Saturday, August 14, 2010

Digital Digest: Heroes - Season 4 DVD Review

Welcome to another edition of Digital Digest! Our normal Digital Digest blogger (skees53) as you know is off for the summer and is missed. As always, we have the latest news, upcoming releases for Tuesday, and our DVD review this week is of a Universal Home Video's Heroes - Season 4. Are we your heroes for bringing you this review on today's Digital Digest?

DIGITAL NEWS

It was another slow week for sitcoms. CBS DVD announced Accidentally on Purpose - The DVD Edition coming out Oct. 19 at a $41.99 MSRP. View the nice packaging, and brief details on the bonus features. The series was canceled by CBS in May, so this means this is a complete series set for Jenna Elfman and company. Next, Betty White mania continues with one of her earlier TV series as Timeless Media Group is releasing Life with Elizabeth - The Best Of on DVD on Nov. 19 at only a $9.98 MSRP for 8 episodes. Then Timeless Media Group also announced Leading Ladies of Television's Golden Age with episodes of Betty White in Life with Elizabeth, Lucille Ball in The Lucy Show, Gracie Allen in The Burns and Allen Show, and Loretta Young in The Loretta Young Show with 3 episodes of each at only a $12.98 MSRP. View packaging and more information on both sets.

The other sitcom news we have is minor. The Andy Griffith Show - 50th Anniversary: The Best of Mayberry is now coming out on Oct. 19 rather than Sept. 28. Shout! Factory's Shout! Select program is releasing Father Knows Best - Season Five on Tuesday, and TVShowsonDVD.com has learned there will be episodes of Robert Young's later series Windows on Main Street as well! Universal Studios Home Video has announced Saturday Night Live - Presents A Very Gilly Christmas on DVD on Oct. 12 at a $19.98 MSRP. Pre-ordering and packaging is not available yet. The animated comedy The Boondocks - The Complete 3rd Season is coming out on Nov. 2, but Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has not officially announced it yet, so stay tuned! And Respond2 Entertainment on October 26 will release The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson - 4 Decades of Tonight on a 15-disc DVD set for $119.99 MSRP.

Drama wise, CBS DVD will release CSI: NY - The Sixth Season on Oct. 26 at a $62.99 MSRP. Pre-order today.

For more information on titles that we won't cover with full or blog DVD reviews, you can head on over to the news section of TVShowsOnDVD.com for all of the latest details.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (August 17) will have only a few sitcom releases. ABC Studios is releasing Cougar Town - The Complete First Season, and you can read our review of this nice set here. ABC Studios is also releasing Ugly Betty - The Complete Fourth and Final Season and you can read our review of that also. And finally, Shout! Select will release on their website only Father Knows Best - Season 5. That's all for this week, but it will get verrrrrrry busy soon, so come on back!


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

DVD Review: Heroes - Season 4
by Todd Fuller

Heroes - Season 4 (Universal, $59.98) Experience all the intrigue and suspense of Heroes - Season in this 5-disc set that includes all 18 gripping episodes from the fourth season's volume, Redemption.  As the heroes mourn fallen friends and face dangerous new foes, prepare for a wild ride - filled with shocking twists and turns - through an ominous funhouse that culminates in a Brave New World.  Then step right up and explore hours of exclusive, behind-the-curtain magic with the show's writers, stars and artists.

The packaging is very stylish and similar to the previous seasons. The holofoil outer slip cover has a photo of 11 of the characters with Hiro, Sylar, Claire and Peter in the foreground, with the rest of the cast and the carnival in the background.  An embossed Heroes title logo is at the top.  On the back of the outer slip cover, there is a short synopsis of the set and a listing of the special features.  The main digipak packaging slides out from the left of the outer slip cover.   Robert Knepper as Samuel Sullivan is on the cover.  Short episode summaries and the special features are listed for discs three-five on the back cover.  Opening the digipak, there are listings for discs one and two.  There are photos of the cast and various carnival drawings underneath the trays that hold the discs.  The discs have a dark red/brown background and the Heroes logo on them.  Each disc has 3-4 episodes.

The anamorphic widescreen menus are attractive and easy to navigate.   The main menu opens with some static images of the cast with the carnival in the background.  This leads to a montage of video clips from the series and more still images that loops after abound a minute.   Some great instrumental music by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman plays in the background.  There are options for Play All, Bonus, Chapter Index, Set Up and Previews (only on Disc 1) at the bottom of the screen inside the Sullivan Bros. Carnival logo.  The Chapter Index menu features still images from the episodes where you can play the episode by itself, with commentary or view the deleted/extended scenes.  A carnival background with a ferris wheel is used on the Setup menu.  You can turn on the English SDH, Español or Français subtitles here.  Various cast members are featured on the Bonus Materials menu, with more music played in the background.  The Deleted/Extended Scenes menu also features various cast members.  Chapter stops are available within the episodes, but there are no scene selection menus are offered.  When you first insert disc 1, there is a series of previews (6:33) for some other Universal TV Shows on DVD such as Battlestar Galctica, Columbo and House which you can play or skip.

Moving on to the video and audio, the quality is excellent. The episodes are presented in their original 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors are vibrant and clean. The picture is very sharp and detailed. Some of the night time scenes can look a little grainy, but that can be expected. Overall, the lighting is excellent and the outdoor scenes are beautifully shot. All of the episodes appear to be unedited, with running times of 41-43 minutes in length. The season premiere ran 86 minutes.  They have the "Previously On" Heroes openings as originally broadcast. The overall running time of the set is approximately 13 hours, 32 minutes. The audio is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track and sounds great. I didn't notice any major problems on the episodes I've watched so far. The dialogue is at a good volume and easy to understand. I love the music score by Wendy Melvoin & Lisa Coleman and other sound effects that are used in the episodes. Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish. The bonus features are not rated and not all are subtitled.  Here are the runtimes:

Disc 1:
Orientation (1:26:02)
Ink (43:13)
Acceptance (42:32)

Disc 2:
Hysterical Blindness (43:13)
Tabula Rasa (43:03)
Strange Attractions (43:13)
Once Upon a Time in Texas (43:09)

Disc 3:
Shadowboxing (42:35)
Brother's Keeper (42:02)
Thanksgiving (43:13)
The Fifth Stage (42:56)

Disc 4:
Upon This Rock (42:18)
Lit It Bleed (41:32)
Close to You (41:34)
Pass/Fail (42:28)

Disc 5:
The Art of Deception (42:59)
The Wall (43:16)
Brave New World (42:47)

Unfortunately, the special features aren't as plentiful or detailed as the previous seasons. The fact that the show was canceled in May is probably the main reason for the lack of them. The special features they do have are pretty good. There are deleted/extended scenes for 12 episodes that cover 28 scenes. Only 4 audio commentaries by the cast and crew are included - compared to 25 from season three. Other special features include interviews with Tim Kring, Adam Armus, Zachary Quinto and Milo Vetimiglia. There is a design gallery for Sullivan Brothers. A featurette on the online world of Heroes is pretty interesting. Genetics of a Scene are included like the previous seasons. These give a great behind-the-scenes look at how various scenes are produced. Here is the breakdown by disc:

Disc 1:
Deleted/Extended Scenes
Orientation - Deleted Scene (:21) - Dr. Tells Peter HRG Is Alive
Ink - Extended Scenes (8:06) - Samuel Tells Lydia He's Going to the City, Emma Talks to Her Dr., Matt Finds Dead Girl, Peter Discovers Tattoo
Acceptance - Deleted/Extended Scenes (9:31) - Governor Malden Wants Tracy Back, Tracy Brings HRG Home, Sandra and Tracy Meet, HRG Awakens, Tracy Finds HRG, Tracy Packs

Deconstructing Sylar (20:43) - This is a discussion with Creator/Executive Producer Tim Kring, Executive Producer Adam Armus and Zachary Quinto (Sylar).   They talk about the development of the character, how the character was originally shown onscreen, how the character changed over the seasons, the character's backstory, what Zachary Quinto brought to the character, how he was cast and how his life has changed from the experience.  Various clips from the episodes are shown.

Disc 2:
Deleted/Extended Scenes
Hysterical Blindess - Deleted Scene (:19) - Madeline's Late
Tabula Rasa - Deleted/Extended Scenes (7:11) - Peter Takes Hiro's Power, Hiro Struggles, Samuel Introduces Syler to the Family, Hiro Meets Up with Emma, Samuel Presents Sylar as Member of the Family
Once Upon a Time in Texas - Extended Scenes (3:58) - HRG and Lauren Have Breakfast, Claire Encourages HRG

Milo Speaks (5:29) - Milo Ventimiglia talks about his career as an actor and his role on Heroes.  He discusses how he grew up a fan of Star Wars, shooting his final scene with Adrian Pasdar, working with Cristine Rose, and his plans for the future.  Various clips from the episodes and behind-the-scenes footage are shown
Sullivan Brothers Design Gallery (2:31) - Various clips are shown from the episodes, with some of the sketches of the various logos and locations for the carnival.  Some instrumental music is played in the background.

Once Upon a Time in Texas Commentary with Executive Producer Tim Kring, Episode Director Nate Goodman and Director of Photography Charlie Lieberman

Disc 3:
Deleted/Extended Scenes
Shadowboxing - Deleted Scene (1:57) - Emma Saves Megan
Brothers's Keeper - Extended Scene (2:00) - Nathan's Worried
Thanksgiving -  Extended Scene (3:12) - Claire Wants to Drop Out

Heroes Revolution (10:45) - Tim Kring and Heroes New Media Creatives discuss the importance of a web series for a hit television show and how New Media entertainment is created.  This featurette includes interviews with Vivi Zigler (President, NBC Universal Digital Entertainmnet), Carri Wagner (Producer of New Media, Heroes), Howie Kaplan (Writer), Foz McDermott (Writer), Zach Craley (Writer), Jason Badower (Graphic Novel Artist) and James Martin (Writer).  They talk about the NBC.com, the graphic novels, the web series, the online survival game, interactive stories, flash games, Twitter and the Heroes Wiki page.

