Saturday, February 23, 2013
Digital Digest: More Laverne & Shirley on DVD; Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series DVD Review; Matlock - The Eighth Season DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got reviews of Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series and Matlock - The Eighth Season. Let's get started!
DIGITAL NEWS
Laverne and Shirley are "gonna do it" once again on DVD this May! On May 21, CBS will release Laverne & Shirley - The Sixth Season on DVD at a $39.98 MSRP. With this release, the seventh and eighth seasons will still remain to be released, so hopefully we'll see those soon. There is still no word on the remaining seasons of Happy Days or Mork & Mindy (which only has one season to go, yet the most recent release was released over five years ago), but hopefully CBS will get back to those soon.
A few weeks ago, TVShowsOnDVD.com mentioned a listing for Alice - The Complete Third Season appearing on amazon.com, with a release date of February 12. That release didn't happen, but it appears that it will be coming, at least eventually. We have confidence that we'll see this from Warner Archive, and we'll let you know when that happens.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (February 26) brings releases of Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series and The Client List - The Complete First Season. We have a review of Rocko's Modern Life in this week's Digital Digest, and we'll have The Client List next week.
Blog DVD Review: Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series (Shout! Factory, $29.99)
by skees53
America's favorite animated wallaby is back on DVD once again... this time, with every episode in one set... in Rocko's Modern Life - The Complete Series! The eight disc set from Shout! Factory compiles all 52 episodes from the entire four season run of the series that ran on Nickelodeon from 1993 until 1996. While it was not one of the biggest Nicktoons ever, it did manage to become a worldwide cult favorite, and was loved by fans of all ages. Now, after releasing the first three seasons, Shout! has decided to place all four seasons in one value-priced collection.
Since this set contains 52 episodes, most containing two segments each, we'll skip on going into a lot of detail on the episodes of the first three seasons. We've already reviewed all of these seasons, and you can check out our reviews of season 1, season 2, and season 3 for details. Since we haven't reviewed season 4 (it has not been yet released individually), we will go into details on those episodes.
Season 4 begins with "With Friends Like These," where Rocko is forced to choose between friends. In "From Here to Maternity," somebody is expecting a bundle of joy. Rocko's former bully stops by in "Wimp on the Barby." Heffer decides to move out in "Mama's Boy." In "Magic Meatball," Ed Bighead begins to make big decisions using a magic 8-Ball. Filbert is suspected of being an alien in "The High Five of Doom." In "Heff in a Handbasket," Heffer sells his soul... just so that he can be on a game show. Rocko gets arrested after ding-dong-ditch gone wrong in "Dumbells." Heffer's mother asks Rocko to teach her how to drive in "Driving Mrs. Wolfe." The series ends with "Floundering Fathers," where the group looks back at the founding fathers of O-Town.
Season 4 begins with "With Friends Like These," where Rocko is forced to choose between friends. In "From Here to Maternity," somebody is expecting a bundle of joy. Rocko's former bully stops by in "Wimp on the Barby." Heffer decides to move out in "Mama's Boy." In "Magic Meatball," Ed Bighead begins to make big decisions using a magic 8-Ball. Filbert is suspected of being an alien in "The High Five of Doom." In "Heff in a Handbasket," Heffer sells his soul... just so that he can be on a game show. Rocko gets arrested after ding-dong-ditch gone wrong in "Dumbells." Heffer's mother asks Rocko to teach her how to drive in "Driving Mrs. Wolfe." The series ends with "Floundering Fathers," where the group looks back at the founding fathers of O-Town.
The episodes are essentially as unedited as we'll ever get. There have been reports of some censorship issues on the previous releases, but the material here seems to be all that Nickelodeon will allow to be released (and honestly, I don't find the edits to really be that significant). Runtimes are as follows:
Season 1/Disc 1:
1. "No Pain, No Gain/Who Gives a Buck" (23:28)
2. "Leap Frogs/Bedfellows" (22:27)
3. "Jetscream/Dirty Dog" (23:18)
4. "Keeping Up With the Bigheads/Skidmarks" (23:17)
5. "Power Trip/To Heck and Back" (23:49)
6. "The Good, the Bad, and the Wallaby/Trash-O-Madness" (22:16)
7. "SpitBalls/Popcorn Pandemonium" (23:28)
Season 1/Disc 2:
8. "A Sucker for the Suck-o-Matic/Canned" (24:32)
9. "Carnival Knowledge/Sand in Your Navel" (23:39)
10. "Cabin Fever/Rinse and Spit" (23:58)
11. "Rocko's Happy Sack/Flu-In-U-Enza" (23:21)
12. "Who's For Dinner?/Love Spanked" (24:14)
13. "Clean Lovin'/Unbalanced Load" (22:39)
Season 2/Disc 1:
1. "I Have No Son!" (23:59)
2. "Pipe Dreams/Tickled Pinky" (24:41)
3. "The Lounge Singer/She's the Toad" (24:08)
4. "Down the Hatch/Road Rash" (24:20)
5. "Boob Tubed/Commuted Sentence" (24:29)
6. "Rocko's Modern Christmas" (23:09)
7. "Hut Sut Raw/Kiss Me, I'm Foreign" (24:27)
Season 2/Disc 2:
8. "Cruisin'" (22:26)
9. "Born to Spawn/Uniform Behavior" (23:58)
10. "Hair Licked/Gutter Balls" (24:50)
11. "Junk Junkies/Day of the Flecko" (24:07)
12. "Snowballs/Frog's Best Friend" (24:36)
13. "Short Story/Eye Capades" (24:03)
Season 3/Disc 1:
1. "Bye, Bye, Birdie/Belch of Destiny" (24:51)
2. "The Emperor's New Joe/Schnit-Heads" (25:25)
3. "Sugar Frosted Frights/Ed is Dead: A Thriller!" (24:29)
4. "Fish-n-Chumps/Camera Shy" (25:23)
5. "Nothing to Sneeze At/Old Fogey Froggy" (25:46)
6. "Manic Mechanic/Rocko's Happy Vermin" (25:06)
7. "I See London, I See France/The Fat Lands" (25:44)
Season 3/Disc 2:
8. "Fortune Cookie/Dear John" (25:14)
9. "Speaking Terms/Tooth & Nail" (23:50)
10. "Wacky Delly" (25:05)
11. "The Big Question/The Big Answer" (24:58)
12. "An Elk for Heffer/Scrubbin' Down Under" (24:38)
13. "Zanzibar/Fatal Contraption" (25:05)
Season 4/Disc 1:
1. "With Friends Like These/Sailing the Seven Zzz's" (25:03)
2. "Pranksters/From Here to Maternity" (24:24)
3. "Ed Good, Rocko Bad/Teed Off" (24:28)
4. "Wimp on the Barby/Yarn Benders" (24:29)
5. "Mama's Boy/Feisty Geist" (24:38)
6. "S.W.A.K./Magic Meatball" (24:30)
7. "Closet Clown/Seat to Stardom" (24:16)
Season 4/Disc 2:
8. "The High Five of Doom/Fly Burgers" (25:09)
9. "Heff in a Handbasket/Wallaby on Wheels" (24:15)
10. "Dumbells/Rug Birds" (23:56)
11. "Hypno-Puppy Luv/Driving Mrs. Wolfe" (24:26)
12. "Put to Pasture/Future Schlock" (24:03)
13. "Turkey Time/Floundering Fathers" (24:24)
The packaging for this set is along the lines of the previous season releases, except (of course) in a much thicker package. Essentially, the set packages all of the discs in a DVD case that is twice as thick as a normal case, with four two-sided trays inside. The cover has a photo of Rocko, Filburt, Heffer, and Spunky (new artwork done by creator Joe Murray), with the same photo on the back, along with a series description. Inside, you'll find the eight discs, all of which have the same artwork that was used on the season sets. Unfortunately, this release does not include any episode listings at all.
The menus for this set are identical to all of the previous releases. On the main menu, there is a listing of all of the episodes (you can start with either segment of each episode), along with a Play All option. Any special features are also listed on this main menu as well. The closing theme music plays in the background on the menus. Chapters are placed within each episode.
The video and audio quality on the set is nothing particularly impressive, but it looks fine for an animated series created 20 years ago. You'll find a few defects here and there, but it is nothing that takes away from the enjoyment of the episodes. The audio is decent as well, and is very loud and clear. All of the episodes contain closed-captioning.
The set includes all of the special features included on the previous releases, along with one new one. On Season 4/Disc 2, you'll find "Wacky Delly Live 2012" (51:51), which is a 2012 table read of that particular episode in front of a live audience... but really it is much more than that, as there is an interesting Q&A with the cast at the end. This really remind me a lot of those excellent Comic-Con special features found on some of the Family Guy DVD sets. The other special features are the same as what was included on the individual season sets. Season 1, of course, had no special features. Season 2 has "Behind the Characters" shorts (16:11) and the original pilot version of "Trash-O-Madness" (8:09). Finally, Season 3 has "Selected Scenes Commentary by Joe Murray" (30:23).
This is a decent set, but I'm just wondering why Shout! chose to release the series in this manner. It would have been better if they'd just started by releasing this complete series set at the beginning, or released season four before this set. But this method... one that consumers tend to not really like... means that a lot of fans who have bought the first three seasons either have to buy all of them again to get the fourth season, or wait until the separate release comes along. If you haven't bought any of the previous releases, then this set is certainly a good deal and worth picking up. But if you do have those releases, it may be worth just waiting for the season 4 release to come along, as this set doesn't really offer anything new aside from season 4 episodes. In any event, I'm glad to see this series complete on DVD, and encourage everybody who loved the series to own it one way or the other. It really does maintain the charm that it had when it originally aired, and fans young and old are sure to love it.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Rocko's Modern Life on TV.com
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Matlock - The Eighth Season (CBS, $49.99)
Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith) has returned for the defense (and also to help the prosecutor figure out who REALLY did it) in Matlock - The Eighth Season. The next-to-last season of the series, and also the second season to air on ABC (after it moved from NBC in 1992) brings back Matlock, his "partner of the season" (and also daughter) Leanne (Brynne Thayer), and his investigator... another role that had frequent cast changes... Cliff (Daniel Roebuck). This six disc set collects 20 more episodes of the series, where Matlock finds himself entangled with killer comedians, lowly kidnappers, crooked D.A.'s, and more.
