SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Nick@Nite Original Sitcom; Adult Swim Playing Prank?

Nick@Nite has secured celebrity comic and writer Carol Leifer (Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show) to pen and executive produce the sitcom pilot for Darlene Westgor, who won the chance to develop her own show with the network when she was named Nick@Nite's Funniest Mom in America in 2005. The pilot, tentatively titled Darlene, is based on Westgor's real life as a single, divorced mom living and working in Minnesota. The pilot is expected to go into pre-production immediately with plans to shoot in Los Angeles in May. Gil Junger (Ellen, Hope & Faith, 8 Simple Rules...) will direct. Sal Maniaci also executive produces on the project and TV Land's Marco Bresaz is executive in charge of production.
Set in the Minneapolis suburbs, Darlene focuses on the ins and outs of Westgor's life as a single parent raising two teenagers while managing her job at an Urgent Care Center. Darlene responds to these everyday situations with the wit and sarcasm that made her the hands-down winner of the first Funniest Mom in America contest. To view the full details, click here.

We broke the news last week that Adult Swim would carry Saved by the Bell for the next two weeks. Now, their website is reporting that the show will be back with all new episodes. I think it is a big prank. Though, you can judge for yourself by reading the article here.
My diagnosis: At first I thought it could be real because they added this show in the first place. Then I did some research. 30 episodes? That is a bit too much for a sitcom these days for a season. 80's Reclamation Department? That is bizarre. And who the heck is Matt Laster? I don't think he even exists! My this channel likes to pull tricks to its viewers. It is quite hilarious, though. And if it turns out to be true, I will sort of like it because Mr. Fake err Laster said that they "...think this will be a fun and exciting new direction for Adult Swim and we can't wait to find even more great 80's comedies for Adult Swim." That last part is the best part. Bring on Small Wonder and Mr. Belvedere!

CMT Drops 'Foxworthy', Cuts 'Dukes' Airings; WGN Buys 'Lizzie McGuire' & 'Even Stevens' Reruns; TV Land June Changes

CMT has dropped The Jeff Foxworthy Show as of yesterday. The show was airing twice each day at 5:30 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. The show can still be seen on Nick@Nite in the early mornings each weekday morning. Meanwhile, CMT has cut the airings for The Dukes of Hazzard to just one airing. It will air weeknights at 7 p.m.

Beginning this fall, WGN will begin airing Lizzie McGuire, starring actress and singer Hilary Duff, and Even Stevens, starring Shia LaBeouf and Christy Carlson Romano, weekdays during the early-fringe daypart, as well as on weekends, Multichannel reports.
Negotiated by distributor Buena Vista Television, WGN acquired all three seasons -- 65 installments apiece -- of both shows. Deal-term specifics were not disclosed, but sources familiar with the negotiations said The Walt Disney Co. properties didn't retain any barter inventory. However, Disney does retain the shows' rights for other vehicles and platforms, according to the sources.
Officials at WGN, now available in some 68 million cable and satellite homes, said the superstation will run the shows back-to-back, along with Moesha, Home Improvement and AFV, as part of its family-entertainment block.

We have a little preview of TV Land June for you today. Beginning Monday, June 5 they will revamp the morning line-up and add Benson to 11 p.m. A lot of shows will be shifting in the morning as Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie are expiring at the end of May. The Munsters and Green Acres will move down to the 9 a.m. hour, followed by The Dick Van Dyke Show and I Love Lucy while The Brady Bunch and Happy Days move up a few hours to the 11 a.m. hour. So what will replace that Bewitched/Jeannie hour essentially? Why it will be Good Times and What's Happening!! They will air in the 12 p.m. hour. Since Benson will air at 11 p.m., What's Happening!! will shift to 10:30 p.m. replacing a second Good Times episode. There are no other regular schedule changes--so whatever is airing now in the other slots, will remain.
Stay tuned tomorrow hopefully for the TV Land June highlights, as there are a lot of things in store such as new Top 10 episodes and more 48-hour marathon weekends!

New Game Show Block in the Works for Syndication; Bird Flu Movie?

Today has been very slow, so I am probably bringing some obscure news. You'd probably not see me mention any of these at all if it were a busy day.
B&C is reporting that Distributor King World and producer Sony Pictures Television (SPT), longtime partners on the top-rated syndicated shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, announced they are reuniting for a new one-hour game block set to debut in fall 2007. Details were sketchy late last week on the two 30-minute shows, although there was some industry buzz that one could be an original and another a classic game show. Harry Friedman, who for eight years has led Wheel and Jeopardy!, will develop and executive-produce them.

Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America follows an outbreak of an Avian Flu from its origins in a Hong Kong market through its mutation into a virus transmittable from human to human around the world. The meticulously researched film stars Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck), Stacy Keach (Prison Break, Blackbeard), Ann Cusack (Grey's Anatomy, Ghost Whisperer), Justina Machado (Six Feet Under), Scott Cohen (Street Time, Law & Order: Trial by Jury) and David Ramsey (All of Us).
Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America, a two-hour original movie, airs TUESDAY, MAY 9 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.

I promise tomorrow will be better. I'm expecting TV Land June!

Happy Easter from Sitcoms Online; GSN News

Happy Easter! We don't have week 30 ratings for you this week. We only have final numbers for Monday and Tuesday, thus we won't post just that. Hopefully this problem will be resolved by May sweeps. I won't do the analysis this week either. We really hope we will have these numbers for you for next week's shows.

