Friday, February 11, 2011
CBS Mid-Season Pilot Review: Mad Love - Premieres February 14; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 14, 2011)
Mad Love - Mondays 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres Monday, February 14, 2011 at 8:30PM ET/PT
MAD LOVE is a comedy about a quartet of New Yorkers - two who are falling in love and two who despise each other... at least for now. Ben, a lawyer, is a hopeless romantic trying to build a relationship with Kate, a beautiful, smart girl whom Ben thinks is the woman of his dreams. Larry, Ben's unrefined best friend and co-worker, is a guy who doesn't believe in love and has a long track record as the third wheel. Connie, Kate's roommate, works as a nanny and finds Larry aggravating... or does she? Larry and Connie have a lot in common, but refuse to let their guard down long enough to see it.
Cast Details:
* Jason Biggs as Ben Parr
* Sarah Chalke as Kate Swanson
* Tyler Labine as Larry Munsch
* Judy Greer as Connie Grabowski
Jason Biggs (Ben) began his acting career at the age of 5 in national commercials as well as modeling. He won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his role on the daytime drama, As the World Turns, and appeared on the shows Drexel's Class and "Total Security." At age 13, Biggs made his Broadway debut opposite Judd Hirsch in the critically acclaimed Broadway play, Conversations with My Father. Other theater credits include the Broadway production of The Graduate, opposite Kathleen Turner; Boy's Life, a coming-of-age comedy by Second Stage Theater in which he starred opposite Rhys Coiro; and Daniel Goldfarb's play, Modern Orthodox, in which he starred Off-Broadway opposite Craig Bierko and Molly Ringwald.
Biggs quickly became one of Hollywood's most talked-about young actors after his breakthough role in the American Pie trilogy. His film credits also include Jersey Girl, written and directed by Kevin Smith, in which he starred alongside Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler; the Woody Allen project Anything Else; the film adaptation of Elizabeth Wurtzel's best-selling biography Prozac Nation, opposite Christina Ricci; the romantic comedy Saving Silverman with Jack Black, Steve Zahn and Amanda Peet; the Amy Heckerling film Loser; the romantic comedy Boys and Girls, opposite Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Claire Forlani; Saul Metztein's black comedy Guy X; the Disney hit Eight Below, an adventure film in which hestarred opposite Paul Walker; Over My Dead Body, a romantic comedy with Paul Rudd and Eva Longoria; and Lionsgate's romantic comedy My Best Friend's Girl, in which he starred opposite Kate Hudson.
For nine seasons, Sarah Chalke (Kate) starred as Dr. Elliot Reid on the Emmy Award-winning series, Scrubs. A native of Ottawa, Canada, Chalke was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, and began appearing in local musical theater productions when she was 8. A few years later, she became an environmental reporter for the Canadian series, Kid Zone. Her big break came in 1993 when she was cast as daughter Becky Conner on the series Roseanne.
In 2005, Chalke starred in the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of Create Fate, and completed a successful run in the Off-Broadway production of Modern Orthodox, a romantic comedy about love, dating and unlikely friendships, under the direction of James Lapine at New York's Underwood Theater. In 2006, she starred as Lifetime Television executive and breast cancer survivor Geralyn Lucas in Lifetime's Outstanding Made for Television Movie Emmy nominee, Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy. In 2007, she starred opposite Ryan Reynolds and Stuart Townsend in the Warner Independent thriller, Chaos Theory.
Recently, Chalke had a recurring role as Stella Zinmann on the Emmy Award-winning comedy series, How I Met Your Mother, on CBS. Chalke was most recently seen in Maneater, a four-hour Lifetime Original miniseries based on Gigi Levangie Grazer's New York Times #1 best-selling book, The Starter Wife. The successful miniseries was that network's highest-rated program of the year.
A native of Canada, Tyler Labine (Larry) was born in Brampton, Ontario, and moved as a child with his family to Vancouver, British Columbia. He beganhis acting career in local theater and a number of small television roles. After landing one of the lead roles on the series Breaker High and That Was Then, he appeared in film roles opposite Jean Reno in Tony Bill's Flyboys, Nathan Lane in Trixie, Cybill Shepherd in Marine Life and Tim Robbins in Antitrust.
Labine's notable film appearances include his role in My Boss's Daughter with Ashton Kutcher; working opposite David Bowie in Mr. Rice's Secret, and the feature The Zero Sum with Ewen Bremner. Recently, Labine had a starring role in the comedy, A Good Old Fashioned Orgy, with Lake Bell and Leslie Bibb. In 2009, Labine starred as Lewis Henderson in Control Alt Delete.
His television credits include series regular roles on Invasion, Reaper and Sons of Tucson, and a guest-starring rol eon Boston Legal. He also portrayed John Belushi in the TV film, Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Mork & Mindy.'
One of the busiest actresses in Hollywood, Judy Greer (Connie) recently wrapped filming the features Jeff Who Lives At Home, opposite Ed Helms and Jason Segel, as well as The Descendants, opposite George Clooney. In addition, Greer will appear in a pair of independent features that premiered at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival. In Malcolm Venville's comedy, Henry's Crime, Greer will be seen opposite Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga and James Caan. She will also be in Barry Blaustein's Peep World, opposite Michael C. Hall, Sarah Silverman, Kate Mara and Rainn Wilson.
Greer was most recently seen in Magnolia Pictures' Barry Munday, opposite Patrick Wilson, Malcolm McDowell, Chloe Sevigny and Colin Hanks; and Love and Other Drugs, with Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal for director Ed Zwick. Her additional film credits include Fox's Marmaduke; Universal's Love Happens, with Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart; Visioneers, opposite Zach Galifianakis; The Go-Getter, with Zooey Deschanel and Jena Malone; 27 Dresses, opposite Katherine Heigl and James Marsden; The TV Set, with Sigourney Weaver and David Duchovny; American Dreamz, with Hugh Grant and Mandy Moore; The Amateurs, with Jeff Bridges; Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown; M. Night Shyamalan's The Village; 13 Going On 30; writer/director Adam Goldberg's psychological drama, I Love Your Work (debuted at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival); The Hebrew Hammer (debuted at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival); Charlie Kaufman's critically-acclaimed Adaptation; The Wedding Planner; What Women Want; Danny Leiner's The Great New Wonderful (2005 Tribeca Film Festival); What Planet Are You From?; Three Kings; Jawbreaker; In Memory Of My Father; The Specials and Kissing A Fool, among others.
In addition to her role on MAD LOVE, Greer can be heard as the voice of Wendy on Nickelodeon's animated series, Glenn Martin, DDS, as well as the voice of Cheryl on the animated series, Archer. Her previous television appearances have included Miss Guided, Modern Family, House, M.D, ER, My Name Is Earl, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Californication, Arrested Development, and CBS, Love Monkey, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and Two and A Half Men.
Pilot Plot:
#1 "Fireworks" (Airs February 14, 2011)
When Ben Parr and Kate Swanson accidentally meet at the top of the Empire State Building, they make a date for later that evening and each bring along their best friends, Larry and Connie, who instantly despise each other.
Directed by Pamela Fryman
Written by Matt Tarses
Recurring Cast: Sarah Wright as Tiffany
Guest Cast: Rachel Boston as Erin, Miguel Nunez as Carter, Laura Spencer as Alexa, Jerrika Hinton as Eva
Analysis:
Mad Love is a multi-camera ensemble comedy from Sony Pictures Television and CBS Television Studios. CBS has ordered a total of 13 episodes. The show has undergone many casting changes since the pilot was first green-lit in early 2010. Minka Kelly, Ashley Austin Morris, Dan Fogler, Lizzy Caplan and Hal Williams were cast in the early stages. Tyler Labine came on board in April, replacing Fogler. Sarah Chalke joined the cast in June, replacing Kelly. Judy Greer was the last to join the cast as Connie. Hal Williams was originally supposed to be in the pilot as the elevator operator and provide the narration, but that is provided by Tyler Labine's Larry character.
In the pilot episode, "Fireworks," Larry Munsch narrates the opening sequence and asks do you believe in fairy tales. He says me neither, but says this one will be a little different because he's telling it. Ben tells Larry that he's ending it with his girlfriend Erin because there's no fireworks. Kate loses her hat in the bathroom at the top of the Empire State Building. Carter is the elevator operator. Fate happens and Kate finds Ben's red cell phone on the ledge. Ben finds Kate's hat and they exchange the items. At his office, Ben tells Larry that there were fireworks between him and Kate. Ben tries to break up with Erin. Larry meets Connie, who is a friend of Kate, at the bar. Ben invites Kate up to his apartment for a beer, while Larry is left alone with Connie. Kate and Connie leave upset and in a hurry after Erin arrives. Connie is the nanny for Tiffany's children. Ben and Erin officially break up. Kate and company go to the bar where they see Ben kissing another girl. Two weeks later, Larry meets up again with Connie at the gym. They devise a plan to get Ben and Connie back together again at the building.
The show is airing after How I Met Your Mother and while it's not a complete clone, there are quite a few similarities and connections. Both shows are set in New York City with a group of friends. There are also several scenes at a bar. Tyler Labine's character provides the narration in the opening and closing minutes. Jason Biggs' character seems similar to Ted Mosby. Pamela Fryman, who has directed the majority of the How I Met Your Mother episodes, also directs the pilot. Sarah Chalke had a recurring role on HIMYM a few seasons ago and Judy Greer has also guest starred in a single episode. Since How I Met Your Mother has become such a solid hit, you can't blame them for trying some of the same storytelling devices and tricks which have proven to work. Mad Love has an experienced and talented cast. I think that it's unique enough that it will be a nice addition to the CBS' Monday night lineup. If it becomes a solid hit, I wouldn't be surprised to see a cross-over episode maybe next season.
Conclusion:
Mad Love joins an already hilarious lineup of comedies on CBS. This is a show which could have easily been on the fall schedule. It's pretty nice when you have such a strong show to come out of the bullpen at mid-season. The strength of the show is the talent and comedy experience of the cast. This is one of the few new shows where I think every cast member is going to be familiar to many viewers. Jason Biggs is recognizable from the American Pie trilogy and many other film and TV roles. It's nice to see Sarah Chalke on a sitcom again as a lead after Scrubs ended. Judy Greer always brings the funny with some wacky characters. Tyler Labine is probably the least known cast member to audiences after appearing on some short-lived shows like the underrated Invasion, but this could be his breakout role. He's very funny in the pilot as the unrefined Larry.
There aren't tons of laugh-out-loud moments in the pilot, but it sets things up well. Pilots are not usually the strongest. They lay the groundwork and provide the necessary background and introductions for the characters. These are characters who viewers will like. If you are a fan of How I Met Your Mother, you will probably want to check out Mad Love right after it. There are some similarities, but Mad Love has its own uniqueness and charm to it. This is one of the better dating/couples sitcoms of the season. The potential is there for it to stick and become a dependable hit. It was originally scheduled to premiere a week later, but it made sense for promotional and marketing reasons for them to move it up a week to Valentine's Day. Who will fall in love? Watch the fireworks and tune in on Monday nights at 8:30/7:30c on CBS to find out!
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
-- Reviewed by Todd on 02/11/11
Discuss the show after you watch it on Monday, February 14 on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Feb. 14-18, 2010, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!
Monday, February 14, 2011
- Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Watch the Latin goddess on Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Martin Lawrence (Martin) - Catch the funnyman on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC at 12am.
- Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) - Watch Melissa on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS at 12:37am.
- Jason Ritter (The Class) - Watch Jason on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:37am on NBC.
- Cast of Roseanne - Roseanne Barr, John Goodman and the rest of the Roseanne TV family reminisce about the popular series on The Oprah Show, check local listings
- Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - See Eric on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am.
- William Shatner ($#*! My Dad Says) - Catch The Shat on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Martin Lawrence (Martin) - Watch Martin on The Mo'nique Show on BET at 11pm.
- Michael Rappaport (The War at Home) - Watch Michael on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:37am.
- Martin Lawrence (Martin) - Martin visits Conan on TBS at 11pm.
- Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) - Watch Sarah be a guest CO-HOST on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Wendie Malick (Hot in Cleveland/Just Shoot Me/Big Day) - Watch Wendy on The Talk at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT on CBS.
- Jenna Fischer (The Office) - Watch Jenna on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Sarah Chalke (Mad Love/Scrubs) - Watch the beautiful star on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- David Spade (Rules of Engagement/Just Shoot Me/8 Simple Rules) - Catch David on the Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35am on CBS.
- Set Visit for Modern Family - ABC's Good Morning America will be on the set live sometime between 7-9am.
