SitcomsOnline.com News Blog

Welcome to a special Christmas Eve edition of the News Blog! That means we will recap all of the holiday episode stunts, marathons and holiday movie stunts on TV today and tomorrow (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day)!
Some of the major TV stunts we mentioned already were ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas concluding today and tomorrow after 25 days. That is our pick of course! TV Land's 11th Annual Merrython starts tonight and runs into tomorrow with classic holiday episodes of many TV series! TV One will also celebrate the holidays with holiday episodes tonight starting at 7pm and tomorrow morning and afternoon! Yesterday we mentioned that ReelzChannel will have an 11-hour Brothers & Sisters marathon with the first 11 episodes. Centric will have a Sister, Sister marathon today beginning at 9am and a Proud Family marathon starting at 12 noon on Christmas Day.

Some of the stuff we have not mentioned are Boomerang's Christmas Party starting at 4pm today with many holiday animated episodes and specials! MTV has a short That '70s Show block starting at 4pm. WE tv spends Christmas Day with The Golden Girls starting at 6pm. BET has a Girlfriends marathon tomorrow starting at 9am and on Sunday they will give us a marathon of The Jamie Foxx Show starting at 12 noon. Syfy has a Star Trek: The Next Generation marathon today starting at 8am. Logo has a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon on Christmas Day beginning at 7:30am. And hello angels, spend Christmas Day with the '70s classic series Charlie's Angels with a marathon on Christmas Day on Universal HD starting at 6am!

Other notable TV marathons include Bravo's Real Housewives of New Jersey marathon tomorrow and both A&E and ION will air Criminal Minds marathons today. BBC America will showcase Doctor Who today starting at midnight. GMC will give us 24 straight hours of The Yule Log starting tonight. On local TV, of course KTLA has an Antenna TV preview on Sunday from 1pm-4pm PT, that we mentioned. But a station in Hartford, CT (WCCT) will have Christmas episodes of Paramount classics on Christmas Day from 4pm-8pm with The Brady Bunch, Family Ties, Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days and Cheers.

Movie wise, for the 14th year in a row Turner will have its annual A Christmas Story (1983) 24-hour movie marathon on TBS from 8pm tonight through 8pm Christmas night! There are some others on the other networks doing holiday movie marathons for large amount of encores as well. FX is planning to run the movie Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who starting at 4pm today lasting to 7pm Christmas Day. AMC will have two movie marathons. Today they will air the 1954 classic White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. Then all day tomorrow they will air the 1988 film Scrooged starting at 10am. Spike TV will spend today and tomorrow with a Star Wars movie marathon starting at 9am. Comedy Central's 13 Days of Christmas continues today starting at 1:30pm. While other networks such as TCM, Lifetime, WGN America, Hallmark Channel, and USA Network have movie marathons today. Lifetime and Hallmark continue holiday movie marathons on Christmas Day, with TNT and Syfy also joining the movie fun on Christmas Day. Hallmark Movie Channel will air a McBride movie marathon on Christmas Day and a Jane Doe movie marathon the following day.
Check out a full holiday marathon list from our friends at TVTango.com, which even includes holiday episodes of series airing on their normal time.

Stay tuned this time next week for our annual look at marathons on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day! Join us then!


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 Dec. 27-31, 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, December 27, 2010

• Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) - Watch Jack on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years) - Catch Dan on an all-new Good Morning America on ABC sometime between 7-9am.
• Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogier Howser MD) - Catch Neil on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Watch a repeat of Sofia The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

• Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld) - Catch Jerry on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Julie Bowen (Modern Family) - Watch a repeat of Julie on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Ted Danson (Cheers/Becker/Bored to Death/Help Me Help You) - Ted will be on a repeat of The Rachel Ray Show so check your listings.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

• Danny DeVito (Taxi/It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) - Watch Danny on a repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS at 12:37am.
• Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) - Watch a repeat of Mario on The Ellen DeGeneres Show...check listings.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

• Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) - Catch Ray on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show) - Watch Dick on a repeat of Late Late Show with Craig Ferugson at 12:37am on CBS.
• Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) - Watch a repeat of Jim on LIVE! with Regis & Kelly so check listings.

Friday, December 31, 2010

• Tina Fey (30 Rock/SNL) - Watch a repeat of Tina on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle/Help Me Help You) -Watch Jane on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check your listings or watch on cable on BET at 12am ET.

