Tuesday, October 13, 2009
More Lucy on Hallmark; ABC Picks Up FLASHFORWARD for Full Season
Also last Friday we announced that ABC has picked-up Comedy Wednesday comedies The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town for full seasons, now no surprise they have picked up drama FLASHFORWARD for a full season.
From 8:00-9:00 p.m. on Thursday, ABC's FLASHFORWARD ranks No. 1 in Adults 18-49, leading CBS' time-period veteran Survivor: Samoa through its first three airings. On its series debut telecast, the new ABC drama became the first regular program since Friends in 2004 to beat Survivor in the key young adult sales demo. The ABC freshman is an exceptionally strong draw among Adults 18-34, dominating its time period and qualifying as TV's No. 1 new drama series this season. The new series is greatly improving its time period year-to-year for ABC, boosting the hour by 1.8 million viewers and by 32% in Adults 18-49 over the same nights last year. Based on DVR playback during season-premiere week (Sept. 21-27), FLASHFORWARD finished as TV's biggest freshman gainer, as its numbers jumped by 2.0 million viewers (12.5 million to 14.5 million) and 8-tenths of an Adult 18-49 rating point (4.1 rating to 4.9 rating) from the initially reported next-day numbers to 7-day DVR finals.
ABC has said they have picked up 25 episodes of the series, so that is three more than usual. As of now the comedies are 22 each, but that could change to something more if necessary.
Building on its lead-in at 8:30 p.m. among viewers (+4%) and young adults (+26%), ABC's The Middle qualifies as the most-watched TV show in its time period and a ranks a strong No. 2 in the half-hour to Fox's time-period regular So You Think You Can Dance among Adults 18-49. The new ABC comedy also holds the No. 1 position in its half-hour with Adults 25-54 and Men 18-49. On average, The Middle is boosting ABC's numbers in half-hour year-to-year by 2.1 million viewers and by 20% in Adults 18-49, over the same nights last season.
Standing as TV's most-watched new comedy this season, ABC's Modern Family ranks No. 1 in its half-hour among Adults 18-49. Modern Family is also No. 1 in its slot among Women 18-49 and Men 18-34. On average, the freshman comedy is improving the time period year to year for ABC, growing its half-hour over the same nights last year by 3.0 million viewers and by 36% in Adults 18-49. The mockumentary style sitcom is out-delivering NBC's similar style The Office in total viewers this season averaging 10.47 million viewers through its first three airings.
And finally, exhibiting impressive compatibility, ABC's Cougar Town holds 100% retention of its Modern Family lead-in in Adults 18-49. Cougar Town ranks a strong No. 2 in its half-hour in Adults 18-49, just two-tenths of a ratings point behind and tied in audience share with first-place CBS's veteran drama, Criminal Minds. The new show leads its time period among Men 18-34. The freshman comedy is also improving the time period for ABC year-to-year, boosting ABC's results over the comparable year-ago nights in Total Viewers (+19%) and Adults 18-49 (+23%).
Monday, October 12, 2009
TV Land November 2009 Highlights; Lifetime Weekday Changes
As for stunts, all we have in November 2009 is the 3rd Annual Overstuffed Thanksgiving Weekend from Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) to Sunday, November 29. TV Land knows that once the holidays begin that you can always make room for one more - eating one more helping of food, giving one more gift or watching one more of your favorite classic TV shows! The 3rd Annual Overstuffed Thanksgiving Weekend will serving up four days filled with multi-packs of great TV. So gather the family around and feed your funny bone with multiple TV servings as well as a back-to-back double-features of some our viewers' favorite movies. With favorites The Andy Griffith Show, Sanford & Son, Little House on The Prairie, Beverly Hillbillies, Brady Bunch and Hogan's Heroes together with movies Crocodile Dundee II and Footloose, there will be something for everyone in the family!
It looks like a November to remember on TV Land! View the full TV Land November 2009 schedule and highlights!
Starting today Lifetime has made some minor schedule changes. The 12pm airing of Wife Swap will be replaced by Medium, but Wife Swap will still remain 1pm & 2pm. Then weeknights at 7pm starting tomorrow (because Project Runway marathon is today from 3pm-11pm) will be a third consecutive hour of Grey's Anatomy, replacing Medium. Grey's Anatomy's late night airing of 1:30am will be replaced by Medium starting tonight, though. So Medium gets a third airing, but it loses its evening slot. And finally on weekends, How I Met Your Mother was airing Saturday nights 1-2am, now that will be Sunday nights 1-2am instead.
As for original sitcoms Sherri and Rita Rocks, catch new episodes Tuesdays at 10pm & 10:30pm and then encores later that night at 1am & 1:30am. And for this week only, the comedies are encoring 10am-11am weekdays this week ONLY.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Week 3 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did
(Network averages for Thursday were not available, thus here are final network averages for Mon-Wed. Final program numbers are available in the analysis, though.)
Households: #1. CBS 8.3/13.3; #2. ABC 6.4/10.2; #3. Fox 4.8/7.4; #4. NBC 4.4/7.0; #5. The CW 1.4/2.2
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 13.11 million; #2. ABC 9.72 million; #3. Fox 8.05 million; #4. NBC 6.84 million; #5. The CW 2.01 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. CBS 3.5/9.2; #2. Fox 3.3/8.8; #3. ABC 2.5/6.5; #4. NBC 2.4/6.3; #5. The CW 1.0/2.7.
Analysis: For week three we have CBS on top through the first four days in all categories and it will remain that way after tonight, too. I'll explain why later. Through the first four days in week two, CBS has the lead in all categories, with ABC second in HH/viewers but a close third in 18-49 (after Thursday numbers are counted in), with Fox in third in HH/viewers, but second in 18-49 and NBC is back in fourth everywhere. Last week, week 2, Fox took the crown in 18-49 nipping both ABC and CBS (tied for second), while CBS won the week in HH/total viewers. ABC was second in HH/viewers. NBC was third in HH/viewers (thanks to an NFL game), with Fox fourth. NBC was fourth in 18-49, though...even with the NFL.
On Monday ABC, Fox and CBS did well again. A two-hour Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race with 16.35 million for ABC, down from the previous week, but ABC programs were preempted in the Minneapolis, Milwaukee/Green Bay markets for the huge NFL game. An all-new Castle followed with a solid 9.23 million, up from the previous week a bit despite not airing in those markets this week due to NFL. Good job! Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother started it off with 8.08 million, down from the previous week by nearly a million and Accidentally on Purpose followed doing 7.17 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, which could be better...both down from the previous week. Two and a Half Men followed with 13.3 million which was down a bit from the previous week, but The Big Bang Theory continues to impress and did a nice 12.52 million, but that was down nearly a million from the previous week. The show also did a 4.7 18-49 rating, down from the series high of 5.3 the previous week. A new episode of CSI: Miami did 13.43 million, down a bit from the previous week. Fox had a regular edition of House and it did 13.74 million, which was down a million from the the previous week... the show did a 5.4 A18-49 rating, down from the 5.8 the previous week. NBC followed with the free-falling Heroes doing 5.46 million, down from the previous week. A new episode of Trauma followed and did only 5.36 million and only a 1.7 A18-49 rating, both down from the premiere the previous week. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 4.45 million, down a million from previous week. The CW on Mondays has been a struggle so far, with One Tree Hill doing only 2.13 million and Gossip Girl at an even worse 2.08 million...both down week-to-week.
On Tuesday, CBS was in control despite some declines. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opening the night off with 20.7 million, down from the series high the previous week. A new episode of NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 16.31 million, down a million again from the previous week and lost the 18-49 crown for the first time. And finally CBS aired The Good Wife and did 13.69 million, exactly the same as previous week. Wasn't Without a Trace doing about the same and CBS canned it? ABC was a distant second with a new episode of Shark Tank doing only 5.15 million...but up a bit week-to-week. Again, this show is perfect for summer. Then it was Dancing with the Stars: The Results doing 12.42 million, down week-to-week as we said goodbye to Debi Mazar and also Tom Delay as he left due to injury. ABC followed with a new episode of the forgotten doing 7.55 million, up a bit week-to-week despite the lead-in going down. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser 2-hour show doing 9.25 million, up a bit from previous week, followed by the The Jay Leno Show at just 6.22 million (the best it can do), which was down from previous week. Fox aired Hell's Kitchen at 8 doing 7.43 million and a solid 3.3 18-49 rating, both up week-to-week. Quietly this show delivers. So You Think You Can Dance Tuesday was next and it bombed with only 5.47 million, but up week-to-week. The CW aired 90210 with just 2.09 million, followed by dud Melrose Place at an even worse 1.6 million. The latter was up a bit from previous week, while the former was down.
Wednesday again it was CBS with the overall win, but ABC and Fox had a lot doing well. CBS started slow with Old Christine doing 6.86 million, which was up a tad from the previous week, followed by Gary Unmarried at 6.84 million, up a bit from its previous week. Veteran drama Criminal Minds did 14.05 million which was down a bit from the previous week, with CSI: NY doing 12.43 million, down from previous week. ABC started the 8pm hour with Hank & The Middle but saw declines. Hank did an OK 6.45 million but only a 1.6 18-49 rating, both down from the premiere the previous week. The Middle did a better 6.79 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, nice builds from the lead-in in 18-49, as it shows Hank is the weak link. New episodes of the hilarious sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town both did well again with 8.82 and 7.84 million, but down some from previous week. The A18-49 ratings for both were more telling doing 3.4 and 3.2. Look for Shelley Long on Modern Family this week, and I have seen it and it is SO funny! Best episode probably yet. If you liked the pilot, you're in for some great stuff again. WATCH!! At 10pm Eastwick did only 5.14 million, down from previous week, which is a shame because that was the best episode yet. NBC opened the night with Mercy doing 7.43 million, up a tad from the previous week. Law & Order: SVU followed and only did 8.29 million, but up some from previous week. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 5.71 million, down week-to-week again. Fox was fourth, with So You Think You Can Dance at 6.22 million...down from previous week, but then Glee followed to a decent 7.28 million and a 3.3 A18-49 rating, both were on par really from previous week. The CW had its usual showing of Top Model at 3.16 million, down a tad from previous week and a repeat of Melrose Place followed with just 980,000 viewers.
