Tuesday, July 17, 2007
TCA 2007 Summer Tour: NBC Day 2; Watching TV Online Is Big
The only bit of news that came was Linus Roache (Kidnapped, Batman Begins) will join the regular cast of NBCs Emmy Award-winning Law & Order, returning Sundays, 8-9 p.m. ET at mid-season) to portray an executive assistant district attorney the former office held by Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) after McCoy was elevated to district attorney for next season.
According to B&C, more consumers are accessing television and movies online. An estimated 81 million of the 129 million people who access the Internet via a broadband connection watched TV or movies online, according to a new study from Nielsen.
The data was collected via Nielsen’s NetViews and NetRatings services during the month of March. The findings represent a 16 % jump in broadband consumption in six months (from 70 million people in Sept. 2006).
ABC.com was the top site across all broadband viewer visits to television network Web sites, while Yahoo! Movies was the leader in the movies category.
Monday, July 16, 2007
I'm Back; TV Land September Highlights; TCA Summer Tour Cable Recap, NBC Day 1
TV Land released their September line-up to us early last week, but I was not home. I did check e-mail twice over there, but had way too much to go through, so I couldn't forward it to Todd in time. Anyway, to TV Land September, the schedule will indeed change a bit. There are no real new additions, but Knight Rider will return to the line-up and air Tues-Fri at 3 p.m. For those of you wondering, the contracts for mega TV Land hits Bonanza and Three's Company are expiring after August, but they have been renewed! So you will see both in September! I don't have full details on the contracts, but my Three's Company people tell me TV Land has rights "for years to come." There are minor changes here and there, some notable ones include Cosby Show off the regular line-up, but it will air in two weekly blocks (Fridays approx. 12-2am and Saturdays approx. 11pm-1am). Weekday mornings have changed a bit, M*A*S*H will also air in the mornings now from 7-8am, followed by What's Happening Now!! and The Jeffersons moving from 7-8am to 8-9am. All in the Family moves from 8-9am to 9-10am, Gunsmoke remains at 10am, followed by double shots of Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy and Green Acres from 11am-2pm. The Munsters/Addams Family hour is at 2-3pm.
Friday night movies this month include The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Crocodile Dundee II (1988), and The Longest Yard (1974).
Saturday, September 15 through Monday, September 17, starting at 8pm. 35 years and the 4077 gang is still going strong. Join us as TV Land celebrates the 35th anniversary of this groundbreaking landmark television series with 3 nights of quintessential and favorite M*A*S*H episodes as well as the highly successful reunion specials. Don't miss the pilot episode which will air 35 years to the day and time of the series premiere on September 17 at 8pm!
Having dinner with the family helps everyone reconnect at the end of the day. The family table is often a place where families catch up on their days, share stories and problems – and eat. Whether Andy Griffith ends up eating three dinners in one night or Hawkeye tries to fly in ribs from Chicago to Korea, our TV Land families are definitely sharing more than meals at their tables! CASA Family Night airs Sunday, September 23, 8pm-10pm.
For COMPLETE details of the schedule changes and details of the specials & marathons, click HERE.
Unfortunately I was on vacation when the TCA Summer Tour started on July 12. The cable portion was July 12-15. I'll do a little recap of each network's announcements today, that is notable for us at least, at the end of today's blog. But right now I will to cover the first day of NBC's summer press tour. NBC is up today and tomorrow. Then CBS the next 2 days (July 18-19), The CW follows on July 20, the 23rd Annual TCA Awards night is on July 21, Fox follows July 22-23 and ABC caps it off July 25-26.
OK, here is NBC Day 1's notes:
NBC launches its season premieres the week of September 24. The network will adjust its schedule by moving the new comedic spy thriller Chuck to Mondays at 8 p.m. ET followed by switching the popular Monday version of Deal or No Deal to Fridays 8 p.m. ET, and shifting Friday Night Lights to an earlier new time of 9 p.m. (ET) and Las Vegas to 10 p.m. (ET).
In addition, NBC will expand The Biggest Loser to 90 minutes on Tuesdays from 8-9:30 p.m. ET and will have a special two-hour premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Summer's newest hit, The Singing Bee (which premiered earlier this month), will have its Fall premiere on Tuesday, September 25 in the 9:30 p.m. ET half-hour.
NBC's premiere week will also feature one-hour season premieres each of sitcoms My Name Is Earl (8-9 p.m. ET) and The Office (9-10 p.m. ET) on Thursday, September 27 and a two-hour season premiere of Las Vegas on Friday, September 28 (9-11 p.m. ET).
So, it looks like game show 1 vs. 100 is off the fall schedule for now.
NBC Fall Premiere Dates:
Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 11
The Biggest Loser (8-10 p.m.)
Monday, SEPTEMBER 17
Deal or No Deal (8-9 p.m.)
Monday, SEPTEMBER 24
Chuck (8-9 p.m.)
Heroes (9-10 p.m.)
Journeyman (10-11 p.m.)
Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 25
The Singing Bee (9:30-10 p.m.)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (10-11 p.m.)
Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 26
Deal or No Deal Wednesday (8-9 p.m.)
Bionic Woman (9-10 p.m.)
Life (10-11 p.m.)
Thursday, SEPTEMBER 27
My Name Is Earl (8-9 p.m.)
The Office (9-10 p.m.)
ER (10-11 p.m.)
Friday, SEPTEMBER 28
Deal or No Deal Friday (8-9 p.m.)
Las Vegas (9-11 p.m.)
Thursday, OCTOBER 4
30 Rock (8-8:30 p.m.)
Friday, OCTOBER 5
Friday Night Lights (9-10 p.m.)
Thursday, OCTOBER 25
Scrubs (9:30-10 p.m.)
NBC press notes:
- Isaiah Washington (Grey's Anatomy) will play a mysterious person who is brought into the enigmatic scientific organization that is responsible for creating the bionics that turn Jaime Sommers (Michelle Ryan, EastEnders) into the Bionic Woman for 5 episodes at least.
- NBC has signed a series deal with legendary, Emmy Award-winning television producer Norman Lear (All in the Family) to join Reveille, Act III Productions, and Universal Media Studios in producing a one-hour dramedy focused on a mother who reenters the work force and is pitted against her late husband's ruthless partner in a money-charged battle of the sexes on Wall Street.
- NBC has renewed The Apprentice for mid-season with a creative twist. In a new celebrity version of the popular series, celebrity contestants will vie for Donald Trump's attention in what will be the highest-profile competition in the groundbreaking series' run. Celebrities will be announced at a later date.
- Jerry Seinfeld returns to NBC in a rare guest-star cameo when he appears as himself in the second-season premiere of NBC's critically acclaimed comedy 30 Rock on October 4 (Thursday, 8:30-9 p.m. ET).
As mentioned, the TCA Cable Summer Press Tour was July 12-15. On July 12 we had Lifetime, FX, Hallmark Channel, National Geographic Channel, HBO among the channels that went. July 13 was TV Guide, the MTV Networks, Travel Channel, BBC America, Discovery Networks, E!, style. On July 14 we had Disney Channel, SOAPnet, ESPN, Sundance Channel, GSN, and Showtime. The final day saw Turner Broadcasting, BET, Rainbow Networks, History Channel, NBC Universal Networks.
Among the programming Lifetime touted were the new series Side Order of Life and State of Mind, both of them debuted last night. The second season premiere of Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead will lead into the series premiere of the new reality competition show America's Psychic Challenge on Friday, October 12. Finally, 18 episodes of Army Wives have been ordered for the new season, which will premiere in the spring of 2008.
FX talked about a highly anticipated episode of nip/tuck titled "Gala Gallardo." They also talked about the new series Damages starring Glenn Close and Ted Danson.
The Hallmark Channel will create tons of TV movies with classic TV stars including Valerie Bertinelli, Dick Van Dyke, Tom Bosley, Dean Cain, Lea Thompson, Ernest Borgnine and Ernie Hudson.