The season begins with "The Play," where Matlock plays a detective in a community play... but when a murder occurs, he may not just play a detective anymore. Matlock ends up entangled in a double murder in North Carolina in "The Fatal Seduction." Matlock visits the wife of his first client from 1962... a black cook accused of killing a white sheriff... in "The Diner." Matlock witnesses an argument from his hotel window that turns into something much bigger in "The View." One comedian is accused of killing another in "The Last Laugh," and it is no laughing matter. In "The Capital Offense," Matlock has reached the end of the road on saving a seemingly innocent man from death row. Matlock's client resembles a dead man in "The Haunted." In "The Conspiracy," Matlock defends an attorney charged with killing a fellow lawyer. Matlock takes a trip back to 1932 (and into a murder case) in "Matlock's Bad, Bad, Bad Dream"
Leanne finds herself falling for a client in "The Defendant." In "The Kidnapping," Billy gets kidnapped, and Matlock has only a little time to save his friend's life. Leanne falls victim to a criminal who steals her journal in "The Temptation." A choir member is accused of murder in "The Crook." In "The Murder Game," a murder mystery becomes a bit too real for everybody. Matlock goes up against a powerful D.A. with a deep and dark secret in "Brennen." A P.I.'s daughter takes photos that implicate the wrong man in the murder of a Hollywood mistress in "The P.I." In "The Godfather," Matlock's goddaughter is getting married... but not before the wedding turns into a murder to be solved. A young attorney who idolizes Matlock is forced to turn to Matlock after a shady private investigator is killed in "The Idol."
As far as I know, everything is intact on this set. Runtimes are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Play" (46:15)
2. "The Fatal Seduction (Part 1)" (47:46)
3. "The Fatal Seduction (Part 2)" (46:29)
4. "The Diner" (47:14)
Disc 2:
5. "The View" (46:55)
6. "The Last Laugh" (47:45)
7. "The Capital Offense" (47:44)
Disc 3:
8. "The Haunted" (1:32:51)
9. "The Conspiracy" (47:44)
10. "Matlock's Bad, Bad, Bad Dream" (47:42)
Disc 4:
11. "The Defendant" (46:52)
12. "The Kidnapping (Part 1)" (47:44)
13. "The Kidnapping (Part 2)" (47:14)
14. "The Temptation" (47:16)
Disc 5:
15. "The Crook" (47:44)
16. "The Murder Game" (47:46)
17. "Brennen" (47:13)
18. "The P.I." (47:44)
Disc 6:
19. "The Godfather" (47:45)
20. "The Idol" (1:32:18)
Given that this is a CBS DVD release, it should come as no surprise that the packaging is exactly the same as all other CBS DVD releases. The discs come packaged in a standard Viva case, and there is a cast photo on the cover. On the back, you'll find another cast photo, along with a brief description of the set. Inside, there are the six discs, each of which have the standard gray CBS DVD artwork. There are also episode titles, descriptions, and airdates printed inside of the case.
The menus for this set are similar to the menus used on the seventh season. The main menu has a still photo of Matlock, along with a few episode snapshots, and a list of all of the episodes. There is also a Play All and Subtitles option. Once you select an episode, you get an episode menu. This menu has a photo snapshot from the episode, and gives you the option of playing the episode or the episodic teaser. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.
I'm not really convinced that much has been done as far as trying to make the video quality the best that it can be, but despite that, it really looks decent, and about how one would expect it to look. The picture is a bit soft, but I don't think it'll bother people too much. The audio is decent, but nothing spectacular. Each episode contains English subtitles.
There isn't much in regards to special features, but each episode does include a 30 second teaser, which CBS bills as a special feature. Really, I feel that this is something that should have been included regardless, but I probably shouldn't complain considering that they did include them, at least. These can be accessed from the episode menus.
Once again, CBS has another great set of episodes... but no special features. It is really a shame that they didn't get Andy Griffith to participate in some of the special features on previous releases. That opportunity is now gone, and the most that they could hope to do at this point is to go with archival footage. Still, it is great to see CBS getting close to completing this series on DVD, and after this, there is only one more season to go. I hope (and honestly expect) that we'll see this final season by the end of this year, giving fans once and for all, the opportunity to watch the entire series on home media.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Matlock on TV.com
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Bill Cosby (Twitter), "Comedy/Education"
Claim to Fame: Does he REALLY need an introduction? Everybody knows exactly who Bill Cosby is. His earliest days included a starring role on the series I Spy, as well as The Electric Company, but he became really big in the '80s as the star of one of the biggest sitcoms ever, The Cosby Show. Even though he isn't starring in any series right now, he still remains active in life and is nonetheless loved by his fans worldwide.
Why You Should Follow Him: We love Bill Cosby... who doesn't? He has entertained so many generations of fans that you would be hard-pressed to even find a single person who hasn't enjoyed something that he has done at some point in their life. Although he doesn't keep his Twitter feed going at full speed several times a day (or even every week for that matter), he does drop in from time to time to offer nuggets of wisdom about life and to entertain us with his thoughts about sweaters (why not?). Also, he keeps fans updated on what he is doing in life and even responds (with his own breed of humor) to rumors about his death... which, of course, are not even close to the truth.
Pick of the Tweets: "People who try to do very little, do just that." (October 25, 2012)
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Friday, February 22, 2013
New Classic TV Block on The Hub, Where YOU Rule; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 25, 2013)
The Hub TV Network has announced "You Rule Thursdays," a weekly programming block giving viewers a chance to remotely control the shows they watch on the network during the Thursday primetime hours of 9pm–midnight ET (with an encore from 3-6am). On Thursday, February 28, at 9pm ET, following a special programming block featuring past Academy Awards® winners in popular Hub sitcoms, viewers will go to http://hubworld.com/YouRule to vote on the shows that will air the following Thursday (March 7). Each week of "You Rule Thursdays" will be themed with a different common element that links Hub shows, including Mork and Mindy, Happy Days, The Facts of Life, Family Ties, Laverne & Shirley and more. Selected themes for the first few weeks of the new "You Rule Thursdays" are as follows:
• March 7 – Favorite Classic TV Sitcom, Part 1
• March 14 - Favorite Classic TV Sitcom, Part 2
• March 21 – Favorite Sitcom Character Crossover Episodes
• March 28 – Favorite Sitcom Episodes Featuring Celebrity Guest Star
Fans can go to http://hubworld.com/YouRule to view select clips, preview artwork, and cast their votes. Viewers can vote as often as they like. The voting results in all categories will be revealed on-air during the "You Rule Thursdays," programming block from 9pm-midnight ET, so you'll have to tune in! Before "You Rule Thursdays" begins, the block will feature "Favorite Sitcom Episodes Featuring Oscar® Winning Guest Stars" chosen by The Hub! The Facts of Life kicks it off with two episodes with George Clooney from 9-10pm ("Into the Frying Pan" and "The Reunion"). Then at 10pm, Tom Hanks guest stars on the two-part Family Ties episode "The Fugitive." At 11pm, we have another episode of The Facts of Life, this time with guest star Helen Hunt on the classic first season episode "Dope." And finally at 11:30pm, Anjelica Huston guest stars on the Laverne & Shirley episode "An Affair to Forget." The block will be preceded by an hour of ALF every Thursday from 8-9pm (encores 2-3am). "Ha!"
Stay with us for continued updates and let's hope The Hub has some tricks up their sleeves for the selection of shows we can choose from. You could probably expect all of the sitcoms that they air like the ones mentioned above and others like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Doogie Howser M.D. and maybe even The Wonder Years again? You'll have to stay tuned! It's make your own classic TV on The Hub!
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 February 25-March 1, 2013, 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, February 25, 2013
- Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) - Watch Alec on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Felicity Huffman (Sports Night) - Felicity is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Wendi McLendon-Covey (Reno 911!/Rules of Engagement) - Wendi visits Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan) - Brooke guest co-hosts The View on Monday and Tuesday on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Kevin Nealon (Weeds/Hiller and Diller/Champs) - Catch Kevin on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Wendi McLendon-Covey (Reno 911!/Rules of Engagement) - Wendi is a guest on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Tina Fey (30 Rock) - Watch Tina on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse appears on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- David Duchovny (Californication) - David is a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- J.B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm/'Til Death) - J.B. visits The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Tom Lennon (Reno 911!) - Tom stops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Johnny appears on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Charlie Sheen (Anger Management/Two and a Half Men/Spin City) - Catch Charlie on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Steve Carell (The Office) - Steve drops by The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Jim appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- David Duchovny (Californication) - David continues to make the rounds on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld) - Watch Jerry on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- David Duchovny (Californication) - David wraps up his appearances this week on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Regina King (227) - Co-host Clinton Kelly teams with Regina to create cowboy rice and fried eggs on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
- Terry Crews (Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry guest co-hosts "Guy Day Friday" on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
TV One Acquires What's Happening!! in March 2013; For Better or Worse Heads to OWN for Season 3
TV One has acquired the classic funky '70s sitcom What's Happening!! for its Friday night classic comedy line-up! The sitcom will begin airing on Friday, March 1, with a special two-hour block of episodes centered on Rerun (played by the late Fred Berry) from 8-10pm, as part of TV One's Friday night classic comedy block. Episodes airing on this night are all from season two: "Rerun Get's Married," "Give Me Odds," "Going Going Gong," and "Rerun Sees the Light." The special launch will encore the following day (Saturday, March 2) from 12-2pm. The What's Happening!! launch will lead into the season finale of original comedy Belle's on Friday at 10pm. TV One usually airs a block of classic comedies from 8-10pm, with series such as The Jeffersons, Good Times, A Different World all filling in. But wait, there's more! What's Happening!! will be airing on a regular basis beginning the following week. Effective Friday, March 8, the Friday night classic comedy block will have a set regular schedule and What's Happening!! will air Fridays at 11:00pm & 11:30pm ET! The Friday night classics schedule begins with That's My Mama at 8:00pm & 8:30pm, followed by back-to-back The Jeffersons at 9:00pm & 9:30pm, and Good Times at 10:00pm & 10:30pm leading into What's Happening!! It's a time warp back to the '70s on Friday nights! The What's Happening!! episodes will be going in order from the first episode and will encore on Saturdays at 2:00pm & 2:30pm beginning March 9. The Saturday morning schedule will have four episodes of That's My Mama from 6-8am, then a block of Good Times from 8am-12pm and Martin from 12-2pm leading into What's Happening!!
What's Happening!! has aired on TV One in the past, but only for Black History Month back in 2010 and not as a regular series. The series hasn't aired regularly on cable since it aired on TV Land from 2005-07. TV Land also aired select episodes from the follow-up series What's Happening Now!! but TV One does not have the rights to air that series, as of now. No other schedule changes will occur on TV One, so the classic Friday night comedy block will now have a set schedule and a new addition, while Saturday mornings will also get a bit of a makeover. Stay with us for continued updates, as we can tell you that there could be another classic addition to the TV One line-up soon. What will it be? Stay tuned!
