SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Nick at Nite April 2007 Highlights; Retro Television Network Stations Make Deal With CBS-Paramount Shows

Before we get into April, I would like to let people know that the three-episodes-a-night marathon of Full House this week (March 19-25) has an actual name. It is called the Jesse-Fest Full House Marathon. Airing this week March 19-22 from 8:30-10, March 23-24 10-11:30 and March 25 9-10:30.
And some people have been wondering if the following week would Growing Pains return to the early evening slot? The answer is NO. It will just air every night at 1:00am. Full House will kick off Nick at Nite each night for an hour. It won't air at 8:30pm anymore starting March 26, as Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh will now air.
As for Nick at Nite April, there will be no schedule changes, as of now, that is. Highlights include the launch of Funniest Mom in America 3. The reality series will be hosted by Roseanne! Series launch is on Tuesday, April 10 with a special hour-long premiere at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Tune in on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT through May 8 to catch America's Moms at their finest. Series finale will be on Mother's Day (Sunday, May 13) with another hour long episode.
The six-part reality series, hosted by Roseanne, follows the journey of moms across the country as they compete for the title of Funniest Mom in America. One lucky winner will win $50,000 plus the chance to host a special night of programming on Nick at Nite. The series is being executive produced by Allison Grodner (Big Brother, Blowout). Funniest Mom 3 is presented by KFC.
The series kicks off following the journey of moms who have been selected from auditions and regional competitions at comedy clubs across the country as they vie for the winning title. Twelve moms are chosen, and through an online component, a thirteenth mom will be voted in via the internet at nickatnite.com. All thirteen of these moms will compete in a semi-final showcase, in which six moms will be chosen to move on to the next round of the competition. It is these six who will compete in a number of various comedic challenges, work with special coaches and prepare for performances where week by week, one mom will be eliminated. The three remaining contestants will compete in the show's finale, performing their stand-up before an audience and a panel of celebrity judges to be announced shortly.
Nick at Nite will launch America's Funniest Home Videos the last day of April (April 30). More details on that will come in the May highlights. Stay tuned for that in the coming weeks.

Equity Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) today announced that it has reached an agreement with CBS Television Distribution to provide classic programming from the vast CBS library for EBC's Retro Television Network (RTN). Under the terms of the multi-year licensing agreement, CBS Television Distribution will be RTN's primary programming provider for the next five years and will supply a minimum of 55 hours of programming a week for each RTN affiliate.
RTN is a new television network that provides each affiliate a
customized feed with hit shows, in addition to local programming including news, weather and sports. RTN is specifically designed to go on a broadcast digital channel and provides local broadcasters with a way to get ratings and successfully monetize their digital spectrum. RTN has been testing this concept for the past 18 months and has experienced continued growth and success with its initial affiliates, five of which are in top-50 markets.
EBC plans to launch RTN nationally on July 7, 2007, with a new "Prime Time all the Time" lineup that will feature many of the CBS Television Distribution favorites, including Perry Mason, Hawaii 5-0 and Mission Impossible. RTN is currently available to local affiliates on a barter basis.
RTN is already cleared to broadcast in the following markets: Denver, CO; St. Louis, MO; Salt Lake City, UT; Las Vegas, NV; Buffalo, NY; Little Rock, AR; Lexington, KY; Springfield, MO; Spokane, WA; Syracuse, NY; Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, IA; Burlington, VT; Savannah, GA; Ft. Smith/Fayetteville, AR; Myrtle Beach/Florence, SC; Eugene, OR; Panama City, FL; Alexandria, LA;
and Cheyenne, WY/Scottsbluff, NE.

Minor Hallmark Channel Schedule Change; New Series to ABC.com's Full Episode Player; 'SVU' to Local Syndication

The Hallmark Channel will be making a minor schedule change to its line-up of dramas. Beginning Wednesday, March 21, weekdays at 2:00am ET/PT will now another episode of Walker, Texas Ranger, replacing The Pretender, which will be off the line-up. The Pretender joined the schedule on January 2 and has been airing in the slot since. Walker, Texas Ranger will continue to air in its other timeslots as well. No other changes will be made to the Hallmark line-up.

ABC.com will add a few new series to its Full Episode Player this week and next few weeks. They have added new hit drama October Road to the website already. So, if you missed the first episode watch it online so you can catch up for the all-new episode this Thursday at 10/9 central on ABC. Also joining tomorrow is Dancing with the Stars, after its season premiere tonight. Joining next week after its series premiere on TV will be the new reality show The Great American Dream Vote. And the new season of The Bachelor will also be available after its premiere on April 2. This is the first time ABC reality series are on the player. All episodes for the current season will be available for each new series.

NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has sold Dick Wolf's hit crime drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in more than 97% of the U.S. for weekend airings in national syndication starting in fall 2007.
Top markets include WWOR-TV New York (Fox), KCOP-TV Los Angeles (Fox), WPWR-TV Chicago (Fox), WPHL-TV Philadelphia (Tribune), WCVB-TV Boston (Hearst), WJLA-TV Washington D.C. (Albritton), WXYZ-TV Detroit (Scripps), KDFW-TV Dallas (Fox) and WXIA-TV Atlanta (Gannett).
Another Law & Order series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent will also be coming to local syndication this fall, but for weekdays, as we reported previously.

Week 26: How the Sitcoms Did

We only have final numbers through Wednesday, so we won't give the first four nights' numbers this week. That and the ratings analysis will return next week, if all goes well. We do however have this week's sitcom numbers below, but Thursday sitcoms are prelim ratings only, so that is why I don't have the ratings in total viewers for that night.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of March. 5-11)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode following NASCAR did 8.79 million...should be a bit better.
• The Winner (Fox) 2 episodes - 6.39 million at 8:30, not good...5.56 at 9:30, even worse. Can't hold the lead-in's numbers well.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - 8.05 million...should be a bit better than that.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) 2 episodes - The show returns from a short hiatus with 2 all-new episodes in an earlier slot...didn't pay off at all. Just 7.59 and 8.34 million, below average for the hour that CBS usually does, which is also not that great.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 12.71 million for a repeat....how good is that?
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 11.47 million for a new episode...pretty good retention from lead-in...series low, though.
  
• CW Monday Comedies: Chris, All of Us, Girfriends, The Game. A repeat episode of Chris started it off with 2.3 million, the highest of the block. The rest ranged 1.66 to 1.89 million. Consistent...
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• George Lopez (ABC) - 6.19 million...about what it usually does lately.
  
• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - A repeat at 8:30 was OK with 5.79 million, but a new episode against Idol at 9 did just 5.69 million, down more than 2 million from last week when it didn't face Idol.
  
• In Case of Emergency (ABC) - 4.66 million...also down about 1.5 million from last week.
• Til Death (Fox) - Best ratings by far ever because it followed Idol. 14.07 million...still lost 1/2 of Idol's 9pm half hour numbers.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - 2 repeats, with new footage, did about the same as usual repeats do...4.3 and 4.2 HH rating.
  
• Scrubs (NBC) - New episode followed with a 4.1 HH rating, held most of its lead-in's numbers, but that was a repeat...
• Andy Barker, P.I. (NBC) - Just a 3.7 HH rating for the series premiere. Will it do worse next week?
  
• Family Guy (Fox) 2 episodes - 2 repeats on a Thursday did a 3.8 and 3.4 HH rating. The second episode tied Barker's premiere in 18-49 with a 2.4 rating...SAD!
  

Friday Sitcoms
None.

Saturday Sitcoms
None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new and repeat episodes of Fox comedies.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, 'Til Death, and Rules of Engagement were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Old Christine, George Lopez) or just plain old terrible (such as Andy Barker, P.I. and In Case of Emergency).

