Friday, June 17, 2011
Summer Premiere of Hot in Cleveland and Series Premiere of Happily Divorced Score for TV Land; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 20, 2011)
Summer officially began on TV Land with the premiere night of Hot in Cleveland Seasons 2B and Happily Divorced starring Fran Drescher, which drew over four million total viewers for each series (according to The Nielsen Company, L+SD). Additionally, June 15 was the second highest day this year for TVLand.com, up more than 4x the 2011 average daily audience.
Hot in Cleveland's summer season premiere at 10 p.m. (all times ET/PT) attracted 2.39 million total viewers (as a comparison, the March finale did 1.8 million). When combined with its 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. encores, the series brought in 4.3 million total viewers to TV Land. Happily Divorced drew in 2.41 million total viewers (slightly buildings from its lead-in's ratings) at 10:30 p.m. and when combined with its encores at 11 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. attracted 4.4 million total viewers. Acclaimed actors John Michael Higgins, Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris), Rita Moreno, Robert Walden and Valente Rodriguez (George Lopez) also star in the series which was inspired by Drescher's real life story.
At 10 p.m., (all times ET/PT) Hot in Cleveland picked up right where the show left off in March: Elka (Betty White) had just been convicted of being in possession of stolen goods and is now on the run, while Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli), Victoria (Wendie Malick) and Joy (Jane Leves) are left wondering where she is. Now, the women must scramble to find Elka and get her back in time for her sentencing, and they find her in the last place anyone would expect...Amish country. Happily Divorced at 10:30 p.m. is co-written by and stars Fran Drescher (The Nanny) in a story inspired by her own life as Los Angeles florist Fran (Drescher) whose 18-year marriage ends suddenly when her husband (Higgins) announces he's gay.
In more numbers, Wednesday night's 10 p.m. summer season premiere of Hot in Cleveland posted a 0.9 among TV Land's target Adults 25-54 audience and a 1.2 among Women 25-54. Following Hot In Cleveland, the Fran Drescher comedy Happily Divorced posted a 0.8 among A25-54 and a 1.2 among W25-54. Both series also posted a 0.5 18-49 rating, so that is up slightly from the 0.4 rating Hot did for its March finale. Divorced was up a bit more from Retired at 35's March finale that only did a 0.3 18-49 rating (and 1.21 million), so TV Land might have something here. We'll keep an eye on this for you! And as a reminder, TV Land recently renewed Hot in Cleveland for a third season with a 24-episode order coming later this season (late fall), so there will be plenty of "hotness" to come!
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 June 20-24, 2011, 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, June 20, 2011
Hot in Cleveland's summer season premiere at 10 p.m. (all times ET/PT) attracted 2.39 million total viewers (as a comparison, the March finale did 1.8 million). When combined with its 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. encores, the series brought in 4.3 million total viewers to TV Land. Happily Divorced drew in 2.41 million total viewers (slightly buildings from its lead-in's ratings) at 10:30 p.m. and when combined with its encores at 11 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. attracted 4.4 million total viewers. Acclaimed actors John Michael Higgins, Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris), Rita Moreno, Robert Walden and Valente Rodriguez (George Lopez) also star in the series which was inspired by Drescher's real life story.
At 10 p.m., (all times ET/PT) Hot in Cleveland picked up right where the show left off in March: Elka (Betty White) had just been convicted of being in possession of stolen goods and is now on the run, while Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli), Victoria (Wendie Malick) and Joy (Jane Leves) are left wondering where she is. Now, the women must scramble to find Elka and get her back in time for her sentencing, and they find her in the last place anyone would expect...Amish country. Happily Divorced at 10:30 p.m. is co-written by and stars Fran Drescher (The Nanny) in a story inspired by her own life as Los Angeles florist Fran (Drescher) whose 18-year marriage ends suddenly when her husband (Higgins) announces he's gay.
In more numbers, Wednesday night's 10 p.m. summer season premiere of Hot in Cleveland posted a 0.9 among TV Land's target Adults 25-54 audience and a 1.2 among Women 25-54. Following Hot In Cleveland, the Fran Drescher comedy Happily Divorced posted a 0.8 among A25-54 and a 1.2 among W25-54. Both series also posted a 0.5 18-49 rating, so that is up slightly from the 0.4 rating Hot did for its March finale. Divorced was up a bit more from Retired at 35's March finale that only did a 0.3 18-49 rating (and 1.21 million), so TV Land might have something here. We'll keep an eye on this for you! And as a reminder, TV Land recently renewed Hot in Cleveland for a third season with a 24-episode order coming later this season (late fall), so there will be plenty of "hotness" to come!
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 June 20-24, 2011, 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, June 20, 2011
- Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Watch Neil on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Jada Pinkett-Smith (A Different World) - Jada drops by Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
- Courteney Cox (Cougar Town/Friends) - Catch Courteney on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
- Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Tina is a guest on a May repeat of The Gayle King Show at 10am on OWN.
- Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - Kick start with Marlo on Today on NBC on Monday-Wednesday between 7-9am.
- Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) - The lovely Lea is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move) - Jason stops by The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Sarah Chalke (Mad Love/Scrubs/Roseanne) - Catch Sarah on a May repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kirstie Alley (Cheers/Veronica's Closet) - Kirstie is a guest co-host on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Fran Drescher (Happily Divorced/The Nanny) - Fran joins the ladies for a "tawk" about her new show on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Watch Betty on a May repeat of The Gayle King Show at 10am on OWN.
- Persia White (Girlfriends) - Persia is a guest on The Mo'nique Show at 11pm on BET.
- Kevin James (The King of Queens) - Watch Kevin on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. Zookeeper opens in theaters on July 8.
- Louis C.K. (Louie) - Catch Louis on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC. Louie returns to FX on June 23.
- Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Larry appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Molly Shannon (Kath & Kim/Cracking Up) - Molly drops by by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Paul Reiser (The Paul Reiser Show/Mad About You/My Two Dads) - Watch Paul on a May repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) - Tune in to see Melissa on a May repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jami Gertz (Still Standing/Square Pegs) - Jami chats with Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Watch Jesse on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
- Mindy Kaling (The Office) - Catch Mindy on a repeat from last November on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Suzanne Somers (Three's Company/Step by Step/She's the Sheriff) - Suzanne stops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Catch Jason on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Selena Gome (Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena is a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Zachary Levi (Less Than Perfect) - Zachary stops by Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
- Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke chats with the ladies The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Watch the funny lady Amy on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
- Tisha Campbell-Martin (My Wife and Kids/Martin) - Tisha guest hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Whitney Cummings (Whitney) - Whitney is a guest on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Terry Crews (Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry drops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Raven-Symoné (That's So Raven/Hangin' with Mr. Cooper/The Cosby Show) - Raven makes an appearance Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Watch Alec on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
- Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) - Catch Melissa on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Centric Schedules Cosby Show Weekend; Curb Your Enthusiasm Returns July 10
Centric has scheduled a Cosby Show marathon for this weekend. Relive the entire first season in 12 hours on Saturday from 12pm-12am. All 24 first season episodes will air, so get ready! And if that's not all, the 2002 two-hour reunion special The Cosby Show: A Look Back will air at 12am. If you're not home Saturday, that's fine because Centric will encore the marathon on Sunday beginning at 7am with The Cosby Show: A Look Back and then all 24 episodes of the first season from 9am-9pm. You'll see classic episodes such as "Mr. Fish," "A Shirt Story," "The Slumber Party" and "Cliff's Birthday."
The Cosby Show airs regularly on Centric weekdays 2-3pm, 8-9pm and 1-2am. It's the only place to watch the series nationally, so you have to watch on Centric!
The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm, executive produced by and starring Larry David, kicks off its ten-episode eighth season Sunday, July 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on HBO.
Curb Your Enthusiasm stars Seinfeld co-creator David as an over-the-top version of himself in an unsparing but tongue-in-cheek depiction of his life. The series also stars Jeff Garlin as David's manager Jeff and Susie Essman as Jeff's wife Susie.
The new season finds Larry continuing to face challenges both in Los Angeles and New York. Guest stars this season include series veterans Bob Einstein, Richard Lewis, Rosie O'Donnell, J.B. Smoove and Wanda Sykes, as well as Jonathan Ames, Bill Buckner, Rebecca Creskoff, Gary Cole, Michael J. Fox, Ana Gasteyer, Ricky Gervais, Michael Gross, Harry Hamlin, Larry Miller, Robert Smigel, Aida Turturro, Mookie Wilson and Jo Anne Worley. Wow! Guest stars galore.
The Cosby Show airs regularly on Centric weekdays 2-3pm, 8-9pm and 1-2am. It's the only place to watch the series nationally, so you have to watch on Centric!
The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm, executive produced by and starring Larry David, kicks off its ten-episode eighth season Sunday, July 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on HBO.
Curb Your Enthusiasm stars Seinfeld co-creator David as an over-the-top version of himself in an unsparing but tongue-in-cheek depiction of his life. The series also stars Jeff Garlin as David's manager Jeff and Susie Essman as Jeff's wife Susie.
The new season finds Larry continuing to face challenges both in Los Angeles and New York. Guest stars this season include series veterans Bob Einstein, Richard Lewis, Rosie O'Donnell, J.B. Smoove and Wanda Sykes, as well as Jonathan Ames, Bill Buckner, Rebecca Creskoff, Gary Cole, Michael J. Fox, Ana Gasteyer, Ricky Gervais, Michael Gross, Harry Hamlin, Larry Miller, Robert Smigel, Aida Turturro, Mookie Wilson and Jo Anne Worley. Wow! Guest stars galore.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Minor Hallmark Channel Morning & Late Night Changes; Brady and Lucy Trivia Challenge and Full Episodes
It's the dog days of June and it may be slow in terms of news, but we certainly will have news every single day! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for our annual look at the fall schedules for cable networks that air off-network sitcoms! But first, beginning next week The Hallmark Channel will make some minor schedule changes. Effective Monday, June 20, 2011, the blocks of 8-10am and 1-3am will switch. This means The Golden Girls will moves to 8-10am and Frasier gets 3-5am. It's the old switcheroo. These are not the only times these shows will air of course. The current timeslots will remain as well. So to recap, Golden Girls will air weekdays 8-10am and 12-2am, while Frasier will air weekdays 9pm-12am and 3-5am. Everything else will remain as it is currently, including the weekend line-up.
No reason for the change was given, but perhaps they are just trying to strengthen the morning and late night line-up.
CBS Interactive wants to share that all month long they're inviting fans of The Brady Bunch to test their Brady Bunch IQ by taking our Trivia Challenge for a chance to win The Complete Series on DVD and other Brady Bunch products including a coffee mug, and men & women's t-shirts!
Play and enter on their website! And FULL EPISODES of The Brady Bunch are also available for free on that website! Groovy!
And if that's not all, they're inviting fans of I Love Lucy as well to "Test Your Love for Lucy" by taking the trivia challenge for a chance to win The Complete Series on DVD and other I Love Lucy products including a coffee mug, rhinestone tote, checkbook wallet and men & women's t-shirts!
Play and enter on their website! And FULL EPISODES of I Love Lucy are also available for free on that website! No splainin' to do here!
No reason for the change was given, but perhaps they are just trying to strengthen the morning and late night line-up.
CBS Interactive wants to share that all month long they're inviting fans of The Brady Bunch to test their Brady Bunch IQ by taking our Trivia Challenge for a chance to win The Complete Series on DVD and other Brady Bunch products including a coffee mug, and men & women's t-shirts!
Play and enter on their website! And FULL EPISODES of The Brady Bunch are also available for free on that website! Groovy!
And if that's not all, they're inviting fans of I Love Lucy as well to "Test Your Love for Lucy" by taking the trivia challenge for a chance to win The Complete Series on DVD and other I Love Lucy products including a coffee mug, rhinestone tote, checkbook wallet and men & women's t-shirts!