Tyler Perry's popular sitcom For Better or Worse is coming to OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network with a third season of all new episodes debuting in the fall of 2013. In addition, the network has garnered the encore rights for the first two seasons of the sitcom's 45 episodes that originally aired on TBS. The series, which was basic cable's #1 sitcom of 2011 and the #1 show on all of television with African-American adults, follows three couples who are at various stages of their relationships as they weather the ups-and-downs of married life and dating. The original cast is set to return in their starring roles including Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Crystle Stewart, Kent Faulcon, Kiki Haynes and Jason Olive. Production will begin in Atlanta in April.
For Better or Worse will mark OWN's third scripted series from Perry who has an exclusive deal with the network to produce brand new television series and projects. The first two original series - the sitcom Love Thy Neighbor and the ensemble drama The Haves and the Have Nots - are set to premiere Wednesday, May 29. The original series mark the network's first venture into scripted programming and now they will have an established comedy to pitch in the fall in For Better or Worse. The series wrapped up its TBS-run in December with all-new episodes and repeats were airing on Friday nights through the end of January. Before it moves to OWN, TBS is still airing the series Tuesday and Wednesdays at 4am.
As for Love Thy Neighbor, it is a half-hour comedy set at Love's Diner, where every day the menu serves up good food, great laughs, valuable life lessons and a whole lot of love for its zany neighbors. Jonathan Chase, Palmer Williams, Patrice Lovely, Kendra C. Johnson, Andre Hall and Darmirra Brunson star.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
WGN America and Esquire Network Acquire Parks and Recreation for September 2013; G4 Rebrands as Esquire Network
National cable network WGN America has acquired the off-network rights to the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation and will begin airing it this September, 2013. The sitcom has not been cleared for local broadcast syndication and was being pitched for Fall 2014 at NATPE. So the series will likely premiere on cable first in syndication rather than the normal local broadcast five-days-a-week syndication. The comedy has more than enough episodes for syndication but NBCUniversal is likely going more after a SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) play. The series is currently airing in its fifth season and by this fall it will have 90 episodes in the can, which is just enough for syndication and weekday play. The series has not yet been renewed for a sixth season on NBC, but with NBC losing The Office and 30 Rock after this season, it is more than likely Parks will be back. It is unclear how WGN America will schedule the series, but currently WGN America airs comedies 30 Rock, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rules of Engagement, How I Met Your Mother, Old Christine, Futurama and Scrubs. WGN America will not have exclusive cable rights like usual, as all of those series above can also be found elsewhere. WGN America will share the cable rights for Parks and Recreation with G4, but more on that below (including a name change for G4).
From Emmy Award-winning executive producers Greg Daniels (NBC's The Office, King of the Hill) and Michael Schur (NBC's The Office, Saturday Night Live), Parks and Recreation is a hilarious ensemble comedy that follows Leslie Knope (Emmy nominee Poehler, NBC's Saturday Night Live) a mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana, and her tireless efforts to make her quintessentially American town just a little bit more fun. The series also stars Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, Chris Prat, Jim O'Heir, Nick Offerman, Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe.
We haven't talked about this yet, but the G4 network will be rebranding again and this time the new name will be the Esquire Network (yep, like the magazine). And they will also air off-network cable runs of Parks and Recreation this fall. Beginning April 22, 2013, the G4 network will be rebranded the Esquire Network. The network is a strategic partnership between NBCUniversal and Hearst Magazines to create the only television network aimed at the full, multi-faceted lives of today's modern men. Esquire Network will expand on G4's foundation of games, gear and gadgets to reflect the broad range of interests, passions and aspirations that define men today. Appealing to men's intelligence as well as their sense of adventure, Esquire Network's programming will capture the classic voice, impeccable style and unmistakable wit that have come to define Esquire, the original men's magazine and premier authority on contemporary man. Diverse program categories and genres will feature not only gaming and technology, but also entertainment, food, fashion, women, humor, travel, competition, danger and more.
The network will feature a blend of unscripted and scripted series, and movies and specials that appeal to today's man. Partnering with the industry's top producers and talent, the Esquire Network team is developing a slate of engaging all-new original series such as Knife Fight, a passionate celebration of food, executive produced by Drew Barrymore, Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment. Hosted by "Top Chef" winner Ilan Hall, Knife Fight is an underground, after-hours cooking competition where talented chefs go head to head in front of a rowdy crowd of celebrities, critics and die-hard foodies. Another original series, The Getaway (working title), is executive produced by Anthony Bourdain and Zero Point Zero and features travel-loving, well known personalities - people deservedly famous for excellence in their fields - who take viewers to their favorite city on the planet, giving the insiders' track on their top spots to eat, drink, shop and hang out.
Fan favorite competition series American Ninja Warrior will return for its fifth season, to air this summer on Esquire Network and NBC. Additionally, Esquire Network will complement its slate of original programming with ambitious and witty scripted series that include reruns of NBC's Emmy-nominated comedy, Parks and Recreation, and the critically acclaimed series from STARZ, Party Down, which aired in 2009-10. Additional programming announcements will be made in the coming weeks. We hope we have some more comedies to go along with Parks and Recreation and Party Down. Stay with us!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Bounce TV Sitcom Family Time Now On TV One with New Comedy Belle's; Episodic Review: New Girl - "Parking Spot" Airing Tonight on Fox
As part of its growing aggressive program strategy, TV One has added the half-hour sitcom Family Time to its Friday night classic comedy block. The half-hour comedy created by Bentley Kyle Evans (The Jamie Foxx Show, Martin, Love That Girl) and produced by Evans and partner Trenten Gumbs, airs Fridays at 7:30PM/ET since earlier this month. The sitcom is a Bounce TV original sitcom and six episodes were produced and aired last summer. No word if the series has been picked-up for a second season and if TV One will take over, but for now TV One is just airing repeats. TV One also airs original episodes of original comedy Belle's, every Friday at 10pm since Feb. 1. It is TV One's newest scripted comedy that centers around widower William "Big Bill" Cooper who owns and operates his family's upscale soul food restaurant and stars Emmy(R) Award-winning actor Keith David (Crash), Elise Neal (All of Us, The Hughley's), Tami Roman, Ella Joyce (Roc) and Miguel Núñez, and introduces young actress Nadja Alaya. The half-hour series is co-created and executive produced by legendary Emmy(R) Award-winning producer Ed. Weinberger (Taxi, The Cosby Show), Belle's co-star Miguel Núñez and Oscar Turner for Gallery Road Productions. The season finale is slated for March 1 and a marathon of all six episodes from the first season will air Saturday, March 2 from 4-7pm. Ans for Love That Girl, TV One has not yet renewed it for a third season. The second season ended last year.
As for Family Time, it centers around the life and times of the Stallworths, a working class African American family who get lucky with a scratch-off lottery ticket and makes the leap to middle class status overnight. Starring Omar Gooding and Angel Conwell as parents Anthony and Lisa Stallworth, and Jayla Calhoun and Bentley Kyle Evans, Jr as their children, the Stallworths represent a true-to life African American family working to pursue the American dream. The series follows the family as they move to a middle class community in southern California resulting in classic comedic moments tinged with humorous drama. TV One airs the series Fridays at 7:30pm, followed by a classic TV block of sitcoms from 8-10pm, then Belle's at 10.
Stay with us for continued updates on TV One, including Family Time and Belle's, and we might have some classic TV news for TV One later this week...so come on back!
On the next...New Girl:
By: Todd
Fox's Tuesday adorkable sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel airs Tuesday nights at 9:00pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (Feb. 19). In the episode airing tonight, "Parking Spot," Schmidt (Max Greenfield) discovers a previously unknown, yet highly-coveted parking spot, prompting Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and the roommates to fight over who will get to use it. The situation gets even more complicated when Schmidt discovers that Nick (Jake Johnson) and Jess kissed, as he fears it will trigger the "no nail" clause the guys signed when Jess moved in. Meanwhile, Winston (Lamorne Morris) has a hard time finding an essential item when he gets an impromptu invitation from Daisy (guest star Brenda Song).
It's Garage Wars on tonight's all-new episode. The episode begins with Jess and Nick brushing their teeth and talking about how things are not weird between them and they are just roommates. Schmidt finds a hidden parking spot in the garage behind a dumpster. Jess suggests that they share the spot, but everybody else has a different idea. Winston receives a text from Daisy. In a flashback scene, Jess has to deal with outside Dave in her parking spot. Later, Jess tries to flirt with Nick in his hoodie in order to sway his vote. Winston finally arrives at Daisy's apartment, but he has forgotten a condom. Schmidt gives Nick a beer to try and get his vote. Jess and Nick reveal to Schmidt that they have kissed. Meanwhile, Winston goes to the store, but he doesn't have any money with him. Everybody makes a frantic rush to be the first car parked in the spot to win it. Jess' discovers some feral cats in her current parking spot. Cece talks to Shrivang at her apartment before Winston arrives and asks her for a condom. Schmidt goes to great lengths to stay in the spot. He talks about the "no nail" oath they agreed to when Jess moved in. Winston finally locates a condom, but he has problems finding Daisy's building. The winner of the parking spot is revealed as the episode closes.
This episode continues to build the momentum from the big kiss between Jess and Nick a few weeks ago. Jess and Nick are very funny and awkward together. They have some hilarious facial expressions and interactions tonight. There is some real sexual tension between them. The secondary story of Winston trying to find a condom is pretty short but funny. It was nice that they added Brenda Strong in a recurring role, but I wish they gave her more screen time. She appears in only one quick scene in the episode. There's also another big kiss between two characters in this episode that will only add to the tension and cause more sparks to fly in future episodes. Overall, it's just a funny outing that is full of win. Who will ultimately claim the parking spot? Tune in to find out. B
Monday, February 18, 2013
TV Land Picks Up Kirstie Alley's New Show for Fall 2013; Worst Audition Ever Back with Breakup Show, Plus 2 More Shows In March/April
Kirstie Alley's TV Land sitcom pilot has now been picked-up to series! Multiple Emmy® Award-winner Kirstie Alley is lighting up the stage on TV Land as the network picks up Kirstie's New Show (previously titled Giant Baby), a new sitcom revolving around Alley as Broadway star Madison Banks. The sitcom reunites the actress with longtime friend and former Cheers co-star Rhea Perlman and pairs them with famed Seinfeld actor Michael Richards, both of whom have won multiple Emmy® Awards as well. Kirstie's New Show also stars Eric Petersen (Shrek: The Musical) and will premiere in Fall 2013 with 12 episodes and will join other TV Land original comedies like Hot in Cleveland, The Exes, Happily Divorced and The Soul Man.