HBO talked about some original series, movies, and documentaries. New original movie As You Like It premieres in August. A new drama series called Tell Me You Love Me premieres September 9. Also on that date a new documentary will premiere titled Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq. The huge night will also have the sixth season premiere of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Among the MTV Networks that went were TV Land and Spike TV. TV Land talked about its Elvis month this August as we have mentioned here many times. They also released details on a new special from EW. Oprah. Heather Locklear. Homer Simpson. Regardless of age, TV genre or life-form, there are select TV personalities whose work is timeless and whose popularity is endless due to the impact they have made through television. Entertainment Weekly and TV Land Present: The 50 Greatest TV Icons, a two-hour special premiering on TV Land on Friday, November 16 from 8-10pm ET/PT, counts down the iconic personalities who have made their indelible mark via the small screen. The list will also be revealed in the issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands that same day. TV Land Confidential launched its season season last week and TV Land will premiere Back to the Grind this Wednesday. High School Reunion launches in January.
Spike TV mentioned their new series The Kill Point launching July 22 and their unscripted crime drama series Murder coming July 31.
Nickelodeon will launch a new web cast type show for kids called iCarly and a new Chinese animated series called Ni Hao, Kai-lan coming October 22.
Salt-n-Pepa return with The Salt-n-Pepa Show on VH1 coming October 15. See VH1 follow their lives.
E! talked about their new series, Chelsea Lately, which premiered tonight. style Network will launch the first reality sitcom series, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane takes viewers inside the compelling life of Kimora Lee Simmons.
Disney Channel announced that Wizards of Waverly Place will come in October. Mark down August 17 for the premiere of the new movie High School Musical 2. A High School Musical Documentary is also in the works for the fall. SOAPnet talked about General Hospital: Night Shift, which premiered Thursday and is SOAPnet's first one-hour original scripted drama.
A team of award-winning ESPN correspondents will serve as the reporters of a new series called ESPN Reporters coming October 16. Signed on are Tom Farrey, Rachel Nichols, Lisa Salters, Jeremy Schaap and Michael Smith.
GSN announced details of the new game show Without Prejudice? coming tomorrow. Also, the new game show Grand Slam, hosted by Ken Jennings! It launches August 4. That's The Question a half-hour series that combines word scrambles with a test of world history and pop culture trivia knowledge, returns for a second season on Sept. 10.
Showtime will launch the new season of Weeds in August. One of the most buzzed-about shows on television, Weeds will continue to grow and blossom with inspired new storylines and notable guest starts. The series follows a suburban mother (Mary-Louise Parker) who deals marijuana in order to make ends meet after her husband dies unexpectedly. Brotherhood and Dexter will return for new seasons this fall. A new sitcom called The United States of Tara has been greenlighted. The half-hour single camera comedy pilot revolves around a mother who has multiple personality syndrome.
Court TV announced details for The Star Jones Show coming Aug. 20. CourtTV will be rebranded truTV on January 1. TBS and TNT continued to talk about its upcoming originals The Bill Engvall Show (July 17 on TBS), Saving Grace (July 23 on TNT) and The Company (Aug. 5 on TNT).
BET has put together two of the funniest guys in the business to create an animated sketch comedy show for BET. Orlando Jones and Ali LeRoi have teamed up to create BUFU, in the tradition of Saturday Night Live and SCTV.
USA Network announced details about a new movie title In Plain Sight. Original episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent will air Thursdays at 10pm on USA starting Oct. 4. Sci-Fi Channel will create a new animated series called Flash Gordon coming Aug. 10. Bravo's TelevisionWithoutPity.com will create a Fantasy TV game. The game will allow players to create, name and program their own fantasy television networks using both new fall shows and returning series from the five broadcast networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and CW).
Sunday, July 15, 2007
SitcomsOnline.com Special: TV-on-DVD Hall of Fame; Welcome Back, Pavan
TV-on-DVD Hall of Fame
By Skees53
After seeing that list of DVDs that made the “DVD Wall of Shame” last week, you may be thinking to yourself that TV-on-DVD is all gloom and doom… but don’t get too far down yet! There are actually some DVD sets out there that are decent, but some just stand out above the rest. Today, we look at a few DVD releases of TV shows that make the list of the “impressive” DVDs. You’ll notice that many of these have already had a complete series release, which perhaps suggests that the DVD producers were truly dedicated to these series. This is the TV-on-DVD Hall of Fame.
Click here to view our DVD Reviews Archive.
Arrested Development – all releases: The series was never quite a big hit with the mass public as it was with the critics, but when it comes to the DVDs, boy did the critics ever win! We have commentaries, deleted scenes, blooper reels, and of course the episodes themselves presented in their perfect form. What can one complain about?
The Beverly Hillbillies – Volume 1 and Volume 2: For years, we’ve been seeing public domain releases of this great series on DVD, but not much more. But MPI gave us two authorized releases for a change that had the theme song intact, had original sponsorship elements contained within the set, included an unaired pilot, and even had some interviews with cast members on it. Unfortunately, MPI could only release the episodes that they had obtained the rights to release from the Paul Henning estate, which means that the remaining episodes of the series are in the hands of CBS DVD. So far, they seem to have no interest in releasing any more episodes, and if they do, while the video quality may likely be nicer than the MPI releases, we probably won’t see as many special features.
Bewitched – The Complete First Season: You know you are off to a good start when the producers of this DVD set offer an option of original black and white or a colorized version. I won’t even start on which one is better (that is your own decision, but hey, you actually can choose!), but the choice is nice to have. The episodes were all presented (basically) unedited and there were even some special features, including interviews with some of the cast members. The later releases are good too, although they are totally lacking in the special features area. The only bad thing about these sets is that they don’t include the original opening credits, but then again, as a show ages and we watch it in syndication, the syndicated opening credits in a sense become the original opening credits as far as we are concerned.
The Dick Van Dyke Show – all releases: Wow. Just wow. This show is, of course, one of the greatest classic television shows of all time, but it doesn’t always get the same level of appreciation as some other older television shows like I Love Lucy or The Andy Griffith Show. But still, that didn’t stop Image from releasing DVD sets with every single episode with nearly perfect video quality and loads of special features. The series finally got the level of respect that it deserves!
Doogie Howser, M.D. – all releases: Yes, I’m just as surprised as you are to see this series make a list like this… but you’d better bet it deserves to be here! Anchor Bay managed to release all four seasons unedited (and with original music—I never even realized the show had so much music until the DVDs) and include some nice special features as well. Although the sets all lacked commentaries, we had plenty of interviews, trivia, and even Doogie Howser’s personal journal booklet included on one set.
The Doris Day Show – all releases (so far): I’m not going to lie. Before this show came to DVD, although I had heard of the show (only when Louise Jefferson was asking Archie Bunker if he had watched it on an episode of All in the Family), I never knew what it was at all. And I think that can be said for a lot of people. Still, that hasn’t stopped MPI from releasing DVD sets with bonus features like interviews, commercials, unaired footage (including unaired footage from the making of the opening credits), movie trailers, bloopers, even a pilot episode for a spin-off that never came to be! There is only one season left to be released in the series, and supposedly Doris Day herself will be involved in it. This could possibly be the best release yet!
Family Guy – Volume 3 and Volume 4: When Fox released Volumes 1 and 2 of Family Guy on DVD, they were decent sets, but nothing all that impressive. Of course, Fox really didn’t care. Family Guy was just a show that Fox didn’t really care that much about, and was just getting it out on DVD to get fans to shut up about a show that they thought was done with forever. But when those volumes sold very well and the show was brought back, Fox decided that for the DVD releases of the new episodes, they weren’t going to be quite as unimpressive on the DVDs. In Volumes 3 and 4, we have many more commentaries, many more behind-the-scenes featurettes, and even get to see additional footage from episodes. In fact, some of the episodes on Volume 4 run a few minutes longer than they did when they aired on TV and have the original content intact.
Get Smart – The Complete Series: This is the ultimate definition of TV-on-DVD done right. Of course, maybe it just got lucky because it got into the hands of HBO (for those unfamiliar with HBO DVDs, they are always incredibly impressive) rather than a company that just mass produces DVD sets with just episodes, but in any event, we have complete episodes along with commentaries, interviews, audio introductions, documentaries, and a whole lot more.