Mini-DVD Review: JAG - The Complete Third Season (March 20)

Welcome to another Saturday edition of mini-DVD reviews! Today we have we take a look at CBS DVD's Third Season of JAG. JAG was a huge hit for CBS and this is its second season on CBS season, as the first season was on NBC. If you are a fan of Navy NCIS, you know that NCIS is a spin-off of JAG. See Seth Thrasher's mini-DVD review of JAG - The Complete Third Season:

JAG - The Complete Third Season (CBS, $64.99) brings us third season of this long-running Donald Bellisario classic! This is the show’s 2nd season on CBS--and the first I watched in original broadcast, so I am obviously going to remember it quite fondly. That said there are some episodes from this season I REALLY like. The season starts strong with “Ghost Ship,” in which Harm finds evidence that his father -- MIA from Vietnam -- may be alive and under KGB control in Russia. Harm and Mac investigate the murder of a Navy pilot whose body was found in a decommissioned aircraft carrier. They discover a motive, which involves a lit of MIAs and POWs supposedly still alive and under KGB control – including Harm’s dad. In “The Stalker,” Mac’s ex-boyfriend is gunned down, and Mac has to stay one-step ahead of someone who is determined to get her too. Then there’s “Death Watch.” This episode recycles footage, in flashback form, of the episode “Skeleton Crew,” which never aired in original broadcast due to NBC’s cancellation of the series. The plot was changed, but much of the footage is from the first season episode. Ending season 3 is To Russia with Love, in which Harm & Mac go to Russia to discover the fate of Harm’s father once and for all.
While the shows themselves are good, Paramount still needs to work on the aesthetic side of their releases. I know JAG probably is not a priority release for them, but for a $65 MSRP I expect...something. Menus are still relatively simple, a disappointment. Video quality and audio quality are good. Sound mixes well. Vocals are crisp and clear, music mixes in nicely. Video does look about ten years old, but I have seen similarly aged video on DVD look worse, so props to Paramount for that.
One negative is the text on the back of JAG -- and pretty much every other Paramount release in the last several months, kindly telling us that music may differ from the televised version. Unfortunately, USA Network is currently in season 8 of the show’s run, and won’t be back to season 3 for some time, thus preventing me from checking to see what has been replaced. With most releases, I can look past music replacements, but if I’m paying MSRP for this DVD release -- and let’s be clear, some will -- SIXTY FIVE DOLLARS -- I want original music or a price drop. That sticker is INSANE for that price. SNL Season 1 by NBC Universal stickers for $69.95, but it has EVERY song. Worse still, unlike previous releases, this is a “Plain Jane” release -- no features *I* could find.
I pretty much worship every bit of television Donald Bellisario has put before us in the last 30 years -- JAG is probably third after Quantum Leap and NCIS to me. I WANT this set to do well, obviously - but $65 is INSANE for what you get. Paramount, either put more effort into the set, or drop the sticker. That said, for how much the sticker may be you can order the set at Amazon.com for a bit over $40 -- a 33% saving -- via the link below. Order that way, I recommend. I, however, under NO circumstances recommend this set at MSRP. Purchase this set ONLY at a retailer selling below MSRP.

-- Reviewed by Seth Thrasher
(3.5/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
JAG TV.com Page

Sitcom Stars Tournament Pick'em; Bloopers Tomorrow on ABC

Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union is having a NCAA Tournament Pick'em style vote for 64 of the best sitcom characters of all-time from The Fonz to Jack Tripper to Fred Sanford to Archie Bunker, the best of the best are here. Round 1 just concluded, and the results were counted. There were some upsets — No. 3 seeds Jethro Bodine (beaten by No. 14 seed Maxwell Smart) and Will Smith (beaten by No. 14 seed Gilligan) both went down — but all of the top seeds advanced, and The Fonz showed that he's still got it, pulling in more votes than everybody but Archie Bunker. 32 characters are left now, so you can still pick and help 16 characters advance to the sweet 16. Click here to vote. Among the match-ups include two classic match-ups in Bracket A: Ted Baxter vs. George Jefferson and Barney Fife vs. Mary Richards. Bracket B has an All in the Family match of Archie vs. Edith. Bracket C has a match where both underdogs advanced in Jack Tripper vs. Gilligan. And Bracket D also has an underdog match-up with Felix Unger vs. Maxwell Smart?
Who will make it to the Final 4? That is up to us to decide. I personally think these four: Barney Fife, The Fonz, Jack Tripper, and Lucy. I'm going with The Fonz and Tripper over top seeds Archie and Homer. We'll see what happens! Go and pick!

And it is mid-March and most of our favorite shows are on hiatus or in repeats, so what better way to watch new programming than in bloopers? ABC has a special called Celebrity A-List Bloopers airing tomorrow (Saturday, March 17) from 8-9PM ET/PT. The special is hosted by John O'Hurley (Dancing with the Stars, Seinfeld, Family Feud). See bloopers with stars like Mel Gibson, Goldie Hawn, Paris Hilton, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, plus the cast of According to Jim will be on hand to share some bloopers.
The special is on a Saturday, so finally something new on that night.
Also airing on Saturday on TV Land is the 30th Anniversary marathon of Three's Company starting at 8pm. A 24-hour salute (should have been 30 hours really) that will run until 8pm Sunday.

ION Televison April Schedule Sees 'Alice', 'Wonder Years', etc Join; Nick at Nite Schedule Change Has More 'Full House'

ION Television will launch its new schedule on Monday, April 2 with the additions of sitcoms Alice and The Wonder Years to the weekday line-up. Also, joining is the court show Moral Court to kick off the ION line-up at 6PM. Returning to the schedule is '80s sitcom Amen. With these new and returning additions, Green Acres, Growing Pains and Charlie's Angels will be removed from the line-up for now.
Let's start with weekdays, the new schedule starts Monday, April 2 with Moral Court airing weekdays at 6PM replacing two episodes of rural sitcom Green Acres. At 7PM Amen returns followed by '70s sitcom Alice joining the ION line-up, replacing the Growing Pains hour. Alice hasn't been seen regularly on television in quite some time, so this is a wonderful addition. 8-10PM line-up of ratings hits Mama's Family and Diagnosis Murder will remain intact. Closing the ION line-up at 10PM will be back-to-back episodes of the popular sitcom The Wonder Years, which also joins the ION line-up, replacing Charlie's Angels. The Wonder Years has also not recently aired on television.
As for weekends, Saturdays will remain the same with two movies from 7-11PM. Sundays will see a makeover, with Battlestar Gallactica joining the line-up on Sunday, April 8 with a five-hour marathon from 6-11PM. The following week Battlestar Gallactica will settle into its Sundays at 6PM & 7PM time-slot followed by the ION Sunday Movie and ION Life. So, Sunday shows Bonanza, Kung Fu and Kojak are off the line-up.
Movies for the month include a special back-to-back Sunday movie feature on April 1 with Superman III and Superman II. Other regular weekend movies include Look Who's Talking Too and King Ralph.
For the COMPLETE highlights and details, click HERE. You may also discuss your opinions there.

Meanwhile, Growing Pains gets more bad news as now Nick at Nite will cut the early evening airings (Sun-Thurs 9:30pm and Fri-Sat 10:30pm) in favor of another episode of Full House starting Monday, March 19. Growing Pains will remain at 1:00am every night, for now, that is.

NBC Mid-Season Pilot Review: Andy Barker, P.I. - Premieres March 15

Andy Barker, P.I. - Thursdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres March 15th at 9:30PM ET/PT

Andy Richter ("Late Night with Conan O'Brien") re-teams with Conan O'Brien (series co-creator and executive producer) in this comedy as he portrays Andy Barker, an earnest, hard-working CPA who has succeeded at everything -- until his new accounting business fails to take off. But when he's mistaken for Lew Staziak (Harve Presnell, "Fargo"), the retired private detective who used to occupy his storefront office, Andy embraces the twist of fate and dives into his double life.

Andy's relentlessly supportive wife Jen (Clea Lewis, "Ellen") isn't sold on this risky new venture, that is, until she notices a sudden boost in Andy's self-confidence. Andy's fellow strip mall neighbors -- Simon (Tony Hale, "Arrested Development") and Wally (Marshall Manesh, "Will & Grace") join him in the dicey investigations.

This comedy series was created by O'Brien and former "Late Night" head writer Jonathan Groff ("Ed"), who executive-produce the series with Jeff Ross and David Kissinger. "Andy Barker, P.I." is from NBC Universal Television Studio and Conaco. The pilot was directed by Jason Ensler ("The West Wing").

NBC.com is offering free online streaming of all 6 episodes, including an online exclusive with guest stars Amy Sedaris and Ed Asner. They are also available for purchase on iTunes.

Cast: Andy Richter as Andy Barker, Clea Lewis as Jenny Barker, Tony Hale as Simon, Harve Presnell as Lew Staziak, Marshall Manesh as Wally

Read our review of the pilot and two other episodes here.