So, today we will just continue what we did the last 6 days or so--TV schedule news! Today we will cover GSN - The Network for Games. We don't have any actual regular schedule changes to report, but they are adding a new show, an original one, starting tomorrow night at 11:30 p.m. They will be reviving the classic game show I've Got a Secret, with an all-new look.
Expect 30 minutes of the unexpected when the most revealing game show on television, GSN's I've Got a Secret premieres weeknights beginning Monday, April 17 at 11:30 p.m. EST.
Paying homage to one of the longest running and popular game shows, the series takes viewers back in time to the classic panel show, with the updated version showcasing the swankiest fashions, a retro set, and four comical panelists who will say almost anything to discover the secrets of our guests. It's funny and smart, but beware -- no one's secrets are safe!
I've Got a Secret is hosted by Bil Dwyer, who is charged with keeping his panelists in line. The cast of characters on the panel include Frank DeCaro (Sirius Radio's The Frank DeCaro Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart), Billy Bean (former outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers), Suzanne Westenhoefer (Late Show with David Letterman, Politically Incorrect) and Jermaine Taylor (Broadway actor and dancer).
During each half-hour show, the guest whispers their secret to Dwyer while it is also shown to the live studio-audience and home viewer. Each panelist puts the guest through the ringer for 40 seconds, asking yes or no questions to figure out their secret. If they are unsuccessful, the next panelist gets their shot at cross-examining. Should the guest stump the panel, they walk
away with cash and prizes.

And this Mother's Day on GSN...they are the head of the family! GSN pays homage to moms
on Mother's Day with a special six-hour marathon of the popular classic series Family Feud, Sunday, May 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. The marathon encompasses 12 episodes of the famous series featuring women as team leaders. The Mom's Day episodes include shows hosted by Richard Dawson and Ray Combs.

Lifetime Schedule Changes: Struggling 'Frasier' Moved, New Original Comedy Coming in June

Frasier, which started on Lifetime in early March, has been struggling on Lifetime. And now they are doing something about it, but it is very minor. Starting Monday, April 24, they will switch the afternoon slot with The Nanny. Which means Frasier will now air 10 and 10:30 a.m., while The Nanny will air 1 and 1:30 p.m. There are no other changes to weekdays, which means Frasier will still air at midnight and 12:30 a.m., at least for now. On Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Frasier will be removed for another Will & Grace airing.

And starting Saturday, June 10, Lifetime will add a mini-block of sitcoms for mid-day. At 11:00 a.m. it will be Will & Grace, followed by The Golden Girls and The Nanny. And at 12:30 p.m. will be encores of Lifetime's original comedy: Lovespring International. More on that below...

Lovespring International debuts Monday, June 5: From Will & Grace's Eric McCormack, Lifetime brings you Lovespring International, a new improvisational half-hour comedy series about a matchmaking agency marketed to customers as an "elite Beverly Hills" company, despite its location in Tarzana, California. The ensemble cast is comprised of relationship counselors and a staff psychologist who try to convince loveless people that their service can lead clients to the perfect mate.
Premieres: Monday, June 5, 11:00 p.m. ET/PT
Airs: Mondays, 11:00 p.m. ET/PT
Encores: Mondays, 11:30 p.m. & Saturdays, 12:30 p.m. ET/PT
# of Episodes: 6

TV Land Schedule Changes; A&E Celebrates Late Comedy Kings Tonight

We don't have the TV Land June line-up just yet, but we do have some last minute changes for you for TV Land starting this coming Tuesday! They are removing the action drama block and the late night mini-marathons. Hunter, Simon & Simon and Knight Rider will not currently air now because of these changes. The A-Team and Miami Vice will air at 2 p.m. and 2 a.m. respectfully every weekday. The other weekday changes are minor and can view the FULL changes on all this here. Keep coming back and we will have more on TV Land.

Tonight, A&E will celebrate the life of three comedy legends. John Ritter, John Belushi and Chris Farley. They will re-air all three's Biography episodes back-to-back from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. and again 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Biography: John Ritter.
Portrait of the versatile actor best remembered for his zany character Jack Tripper in the TV comedy Three's Company, but who's won critical acclaim for his dramatic performances as well. Includes interviews with Ritter, Three's Company co-stars Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt, and Henry Winkler.
Biography: John Belushi.
Story of the rapid rise and tragic death of the comic genius who captured the nation's attention on Saturday Night Live. Includes clips from Belushi's hit movies and some of his funniest moments on TV, plus an examination of the drugged-out lifestyle that led to his death, and interviews with many of those who knew him best.
Biography: Chris Farley.
Profile of the Saturday Night Live star whose death from a drug overdose stunned his legions of fans. Farley battled alcohol and drug addiction while struggling to defeat his demons by attending church regularly. Includes interviews with friend Tom Arnold and fellow SNL cast members Rob Schneider and Al Franken, and Father Thomas Gannon, Farley's spiritual advisor.

TV Land Brings Back 48-Hour Marathon Weekends, Nick@Nite June Highlights; Sitcoms Online in Home Media Retailing Magazine!

Continuing our "TV schedules week," we now move on to some news that TV Land will bring back their 48-hour marathon weekends starting this weekend! It was a last minute change. So, TV Land will air a What's Happening!!/What's Happening Now!! marathon this weekend. It will be the same episodes that aired for its launch marathon back in November. Then next weekend will still be the previously scheduled Westerns Weekend featuring Gunsmoke and Bonanza. Then after that we get more 48-hour marathons! On April 29-30 we get Miami Vice; May 6-7 we get Good Times; May 13-14 we get The Brady Bunch (with an interruption for the Funniest Mom Marathon); May 20-21 we get The Andy Griffith Show; and a special 72-hour marathon on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29 of something to be determined. I think it might be a guest star marathon, but I'm not certain yet. The marathons will continue until further notice. We don't have the June listings yet, but we of course can expect the Benson launch on June 3-4. So, since the marathons are pre-empting weekend programming, that means Flip Wilson and The Addams Family will not be airing at all. We will come back soon, probably tomorrow, for the TV Land June line-up.

But we do have Nick@Nite June for you! They won't be making any regular schedule changes but they have three stunts lined up. On June 12 they will have a My Two Dans marathon featuring episodes of Full House and Roseanne for Father's Day. It will also rebroadcast on Father's Day. Then they will take a summer vacation to Disney World and Vegas with the same two shows on June 25. And then spend America's holiday with America's family the Connors on July 2. Details of all that can be found here.