Here’s Lucy – The Best Loved Episodes from the Hit TV Series: In all fairness, although this was a great show, it doesn’t exactly measure up to the standards set by I Love Lucy in the 50s. But it is still a pretty good show, and this set is a great set! It contains 24 episodes with commentaries, bloopers, unaired footage, original network promos, and much more. The only unfortunate thing about the set is the fact that it is a best-of set, and so far we haven’t seen any season sets (nor is there any indication that we ever will), but we can always hope for the best!
I Love Lucy – all releases: I love these DVD sets! They contain all of the episodes pretty much unedited (though some purists will point out there is a scene missing from one episode… but the justification for removing that scene seemed fair to me) and have original openings available on the set, deleted scenes, outtakes, commentaries, promotional spots, and a whole lot more! There is even more good news on the way: later this year, CBS DVD is releasing a Complete Series set as they have done with several other series. There is no word yet on what this set will contain as a bonus, but I’m sure that whatever it is, it’ll be good.
Miami Vice – all releases: Okay, so it isn’t a sitcom, and there aren’t really that many special features. In fact, only Season One had any special features at all, and even those were pretty lame. But in these sets, Universal took a series that had lots and lots of music and somehow managed to give us all five seasons with not a single song removed due to copyright reasons and (as far as we know) totally unedited… and at a reasonable price too. That alone allows Miami Vice to earn a place in the hall of fame.
The Odd Couple – The First Season: This show took quite a while to make it to DVD, but it was well worth the wait. With Paul Brownstein being involved in this set, it is no surprise that this set was done right. We have a set with complete episodes, commentaries, and plenty of bonus materials, including obscure interviews, promos, and more. The only bad thing about this set was the packaging, which was flimsy and perhaps not very professional looking… but even that was fixed when distribution of the set switched from Time-Life to CBS DVD (which also added a nice bonus disc to the set with some episodes from later seasons). Future seasons of the series to come look like they should be good too, but there is a little cloud hanging over us in the fact that the back of the case for the season two set says that some music has been changed. Hopefully this hasn’t gone the route that many other CBS DVD series have gone lately.
Seinfeld – all releases (so far): Sony usually doesn’t do DVD releases perfectly well. They seem to have at least perfected the situation of accidentally including syndicated versions of episodes, but they still generally lack on bonus features. But they didn’t do that on Seinfeld! They have given perfect releases on all of these so far (as the show deserves) with commentaries, interviews, bloopers, standup comedy footage, documentaries, and much much more! That means there is a whole lot of something about the show that is about nothing!
Sgt. Bilko (The Phil Silvers Show) – 50th Anniversary Edition: This show could have easily slipped by with a sub-par release, but it didn’t. Instead, we got a great set with 21 episodes complete with bonus features such as commentaries, promos, interviews, auditions, and footage from special events related to the show. It should come as no surprise that this was another Paul Brownstein set! Now, if only CBS DVD could release entire seasons of the series.
The Simpsons – all releases (so far): This has been an impressive series on DVD, with totally unedited episodes all the way through, interviews, animatics, artwork, and commentaries on every single episode—so far anyway. Unfortunately, I fear that these sets are going to be getting a little less impressive now that we are moving into the seasons where some so-called fans stopped watching the show. This slow trend can already be seen on the upcoming season 10 release which will reportedly have a few episodes that do not contain commentaries (we can hope this is only a mistake, but I’ve seen nothing to suggest that so far). Still, I can see future releases being totally unedited and still having some decent special features on them.
Three’s Company – all releases: This is a great series that could have been easily wrecked on DVD if it had gotten in the hands of the wrong company (specifically in regards to special features). But it didn’t. Anchor Bay released all eight seasons of the series, complete with unedited episodes, interviews, commentaries, promotional material, photo galleries, and more. And on top of that, the sets are all priced VERY reasonably, with list prices in the sub-$30 range (and you’ll easily find them under $20 if you look hard enough). Now if only we could get the spin-offs on DVD.
Those are all of the good DVD releases, so far anyway. Hopefully, as more and more DVDs are released, this list can grow infinitely long (though sadly, the Wall of Shame seems to be growing more than this list lately). Still, it is nice to know that in the fast-paced world of TV-on-DVD, there are some sets that are definitely worth owning.
Which sets make your TV-on-DVD Hall of Fame? Post your picks here.
Pavan makes his return from vacation tomorrow. I hope that I was able to keep the blog interesting and informative while he was gone. Thanks to Seth and Skees for their articles and Solomon for his regular weekly rants. They made my job easier. The blog will be celebrating its second anniversary next month. Thanks to Pavan for all of his time and effort in bringing us daily updates!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Solomon's Weekly Rant: Nick@Nite
Saturday, July 14, 2007
"Nick at Nite's Crazy Marathons, Editing, and Acquisitions"
By Solomon Davis
Even though Nick@Nite has entertained us for years by acquiring some very classic TV shows, the network still manages to annoy us at the same time with some of its decisions. N@N's biggest problem has been leaving shows out on their schedule all night to get stale by the morning time. No matter how good a show it is I don't think no one wants to see it every night for 5 hours because it's real easy to get bored. And that has happened with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the past couple of months with all the marathons, weekend-thons, and overnight-thons. Stale has replaced Prince when watching the show anytime I stopped laughing at Carlton's goofy dance. N@N has to
know that our stomach can't take STALE FOOD so why have our eyes view STALE TV shows?
The stale N@N schedule started when marathons turned into weekly-thons (one show, 7 days a week, all night) and us viewers stopped being so eager to turn to the network. And N@N has to understand that not everyone is a fan of Fresh Prince and realized some viewers maybe fans of The Cosby Show or Roseanne. I never been a fan of back to back airings of a certain show because you get the same type of comedy with the same jokes and the schedule loses flexibility. Even with the TV shows I have in my collection at home, I never watch the same DVD's over and over again because it will become a "yeah I've seen and heard that before" kind of a evening. If I can be flexible in my apartment with classic TV shows then I know N@N be flexible in how they schedule their nightly lineup. I'm sure whoever is in charge of programming at N@N doesn't go home and watch the same shows over and over again, so why do it to the TV fans? And if they are going to rerun the same shows can they at least be a little smarter when it comes to editing episodes.
N@N editing issues is no where as bad as the station ION but they still tend to annoy us on a higher level of editing. I never understood why they always seem to cut of the FUNNIEST parts to make more room for commercials. We all understand that in syndication there will be cuts but does N@N have to specialize in unfunny editing? They have done this with so many shows like the "classic dance scene" by Jack Tripper in a season 6 episode of Three's Company. I will never forget how disappointed I was to see a large portion of that dance scene deleted when watching that Three's Company episode. I certainly wasn't laughing that night and that's why N@N should
know it is possible make us laugh and make room for commercials at the same time. So I'm just waiting for the day when someone in the N@N editing department is going to say, "how can I make fans laugh FIRST and then make room for commercials?"
N@N has also made a strange acquisition in 2007 by picking up the Bob Saget episodes of ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos. I was stunned to see such a silly pick up by the network and I always made sure I grabbed the remote if I turned to the show by a accident. It's not the pick up so much that annoys me so much, it's basically because the show is NOT FUNNY. I've seen some clips on the show and it looked like some people were really HURT in some of those videos and we are supposed to laugh at that? I'm sure not
many of us want to come home from work and watch a dog drag a woman by her hair for entertainment. I guess N@N thinks it's funny going by how many times they have showed the promo this week. I will have to say that America's Funniest Home Videos is the WORST ACQUISITION of the decade by N@N and I'm just waiting to see if the network makes up for this strange acquisition in 2008. It must be the worst pick up of the decade since I would rather watch the other N@N original series that I like to call The Goofiest Mom in America.
Agree or disagree with Solomon? Discuss it here.