Kirstie's New Show revolves around Madison "Maddie" Banks, a renowned Broadway star who finds her life turned upside down when Arlo (Petersen), the son she gave up at birth, suddenly appears hoping to connect after his adoptive parents have died. However, Maddie doesn't exactly see nerdy and schlubby Arlo fitting in with her luxurious lifestyle. But when Maddie's assistant and best friend, Thelma (Perlman), and outlandish driver Frank (Richards) encourage her to give Arlo a chance, Maddie is shocked to find that perhaps she has motherly instincts after all. The pilot is written and executive produced by Marco Pennette and is also executive produced by Kirstie Alley and Jason Weinberg. Larry W. Jones and Keith Cox serve as executive producers for TV Land. We hope to see her Dancing with the Stars dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy guest star, along with host Tom Bergeron. Stay with us for continued updates and a premiere date and time in the coming months! Go Kirstie!
See a video preview of the series as Kirstie Alley takes to the streets of New York City to announce the series:
On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the hilarious night of live comedy Worst Audition Ever is back with the Worst Breakup Ever edition for some post Valentine's Day hijinks! The show recently had a three-month/six-show run in the fall (Sept-Nov)and is back this winter and spring (Feb-April)! Let's face it, opening your heart up isn't easy and there are a lot of bumps (and humps) along the way. Come and commiserate at Worst Breakup Ever! Laugh along with an evening of real people opening their souls with hilarious stories of awkward and crushing breakups with lovers, co-workers and friends! Laugh and cringe as you relive some of your own agonizing experiences - because pain is best served funny and with cocktails. The festivities will be hosted by Deanna Pappas (The Bachelorette) and will feature real-life breakup stories from Andy Dick (NewsRadio, Less than Perfect), Sarah Collette-Wagner, Alex Fanuele, Larry Poindexter, and Danielle Thorpe! Sounds like a lot of fun and if Andy Dick is in the house, you know you'll be in store for some comedy!
Tickets are only $20 as usual and I promise you from experience that you'll have a great time! Go and order your ticket if you are in L.A. or will be in the L.A. area next Tuesday! It will be at the Cavern Club Theater on 1920 Hyperion Ave. in Los Angeles, CA. This will be the first of a three-month show, with another one slated for Tuesday, March 26, which is in the regular format of Worst Audition Ever and on Tuesday, April 30 for Worst Vacation Ever! Stay with us for info on the hosts and celebs for those two shows in the near future! But for now order your tickets for next week's show and you'll even get to meet these cool stars after the show and also the awesome producers: Christine Lakin (Step by Step, Lovin' Lakin), Alec Ledd (Internet Icon), Daniel A. Miles and Corri English (Holliston)! It's a night of fun!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Week 21 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did
2012-13 Week 21 TV Ratings (first four nights, Mon-Thu):
Tonight ABC Sunday is all-new with AFV, Once Upon a Time and Revenge and a special encore of the premiere of Zero Hour at 10pm. Look for maybe a first place finish, it should be close between CBS, ABC, and Fox. NBC devotes the night to Dateline at, repeats of Betty White's Off Their Rockers at 8, and an SNL special repeat from 9-11pm, which is a fourth place finish for sure. CBS has 60 Minutes at 7, followed by the season premiere of Amazing Race, which will lost to ABC likely. Then CBS has the struggling The Good Wife & The Mentalist from 9-11pm. I'm thinking a second or third place finish for CBS. Fox's animation block is all new from 7:30-10pm and should be second place in 18-49, or maybe even first besting ABC.
As for the week (week 21), I think Fox will hang on and take the week in 18-49 since there are no saviors tonight on CBS or any other network. CBS will be second, and ABC will be third in 18-49. NBC will be way behind and in fourth. For total viewers, it should be CBS on top here, then likely ABC will overtake Fox for second, and NBC in a distant fourth. As for the coming week (week 22), ABC has the season premiere of Body of Proof Tuesday at 10pm following a special The Bachelor: Sean Tells All, which could win its hour on Tuesday (should be close with CBS). The CW has the series premiere of Cult on Tuesday at 9. The season finale of CSI: NY is on Friday. The Oscars are next Sunday on ABC, so that will likely put them over the top for week 22.
Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Two and a Half Men, 2 Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Middle, Suburgatory) or just plain terrible (such as Community, Guys with Kids, Whitney).
Households: #1. CBS 6.4 rating/10.2 share; #2. Fox 5.5/8.5; #3. ABC 4.8/7.6; #4. NBC 3.0/4.8; #5. The CW 1.2/1.8
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 10.21 million; #2. Fox 9.11 million; #3. ABC 7.25 million; #4. NBC 4.6 million; #5. The CW 1.78 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox 2.8 rating/8.1 share; #2. CBS 2.5/7.2; #3. ABC 2.2/6.3; #4. NBC 1.5/4.3; #5. The CW 0.7/1.9
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 10.21 million; #2. Fox 9.11 million; #3. ABC 7.25 million; #4. NBC 4.6 million; #5. The CW 1.78 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox 2.8 rating/8.1 share; #2. CBS 2.5/7.2; #3. ABC 2.2/6.3; #4. NBC 1.5/4.3; #5. The CW 0.7/1.9
Week 21 (Feb. 11-17) Analysis: Like the previous week, we see Fox with the edge so far over CBS in 18-49. This week CBS doesn't have a big event on Sunday, so can Fox hang on to first? Through the first four night averages, CBS has the lead in HH/total viewers, while Fox is on top in adults 18-49. CBS is a close second place in 18-49, followed closely by ABC, then NBC is a very distant fourth. Fox is second in HH/viewers, followed by ABC. Then NBC is a distant fourth and it continues to be a long winter for them. When the week is done, I think Fox will hang on and take the week in 18-49. More on that later. As for last week, week 20, CBS easily took home first in adults 18-49 thanks to the Grammys, crushing second place Fox. Then ABC was close behind Fox, but NBC was way back there. Among total viewers, it was the same way, with of course CBS on top easily over Fox. ABC was a close third (it beat Fox in HH rating) and NBC was way back behind in fourth.
Monday saw CBS take the night over a surging ABC. Starting with ABC, a two-hour The Bachelor from 8-10pm did 8.48 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, which is up three tenths in 18-49 from previous week and a season high. This has been a solid season because we have seen the growth each week. At 10pm, Castle was new and did 8.97 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Hilarious episode, but now a HUGE two-part event starts tomorrow night. Maybe close to season highs? For NBC, they had a two-hour The Biggest Loser from 8-10pm doing 5.58 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week for a season low. This series is going the opposite direction it seems. At 10pm, week six of new drama dud Deception didn't do much with 3.23 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, but up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. CBS was all-new with its comedies, as a new How I Met Your Mother did 8.98 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, which was down a big eight tenths in 18-49 from previous week, which I'm guessing was up because of the Super Bowl the previous night. A new Rules of Engagement at 8:30pm did 8.39 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, which is solid but down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week's season premiere. At 9pm, a new 2 Broke Girls followed with 10.9 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week and not nearly as strong as a CBS Monday anchor should be. Next, a new Mike & Molly did 10.5 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, down two tenths in 18-49 week-to-week. A new Hawaii Five-0 at 10pm did 9.64 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which was good for first place by just a tenth in 18-49 and down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. It might be second place tomorrow night. Fox aired an all-new episode of Bones at 8 and it did 8.82 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, which was again down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. At 9pm, week four of new drama The Following at 9pm did 7.79 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, which is down five tenths in 18-49 from previous week. It has gone down nine tenths in 18-49 since week two, so a little concerning but still doing decent. The CW aired week five of The Carrie Diaries at 8 and did 1.2 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, which is back down two tenths in 18-49 from the previous week. At 9, 90210 was new and did only 0.66 million and a 0.3 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week in 18-49. If it's not canceled, then I have no idea what The CW is doing.
On Tuesday, it was an typical night with the State of the Union preempting network programming. On CBS, NCIS was preempted at 8, so a repeat of NCIS: Los Angeles aired at 8 and did 9.23 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. CBS also preempted the struggling Vegas at 10, as the State of the Union Address aired from 9pm-10:17pm but doesn't count in the ratings since there are no commercials. An analysis aired at 10:17pm and did 5.9 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. CBS decided to more analysis at 10:30pm with it doing 4.18 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. Onto ABC, at 8pm week four of The Taste did 4.58 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week. But keep in mind that aired out of its normal time in some of the country. At 9, ABC preempted Happy Endings for the State of the Union Address, which doesn't count in the ratings. The Bachelor: Sean Tells All specials airs this Tuesday at 9 followed by the season premiere of Body of Proof at 10pm. Back to this night, an analysis aired at 10:16pm ET and did 4.92 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, followed by a special Modern Family repeat at 10:46pm doing 2.93 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. NBC aired Betty White's Off Their Rockers from 8-9pm as the first half-hour was a repeat doing 4.78 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, followed by a new episode at 8:30pm that didn't do much with 4.91 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating. At 9pm, Go On and The New Normal were preempted for the State of the Union address, as was Smash at 10pm. NBC aired an analysis of the address doing 5.75 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating at 10:16pm. More analysis aired at 10:30pm doing 4.22 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating. Fox aired comedies as a repeat of Raising Hope at 8pm did 2.63 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating. A repeat of New Girl followed at a special time of 8:30pm doing 2.38 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating. Fox aired the State of the Union coverage at 9pm ET, so The Mindy Project was preempted. The CW preempted Hart of Dixie and Emily Owens MD for the movie When In Rome that did 1.47 million and only a 0.5 18-49 rating. New series Cult will premiere this Tuesday at 9.
Wednesday as usual had American Idol take the night of course since its two-hours every week and Fox only programs 2 hours a night. But first, CBS started the night off with the 90-minute season premiere of Survivor: Caramoan from 8-9:30pm doing 8.94 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, which is the lowest premiere ever for this series. Criminal Minds was preempted, but CBS aired a special Big Bang Theory repeat at 9:30pm and for the first time in a long time, the series didn't deliver, doing 5.22 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating. At 10pm, a new CSI did 8.54 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, down five tenths in 18-49 from previous week, as it was hurt because it didn't have the compatible lead-in like it usually does. ABC kicked off the night with a new The Middle doing 7.72 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is down four tenths in 18-49 from previous week for a season low. At 8:30pm a new episode of The Neighbors did 5.89 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 with previous week. At 9pm, a new Modern Family did the best of the block with 10.05 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, which was up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. It seems everything has been down on Wednesday for the past few weeks. Suburgatory followed at 9:30pm with a new episode doing 5.91 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. Could be better. At 10pm, Nashville was new and did 5.74 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week and just a tenth behind to win the hour. On Fox, a two-hour American Idol did a solid 13.45 million and a 4.3 18-49 rating, which is down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week as everything seems to be below normal on this Wednesday again...weird. Onto NBC a new episode of Whitney started it off at 8pm with 3.59 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 with previous week. At 8:30pm, a new Guys with Kids did 2.85 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week for a new series low. Law & Order: SVU followed at 9pm with a new airing as well that did only 6.35 million and only a 1.5 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 with previous week, but it should have went up since its CBS competition was preempted. At 10pm, a new Chicago Fire did 6.65 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is solid and on par in 18-49 with previous week. It's not a hit, but it's doing well enough for NBC. The CW aired a new airing of its new hit Arrow and did 3.29 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, which is again up a tenth from previous week in 18-49. At 9pm, a new Supernatural did 2.41 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 week-to-week. Solid block and both series will be back next season, as The CW has picked them both up for 2013-14!