Thursday it was ABC on top in 18-49 and CBS overall again. ABC opened the night with FLASHFORWARD doing 9.0 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, both very solid but down some from previous week. Look for it to do better this week. A new Grey's Anatomy followed with 14.13 million and a great 5.4 A18-49 rating. And new episode of Private Practice did a solid 9.5 million and a first place at 10pm 3.6 A18-49 rating. Dr. Bailey guest stars next week! CBS opened with Survivor: Gabon at 11.69 million and a 3.4 A18-49 rating. A new episode of CSI followed with 14.9 million, down a million week-to-week, while The Mentalist was also down a million week-to-week with 14.7 million. Fox started off well with Bones at a solid 10.29 million...up again from previous week, but Fringe followed and only did 5.83 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, both down from previous week. Baseball on TBS could have effected all the male driven shows on this night like FLASHFORWARD and Fringe. NBC was next with Community in its new time of 8pm doing 4.87 million down from SNL's numbers the previous week and its own numbers, followed by sitcom dud Parks & Recreation at only 4.75 million, though it was up ever so slightly week-to-week. At 9pm a special one-hour episode of The Office did 9.42 million and a solid 4.8 18-49 rating, both up big week-to-week. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 4.84 million, down week-to-week again. It went down every night this week. Stupid NBC. The CW's only consistent player so far is Vampire Diaries doing 3.5w million, on par really week-to-week, followed by Supernatural at a could-be-better 2.47 million...what happened this season?
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas but only mustered a prelim 1.9 18-49 rating average. Fox continues to stumble on Friday with Brothers, 'Til Death & Dollhouse watching the cancelation clock.
Saturday numbers had CBS win with College Football as #1 Florida beat #4 LSU in a defensive battle.
Tonight the full ABC Sunday line-up is airing (AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters). NBC should have something to tout about with the NFL game, but could be down from previous week due to MLB Playoffs on TBS. CBS has its usual players, but Three Rivers will be slaughtered again. Fox has its animation block from 8-10pm, including rookie The Cleveland Show. But how will it due this week without NFL? A new Brothers also airs tonight at 7 on a special night and time.
As for week three, CBS will win in HH, viewers and even 18-49 thanks to College Football on Saturday probably tripling their usual numbers. Look for ABC in second in HH/viewers, but likely third in 18-49. NBC could be 3rd in HH/viewers, and a closer fourth in 18-49. With Fox likely taking second in 18-49 but fourth in HH/viewers.
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of September 28-October 4)
- Brothers (Fox) encore - preempted.
- The Simpsons (Fox) - 9.37 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating...both up from the season premiere the previous week. A direct NFL lead-in helps.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - 8.86 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating. Both down from the series premiere a week prior, but still very good.
- Family Guy (Fox) - 9.86 million and a 5.1 18-49 rating. Both down just a tad from the season premiere. Fox doesn't have a direct NFL lead-in this week...so expect big declines for all of the animated comedies.
- American Dad (Fox) - 7.14 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating...both exactly the same from the season premiere a week prior. Not bad, but could be better considering the lead-in.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - New episode did 8.08 million, lower than the previous week, but the 3.4 A18-49 rating is solid.
- Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 7.17 million for week three and a 2.8 18-49 rating, both down from the previous week. Concerning, but let's see the next few weeks how it does.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.3 million...down some from the previous week.
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 12.52 million...down from the previous week but still built from the lead-in's 18-49 rating from a 4.4 to a 4.7...nicely done.
Tuesday Sitcoms
- None.
- Old Christine (CBS) - New episode did 6.86 million, up a bit from previous week. 18-49 rating of a 1.9 was the same though.
- Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Like the lead-in, 6.84 million, up a bit from previous week, but built from the lead-in a bit in 18-49 to a 2.2 rating.
- Hank (ABC) - Down two million from 8.34 million to 6.45 million in week two. 2.2 18-49 for the premiere was down to 1.6 this week. Not good.
- The Middle (ABC) -6.79 million for week two is not too good, but it built nicely from the lead-in in 18-49 from a 1.6 to a 2.1. ABC needs to remove Hank. This show is not the problem...it has been picked-up for a full season!
- Modern Family (ABC) - Episode three did 8.82 million and a nice 3.4 18-49 rating, but both down week-to-week. Look for a rise this week with Shelley Long guesting. And it is GREAT. I've seen it. Trust me!
- Cougar Town (ABC) - Episode three for this great sitcom did 7.84 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, both also down some from previous week. Promos for next week look good with Cox in a hot dress with noodles in her hair? Find out what I mean this Wednesday!
Thursday Sitcoms
- Parks & Recreation (NBC) - This show did terrible doing only 4.75 million and just a 2.1 A18-49 rating...sorry Amy Poehler, but you did go up from previous week a bit for a second straight week!
- The Office (NBC) - Building on the lead-in, the special one-hour wedding episode did 9.42 million, but its strength is 18-49 and it did a 4.8 rating.
- Community (NBC) - The series is now at 8pm and only did 4.87 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating ... both down big from previous week when it had the cushy Office lead-in.
Friday Sitcoms
- Brothers (Fox) - Worse than the previous two weeks! Prelim ratings show a terrible 2.35 million.
- 'Til Death (Fox) - Premlim shows 2.36 million, but better than the previous week's prelim of 2.29 million!
- Modern Family (ABC) - Special encore of Wednesday's episode did a prelim 2.95 million at 9pm. Anything for more exposure!
- The Middle (ABC) - Special encore of Wednesday's episode did a prelim 2.76 million. Hey it beat the Fox sitcoms!
Saturday Sitcoms
- None.
Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox's animated comedies from 8-10PM, along with Brothers at 7.
Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, Cougar Town, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Middle, Accidentally on Purpose) or just plain old terrible (such as Community, Brothers).
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Blog DVD Reviews: The Very First Alvin Show and The Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Star Wreck
Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Very First Alvin Show (Paramount, $16.99) brings the very first episode of the '60s classic The Alvin Show on DVD along with A Chipmunk Reunion from 1985 and a 1991 retrospective. In the '60s series' first episode, "Stanlet the Eagle," Alvin, Simon, and Theodore get a "pet" eagle, and they have to teach it how to fly. Each episode of the series had two episodes and two musical segments. The second mini-episode features the scientist Clyde Crashup who tries to invent the sport "Baseball" in his own way. The two musical segments are Alvin and the Chipmunks singing "Oh, Gondaliero!" and "I Wish I Could Speak French."
We have had many Chipmunk sets, some even re-released. Basically, we have had Chipmunks Go To The Movies sets (which featured episodes like "Daytona Jones and the Pearl of Wisdom," "Robomunk," "Star Wreck," "Batmunk," and "Funny...We Shrunk the Adults"). We have also had holiday themed sets such as Valentine's, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials releases. Paramount has also released the Chipmunk Adventure feature film from 1987. We also had episodes featuring The Chipettes from the original series 1983-87 series. And my personal favorite was the Alvinnn! Edition, which was the first set to have episodes from the original 1983-87 series.
This set has the first episode of the 1961 series. The first episode runs 25:36 with six chapter stops. We also get a 1985 episode from Alvin & the Chipmunks era titled "A Chipmunk Reunion." In "A Chipmunk Reunion," the Chipmunks search for their long lost mother. The episode is from the 1983-87 series and runs around 24:00 with seven chapter stops available. The next is an NBC special from 1991 titled "The Chipmunks Present Rockin' Through the Decades." This is a 1991 special hosted by Will Smith with many special guests like Markie Post. This special runs 23:21 with seven chapter stops.
Packaging is simple and in the same line as the previous Chipmunks sets--a nice simple case with the discs inside. Cover art features the original Alvin, Simon, & Theodore from The Alvin Show with Clyde Crashcup and Leonardo lurking in a flying cup. Back of the case we have info on the set and the episodes, with all three Chipmunks with Dave Seville. There are also four little episodic photos. We get a red box listing the episode titles for the set. Disc art has the same artwork as the cover art, but we don't see Clyde Crashcup & Leonardo this time. And finally there is an insert inside that is a comic strip style featuring Clyde and Leonardo. All the artwork is from the '60s series!
The menu screen has the same artwork has cover art. We have an option to Play All, but the episodes are listed right on the menu screen. We do have a Previews option, but that is the same thing as the auto-trailer for Chipmunk sets before the main menu begins. At least we don't get any other trailers. This is very basic, but it works. I wish we had some music at least playing in the background!
The video and audio are GREAT for The Alvin Show first episode. Paramount transferred this from 35mm to HD! A Chipmunk Reunion and the retrospective are similar to previous sets. They are certainly not remastered or anything, but are watchable, though. So it is worth the buy, just because The Alvin Show is so rare. Even Alvin & The Chipmunks is not on TV anymore in reruns, so it is nice to see those, too!