Hey, we're featured on the April 9 issue of Home Media Retailing Magazine! If you subscribe to it, you have probably seen the issue. The issue is about Warner Bros. TV Favorites DVDs. It is about if the idea is good or not and the purpose for these DVDs are to test the waters for potential DVD sets. I was interviewed for the article, along with Gord Lacey of TVShowsonDVD.com and Rosemary Markson of WHV. It is an honor to be in the same company as them! You can read the online version of the article here and brag to your friends that your favorite website SitcomsOnline.com was mentioned! Mark up another historical moment for Sitcoms Online!

'Saved by the Bell' on Adult Swim; 'Dynasty' Reunion on CBS this May

As promised, today I will let you all know on the sitcom coming to Adult Swim...yes, Adult Swim! Adult Swim is the late night "animation" block on Cartoon Network that airs shows like Family Guy if any of you were not aware. Variety has already reported this: Major changes are in store for Cartoon Network, which will step outside its charter for the first time and into live-action programming. Cartoon Network has been testing the performance of live-action features like The Goonies, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Batman, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Ace Ventura on air since late last year. Most recently, they drew a big 2.3 million viewers to a showing of the Jim Carrey comedy Dumb And Dumber. They will make an event out of the Spider-Man premiere later this summer.
And now it looks like the Adult Swim block on Cartoon Network will sort of go into the live-action programming genre. Starting this coming Monday (April 17), Adult Swim will air the sitcom Saved by the Bell at midnight. Yes, Saved by the Bell...strange isn't it? They will borrow it from sister network TBS, which yesterday I announced will expand Saved by the Bell to 6 airings a day in June. It currently airs four times a day. Adult Swim will air the teen sitcom for at least two weeks, as of now--Mon-Thurs nights for the next two weeks. Click here for a list of episodes airing.

Let's hope they get more sitcoms, but not at 12 midnight, for the 5 a.m. hour where they usually air older animated programming to make fun of, such as Mr. T, Chuck Norris and The Gary Coleman Show. It would be nice if they air Small Wonder and Mr. Belvedere in that hour if they decide to go the sitcom route. Mr. Belvedere was just made fun of on this past week's Family Guy, so why not? So in a way I hope Saved by the Bell is sort of successful, so we get to see more sitcoms!

Who knew a Dynasty reunion was even in the works! But CBS and Michael Levitt/Henry Winkler Productions have made one! The series aired on ABC so it is strange it wasn't pitched to them, unless they declinded it first. Dynasty Reunion: Catfights and Caviar reunites original series stars Joan Collins, Linda Evans and John Forsythe to pay tribute and celebrate the long-running series Dynasty, one of the most popular series in television history, to be broadcast Tuesday, May 2 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The legendary cast will gather together at the Filoli Mansion in Northern California, which was the home of the show's billionaire hero, Blake Carrington, and his infamous family. Al Corley, Pamela Sue Martin, Catherine Oxenberg and Gordon Thomson also return. Each cast member will reminisce about the time spent making the series and the scenes that they most treasure and enjoyed. Show creators Esther & Richard Shapiro, as well as famed fashion designer, Nolan Miller, will also be on hand to talk about how the show and its style evolved over the years. Film clips of scenes from the show will also be seen.
During its nine season run on ABC, Dynasty was one of the most popular primetime soaps, spending three seasons ranked among the top five programs, peaking at Number One in its fifth season averaging 25.0/37.

TBS Makes Some Schedule Changes for June; ABC Offering Four Shows Online for FREE

As promised this week is "TV schedule week" here at Sitcoms Online. Today, I will tell you that TBS is expected to make some changes in June. Nothing drastic but still some changes. Becker will be moved to early mornings at 5 and 5:30 a.m. replacing The Parent'hood. Becker's old slot of 12 noon and 12:30 p.m. will now be another hour of the popular and durable Saved by the Bell (which already airs weekday mornings from 7 to 9 a.m.). TBS's contract for the Tom Hanks '80s sitcom Bosom Buddies is expiring at the end of May, so TBS will replace that show with Becker. That is all the changes they are making but it should be interesting come this fall as Mama's Family, Saved by the Bell, and possibly more shows such as Cosby Show and Dawson's Creek are expiring. I would expect a renewal or two of some of these at least. TBS does have The King of Queens coming this October, so that will fill an hour block at least. Full details of the June changes at TBS are here.
Meanwhile sister network TNT will be airing Without a Trace five days a week now starting June 5. They will air it at 7 p.m. weeknights, with more episodes on some days running until 10 p.m.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more TV schedule updates. We hope to have some from TV Land, Nick@Nite and more (maybe a sitcom is coming to Adult Swim on Cartoon Network...that is all that I will say right now) this week.

And TBS announced they have original sitcoms in the works at their annual upfront presentation:

In Production at TBS
MY BOYS – Half-hour scripted comedy series from Sony Pictures Television and Pariah, executive producers Gavin Polone (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Gilmore Girls) and Jamie Tarses and writer/executive producer Betsy Thomas (Run of the House) – Premieres in Q4 2006
In this half-hour comedy series, PJ, played by Jordana Spiro (JAG, Must Love Dogs), is a twenty-something “guy’s girl” who tries to find romance within her world dominated by male friends. As a huge sports fan and professional sportswriter, she’s got a masculine, no-nonsense, sports-analogous approach to dating that often freaks out potential boyfriends. Her only female friend advises her to dress and act more feminine, but it’s hard for PJ to shake off her tomboy qualities. Jim Gaffigan (That ‘70s Show, Ed), Jamie Kaler (The Family Stone), Michael Bunin (Scrubs), Reid Scott (American Dreams), Kyle Howard (Related, Orange County) and Kellee Stewart (Guess Who?) co-star.