DISCLAIMER: Remember, Solomon is not the voice of SitcomsOnline. He is just stating his opinions and does not reflect what SitcomsOnline says or thinks. It is just his 'View' but it is always quite entertaining.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Benson and Other Sony Comedies Added to AOL Video; ION Television August; Shark Week 2007
AOL Video has recently added some Sony comedies to their FunnyBone channel, including Benson, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Muddling Through (a short-lived 1994 CBS sitcom with Jennifer Aniston) and What's Happening!!.
If you enjoy watching Benson episodes online, please don't forget that Benson - The Complete First Season will be released on July 24. It has some great extras, including a video introduction by Robert Guillaume, Inside the Governor’s Mansion: Remembering the First Season of Benson featurette, Favorite Episodes from the First Season and a Photo Gallery. Check out Pavan's review for more details. It has been a banner year for Benson fans, although the show didn't air for that long on TV Land.
ION Television has released its August schedule. Everything looks the same as July. Unfortunately, Perfect Strangers is still nowhere to be seen on the schedule. Cousin Balki is not happy. Hopefully we will see it in the fall.
Here is full the regular schedule for August:
Mon-Thurs
6:00PM Diagnosis Murder
7:00PM Designing Women
7:30PM Designing Women
8:00PM Mama's Family
8:30PM Mama's Family
9:00PM Who's the Boss?
9:30PM Who's the Boss?
10:00PM The Wonder Years
10:30PM The Wonder Years
11:00PM Bodog Fight (Tuesdays ONLY)
Fri-Sun
6:00PM Diagnosis Murder (Fri-Sat); ION Life (Sun)
7:00PM RHI Entertainment
9:00PM RHI Entertainment
11:00PM Bodog Fight (Saturdays ONLY)
Click here for the ION Television August thread for additional RHI Entertainment programming information. August program highlights include Patrick Stewart in Moby Dick (Sunday, August 12th, 7:00-11:00 p.m.), and the "prequel" to Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry's Dead Man's Walk (August 18th, 25th and September 1st, 9:00-11:00 p.m.), starring David Arquette as Gus McCrae, Jonny Lee Miller as Woodrow Call, and a brilliant supporting cast that includes Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham, Keith Carradine, Brain Dennehy, Edward James Olmos and Harry Dean Stanton.
DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S SHARK WEEK HITS MAJOR MILESTONE,
CELEBRATING 20TH YEAR AS SUMMER’S MOST ANTICIPATED TELEVISION EVENT
-- From July 29 to August 4, It’s All Sharks, All Day, as Cable’s Longest-Running Event Fills the Network’s Entire Weekly Schedule --
You can check out the official Shark Week website here: http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/sharkweek/sharkweek.html
(Silver Spring, Md.) – It's just not summer without SHARK WEEK. And in 2007, the ultimate must-watch summertime television event is turning 20 – making it cable’s longest running event. Hosted by SURVIVORMAN’s Les Stroud, SHARK WEEK’s 20th Anniversary will fill Discovery Channel’s total day schedule from Sunday, July 29, through Saturday, August 4, from 9 AM to 3 AM (ET/PT) each day – adding up to over 130 hours of shark programs devoted to the behavior of one of the most mysterious and majestic creatures on the planet. Also to be featured is a programmed-by-you Viewer’s Choice hour at 8 PM, and eight all-new primetime specials at 9 PM.
For the past two decades, SHARK WEEK has intrigued, educated and enthralled viewers. Who can forget the footage of huge great whites bursting out of the water, launching 10 feet into the air, shown for the very first time on SHARK WEEK? Or the first-ever 3-D shark program, with sharks big, small and unusual seeming to swim right out of television screens and into living rooms across the nation? And every year since its inception in 1988, SHARK WEEK has partnered with the world’s most renowned shark scientists and experienced underwater cinematographers to bring viewers the latest information about the ocean’s top predator.
Les Stroud, outdoor adventurer, instructor in survival and host of SURVIVORMAN on Discovery Channel, will host SHARK WEEK this year. During premiere program breaks in the 9 PM hour, he will offer practical and potentially lifesaving tips that show viewers the best techniques for surviving an encounter with a shark. In addition to providing critical safety and awareness knowledge, Stroud explains that, while sharks are incredibly efficient predators, they are not mindless killing machines. For a safe coexistence with sharks, we must acknowledge that ultimately the waters are the shark’s domain. Stroud will also host one premiere special, Shark Feeding Frenzy (July 31, 9-10 PM), which will examine the feeding habits of sharks.
The 9 PM premiere hour will kick off on Sunday, July 29 with the two-hour special Ocean of Fear: Worst Shark Attack Ever, which is narrated by Richard Dreyfuss and tells the gripping real-life story of the worst shark attack ever recorded – after the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis in 1945. Additional SHARK WEEK premieres include Deadly Stripes: Tiger Sharks (July 30, 9-10 PM); Top 5 Eaten Alive (July 30, 10-11 PM); Shark Feeding Frenzy (July 31, 9-10 PM); Perfect Predators (August 1, 9-11 PM); Shark Tribe (August 2, 9-10 PM); Sharks: A Family Affair (August 3, 9-10 PM); and Sharkman (August 4, 9-11 PM). All times ET/PT.
In another SHARK WEEK first, viewers are being given the opportunity to help program television's most anticipated summer event. Via the "Best of Shark Week Poll" at Discovery.com/sharkweek, viewers can watch clips from 10 of the highest-rated and most talked-about SHARK WEEK programs of all time – and vote for their favorites. Voting continues through July 1, with the top voted shows airing in SHARK WEEK's 8 PM hour.
Among Discovery.com’s exciting online SHARK WEEK features: a game based on real-world tracking of live sharks in the wild, a video mixer that allows users to create their own mini-SHARK WEEK documentaries, exclusive behind-the-scenes video, information about sharks and more.
First launched in 1988, SHARK WEEK was Discovery Channel’s very first week-long event, designed to satisfy viewers’ thirst for knowledge about the natural world and to use the time between traditional television seasons to draw attention to the still-young network. The ratings shot up in that first year, and in its 20th year, SHARK WEEK shows no signs of slowing in popularity, remaining one of Discovery Channel’s most popular annual events. Last year, in 2006, SHARK WEEK was watched by 20 million viewers.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
New Sitcom, The Bill Engvall Show, Premieres on TBS on Tuesday, July 17
The Bill Engvall Show premieres Tuesday, July 17, at 9/8c on TBS!
The Bill Engvall Show is written and created by Engvall and Michael Leeson (The War of the Roses), who also serve as executive producers with J.P. Williams (Blue Collar TV). The series is produced by TBS with Leeson’s Welladay, Inc. and Williams’ Parallel Entertainment. The pilot was directed by James Widdoes (Two and a Half Men).
Set in a Denver suburb, The Bill Engvall Show stars Engvall as Bill Pearson, a family counselor whose own family could maybe use a little dose of counseling. He works with dysfunctional families all day and comes home to what he sees as perfection, but in reality they are somewhat absurd, unpredictable and just as mixed up as any other family.
Nancy Travis plays his witty and loving wife, Susan, who tries to keep the family in line. Bill and Susan keep busy raising their teenage daughter, Lauren, and sons Trent, a sports and video game enthusiast, and Bryan, a musically talented neat freak with a pet snake. The kids love their parents but also know how to manipulate them. Also adding to the family dynamic is Bill’s mother, an outrageous senior with the energy of a teenager. Comedic actors Tim Meadows and Steve Hytner round out the cast as Will’s closest friends.
Cast:
Bill Engvall as Bill Pearson, Nancy Travis as Susan Pearson, Tim Meadows as Paul DuFrayne, Steve Hytner as Bob Spoonerman, Jennifer Lawrence as Lauren Pearson, Graham Patrick Martin as Trent Pearson, Skyler Gisondo as Bryan Pearson
Related Links:
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
ABC Scheduling Notes; The Simpsons Movie; Random TV Bits
20th Century Fox presents the much anticipated summer movie of the year, The Simpons Movie, out in theatres July, 27th!! The groundbreaking television series and global phenomenon comes to the big screen. In true Simpsons fashion, Homer must save the world from a catastrophe he himself created.