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

TV Land is pacing to earn its highest-rated year in primetime since 2007 with its target Adults 25-54 audience and among Women 25-54 since 2006. Bolstered by the launch of its first original hit sitcom, the critically-acclaimed Hot in Cleveland, and the success of the network's highest-rated acquisition, Everybody Loves Raymond, the network boasted double-digit gains among A25-54 and total viewers in primetime for 2010 over last year.
According to The Nielsen Company, TV Land posted a 0.3 rating & 363,000 viewers in primetime for the year among Adults 25-54, up 17% in rating and viewers 25-54 over last year. Among women 25-54 in primetime for 2010, the network scored a 0.4 rating and 209,000 viewers in the demo, up 29% in both rating and viewers over 2009. The network attracted an average of 827,000 total viewers for the year in primetime, up 15% over one year ago.
Hot in Cleveland, which premiered on June 16, 2010, is the #1 cable sitcom. The series, which is the network's first original scripted series, averaged a 2.0 rating and 2.1 million viewers among A25-54. Among Women 25-54, the series scored a 2.6 rating and 1.4 million viewers. The series averaged 4.3 million total viewers for the season.
TV Land's highest-rated acquisition, Everybody Loves Raymond, continues to impress, posting a 0.4 rating and 444,000 viewers among A25-54 and a 0.5 rating and 268,000 viewers among W25-54, an outstanding 43% gain in rating and audience with A25-54 and up 66% in rating and audience with W25-54 versus years ago levels. It averaged nearly 1 million total viewers (985,000), up 37% compared to last year.
And finally, TV Land scored record-breaking numbers for its star-studded Eighth Annual TV Land Awards hosted by Tim Allen, attracting nearly 2 million total viewers for its Sunday, April 25 premiere from 9-10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The special was the highest-rated and most-watched TV Land Awards since 2004 among the network's key demos of: Adults 25-54, Women 25-54 and Total Viewers. The presentation averaged 1.7 million viewers, up 54% over last year's show. Among the network's target Adults 25-54 audience, the telecast earned a 0.7 rating and 757,000viewers, up 37% in rating and audience versus 2009's show. And among Women 25-54, TV Land earned a 0.7 rating and 401,000 viewers, up 53% in rating and audience over 2009's show.

Earlier this week TeenNick removed Malcolm in the Middle from its schedule. The series was airing every night at 10:00pm & 10:30pm with encores at 1:00am & 1:30am. It is believed to be because of low ratings. The sitcom was replaced by Degrasi on the schedule since Monday (Dec. 20). Malcolm didn't even last a month on the schedule. The series premiered on TeenNick on Nov. 26, as we mentioned. It is uncertain if and when it will return, or if it will go back to sister network Nick at Nite, where is came from.
Also of note, this week is the last airing of Growing Pains on TeenNick. The sitcom airs back-to-back in the 5:00am hour on Sunday nights (early Monday mornings). The December 26 (early Dec. 27) airings will be the last airings, as the contract expires in January. Show the Seaver family that smile by watching it one last time on TeenNick...DVR it if you can't wake up that early! Episodes 33 and 34 are airing. Hopefully Growing Pains will return somewhere on television soon, but at least the second season is FINALLY coming on DVD in 2011!

In the wild world of the Walker family, depicted in the hit drama series Brothers & Sisters, every family secret is fair game and though most of their dinner gatherings assemble in peace, most end in fireworks. Watch it all from the beginning as ReelzChannel - TV About Movies® presents a Brothers & Sisters marathon featuring the first 11 episodes, starting at 8am ET through 7pm ET on Friday, December 24 only on ReelzChannel.
The Brothers & Sisters marathon begins with the first episode where viewers are brought into the riveting Walker dynamic, where dirty secrets are family currency and conversations are often ignited by differing views on divorce, addiction, infidelity, war, politics and death. From there, we follow the Walkers as they deal with the untimely demise of patriarch William Walker (Tom Skerritt). Now, widow Nora Walker (Sally Field) and their children Sarah (Rachel Griffiths), Kitty (Calista Flockhart), Tommy (Balthazar Getty), Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Justin (Dave Annable) are among those left to confront the secrets uncovered by his death, including the discovery of his mistress (Holly Harper played by Patricia Wettig), illegitimate child (Rebecca played by Emily VanCamp) and financial woes tied to the family business.
After the marathon, stay tuned to ReelzChannel for more Brothers & Sisters at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT after the Primetime Movie, South Pacific. And for all those die-hard Brothers & Sisters fans, ReelzChannel gives you two chances to watch every weekday with Brothers & Sisters at 2pm ET/11am PT and its permanent time of 10pm ET/ 7pm PT.
Stay tuned later tonight in the overnight for a look at the annual marathons on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, along with Sunday, Dec. 26 marathons as well.