Shadowboxing Commentary with Executive Producers Adam Armus & Kay Foster and Series Star Greg Grunberg

The Fifth Stage Commentary with Executive Producer/Episode Writer Tim Kring and Series Star Adrian Pasdar

Disc 4:
Deleted/Extended Scenes
Let it Bleed - Extended Scene (:45) - Claire Looks for Peter
Close to You - Extended Scene (1:16) - Lydia Walks Through the Carnival
Pass/Fail - Deleted/Extended Scenes (6:49) - Samuel Convinces Vanessa to Stay, Samuel and Vanessa Reminisce, Sylar Revealed, Ando Watches

Disc 5:
Genetics of a Scene - The cast and crew of Heroes provide an in-depth look at the production process of creating specific scenes.
HRG Stuck in Car (6:05)
Samuel Draws, Doyle Drops In, Sylar Too (5:53)
Boys Bust Out, Suresh Sends Orderly Flying (5:48)
Wall Explodes (6:46)
Samuel Buries the Trailer/Last Day of Production (7:34)
Mayhem at the Carnival/Squib School (5:29)
Claire Climbs and Jumps (5:16)

Tim Kring Introduction for Brave New World (4:09) - This interview with Creator/Executive Producer Tim Kring is from May 21.   NBC had announced they were not picking up the series for a fifth season.  He thanks the fans, talks about the run of the show and the future of the characters.

Brave New World Commentary with Executive Producer Tim Kring and Series Star Robert Knepper

That's a wrap for Heroes.  All 4 seasons and 77 episodes are now available on DVD.  This was a pretty enjoyable show.  Season 1 was exciting and the best of the series.  Seasons 2-3 were not quite as strong, but I think the fourth season was the second best and they redeemed themselves.  They were just never able to catch the magic of the first season.   The show had a very good cast, innovative visual effects, impressive stunts and excellent music.    Ratings were never great after the first couple of seasons, but the show always seemed to have a big fan base online and through DVD/online sales.

Overall, this is a pretty decent set.  I like the carnival theme they used on the packaging and on the menus.  The special features aren't as impressive as the previous releases.  They really cut down on the number of audio commentaries included.  If they had a true series finale, I think this set would have gone out with more of a bang.   It remains to be seen if they will get a miniseries or TV movie in the future to wrap up some storylines.

-- Reviewed by Todd

(4/5 stars)
To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002N5N5MK/ref=nosim/happydaysonline5-20

Also available on Blu-ray

Related links:

SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Heroes Official Site
Heroes TV.com Page
Heroes Internet Movie Database Page
Heroes Wikipedia Page

LOOKING AHEAD

Come on back right here next week for more news and reviews. Next week we will have another good blog review for you. And don't forget to read our full DVD reviews, as many sitcoms will be coming fast very soon as we near September. So please stay with us! Be our hero and keep it digital!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Centric Adds More Sitcom and Drama Airings, Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 16, 2010)

Last week we told you about Centric doing a 24-hour marathon for The Jamie Foxx Show on Saturday, Aug. 7, and they have quietly added it to their regular schedule this past week. The sitcom airs weekdays in the 2pm and 6pm hours. We also announced last week that Smart Guy will get a marathon this weekend (Aug. 14-15), that is still happening, but only on Saturday now and the hours are expanded to 12pm-12am! On Sunday, Centric will air a marathon of The Jamie Foxx Show from 12pm-12am.
Also, starting Monday (Aug. 16), Centric will make some additional changes to the weekday line-up. Miami Vice and The A-Team's morning airings will move from 6-8am to 11am-1pm, switching spots with Soul Sessions and Soul Train. In the 1pm hour, The Steve Harvey Show will remain in the 1pm hour, leading into an hour of The Jamie Foxx Show at 2pm. At 3pm, the Centric Flick will continue to air, but now in the 5pm hour another hour of The Steve Harvey Show is added, replacing an airing of Soul Train. And the 6pm hour will remain The Jamie Foxx Show. Everything else remains the same, such as The A-Team at 9pm, 12am & 4am, American Gangster at 10pm, Miami Vice at 11pm, Soul Train at 1am, and the Centric Flick at 2am. The weekend of Aug. 21-22 will see marathons of Soul Train (Sat from 10am-10pm) and Fame (Sun from 9am-8pm).
And stay with us very soon for Centric's Fall 2010 schedule. Hopefully they add another sitcom or two? We shall see. We'll also have sister network BET's Fall 2010 schedule soon. Stay tuned and don't touch that dial!

It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of August 16-20, 2010, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, August 16, 2010
  • Steve Carell (The Office) - Catch Steve on a repeat of The Rachel Ray Show (check local listings) and then on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Watch Tina with Steve Carell on a repeat of The Rachel Ray Show, so check listings.
  • Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Aubrey on Lopez Tonight at 11pm on TBS!
  • Regina King (227) - Watch Regina on a repeat of The Mo'Nique Show on BET at 11pm.
  • Tracy Morgan (30 Rock/Tracy Morgan Show) - Catch Tracy on a repeat of The Tonight Show with Jay Leono at 11:35pm on NBC.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
  • Kevin Connolly (Entourage/Unhappily Ever After) - Catch Kevin again on a repeat of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:35am on NBC.
  • Joey Lawrence (Melissa & Joey/Brotherly Love/Run of the House/Blossom/Gimme a Break!) - Watch Joey promote his new sitcom on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your local listings for showtime!
  • David Spade (Rules of Engagement/8 Simple Rules/Just Shoot Me!) - Watch a repeat of David on The Ellen DeGeneres Show but you'll have to check your listings for time and station.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

  • Jerry O'Connell (Carpoolers) - Watch Jerry on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12:06am on ABC.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
  • Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Catch Sofia on this repeat from a few weeks ago of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC at 11:35pm.
  • Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) - Watch Simon again on this repeat of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:35am on CBS.
  • Lucy Punch (The Class) - Catch Lucy again on a repeat of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC at 12:35am.
  • Betty White, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Tracy Morgan - Watch the funny people repeat again on The Oprah Show! Check listings.
Friday, August 20, 2010
  • Jordana Spiro (My Boys) - Catch Jordana on a repeat of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC at 12:35am.
  • Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains it All) - Watch Melissa promote her new sitcom on NBC's Today Show and then on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly so check your local listings.
  • Christine Baranski (Happy Family/Welcome to New York/Cybill) - Catch Christine on this REPEAT of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT/PT!
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Old Christine/Seinfeld) - Catch a repeat of Julia on The Bonnie Hunt Show, so check listings.

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Lifetime Fall 2010 UPDATE: Unsolved Mysteries Is Back; TV Land Orders Series from Ashton Kutcher

It was just this past Monday we gave you Lifetime's Fall 2010 schedule, but now they have added two more series to the schedule. These two series will actually start Monday, Aug. 30 instead of Sept. 13. The big news is that Lifetime is bringing back Unsolved Mysteries and will air it weekdays (except Thursdays) at 3pm and 4pm starting Aug. 30. The 2008 episodes with Dennis Farina are listed to air. The series last aired on Lifetime in 2007, but these 2008 episodes have never aired on Lifetime. The series moved to Spike TV in Fall 2008 in a 5-year deal and Spike TV it seems will still continue to air the series in late nights. Maybe now a shared deal it seems. We will have more on Spike TV's Fall schedule in the coming days, so stay tuned. And we will try to get more information on this Unsolved Mysteries situation on Lifetime, so stay with us. Also coming to Lifetime will be sister network A&E's original series Airline, which aired from 2004-05. The series had about 70 episodes and Lifetime will air it weekdays at 11am & 11:30am starting Aug. 30. Leading into Airline will be Wife Swap at 10am, replacing Desperate Housewives (which will be now just at noon). So for this week (Aug. 30) and week of Sept. 6, these are the only changes and everything else will remain the same as it is currently.
And it looks like these two series will be placed on the Fall 2010 schedule starting Sept. 13 as well! So some of the schedule we announced for the daytime will be altered. The 8am-5pm schedule for the Fall will be the same as it will be starting Aug. 30. This means Will & Grace from 8-10am is no longer happening and will remain just in the 8am hour leading into Frasier at 9am. Frasier's planned 10am hour will remain Wife Swap leading into an hour of Airline still, while Desperate Housewives' planned 11am hour is now 12pm. Grey's Anatomy was planned for 12pm & 1pm but will remain now 1pm & 2pm leading into Unsolved Mysteries at 3pm & 4pm. Reba was scheduled for 4-6pm, but now Reba will only get the 5pm hour. Everything else from 6pm on will remain the same as we announced on Monday.
View the UPDATED Lifetime Fall 2010 schedule and stay with us for more fall 2010 schedules as we still have plenty to come such as Nick at Nite, Hallmark, Spike TV, AmericanLife, FamilyNet, GMC, BET, Centric, and more!