10 ITEMS OR LESS – Half-hour scripted and improvised comedy series from Sony Pictures Television and executive producers/actors Robert Hickey, Nancy Hower and John Lehr (Memron) – Premieres in Q4 2006
In this loosely scripted comedy series, John Lehr plays a less-than-successful businessman from New York City who moves back home to take over the family supermarket after the death of his father. But the staff quickly realizes his management style is markedly different from that of his father, making for a comically chaotic workplace.

COMIC RELIEF – Three-hour comedy extravaganza premiering in November from The Comedy Festival
TBS is working with HBO on a COMIC RELIEF event as part of HBO and AEG Live’s second annual The Comedy Festival, taking place in Las Vegas Tuesday, Nov. 14 - Saturday, Nov. 18. As it did with last year’s inaugural edition of The Comedy Festival, TBS will once again serve as title sponsor.

In Development at TBS
MY EMBARASSING LIFE – Half-hour scripted comedy series from writer/executive producer David Rosenthal (Gilmore Girls, Spin City)
This coming-of-age story features 14-year-old Henry Einstein, who deals with ridicule at school and his first real crush while trying to survive his quirky family.

LARRY MILLER PROJECT – Half-hour scripted comedy series from Sony Pictures Television and writer/executive producer/star Larry Miller
Renowned stand-up comedian and actor Larry Miller provides a unique take on suburbia as he plays a dad, husband and newspaper columnist with two kids.

Disney-ABC Television Group announced that it will offer ad-supported, full-length episodes of four ABC primetime series online at www.ABC.com as part of a two-month-long experiment. Current episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Commander In Chief, as well as the entire present season of Alias, will be available for streaming during May and June, marking the first time a broadcast network has made multiple series available for viewing online, free of charge to consumers.
As part of the trial, ABC has offered ten advertisers the opportunity to test possible in-stream broadband advertising models as well as the ability to take advantage of sponsorships. The unique interactive video ads will take many different forms and will be seen within each episode. Participating advertisers include AT&T, Cingular, Ford, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, Unilever's Suave, Universal Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures, among others.
Combining an all-new sleek, modern design with user-friendly functionality, ABC.com will offer episodes the day after they premiere on the linear channel. Consumers will be able to pause and move back and forth between "chapters" within each episode, but will not have the ability to fast-forward through advertisements. Episodes will be streamed in 16x9 formatting which offers a cinema-like feel to the viewing experience.
Encoded and streamed in Flash 8, which offers the best video quality and allows users on both Mac and PC platforms to watch the video episode, will be offered in two different sizes. The standard viewing size is 500x282 pixels (streamed at 400kbs), and the larger viewing size is 700x394 pixels (streamed 700 kbps).

Additionally, the Group announced it will launch SOAPNETIC, the first-ever, always-on broadband channel dedicated to soap fans, on April 17, 2006. Providing comprehensive coverage of all nine current soap operas, as well as classic and original programming, the gated broadband service, an extension of the linear SOAPnet channel, will be accessible at launch to Verizon consumer broadband customers.
Previously, the Disney-ABC Television Group announced that full episodes of popular original series from Disney Channel and Jetix will be available for viewing online starting later this spring. Kids will be able to log on to DisneyChannel.com and Jetix.tv and stream full-length episodes of the hit series That's So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Kim Possible, Power Rangers and Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, among others, free and on-demand.

Breaking News: 'Hogan Family' Removed from ABC Family Channel; TV One Acquires Tons of Sitcoms Including 'Cooper', 'Living Single'

Yesterday various online TV listings had switched back to the line-up that ABC Family had before Hogan Family joined (which joined on April 3). After just one week, ABC Family is going back to that line-up--10:30am Gilmore Girls; 11:30am Step by Step; and 12-1pm Full House. So, Hogan Family has been removed from the schedule. Bad ratings is the issue but I think it was more like poor planning. We only got to see 10 episodes (ironically the same amount that we see from shows on AOL's In2TV every month) from the middle of the third season. The show was placed at 12 noon and 12:30 p.m. They should have placed it at 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. or just 10:30 a.m. to start off with to see how it would do. By airing it at 12 and 12:30, they had to move one of their highest rated sitcoms back an hour and then ABC Family would probably have to compare Hogan Family to the previous timeslot rating and then kicking off their afternoon line-up. That was asking too much from a sitcom that has not been aired in years. I am so pissed off that they removed the show totally. I think they should have moved it to 10:30 a.m. They would have really nothing to lose there airing out of The 700 Club. This is the third sitcom this year that got an early boot from a cable channel. Family Ties on Hallmark Channel and Evening Shade on CMT both also got an early boot, but not as fast as The Hogan Family. Those got the boot after two weeks. Historically, those shows have never done well in the ratings, so again I blame poor scheduling. What moron would schedule Evening Shade at 11 PM? The show would work only in the mornings. And Family Ties was also poorly scheduled by Hallmark. It's like they do no research. The shows have never done well and yet they seem to expect a whole lot from these shows. They should start slowly by airing them in a morning slot. They were asking way too much from The Hogan Family. Sure the ratings prove it did bad but the scheduling was even worse.
I got an official statement from ABC Family today and they told me to let you all know that they WILL bring the show back at a later date, rest assured. They confirmed that the ratings were not too good and they will try to find a better timeslot that will best suit the show. Let's hope they read my blog today and air it at 10:30 a.m. because I think that might be the best shot.
I'm just happy that we can expect this sitcom to appear on AOL's In2TV sometime this year.