CBS has FINALLY announced its mid-season 2011 plans! Every other network has announced their mid-season plans already. First order of business is that CSI: Miami will move to 8pm for at least three weeks starting Sunday, Jan. 2. All three airings will be all-new episodes. Its current slot of 10pm will be various series repeats for these three weeks (CSI: Miami on Jan 2, Criminal Minds on Jan. 9 and Undercover Boss on Jan. 16). CBS has the NFL's AFC Championship Game in primetime on Jan. 23 and as of now it is unclear what will air following the game at about 10pm ET. It is also unclear if CSI: Miami air at 8pm on Jan. 30, leading into the new Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie: Lost Valentine from 9-11pm. The Super Bowl is Feb. 6 (on Fox), so CBS will air repeats in primetime and CBS has the Grammy Awards on Feb. 13 from 8-11pm. So, CSI: Miami will likely return to its 10pm timeslot on Sunday, Feb. 20, as The Amazing Race starts its new season at 8pm that night. However, the following week (Feb. 27) will be the Oscars (on ABC), so it seems a new episode of Race at least will air since it premieres the week prior.
CBS will give freshman drama Blue Bloods a four-week run on Wednesdays at 10:00pm beginning Wednesday, Jan. 19 through and including Feb. 9. After these four weeks, it will return to its regular Friday time period of 10:00pm on Feb. 11. CBS will air repeats on Fridays at 10:00pm from Jan. 7-Feb. 4 until Blue Bloods returns on Feb. 11. The Defenders, which currently airs Wednesdays at 10:00pm, relocates to Fridays at 8:00pm effective Feb. 4 through and including March 25. The series will have its last Wednesday airing on Jan. 12. After Blue Bloods' four-week run on Wednesdays at 10 is over, CBS will premiere a new 13 episode series. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, a spin-off of CBS's Criminal Minds, premieres Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 10:00pm, airing right after the parent series. That is the same night Survivor returns with an all-new season at 8pm. Moving on, CBS premieres new drama Chaos on Fridays at 8pm beginning April 1, the week after The Defenders airs its season finale. The series has a 13 episode order, so it will likely run in the summer as well.
Moving on to sitcom news, CBS will premiere a new sitcom, move a sitcom and end one early. Mad Love, a comedy about a quartet of New Yorkers, two of whom are falling in love while the other two despise each other, premieres Monday, Feb. 21 at8:30pm following How I Met Your Mother. The series has a 13 episode order and will remain in this timeslot for the rest of the season. As a result of this change, Rules of Engagement will move from Mondays at 8:30pm to Thursdays at 8:30pm beginning Feb. 24 and airing after The Big Bang Theory. This means $#*! My Dad Says is off the schedule, but it will complete its on-air order of 17 episodes for the season after its Feb. 17 airing.
Yes, that is a lot to digest. View the CBS Mid-season 2011 press release and schedule for more information.

Antenna TV has announced its first week (Jan. 1-9) episodes and movies. We are very happy to report that every series they will air will start with the first episode and go in order from there. The only exception to not starting from the beginning will be on the Sunday series Showcase '39 which starts with episodes 153 and 154 ("Mr. Kagle & the Baby Sitter" and "Panic") in the 7am hour. That series is very rare as it is, so it doesn't really matter. There will be a few series that will go in production order, like Maude, but most will go in airdate order (such as Three's Company). The network launch marathon weekend of Jan. 1-2 with The Three Stooges and Benny Hill will also be aired in order, with Benny Hill's first 46 episodes airing. They will start both series from the beginning again on their regular Friday and Saturday night airings starting Jan. 7.
As for the films, they will air the movies weekdays from 1am-1pm and on weekends from 3am-7am. A nice mix of films from the '50s to the '90s will air from the Columbia Tri-Star library. Premiere week films are Real Genius (1985), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), Dick (1999), Blind Date (1987), Mrs. Winterbourne (1996), The Freshman (1990), Born Yesterday (1950), Picnic (1955), Muppets From Space (1999) and Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). That is just for week one (Jan. 3-9), look for more classics to come! We are about 10 days away from the Jan. 1 launch! Check out their website for affiliate information and stay with us for further information!