- Ed Helms (The Office) - Ed appears on The Rachel Ray Show, so check your listings for time and station.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
More on TV Land Sitcom Pilots; ION Television's January 2011 Ratings Is Best Month Ever; 2011 Valentine's Day Weekend TV Marathons
Last Thursday we gave details on TV Land's three sitcom pilot they are taping, this week TV Land has officially announced them. They are not picked-up to series yet, but full details on the pilots were released.
Furthering TV Land's expansion into the original sitcom landscape, the network announced that it has signed several popular television and film actors to star in its three upcoming pilots. Fran Drescher (The Nanny), Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris), John Michael Higgins (Kath & Kim), D.W. Moffett (Friday Night Lights), Rita Moreno (West Side Story), Valente Rodriguez (George Lopez) and Robert Walden (All The President's Men) will star in Happily Divorced based on Drescher's life.
Donald Faison (Scrubs), Wayne Knight (Seinfeld, Hot in Cleveland), David Alan Basche (The Starter Wife) and Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From The Sun) will headline an untitled Mark Reisman sitcom.
And Christine Taylor (Arrested Development), Barry Watson (Samantha Who?, 7th Heaven) and Sherri Shepherd (The View) will star in a comedy pilot by Terri Minsky tentatively titled Rip City. Anne Meara (The King of Queens) will guest star in Minsky's pilot. All three pilots, which were previously announced in January, will be multi-camera and will tape in front of live audiences in February.
View more on these pilots and stay with us for any details on if these pilots are picked-up to series. I could imagine at least one of these being picked-up for air.
ION Television kicked off 2011 with continued ratings growth, celebrating January as its best month ever, according to Nielsen Media Research. ION's growing mix of TV series and movies, presented under its "Positively Entertaining" consumer tagline, posted growth across key demos during the month, and, for the first time, ranked among the top 10 cable entertainment networks in A25-54, households and total viewers in the 7pm-12am sales prime time period. Shows airings weeknights from 7pm-12am are Without a Trace and Criminal Minds blocks. Movies air on weekends in this time frame.
ION Television closed out January with double-digit growth in household viewers, up 15% (1,002,000) and up 13% (1,315,000) in total viewers, compared to January 2010, representing new network highs. The network also registered record high numbers in the A18-49 demo (493,000).
Additionally in January, ION Television ranked #9 among cable entertainment networks in A25-54, households and total viewers -- marking the first time ION is positioned among the top 10 nets. January also registered ION's best week ever (1/3/11) in A18-49 (545,000) and total viewers (1,455,000).
ION's 11pm hour (Criminal Minds on weeknights/movies on weekends) also became a driving force for the network's ratings last month as viewers turned to ION as an alternative destination to late night talk and cable reality reruns -- making it the most viewed hour in the 7pm-12am daypart for the network among A25-54 and A18-49. During the 11pm hour in January, ION's rankings also saw a boost, positioning at:
· #3 in total viewers as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (1,669,000)
· #5 in A25-54 as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (690,000)
· #6 in households as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (1,092,000)
· #8 in A18-49 as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (645,000)
January's record ratings generates momentum for the general entertainment network as ION Television recently celebrated 2010 as its most watched year ever in its key demos.
Looking for new ways to celebrate Valentine's Day Weekend? Last night ABC had hilarious all-new Valentine's Day episodes The Middle, Better With You and Modern Family that did well in the ratings and tonight NBC's comedy line-up celebrates Valentine's Day and romance. ABC delivers the classic Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown on Friday at 8pm with the newer classic A Charlie Brown Valentine following. All weekend long you can fall in love all over again during Hallmark's Countdown to Valentine's Day, which includes the world premiere of the movie Accidentally in Love starring Jennie Garth on Saturday.
For more V-Day options, you should check out these 195 TV Series & Movie Marathons and Specials at TVTango that air during this coming week, including the long Valentine's Day weekend.
And more love will be discussed tomorrow during our pilot review of the upcoming CBS comedy Mad Love, which premieres on Monday--Valentine's Day!
Furthering TV Land's expansion into the original sitcom landscape, the network announced that it has signed several popular television and film actors to star in its three upcoming pilots. Fran Drescher (The Nanny), Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris), John Michael Higgins (Kath & Kim), D.W. Moffett (Friday Night Lights), Rita Moreno (West Side Story), Valente Rodriguez (George Lopez) and Robert Walden (All The President's Men) will star in Happily Divorced based on Drescher's life.
Donald Faison (Scrubs), Wayne Knight (Seinfeld, Hot in Cleveland), David Alan Basche (The Starter Wife) and Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From The Sun) will headline an untitled Mark Reisman sitcom.
And Christine Taylor (Arrested Development), Barry Watson (Samantha Who?, 7th Heaven) and Sherri Shepherd (The View) will star in a comedy pilot by Terri Minsky tentatively titled Rip City. Anne Meara (The King of Queens) will guest star in Minsky's pilot. All three pilots, which were previously announced in January, will be multi-camera and will tape in front of live audiences in February.
View more on these pilots and stay with us for any details on if these pilots are picked-up to series. I could imagine at least one of these being picked-up for air.
ION Television kicked off 2011 with continued ratings growth, celebrating January as its best month ever, according to Nielsen Media Research. ION's growing mix of TV series and movies, presented under its "Positively Entertaining" consumer tagline, posted growth across key demos during the month, and, for the first time, ranked among the top 10 cable entertainment networks in A25-54, households and total viewers in the 7pm-12am sales prime time period. Shows airings weeknights from 7pm-12am are Without a Trace and Criminal Minds blocks. Movies air on weekends in this time frame.
ION Television closed out January with double-digit growth in household viewers, up 15% (1,002,000) and up 13% (1,315,000) in total viewers, compared to January 2010, representing new network highs. The network also registered record high numbers in the A18-49 demo (493,000).
Additionally in January, ION Television ranked #9 among cable entertainment networks in A25-54, households and total viewers -- marking the first time ION is positioned among the top 10 nets. January also registered ION's best week ever (1/3/11) in A18-49 (545,000) and total viewers (1,455,000).
ION's 11pm hour (Criminal Minds on weeknights/movies on weekends) also became a driving force for the network's ratings last month as viewers turned to ION as an alternative destination to late night talk and cable reality reruns -- making it the most viewed hour in the 7pm-12am daypart for the network among A25-54 and A18-49. During the 11pm hour in January, ION's rankings also saw a boost, positioning at:
· #3 in total viewers as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (1,669,000)
· #5 in A25-54 as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (690,000)
· #6 in households as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (1,092,000)
· #8 in A18-49 as the most watched network among all cable entertainment nets (645,000)
January's record ratings generates momentum for the general entertainment network as ION Television recently celebrated 2010 as its most watched year ever in its key demos.
Looking for new ways to celebrate Valentine's Day Weekend? Last night ABC had hilarious all-new Valentine's Day episodes The Middle, Better With You and Modern Family that did well in the ratings and tonight NBC's comedy line-up celebrates Valentine's Day and romance. ABC delivers the classic Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown on Friday at 8pm with the newer classic A Charlie Brown Valentine following. All weekend long you can fall in love all over again during Hallmark's Countdown to Valentine's Day, which includes the world premiere of the movie Accidentally in Love starring Jennie Garth on Saturday.
For more V-Day options, you should check out these 195 TV Series & Movie Marathons and Specials at TVTango that air during this coming week, including the long Valentine's Day weekend.
And more love will be discussed tomorrow during our pilot review of the upcoming CBS comedy Mad Love, which premieres on Monday--Valentine's Day!
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
ABC Family March 2011, Sabrina the Teenage Witch Leaves; Remembering Peggy Rea
ABC Family has released their March 2011 schedule and at the end of the month, a long-running sitcom will be leaving because its contract will expire. The '90s sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch starring Melissa Joan Hart will be leaving the schedule effective Monday, March 28. The series has been on the network for nearly five years, since October 2006. Effective March 28, What I Like About You will now air in the 8am hour replacing Sabrina. And the only other change will be the return of Grounded for Life airing in the 9am half-hour replacing What I Like About You. The rest of the regular schedule remains intact with sitcoms Boy Meets World, Full House, Still Standing, 8 Simple Rules, My Wife & Kids, and That '70s Show.
Highlights for the month of March 2011 include the series finale of ABC Family original drama Greek on Monday, March 7 at 9pm. The first season finale of drama Pretty Little Liars will air on Monday, March 21 at 8pm after a best-of marathon from 11am-8pm. ABC Family will encore the last two episodes of season three of The Secret Life of the American Teenager after all-new Pretty Little Liars episodes on March 14 and March 21 at 9pm. The Secret Life of the American Teenager will return with all-new episodes on Monday, March 28 at 8pm after a best-of marathon from 11am-8pm. Also returning will be all-new episodes of original drama Make It or Break It airing at 9pm after Secret Life. Stay with us for updates on more original series, such as the return of sitcom Melissa & Joey, which should be returning in early summer.
ABC Family also has of course movie premieres for March 2011. Disney-Pixar's Monsters, Inc. will be making its ABC Family premiere on March 6. On March 13, Beverly Hills Chihuahua (starring George Lopez, Drew Barrymore, Piper Perabo and Jamie Lee Curtis) will be making its basic cable debut at 7pm followed by the world premiere of the new movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 starring George Lopez, Odette Yustman, Olivia Newton-John, Christine Lakin, and Ernie Hudson at 9pm. More ABC Family movie premieres include Hairspray (2007), The Rundown, and City of Ember. And of course there will be other movies airing during the month such as Cheaper by the Dozen, Grease, Meet the Parents, Titanic, The Flintstones, Enchanted, Aladdin, Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Happy Gilmore, Back to the Future trilogy and many more!
We also have some sad news to report. Character actress Peggy Rea known for her many roles in television series, and a number of films, died at her home in Toluca Lake on Saturday (February 5, 2011). She died of complications from congestive heart failure. Among her recurring roles in television were as Olivia Walton's cousin, Rose Burton, on The Waltons, as man chasing-Lulu Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard, as Ivy Baker (the mother of Suzanne Somers' character) on the first season of Step by Step, and as Brett Butler's mom (Jean Kelly) on Grace Under Fire.
Peggy also appeared in such television programs as I Love Lucy, Family Affair, The Good Guys, Gidget, The Patty Duke Show, Hazel, Sergeant Bilko, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Adam-12, Medical Center, Ironside, The Doris Day Show, Mannix, All in the Family, Quincy M.E., Charlie's Angels, Maude, Sanford, One Day at a Time, The Odd Couple, Love American Style, Marcus Welby, M.D., Mathnet, Burke's Law, Monsters, The Golden Girls, MacGyver, and Meego.
Even though she is not a household name, she was a fan favorite on the shows she appeared in. Fans of Step by Step, Grace Under Fire, The Waltons, The Dukes of Hazzard and All in the Family will certainly miss her. She will be deeply missed. Peggy was 89.
Highlights for the month of March 2011 include the series finale of ABC Family original drama Greek on Monday, March 7 at 9pm. The first season finale of drama Pretty Little Liars will air on Monday, March 21 at 8pm after a best-of marathon from 11am-8pm. ABC Family will encore the last two episodes of season three of The Secret Life of the American Teenager after all-new Pretty Little Liars episodes on March 14 and March 21 at 9pm. The Secret Life of the American Teenager will return with all-new episodes on Monday, March 28 at 8pm after a best-of marathon from 11am-8pm. Also returning will be all-new episodes of original drama Make It or Break It airing at 9pm after Secret Life. Stay with us for updates on more original series, such as the return of sitcom Melissa & Joey, which should be returning in early summer.
ABC Family also has of course movie premieres for March 2011. Disney-Pixar's Monsters, Inc. will be making its ABC Family premiere on March 6. On March 13, Beverly Hills Chihuahua (starring George Lopez, Drew Barrymore, Piper Perabo and Jamie Lee Curtis) will be making its basic cable debut at 7pm followed by the world premiere of the new movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 starring George Lopez, Odette Yustman, Olivia Newton-John, Christine Lakin, and Ernie Hudson at 9pm. More ABC Family movie premieres include Hairspray (2007), The Rundown, and City of Ember. And of course there will be other movies airing during the month such as Cheaper by the Dozen, Grease, Meet the Parents, Titanic, The Flintstones, Enchanted, Aladdin, Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Happy Gilmore, Back to the Future trilogy and many more!
