-up a seventh season of its hit comedy The Game. As you know, The Game on BET is a record-breaking, history-making phenomenon, with 7.7 million viewers on premiere night in 2011, making BET the home of the #1 sitcom debut in the history of cable TV. In 2013, players come and go but The Game goes on, with Lauren London and Jay Ellis joining the cast in season six. Brandy returns in her expanded role as Chardonnay, aka Mrs. Jason Pitts, along with series favorites Hosea Chanchez, Coby Bell and Wendy Raquel Robinson. Season 7 promises to deliver more sexy dramedy as the cast negotiates the ups and downs of love and football. Look for The Game season seven to premiere in early 2014. Also returning will be multi-camera comedy Let's Stay Together. Looking back, in 2011 the premiere of Let's Stay Together debuted at #2 right behind The Game, making it a certified smash hit. This fun, flirtatious comedy about two couples and one sexy single is back for a fourth season of laughs and love lessons. Audiences adore and relate to this cast. Averaging nearly 3 million viewers in its first season, the series debut ranks among the top 3 Tuesday sitcom premieres over the past 10 years. Making relationships work is easier said than done, but Season 4 is sure to be filled with juicy new plot twists that will continue to keep Let's Stay Together on viewers' must-watch list. This comedy will also return in early 2014. Currently, both comedies just started their current seasons last Tuesday and are airing through May 21.

Malcolm & Eddie

Moving on to sister network Centric, they have announced a few acquisitions. First, they will be airing episodes of current first-run syndicated sitcoms The First Family and Mr. Box Office. Both sitcoms were originally planned to launch in the fall, as we mentioned, but the deals didn't go through and they will start on Friday, April 19. The First Family will air Fridays at 8pm and 9pm, while Mr. Box Office will air Fridays at 8:30pm & 9:30pm. They both air on weekends in local broadcast syndication, so check your local listings. They will encore between 2-4am on Friday nights as well. Also, Centric has added reruns of the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie as of April 1. The series was airing on and off on sister network MTV2. The Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin sitcom is airing weekdays 2-3pm, replacing Everybody Hates Chris. Both of Malcolm-Jamal Warner's comedies will air in a Sunday night block as well, with Malcolm & Eddie from 9-10pm leading into his earlier series The Cosby Show from 10-11pm. That's about it that was sitcom/scripted TV series related in BET/Centric's upfront. In scheduling news, 227 will get a stunt on Centric on Saturday, April 13 from 4-9pm, while Everybody Hates Chris gets one on Saturday, April 27 from 11am-7pm. Both series are currently not on the regular line-up. On BET, we have a marathon of The Jamie Foxx Show on Saturday, April 13 from 8am-6pm, another series currently not on the regular line-up. One other note, recent addition Family Matters will get a marathon on Saturday, May 25 from 8am-7:30pm, kicking off Memorial Day weekend. Stay with us for continued updates.

On the next...The Middle:
By: Pavan

ABC's Comedy Wednesday sitcom starring Patrica Heaton airs Wednesday nights at 8:00pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (April 3). The episode features The Bachelor host Chris Harrison in a voice-over. In the episode airing tonight, "The Bachelor," Frankie (Patrica Heaton) can't hide her disappointment over whom The Bachelor chooses to marry and ends up moping around the house for days about it; Mike (Neil Flynn) tries to toughen Sue (Eden Sher) up when she joins the school's tennis team and continually compliments her opponents during their matches; and Axl (Charlie McDermott) and Cassidy (guest star Galadriel Stineman) try to figure out where their relationship stands after their big fight.

Spring is in the air! As the season changes, lots of things are happening in the Heck household: The Bachelor season has ended and Frankie is upset, Sue plays tennis while Mike helps, Axl and Cassidy go through a rough patch, and Brick surprises with a new "obsession." The Axl-Cassidy storyline is a continuation from the previous episode where we see Cassidy and her ex-boyfriend holding hands while Axl sees that from far away. They confront each other about that incident and what Axl saw, wasn't really what he thought he saw. Cassidy gets upset and Axl tries to win her back, but how will it go? I hope it is a happy ending, because these two are good for each other. The best storyline once again goes to Sue. She accidentally gets on the tennis team (yeah, only in Sue's world this can happen) and is ecstatic. She goes to practice and Mike is helping and he realizes Sue is actually good! However, when Sue plans an actual game she is just full of compliments...for the opponents. Mike tries to get her out of that habit and hilarity happens when she plays her next match. I'll just say, if only the entire world is nice and positive like Sue Heck then everyone would be living in peace. And the final storyline is the main storyline about Frankie watching The Bachelor and she doesn't pay attention to anything around her (and also has a Roseanne-style laugh). While watching the finale, she is upset at The Bachelor's decision in picking his fiance. She wanted Alyssa, but he went with Kendall! This causes Frankie to lose it for about six days and she is just obsessively upset. She'll get a boost from an unexpected source at the end that is hilarious.

