Thursday, August 09, 2012
WGN America Fall 2012 Schedule Gives Us Rules of Engagement; ION Television Gets Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Our fall 2012 schedule barrage continues today with the fall schedule for WGN America! Their biggest acquisition this fall is Rules of Engagement. The ensemble comedy featuring David Spade and Patrick Warburton will launch on WGN America on Monday, Sept. 10, 2012. The sitcom will also be joining local broadcast syndication this fall, as we know (in NYC it will be airing weeknights at 6:30pm on WPIX). As for WGN America, Rules of Engagement will air Sun-Fri at 12:00am & 12:30am ET and also in primetime on Wednesdays from 8-10pm ET. Detailing the rest of the line-up, the weekday schedule from 9am-6pm will remain intact, but the 6pm hour will now have Old Christine instead of 30 Rock. Primetime remains the same, but as mentioned Rules heads to Wednesdays replacing AFV. In late night, 30 Rock will move to the 11pm hour, since it loses the 6pm hour. The sitcom will lead into Rules of Engagement at midnight, as we mentioned. WGN America will be losing the rights to South Park, but will be gaining rights to the daytime talk show The Bill Cunningham Show and encores of that series will air at 4am ET beginning Sept. 17. If you're wondering, the week of Sept. 10 will feature a week of Mad About You, returning from its hiatus, but only until Cunningham begins on the 17th.
Onto Saturdays, the late night line-up is completely revamped, as Bones and Bloopers! join the schedule. What is Bloopers? The classic Dick Clark series returns with a fresh new take on an iconic brand. Hosted now by TV and movie star Dean Cain, each half-hour is full of hilarious and spontaneous bloopers, unpredictable hidden camera segments and laugh out loud moments from the web. Bones will air Saturday nights at 11pm and 12am beginning Sept. 29, as it replaces AFV and Old Christine hours. At 1am, the new syndicated entry Bloopers! will air replacing 30 Rock. Back-to-back Old Christine will follow at 1:30am and 2am leading into the return of Cheers from 2:30am-4am. On Sundays, a second Bloopers! will air at 7pm, replacing 30 Rock. Not to fret, 30 Rock will get both weekend airings in one hour now, airing Sundays in the 11pm hour, replacing The Unit. As mentioned, Rules of Engagement is at midnight replacing Monk. Comedies now rule Sunday night as an hour each of Scrubs, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and 'Til Death air from 1-4am.
View the full WGN America Fall 2012 schedule. To recap, hello to Rules of Engagement, Bill Cunningham Show, Bones, and Bloopers!, while a welcome back to Cheers and (for a week only) Mad About You, but goodbye to South Park, Monk, and The Unit. Stay with us for further updates, if anything.
It was just yesterday we told you about ION Television acquiring NUMB3RS, now ION has bought another drama! ION Television continues to strengthen its programming lineup with high-quality content, announcing the acquisition of the critically-acclaimed series Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The off-network licensing rights give ION all 10 seasons (195 episodes) of the crime-drama favorite. Currently the series airs in local syndication, WGN America and on some Universal-owned cable networks like USA Network. It will likely remain on all of those when it comes to ION Television. We know for sure it will remain on WGN America (see above) and the Universal-owned cable networks.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent takes viewers into the minds of its criminals while following the psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve the crimes. Detective Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio), who channels his inner Sherlock Holmes, is an exceptionally bright homicide investigator with well-honed instincts that match up favorably with his criminal quarry. Likewise, his partner, Detective Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe), brings an independence and stylish edge to her work that meshes well with Goren.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent was created by Dick Wolf and is the third installment of the Law & Order brand, which stands as the second longest-running scripted primetime series in television history. Executive producers of the series include Wolf, Warren Leight, Peter Jankowski and Norberto Barba. The series was produced by Wolf Films in association with NBCUniversal Cable & New Media Distribution. Law & Order: Criminal Intent aired for 10 seasons, first on NBC (six seasons) and followed by USA Network, concluding in 2011.
We will let you know when ION Television will schedule Law & Order: Criminal Intent, as right now it is unclear on when it will start.
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
NBC Fall Pilot Review: Go On - Sneak Peek Tonight, Premieres Sept. 11; ION Television Acquires NUMB3RS
Go On - Tuesdays 9:00PM ET/PT on NBC
Sneak Peek Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at 11:04PM ET/PT and
Premieres Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 9:00PM ET/PT
By Pavan
Matthew Perry (Friends, Mr. Sunshine) stars as Ryan King, a recent widower and sports talk radio host ready to get back to work after the loss of his wife. Ryan's alpha-male boss, Stephen (John Cho, FLASHFORWARD, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), has a different plan in store for Ryan, making him attend grief counseling before returning to the air. A reluctant Ryan finds himself in a support group for "life change" where he meets an oddball cast of characters, all with their own backstories filled with varying degrees of loss. On his very first visit, Ryan convinces the group to deviate from their normal session and starts a tournament-style competition (March Sadness!) to find out whose story is the worst. Ryan's total lack of interest in "the healing process" proves distracting, and he soon butts heads with the by-the-books group leader, Lauren, played by Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti (Eli Stone, The Playboy Club). Back at work, Ryan is confronted with the fact that he hasn't really processed his grief and realizes Lauren and the other members of the group might be key in helping him move on. Starring Matthew Perry, Laura Benanti, Julie White, Suzy Nakamura, Tyler James Williams, Brett Gelman, and John Cho.
Cast Details:
* Matthew Perry as Ryan King
* Laura Benanti as Lauren
* Julie White as Anne
* Suzy Nakamura as Yolanda
* Tyler James Williams as Owen
* Brett Gelman as Mr. K
* John Cho as Steven
Matthew Perry (Ryan King) is perhaps best known for his role as Chandler on NBC's critically acclaimed comedy Friends. Since Friends concluded, Perry has continued to captivate worldwide audiences with his diverse talents in a range of projects. His versatility in both television and film makes him one of today's most accomplished and credible actors. Most recently, Perry guest starred in a multi-episode arc on The Good Wife, portraying an extremely charming Chicago lawyer with questionable ethics. He starred and served as executive producer and co-writer of Mr. Sunshine for ABC. The series was based on an idea conceived by Perry, and also starred Allison Janney, Andrea Anders, James Lesure and Nate Torrence. Additional television series include NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip in a role written for him by Aaron Sorkin. He made his directorial debut with an episode of Scrubs in 2004, where he also guest starred in the episode alongside his father, John Perry, portraying his fictional father. Perry received an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Joe Quincy on the long-running NBC drama, The West Wing. Additionally he received Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for his starring role in The Ron Clark Story. And his feature film credits include 17 Again, Birds of America, Numb, The Whole Nine Yards, The Whole Ten Yards, Three to Tango, Almost Heroes, Fools Rush In and Serving Sara.
Laura Benanti (Lauren) has brought her unique abilities to comedies, dramas and musicals since she took Broadway by storm at the age of 18. She received a Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for her starring role in the Broadway production of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown for Lincoln Center, where she also starred in Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), for which she garnered critical acclaim for her heartbreaking and brave performance. On TV, most recently she starred in NBC's The Playboy Club. Other television roles include recurring roles on The Big C, NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Life on Mars, as well as her heralded portrayal of Billie on Starved, and a recurring role on Eli Stone for ABC.
Julie White (Anne) most recently co-starred in Steven Spielberg's film Office Seekers, opposite Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Field. She has been a staple in the indie film market in films such as Hello I Must Be Going, Breaking Upwards, Language of a Broken Heart, Inside Out, My Idiot Brother and Killing Karma. She has also been featured in all-three Transformers films, Michael Clayton opposite George Clooney, The Astronaut Farmer starring Billy Bob Thorton, The Nanny Diaries with Laura Linney, and many more. Her television credits include guest-starring roles on Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Six Feet Under and JAG. White also starred as a series regular in the '90s ABC comedy Grace under Fire.