Last week we announced that KTLA in Los Angeles will be airing a preview of Antenna TV on Dec. 18, 19 and 26. And Dec. 18 and 19 was a success with shows like Dennis the Menace, Father Knows Best, Burns & Allen, Sanford & Son, Gidget, Circus Boy, The Monkees and The Three Stooges all getting a preview. We announced that on Sunday, Dec, 26 from 1pm-4pm PT, KTLA would have The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok and The Iron Horse, but KTLA has changed the scheduled a bit. The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin remains in the 1pm hour, but at 2pm it will now be an episode of Here Come the Brides and the 3pm hour will feature back-to-back episodes of The Partridge Family. Fans in L.A. please take note of the change! After this preview airs in Los Angeles, Antenna TV is less than 6 days away from launch on Jan. 1 nationwide!

As we first mentioned back in April, E! and style have acquired reruns of Sex and the City starting January 2011. Now we have more info on the times. The series will premiere on Monday, Jan. 3 on E! and will air weeknights at 8:00pm & 8:30pm ET/PT. The series will also encore in a morning block starting Tuesday, Jan. 4 airing from 8am-10am ET/PT and also afternoons in the 3pm hour. There is no info yet on when sister network style Network will air the series.
TBS had been airing the reruns since 2003 and they stopped airing the series in early November.

We have some sad news to report. Barney Miller's Steve Landesberg has passed away. Steve passed away yesterday (Monday, Dec. 20). The cause of death wasn't released, but it was said that he had cancer.
Steve Landesberg may have been best known for his role as the intellectual and sometimes annoying Detective Sgt. Arthur Dietrich on the long-running 1970s ABC cop comedy Barney Miller (1975-82), but younger audiences knew him too -- for a slew of recent parts such as the doctor on the 2008 hit movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Landesberg appeared in dozens of TV shows as a guest star, his curly haired, bespectacled face easily recognizable. He also played Det. Arthur Dietrich on an episode of the Barney Miller spin-off Fish in 1977. Among the older series he appeared on were The Rockford Files, 9 to 5, Mr. President, Pearl, Harry and the Hendersons, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Cosby, Dave's World, Conrad Bloom, Twice in a Lifetime, Law and Order and The Golden Girls. Recent credits included The Cleaner, Everybody Hates Chris, Ghost Whisperer, Just Jordan, That '70s Show and American Dad!
His last regular role was on the Starz short-lived drama Head Case from 2007-09. He also lent his voice to animated fare such as Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, Capitol Critters and an episode of ABC's Dinosaurs. As mentioned his film work included Forgetting Sarah Marshall and also Wild Hogs and Leader of the Band. You can see him play an accountant on Wild Hogs on New Year's Eve on ABC at 8pm.
Steve will be deeply missed. He was an accomplished actor and was nominated three times for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series from 1980-82 on Barney Miller. Unfortunately, Barney Miller is not airing on television right now. It was last aired on WGN America, but let's hope there is some sort of tribute to Steve. We will let you know if there is one. Steve was only 65.

ivi TV, the online cable system, has announced that it has added Chicago to its Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles broadcast channel offerings. The addition of 12 stations from the Chicago market brings the total number of OTA (over-the-air) channels available on ivi TV to an impressive 65, excluding international offerings ranging from Sport Italia to English-language news from China on CCTV9, among others.
ivi TV offers more content than Hulu and the ability to legally watch live major broadcast channels anywhere there's an Internet connection, including hit shows and popular sports programming from ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW, PBS, and others from a growing number of local affiliates, all available from a downloadable app at ivi TV.
Consumers who live in other parts of the country can watch live local programming from their hometown or favorite city. People with no conventional cable access or left adrift by the shift to DTV can watch TV with ivi TV. As ivi TV rolls out new markets (Philadelphia might be next), the channels it includes from each respective market are available to all ivi TV subscribers, regardless of where they presently reside within the U.S.
After spending a week in Washington, D.C. meeting with lawmakers and the FCC to vocalize concerns over the proposed Comcast-NBC Universal merger and its likelihood to leave consumers with less high quality programming and higher rates, ivi TV keeps rolling out new markets to offer an affordable cable subscription with more choice and flexibility. A growing number of voices are rising in opposition to the Comcast-NBCU merger. ivi TV simply wants a level playing field and is calling on Congress and the FCC to ensure consumers don't become the ultimate victims in Comcast's conquests. ivi TV delivers what consumers have wanted for a long time -- the ability to watch live broadcast television on the Internet. For only $4.99 a month, consumers can watch popular TV programming from all the major stations anytime and anywhere they want. And the first month is FREE!
Among the cool stations you can watch are KTLA, WGN-TV (local Chicago), WPIX, national Me-TV Network, Me-Too (Chicago), RTV (Seattle affiliate), and the big guns like WABC. This is very cool and I wish this was around back in the '90s when local broadcast stations were better with lots of cool sitcoms. But ivi TV is certainly worth the buy if you aren't in Chicago (for Me-TV and Me-Too) or don't have a RTV affiliate. Me-TV Network is now a national network, but as of now Chicago, Milwaukee, and South Bend are the only markets carrying it, so now is your chance to preview Me-TV and if you like it, you should request it to your local affiliates to add it to their digital stations! Antenna TV launches on Jan. 1, and perhaps we will get it on ivi TV, as all four ivi TV markets will have an Antenna TV affiliate, so there is a good chance we will have one on ivi TV. If that is the case and you don't have Antenna TV scheduled to come to your market, like Me-TV, try it on ivi TV and request it to your local affiliate that they add it!