"There's not a thing that I would change... 'cause The Middle is amazing. Just the way it is." We get a nice Bruno Mars song at the end of the episode and it can be reworded to fit this show, just like above. This episode perfectly shows us the talent and greatness of this series. It has the laughs, the emotional moments, and Sue Heck. Everyone shines in this episode, like usual. Sue Heck shines the most because she brings it to yet another level in this episode. I don't think I have ever seen anyone as nice and positive like that, especially playing a game or sport. Everyone wants to be competitive, but Sue just roots everyone on. She stole the episode. Not to say everything else wasn't great, it was, but Sue was just perfection. You'll want to tune in tonight for another great episode of this sitcom. B

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Boy Meets World Now On MTV2; South Park Renewed Through 2016, Its 20th Season

In a very last minute schedule change, MTV2 has acquired the rights to the popular '90s comedy Boy Meets World! As of Monday, the sitcom has been airing weekdays from 10am-12pm ET/PT. The series will also air Saturdays in a block from 10am-2pm. The sitcom joins Martin, The Wayans Bros., Malcolm & Eddie, and In Living Color as other popular '90s sitcoms (and sketch comedies) on the network. Martin and The Wayans Bros. air regularly weeknights after 10pm, while the other two seem to air as a filler here and there. Boy Meets World will also continue to air on ABC Family weekday mornings from 7-8am, so this looks like a shared deal between Disney and Viacom. Perhaps the sitcom will pop-up on other Viacom networks in the future like TeenNick or Nick at Nite? We will let you know if that happens for sure, but watch the sitcom right now on MTV2! Mr. Feeny gets even hipper by now being on MTV (well MTV2, that is)!
If you don't know, here is what the sitcom is about: Cory is your average guy. He has a best friend from the other side of the tracks, a teacher that constantly keeps him on his toes and a friend named Topanga who he has trouble understanding. With the support of his parents and his big brother Eric, Cory learns to cope with the roller coaster called growing up. Starring Ben Savaga as Cory Matthews; Rider Strong as Shawn Hunter; Danielle Fishel as Topanga Matthews; Will Friedle as Eric Matthews; Trina McGee as Angela Moore; Matthew Lawrence as Jack Hunter; and William Daniels as George Feeny.
In other MTV2 scheduling news, they have scheduled a Martin Thanksgiving Day marathon (Thursday, Nov. 24) from 3pm-9pm! Tune into to see all the crazy antics from Martin Lawrence and company.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have reached a new deal with Comedy Central to extend cable's longest-running animated series, South Park. The deal for three additional seasons ensures the top-rated Emmy(R) and Peabody Award-winning series will remain in original episodes through 2016 and a milestone 20th season. Parker and Stone will continue to write, direct and edit every episode of South Park, as they have since the premiere of the series in 1997.
Recently voted "The Greatest Animated TV Series" in a poll conducted by Entertainment Weekly, South Park, which wrapped up its 15th season last night, has averaged over 3.5 million viewers per episode during its most recent season (most current data), in which it was the #1 show in all of television among Men 18-24 in Wednesday Prime and the #1 show in cable among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34, Adults 18-24, Men 18-34 and Men 18-24 in Wednesday Prime. The series has also accumulated 35 million fans on Facebook, making it the most-liked series in cable and the #3 series in all of television.
South Park launched on August 13, 1997 and premiered its 15th season on April 27, 2011. South Park's Web site is www.southparkstudios.com. The series airs Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m. and repeats later that night at midnight (all times ET/PT).