Suzy Nakamura (Yolanda) began her career in the touring company of The Second City, and later opened the first two shows at The Second City Detroit. After moving to Los Angeles, she began guest starring on television, eventually landing recurring roles on The West Wing and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Nakamura has appeared in over 100 television episodes. She starred opposite Ted Danson in the ABC sitcom Help Me Help You and also on 10 Things I Hate About You. She was also a series regular on sitcoms Daddio and Imagine That. Recent guest star credits include In Plain Sight, How I Met Your Mother, Castle, The Middle, and Bones, as well as recurring roles on 8 Simple Rules, Modern Family and Men of a Certain Age.
Tyler James Williams (Owen) is perhaps best known for his starring role on the Emmy and NAACP Image Award-winning series Everybody Hates Chris for which he won the 2007 NAACP Image Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. He began acting at the age of four on Sesame Street and later co-starred in the animated series Little Bill. Additional television credits include House, Law & Order: SVU and numerous appearances in sketches on Saturday Night Live. Williams can be seen next in Tyler Perry's film, We the Peeples. He also starred in the feature film Unaccompanied Minors.
Brett Gelman (Mr. K) is an Upright Citizens Brigade regular, is currently co-starring in Adult Swim's Eagleheart. He has appeared in The Other Guys, directed by Adam McKay, and both seasons of Funny or Dies Presents. Additional credits include a guest starring role on The League, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death.
John Cho (Steven) first came into the spotlight in the 1999 breakthrough hit comedy American Pie, in which he popularized the slang term "MILF," and recently reprised his role in the latest installment, American Reunion. He achieved near-household name status starring as Harold Lee in the cult comedies, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold and Kumar 3-D Christmas. He completed shooting the next installment of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek franchise, reprising the role of Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu. He can also be seen in Len Wiseman's upcoming remake of the classic Total Recall, as well as Identity Theft, starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy and directed by Seth Gordon, and Get a Job, starring Miles Teller, Nick Braun and Bryan Cranston and directed by Dylan Kidd. On television, Cho co-starred as Agent Demitri Noh in ABC’s drama series FlashForward and the Weitz Bros'
Pilot Plot:
#1 "Pilot" (Airs Wednesday, August 8, 2012)
After taking some time to deal with the death of his wife, sportscaster Ryan King is ready to push his feelings down and get back to work. However, Ryan's boss Steven, preferring that Ryan work through his grief first, refuses to let him back on air until he gets counseling. Reluctantly, Ryan joins a support group, where his lack of interest in healing not only makes therapy interesting but also may just serve as the breath of fresh air needed to get his fellow group members back on track to health.
Guest starring in "Pilot" are Terrell Owens as himself, Bill Cobbs as George, Tonita Castro as Fausta, Seth Morris as Danny, Sarah Baker as Sonia, Matt Knudsen as Jack Madden, Kimrie Lewis-Davis as Terrell's girlfriend, Allison Miller as Carrie and Khary Payton as Don.
The episode was written by Scott Silveri, and directed by Todd Holland.
Analysis:
Matthew Perry is back on NBC but this time on a single-camera comedy. We know he recently did Mr. Sunshine for ABC, which I found to be OK at best, per our review. It had potential but never found its groove despite the stellar cast. His character on that show was a miserable mess I think. I didn't find that to be unappealing, but apparently many did. On this show, Go On, he is a sports talk radio host, while on Mr. Sunshine he ran a sports arena. The central location for that show was an arena, but on this show it is more set at a group support session with the sports radio talk show mixed in. Perry's character on this show is Ryan King, who is the host of the sports radio talk show The Ryan King Show. The pilot starts off with him returning after a month off because his wife had passed away. He thinks he is ready to go back to work, but his boss Steven is not as convinced so he orders him to take 10 group support sessions. He is of course forced to go and is unwilling to participate but when the group support session leader is running late, he sort of takes over and brings in his sports knowledge and incorporates it into the group and makes it fun. He starts a "whose thing is the worst" bracket style. One of the group members, Owen (aka Chris from Everybody Hates Chris), suggests the game to be called "March Sadness."
This is where the fun and meat of the show begins. There are ten members of the group, now including Ryan. Each member is unique. There are many standouts, like George, Owen, Mr. K, Fausta and Yolanda. There are so many members in the group that they are not all series regulars...so hopefully some of these people like George and Fausta appear in all or most episodes. I think they can do away with a few characters like Don, in fact they did drop the character after the pilot, so you won't see him anymore. Anyway, just as they were having fun with "March Sadness," the group leader, Lauren, walks in and they start their normal session. I started thinking Ryan is kind of like Perry's character on Mr. Sunshine-- a guy with no feelings, as he was unwilling to open up. I was thinking if his character on Mr. Sunshine got married and then his wife died, he would be like Ryan King. But at the end of the pilot you realize that's not true and Ryan King is much a better person than Ben from Mr. Sunshine.
I think the chemistry between Ryan and Laura really works, especially after his second session. They have a really great scene inside her car. This is something to really watch in future episodes. In the pilot, there wasn't much set in the sports talk radio studio. It will be interesting how they incorporate both sides. Right now, the sports side needs a little work while the group support session really worked well. Since his boss Steven (John Cho) was originally intended to be a guest star, maybe in future episodes there will be more at the sports talk show. John Cho is now a series regular. I did like the scene towards the end of the show where Terrell Owens is Ryan's guest on his talk show. It was pretty funny and we realize how Jane, Ryan's deceased wife, died. After that scene, we realize Ryan King is just really heartbroken and he goes back to the support group after leaving after his second session.
Conclusion:
This is not really a sports comedy. In fact it is more of a support group comedy with a lot of heart. Yep, Perry's character actually means well on this show. The title implies that he is trying to "go on" with his life. He will take steps in getting there but he does actually care. This sitcom previews tonight with the pilot episode, airing commercial-free from 11:04-11:30pm. Episode two will not air until another month, though, on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at its regular night and time of Tuesdays at 9 on NBC.
It's going to be in a tough time slot with two other comedies that already have a following (and NCIS: LA on CBS). The difference is this comedy will have a head start not only after tonight but its first two weeks in September, as New Girl returns to Fox on Sept. 25. NBC is banking on this comedy to anchor their Tuesday night, so they have expectations it will do well, especially with former NBC star Matthew Perry headlining the series. The cast on this show is really good, even if they are not as known as the Mr. Sunshine cast. These characters are more relatable and likeable. One of the support group members, Yolanda, played by Suzy Nakamura was on a similar style series called Help Me Help You. That sitcom starred Ted Danson and aired on ABC. I thought that pilot was decent but future episodes didn't really hold up as well. I don't think it had the heart of this series' pilot, though. This pilot mixes it up well between funny and emotional. Let's hope it continues to do that and better incorporates the sports radio side as well. When those two mesh, then we are going to have a great comedy and Matthew Perry will be nominated for an Emmy. Right now it is good, but it has potential to be great. So "go on" and watch Go On because you're in store for a heartwarming comedy (which I was not expecting)!
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, August 8 on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
ION Television has announced the addition of the popular police procedural series Numb3rs to its expanding general entertainment programming lineup. The content deal with CBS Television Distribution includes all six seasons (118 episodes) of the series and bolsters ION's solid programming foundation with another high-quality syndicated series. Numb3rs is set to premiere on ION during the 2012/13 television season. The Numb3rs deal follows another key programming addition for the network, as ION recently announced its first exclusive broadcast partnership with WWE for the original series WWE Main Event. Numb3rs also joins ION's "Positively Entertaining" lineup of hit series, including the original show Flashpoint, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, Psych, Without a Trace, George Lopez and Leverage.
Currently Numb3rs is airing on cable network TNT in the late nights and in local syndication on weekends. Come this Fall, it will be gone from both as it will air also on MyNetwork TV Primetime, as we announced. We will bring you the TNT Fall 2012 schedule very soon, so stay tuned. We will let you know when exactly Numb3rs will air on ION, so stay with us!