TV Land announced it has picked up six episodes of the new original reality series Forever Young from Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg's Katalyst (Punk'd, True Beauty), and 3 Ball Productions headed by Executive Producers JD Roth and Todd A. Nelson (The Biggest Loser, Opportunity Knocks, MasterChef).
The producers have previously teamed on their long-running hit Beauty and the Geek, and they are known for creating series that challenge society's preconceptions about beauty, image and what people ultimately can achieve. Now, the six-episode reality competition Forever Young takes on ageism as it explores the generations' ideas and misconceptions about each other.
Part reality show, part social experiment, Forever Young bridges the generation gap as "Juniors" and "Seniors" work together to experience each other's point of view and find out just how much they do - or don't - have in common. When separated by five decades, six wars and 10 presidents, Forever Young explores how revealing and how funny it can be when youth and wisdom join forces, whether in appreciation of the past, understanding the present or preparing for the future.
TV Land has not yet announced when Forever Young will premiere, so stay with us for further information on when it premieres!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

ReelzChannel Fall 2010 Has NewsRadio, Ally McBeal, 3rd Rock; CMT's Orders First Original Sitcom

The cable network ReelzChannel TV is a cable and satellite network delivering daily original programming that is all about movies and entertainment, including the celebrities, fashion, music and stories behind the stories. They launched in September 2006 and is currently reaching more than 50 million homes nationwide. Anyway, they have acquired a few TV series and have begun airing them on the network. They have acquired the sitcom NewsRadio and are airing it seven days a week at 7:00pm & 7:30pm ET. The sitcom has been airing on the network since July 19. We are sorry for the delay in letting you know. They are airing two different cycles, one cycle at 7pm and another at 7:30pm. NewsRadio was last seen on and off on WGN America and also TV Guide Network had rights. It was also on Nick at Nite, TBS and A&E some years back.
ReelzChannel has also acquired the comedic legal series Ally McBeal! The Calista Flockhart series started on Reelz on August 2 and is airing five days a week on weekdays at 3pm and 4pm ET. Like with NewsRadio, there are two different cycles, one cycle at 3pm and another at 4pm. Ally McBeal has not been seen on cable since it left FX. It aired on FX from about 2001-2004, but it never garnered good ratings for them.
Reelz also airs Carson's Comedy Classics weekdays at 10am & 10:30am. That's highlights from the first 20 years of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The rest of the ReelzChannel schedule has original series and movies air every night at 8pm & 11pm (and on weekends at 2pm & 5pm).
ReelzChannel TV is carried via satellite on DIRECTV (Channel 238) and DISH Network (Channel 299). Local cable channel information is available on the website's home page through a zip code look-up.
This is ReelzChannel's new fall schedule with the addition of Ally McBeal and NewsRadio. They will be adding 3rd Rock from the Sun in October. 3rd Rock from the Sun was last seen on TV Land. Timeslots for the series has not been revealed yet. We'll let you know as soon as we know! And come on back here tomorrow for an all-new fall 2010 schedule!

CMT has ordered 12 episodes of its first scripted comedy, Working Class, a half-hour, family-oriented sitcom starring Melissa Peterman. Set to premiere on CMT in January 2011, Working Class follows the life of a single blue collar mom, who has recently moved her family to a rich suburban neighborhood to try and provide a better life for her kids, while proudly retaining her 'working class' roots.
Peterman has been a staple of CMT recently, hosting CMT's #1-rated series of 2009, The Singing Bee, and she recently starred in her first televised special Melissa Peterman: Am I The Only One for CMT. She has also starred in sitcoms such as Reba as well guest appearances on Surviving Suburbia, Rita Rocks, Just Shoot Me! and Living with Abandon. She has hosted CMT's Comedy Stage, as well as the annual Hollywood Bowl's The Sound of Music Sing-A-Long. Peterman was recently signed to Big Machine Records to release her first comedy album and is currently on tour with Reba, George Strait and Lee Ann Womack.
Working Class is written and executive produced by Jill Cargerman (Spin City/Gary Unmarried) and will be produced internally. Brad Johnson and Bob Kusbit will oversee the series for CMT.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

TV One Fall 2010 Schedule; New Network from RTV to Focus on Kids and Baby Boomers

Today on the fall schedules barrage we take a look at TV One Fall 2010! TV One's fall schedule will kick in partially in September and partially in October, but they won't be adding any new sitcoms to the fall lineup. They are adding a new season of bio series Unsung on Mondays at 10pm starting September 13. Coming in October will be new reality show K-Ci and JoJo...Come Clean, in which the brothers from Jodeci go through alcohol abuse treatment and try to pull their lives and careers back together. We don't have the October schedule yet, so we can't tell you the premiere date and time. TV One will add new first-run court show Judge Karen's Court in October. The series premieres in national syndication on Sept. 20 (and I am guessing it will launch on TV One on Oct. 4).
Moving on to the actual daily schedule, there will be time shifting but nothing will be the leaving the line-up totally except for Cedric the Entertainer Presents, Eve and the short-lived comedy Where I Live. There will be a few series returning as well (The Hughleys, Half & Half, Lincoln Heights, and Between Brothers). The new fall schedule starts Monday, Sept. 20, with the morning line-up hours of Divorce Court, The Jeffersons and Amen remaining intact from 6am-9am. In the 9am hour, The Hughleys returns to the schedule replacing an hour of Good Times. Various originals encores remains from 10am-2pm. The afternoon sitcom block starts at 2pm, with an hour of The Jeffersons taking over for The PJ's. At 3pm, Sanford & Son will get a new timeslot replacing Where I Live. At 3:30pm, short-lived Between Brothers returns, replacing Cedric the Entertainer Presents. The 4pm hour will still have Divorce Court, but as we mentioned Judge Karen's Court will be coming in October, so we don't know yet what time that will air. In the 5pm hour, Half & Half returns replacing an hour of Sanford & Son. In the 6pm hour, an hour of the short-lived Good News replaces an hour of Good Times. Could this be temporary until Judge Karen's Court comes? Good News had been airing Sundays at 7:30am. Anyway at 7pm (and an encore at 2am), Lincoln Heights returns and will replace an episode each of Living Single & Eve. In primetime, Martin remains at 8pm & 11pm, but the 8:30 & 11:30pm airings will now be Good Times. At 9pm & 12am, A Different World moves into the half-hour replacing Tracy Morgan Show, with Living Single at 9:30pm & 12:30am replacing All of Us. At 10pm & 1am, All of Us moves into to its new time replacing A Different World, with Tracy Morgan Show moving to 10:30pm & 1:30am replacing A Different World.
Moving on to weekends, the Saturday morning sitcom block from 6am-12pm will have some time shifting and Martin & The PJ's added to the block and Sanford & Son and The Jeffersons off the block. Like Family remains in the 6am hour, with All Of Us now in the 7am hour instead of The Jeffersons. In the 8am hour, we now have The PJs instead All of Us. In the 9am hour, Martin joins the Saturday block replacing Good Times, as Good Times moves into the 10am hour replacing That's My Mama, which shifts to the 11am hour replacing Sanford & Son. The rest of the day of course will be movies, marathons or originals. The same goes true for Sundays.
Marathons wise, we have a season two marathon of Lincoln Heights on Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 6) from 10am-8pm. On Sunday, Sept. 12, there will be a 24-hour marathon of original biography series Unsung starting at 12 noon lasting to noon on Monday, as the season premiere is Monday, Sept. 13 at 10. On Saturday, Sept. 25 from 1pm-8pm, it is the best of Aunt Esther on Sanford & Son with Esther themed episodes. The marathon repeats from 11pm-6am. And on Sunday, Sept. 26 from 4pm-8pm it is a marathon of the short-lived comedy South Central with the first eight episodes airing an select episodes encoring from 3am-5:30am.
View the full TV One Fall 2010 schedule and stay tuned in the coming weeks for October, which we will label part two of the TV One Fall schedule. So stay with us for that and of course stay tuned tomorrow for another all-new edition of the cable fall schedules barrage!

Luken Communications has announced that it will launch the latest competitor in the market for kids and baby boomers. The new network's name, which is being kept top secret for now, will feature a mix of animated and live action shows from the Classic Media Library and other Libraries including: Richie Rich, Casper, The Lone Ranger, Mr. Magoo, Secrets of Isis, Zorro, Shazam!, and Lassie. According to Neal Ardman, "This may be the single most exciting network launch I have ever been lucky enough to be a part of. This network will appeal to not only kids but their parents as well. We are thrilled to be able to mix the animated and live action shows together and some great shorts like Dick Tracy and Fraidy Cat.
Although Luken isn't saying when just yet, the network has already begun signing deals to join line-ups later this year. Of course Luken Communications operates RTV (Retro Television Network), TUFF TV and maintains a full uplink facility to serve other client networks in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We will have more on this "new network" and hopefully RTV as well. So stay with us!

Monday, August 09, 2010

Lifetime Fall 2010 Schedule; More on The Hub's Launch That Includes Wonder Years, Doogie Howser

It's time to announce another Fall 2010 cable schedule! Today we are bringing you Lifetime Fall 2010! The fall schedule starts on Monday, Sept. 13, 2010 with the additions of The New Adventures of Old Christine and How I Met Your Mother. The latter has been airing twice a week (currently Fridays 11pm-12am) for awhile now, but now it is time for 5 days a week. Both of these shows are also coming to WGN America, as we reported. In addition, you can catch both shows on a local station in your market, so you'll be seeing a lot of these two sitcoms come this fall. Anyway on Lifetime, The New Adventures of Old Christine will air weeknights from 6-8pm ET and Sunday mornings from 10am-11am. The New Adventures of Old Christine will also air Monday nights at 8pm. Why? Because Lifetime cannot air How I Met Your Mother at that time since CBS airs originals there. How I Met Your Mother will air weeknights 8-9pm and 11pm-12:30am, along with weekend late nights from 1-2am. The 11pm-12am airings will go head to head vs. WGN America. Project Runway encores air from 3pm-9pm on Thursdays leading into an all-new episode from 9pm-10:30pm followed by the original half-hour series On The Road with Austin & Santino at 10:30pm. Encores of that will air on Thursdays from 11pm-12:30am, so no Old Christine and How I Met Your Mother at all on Thursdays.
What about the rest of the daily schedule? Will & Grace will now be just weekday mornings, airing from 8-10am leading into an hour of Frasier now from 10am-11am. Desperate Housewives goes from three airings to just one airing now at 11am. Grey's Anatomy gets one airing cut and moves earlier to 12-2pm and the same goes true for Wife Swap airing 2-4pm. Reba's two-hour block moves from 7-9pm to 4-6pm leading into the new sitcoms. We discussed 6pm-12:30am already, so we move on to late night now. Frasier airs back-to-back from 12:30-1:30am leading into Medium at 1:30am, which gets an hour cut.
Movies air almost all day on weekends and in primetime from 9-11pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Kirstie Alley's Big Life airs Tuesdays from 9-11pm and the aforementioned Project Runway/On The Road with Austin & Santino airs on Thursdays. Encores of that duo also air on Saturday nights from 11pm-1am. Both series will have their season finales on Thursday, October 28 from 9p-11p.
View the FULL Lifetime Fall 2010 schedule and stay tuned tomorrow for another all-new fall 2010 schedule right here on SitcomsOnline News!