Monday, June 27, 2011

MTV2 Acquires Malcolm & Eddie, In Living Color; Remembering Columbo - Peter Falk

MTV2 has been airing comedies Martin and The Wayans Bros. and it seems they have had some success with them that they will bring in more comedy! Martin started it off on MTV2 airing morning, but it did well for them that they moved it to primetime. Then they brought in The Wayans Bros. last month and that also seems to be working. Starting this Friday (July 1, 2011), MTV2 will bring in Malcolm & Eddie, the late '90s comedy starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin. The sitcom will premiere from 8pm-10pm. MTV2 has also brought in the sketch comedy In Living Color, which airs on sister Viacom network Centric, so this is not an actual new acquisition. In Living Color will premiere on Friday as well in the late night from 1am-6am.
Both In Living Color and Malcolm & Eddie will air part of a 4th of July weekend filled with sitcom marathons. As we mentioned the marathon stunts start on Friday, July 1 at 8pm with Malcolm & Eddie, followed by The Wayans Bros. from 10pm-1am and then In Living Color from 1am-6am. The marathons continue on Saturday, July 2 with Martin from 9am-11am, Malcolm & Eddie from 11am-1pm, The Wayans Bros. from 1pm-4pm, In Living Color from 4pm-7pm, more Martin from 7pm-11pm, more Malcolm & Eddie from 11pm-1am and even more Martin from 1am-6am. On Sunday, July 3 the marathons are not as broad, but we still have some with Martin from 1pm-5pm, Malcolm & Eddie from 5pm-8pm, The Wayans Bros. from 8pm-11pm, and In Living Color from 1am-3am. And on the 4th of July itself, salute the day with more comedy! Martin takes center stage with a 12-hour marathon from 9am-9pm, followed by blocks of Malcolm & Eddie from 9pm-11pm, The Wayans Bros. from 11pm-1am, and In Living Color from 1am-3am.
What about regularly? Well the regular schedule will start Tuesday, July 5 and will be every weeknight, with Malcolm & Eddie airing in the 9pm hour leading into Martin from 10pm-12am, The Wayans Bros. from 12am-2am and an hour of In Living Color from 2-3am. Weekends are not regular, but Sundays usually has a marathon block of a show or two, with mostly The Wayans Bros. starting it off in the afternoons.
That's all for now, but let's hope MTV2 gets even more comedy. 4 shows is a good start!

And just one more thing. We leave you with some sad news. Peter Falk, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo, has died. Falk died at his Beverly Hills, CA home on June 23, at the age of 83. No cause of death has been released. He had been suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease according to his daughter, Catherine Falk.

Falk played the squinty, rumpled detective Columbo for over 30 years in primetime television from 1968-2003. The Columbo character first appeared on TV in a 1968 ninety-minute pilot titled Prescription: Murder. Columbo was part of the NBC anthology series, The NBC Mystery Movie (1971-1978), where it would rotate with McCloud and McMillan & Wife. Steven Spielberg directed and Steven Bochco wrote the premiere Columbo episode in 1971. It returned occasionally on ABC with one or two TV movies a season from 1989 to 2003. The final Columbo movie aired on January 30, 2003. Falk won four Emmy Awards for his iconic role.

His early television appearances included Robert Montgomery Presents, Studio One, Kraft Television Theater, New York Confidential, Naked City, Have Gun, Will Travel, Decoy, The Law and Mr. Jones, and Target: The Corruptors. Falk's first lead TV role was in the 1965-66 drama The Trials of Mr. O'Brien. He appeared in numerous films, including Murder, Inc. (Oscar nominated), Pocketful of Miracles (Oscar nominated), Robin and the 7 Hoods, The Great Race, The In-Laws and The Princess Bride.

Mr. Falk is survived by his wife Shera and his two daughters, Jackie and Catherine. Unfortunately, Columbo hasn't aired on national cable since A&E broadcast it in late 1990s or early 2000s. We always loved their Columbus Day Columbo marathons. Thanks to Mr. Falk for playing one of TV's all-time greatest detectives. He will be deeply missed.

Monday, June 30, 2008

BET Picks Up Steve Harvey Show, July Highlights; Bad TV Shows Block Coming in Houston

BET has picked-up the cable rights to air the 1996-2002 WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show starring Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer. The show will start this Friday, the 4th of July, airing 4-5pm ET/PT. It will air also that weekend 4-5pm (July 5 and 6) before airing regularly weekdays 4-5pm and weekends 12-1pm ET/PT. The weekdays 4-5pm airings will replace an hour of Malcolm & Eddie, but that show will still air weekdays 10-11am. The Saturday 12-1pm airings will replace Diff'rent Strokes encores, but Strokes will still air weekdays 9-10am & 3-4pm. While the Sundays 12-1pm Harvey airings will replace Sanford, which will now be off the regular line-up. There will be no other schedule changes, so everything else remains the same.
Now Steve Harvey Show will still air on TBS in early morning slots (6-7am and other slots before that sometimes), so it seems BET has the daytime/afternoon rights, while TBS has the very late and early morning rights. ION Television also airs the show, weekdays 6-7pm, but ION is a broadcast channel, not a cable network. So the show will air on two cable networks and a national broadcast channel...so lots of exposure for this show!
Other July 2008 BET highlights include: the A Different World marathon for Sunday, July 6 has been trimmed from 6-11pm to 8-11pm because of this Steve Harvey addition. The marathons continue Sundays in July with a Diff'rent Strokes marathon from 1pm-6pm on Sunday, July 13. Two shows off the regular line-up, Thea and Sanford will get a five episode each marathon on Sunday, July 20 from 3pm-8pm, with Thea from 3-5:30pm and Sanford from 5:30-8pm.
Now this week, people have been asking is Diff'rent Strokes leaving the weekdays 3-4pm slot since it is not scheduled this week (June 30-July 4)? I sort of answered that already earlier in this story. No, it is not leaving afternoons, it is just not on this week. As of now, it is slated to air each weekday in both the 9-10am and 3-4pm weekday slots for all of July, with no preemptions. Of course, BET has a history of making last minute changes, so please keep checking back on our blog and on our message boards for the latest information!