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
TV Land Fall 2012 Schedule Brings Back Cosby Show; The Hub's Primetime Sitcoms Return, Plus A Dogs Week Added
Now with The Cosby Show returning, TV Land will put Three's Company on hiatus after its September 15 morning airings. The classic '70s-80's sitcom was airing weeknights at 3:30am & 4am and weekends 7-9am and late nights. When The Cosby Show launches on Sept. 10, that week only, Three's Company will air at 3:30am during the week (Sept. 10-14) and Saturday 7-9am on Sept. 15, before going on hiatus. No word on when it will return but they still have rights to the series until fall 2013 and have renewed a few times already. So stay tuned!
The rest of the TV Land September 2012 schedule is pretty similar to what it is now, with just minor changes. As for stunts, besides that Cosby Show weekend stunt, there is a marathon of The Soul Man on Saturday, Sept. 1 from 1-7pm as it gets ready for its season finale on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 10pm. On Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 3), TV Land will air an all-day M*A*S*H marathon from 8am-6pm, followed by a block of original sitcom The Exes from 6-9pm, as that sitcom will also have its season finale on Wednesday, Sept. 5. Back-to-back encores of The Soul Man will take over the Wednesday 10pm hour beginning Sept. 12. As for TV Land movies in September, they will premiere the movie Soul Food on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 2:30pm, with an encore on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 7am. Other movies for the month will be encores of Beauty Shop, Boys on the Side The First Wives Club, and In The Line of Fire - all airing the first two weekends (Sept. 1-2, Sept. 8-9) of the month.
View the FULL regular TV Land September 2012 schedule. Will there be more changes coming in October? We'll let you know, so stay with us!
As promised, The Hub will return to its sitcom line-up in primetime next week (Aug. 13-17). That means Mork & Mindy on Monday, Sabrina the Teenage Witch on Tuesday, The Facts of Life on Wednesday and ALF on Thursday -- all from 8-10pm, so mark your calendars and set reminders. However, Happy Days is still missing in action and is not scheduled. There is some more bad news (but not that bad), for the week of Aug. 20, The Hub will preempt the sitcoms again. The Hub will be giving every dog their chance for a moment in the spotlight during the network's annual "Dog Days of Summer" programming event, August 20-25, featuring a week of canine-themed movies (like Scooby-Doo) and culminating in a marathon of the popular animated series Pound Puppies (Saturday, August 25, 9-11 a.m. ET), produced by Hasbro Studios. Presumably, the sitcoms will be just off for that week and will return the week after (Aug. 27).
There has certainly been a lot of preempts in primetime lately, as last week (July 30) and this week (Aug. 6), The Hub has been airing a "Summer Nights" block from 8-10pm, which has the hottest Hub shows that both kids and their parents love to watch. Only ALF made the sitcom cut and has been airing in its Thursday block for these two weeks. Keep it right here for further updates and we'll keep you up to date if Fonzie and company will return to The Hub.
Monday, August 06, 2012
TBS Fall 2012 Schedule Has Are We There Yet?; Frasier Returns to Lifetime
Welcome to the 2012 edition of our annual look at the fall schedules for cable and digital TV! We are launching this schedule barrage with TBS! They will be making changes to their sitcom line-up starting Monday, Sept. 17. The newest addition to the weekday line-up will be a strip of Are We There Yet? The sitcom will now air five days a week...and with brand new episodes that have never been aired. The series, which stars Terry Crews (Everybody Hates Chris) and Essence Atkins (Half and Half), is produced by Revolution Studios and Cube Vision and distributed by Debmar-Mercury. In addition to executive producing, Ice Cube plays a recurring guest starring role. After being a hit for its first 10 episodes, TBS ordered 90 episodes, but the sitcom has not aired in primetime since May 2011 after airing 36 episodes of the 90 episode order. Now the series is entering syndication this fall on both local channels (check your local listings, WWOR in NYC will air it at 11am) and TBS and they both will air the remaining all-new episodes. That will be around 54 brand new episodes.
Before we get into the TBS timeslot for Are We There Yet?, we'll discuss the full changes for TBS this fall. The schedule changes will be made for weekdays 7am-2pm. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will be moving to the earlier 7am hour, as it and Home Improvement will switch hours. The Tim Allen comedy will now air an hour later in the 8am hour. At 9am, According to Jim moves to an earlier hour with back-to-back episodes replacing an episode each of Fresh Prince and House of Payne. TBS will make 10am-1pm their African-American sitcom block. Another episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will air at 10am leading into back-to-back House of Payne at 10:30am and 11am. At 11:30am, we have an episode of Meet the Browns, which will lead into the off-network premiere of Are We There Yet? at 12 noon. And the African-American block closes at 12:30pm with another Meet the Browns. The 1pm hour will be just a timeslot switch, with now My Name is Earl leading off the hour and American Dad! closing the hour.
The rest of the weekday schedule will remain intact from 2pm-6am. We have a block of Everybody Loves Raymond from 2-4pm, then Friends from 4-6pm, leading into an hour each of King of Queens at 6 and Seinfeld at 7. Primetime will remain the same from 8-11pm with Family Guy, The Big Bang Theory, movies, and House of Payne and For Better or Worse on Friday nights. Late nights will still have Conan at 11, leading into an hour of The Office at midnight. Then at 1am, there is an encore of Conan leading into two episodes of Seinfeld at 2am. 3-5am will see a movie, with the a filler of Married...with Children here and there, but that sitcom airs 5-7am still. On Saturdays, the only schedule change will be a Saturday airing of Are We There Yet? at 9:30am replacing one airing of the My Name is Earl block, which will remain from 7-9:30am. Later in the day, The King of Queens moves from 4-5pm to 6-7pm, as Friends will now air from 4-6pm on Saturdays as well.
Later this year in primetime, TBS will also debut the original scripted comedy series Wedding Band, followed in early 2013 by the premiere of Cougar Town, now a TBS original series. TBS will also air a season two of Men at Work in 2013.
View the full TBS Fall 2012 schedule. We're not sure if any more changes are coming, as this only cover the last two weeks of September. With the MLB Playoffs starting in October, there will likely be no other changes to the schedule...but if there is, we will let you know. Stay with us!
Frasier is returning to Lifetime today! After leaving the schedule in March 2011, the sitcom is now back on the cable network. As a result, WE tv will no longer air the series. However, The Hallmark Channel will still air it, so both Lifetime and Hallmark will now share the rights. Lifetime will air the series in lieu of them losing the rights to Reba, which are now at ABC Family and CMT. Frasier will be airing on Lifetime weekdays from 9-11am, which starts today. Starting next Monday, the sitcom will also air Monday evenings from 4:30pm-8pm replacing the Reba Monday block. Today in that block, Lifetime is airing a Trading Spouses marathon from 12-8pm.
Frasier will air in between Will & Grace (8-9am) and Old Christine (11am-1pm). As for WE tv, they were airing Frasier weekdays 2-4pm but stopped after July 31, as their rights now go to Lifetime. Stay with us for more on WE tv, when we release their fall 2012 schedule. Will Lifetime make changes in September as well? Stay tuned...
Sunday, August 05, 2012
Summer Week 10 Sitcom Ratings; New Sitcoms On Cable This Week
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of July 23-29)
- The Simpsons (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 8pm did 2.65 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. A second repeat followed at 8:30 with 2.73 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating. Not too bad vs. the Olympics.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30pm posted 1.85 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, which on par what it has been doing this summer.
- Bob's Burgers (Fox) - preempted.
- Family Guy (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 9pm did 3.11 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which is great against the Olympics. A second repeat followed with a similar 3.2 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating.
- American Dad! (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm did 1.66 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, which is acceptable vs. the Olympics.
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A repeat did 3.36 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, down two tenths from previous week. It did face the Olympics, though.
- 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A repeat of this comedy did 3.48 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, down three tenths from previous week.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A repeat did 4.31 million and only a 1.1 18-49 rating, down five tenths from previous week. Took a hit vs. the Olympics.
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - 3.95 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating for a repeat was down three tenths from previous week.
- The Middle (ABC) - Tuesday repeats will air for the rest of the summer, in addition to its regular Wednesday airings. The 8pm repeat did 2.75 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, down two tenths from previous week.