I highly do recommend any fan to pick up this set. It is so nice that they FINALLY released an episode of The Alvin Show on DVD. Since they remastered the pilot episode to HD, I hope that means we get the entire series soon? I am more familiar (and a big fan) with the '80s series, but I hope to see more of the '60s series! I never watched the '60s series in repeats on Nickelodeon in the early '90s, but I wish I did. It is also nice we get the 1991 retrospective on DVD as well. But come on Paramount let's release a complete series set of The Alvin Show and start releasing Alvin & The Chipmunks in season sets as well! Fans want this! So anyway, first let's get the episode that started it all!
-- Reviewed by Pavan
(4/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
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Alvin & the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Star Wreck (Paramount, $16.99) brings the gang spoofing Star Trek along with Dick Tracy and Sherlock Holmes. Funny things are happening where no Chipmunk has dared to go! Alvin stars as Captain Dirk, commander of the S.S. Boobyprize; Simon is Mr. Speck, and Brittany is Uhaha. Together, they must rescue fellow crewmember Dr. McRoy (Theodore) after he gets abducted by a weird extraterrestrial family! This high-flying spoof of the box office smash will leave you beaming with laughter!
We have had many Chipmunk sets, some even re-released. Basically, we have had Chipmunks Go To The Movies sets (which featured episodes like "Daytona Jones and the Pearl of Wisdom," "Robomunk," "Star Wreck," "Chip Tracy," "Batmunk," and "Funny...We Shrunk the Adults"). We have also had holiday themed sets such as Valentine's, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials releases. Paramount has also released the Chipmunk Adventure feature film from 1987. We also had episodes featuring The Chipettes from the original series 1983-87 series. We even got the old 1961 pilot of The Alvin Show. And my personal favorite was the Alvinnn! Edition, which was the first set to have episodes from the original 1983-87 series.
This set has two episodes from The Chipmunks Go to the Movies (1990) and an episode from The Chipmunks years (1988-89). The "Star Wreck" episode runs 22:33 with five chapter stops, but the closing credits are missing. Next we have the episode "Chip Tracy," from the Movies season. In "Chip Tracy," we follow the only clean cop in a city awash in crime. The episode runs 23:07 with five chapter stops. The final episode is from The Chipmunks years. In "Elementary, My Dear Simon," we find the Chipmunks on the trail of the infamous Moriarty. This episode runs 23:35 with five chapter stops.
Packaging is simple and in the same line as the previous Chipmunks sets--a nice simple case with the discs inside. Cover art features Alvin, Simon, & Theodore in their Star Wreck characters. Back of the case we have info on the set and the episodes, with the trio sitting inside the spaceship. We get a little light blue/greyish box listing the episode titles for the set. Disc art has the same artwork as the cover art. Inside the case we also have an insert for Chipmunks sets on DVD and Chipmunks.com.
The menu screen has the same artwork has cover art. Options are Play All, but the episodes are listed right on the main menu. We also have a Previews option, but it the same as the auto-trailer for Chipmunks sets found before the main menu starts. At least we don't get any other trailers.
The video and audio are OK at best, some episodes look good (not great though), some don't. If you have any of the other sets, you'll know what I mean. They are certainly not remastered or anything, like I have mentioned before. They are watchable, though. So it is worth the buy, especially since this series is not on television anymore. The copies are a bit better than VHS that you may have recorded from the original run or 90s syndication. These episodes are from 1988-1990, so they aren't too bad. The audio is in stereo.
I highly do recommend any fan to pick up this set. Especially if you have all the Chipmunks Go to the Movies sets so far. It would have been better if all were released at once rather than all these sing disc sets, but what can we do?
These episodes are not as good as the 1983-87 seasons or even the 1988-89 season, but they are still good to see and collect! Spoofs are always cool to see. We get this Star Wreck episode for some reason a second time on DVD. They should have released "Kong!" at least, since that hasn't been released on DVD yet. Other episodes from this season not yet released are: "S.T.", "Irrational Buffoon's European Vacation," "Gremilonis," and "Sploosh." Give us that complete season set of this already! Anyway, it is time to boldly go where no Chipmunk has dared to go...again, but at least we get to solve crime with Chip Tracy and Sherlock Holmes!
-- Reviewed by Pavan
(4/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
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Chipmunks.com
Friday, October 09, 2009
ABC Picks Up Full Seasons of 3 New Comedies; Hallmark Does More Changing; Bio TV's TV Related Specials
The three comedies join CBS's NCIS: LA & The Good Wife, along with Fox's Glee and Cleveland Show in full season pick-ups, though the latter was given multiple season orders before it even aired. Look for more full season renewals officially soon such as for ABC drama FLASHFORWARD.
Well it must be Friday because The Hallmark Channel has made some changes to its schedule. Effective Monday (October 12), the weekday 9am hour will now be I Love Lucy instead of The Golden Girls. So Golden Girls in the mornings are now 10am-1pm instead of 9am-1pm. And it will still air weeknights 11pm-2am. Then starting next Saturday (Oct. 17), M*A*S*H returns and will air Saturdays from 9am-11am replacing The Golden Girls. Then on both Saturday and Sunday nights starting next weekend, Walker, Texas Ranger is back, replacing The Golden Girls from 1-3am on both nights. And finally Sundays starting next Sunday we have another hour of Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures on Sundays in the 10am hour, and yes it replaces The Golden Girls. The Golden Girls is now totally off the line-up on weekends but remain of course on weekdays. So if you're keeping track, Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures airs Saturdays 6am-9am and Sundays 8am-11am.
And for the November schedule, Touched by an Angel will replace I Love Lucy in the 8pm hour starting Oct. 26, but Lucy will remain 5-8pm. Touched by an Angel will not be airing 9pm and 10pm because of the previously announced movie airing weeknights 9-11pm starting Oct. 26.
Finally Bio TV has some new specials this month that are interesting. First on Tuesday (Oct. 13) at 10pm, they are airing Cast Confessions: The Facts of Life. This special takes you behind the scenes to reveal everything you never knew about one of our favorite sitcoms...The Facts of Life. Revisit this classic comedy as back-stage secrets and hidden drama are revealed through exclusive footage and interviews with original cast members, writers and network executives. Sounds interesting!
They have also premiered a new series called Celebrity Ghost Stories. It launched last Saturday and airs Saturdays at 10PM. In the premiere last week, celebs featured were Joan Rivers, David Carradine, Scott Baio, Teri Polo. Joan Rivers asks a voodoo priestess to help her with an angry ghost; Scott Baio's unresolved issues with his father haunt him when his dad dies; Teri Polo has a horrifying encounter one night when she's just 8 years old; and David Carradine has a strange encounter with his wife's dead husband. Airing tomorrow (Oct. 10) are about celebs Barry Williams, Debi Mazar, Greg Grunberg, Sammy Hagar. When Barry Williams holds a memorial service for his father, a few strange "happenings" make the day even more unforgettable; Debi Mazer gets a hostile welcome from a ghost when she moves into a friend's home; Greg Grunberg meets a ghost with a shocking past; and Sammy Hagar gets a visit from Van Halen's dead manager.
Upcoming celebs featured are: Carrie Fisher, Rue McClanahan, John Waters, Federico Castelluccio (10/17); Tom Arnold, Dee Snider, Carnie Wilson, Nia Long (10/24) Lisa Rinna, Jeffrey Ross, Vincent Curatola, Illeana Douglas (11/7); Carnie Wilson, Eric Roberts, Elisabeth Rohm, C. Thomas Howell (11/14); Justine Bateman, Traci Lords, Jay Thomas, James Kyson Lee (11/21). There will be a marathon on Halloween night starting at 8pm.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
WGN America Long Term Pick-Ups, Munsters/Addams Family Halloween Marathon; CBS Orders Full Seasons of NCIS LA, Good Wife
But they still will have classic TV! In fact this Halloween, WGN America will have marathons of The Munsters and Addams Family! The Munsters marathon will air on Friday, October 30 from 4pm-12am ET (1pm-9pm PT). That's 16 classic episodes! And on Halloween itself (Saturday, October 31) spends the day with The Addams Family with a marathon from 3pm-12am ET (12pm-9pm PT). That's an hour more than The Munsters as we get 18 classic episodes!
View the episode info for each marathon.
CBS has given full season orders to NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife, the top two new series of the 2009-2010 season thus far in total viewers. NCIS: Los Angeles the number one new program of the season in total viewers and ranked second among all primetime programs, is averaging 17.47 million viewers, 4.1/11 in adults 18-49 and 5.6/13 in adults 25-54 over its three broadcasts so far. NCIS: Los Angeles has won its Tuesday (9:00-10:00 PM) time period in viewers and adults 25-54 every week this season and placed first in adults 18-49 twice.
The Good Wife, the number two new series of the season in total viewers, is averaging 13.70 million viewers, 3.0/8 in adults 18-49 and 4.2/11 in adults 25-54, winning its Tuesday (10:00-11:00 PM) time period in all key measures each telecast thus far.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
TV Land Acquires Raymond, Boston Legal for 2010, Borrows Home Improvement, Nanny; Nick at Nite Renews Glenn Martin
Everybody Loves Raymond will be shared with cable network TBS, which airs the series in daytime and will still do so next June. Boston Legal will premiere on TV Land in the first quarter of 2010, while Home Improvement is being borrowed from sister network Nick at Nite and will be either on both networks or will move to TV Land by first quarter 2010. My guess is that it will totally move to TV Land. Home Improvement also airs in the daytime on TBS, so TV Land will only have evening rights. The Nanny will also be borrowed from sister network Nick at Nite and will be either on both networks or will move to TV Land, but this won't happen until third quarter 2010...next fall. Boston Legal is currently not on cable besides the weekend play on WGN America, though ION Television does have broadcast weekday rights.