Play and enter on their website! And FULL EPISODES of I Love Lucy are also available for free on that website! No splainin' to do here!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
More Boy Meets World on ABC Family; Sitcom Modern Family Is #1 Rated Scripted Series in 2010-11
Starting in July 2011, ABC Family will bring you more Boy Meets World! The series airs weekdays in the 7am hour and will air a bit more come July. The '90s comedy starring Ben Savage will gain weekend mornings starting July 2. It will air weekends in the 7am hour as well, but there is some good news and bad news to this. First the bad news is that it could be preempted on any given week by a scheduled movie, but the good news is that some weeks it will air for 3 or even 4 episodes (from 7-9am).
Yes, this isn't too much of a gain but now you can wake up weekend mornings to watch Cory & Topanga. Relive your childhood and wake up on Saturday mornings, even though this isn't a cartoon, it's from the same era. Boy Meets World is replacing That '70s Show o on weekend mornings, but that show will still remain on weekday afternoons. Everything else remains the same as what we previously told you, which includes The Secret Life of the American Teenager getting the weekday 5pm hour starting July 18, replacing Gilmore Girls.
A sitcom finished #1 for the TV season among scripted series! For the complete 2010-11 broadcast season (9/20/10-5/25/11), ABC aired TV's #1 scripted series among the coveted Adults 18-49 with Modern Family based on Nielsen's final rankings for the season. Modern Family soared to a 6.2 average 18-49 rating in the seven-day playback finals, topping the #2 scripted series (Fox's Glee) by six-tenths of a rating point (+11%: 6.2 vs. 5.6).
Among regular live plus same day ratings, which is the same say until 3am, Modern Family averaged a 4.5 18-49 rating, so it went up 1.7 points in seven-day DVR playback from a 4.5 to 6.2. Modern Family was the biggest gainer in time-shifted viewing for the 2010-11 season as well. The series also gained 3.48 million in DVR playback as well, also the biggest gainer for the season.
Catch repeats of the sophomore comedy Modern Family all summer long on ABC Laugh On Wednesday at 9/8 central and I have noticed it is even funnier the second time around. So watch again or watch for the first time!
Yes, this isn't too much of a gain but now you can wake up weekend mornings to watch Cory & Topanga. Relive your childhood and wake up on Saturday mornings, even though this isn't a cartoon, it's from the same era. Boy Meets World is replacing That '70s Show o on weekend mornings, but that show will still remain on weekday afternoons. Everything else remains the same as what we previously told you, which includes The Secret Life of the American Teenager getting the weekday 5pm hour starting July 18, replacing Gilmore Girls.
A sitcom finished #1 for the TV season among scripted series! For the complete 2010-11 broadcast season (9/20/10-5/25/11), ABC aired TV's #1 scripted series among the coveted Adults 18-49 with Modern Family based on Nielsen's final rankings for the season. Modern Family soared to a 6.2 average 18-49 rating in the seven-day playback finals, topping the #2 scripted series (Fox's Glee) by six-tenths of a rating point (+11%: 6.2 vs. 5.6).
Among regular live plus same day ratings, which is the same say until 3am, Modern Family averaged a 4.5 18-49 rating, so it went up 1.7 points in seven-day DVR playback from a 4.5 to 6.2. Modern Family was the biggest gainer in time-shifted viewing for the 2010-11 season as well. The series also gained 3.48 million in DVR playback as well, also the biggest gainer for the season.
Catch repeats of the sophomore comedy Modern Family all summer long on ABC Laugh On Wednesday at 9/8 central and I have noticed it is even funnier the second time around. So watch again or watch for the first time!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Nick at Nite Changes Schedule and June 2011 Highlights; AFI Life Achievement Award Taped Last Week Honoring Morgan Freeman
Nick at Nite made a schedule change to its line-up last Wednesday, but it was only supposed to be for two days originally. They have now extended that to until further notice. That '70s Show, which we announced a few weeks back, was moved to 10pm after a little over a week of airing. This means George Lopez will be moves after airing in the 10pm hour for a few years. George and family will now air in the 9pm hour, while its 1am encore moves to 4am. The Nanny is now back to two-hours Sun-Fri from 11pm-1am. Everybody Hates Chris is leaving primetime and will only air in the 2am hour ever night. The news is worse for Full House, as its 6am hour airings is now Family Matters, which will remain Mon-Sat leading in (usually 5:30am). Home Improvement gets cut also to just Sunday nights from approx. 4:30am-6am. Nick at Nite will still remain off-the-clock from about 11:32pm-6am every night except Saturday.
As for the June 2011 highlights, Nick at Nite will have a Father's Day stunt on Saturday, June 18 from 10pm-2am with regularly scheduled series That '70s Show, George Lopez, The Nanny and My Wife & Kids. Nick at Nite honors all the dad's who've taught us how to ride a bike and toss a ball. They will be celebrating the great men in their lives with a marathon of themed episodes all about Dad. Next up, Nick at Nite will "officially" welcome That '70s Show with a week-long wall-to-wall marathon from Monday, June 20 to Friday, June 24 from 10pm-6am each night. On Tuesday, June 21 at 10:30pm Nick at Nite will encore the premiere episode of the TV Land original sitcom Happily Divorced starring The Nanny's Fran Drescher. And finally, take a break with the Lopez family this summer on Nick at Nite with the George Lopez Summer-thon on Saturday, June 25 from 12am-7am.
View the UPDATED Nick at Nite June 2011 schedule. Will there be summer-thon marathons starting in July? We'll let you know, but for now enjoy these new changes and new stunts.
Last Thursday, acting great Morgan Freeman joined the illustrious list of film luminaries who have received the highest honor for a career in film – the 39th AFI Life Achievement Award. The gala, taped at Sony Pictures Studios last Thursday (June 9), will air on TV Land on Sunday, June 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Freeman's inspiration and mentor, Sidney Poitier, who was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1992, said that "the movies matter, as do their players" and continued by saying that films are stories "told through drama, comedy, epics (and) westerns...tonight we are here for a man who has mastered them all."
After a heart-felt tribute by Poitier, the beloved Betty White (TV Land's Hot in Cleveland) performed her own comical rendition of the classic show tune "Hello Dolly" entitled "Hello Morgan" accompanied by six chorus men. White shared the screen with Freeman in the 1998 feature, Hard Rain.
The Electric Company alum Rita Moreno, who was moved to be back on Stage 15 where she previously performed, shared her experiences of working with Freeman and his litany of movies through a sassy self-written poem. Moreno is one of the few artists to have received the Oscar, the Emmy, the Tony and the Grammy. One of the many highlights of the evening was legendary country music superstar Garth Brooks' stirring rendition of "Lean on Me" which was featured in the 1989 feature film of the same name. Finally, Freeman accepted the prestigious award from friend and frequent collaborator, Clint Eastwood, recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1996.
In accepting the honor, Freeman attributed his drive and passion for acting to his hero, Sidney Poitier, saying "it seems like the world is upside down when you are here in the audience watching me and I am on stage getting an award." Freeman continued saying "Everyone has his own heaven. For me, heaven has always been about acting in the movies. Acting to me means living. It's what I do...and tonight you've told me I'm pretty good at it." Among the other guests present were: Casey Affleck, Camilla Alves, Gisele Bündchen, Hebe Carmago, Don Cheadle, Ana de la Requera, Fran Drescher, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Cary Elwes, Peter Gallagher, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Djimon Hounsou, Samuel L. Jackson, Kimora Lee Simmons, Virginia Madsen, Paz Vega and Ben Vereen, among others.
Tune in Sunday, June 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT to watch the entire tribute only on TV Land!
As for the June 2011 highlights, Nick at Nite will have a Father's Day stunt on Saturday, June 18 from 10pm-2am with regularly scheduled series That '70s Show, George Lopez, The Nanny and My Wife & Kids. Nick at Nite honors all the dad's who've taught us how to ride a bike and toss a ball. They will be celebrating the great men in their lives with a marathon of themed episodes all about Dad. Next up, Nick at Nite will "officially" welcome That '70s Show with a week-long wall-to-wall marathon from Monday, June 20 to Friday, June 24 from 10pm-6am each night. On Tuesday, June 21 at 10:30pm Nick at Nite will encore the premiere episode of the TV Land original sitcom Happily Divorced starring The Nanny's Fran Drescher. And finally, take a break with the Lopez family this summer on Nick at Nite with the George Lopez Summer-thon on Saturday, June 25 from 12am-7am.
View the UPDATED Nick at Nite June 2011 schedule. Will there be summer-thon marathons starting in July? We'll let you know, but for now enjoy these new changes and new stunts.
Last Thursday, acting great Morgan Freeman joined the illustrious list of film luminaries who have received the highest honor for a career in film – the 39th AFI Life Achievement Award. The gala, taped at Sony Pictures Studios last Thursday (June 9), will air on TV Land on Sunday, June 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Freeman's inspiration and mentor, Sidney Poitier, who was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1992, said that "the movies matter, as do their players" and continued by saying that films are stories "told through drama, comedy, epics (and) westerns...tonight we are here for a man who has mastered them all."
After a heart-felt tribute by Poitier, the beloved Betty White (TV Land's Hot in Cleveland) performed her own comical rendition of the classic show tune "Hello Dolly" entitled "Hello Morgan" accompanied by six chorus men. White shared the screen with Freeman in the 1998 feature, Hard Rain.
The Electric Company alum Rita Moreno, who was moved to be back on Stage 15 where she previously performed, shared her experiences of working with Freeman and his litany of movies through a sassy self-written poem. Moreno is one of the few artists to have received the Oscar, the Emmy, the Tony and the Grammy. One of the many highlights of the evening was legendary country music superstar Garth Brooks' stirring rendition of "Lean on Me" which was featured in the 1989 feature film of the same name. Finally, Freeman accepted the prestigious award from friend and frequent collaborator, Clint Eastwood, recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1996.
In accepting the honor, Freeman attributed his drive and passion for acting to his hero, Sidney Poitier, saying "it seems like the world is upside down when you are here in the audience watching me and I am on stage getting an award." Freeman continued saying "Everyone has his own heaven. For me, heaven has always been about acting in the movies. Acting to me means living. It's what I do...and tonight you've told me I'm pretty good at it." Among the other guests present were: Casey Affleck, Camilla Alves, Gisele Bündchen, Hebe Carmago, Don Cheadle, Ana de la Requera, Fran Drescher, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Cary Elwes, Peter Gallagher, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Djimon Hounsou, Samuel L. Jackson, Kimora Lee Simmons, Virginia Madsen, Paz Vega and Ben Vereen, among others.
Tune in Sunday, June 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT to watch the entire tribute only on TV Land!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Summer Week 2 Sitcom Ratings
Summer has started so we will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long! Here are our summer ratings:
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 30-June 5)
Monday Sitcoms
Saturday Sitcoms
Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm.
Summing it up. Repeats of The Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement, Modern Family, and Two and a Half Men were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of Mike & Molly, How I Met Your Mother) or just plain old terrible (such as the very low NBC Thursday repeats). Feeling the repeat blues? Look for original sitcoms on cable this summer, with Hot in Cleveland returning for all-new episodes starting this Wednesday at 10pm followed by the new comedy Happily Divorced starring Fran Drescher at 10:30pm only on TV Land. Also on deck in a few weeks on ABC Family will be the return of Melissa & Joey followed by new comedy State of Georgia starring Raven at 8:30pm starting June 29! New sitcom airings is the perfect way to beat the summer blues!
[Source: Nielsen NTI Ratings. View Travis Yanan's Ratings Website].
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 30-June 5)
- American Dad! (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 7pm did 2.23 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, which is decent for 7pm in the summer. A second repeat in the later airing of 9:30pm did 3.56 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, the latter which is acceptable.
- The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat at 8pm did 3.72 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, solid 18-49 for summer.