- Last Man Standing (ABC) - A repeat of this sitcom followed with 2.07 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, also down two tenths from previous week.
- New Girl (Fox) - preempted.
- The Middle (ABC) - A repeat at 8 did 3.07 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, on par with previous week again despite facing the Olympics...good.
- Suburgatory (ABC) - A repeat at 8:30 posted 2.42 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, down a tenth week-to-week. The comedy will be moving to 9:30pm this Fall.
- Up All Night (NBC) - preempted.
- Modern Family (ABC) 2 airings - A repeat did 2.93 million and a 0.9 rating, down four tenths from previous week thanks to the Olympics. A second airing followed with a similar 2.94 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, down five tenths from previous week.
- Happy Endings (ABC) - preempted.
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat at 8 did 5.53 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down eight tenths from the previous week, taking a big hit vs. the Olympics.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A repeat at 8:30pm did 4.78 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down five tenths week-to-week, but held 100% of its lead-in this time.
- The Office (NBC) - preempted.
- Parks and Recreation (NBC) - preempted.
- New Girl (Fox) - preempted.
- Whitney (NBC) - preempted, Olympics time.
- Community (NBC) - preempted, Olympics time.
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) - preempted.
Summing it up. Repeats of Family Guy-last Sun were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of The Big Bang Theory, The Middle-Wed) or just plain old terrible (such as repeats of The Middle-Tue, Last Man Standing).
Feeling the repeat blues? Look for original sitcoms on cable this summer, with ABC Family's sophomore season of Melissa & Joey at 8pm all-new this Wednesday. What an underrated family comedy it is. New comedy Baby Daddy starring Chelsea Kane airs at 8:30pm with episode 7. TBS has week four already of new sitcom Sullivan & Son this Thursday at 10pm. It's Cheers meets Sanford & Son, if that makes sense. Also on Wednesdays is TV Land's Hot in Cleveland spin-off series The Soul Man starring Cedric the Entertainer at 10pm followed by new episodes of The Exes at 10:30pm. TV Land has moved Retired at 35 to Wednesdays and is airing at 11pm. FX and Charlie Sheen come together in Anger Management airing Thursdays at 9:30pm. Even on digital TV, Bounce TV airs new comedy Family Time starring Omar Gooding, but it had its season finale on July 23...look for repeats on Bounce TV. All of these are multi-camera comedies, too! New sitcom airings is the perfect way to beat the summer blues!
Saturday, August 04, 2012
Digital Digest: '50s TV Classics from Film Chest; Amazon Prime iPad App; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - Season 1, Volume 1 DVD Review; Vega$ - The Third Season, Volume 2 DVD Review
Film Chest has a special DVD set with some classic treasures coming August 28 with '50s TV Classics. The three disc set will allow viewers to "(e)xperience the best of the “golden age of television" with this collection of shows including more than eight hours of comedy, music, variety, game shows and drama." Among the stars featured in this collection are Bob Hope, Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle, Red Skelton, Dinah Shore, Lawrence Welk, Art Carney, Paul Winchell, Jerry Mahoney, and Ed Wynn. Episodes will be included from The Bob Hope Show, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Ed Wynn Show, The Paul Winchell & Jerry Mahoney Show, Death Valley Days, The Lawrence Welk Show, The Milton Berle Show, Beat the Clock, Do You Trust Your Wife?, Name That Tune and The Red Skelton Show. Despite the rapidly approaching release date, the set is NOT available yet... but we'll let you know when it is!
We've known for a few weeks that Charlie's Angels - The Complete Series would be coming to DVD on September 25, which made many fans wonder "what about season five?" Fortunately, TVShowsOnDVD.com found out the answer to that this week, and fans who bought the first four seasons independently may not be out of luck. Apparently, Sony is planning to release it individually at some point in time... but few other details are known right now. When we know more, we'll let you know.
Last November, eOne released It Takes a Thief - The Complete Series (review), an excellent collection containing every episode of the classic Robert Wagner series. But if you just want a little bit less (and just let me be straightforward and say that the release from last November is worth the cost), eOne is releasing just the first season on October 2 with It Takes a Thief - The Complete First Season.
We've come across two releases this week slated for release this month which have been postponed indefinitely, which is certainly not the most positive news for fans. Inception Media Group was slated to have an upcoming release of The Real McCoys - The Complete Series, but that release seems to have been taken off of the schedule and can no longer be preordered from amazon.com. Another release with the same fate is eOne's release of The Carol Burnett Primetime Specials, also scheduled for later this month. It is important to note, though, that this release is not connected to the upcoming Time-Life release of The Carol Burnett Show - The Ultimate Collection, which is still slated to be released this month... but while we are on the topic, we should note that the release date has been delayed by yet another week, now set to begin shipping on August 13.
Another release which has been delayed (but not indefinitely!) is Image's release of The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray). It is now scheduled for release on November 13 at a $349.98 MSRP.
If you use the Amazon Prime instant streaming service and you own an iPad, there is an exciting new improvement to the service this week: you can now watch your Prime videos on your iPad! This week, amazon.com introduced a new app to allow iPad users to enjoy unlimited streaming of the TV series and movies already available for Prime customers without being tied to their desktop computer. Of course, this has been available on Amazon's own Kindle Fire for quite some time, but the new iPad app brings portable viewing of Prime streaming video to a much larger consumer base. There are still some limitations to the app, such as the inability to purchase videos not included in Prime from the app, but for the purpose of unlimited streaming of Prime videos, it will do the job. You can download the new app here.
Finally, Television Without Pity is giving fans the opportunity to vote on everything that they loved... and hated... about the 2011-2012 TV season in their 9th Annual Tubey Awards. It isn't only about the "best actor in a comedy" or "best guest appearance in a drama" here at all, though. Instead, you can vote in categories such as "most ludicrous plotline" or "worst reality show host or judge" (but the traditional categories are included as well). Each week from July 30 - September 9, a batch of fresh categories will be unveiled and voters will have one week to cast their support for their favorite nominees. At the end of the 6-week voting period, 80 award winners will be announced in mid-September, a few days prior to the Primetime Emmy Awards. There are thirteen categories which you can vote on now, so head on over there and vote early and vote often!
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Shout! Factory is releasing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season One, Volume One with the first 30 episodes of the 60-episode first season on a 3-disc set! After 10,000 years of imprisonment, the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa and her loyal minions are freed when astronauts on a routine mission in space accidentally open her dumpster prison on the Moon. Filled with rage, Rita decides to conquer the nearest planet: Earth. But her arch-nemesis -- the heroic sage Zordon -- has been patiently waiting in preparation for this day. With the assistance of his wisecracking robotic sidekick Alpha 5, Zordon recruits a team of "five teenagers with attitude" from nearby Angel Grove -- Jason, Zack, Kimberly, Billy and Trini -- to receive superpowers beyond their wildest dreams so they can defend the Earth as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Aided by giant robotic vehicles modeled after dinosaurs called Zords, the Power Rangers fight back against the evil alien hordes of Rita Repulsa.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season One, Volume Two 3-DVD set is slated to arrive on store shelves Fall 2012. Featuring the subsequent 30 original episodes of the 60 episode first season, this DVD set continues more action-packed adventures of five teens, who quickly learn the full impact and awesome responsibility of their new powers and weapons. The evil villain, Rita Repulsa and her henchmen prove to be very worthy adversaries for the young super heroes, and they are challenged at every turn.