On Thursday, saw CBS with the win on a slower night due to Valentine's Day. Starting with ABC, the series premiere of Zero Hour did 6.38 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, which skewed a little older and not good for a premiere. If it can stay or build on this, then it should be OK, but if it drops, it's got no chance. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy was new and did a solid 8.57 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week, but not too bad for Valentine's Day. The surging Scandal at 10pm was all-new doing 8.02 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week's series high in 18-49. It's the #1 series at 10pm on all of network TV, people! CBS had a night of new episodes and opened with a new The Big Bang Theory doing 17.89 million and a 5.5 18-49 rating, which is great but down seven tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Lot of drastic ups and downs lately, it seems. Either way, it's #1. A new Two and a Half Men was up next and benefited with 13.69 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week. At 9pm, a new showing of older-skewing Person of Interest followed with 14.87 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 week-to-week. Still, should CBS opt for younger-skewing comedies next season, this series would be perfect on Tuesdays at 9 or 10 following older NCIS. They would make a better match. At 10pm, a new showing of freshman Elementary closed the night with 10.98 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week in 18-49. The only series that went up actually, go figure. Fox had a one-hour American Idol at 8 that did 12.59 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, which was down four tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Glee had a new episode at 9 and did 5.13 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, down five tenths in 18-49 from previous week for a series low, I believe. NBC aired new episodes of its comedies, as week two of Community did just 2.76 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, down an alarming seven tenths in 18-49 from previous week but still skewed young. Parks & Recreation was new at 8:30pm and did 3.18 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down five tenths in 18-49 from previous week. I don't think this series can anchor a night at 9pm next season, if they go that route. At 9, The Office was new and was one-hour doing 4.06 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week when it was a half-hour, as NBC preempted 1600 Penn which is doing horrible. At 10pm, NBC has pulled the Do No Harm after doing no ratings, with a repeat of Law & Order: SVU doing 3.33 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, as that was up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week's Do No Ratings. The CW's big gun Vampire Diaries aired at 8 and did 2.31 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, which is great but down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week and not the top show on The CW this week, wow. At 9, Beauty and the Beast was new and did 1.4 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, losing half of its lead-in's 18-49 rating and down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, as ABC took Friday in 18-49 again. CBS struggled badly at 8pm with week two of The Job, as it is no Undercover Boss. Kitchen Nightmares even beat it on Fox as ABC's Last Man Standing and Malibu Country beat both, but Dateline took the hour on NBC. ABC was back to first at 9pm by a lot with a new Shark Tank easily beating a new CSI: NY at 9. From 8-10pm Dateline did OK for NBC, as Rock Center was last place at 10pm. CBS took second at 10pm with a new Blue Bloods losing to ABC 20/20. Fox struggled badly with Touch at 9.
Saturday had Fox take the night with NASCAR, as Cops was preempted, while CBS did solid at 10pm with 48 Hours. NBC settled for repeats of American Ninja Warrior, Chicago Fire and SNL which were all last. ABC was in third with a Harry Potter film.
Monday saw CBS take the night over a surging ABC. Starting with ABC, a two-hour The Bachelor from 8-10pm did 8.48 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, which is up three tenths in 18-49 from previous week and a season high. This has been a solid season because we have seen the growth each week. At 10pm, Castle was new and did 8.97 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Hilarious episode, but now a HUGE two-part event starts tomorrow night. Maybe close to season highs? For NBC, they had a two-hour The Biggest Loser from 8-10pm doing 5.58 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week for a season low. This series is going the opposite direction it seems. At 10pm, week six of new drama dud Deception didn't do much with 3.23 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, but up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. CBS was all-new with its comedies, as a new How I Met Your Mother did 8.98 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, which was down a big eight tenths in 18-49 from previous week, which I'm guessing was up because of the Super Bowl the previous night. A new Rules of Engagement at 8:30pm did 8.39 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, which is solid but down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week's season premiere. At 9pm, a new 2 Broke Girls followed with 10.9 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week and not nearly as strong as a CBS Monday anchor should be. Next, a new Mike & Molly did 10.5 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, down two tenths in 18-49 week-to-week. A new Hawaii Five-0 at 10pm did 9.64 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which was good for first place by just a tenth in 18-49 and down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. It might be second place tomorrow night. Fox aired an all-new episode of Bones at 8 and it did 8.82 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, which was again down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. At 9pm, week four of new drama The Following at 9pm did 7.79 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, which is down five tenths in 18-49 from previous week. It has gone down nine tenths in 18-49 since week two, so a little concerning but still doing decent. The CW aired week five of The Carrie Diaries at 8 and did 1.2 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, which is back down two tenths in 18-49 from the previous week. At 9, 90210 was new and did only 0.66 million and a 0.3 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week in 18-49. If it's not canceled, then I have no idea what The CW is doing.
On Tuesday, it was an typical night with the State of the Union preempting network programming. On CBS, NCIS was preempted at 8, so a repeat of NCIS: Los Angeles aired at 8 and did 9.23 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. CBS also preempted the struggling Vegas at 10, as the State of the Union Address aired from 9pm-10:17pm but doesn't count in the ratings since there are no commercials. An analysis aired at 10:17pm and did 5.9 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating. CBS decided to more analysis at 10:30pm with it doing 4.18 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. Onto ABC, at 8pm week four of The Taste did 4.58 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week. But keep in mind that aired out of its normal time in some of the country. At 9, ABC preempted Happy Endings for the State of the Union Address, which doesn't count in the ratings. The Bachelor: Sean Tells All specials airs this Tuesday at 9 followed by the season premiere of Body of Proof at 10pm. Back to this night, an analysis aired at 10:16pm ET and did 4.92 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, followed by a special Modern Family repeat at 10:46pm doing 2.93 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. NBC aired Betty White's Off Their Rockers from 8-9pm as the first half-hour was a repeat doing 4.78 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, followed by a new episode at 8:30pm that didn't do much with 4.91 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating. At 9pm, Go On and The New Normal were preempted for the State of the Union address, as was Smash at 10pm. NBC aired an analysis of the address doing 5.75 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating at 10:16pm. More analysis aired at 10:30pm doing 4.22 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating. Fox aired comedies as a repeat of Raising Hope at 8pm did 2.63 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating. A repeat of New Girl followed at a special time of 8:30pm doing 2.38 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating. Fox aired the State of the Union coverage at 9pm ET, so The Mindy Project was preempted. The CW preempted Hart of Dixie and Emily Owens MD for the movie When In Rome that did 1.47 million and only a 0.5 18-49 rating. New series Cult will premiere this Tuesday at 9.
Wednesday as usual had American Idol take the night of course since its two-hours every week and Fox only programs 2 hours a night. But first, CBS started the night off with the 90-minute season premiere of Survivor: Caramoan from 8-9:30pm doing 8.94 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, which is the lowest premiere ever for this series. Criminal Minds was preempted, but CBS aired a special Big Bang Theory repeat at 9:30pm and for the first time in a long time, the series didn't deliver, doing 5.22 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating. At 10pm, a new CSI did 8.54 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, down five tenths in 18-49 from previous week, as it was hurt because it didn't have the compatible lead-in like it usually does. ABC kicked off the night with a new The Middle doing 7.72 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is down four tenths in 18-49 from previous week for a season low. At 8:30pm a new episode of The Neighbors did 5.89 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 with previous week. At 9pm, a new Modern Family did the best of the block with 10.05 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, which was up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. It seems everything has been down on Wednesday for the past few weeks. Suburgatory followed at 9:30pm with a new episode doing 5.91 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. Could be better. At 10pm, Nashville was new and did 5.74 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week and just a tenth behind to win the hour. On Fox, a two-hour American Idol did a solid 13.45 million and a 4.3 18-49 rating, which is down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week as everything seems to be below normal on this Wednesday again...weird. Onto NBC a new episode of Whitney started it off at 8pm with 3.59 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 with previous week. At 8:30pm, a new Guys with Kids did 2.85 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week for a new series low. Law & Order: SVU followed at 9pm with a new airing as well that did only 6.35 million and only a 1.5 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 with previous week, but it should have went up since its CBS competition was preempted. At 10pm, a new Chicago Fire did 6.65 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is solid and on par in 18-49 with previous week. It's not a hit, but it's doing well enough for NBC. The CW aired a new airing of its new hit Arrow and did 3.29 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, which is again up a tenth from previous week in 18-49. At 9pm, a new Supernatural did 2.41 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 week-to-week. Solid block and both series will be back next season, as The CW has picked them both up for 2013-14!
On Thursday, saw CBS with the win on a slower night due to Valentine's Day. Starting with ABC, the series premiere of Zero Hour did 6.38 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, which skewed a little older and not good for a premiere. If it can stay or build on this, then it should be OK, but if it drops, it's got no chance. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy was new and did a solid 8.57 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week, but not too bad for Valentine's Day. The surging Scandal at 10pm was all-new doing 8.02 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week's series high in 18-49. It's the #1 series at 10pm on all of network TV, people! CBS had a night of new episodes and opened with a new The Big Bang Theory doing 17.89 million and a 5.5 18-49 rating, which is great but down seven tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Lot of drastic ups and downs lately, it seems. Either way, it's #1. A new Two and a Half Men was up next and benefited with 13.69 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, down three tenths in 18-49 from previous week. At 9pm, a new showing of older-skewing Person of Interest followed with 14.87 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, down a tenth in 18-49 week-to-week. Still, should CBS opt for younger-skewing comedies next season, this series would be perfect on Tuesdays at 9 or 10 following older NCIS. They would make a better match. At 10pm, a new showing of freshman Elementary closed the night with 10.98 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week in 18-49. The only series that went up actually, go figure. Fox had a one-hour American Idol at 8 that did 12.59 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, which was down four tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Glee had a new episode at 9 and did 5.13 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, down five tenths in 18-49 from previous week for a series low, I believe. NBC aired new episodes of its comedies, as week two of Community did just 2.76 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, down an alarming seven tenths in 18-49 from previous week but still skewed young. Parks & Recreation was new at 8:30pm and did 3.18 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down five tenths in 18-49 from previous week. I don't think this series can anchor a night at 9pm next season, if they go that route. At 9, The Office was new and was one-hour doing 4.06 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week when it was a half-hour, as NBC preempted 1600 Penn which is doing horrible. At 10pm, NBC has pulled the Do No Harm after doing no ratings, with a repeat of Law & Order: SVU doing 3.33 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, as that was up two tenths in 18-49 from previous week's Do No Ratings. The CW's big gun Vampire Diaries aired at 8 and did 2.31 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, which is great but down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week and not the top show on The CW this week, wow. At 9, Beauty and the Beast was new and did 1.4 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, losing half of its lead-in's 18-49 rating and down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, as ABC took Friday in 18-49 again. CBS struggled badly at 8pm with week two of The Job, as it is no Undercover Boss. Kitchen Nightmares even beat it on Fox as ABC's Last Man Standing and Malibu Country beat both, but Dateline took the hour on NBC. ABC was back to first at 9pm by a lot with a new Shark Tank easily beating a new CSI: NY at 9. From 8-10pm Dateline did OK for NBC, as Rock Center was last place at 10pm. CBS took second at 10pm with a new Blue Bloods losing to ABC 20/20. Fox struggled badly with Touch at 9.