These four series represent a continued commitment to build TV Land PRIME, the network's primetime programming destination dedicated to 40-somethings - a vibrant group with unmatched purchasing power and living in the most dynamic stage of their lives with relationships at work, with family and with friends all thriving. All of the programming in TV Land PRIME is hand-picked to appeal to the attitudes, life stage and interests of this important demo.
Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite has ordered a second season of 20 episodes of stop-motion animated series Glenn Martin, DDS, the first television series from Michael Eisner's Tornante Animation. The animated comedy series chronicles the offbeat adventures of the Martin family as they crisscross America in their tricked-out RV, encountering an array of bizarre situations and colorful locals. Ranked as the number-one program on Nick at Nite last quarter, the show features an all-star voice cast that includes Kevin Nealon as Glenn Martin, Catherine O'Hara as Jackie Martin and Judy Greer as Wendy Park.
Glenn Martin, DDS ranks as Nick at Nite's number-one program among total viewers average with 2.1 million total viewers each week, in third quarter 2009. In its first week, Glenn Martin, DDS reached a total of 11.3 million viewers and averaged 2.6 million (P2+) total viewers per telecast (Monday-Thursday, Aug. 17-20, 8 p.m.-8:30 p.m. [all times ET/PT]), according to Nielsen. The series also ranked as ad-supported cable's number-one co-viewed entertainment series in prime time for the premiere week with 40% of Adults 18-49 watching with at least one kid per household. Forty percent of Adults 18-49 watched with at least one kid 2-11 per household.
Season one has featured celebrity appearances, including Wendie Malick and Betty White, and will soon feature Bret Michaels, Chrissie Hynde, Gene Simmons, Sean Hayes, Jim Parsons, Estelle Harris and Don Johnson, among others.
Recently, Nick at Nite added hit series Everybody Hates Chris and Malcolm in the Middle, strengthening its slate of popular hit family comedies including the Emmy Award-winning series George Lopez, Home Improvement, The Nanny and Roseanne.
Don't forget ABC Comedy Wednesday starting tonight at 8/7 central! Today's blog is sponsored by Cougar Town, airing 9:30/8:30 central on ABC Comedy Wednesday. Because 40 is the new 20!
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Gospel Has Amen, Sister Sister Every Weekday Now; Ugly Betty Season Premiere Now Oct. 16
Now they have more of a daily schedule and it is so much easier to follow! Movies are now on weekends and Fridays in primetime.
I haven't had a chance to post this on the blog, but I did break the news on our message board about the season premiere of Ugly Betty being delayed a week on ABC. The two-hour season premiere of Ugly Betty is now scheduled to air on Friday, October 16, 2009 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT and not on Friday, October 9, 2009 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT as previously announced. Instead encores of this week's FLASHFORWARD, Modern Family and The Middle will air from 8-10pm on Friday (Oct. 9). Ugly Betty will begin airing in its regular 9:00 PM ET/PT hour effective Friday, October 23, 2009.
The season premiere of Supernanny is now scheduled to air on Friday, October 23, 2009 in its regular 8:00 PM ET/PT hour. It was previously scheduled to have its season premiere on October 16, but now that will be Ugly Betty from 8-10pm.
In other updates, It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is scheduled to air on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT on ABC (ABC will air the full-length version of this classic Charlie Brown special including a bonus Charlie Brown cartoon entitled, You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, which has the Great Pumpkin in the storyline.).
Finally in November, In The Spotlight With Robin Roberts: Bright Lights, Big Stars, All Access Nashville is airing on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 10:01-11:00 PM ET/PT. This special features interviews with country superstars Carrie Underwood and Tim McGraw on the eve of the CMA's (airs November 11 on ABC). the forgotten will be preempted on this night.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Nick at Nite Brings Back Roseanne; Centric Acquires Miami Vice, Homicide
So if you're keeping track, Roseanne airs on TV Land every night from 12-2am, except it is longer on Thursdays (9pm-2am) and Fridays (11pm-2am) and now every night on Nick at Nite from 3-6am. Just last week it was looking like Roseanne would finally be reduced, but now here comes Nick at Nite re-adding the series. At least the TV Land reduction brought Three's Company (my personal favorite) another half-hour on weeknights (now 3:30am-5am) and on Saturdays we now get the series from 2-6am instead of 4-6am.
Exactly a week ago today we told you that BET J (spin-off network of BET) was renaming to Centric, now today they will launch their regular schedule after having stunts last week. And they have acquired two dramas! They have acquired the rights to the '90s drama Homicide: Life on the Street and '80s action drama Miami Vice. Both will start airing TONIGHT every weeknight! Homicide will air 9pm & 12am while Miami Vice will air 11pm & 4am. Miami Vice is also slated for Saturdays from 3-6pm.
These new acquisitions join Centric's line-up of The Montel Williams Show, Judge Karen, and sitcom The Steve Harvey Show (daytime, 11am-2pm); Afternoon Movie, VH-1/MTV/BET Reality Series (late afternoons, 4pm-8pm), and original series at 8pm. Centric is also airing reruns of BET's American Gangster weeknights at 10pm and 1am, while the afternoon movie encores weeknights at 2am. Soul Train will air once a week on Fridays at 7pm and encores Saturdays at 12 noon & 6pm.
We will keep you up to date on any further developments, but adding these two dramas is a nice start, especially Miami Vice!
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Week 2 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did
Households: #1. CBS 8.6/14.0; #2. ABC 7.1/11.5; #3. Fox 4.8/7.5; #4. NBC 4.3/7.0; #5. The CW 1.6/2.5
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 13.8 million; #2. ABC 10.96 million; #3. Fox 7.99 million; #4. NBC 6.76 million; #5. The CW 2.37 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. CBS 3.8/10.3; #2. ABC 3.2/8.8; #3. Fox 3.2/8.5; #4. NBC 2.4/6.7; #5. The CW 1.1/3.1.
Analysis: For week two we had some new series debuts along with season premieres for this 2009-10 season. Through the first four days in week two, CBS has the lead in all categories, with ABC second, Fox in third and NBC is back in fourth. ABC was up through the first four days during premiere week, but CBS is on top so far this week. Last week, week 1, ABC took the crown in 18-49 nipping CBS, while CBS just edged ABC in HH/total viewers. NBC was third in HH/viewers (thanks to an NFL game), with Fox fourth. It was the opposite among 18-49 with Fox third, and NBC in fourth. Without the NFL, NBC is in terrible shape. Jay Leno might be cheap to make, but 8pm and 9pm are even weaker now for NBC.
On Monday ABC, Fox and CBS did well. A two-hour Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race with 17.03 million for ABC, down a bit from the premiere the previous week. An all-new Castle followed with a solid 9.15 million, basically on par with its numbers the previous week. What a great and fun show this is! Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother started it off with 8.71 million, down a bit from the premiere and Accidentally on Purpose followed doing 8.03 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, which could be better...both down from the premiere a bit. Two and a Half Men followed with 13.86 million which was up a bit from the season premiere, but The Big Bang Theory continues to impress and did a nice 13.27 million, up from the premiere. The show also did a mammoth 5.3 18-49 rating, for a series high. A new episode of CSI: Miami did 13.96 million, down a bit from the premiere. Fox had a regular edition of House and it did 14.71 million, which was down nearly three million from the two-hour premiere the previous week... the show did a 5.8 A18-49 rating, down from the 6.7 the previous week. NBC followed with the free-falling Heroes doing 5.72 million, down from the premiere previous week. The series premiere of Trauma followed and did an OK 6.68 million but just a 2.2 A18-49 rating. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 5.52 million, down from previous week. The CW on Mondays has been a struggle so far, with One Tree Hill doing only 2.51 million and Gossip Girl at an even worse 2.36 million...but both were up week-to-week.
On Tuesday, CBS was in control. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opening the night off with 21.37million, up from the season premiere even and this was another series high. Don't know how, though. A new episode of NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 17.4 million, down over a million from the series premiere. And finally CBS aired The Good Wife and did 13.69 million, also solid and on par with the premiere really. Good Tuesday for CBS overall. ABC was a distant second with the return of Shark Tank doing only 4.75 million...needs to do better. This show is perfect for summer. Then it was Dancing with the Stars: The Results on its normal night and time doing 13.02 million as we said goodbye to Kathy Ireland. ABC followed with a new episode of the forgotten doing 7.45 million, down two million from the series premiere. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser 2-hour show doing 9.18 million, up a lot from previous week, followed by the The Jay Leno Show at just 6.58 million (the best it can do), which was down from previous week. Fox aired Hell's Kitchen at 8 doing 6.64 million and a solid 3.1 18-49 rating. So You Think You Can Dance Tuesday was next and it bombed with only 5.18 million. The CW aired 90210 with just 2.21 million, followed by dud Melrose Place at an even worse 1.42 million. The latter was down a bit from previous week, while the former was up.