Starring Austin St. John as Jason the Red Ranger, Walter Emanuel Jones as Zack the Black Ranger, Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly the Pink Ranger, Thuy Trang as Trini the Yellow Ranger, David Yost as Billy the Blue Ranger and Jason David Frank as Tommy the Green Ranger. Among the most memorable episodes from the first half of the first season include the premiere, "Day of the Dumpster," where following the accidental release of long-imprisoned evil space-sorceress Rita Repulsa, a benevolent sage known as Zordon drafts a group of five teenagers to help protect the planet as dino-powered warriors of goodness. In "Happy Birthday, Zack," the Ranger teens & Ernie plan a surprise party at the Juice Bar for Zack and the secrecy leads him to believe they've all forgotten about his birthday, while Rita shows she cares, by sending down a special treat, a vicious black knight monster known as Nasty Knight. In "Foul Play in the Sky," Kimberly goes for flying lessons with her pilot uncle Steve, with Bulk & Skull tagging along, while Rita's henchman Squatt spikes Steve's drink with a sleeping potion, which kicks into effect while in the skies over Angel Grove and Kimberly nervously takes over flying the four-seater plane, but even with a little guidance from Alpha 5, can she land safely? In "Switching Places," Billy's brain switching machine goes haywire (with a little help from Squatt & Baboo), causing his & Kimberly's minds to swap bodies and hilarity ensues when Billy as Kimberly, and Kimberly as Billy, spend a few days in each other's shoes... literally! In the five-part mini-series "Green With Evil," Tommy, a new kid in town with martial arts skills that rival even Jason's, catches the eye of not just Kimberly, but also Rita and after she kidnaps him, Rita places a spell over Tommy, turning him into her evil Green Ranger! Using his own Power Coin, Tommy infiltrates the Command Center, infects Alpha 5 with a virus, trashes the computers, and cuts Zordon off from communicating with our dimension! In "The Spit Flower," Kimberly is given the task of designing a flower float for the big Angel Grove parade, but Putties drop by the Juice Bar, and trash it before she can turn the design in, so Kimberly frets over losing it, and soon has to face the evil flesh-eating-blossom-spewing Spit Flower monster -- a monster with such thick hide, the power zords are of no effect. In "Gung Ho," Jason & Tommy team-up for an upcoming Team Ninja competition at the Youth Center and they have trouble working together, as both are used to sparring one-on-one, while the other Rangers fight the nigh-invincible Super Putties, Zordon sends Jason & Tommy off to retrieve new weapons and they face a strange metal creature known as Titanus, and must learn teamwork in the face of adversity... or perish!
Each episode on this set is just around 19-20 minutes on average, which seems on the short side but this is how it was originally. However, there are no "Today on Power Rangers" 30-second previews before each episode. So it is missing that, but everything else is unedited and there (not much to edit, if anything, since the episodes are already 20 minutes). Runtimes are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "Day of the Dumpster" (20:44)
2. "High Five" (19:57)
3. "Teamwork" (19:32)
4. "A Pressing Engagement" (20:13)
5. "Different Drum" (20:07)
6. "Food Fight" (20:11)
7. "Big Sisters" (18:54)
8. "I, Eye Guy" (19:14)
9. "For Whom the Bell Trolls" (20:14)
10. "Happy Birthday, Zack" (20:14)
Disc 2:
11. "No Clowning Around" (20:14)
12. "Power Ranger Punks" (20:14)
13. "Peace, Love and Woe" (20:04)
14. "Foul Play in the Sky" (20:14)
15. "Dark Warrior" (19:14)
16. "Switching Places" (20:15)
17. "Green with Evil Part I: Out of Control" (20:05)
18. "Green with Evil, Part II: Jason's Battle" (20:17)
19. "Green with Evil, Part III: The Rescue" (19:06)
20. "Green with Evil, Part IV: Eclipsing Megazord" (20:16)
Disc 3:
21. "Green with Evil, Part V: Breaking the Spell" (19:05)
22. "The Trouble with Shellshock" (19:25)
23. "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (20:14)
24. "The Spit Flower" (19:55)
25. "Life's a Masquerade" (20:14)
26. "Gung Ho!" (19:59)
27. "Wheel of Misfortune" (19:29)
28. "Island of Illusion, Part I" (20:17)
29. "Island of Illusion, Part II" (19:45)
30. "The Rockstar" (19:38)
Packaging is a snap case holding the discs inside, similar to previous Shout! Factory releases. The cover art of this first volume has all of the Power Rangers (Black, Yellow, Red, Pink, Blue and Green) with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers logo above them. The color scheme is red. The back of the case has a synopsis of the show, the set, and technical information. We also have a shot of Alpha 5 the robot and an episodic photo. Inside the case, there is a disc-by-disc breakdown on the left panel, listing every episode on this set. We just get episode titles, though. The discs don't overlap each other, which is great. We have a plastic holder in the middle. Discs one and two are on that plastic holder, while disc three is on the right panel. Artwork on the discs is in that red color scheme, with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers logo and whatever disc number it is on the disc. The disc-by-disc breakdown is available in the above section in episode runtimes, but basically we either have 10 episodes on each disc. That might be a lot per disc, but I feel they should have released all 60 first season episodes on one set on a six-disc set, since they are cramming 10 episodes on each disc.
As for the menus, the main menu is very cool. We have the addicting theme song playing in the background, and we have the logo then we enter the Command Center! Instead of where we see Zordon, we have clips playing in the background! Very cool! The main menu options are: Play All and Select Episode. No subtitles, but the DVD is closed-captioned. When we select the Select Episode option, we have a cool transition into that. The episode number and titles are listed inside that option. Pretty easy to navigate and nicely designed, I think. It's basic but cool.
The video quality is decent. It's not great, but not terrible either. It is certainly better than VHS and any episode you might have recorded originally on Fox Kids or in reruns. The audio quality is also good, that is crisp and clear. No problems here at all. The series had to be pretty cheap to produce as it looks very cheap, but hey, everyone loved watching it! I just can't believe it took this long for this show to come to DVD! There are 6 chapter stops for every episode, counting the opening and closing credits stops. All of the multiple part episodes have the "To Be Continued" line at the end of each episode, but we don't have any of those "Previously on Power Rangers" recap at the start of the next episode, just like we don't have the "Today on Power Rangers" preview on every other episode. I always liked those, so I'm disappointed.
We have zero special features. When the complete seasons 1-3 release comes out there are special features on that from Time Life. I hope we get them on the individual releases Shout! will release, too. But so far, there is nothing on this volume. On the complete set, we will get new interviews with the cast, casting director, fans, plus all the direct to video specials that were released. I don't think the original pilot episodes will be included, which is a shame. In 1999, Fox Kids aired an original unaired pilot episode hosted by Austin St. John (Jason the Red Ranger) and Walter Emanuel Jones (Zack the Black Ranger). It is on YouTube even. This pilot had a different yellow ranger and some other plot changes. We also had another unaired pilot episode but it has never been seen, so that would have been nice, too.
It was great watching this series again! The first season was very cool and can't wait to see the second half soon! I highly do recommend any fan of the show to pick-up this set, because the episodes are so good and addictive. It's cheesy fun. If you've never watched it, then please do try it. The series aired on ABC Kids in 2010 as a reboot with new graphics and all, but this set has all of the original graphics. Like I said, the only thing missing are the previews before each episode. Everything else is pretty well done on this set. My only other gripe was no bonus features, but that is probably being saved for the complete series set/ I hope we do get those on a regular season volume later on. Give us the two original pilot episodes as well, Shout! It's fun and interesting to see how different those pilots could be. I've seen the one that aired years later in 1999 on Fox Kids and that is so different from the pilot that they aired in 1993. Anyway, it's Morphin Time...and no need for us to go to the Command Center and buy this DVD because we have a link below for you to order. Zordon commands you to buy this set. If you don't listen, Bulk & Skull will "try" to bully you. So head on to your local Youth Center and Juice Bar (do these even exist?) to watch this DVD on your DVD player/laptop/tablet!
To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
The set begins with "Heist," where Dan stages a robbery to test Roth's casino security systems... but not all goes as planned with an accomplice. A man's dates all seem to end with rape and sometimes even murder in "No Way to Treat a Victim." In "Time Bomb," Binzer's past comes back to haunt him when he faces extortion from his past accomplices. Not everything is in plain sight after Dan's investigation ends with Dan being shot and temporarily blinded in "Out of Sight." In "Set Up," a double date for Dan and Lt. Nelson ends with the good lieutenant being framed... for murder!