We also have some sad news to report. Character actress Peggy Rea known for her many roles in television series, and a number of films, died at her home in Toluca Lake on Saturday (February 5, 2011). She died of complications from congestive heart failure. Among her recurring roles in television were as Olivia Walton's cousin, Rose Burton, on The Waltons, as man chasing-Lulu Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard, as Ivy Baker (the mother of Suzanne Somers' character) on the first season of Step by Step, and as Brett Butler's mom (Jean Kelly) on Grace Under Fire.
Peggy also appeared in such television programs as I Love Lucy, Family Affair, The Good Guys, Gidget, The Patty Duke Show, Hazel, Sergeant Bilko, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Adam-12, Medical Center, Ironside, The Doris Day Show, Mannix, All in the Family, Quincy M.E., Charlie's Angels, Maude, Sanford, One Day at a Time, The Odd Couple, Love American Style, Marcus Welby, M.D., Mathnet, Burke's Law, Monsters, The Golden Girls, MacGyver, and Meego.
Even though she is not a household name, she was a fan favorite on the shows she appeared in. Fans of Step by Step, Grace Under Fire, The Waltons, The Dukes of Hazzard and All in the Family will certainly miss her. She will be deeply missed. Peggy was 89.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
ABC Mid-Season Pilot Review: Mr. Sunshine - Premieres Feb. 9; Hallmark Acquires Frasier, Lifetime Loses Frasier
Mr. Sunshine - Wednesdays 9:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 9:30PM ET/PT
Matthew Perry stars as Ben Donovan, a self-involved manager of a San Diego sports arena, the Sunshine Center, where curious mishaps and bizarre requests are nothing more than ordinary. Working alongside him is his boss and arena owner Crystal, attractive, powerful and highly erratic; Alice, the cute, tomboyish marketing director and Ben's friend with benefits; Alonzo, a former basketball player, handsome and unbelievably happy; Ben's assistant, Heather, pretty, sweet, but terrifying because she once lit a boyfriend on fire; and Crystal's son, Roman, sweet-faced, clueless and Ben's newest employee.
Cast Details:
* Matthew Perry as Ben
* Allison Janney as Crystal
* Andrea Anders as Alice
* James Lesure as Andy
* Nate Torrence as Roman
* Portia Doubleday as Heather
Matthew Perry (Ben) is the manager of operations at the Sunshine Center. His worldwide audience will be happy to know he is returning to series television as the star, co-writer and executive producer of Mr. Sunshine. Perry is perhaps best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on Friends, and has shown his diverse talents in a range of projects since the series concluded after ten years. In 2006 Perry returned to series television to star in Aaron Sorkin's NBC drama, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, in a role that was written for him. Earlier, in 2005, he took his talents to the athletic arena as he hosted the 2005 ESPY Awards. The broadcast earned the highest rating in the 12-year history of the ESPYs. He also received an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Joe Quincy on The West Wing.
Allison Janney (Crystal) is the owner of the arena and the big boss. Displaying astonishing versatility with a wide range of roles in film, television and theater, Allison Janney has taken her place among a select group of actors who combine a leading lady's profile with a character actor's art of performance. Fans will remember her starring role as CJ Cregg in the award-winning NBC series, The West Wing, for which Janney won a remarkable four SAG and four Emmy Awards. She recently guest starred on ABC's LOST as a pivotal character in the mythlogy of the series. She has also appeared in many movies. She starred opposite Meryl Streep in The Hours, which received a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture. Other credits include the Academy Award-winning films American Beauty (for which she won a SAG Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture), Finding Nemo, Over the Hedge, Our Very Own, Strangers with Candy, Nurse Betty, How to Deal, Drop Dead Gorgeous, 10 Things I Hate About You, Primary Colors, The Ice Storm, Six Days Seven Nights, The Object of My Affection and Big Night.
Andrea Anders (Alice) is the marketing director for the Sunshine Center. Andrea most recently starred in ABC's critically acclaimed series Better Off Ted, and is known to television audiences for her roles as Nicole Allen on the sitcom The Class and as Alex Garrett in the Friends spin-off series Joey, opposite Matt LeBlanc. Additional television credits include guest starring on Law & Order, Tru Calling, Oz, Numb3rs and appearances on the daytime dramas Guiding Light and One Life to Live. Feature film credits include the road comedy Sex Drive and The Stepford Wives. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (from University of Wisconsin) and a Master of Fine Arts degree (from Rutgers).
James Lesure (Alonzo) plays a former basketball player and friend to Ben. James gives new meaning to the term Hollywood Hunk. His magnetic charm, both on screen and stage, complement a firmly grounded personality. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the suave, competitive head of surveillance, Mike Cannon, on the hit series Las Vegas, opposite legendary actor James Caan. Lesure made his series debut on the comedy For Your Love as attorney Mel Ellis, co-starring actress Holly Robinson-Peete. He has also appeared in recurring roles on the hits The New Adventures of Old Christine, Lipstick Jungle, The Division and Alias. Other television credits include guest-starring roles on ABC's LOST, Sherri, Seinfeld and a notable turn as a resolute military officer on the acclaimed series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which of course starred Matthew Perry.
Nate Torrence (Roman) plays Crystal's son and he is looking for work at the arena. Torrence began breaking into television with guest star appearances on several shows, including Malcolm in the Middle, How I Met Your Mother, House and many more. In 2006 he landed the recurring role of Dylan Killington on NBC's critically acclaimed Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, opposite Mr. Sunshine star Matthew Perry. Film appearances include Get Smart, Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control, My Best Friend's Girl and a major role in the Dreamworks comedy She's Out of My League. He is a master of improv and still finds time to perform sketch/improv shows in area theaters, including at The Second City Theater in Los Angeles.
Pilot Plot:
#1 "Pilot" (Airs February 9, 2011)
On what would have been just a typical day at work -- trying to get rid of a hockey rink that won't melt so the circus can go on that night, looking for an elephant lost in the building and arranging an impromptu press conference to repair one of his boss's PR nightmares -- Alice ends her casual relationship with Ben to commit to another man. This happens on Ben's 40th birthday, just as he's realizing he doesn't want to be alone.
Recurring is Portia Doubleday as Heather. Guest starring are Jorge Garcia as Bobert and David Pressman as mascot. Co-starring Christopher Shea as Dan, Declan Beaty as kid, Jesse Bean as guy, Eric Winzenried as photographer, Harvey Ruffin III as executive, Rico Bueno as worker #1, Alejandro Patino as worker #2, Sam Brown as worker #3, Gene DeJoie as worker #4 and Peter Navy Tuiasosop as worker #5.
"Pilot" was written by Matthew Perry, Alex Barnow and Marc Firek and directed by Thomas Schlamme.
Analysis:
This pilot and the premise of the series in general is very unique. I'm surprised there has never been a comedy fully set at a sports arena and looking at the day-to-day operations of it. The pilot sets things up well. That is what a pilot episode should do. Usually the pilot episode is not the strongest episode, but it should catch the viewer's attention. And that's what this one does here. It is a single camera half-hour comedy starring Matthew Perry. Perry's character plays Ben, head of operations for an arena in San Diego called The Sunshine Center (actually filmed at the Forum in Los Angeles). He is the one who schedules everything and well does pretty much everything for the arena. They've got hockey games, rock concerts, the circus, lingerie football, dog shows and more...but lots can go wrong at any of these events and that is what this comedy will explore. Ben says San Diego lost their basketball team to Cincinnati because of something Alonzo did, so not sure if we'll see some basketball here.
Janney's character, Crystal, is the owner of the arena and is extremely eccentric, as proved when she makes up a hilarious song: "the blacks, the whites, the Asians and the Himalayans, too." That made me laugh...she seems to be a racist but doesn't know it. The entire team at the arena is pretty dysfunctional. The pilot has Ben turning 40 and he is sleeping with the marketing director of the arena, Alice. However, Alice is calling their "friends with benefits" relationship off. Ben doesn't seem to mind at first until he later finds out that she is about to start an actual relationship with his best friend, Alonzo, who used to be a basketball player and now works for the arena. Nothing gets Alonzo down, he is your Mr. Sunshine type of guy. Ben is not a very nice guy, but he shows signs of some humanity as we progress. The title of this comedy is Mr. Sunshine, but Ben is from that. The title is really a play at the arena name, since Ben is in charge of everything at the arena. It's a clever play at the title. Among the good things we see from Ben is trying to give Crystal's son Roman a job in the arena. He has no skills and is very strange and his mother doesn't seem to care much about him. It will be interesting to see if Ben can make something of Roman in future episodes. Ben is also trying to be more friendly to his staff, as we see in the pilot episode with the head of maintenance (played by Jorge Garcia) as Ben is trying to be more friendly towards him. But is his name really "Bobert?" Ben also has a new assistant named Heather and she is also very strange, setting people on fire in her past and now also oddly being attracted to Roman.
There are some funny bits in the pilot, but it isn't quite there yet. It has a ton of potential and I could see this comedy turning into the style ABC had with Better Off Ted, except this will be more mainstream and will have more appeal to everyone as it is set in an arena (rather than a research & development company). So my overall feeling is: it's a good set-up with much more to come.
Conclusion:
The series will be following the #1 comedy on television, Modern Family, so it will be certainly sampled. That is a good thing because this show has so much potential. It has a great setting and a great cast. It will be interesting to see how much Ben can better himself as a person as the series progresses. There should be a lot of hilarious challenges on the way. The cast isn't too big, so we will be invested in the characters immediately. One thing I found funny was when Jorge Garcia's character says Ben, as we saw Garcia's character say that name all the time on Lost (Ben Linus). That is a nice homage to Lost, I think, but probably just coincidental here. Garcia will be in a few episodes in this series.
I think the characters are all good and it will be fun to see them develop. If this comedy is even half of what Better Off Ted was, then it should be in good shape in terms of quality. Matthew Perry is good here. He may be unlikeable but you can tell he is trying to "better" himself and I think the show will get better and better, too. Andrea Anders is really stunning and Allison Janney will probably be nominated for many Emmy's for this role, I predict. You don't have to like sports to like this comedy. Events in arenas are more than just sporting events, as I'm sure you all know. Nick Jonas will be guest starring in week two as a singer. Tune in Wednesday at 9:30pm on ABC for some good arena fun because the arena staff might be dysfunctional, but that makes for good TV!
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
-- Reviewed by Pavan on 02/08/11
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, February 9 on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
As we briefly mentioned yesterday, Frasier is coming to Hallmark in April 2011! Hallmark Channel has acquired all eleven seasons and all 264 episodes of Frasier from CBS Television Distribution. Frasier, one of the most critically-acclaimed comedy series of all-time and one of television's most successful spin-off series ever will launch on Monday, April 4, airing Monday-Friday from 9:00-11:00 pm ET/PT. This means, Cheers and Frasier will now be reunited on one network, Hallmark Channel. Frasier, a spin-off of Cheers set in Seattle, starring Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin and beloved Jack Russell Terrier "Eddie," holds the record for the most Emmy wins (37), including five consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series from 1994 to 1998.
Currently, Lifetime is airing Frasier but Lifetime will be losing the rights to the series next month. Frasier has been airing on Lifetime since March, 2006. Frasier airs weekdays 9-10am and 12am-1:30am, but starting Monday, March 7, Lifetime will move up Old Christine to 9am-10:30am from its current 10am-11:30am slot, then How I Met Your Mother moves from 11:30am to 10:30am. And the 11am hour will now have an extra Wife Swap leading into another episode at 12 noon. 1-4pm will remain as is with Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy, but now 4pm will be the series American Justice, pushing Unsolved Mysteries to 5pm & 6pm. Old Christine will no longer be in the 6pm hour and another hour of Reba is added in the 7pm hour replacing How I Met Your Mother. In primetime, Reba remains in the 8pm hour. Movies/originals air from 9-11pm. In late nights, How I Met Your Mother remains in the 11pm hour, but replacing Frasier from 12am-1:30am will be an episode of Old Christine and two episodes of Will & Grace. And two more episodes of How I Met Your Mother will now air at 1:30am & 2:00am replacing Will & Grace -- all starting Monday, March 7.
View the FULL Lifetime March 2011 schedule and come on back for more on Hallmark Channel's schedule in March (with the addition of Empty Nest) and April (with the addition of Frasier) when it is announced.