Wednesday again it was CBS with the overall win, but ABC and Fox had a lot doing well. CBS started slow with Old Christine doing 6.65 million, which was down from the season premiere, followed by Gary Unmarried at just 6.65 million as well, down a bit from its premiere. Veteran drama Criminal Minds did 14.24 million which was down well over a million from the season premiere, with CSI: NY doing 13.16 million, down two million from previous weeks' premiere. ABC started the 8pm hour on top with Hank & The Middle with their series premiere. Hank did a solid 8.34 million but the 2.2 18-49 rating was low. The Middle did a better 8.71 million and a better 2.6 18-49 rating. If ABC can keep those numbers or close to it, they'll take it in this weak hour. New episodes of the hilarious sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town both did very well in week two with 9.99 and 9.25 million, but the 3.8 A18-49 ratings for both were more telling giving ABC the win at 9pm. At 10pm Eastwick did an OK 6.57 million, down two million from the premiere. It's a surprisingly good show! NBC opened the night with Mercy doing 7.39 million, down a million from the premiere. Law & Order: SVU followed and only did 8.08 million...see you can't just move a 10pm hit and move it to 9pm where this is more competition. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 6.11 million, down week-to-week. Fox was fourth, with So You Think You Can Dance at 6.81 million...up from previous week since there was no Dancing on ABC, but then Glee followed to a decent 7.4 million and a 3.3 A18-49 rating, both were up from previous week. The CW had its usual showing of Top Model at 3.28 million, up a lot from previous week and a repeat of Melrose Place followed with just 1.02 million.
Thursday it was ABC on top in 18-49 and CBS overall. ABC opened the night with FLASHFORWARD doing 10.73 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, both very solid and competitive. A new Grey's Anatomy followed with 15.69 million and a great 6.1 A18-49 rating. And the season premiere of Private Practice impressed with 11.58 million and a great 4.6 A18-49 rating. What a premiere that was! CBS opened with Survivor: Gabon at 11.54 million and a 3.7 A18-49 rating. A new episode of CSI followed with 15.94 million, down a tad week-to-week, while The Mentalist was up week-to-week with 15.75 million. Fox started off well with Bones at a solid 9.43 million...up some from previous week, but Fringe followed and only did 6.03 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, on par from previous week. NBC was in the familiar fourth place with SNL Thursday Update doing only 5.02 million but it was up from previous week, followed by sitcom dud Parks & Recreation at only 4.67 million, though it was up week-to-week. At 9pm The Office only mustered 7.41 million but a solid 3.9 18-49 rating, but way down than last year. Community closed the comedy block with only 5.86 million, but up some from previous week. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 5.03 million, down a bit week-to-week. The CW's only consistent player so far is Vampire Diaries doing 3.53 million, off a bit week-to-week, followed by Supernatural at a could-be-better 2.6 million.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas but only mustered a prelim 1.7 18-49 rating average. Fox continues to stumble on Friday with Brothers, 'Til Death & Dollhouse and NBC was a disappointment.
Saturday numbers had ABC win with Saturday Night Football in all categories and Fox was solid in young adults with its crime reality.
Tonight the full ABC Sunday line-up is back (AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters). Some good stuff on Brothers and Sisters tonight...it is great. NBC should have something to tout about finally this week with the NFL game. CBS has the premiere of Three Rivers which could be slaughtered. Fox has its animation block from 8-10pm, including rookie The Cleveland Show.
As for week two, CBS will win in HH, viewers and 18-49. Though ABC could nip CBS in 18-49. Question is if NBC can move from 4th to 3rd thanks to NFL?
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of September 21-27)
- Brothers (Fox) 2 episodes - 1.79 million and 3.64 million for two repeats. Some of the country had NFL until 7:21, so the first repeat was joined in progress and it did 3.3 million after the game, which is terrible.
- The Simpsons (Fox) - The season premiere did an outstanding 8.31 million and a 4.3 18-49 rating.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - The highly promoted series premiere did 9.51 million and an impressive 4.9 18-49 rating. If it can hold that, Fox will be more than pleased.
- Family Guy (Fox) - Wow the season premiere did 10.11 million and a huge 5.2 18-49 rating. It won't last, but that is a good start!
- American Dad (Fox) - The season premiere did 7.14 million and a solid but could be better (since the lead-in did excellent) 3.6 18-49 rating.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - New episode did 8.71 million, lower than the season premiere, but did retain the 3.6 A18-49 rating.
- Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 8.03 million for week two and a 3.1 18-49 rating, both down from the premiere. If it falls below 8 million and a 3 18-49 rating, then CBS will be concerned.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.86 million...up from the season premiere.
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 13.27 million...also up from the season premiere and built from the lead-in's 18-49 rating from a 4.8 to a 5.3...nicely done. That was a great episode, too. That insect professor was a riot!
Tuesday Sitcoms
- None.
- Old Christine (CBS) - New episode did 6.65 million, down from the season premiere. 18-49 rating of a 1.9 needs to be better and also down from the premiere.
- Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Like the lead-in, 6.65 million, not as much down from previous week, but built from the lead-in a bit in 18-49 to a 2.2 rating.
- Hank (ABC) - The series premiere was sampled...did a decent 8.34 million but the 2.2 18-49 rating could be better.
- The Middle (ABC) -8.71 million for the premiere was solid but thanks to the lead-in the 18-49 rating was a disappointing 2.6 rating. If it can hold that, then that is fine. Funny show!
- Modern Family (ABC) - Episode two did 9.99 million and a nice 3.8 18-49 rating. Looks like a solid hit that skews young!
- Cougar Town (ABC) - Episode two for this great sitcom did 9.25 million and also a 3.8 18-49 rating. If both of these can do a 3.6 or more every week, then ABC is in business and has a good comedy foundation.
Thursday Sitcoms
- Parks & Recreation (NBC) - This show did terrible doing only 4.67 million and just a 2.0 A18-49 rating...sorry Amy Poehler, but you did go up from previous week a bit!
- The Office (NBC) - Building on the lead-in, the series did 7.41 million, but its strength is 18-49 and it did a 3.9 rating.
- Community (NBC) - A new episode did 5.86 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating ... both up some from previous week. Wonder if it can retain that when it moves to 8pm soon?
Friday Sitcoms
- Brothers (Fox) - Worse than the premiere! Prelim ratings show a terrible 2.42 million.
- 'Til Death (Fox) - The season premiere did only a prelim 2.29 million!
Saturday Sitcoms
- None.
Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox's animated comedies from 8-10PM.
Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, Cougar Town, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, & The Middle were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Hank, Gary Unmarried) or just plain old terrible (such as 'Til Death, Brothers).
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Blog DVD Review: CSI: Miami - The Seventh Season
C.S.I.: Miami - The Seventh Season (CBS DVD/Paramount Home Video, $71.41)
The sizzling, sun-drenched action heats up in CSI: Miami's thrill-packed Seventh Season, as the team uncovers increasingly exotic and bizarre crimes within the worlds of air travel, reality television, and horse racing. Meanwhile, life takes a dangerous turn for lead criminologist Horatio Caine (David Caruso) as he races to protect his team, his family and even himself. All of which makes this spectacular 25-episode collection almost too hot to handle!
This 7-disc set contains all 25 episodes from the seventh (2008-09) season. The episodes are presented in Anamorphic Widescreen (16:9) with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio. It has a total running time of approximately 18 hours, 15 minutes. The attractive packaging features a holofoil photo of David Caruso wearing his trademark sunglasses on the cover. This is the third consecutive release where only David Caruso was on the cover. The holofoil background is used on the back and sides of the packaging as well. On the back cover, there are photos of Adam Rodriguez, Jonathan Tigo, Eva La Rue, Emily Procter, Rex Linn and David Caruso. A synopsis of the set, a listing of the special features and the DVD specs are provided. The four black slim cases slide out from the right of the outer cardboard box. The slim cases feature a large photo of David Caruso, with smaller photos of Rodriguez, Togo, La Rue, Procter and Linn in the background. A fire explosion is at the top of the case. There is a photo of a boat on fire on the back cover. The episode titles and special features are listed by disc. Inside the slim cases, there is just blank space. Some more photos or episode summaries would have been nice to see. The discs have the CSI: Miami logo and a silver background. Each slim case holds 2 discs, except for the fourth case which holds only 1 disc.
The menus are very simple and easy to navigate. They have a montage of video clips, with some instrumental music playing in the background that loops after about 45 seconds. Options are available for Episode Selection, Set Up and the Special Features (only on Discs 3, 6 and 7). There are some sound effects and instrumental music played during the transitions on the menus. You can choose either English 5.1 Surround or Español audio on the Set Up menu. Closed captioning is available for all of the episodes. The special features are not rated and some are not closed captioned. The video and audio quality is once again outstanding. Too bad these episodes aren't yet available on Blu-ray. All of the episodes are in their original broadcast order and appear to be unedited, with runnings times of 42-44 minutes. There is nothing on the packaging to indicate that any of the music had to be changed. I'm sure they have deals in place for DVD rights before they use any song on the show.
Special Features include 2 audio commentaries, 3 featurettes totaling about 65 minutes, and a pop-up information track on 1 episode. It seems like the amount has dropped off from previous seasons, although the featurettes are pretty detailed and offer a lot of interesting technical information. Here is the breakdown by disc:
Disc 2
Audio Commentary on "Wrecking Crew" by Director Joe Chappelle, Visual Effects Supervisor Larry Detwiler and Writer Corey Miller - Calleigh and Eric are going over a witness's testimony and getting him ready for transfer to the court building when a crane crashes into a building. One of the most ambitious episodes of the season. A lot of interesting technical information on how they shot the episode.
Wrecking Crew: Miami Classified - View the episode with pop-ups providing more background information or random facts about what appears on-screen - These pop-up type videos are interesting, but I think they should be on episodes which don't already have commentaries. The information tends to overlap a bit.
Audio Commentary on "Gone Baby Gone" by Producer Don Tardino, Writer/Producer Barry O'Brien and Director Carey Meyer - A baby is taken from her mother's arms in broad daylight, and the team must race against time to find her. Teri Polo guest stars.