Try and test ivi TV out for a month at least, it is free for the first month and you can cancel at anytime. I don't think you should watch your favorite primetime network shows on here, but it is a good service with decent (but not great) video quality if you want to test something like Me-TV and Antenna TV, especially if your markets are not carrying them. I certainly enjoyed testing out Me-TV Network this weekend and watching cool local fare on Me-Too Chicago (like Gilligan's Island) and KTLA Los Angeles (like Dennis the Menace on the Antenna TV preview on KTLA).

NBC is previewing upcoming mid-season single-camera sitcom Perfect Couples tonight (Dec. 20) with a special airing after the finale of The Sing-Off, which airs from 8-10pm. NBC will not air the pilot of the sitcom, instead a later episode (titled "Perfect Tens") will air. The series will still premiere with the pilot episode on its actual premiere date on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 8:30pm. Tonight NBC is just going to have viewers "sample" the series. The sampling preview airs tonight at 10pm on NBC. A repeat of The Office will follow at 10:29pm.
Perfect Couples depicts the misadventures of three engaging couples as they struggle to find out what makes the ideal relationship -- and how to maintain it through humorous trial-and-error. The series explores their heroic journey in search of the perfect relationship without destroying each other in the process.
Dave (Kyle Bornheimer, Worst Week, Romantically Challenged) and Julia (Christine Woods, FLASHFORWARD) are the relatable, normal couple, but Julia's hope of remaining the cool, low-maintenance chick is tested by Dave's attempts to keep both his wife and his needy best friend Vance (David Walton, 100 Questions) equally happy. Vance, along with the neurotic Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"), are the high-passion, high-drama couple who bring out the best and worst in each other. The third duo features Rex (Hayes MacArthur, She's Out of My League), a reformed party guy, and, and his wife, Leigh (Olivia Munn, Attack of the Show), who considers herself as the group's mother hen. Believing that they are relationship experts, Rex and Leigh have attended every class and seminar on relationships -- and regard themselves as the "perfect couple."
On tonight's episode, after Dave (Kyle Bornheimer) is disappointed that Julia (Christine Woods) dresses down for him, they both decide to be "perfect 10s" and live it up with a night out. Meanwhile, an infestation of bed bugs misleads Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) into thinking that Vance (David Walton) is not ready to commit to her, while Rex (Hayes MacArthur) and Leigh (Olivia Munn) plan an Italian vacation and struggle trying to adjust to the time difference.
We did not get a review copy of this episode, but we will have a review of the pilot episode closer to series launch on Jan. 20. So stay tuned! Sample if you want tonight, but people who have seen the pilot and an additional episode (not tonight's episode), haven't been too kind to this series. Our review will cover those two episodes (and we might give our thoughts on tonight's episode in that review, too).

We're only one week until Christmas and it usually seems like news really slows down this time of the year. But not this time! We have a lot of great news to share with you this week, plus reviews of Hawaii Five-O - The Tenth Season and C.S.I. Miami - The Eighth Season. Let's get started!

DIGITAL NEWS

The "Screen Gems" of the golden age of television are really beginning to shine on DVD, and just last week, we brought you news of Dennis the Menace - Season One. Well, it hardly ends there! Earlier this week, Brian Ward announced on the Shout! Factory Community forum that Father Knows Best - Season Six is now in production. This is the final season of the series, and brings the series to an end. There is no word on exact details of the set yet, except that it will be a Shout! Select title. And speaking of Dennis the Menace, Stu Shostak, one of the producers of that set, has indicated that there will be some nice special features on that set, including newly recorded interviews. Dennis the Menace - Season One is now available to pre-order on Amazon.com

But that isn't all for the Screen Gems series! We've talked about The Donna Reed Show a few times before on here and developments with that series since Virgil Films and the estate of Donna Reed couldn't come to an agreement regarding releasing seasons 4 and beyond. We mentioned that Donna Reed's daughter, Mary Owen, was working on trying to get the fourth season on DVD, and it appears that is becoming a reality now. Mary Owen has announced on a Facebook page devoted to getting season 4 on DVD that the fourth season will in fact be on DVD in time for Mother's Day from MPI! And, additionally, the fifth season will follow at a later date. But there are still three more seasons after that, and what about those? We honestly have no idea. Sony apparently owns the rights to those episodes, so perhaps some studio could license those episodes from them. Only time will tell what will happen with those episodes, and if they ever make it to DVD.