As we mentioned on Saturday, upcoming new cable network The Hub, will be adding two family sitcoms to its launch lineup! They are The Wonder Years and Doogie Howser, M.D. The network will launch on Sundaym October 10 (10-10-10) and will cater to children and their families. Among the library titles that will join Doogie Howser, M.D. and The Wonder Years are Transformers - Generation 1, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Fraggle Rock, Strawberry Shortcake, among other lesser known animated programs. TVTango found out on Saturday at the TCA Summer 2010 press tour, that they are working on acquiring another sitcom but they are not ready to announce yet. I wonder what that could be? Hopefully it is something not on cable TV like how they got Doogie Howser and Wonder Years. Maybe Step by Step, Family Ties or Growing Pains? I doubt we get anything older than that. Chances for Mr. Belvedere and Small Wonder are slim, I'd say. Maybe something fun for the family like Perfect Strangers? My bets are on Growing Pains or Step By Step, though.
The Hub will have original series as well. They will have many in fact. I have never seen so many original series for a new network. The originals are Dan Vs., Clue, Family Game Night, G.I. Joe Renegades, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, Pictureka!, Pound Puppies, R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, The Adventures of Chuck and Friends and Transformers Prime. All of those are animated except for game shows Clue, Family Game Night, Pictureka!, and drama R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour. Talent wise, we have Meredith Baxter & Michael Gross of Family Ties reuniting on the animated Dan Vs.; Lee Majors & Clancy Brown in G.I. Joe Renegades; Betty White, Eric McCormack, Michael Rapaport, Rene Auberjonois & Yvette Nicole Brown in Pound Puppies; and Markie Post & Gina Torres in Transformers Prime.
The network's planned programming blocks: Pre-school (ages 2-5; 9am-1pm); Kids Afternoon/Kids Prime (ages 6-12; 1pm-6pm); Kids and Family Prime Access (6pm- 7pm); and Kids and Family Prime (7pm-11pm). We do not have the launch line-up yet, but as soon as we get it, we will do a story and tell you. So stay tuned!
The Hub will be replacing the current Discovery Kids Network, so if you have that network, you'll have The Hub come Oct. 10!

Sunday, August 08, 2010

TCA Summer 2010 Press Tour: Cable; Summer Week 10 Sitcom Ratings; Coming Week Preview

Before we get into our normal look at the sitcom ratings for the week, we want to recap the second day of the TCA Summer 2010 Press Tour for cable. We covered day one (Friday) yesterday, so we promised we would cover Saturday's today. Up first yesterday was Fuse, which previewed what they had coming in the fall. Then it was Starz! They had panels for three dramas: Camelot starring Joseph Fiennes (premieres in Spring 2011), Torchwood (season premiere next summer), and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (prequel, launches in January). Then it was BBC America's turn and they also had panels for dramas for Luther starring Idris Elba (premieres in October) and Outcasts starring Eric Mabius (premieres in December). Then it was off to lunch with National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD.
Then HBO was up. Among the panels were for new drama Boardwalk Empire from Terence Winter (The Sopranos) and Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, which premieres Sept. 19 and new comedy special Tracy Morgan: Black and Blue, which will air in November. The future of current HBO series were revealed. Entourage's eighth season will be its last and the series creator creator Doug Ellin is working on how to end the show while also wanting to do a big screen movie. Curb Your Enthusiasm season eight is currently in production in New York for an air date sometime in 2011.
Then finally it was the wrap party sponsored by BBC America, where the press joins executives and talent for cocktails, British beer and BBQ dinner.
And that's a wrap for the TCA summer tour this year. Stay tuned in January for the winter press tour!


Summer is in session here in the dog days of summer and it's repeats galore mainly for sitcoms. We will be back with our normal weekly report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did for the rest of the summer, along with a coming week preview! Here are our summer ratings:

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 9, week of July 26-August 1)
  • Sons of Tucson (Fox) - A new episode at 7pm did only 1.68 million and only a 0.6 18-49 rating which is on par from previous week...but low as hell.
  • The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat did 3.95 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating at 8pm, on par from previous week.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - 3.71 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating for a repeat at 8:30, down a tick from previous week.
  • Family Guy (Fox) 2 episodes - Two repeats did 4.56 million and 4.77 million and a 2.2 and 2.2 18-49 rating...both down from previous week but still impressive 18-49 for summer repeats. Previous week 9:30 had a 2.6.
  • American Dad! (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30pm did just 2.03 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, on par really from previous week. The regular 9:30pm airing is not airing currently.

Summer Week 10 (Aug. 2-8)

Monday Sitcoms
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 4.82 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating for a repeat. On par really from previous week again.
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 5.3 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating for a repeat airing. Built from the lead-in again and also on par really from previous week once again.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 8.21 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating for a repeat, on par with previous week.
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.52 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating for a repeat. Built from the lead-in in both measures and up a lick from previous week in 18-49.
Tuesday Sitcoms
  • 18 to Life (The CW) 2 episodes - The Canadian import comedy premiered to not so good numbers but it is better than drama repeats. 990,00 and 850,000 viewers watched the two airings and the 18-49 rating was 0.4 and 0.3. Can it sustain these or go down to normal CW repeat airings for dramas? We shall see.
Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) 2 episodes - We do NOT have Wednesday and Thursday final numbers yet, so we will use prelim numbers. The 8pm repeat did a prelim 4.26 million and a prelim 1.0 18-49 rating. Then the 8:30pm repeat did a prelim 4.14 million and a prelim 1.1 18-49 rating.
  • Modern Family (ABC) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 4.2 million and a prelim 1.4 18-49 rating.
  • Cougar Town (ABC) - A summer repeat did a prelim 3.09 million and a prelim 1.1 18-49 rating.
Thursday Sitcoms
  • Community (NBC) - We don't have final ratings yet for Thursday, so we will use prelim numbers for these sitcoms. A repeat at 8pm did a prelim 2.7 million and a prelim 1.1 18-49 rating.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) - Getting ready for its new timeslot, a repeat at 8:30pm did a prelim 241 million and a prelim 1.0 18-49 rating.
  • The Office (NBC) - A repeat at 9pm did the best of the block but only at a prelim 2.85 million and a prelim 1.2 18-49 rating.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A repeat at 9:30pm did a prelim 2.41 million and a prelim 1.0 18-49 rating.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms
  • None.

Tonight you can encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10 tonight. ABC airs repeats of America's Funniest Home Videos and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Then it will be all-new episodes of ABC summer dramas Scoundrels and The Gates from 9-11pm, with the latter getting really good lately. NBC will preempt their normal Sunday airings for an NFL pre-season game (wow, already?). CBS has a new 60 Minutes at 7pm followed by Sunday edition of Big Brother 12 and then repeats from 9-11 including Undercover Boss at 9.

Coming Week Preview (Aug. 9-14):

For Monday, on ABC, it's an all-new night with the premiere of The Bachelor Pad from 8-10pm with hosts Chris Harrison and Melissa Rycroft and the season premiere of Dating in the Dark at 10pm. NBC will have yet another America's Got Talent repeat at 8pm, leading into the two-hour finale of Last Comic Standing from 9-11. On Fox, they will preempt Lie to Me for the 2010 Teen Choice Awards. CBS and The CW are in repeats with their regular line-ups, which includes sitcoms on CBS.

On Tuesday, ABC will have an all-new episode of Wipeout, leading into Shaq VS Sugar Shane Mosely and Penn & Teller at 9pm, and special Tuesday repeat of Primetime: What Would You Do? at 10. NBC has a repeat of Minute to Win It replacing the just pulled Breakthrough with Tony Robbins at 8 and an all-new two-hour America's Got Talent from 9-11pm. Fox has the season finale of Hell's Kitchen at 8 leading into an all-new episode of MasterChef at 9. The CW has two more new episodes of Canadian comedy 18 to Life from 9-10. And once again CBS is in repeats. Cable is good on Tuesdays too with the summer finale of the addicting Pretty Little Liars at 8 on ABC Family and the new spy drama Covert Affairs starring the sexy Piper Perabo on USA Network at 10pm.

On Wednesday, Fox has part one of the two-night, two-hour season finale of under-performing So You Think You Can Dance from 8-10. NBC has a new showing of game show Minute to Win It at 8, then a new America's Got Talent at 9pm followed by a repeat of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. ABC has repeats of the comedies and Castle Wednesday at 10pm. CBS will have the Wednesday edition of Big Brother 12 followed by regular repeats. The CW has an all-new episode of reality series Plain Jane at 9pm. On cable, TV Land will have a new episode of Hot in Cleveland at 10pm.

On Thursday, ABC will have a special Thursday repeat of Wipeout followed by an all-new episode of Rookie Blue at 9, and then at 10pm its docudrama Boston Med. Fox will have the second half of the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance from 8-10. CBS has the Thursday edition of Big Brother 12 at 8pm, followed by normal crime repeats. NBC is in repeats with with their comedies from 8-10 and then a repeat of Law & Order: SVU at 10 and The CW is also in repeats like usual.

On Friday, ABC has new Wife Swap at 8, followed by a repeat of ratings hit Primetime: What Would You Do? at 9pm, followed by a new 20/20 at 10. NBC has a two-hour Dateline from 9-11. CBS has a new Flashpoint now at 10pm following repeats of other dramas. Fox has the movie A Night at the Museum and The CW is in repeats.