- Bob's Burgers (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30pm dropped from its lead-in in viewers with just 2.12 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, the loser of the block.
- Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat at 9pm did 4.25 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, the best of the block and the 18-49 rating is by far the best of the night not counting the NBA Finals.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A repeat at 8:30pm did 3.4 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which is decent.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 2 airings - 4.64 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating for a repeat in its normal slot was basically on par with previous week, but low. A repeat at 8:30pm did 4.68 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, improving from the first airing.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 6.2 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating for a repeat is considerably lower than its ratings from last summer and also down some in viewers from previous week.
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - 6.1 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating for a repeat, is lower than previous week, and that was Memorial Day.
- Raising Hope (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 9pm did 2.66 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, off a lick from previous week.
- The Middle (ABC) 2 airings - A repeat at 8pm did 4.42 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, lower than previous week. The 8:30pm repeat went down to 4.12 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, also lower than previous week.
- Modern Family (ABC) 2 airings- A repeat at 9pm did 4.37 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, down from previous week. And the second repeat at 9:30pm did similar ratings with 4.34 million and held the 1.7 18-49 rating, also down week-to-week. Look for it to go up likely this week with NHL as competition instead of America's Got Talent, like the previous week.
- Happy Endings (ABC) - preempted, moving to its regular 9:30pm timeslot starting June 22.
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat did 7.46 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, on par really with previous week and good numbers.
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A repeat of this comedy followed at 8:30pm with 6.05 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, but lower than previous week.
- Community (NBC) - A repeat only did 1.99 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating. This is summer but embarrassing.
- 30 Rock (NBC) - A repeat at 8:30pm did 1.89 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, also very low.
- The Office (NBC) - A repeat at 9pm did 2.26 million and 1.0 18-49 rating, as NBC went up to a 1 rating.
- Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A 9:30pm repeat didn't do well, doing 1.94 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, so NBC went back below a 1 rating.
Friday Sitcoms
Saturday Sitcoms
- None.
Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm.
Summing it up. Repeats of The Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement, Modern Family, and Two and a Half Men were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of Mike & Molly, How I Met Your Mother) or just plain old terrible (such as the very low NBC Thursday repeats). Feeling the repeat blues? Look for original sitcoms on cable this summer, with Hot in Cleveland returning for all-new episodes starting this Wednesday at 10pm followed by the new comedy Happily Divorced starring Fran Drescher at 10:30pm only on TV Land. Also on deck in a few weeks on ABC Family will be the return of Melissa & Joey followed by new comedy State of Georgia starring Raven at 8:30pm starting June 29! New sitcom airings is the perfect way to beat the summer blues!
[Source: Nielsen NTI Ratings. View Travis Yanan's Ratings Website].
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Digital Digest: Pretty Little Liars - The Complete First Season DVD Review and Contest
We're in the dog days of summer in many parts of the country (even though summer hasn't even officially started), so if you don't want to overheat your body, there is always the option of staying inside in the air conditioning and enjoying your favorite TV series! And you can start that by checking out this week's edition of Digital Digest, where we bring you news, a preview of next week's releases, and reviews. This week, we have a review of Pretty Little Liars - The Complete First Season. Plus, we have a special contest this week in connection with our review! Let's get going!
Many teen dramas have come and gone over the years, all having their own little twists and turns, and in the case of ABC Family's recent successful series Pretty Little Liars, deep and dark secrets. Based upon a series of novels with the same title, the series tells the story of four teenage girls whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their queen bee. But things get a little creepy when a mysterious character named "A" appears and threatens to reveal their secrets--secrets that nobody outside of the clique could possibly know. Now, you can see the first season of this series in Warner Home Video's Pretty Little Liars - The Complete First Season.
DIGITAL NEWS
There isn't too much news this week, but The Big Bang Theory (DVD/Blu-ray) now has a release date of September 13. Of course, you can pre-order either of those sets now.
The Dick Van Dyke Show has been released on DVD both as individual seasons and as a complete series set, but for fans who just want the "best" of the series, there is a special DVD set on the way: The Dick Van Dyke Show - 50th Anniversary Edition, set for a September 20 release. In addition to 20 classic episodes, it will contain numerous special features, such as the original pilot, interviews, and more, although none of the material is necessarily "new" to the series (all of it can be found on the previous releases).
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (June 14) has only one sitcom release, and that is House of Payne - Volume 8. We hope to have a review of this set soon. Other releases include Universal's Best of the 80's DVDs, which include "best of" collections of The A-Team, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., and Miami Vice.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Many teen dramas have come and gone over the years, all having their own little twists and turns, and in the case of ABC Family's recent successful series Pretty Little Liars, deep and dark secrets. Based upon a series of novels with the same title, the series tells the story of four teenage girls whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their queen bee. But things get a little creepy when a mysterious character named "A" appears and threatens to reveal their secrets--secrets that nobody outside of the clique could possibly know. Now, you can see the first season of this series in Warner Home Video's Pretty Little Liars - The Complete First Season.
DVD Review: Pretty Little Liars - The Complete First Season
by Pavan
Pretty Little Liars - The Complete First Season (Warner, $59.98) is now on DVD and it's no secret! The popular ABC Family original drama series starring Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, and Troian Bellisario has the main four stars. When their best friend Alison mysteriously vanishes, the four girls believe their secrets are safe forever. But when they begin to receive threatening messages from someone named "A," the truth may be only one text away. Filled with mystery, scandal, intrigue and nail-biting suspense, Pretty Little Liars is based on the best-selling book series for young adults from Alloy.
Set one year after the disappearance of Alison, the manipulative and vindictive queen bee, the one-hour drama revolves around four 16-year-old girlfriends--Aria, Hanna, Spencer and Emily -- who have lost touch with one another until each begins to receive mysterious messages suggesting that Alison is watching them and knows their most private details they are desperate to keep hidden. Suddenly, living in their picturesque suburban community is far from perfect as secrets, lies and betrayals threaten everything they hold dear. Even after Alison's body is discovered, the messages don't stop...and the intrigue of this show doesn't either! The series was ordered for 10 episodes in the first season, but after successful ratings, ABC picked up 12 more episodes to air in mid-season for a total of 22 episodes in the first season. The first half aired in summer 2010, while the second half aired in the winter of 2011. The series returns this coming Tuesday for the second season premiere and I have seen a screener of the season premiere and it is just as juicy, intriguing and addicting as the first season!
Anyway, as for this set, there are many memorable episodes. In the series premiere, "Pilot," this is where it all begins and the pilot is addicting from start to finish! In "To Kill A Mockingbird," the girls try to pay tribute to Alison's memory, but they are still faced with unresolved issues, while Aria has an unpleasant encounter with her father's former mistress. In "There's No Place Like Homecoming," when Emily decides to bring Toby as her homecoming date she soon finds herself in a possibly sticky situation with Toby and Maya, and at the same time, Aria is broken over her hidden relationship with Ezra. In the first half finale, "Keep Your Friends Close," when new evidence leads the FBI to believe that Toby killed Alison, he tries to tell Emily his side of the story yet rats him out. The winter premiere is better than ever in "Moments Later," as the story leaves off from where we left off in the first half finale...which I will not reveal here. In "Careful What U Wish 4," as the school gets ready for the dance-a-thon, Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer have more on their minds than raising money for the school trip to Washington, D.C. Hanna and her mother are having a financial crisis, but when 'A' leaves her an offer that would potentially break Lucas' heart but get her out of money troubles, will she be able to refuse? In "A Person of Interest," after a shocking revelation from the police, the spotlight is turned on the four little liars who look to be crying wolf, but with everything pointing to Ian, how could the girls be wrong? In "Monsters in the End," everyone has something to hide – whether it be a secret romance, who they really are and what their true intentions are. And in the first season finale, "For Whom the Bell Tolls," now that Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer are in possession of the information that Alison left them, the girls decide that it's time to finally put an end to "A" and the mystery surrounding their friend. And the first season ends with a major cliffhanger, just like the mid-season finale.
Among the supporting players in this series are veterans Holly Marie Combs, Laura Leighton, Nia Peeples, and Chad Lowe. Also starring Ian Harding, Bianca Lawson, Keegan Allen and Sasha Pieterse as Alison. Guest stars include Julian Morris, Sara Shepard, Tyler Blackburn, and Charlotte Rae. Episodes are usually around 43-44 minutes and unedited, as they should be. Runtimes are below:
Disc 1:
1. "Pilot" (44:35)
2. "The Jenna Thing" (42:16)
3. "To Kill a Mocking Girl" (44:09)
4. Can You Hear Me Now?" (43:57)
5. "Reality Bites Me" (44:16)
Disc 2:
6. "There's No Place Like Homecoming" (44:06)
7. "The Homecoming Hangover" (43:45)
8. "Please, Do Talk About Me When I'm Gone" (43:23)
9. "The Perfect Storm" (44:08)
10. "Keep Your Friends Close" (44:15)
Disc 3:
11. "Moments Later" (44:08)
12. "Salt Meets Wound" (43:54)
13. "Know Your Frenemies" (44:06)
14. "Careful What U Wish 4" (43:49)
15. "If at First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again" (44:15)
Disc 4:
16. "Je Suis Une Amie" (44:05)
17. "The New Normal" (42:17)
18. "The Bad Seed" (43:59)
19. "A Person of Interest" (43:54)
20. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (42:26)
Disc 5:
21. "Monsters in the End" (44:06)
22. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (44:06)
The set comes in a thin outer box holding a keep case inside. The artwork is the same on the front side for both with the famous image of the four girls in black outfits covered in mud. Never trust a pretty girl with an ugly secret, as the tagline says at the bottom of the cover! The back of the box has info on the series and set and another shot of the girls in black outfits, but no mud this time. We also have three episodic images and a list of special features. The case's back side is different. We have full body shots of the girls in sexy dresses and poses. Ashley Benson is quite a catch, isn't she? When we open the case, we some inserts on the left side. We have an ad insert promoting items such as Lucy Hale in the upcoming made for home video movie A Cinderella Story, where she sings even, along with ads for ABC Family's new series The Lying Game premiering in August and the latest book from author Sara Shepard. The other insert is a nice episode booklet! It is nicely designed and filled with great episodic photos and a great shot of the girls again in black on the front. We have a disc-by-disc breakdown with episode number, title, writer, director, original airdate and of course a synopsis. There is a little scissor image also if there are any deleted scenes available for that episode. The last page has a nice credit list of all the series regulars.
Anyway back to the case, we have two plastic holders that we can flip like a book in the middle and they each hold two discs, with the first disc on the front and the second disc on the back. So that covers four discs. The fifth disc is on the right panel itself. The disc artwork is simple. We have a purple background with some cool designs, the show logo and disc number. Simple, but effective. No other artwork needed because the panel artwork makes up for that with yet another sexy cast photo of the four girls, this time in hot dresses on a red couch. Ashley Benson once again shines but they all look stunning!
The menu design is good and uses the same artwork as the cover art but it is more of a wide shot and we see more. It's a nice blue color scheme. Before the main menu on disc one we have a trailer for classic films and on disc five we have a trailer for Lucy Hale's upcoming home video movie A Cinderella Story, where she even sings! Unfortunately there is no music playing in the background, which is disappointing as this show has a good theme. The menu options are Play All, Episodes, Deleted Scenes and Languages for discs one-four. Disc five doesn't have deleted scenes but it does have a Special Features option. The artwork for all the submenus is good. Languages features audio in English but you can have subtitles in English or French. Deleted Scenes option doesn't have a submenu, so it just plays them automatically. Episodes option lists the episode titles, and if there is a deleted scene for that episode you can watch it by highlighting the scissor image. I think you're better off watching the deleted scenes through the episodes menu than the deleted scenes option itself. And Special Features on disc five lists all the extras we have.