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Andy Barker, P.I. Photo Gallery

Posted by Todd -- SitcomsOnline.com at 1:01 PM

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TV Land May 2007 Highlights; NBC Thursday Sitcom Changes; TBS/TNT Upfront

TV Land has announced its monthly highlights for May, 2007. As of now, there are no changes to the regular schedule. They will have lots of stunts and specials. Friday Night Movies continue for a second straight month, airing Fridays at 10pm. Movies include National Lampoon's Vacation, Soapdish, and Punchline. TV Land celebrates Mother's Day with classic TV moms...some not known for being mothers like Aunt Esther and Aunt Bea, but TV Land has found episodes where they are motherly. They will of course have June Cleaver and Florida Evans in there, too. And the weekend of May 20-21 in primetime, TV Land will air episodes that dealt with mail calling of M*A*S*H.
Finally, on Memorial Day, take a roadtrip with TV Land, as classic TV shows go out on the road to start the summer off. See Sanford & Son go to Hawaii, Lucy in Hollywood, Andy also in Hollywood, and camping episodes.
For the complete May 2007 highlights, click HERE.

NBC will be messing around with the Thursday sitcom line-up, especially the 9pm hour, with 30 Rock moving to 9pm. To start this off, NBC announced it will return 30 Rock on Thursday, April 5, for a special night of super-sized comedies (times approximate): The Office (8-8:40 p.m. ET); 30 Rock (8:40-9:15 p.m. ET); Scrubs (9:15-9:50 p.m. ET); Andy Barker, P.I. (9:50-10:20); and an encore episode of My Name Is Earl (10:20-11 p.m. ET).
The following Thursday, April 12, 30 Rock takes over its new regular time period, Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET and original ER episodes will resume at 10-11 p.m. ET. Andy Barker, P.I. will air between those two. Andy Barker, P.I. will conclude its run in the Thursday 9:30 p.m. ET slot on April 12. Scrubs moves into that time period the following Thursday, April 19.
The episode of Scrubs previously announced for the 9:00 time period on April 12 has been re-scheduled as part of a special back-to-back Scrubs hour on Thursday, May 3. It is likely Scrubs will air for an hour the rest of May, too, as 30 Rock concludes its season on Thursday, April 26, at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Wow...was that confusing or what? I tried to make it as easy to read as I could.

Turner Broadcasting had their upfront today. Networks include TBS, TNT, TCM, CNN and Court TV. TBS will stream full episodes of Family Guy online. TBS and Cartoon Network run the show on TV but will now stream episodes online in a virtual "living room" designed to look like the cartoon's set. The site will offer social-networking capabilities so consumers can connect over episodes they watch. TBS will also stream full episodes and extras from its new originals
Among their announcements were original sitcoms for TBS. Jamie Foxx and former basketball star Kenny Smith, an analyst for TBS' sister network TNT, will executive-produce Big Shot, a half-hour scripted comedy about a teenager who lives with his parents although he's a rich NBA rookie. Adrienne Lopez and Marcus King are also executive-producing the series, currently in development.
Comic Larry Miller is executive-producing and starring in Uncommon Sense, a half-hour scripted comedy about a newspaper columnist in suburbia with a wife and two kids. The show, from Sony Pictures Television and currently in development, is co-written and executive-produced by Miller and Eileen Conn (Just Shoot Me).
Also in development is an untitled project written by Dave Caplan (The Drew Carey Show). The half-hour scripted comedy, from Sony and Original Films, is based on Caplan's childhood experience with a single mother raising him and two sisters while managing a business. The show will focus on a woman who keeps her sense of humor after her husband walks out on her, her kids and their lumberyard.
Some other shows TBS has in development include Bob Newhart: In Search of Comedy, a half-hour late-night anthology series hosted and executive-produced by the TV legend, and an untitled project from Jenny Hunter, an associate producer from The Daily Show.
And TBS also touted its new programming coming this summer: The Bill Engvall Show, a domestic comedy about a family therapist and his own family, and a second seasons of original sitcoms My Boys & 10 Items Or Less. Debuting this summer in late night is a new sketch comedy The Frank Show.
TNT has dramas in the works. They include: Mrs. America, the hour-long drama, from Warner Horizon Television, centers on a woman trying to balance home and career. Leverage, the hour-long drama, from Electric Entertainment, focuses on six modern-day heroes who act as Robin Hoods, sometimes going to illegal measures to do good for others. The Saint, a remake of the 1960s. And finally, A.D. (working title), a drama series being developed by Angelo Pizzo and David Anspaugh. Previously announced projects in development include The Talisman, a six-hour adaptation of the Stephen King-Peter/Straub novel from Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks TV, and an untitled legal drama from Steven Bochco.
Coming this summer: Two new series Saving Grace and Heartland; the six-hour limited series The Company; and the third-season return of The Closer.
Finally, Court TV is changing its name, look and logo. It will no longer be called Court TV as of Jan. 1, 2008, and will revamp its daytime trial coverage and add several new reality series for primetime. The 16-year-old channel's new name was not revealed as of yet, but it will focus on "real engagers." They will chop Nancy Grace's weekday show in half to make way for The Star Jones Reynolds Show. Grace's Closing Arguments, currently two hours, will be now one-hour and will run at 3PM followed by Star's show at 4PM. Trial coverage will move to the network's broadband Website during the afternoon, if you are looking for that.

ABC Adds New Sitcom 'Underbelly' to Wednesdays in April, Wednesday Summer Plans; NBC Makes 'The Office' Look New Even in Repeats

A new comedy series from director/producer Barry Sonnenfeld and producers Kim and Eric Tannenbaum (Two and a Half Men), Notes from the Underbelly, will premiere on Wednesday, April 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET on the ABC Television Network. The series brings a comedic take on life's greatest adventure – parenthood, and proves that surviving the politics of pregnancy and maintaining your relationships with family and friends can be just as demanding as raising a child.
The series stars Jennifer Westfeldt as Lauren, Peter Cambor as Andrew, Michael Weaver as Danny, Rachael Harris as Cooper, Melanie Paxson as Julie and Sunkrish Bala as Eric.
Look for our pilot review closer to airdate. The show will air for six weeks and it looks like In Case of Emergency will have a few unaired episodes, unless ABC will move it to another slot. ABC has now scheduled encores of According to Jim for the next two Wednesdays at 8:30, instead of George Lopez encores. George will still air for the next two weeks at 8pm, with all-new episodes. Jim encores will lead in to a new Jim at 9.
Meanwhile, ABC has announced changes to its Wednesday line-up once the season is over, for the summer. Two reality shows and a new drama will air Wednesdays starting May 30. ABC announces its new Wednesday night summer line-up: new alternative series The Next Best Thing: Who is The Greatest Celebrity Impersonator?, returning series American Inventor, and new drama Traveler. A special two-hour premiere The Next Best Thing: Who is The Greatest Celebrity Impersonator?, will air Wednesday, May 30 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET (the series will normally air from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), followed by the new drama, Traveler, from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET. American Inventor, from Simon Cowell, returns for a second season the following week on Wednesday, June 6 from 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET.

NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy The Office will offer fans extra overtime of laughs by treating them to never-before-seen footage from the hit series in a newly edited hour of encore episodes on Thursday, March 15 (8-9 p.m. ET).
The "newpeats" on Thursday, March 15 (8-9 pm ET) will tie together edited encore episodes "Traveling Salesman" and "Oscar's Return" combined with new, never-before-seen moments throughout the hour. An original episode of Scrubs, (9:00 pm ET) along with the premieres of Andy Barker P.I. (9:30 pm ET) and Raines (10:00 pm ET) will follow.
Additionally, on Thursday, March 29 (8-9:30 & 10-11 p.m. ET), "Toby Flenderson" (co-executive producer/writer/ actor Paul Lieberstein) who plays the Director of Human Resources, will host "A Night at the Office" marathon. Five "human resource nightmare" episodes on March 29 will air surrounding an all-new episode of Andy Barker P.I. at 9:30 p.m. ET. The encore episodes include "Diversity Day" (8:00 p.m. ET), "Healthcare" (8:30 pm), "Sexual Harassment" (9:00 p.m. ET), "The Injury" (10:00 p.m. ET) and "Gay Witch Hunt" (10:30 ET).

March 15 is shaping up to be a big night. Premiere of three new shows...NBC's Andy Barker & Raines and ABC's October Road. Can any of these capture the March 15 success of Three's Company 30 years ago in 1977? We shall see...
The night will also see the "newpeats" of The Office, all-new Ugly Betty & Grey's Anatomy and the first night of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament--March Madness indeed!