TV One has struck a HUGE multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Television. First off, they have renewed Martin and Roc. Both shows are performing well back-to-back at 11 p.m. TV One has acquired rights from Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution to air popular movies and series, including All of Us, Eve, and Living Single. The acquisition of current UPN sitcoms All of Us and Eve marks the first time the new network for African American adults has acquired the off-network rights to sitcoms currently airing on a broadcast network. As part of the deal, TV One will also acquire the rights to air recent episodes of Showtime at the Apollo, including new episodes two weeks after their syndication debut.
The network will be able to air episodes of All of Us and Eve in primetime if the new UPN/WB merged network, The CW, does not pick up the two series as part of its new lineup. TV One will have weekend distribution rights if the shows are picked up by the new broadcast network.
Additional series to which TV One is acquiring rights under the deal include sitcoms For Your Love, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, The Parent 'Hood, Wanda at Large, All About the Andersons, Fastlane and the Spenser: For Hire spin-off series A Man Called Hawk.
Under the deal, TV One's rights to air All of Us and Eve begin in fall 2006, and the rights to air Living Single begin in fall 2008.
All of the other series can begin airing at anytime, so we will let you know when they decide to air them. The Parent 'Hood is currently on TBS and licensed to them through fall 2007, so that won't start on TV One probably until then. Though, the show will be leaving TBS come June (probably a hiatus). We will have more on TBS later this week.
I am calling this week "TV Schedules Week" as I have tons and tons of TV programming news for you (and some of it is just bizzare!). So you will want to check in everyday this week for the best coverage of TV scheduling. Isn't TV scheduling just so fascinating?

Week 29: How The Sitcoms Did

First four day weekly ratings for total viewers, households and adults 18-49 were not available to us for week 29. So we hope to have that for you next week (hopefully) with week 30. The analysis will also return next week (again...hopefully).

Monday Sitcoms

• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A repeat at 8 p.m. in the east and after the NCAA game in the west did decent enough.
  
• The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) - An all-new episode at a special time of 8:30 p.m. in the east and after the game and Men in the west did OK.
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - All reruns and dead last place.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - Repeat got only did a 3.2/5.
  
• Hope & Faith (ABC) - All-new episode, but dropped from lead-in and that was a REPEAT.
  
• Sons & Daughters (ABC) 2 episodes - Sigh...great show, terrible ratings. The last two scheduled episodes did its worst yet.
  
• Scrubs (NBC) 2 episodes - New repeat time of 8:30 p.m. did terrible with a 2.5 rating, but the all-new episode at 9pm did better, but not good with a 3.9 rating.
• Teachers (NBC) - 3.7 rating for its second week.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• George Lopez (ABC) - 4.1 rating...should be slightly better than that since AI is not against it now.
  
• Freddie (ABC) - See above.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - Repeat was at its normal level.
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - Repeats that no one watches...
  
• Will & Grace (NBC) - New episode did decent with a 5.9 rating.
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) 2 episodes - Repeat at 8:30 helped NBC a lot again; new episode at 9 did well but down from last week as CSI is back.
  
• Teachers (NBC) - Special night and time. Down big from Earl.
  
• That '70s Show (Fox) - 2.8 rating--ouch.
  
• The Loop (Fox) - Why is this still on?
  

Friday Sitcoms

Bernie Mac did bad for Fox. The WB has sitcoms on during the 9 p.m. hour of a repeat of Reba and a new Modern Men was dead last for The WB. Modern Men did a 1.2 rating.

Summing it up. Repeat of Two and a Half Men, a new The New Adventures of Old Christine, My Name is Earl were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Will & Grace and 8:30 p.m. Thurs repeat of My Name is Earl) or just plain old terrible (such as all the sitcoms that aired this past Tuesday on ABC and NBC, The Loop, That '70s Show, Bernie Mac, Modern Men). Terrible sitcom week...

New & Old 'Dick Cavett Show' on TCM; 'Golden Girl' Fighting Age with 2 Components

Turner Classic Movies is developing a one-hour special version of The Dick Cavett Show for a September debut.
The special is to be taped before a live audience on a contemporized version of the original set from the '70s, will feature Cavett doing an in-depth interview with Mel Brooks.
In addition, TCM has acquired rights to eight episodes of the original talk show, featuring one-hour interviews with Robert Mitchum, Bette Davis, Ingmar Bergman, Alfred Hitchcock, Woody Allen, Groucho Marx and two with Katharine Hepburn.
Archive episodes are also slated for September. Cavett will supplement interviews with new introductions.

The Associated Press reports on a 'Golden Girl' fighting age with two unlikely components: Rue McClanahan recommends two forms of exercise to fight the effects of aging: weightlifting and frequent sex. "It just depends on the availability of the material," the 72-year-old actress said Friday. "Dumbbells are easy to come by, but most of them are married."
McClanahan said that she used a positive attitude and a sense of humor to help defeat breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in June 1997, and she's using those same attributes to embrace aging. McClanahan's autobiography, My First Five Husbands, will be released around Mothers' Day in 2007, she said.
The veteran actress has appeared in many series as a regular such as Maude, The Golden Girls, Mama's Family, and The Golden Palace. She has guest starred on many series as well such as All in the Family, Alice, Newhart, Gimme a Break!, Charles in Charge, Empty Nest, Nurses, Boy Meets World, recently on Hope & Faith and so many more.

Lifetime Validates 'Desperate Housewives' Syndication Deal; Slow TV DVD News?

Lifetime confirmed the Variety report from the other day that they have picked up cable rerun rights to the megahit Desperate Housewives for 5 days a week play starting in fall 2008. But they will also air the show weekly starting with season one this August. Here is how they describe it: The Women of Wisteria Lane have just found a second home! Lifetime Television announced today that it has acquired the exclusive basic cable rights from Buena Vista Television, along with the repurposing rights, for the smash-hit, Emmy Award-winning series Desperate Housewives. Along with the repurposing rights starting September 2008, Lifetime will begin airing the first season of Desperate Housewives on a weekly basis this August.
You can read all the "juicy" details of this buy, by clicking here.