We were informed by reader Michael Dudas that a Houston TV station is looking to create a "Bad TV" Saturday evening block. The TV station is Channel 55 in Houston called Houston's 55, or better known as The Tube.
"We're going to call it a night of Bad TV, and we're going to run it for three hours, maybe four, on Saturdays starting in October," said Channel 55 president Matt Reiff to the Houston Chronicle. "Whether it's three or four hours depends on how successful we are getting the rights to these shows. We're in the process of buying shows now for the fall. We're looking for the worst shows, I'm talking sitcoms and movies, in the history of television."
This is indeed a wonderful idea! I love it. If I were them I would add Small Wonder, Out of this World, Webster, She's the Sheriff, Harry and the Hendersons, etc. for shows that actually lasted a while but were bashed big time...some of those I actually do like, though! And some of the shows that didn't last a season and were terrible such as Emily's Reasons Why Not, Michael Richards Show, Mary (1985), Joanie Loves Chachi, Who's Watching the Kids?, Emeril, Bagdad Cafe, etc.
Can you think of sitcoms that were just plain bad that lasted a while and sitcoms that were so bad they were canceled within a season? Head on www.houstons55.com and leave them a message under "viewer comments."
Regularly Houston's 55 airs "good" shows such as Northern Exposure, Fantasy Island, Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-0, 21 Jump Street, Star Trek, Married with Children, Steve Harvey, and Renegade.
And how will they present this night of Bad TV? "Each night, we'll have three lousy hosts introducing the lousy shows, and we'll let viewers vote off one of the hosts," Reiff said. "We don't know if we're going to vote off the best host or the worst host. "Oh, and we're going to give away prizes to viewers throughout the show. Prizes will be trips to exotic places, like Paris." Paris, Texas, that is. "And we won't send them to Paris without spending money. How's $55 sound? "Bad TV, bad hosts and bad prizes ... this is going to be great." I agree! Head on over to their website and think of bad TV shows that are so bad that you would want to watch...they could be so bad that you like them (like Small Wonder)! Houston fans are very lucky to have this! We will bring you up to date news as soon as we hear something, such as what shows they have acquired.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

ER Comes to ION Television in June 2008; BET Schedule Changes, Includes Diff'rent Strokes and Different World Memorial Day Marathon

Today is ION Television's upfront! ION Television today announced a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to air seasons 11-14 of the long-running hit series ER on ION Television. The medical drama, which has earned more Primetime Emmy Award nominations than any other program in history, will debut in primetime on the network beginning this June. The show will enter its 15th and final season on NBC next season. We will have more on ER and ION June 2008 in the next week or so, so stay tuned! We also still have the interview with them planned, and hopefully we will know when next week.

BET has made some more schedule changes. And again it is better than before. First off, fans of Diff'rent Strokes and Malcolm & Eddie take note that the episodes will not encore later in the day anymore...but now we will get two new hours each! This started yesterday, so you need to watch or tape both hours immediately. So, Diff'rent Strokes airing 9-10am will not encore 3-4pm later in the day, but that 3-4pm will be new episodes! The same for Malcolm & Eddie...10-11am and 4-5pm are both new episodes. So we get four episodes a day rather than two! So, watch or tape/DVR both hours now. That is good news, I think.
Then, starting this Saturday (May 3), BET has added a sitcom block on Saturdays from 9am-1pm! From 9-10am it will be The Parkers, the Nickelodeon sitcoms Just Jordan and Romeo! will move up an hour to 10-11am and 11am-12pm, and finally closing out the block is two episodes of Diff'rent Strokes from 12-1pm...and yes, they will be new episodes, so you'll need to watch or tape/DVR these as well! Also on Saturday, May 3, we told you A Different World will get a mini marathon block from 8:30-10pm last week, but now it has been extended to 8-10pm...so an extra episode. The show will get weekly Sunday evening airings, but the times vary as I stated last week.
BET has also added Girlfriends for this Saturday only from 10-11pm and 2-3am, while A Different World will encore this Saturday from 3-4am for one time only, preempting Sanford.
Starting next Saturday night (May 10), In Living Color will return and air Saturday nights from 3-4am, replacing Sanford. Sanford fans don't worry because the show will return again to Sundays 12-1pm replacing The Parkers starting May 18, as The Parkers is now Saturdays 9-10am. Remember there is a Thea Mother's Day marathon on May 11 from 12pm-5pm. The marathon episodes of that will be episodes where they left off in the regular run, so we will get (in production order): #11 "Birthday Girl," #12 "Mama I'm Full," #13 "Good Stock," #14 "A Christmas Story," #15 "Danesha's Project," #16 "Who's Zooming Who?," #17 "Of Fish and Men," #18 "T.C.B.," #19 "Call Me Thea," and #20 "The Pie Queen and the Loan Duck," all from 12pm-5pm. So it seems they have aired about every episode of Thea after this...I think just 1 or 2 haven't been aired, so hopefully we get those soon.
Finally, this Memorial Day (Monday, May 26), BET will present a 'different' (or is it spelled Diff'rent?) kind of marathon for viewers! It is the Diff'rent Strokes and A Different World marathon! Diff'rent Strokes will air from 9am-7pm and A Different World from 7pm-3am. We will have episode info for both marathons in a few weeks, so stay tuned for that!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