On Saturday, its slow as usual. CBS has crime repeats at 8 and then two airings of 48 Hours Mystery from 9-11pm. Fox will have its usual crime reality with Cops and AMW. ABC has the movie Meet the Fockers & Rookie Blue repeat from 8-11pm. NBC has Gymnastics Visa Championship from 8-10 then a repeat.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

TCA Summer 2010 Press Tour: Cable; Digital Digest: Adam-12 - Season Five DVD Review (8/10)

Before we get into our weekly digital digest, we want to give you an update from the last two days of the TCA Summer 2010 press tour. Cable networks were up yesterday and today, to close out the tour. We will give you the notable news here. On Friday, the cable portion kicked off with breakfast with The Hub - the new network for kids and their families, launching October 10, 2010 (10-10-10), to 60 million U.S. households, replacing the current Discovery Kids network. The Hub announced acquisitions of popular series with appeal to the network's target audience of children and their families. Among the titles that will join the lineup: comedies Doogie Howser, M.D. and The Wonder Years, and iconic animated series classics Transformers - Generation 1 and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The Hub will plan their schedule in blocks: Pre-school (ages 2-5; 9am -- 1pm); Kids Afternoon/Kids Prime (ages 6-12; 1pm -6pm); Kids and Family Prime Access (6pm -- 7pm); and Kids and Family Prime (7pm -- 11pm). We will have more on The Hub on Monday, so stay with us!
After The Hub, it was more Discovery Networks with Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Planet Green, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery and TLC. During mid-day, Rainbow Media Networks were up at the panel. WE tv, AMC and IFC. Among the highlights were The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, a new comedy series launching on IFC on Oct. 1 starring David Cross (Arrested Development). The comedy follows the awkward misadventures of an American office temp and convenient liar named Todd Margaret (David Cross). Margaret bluffs his way into a senior sales position heading up the London office for the new energy drink Thunder Muscle. Cross' out-of-control farce reaches epic proportions when his character's gaffes and misfortunes wreak havoc on the city of London. His antics are often fueled by Dave, played by Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners), his mysteriously devious and sometimes useless assistant. Complicating matters is Todd's misplaced attempts to win the affection of Alice, played by Sharon Horgan (Pulling), his uninterested UK love interest. Also at IFC, reruns of short-lived Undeclared launches on Friday, November 5.
After lunch, it was on to Ovation Network and then MTV Networks. For MTVN, on hand were TV Land, Nickelodeon, and MTV. TV Land presented Harry Loves Lisa -- a six-episode docu-soap featuring pop culture sensation Lisa Rinna and her heartthrob husband Harry Hamlin launching Oct. 6. Executive produced by Jason Carbone under his Good Clean Fun banner, it centers on the relationship between Rinna and Hamlin as they navigate together through the highs and lows as a devoted family living a hectic Hollywood lifestyle. Audiences will watch as the two balance their differences in the midst of insane professional lives as working actors and entrepreneurs who are parenting two pre-teen daughters. One of Hollywood's most enduring‪ couples, the Hamlins' contradictory personalities make for amazing chemistry both on-screen and off. TV Land also presented a panel for She's Got the Look, which launches its new season on Aug. 25. Nickelodeon presented about a new movie, Fred: The Movie. Fred (aka "Fred Figglehorn"), one of the most popular internet characters of all time, will land on Nickelodeon in his first-ever feature film. Similar to real-life teenager Lucas Cruikshank's fast-talking, hyperactive YouTube videos that have received upwards of 500 million views, the film will center on Fred's latest adventure in trying to win over his unrequited love, Judy. The movie airs next month. MTV presented on new original drama Teen Wolf coming in 2011. Filled with suspense, horror and the struggle to discover one's true identity, MTV puts a modern spin on one of the most popular classic films of the eighties, MGM's Teen Wolf. They will also debut another drama in 2011 called Skins. Created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain, a father and son team at Stormdog Films, the ground-breaking series Skins features an ensemble cast as it navigates complex relationships, the politics of friendship and difficulties of daily life in its formative years.
In the late afternoon A&E Networks were up -- History & A&E. Among the notables were Teach: Tony Danza on A&E airing Fridays at 10 starting Oct. 1. The seven-episode one-hour series chronicles the experience of the veteran film, television and stage star as he steps into the toughest role yet, as a first-year teacher at Philadelphia's largest urban high school. Long before his iconic acting career, which includes roles in ABC sitcoms Taxi and Who's The Boss, Tony Danza received a degree in History Education. During the 2009-2010 school year, he took on his most challenging and rewarding role yet as he stepped into the classroom as a full-time teacher at Philadelphia's Northeast High School. Teach: Tony Danza follows the first year-teacher as he instructs a 10th-grade English class with 26 students in back-to-back 45-minute periods.
Closing out day one was cocktails and dinner with talent and executives from E!, The Style Network and G4 (all from the Comcast Entertainment Group).
Stay tuned tomorrow for a brief recap of today's (Saturday) TCA sessions! And now back to your regularly scheduled blog programming...

Welcome to another edition of Digital Digest! Our normal Digital Digest blogger (skees53) as you know is off for the summer and is missed. As always, we have the latest news, upcoming releases for Tuesday, and our DVD review this week is of a Shout! Factory's Adam-12 - Season Five. One Adam-12, one Adam-12, we have speculation that there will be a DVD review of this series on today's Digital Digest!

DIGITAL NEWS

It was a slow week for sitcoms. The only thing of note really was ABC/Disney announcing The Golden Girls - 25th Anniversary Complete Collection on DVD coming out Nov. 9 at a $149.99 MSRP. View the nice purse packaging, but no info yet if there are any special bonus features. Thank you for being a friend! If you like a Britcom, Warner Home Video of Canada is releasing Coupling - The Complete Series on DVD on Sept. 7 at a CDN $99.90 MSRP. View the news story, and as with Golden Girls, we are not sure if there will be bonus features.

Drama wise, Shout! Factory will release thirtysomething - The Complete Final Season on Nov. 9 at a $59.97 MSRP. Pre-order today.

For more information on titles that we won't cover with full or blog DVD reviews, you can head on over to the news section of TVShowsOnDVD.com for all of the latest details.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (August 10) will not have any sitcom releases. Shout! Factory is releasing Adam 12- Season 5, as we mentioned. Our blog review is below. That's really it for this week, what a slow week. Dog days of summer, indeed!


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW

This week's review is Adam-12 - Season Five. The classic police series Adam-12 is the series that was a hit for NBC in the '70s about the Los Angeles Police Department, specifically two patrol officers, Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord). The series was created by Jack Webb (who also created and even starred in the series Dragnet), and even though it was a made-for-TV drama series, each and every story in the series was based on a true story from the case files of the Los Angeles Police Department. We have turned this series into a blog review. View our previous full reviews -- Adam-12 - Season 4 DVD -- Adam-12 - Season 3 DVD -- Adam-12 - Season 2 DVD -- Adam-12 - Season 1 DVD (Universal)

DVD Review: Adam-12 - Season Five
by Seth Thrasher

Adam-12 - Season Five (Shout!, $34.93) is out on DVD on Tuesday (August 10), and right off the bat let me just say: that's the most unusual suggested retail price I've ever seen. I've been doing this for six years now, and I've never seen one end in a three before.
Officers Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord) return for another siren-blasting season of Jack Webb's police drama classic Adam-12. Real badges, real cars, and real cases – season five finds the partnering police pair in a slew of sticky situations when they face killers, burglars, racketeers, and inebriated traffic directors. A spin-off of NBC's hit Dragnet, season five of Adam-12 features special guests from another Jack Webb series, Emergency! keeping alive the tradition of characters crossing over between the shows.

It's been several years since I've had the privilege of getting to watch this show. That said, I've recently spent a lot of time with the show Adam-12 spun-off from, the aforementioned Dragnet, so I've gotten myself in the mood for police series. Many of you reading this review are going to be more familiar with the show than I am, so I'm not going to spent a lot of time waxing poetic about episodes that I'm not actually that familiar with. Let me just say that in my short time with this DVD set I've come to have a new appreciation for this show. Normally when you see season five and remember a show only ran seven years, you assume that a show is in its "winding down" phase, but episodes like "The Chaser," "Hot Spell," and "Suspended" really prove that not all shows wind down in the home stretch. For the purposes of special guests, I'm going to exclude cast members of Emergency! That said, watching this season will turn up 77 Sunset Strip cast member Edd Byrnes, Micky Dolenz from The Monkees, Rose Marie from The Dick Van Dyke Show, Donna Douglas from The Beverly Hillbillies, Pat Buttram from Green Acres, and finally Joe E. Tata from Beverly Hills, 90210.

Runtimes:

Disc 1
Dirt Duel: 24:33
The Late Baby 24:30
Airdrop: 24:30
Lost and Found: 24:28
Training Wheels: 24:33
Badge Heavy: 24:29

Disc 2
Harry Nobody: 24:29
The Surprise: 24:29
Vendetta: 24:29
The Chaser: 24:26
Hot Spell: 24:31
Gifts and Long Letters: 24:29

Disc 3
O'Brien's Stand: 24:29
Clear with a Civilian (Part 1): 24:27
Clear with a Civilian (Part 2): 24:29
Citizen's Arrest: 484: 24:33
The Beast: 24:31
Killing Ground: 24:30

Disc 4
Night Watch: 24:31
Suspended: 24:28
A Fool and His Money: 24:29
Anatomy of a 415: 24:30
Keeping Tabs: 24:29
Easy Rap: 24:32

Packaging is straightforward and simple: Two slim cases, each holding two discs, with the two slim cases in their usual outer box. Front cover features Malloy and Reed posting – with Malloy talking into a radio. The duo split the two slim case covers. Discs are designed to match the black and white grid layout of the inner artwork.

The menus are well-done, animating in with a combination of show shots and CGI visuals. The main menu is a CGI version of an early '70s police radio. Main theme plays in the background. Episode selection is the left panel of the radio. There are six episodes per disc.