Saturday had Fox take the night with NASCAR, as Cops was preempted, while CBS did solid at 10pm with 48 Hours. NBC settled for repeats of American Ninja Warrior, Chicago Fire and SNL which were all last. ABC was in third with a Harry Potter film.
Tonight ABC Sunday is all-new with AFV, Once Upon a Time and Revenge and a special encore of the premiere of Zero Hour at 10pm. Look for maybe a first place finish, it should be close between CBS, ABC, and Fox. NBC devotes the night to Dateline at, repeats of Betty White's Off Their Rockers at 8, and an SNL special repeat from 9-11pm, which is a fourth place finish for sure. CBS has 60 Minutes at 7, followed by the season premiere of Amazing Race, which will lost to ABC likely. Then CBS has the struggling The Good Wife & The Mentalist from 9-11pm. I'm thinking a second or third place finish for CBS. Fox's animation block is all new from 7:30-10pm and should be second place in 18-49, or maybe even first besting ABC.
As for the week (week 21), I think Fox will hang on and take the week in 18-49 since there are no saviors tonight on CBS or any other network. CBS will be second, and ABC will be third in 18-49. NBC will be way behind and in fourth. For total viewers, it should be CBS on top here, then likely ABC will overtake Fox for second, and NBC in a distant fourth. As for the coming week (week 22), ABC has the season premiere of Body of Proof Tuesday at 10pm following a special The Bachelor: Sean Tells All, which could win its hour on Tuesday (should be close with CBS). The CW has the series premiere of Cult on Tuesday at 9. The season finale of CSI: NY is on Friday. The Oscars are next Sunday on ABC, so that will likely put them over the top for week 22.
Week 21 How the Sitcoms Did
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 20 -- Feb. 4-10)
- The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode at 8 did 4.19 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, opposite the Grammy Awards. Below normal.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A new showing at 7:30pm did only 2.76 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating.
- Bob's Burgers (Fox) 2 airings - At 8:30, a new episode did 3.45 million and 1.8 18-49 rating, nearly holding all of its lead-in's ratings. A repeat earlier in the night at 7pm did 2.2 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, up eight tenths in 18-49 from previous week when it faced the Super Bowl.
- Family Guy (Fox) - A new airing at 9 did 4.71 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, the best of the block and not bad against the Grammys.
- American Dad! (Fox) - A 9:30pm airing was new and did 3.88 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is not bad against the Grammys.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A new episode at 8 did 8.98 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, which was down eight tenths in 18-49 from previous week. I guess some people just turned their TV's on from previous night's Super Bowl and it was still on CBS, so maybe that's why Mother was up big previous week?
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) - Week two at 8:30pm did 8.39 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, solid but down three tenths in 18-49 from the season premiere.
- 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A new episode at 9 did 10.9 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating, as it was down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. This has been one of the disappointments of the season, I think. I really thought it would easily be doing 4's right now without Dancing/Voice.
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - A new episode at 9:30pm did 10.5 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, which is solid but down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week.
Tuesday Sitcoms
- Raising Hope (Fox) - A repeat at 8 pulled 2.63 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating. It was a repeat due to the State of the Union Address at 9pm ET.
- New Girl (Fox) - A special repeat at 8:30pm did 2.38 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating.
- Modern Family (ABC) - A special repeat that aired at 10:46pm after the State of the Union did 2.93 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating.
- Go On (NBC) - preempted.
- Happy Endings (ABC) - preempted.
- The Mindy Project (Fox) - preempted.
- The New Normal (NBC) - preempted.
- The Middle (ABC) - A new episode at 8 did 7.72 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, which is good but down four tenths in 18-49 from previous week for a season low.
- Whitney (NBC) - A new episode at 8 did 3.59 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, which is on par in 18-49 with previous week. This show isn't worth bringing back anymore.
- The Neighbors (ABC) - A new showing of this new comedy did 5.89 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, on par in 18-49 with previous week despite its lead-in going down.
- Guys with Kids (NBC) - At 8:30pm, a new episode of this series did 2.85 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, which is terrible and down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Can a mini Cosby Show reunion help it? Don't think that will even help.
- Modern Family (ABC) - A new episode at 9 did 10.05 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, #1 for the block as usual and up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. Still not sure why everything is below normal on this night overall the past two weeks.
- Suburgatory (ABC) - A new episode at 9:30pm did 5.91 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which is up a tenth in 18-49 from previous week. Such a good show.
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A special Wednesday repeat at 9:30pm didn't do much with 5.22 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, as CBS was in fourth place in the half-hour.
Thursday Sitcoms
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - At 8pm, a new episode did 17.89 million and a 5.5 18-49 rating, which is excellent but down seven tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Yeah, it was Valentine's Day and all, but there's been a lot of big ups and downs since January for this show. Still #1, though! Could be over a 6 this week again.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A new airing did 13.69 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, which is down three tenths in 18-49 week-to-week.
- Community (NBC) - Week two did not do well doing 2.76 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, which is down seven tenths in 18-49 from previous week's season premiere. It needs to do better if it wants another season on NBC.
- Parks & Recreation (NBC) - A new episode did 3.18 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which is down five tenths in 18-49 from previous week. Not good.
- The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - Two new episodes from 9-10pm did 4.06 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth in 18-49 from previous week when it was a half-hour.
- 1600 Penn (NBC) - preempted.
- Last Man Standing (ABC) - A new episode did a prelim 6.65 million and a prelim 1.4 18-49 rating, which was down tenths in 18-49 from previous week's preliminaries.
- Malibu Country (ABC) - A new airing of this new comedy did a prelim 5.7 million and a prelim 1.1 18-49 rating, also down two tenths in 18-49 from previous week's prelim ratings.
- None.
Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Two and a Half Men, 2 Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Middle, Suburgatory) or just plain terrible (such as Community, Guys with Kids, Whitney).
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Digital Digest: New CBS Offerings on Amazon Prime; Harry O - The Complete Second Season DVD Review
Welcome to Digital Digest! We don't really have any President's Day weekend specials for you, but we do have all of our regular features, as well as a review of Warner Archive's release of Harry O - The Complete Second Season. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
This week, CBS and Amazon.com announced an agreement that will bring more CBS content to the Amazon Prime streaming service. While some CBS programming has been available for some time on the service, this latest agreement will add unlimited streaming of series including Everybody Loves Raymond, Jericho, The L Word, and more to subscribers. New programs from this agreement are already available to watch on the service.
The NBC series 30 Rock recently came to an end, and fans won't have to wait too long to finish up the series on DVD. Look for 30 Rock - Season 7 on DVD on April 30. Not a lot of details are known about the set at this time, but it will come at a $44.98 MSRP.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (February 19) doesn't have any new sitcom releases, but there are two other releases of note, including the TMG release of Grizzly Adams - Season Two and Alvin and the Chipmunks - Easter Collection.
Blog DVD Review: Harry O - The Complete Second Season (Warner Archive, $49.95)
Harry Orwell (David Janssen) is back on DVD for the second (and sadly, as the packaging so bluntly puts it, final) season of Harry O. Running for two seasons on ABC in the mid 70s, the series was among the first of a new breed of private eye series, where the private eye was just an ordinary guy who had his own problems in life. Despite only lasting two seasons, the series was retooled a couple of times, but for this season stays pretty much consistent throughout.
The season begins with "Anatomy of a Frame," where Harry must help Lt. Trench after he is framed for murder. Larry Hagman guest stars in "One for the Road," where a lawyer is framed for drunk driving by her deranged husband. Diamond smugglers kidnap Sue (Farrah Fawcett) in "Lester Two." In "Shades," a housekeeper wants her name cleared after she kills a small-time hood. Adam Arkin and Katherine Helmond guest star in "Portrait of a Murder," where a mentally challenged man is accused of several murders. In "The Acolyte," Harry has to rescue a woman from a cult. A plan crash uncovers an attempted murder in "Mayday." The old folks home may be doing some things wrong in the way they care for patients in "Tender Killing Care." In "APB Harry Orwell," Harry becomes a "fugitive" (perhaps not a role too difficult for Janssen to play!) after he is framed for murder and escapes to find the real killer (it wasn't a one-armed man). A psychiatrist deals with a murderer among a group involved in group therapy in "Group Terror." Harry's ex-wife is taken hostage in "Reflections." A cop is accused of murdering his daughter's boyfriend in "Exercise in Fatality."
Harry's former partner is killed while investigating an old murder in "The Madonna Legacy." In "Mister Five and Dime," a case involving a gang of armored car thieves keeps getting more and more complicated. A gambling club owner is murdered in "Book of Changes," but things may only get worse if his book of clients is found by extortionists. Things go badly for everybody involved when a con artist takes Harry hostage in "Past Imperfect." In "Hostage," Harry has to intervene in a hostage crisis where Trench is taken as one of the hostages. Harry investigates the killing of a private eye in Chinatown in "Forbidden City." A rape victim hires Harry after her case is dropped due to lack of evidence in "Victim." In "Ruby," an old friend of Harry's hires him to exonerate her son, but what he discovers is a very complicated case with plenty of twists and turns. The series makes an attempt to have a spinoff in "The Mysterious Case of Lester and Dr. Fong." The series ends with "Death Certificate," where Harry investigates a doctor suspected of fatal malpractice.