BET Schedule Change for Weekends; RTN Officially Announces Website; Under One Roof Premieres Tonight on MyNetworkTV

BET has made a slight schedule change for Saturday mornings starting Saturday, April 26. Thea was preempted last week (April 12) at the last minute for a Spring Bling special and this week (April 19) it was already slated to be preempted for the Malcolm & Eddie marathon from 9am-7pm...and now BET will remove Thea for now from the schedule. Back-to-back episodes of the Nickelodeon sitcom Romeo! will air on BET Saturday mornings from 9-10am starting Saturday, April 26 replacing Thea. Also, returning to BET on Saturday mornings is the Nickelodeon sitcom Just Jordan right after Romeo! on Saturdays from 10-11am, replacing Malcolm & Eddie on Saturdays only. Both former Nickelodeon shows are also currently re-airing on sister Viacom station The N as well.
All is not lost for Thea however. Thea's Mother's Day marathon is still slated for Sunday, May 11 from 12 noon to 5pm ET/PT. We will have episode info shortly. Let's hope Thea returns to the line-up shortly as well, so we can see all 22 episodes...I believe about 11 have aired so far.

We already told you about this, but RTN officially announced their website today. Retro Television Network (RTN) announced today that it has launched a new network website, www.RTNville.com. The website features extensive content about the network, including detailed show descriptions (for shows like Cheers, Happy Days) and a complete list of RTN affiliates. A large picture of Robin Leach on the welcome page (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous) is also featured!
"We are thrilled to have a website that showcases RTN programming," said RTN's Neal Ardman. "I believe that RTNville.com is the perfect next step for our network."

Premiering tonight on MyNetwork TV is original sitcom Under One Roof starring Flavor Flav. We gave you the details back in February on what this show is about. The sitcom will air Wednesdays at 8:00pm ET/PT on MyNetwork TV. Tune in tonight as this is the first sitcom in the history of MyNetwork TV! Airing at 8:30pm ET/PT following Under One Roof episodes will be repeats of the classic Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color! The show currently airs in repeats on cable on BET during late nights but it returns to broadcast television in primetime with repeats on MyNetwork TV. MyNetwork TV is calling it The Best of In Living Color...so you'll have to tune in to see which episode airs. Damon Wayans, David Alan Grier, Jim Carrey, and Jennifer Lopez are among the stars of the show.
Also airing tonight of note are the returns of Fox sitcoms Back to You and 'Til Death from 8-9pm. ABC has probably the last debate between Obama and Clinton tonight from 8-10pm ET/PT...should be interesting. And TV Land premiere's new original series The Big 4-0 tonight at 10pm ET/PT.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