Video and audio quality are both outstanding. That is no surprised, but we should still be glad that everything is so crisp and clear. HD like quality, even if this isn't a Blu-ray set. So there is nothing much to say here except it is like how you watch it on ABC Family HD. Each episode has 8 or 9 chapter stops, depending on the episode. We get to see the full closing credits, too, something that we don't see on ABC Family but if you watch the series on their website, you see these closing credits.
There are special features and nearly all of them are on disc five. The previous four discs have deleted scenes. These are always nice to see. Disc one has deleted scenes on three episodes (1:44, 1:51, 0:55) with a total of 5 deleted scenes. Disc two has deleted scenes on one episode (1:00) with a total of 2 deleted scenes. Disc three has deleted scenes on three episodes (3:33, 0:41, 0:35) with a total of 5 deleted scenes. And finally disc four has deleted scenes on two episodes (1:43, 0:30) with a total of 3 deleted scenes. So if you're counting at home, can you keep a secret? It's 9 episodes with deleted scenes and a total of 15 deleted scenes! The main special features are all on disc five. The first featurette is a fun one titled "Pretty Little Liars: Two Truths and a Lie" (6:10). Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, and Troian Bellisario all give us choices and we have to figure out which is true and which is a lie. This is a nice fun for DVD feature. Nothing informative really, but good to have. And it's always nice to look at these young stars! The next featurette is an informative one titled "Making of Pretty Little Liars" (16:51). On this we find out all the cool details and scoops from the making of this fine show. Many are interviewed and they are Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, Troian Bellisario, Leslie Morgenstein (executive producer), Sara Shepard (author), Oliver Goldstick (executive producer), Nia Peeples, Chad Lowe, I. Marlene King (executive producer), Ian Harding, Holly Marie Combs, Laura Leighton, Sasha Pieterse, Tammin Sursok, Mandi Line (costume designer), and Keegan Allen.
We're not done yet! Another good featurette is "Little Secrets from the Set" (7:52). In this we are in for the ride on the set filmed by the girls themselves. We have a Shay Cam, Lucy Cam, and Ashley Cam. See what goes on the set and how everyone works. It is a nice behind the scenes thing and we even see Ashley Benson get surprised on her 21st birthday on the set! And the final extra is the same trailer as the auto trailer on this disc - a trailer for Lucy Hale's upcoming home video movie A Cinderella Story, where she even sings! She's good too!
I think Warner Bros. did an excellent job on this set. It's just about perfect, with just some little nitpicks here and there. The important part is we have the episodes in great quality and we can relive these great episodes at any time! The special features are pretty good as well, so nothing major to gripe there either. Now that you have read our review, now is your chance to enter our "Win a Pretty Little Liars DVD Contest." Some lucky fans out there will win a free DVD from us! All you have to do is post on our Facebook post for this DVD and tell us who you think "A" is (or are?)? So can you keep a secret? Well you don't have to because this is no secret--this show is good and so is this DVD! Catch up in time for the new season, which premieres Tuesday (June 14) at 8/7 central on ABC Family!
(3.5/5 stars)
To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main DVD Reviews Page
Pretty Little Liars TV.com page
LOOKING AHEAD
We'll be back next week with more news and reviews, and hopefully the dog days of summer don't become dead news days of summer! But we'll be here regardless, and in the mean time, keep it digital!
Set one year after the disappearance of Alison, the manipulative and vindictive queen bee, the one-hour drama revolves around four 16-year-old girlfriends--Aria, Hanna, Spencer and Emily -- who have lost touch with one another until each begins to receive mysterious messages suggesting that Alison is watching them and knows their most private details they are desperate to keep hidden. Suddenly, living in their picturesque suburban community is far from perfect as secrets, lies and betrayals threaten everything they hold dear. Even after Alison's body is discovered, the messages don't stop...and the intrigue of this show doesn't either! The series was ordered for 10 episodes in the first season, but after successful ratings, ABC picked up 12 more episodes to air in mid-season for a total of 22 episodes in the first season. The first half aired in summer 2010, while the second half aired in the winter of 2011. The series returns this coming Tuesday for the second season premiere and I have seen a screener of the season premiere and it is just as juicy, intriguing and addicting as the first season!
Anyway, as for this set, there are many memorable episodes. In the series premiere, "Pilot," this is where it all begins and the pilot is addicting from start to finish! In "To Kill A Mockingbird," the girls try to pay tribute to Alison's memory, but they are still faced with unresolved issues, while Aria has an unpleasant encounter with her father's former mistress. In "There's No Place Like Homecoming," when Emily decides to bring Toby as her homecoming date she soon finds herself in a possibly sticky situation with Toby and Maya, and at the same time, Aria is broken over her hidden relationship with Ezra. In the first half finale, "Keep Your Friends Close," when new evidence leads the FBI to believe that Toby killed Alison, he tries to tell Emily his side of the story yet rats him out. The winter premiere is better than ever in "Moments Later," as the story leaves off from where we left off in the first half finale...which I will not reveal here. In "Careful What U Wish 4," as the school gets ready for the dance-a-thon, Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer have more on their minds than raising money for the school trip to Washington, D.C. Hanna and her mother are having a financial crisis, but when 'A' leaves her an offer that would potentially break Lucas' heart but get her out of money troubles, will she be able to refuse? In "A Person of Interest," after a shocking revelation from the police, the spotlight is turned on the four little liars who look to be crying wolf, but with everything pointing to Ian, how could the girls be wrong? In "Monsters in the End," everyone has something to hide – whether it be a secret romance, who they really are and what their true intentions are. And in the first season finale, "For Whom the Bell Tolls," now that Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer are in possession of the information that Alison left them, the girls decide that it's time to finally put an end to "A" and the mystery surrounding their friend. And the first season ends with a major cliffhanger, just like the mid-season finale.
Among the supporting players in this series are veterans Holly Marie Combs, Laura Leighton, Nia Peeples, and Chad Lowe. Also starring Ian Harding, Bianca Lawson, Keegan Allen and Sasha Pieterse as Alison. Guest stars include Julian Morris, Sara Shepard, Tyler Blackburn, and Charlotte Rae. Episodes are usually around 43-44 minutes and unedited, as they should be. Runtimes are below:
Disc 1:
1. "Pilot" (44:35)
2. "The Jenna Thing" (42:16)
3. "To Kill a Mocking Girl" (44:09)
4. Can You Hear Me Now?" (43:57)
5. "Reality Bites Me" (44:16)
Disc 2:
6. "There's No Place Like Homecoming" (44:06)
7. "The Homecoming Hangover" (43:45)
8. "Please, Do Talk About Me When I'm Gone" (43:23)
9. "The Perfect Storm" (44:08)
10. "Keep Your Friends Close" (44:15)
Disc 3:
11. "Moments Later" (44:08)
12. "Salt Meets Wound" (43:54)
13. "Know Your Frenemies" (44:06)
14. "Careful What U Wish 4" (43:49)
15. "If at First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again" (44:15)
Disc 4:
16. "Je Suis Une Amie" (44:05)
17. "The New Normal" (42:17)
18. "The Bad Seed" (43:59)
19. "A Person of Interest" (43:54)
20. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (42:26)
Disc 5:
21. "Monsters in the End" (44:06)
22. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (44:06)
The set comes in a thin outer box holding a keep case inside. The artwork is the same on the front side for both with the famous image of the four girls in black outfits covered in mud. Never trust a pretty girl with an ugly secret, as the tagline says at the bottom of the cover! The back of the box has info on the series and set and another shot of the girls in black outfits, but no mud this time. We also have three episodic images and a list of special features. The case's back side is different. We have full body shots of the girls in sexy dresses and poses. Ashley Benson is quite a catch, isn't she? When we open the case, we some inserts on the left side. We have an ad insert promoting items such as Lucy Hale in the upcoming made for home video movie A Cinderella Story, where she sings even, along with ads for ABC Family's new series The Lying Game premiering in August and the latest book from author Sara Shepard. The other insert is a nice episode booklet! It is nicely designed and filled with great episodic photos and a great shot of the girls again in black on the front. We have a disc-by-disc breakdown with episode number, title, writer, director, original airdate and of course a synopsis. There is a little scissor image also if there are any deleted scenes available for that episode. The last page has a nice credit list of all the series regulars.
Anyway back to the case, we have two plastic holders that we can flip like a book in the middle and they each hold two discs, with the first disc on the front and the second disc on the back. So that covers four discs. The fifth disc is on the right panel itself. The disc artwork is simple. We have a purple background with some cool designs, the show logo and disc number. Simple, but effective. No other artwork needed because the panel artwork makes up for that with yet another sexy cast photo of the four girls, this time in hot dresses on a red couch. Ashley Benson once again shines but they all look stunning!
The menu design is good and uses the same artwork as the cover art but it is more of a wide shot and we see more. It's a nice blue color scheme. Before the main menu on disc one we have a trailer for classic films and on disc five we have a trailer for Lucy Hale's upcoming home video movie A Cinderella Story, where she even sings! Unfortunately there is no music playing in the background, which is disappointing as this show has a good theme. The menu options are Play All, Episodes, Deleted Scenes and Languages for discs one-four. Disc five doesn't have deleted scenes but it does have a Special Features option. The artwork for all the submenus is good. Languages features audio in English but you can have subtitles in English or French. Deleted Scenes option doesn't have a submenu, so it just plays them automatically. Episodes option lists the episode titles, and if there is a deleted scene for that episode you can watch it by highlighting the scissor image. I think you're better off watching the deleted scenes through the episodes menu than the deleted scenes option itself. And Special Features on disc five lists all the extras we have.
Video and audio quality are both outstanding. That is no surprised, but we should still be glad that everything is so crisp and clear. HD like quality, even if this isn't a Blu-ray set. So there is nothing much to say here except it is like how you watch it on ABC Family HD. Each episode has 8 or 9 chapter stops, depending on the episode. We get to see the full closing credits, too, something that we don't see on ABC Family but if you watch the series on their website, you see these closing credits.
There are special features and nearly all of them are on disc five. The previous four discs have deleted scenes. These are always nice to see. Disc one has deleted scenes on three episodes (1:44, 1:51, 0:55) with a total of 5 deleted scenes. Disc two has deleted scenes on one episode (1:00) with a total of 2 deleted scenes. Disc three has deleted scenes on three episodes (3:33, 0:41, 0:35) with a total of 5 deleted scenes. And finally disc four has deleted scenes on two episodes (1:43, 0:30) with a total of 3 deleted scenes. So if you're counting at home, can you keep a secret? It's 9 episodes with deleted scenes and a total of 15 deleted scenes! The main special features are all on disc five. The first featurette is a fun one titled "Pretty Little Liars: Two Truths and a Lie" (6:10). Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, and Troian Bellisario all give us choices and we have to figure out which is true and which is a lie. This is a nice fun for DVD feature. Nothing informative really, but good to have. And it's always nice to look at these young stars! The next featurette is an informative one titled "Making of Pretty Little Liars" (16:51). On this we find out all the cool details and scoops from the making of this fine show. Many are interviewed and they are Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, Troian Bellisario, Leslie Morgenstein (executive producer), Sara Shepard (author), Oliver Goldstick (executive producer), Nia Peeples, Chad Lowe, I. Marlene King (executive producer), Ian Harding, Holly Marie Combs, Laura Leighton, Sasha Pieterse, Tammin Sursok, Mandi Line (costume designer), and Keegan Allen.
We're not done yet! Another good featurette is "Little Secrets from the Set" (7:52). In this we are in for the ride on the set filmed by the girls themselves. We have a Shay Cam, Lucy Cam, and Ashley Cam. See what goes on the set and how everyone works. It is a nice behind the scenes thing and we even see Ashley Benson get surprised on her 21st birthday on the set! And the final extra is the same trailer as the auto trailer on this disc - a trailer for Lucy Hale's upcoming home video movie A Cinderella Story, where she even sings! She's good too!