'October Road' Pilot Review; Details on 'Three's Company' Janet DVD Set

Today is when we would usually give you the weekly ratings report, but it will not be seen today because we don't have final numbers for Wednesday and Thursday yet. No big deal really since we were primarily in repeats this week. I hope we can bring you a report for next Sunday. So, instead of the ratings, I thought I will share my thoughts on a new show I received to view called October Road.


October Road premieres this Thursday (March 15) at 10/9 central on ABC, after an all-new Grey's Anatomy.

Info/Plot/Cast:
October Road is a new drama that centers on the young, popular author, Nick Garrett, who is at a crossroads in his life. To get over his writer's block, he goes back to his hometown and must now face the family and friends he has avoided for the past ten years. Once back home on October Road, he quickly discovers that the circle of friends whose teenaged lives he wrote about have trouble forgiving him for leaving them behind, and that his ex-girlfriend, Hannah Daniels, may have had his child.
The show stars Bryan Greenberg as Nick Garrett, Laura Prepon as Hannah Daniels, Tom Berenger as The Commander, Warren Christie as Ray "Big Cat" Cataldo, Brad William Henke as Owen Rowan, Evan Jones as Ikey, Jay Paulson as Physical Phil, Slade Pearce as Sam Daniels, Geoff Stults as Eddie Latekka and Odette Yustman as Aubrey. Recurring characters include Jonathan Murphy as Ronny, Rebecca Field as Janet "The Planet" Meadows, Elizabeth Bogush as Alison Rowan, and Bo Mitchell as Doodie.

My Thoughts/Description:
I had the pleasure in watching the first four episodes. And I was very pleased. ABC has brought us so many good dramas over the last few seasons, and once again they bring another good one. The show starts off with a flashback from 1997 where Nick and Hannah are in bed for the last time, as Nick prepares to go to Europe for six weeks. Hannah and Nick's friends say goodbye to him, and then the show brings us 10 years later in New York City where Nick has a hard time coming with something for a new book. So, eventually Nick decides to go back home in Knights Ridge, Massachusetts (to teach a one day seminar at a local school) to not really come up with new things for a new book, but to make peace with his past. His best friend Eddie, who he was supposed to go into business with, is the one that is most upset, besides Hannah of course. Nick finds out that Hannah has a son, that is 10 years old. Hmm...could he be his? The question is not really answered, but Hannah has denied it. There are many things that make us think that he is Nick's son. I won't give it away, but in the first two episodes alone, we see a lot.
All the characters are very good. Nick's old friends are very interesting. One of his friends named Physical Phil has never been outside since 9/11. Another friend named Ikey who is sort of crazy. Another friend named Owen Rowan, who is now married to a woman named Allison, who seems to be having an affair with...Ikey! As for Hannah, she is now seeing the school bully Ray "Big Cat" Cataldo and has a son named Sam, who is very charming. His best friend Eddie seems like a ladies man and tough guy. Back at home Nick's brother (Ronny) and father (The Commander) basically just watch sports all day. The other characters include the co-ed Nick meets named Aubrey, is very interested in Nick...but Eddie wants a little payback on Nick, so he decides to pursue her. I love Aubrey! Then there is the bar owner, a heavy-set but likable woman named Janet "The Planet" Meadows.

Analysis/Final Thoughts:
This show should do very well after Grey's Anatomy. The fans of Men in Trees will like this show even because it seems very similar to it. The show is much younger than that show, so maybe this show can hold more of the Grey's Anatomy audience. Laura Prepon of That '70s Show is in this and that show had a huge young audience, and I'm sure most of them will join in on this show. If the show passes its six-episode test, I think the show should air at 8pm next season. 10pm seems a bit too late for this show, but with Grey's Anatomy as its lead-in, the sky is the limit. Personally, I would like to see this show Wednesdays at 8 next fall, followed by the Grey's Anatomy spin-off, then maybe a returning show that skews young adult like What About Brian, or a new drama. Lost would return to that 10pm slot in January. ABC is likely to go a different route on Thursdays at 10 next season unless, October Road is a massive hit, and even then they would still move it to help another night.
Anyway, this show has it all. Great characters, a great plot, some mysteries, and even a scandal (Ikey and Allison??). You will need some time getting used to all the characters. It took me about the end of the pilot or beginning of the second episode to know everyone. They all look different in the opening flashback, so that might have confused me. Still, great characters and stories. It is as charming as Men in Trees and as young and hip as Grey's Anatomy, which makes it a perfect fit on ABC. Dying to see the final two episodes...and I'm sure you all are dying to see all six! So, this Thursday watch at 10/9 central only on ABC!
(4/5 stars)


Also, we have the cover art and episodes now for the Three's Company DVD Set titled Capturing the Laughter: Janet's Favorites. As we mentioned before, the set will street on May 1 and has six episodes hand-picked by Joyce DeWitt herself. The six episodes are: "The Case of the Missing Blonde," "Two Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Chrissy's Hospitality," "Janet's Secret," "Jack's Tattoo," and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do." It would have been cool if Anchor Bay had her do intros for each episode stating why she liked the episode. Oh well. For more details on this set and Three's Company head on over to Jack's Bistro.

Mini-DVD Reviews: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season Four (March 13) and SNL: Best of Steve Martin (March 6)

Welcome to another Saturday edition of mini-DVD reviews! Today we have double the pleasure of reviews, with two mini-DVD reviews for you! This week we take a look at Lionsgate's Season 4 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (actually the seventh DVD release) and Lionsgate's Best of Steve Martin set of Saturday Night Live. Ninja Turtles is of course the hit animated series that caused kids and teens to go crazy for in the late '80s and early '90s. If you were growing up in that era, you were certainly a fan of this cult favorite. Saturday Night Live, is probably the most popular comedy sketch series of all-time. And now you can watch the best of one of their best, Steve Martin. See my mini-DVD review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season Four and Seth Thrasher's mini-DVD review of Saturday Night Live: The Best of Steve Martin:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Season Four (Lionsgate, $39.98) brings all 39 episodes from the series' fourth season and the season premiere for season five on this wonderful five-disc DVD set. Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, Raphael, Splinter, April are all back to battle Shredder, Krang and other villains! Like we mentioned in our last review, Volume 6 had the last 11 episodes from season three, plus the first episode of season four, which is on this set, too (so why did they put it on the last set?). The third season had a total of 47 episodes, so they decided to split up that season into volumes, so volumes 3, 4, 5, and 6 covered season three. Season one had only 5 episodes, so that was on Volume 1. For season 2 there were just 13 episodes, so Lionsgate released that for volume two. But starting in Volume 3 they I guess decided they would release 12 episodes for a set. Volumes 3, 4 and 5 have 12 episodes each from season three. So, the final 11 remain from that season were put on to volume 6.
Season four has a total of 39 episodes, and we get ALL of those on this set, plus the first aired one from season five, which is actually a left over episode that was made for season four. This season is unique. The first 13 from this season are from the syndicated episodes. Then from episodes 14-39 on this set you have the CBS episodes that aired on CBS Saturday mornings. You can tell the CBS version by the opening credits...it is a different animation that the first 13 on this set. The last episode on this set, is a syndicated episode, like the first 13 on this set. I suggest you go to TMNT's official site and look at the episodes so you know the order of episodes.
The syndicated episodes (first 13 and last one on this set) run approx. 22:15 or so, some more, some less. The CBS episodes run approx. 23:30, give or take a few seconds. Now, about four of the episodes have the short theme, so they run around 23:00. The menu screen has an opening animation which is quite nice with the options of Play All Episodes and Episode Selection, with the theme playing (loops) in the background and video clips playing in the center, but with no sound. When we go to episode selection, there is a cool sword swish transition when you select it. There are eight episodes per disc. Each episode screen has a screenshot of the episode and the title of the episode. There are 5 chapter stops placed. One gripe that I have with the menus are, that there are auto-trailers (TMNT Fox Series, other LG products, etc) before the menus start on EACH disc. Annoying!
If you have the first six volumes, there is no stopping you in buying this volume. The video is on par with the other volumes, with dust and debris here and there (lots of white flashing dots from time to time), but the audio is decent. Again, the video needs improvement and Lionsgate needs to fix this.
The packaging is very cool. The first six volumes were single disc sets so the packaging was simple. The box is a 3D plastic-molded packaging of Raphael's head! It is like slip box as we pull the box out, we get to the case. The same cover art is featured on the case, but with no 3-D plastic-mold head. The discs inside are not overlapping, as each disc has its own side...like a book.
And for the first time we have extras! Two great and rare interviews with our villains and a nice recipe to make cheese pizza. "Under the Shell with Krang & Slash" is a 4:48 interview with Pat Fraley who voiced the characters of Krang and Slash. Fraley gives his story on how he got the part, shares cool stories, and even does the voice of each! The next interview is "Under the Shell with The Shredder." It runs 4:42 and James Avery, the voice of The Shredder, shares his stories from the show. Avery was also on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air during this time. Finally, we have "Fresh from the Oven," a recipe for cheese pizza. It gives us ingredients and directions no how to make cheese pizza, Michaelangelo style! Cowabunga dude!
I urge fans to buy this set despite the video issues, because surprisingly we have a season set and extras! Do we have a full season set with extras because of the new TMNT CG-animated movie coming to theaters this month? Maybe, maybe not. But I'm just happy they listened to me and gave us a full season set and extras. Two things lacking from the volumes. Also, TMNT Fast Forward, currently airs daily on Fox’s 4Kids TV programming block.
Now, let's hope season five will be released as a full season set rather than split up into volumes. This set will be released this Tuesday, click on the link below to purchase the thrilling season four episodes that made way with a new turtles--Slash! Hurry before Shredder and the gang steal all the box-sets!
-- Reviewed by Pavan
(4/5 stars)