BET Adds More Marathons; RTN Comes to Pennsylvania Affiliate

Yesterday we gave you the good news that Diff'rent Strokes has been given another hour on weekdays (3-4pm) starting next week, but now have more good news! The Diff'rent Strokes marathon was such a success this past Sunday (April 6) that BET will give us another marathon! The marathon will be on Sunday, April 20...this time the marathon is just three-hours instead of eight, but we will get the three-hours in primetime! The marathon will air from 8-11pm ET/PT, with very special episodes. Willis battles a drinking problem in "A Growing Problem" at 8pm, at 8:30pm in "Indepenent Woman," Kimberly has a new job but her boss tries to go after her...but only so he can get good with Mr. Drummond, then we have the very special 2-part episode "The Bicycle Man" from 9-10pm where Arnold and Dudley are lured by a child molestor. Closing out the night from 10-11pm are "Romeo & Juliet" where Arnold and his nemesis Lisa are assigned the roles of Romeo & Juliet in a play and finally we have "My Fair Larry," where a high school thug is about to "make it" with Kimberly.
BET also will have a Malcolm & Eddie marathon this Saturday (April 19 from 9am-7pm), as we previously announced. Future marathons include a Thea marathon on Sunday, May 11 and another Sanford marathon on Sunday, June 15. Those are still tentative, so we will have full details closer to the airdates for those, such as timings and episode info. But for now enjoy the Malcolm & Eddie full-day marathon this Saturday and the primetime Diff'rent Strokes marathon this Sunday! BET is sure handling these sitcoms well and other networks should follow their strategy because it seems to be working for them.

Retro Television Network (RTN) announced today that COX Television plans to add a 7th RTN affiliate on its Johnstown/Altoona/State College, PA station. The network's "Prime Time All the Time" lineup will launch early next year on a digital stream of WJAC-TV, COX's NBC affiliate in the market.
Also, for those of you wonderding RTN's official website is back online. I am not sure what happened before but it was asking for a username/password and many of you wrote to us about the problem. So, head on over to the RTN website now if you haven't checked it out.

Monday, March 24, 2008

BET Schedules Diff'rent Strokes and Malcolm and Eddie Marathons; CBS Brings Back Shark, More Price

Last Monday we gave you some BET schedule news as weekends changed a bit with more Sanford (Sundays 12-1pm now). We also gave you details that Jamie Foxx Show and Wayans Bros. are expiring from the channel and will leave after their farwell marathons this Saturday (March 29). Their last regular schedule appearances will be on Friday (March 28). Now we have more BET schedule updates! First off, Sanford will gain two more slots now starting Saturday, April 12...it will air Saturday nights at 3:00am & 3:30am (that's early Sunday mornings). It will continue to air Sundays at 12:00pm & 12:30pm, too. Also, a special 3:00pm & 3:30pm afternoon airing is scheduled on Saturday, April 5 ONLY.
Now to the major news. Diff'rent Strokes, which is airing weekday mornings from 9-10am, will get a marathon! The marathon will air Sunday, April 6 from 1pm-9pm. We don't have episode details yet, but as soon as we do we will post in our message boards. In other Strokes news, fans will be happy that starting tomorrow morning they will start airing season three episodes in the rotation ("The Magician" and "The Bank Job" will air...remember they are going in production order). That is great because seasons three and on are not on DVD yet. So if fans were waiting for that, tune in starting tomorrow (March 25) at 9am!
Malcolm & Eddie will also get a marathon, too! The marathon will air Saturday, April 19 from 9:00am-7:00pm, which means Thea will be preempted 9-10am on this Saturday (April 19) only. We will post episode info when available.
We will post episode info when available on our message boards, so check back. Also, please discuss this!

The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular will return with four new Wednesday primetime specials starting Wednesday, April 30 at 8:00pm while Shark, the second-year on-the-fence drama starring James Woods, returns with four original broadcasts on a new day and time period--Tuesdays at 9:00pm starting Tuesday, April 29. Its second season finale will be broadcast on Tuesday, May 20 at a special time of 10:00pm. Following Shark on Tuesdays will be the new reality series Secret Talent of the Stars on Tuesdays at 10:00pm, starting April 8. That show will put 16 stars together to find secret talents. Among the stars are Clint Black, George Takei, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Marla Maples, Sasha Cohen, Ric Flair, Joe Frazier, Bridget Marquardt, Mya, Sheila E., Roy Jones, Jr., Cindy Margolis, Ben Stein and Danny Bonaduce.

Friday, February 22, 2008

BET Schedule Updates, Sanford Marathon Planned; TV One Revises Programming in March; RTN Comes to D.C.; CBS Brings Classic TV to Online