I think Warner Bros. did an excellent job on this set. It's just about perfect, with just some little nitpicks here and there. The important part is we have the episodes in great quality and we can relive these great episodes at any time! The special features are pretty good as well, so nothing major to gripe there either. Now that you have read our review, now is your chance to enter our "Win a Pretty Little Liars DVD Contest." Some lucky fans out there will win a free DVD from us! All you have to do is post on our Facebook post for this DVD and tell us who you think "A" is (or are?)? So can you keep a secret? Well you don't have to because this is no secret--this show is good and so is this DVD! Catch up in time for the new season, which premieres Tuesday (June 14) at 8/7 central on ABC Family!
(3.5/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Main DVD Reviews Page
Pretty Little Liars TV.com page
LOOKING AHEAD
We'll be back next week with more news and reviews, and hopefully the dog days of summer don't become dead news days of summer! But we'll be here regardless, and in the mean time, keep it digital!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Remembering Leonard Stern; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 13, 2011)
Legendary TV producer, director and writer Leonard Stern has died. Stern was a writer and producer for such classic sitcoms such as The Honeymooners, The Phil Silvers Show and Get Smart. While working on The Honeymooners, he helped co-create the classic word game Mad Libs with his partner Roger Price. He died of heart failure on June 7, 2011, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 87.
Stern worked on a number of other sitcoms during his many years in the business. He was the creator of I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962-63), Run, Buddy, Run (1966-67), He & She (1967-68) and The Governor and J.J. (1969-70). Stern wrote, directed and produced other sitcoms such as Holmes & Yo-Yo, The Good Guys and Operation Petticoat. His work on TV detective dramas included McMillan and Wife and The Snoop Sisters. He was nominated for five Emmy Awards and won two for "Best Comedy Writing - Variety or Situation Comedy" for The Phil Silvers Show and "Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy" for Get Smart with Buck Henry. In addition, he won three Writers Guild of America Awards and a Peabody Award. Earlier in his career, he was a writer on The Steve Allen Show and Steve Allen's The Tonight Show. His film screenplays included Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion, Lost in Alaska, The Jazz Singer, Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town, Three for the Money, Just You and Me, Kid (also directed), Missing Pieces (also directed) and Target.
Our friends at Just My Show did a podcast interview with him back in 2006. You can also watch several video interviews with him at The Archive of American Television. Mr. Stern is survived by his wife of 55 years, actress Gloria Stroock, as well as a son, daughter, two grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. We thank him for all the laughs he brought us over the years. He will be missed.
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 June 13-17, 2011, 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, June 13, 2011
- Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty appears on Good Morning America on ABC between 7-9am and later presents a Top Ten List on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Watch Tina on an April repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jada Pinkett Smith (A Different World) - Catch Jada on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT, on The Joy Behar Show at 10pm on HLN, on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm and finally on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty drops by LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings and later visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Fran Drescher (Happily Divorced/The Nanny) - Fran stops by Good Morning America on ABC between 7-9am, then chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT and finally on The Joy Behar Show at 10pm on HLN. Happily Divorced premieres on TV Land on June 15.
- John Krasinski (The Office) - Watch John on a May repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Jada Pinkett Smith (A Different World) - Jada is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Persia White (Girlfriends) - Persia drops by The Mo'nique Show at 11pm on BET.
- Jada Pinkett Smith (A Different World) - Jada continues to make the rounds on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Valerie Bertinelli, Janes Leeves and Wendie Malick - The lovely ladies of Hot in Cleveland visit Good Morning America on ABC between 7-9am and then The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Kirstie Alley (Cheers/Veronica's Closet) - Watch Kirstie and her Dancing with the Stars partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy on a May repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Coby Bell (The Game) - Coby appears on The Mo'nique Show at 11pm on BET.
- Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Catch Larry on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Cedric the Entertainer (The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric is a guest on all-new Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Watch the lovely Kaley on a March repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell) - Tiffani stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) - Selena performs live in New York City's Central Park as part of Good Morning America's summer concert series on ABC between 7-9am.
- Christian Slater (Breaking In) - Watch Christian on a March repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Fran Drescher (Happily Divorced/The Nanny) - Fran visits The Gayle King Show at 10am on OWN.
- Chris Rock (Everybody Hates Chris) - Catch Chris on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
NBC To Burn-Off Friends With Benefits; TNT Acquires Castle Reruns for 2012
NBC has finally scheduled its comedy Friends with Benefits. But it is only a burn-off, as they didn't air it during the 2010-11 season, thus it has a 100% chance of not returning, like last summer's 100 Questions. Even more so, it will be airing Saturdays at 8:00pm & 8:30pm starting June 25 and will run though July 30. NBC has 13 episodes in the can, but as of right now 12 will air. If it remains on the schedule, that is. Anyway, there is a sitcom to watch on Saturdays this summer, even though it is a burn-off and will not return beyond these episodes.
From Brian Grazer, Friends With Benefits is a half-hour, single-camera comedy revolving around a group of twenty-something singles as they navigate the difficult, and often confusing, world of dating. Ben Weymouth (Ryan Hansen) is on the hunt for the perfect woman who meets his unique set of standards, while his best friend, Sara Maxwell (Danneel Harris), is just looking for a man to settle down with and raise a family. Ben and Sara have fallen into the habit of turning to each other for moral and physical support as they wait for Mr. and Ms. Right to arrive. Their friend Aaron (Fran Kranz), a romantic at heart, doesn't approve of Ben and Sara's complicated friendship, but he, along with womanizer Hoon (Ian Reed) and straight shooter Riley (Jessica Lucas), are all distracted with their own dating trials and tribulations.
In its latest high-profile acquisition, TNT has secured the exclusive off-network cable rights to the hit series, Castle, from Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Castle, which just completed its third highly rated season on ABC, is a crime drama starring Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Desperate Housewives) and Stana Katic (Quantum of Solace, TNT's The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice).
Castle (seasons 1 & 2) will begin airing on TNT in summer 2012. As part of TNT's TV Everywhere rollout, Castle will also be available for online viewing through mobile phones, tablets, computers and other devices.
TNT's deal for Castle follows on the heels of the network's recent acquisition of Hawaii Five-0, which will join the TNT lineup in 2014. TNT has also landed the popular series The Mentalist, which recently enjoyed a strong opening in its Wednesday 7-9 p.m. timeslot. It is unclear when Castle seasons 3 and beyond will air on TNT. I would assume that would start in Fall 2013.
Look for Castle to land a weekend local syndication deal soon as well and that should start in Fall 2012 or 2013 (and that would be all seasons to date rather than just the first two seasons). Stay tuned
From Brian Grazer, Friends With Benefits is a half-hour, single-camera comedy revolving around a group of twenty-something singles as they navigate the difficult, and often confusing, world of dating. Ben Weymouth (Ryan Hansen) is on the hunt for the perfect woman who meets his unique set of standards, while his best friend, Sara Maxwell (Danneel Harris), is just looking for a man to settle down with and raise a family. Ben and Sara have fallen into the habit of turning to each other for moral and physical support as they wait for Mr. and Ms. Right to arrive. Their friend Aaron (Fran Kranz), a romantic at heart, doesn't approve of Ben and Sara's complicated friendship, but he, along with womanizer Hoon (Ian Reed) and straight shooter Riley (Jessica Lucas), are all distracted with their own dating trials and tribulations.
In its latest high-profile acquisition, TNT has secured the exclusive off-network cable rights to the hit series, Castle, from Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Castle, which just completed its third highly rated season on ABC, is a crime drama starring Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Desperate Housewives) and Stana Katic (Quantum of Solace, TNT's The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice).
Castle (seasons 1 & 2) will begin airing on TNT in summer 2012. As part of TNT's TV Everywhere rollout, Castle will also be available for online viewing through mobile phones, tablets, computers and other devices.
TNT's deal for Castle follows on the heels of the network's recent acquisition of Hawaii Five-0, which will join the TNT lineup in 2014. TNT has also landed the popular series The Mentalist, which recently enjoyed a strong opening in its Wednesday 7-9 p.m. timeslot. It is unclear when Castle seasons 3 and beyond will air on TNT. I would assume that would start in Fall 2013.
Look for Castle to land a weekend local syndication deal soon as well and that should start in Fall 2012 or 2013 (and that would be all seasons to date rather than just the first two seasons). Stay tuned
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
BET July 2011 Highlights; Gilmore Girls Not Leaving July 4 on ABC Family...Or Is It?
BET has released their July 2011 schedule and there will be some sitcom time changes. But first, after the Everybody Hates Chris week-long marathon that we told you about already, from June 13-17, the sitcom will gain an hour airing weekdays at 5pm as well starting June 20. This will be in addition to its weekdays 8am airing. The Game will slide over to 4pm starting this day, cutting the Girlfriends block to just the 3pm hour.
Now on to the July changes, it seems like The Game will be taking a bit of a rest, as the series will be off the regular weekday line-up starting Monday, July 4. Everybody Hates Chris will be expanded to 4pm-6pm, while its 8am hour will become Girlfriends. After that, Bernie Mac remains 9am-11am, but Girlfriends will air in the 11am hour, cutting the two-hour Jamie Foxx Show block to the 12pm hour. Not to worry, because Jamie Foxx Show will get that second hour now at 3pm following the afternoon movie at 1pm.
So there you have it, the new sitcom line-up on BET every weekday from 8am-6pm (except 1-3pm) starting in July.
The Game will likely return soon for sure, as it does well in the ratings but it probably needs to take a rest since it has aired quite a lot. The series will however air on the weekends for an hour every Saturday morning (times vary, but usually 8-9am or 10-11am), kicking-off the Saturday sitcom block (of the same comedies on weekdays). Of course all-new episodes of The Game return in January 2012 for a fifth season and it became the highest rated basic cable sitcom ever when BET launched season four this past winter.
Last Thursday we gave you ABC Family July 2011 details and told you repeats of The Secret Life of the American Teenager would start on July 4 airing weekdays at 5pm replacing fan favorite Gilmore Girls, but now that is not happening...well sort of. Gilmore Girls will remain on the schedule until July 18 and that's when The Secret Life of the American Teenager will now start its weekday strip run at 5pm. No word on why the two-week delay, but fans of Gilmore Girls shouldn't worry too much because the series always ends up back on the schedule at some point. If I were to guess, at the latest Lauren Graham and company would be back on the air in the fall.
Now on to the July changes, it seems like The Game will be taking a bit of a rest, as the series will be off the regular weekday line-up starting Monday, July 4. Everybody Hates Chris will be expanded to 4pm-6pm, while its 8am hour will become Girlfriends. After that, Bernie Mac remains 9am-11am, but Girlfriends will air in the 11am hour, cutting the two-hour Jamie Foxx Show block to the 12pm hour. Not to worry, because Jamie Foxx Show will get that second hour now at 3pm following the afternoon movie at 1pm.
So there you have it, the new sitcom line-up on BET every weekday from 8am-6pm (except 1-3pm) starting in July.
The Game will likely return soon for sure, as it does well in the ratings but it probably needs to take a rest since it has aired quite a lot. The series will however air on the weekends for an hour every Saturday morning (times vary, but usually 8-9am or 10-11am), kicking-off the Saturday sitcom block (of the same comedies on weekdays). Of course all-new episodes of The Game return in January 2012 for a fifth season and it became the highest rated basic cable sitcom ever when BET launched season four this past winter.