The episodes seem to be unedited. Runtimes are as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "Anatomy of a Frame" (50:16)
2. "One for the Road" (50:14)
3. "Lester Two" (50:11)
4. "Shades" (50:18)
Disc 2:
5. "Portrait of a Murder" (50:16)
6. "The Acolyte" (50:13)
7. "Mayday" (49:46)
8. "Tender Killing Care" (50:16)
Disc 3:
9. "APB Harry Orwell" (50:12)
10. "Group Terror" (49:40)
11. "Reflections" (49:47)
12. "Exercise in Fatality" (49:15)
Disc 4:
13. "The Madonna Legacy" (49:20)
14. "Mister Five and Dime" (50:17)
15. "Book of Changes" (50:17)
16. "Past Imperfect" (50:13)
Disc 5:
17. "Hostage" (50:22)
18. "Forbidden City" (50:09)
19. "Victim" (50:11)
20. "Ruby" (50:19)
Disc 6:
21. "The Mysterious Case of Lester and Dr. Fong" (50:17)
22. "Death Certificate" (49:29)
Warner Archive has, not surprisingly, left the packaging consistent with the previous season, except this time they have gone with a green color scheme. The cover art has a photo of Harry inside of a big O (much like the opening credits), and on the back, there is a description of the season, along with a few episode snapshots. Inside the case (it is a standard Viva case, of course), you'll find the six discs, all of which have the same artwork as seen on the cover. Episode titles are printed on each disc. There are no episode descriptions included.
The menus on this set are very basic, but still nicely designed. The main menu has artwork that is identical to the cover art, and simply lists all of the episodes on the disc, along with a Play All option. Once an episode is selected, it plays immediately. Chapters are placed throughout episodes.
The video and audio quality of the set is about the same as the previous release, which means that it is perfectly fine... but nothing extraordinary. When the first season came out, it was advertised as being "newly remastered," but this one does not carry that same description. But honestly, the episodes on this set look no better (or worse) than the first season, which leads me to believe both sets got the same treatment. Mostly, there are issues with grain and debris (and some of the opening teasers look particularly bad), and while the episodes do not look like some of the extensively remastered episodes we get from some studios, I don't see any issues of true concern here. The audio is loud and clear, and in mono of course. The episodes do not have closed-captions or subtitles.
This set doesn't contain any special features.
This really has to be one of the best series that I've discovered primarily through DVD, and it is especially great that it made it onto DVD (and was finished in just months) with only lasting two seasons. This just goes to show that even the rarest of series can succeed on DVD, and find a new audience after being rarely seen over a period of nearly 40 years. Warner Archive has done an excellent job with this series, and I feel that this is a must own for fans of private eye series of the 70s and 80s.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Warner Archive
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Harry O on TV.com
FOLLOW ME
Who to Follow: Ben Savage (Twitter), "Actor. Writer. Stanford grad. Sushi connoisseur. Zac Efron fan."
Claim to Fame: In the late 80s, teenage girls had a heartthrob in a Savage, but that was actually his older brother Fred Savage. The younger Ben Savage never quite managed to achieve that heartthrob status that his older brother reached, but his starring role as Cory Matthews in the ABC series Boy Meets World.
Why You Should Follow Him: He was Cory Matthews... and that should really be in all caps. If you ever watched TGIF in the 90s, you remember this show. And some people, myself included, have learned to appreciate the show even more in reruns. It is one of the few shows out there with a fan base that includes a lot of people who are "Generation X" (the oldest of whom are already in their 40s) and younger. In fact, it is so popular that there is actually a Girl Meets World spinoff in the works for Disney Channel... and yes, Savage will return, this time as a father. But let's just bring this back to Savage himself for a moment. He is an excellent actor who seems to really respect his fans. He is a very humorous person, and he is probably one of the few child stars of the 90s who actually talks to Snooki on Twitter.
Pick of the Tweets: "Honey Boo Boo's mom is exactly right: "All that vajiggle jaggle is not beautimous". Am I the only one who wants to move in with this family?" (August 9, 2012)
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Friday, February 15, 2013
More Frasier, Plus Daytime Changes on Hallmark; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 18, 2013)
The Hallmark Channel will be making some schedule changes that start next week. Beginning Tuesday. February 19, 2013, Frasier will get an additional block, airing Tues-Thurs from 8-10pm, replacing Happy Days. Hallmark airs NUMB3RS on Mondays in that block and movies on Fridays. Happy Days will remain airing weekdays 2-5pm but is not off of primetime beginning next week. And Frasier will remain airing 10pm-12am & 3-5am weeknights as well. Then starting the following week, Hallmark Channel will once again shuffle the timings for their original daytime block. Beginning Monday, February 25, 2013, Home & Family movies from 10am-12pm to 8am-10am, replacing a Golden Girls block. Then Marie moves from 12pm to 10am, while Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn moves from 1pm to 11am. If you're taking notes at home, that means the original daytime block is now going to be weekdays 8am-12pm rather than 10am-2pm. The Golden Girls will now take over the weekdays 12-2pm block leading int Happy Days.
In terms of stunts, Hallmark will have a Frasier marathon on Saturday, March 9, 2013. The marathon will be a 24-hour event beginning at 6am. The good doctor is in! Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin, and Moose the dog. Stay with us for continued updates on Hallmark Channel!
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 February 18-22, 2013, 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, February 18, 2013
- David Spade (Rules of Engagement/8 Simple Rules/Just Shoot Me) - Watch David on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Alison Brie (Community) - Alison appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) - Jon visits LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea is a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Jenny McCarthy (Two and a Half Men/Jenny) - Jenny stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show) - The Price Is Right host brings classic games all this week to The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Patrick Warburton (Rules of Engagement/Seinfeld) - Patrick talks about his involvement with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and his voice work on the five-time Emmy® winning comedy, Family Guy, on Marie at 12pm on Hallmark Channel.
- John Stamos (Full House) - John stops by The Jeff Probst Show, so check your local listings.
- Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) - Catch Jon on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- David Spade (Rules of Engagement/8 Simple Rules/Just Shoot Me) - David continues to make the rounds on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Alison Brie (Community) - Alison appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
- Jenny McCarthy (Two and a Half Men/Jenny) - Jenny is part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town) - Josh visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Jennifer Finnigan (Better with You) - Jennifer is a guest on Anderson Live, so check your local listings.
- Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Watch Michael on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea visits The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Lisa appears on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Joel McHale (Community) - Joel drops by Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
- Ken Marino (Party Down) - Ken is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Johnny stops by LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda chats on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) - Tune in to see Melissa on Anderson Live, so check your local listings.
- Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) - Yvette guest co-hosts Anderson Live, so check your local listings.
- Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) - Catch Kelly on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Arsenio Hall (Arsenio) - Arsenio appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Molly Shannon (Kath & Kim) - Molly visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal stops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Anthony Anderson (Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony is a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Mila Kunis (That '70s Show) - Tune in to see Mila on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Zach Braff (Scrubs) - Zach drops by LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
- Jenna Elfman (1600 Penn/Courting Alex/Dharma & Greg) - Jenna chats on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family) - Shirley sits down to talk about her amazing career, famous family and her upcoming memoir on Marie at 12pm on Hallmark Channel.
- William Shatner ($#*! My Dad Says) - Watch William on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Marilu Henner (Taxi) - Marilu guest co-hosts Anderson Live, so check your local listings.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
ABC Mid-Season Change Has Happy Endings Moving to Fridays; I Dream of Jeannie President's Day Marathon in New York
ABC has announced midseason scheduling moves, with Celebrity Wife Swap, the reality series that shines a light on how controversial celebrities really live their lives, returning on Tuesday, February 26 at 8:00pm ET with all-new episodes, and competitive cooking show The Taste moving back an hour to 9:00pm, starting that same night. And beginning Friday, March 29, critically acclaimed comedy Happy Endings will move to a new night and time on Friday nights, airing back-to-back original episodes at 8:00pm & 8:30pm, ET. The Friday night comedy block of Last Man Standing and Malibu Country will have aired their season finales the week prior to Happy Endings taking over that timeslot on March 22, after both wrap up their 18 episode orders. The comedy will be the lead-in to Friday's #1 show Shark Tank at 9pm. ABC had planned to launch Primetime Nightline in April at 9pm, but that might be pushed back to May or early summer.
Happy Endings is scheduled to air for five straight Fridays to fulfill the ten episodes that are left to air this season, so the season finale will likely be on April 26. The sitcom last aired on Tuesday, Jan. 29 from 9-10pm, as it was preempted last week (Feb. 5) for a special The Bachelor and this week for the State of the Union Address. On Feb. 19 The Bachelor: Sean Tells All special will air before Celebrity Wife Swap takes over on Feb. 26. ABC has only scheduled three Celebrity Wife Swap episodes for now (Feb. 26-March 12). The first episode features the unlikeliest of moms swapping lives -- Splash contestant and Playmate Kendra Wilkinson and reality super mom Kate Gosselin of Kate Plus Eight fame (and both former Dancing with the Stars contestants). The 3 episodes will keep the timeslot warm for Splash when it premieres on March 19, while The Taste will wrap up on March 12 at 9pm. No word on what ABC will air at 9pm on Tuesday, March 19 yet, but they could expand the Splash premiere to two-hours, as Dancing with the Stars: The Results will not launch until the following week on March 26. Stay tuned for the casting announcement for Dancing on Feb. 26 during Good Morning America. And among the stars on Splash, we have former sitcom stars Nicole Eggert and Keshia Knight Pulliam, along with TV stars Drake Bell and Louie Anderson, and Chuy Bravo, Ndamukong Suh, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rory Bushfield, Katherine Webb and Kendra Wilkinson rounding out the cast.
Moving on, if you had one wish, what would it be? This President's Day, anything can happen – with a little help from a certain genie. WLNY-TV 10/55 in New York is rounding up another classic TV show for a holiday. This time the holiday is President's Day and WLNY-TV 10-55 is making all your wishes come true with an I Dream Of Jeannie marathon. I Dream of Jeannie, starring Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, will air for a full-day marathon event on Monday, February 18, 2013 from 9am-9pm. Episode information is still not available. WLNY has aired marathons of Taxi, The Odd Couple, The Munsters, Andy Griffith Show, and I Love Lucy on holidays already since last July.
Rescued from a bottle (and a deserted island) by a U.S. astronaut, a scantily clad genie named Jeannie becomes his slave and eventually falls in love with him. But unlike most genie stories, there are no three wishes rule - so Jeannie uses her magic all the time, often without talking to her rescuer about it first.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
GMC Acquires Smart Guy; COZI TV Gets Second Original for Sundays
Smart Guy is coming to GMC this March! The popular '90s comedy that aired for three seasons on The WB from 1997-99 is coming to GMC on Saturday, March 2, 2013 and will air Saturday mornings from 9am-12pm, slicing the Sister, Sister Saturday block to 12-2pm only. Moesha will continue to follow from 2pm-5pm or so. Smart Guy was last seen on BET and Centric, but it hasn't been on the air in the last couple years (since about 2010). The rest of the GMC schedule is remaining intact as of now, which includes the weekday sitcoms of 227, Sister Sister and Family Ties from 11pm-3am.