Monday, February 07, 2011
Fox Mid-Season Pilot Review: Traffic Light - Premieres Feb. 8; Empty Nest Joins Hallmark Channel with Marathon
Traffic Light - Tuesdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on Fox
Premieres Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 9:30PM ET/PT
By skees53
Love and friendship can be full of red lights, yellow lights, and green lights, and that is exactly what you get in Fox's newest sitcom, Traffic Light, premiering Tuesday on Fox. The series takes three guys who were friends since college into their young adulthood, much like the drama thirtysomething did decades ago, but with a light-hearted and much more comedic approach. Mike (David Denman) finds himself spending his free time in his man cave (his car) watching DVDs to avoid the responsibilities that come with adulthood. Adam (Nelson Franklin) has just moved in with his girlfriend, and is finding that things may be changing in his life, much faster than he'd like. And Ethan (Kris Marshall) is just trying to keep his life straightened out as he moves from one girl to the next every week. The lives of these three guys always come to a stop light at the same intersection in Traffic Light.
Cast Details:
* David Denman as Mike
* Nelson Franklin as Adam
* Kris Marshall as Ethan
* Aya Cash as Callie
* Liza Lapira as Lisa
David Denman (Mike) plays the married father who finds it almost impossible to get time for himself. Denman's best-known role is perhaps his recurring role on the NBC series The Office, where he played Roy Anderson, Pam's ex-fiance who could never commit to marriage. He has also played in many other series, including guest roles on Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, Gary Unmarried, C.S.I.: Miami, Angel, Bones, and Drop Dead Diva. He received formal training in acting through the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, as well as by earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting from Julliard.
Nelson Franklin (Adam) plays the guy who is just starting to settle down into a stable relationship, and moving in with his girlfriend. Much like Denman, Franklin is also known for a recurring role that he had on The Office, as "Nick the IT Guy" (who ended up leaving the series to because the character took a job through Teach for America). He has also had guest roles on the short-lived Fox series Dollhouse, as well as a number of smaller independent productions.
Kris Marshall (Ethan) is the British guy in the trio who can't seem to find any stability at all in his life. Marshall guest-starred in an episode of Human Target on Fox, but much of his fame comes from his roles that he is played in Great Britain, including his role of Nick Harper in the UK sitcom My Family, produced by DLT Entertainment and Rude Boy Productions. He has also had significant roles in the UK series Murder City and Funland. He grew up all around the world, though he currently lives in Windsor, Berkshire.
Aya Cash (Callie) plays the girl that Adam just recently moved in with. Much of her fame comes from the stage, but she has had guest roles in series such as Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Mercy, and Brotherhood. She is an alumna of the San Francisco School of Arts.
Liza Lapira (Lisa) is Mike's wife and the mother of his son. The Filipino-American actress is best-known for her role in the film 21 and as Special Agent Michelle Lee in the CBS series NCIS. Her first major role was in the Showtime series Huff. She has also appeared in series including Dollhouse, Dexter, and Grey's Anatomy, among many other series. The Queens-born actress also had many roles on stage in New York prior to moving to Los Angeles in 2004.
Pilot Plot:
The first four episodes of the series were made available for review, so we were able to get a good grasp for the direction that the series is going in at the beginning.
The first episode of the series, "Pilot" (airing February 8) introduces us to the three college buddies, Mike (the married guy always seeking free time), Adam (the single guy who just moved in with his girlfriend), and Ethan (the perpetually single British guy). In the "Pilot" episode, Adam has just moved in with Callie, and is quickly discovering that his fun times with his buddies may come to a crashing end very quickly, and that he is no longer just Adam, but now "Adam and Callie." Meanwhile, Mike, who only seems to find time to talk to his friends while driving, is dealing with having to drive Lisa to work everyday and trying to avoid talking to his friends while she is in the car with him, naturally raising her suspicions.
The second episode, "En Fuego" (airing February 15), it is discovered that Adam is hanging on to a stuffed dog that he won as a carnival prize, and Ethan and Mike are determined to get rid of it for him. Unfortunately, Adam and Callie see this stuffed dog as a good luck charm, and Adam is determined to go through any means necessary to get a replacement for the dog, mostly just to satisfy Callie. Meanwhile, Lisa is paired with Ethan's ex-girlfriend in a charity tennis match, which is a recipe for awkwardness.
"All the Precedent's Men" (airing February 22) puts the guys in tough positions when Lisa encourages Mike to meet up with a younger female colleague, who seems to have quite a bit more in common with Mike than he expects, leading to quite a bit of meetings between the two. Adam's free time in the car is constantly being disrupted by Callie calling him every time during his morning commute for the most useless things, such as to inform him that she has run in to a traffic light. And Ethan is getting involved in a relationship that may very well break his three-week streak of being involved with women.
"Credit Balance" (airdate TBD) causes Mike to have to rise up to his paternal duties by having to take care of son Tommy in the morning, but he quickly finds that being the "coffee mom" is pretty awesome, and finds a new group of friends in other mothers. Callie is in serious debt financially, and explains to Adam (while the two take a bath together) what brought on the situation, leading Adam to worry if her debt will cause trouble in the relationship. And Ethan's new girlfriend is making it virtually impossible for him to break off the relationship.
Analysis:
Unlike many series that I have seen lately, I feel that this one does have some real potential if it finds an audience. I really liked how the series tried to focus on all three main characters as much as possible and create a story for each of them in every episode, although it seems that the character of Ethan could be used a little bit more. Mike and Adam seem to have much more depth and the major plots seem to focus on them, with Ethan as the other guy. But they could really step up his character to a more meaningful role, and hopefully they will do that in later episodes.
Unlike virtually ever other sitcom that Fox has ever aired--good and bad ones--the series doesn't really seem to jump into absurdities and outlandish plots. Everything on the series is down-to-Earth and "normal" for a sitcom. In a sense, I kind of like to see that in a sitcom. There's nothing that is done in the series to obtain any kind of shock value, or any big surprises. That can be a double-edged sword at times (that does, after all, make a series interesting), but I think that it works for this series, as it attempts to be a more "normal" series. Of course, as a result of this, there really weren't any laugh-out-loud moments in any of the episodes, which is somewhat disappointing, but it does offer room for the writers to focus on the actual plot development.
I found it rather interesting to see David Denman in the role as Mike, who was the responsible one that was settled down, married, had a child, and had a career. This is quite a change from his role on The Office as Roy, the blue-collared warehouse employee who was engaged to Pam for several seasons (before Jim got in the middle of that relationship, of course, and eventually married Pam) but could never settle down to the idea of marriage. But it is also nice to see that he hasn't been typecast into that type of role and can explore a bit of diversity in his roles.
Conclusion:
This isn't a bad series, the main struggle that it will have throughout the beginning (just like any new series) is finding an audience. It could be tough to do on Fox, as many (live-action) sitcoms that air on Fox indeed do not find an audience, and though they have mostly produced some bad sitcoms in the past few years, there have been a few gems along the way that just couldn't find an audience. The reality is that in the entire history of the network, there have really only been a handful of live-action sitcoms that have had any level of success on Fox, and really none in the past decade. The series really doesn't feel like a Fox sitcom at all, and perhaps that will work in its favor in drawing in a new audience. I think only time will tell where this series will go, and hopefully there will be some "kinks" in the relationships along the way to make the series more interesting (perhaps some continuing storylines), but I'd say that the series has a green light, for now anyway.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3.5/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 4/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, February 8 on our message board.
Preview:
Related Links:
Moving on the some news, we have some very cool news for The Hallmark Channel! They have added a 24-hour marathon for the 1988-1995 sitcom Empty Nest on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011! The sitcom was a spin-off of The Golden Girls, which also airs on Hallmark. The show revolves around pediatrician Dr. Harry Weston (Richard Mulligan), whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Libby, dies, and two of his adult daughters (Dinah Manoff and Kristy McNichol) move back into the family home in Miami. The series has not aired on U.S. television since local broadcast stations returned airing it between 1999-2001. The series was also last seen on cable briefly on TBS in 1996 and WGN stopped it in 1999. It never did well in the ratings in syndication, but it has never aired on the same network in reruns with The Golden Girls. The sitcom originally followed The Golden Girls on the NBC Saturday night schedule, so there is a chance Hallmark will re-create that.
The series is expected to join the regular schedule, but as of this writing, they have not released an updated March schedule with the timings. For now, enjoy the 24-hour marathon beginning at 6am ET on Saturday, Feb. 26! Episode info is not available just yet for the marathon. Empty Nest had a spin-off series as well titled Nurses, that lasted three seasons from 1991-94. Hopefully Hallmark can get that also, as that hasn't been seen since the mid-90s on Lifetime (in fact, it left the schedule in 1997 when Lifetime started airing The Golden Girls). There will be plenty of other 24-hour marathons on Hallmark this month and next month. But before we get to that, effective next Tuesday (Feb. 15), Touched by an Angel returns to the schedule! The series will replace the primetime airing of Little House on the Prairie at 8pm and the Hallmark movie from 9-11pm, so we get a three-episode block of Touched by an Angel in primetime. Little House on the Prairie will still remain in the afternoons from 3-6pm. Touched by an Angel gets a 24-hour marathon on Saturday, Feb. 19 starting at 6am ET to celebrate its return. We also have a 24-hour (actually 22) marathon of The Golden Girls on Sunday, Feb. 27 from 6am-4am, the day after the Empty Nest marathon. Every Sunday night at 4am, Hallmark will now air an ice skating special.
The March 2011 schedule is now tentative because we will likely be seeing Empty Nest added to the schedule, but they do have a 24-hour Little House on the Prairie marathon scheduled on Saturday, March 5 beginning at 6am. And the only other stunt, as of now, in March is a Touched by an Angel marathon on Sunday, March 13 from 9am-11pm. Looking further ahead, Hallmark Channel has already began airing promos for Frasier, which will air on the network starting in April. What does that mean for Lifetime, which currently airs the show? Stay with us later this week for info on that. And we will also have more on Frasier on Hallmark in the near future as well.
For now, view the UPDATED Hallmark Channel February 2011 schedule. And stay with us for details on when Empty Nest will be airing on the regular schedule.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Week 20 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did
2010-11 Week 20 TV Ratings (first four nights averages, Mon-Thu):
Households: 1. CBS 7.3/11.6 rating/share; 2. Fox 6.4/9.8; 3. ABC 4.5/7.2; 4. NBC 4.2/6.7; 5. The CW 1.2/1.8
Total Viewers: 1. CBS 12.02 million; 2. Fox 11.42 million; 3. ABC 7.23 million; 4. NBC 7.07 million; 5. The CW 1.89 million.
Adults 18-49: 1. Fox 3.8/9.9 rating/share; 2. CBS 2.7/7.1; 3. ABC 2.4/6.3; 4. NBC 2.4/6.3; 5. The CW 0.8/2.2
Week 20 (Jan. 31-Feb. 6) Analysis: Week 20 has CBS and Fox share leadership, as February sweeps started on Thursday. Through the first four nights CBS leads the way in HH/viewers but Fox is winning in 18-49. Fox is second in HH/viewers, while CBS is second in 18-49. ABC and NBC are in third and fourth, respectively. Fox will win the week big after tonight's Super Bowl. Last week, week 19, had Fox win big thanks to Idol of course but also CBS was in repeats mainly. CBS was in second place across the board and ABC was third everywhere again while NBC was still stuck in fourth.
Monday saw ABC with the win. ABC started with The Bachelor doing 9.66 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, up again from previous week. It is starting to grow every week again since the BCS game. At 10pm ABC aired a repeat of Castle and did 6.22 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, its best repeat rating of the season so far. CBS was in repeats again with its comedies and Hawaii Five-0. At 8pm, a repeat of How I Met Your Mother started it off with 7.26 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, which is up some from previous week. At 8:30, a repeat of Rules of Engagement did 7.42 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, up some from previous week and build from its lead-in. Two and a Half Men followed with a repeat of its own doing 11.21 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, which is down a bit in viewers but up a bit in 18-49 from previous week. At 9:30, Mike & Molly was a repeat too and did 9.06 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, down a lick from previous week. A repeat of Hawaii Five-0 at 10pm did 6.94 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, which was up a bit from previous week. Fox was all-new but House was preempted for a special all-new Human Target airing doing 7.75 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, up some from its usual Wednesday at 8 numbers. Is there any night where this show has not aired yet? A new episode of Lie To Me followed at 9pm with 7.06 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. Will Fox bring back these two and Fringe...which all seem to do around the same rating. NBC started its night with a new Chuck doing 5.57 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, which is down again a few tenths from previous week. At 9pm, the struggling The Cape did 5.34 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down some again from previous week. At 10pm, week three of Harry's Law aired doing a solid 11.02 million but just a 2.1 18-49 rating. Still consistent. The CW was new with 90210 doing 1.67 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, off a bit from previous week. And ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars towers over it. Gossip Girl followed with a new episode doing 1.5 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, also down a bit from previous week.