Last Thursday we gave you ABC Family July 2011 details and told you repeats of The Secret Life of the American Teenager would start on July 4 airing weekdays at 5pm replacing fan favorite Gilmore Girls, but now that is not happening...well sort of. Gilmore Girls will remain on the schedule until July 18 and that's when The Secret Life of the American Teenager will now start its weekday strip run at 5pm. No word on why the two-week delay, but fans of Gilmore Girls shouldn't worry too much because the series always ends up back on the schedule at some point. If I were to guess, at the latest Lauren Graham and company would be back on the air in the fall.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
1st Annual Critics Choice Television Awards Nominations; Comedy Central's New Thurs-Dimension Block
Hey hey! Modern Family led the list of nominees for the inaugural Critics Choice Television Awards. The ABC comedy received six nominations: Best Comedy Series and supporting actor/actress nominations for cast members Ty Burrell, Ed O'Neill, Eric Stonestreet, Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara.
The ceremony, which will take place at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Monday, June 20 at a luncheon emceed by So You Think You Can Dance host Cat Deeley, will be televised by ReelzChannel TV, but on Wednesday, June 22 at 8pm ET. VH1.com will live-stream the event on Monday, June 20. ABC led all broadcast networks with 16 nominations, while NBC had 12. AMC and FX led the cable networks with nine nominations each. The following is the comedy portion nominations (click the link below to see more nominations):
Best Comedy Series
Archer (FX)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Community (NBC)
Glee (Fox)
Louie (FX)
The Middle (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Office (NBC)
Parks and Recreation (NBC)
30 Rock (NBC)
Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, NBC)
Steve Carell (The Office, NBC)
Louis C.K. (Louie, FX)
Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, FX)
Joel McHale (Community, NBC)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory, CBS)
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Courteney Cox (Cougar Town, ABC)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie, Showtime)
Tina Fey (30 Rock, NBC)
Patricia Heaton (The Middle, ABC)
Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope, Fox)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, CBS)
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family, ABC)
Danny Pudi (Community, NBC)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family, ABC)
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen (Modern Family, ABC)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock, NBC)
Jane Lynch (Glee, Fox)
Busy Philipps (Cougar Town, ABC)
Eden Sher (The Middle, ABC)
Sofía Vergara (Modern Family, ABC)
See a full list of nominations from other TV genres. And visit their official website for more details on these new awards and who votes.
Drunken robots! Lobster people! A very old man! Watch in terror if you dare as Matt Groening and David X. Cohen's brilliantly subversive animated sci-fi comedy, Futurama, returns with 13 all-new half-hour episodes beginning on Thursday, June 23 at 10:00 p.m. on Comedy Central. The all-comedy channel is kicking off the Futurama season in style with two new episodes airing back-to-back. Then, beginning on Thursday, June 30, Comedy Central's original animated series, Ugly Americans, premieres its second season at 10:30 p.m., making Thursday nights a one-hour "Thurs-Dimension" animation block.
The Futurama episodes are a continuation from the series' sixth season. Last summer, Comedy Central premiered 13 episodes from the sixth season, but now the remaining 13 will air this summer. Futurama will also return for a seventh season of 26 more episodes. And those 26 will be handled the same way as season six--the first installment of 13 new episodes will premiere in the summer of 2012, with the additional 13 new episodes to air the following summer of 2013 only on Comedy Central! Meanwhile, Ugly Americans will have a 14 episode order for its second season, just like it did for its first season in spring and fall 2010. They split the season in two halves as well for this series, with 7 episodes in the first half of the season.
The ceremony, which will take place at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Monday, June 20 at a luncheon emceed by So You Think You Can Dance host Cat Deeley, will be televised by ReelzChannel TV, but on Wednesday, June 22 at 8pm ET. VH1.com will live-stream the event on Monday, June 20. ABC led all broadcast networks with 16 nominations, while NBC had 12. AMC and FX led the cable networks with nine nominations each. The following is the comedy portion nominations (click the link below to see more nominations):
Best Comedy Series
Archer (FX)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Community (NBC)
Glee (Fox)
Louie (FX)
The Middle (ABC)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Office (NBC)
Parks and Recreation (NBC)
30 Rock (NBC)
Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, NBC)
Steve Carell (The Office, NBC)
Louis C.K. (Louie, FX)
Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, FX)
Joel McHale (Community, NBC)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory, CBS)
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Courteney Cox (Cougar Town, ABC)
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie, Showtime)
Tina Fey (30 Rock, NBC)
Patricia Heaton (The Middle, ABC)
Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope, Fox)
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, CBS)
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family, ABC)
Danny Pudi (Community, NBC)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family, ABC)
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen (Modern Family, ABC)
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock, NBC)
Jane Lynch (Glee, Fox)
Busy Philipps (Cougar Town, ABC)
Eden Sher (The Middle, ABC)
Sofía Vergara (Modern Family, ABC)
See a full list of nominations from other TV genres. And visit their official website for more details on these new awards and who votes.
Drunken robots! Lobster people! A very old man! Watch in terror if you dare as Matt Groening and David X. Cohen's brilliantly subversive animated sci-fi comedy, Futurama, returns with 13 all-new half-hour episodes beginning on Thursday, June 23 at 10:00 p.m. on Comedy Central. The all-comedy channel is kicking off the Futurama season in style with two new episodes airing back-to-back. Then, beginning on Thursday, June 30, Comedy Central's original animated series, Ugly Americans, premieres its second season at 10:30 p.m., making Thursday nights a one-hour "Thurs-Dimension" animation block.
The Futurama episodes are a continuation from the series' sixth season. Last summer, Comedy Central premiered 13 episodes from the sixth season, but now the remaining 13 will air this summer. Futurama will also return for a seventh season of 26 more episodes. And those 26 will be handled the same way as season six--the first installment of 13 new episodes will premiere in the summer of 2012, with the additional 13 new episodes to air the following summer of 2013 only on Comedy Central! Meanwhile, Ugly Americans will have a 14 episode order for its second season, just like it did for its first season in spring and fall 2010. They split the season in two halves as well for this series, with 7 episodes in the first half of the season.
Monday, June 06, 2011
TV Land July 2011 Highlights; MeTV Network Honors James Arness
TV Land in July 2011 will not be changing much, but there are some notable stunts. The regular schedule will remain as it is now in June. Before we get to July, we have some June changes. MTV Networks' special featuring President Obama titled Race to the Top Commencement Challenge” has been scheduled to air tomorrow (Tuesday, June 7) in the 7pm half-hour. In addition, Leave it to Beaver will remain airing in June on weekends from 1pm-3pm, as originally it was through May only. The last week of June has some additions. TV Land has added two Everybody Loves Raymond "Limited Commercial Interruption" stunts. The first one is scheduled for Sunday, June 26 from 10pm-12am and the second one is on Tuesday, June 28 from 9pm-11pm. There won't be any off-the-clock timings in these two blocks.
OK, so on to July...the 4th of July will see some magic this year! TV magic, as Bewitched returns for a special marathon on the nation's birthday! The marathon airs from 8am to 8pm on Monday, July 4 leading into a block of Happily Divorced and Hot in Cleveland encores from 8-11pm. Bewitched is not on the regular schedule in July, so make sure you tune in for this marathon! The TV Land primetime movie on Monday nights is no more since a few weeks now, but TV Land will still air movies Mondays at 8am. Movies for the month are Crocodile Dundee, Crocodile Dundee II, Top Gun and the TV Land premiere of Ray, which will air on a Sunday evening (July 24 at 5pm-8pm).
TV Land will continue all-new episodes of Hot in Cleveland and the new comedy Happily Divorced all month long every Wednesday at 10pm. They premiere on June 15, as you all know. Look for Wayne Knight, Doris Roberts, Antonio Sabato, Jr., and Jennifer Love Hewitt to guest star on Hot in Cleveland in July.
As a preview to August, look for Cedric The Entertainer to guest star on the August 24 episode of Hot in Cleveland in a backdoor pilot episode. If it does well, you'll see that as a spin-off series soon. The season finale of Hot in Cleveland will air on August 31, while the season finale of Happily Divorced will air August 17.
MeTV will have "A Tribute to James Arness" on Saturday (June 11). The legendary actor passed away late last week at the age of 88. His character Marshal Dillon was among the most famous characters in the history of television on the TV series Gunsmoke (the half-hour episodes were re-titled Marshal Dillon in syndication). MeTV will pay tribute to Mr. Arness with episodes of both Marshal Dillon and Gunsmoke. The marathon begins at 11am with two-hours of the half-hour Marshal Dillon episodes from 11pm-1pm, then Gunsmoke from 1pm-8pm, and more half-hour Marshal Dillon episodes from 8pm-10pm to close the marathon out.
See where MeTV Network airs in your area by checking their website! You can also catch Gunsmoke regularly on cable on TV Land and Encore Westerns (and its siblings MoviePlex and RetroPlex).
OK, so on to July...the 4th of July will see some magic this year! TV magic, as Bewitched returns for a special marathon on the nation's birthday! The marathon airs from 8am to 8pm on Monday, July 4 leading into a block of Happily Divorced and Hot in Cleveland encores from 8-11pm. Bewitched is not on the regular schedule in July, so make sure you tune in for this marathon! The TV Land primetime movie on Monday nights is no more since a few weeks now, but TV Land will still air movies Mondays at 8am. Movies for the month are Crocodile Dundee, Crocodile Dundee II, Top Gun and the TV Land premiere of Ray, which will air on a Sunday evening (July 24 at 5pm-8pm).
TV Land will continue all-new episodes of Hot in Cleveland and the new comedy Happily Divorced all month long every Wednesday at 10pm. They premiere on June 15, as you all know. Look for Wayne Knight, Doris Roberts, Antonio Sabato, Jr., and Jennifer Love Hewitt to guest star on Hot in Cleveland in July.
As a preview to August, look for Cedric The Entertainer to guest star on the August 24 episode of Hot in Cleveland in a backdoor pilot episode. If it does well, you'll see that as a spin-off series soon. The season finale of Hot in Cleveland will air on August 31, while the season finale of Happily Divorced will air August 17.
MeTV will have "A Tribute to James Arness" on Saturday (June 11). The legendary actor passed away late last week at the age of 88. His character Marshal Dillon was among the most famous characters in the history of television on the TV series Gunsmoke (the half-hour episodes were re-titled Marshal Dillon in syndication). MeTV will pay tribute to Mr. Arness with episodes of both Marshal Dillon and Gunsmoke. The marathon begins at 11am with two-hours of the half-hour Marshal Dillon episodes from 11pm-1pm, then Gunsmoke from 1pm-8pm, and more half-hour Marshal Dillon episodes from 8pm-10pm to close the marathon out.
See where MeTV Network airs in your area by checking their website! You can also catch Gunsmoke regularly on cable on TV Land and Encore Westerns (and its siblings MoviePlex and RetroPlex).
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Summer Week 1 Sitcom Ratings
Summer has now started with this past week being the first full week of the summer season. We will be back with our normal weekly ratings report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long, along with a coming week preview! Here are our summer ratings:
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 23-29)
Monday Sitcoms
Saturday Sitcoms
Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm.
Summing it up. Repeats of Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement Thurs, The Middle 8:30, Mike & Molly Mon were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of Cougar Town, How I Met Your Mother) or just plain old terrible (such as a new Traffic Light, NBC Thursday repeats). [Source: Nielsen NTI Ratings. View Travis Yanan's Ratings Website].
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 23-29)
- American Dad! (Fox) - preempted.
- The Simpsons (Fox) - preempted.
- Bob's Burgers (Fox) - preempted.
- Family Guy (Fox) - preempted.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - preempted.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 4.4 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating for a repeat on Memorial Day for the first official repeat of the summer season (though CBS was in repeats on the last Monday of the season the previous week and this airing was a bit off from that).
- Mad Love (CBS) - 4.21 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating for a repeat airing and this was its last airing ever.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 6.49 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating for a repeat is considerably lower than its ratings from last summer, but this is just one week so far.
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - 6.38 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating for a repeat, holding on a good number from the lead-in. Not bad.
- Raising Hope (Fox) - A repeat at 9pm did 2.68 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, which is not too good.