The Screen Gem series, though, are hardly the only classic series worthy of coming to DVD, and of course, one of TV's biggest stars, Lucille Ball, worked through her own studio, and now, we have an official date for The Lucy Show - The Official Fourth Season! According to the CBS Home Entertainment Facebook page, the set will be released on April 26. No word on the content of the DVDs just yet, but hopefully it will be as good as the first three sets that were released.

After all of this talk about 50s and 60s TV, we forge into the 80s, with a follow up on Growing Pains! It has been four years since we saw Jason, Maggie, Mike, Carol, and Ben on DVD and fans had basically given up hope of seeing them again, until a few months ago when Warner announced in a chat that we would be seeing the second season sometime next year. Well, this week, it was announced that Warner Home Video will be releasing Growing Pains - The Complete Second Season on DVD on April 26! This news is even better because this will be a standard release--not a Warner Archive release. Hopefully, we won't have to wait four more years for the third season, and Warner will "show us that smile again" for seasons 3-7.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (December 21) is a light day for releases, with the highlight being CBS Home Entertainments release of The Andy Griffith Show - 50th Anniversary: The Best of Mayberry, which brings us 17 of the (truly) best episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, along with the movie Return to Mayberry. You can read our review of the set here. Also on Tuesday, we get the third installment of the Star Wars parodies from Family Guy with It's a Trap (also on Blu-ray), as well as the Laugh it Up Fuzzball Trilogy that contains all three parodies (Blu-ray only). Finally, we go into the future with Futurama - Volume 5 (also on Blu-ray). We have not received these titles for review yet. Of course, you can read our reviews of these DVDs and more at our main reviews page.


BLOG FEATURE REVIEW



Hawaii Five-O - The Tenth Season
by skees53

Hawaii may seem like the perfect place for surfing and fun in the sun, but don't be fooled. Crime occurs all the time in the island state, and Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) and his team of crime fighters will go to any length to stop it in Hawaii Five-O. The popular crime series aired for 12 seasons on CBS, and made enough of an empire in popular culture to even inspire the current CBS crime drama, Hawaii Five-0. Here is our review of the tenth season of the classic series.

Hawaii Five-O - The Tenth Season (CBS Home Entertainment, $49.99) brings 24 more episodes of the 1977-1978 series about a team of detectives fighting crime in Hawaii. Headed by Detective Steve McGarrett, the team responds to only the most serious of crimes and will do anything to bring justice to those who have done wrong. And this team will stop at nothing to get their man, putting themselves at risk in each and every episode. This six disc set contains all of the tenth season episodes on DVD.

The season begins with "Up the Rebels," where an Irish terrorist poses as a priest in order to buy bombs in Hawaii to use in his own country. McGarrett is out looking for a missing child (deeply undercover) in "The Cop on the Cover." A rookie cop is framed for corruption in "The Friends of Joey Kalima." In "The Ninth Step," a recovering alcoholic ex-cop turns to McGarrett to make amends. A reporter investigating a sleazy real-estate developer turns up dead in "Shake Hands With the Man in the Moon." What better way to rob a bank in Hawaii than to create a fake tsunami warning? That is what happens in "Tsunami." McGarrett takes a job he'd rather not have in "Tread the King's Shadow."
It could be doctor on doctor murder in "The Big Aloha." It's a big case for the team in "A Short Walk on the Long Shore," but McGarrett may not be able to help due to family business. A philandering congressman is blackmailed in "The Silk Trap." Judging a surfing competition somehow turns into a murder investigation for Danno in "Tall on the Wave." In "When Does the War End?," a Japanese man seeks revenge over his father's treatment in a Japanese internment camp. A man's widow becomes a prime suspect for murder in "A Stranger in the Grave." The season ends with "A Death in the Family," where McGarrett seeks assistance from an organized-crime boss when one of the Five-O team is killed.