Dan thinks there is much more to a robbery and shooting in "The Killing." In "Seek and Destroy," a Russian pilot test-flying a new fighter airplane decides to defect and turn the plane over to the American government... but it isn't going to be easy. Wayne Newton guest stars in "Dead Ringer," where he receives a death threat in his own handwriting telling him to leave the country. A trail of an unfaithful wife leads an old friend of Dan's to Vegas in "The French Twist." Dan's life is in danger in "Nightmare Come True," or so says a psychic. The series ends with "Judgement Pronounced," where a deranged man hires a double for Dan to execute his brand of justice... and it involves killing people.
Most episodes on the set run around 49:20 or so, and appear to be unedited. But there is one episode on Disc 3, "Nightmare Come True," which runs about a minute shorter than all the rest. I don't know what is missing, if anything at all, but it is worth pointing out. Runtimes for all episodes are as follows:
1. "Heist" (49:20)
2. "No Way to Treat a Victim" (49:23)
3. "Time Bomb" (49:16)
Disc 2:
4. "Out of Sight" (49:23)
5. "Set Up" (49:21)
6. "The Killing" (49:22)
7. "Seek and Destroy" (49:19)
Disc 3:
8. "Dead Ringer" (49:22)
9. "The French Twist" (49:28)
10. "Nightmare Come True" (48:23)
11. "Judgement Pronounced" (49:20)
The DVDs are packaged in a Viva case, just like the previous releases. The cover art has a large photo of Dan with the Vegas strip in the background, and on the back, there are a few episode snapshots and a description of the series. Inside the case, there are descriptions and airdates for each episode, along with guest stars... but as usually, they've foolishly placed the Disc 2 episode listings in the center of the case, where you can't even read the descriptions at all unless you remove the paper from the sleeve! It is very annoying, and this has been the case on all of these sets. The discs are just plain gray discs with the series logo on them. Disc 1 contains three episodes, and Discs 2 and 3 contain four episodes each.
Like most CBS DVD products, the video and audio quality on this set is excellent. There really isn't much to complain about, although there is some grain and debris here and there. The audio is presented in mono, with English subtitles for each episode.
It is a little bittersweet that this series has come to an end on DVD. On one hand, it is great that they did get every episode out on DVD, even if it was six volumes for three seasons (this show really should have been done in full seasons). But the DVDs have been nothing more than just episodes (and of course the previews but those aren't going to "wow" anybody), and this series deserves so much more than that. But all in all, this is a fun series to watch. Before the DVDs, the last time I saw it was well over a decade ago when FX (or fX as they were stylized in those days) aired reruns, so watching these DVDs has been like a new experience. Fans of the classic private eye shows will love this series, particularly Magnum, PI, because Dan Tanna is in many ways a lot like Thomas Magnum. It is just great to have this series come to completion on DVD, though, even if the DVDs have been sort of plain.
The website has just about everything that you'd ever want to know about the classic series, including all of the basics, such as an episode guide, FAQs, and DVD information. Everything is very thorough and detailed, and it never skimps on the details. But it goes a bit further than that. You can find out passwords and codes used on episodes throughout the series, collectibles, comic books (they actually had a comic book series during the original run), interviews, and much more. You really have to visit this website to get a feel for all of the content that it includes... and you may be there for a while!
Friday, August 03, 2012
TCA Summer 2012 Press Tour: Cable Day 3; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 6, 2012)
On to some holiday movies, when budget cuts force the merger of two New York City high schools, two music teachers aim to compete in the largest, televised Christmas Carol competition that will determine the fate of the school's music program and the teachers' jobs. Natasha Henstridge (Eli Stone, The Secret Circle) and Gabriel Hogan (Heartland) star in Christmas Song, a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, premiering Holiday 2012. Also, two former arch enemies, each desperate to put on the best Thanksgiving Day Parade in the history of Chicago, will throw caution to the wind (and, directly into the path of marching bands, horses and riders) and fall in love before the last brightly festooned float rounds the corner in Love At the Thanksgiving Day Parade, a Hallmark Channel Original Movie starring Autumn Reeser (Last Resort, No Ordinary Family) and Antonio Cupo, premiering Holiday 2012. Ben Cotton (Hellcats) also stars in the film. More holiday movies coming up include The Wishing Tree, Christmas Baby, Hitched for the Holidays, The Christmas Heart, Christmas Dance, Matchmaker Santa, and It's Christmas, Carol! Stars include Joey Lawrence, Merilu Henner, John Ratzenberger, Lacey Chabert, Florence Henderson, Teri Polo, Tess Harper, Stephanie Mills, Carrie Fisher and Carson Kressley. Hallmark Channel also announced that the network's Original Animated Special Jingle and Bell's Christmas Star, sequel to the network's critically acclaimed, first-ever Original Animated Special, Jingle All the Way [OAD November 25, 2011], will premiere Holiday 2012. Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas" is the biggest holiday destination on television, premiering more original holiday programs than any other network.
Other non-holiday movies coming up for Hallmark Channel include Naomi Judd in Nearlyweds premiering Jan. 12 and Cedar Cove starring Andie MacDowell in first quarter 2013. Spin-off network The Hallmark Movie Channel will be working on three movies: Strawberry Summer on Aug. 25 starring Shelley Long (Cheers) and Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley) star alongside Julie Mond and Trevor Donovan; Kellie Martin (Life Goes On, Mystery Woman) in I Married Who on Oct. 6 and Common Law (working title) on October 13 starring George Wendt (Cheers).
Day three of the TCA Summer 2012 press tour includes news from Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite and VH1.
As we previously reported, Scott Baio's new sitcom for Nick at Nite is currently in production. We have a couple of updates. The show was previously titled Daddy's Home, but it will now be called See Dad Run. Nick at Nite's first-ever original live-action family comedy executive produced by and starring Scott Baio, See Dad Run will premiere on Saturday, October 6. A multi-camera scripted half-hour, the series follows David Hobbs (Baio) an actor who, after ten years of starring as America's favorite TV dad, becomes a stay-at-home father to honor the deal he made with his soap star wife (Alanna Ubach, Meet the Fockers) so that she may return to the limelight. Mark Curry (Hangin' with Mr. Cooper) also joins the series as David's friend, Marcus. Rounding out the cast are Ryan Newman (Zeke and Luther) and Bailey Michelle Brown as David's daughters, Emily and Janie, and Jackson Brundage (One Tree Hill) as David's son, Joe. Additionally, Ramy Youssef plays David's assistant, Kevin. The series is currently in production on the former Happy Days stage (stage 19) in Los Angeles.
In other Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite news, they have greenlit over a dozen new live-action, animation and TV movie projects – featuring top creativee talent in front of and behind the camera, iconic characters from its most popular series and an animated talking snake – that will begiin rolling out this fall and into 2013. Nick at Nite has a series order for Wendell and Vinnie for 20 episodes. iCarrly's Jerry Trainor stars as Vinnie, a lovable, goofball uncle who becomes the guardian to his buttoned-up 12-year-old nephew Wendell (Buddy Handleson, Shake It Up). Nicole Sullivan (The King of Queens, The Penguins of Madagascar) also stars as Vinnie's high-strung older sister Wilma. The comedy series was written by Jay Kogen (Frasier, George Lopez) and will be executive produced by Aaron Kaplan (GCB, Terra Nova). Three additional comedy pilots have been ordered by Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite. Nickelodeon has greenlit Sam & Cat and Gibby, featuring beloved characters from hit series iCarly and Victorious. Nick at Nite has a pilot order for Instant Mom (working title). It stars Tia Mowry (Sister, Sister) as a 25-year old party girl who trades in Cosmos for carpools when she marries an older man with kids. The project is executive produced by Aaron Kaplan (GCB, Terra Nova) with Warren Bell (Ellen, According to Jim, What I Like About You) and Jessica Butler (According to Jim, In Plain Sight) serving as writers/executive producers.
And finally, VH1 has a new series in development which features updates on many sitcom and television stars. Miss You Much, hosted by actress-comedienne Catherine Reitman, will premiere in early 2013. Eight half-hour episodes are being produced. An one-hour sneak peak special will air on Sunday, September 9 at 10pm ET/PT.