Smart Guy (which is set in Washington, D.C.) centers on the misadventures of boy genius T.J. Henderson (Tahj Mowry), who at the age of 10 moves from elementary school and gets transferred to Piedmont High School, where he ends up becoming a high school sophomore with 15-year-olds as his classmates. He must adjust to the life with older but not necessarily wiser high school teenagers -- his brother Marcus (Jason Weaver) and Marcus's best friend Mo (Omar Gooding). He often deals with the usual missteps of trying to fit in as a kid genius, while being a small kid in high school.
Cozi TV has just announced a second original for its Sunday night line-up. We just told you about Being Mandela, which launched this past Sunday at 9pm. The search for America's 'Next Great Family Band' begins this month on a new reality television show from Meredith Corporation. The series, Next Great Family Band, is a 30-minute weekly show produced by Meredith Video Studios. The show will premiere Sunday, February 17 at 8PM (check local listings) on COZI TV, a network as you know developed by the NBC Owned Television Stations division of NBCUniversal.
The new series features 15 family bands from across the country, each hoping to follow in the footsteps of iconic family bands like The Jackson 5, The Jonas Brothers, Hanson and The Osmonds. Three music industry experts will critique and mentor the bands. The panel of experts includes Kimberly Locke, whose success on American Idol led her to a series of number one hits; Phoenix Stone, a former Backstreet Boy and up-and-coming country artist; and drummer Samantha Maloney, who has played for bands such as Motley Crew and Hole. Social media will play an impactful role in the show as viewers are encouraged to comment on their favorite bands on Facebook, Twitter and the show's website. Based off of viewer's comments, the industry experts will each choose a band to mentor the second half of the season. The three final bands will perform in a grand finale at the end of the season.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
BET Adding Family Matters to Schedule in March; IFC Orders Second Season of Comedy Bang! Bang
We have a follow-up to our story from Thursday regarding Family Matters on BET. We mentioned that the sitcom has a marathon scheduled on BET for March 2, but we didn't know yet if it were joining the schedule. We can now answer that! Family Matters will indeed be joining the BET schedule on Monday, March 4, 2013! The '90s comedy will air weekdays 10-11am and 3-4pm (though sometimes it will be preempted in the 3pm hour). The 10am hour will replace My Wife & Kids, while the 3pm hour is replacing Moesha, which shifts to 2-3pm (and remains 8-9am). As a result, The Parkers will go from 2-3pm to 1-2pm (and remain 9-10am), replacing Jamie Foxx, which seems to be off the weekday line-up. Also off the weekday line-up is My Wife & Kids. No word on when both will return to weekdays, but Jamie Foxx Show is scheduled for a marathon on Saturday, March 9 from 8am-5pm and some airings on Sunday, March 10. Jamie Foxx keeps on going back and forth from BET to Centric, so it could pop-up on Centric, but as of now it is not scheduled for the week of March 4. Weekdays 11am-1pm will remain movies. My Wife & Kids has been airing on BET since Fall 2011, but it remains airing on Nick at Nite in late nights. Stay with us for continued updates, as it is likely to pop back up soon.
Elsewhere at BET, an all-new season of The Game premieres in March. 11 episodes have been ordered and includes a reunion episode. The season premieres on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 with a one-hour premiere at 10pm. The season finale will be on Tuesday, May 28. Following The Game on Tuesday nights at 10:30pm will be a third season of Let's Stay Together, as ten episodes have been ordered for that. That sitcom is about two independently minded sisters that take the step toward marriage, life puts their love to the test. This sophisticated romantic comedy series keeps its sense of humor as it tackles the intricacies of sex, intimacy, and communication.
IFC announced that the comedy network has ordered a second season of its original series, Comedy Bang! Bang!, hosted by comedian/writer and podcast host Scott Aukerman (co-creator/director/producer, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis; writer/performer, Mr. Show). IFC has ordered 20 episodes, double the first season's order, to air in ten episode arcs on IFC. The first ten episodes will debut in third quarter 2013 with the remaining ten slated to air in fourth quarter. Production is currently underway in Los Angeles. Comedy Bang! Bang! riffs on the late night talk show format, infusing celebrity appearances and comedy sketches with a tinge of the surreal. Aukerman engages his guests with unfiltered and improvisational lines of questioning, punctuated by banter and beats provided by musical cohort Reggie Watts (Conan), to reinvent the traditional celebrity interview. Season one featured a rotating line-up of well-known comedians and actors, including Amy Poehler and Zach Galifianakis along with others which can be seen at www.ifc.com/comedy-bang-bang.
Monday, February 11, 2013
TBS Orders Sitcom Pilot; Episodic Review: Rules of Engagement - "Taking Names" Airing Tonight on CBS
TBS has ordered a pilot for Do It Yourself, a new multi-camera sitcom from executive producers and creators Walt Becker (Wild Hogs, Van Wilder) and Rob Long (Cheers, TBS's Sullivan & Son). The pilot is being produced by TBS. If it gets picked-up to series, it will join other TBS original comedies Cougar Town, Men at Work, Sullivan & Son, King of the Nerds, Deon Cole's Black Box and Who Gets the Last Laugh?. The first three are obviously sitcoms, while the latter three are reality comedies and improv/sketch series. Who Gets the Last Laugh? premieres in April, Men at Work returns for a second season also in April (as we mentioned last week), while Cougar Town and King of the Nerds are currently on the schedule. Sullivan & Son returns later this season (probably in June), while sketch comedy Deon Cole's Black Box will premiere later this year.
As for the new pilot, Do It Yourself is the story of Nick, a 20-something laid-off math teacher who finds himself thrust into the blue collar world when he gets a job at that most American of retail institutions: the big box home supply store. Nick quickly becomes the de facto leader of his band of misfit coworkers while also figuring out ways to redefine what it means to be a teacher. We'll of course let you know if this pilot is picked-up to series. So stay tuned if this show is indeed joining TBS or not. It might be a nice fit for Sullivan & Son, we think.
On the next...Rules of Engagement:
By: Todd
CBS' Monday night ensemble sitcom starring Patrick Warburton & David Spade is back and airs Mondays at 8:30pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (Feb. 11). Baby names are being thought of tonight! In the episode airing tonight, "Taking Names," Jeff (Patrick Warburton) and Audrey (Megyn Price) ask Russell (David Spade) to provide a list of the names of women he has slept with so they can avoid using that name for their baby. Meanwhile, Adam (Oliver Hudson) humiliates himself after he spends a lot of money on a new bicycle and gear.
Tonight's episode begins with Jeff, Audrey and Jen talking at the diner. Jen tells them that Adam is doing research on bicycles. Jeff and Audrey tell her that they have agreed on a name for their baby. Russell arrives and talks about sleeping with Madison. Audrey asks him for a list of every girl he's ever been with. Jen meets Adam at the bike shop where they talk to Javier. Later at the office, Russell asks Timmy for help in compiling the list of names. Jen makes fun about Adam's bicycling clothing and helmet. Audrey reads Timmy a list of names that were all used. Adam returns hobbling and with a tear in his clothing. Jen plays the video from the helmet camera and finds out how it really happened. Jeff suggests names after bottles of liquor and boys' names. Timmy brings Russell a huge binder of names. Jen tells Adam that she watched the video and knows what really happened to him. Jeff and Audrey talk about when they first met. Jeff suggests a name that they both agree on. Jeff calls Timmy to see if the name is on the list.
Both of tonight's storylines are funny. The gender of the baby was revealed in last season's finale. Tonight Jeff and Audrey finally agree on a name. They are one of TV's funniest couples. I think their relationship is very relatable to people. Jen and Adam are the less interesting couple, but they still have their moments like in this episode. The helmet video scenes of what really happened to Adam's bike are hilarious. Russell and Timmy's interactions are always fun to watch. It will be interesting to see when Jeff and Audrey finally have the baby. That will change the whole dynamic of the show. Overall, tonight's episode is just a solid effort from the entire cast and funnier than last week's season premiere. They are the most underrated and underappreciated sitcom on the air today.B.
Rules of Engagement had a successful mid-season debut last week. The show returned with 9.4 million viewers and a respectable 3.1 18-49 rating. They seem to perform well wherever CBS puts it on the schedule. It has been often been put on the mid-season schedule or been called out of the bullpen to replace a canceled sitcom. They seem to have an extremely loyal fan base. Despite being moved around a lot on the schedule over the years, they will reach 100 episodes at the end of the season. It seems like this could be the final season of the show. CBS has ordered a pilot with Patrick Warburton about a retired baseball player. If they wrap things up this season, hopefully there will be a marriage or two. Not many sitcoms reach 7 seasons or 100 episodes these days, so they have quietly put together a very nice run.
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, September 3
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Bus Bench and Faith out the Wazoo" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Audrey and Mary’s (Zoe Perry) feud rears its head when Georgie needs their help with the tire store, and Jim’s forced to confront his age after a visit to the DMV.
Ghosts - "Up the Creek" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Woodstone’s future is put in jeopardy, Sam and Jay join forces with the ghosts to protect the mansion by securing its place in history, on part one of the two-part fifth season finale.
Adults - "Talia" (FX and FXX, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Anton learns that his sister is starting a family, while Issa begins thinking about her own fertility. Written by Shaun Menchel; Directed by Maggie Carey.
Adults - "Raccoon" (FX and FXX, 9:32PM ET/PT)
Issa and Paul Baker host Acid Night. Written by Sanaz Toossi; Directed by Oz Rodriguez.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 31)
Thursday, September 3
- Olivia Rodrigo (Bizaardvark) - Catch Olivia on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Rickey Smiley (The Rickey Smiley Show) - Rickey appears on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Stephen Root (Barry/Ladies Man/NewsRadio) - Stephen is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Glen Powell (Chad Powers/Scream Queens) and Steve Zahn (Chad Powers/The Righteous Gemstones) - Glen and Steve talk about Chad Powers on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. Steve and Frankie Rodriguez will be on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Sophia Bush (Partners) - Sophia guest co-hosts a repeat of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - NBC's Today has the Best of Fun & Games with "Queen of Quips" with Michelle in the 10am hour.
- Casey Wilson (The Righteous Gemstones/Black Monday/The Hotwives/Marry Me/Happy Endings) and Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - NBC's Today has the Best of Fun & Games with "Beat the Box" with Casey, Andrew and Prue Leith in the 10am hour.
- Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere/Nightcap) - Jeff talks about Apple TV's Widow's Bay on a repeat of Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/29/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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