The episodes on the set appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:

Disc 1:
1. "Up the Rebels" (49:44)
2. "You Don't See Many Pirates These Days" (49:43)
3. "The Cop on the Cover" (49:40)
4. "The Friends of Joey Kalima" (49:22)

Disc 2:
5. "Descent of the Torches" (49:44)
6. "The Ninth Step" (49:44)
7. "Shake Hands with the Man in the Moon" (49:43)
8. "Deadly Doubles" (49:43)

Disc 3:
9. "Deep Cover" (49:45)
10. "Tsunami" (49:16)
11. "East Wind, Ill Wind" (49:48)
12. "Tread the King's Shadow" (49:44)

Disc 4:
13. "The Big Aloha" (49:28)
14. "A Short Walk On the Long Shore" (49:39)
15. "The Silk Trap" (49:44)
16. "Head to Head" (49:39)

Disc 5:
17. "Tall on the Wave" (49:41)
18. "Angel in Blue" (49:45)
19. "When Does a War End?" (49:44)
20. "Invitation to Murder" (49:40)

Disc 6:
21. "Frozen Assets" (49:43)
22. "My Friend, the Enemy" (49:41)
23. "A Stranger in His Grave" (49:42)
24. "A Death in the Family" (49:45)

The DVD is packaged in a Viva pack this time, but it does have a cardboard sleeve that the case pulls out from on the side. The artwork on both of these cases is the same, and most likely, only the initial pressings will have the cardboard sleeve. The cover art has a large photo of McGarrett along with smaller pictures of other members of the team. On the back, there are episode snapshots along with the basic information about the series. There is no disc artwork aside from the series logo on a gray background, like all other CBS Home Entertainment sets. Each disc (six in total) contains four episodes. Inside the case, there is a listing of all of the episodes, along with original airdates and a brief synopsis.

The menus are very nicely done, but also very simple. The main menu has a video montage from the episodes with a large picture of McGarrett on it, and options of Episodes and Subtitles. The famous theme song plays in the background. Subtitles allows you to turn on the English subtitles, and selecting episodes takes you to an all text list of episodes on the disc. There is also a Play All option on this menu.

The episodes on the set have fairly decent video and audio quality, which is to be expected since the series was remastered not too long ago. It does show some aging, but it isn't that bad. The audio is presented in mono, which is surprising, since some other series of this era have been remixed in stereo. Still, it is more than adequate. The episodes contain English subtitles for the hearing impaired.

There are no special features on the set, not even the episode commercials that were included on some of the previous sets. It is too bad, because a series like this could really shine with a lot of new special features.

All in all, this is another great standard set of episodes for the series, although it would be nice to see some special features on future sets. I've gotten into this series quite a bit since purchasing some DVDs of it at Big Lots, so I'm still fairly new to the series, but I am impressed. It is much more interesting and thrilling than other similar crime dramas of the same era. Fans of the series (and there are many out there) are sure to be pleased with this set, but others may want to give the show a chance. It really is a great series, and on that note, I say to you... book 'em Danno!


(4/5 stars)

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Hawaii Five-O on TV.com



CSI: Miami - The Eighth Season
by Todd Fuller

CSI: Miami - The Eighth Season (CBS DVD/Paramount Home Video, $62.99) - The Miami team is taken back to its roots when the division's true origins are finally revealed in the memorable kickoff to this must-own season. And history is made again as the Miami, Las Vegas, and New York teams collaborate for the first time to crack open a crime syndicate. Featuring David Caruso, Emily Procter, Adam Rodriguez, Rex Linn, Jonathan Tigo and Eva La Rue, CSI: Miami's celebrated cast is now joined by Eddie Cibrian and Omar Benson Miller as the newest members of the Miami team. Grab the essential eighth season of this Emmy and People's Choice Award-winning series. Join the team as they defuse a hostage situation and a deadly bacterial outbreak, with new agents and old colleagues joining the fight. And learn just how dark the sun-drenched streets of Miami can get.

This 7-disc set contains all 24 episodes (plus 2 crossover CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: NY episodes) from the eighth (2009-10) season of the long-running crime drama. The episodes are presented in anamorphic widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Stereo audo (Spanish Stereo is also available). It has a total running time of approximately 17 hours, 13 minutes. The attractive packaging has a photo of David Caruso on the cover driving a boat and wearing his trademark shades. There is an embossed CSI: Miami logo at the top of the box. After using Digipak packaging for previous seasons, they've switched to a cardboard box that holds a clear plastic snapcase. There is a large photo of David Caruso, smaller photos of Adam Rodriguez and Emily Procter, and even smaller photos of Rex Linn, Omar Miller, Eva La Rue, Jonathan Togo and Eddie Cibrian on the back of the box/snapcase. A short synopsis of the set, a listing of the special features and the DVD specs are given. There is a clear plastic snapcase that slides out from the right of the outer cardboard box. The snapcase has the same cover art, photos and information as the cardboard box. Opening up the snapcase, there is a content locator in the front panel which lists the episodes and the special features on the inside cover. Discs 1-6 are held back-to-back in plastic trays, while Disc 7 is an embedded holder in the back of the case. The discs are just silver, with the CSI: Miami logo on them. Unfortunately, they didn't include the Crime Scene: Do Not Cross tape around the packaging for this release.