Each week, Miss You Much will profile three of your favorite celebrities and take a peek inside at what they are doing now with their lives. Catherine spends a day with each celebrity and asks the questions all adoring fans would love to ask - even getting a little too 'personal' at times. Some of the celebs featured in the series include: Aaron Carter (singer/actor), Alan Thicke (Growing Pains), Andrea Barber (Full House), Beverley Mitchell (7th Heaven), Brian McKnight (singer), Coolio (rapper), Corin Nemec (Parker Lewis Can't Lose), Dave Coulier (Full House), Danielle Fishel (Boy Meets World), David Chokachi (Baywatch), Darius McCrary (Family Matters), Dennis Haskins (Saved by the Bell), Jaimee Foxworth (Family Matters), Jamie Walters (90210), Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees), Jeremy Jackson (Baywatch), Jeremy Miller (Growing Pains), Justin Guarini (American Idol), Kelly Packard (Baywatch), Lark Voorhies (Saved by the Bell), Mara Wilson (Mrs. Doubtfire), Nicholas Brendon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Romeo (rapper/actor), Samm Levine (Freaks and Geeks), Sasha Mitchell (Step by Step) and many others.
VH1 also has another series on child stars (including 3rd Rock from the Sun's Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Home Improvement's Taran Noah Smith) scheduled to air later this year. VH1's 100 Greatest Kid Stars premieres on Thursday, November 29 and Sunday, December 2 at 9PM ET/PT. The 5-part special hosted by Catherine Reitman (VH1's Miss You Much) provides a nostalgic look back over the last 2 decades at some of entertainment's biggest 'little' stars from Macaulay Culkin to Elijah Wood to Dakota Fanning. Each one-hour edition features performances along with new and original interviews with some of today's biggest adult stars back in their 'kiddie' days like Anna Paquin, Lindsay Lohan, Michelle Williams, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hanson, Lil' Romeo, Mara Wilson, Taran Noah Smith, Samm Levine and many more. You'll also see early musical performances of today's biggest recording stars like Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus when they were little and even more adorable.
Stay tuned starting next week for our annual cable fall schedules barrage! We have TV Land, WGN America, and many other network's schedules to tell you about!
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, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of August 6-10, 2012, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!
Monday, August 6, 2012
- Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) - Watch Jon on a repeat of LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy) - Robin is a guest on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve visits ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.
- Niecy Nash (The Soul Man) - Niecy appears on a repeat of Anderson, so check your local listings.
- Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) - Catch Bryan on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Dreama Walker (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Dreama appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Lisa is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) - Jaleel guest co-hosts a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Jorge Garcia (Becker) - Tune in to see Jorge on a repeat of LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man/The Steve Harvey Show) - Cedric joins the Chew Crew on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
- Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Amy on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) - Bryan appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Chris Rock (Everybody Hates Chris) - Chris visits ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am. He will later be on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
- Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve drops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Patricia Heaton (The Middle/Everybody Loves Raymond) - Patricia is a guest on a repeat of LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Kevin appears on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Catch Ray on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody stops by The Colbert Report at 11:30pm on Comedy Central.
- Matt LeBlanc (Episodes/Friends) - Matt visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Arsenio Hall (Arsenio) - Arsenio is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family) - Rico appears on a repeat of LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory/8 Simple Rules) - Kaley chats on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) - Melissa joins the Chew Crew on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
- Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Kathy is a guest on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show) - Dick discusses breakfast food on a repeat of The Doctors, so check your local listings.
- Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell) - Tiffani tells how to prevent wrinkles and banish bloat on a repeat of The Doctors, so check your local listings.
- Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Watch Lisa on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kristen Johnston (The Exes/3rd Rock From the Sun) - Kristen is a guest on a repeat of Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
- Patricia Heaton (The Middle/Everybody Loves Raymond) - Patricia is on an encore broadcast of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Arsenio Hall (Arsenio) - Arsenio guest co-hosts a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Jean Smart (Designing Women/Samantha Who?) - Jean visits The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Derek Theler and Tahj Mowry (Baby Daddy) - The men of Baby Daddy join the Chew Crew on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
- Charlie Sheen (Anger Management/Two and a Half Men/Spin City, Shawnee Smith (Becker and Brett Butler (Grace Under Fire) - The cast of Anger Management appears on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Thursday, August 02, 2012
TCA Summer 2012 Press Tour: Cable Day 2; Remembering Lupe Ontiveros and Chad Everett
GMC TV, America's favorite television channel for uplifting family entertainment, announced today a lineup of new original GMC World Premiere Movies, GMC World Premiere Series and GMC World Premiere Music Specials for the second half of 2012. From heart-warming movies about family challenges and surprises to hilariously entertaining stage plays to powerful reality series to epic music specials, GMC's World Premiere franchises will continue to entertain and inspire for the remainder of the year.
Their movies feature stars like Michael Jai White (Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse), Lynn Whitfield (The Josephine Baker Story), Della Reese (Chico and the Man), Teri Polo (I'm with Her/Man Up!), Tamera Mowry-Housley (Sister, Sister/Strong Medicine), and Kevin Sorbo (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys). View the full press release. Here are a few of the highlights:
Somebody's Child (GMC World Premiere Movie)
Premiere: Saturday, August 25 at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. EDT and August 26 at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. EDT
A divine twist of fate causes Constance Rivers and her son Douglas to open their hearts to ex-convict, Benjamin Sparks. While on the brink of losing her battle with kidney failure, Constance's near death confession instantly collides her past with her present. Douglas and Benjamin learn they are fraternal twin brothers who were separated at birth 37 years ago. Somebody's Child is a story about a son losing hope, a mother gaining faith, and God's divine and perfect plan.
Stars: Michael Jai White, Nadine Ellis, Byron Minns, with Clifton Powell and Lynn Whitfield
The Song That Changed My Life with Marvin Sapp (GMC World Premiere Series)
Premiere: Saturday, September 8 at 9 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EDT
Find out in this new reality series how a song connected with a family and changed the course of their lives in a profound way, featuring Sapp's chart-topping hit, "Never Would Have Made It" which holds the record for the longest running number one single on the radio (across all genres) and in the history of the Billboard charts -- lasting 47 weeks at number one.
For Richer or Poorer (GMC World Premiere Series)
Premiere: November 2012
The story continues as Kya and Aubrey Wilson find insecurities surfacing and their marriage beginning to crumble. It will take their friends, family and an act of God to make these two work through the pressures of what it takes to make a marriage last.
Stars Rockmond Dunbar, LeToya Luckett, Clifton Powell, Chris Spencer and Karen Clark Sheard.
Christmas Angel (GMC World Premiere Movie)
Premiere: December 1 at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. EST
Christmas Angel is the story of a young girl's dream for her wish to have a complete family come true. While working on a class assignment to write a paper on "My Impossible Christmas Wish," Olivia Mead quickly takes note of unusual happenings. As her wishes come true she is convinced the miracles are linked to a mysterious woman she believes is an angel.
Stars Della Reese, Teri Polo, Kevin Sorbo and Tamera Mowry-Housley
Television and film actress Lupe Ontiveros, known for her roles as Carlos Solis' mother on Desperate Housewives and as the grandmother on the sitcoms Greetings from Tucson and Rob, has died. She died in Whittier, California on July 26 after a brief battle with liver cancer. Ms. Ontiveros was 69.
Ontiveros is known for appearing as a maid over 150 times in films and television series over her 35-year career. She played an all-knowing grandmother in some of her later roles. Her career began with an appearance in a 1976 episode of Charlie's Angels. She continued to make guest appearances on television dramas, including Police Story, The White Shadow and Hill Street Blues. In 2002, she played the grandmother in an upwardly mobile family of mixed Irish and Mexican heritage on The WB's Greetings from Tucson. She had a recurring role in the 2004-05 season of Desperate Housewives as Gabrielle's suspicious mother-in-law. Her role on the series earned her an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2012, she played the grandmother in the CBS sitcom Rob, which starred Rob Schneider and Cheech Marin. Some of her many sitcom guest appearances include Alice, Soap, a.k.a. Pablo, I Married Dora, Who's the Boss?, Punky Brewster, Dudley, Caroline in the City, Dave's World, Veronica's Closet, The Brothers Garcia, Reba and Cory in the House. Her film credits include The Goonies, My Family, Selena, As Good as It Gets, Chuck & Buck, Real Women Have Curves, Tortilla Heaven and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2.