Video quality is very typical for shows of the era. They've cleaned up the video to look as good as it can, but shows from the early '70s are going to have the occasional bits of grain and noise and color fade, and that's just the way it is. You can only restore video to a certain point. The video looks quite good for its era. Audio is serviceable – it won't win any awards for breakthrough in audio transmission, but it does its job well enough. There's really nothing else to say – audio is audio. As long as they don't replace the audio with the sound of ducks quacking, the audio is going to be fine. Chapter stops occur between acts. No bonus features are on this set.

Without bonus features, there's nothing to push this set over-the-top, as it were, but what's presented is still quite good. I got to re-discover a classic show that wasn't quite on my radar prior to the review. I'm now at a point where I'm eagerly awaiting the final two seasons to be released, and I'm also at a point where I'm now likely to consider going back and re-watching older seasons. Obviously, it goes without saying I recommend this set. Bonus features would be nice, but just having another season released is quite good too.

(4/5 stars)

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

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Adam-12 on TV.com


LOOKING AHEAD

Come on back right here next week for more news and reviews. In the coming weeks we will have the long awaited blog DVD review of Heroes - Season 4 so stay tuned. And don't forget to read our full DVD reviews, as many sitcoms will be coming fast very soon. Stay with us! Until next time keep it digital, over and out!

Friday, August 06, 2010

Centric's Marathons of Jamie Foxx, Smart Guy; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 9, 2010)

Centric will have some sitcom marathons the next few weekends. Tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 7), Centric will present a 24-hour marathon of The Jamie Foxx Show starting at 6am. This is the first time the network is airing the sitcom, but they are borrowing it from sister network BET. BET doesn't air the series on the regular schedule anymore, so it would be nice if Centric would air it regularly soon. As of now, it is just a one-time marathon for the sitcom.
Another sitcom not airing on the regular schedule on BET is Smart Guy. Centric will have a weekend stack next weekend of that sitcom. Episodes will air 12pm-6pm on Saturday, Aug. 14 with an encore the next day (Aug. 15) from 9am-3pm. Hopefully this show is added to the regular schedule as well. As of now, The Steve Harvey Show is the only sitcom on the regular schedule for Centric, airing weekdays in the 1pm hour. Other classic TV series airing are Miami Vice (weekdays at 6am & 11pm) and The A-Team (weekdays 7am, 9pm, 12am & 4am).
Stay with us soon for fall schedules for both BET and Centric. Will they add any new acquisitions to their schedules? You'll have to come on back. And come on back on Monday for another brand new installment of the fall schedules barrage when we announce the Lifetime Fall 2010 schedule! Stay with us!

It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of August 9-13, 2010, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, August 9, 2010
  • Lindsay Sloane (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/The Wonder Years) - Catch Lindsay on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:35am on CBS.
  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/Silver Spoons) - Catch Jason on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am promoting is new movie then on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:35am on NBC.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
  • Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Catch Sofia on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12:06am on ABC.
  • David Duchovny (Californication) - Watch David on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:35am on CBS.
  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/Silver Spoons) - Jason continues to promote his new movie as he appears on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central at 11pm.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

  • Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - The legendary star is on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:35am on CBS.
  • Mary Louise-Parker (Weeds) - Catch Mary on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly so check your local station.
  • Courteney Cox (Cougar Town/Friends) - Catch Courteney on a REPEAT of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
  • Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Catch Aubrey on Lopez Tonight on TBS at 11pm.
  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/Silver Spoons) - Jason continues his rounds on talk shows, this time on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect) - Catch Sarah on The Joy Behar Show on HLN at 9pm.
  • Michael J. Fox (Spin City/Family Ties) - Watch Michael again on this REPEAT of The Rachel Ray Show! Check listings.
  • Chris Kattan (The Middle) - Catch Chris on this REPEAT of The Bonnie Hunt Show, so check your listings.
Friday, August 13, 2010
  • Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect) - Catch Sarah on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly on this Friday, so check your listings.
  • Patrick Warburton (Rules of Engagement/Less Than Perfect/Seinfeld) - Catch Patrick on this REPEAT of The Bonnie Hunt Show, so check your local listings!

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Thursday, August 05, 2010

ABC Family Fall 2010 Schedule Has Still Standing, Friday Night Lights; GMC Removes Cosby

Welcome to another installment of the fall schedules barrage. Today we take a look at ABC Family 2010! There is word that ABC Family will be re-branding and will be called ABCF soon, so we will have more on that when official. As for the fall schedule, the schedule starts after Labor Day. On Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 6), The Secret Life of the American Teenager Catch-Up marathon will air from 11am-8pm leading into the summer finale at 8pm. The season will resume most likely in January. Secret Life's mid-season finale will lead into the ABCF's newest acquisition, Friday Night Lights (as we previously announced) at 9pm. Reruns of the drama will then move to and air weekdays at 6pm starting the very next day (Tuesday, Sept. 7) when the fall schedule starts.
The weekday morning schedule will remain intact from 7am-12pm, which has Boy Meets World, Sabrina, What I Like About You and Gilmore Girls. However, afternoons will see a makeover. Weekdays in the 12 noon hour will have a new sitcom acquisition! ABCF has acquired the sitcom Still Standing and will air it in the weekdays at 12pm hour replacing Full House. Yes, Still Standing has not been on cable for a year after its contract expired on Lifetime before the start of fall 2009. My Wife & Kids remains in the 1pm hour, but Full House is now airing in the 2pm hour replacing the second hour of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, which remains in the 8am hour. From 3-5pm will now be four airings of That '70s Show, as it moves from 6-8pm. The new 3-5pm slot will replace the second hour of Full House and also Grounded for Life, which is now off the schedule once again. No idea if and when it returns (if it didn't expire). At 5pm, Gilmore Girls remains leading into the newly acquired Friday Night Lights at 6pm, as mentioned earlier. AFV will air in the 7pm hour on Tues-Fri, with movies on Monday.
Primetime will remain the same, with movies replacing the Monday night schedule after Secret Life ends its summer season. Original sitcom Melissa & Joey will continue to air on Tuesday nights at 8pm through Oct. 12. The sitcom premieres Aug. 17 after the summer finale of Pretty Little Liars on Aug. 10. Pretty Little Liars will likely also return in January for the second half of its season. The same is likely for Make It Or Break It's second half. ABCF has not yet renewed Huge, but Greek will be back for a fourth season sometime this fall, but it has not been scheduled yet.
Weekends will be filled with movies. Various sitcoms will be used as fillers from time to time to start the mornings off like That '70s Show, My Wife & Kids, and Boy Meets World. Missing from the weekend late night schedule is Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, so it looks like it is now gone. Movie premieres are Gone in 60 Seconds, Kangaroo Jack, The Return of Jafar, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Johnson Family Vacation, Honey, White Oleander, Liar Liar, and Nim's Island.
View the FULL ABC Family Fall 2010 schedule and highlights. And stay with us for more fall 2010 schedules for the rest of the summer!

Earlier this week, GMC removed Cosby (1996-2000 series) from its line-up. Cosby was airing weekdays in the 11pm hour and was replaced by another hour of Amen. Hopefully the Cos returns soon, as Amen already airs in the 1am hour. Other changes that happened were Sister, Sister returning to weekdays, airing from 8am-10am. This is in addition to its Saturday stack airings (8am-3pm). Dramas still fill the rest of the weekday line-up with Highway to Heaven at 10am, Early Edition at 11am, more Highway to Heaven at 1pm, Doc at 2pm, Sue Thomas F.B.eye at 3pm, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman from 4pm-8pm, and primetime has Sue Thomas, Early Edition and Doc from 8-11pm.
Will there be changes come the fall? Stay with us on our fall schedule barrage and you might find out!

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Universal HD Fall 2010 Schedule Has Charlie's Angels, TJ Hooker; Remembering Bernie West - Legendary Producer

Today we continue our fall schedule barrage with a lesser known network, but they are adding two classic series! The network is Universal HD and we last covered them a few months ago when we announced they have acquired The Unit. We also mentioned that they air short-lived series on Friday nights, and come this October, they will be changing up the line-up again. Universal HD's Fall 2010 schedule begins Friday, October 1 with the additions of classic Sony Pictures series Charlie's Angels and T.J. Hooker. They both will air weekdays and also in stack blocks. Charlie's Angels will air weekdays at 6am and 3am with a stack on Mondays from 9am-7pm. Meanwhile, T.J. Hooker will air weekdays at 7pm and 2am with a stack on Tuesdays from 9am-7pm.
As for the short-lived series, joining the line-up on Fridays starting Oct. 1 will be medical drama 3 lbs at 9pm, followed by sitcoms Out of Practice at 10 and Andy Richter Controls the Universe at 10:30. These will be replacing the current batch of Cuts, Love Inc., Sex Love & Secrets and Love Monkey. Leaving the schedule completely will be Six Feet Under, Nash Bridges and That's Life, while Becker will only air Fridays now from 11:30am-2pm & 4:30pm-7pm with Hogan's Heroes from 9:30am-11:30am & 2pm-4:30pm.
Marathon wise, there will be a Six Feet Under 48-hour marathon during Labor Day weekend (Sept. 5-6), a Charlie Angel's 24-hour marathon on Columbus Day (Oct. 11), and a 24-hour marathon of short-lived drama Haunted starring Matthew Fox on Halloween (Oct. 31)
View the FULL Universal HD Fall 2010 schedule that starts Oct. 1!