Have you noticed the dry spot among TV DVD news lately? Especially sitcom wise? It looks like June and July will be pretty much slow sitcom wise for DVD. Yes, we are getting sitcoms on DVD those months but most are returning series to DVD such as Roseanne, Cheers, Frasier, Home Improvement, Mary Tyler Moore Show and Three's Company. The new sets coming in June and July - sitcom wise are Coach, Family Affair, Dharma & Greg, The Color Honeymooners, The Bill Cosby Show and F Troop. And also 6 episode sets of Alice and Step by Step. So, I hope it is just not me that is thinking that the sitcom DVD game has been slow lately. The month of May will be big with many many sitcom sets (even a Facts of Life sighting!), but those have been announced for a while already. Let's hope August will shelve more new sets. And you Three's Company fans out there - Amazon.com has now put up the seventh season DVD (which is coming 7/25) up for pre-order--click here to order!

I hope everyone is enjoying our TV DVD reviews. We have worked hard to bring you EVERY sitcom on DVD a review. We also cover select dramas that we feel has a following and that our readers like. While April is not done yet, we will have reviews very soon of the many May sitcom releases such as The Nanny, That Girl, The Facts of Life, and Here Come the Brides. So, keep checking back to the number one TV DVD review site - your number one source for sitcom DVD reviews!

'Love Monkey' Unaired Episodes on VH1; Couric's Replacement on 'Today' is Vieira

The people spoke and VH1 listened... canceled CBS dramedy Love Monkey has found a new home on VH1. The hour long dramedy from CBS starring Tom Cavanagh will begin airing on VH1 starting Tuesday, April 11 with three back to back episodes of the episodes that have already aired beginning at 7 p.m. ET/PT. The five remaining, never before seen episodes will premiere every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning April 18. For more details, click here.

Just one day after Katie Couric made it official she is leaving Today, her replacement was announced. This morning on ABC’s The View, Meredith Vieira confirmed that she would be leaving the show later this summer to become co-host of the Today show. Vieira is expected remain with The View through May sweeps and join Today in early September. Meredith has been a valued contributor of The View since its launch over nine years ago.
Vieira also said she has not yet spoken with Buena Vista about whether or not she will continue in her role as host of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire for the remaining two years on her contract. Vieira currently tapes the entire year of shows between September and December, shooting four shows a day three or four days a week. The show currently tapes at 2 p.m., and Vieira said that one possibility would be simply to move up the taping schedule to begin at noon. NBC CEO Jeff Zucker cited Hugh Downs’ hosting of both Today and game show Concentration concurrently in the 1960s as precedent should Vieira continue in her Millionaire role. Vieira’s mix of talk-show hosting and experience in network news were considered widely attractive to NBC.

'Desperate Housewives' Reruns Coming to Lifetime?; Syndie Sitcoms Score; Couric to CBS

Variety is reporting that Lifetime is about to pick up reruns of ABC's Desperate Housewives for about $500,000 per hour-long episode. The women’s cable network will begin running the show in fall 2008 – likely both stripping it on weeknights and repurposing new episodes after they air on ABC, according to a source close to the deal. Lifetime, which has not yet finalized the deal, declined to comment on the matter. Lifetime, which passed the show over before it ended up on ABC, will actually be paying less for Housewives than it did for Frasier, which recently joined its schedule in reruns and has not done too well. Reports put the price Lifetime shelled out for each episode of the half-hour Frasier at $600,000. The $500,000 Desperate price tag is twice what Bravo just paid per episode for reruns of the HBO mortuary drama Six Feet Under.

The March 20-26 syndicated ratings just came out. And sitcom Friends hit a season high. The sitcom averaged a season-high 6.6 household rating for the week, up 43% from the previous period -- the biggest leap of any show in syndication for the week -- due to a weekend marathon of the show on cable network TBS. Usual off-network sitcom leader Everybody Loves Raymond slipped to No. 2 with a 6.1, flat for the week. Seinfeld (5.6) fell by 3%, and That '70s Show (4.0) jumped 8%.

And in the big TV news of the day. Katie Couric of NBC's Today show made it official this morning that she is indeed heading to CBS. "I wanted to tell all of you out there who have watched the show for the past 15 years that after listening to my heart and my gut, two things that have served me well in the past, I've decided I'll be leaving 'Today' at the end of May," she said this morning on Today.
Katie Couric, one of broadcasting's most respected and popular journalists, is joining CBS News, it was announced today by Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation, and Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports. As part of the multi-year agreement, Couric will become Anchor and Managing Editor of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric beginning in September. Couric also will contribute to 60 Minutes, the most successful program in television history and its most respected news magazine, and will anchor CBS News primetime specials as well. With the appointment, Couric becomes the first female solo anchor of a network evening news broadcast.

ABC Slates Specials for Top 3 Shows; VH1 Sitcom Starts Slow

ABC has booked three new specials for Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy and Lost for the end of April. The specials will take a look back at the current season for each show in clip format. All three specials will air in the regular time periods. The specials are: Desperate Housewives: The More You Know, The Jucier It Gets airing Sunday, April 23; Grey's Anatomy: Under Pressure airing also on Sunday, April 23; and Lost: Reckoning airing Wednesday, April 26. After these specials the shows will be all-new for May sweeps, wrapping up the season.

VH1's first ever sitcom So noTORIous starring Tori Spelling drew 1.1 million viewers overall at 10 p.m. for its debut episode and another 823,000 viewers tuned in for the second episode at 10:30 p.m. The numbers are pale in comparison with those of recent VH1 hits like Flavor of Love, which wrapped its season to 6 million viewers last month and ranked as the first quarter's No. 1 nonsports basic cable show in adults 18-49 Variety reports. So noTORIous also lost steam from its lead-ins -- new episodes of Surreal Life at 9 and Hogan Knows Best at 9:30 -- which each drew 2.1 million viewers. On the flip side, So noTORIous posted a 0.4/1 in 18-49, up 50% over VH1's current primetime average in the 18-49 demo. 10 p.m. competition from ABC's Grey's Anatomy (22 million viewers overall, 9.9 national rating/24 share in 18-49) seems to have overwhelmed the debut.