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV.com Page
Official Website


Saturday Night Live - The Best of Steve Martin (Lionsgate, $9.98) is a collection of some of the best sketches Steve Martin was involved in on Saturday Night Live in the show's 30+ year history. I will get to the sketch list in a minute. It is just one disc, so the disc itself is in a regular black case, with Lionsgate's preferred "Saturday Night Live: The Best of" logo in the top left, a large picture of Steve in most of the cover, and a nice picture of the city behind him. Steve's name is in big letters – particularly his last name – at the bottom. Menu features a nice little animated intro sequence that leads to the main menu – Martin in full King Tut garb to the left, with a teal-colored (go Sharks!) neon sign under his left art. An animated small view of a building is beneath the sign. You can watch the clips together as the feature option, each bit separately, or view the extras – yes, there are extras on this set.

However, what you really care about are the bits. The following sketches are contained on the disc:

1)Cold Opening: Viagra: 02/04/06
2)Monologue: Memories: 02/04/06
3)Two Wild & Crazy Guys: 04/02/78
The "Viagra" Cold Open from his last hosting bit leading directly into the monologue from the same show. Next is a Festrunk Brothers bit (Two Wild & Crazy Guys...) from the 04/22/78 episode
4)Steve Martin's All Natural Penis Beauty Cream: 09/04/94.
5)Hamas Celebration Part: 02/04/06
6)Theodoric of York: Medieval Barber: 04/02/78
7)An Ode to My Woman: 05/20/89
8)SNL Digital Short: 2 Inches: 02/04/06
9)Monologue #2: 10/23/76
10)Game Show - Common Knowledge: 10/17/87
11)Coneheads – IRS: 02/26/77
12)Steve Martin Renegotiates Contract: 02/04/06
13)King Tut: 04/02/78
14)Hollywood Minute from Weekend Update: 02/20/93
15)Quick Zoom Theater: 02/04/06
16)Bullets Aren’t Cheap/Tightwad 007: 10/17/87
17)Theodoric of York - Medieval Judge: 11/04/78. (IIRC)
18)Monologue #3 - Steve & Bill: 04/22/78
19)Theater Stories: 12/14/91
20)Rise: 10/13/79
21)Monologue #4: 02/26/77
22)Jeopardy! 1999: 10/23/76
23)What the Hell is That: 10/13/79
24)Not Gonna Phone it In Tonight: 12/14/91

That's the bit list, and I don't have much time left for the review. Video quality varies based on the age of the show – the 70s-90s stuff does not look nearly as good as the 2006 stuff. The 2006 stuff is letterboxed into 4:3 despite being aired in 16:9, but with the old stuff being obviously 4:3, I can understand why they did this. Audio quality also is slightly worse on the older stuff, but is pretty good across the board. Not owning a previous Best of Steve Martin release, I enjoyed this – two game shows, plus King Tut, and a bunch of random bits; and of course the classic Not Gonna Phone it In Tonight. The SRP is great for close to 2 hours worth of material. Some of the sketches seem random, but they are all pretty good. If you own a previous set you probably do not need this, but I personally am glad to own this. It is a nice addition to my collection, and it can be to yours too.

-- Reviewed by Seth Thrasher
(4/5 stars)

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In2TV March 2007 New Episodes and Series

Here are the March 2007 new episodes for In2TV that just launched. New sitcoms joining this month are The Redd Foxx Show, Martin, Like Family, Minor Adjustments, Wayans Bros., & The New Dick Van Dyke Show. Welcome Back, Kotter continues to join Chico and the Man & Hangin' With Mr. Cooper with no new episodes this month. There is a new channel called Urban TV, with the new sitcoms I mentioned (except New Dick Van Dyke) plus already joined sitcoms that are African American have now moved to this channel. So, here is a glimpse of what is new this month, including all the new sitcom episodes:

Alice
"Guinness On Tap" 24:52
"Carrie On The Rebound" 24:53
"Tommy Fouls Out" 24:53
"One on One" 23:52

F Troop
"The Day The Indians Won" 25:32
"Only One Russian Is Coming! Only One Russian Is Coming!" 25:25
"Guns, Guns, Who's Got The Guns?" 25:26

Gilligan's Island
"Smile, You're On Mars Camera" 25:10
"Ghost A Go Go" 24:27
"Gilligan Vs. Gilligan" 25:19
"The Producer" 25:23
"The Kidnapper" 25:25

Growing Pains
"Who's Zoomin' Who?" 24:24
"Anniversary From Hell" 24:54
"Fortunate Son" 24:11
"Double Standard" 24:59
"Show Ninety -- (Who Knew?)" 24:56

Head of the Class
"Viki in Love" 24:03

Jamie Foxx Show
"Burned Twice By The Same Flame" 22:40
"...And Bubba Makes Three" 22:41
"Westside" 22:41
"Episode 100: Happily Ever After" 22:06
"I Do, I Didn't" 22:38

Joey
"Joey and the Moving In" 21:48
"Joey and the Spanking" 21:48
"Joey and the ESL" 21:15
"Joey and the Poker" 21:49
"Joey and the Sex Tape" 21:48

Like Family - NEW!
"Pilot" 22:19
"Under One Roof" 21:46
"Black Like Keith" 22:21
"Parental Authority" 20:57
"Who's Your Daddy?" 22:07
"Ladies Night" 22:05
"Daddy Knows Best" 21:46
"The Permit" 22:00
"Sex Ed" 22:06
"Brother's Keeper" 22:07

Mama's Family
"Black Belt Mama" 21:23
"Mama Buys a Car" 21:22
"Mama Gets the Bird" 21:22
"Very Dirty Dancing" 21:23
"April Fools" 21:21
"Mama Gets Goosed" 21:22

Martin - NEW!
"The Gift Rapper" 22:31
"Things I Did for Love" 22:53
"Boyz R Us" 22:53
"Radio Days" 22:53
"Control" 23:00
"Fat Like Dat" 23:08
"Arms Are For Hugging" 22:15
"Crunchy Drawers" 23:03
"Get a Job" 22:38
"The Ex-Files" 22:38

Minor Adjustments - NEW!
"Pilot" 22:57
"Hoop Dreams" 22:23
"The Ex-Files" 22:44
"Everybody's Got a Secret" 22:42
"Ask Dr. Ron" 21:58
"A Fish Story" 22:42
"Make My Day" 22:21
"Trevorgate" 22:44
"Witness" 22:17
"Baby Boomer Angst" 22:12
"The Model Wife" 22:12

My Favorite Martian
"Go West, Young Martian - Part 1" 25:20
"Go West, Young Martian - Part 2" 25:18
"Martin of the Movies" 25:18
"Keep Me From the Church on Time" 25:24
"I'd Rather Fight Than Switch" 25:20

The New Dick Van Dyke Show - NEW!
"Smoke Rings" 24:39
"Everything From A To Z" 24:43
"Sobriety Test" 24:28
"Pot Luck" 24:42
"Will Baby Make Three?" 24:40
"The Hickey" 24:39

Perfect Strangers
"Diggin Up the News" 23:48
"Hocus Pocus" 23:34
"Grandpa" 23:33
"I Saw This On TV" 23:32

The Redd Foxx Show - NEW!
"Pilot" 25:05
"Old Buddies" 24:38
"High Noon" 24:56
"A Night to Forget" 25:02
"The Good Samaritan" 24:09
"The Prodigal Son" 23:59

Twins
"Housing Crisis" 20:49
"Blasts from the Past" 21:36

Wayans Bros.- NEW!
"Gots To Have A J.O.B." 22:41
"Family Business" 21:21
"The Return Of The Temptones" 22:41
"Do The Wrong Thing" 22:17
"Risky Bid-Ness" 22:51
"I Do...?" 22:42
"Say It Ain't So, Marlon" 21:52

Archived episodes of Ben Stiller Show, Bless this House, Chico and the Man, George Carlin Show, Jesse, Kirk, Off Centre, Pearl, The Stones, Welcome Back Kotter, All About the Andersons, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, and Wanda at Large are also available.