Visit the extremely interactive official website at http://www.simpsonsmovie.com . Try your hand at various games. Play cards with Moe in Three Card Moe, make Homer go full throttle in Ball of Death, and help Homer save his family in Wrecking Ball. Download wallpaper, buddy icons, screensavers, and ring tones as well as take a virtual tour of Springfield itself. You can create your own Simpsons character avatar, and then go visit Moe’s Tavern, where your character is hanging out with Homer. Go and check out the trailers and teaser clips for a glimpse into the movie.
Also, check out the newly relaunched official The Simpsons online store. Visit http://www.thesimpsonsshop.com for exclusive, limited-edition merchandise. There is a 10% off discount code! Just enter “HOMER” at checkout.
Springfield, Vermont Wins Right to Host 'The Simpsons Movie' Premiere / Simpsons Family Values
Charlie Sheen Engaged to Girlfriend
CourtTV to Change to truTV
Valerie Bertinelli Working on a Memoir
'Apprentice' May Rise from Ashes
Businesses competing for 'office' space
"National Bingo Night" Returns For Five Consecutive Nights with a Huge Cash Jackpot, Airing This December on the ABC Television Network
Joost snags sneak peek of VH1's I Hate My 30s
Game over for Cronin as winning GSN chief
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
FOX Announces Fall Premiere Dates for the 2007-2008 Season; Remembering Character Actor Charles Lane
The premieres are listed below in chronological order. All times are ET/PT.
Thursday, Aug. 30
8:00-9:00 PM ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER? (Season Premiere)
Saturday, Sept. 8
8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT COPS (Season Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT COPS (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK (Season Premiere)
Thursday, Sept. 13
9:00-10:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (Series Premiere)
Friday, Sept. 14
9:00-10:00 PM NASHVILLE (Series Premiere)
Saturday, Sept. 15
11:00 PM-Midnight MADtv (Season Premiere)
Midnight-12:30 AM TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN (Season Premiere)
Monday, Sept. 17
8:00-9:00 PM PRISON BREAK (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM K-VILLE (Series Premiere)
Wednesday, Sept. 19
8:00-8:30 PM BACK TO YOU (Series Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM 'TIL DEATH (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM BONES (Season Premiere)
Sunday, Sept. 23
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS (Season Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM KING OF THE HILL (Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM FAMILY GUY (1-Hour Season Premiere)
Tuesday, Sept. 25
8:00-9:00 PM NEW AMSTERDAM (Series Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE (Season Premiere)
Sunday, Sept. 30
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY (Time Period Premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD (Season Premiere)
Charles Lane, the prolific character actor whose bespectacled face and crotchety persona made him instantly recognizable to generations of movie-goers, has died, his son said Tuesday. He was 102. Lane, whose career spanned more than 60 years, appeared in such film classics as It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and Twentieth Century. He also had a recurring role as the scheming railroad man, Homer Bedloe, on the 1960s TV sitcom Petticoat Junction and appeared often on television's I Love Lucy. He was especially fond of his role in the I Love Lucy episode in which Lucy Ricardo gave birth to her son, Little Ricky. Papa Ricky (Ball's real-life husband, Desi Arnaz) was all nerves while Lane, as a fellow expectant father, was the picture of calm. "This old guy was expecting his 10th child or something, and this nervous young man was expecting his first," Lane recalled in 2005. "It was a marvelous scene, and Desi was a fine actor." His many other sitcom appearances included Topper, Dear Phoebe, The Real McCoys, Bachelor Father, Dennis the Menace, The Lucy Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Beverly Hillbillies and Bewitched. A great career and a long life. He will be missed. Share your memories of Mr. Lane here.
IMDB / Wikipedia / AP Obit
Monday, July 09, 2007
Cavemen Casting News; The Knights of Prosperity Returns in August; Sitcom Child Stars All Grown Up Article
ABC is bringing back The Knights of Prosperity for at least one episode on Wednesday, August 8th. One of the un-aired episodes, "Operation: Rent Money," is scheduled to air. ABC is also bringing back the drama The Nine. They will be burning off some episodes starting Wednesday, August 1st. It will air in its original timelot of 10 p.m. ET Wednesdays. I thought this show had a lot of potential when I first heard about it, but it just seemed that the storyline was moving too slowly. Serialized dramas just didn't work very well last season.
DETAILS Magazine has just launched its August issue that includes an article on childhood stars all grown up, titled "The Kids Stay in the Picture." The child stars who shaped Gen X are all grown up—and they’re all here in their exclusive photo portfolio. PLUS: Watch Webster, Winnie from The Wonder Years, and Bud Bundy talk about life after the limelight in their video Q&A. And, take their online quiz to find out what kind of kiddie star you would have been.
Here's who is featured:
Emmanuel Lewis - Webster
Danica McKellar - The Wonder Years
Danny Pintauro - Who's the Boss?
David Faustino - Married...with Children
Candace Cameron Bure and Jodie Sweetin - Full House
Tatyana Ali - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Jeremy Miller - Growing Pains
Tiffany Brissette - Small Wonder
View it here - http://men.style.com/details/features/landing?id=content_5747
Sunday, July 08, 2007
SitcomsOnline.com Special: DVD Wall of Shame
DVD Wall of Shame
By Skees53
Once upon a time, not even a whole decade ago, we were introduced to this concept for the very first time of TV-on-DVD… gone were the days where we paid Columbia House $20 for a handful of the episodes that they decided we want on VHS, and in came the day where we could, for roughly the same price, obtain several episodes, an entire season, or in some cases even an entire SERIES of our favorite shows on DVD. But sometimes these releases are poorly done, and some of them make the DVD Wall of Shame. Here is a look at some of these DVD sets that perhaps are just not meant to be on our shelves:
ALF – Season 1, 2, 3, 4: Lions Gate (or Lionsgate, whatever they are) thinks it is a good idea to capitalize on this show that we all love (but will never admit it) by giving us sets that have lots of flash (some special features, very nice menus, etc.) but syndicated episodes, some running as short as 18 minutes! The excuse? The unedited prints were in “bad shape,” though having seen those episodes less than 10 years ago on the cable network Odyssey (now known as Hallmark, cramming hours of mostly obnoxious programming down our throats all day long), I thought they looked rather presentable—even if they couldn’t take the time to clean the prints up. These sets are out of this world—and they deserve to stay there, too.
The Cosby Show – Season One: This is a classic show, even if it does get obnoxious after it airs the 30th time a week or whatever it is. It is okay though, as long as you avoid it, and maybe, on DVD, you’ll like it more because you’ll see full-length unedited episodes. But you’d be wrong, because this set was released with all syndicated episodes! Our very own site news director Pavan even tried (when this set was released) to get to the bottom of this story and find out why the episodes were edited, only to get a response from a person that shall remain anonymous (it wasn’t from anybody directly connected with the production of the DVDs, but with the marketing of the DVDs) that told him that it doesn’t matter that the DVDs are edited, just be glad they are being released, and stop complaining. Ouch. We’ll complain all we want, thank you very much. And if you want to do that cool Cosby Show dance like the Huxtables do at the beginning of each episode, make sure to stomp on this set extra hard. Luckily, all later seasons have been fine on DVD.
A Different World – Season One: Just like The Cosby Show’s first season, this set was also full of syndicated episodes. Fortunately, this will be rectified for season two as well. Even if your parents love you, they’d have to throw you out on the streets if you had this many problems.
The Golden Girls – The Complete Fifth Season: This set could have been a decent set, as it was the first (and only) of this series to contain any commentaries. But, in the interest of “giving us better quality prints” (this almost always means disaster is about to ensue), Buena Vista decides to include a handful of syndicated episodes on this set. I can’t thank this set for being a friend. Also, not quite making the Wall of Shame (but still deserving to be mentioned) is The Complete Seventh and Final Season, which has some episodes with an aspect ratio issue—how does THAT happen???