Disc 3
The Miami Sound Machine (30:02) - An in-depth look at the sounds of CSI: Miami. This featurette includes interviews with Director Mario Black, Executive Producer Sunil Nayar, Co-Producer Melissa Black, Sound Supervisor Tim Kimmel, Co-Producer Bruce Davidson, Boom Operator John Bauman, Production Sound Mixer Donavan Dear, Adam Rodriguez, Boom Operator James Mase, Boom Operator Chris Walmer, Rex Linn, Music Supervisor PJ Bloom, Music Editor Skye Lewin, Composers Kevin Kiner and Jeff Cardoni, Dialogue Editor Todd Niesen, ADR Mixer Greg Steele, Loop Group Leader Joyce Kurtz, Sound Effects Editor Bradley Katona, Foley Artists James Bailey and Joseph Sabella, and Re-Recording Mixers Bill Smith and Yuri Reese. Not only do they have high definition video, they have high definition sound. They've basically had the same sound crew since season 1. This featurette is divided into two sections: Production Sound and Post Production Sound. Production Sound is the recording of the initial dialogue and sounds on location with the boom mics. The Post Production Sound is the final editing, music soundtrack and score, ADR/looped lines, sound effects, foley (re-recording of footsteps and props, and final mixing of the episode. This was quite an interesting feature. There are really a lot of behind-the-scenes people involved in the making of a finished episode.
Disc 6
The New AV Lab (14:10) - This new look was first introduced in Season 6 and further developed in Season 7. Interviews include Jonathan Tigo, Eva La Rue, Producer Don Tardino, Visual Effects Supervisor Larry Detwiler, Executive Proudcer Sunil Nayar, Co-Executive Producer Barry O'Brien, Director Joe Chappelle, Emily Procter, Adam Rodgriguez, Lead Compositor Robert Konuch, and Visual Effects Artists Jeffrey Olney and Russell Welch. They talk about designing the room, acting without having anything to interact with, adding the visual effects and graphics, and re-designing the AV Hummer. This show has become so much more high tech than the early seasons.
Disc 7
CSI: Miami - Heating Up Season 7 (21:35) - A general overview of the major storylines and new and returning characters of Season 7. Interviews include Co-Executive Producer Barry O'Brien, Executive Producer Sunil Nayar, Producer Don Tardino, Eva La Rue, Jonathan Tigo, Emily Procter, Rex Linn, Evan Ellington, Adam Rodriguez and Megalyn Echikunwoke. They talk about the major themes of season like the Russian mob, bringing back characters from the sixth season like Julia Winston (Elizabeth Berkley) and Horatio's son Kyle, the new character of medical examiner Tara Price, the character's personal lives, Frank's promotion and desire for a girlfriend, Natalya's background, Delko's father, and the relationship between Delko and Calleigh.
Final Comments: It was another explosive and action-packed season of the world's most watched television program. Some of my favorite episodes of the season were "Tipping Point," "And They're Offed," "Collateral Damage," and "Dissolved." The show always remains fresh and interesting, as they delve further into the character's personal lives and background. It's sad to see so many of the original cast members leave the show over the years, but I guess that is part of the business. The show has reached over 150 episodes, which is quite a feat these days. This DVD set has everything that you have come to expect with in-depth featurettes and commentaries. CSI: Miami has some great performances by the actors, but it's always nice when all of the behind-the-scenes people are recognized on the special features for all of the hard work they do with the look and sounds of the show.
-- Reviewed by Todd Fuller
(4/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
CSI: Miami CBS.com Official Site
CSI: Miami TV.com Page
Friday, October 02, 2009
Schedule Changes for Next Week for TV Land, WGN America, Hallmark, TV One and ION
View the updated TV Land October schedule.
Next up is WGN America. Starting Monday night, The Cosby Show will return to the WGN America regular line-up, as it was airing just Sundays. It will air Mon-Wed nights in the 4am hour replacing AFV, which only aired for a week there. And finally Toni On! New York will switch with Reno 911. Toni On! moves to Sundays at 5am, while Reno 911 moves to Mondays at 5am. That makes sense since now Reno 911 airs weeknights at 5am. Minor changes, but still changes!
Moving on to The Hallmark Channel, they get even more Lucy! Beginning Monday, October 5, I Love Lucy gets another hour. It will expand into 5-9pm, instead of 5-8pm. The 8pm hour addition replaces Touched by an Angel, which will still air from 9-11pm.
As for TV One, beginning on Tuesday October 6, TV One airs the sitcom For Your Love in the weekday morning 7am timeslot. The TV One original financial advice series Singletary Says previously announced for this time period will slide down a half hour and will now air weekdays at 7:30am. Finally, beginning on Thursday, October 8, TV One presents Thankful Thursdays with religious based sitcom Good News returning to the primetime mini-marathons airing Thursdays from 8pm to 10pm with encores from 3am to 5am until further notice, replacing the planned Sanford & Son marathons. Also of note, on Sunday, October 11 at 4pm, TV One encores the original special Living Single: The Reunion Show that reunites the cast of the popular TV One sitcom for a trip down memory lane.
The rest is the same as we previously announced for TV One October.
Finally, ION Television has announced the TBD slots on weekend afternoons will indeed be Reba starting this weekend. Reba will air in the 3pm ET half-hour this Sunday (Oct. 4).
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Nick at Nite October 2009; Encore Westerns Re-Acquires Gunsmoke, Travel, Rawhide
Also in October you can catch new episodes of original animated comedy Glenn Martin, DDS every Monday at 8pm.
View and discuss the Nick at Nite October 2009 highlights.
Encore Westerns has acquired the rights to air several classic Western series from CBS TV Distribution. They have acquired Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel and Rawhide. Black and white episodes of Gunsmoke will return to Encore Westerns in January (TV Land has the other package still), with Have Gun Will Travel and Rawhide airing sometime next year.
Fans were devastated when Gunsmoke went off the channel four long years ago, so they decided to re-acquire it! Currently Encore Westerns airs Maverick, Cheyenne, The Gene Autry Show, Bret Maverick, Cimarron Strip, and The Magnificent Seven. Stay with us for more on this!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
ABC Fall Pilot Review: The Middle - Premieres September 30; TV Land Goes Brady Crazy This Week
The Middle - Wednesdays 8:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 8:30PM ET/PT
Emmy-winner Patricia Heaton stars in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations.
Frankie Heck is a superhero. Well, no, not an actual superhero - not unless you count getting her kids out the door for school every morning as a superfeat. Middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country, this harried wife and working mother of three uses her wry wit and sense of humor to try to get her family through each day intact. Frankie has a job selling cars at the town's only surviving car dealer; her husband, Mike, is a manager at the local quarry.
In between juggling shifts and picking up fast food dinners eaten in front of the TV, Frankie and Mike raise their kids with love and solid Midwestern practicality. Axl is the oldest, a teenage jock who eats the family out of house and home and walks around in his underwear. Then there's Sue, their extraordinarily ordinary pre-teen daughter who fails at everything she tries with great gusto. Brick, the youngest son, is an odd kid whose best friend is his backpack. Together, they're putting THE MIDDLE on the map.
Cast Details:
* Patricia Heaton as Frankie Heck
* Neil Flynn as Mike Heck
* Charlie McDermott as Axl Heck
* Eden Shur as Sue Heck
* Atticus Shafer as Brick Heck
* Chris Kattan as Bob
Patricia Heaton (Frankie Heck) is perhaps best known for her role as Debra Barone on the award-winning series Everybody Loves Raymond. She won two Emmy Awards for the role and was nominated seven times. In addition to her Emmy wins, Heaton is also the recipient of the Best Comedy Actress Award from the Viewers for Quality Television, a SAG Award and three SAG nominations in the Best Actress category for her work on Raymond. Heaton most recently starred opposite Kelsey Grammer in the Fox comedy series Back to You. She also starred in the Hallmark Hall of Fame film, Front of the Class. Other television credits include a recurring role on ABC's popular series thirtysomething and prominent roles in the series Room for Two, Someone Like Me and Women of the House, as well as the television films A Town Without Christmas and Miracle in the Woods. Heaton produced and starred in the TNT/FourBoys Films production, The Engagement Ring, She also starred in the TNT/Neil Simon production of The Goodbye Girl and ABC's The Path to 9/11. Her feature film credits include Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Beethoven, New Age and Space Jam.
Neil Flynn (Mike Heck) just finished his eighth season as Sacred Heart Hospital's menacing janitor in the ABC comedy series Scrubs. Flynn can be seen interrogating Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, directed by Steven Spielberg, and is also well known for playing Lindsay Lohan's dad in the hit comedy Mean Girls. His other feature appearances include Hoot, Home Alone 3, The Fugitive, Chain Reaction, Rookie of the Year, Baby's Day Out and Major League. Equally adept at comedy and drama, Flynn has performed a variety of roles on television series, ranging from Seinfeld, The Drew Carey Show and That 70's Show to C.S.I., Boston Public and NYPD Blue. Other T.V. appearances include Arli$$, Ellen, Family Law and Smallville.
Charlie McDermott (Axl Heck) is a quickly rising star who will make his presence felt on both the large and small screen in 2009. On the big screen he has two new films in production: He'll join Chevy Chase, John Cusack, Rob Corddry and Craig Robinson in United Artist's Hot Tub Time Machine, an absurdist comedy slated to open in February 2010; he will also star alongside Laura Linney and writer/director Leland Orser in Morning, opening later this year. McDermott began his career with M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver. Additional film credits include The Sex Drive, opposite Seth Green and James Marsden. Television credits include The Office, as the disinterested student who ignores Michael Scott (Steve Carell), ABC's Private Practice, Parks and Recreation, and Medium.