New shows and specials: I Spy, The Redd Foxx Show, Martin, Like Family, Minor Adjustments, Wayans Bros., The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Fractured Fairy Tales, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Scooby-Doo, Smurfs and Crusade. Taz-Mania joins the Looney Tunes channel.

New Urban Channel:
New shows: The Redd Foxx Show, Martin, Like Family, Minor Adjustments, Wayans Bros; new episodes of Jamie Foxx Show; and archived episodes of All About the Andersons, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and Wanda at Large.

Nick at Nite Acquires Bob Saget 'AFV' Episodes for April and 'George Lopez' for Fall; Nickelodeon Upfront

Nick at Nite has acquired two new hit comedy series - George Lopez and the show that began the user-generated content phenomenon, America's Funniest Home Videos. The network will roll out 111 half-hour episodes and two, one-hour specials of America's Funniest Home Videos beginning Monday, April 30 at 8:30 PM (ET/PT). The reality comedy hosted by Bob Saget (1990-97) features viewers' wacky candid videos, as Saget (Full House) does double-duty on Nick at Nite. In addition, the network has purchased all 120 episodes of George Lopez which will premiere Fall 2007 during Hispanic Heritage Month.
The two new series join the Nick at Nite lineup of comedies, which will include Home Improvement also this fall, the recently added Growing Pains, the Emmy(TM) Award-winning series The Cosby Show, Full House, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Roseanne.
George Lopez debuted on ABC in 2002 and is now currently in its sixth season on ABC.
America's Funniest Home Videos premiered on ABC on January 14, 1990. Bob Saget served as host for eight seasons of the timeless American TV institution (1990-1997). Now in its 17th season, America's Funniest Home Videos continues to entertain audiences nationwide.
To discuss this news and to read the full press release, click HERE.

This Nick at Nite news came out of the upfront presentation for Nickelodeon. This is the first time that Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite had an upfront together, as usually it was TV Land and Nick at Nite. TV Land's upfront will be on March 23 with Bill Clinton as its speaker! He will announce what new shows and originals are coming to TV Land. Anyway, here is the notable stuff that came out of the Nickelodeon upfront, besides Nick at Nite's announcements:
Nickelodeon has started production on iCarly, a scripted comedy that will integrate video submitted by its viewers. The show, starring Miranda Cosgrove, will revolve around a a middle school girl who becomes a star after creating a Webcast in her basement. Carly will solicit viewer-created content in response to weekly assignments, and the best submissions will be integrated into the online show or on-air show, which is set for a September 2007 launch.
Announcements of new linear TV shows were sparse - new teen-targeted shows The Naked Brothers Band and Just Jordan will return for second seasons, along with new episodes of Zoey 101; preschool shows The Umizumiz, Bubble Guppies, and Making Fiends join the schedule in 2007-08. New episodes of SpongeBob and Fairly OddParents also will air, along with Dora the Explorer.

TV Land Extends Three's Company Mini Marathon to 24-Hour Marathon, for 30th Anniversary; Nick at Nite Notes

The Three's Company Mini-Marathon on TV Land scheduled for Saturday, March 17 from 11pm-2am, with an encore on Sunday, March 18 from 8-11pm, now has now been extended to a 24-hour marathon from 8pm March 17 to 8pm March 18--just in time for the show's 30th anniversary! Two episodes each of both spin-off series, The Ropers and Three's a Crowd, will also air in the early morning hours. Also airing in the early morning hours on Sunday are the two unaired pilots for Three's Company. See the show before Suzanne Somers joined. Joyce DeWitt is not in the first pilot either. John Ritter, Norman Fell and Audra Lindley were all in both unaired pilots, though. For episode info for this marathon, check out the On TV section at my Three's Company website: Jack's Bistro.

Meanwhile, Nick at Nite has changed the date for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Marathon labeled, "The Freshest Week Ever" from March 12-18 to March 11-17. No reason for the change, but it will still be all Fresh Prince, all night long (9p-6a). Joseph Marcell (the show's butler) is hosting.
Also, a second nightly Growing Pains will be added to every night at 1am starting Friday, March 9. The mini-marathons now will be 1:30-5:30am every night and Growing Pains will still air in its earlier slot (Sun-Thu 9:30 and Fri-Sat 10:30). The 1am airing will NOT be an encore of the earlier airing. There will be two episodes a night. So, watch both!

AmericanLife TV March Highlights; Mary Tyler Moore Show, Zach Braff News

AmericanLife TV Network, the only independent network devoted to the Baby Boomer generation, continues its special salute to the classic '60s spy series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in March, with three more exciting two-hour movies, including one with guest star Joan Crawford, plus encore showings of the series’ original pilot film.
Also in March, AmericanLife TV presents the final and first episodes of China Beach, starring Dana Delany, and two clip specials from the Welcome Back, Kotter archives, featuring John Travolta and his fellow Sweathogs.
Other highlights include Brandon Cruz of The Courtship of Eddie's Father guest starring on a memorable Kung Fu episode; classic 70s sitcom stars Howard Hesseman and Linda Lavin on separate Harry O episodes; Edward Platt of Get Smart on Surfside 6; and it is a Carradine reunion on a special Kung Fu episode.
It looks to be another exciting month on one of the best classic TV channels. I promise this channel doesn't do last minute schedule changes! Click HERE to view the full highlights!

We have some sitcom related stories, that are more gossipy than hard news, but I found them funny and interesting. A man was found sleeping in a bedroom of the Minneapolis house made famous in the TV sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
A cleaning crew saw the smashed doors and called police, who came and arrested the 24-year-old man Saturday.
Police say nothing was taken from the house but three glass doors were smashed, including a custom-made stained glass panel.
Homeowner Don Gerlach says the suspect told him he was drunk and that his friends put him up to it.
The front of the house was shown in the opening credits for The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Tourists often stop by to look at it.
The house is for sale for more than $3.6 million.

Is Zach Braff about to be one of the highest paid TV actor? If his TV series Scrubs is renewed for another season (whether it be NBC or ABC), it might happen. Sources say if the series returns, he will get about $350,000 an episode for the 7th season of the show. Wow...not Friends type money, but still amazing. Charlie Sheen of Two and a Half Men also gets around $350,000 per episode.

ABC Wednesday Sitcom Change; The Starz Comedy Hour

ABC has pulled rookie sitcom The Knights of Prosperity from the schedule effective this Wednesday. We were the first ones to report this change back on Friday on our boards and now it is official today, unfortunately. For the next three weeks at least ABC will air ENCORES of According to Jim and George Lopez in the Wednesday 8:30pm slot. Jim this week and George the following two weeks, before the Donny Osmond reality show The Great American Dream Vote comes Wednesdays at 8 starting March 28. No idea yet what will air at 9pm starting March 28, will it be the current Jim/Emergency or something else? I personally think ABC will move Lost back to 9pm and debut new drama Traveler at 10pm, with George & Jim moving to Tuesdays in place of AFV encores. ABC seems to be extending Jim now, as repeats are even scheduled at 9pm now (on March 14 and 21) replacing scheduled new episodes...which is a sign it might be moving to Tuesdays or expected to stay until the season ends at least. ABC was expected to air just new episodes until the season order was finished.
As for The Knights, I think we will see the remaining four episodes at a later date. I certainly hope so, as this is the best new sitcom of the season and unfortunately people are not watching. Shame, shame, shame.

Starz Entertainment today announced The Starz Comedy Hour, the company's new weekly comedy block featuring the fresh, cutting-edge original series Head Case, Martin Lawrence's 1st Amendment Stand-up and The Bronx Bunny Show. The Starz Comedy Hour launches at 11:00 p.m. on April 18 and features 10 original episodes of each series for 10 weeks.
For complete details on these shows, click HERE. You will even have a Screech sighting!