Today we also pay tribute to legendary producer Bernie West. He was an Emmy-winning screenwriter and producer who worked on the classic sitcoms All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Three's Company. He was part of the famous trio of producers known as "NRW" (Nicholl-Ross-West). Mr. West died on Thursday, July 29 at his Beverly Hills home of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. West won his Emmy in 1973 for writing, with Mickey Ross, the "Bunkers and the Swingers" episode on All in the Family. He received two other nominations as a producer for his work on All in the Family and Three's Company. In 1971, he and Ross submitted a script for All in the Family to Norman Lear and began what Bernie referred to as his first steady job. They worked on the CBS sitcom from 1971-74, where they were writers, script consultants, story editors and eventually, with Don Nicholl, producers. West and Ross created the character of Maude, played by Bea Arthur, on a 1972 episode of All in the Family that spun into another long-running CBS series. And he and his partners worked on the 1974 pilot script of NBC's Chico and the Man.
Nicholl, Ross and West (NRW) later wrote and produced for The Jeffersons, which ran for 10 years (1975-1985), and then Three's Company for eight seasons (1977-1984). Other series included The Dumplings (1976) and two spin-offs of Three's Company: The Ropers (1979-80) and Three's a Crowd (1984-85). Don Nicholl passed away in 1980, while Mickey Ross passed away last May (2009), so now all three members of NRW are no longer with us.
Before Mr. West was producing, he was acting. Among his early acting credits were appearances on The Garry Moore Show, Dixon of Dock Green, The Arthur Murray Show, The Jack Paar Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Phil Silvers Show, Car 54, Where Are You? and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. He also was on an episode each of All in the Family and What's Happening Now!! years later.
Mr. West will be deeply missed and his mark on classic sitcoms was certainly made with NRW. Pay tribute to Mr. West by watching his three classic sitcoms All in the Family and Three's Company on TV Land and The Jeffersons on TV One. Mr. West was 92.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Canada Cable Networks Fall 2010 Schedules; TCA Summer 2010 Press Tour: FX

Today we continue our fall schedules barrage but we head up north of the border to be fair to our fellow Canadians and give you Fall 2010 schedules for Canadian networks. We will take a look at some of the fall schedules for Canada including CTS, DejaView, TVtropolis, SUN TV and the new Comedy Gold (formerly known as TV Land Canada).
CTS's fall 2010 line-up starts September 6 and will have the return of sitcoms! Last fall they only had one sitcom -- Family Matters. CTS will add Full House to the schedule every weeknight at 7pm starting September 6 leading into a comedy wheel at 7:30pm with Family Ties on Mondays, The Wonder Years on Tuesdays, Happy Days on Wednesdays, Gilligan's Island on Thursdays, and The Brady Bunch on Fridays. At 8pm every weeknight will now have The Cosby Show which will lead into another comedy wheel at 8:30pm with The Nanny on Mondays, Mad About You on Tuesdays, Laverne & Shirley on Wednesdays, The Hogan Family on Thursdays, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Fridays. Wow! Nice to see sitcoms return! Drama wise, The Waltons and 7th Heaven return airing weekdays at 4pm & 5pm leading into The Michael Coren Show at 6. Leaving the line-up are Little House on the Prairie and Father Dowling Mysteries. This schedule is for all three CTS stations in Calgary, Edmonton and Ontario. The rest of the line-up is filled with originals, religious and ministry programming.

Next up we have DejaView's Fall 2010 schedule. DejaView will have series such as Hawaii Five-0, The Golden Girls, Designing Women, and Barney Miller starting Monday, August 30. Missing from the fall schedule are Silver Spoons, Cosby Show, One Day at a Time, Facts of Life, Saved by the Bell, and The Rockford Files. However, DejaView staples Three's Company, All in the Family, Who's the Boss?, Roseanne, Coach will remain.
Then we have the TVtropolis Fall 2010 Schedule. TVtropolis of course was known as PRIME previously. Their line-up features a mix of sitcoms, game shows, reality series, and more. They are a sister station to DejaView. Coming to the network this fall are Grace Under Fire, The Nanny, Just Shoot Me!and The Golden Girls. Mainstays That '70s Show, Frasier, Family Guy, Friends, and King of Queens remain, but Seinfeld, Married with Children, and Everybody Loves Raymond are off the line-up.
We don't have the SUN TV Fall 2010 schedule yet, but SUN TV currently airs My Secret Identity, Caroline in the City, Dear John, Taxi, Dave's World, Old Christine, George Lopez, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Super Dave and Jimmy Kimmel Live. View SUN TV's current schedule and we hope to have the Fall 2010 schedule posted on our message board shortly.

TV Land Canada is now no more and has turned into Comedy Gold! The network launched yesterday (Aug. 2) and have a good mix of American and Canadian comedies. Some shows from TV Land Canada will migrate over to Comedy Gold, including Canadian comedy The Red Green Show. Orher Canadian comedies airing are Bizzare and Ready Or Not. Migrating over to Comedy Gold are also a few TV Land Canada mainstays, such as The Andy Griffith Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Phil Silvers Show. Joining the schedule will be Full House, Designing Women, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Newhart, The Bob Newhart Show, and Murphy Brown.
View the full Comedy Gold Fall 2010 Schedule.

Finally, when we get the SUN TV Fall 2010 schedule and the Teletoon Retro schedule it will be posted on our message board with the help of members like Sal from Canada. So keep checking that thread and feel free to discuss and look at other Canadian fall schedules there (like CTV and CITY-TV)!
And come on back tomorrow for another episode of the fall schedules barrage!


Moving on, we have coverage of the TCA Summer 2010 Press Tour and today cable network FX has its own day. The other cable networks will not get an entire day like this as they go on Aug. 6-7, but FX gets their own day. First up was the executive session with John Landgraf, President & GM of FX Network. He announced that they are picking up original comedy Louie for a 2nd season of 13 episodes. It will be returning at its same night and time next season. Landgraf said that he hopes to have six to eight different original comedies on the air annually in the near future. John on Damages leaving FX: "The season that just aired is the last season that will air on FX. We are co-producers. DirecTV was willing to underwrite it, but they wanted it exclusively. It was the best and only way for Damages to move forward." New dramas to premiere are Terriers and Lights Out. FX has done well with four new series this year: The League, Archer, Justified, and Louie. DVR ratings have been great for Louie and lifted the series 66% from its live ratings in week four. However, John says "I think anybody who sits in this chair as an exec who tells you that they wish the DVR had never been invented is lying. As a consumer, I love it. We lose up to 25% of the saleable audience of our shows." View live coverage from Mike of TVTango.com and feel free to ask questions!
Then it was show panels. Dramas were in the morning. First up was Sons of Anarchy. On hand were Kurt Sutter, Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal, Maggie Siff, Mark Boone Jr., Theo Rossi and Dayton Callie. Then a panel for the upcoming new fall drama Terriers was next. Immediately following that panel was new mid-season drama Lights Out. Then it was off to lunch before comedies took over. The first comedy panel was It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Then we had panels each for The League and Archer. Weird that drama Justified and comedy Louie didn't get a panel.
Last week we gave you FX's Fall 2010 schedule, so if you have not seen that yet please do so!

Monday, August 02, 2010

ION Television Fall 2010 Schedule; TCA Summer 2010 Press Tour: Fox

We continue our fall 2010 schedules barrage with ION Television today. Yes, ION Television is not a cable network, but we always cover it and it is the only broadcast network to air a daily line-up of reruns. ION won't make many changes to the schedule this September, but they are losing the rights to NCIS, their strong performing Thursday series. NCIS will last air on ION on Thursday, Sept. 2, before more Criminal Minds takes over the two-hour block from 9-11pm. NCIS' two-year term has expired. It joined the line-up in September 2008. The show will still air on cable on USA Network and the season premiere is on Sept. 21 on CBS.
Other changes are another Criminal Minds at 8pm on Thursdays leading into the newly added hours on Thursdays from 9-11pm. And more Criminal Minds will be added on Fridays, starting Sept. 10 from 10pm-12am, cutting Without a Trace Friday blocks to 6pm-10pm. This means Criminal Minds now airs every weeknight at 10 and 11pm, along with 9pm on Mon-Tues, Thurs and 8pm on Thursdays. Without a Trace is now cut to weekdays 6pm and 7pm, along with 8pm (except Thurs), and 9pm on Wednesdays & Fridays. Ghost Whisperer remains weekdays from 3-6pm. On Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 6), ION Television will present a marathon of legal drama Shark starring James Woods from 3pm-10pm with seven season two episodes.
On weekends, movies continue to rule, with M*A*S*H leading in from 3-4pm on Saturdays and My Name is Earl on Sundays from 3-4pm then movies air for the rest of the schedule from 4pm-12am. Movie premieres for the month are In Her Shoes, The Family Stone, A Knights Tale, Pay It Forward, Back to the Future, Back to the Future II, Back to the Future III, and Death Wish. Encore airings for the month are Pale Rider, Outlaw Josey Wales, Blood Work, and March of the Penguins.
We are not yet sure if ION Television will have any changes in October, so stay with us in the coming weeks for that. Let's hope they add another sitcom or two to the line-up filled with dramas. View the ION Television September 2010 schedule and come on back tomorrow for another installment of the fall schedules barrage!

Today is Fox's turn at the TCA Summer 2010 press tour. And once again our pal Mike of TVTango.com has live coverage! As always, you can ask a question to a panel member and he will try to get it answered for you! View his live coverage all day!
Up first was breakfast with the cast of the new Fox Friday series Human Target and The Good Guys. Then it was on to the first panel of the day with new Monday drama Lone Star. The next panel was for new Tuesday comedy Running Wilde. Then it was on to the executive session with Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly. Some of the things we learned were: Terra Nova, the new family adventure drama series executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga and David Fury, will preview in May 2011 on Fox prior to its series premiere in the fall (like Glee did). Jason O'Mara (Life on Mars) has been cast in the lead role of Jim Shannon, the patriarch of the show's central family. As previously announced, Emmy Award winner Alex Graves will direct the pilot, and Emmy Award-winning executive producer and director Jon Cassar has joined the series as an executive producer and series director. Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Hugh Laurie, Halle Berry, Ricky Gervais, Daniel Radcliffe, Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Mark Zuckerberg, Mike Scioscia, Martha Stewart, Paul Rudd, Rachel Weisz, Cheech & Chong, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Alyson Hannigan, Danica Patrick, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Joe Mantegna are among the guest voices for Season 22 of The Simpsons. From the network that brought you The Teen Choice Awards, now brings anothe fan voting awards series, this time for country music. The inaugural American Country Awards (ACAs) will air live from Las Vegas on Monday, Dec. 6 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed on Fox. The two-hour special will feature performances and appearances by the year's chart-topping country artists and will be the first country music awards show where the fans determine the winners. COME ON BACK FOR MORE UPDATES...KEEP REFRESHING AND DON'T FORGET TO ASK QUESTIONS TO TVTANGO!
After the executive session it was on to lunch and to watch a live table read for Fox Sunday animated comedy American Dad! Pretty cool to watch a table read. Then it was off to the third panel of the day with another new Fox Tuesday comedy Raising Hope. The fourth panel was next with Fox's summer reality series MasterChef. And finally the final panel was for Glee, which returns for its second season now on Tuesdays at 8.