'The Simpsons' Movie Coming to a Theater Near You in July 2007; 'Malcolm' Celebrates #150; More on 'Poocharelli's'

Homer Simpson has hit the big screen in a short teaser trailer announcing a theatrical feature version of the long-running Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons. The Simpsons teaser debuted Friday before screenings of 20th Century Fox's Ice Age: The Meltdown. The clip announces Fox's July 27, 2007, release date for The Simpsons Movie.
The animated 28-second clip opens on a giant superhero "S" shield. "Leaping his way onto the silver screen," intones a narrator, "the greatest hero in American history!" Cut to Homer sitting on his couch in his tightly whities and T-shirt. "I forgot what I was supposed to say," Homer says. The narrator continues, " 'The Simpsons Movie,' coming to the screen July 27, 2007." "Uh, oh ...," says Homer, "we better get started."
David Silverman, co-director of Pixar Animation Studios' Monsters, Inc., is directing the movie. He has also shot numerous Simpsons episodes and was recently promoted to the series' supervising director. The film is being produced in 2-D animation by 160 animators at Film Roman in Burbank.
The principal voice cast from the TV series will all be involved in the film, which will also introduce new characters, one of which will be voiced by Albert Brooks.

Malcolm in the Middle is coming to an end this season, and they will celebrate a milestone--episode #150! For the senior prom, Reese gets paid to take Janine, a studious girl in class, but only after she gives him a makeover and sends him to finishing school, while Malcolm aligns with the unpopular kids to form an anti-prom they call "Morp." Unfortunately, while Malcolm and his friends protest the official dance, they don't know how to make their "Morp" exciting. Meanwhile, Dewey discovers there aren't any childhood pictures of him, so he concocts an elaborate scavenger hunt to punish Hal and Lois in "Morp," the milestone 150th episode of Malcolm in the Middle, Sunday, April 23 (7:00-7:30 PM ET/PT) on Fox.

Now we have episode synopsis for Nick@Nite's 90-second sitcom! How exciting! I think I might be just about the only one covering this--but I'm proud! Lassie better watch out, because these dogs are on his trail.

Week 28: How The Sitcoms Did

First four day weekly ratings for total viewers, households and adults 18-49 were not available to us for week 28. So we hope to have that for you next week with week 29. The analysis will also return next week.

Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - We don't have total viewers numbers this week, but we will do our best to analyze. Repeat airing was 4th in its slot.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Repeat broadcast was 4th in its slot in the major categories.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - Even a repeat wins its slot. in households
  
• The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) - An all-new episode did decent, but its lowest rating yet because Men was a repeat at 9.
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - All new this week, and normal levels. I wonder which will make it to the CW line-up next season?
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - Repeat got killed by AI.
  
• Hope & Faith (ABC) - Regis guest starred, but with Jim a repeat before it, it was down from last week..
  
• Sons & Daughters (ABC) 2 episodes - Watch the show! This coming Tuesday will be its last two episodes that are scheduled. 10 of 11 have aired, and I hope we see that final episode at somepoint. Hilarious stuff!!
  
• Scrubs (NBC) 2 episodes - New repeat time of 8:30 p.m. was nothing to write home about, but the all-new episode at 9pm did its normal numbers.
• Teachers (NBC) - Debut didn't do as well as it should, lost some of the Scrubs audience. We'll have to watch and see if the show builds, remains steady or does a freefall this week. Good chance we will not see this show next fall, though.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• George Lopez (ABC) - Down from last week, but still did decent enough. 100th episode with special guest Eva Longoria won its slot among sitcoms.
  
• Freddie (ABC) - Like the lead-in, down from last week's historic cross-over episode.
  
• Out of Practice (CBS) - This week was its last airing...CBS quickly has pulled it.
  
• Courting Alex (CBS) - Same goes for this sitcom, CBS has pulled it. This week Alex did better than Practice.

Thursday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - Repeat was at its normal level.
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - Repeats that no one watches...
  
• Will & Grace (NBC) - 3.6 A18-49 rating is good for NBC these days, especially from a sitcom.
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) 2 episodes - Repeat at 8:30 helped NBC a lot again; new episode at 9 did well but down from last week as CSI is back.
  
• The Office (NBC) - Households and total viewers is down a little too much from the lead-in, but A18-49 is not that bad, 4.1..down from Earl's 4.4.
• That '70s Show (Fox) - About the same numbers as it did last week.
  
• The Loop (Fox) -Cancelation is on the horizon.
  

Friday Sitcoms

Fox brought back Bernie Mac, and I wonder why? The show was beaten by every network except The WB in its slot. The WB Friday thankfully got rid of What I Like About You and Living with Fran. The 9 p.m. hour of a repeat of Reba and a new Modern Men was dead last for The WB.

Summing it up. Repeat of Two and a Half Men, a new The New Adventures of Old Christine, My Name is Earl were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of The King of Queens, How I Met Your Mother, and a new The Office) or just plain old terrible (such as Sons & Daughters, The Loop, Bernie Mac, Modern Men).

Charlie Sheen 'E! THS' Tomorrow; 'Hogan Family' Debuts Monday on ABC Family

Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen will be profiled, along with Denise Richards, on this week's episode of the E! True Hollywood Story. Charlie Sheen was a showbiz heir who tore through life in the fast lane - drug problems and press coverage of admitted call girls branded him Hollywood's bad boy. Denise Richards was a silver screen goddess who scaled the A-list, and when their worlds collided, Richards believed she could tame him. When Sheen said "I do" to Richards on June 15th, 2002, it seemed this "Wild Thing" would finally have his happy ending. The couple appeared to be living a fairytale life with the birth of their daughter Sam in 2004, and Charlie's top hit sitcom Two and a Half Men. But on March 2, 2005, while pregnant with their second child, the woman who won Charlie's heart dropped a bombshell. Richards filed for divorce after almost three years of marriage. Although the couple attempted to reconcile, in January 2006, Sheen and Richards continued with divorce proceedings. After months of speculation, one question remains, is it really over? Tune in for this story of debauchery, divorce and deliverance - Hollywood style, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards : The E! True Hollywood Story premiering on Sunday, April 2 at 8:00 PM ET/PT.