Eden Sher (Sue Heck) is best known for her work on the ABC comedy Sons & Daughters. She has also starred in Starz Party Down, ABC Family's The Middleman, Disney's Sonny With A Chance and Showtime's Weeds.
Atticus Shaffer (Brick Heck) was discovered by his manager in 2006 and soon landed a guest starring role in the series The Class. That role led him to the role of Brick in the original ABC pilot, The Middle. Several episodics followed, such as My Name is Earl, Days of Our Lives, Carpoolers, Out of Jimmy's Head and Human Giant. Perhaps best known for the bus stop scene he shared with Will Smith in Hancock, Atticus' other roles in feature films include The Unborn, An American Carol, Leaving Barstow and Opposite Day.
Chris Kattan (Bob) is best known for his many characters on Saturday Night Live, which he joined in March 1996, completing his seventh and final season in 2003. With numerous upcoming projects, he was recently seen in the Independent Film Channel's three-part miniseries, Bollywood Hero, in which he played himself in an otherwise fictional comedy. Other big-screen credits include Universal's Undercover Brother, Disney's Corky Romano" the script of which was based on a character Kattan developed, and A Night at the Roxbury, written by Kattan and Will Ferrell and produced by Lorne Michaels and Amy Heckerling. Kattan was also seen opposite Brendan Fraser and Bridget Fonda in Monkey Bone, and in The House on Haunted Hill, opposite Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Ali Larter and Taye Diggs and produced by Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis.
Pilot Plot:
#1 "Pilot" (Airs September 30)
Frankie is struggling in her career as a car salesperson because she has failed to actually sell a car. Sue has auditioned for show choir and, to everyone's shock, makes the team, but fails to mention that she's part of the stage crew. To top things off, Brick wants Frankie to come to his class presentation dressed as a superhero. Just when Frankie thinks she's got a car sold and her kids under control, she does show up to Brick's class dressed as a superhero -- but he's given her the wrong day -- and the car she thought she had sold is stolen right in front of her. Work and home have taken over Frankie's life... to the point that she barely recognizes herself and has even taken to coloring her hair with a magic marker. Her youth has faded and the day-to-day grind has worn her down, but it's family and the struggles they face together that keep Frankie and the rest of the Hecks one big happy mess.
Guest starring are Brian Doyle-Murray as Mr. Ehlert, Amy Farrington as Gail, Patricia Belcher as Mrs. Rettig, Jeanete Miller as Aunt Edie, Francis Bay as Aunt Ginny, Peter Breitmayer as Pete, Andy Kreiss as choir director, Ping Wu as Mr. Yamamoto, Mike Randleman as flight attendant and Robert Clendenin as P.A.
"Pilot" was written by DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler, and directed by Julie Ann Robinson.
Analysis:
ABC has had this pilot in development for a few years, so they have really believed in it and got to a point where they made it the best they could. Previously when it was in development, Ricki Lake was the star...now we have Patricia Heaton as the star and she shines in this role! This sitcom is about an average family living in "the middle" of the country in Indiana. If you liked Malcolm in the Middle, you are sure to like this. While that series was focused mainly on Malcolm, this series is all about Frankie Heck (Patricia Heaton). But that is not to say this isn't an ensemble, because the family is a key part of the show.
The pilot is excellent. Mike and Frankie Heck have three children Axl, Sue and Brick. They are all so unique and funny in their own ways. I think everyone in the entire country will love the youngest child, Brick. He is unbelievably funny! Even his name is pretty funny! Seriously, Frankie, Axl, and Brick...strange names, but funny! Frankie is a car salesman and of course a mom, where she has to juggle so many tasks. Brick has even called his mom a superhero for his class. What happens with that is actually very hysterical. Frankie also can't sell any cars and when you think she is about to, something very out of the blue happens that you'll never see coming. And at the dealership, Frankie's co-worker Bob (Chris Kattan) is there, but he hasn't really gotten any substance yet. He has now been made a series regular, where on this pilot he was just a guest star. We have two very fun men here in Neil Flynn as Mike Heck and Chris Kattan as Bob the car salesman. Just a wonderful cast and a hilarious family!
You've see some hilarious scenes in promos, such as Brick unknowingly tapping her teacher's breast when trying to get her attention, and the hilarious scenes just keep on coming on this show! Another scene that is hysterical is when Frankie is telling Brick to lick his frozen pancake because it will last longer! Everything in this pilot clicks very well and ABC now I think has 3 very good comedies on Wednesday nights, with only Hank (The Middle's lead-in) being the exception so far.
Conclusion:
This could quietly become one of the top comedies on the air right now. Modern Family is probably the best family comedy, but this should not be overlooked either. If you like sitcoms like Roseanne and Malcolm in the Middle, you'll love this one because it is a mix of both. I am from the Northeast, so I don't know if families are really like that in "the middle" of the country, but Heaton has said in interviews that she was born in Ohio (close to Indiana) and her family was so much like this. I'm sure people in the middle of the country will even like this show more since they can relate to this. In these tough times, we sure need a show like this! I never really liked Everybody Loves Raymond, but Patricia Heaton shines in this role...she plays it real and is funny. Neil Flynn was always hilarious on Scrubs and just seeing the janitor from Scrubs as a father is hysterical itself! I think the real show stealer in this is Atticus Shaffer as the young Brick. He pulls his pants down in public to go to the bathroom, he touches his teacher's breasts (not on purpose), and repeats stuff under his breath. He is like Dewey from Malcolm, but so much funnier!
The ratings should be pretty good for this show. This hour is pretty weak and the show is millions better than CBS's competing Gary Unmarried. Tune in tonight at 8:30pm for this new hilarious comedy on ABC Comedy Wednesday! You'll be saying "this is a winner" and like Brick, you'll say it under your breath, too!
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4.5/5
Funniness: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5
-- Reviewed by pavanbadal on 09/30/09
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, September 23 on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
TV Land has made a slight change for the remainder of the week starting tonight. The Brady Bunch will air Wed-Fri this week ONLY in the 7pm hour instead of the usual back-to-back The Beverly Hillbillies. That is interesting as it seems last week's Brady Bunch anniversary must have did decent for them in the ratings. However, it just seems so strange they have Brady Bunch followed by Married...with Children! Talk about two totally different shows! I'm not sure what TV Land is doing, but their scheduling has been pretty weird the last year or two.
TV Land has also quietly returned Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in the weekdays at 9am hour, replacing Good Times, which now shifts to 10-11am, followed by Sanford & Son from 11am-12pm. Previously three episodes each of these two sitcoms were airing from 9am-10:30am and 10:30am-12pm.
Stay with us for more TV Land news. We hear more changes could happen next week, so keep checking back. We also have the TV Land November 2009 schedule to give you all, but we might wait a few days for that...just in case we have wholesale changes happening next week.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
ABC Fall Pilot Review: Hank - Premieres September 30; ION Not Airing Season 2 of Durham County...Yet
Hank - Wednesdays 8:00PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 8:00PM ET/PT
Sometimes scaling back is the best way to get ahead. A legendary entrepreneur in the sports retail world, Hank Pryor (Kelsey Grammer) and his wife, Tilly, have been living the high life in New York City. That is until Hank is forced out of his CEO job and has to downsize and move his family back home to the small town of River Bend, Virginia.
A self-made man, Hank is used to being the boss. But now that he's lost almost everything, is he up for the even bigger challenge of being a husband and father? While Tilly regrets having to leave the glitz of New York City to move back to her hometown, Hank is gung-ho to relaunch his career in the place where it all began for him. Unfortunately this also means having to spend way too much time with his brother-in-law, Grady, who delights in Hank's recent misfortunes. Hank struggles to find common ground with his kids -- offbeat son Henry, who would rather play with action figures than toss a baseball with his dad, and daughter Maddie, a hip, New York City teen in whose eyes Hank can do no right. But every great businessman knows that the key to success is to turn setbacks into opportunities. It may take a while for this corporate giant to figure out how to mingle with the little people -- like his family -- but Hank's up for the challenge, a man who feels he is destined to return to greatness. And he is. It's just not the greatness he imagined.
This hilarious family comedy mixes genuine, heart-warming moments with Grammer's trademark blustery humor.
Cast Details:
* Kelsey Grammer as Hank Pryor
* Melinda McGraw as Tilly Pryor
* David Koechner as Grady Funk
* Jordan Hinson as Maddie Pryor
* Nathan Gamble as Henry Pryor
Kelsey Grammer (Hank Pryor) has excelled at the highest level in theatre, television and film as an actor, producer, executive producer and director. Grammer was cast in two TV miniseries, first as Stephen Smith in Kennedy (NBC, 1983), and next as Lieutenant Stewart in George Washington (CBS, 1984). Then, an initial guest-starring role as Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers developed into the cornerstone of actor's career. He continued playing the celebrated character in two different television series (Cheers and then Frasier) over the span of 20 years, tying the record for longest-running television character. This fall Grammer of course stars in the show but also serves as executive producer of the series. Portraying Crane, Grammer won four Emmys, two Golden Globes and a SAG Award, and received an unparalleled 16 Emmy nominations, eight Golden Globe nominations and 16 SAG nominations. Fifteen years ago, Grammer created Grammnet, a TV production company which has produced such hit television shows as the Emmy-winning Medium for NBC/CBS and The Game and Girlfriends for UPN/CW. Grammer has directed single episodes of Everybody Hates Chris, My Ex Life and Out of Practice. He has also directed several episodes of Frasier, one of which earned him a DGA nomination.