Week 24 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Week 24 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: Fox: 13.5/20.4; CBS: 8.5/13.3; NBC: 5.8/9.0; ABC: 5.3/8.2; The CW: 2.2/3.4.
Total Viewers: Fox: 23.58 million; CBS: 13.38 million; NBC: 8.94 million; ABC: 8.01 million; The CW: 3.44 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox: 9.4/23.1; CBS: 4.0/10.0; NBC: 3.2/8.2; ABC: 3.1/7.7; The CW: 1.2/2.9.

Analysis: The 24th week saw the last three days of February sweeps (Mon-Wed) with Fox leading the pack again due to the strength of American Idol. Aren't we lucky to get three airings this week again? Fox also had help from Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, which aired all three times this week after Idol. Let's see how well it does without Idol starting March 15. CBS is in a solid second place in HH, viewers and 18-49, and will likely remain in second for the week when it is done. ABC and NBC are battling for third, but ABC will overtake NBC for sure by tonight. NBC will be 4th place in all categories. As usual, Friday and Saturday numbers are not above, since final numbers are not available yet. ABC will do very well tonight with its regular line-up.
On Monday all four of the top four networks had something to tout about again, but CBS still remained supreme. CBS's CSI: Miami was down from the last two weeks but still did 17.42 million at 10pm and NBC's Heroes did very well in 18-49 rating at 9pm with a 6.5 rating, going up after going down the last few weeks. Deal or No Deal started the night off well though with 17.26 million for NBC, slightly down from last week. CBS 8-9pm sitcoms went up from last week's 8.95 and 8.68 million to 9.33 and 8.85 million...not bad. Two and a Half Men rose from those numbers and did 16.58 million (up some from last week), with episode two of Rules of Engagement following and holding on well with 13.57 million, slightly down from last week. The retention is great but the 18-49 retention is even better (4.8 rating, holding on to much of the 5.4 from the lead-in). Fox was on the map with 24 doing 12.8 million, following the cult hit Prison Break's 9.42 million, though both down from last week...24 seems to be going down each week after the great start. ABC saw decent numbers for all-new episodes of Wife Swap & Supernanny doing 8.97 and 10.15 million. The 18-49 rating for both was also decent. ABC saw decent numbers at 10pm for the special Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy doing 8.84...much better than the usual 10pm Monday numbers. The CW's comedies are still under performing on this night as they still can't get 3 million.
Tuesday was Fox's night. American Idol did 30.65 million for 90 minutes and that was more than enough to win the night. The first airing of Are You Smarter That a 5th Grader? followed with an impressive 26.48 million. My how that show fits Fox's style of idiotic programming. CBS was second with NCIS, The Unit from 8-10 doing well, and a repeat of Criminal Minds aired at 10. NBC got decent numbers from both Law & Order spin-offs doing 9.26 and 11.73 million from 9-11pm, with Dateline kicking the night off with a so-so 6.11 million. ABC saw a AFV repeat open up OK with 5.72 million, followed by Primetime: The Outsiders with just 5.42 million. A special called To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reporting did 10.11 million, a bit better than what Boston Legal does. The CW aired Gilmore Girls (4.17 million) and Veronica Mars (2.66 million). The latter didn't hold on to the lead-in well yet again, but up from last week.
Wednesday again Fox got the boost from its one show wonder American Idol, doing 29.78 million. And again it was 90 minutes like Tuesday was. Are You Smarter That a 5th Grader? followed with 23.37 million. CBS was second for the night but started off slow with Jericho doing just 8.31 million...not good news, slightly up from last week's 8.3 million. Criminal Minds and CSI: NY followed and did good (but not dominant) with 14.5 and 14.33 million. NBC saw Friday Night Lights did just 5.07 million, down from last week, Deal or No Deal followed with 9.21 million, up from last week. Medium followed with 7.63 million, down from previous week. ABC's comedy block opened up with George Lopez doing 6.04 and The Knights of Prosperity did 4.11 million. Thank American Idol for that. ABC then followed with the return of sitcoms According to Jim & In Case of Emergency not doing great with 4.95 and 4.42 million and an all-new Lost, which was a great episode, did 12.78 million, and it won the hour in 18-49. Lost has been very steady in this slot, but down from normal numbers it got earlier this season. The CW returned America's Next Top Model doing a decent 5.36 million...not bad at all considering what Fox aired.
On Thursday we saw Fox dominate, as ABC & CBS aired repeats mainly. Sweeps is now over so get used to repeats. Fox opened the night on top with American Idol doing 27.39 million...up from last week's Thursday airing; Are You Smarter That a 5th Grader? followed with 23.46 million. I'll say it again, let's see how it does without Idol and against first run competition like Ugly Betty starting March 15. CBS's Survivor Fiji was up fron last week's 13.47 million to 14.67 million. ABC aired repeats all night long, Ugly Betty did 7.08 million, Grey's Anatomy did 10.6 million followed by an encore of Men in Trees doing 6.67 million. CBS's CSI and Shark also were repeats and did 15.69 and 11.88 million, as you can see procedurals repeats well. NBC aired mix of encores and all-new episodes of comedies from 8-10pm. Hour one was repeats and hour two was all new and saw Scrubs and 30 Rock. NBC encored the pilot of Black Donnells at 10pm and did just 5.16 million. And CW aired repeats of its Thursday dramas.
Friday (numbers not counted in our ratings), saw CBS win the night with its all repeat line-up. NBC was second with its line-up of 1 vs. 100, Las Vegas and Law & Order. ABC had repeats of Grey's Anatomy & Wife Swap and just OK but 20/20 built on that and did a bit better. And The CW beat Fox's overage of the NAACP Awards. Saturday ratings are not available yet. As for tonight, ABC will win thanks to its normal line-up. CBS will compete well and Fox will in 18-49. NBC's reality line-up will sink further. As for this week in general, I expect Fox to win the demo and in total viewers. A new sitcom debuts tonight on Fox.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of Feb. 5-11)

• Reba (The CW) 2 episodes - Two repeats did 2.62 and 3.22...funny that is better than CW Monday sitcoms
  
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - 2 repeats did 8.36 million and 7.85 million...not bad.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) 2 episodes - Repeats. 7.88 and 7.89 million...steady and very good for encores.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 9.33 million, up from last week's 8.95.
  
• The Class (CBS) - 8.85 million. Up from 8.68 previous week.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 16.58 million for a new episode...very good like usual, up over slightly from last week.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 13.57 million..pretty good retention from lead-in, slightly down from previous week.
  
• CW Monday Comedies: Chris, All of Us, Girfriends, The Game. New episode of Chris started it off with 2.8 million, the highest of the block but down from last week. The rest ranged 2.42 to 2.47 million. Consistent, but needs to be doing 3 to 3.5 million at least...
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• George Lopez (ABC) - 6.04 million...up slightly from from last week as Idol hurt it. Stacy Keibler guest starred.
  
• The Knights of Prosperity (ABC) - 4.11 million only this week...thank Idol. The gang found a new target, too. Down just slightly from previous week.
• According to Jim (ABC) - Returned after 3 weeks off and did just 4.95 million...Idol effect.
  
• In Case of Emergency (ABC) - 4.42 million after three weeks off. Jane Seymour guest starred.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - A repeat did 7.29 million...not bad.
  
• The Office (NBC) - 6.52 million for a repeat.
  
• Scrubs (NBC) - Just 5.66 million last week, this week it went up to 6.76 million and more impressive (well not really) is that it built from the lead-in (even though a repeat).
  
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 5.74 million...better than last week 4.61 million.
  

Friday Sitcoms
None.

Saturday Sitcoms
None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are repeat episodes of Fox comedies and Reba on The CW.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, The Class, My Name is Earl and Rules of Engagement were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Office, Scrubs) or just plain old terrible (such as Knights of Prosperity and According to Jim).