- Traffic Light (Fox) - In its last airing ever, an all-new episode did just 2.23 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. Couldn't even hold the numbers from the lead-in, which was a repeat.
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - A special Wednesday edition repeat did 4.8 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating. Lower than Monday's repeat and losing to the competing ABC comedy.
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) -As with the lead in, a special Wednesday repeat did 4.5 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, building from the lead-in a bit in 18-49.
- The Middle (ABC) 2 airings - A repeat at 8pm did 5.21 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, but the 8:30pm repeat went to 5.36 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which is not bad for a repeat.
- Modern Family (ABC) 2 airings- A repeat at 9pm did 6.22 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating. And the second repeat at 9:30pm did similar ratings with 6.04 million and held the 2.2 18-49 rating. Nice 18-49 ratings for summer repeats. Best performance of the week for a sitcom.
- Cougar Town (ABC) - A summer repeat at 10pm did 4.03 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which is above average for it in repeat mode and up from the first summer repeat last season.
- Happy Endings (ABC) - A repeat at 10:30pm of the pilot did 3.38 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. ABC will repeat all 12 episodes this summer, with the next airing moving to its regular 9:30pm timeslot starting June 22.
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat did 7.42 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating. Good for summer.
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A repeat of this comedy followed at 8:30pm with 6.69 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, nice retention.
- Community (NBC) - A repeat only did 2.45 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. This is lower than the first repeat of last summer.
- 30 Rock (NBC) - A repeat at 8:30pm did 2.3 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating. This is slightly better than the same night last year with a new 100 Questions.
- The Office (NBC) - A repeat at 9pm did 2.9 million and 1.3 18-49 rating. Nothing surprising here.
- Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A 9:30pm repeat didn't do well, doing 2.56 million and a prelim 1.1 18-49 rating, as these NBC comedies just don't repeat well.
Friday Sitcoms
Saturday Sitcoms
- None.
Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm.
Summing it up. Repeats of Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement Thurs, The Middle 8:30, Mike & Molly Mon were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of Cougar Town, How I Met Your Mother) or just plain old terrible (such as a new Traffic Light, NBC Thursday repeats). [Source: Nielsen NTI Ratings. View Travis Yanan's Ratings Website].
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Digital Digest: Celebrity Bowling DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest, your weekly dose of all things digital in the world of sitcoms! We've got all of your regular news and a preview of Tuesday's releases, of course, and this week we try to make a strike with our review of Celebrity Bowling from S'more Entertainment. So, pick up your ball, step up to the lane, and roll towards the center for Digital Digest!
DIGITAL NEWS
We've avoided mentioning Charlie Sheen here the past few weeks, but today, we pretty much have to mention him, as his series (well, former series), Two and a Half Men, will be returning to DVD on September 6. Two and a Half Men - The Complete Eighth Season (and the end of Charlie Sheen's days as a star of the series) will arrive on that date in a two-disc set. No word yet on special features, but I have this weird feeling that there won't be any interviews or commentaries from Mr. Sheen or any of his goddesses.
There is still no release date for Community - The Complete Second Season, but thanks to creator Dan Harmon's Twitter account, we DO know some details. The set will contain numerous special features, including blooper reels, deleted scenes, making of documentaries, and best of all, commentaries on EVERY episode. It looks as if it is shaping up to be a great set.
But that isn't all for the NBC Thursday night lineup. The recently canceled series Outsourced appears to be coming to DVD at some point, though no specifics are known. From this entry on TVShowsOnDVD.com, we see that the cast members have reportedly been recording interviews for a DVD release. Of course, that is very preliminary information, but a pretty good sign that DVDs are on the way.
We may think that everybody loves Raymond, but it turns out to be tougher than one can predict when taking the concept to Russia in Exporting Raymond, which comes to DVD and Blu-ray Disc (not yet available for pre-order on Blu-ray Disc) on August 2. So, what exactly is this? Basically, it is about Phil Rosenthal, the creator of the series, trying to make the series a successful Russian TV series. Here is information from the press release:
Truth is funnier than fiction in the real life comedy, Exporting Raymond, arriving on Blu-ray™ and DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on August 2nd. Viewers will laugh out loud when “fish out of water” Phil Rosenthal, the Emmy® Award-winning creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” takes us on a journey halfway around the world to detail his struggle to make one of America's most beloved sitcoms a successful Russian TV series.Exporting Raymond has received major recognition at multiple film festivals. The film's awards include Audience Award Winner at the 2010 Austin Film Festival, Winner of Best Comedy at the 2011 Sedona Film Festival, Official Selection at the 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival and Audience Award Winner at the 2010 Hatch Festival.
Finally, we head over to Mill Creek Entertainment, which has been releasing a ton of stuff lately--although mostly rereleases of out-of-print DVDs--but we're happy to have them anyway. More "best-of" releases are on the way, including The Best of California Dreams, Punky Brewster - The Best of Season Two, and Punky Brewster - The Best of Season Three. All will be released at the standard $14.98 MSRP.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (June 7) is not a busy day for releases, with no sitcom releases at all, but we do have the release of the ABC Family series The Secret Life of an American Teenager - Volume 6. We also have the U.S. release of McMillan and Wife - Season Three.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
The 1970s was a bizarre time for television, as it was rising from just a few major networks to many more networks and the rise of syndication. To compensate for this time, a syndicated series called Celebrity Bowling came along to fill in, often between sporting events, with bowling tournaments between celebrities. Now, you can watch the series on DVD in S'more Entertainment's Celebrity Bowling.
DVD Review: Celebrity Bowling
by Greg Brobeck
Celebrity Bowling (S'more, $29.98) puts your favorite '70s celebrities on the bowling lanes for good times, lots of laughs, and occasionally loud outfits in a 3-disc DVD set. The show ran in syndication from 1971 to 1978, hosted by Days of Our Lives and Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jed Allan, and was mainly as filler on weekend afternoons in between sporting events. The show pitted two teams of celebrities against each other in a game of "Best Ball" bowling. Each celebrity takes a shot on his or her own lane. If neither gets a strike, whichever rolled the worse shot tries to pick up a spare on their partner's lane. The teams bowled 10 frames and how high their final scores were determined which prize someone in the studio or home audience would win. An actual bowling alley was built in the TV studio for the tapings!
The show is a very lighthearted, fun one…a fascinating trip back in time. And no matter how good the celebrities were at bowling, it was fun watching them. Some were very good at bowling, some very bad at bowling (and fun to laugh at), and some that made fun of other people's bowling. Then there's the '70s style. Some of the celebrities wear very loud '70s clothing. In short, the show is a good way to enjoyably pass the time.
The big names they were able to get on this set is sometimes surprising... on this set you'll see everyone from sitcom stars to singing stars and even a few "before they were" stars. Some of the guests featured in this set (and I'm sure you'll recognize all of them): William Shatner, Jimmie Walker, Dick Martin, Leslie Nielsen, Roy Rogers, Don Adams, Bob Newhart, George Foreman, Michael Douglas, Ed Asner, Loretta Swit, Rosemary Clooney, Adam West, Rue McClanahan, and so very many more. The episodes seem to be unedited, all running between 22 and 23 minutes. All the prize plugs are left in, and a couple episodes even have some of the original commercials.
Disc 1:
1. William Shatner & Fran Jeffries vs. Hugh O'Brian & Michele Lee (22:56)
2. Jimmie Walker & Michael Ansara vs. Dick Martin & Leslie Nielsen (22:36)
3. Roy Rogers & Don Adams vs. Bob Newhart & George Foreman (23:27)
4. Donald O'Connor & Rosemary Clooney vs. Rose Marie & Morey Amsterdam (22:48)
5. Tige Andrews & Elizabeth Ashley vs. Brenda Vaccaro & Michael Douglas (22:47)
Disc 2:
6. Ed Asner & Elena Verduo vs. Loretta Swit & Gavin McLeod (22:38)
7. Dick Martin & Billy Barty vs. John Schuck & Michael Ansara (22:38)
8. Bobby Troup & Roy Rogers vs. Bob Newhart & Robert Culp (22:22)
9. Adrienne Barbeau & Gail Fisher vs. Arlene Golonka & Cathy Lee Crosby (22:37)
10. George Foreman & Dick Martin vs. Anthony Newley & Don Adams (22:39)
Disc 3:
11. Rue McClanahan & Ron Masak vs. Charles Nelson Reilly & Robert Clary (22:39)
12. Leslie Nielsen & Susan Saint James vs. Angie Dickinson & Lloyd Bridges (22:39)
13. Roy Rogers & Adam West vs. Kent McCord & Gary Collins (24:48)
14. Howard Duff & Susan Saint James vs. Angie Dickinson & John Saxon (23:07)
15. Bob Newhart & Dick Martin vs. Anthony Newley & Nipsey Russell (22:48)
The set comes in a standard black keep case with a moving page holding the first and second discs. The third disc is attached to the back. The artwork seems a bit on the creative side... the words Celebrity Bowling are prominent on the front of the box... along with a bowling ball wearing sunglasses, with the reflection of the Hollywood sign in them. Names of some of the featured celebrities are featured as well. The back cover features some still photos from the show, along with a very detailed explanation of what the show is, and why it's fun to watch. Inside the case, we find a leaflet, filled with more photos from the show, and listing which episode is on which disc. The discs are in three different colors, each designed to look like a bowling ball.
The menu design is basic, but very functional. The main menu features a still shot of one of the celebrities on that particular disc, as a clip from an episode plays in a small box. The background art resembles a bowling alley. The show's theme song ("Everybody Loves My Baby" by King Richard's Fluegel Knights) plays in the background. Your two choices are to Play All or Select Game. The episode menus let you select an episode based on which celebrities are taking part. One chapter mark is in each episode at the halfway mark commercial break. There are, however, no closed captions or subtitles.
Video and audio quality are each good, considering this is a show from the 1970s recorded on video tape. Video on some episodes is bit soft, and colors on the muted side, but others are clear and vibrant. Without extensive restoration, this is about as good as the shows could look. Audio is clear, though flat. Again considering the age and the era the show is from, I doubt S'More could have done much better.
There are no special features, and quite honestly, I'm not sure what special features they could have included. I'm sure none of the celebrities would be willing to talk about the show. Many have passed on, and some may not even remember doing the show. The creators are still around, and may have some insight on how they came up with the show and booked some occasionally A-list celebrities... some who had never bowled before.
Overall, S'More has done a very good job with this set, getting out some of the best episodes from Celebrity Bowling, featuring some of the most well-known stars that appeared on the show. Celebrity Bowling is one of those shows you thought you'd never see again at all, let alone on DVD, so this set is a welcome addition my DVD library and I would think it would be for any fan of '70s pop culture. It's fun to see your favorite celebrity bowl a mean game (or a horrible one).
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LOOKING AHEAD
We'll be back next week with more news and a review of Pretty Little Liars - The Complete First Season. Until then, keep it digital!
Friday, June 03, 2011
Remembering Clarice Taylor (Cliff Huxtable's Mother); Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 6, 2011)
Clarice Taylor, a television, film, stage and radio actress best known for her recurring role The Cosby Show as Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable's mother, Anna Huxtable, has died. Ms. Taylor passed away at her home in Englewood, New Jersey from congestive heart failure on May 30. She was 93.
Taylor and Earle Hyman (Russell Huxtable) played Cliff's parents in recurring roles for seven years on The Cosby Show. Interestingly enough, she first auditioned to play Phylicia Rashad's mother on the show. In 1986, Taylor and Hyman were both nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series. For 14 years from the late 1970s until 1990, she had a recurring role on Sesame Street as Harriet, the grandmother of David. Her other television work included guest appearances on Ironside, Sanford and Son (as Cousin Emma), Nurse, Lady Blue, Spenser: For Hire and Due South. Her stage work included the role of Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, in The Wiz. She won an Obie Award for her one-woman show, Moms. Film roles for her included Clint Eastwood's directorial debut in the thriller Play Misty for Me, Five on the Black Side and Sommersby.