TGIF! It is a busy (and snowy in NY) Friday here on the blog, as we have quite a lot of stories today!
First we still start with BET. As you recall, we announced on Monday that BET is now airing Diff'rent Strokes and Malcolm & Eddie weekdays and they will bring out short-lived series Sanford and Thea on weekends starting March 1. Now we have some updates for you. We have gotten word that Diff'rent Strokes will also air Saturdays 9-10am, in addition to its weekdays 9-10am slot. It will start airing on Saturdays next Saturday (March 1). However, the Saturday airings will be two repeats from earlier in the week, mostly from the previous Monday's airings earlier in the week. We mentioned the show could air 3-4pm starting next week, but that won't be the case, it will only air 9-10am. Malcolm & Eddie will also air on Saturdays, at 10-11am and 4-5pm. It won't air 11pm-12am, though, that will be only Mon-Fri, while its other slots will be Mon-Sat. A Girlfriends marathon is tomorrow, that is why we are not getting both of these shows tomorrow.
We mentioned that Sanford and Thea will join the weekend line-up late night on Saturday, March 1, which is technically early Sunday morning, airing 2:30am and 3:00am respectively. They will encore later in the day on Sunday at 11:30am and 12pm. Yeah, so we knew that already, but now we have learned that BET will have an all-day San"forward" Marathon on Saturday, March 8 from 10am-11pm just in time for Daylight Savings, as we move our clocks one-hour ahead later that night as we spring forward, or should I say San"forward." And get this, all 26 episodes of Sanford will air back-to-back all day! What a dream come true for Sanford fans! Get those TiVo's, DVR's and VCR's or whatever you use rolling because this is your chance to get every single episode in one shot! Now I have an idea for BET, when we move our clocks back in the fall, we should have a Diff'rent "back"Strokes marathon as we move our clocks one-hour back doing a backstroke. Just a thought! Anyway, BET is certainly looking bright now sitcom wise and we hope they continue this! Be sure you have some chips, nachos, and more snacks ready for this very rare marathon on March 8!

Moving on to another African American network, TV One, we have some changes in store for March. We announced March highlights already, but there are a lot of edits to it now. The TV One premiere of the action series Day Break has be postponed until Sunday, March 16. On Saturday, March 15, and Sunday, March 16, both at 8pm, Taye time is finally here as the weekend with Taye Diggs is now this weekend instead of March 8 and 9 as TV One premieres the Cool Factor and How Stella Got Her Groove Back starring Taye, Angela Bassett, and Whoopi Goldberg. An encore airing is scheduled for Sunday, March 16 at 12am following the premiere of Day Break from 10pm-12am. The weekend with Taye Diggs continues on TV One Sunday, March 16 at 10pm with the TV One premiere of the recent ABC action series Day Break starring Taye Diggs as a law enforcement officer framed for murder. The series will premiere with two back-to-back episodes to air at 10pm and 11pm and will premiere episodes on Sundays at 10pm.
On Saturday, March 22 beginning at 1pm and lasting to 10pm, it's time to get your praise on as the sitcom Amen returns to TV One back by popular demand with an all-day 'Best of Deacon Frye' marathon to give viewers a special treat before it returns to the regular schedule on weekdays at 6am & 6:30am beginning on Monday, March 24th replacing Roc on the TV One schedule, which will be off the line-up now.
Finally, The Hughleys: "All in the Family Launch Marathon" previously announced for Tuesday, April 1 will now air as a two-day weekend marathon on Saturday, April 5 & Sunday, April 6 starting at 1pm both days for this '90s sitcom. We will have more on The Hughleys' regular slots in the April highlights coming soon! Stay tuned for that!

Retro Television Network (RTN) announced that it will partner with Allbritton Communications to bring RTN programming to Washington, D.C. The new affiliate will launch late this year on a digital stream of Washington, D.C.'s ABC affiliate, WJLA-TV.
Allbritton began airing RTN's "Prime Time All the Time" lineup today on a digital stream of WSET-TV (Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA). RTN is scheduled to launch later this year on a digital stream of WHTM-TV (Harrisburg-Lancaster, PA).

CBS Interactive announced that it will begin offering Television Classics from the CBS (Paramount) Library, which is one of the largest television programming libraries in the entertainment business, online and across the CBS Audience Network. The initial lineup includes full-length episodes of Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, MacGyver, Hawaii Five-0 and Melrose Place, with more programs and clips to be added in the coming months. The distribution of Television Classics across the CBS Audience Network follows the same open, non-exclusive strategy that CBS has been using for its content online for the last nine months. All content is ad-supported, free to the consumer, and available immediately.
The initial programming lineup for Television Classics on CBS.com and across the CBS Audience Network includes full episodes the following:
Star Trek (original series) - Seasons 1, 2 and 3
The Twilight Zone - Seasons 1 and 2
MacGyver - Season 1
Hawaii Five-0 - Season 1
Melrose Place - Season 1
Let's hope they add some sitcoms as well, and some sitcoms that lasted awhile and haven't been aired on TV lately, such as Dear John and Webster. Series such as Family Ties, Cheers, The Love Boat, would also be nice to have.

It's only noon ET and we already have a lot of stories, but if anything breaking happens, we will break in. So come on back!