Mini-DVD Review: South Park - The Complete Ninth Season (March 6)

Welcome to another edition of mini-DVD reviews! Today we take a look at Comedy Central/Paramount's South Park: The Complete Ninth Season. South Park of course is the popular cable animated series that is full of laughs for all ages. Join Cartman and the gang for all the fun. Get your hats & coats on! See skees53's mini-DVD review of South Park: The Complete Ninth Season:

South Park: The Complete Ninth Season (Comedy Central DVD, $49.99) contains all 14 episodes from 2005 of the Comedy Central hit show about four foul-mouthed Colorado kids. As anybody that watches South Park knows, this is one of those shows that seems to improve as new seasons are created, as it pushes the envelope further and further in each and every season. And this season is no exception, starting with the episode "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina," where Mr. Garrison becomes Mrs. Garrison—something that has not changed in the series since this episode premiered. The series mocks the Terry Schiavo saga—maybe the only series that could get away with this—in the episode "Best Friends Forever." Cartman is dead to everybody—well, everybody but Butters—in "The Death of Eric Cartman." Mrs. Garrison decides to fight against same-sex marriage when she discovers that her former love interest from when she was a gay man, Mr. Slave, is about to get married—and uses a mock marriage between Stan and Kyle to prove her point. And, in what may be one of the most important episodes of the series, the Church of Scientology discovers that Stan is the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard in "Trapped in the Closet," which is fine until Stan tells Tom Cruise that he isn't the greatest actor ever... leading to Tom Cruise (and a few other celebrities) locking themselves in Stan's closet on the episode, and a lot of controversy in the following months—including the departure of Isaac Hayes' character of Chef (though that doesn't happen until the tenth season).
Of course, there are many other good episodes on the set too, and each episode comes complete with a mini-commentary from creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone (I really don't like these, they are too short and really ought to include other people, but oh well). There are also the usual Comedy Central Quickies on the set, which are really nothing more than previews for other Comedy Central shows, but there is a great one related to the show from one of the tenth season episodes, where Mrs. Garrison explains evolution to the class (of course, keep in mind that Mrs. Garrison is a good Christian woman that isn't going to positive spin on anything that is as unnatural as evolution). The MSRP on these South Park sets are always a little high for the number of episodes and the lack of special features, but they can often be purchased for reasonable prices that are below the MSRP on Amazon.com and in other retail outlets. So head on up to South Park and get these DVDs!
-- Reviewed by skees53
(4.5/5 stars)

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FOX Mid-Season Pilot Review: The Winner - Premieres March 4; 'Cheers' Star Joins 'Dancing with the Stars'!

The Winner - Sundays at 8:30PM and 9:30 PM ET/PT for three weeks on FOX
Premieres March 4th at 8:30PM ET/PT

The summer of 1994 was a magical one – O.J. Simpson was on the run, Snoop Dogg was climbing the charts, Olympic hopeful Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed on the knee and 32-year-old GLEN ABBOTT (Rob Corddry) was finally on his way to becoming a man.

Back in 1994, when the series begins, Glen is still living with his parents when the only girl he’d ever kissed, ALISON McKELLAR (Erinn Hayes), returns to town with her 13-year-old son JOSH (Keir Gilchrist). The recently divorced Alison inspires Glen to become a “grown-up” and win her heart. There may be hope for late-bloomers everywhere as Glen moves through his formative years a mere 20 years later than most. But, hey, some people’s “Wonder Years” just happen a little later.

Luckily, Glen doesn’t have to go through this awkward period alone. He becomes best friends with Josh – a fellow hypochondriac and the only person he can truly relate to – and receives parental advice from his enabling mother IRENE (Linda Hart) and quasi-rage-aholic dad RON (Lenny Clarke). As narrated by present-day Glen, this story proves that an unlikely underdog can eventually transform from fear-riddled underachiever to the richest man in Buffalo.

THE WINNER comes from 20th Century Fox Television and is executive-produced by Seth MacFarlane (FAMILY GUY, AMERICAN DAD) and Ricky Blitt (FAMILY GUY, “The Ringer”).

Cast: Rob Corddry as Glen Abbott, Erinn Hayes as Alison McKellar, Lenny Clarke as Rob Abbott, Keir Gilchrist as Josh McKellar, Linda Hart as Irene Abbott

Read our review of the pilot and other episodes here.

Discuss the show after you watch it on Sunday on our message board.

Related Links:

FOX.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

The Winner Photo Gallery

Looks like I got my wish! A former sitcom star is joining Dancing with the Stars. Following the departure of Sopranos star Vincent Pastore, the producers of Dancing has chosen none other than John Ratzenberger, of Cheers fame. John of course played the mailman Cliff on the hit sitcom. Everybody knows his name and I'm sure fans are glad that he came! Show producers had previously extended an invitation to him to participate this season, but a scheduling conflict prevented him from accepting until now. He takes on the added challenge of having less time to train than his fellow competitors before the series premieres – two weeks versus four. The series' fourth season premieres March 19 on ABC.
Read the details here.

Posted by Todd -- SitcomsOnline.com at 9:20 AM

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Fox Extends '5th Grader'; Fox Adds More Shows to Affiliate Sites; NBC's Must See TV Thursday Era Is Over; ABC Scoop!

Fox will not be flunking Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? It has extended the show for another four weeks, Fox says. The scores are in and the A+ quiz show Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? leads the class and Thursday nights with four original one-hour episodes scheduled to air Thursdays, March 29, April 5, April 12 and April 19 all from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT, in addition to the previously announced time period airings on Thursdays, March 15 and 22 from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT. Episodes also will air after American Idol tonight (March 1) and Thursday, March 8 from 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT on FOX. Due to the extension, Fox has cut out on moving Nanny 911 and Trading Spouses to Thursdays. No idea yet when they will air, but encores of Family Guy & American Dad will follow 5th Grader starting March 15 at 9/8 central.
The show has done massive in the ratings in its first two outings (which were both just half-hours) thanks to American Idol. Let's see how it does on its own starting March 15 when it has to face an all-new Ugly Betty and Survivor. The show is hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy (The Jeff Foxworthy Show), is an atypical game show measuring adults lack of knowledge as revealed by how much theyve forgotten since grammar school.

Fox today unveiled a landmark plan to extend FOX television programming to its affiliate Web sites, enabling more than 200 broadcast network affiliates to offer their local viewers the ability to watch or buy FOXs critically acclaimed shows, including 24, Bones, Prison Break and more.
Programming will be delivered via FOX on Demand, the company's leading video distribution platform. To date, FOX on Demand has offered an ad-supported, streaming-only platform; now, it will enable visitors to purchase television shows for play on the go on a computer or portable device. FOX on Demands new commerce functionality is powered by FIMs Direct2Drive (http://www.direct2drive.com) digital retail store, which also offers top-selling video games, blockbuster movies, anime and more.
Since launching in October, FOX on Demand has streamed free, full episodes of hit FOX shows such as 24, Prison Break and Bones on MySpace (http://myspace.com/fox) and on 24 of FOXs owned-and-operated MyFOX local Web sites. FOX on Demand is expected to be available on more than 200 FOX affiliate station Web sites throughout the U.S. in the coming year. Visitors to FOX.com (http://www.fox.com) will have the option to enter their zip code and be directed to the FOX local affiliate FOX on Demand video hub for viewing.
The lineup of shows currently available on FOX on Demand includes 24, Bones, Prison Break, Standoff, Vanished, Talkshow With Spike Feresten, Til Death, The Loop, War at Home, American Dad and The Winner debuting this weekend with continuous updates and exclusive premieres. New episodes will be available to watch and stream in high quality video or buy and download the night after they air on TV. Shows are sold at a variety of price points as individual episodes or as part of season packages.

And NBC's Must See TV Thursday comedy night is now over. No, the comedies will still be there, but the new slogan for the block is now, "Comedy Done Right." All four of the sitcoms on the block are single camera and more smarter than traditional comedies. While I have never been a fan really of these type of sitcoms, some have been very good (Scrubs, Knights of Prosperity, Sons & Daughters). I wish we see more traditional sitcoms with studio audiences. CBS and Fox usually have those, but to me, none are funny (I mean Happy Hour was the worst sitcom ever probably). It is sad when George Lopez and According to Jim are the best traditional comedies out there these days. Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother has its fans, but I'm not one of them. Men is still the sitcom king and I'm glad that it beats any single camera sitcom, because then we would see even more of those. Here is to more traditional sitcoms for 2007-08!

We have the first scoop on Donny Osmond's new reality show coming to ABC, a feel good reality show in the same style as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. You heard it here first, the show, titled The Great American Dream Vote will premiere right after the Dancing with the Stars: Results show on Tuesday, March 27 at 10 p.m. Then it will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. starting March 28. No word yet on what will air at 9 p.m. and if the current sitcoms will be moved or cut in half or cut in all. Stay tuned! For now, click here to view more about the show and times.