Happy Days – The Second Season: One two three… oh wait, you mean I’m not allowed to sing this for copyright reasons? Happy bir… wait copyright reasons again? Oh yes, this set was a disaster. CBS DVD (which was known as Paramount less than a year ago, when they still cared about preserving TV shows on DVD for the most part) has decided that this show has to be released on DVD with almost every original song removed. It isn’t just Happy Days—Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Family Ties, and Girlfriends, yes Girlfriends—have these music replacement issues too. And the problem is only getting worse at CBS DVD. The only difference with this show is that music is an integral part of the show, and to remove all of the original music, INCLUDING the theme song, is inexcusable. These days aren’t so happy for this set (or any set in the hands of CBS DVD for that matter).
Home Improvement – The Complete Sixth Season: Buena Vista had been doing a rather decent job of releasing this series on DVD, but then they decided to release the sixth season in a cheaper package than the previous releases. Of course, packaging shouldn’t immediately cause alarm, but then you get inside the package and discover that nearly half of the episodes have this bizarre video compression problem. Then, on top of that, they use syndicated versions for an unknown number of episodes? Does everybody know what time it is? Time to ditch this set!
In Living Color – Seasons 2-5: 20th Century Fox did a decent job with the first season, but then they really dropped a bomb after that, by releasing sets that had ANY kind of music or musical reference deleted from the episode. The result? Episodes that run as short as 16 minutes. You can do what you want, but you probably don’t want to buy this set.
Kate & Allie – Season One: Universal announced (through DVD trailers anyway) a long time ago that a Kate & Allie set would be coming out with the first two seasons… but by the time the press release came out, it was only the first season (6 episodes) at an MSRP of ~$30. Okay, that was hideously overpriced, but even more shocking was the fact that half of the episodes were… syndicated versions! Granted, it wasn’t totally Universal’s fault (they got the prints from FremantleMedia) but why is it that they don’t maintain unedited prints of the shows that they distribute? Sometimes tears and sorrows are all the things we’ve got, especially if we picked up this set without knowing the truth about it. North of the border, VEI in Canada has also been releasing these DVDs, with the same edited episodes on the first season and a few more on the second season, but they don’t make the Wall of Shame simply because they responded to criticism when it was brought to their attention that the episodes were edited and released a relatively flawless Complete Third Season set.
Laverne & Shirley – Season Two: While not quite as bad as Happy Days season 2, it still wasn’t great. We have missing music here and some episodes run incredibly short because of this missing music. Doesn’t CBS DVD understand that music is important in this show and Happy Days? We’re gonna do it… we’re gonna not buy this set, right?
Make Room for Daddy – The Complete Fifth Season: Okay, so we’re starting with season 5? Why? Well this season did mark a change in the series with Danny’s new wife, so we can live with the DVDs beginning with this season. But then, we get syndicated episodes and opening credits moved to just airing at the beginning of each disc! Don’t make too much room on your shelf for this DVD set. On a positive note, according to TVShowsOnDVD.com, S’more Entertainment has taken this show out of the hands of Questar (I don’t even know if they exist anymore to be honest, they seem to be a dead company because their website hasn’t been updated since 2004) and intends to release season 6 soon. Given the fact that S’more hasn’t released any DVD sets that could even potentially make this list, we’ll probably get a good set this time.
Mama’s Family – The Complete First Season: The first 13 episodes of this great show comes on DVD with episodes that are 21 minutes and 35 seconds long… syndicated versions indeed! Every single one of them! And even though syndicated episodes shouldn’t exactly be tolerated, it is made worse by the fact that the show has pretty much always aired twice a day on some cable network in the United States for the past ten years. This set will only curse your happy home.
Married… With Children – The Complete Fourth Season: Okay, so they changed the theme music for copyright reasons. We can live with that; after all, we don’t watch shows just for the theme songs, though it would be dishonest to say that the theme songs don’t give a series a little boost. But seven syndicated episodes? SEVEN? Does this have something to do with that obnoxious kid that lived with the Bundy family in the seventh season? It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for Sony’s excuse for the goof-up here. Apparently, they had unedited episodes, but they claim it is not possible for them to put the new theme song onto those episodes without doing a lot of work. They had to use the only international prints that were available to them. Of course, the “only international prints that were available” for the German version of this set included those seven episodes UNEDITED. This is no marriage made in heaven.
Roseanne – The Complete First Season: The Carsey-Werner syndicated first season curse strikes again!!! What more can I say? I think Roseanne laughs at the end of the closing credits because it doesn’t matter if these sets are edited or not—we still buy them and she still gets her money! Though in all fairness to Ms… Barr… or whatever her last name is… she did seem to be legitimately concerned when it was brought to her attention that the episodes were edited, and all further seasons have been unedited.
That’s My Mama – The Complete First Season, The Complete Second Season: This is a somewhat rare show from the 70s and it was great to see it come to DVD when it was announced. But a majority of the episodes turned out to be SYNDICATED versions. Don’t you be cuttin’ up on my mama.
Too Close For Comfort – The Complete First Season: I have to give Rhino a little bit of credit for releasing this show on DVD, as it is somewhat of a rare show to see on television, but every single episode was edited. This was rectified in the second season set, but we haven’t seen any more releases since then. I’d get too close for comfort with this set if it had full-length episodes.
WKRP in Cincinnati – The Complete First Season: Fans of this series have been waiting forever to have this show on DVD. Unfortunately, 20th Century Fox had us waiting forever simply to sell us, well, crap, in a convenient three disc set. Granted, all of the old jokes and most (though not even all) of the funny moments are there, but we have every single song gone (including doorbell music!) and even some shortened syndicated versions of episodes. Ouch. As God is my witness, I think these DVDs can fly off of your shelf.
Theoretically, I could go on forever and ever about more bad sets, like Sony and their practice of including randomly selected syndicated episodes (and chopping of recaps of multipart episodes), more theme song replacements, more music replacements, and appalling compression issues, but that is about it for the worst offenders. Unfortunately, I can only close by saying look forward to more bad sets coming to you in the upcoming years… what they’ll be, who knows, but beware!
Which sets make your DVD Wall of Shame? Post your picks here.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Solomon's Weekly Rant: Summer TV
Saturday, July 7, 2007
"No Creativity in Summer TV Programming"
By Solomon Davis
Just because we have turned on the air conditioner, and go to work with less clothes on doesn't mean that summer TV shows should lack creativity. Don't these network executives know that we still want to be entertained in July like we do in September? Maybe they don't since most of the shows seem to be just a bunch of ideas thrown together and added to the summer schedule. New sitcom House of Payne on TBS is definitely a TV show that screams "no creativity" when trying to watch this poor example of a comedy.
TBS has no clue that this comedy disaster is taking up space on the Wednesday night schedule. One of the reasons it's a disaster is because the laugh track is barely heard when watching the show. Not only that, when the laugh track is heard, it is always during the most unfunny moments. And the uncle in this show is a poor man's James Evans and is a complete and total fool. He is always in a bad mood and it's never explained why, which makes a viewer think "is he mad because he is ugly?"
At least we knew that James Evans on Good Times was in a bad mood because of unemployment and not having much money. Basically it is a show that is a "Payneful" sitcom to watch at 9pm on Wednesday nights.
Then there are the reality shows that makes you say, "who thought of this mess?" The new dating show called Age of Love on NBC involves a 30 year old guy trying to determine if love is ageless and dates women in their 20's and 40's to come to that conclusion. So you basically have 20 grown women competing for one guy and I'm sure some of them have kids which is probably very embarrassing. Especially when one of the women is eliminated and they start to cry on their way out the door. Would love to know who the genius is who thought of this dating show? I'm not sure if the show will prove that love is ageless but it definitely proves that every Monday at 9pm on NBC, that this show is STUPID.
Let's not forget the dull show America's Got Talent hosted by Jerry Springer. Just another freak show like his daytime show aired at NIGHT TIME. Was Jerry Springer supposed to be different since it's on NBC? You still see odd people doing stupid things but now they are just trying to show America they have talent. Not only do these people have zero talent, the people who run NBC have no talent in creatively entertaining us viewers.