Taylor is survived by her two sons: William and James, her daughter-in-law, Gizele, and four grandchildren: Jason, Kristen, Raul Jr. & Jared. We loved her character on The Cosby Show. She always told it like it was. We will miss her.
What are your favorite Grandma Huxtable moments? Discuss them here.
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 June 6-June 10, 2011, 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, June 6 2011
- Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Watch the funny lady Wanda on a May repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Catch Ray on Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
- Breckin Meyer (Inside Schwartz/Married to the Kellys) - Breckin visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Tisha Campbell-Martin (Martin/My Wife and Kids/Rita Rocks) - Tisha drops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Watch Tina on an April repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Catch Kathy on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) - Watch Jon on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Chris Gorham (Out of Practice) - Catch Chris on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS. Covert Affairs returns for a second season starting on June 7 on the USA Network.
- Terry Crews (Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry is a guest on Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
- Suzanne Somers (Three's Company/She's the Sheriff) - Suzanne is the guest host on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Jim appears on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
- Faith Ford (Hope & Faith/Murphy Brown) - Faith is a guest on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
- Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) - Watch Marion on an April repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray stops by The Joy Behar Show at 10pm ET on HLN.
- Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Catch Neil on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Kathy continues to make the rounds on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- George Lopez (George Lopez) - Watch George on Conan at 11pm on TBS and then Conan on Lopez Tonight at 12am on TBS.
- Wanda Sykes (The New Adventrues of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda visits The Mo'nique Show at 11pm on BET.
- Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl) - Watch Jason LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings and later on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Nick Jonas (Jonas L.A.) - Nick makes his first ever guest appearance The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell) - Catch Mark on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT. Currently he co-stars with Breckin Meyer on Franklin & Bash on TNT.
- Jami Gertz (Still Standing/Square Pegs) - Jami stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show) - Jennifer visits LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
ABC Family July 2011 Has Secret Life Join Regular Schedule; ION Adds Men of a Certain Age
ABC Family has released their July 2011 schedule and as usual we have all the scoops and highlights for you! The regular schedule will see one schedule change and it will happen starting Monday, July 4, 2011! Weekdays at 5pm will now be a weekday strip of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. The ABC Family original series is entering its fourth season this summer with new episodes airing Monday nights at 8pm, but now you can watch from the beginning every weekday for the first time! I don't think this is a regular syndication deal, but I would assume the series will be close to being in syndication soon. The teen drama will replace Gilmore Girls, which for now will be off the line-up totally. There are no other changes to the regular line-up, which means sitcoms will still air from basically 7am-5pm (not counting 700 Club), with a few nights of Still Standing in the 6pm hour.
ABC Family will have a lot of original programming in primetime this summer, as new series air in primetime Mon-Wed. Look for encores of these series to air in the 6pm and 7pm hours on most weeknights this summer. Original programming has Secret Life and upcoming new drama Switched at Birth on Mondays; Pretty Little Liars and upcoming new drama The Nine Lives of Chloe King; and Wednesdays it is comedy with Melissa & Joey and upcoming new comedy State of Georgia.
The new ABC Family original movie Cyberbully starring Kay Panabaker (No Ordinary Family) premieres Sunday, July 17 at 8pm. Theatrical movie premieres for the month are Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, School of Rock, Step Up 2: The Streets and Jersey Girl. Of course you can catch encores of other movies such as the Harry Potter franchise, Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Jurassic Park, Grease, Grease 2, Meet the Parents and way more.
Meanwhile, ION Television quietly added the TNT original series Men of a Certain Age starring Ray Romano to its Tuesday line-up on May 24. They are airing the first six episodes of season two Tuesdays at 10pm & 11pm, as of now four episodes have aired. Two more episodes will air next Tuesday but after that it isn't on the line-up again. TNT is continuing season two this June, so that is probably the reason. Perhaps ION is airing these six episodes as a promotional play for TNT. In fact episode 7 of the second season premiered on TNT last night.
This has been kept very low-key with no press, so we thought we would share this with you, even though there is just a week left. Stay with us if we have any more information if ION airs more than just the first six of this season. We'll be on top of it, stay with us.
ABC Family will have a lot of original programming in primetime this summer, as new series air in primetime Mon-Wed. Look for encores of these series to air in the 6pm and 7pm hours on most weeknights this summer. Original programming has Secret Life and upcoming new drama Switched at Birth on Mondays; Pretty Little Liars and upcoming new drama The Nine Lives of Chloe King; and Wednesdays it is comedy with Melissa & Joey and upcoming new comedy State of Georgia.
The new ABC Family original movie Cyberbully starring Kay Panabaker (No Ordinary Family) premieres Sunday, July 17 at 8pm. Theatrical movie premieres for the month are Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, School of Rock, Step Up 2: The Streets and Jersey Girl. Of course you can catch encores of other movies such as the Harry Potter franchise, Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Jurassic Park, Grease, Grease 2, Meet the Parents and way more.
Meanwhile, ION Television quietly added the TNT original series Men of a Certain Age starring Ray Romano to its Tuesday line-up on May 24. They are airing the first six episodes of season two Tuesdays at 10pm & 11pm, as of now four episodes have aired. Two more episodes will air next Tuesday but after that it isn't on the line-up again. TNT is continuing season two this June, so that is probably the reason. Perhaps ION is airing these six episodes as a promotional play for TNT. In fact episode 7 of the second season premiered on TNT last night.
This has been kept very low-key with no press, so we thought we would share this with you, even though there is just a week left. Stay with us if we have any more information if ION airs more than just the first six of this season. We'll be on top of it, stay with us.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Hallmark Channel Adds More Frasier in June 2011; Cast of Modern Family on Inside the Actors Studio
The Hallmark Channel released their June line-up about a week or so ago, but now there is a slight schedule change. Effective Monday, June 6, an extra hour of Frasier will be added. The Kelsey Grammer sitcom will gain the 11pm hour reducing The Golden Girls to two-hours in late night, now 12am-2am instead of 11pm-12am. This must mean good news for the Cheers spin-off that ran from 1993-2004.
There are no other schedule changes, so expect the current line-up to continue minus the 11pm hour change. Don't forget to watch the marathons and stunts in June 2011 as well!
In other Hallmark Channel news, they announced a Dog awards show. They are our companions and comrades; they fight on the front lines alongside our servicemen at war and assist our disabled and ailing at home; they help solve crimes and locate missing persons; they are a treasured and beloved part of our families; they guide us, protect us and risk their own safety for our benefit -- everyday dogs not only enrich, but save lives around the globe. Hallmark Channel is proud to announce today that it is joining American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards(TM) presented by CESAR(R) Canine Cuisine to honor our remarkable canine friends and their immeasurable contributions. The Hero Dog Awards, produced by Emmy(R) Award winning MRB Productions, feature a nationwide search for America's top dogs, which will culminate in a red carpet celebrity-filled awards gala and 90-minute televised special premiering on Hallmark Channel November 11, 2011 at 8:00PM, ET/PT.
Hey, hey! On Tuesday, June 7 at 8 p.m., ET/PT, Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton welcomes the hilarious cast of Modern Family to the iconic stage. Every week, Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vegara, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet win the hearts of millions of viewers as the loveable, yet dysfunctional, Pritchett/Dunphy clan. This ensemble captivates the audience as Lipton traverses through the unique career of each cast member. Though only six people appear on stage, Lipton poses questions to Jay (O'Neill), Gloria (Vegara), Phil (Burrell), Claire (Bowen), Mitchell (Tyler Ferguson), and Cameron (Stonestreet) throughout the course of the show. Watch it only on Bravo next Tuesday!
Catch repeats of Modern Family all summer long every Wednesday at 9pm on ABC. It's even funnier the second time around! No salt needed in your milk.
There are no other schedule changes, so expect the current line-up to continue minus the 11pm hour change. Don't forget to watch the marathons and stunts in June 2011 as well!
In other Hallmark Channel news, they announced a Dog awards show. They are our companions and comrades; they fight on the front lines alongside our servicemen at war and assist our disabled and ailing at home; they help solve crimes and locate missing persons; they are a treasured and beloved part of our families; they guide us, protect us and risk their own safety for our benefit -- everyday dogs not only enrich, but save lives around the globe. Hallmark Channel is proud to announce today that it is joining American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards(TM) presented by CESAR(R) Canine Cuisine to honor our remarkable canine friends and their immeasurable contributions. The Hero Dog Awards, produced by Emmy(R) Award winning MRB Productions, feature a nationwide search for America's top dogs, which will culminate in a red carpet celebrity-filled awards gala and 90-minute televised special premiering on Hallmark Channel November 11, 2011 at 8:00PM, ET/PT.
Hey, hey! On Tuesday, June 7 at 8 p.m., ET/PT, Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton welcomes the hilarious cast of Modern Family to the iconic stage. Every week, Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vegara, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet win the hearts of millions of viewers as the loveable, yet dysfunctional, Pritchett/Dunphy clan. This ensemble captivates the audience as Lipton traverses through the unique career of each cast member. Though only six people appear on stage, Lipton poses questions to Jay (O'Neill), Gloria (Vegara), Phil (Burrell), Claire (Bowen), Mitchell (Tyler Ferguson), and Cameron (Stonestreet) throughout the course of the show. Watch it only on Bravo next Tuesday!
Catch repeats of Modern Family all summer long every Wednesday at 9pm on ABC. It's even funnier the second time around! No salt needed in your milk.
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, May 7
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Little Schmoozin’ and a Nose for the News" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Georgie’s plan to get on the news sparks a feud between Mandy and a rival weathergirl. Meanwhile, Mandy tries to use the conflict to help her career.
Ghosts - "Gate-gate" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When an emotion‑driven decision puts Woodstone at risk, Sam and Jay step up to defend what they’ve built. Meanwhile, Isaac struggles to adjust to new surroundings, only to realize that some connections are too important to leave behind.
Animal Control - "Roosters and Moles" / "Donkeys and Weasels" (Fox, 9:02PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Templeton is nominated for Animal Control officer of the year, Frank sets out to rescue 24 animals in 24 hours; Victoria and Patel try to find ways to replace pet food that was destroyed in a fire.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 4)
Thursday, May 7
- Molly Gordon (The Bear/Ramy) - Catch Molly on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- John Krasinksi (The Office) - John appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Jenny Slate (The Great North/Big Mouth/Married/Bob's Burgers) - Jenny makes a special appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback/No Good Deed/HouseBroken/Web Therapy/Friends/Mad About You) - Lisa stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. She also talks about The Comeback on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Casey Wilson (The Righteous Gemstones/Black Monday/The Hotwives/Marry Me/Happy Endings) and Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Andy Cohen interviews Casey and Andrew on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 9pm on Bravo.
- Garcelle Beauvais (The Other Black Girl/Survival of the Thickest/The Jamie Foxx Show/Merry Happy Whatever) - NBC's Today catches up with Garcelle in the 9am hour.
- Julie Bowen (Modern Family/Ed) - NBC's Today catches up with Julie in the 10am hour.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie talks about Lifetime's Love, Again on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. She is covering the news sunny-side up with Drew and Ross on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Kellee Stewart (My Boys) - Kellee shares her fertility journey on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered/Married/Second Generation Wayans) - Regina tells Drew all about her action-packed film One Battle After Another on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Teri Hatcher (The Odd Couple/Sunday Dinner/Karen's Song/The Love Boat) - Teri is whipping up a delicious meal in the kitchen with her Desperately Devoted Podcast Co-Hosts onscreen daughter Andrea Bowen and real-life daughter Emerson Tenney on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Fabrizio Guido (Running Point) - Fabrizio talks about Netflix's Running Point on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Jessica Hecht (Special/Red Oaks/What About Joan?/The Single Guy) - Jessica is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
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