Tuesday had CBS dominate with its dramas. CBS started with a new NCIS and did 22.85 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating. Wow. NCIS: Los Angeles followed with a new episode and did 17.7 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, which is above average. The Good Wife did well in total viewers with 12.14 million but only a 2.2 18-49 rating. For ABC, No Ordinary Family was a repeat in the 8pm hour doing 4.22 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. At 9, V was new and did 5.29 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, for a season low. Should perk back up this week with the lead-in being new. Detroit 1-8-7 returned with 5.49 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, up from its most recent episode. Fox again had a repeat of Glee and it did 4.97 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, which was up a bit from previous week's repeat. Next Million Dollar Money Drop had its last scheduled airing of the season do 5.15 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating...which is not bad, as it skews young. NBC aired a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 9.2 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, which was up some from previous week's hour episode. Then at 10pm, Parenthood did 6.18 million and a decent 2.2 18-49 rating, which was tied for first actually. The CW was new with One Tree Hill doing 2.42 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, up from previous week thanks to a special wedding episode. Next at 9pm was a new episode of Hellcats and that did 1.8 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, down some from previous week.
Wednesday had American Idol win but then viewers fled elsewhere at 9. It did 25.14 million and a 9.0 18-49 rating, down a tad from previous week, which was two hours. At 9pm Fox aired Human Target and viewers fled elsewhere, as the show did 9.22 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating. Above average for that show, but the 9:30pm half-hour ratings were similar to its Monday airing. This means that Idol viewers went elsewhere and only the fans of this show were watching. That's not a bad thing, it's just that Fox should air something else at 9pm. CBS started the night off with dud Live to Dance doing just 4.75 million and a minuscule 0.9 18-49 rating again. CBS would usually pull a show that low, but this might be different since it is near the end anyway. Veteran drama Criminal Minds was next but it was a repeat doing 9.66 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating. At 10pm, the third special Wednesday airing of Blue Bloods did 11.31 million but only a 1.6 18-49 rating, down from previous week. It is Friday material only. ABC had its Laugh On comedy block and had a repeat of The Middle open the night with a solid 6.77 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, but down some from previous week. A second repeat aired instead of Better With You and did 6.53 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, also down some from previous week. Then ABC aired Modern Family with a repeat at 9pm doing 9.2 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, its best repeat ratings ever again and the best for any show this season! Viewers turned to this show after Idol was over. Then at 9:30, Cougar Town was the only new airing in the block and did better this week doing 6.51 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, up sharply week-to-week. It seems to have trouble every time it faces Idol but every other week it is always at least a 2.7 or more when it is new. The show will return April 18, as ABC tries Mr. Sunshine starting this week. At 10pm, a new episode of new drama Off the Map aired and did 5.37 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, up some from the previous week. NBC aired a two-hour all-new Minute to Win It and did well with 7.67 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, after Idol finished, the 9pm hour jumped big time. NBC has pulled Chase for good. At 10pm, Law & Order: SVU was next with an all-new episode doing 8.81 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, easily winning the hour. The CW had repeats, this time with Smallville starting it off at 8pm doing 1.11 million and a 0.4 18-49 rating. At 9pm a repeat of Supernatural did only 1.0 million and a 0.4 18-49 rating.
Thursday saw once again Fox win the night, though ABC and CBS did well, too. ABC opened the night with an all-new Wipeout doing 7.95 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, up a bit from previous week and still solid against Idol. Then Grey's Anatomy was next with a new episode doing 11.18 million and a 4.3 18-49 rating, on par with its previous new episode a few weeks ago. At 10pm, Private Practice was also new and did 7.05 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, lower than usual. This coming week's episode will be big as Nicholas Brendan returns. CBS opened with a new The Big Bang Theory and it did 13.83 million and a 4.3 A18-49 rating, which is excellent. Then a new $#*! My Dad Says followed with 10.45 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, up from previous week when its lead-in was a repeat. Next, CSI was new too and did 13.98 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, for fourth place behind ABC, NBC and Fox. A new The Mentalist did 15.18 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, winning its hour (on broadcast at least, as some MTV junk keeps doing big here at 10pm). OK so onto Fox, at 8pm a new American Idol did 21.89 million and a 7.5 18-49 rating, which is down a few tenths from previous week. A new episode of Bones followed at 9pm and did 10.2 million and 3.3 18-49 rating, down a lot from previous week. NBC was all-new new with its comedies, as Community did 4.37 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, down a bit from previous week. Still surprised it can do a 2 with all the competition when in the fall most weeks it was below a 2. Then new comedy Perfect Couples did only 3.06 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down again from previous week. If it can't go up this week, it will be pulled I bet. At 9pm The Office was new and did 7.28 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, which is down some from previous week. At 9:30pm, a new Parks and Recreation was at 4.95 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, down from previous week after two weeks of promising numbers against repeats. At 10, NBC started with 30 Rock doing 4.78 million and a 2.4 18-49, on par with previous week and still good for 10pm. At 10:30, Outsourced did only 3.74 million and 1.8 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth from previous week, though. The CW was next with a new Vampire Diaries doing a 3.22 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week. Then a new Nikita did 2.38 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, down some from previous week.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available as usual, but Friday had good showings by the CBS special Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials and an above average Dateline on NBC. Kitchen Nightmares remained steady but Fringe dropped a few tenths. Season premiere of NBC's Who Do You Think You Are did decent in total viewers but not in 18-49, and the same goes true for the Friday premiere of CBS drama The Defenders. Saturday had Fox win again with its crime reality series doing a prelim a 1.9 18-49 rating, with CBS winning total viewers but only a prelim 0.8 18-49 rating.
Tonight ABC has two repeats of AFV, as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters are preempted. ABC is airing the network television premiere of Knocked Up from 9-11pm. NBC has repeats of Who Do You Think You Are from 7-9 followed by a two-hour Dateline from 9-11pm. CBS has a new 60 Minutes Presents special, followed by repeats of Undercover Boss, CSI: Miami and Hawaii Five-0. But who cares about all that as the 100 million+ event Super Bowl will air tonight from 6-10pm ET on Fox followed by a post-Super Bowl 66-minute airing of Glee at approx. 10:30pm-11:36pm ET.
As for the week (week 20), Fox will win the week...anyone can tell you that with the Super Bowl airing. CBS will be in second, with ABC following and NBC in fourth I think. And for the coming week (week 21), has February sweeps continuing and we have series debuts the next few nights with drama Chicago Code on Fox on Monday, the comedy Traffic Light on Fox Tuesday and the comedy Mr. Sunshine starring Matthew Perry on ABC Wednesday.
Week 20 How the Sitcoms Did
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 19 -- Jan. 24-30)
- American Dad! (Fox) - preempted for the Pro Bowl.
- The Simpsons (Fox) - preempted for the Pro Bowl.
- Bob's Burgers (Fox) - preempted for the Pro Bowl.
- Family Guy (Fox) - preempted for the Pro Bowl.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - preempted for the Pro Bowl.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A repeat did 7.26 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, which was up some from previous week.
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 7.42 million for a repeat is solid and the 2.6 18-49 rating gained from the lead-in...both up from previous week.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.21 million for a repeat is great, but down some from previous week. A 3.2 18-49 rating is impressive as well and up some from previous week. Skewed younger this week...Sheen rehab turning some older viewers off?
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - 9.06 million for a repeat and a 18-49 rating of 2.5, is good but down a bit from previous week.
Tuesday Sitcoms
- Raising Hope (Fox) - Returns this Tuesday (Feb. 8).
- Traffic Light (Fox) - Premieres this Tuesday (Feb. 8).
- The Middle (ABC) 2 episodes - A repeat of this sitcom did 6.77 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, off a bit from previous week. Another repeat followed and did a similar 6.53 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, also off a bit from previous week. There were a few preemptions, maybe that's why.
- Better with You (ABC) - preempted.
- Modern Family (ABC) - A repeat did 9.2 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, which is outstanding for a repeat and that 3.5 is the best for any show repeat this season! Wow!
- Cougar Town (ABC) - A new episode of this series followed repeats again and did a better 6.51 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, sharply up from previous week. This will be its last airing until April 18, but it went on a high note.
Thursday Sitcoms
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A new episode did 13.83 million and a 4.3 18-49 rating, outstanding against Idol.
- S#*! My Dad Says (CBS) - A new showing did 10.45 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, u sharply from previous week when its lead-in was a repeat. Season finale is coming up in a few weeks.
- Community (NBC) - A new episode did 4.37 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. It skews very young and is consistent. Heavily DVRed, too, as it only did a 1.3 rating for live numbers (gaining 0.7 from same day DVR).
- Perfect Couples (NBC) - A new episode did 3.06 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, which is down again from previous week. Terrible. No one likes this show, as its live rating was only a 1.3, too. Only gained a tenth from same day DVR. It will be pulled soon I bet.
- The Office (NBC) - A new episode did 7.28 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, which is down again from previous week...but by far the best of this block on NBC.
- Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A new showing did 4.95 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating..after potential the past two weeks, it disappoints this week.
- 30 Rock (NBC) - At 10pm, a new episode did 4.78 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, on par really with previous week.
- Outsourced (NBC) - At 10:30pm, a new episode of this show was lost at 10:30 doing 3.74 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, off a bit from previous week.
Friday Sitcoms
- None.
Saturday Sitcoms
- None.
Airing tonight (Sunday) are no comedies.
Summing it up. A mix of new and repeat this week with The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Two and a Half Men, The Office, Mike & Molly, Rules of Engagement, Cougar Town were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as a new Parks and Recreation, The Middle repeat) or just plain old terrible (such as Outsourced, Perfect Couples).
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Digital Digest: Clifford the Big Red Dog - Best Buddies DVD Review
There's snow everywhere, but the same can't be said about news in the digital realm this week. We've probably hit our slowest news week yet, with no news about anything completely new to home media to report on this week and only two news stories to report, but regardless, we're here every week, no matter what! This week, we've also got a review of Clifford the Big Red Dog - Best Buddies. Let's get going!
DIGITAL NEWS
In what is the slowest news week on Digital Digest ever, our only real story this week is a report of a forthcoming release of Home Improvement - The 20th Anniversary Complete Collection. The set will contain every episode of the season in a special toolbox package, and comes at a $129.99 MSRP. It is scheduled to be released on May 10.
We recently discovered that Amazon.com is now shipping Night Court - The Complete Fourth Season as a manufacture-on-demand title. Now, this may seem like old news, because it was released by Warner Archive several months ago, but due to many problems with the set, it was removed while "corrections" could be made from their website a few weeks after being released and has not reappeared to order since then. We honestly have no clue if this MOD title on Amazon.com has any of the errors corrected, but at the very least, if you are interested in this set, you can now order it. We hope to find out more information about this listing, as well as when/if the title will return to the Warner Archive website.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEWDIGITAL NEWS
In what is the slowest news week on Digital Digest ever, our only real story this week is a report of a forthcoming release of Home Improvement - The 20th Anniversary Complete Collection. The set will contain every episode of the season in a special toolbox package, and comes at a $129.99 MSRP. It is scheduled to be released on May 10.
We recently discovered that Amazon.com is now shipping Night Court - The Complete Fourth Season as a manufacture-on-demand title. Now, this may seem like old news, because it was released by Warner Archive several months ago, but due to many problems with the set, it was removed while "corrections" could be made from their website a few weeks after being released and has not reappeared to order since then. We honestly have no clue if this MOD title on Amazon.com has any of the errors corrected, but at the very least, if you are interested in this set, you can now order it. We hope to find out more information about this listing, as well as when/if the title will return to the Warner Archive website.
Tuesday (February 8) is a slow day for releases, with only one release of note, that being Universal's Columbo - The Mystery Movie Collection: 1991-1993. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain a review copy of this set.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Clifford knows that every day is a big, cuddly, fun-filled adventure when you spend time with your friends! In Clifford the Big Red Dog - Best Buddies, we have six adventure-filled stories, as Clifford and his friends discover the best parts of friendship are being together. They also see the importance of keeping promises, respecting each other and doing nice favors. So whether Clifford's getting a bath from Emily Elizabeth, playing tag with Cleo and T-Bone, sharing a squiggle stick with Mac, or watching fireworks, he always knows the best part of best buddies is being with the people--and dogs--he loves the most! Includes 6 stories: A Ferry Tale, Cleo Comes to Town, Promises Promises, Jetta's Sneak Peek, Ears Have It, Saturday Morning. So, without further adieu read our DVD review of Clifford the Big Red Dog - Best Buddies.