The producer of the MTV show Yo Momma shows his lack of creativity every week when trying to make us laugh. This show travels to different cities to find people who can tell the best "momma jokes." But after a while the momma jokes gets old and the show becomes boring and unwatchable. The producer of this show needs to start having people tell jokes about each other's appearance which would add new jokes on the show instead of the same ole "YO MOMMA IS SO..." So we should just start unplugging our TV sets in the summer time and wait for Labor Day to pass because these summer shows are never going to change. I may pitch a new TV show to the networks tomorrow called The Next Worst Thing: What Network Has the Most Uncreative TV Shows?
Agree or disagree with Solomon? Discuss it here.
DISCLAIMER: Remember, Solomon is not the voice of SitcomsOnline. He is just stating his opinions and does not reflect what SitcomsOnline says or thinks. It is just his 'View' but it is always quite entertaining.
Friday, July 06, 2007
SitcomsOnline.com Special: Networks Selling Out?
Networks Selling Out?
By: Seth Thrasher
For some time now, there has been a lot of talk regarding networks, such as TV Land, GSN, USA Network, etc. "selling out" – that is to say that the network shifts its programming practices from its original or most popular style to a different one, replacing fan favorite programs with others, etc. A lot is made of this as we, as fans of the television genre, want to continue to enjoy our favorite programs indefinitely.
Something that gets lost in this emotional attachment, though, is that at the end of the day these networks are businesses. And businesses in the television industry, for better or worse, have a responsibility to its advertisers, and to its owners and shareholders, to deliver the largest viewership possible, the largest viewership among the advertisers desired target group possible, and to operate in a manner that makes the company the most money.
One example is Nick at Nite. Every other night is a marathon of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air or Roseanne. Many fans aren't happy with this in the least bit – they long for the days of when the channel ran shows like I Love Lucy, Taxi, I Dream of Jeannie, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Happy Days, etc. That's a nice sentiment to have, but ultimately, Nick at Nite does wonderful ratings airing shows like Fresh Prince and Roseanne, particularly among the groups their advertisers want to target. I guarantee you if they could get the same ratings airing The Odd Couple as they could Fresh Prince, you'd get to see Felix and Oscar just as much as you see Dan and Roseanne.
People complain as though networks owe them to run these shows – unfortunately, one small reality of the television industry negates this; unless you're part of a household that reports viewing data to Nielsen, what you’re watching – and what you want to watch...really doesn’t matter as much as it possibly should. It's a flaw in the Nielsen system – if 10 Nielsen viewers are watching Fresh Prince, and 1000 non-Nielsen viewers are watching Murphy Brown, the data reported to networks – and advertisers – indicates all of those 1000 people are in fact watching...Fresh Prince. Is it right? Not necessarily. But it's the best measurement system the industry has at the moment.
This system, and the data it produces, is why networks ultimately have to "betray their vision." For better or worse their loyalties lie with the bottom line. If the ratings data says that airing nothing but Fresh Prince, Roseanne, and The Cosby Show will put more viewers – and more young viewers – in front of the TV than WKRP in Cincinnati, Bob Newhart, and Laverne & Shirley then that's what they'll run.
They're not selling out, or whatever you want to call it. A lot of the people in this business really DO care about television. In order to remain a viable network, they have to make money. In order to make money, they have to make advertisers happy. In order to make advertisers happy, they have to deliver the most viewers possible per timeslot, and with any luck, the most of the specific group the advertiser is trying to target. And in order to attract the most viewers, sometimes a channel will have to run its most popular programs often, in order to maximize these things. It is a sad reality of this industry, and for better or worse it is not likely to change any time soon.
Agree or disagree with Seth? Discuss it here.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
GMA Remembers Joel Siegel on Monday; Just My Show Interviews Seinfeld's Uncle Leo
Eric's JustMyShow.com has just put up the first edition of a new feature called "Recurring Character Central." More than 40 years after his start in television, Len Lesser landed his best known role as Uncle Leo on Seinfeld. Lesser's other TV credits include Get Smart, All in The Family, and another recurring run on Everybody Loves Raymond. Listen as Uncle Leo drops in to talk about Seinfeld's surprise success, his crime of passion and lots more.
http://www.justmyshow.com/UncleLeo.html
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Happy 4th of July; TV One August Highlights; ABC Summer Tuesday Change
TV One August 2007 is out and there are no regular schedule changes, but there are a few noteworthy specials & marathons! Is summer vacation over already? On Saturday, August 18, 2007 beginning at 12 Noon, TV One gets into a 'back to school' groove with an all-day "Back to Cool" marathon. First, beginning at 12pm is an all-day marathon of Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, the '90s sitcom starring comedian Mark Curry as a former basketball star who heads back to his own former high school to work as a coach and teacher. Marathon episodes will spotlight school-themed stories. Then at 8pm, join host Kim Coles as the Saturday night "Cool Factor" movie is the TV One premiere of Spike Lee's college classic, School Daze, starring Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, Tisha Campbell, Ossie Davis, and Kadeem Hardison.
On Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 9pm, TV One presents the latest hour to appear under its Famous People banner of specials. In the Company of Friends with Vanessa Bell Calloway offers the viewer an intimate peek inside a 'dinner party' for the rich and famous. Popular actress Vanessa Bell Calloway tastes and talks with friends such as Sinbad, Lela Rochon, Chante Moore, Kenny Lattimore, James Pickens Jr. and Kym Whitley. The special replays later that night at 2am, with additional plays on Wednesday 8/22 at 12noon, and Saturday 9/1 at 11am.
Finally, as we mentioned before, ABC will launch the new hidden camera comedy series Just for Laughs on July 17 with two back-to-back episodes from 8-9pm. The show will then air every Tuesday at 8:30 through August 14. So what will air at 8pm? We mentioned before George Lopez encores were tentatively scheduled, now ABC has announced that half-hour encores of America's Funniest Home Videos will air instead. That makes more sense, and it should be a great lead-in. Just for Laughs can be a hit like maybe AFV is, and air for many years to come. Sinbad will host the program.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
4th of July Marathons; TV Land Summer Cocktail Marathons Extended; Vacation Note
As we mentioned late last week, Boomerang will have a 3 1/2 day marathon featuring every single episode of The Flintstones! That is clearly the best choice. A close second is Sci-Fi Channel's Twilight Zone two-day event that started today and will run all day and night on July 4. Other notables:
Cartoon Network: Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Marathon starting at 6am, Twenty-nine episodes and the movies "House of Bloo" and "Good Wilt Hunting" air. First up:, Eduardo breaks the "no dogs in the house" rule.
USA Network: Monk Marathon starting at 6am, A 22-hour block of the cautious crime solver begins with Monk looking for Sharona's replacement and running into Natalie, who asks him to investigate a break-in at her house, where she lives with daughter Julie.
TNT: Law & Order Marathon starting at 8am, a 15-episode block of the police procedural. In the first hour, "black rage" is used as a defense in the case of a Wall Street broker (Courtney B. Vance) who's accused of killing his mentor.
FX: Married...with Children/King of the Hill Marathon, starting at 8am, Thirty-two episodes of the two Fox comedies. First up: Eight episodes of Married...With Children, beginning with Part 1 of a 1991 two-parter in which the Bundys
break down en route to L.A., and a prospector (John Byner) trades his gold mine for their car.
BET: Wayans Bros. Marathon starting at 9am, an 18-episode block of the sitcom, a witty look at the misadventures of fast-talking siblings and their moneymaking schemes.
Bravo: Project Runway marathon starting at 10am, twelve third-season episodes of the reality series air in succession. In the first episode, 15 blossoming designers plunge into their first challenge when they
must create a garment using only materials found in their apartments.
TBS: House of Payne marathon starting at 5pm, a 10-episode block of the sitcom opens with young Malik being bullied at school. It turns out his tormentor is a girl with a blustery foster mother (creator and executive producer Tyler Perry, in drag). Perry also directed the episode.
G4: Cheaters marathon starting at 9am
Spike TV: Rocky movies marathon from 9am-6pm followed by CSI from 6pm-1am.