Ontiveros is survived by her husband, Elias Ontiveros Jr.; her sons Nicholas, Alejandro and Elias, and two granddaughters. She may not have been a household name, but you've likely seen her in one of her many roles. She was a pioneer for Latino actors. Her Emmy-nominated work on Desperate Housewives was fantastic. She will be deeply missed.
Actor Chad Everett, best known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon in the television drama Medical Center, has died. He died July 24 at his home in Los Angeles after a year-and-a-half-long battle with lung cancer. Mr. Everett was 76.
Everett's career began with guest appearances on television series such as Maverick, Lawman, Bronco, 77 Sunset Strip, Cheyenne, Surfside 6 and Hawaiian Eye. In 1963, he played Deputy Del Clark on the short-lived ABC western series The Dakotas. He continued to make guest appearances on series like Route 66, The Lieutenant, Branded, Combat!, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The F.B.I. and Ironside.
His big break came in 1969 when he landed the role of Dr. Joe Gannon on the innovative medical drama Medical Center. The CBS series, which co-starred James Daly, ran for 7 seasons and 171 episodes from 1969-76. In 1978-79, he appeared in the television mini-series Centennial as Major Maxwell Mercy. More starring roles would follow for him in the 1980 CBS detective drama Hagen, the 1983-84 NBC drama The Rousters, the 1994-95 ABC drama McKenna, and the 2000 USA Network mystery show Manhattan, AZ. His many other guest appearances include The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Cybill, Touched by an Angel, Diagnosis Murder, Caroline in the City, Just Shoot Me!, Melrose Place, The Nanny, Jack & Bobby, E-Ring, Cold Case, Without a Trace, Supernatural, Undercovers and Castle. Everett's film credits include Airplane II: The Sequel, Star Command, Psycho (1998) and Mulholland Drive.
His wife of 45 years, actress Shelby Grant, died on June 25, 2011. Survivors include two daughters, Katherine Thorp and Shannon Everett, and six granchildren. He was a talented and versatile actor. More seasons of Medical Center should be available on DVD. He will be greatly missed.
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
TCA Summer 2012 Press Tour: Cable Day 1; MeTV Network Announced 3 More Affiliates Includes Salt Lake City
Moving on, the syndicated talk show Anderson, with Anderson Cooper, is now changing its name to Anderson Live this fall. The one-hour daily syndicated talk show hosted by Anderson Cooper, returns for its second season as Anderson Live on Monday, September 10, 2012, with a brand new show name, new set and new live format with rotating co-hosts. Anderson Live will tape in front of a live studio audience at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City where Cooper will be joined daily by co-hosts for the show's sophomore season. Anderson Live's new set with live capabilities will enable Cooper to cover stories while they are breaking and update his viewers with the latest news, truly becoming water cooler TV in the daytime. Anderson Live will feature interviews with movie stars from the fall's most anticipated films including Richard Gere and the cast of Arbitrage, as well as Emma Watson and the cast of The Perks of Being a Wallflower; TV stars from hit shows including Modern Family's Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell, The Mindy Project's Mindy Kaling and Scandal's Kerry Washington; Comedian and Author Stephen Colbert as well as classic TV stars including Carol Burnett. So stay tuned this fall every Friday when we cover sitcom stars on talk shows like Anderson Live!
On to summer cable press tour day one updates, TV One has announced that its new sitcom The Rickey Smiley Show will premiere on September 18. Comedian and radio personality Rickey Smiley stars as Rickey Smiley, a character loosely based on his own life - a popular, local DJ based in Atlanta, who is the single father to three children. The all-star cast includes Ray J (Moesha, One on One), J. Anthony Brown (Like Family), Lil JJ (Just Jordan), Roz Ryan (Amen), Noree Victoria and Demetria McKinney (Tyler Perry's House of Payne). The series is being produced in Atlanta for TV One by Bobbcat Films. Executive producers are Roger Bobb, Rickey Smiley, Yolanda Starkes-White and Ward White. Executive in Charge of Production for TV One is Tia Smith.
HBO has confirmed that acclaimed series Enlightened and Girls will have their second-season premieres in January 2013. Both series will return for ten-episode seasons. Enlightened tells the story of an ambitious executive at a global conglomerate, who returns to her fractured life after a humiliating public breakdown, determined to lead a more enlightened existence. Golden Globe Award winner Laura Dern stars in the series with Diane Ladd, Sarah Burns, Luke Wilson and Mike White.
Girls takes a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their early 20s. The cast includes Lena Dunham, Jemima Kirke, Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver and Alex Karpovsky. The series recently received five Emmy(R) nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Lena Dunham), Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Lena Dunham) and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Lena Dunham).
Two additional HBO comedies will be back with new episodes in 2013. Veep returns for a ten-episode second season. The Emmy(R)-nominated series stars Emmy(R) winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus as former Senator Selina Meyer, who becomes vice president, only to discover the job is nothing like she expected, but everything she was warned about. The show also stars Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Matt Walsh, Timothy C. Simons, Reid Scott and Sufe Bradshaw.
Eastbound & Down will be returning for an eight-episode fourth season. Danny McBride stars as Kenny Powers, a star pitcher whose self-destructive behavior knocks him out of major league baseball, leaving him broke, delusional and desperate to regain his former glory. The series is executive produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Jody Hill and Danny McBride.
On the heels of five Hearts stations signing on for the MeTV Network, three Newport stations have now committed to the classic TV network. On Monday (July 30) KTVX in Salt Lake City and KOKI in Tulsa launched the MeTV Network. Another Newport Television station in Syracuse will launch MeTV on WSYR on Monday, September 10, 2012. Salt Lake City's MeTV station can be seen over the air on channel 4.2 as well as on Comcast channel 104. Tulsa's MeTV station can be seen over-the-air on channel 23.2 as well as on Comcast channel 302, Charter channel 292 and Wave Broadband channel 60. Syracuse's MeTV station will be seen over the air on channel 9.2 as well as on Time Warner Cable channel 890 and FiOS channel 470. The MeTV Network now clears more than 82% of the country, serving more than 129 affiliates!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, September 3
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Bus Bench and Faith out the Wazoo" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Audrey and Mary’s (Zoe Perry) feud rears its head when Georgie needs their help with the tire store, and Jim’s forced to confront his age after a visit to the DMV.
Ghosts - "Up the Creek" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Woodstone’s future is put in jeopardy, Sam and Jay join forces with the ghosts to protect the mansion by securing its place in history, on part one of the two-part fifth season finale.
Adults - "Talia" (FX and FXX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Anton learns that his sister is starting a family, while Issa begins thinking about her own fertility. Written by Shaun Menchel; Directed by Maggie Carey.
Adults - "Raccoon" (FX and FXX, 9:32PM ET/PT)
Issa and Paul Baker host Acid Night. Written by Sanaz Toossi; Directed by Oz Rodriguez.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 31)
Thursday, September 3
- Olivia Rodrigo (Bizaardvark) - Catch Olivia on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Show) - Rickey appears on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Stephen Root (Barry/Ladies Man/NewsRadio) - Stephen is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) and Steve Zahn (Chad Powers/The Righteous Gemstones) - Glen and Steve talk about Chad Powers on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. Steve and Frankie Rodriguez will be on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Sophia Bush (Partners) - Sophia guest co-hosts a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - NBC's Today has the Best of Fun & Games with "Queen of Quips" with Michelle in the 10am hour.
- Casey Wilson (The Righteous Gemstones/Black Monday/The Hotwives/Marry Me/Happy Endings) and Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - NBC's Today has the Best of Fun & Games with "Beat the Box" with Casey, Andrew and Prue Leith in the 10am hour.
- Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere/Nightcap) - Jeff talks about Apple TV's Widow's Bay on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/29/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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