DVD Review: Clifford the Big Red Dog - Best Buddies
by Pavan
Clifford the Big Red Dog - Best Buddies (Lionsgate, $14.98) brings us 6 short episodes on DVD on a single disc. We reviewed the last major set for this series back in 2006, but that set was five-discs. This set has six episodes that focuses on Clifford and his best buddies. Before we get to the set itself, this series aired from 2000-2003 on PBS starring the voice of the late John Ritter. Just about everyone knows who Clifford the Big Red Dog is, so I won't go into details about that and the show itself.
As for the episodes on this disc, we get six short episodes. The series had 2 short episodes per half-hour. Since this is a best-of type set, we don't get the full episode with both shorts. Each short episode runs 12:39. The first episode on this disc is "Cleo Comes to Town." This episode was part of episode 6. In a flashback, everyone recalls how Cleo shook things up when she first moved to Birdwell Island. The next episode on this set is "The Ears Have It." This episode was part of episode 16. It's Founder's Day on Birdwell Island and everyone is all excited for the fireworks show--everyone except T-Bone that is, he is afraid of loud noises. Next we have "A Ferry Tale." This was part of episode 2. At the docks, everyone's waiting for the ferry that's bringing the Dog of the Year judge, Lily Lavalley. However, there's a thick fog and even the lighthouse lantern isn't enough to cut through it. Then we have the episode "Jetta's Sneak Peek." This was part of episode 53. Jetta can't resist reading Emily Elizabeth's journal, but soon learns that it's important to respect someone's privacy. The next episode we have is "Promises Promises." Jetta and Emily Elizabeth make plans to spend Saturday at the beach together, but Jetta breaks the play date when a better offer from an older girl comes along. However, when the older girl calls and cancels on Jetta, Jetta finally understands how Emily Elizabeth must have felt. She now realizes that being a good friend means keeping a promise. And the final episode on this set is "Saturday Morning." This episode was part of episode 28. When T-Bone's "special Saturday time" with Sheriff Lewis doesn't turn out the way he expected one week, he goes on a quest to see how others spend their Saturdays. He finds there are many different ways to spend time with the people you love.
The packaging is simple. Lionsgate has given us a simple movie style case. We have Clifford on the cover art with Emily Elizabeth, T-Bone and Cleo sitting on his paw. The title of the series and "Best Buddies" in above that. The back of the case has info on the series and set, including episode titles and a list of bonus features. We also have three episodic stills from the series. When we open the case, there is no artwork on the panels itself--so it is just plain black. The disc is on the right panel and has the same artwork as the case cover, except we see a fence in the background.
The menus are easy to navigate and are also designed well for children. It isn't as friendly though as the previous set in 2006, but it works. We have the opening theme song playing in the background (and it loops when it finishes). The main menu options are Play All, Choose Episode, Set Up and Big Fun Features. The sub-menus have the closing theme song playing in the background. There are no chapter stops for this set since it is just one mini-episode per episode. Choose Episode option gives us a screenshot and episode title and then we can choose the episode. The Big Fun Features option has a list of six "Speckle Stories" that run 90 seconds each. The Speckle Stories usually run at the end of each episode on PBS, but it is an extra on this set. The Set Up feature has it so we can change back and forth between 2.0 English Dolby Digital and 2.0 Spanish Dolby Digital.
The video and audio quality are both great. The video is in 1.33:1 full screen, but it still looks great. The colors are very vivid. It almost looks HD, that's how good the video looks. My DVD player upconverts to HD, so it looks great. The audio is also fine. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, you can choose either English or Spanish. There is nothing to complain about here. No dust and debris in the video or anything.
As for the Big Fun Features. We get six "Speckle Stories," which I mentioned earlier. These are stories that Emily Elizabeth reads to Clifford. They each run 1:31. We have on this set: "Speckle and the Rainy Day," "Speckle and the New Ball," "Speckle and the Big Job," "Speckle and the Spectacular Sand Castle," "Speckle and the Whole Team," and "Speckle and the Valentine."
This set is pretty well done for a single-disc set. It is no where near good as the previous set, but that is to be expected. If you have not bought that set already, please buy that and then get this set. This set has episodes never before released on DVD, so it is worth buying. Let's hope eventually we get ALL of the episodes on DVD because John Ritter gives the voice of Clifford a new meaning and he was so good at it. He was also nominated for many Daytime Emmy's for this role. Without Valentine's Day just around the corner, red is the way to go! Preferably big and red.
(4/5 stars)To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Clifford the Big Red Dog TV.com Page
LOOKING AHEAD
We really hope that these past few weeks are not a reflection of what the future of home media is coming to, as they have been incredibly disappointing! Not only does this slow down make Digital Digest much less exciting than we'd like for it to be, but it gives us fewer options for our home media purchases. But it does give us an opportunity to bring you other non-news content, and we hope to have more of that in the upcoming weeks--although we'd like for it to be in addition to news. Next week, we'll be reviewing The Fugitive - The Fourth and Final Season, Volume 2 and hopefully have much more for you. Until then, keep it digital!
Friday, February 04, 2011
How To Look at TV Ratings Today; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 7, 2011)
The way we look at TV ratings has certainly changed over the years. Never mind that TV ratings have fallen in the last 4-5 years, most probably because of DVR (and other ways to watch your shows), but it's not all about top 20 or total viewers anymore--and it hasn't been for years now. The network executives and advertisers look at 18-49 ratings and that's mainly about it (yes 18-34 is also looked at, but that's inside the 18-49 range). That's what pays the bills and advertisers want shows that skew in that demo. Sure high total viewers is good as well, but if your 18-49 rating is not as high, it really doesn't matter in this business.
We do weekly TV ratings blogs every Sunday, but I don't go in depth on what really is working and what isn't. So I have decided to tell you today how the ratings game works using many examples. First, if a show has a good percentage of its audience inside the 18-49 proportion, it will always be looked at. Why? Because there is more of a chance that a person in the 18-49 year range will be watching the ad during that show. For example, this Wednesday's Cougar Town did a 3.9 overall household rating (6.51 million). That may not sound like it is a big hit, but its 18-49 rating was good at a 2.7 rating. The 18-49 proportion to its overall rating is about 69%, which is very good and what network executives aim for and the advertisers want. Generally, I think anything about 45% or more in the 18-49 range is acceptable. So looking at this past Wednesday's third special airing of Blue Bloods on CBS, it did a good 7.1 household rating, but its 18-49 rating was only a 1.6. That is only about 22% in the 18-49 proportion. That is not good. Sure, its overall numbers may be good but that doesn't pay the bills. This rating might be "acceptable" for a Friday or Saturday, where ratings are lower, but on a weeknight (Sun-Thurs), this is not acceptable. Even on a Friday it would be borderline, as we saw similar series like this canceled over the years (Close to Home, Women's Murder Club).
Next, if you skew old but still do an acceptable 18-49 rating, then you'll be fine as well. A perfect example of this is NCIS. The series does over 20 million viewers, but its overall 18-49 rating is still decent. This past Tuesday, NCIS did a mammoth 13.2 HH rating. The 18-49 rating was a great 4.6 as well. However, that only comes out to about 35% in the 18-49 proportion. While that is low, it still matters that its overall 18-49 rating was good. So in some cases like this, the skew doesn't matter since its overall 18-49 rating is high. However, while its overall 18-49 rating is fine, the competing Glee on Fox skews much younger and does a slightly better 18-49 rating, but advertisers pay much more for Glee than NCIS because of the skew. This season, Glee is netting $272,694 for a 30-second ad, while NCIS is much lower at $150,708 despite being the most watched scripted series. Then there is the case where you may skew inside the 18-49 range, but your overall 18-49 rating is low. Last night's Perfect Couples is a prime example. It only did a prelim 1.9 household rating and a prelim 1.4 18-49 rating. Ouch. But that is nearly 74% in the 18-49 proportion. In this case it doesn't matter, since the overall 18-49 rating is very low. The ideal case is a show that skews 18-49 and still has a good overall 18-49 rating. Some good examples are Modern Family, Cougar Town, American Idol, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and Grey's Anatomy.
Another factor I want to cover is retention. Yes, it is important but with same day DVR thru 3am being added to the ratings, it really doesn't tell you the retention because people are watching the shows at a different time. The only way to "truly" measure retention is by the actual live ratings, since it is not counting the added same day DVR thru 3am. Many of the big hit shows add over a point to their 18-49 rating because of the same day DVR added, thus this really messes up the retention rate. One show that is heavily DVRed is the CBS Monday comedy How I Met Your Mother. Looking at its last new episode on Jan. 17, it did a 3.9 18-49 rating. Take away any DVR for that night thru 3am, and it comes out to a 2.7. So 1.2 was added that very same night thru 3am. They watched it at 9pm or 2am, or anytime between 8:30pm-3am. The show following the comedy on the CBS schedule at 8:30pm is Rules of Engagement. It is not as heavily DVRed as Mother, so the retention rate gets messed up all the time. Rules on Jan. 17 did a 3.3 18-49 rating, so it "lost" 0.6 from its lead-in. But did it really? Taking away any DVR from that night, Rules comes out to a 2.6 18-49 rating, only losing a tenth from Mother's live rating. So it isn't bad at all, as the retention rate is actually 96% there and not 85% when same day DVR is factored in. So why would retention rates matter when same day DVR thru 3am is being added to the ratings? It would only matter if you are seeing the actual live ratings, because people can watch these shows anytime now until 3am and have the ratings counted.
Next is how to track a new show. The NBC drama Harry's Law premiered on Jan. 17 and it has been consistent through its first three airings (yes, it has faced a repeat or two for all of its airings so far, but still consistent). The 18-49 track for the first three episodes are 2.2, 2.1, and 2.1. That is not much of a drop at all, which is good. The overall 18-49 rating is decent for 10pm these days, too. However, like Blue Bloods it skews terribly old. It may be doing around 11 million, but less than 30% of its audience is in the 18-49 proportion, so it is less likely the ads are being watched in the demo. It is still early to determine the status of Harry's Law, as the next four weeks will be key as both Castle and Hawaii Five-0 are all-new these four weeks. If it can maintain the 2.0-2.2 average, then NBC will for sure bring it back despite the old skew. Anything lower might be Friday material because it has a good overall audience still. The CBS drama The Good Wife does a similar skew currently. It started off higher last year in the 18-49 rating than Harry, though, but right now it is doing a 2.2 18-49 rating. It will be interesting to see if CBS moves it to another night (Friday?) next season as the overall 18-49 rating has dipped this season. The only thing that might prevent CBS from moving it is that its their only drama that is critically acclaimed and wins awards. Harry's Law still has plenty more to do before it can be in the same league as The Good Wife.
One other thing I want to note is repeat airings. Why do serialized shows get repeat airings? Because the ad money is the same as it would be for a new episode. This is why Grey's Anatomy, which doesn't repeat well but gets a lot of ad money, is repeated. Sure it is good to be competitive once in a while and remove the repeat for something that does better in the ratings, but ultimately ad money would win. I am sure when ABC preempted a scheduled Grey's repeat for the Barbara Walters special with Oprah on Dec. 8 it didn't generate as much as a Grey's Anatomy episode would have done. So, yes, this is why you see some repeats of shows that don't repeat well. It's all about ad money.
I think that's about it. I was looking through the web and not many people understand how to look at TV ratings these days. There is one great blog I came upon on my search and it uses much more stats to back things up than I just did. Take a look at this read from the Spotted blog from December 2009. That is just one of many blog articles that was well "spot on," so you might want to read some of the other blogs (like this one) during that time frame. I hope you learned something today and remember...it's all about ad money and the 18-49 demo (preferably skewing in that demo). See you on Sunday for our normal ratings report, like usual.
It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Feb. 7-11, 2010, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!
Monday, February 7, 2011
We do weekly TV ratings blogs every Sunday, but I don't go in depth on what really is working and what isn't. So I have decided to tell you today how the ratings game works using many examples. First, if a show has a good percentage of its audience inside the 18-49 proportion, it will always be looked at. Why? Because there is more of a chance that a person in the 18-49 year range will be watching the ad during that show. For example, this Wednesday's Cougar Town did a 3.9 overall household rating (6.51 million). That may not sound like it is a big hit, but its 18-49 rating was good at a 2.7 rating. The 18-49 proportion to its overall rating is about 69%, which is very good and what network executives aim for and the advertisers want. Generally, I think anything about 45% or more in the 18-49 range is acceptable. So looking at this past Wednesday's third special airing of Blue Bloods on CBS, it did a good 7.1 household rating, but its 18-49 rating was only a 1.6. That is only about 22% in the 18-49 proportion. That is not good. Sure, its overall numbers may be good but that doesn't pay the bills. This rating might be "acceptable" for a Friday or Saturday, where ratings are lower, but on a weeknight (Sun-Thurs), this is not acceptable. Even on a Friday it would be borderline, as we saw similar series like this canceled over the years (Close to Home, Women's Murder Club).