Monday, February 18, 2008

BET Adds Diff'rent Strokes, Malcolm and Eddie, Sanford, Thea; Remembering David Groh

Happy President's Day! We salute this holiday with some great sitcom news! I'm not sure if many of you know, but BET does air some sitcoms currently. They air Jamie Foxx Show, Wayans Bros., and In Living Color on weekdays and The Parkers and Girlfriends in blocks and marathons. Now more sitcoms are coming! BET will add the classic '80s sitcom Diff'rent Strokes to their line-up starting TOMORROW (Tuesday, Feb. 19). The show will air weekday mornings at 9:00am and 9:30am. Catch Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson from the beginning as BET will bring you the show in order starting with the first episode. This is not confirmed yet, but starting the week of Feb. 25 the show could also air at 3:00pm and 3:30pm, but we will let you know if that is the case. It won't air in that slot this week, we know that...so catch it in the mornings! Now the world don't move!

Also joining BET's weekday line-up tomorrow is the '90s sitcom Malcolm & Eddie. Don't miss the hilarious adventures of Malcolm McGee and his roommate Eddie Sherman...starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin. The show will air right after Diff'rent Strokes in the mornings at 10:00am and 10:30am. It will also air at 4:00pm and 4:30pm, with an encore of the morning airings at 11:00pm and 11:30pm. As with Diff'rent Strokes, you can catch this show in order starting from the very first episode.

So what will happen to BET's other sitcoms because of this? You can catch The Jamie Foxx Show weeknight at midnight-1am and The Wayans Bros. from 3-4am weeknights. While In Living Color will air on weekends in a weekend block with two other new additions (see below). Girlfriends and The Parkers can still be seen in marathons and special blocks. Upcoming marathons for them include: The Parkers will get a President's Day marathon today from 10am-7pm, as BET promises to keep you laughing 9 hours straight with The Parkers BET marathon. Tune in for laughs from funny lady, Mo'Nique. Girlfriends will get a 12-hour marathon this Saturday (February 23) from 9am-9pm.

I mentioned earlier that the sketch comedy In Living Color will move to weekends only now. This change will happen the weekend of March 1. I believe one episode will air with an encore each weekend. Kicking off the weekend block is the BET return of the short-lived 1980 sitcom, Sanford. BET aired reruns of this short-lived sitcom in the past and now it makes its return! Redd Foxx brought back the irascible Watts junkman, Fred Sanford three years after leaving Sanford and Son. With Lamont away in Alaska, Fred was still trading barbs with Aunt Esther, along with a new cast of characters, including his roly-poly business partner Cal and a wealthy widow named Evelyn. 26 episodes were created. You can catch Sanford on BET late nights on Saturdays at 2:30am starting March 1 with an encore on Sunday mornings at 11:30am. Following Sanford, it is another short-lived sitcom and another show from BET's past, Thea! The short-lived 1993 ABC sitcom makes its return on BET with its 22 episodes. The show is about a widow that keeps her four kids in line with discipline and lots of love while holding down two jobs. It was the first series for Brandy Norwood and stars Thea Vidale. Thea will air Saturday nights at 3:00am and Sunday afternoons at 12 noon.
Following Sanford and Thea on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons is the aforementioned In Living Color at 3:30am on Saturday nights and 12:30pm Sunday afternoons.

BET is certainly getting better and we will keep an eye on them. All of its newest acquisitions (Diff'rent Strokes, Malcolm & Eddie, Sanford, Thea) are from Sony Pictures Television, which is a sign maybe they have some sort of deal with them. Let's hope more sitcoms join. If we have any updates, we will bring them to you, but for now discuss this great news HERE!

We leave you today with some sad news. David Groh best known for his role on the 1970's TV sitcom Rhoda as Rhoda's husband, died of kidney cancer last Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Groh became an instant celebrity in 1974 when he starred as the easygoing Joe Gerard opposite Valerie Harper's neurotic Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show spin-off. But by the third season of Rhoda the couple divorced and he was off the show. He has also guest starred on other series (mainly dramas) such as Police Story, Fantasy Island, Trapper John MD, Buck Rogers, Hotel, Simon & Simon, Kate & Allie, Hunter, LA Law, Spenser: Fore Hire, Room for Two, Sisters, Jake and the Fatman, Melrose Place, Baywatch, Law & Order, VIP, Walker Texas Ranger, and was a regular on Black Scorpion. On daytime TV he played D.L. Brock on General Hospital in the 80s. Groh appeared on Broadway in Neil Simon's Chapter Two and in Twilight of the Golds in 1993. He also had film roles in Two-Minute Warning (1976) and A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich (1978), among others. One of his last roles was a guest appearance on the sitcom Girlfriends.
David will certainly be missed by fans of Rhoda and other programs he appeared in. Mr. Groh was only 68.

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