And don't forget Monday is the long awaited return of The Hogan Family on television. ABC Family Channel was nice (and smart) enough to pick-up the series. They will air it back-to-back each weekday at 12 noon and 12:30 p.m. ET/PT starting this Monday. Now if they only can finally get rid of The 700 Club in the morning, maybe they can pick-up Silver Spoons, Small Wonder, and Mr. Belvedere, too. As those would work really well in the mornings. But at least Hogan is back, and this is no April Fool's joke.

Don't forget to put your clocks ahead one-hour before you go to bed tonight. We lose an hour of sleep tonight.

TV Networks Plan April Fools Stunts Tomorrow

It's April Fool's Day Comedy Style on TV One. Catch TV One's April Fool's Marathon with your favorite TV One characters on Saturday, April 1 beginning at noon through 10 p.m. and again from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.
This April Fool's, set yourself up for some laughter and comedy that is sure to last all day--tune in to TV One's "Fool's Day" comedy marathon. Beginning at noon, check out unforgettable foolish performances from your favorite TV One sitcom characters: J.J. (Good Times), Sandra (227), Deacon Frye (Amen), and Martin Payne (Martin). From Deacon Frye's infamous snake encounter to Martin's "Homeo and Juliette" performance, see your favorite sitcom characters at their best in this day-long marathon.
12:00pm/12:00am Good Times Episode 108, Junior and Senior
12:30pm /12:30am 227 Episode 208, Wheel of Misfortune
1:00pm/1:00am Amen Episode 8602, Frye For The Defense
1:30pm/1:30am Martin Episode 107, The Parents Are Coming
2:00pm/2:00am Good Times Episode 216, The Nude
2:30pm/2:30am 227 Episode 220, Far from the Tree
3:00pm/3:00am Amen Episode 8713, Snakes Alive!
3:30pm/3:30am Martin Episode 203, Do You Remember the Time?
4:00pm Good Times Episode 221, My Girl Henrietta
4:30pm/4:30am 227 Episode 306, Men's Club
5:00pm/5:00am Amen Episode 8805, Get 'Em Up, Scout
5:30pm/5:30am Martin Episode 216, No Justice, No Peace
6:00pm/4:00am Good Times Episode 321, JJ in Trouble
6:30pm 227 Episode 302, The Talk Show
7:00pm Amen Episode 8903, Where There's A Will...
7:30pm Martin Episode 303, I've Got Work to Do
8:00pm Good Times Episode 508, Wheels
8:30pm 227 Episode 405, Double Your Pleasure
9:00pm Amen Episode 8923, The Roast
9:30pm Martin Episode 421, Homeo & Juliet

Boomerang, the network that airs classic animated series (and the sister network of Cartoon Network), will have a 15-hour stunt this April Fool's Day trying to determine who can beat Mr. T! The stunt titled "Taking on Mr. T" pairs the animated Mr. T vs. other classic cartoons. Here it is in their own words:
Boomerang is proud to present the most anticipated showdown in television history with the staging of the blockbuster, battle event "Taking on Mr. T." From sunrise to sunset, there will be a no-holds-barred, “winner takes all” contest as the animated Mr. T (famous tough guy from The A-Team of the 1980s) is pitted against a line-up of famous cartoon all-stars on Saturday, April 1, 6 a.m.-9 p.m. (ET). Each hour Mr. T will take on a new opponent. Running commentary and on-air updates will appear between episodes to allow fans to keep tally of the matches. "Taking on Mr. T" is an event with amazingly high stakes: the loser will be banished from the network forever! As an added bonus, 24-hour commercial-free Boomerang will also premiere four half-hour episodes of Mr. T (1983-86) that have never before played on Boomerang - "Mystery of the Mind-Thieves," "The Hundred Year Old Mystery," "Mystery on the Rocky Mountain Express" and "The Ninja Mystery" - perhaps the last time audiences will be able to see Mr. T in an uninterrupted format.
"Taking on Mr. T" will launch at 6 a.m. with 30 minutes of the spinach-fueled Popeye, followed by a favorite Mr. T episode. At 7 a.m., super-sleuth Scooby-Doo tag-teams for a half hour, again followed by a Mr. T mystery. Heavy-weight Magilla Gorilla next appears at 8 a.m., only to be answered by yet another Mr. T showing. The pattern continues for another 12 hours and will feature appearances by Papa Smurf, Yogi Bear, Pink Panther, Bugs Bunny, Duck Dodgers, Dee Dee, The Shmoo, Hong Kong Phooey, Dick Dastardly, Secret Squirrel, Dexter and Tom and Jerry. So who will be banished from the network? Will it be Scooby-Doo? Popeye? The Smurfs? Or even Mr. T himself? Find out tomorrow!

Mr. T is not done making a fool out of you! Sleuth TV will run an April Fool's Day marathon titled, "I Pity the April Fool" from 1 pm. to 9 p.m. ET. Following is the line-up that includes Mr. T in The A-Team:
1:00 PM/5:00 PM I PITY THE APRIL FOOL: The A-Team: CURTAIN CALL
2:00 PM/6:00 PM I PITY THE APRIL FOOL: Knight Rider: CIRCUS KNIGHTS
3:00 PM/7:00 PM I PITY THE APRIL FOOL: Karen Sisco: DUMB BUNNIES
4:00 PM/8:00 PM I PITY THE APRIL FOOL: Miami Vice: BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY

And then after all the fooling you did and watched, don't forget to put your clocks one hour ahead before you go to bed, as Daylight Savings Time returns--no fooling!