Also accomplished as a voice-over artist, Grammer plays the character Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons, for which he won an Emmy in 2006. He has also lent his voice to the feature films Toy Story 2, Anastasia and Teacher's Pet, to the television series Father of the Pride and Gary the Rat and to the Emmy-nominated Animal Farm for TNT. Other acting credits include Vivendi Universal's An American Carol, Disney's Swing Vote, Fox's blockbuster hit X-Men: The Last Stand, Fox TV's Back to You -- in which he also served as executive producer -- A Christmas Carol for NBC, Benedict Arnold for A&E, Mr. St. Nick for ABC's Hallmark Hall of Fame, and many more films. In his latest film project, a remake of Fame, he stars as the orchestra maestro at the prestigious New York City High School of Performing Arts.
Melinda McGraw (Tilly Pryor) has made regular and recurring appearances on Mad Men, Journeyman, The West Wing, Desperate Housewives, Inconceivable, Center of the Universe, The District, My Adventures in Television, Skin, Living in Captivity, Pursuit of Happiness, The X-Files, The Commish and The Human Factor. She has also appeared in Law & Order: SVU, Saving Grace, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Mad About You, Larry Sanders and Seinfeld. In addition to television, she appeared in the films Meeting Spencer, Skateland, Weather Girl, The Dark Knight, Wrongfully Accused, Nutty Professor: The Klumps and Albino Alligator.
David Koechner (Grady Funk) spent one season on the cast of Saturday Night Live before moving to Los Angeles, where he landed guest appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Reno 911 and played a recurring character on Still Standing. And in film comedies like Out Cold, My Boss' Daughter and A Guy Thing. Concurrently, Koechner, along with Dave "Gruber" Allen, developed and performed The Naked Trucker & T-Bones Show on stage at Club Largo in Los Angeles, which later became a Comedy Central series. Koechner's first major film break came when he was cast as Champ Kind in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Since then he has been seen in a variety of films, inlcuding The Dukes of Hazzard with Johnny Knoxville, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Snakes on a Plane, the animated feature Barnyard, the family film Yours, Mine and Ours, the critically acclaimed Thank You for Smoking, opposite Aaron Eckhart and Maria Bello, Semi-Pro and Get Smart. He recently starred in the Fox Atomic comedy The Comebacks. Koechner can be spotted in cameo roles in The 40 Year Old Virgin, Balls of Fury, and Sex Drive. He continues to play the recurring character Todd Packer on NBC's The Office as well.
Jordan Hinson (Maddie Pryor) began acting in plays at the age of five. When she was 11, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. She began modeling and appeared in several television commercials. Shortly thereafter, Hinson was cast in her first starring role as Kaitlin Kingsford, an aspiring figure skater in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Go Figure. She went on to play Zoe Carter for three seasons on Syfy's highest rated series, Eureka. She also co-starred with Angie Harmon in the movie Glass House 2: The Good Mother. Between seasons of Eureka, she continued to work, guest starring in such shows as Dirt and CSI: Miami.
Nathan Gamble (Henry Pryor) has already established an impressive career in television and film at age 10. His introduction into the entertainment business came when he played the role of Mike, Brad Pitt's son, in the Golden Globe-winning picture Babel. Babel director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu discovered Nathan after a nationwide search encompassing more than 20,000 young boys, all eager to play the part. Nathan's career soon took off, as he appeared in the feature Marley & Me, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, the blockbuster hit The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, in Stephen King's The Mist, opposite Thomas Jane and Marcia Gay Harden and directed by Frank Darabont, and in the 3-D feature The Hole for Bold Films.
His television credits include the CW series Runaway, as Donnie Wahlberg's son, and the pilot Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas, directed by Tommy Schlamme for ABC. Nathan has also had guest appearances on Ghost Whisperer, CSI, Without a Trace and House, MD.
Pilot Plot:
#1 "Pilot" (Airs September 30)
A legendary entrepreneur in the sports retail world, Hank Pryor, and his wife, Tilly, have been living the high life in New York City. That is until Hank is forced out of his CEO job and has to downsize and move his family back home to the small town of River Bend, Virginia.
"Pilot" was written by Tucker Cawley, and directed by Andrew Weyman.
Analysis:
I saw both the original pilot and the new pilot. They are pretty much the same but with new actors playing the children. There are a few scene changes, such as the opening scene is almost completely different and for the better. I think this new pilot is a bit better than the original pilot. I don't like that they replaced Macey Cruthird with Jordan Hinson, though Hinson sort of does look like Cruthird. Why the change then? Actually before Hinson was cast as the daughter, they had Sasha Pieterse replacing Cruthird. Not sure what happened there, but they didn't shoot any scenes with Pieterse. The son was also recast from the original pilot. Originally it was Ryan Wynott, now it is Nathan Gamble.
Anyway, as for the pilot itself. It is nothing special so far. There are a few laughs, but it has potential. Kelsey Grammer is clearly the star and is in nearly every scene. It's nice to see him in a family comedy for once and playing a dad, but he still has a bit of Frasier in him. The show is about him as a big time CEO who lost his job in New York and he decides to move his family back to his hometown in Virgina. The chemistry between Kelsey and Melinda McGraw, who plays his wife on the show, is not there yet...but I see potential. They had a great scene in bed that was actually funny. She calls Hank, "Awesome Hank." Not sure why since the entire family seems to think he isn't awesome. They all basically ditched his family meeting (see preview video below). Hank is out of touch completely with his family. He has no idea what his kids like and do...so it will be interesting for him to learn now. By the end of the first episode he learns a bit about his son, but also gets played a bit by both the daughter and son. That was one of the better scenes. Brother-in-law Grady Funk is also a bright spot, but I wish he was in it more. David Koechner is a hilarious actor!
Usually pilot episodes, especially for family comedies, are usually one of the weaker episodes because they are setting things up for the show. So I hope the show does get better because we need a multicamera family comedy. I don't think this is in the same league as recent ABC multicamera family comedies such as 8 Simple Rules, George Lopez, My Wife & Kids, Hope & Faith or According to Jim. But Kelsey is certainly a big name and will draw an initial audience. Let's hope the show gets better!
Conclusion:
Originally this show was titled Awesome Hank. I think they should have kept that because Hank seems so dry and broad. Well maybe they decided not to name it that because Awesome Hank is a weird nickname for Hank because they really don't think he is awesome, but maybe they do deep down. I like the nickname for his daughter Maddie better, Moody Maddie! I think you should give the show a chance, meaning not just this episode because it isn't that good. Give it a few episodes to find its footing. Kelsey Grammer deserves that because he is such a great sitcom actor and he even is producing this show. So maybe it will get better. I haven't seen any subsequent episodes, but the second episode is about a yard sale in which Hank tries to run that as he did as a corporation. It's going to be interesting to see if Hank can find himself as a father. The competition isn't that strong in the Wednesday at 8pm hour, so Hank certainly has a shot and ABC Comedy Wednesday is off to a great start already with Modern Family and Cougar Town. Try this....but stick with it for more than just the pilot, because this is just a set-up that isn't very funny yet but has potential. America is an economic crisis, so maybe the nation will watch as it is a reality.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3.5/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
-- Reviewed by pavanbadal on 09/29/09
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, September 30 on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
Part of ABC Comedy Wednesday:
Stay tuned tomorrow for our pilot review of The Middle, which follows Hank on ABC Comedy Wednesday at 8:30pm ET/PT.
ION Television has been airing original series Durham County, a one-hour crime-drama series that follows the troubled world of Homicide Detective Mike Sweeney, on Mondays at 10pm since Sept. 7. The show has six episodes for its first season, and ION will air all six...but season two was supposed to start immediately following season one starting Oct. 19. Now that will not happen. Effective Monday, October 19 Criminal Minds will take over the Monday at 10pm slot on ION. Durham County will still air repeats Mondays at 11pm, though. So will ION air the season two episodes at a later date? I'm not sure, but I think they will. 6 more were ordered for season two. The ratings have not been too good, though. The series is a Canadian production and season two has already aired in Canada. Stay with us for continued updates!
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, September 21
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - "
Gilligan's Island: A Conspiracy Theorist's Paradise" (FX and FXX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Mac and Charlie drink the proverbial Kool-Aid while trying to uncover the mystery of why Gilligan's Island never made it to 100 episodes.
Adults - "Raccoon" (FX and FXX, 9:31PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Issa and Paul Baker host Acid Night. Written by Sanaz Toossi; Directed by Oz Rodriguez.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 21)
Monday, September 21
- Woody Harrelson and (Brothers/Cheers) - Watch Woody on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Sam Richardson (The Afterparty/HouseBroken/Detroiters/Veep) - Sam appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb) - Dave stops by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He also talks about Forgotten Island on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Natasha Leggero (Broke/Dice/Another Period/Free Agents) and Tommy Davidson (The Varnell Hill Show/The Proud Family/Malcolm & Eddie/Between Brothers) - Natasha and Tommy will be on Funny You Should Ask at 12:37am on CBS.
- Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) - Sarah talks about American Horror Story on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Blair Underwood (Fatherhood/The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Blair talks about Doc on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Peter Krause (Sports Night/Cybill) - Peter and Hope Davis talk about Line of Fire on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - Ken talks about 99 to Beat on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Stavros Halkias (Tires) - Drew chats with Stavros about his Netflix comedy special Uncle Stav on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/20/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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