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Summer 2010 TCA Press Tour: ABC; 2010 TCA Awards Winners

We are preempting our weekly summer ratings today to give you full coverage of the Summer 2010 TCA Press Tour, as today ABC's day. We also have a recap of the winners from the annual TCA Awards last night. Our friend Mike of TVTango.com gave us the full scoop on what was going on at the press tour and you fans have an opportunity to ask a question to a panel member! View live coverage of the tour from TVTango! The day started off with a panel for new Tuesday drama Detroit 1-8-7 with stars Michael Imperioli, James McDaniel, Jon Michael Hill, Natalie Martinez and executive producers David Zabel and Jason Richman. Then the most anticipated executive session was next with new ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee. Among the items we learned were:
In a special Monday night event, the new cast of Dancing with the Stars will be revealed during Bachelor Pad on MONDAY, AUGUST 30 from 8-10pm ET/PT! Paul Lee said, "I am super-unprepared since I've been on the job for 36 hours. I do know one thing, Modern Family should win an Emmy." On adding a possible second night of comedy: "I'd love to. To be sitting on a network that has such a strong comedy block." On making any schedule changes before premiere week: "We're locked and loaded. If you make changes in the entertainment sense, you can make more damage than good." We asked "Will Shark Tank and Food Revolution be back in the mix with reality staples Supernanny and Wife Swap?" and Mike of TVTango.com got an answer: Paul said he just hasn't had enough time to sit down and evaluate the ABC brand and what to do moving forward since he's only been on the job for 36 hours. We asked more questions but since Paul has only been on the job for 36 hours, nothing specific is being learned today. MORE TO COME SO KEEP CHECKING BACK MANY TIMES TODAY...ASK YOUR QUESTIONS TO TVTANGO.COM!
After the executive session, it was back to show panels with upcoming new comedy Mr. Sunshine with stars Matthew Perry (also EP), Allison Janney, Andrea Anders, James Lesure, Nate Torrence and executive producers Alex Barnow, Marc Firek, Matthew Carlson. Following that was a panel for new crime drama Body of Proof with stars Dana Delany, Nicholas Bishop, Jeri Ryan, creator Christopher Murphey and executive producers Matthew Gross & Sunil Nayar. Then it was lunch time with new Thursday drama My Generation with stars Michael Stahl-David, Jaime King, Kelli Garner, Keir O'Donnell, Mehcad Brooks, Daniella Alonso, Julian Morris, Sebastian Sozzi, Anne Son along with creator Noah Hawley and executive producer Warren Littlefield.
After lunch it was back to more panels with new Tuesday family supernatural drama No Ordinary Family! One of my best upcoming pilots for the season and at then panel were stars Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, Stephen Collins, Romany Malco, Autumn Reeser, Kay Panabaker and Jimmy Bennett, along with co-creators Greg Berlanti & Jon Harmon Feldman and executive producer David Semel. Then there was a panel for new Wednesday night legal drama The Whole Truth with stars Rob Morrow & Maura Tierney along with executive producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Ed Zuckerman, Tom Donaghy.
Then it was coffee break time with the cast of Modern Family! How cool is that! After the break, it was back to some more panels with new Laugh On Wednesday sitcom Better With You with stars JoAnna Garcia, Jennifer Finnigan, Josh Cooke, Jake Lacy, Kurt Fuller, Debra Jo Rupp, along with creator Shana Goldberg-Meehan and executive producer Greg Malins. Then it was off to unscripted series with a panel for the new season of Secret Millionaire, now on ABC, with millionaires/donors John Ferber, James Malinchak, Gary and Diane Heavin and more! The last panel of the day had new comedy Happy Endings with stars Elisha Cuthbert, Eliza Coupe, Zachary Knighton, Adam Pally, Damon Wayans, Jr., along with creator David Caspe and executive producer Jonathan Groff.
Then it was off to the Disney-ABC Television Group All-Star Party where talent and showrunners from ABC, ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Radio Disney were on hand to answer questions and have drinks!
Stay tuned for Fox tomorrow!

The Television Critics Association had its 26th annual awards last night (July 31). Members of the Television Critics Association (TCA) recognized the top programs and actors representing the 2009-2010 TV season at its 26th Annual TCA Awards, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Dax Shepard, star of NBC's Parenthood, introduced the ceremony that bestowed 11 awards in categories reflecting comedy, drama, miniseries, news and youth programming at its annual event in conjunction with the TCA's summer press tour. Among the big winners were newcomers Glee and Modern Family, with LOST and Breaking Bad on the drama side. Full winners:

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: Glee (Fox)
OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM: Glee (Fox)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: TIE - LOST (ABC) and Breaking Bad (AMC)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: Modern Family (ABC)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS & INFORMATION: Life (Discovery)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING: Yo Gabba Gabba (Nickelodeon)
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINI-SERIES & SPECIALS: The Pacific (HBO)
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: Jane Lynch, Glee (Fox)
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (CBS)
HERITAGE AWARD: M*A*S*H (CBS)
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: James Garner (Maverick/The Rockford Files/8 Simple Rules)


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, October 21

Scrubs - "My Best Friend's Birthday" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Turk is determined to have a fun birthday with J.D. and Elliot; the interns are challenged during the night shift.

Abbott Elementary - "The Tryouts" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
The step team tries out for a major competition; Melissa and Barbara take a special ed certification course; Janine, Gregory and Jacob welcome a new substitute.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 19)

Wednesday, October 21

  • Billy Crystal (The Comedians/Soap) - Watch Billy on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Josh Charles (Best Medicine/Sports Night) - Josh appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kate Berlant (Ghosted/Search Party) - Kate is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Natasha Leggero (Broke/Dice/Another Period/Free Agents) and Jimmie Walker (Good Times/At Ease/Bustin' Loose) - Natasha and Jimmie will be on a repeat of Funny You Should Ask at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Ronny Chieng (Young Rock/Ronny Chieng: International Student) - Ronny hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - Olivia appears on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Giancarlo Esposito (Bakersfield P.D.) - Giancarlo talks about The Only Living Pickpocket in New York on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Max Casella (Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Max talks about Jimmy on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Sara and Erin Foster (Producers of Nobody Wants This) - Sara and Erin talk about Nobody Wants This on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray) The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/20/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

10/21 - Charmed Joining Hulu This Huluween; Prime Video's Comedy Variety Series Hosted by Nick Kroll
10/20 - Hulu's Phony Premieres Today; Janelle James Netflix Comedy Special Drops November 10
10/19 - Lil Kev Season 2 Premieres December 9; It's a Wonderful Lifetime 2026 Schedule
10/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 19, 2026)
10/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Picks Up Reboot for The X-Files; Roseanne Self-Produces New Sitcom
10/16 - Christa B. Allen in Night of January 16th Play Through Sunday; Remembering Sitcom Writer and Producer Bernie Orenstein
10/15 - Guest Stars for Peacock's Comedy Dig; Apple TV Renews Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed for Season 2
10/14 - HBO Brings Back Girls for 5 Episodes; Hulu's The X-Files Picked Up to Series
10/13 - Full Cast for Three's Company Live Reading in New York City; High Potential to Air After Super Bowl on ABC
10/12 - Bob's Burgers Holiday Special on Hulu; The Rookie and The Rookie: North Wednesdays on ABC in January
10/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 12, 2026)
10/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Colin Jost and Danny Chun to Launch Free Streaming Comedy; Paramount/Warner Merger Completed
10/09 - Apple TV Comedy Stick Returns November 4; News from New York Comic Con 2026 Day One
10/08 - FETV Acquires I Dream of Jeannie and The Bionic Woman; Netflix Renews The Hunting Wives for Season 3, Before Season 2 Launch
10/07 - More Live Three's Company Readings; Lucy Hale is Scarlett Holmes for Roku in 2027
10/06 - NBC's Happy Place Season 3 Trailer; Apple TV's Imperfect Women Renewed for Season 2
10/05 - A Different World to Return for Season 2 on Netflix; Prime Video's Barbershop Comedy Series Premieres February 10
10/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 5, 2026)
10/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: A Different World Renewed for Second Season; A First Look at Ted: The Animated Series
10/02 - Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head Season 4 Launch; Anthony Anderson Returns to Soul Train Awards
10/01 - Ted: The Animated Series Premieres December 17 on Peacock; Trailer for Apple TV's Small Prophets
09/30 - AMC Orders Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen Sitcom; Netflix's The One About Matthew Perry Documentary Series
09/29 - Michael Che's Third Netflix Special; Remembering Dennis Haskins of Saved by the Bell
09/28 - Hulu's Family Guy Halloween Special; AMC Announces New York Comic Con Panels for 2026
09/27 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 28, 2026)
09/26 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Seth Meyers Developing The Game Room for NBC; Glee Reboot Script Written
09/25 - Apple TV's 2026 Holiday Lineup; First Look at SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of
09/24 - Netflix Announces Final Season for A Man on the Inside; Jamie Foxx Hulu Comedy Special Trailer
09/23 - Disney+ Orders New Darkwing Duck Series; Great American Christmas 2026 with 18 New Holiday Movies
09/22 - Who Is Martin Mull? Netflix Documentary; Dancing with the Stars 2-Night Premiere Scores Big
09/21 - JoAnna Garcia Swisher to Join New Netflix Series; AMC Announces New Family Drama for 2027