TV Land: The Jeffersons Go to Hawaii, the four-part episode airs from 8-10pm.
Comedy Central: Following movies from 9am-7pm, a mini-thons of Scrubs, South Park and 'Lil Bush will air.
TV Land will extend the Summer Cocktail Marathons, which air weeknights from 10pm-4am, until August 3. It was slated to end after July 20, but now it has been extended by another two weeks. So now you can enjoy more Cosby Show, Three's Company, and others in a little marathon each week. The regular 10pm-4am schedule will return August 6.
I will be going on vacation after my Thursday blog post. Todd will take over until July 15. I will return to the blog on July 16. I won't be checking e-mail or the boards likely, as I will be out of state. Todd will bring you news and some features that will be done by our review team. Among the features to look for is a special one time rant done by Seth (in addition to Solomon's Weekly Rant) and a handy special report called the DVD Wall of Shame by skees53...find out what TV DVDs you should avoid. We hope you continue to visit.
Preview of my final two days before my vacation: Tomorrow we will preview TV One August and on Thursday I hope to post ION August (if not Todd will do it later on).
Monday, July 02, 2007
DMGI Acquires Bill Cosby Show; Atlanta TBS, WTBS to Rename to WPCH
The Bill Cosby Show: Aired for two seasons on NBC between 1969 and 1971, The Bill Cosby Show is a lighthearted comedy starring Bill Cosby playing the role of Chet Kincaid, physical education teacher at a Los Angeles high school.
Route 66: This classic television series starred George Maharis and Martin Milner as two young men driving around the US working at odd jobs, helping people, and searching for adventure.
The Super Dave Show: Regarded by some as one of the funniest television shows ever, The Super Dave Show starred Bob Einstein as "accomplished" stuntman Super Dave Osborne.
Dangerous Assignment: Starring Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell, undercover agent for the U.S. government, this 1950's spy thriller includes over 50 episodes.
As we announced previously, DMGI has The DMGI Classics channel which features classic TV series from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, including: I Spy (82 episodes), Daniel Boone (165 episodes), My Favorite Martian (107 episodes), Invisible Man (26 episodes), The Cisco Kid (156 episodes), Peter Gunn (114 episodes), The Adventures of Robin Hood (113 episodes), and Hopalong Cassidy (52 episodes and 60 feature length films).
For more details, vist the DMGI webpage.
WTBS will become WPCH (short for Peachtree TV) on Oct. 1, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The network will feature nightly blockbuster prime-time movies and a daytime line-up packed with sitcoms targeted to the Atlanta audience, such as Family Guy, The King of Queens, The Jeffersons, Diff'rent Strokes, Cheers, The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, The Steve Harvey Show, Friends and Frasier. Peachtree TV will also bring local viewers 45 Atlanta Braves baseball games called by fan favorites Skip Caray, Chip Caray and Joe Simpson.
While Peachtree TV takes over the local broadcaster position currently held by WTBS, TBS' national cable feed will become available to Atlanta's local cable and satellite operators, offering the network's signature comedy programming.
So for people not in the Atlanta area, we all still will get the TBS Superstation, and not Peachtree TV, as that is JUST for Atlanta. Peachtree TV won't develop its own newscast.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Summer Week 5 Sitcom Ratings; Coming Week Preview
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of June 18-24)
- King of the Hill (Fox) - 2.57 million for a repeat.
- The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat did 3.69 million, doubling from lead-in.
- The Loop (Fox) 3 all-new episodes - 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30pm: 1.52, 2.66 and 3.06 million, down from lead-ins each time...and by a lot!
- Family Guy (Fox) - 4.59 million for an encore.
- Family Guy
- Old Christine (CBS) - No Creature Comforts, so this sitcom soared...5.54 and 6.51 million for repeats, not bad! Just 4.32 million for previous week.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.12 million for a repeat, again down from last week's 9.24.
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 7.08 million for a repeat.
- Everybody Hates Chris, All of Us, Girlfriends, The Game (The CW) - Repeats of these sitcoms did all under 2 million this week with Chris, the highest at 1.93 million.
Tuesday Sitcoms
- According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - Just 3.6 and 3.74 million from 8-9pm, on par from previous week's 3.45 and 3.75 million, but that was 9-10pm.
- King of Queens (CBS) 2 episodes - 5.16 and 5.35 million for two repeats, much better than Creature Comfort encores from two weeks ago which did 3.48 and 3.1 million.
Thursday Sitcoms
- The Office (NBC) 3 episodes - 4.39, 4.45, and 4.46 million, better than last week's 8-10pm stunt of 4.09, 4.33 and 4.22 million.
So what is new or notable this week that you might want to catch? Tonight Fox will burn-off more all-new episodes of sitcom The Loop at 7:00, 8:30 & 9:30p. NBC will have a Concert for Diana at 8pm. On cable, The 4400 and The Dead Zone will be all-new on USA and at 10pm on Lifetime, Army Wives.
On Monday it will be a battle of new at 9pm, an all-new Hell's Kitchen on Fox, ABC will bring back Extreme Makeover, and NBC airs episode three of the new reality series Age of Love also at 9pm, followed by a new Dateline at 10pm. On the cable front, it is an all-new Kyle XY on ABC Family at 8/7 central. TNT will air a new episode of The Closer followed by the new series Heartland!
Tuesday NBC will air a repeat of America's Got Talent from 8-10pm...so fans take note. Fox will continue to air low-rated reality series On the Lot at 8pm. ABC will air a new Shaq's Big Challenge at 9pm, followed by Primetime: Family Secrets at 10.
Wednesday ABC will be all repeats tonight so take note, with The Next Best Thing at 8pm, followed by American Inventor, and finally at 10pm the action packed drama Traveler. Fox will burn-off two new episodes of the canceled drama Drive. NBC will a Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular at 9. CBS will air the Boston Pops Fireworks at 10. The CW will air Hidden Palms at 8 . And on the cable front, a marathon of the new sitcom House of Payne on TBS.
Thursday CBS will bring back Big Brother with the premiere at 8pm, followed by a new episode of Pirate Master at 9. On cable, Burn Notice at 10 on USA Network.
Friday ABC will air a repurposed episode of Kyle XY at 9 and at 10pm the always new 20/20. Fox will burn-off an episode of Standoff at 9pm.
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, September 3
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Bus Bench and Faith out the Wazoo" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Audrey and Mary’s (Zoe Perry) feud rears its head when Georgie needs their help with the tire store, and Jim’s forced to confront his age after a visit to the DMV.
Ghosts - "Up the Creek" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Woodstone’s future is put in jeopardy, Sam and Jay join forces with the ghosts to protect the mansion by securing its place in history, on part one of the two-part fifth season finale.
Adults - "Talia" (FX and FXX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Anton learns that his sister is starting a family, while Issa begins thinking about her own fertility. Written by Shaun Menchel; Directed by Maggie Carey.
Adults - "Raccoon" (FX and FXX, 9:32PM ET/PT)
Issa and Paul Baker host Acid Night. Written by Sanaz Toossi; Directed by Oz Rodriguez.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 31)
Thursday, September 3
- Olivia Rodrigo (Bizaardvark) - Catch Olivia on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Show) - Rickey appears on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Stephen Root (Barry/Ladies Man/NewsRadio) - Stephen is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) and Steve Zahn (Chad Powers/The Righteous Gemstones) - Glen and Steve talk about Chad Powers on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. Steve and Frankie Rodriguez will be on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Sophia Bush (Partners) - Sophia guest co-hosts a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - NBC's Today has the Best of Fun & Games with "Queen of Quips" with Michelle in the 10am hour.
- Casey Wilson (The Righteous Gemstones/Black Monday/The Hotwives/Marry Me/Happy Endings) and Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - NBC's Today has the Best of Fun & Games with "Beat the Box" with Casey, Andrew and Prue Leith in the 10am hour.
- Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere/Nightcap) - Jeff talks about Apple TV's Widow's Bay on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, 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)
09/29/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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