Next, if you skew old but still do an acceptable 18-49 rating, then you'll be fine as well. A perfect example of this is NCIS. The series does over 20 million viewers, but its overall 18-49 rating is still decent. This past Tuesday, NCIS did a mammoth 13.2 HH rating. The 18-49 rating was a great 4.6 as well. However, that only comes out to about 35% in the 18-49 proportion. While that is low, it still matters that its overall 18-49 rating was good. So in some cases like this, the skew doesn't matter since its overall 18-49 rating is high. However, while its overall 18-49 rating is fine, the competing Glee on Fox skews much younger and does a slightly better 18-49 rating, but advertisers pay much more for Glee than NCIS because of the skew. This season, Glee is netting $272,694 for a 30-second ad, while NCIS is much lower at $150,708 despite being the most watched scripted series. Then there is the case where you may skew inside the 18-49 range, but your overall 18-49 rating is low. Last night's Perfect Couples is a prime example. It only did a prelim 1.9 household rating and a prelim 1.4 18-49 rating. Ouch. But that is nearly 74% in the 18-49 proportion. In this case it doesn't matter, since the overall 18-49 rating is very low. The ideal case is a show that skews 18-49 and still has a good overall 18-49 rating. Some good examples are Modern Family, Cougar Town, American Idol, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and Grey's Anatomy.
Another factor I want to cover is retention. Yes, it is important but with same day DVR thru 3am being added to the ratings, it really doesn't tell you the retention because people are watching the shows at a different time. The only way to "truly" measure retention is by the actual live ratings, since it is not counting the added same day DVR thru 3am. Many of the big hit shows add over a point to their 18-49 rating because of the same day DVR added, thus this really messes up the retention rate. One show that is heavily DVRed is the CBS Monday comedy How I Met Your Mother. Looking at its last new episode on Jan. 17, it did a 3.9 18-49 rating. Take away any DVR for that night thru 3am, and it comes out to a 2.7. So 1.2 was added that very same night thru 3am. They watched it at 9pm or 2am, or anytime between 8:30pm-3am. The show following the comedy on the CBS schedule at 8:30pm is Rules of Engagement. It is not as heavily DVRed as Mother, so the retention rate gets messed up all the time. Rules on Jan. 17 did a 3.3 18-49 rating, so it "lost" 0.6 from its lead-in. But did it really? Taking away any DVR from that night, Rules comes out to a 2.6 18-49 rating, only losing a tenth from Mother's live rating. So it isn't bad at all, as the retention rate is actually 96% there and not 85% when same day DVR is factored in. So why would retention rates matter when same day DVR thru 3am is being added to the ratings? It would only matter if you are seeing the actual live ratings, because people can watch these shows anytime now until 3am and have the ratings counted.
Next is how to track a new show. The NBC drama Harry's Law premiered on Jan. 17 and it has been consistent through its first three airings (yes, it has faced a repeat or two for all of its airings so far, but still consistent). The 18-49 track for the first three episodes are 2.2, 2.1, and 2.1. That is not much of a drop at all, which is good. The overall 18-49 rating is decent for 10pm these days, too. However, like Blue Bloods it skews terribly old. It may be doing around 11 million, but less than 30% of its audience is in the 18-49 proportion, so it is less likely the ads are being watched in the demo. It is still early to determine the status of Harry's Law, as the next four weeks will be key as both Castle and Hawaii Five-0 are all-new these four weeks. If it can maintain the 2.0-2.2 average, then NBC will for sure bring it back despite the old skew. Anything lower might be Friday material because it has a good overall audience still. The CBS drama The Good Wife does a similar skew currently. It started off higher last year in the 18-49 rating than Harry, though, but right now it is doing a 2.2 18-49 rating. It will be interesting to see if CBS moves it to another night (Friday?) next season as the overall 18-49 rating has dipped this season. The only thing that might prevent CBS from moving it is that its their only drama that is critically acclaimed and wins awards. Harry's Law still has plenty more to do before it can be in the same league as The Good Wife.
One other thing I want to note is repeat airings. Why do serialized shows get repeat airings? Because the ad money is the same as it would be for a new episode. This is why Grey's Anatomy, which doesn't repeat well but gets a lot of ad money, is repeated. Sure it is good to be competitive once in a while and remove the repeat for something that does better in the ratings, but ultimately ad money would win. I am sure when ABC preempted a scheduled Grey's repeat for the Barbara Walters special with Oprah on Dec. 8 it didn't generate as much as a Grey's Anatomy episode would have done. So, yes, this is why you see some repeats of shows that don't repeat well. It's all about ad money.
I think that's about it. I was looking through the web and not many people understand how to look at TV ratings these days. There is one great blog I came upon on my search and it uses much more stats to back things up than I just did. Take a look at this read from the Spotted blog from December 2009. That is just one of many blog articles that was well "spot on," so you might want to read some of the other blogs (like this one) during that time frame. I hope you learned something today and remember...it's all about ad money and the 18-49 demo (preferably skewing in that demo). See you on Sunday for our normal ratings report, like usual.
It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars (but we won't cover movie stars like Tom Hanks or John Travolta, since they won't be talking about their past sitcoms likely), so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Feb. 7-11, 2010, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!
Monday, February 7, 2011
- Martin Lawrence (Martin) - Watch Martin on Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Sarah Chalke (Mad Love/Scrubs) - Catch Sarah on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jason Biggs (Mad Love) - Watch Jason also on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Matthew Perry (Mr. Sunshine/Friends) - Watch Matthew on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check your listings.
- Allison Janney (Mr. Sunshine) - Watch Allison on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so you'll have to check listings for time and station.
- Jessica Walter (Retired at 35/Arrested Development/Three's a Crowd) - Catch Jessica on The Joy Behar Show at 9pm on HLN.
- Matthew Perry (Mr. Sunshine/Friends) - See Matthew as he visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the daytime (check listings) and then in late night on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am.
- Kevin Nealon (Weeds) - Catch Kevin on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Ed Helms (The Office) - Catch Ed on NBC's TODAY show sometime between 7-9am then a few hours later on The View at 11am ET/10am CT-PT on ABC.
- Martin Lawrence (Martin) - Watch Martin on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly on your local affiliate.
- Ty Burell (Modern Family/Back to You) - Watch the funnyman on ABC's The View at 11am ET/10am CT-PT then later on Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Matt LeBlanc (Episodes/Friends/Joey) - Matt visits The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC at 11:35pm.
- Carl Reiner (The Dick Van Dyke Show) - Watch the TV legend on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS at 12:37am.
- Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) - It's all right because you can watch Mario on OWN's The Gayle King Show at 10am.
- Kevin Nealon (Weeds) - Watch Kevin on TODAY sometine between 7-11am on NBC.
- Roseanne Barr (Roseanne) - Catch Roseanne on The Mo'nique Show on BET at 11pm.
- Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Watch Johnny on the Rachel Ray Show so check your local listings.
- Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation/Scrubs) - Catch Aziz on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Ed Helms (The Office) - Ed appears on Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Jason Biggs (Mad Love) - See Jason on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS promoting his upcoming sitcom.
- Lisa Kudrow (Friends/The Comeback) - Watch Lisa on The Gayle King Show on OWN at 10am.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
TV Land Taping 3 Sitcom Pilots, To Honor Regis at 9th TV Land Awards; ABC Family Picks Up 3 Pilots to Series
TV Land is taping 3 sitcom pilots the next three weeks in February at CBS Studio City. They are just pilots, but should they come out good, they could be ordered to series and join Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35 on the TV Land schedule. We have mentioned these pilots before, but now we have more details on them. The first pilot was taped last night (Feb. 2) and is known as the Untitled Mark Reisman Pilot. From creator/producer Mark Reisman (Frasier) revolving around 3 divorced guys, who live in an apartment building where their landlord is their sexy female divorce attorney. Starring Donald Faison ([scrubs]), Kristen Johnston (3rd Rock From The Sun), Wayne Knight (Seinfeld, Hot in Cleveland), David Alan Basche (Law & Order), Beth Lacke (Happy Hour), Kelly Stables (Romantically Challenged, Two and a Half Men), Edi Patterson (The Groundlings) and Golden Brooks (Girlfriends). The pilot was previously titled Ex Men.
The next pilot will be taped next week (Feb. 8). The pilot is titled Happily Divorced and is based on Fran Drescher's real life. In addition to co-writing/exec producing, the former The Nanny star will star in the project, about a woman who re-enters the dating world after finding out that her husband is gay. It focuses on how she juggles her relationship with her current boyfriend and ex-husband post-divorce. John Michael Higgins, D.W. Moffett, Valente Rogriguez (George Lopez), Rita Moreno, Robert Walden and Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris) also star.
The final pilot tapes a week later (Feb. 16). It doesn't have an official title yet, but it known as the Untitled Terri Minsky Pilot. Creator/producer Terri Minsky (Less Than Perfect), presents a comedy set at a regional beverage manufacturer and distributor in Oregon centering on a thirty-something, Ivy League-educated New York woman who takes over as the boss. Her enthusiasm is dampened when her boyfriend doesn't follow her and nobody at the new company wants her there. Starring Christine Taylor (The Brady Bunch Movie), Barry Watson (Samantha Who?) and The View's Sherri Shepherd (Sherri, Less Than Perfect). The pilot was previously titled Rip City.
We will of course let you know if any of these are picked-up to series to join Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35. What do you think about these potential series? Which one(s) do you want on the air? Sound off on our message board!
In other TV Land news, beloved Emmy(R) Award-winning television host Regis Philbin (LIVE! with Regis and Kelly, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) will receive the Legend Award at The Ninth Annual TV Land Awards in New York City. The star-studded celebration will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Sunday, April 10 and will premiere on TV Land on Sunday, April 17 at 9pm. The awards show moves to New York for the first time, after the previous eight shows were in the Los Angeles area.
The Legend Award is presented to an entertainer or a television show that has stood the test of time and ranks among the most memorable and celebrated in television and movie history. Previous winners include Garry Marshall, Don Rickles, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, the cast of The Dick Van Dyke Show and the cast of Cheers. On January 18, 2011, Regis Philbin announced on-air that after 28 years, he would retire as host of LIVE! With Regis and Kelly" later this year.
Philbin joins previously announced honorees The Cosby Show, which will receive the Impact Award at this year's show, and the cast of Family Ties, which will receive the Fan Favorite Award. More honorees besides these two series and Philbin will be announced shortly. So stay tuned.
Finally, ABC Family has picked-up three pilots to series. Two are dramas and one is a multi-camera sitcom. The two one-hour dramas are Switched at Birth and The Nine Lives of Chloe King, and the half-hour multi-cam comedy series is The Great State of Georgia. The three original series will debut on the network later this year.
Switched at Birth is a one-hour scripted drama that tells the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. The series stars newcomer Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez; Vanessa Marano (Gilmore Girls) as Bay Kennish; Constance Marie (George Lopez) as Regina Vasquez; D.W. Moffett (Friday Night Lights) as John Kennish; Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) as Kathryn Kennish; and Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical) as Toby Kennish.
The Nine Lives of Chloe King is a one-hour scripted drama about Chloe King who is looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her friends and single mother, just like every other year... that is until she starts developing heightened abilities and discovers she's being pursued by a mysterious figure. The series stars Skyler Samuels (The Gates) as Chloe King; Amy Pietz (The Office, Caroline in the City) as Meredith King; Grey Damon (True Blood) as Brian; newcomer Grace Phipps as Amy; Benjamin Stone (10 Things I Hate About You) as Alek; Alyssa Diaz (Southland) as Jasmine; and Ki Hong Lee (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) as Paul.
And finally, The Great State of Georgia, an ABC Studios Production, is a half-hour multi-cam comedy series starring Raven-Symone as Georgia, an aspiring actress with a larger than life personality, and her science geek best friend, who try to make headway in New York City. Majandra Delfino (Roswell) also stars, as Jo and Meagen Fay (Malcolm in the Middle) as Aunt Honey.
Stay tuned for premiere dates for all three series. The The Great State of Georgia could be a nice companion with ABC Family's hit comedy Melissa & Joey, which returns with 18 more episodes to complete its first season of 30 episodes sometime this spring or summer.
The next pilot will be taped next week (Feb. 8). The pilot is titled Happily Divorced and is based on Fran Drescher's real life. In addition to co-writing/exec producing, the former The Nanny star will star in the project, about a woman who re-enters the dating world after finding out that her husband is gay. It focuses on how she juggles her relationship with her current boyfriend and ex-husband post-divorce. John Michael Higgins, D.W. Moffett, Valente Rogriguez (George Lopez), Rita Moreno, Robert Walden and Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris) also star.
The final pilot tapes a week later (Feb. 16). It doesn't have an official title yet, but it known as the Untitled Terri Minsky Pilot. Creator/producer Terri Minsky (Less Than Perfect), presents a comedy set at a regional beverage manufacturer and distributor in Oregon centering on a thirty-something, Ivy League-educated New York woman who takes over as the boss. Her enthusiasm is dampened when her boyfriend doesn't follow her and nobody at the new company wants her there. Starring Christine Taylor (The Brady Bunch Movie), Barry Watson (Samantha Who?) and The View's Sherri Shepherd (Sherri, Less Than Perfect). The pilot was previously titled Rip City.
We will of course let you know if any of these are picked-up to series to join Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35. What do you think about these potential series? Which one(s) do you want on the air? Sound off on our message board!
In other TV Land news, beloved Emmy(R) Award-winning television host Regis Philbin (LIVE! with Regis and Kelly, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) will receive the Legend Award at The Ninth Annual TV Land Awards in New York City. The star-studded celebration will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Sunday, April 10 and will premiere on TV Land on Sunday, April 17 at 9pm. The awards show moves to New York for the first time, after the previous eight shows were in the Los Angeles area.
The Legend Award is presented to an entertainer or a television show that has stood the test of time and ranks among the most memorable and celebrated in television and movie history. Previous winners include Garry Marshall, Don Rickles, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, the cast of The Dick Van Dyke Show and the cast of Cheers. On January 18, 2011, Regis Philbin announced on-air that after 28 years, he would retire as host of LIVE! With Regis and Kelly" later this year.
Philbin joins previously announced honorees The Cosby Show, which will receive the Impact Award at this year's show, and the cast of Family Ties, which will receive the Fan Favorite Award. More honorees besides these two series and Philbin will be announced shortly. So stay tuned.
Finally, ABC Family has picked-up three pilots to series. Two are dramas and one is a multi-camera sitcom. The two one-hour dramas are Switched at Birth and The Nine Lives of Chloe King, and the half-hour multi-cam comedy series is The Great State of Georgia. The three original series will debut on the network later this year.
Switched at Birth is a one-hour scripted drama that tells the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. The series stars newcomer Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez; Vanessa Marano (Gilmore Girls) as Bay Kennish; Constance Marie (George Lopez) as Regina Vasquez; D.W. Moffett (Friday Night Lights) as John Kennish; Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) as Kathryn Kennish; and Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical) as Toby Kennish.
The Nine Lives of Chloe King is a one-hour scripted drama about Chloe King who is looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her friends and single mother, just like every other year... that is until she starts developing heightened abilities and discovers she's being pursued by a mysterious figure. The series stars Skyler Samuels (The Gates) as Chloe King; Amy Pietz (The Office, Caroline in the City) as Meredith King; Grey Damon (True Blood) as Brian; newcomer Grace Phipps as Amy; Benjamin Stone (10 Things I Hate About You) as Alek; Alyssa Diaz (Southland) as Jasmine; and Ki Hong Lee (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) as Paul.
And finally, The Great State of Georgia, an ABC Studios Production, is a half-hour multi-cam comedy series starring Raven-Symone as Georgia, an aspiring actress with a larger than life personality, and her science geek best friend, who try to make headway in New York City. Majandra Delfino (Roswell) also stars, as Jo and Meagen Fay (Malcolm in the Middle) as Aunt Honey.
Stay tuned for premiere dates for all three series. The The Great State of Georgia could be a nice companion with ABC Family's hit comedy Melissa & Joey, which returns with 18 more episodes to complete its first season of 30 episodes sometime this spring or summer.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
ABC Adds Special Comedy Airings in April; Chill with Me: A Night of Snowed in TV - Tonight on MeTV!
ABC announced yesterday they will have some extra comedy exposure in April. New series Happy Endings will now premiere immediately after Modern Family on Wednesday, April 13 at 9:31pm. It was previously scheduled to debut at 10pm. The comedy will air its second episode at 10pm that night, though, so it is a two-episode premiere. Mr. Sunshine would have wrapped up its season on April 6. The special time for Happy Endings means that Cougar Town (which goes on a break after tonight's episode), will now return to Wednesdays a week later starting April 20. However, Cougar Town will get a special Monday airing two days before that on Monday, April 18 at 9:31pm immediately following a 90-minute Dancing with the Stars. That should help promote its return certainly. Also getting a special airing after Dancing with the Stars will be sitcom Better with You on Monday, April 25 at 9:31pm. The episode airing will have Dancing with the Stars pro Derek Hough and TV legend Larry King guest starring on the episode. Speaking of Dancing with the Stars, the competition returns on Monday, March 21 from 8-10pm. The Results Show will premiere the following week on Tuesday, March 29 at 9pm leading into the premiere of drama Body of Proof. Episode two of that drama will air on a special night right after Desperate Housewives on Sunday, April 3 at 10:01pm. That is good because Body of Proof star Dana Delany was a fixture on Desperate Housewives that past few years.
View more on the special airings in April. There could be another special airing or two in May after Dancing with the Stars on Mondays, so stay tuned. The cast announcement for Dancing with the Stars will be announced on Monday, Feb. 28 on ABC during The Bachelor.
The winter storm of the century has most parts of the country in its grip; it's a perfect time to chill! Tonight, Wednesday, February 2, at 8PM ET/7PM CT, Me-TV Network invites you to "Chill with Me: A Night of Snowed in TV!" It's a flurry of snowy weather-themed episodes from classic comedies The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Cheers, M*A*S*H, The Bob Newhart Show and The Honeymooners in a three-hour block. Among the stories are a snowstorm leaves Mary producing her first program; Rob wants to go skiing but Laura worries that he will hurt himself; Christmas Eve is almost spoiled when Bob is trapped in the office because of a power failure; Sam lies to Diane about the weekend he has planned chasing snow bunnies in Vermont; Charles becomes the most unpopular man in camp when his parents send him a winter-ized polar suit that he insists on flaunting in front of everyone; and Ralph and Alice are stuck in the cold after a rent strike.
View the promo for "Chill with Me: A Night of Snowed in TV." Me-TV, memorable entertainment television is a classic TV network owned and operated by Weigel Broadcasting Co. It is currently seen in the Chicago, Milwaukee and South Bend-Elkhart markets.
View more on the special airings in April. There could be another special airing or two in May after Dancing with the Stars on Mondays, so stay tuned. The cast announcement for Dancing with the Stars will be announced on Monday, Feb. 28 on ABC during The Bachelor.
The winter storm of the century has most parts of the country in its grip; it's a perfect time to chill! Tonight, Wednesday, February 2, at 8PM ET/7PM CT, Me-TV Network invites you to "Chill with Me: A Night of Snowed in TV!" It's a flurry of snowy weather-themed episodes from classic comedies The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Cheers, M*A*S*H, The Bob Newhart Show and The Honeymooners in a three-hour block. Among the stories are a snowstorm leaves Mary producing her first program; Rob wants to go skiing but Laura worries that he will hurt himself; Christmas Eve is almost spoiled when Bob is trapped in the office because of a power failure; Sam lies to Diane about the weekend he has planned chasing snow bunnies in Vermont; Charles becomes the most unpopular man in camp when his parents send him a winter-ized polar suit that he insists on flaunting in front of everyone; and Ralph and Alice are stuck in the cold after a rent strike.
View the promo for "Chill with Me: A Night of Snowed in TV." Me-TV, memorable entertainment television is a classic TV network owned and operated by Weigel Broadcasting Co. It is currently seen in the Chicago, Milwaukee and South Bend-Elkhart markets.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
CBS Orders More 'Rules', 'Molly' Episodes; Working Class Does Good Ratings for CMT
With Charlie Sheen announcing he is going into rehab (which will be in his home oddly), CBS has ordered two more episodes each of Rules of Engagement and Mike & Molly, bringing both series to 26 episodes each. They will need to fill the void of Two and a Half Men, since it doesn't look like that sitcom will make any more new episodes this season. It is unclear right now if these two extra episodes of both series will air in the Two and a Half Men timeslot (Mondays a 9) or not. Rules of Engagement is slated to move to Thursdays beginning Feb. 24, so not sure if CBS is rethinking that now. CBS has new sitcom Mad Love premiering on Feb. 14 at 8:30. Perhaps Rules will air on Monday, Feb. 21 at 9pm to promote its Thursday move starting Feb. 24? We'll let you know if that is the case.
Two and a Half Men has aired 14 episodes so far and two more episodes are completed and will air on Feb. 7 and Feb. 14. After that, it will be repeats or replaced by other sitcoms like Rules or Molly. There will still be a lot of scheduling updates to come on this situation. So you'll have to stay with us here on the blog, on our message board and Twitter for any breaking updates. Here is the official statement from CBS and Warner Bros. from last week:
Statement from CBS Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and Executive Producer Chuck Lorre
"Due to Charlie Sheen's decision to enter a rehabilitation center, CBS, Warner Bros. Television and executive producer Chuck Lorre are placing Two and a Half Men on production hiatus. We are profoundly concerned for his health and well-being, and support his decision."
The Friday, January 28, 8:00 p.m. premiere episode of CMT's first scripted sitcom, Working Class, starring TV veteran Melissa Peterman and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Ed Asner, was the highest rated and most watched series debut in CMT history among 18-49 and total viewers, with 1.2 million Total Viewers. The show also posted a 0.5 18-49 rating. The 8:00 p.m. premiere was up 198% from the prior four week time period average.
Working Class airs every Friday at 8:00 PM, ET on CMT. The 12-episode season follows Carli Mitchell (Melissa Peterman), a single mom from a rough and tumble background, trying to give her three kids a better life by moving them to an upscale suburb. She quickly finds that making the transition to "the good life" is harder than she thought. Guest stars Reba McEntire and John Schneider appear on this week's (Feb. 4) episode.
Two and a Half Men has aired 14 episodes so far and two more episodes are completed and will air on Feb. 7 and Feb. 14. After that, it will be repeats or replaced by other sitcoms like Rules or Molly. There will still be a lot of scheduling updates to come on this situation. So you'll have to stay with us here on the blog, on our message board and Twitter for any breaking updates. Here is the official statement from CBS and Warner Bros. from last week:
Statement from CBS Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and Executive Producer Chuck Lorre
"Due to Charlie Sheen's decision to enter a rehabilitation center, CBS, Warner Bros. Television and executive producer Chuck Lorre are placing Two and a Half Men on production hiatus. We are profoundly concerned for his health and well-being, and support his decision."
The Friday, January 28, 8:00 p.m. premiere episode of CMT's first scripted sitcom, Working Class, starring TV veteran Melissa Peterman and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Ed Asner, was the highest rated and most watched series debut in CMT history among 18-49 and total viewers, with 1.2 million Total Viewers. The show also posted a 0.5 18-49 rating. The 8:00 p.m. premiere was up 198% from the prior four week time period average.
Working Class airs every Friday at 8:00 PM, ET on CMT. The 12-episode season follows Carli Mitchell (Melissa Peterman), a single mom from a rough and tumble background, trying to give her three kids a better life by moving them to an upscale suburb. She quickly finds that making the transition to "the good life" is harder than she thought. Guest stars Reba McEntire and John Schneider appear on this week's (Feb. 4) episode.
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, November 4
Scrubs - "My Story" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
J.D. and Elliot reconnect while managing a difficult parenting conversation; the interns grapple with work-life balance.
Abbott Elementary - "Courtney" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Gregory and Melissa come together to address an issue with a teacher; Janine spends time with Courtney.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 2)
Wednesday, November 4
- Timothy Simons (Nobody Wants This/HouseBroken/Veep) - Watch Timothy on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Tracy Morgan (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Crutch/The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Bill Hader (Barry) - Bill is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also talks about The Cat in the Hat on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
- Sarah Paulson (Leap of Faith) and Niecy Nash-Betts (Reno 911!/Getting On/The Soul Man/Do Not Disturb) - Sarah, Niecy, Kim Kardashian and Naomi Watts talk about All's Fair on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. Sarah will also be on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Denise Richards (Blue Mountain State) - Denise talks about All's Fair on ABC's GMA3 at 1pm.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie is joining the Drew's news desk to hit the headlines with Drew and Ross on The Drew Barrymore Show, 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)
10/20/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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