The menus are stylish and easy to navigate. There is a series of previews (4:28) for some other CBS DVD/Paramount DVD releases and the CSI: Fatal Conspiracy game which you can play or skip. The main menu opens with some police helicopter views of Miami that lead to a montage of video clips from the show. An instrumental cue from the show plays in the background. Options are available for Episode Selection, Set Up, Special Features (on select Discs) and Previews (only on Disc 1). You can choose either English 5.1 Surround or Español audio on the Set Up Menu. Closed captioning is available for all of the episodes, but some of the special features are not rated and may not be closed captioned. As you would expect from such a recent show, the video and audio quality is outstanding. This was the first season they used high definition cameras. Miami has the best scenery of the CSI franchise. There is no disclaimer on the back of the box about any of the episodes possibly being edited. Episodes are presented in their original broadcast order and numbered by the production number. Running times are between 41-43 minutes in length.

Here is the episode breakdown by disc, including the runtimes:

Disc 1
Episode 801 "Out of Time" (43:59)
Episode 802 "Hostile Takeover" (43:39)
Episode 803 "Bolt Action" (43:59)

Disc 2
Episode 804 "In Plane Sight" (43:39)
Episode 805 "Bad Seed" (43:29)
Episode 806 "Dude, Where's My Groom" (43:08)

Disc 3
Episode 807 "Bone Voyage" (43:51)
CSI: NY - Episode 607 "Hammer Down" (41:44)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Episode 1008 "The Lost Girls" (44:13)
Episode 808 "Point of Impact" (42:09)

Disc 4
Episode 809 "Kill Clause" (43:58)
Episode 810 "Count Me Out" (42:16)
Episode 811 "Delko for the Defense" (43:28)
Episode 812 "Show Stopper" (42:08)

Disc 5
Episode 813 "Die by the Sword" (42:26)
Episode 814 "In the Wind" (43:59)
Episode 815 "Miami, We Have a Problem" (41:09)
Episode 816 "L.A." (43:48)

Disc 6
Episode 817 "Getting Axed" (42:38)
Episode 818 "Dishonor" (43:06)
Episode 819 "Spring Breakdown" (42:18)
Episode 820 "Backfire" (42:37)

Disc 7
Episode 821 "Meltdown" (41:51)
Episode 822 "Mommie Deadest" (42:57)
Episode 823 "Time Bomb" (43:37)
Episode 824 "All Fall Down" (41:25)

A decent number of special features are spread out over the 7 discs. Once again, there are only 2 audio commentaries on this set like last season. They have really cut back on the number of them from previous seasons for all of the CSI franchise shows. No deleted scenes are included on this release. Notably absent from the special features is David Caruso. The 6 featurettes run about 76 minutes total in length. Here is the breakdown by disc:

Disc 1
Audio Commentary by Director Sam Hill, Visual Effects Supervisor Larry Detwiler, Editor James Wilcox and Location Manager Paul Codiga on "Out of Time"

It's Been Reel: Saying Goodbye to Film (8:21) - This featurette includes interviews with Co-Executive Producer Barry O'Brien, Co-Executive Producer Marc Dube, Director/Producer Sam Hill, Producer Don Tardino, Camera Operator Bill Gierhart, Director of Photography Ken Glassing, Digital Imaging Technician Ryan DeGrazzio, Department Head Make-Up Cheri Montesanto, Rex Linn, Jonathan Togo, Department Head Hair Scott Williams, and Omar Benson Miller. They talk about the switch this season to shooting with high definition cameras, how some shots are still shot on film, how the cameras are operated, how the make-up and hair changed with the high definition shooting, the lighting and colors, and the future of high definition.

Blast to the Past (13:00) - This featurette includes interviews with Writer Tamara Jaron, Co-Executive Producer Barry O'Brien, Co-Executive Producer Marc Dube, Director/Producer Sam Hill, Emily Procter, Adam Rodriguez, Rex Linn, Set Decorator Megan Malley Cannon, Director of Photography Ken Glassing, Producer Don Tardino, Visual Effects Supervisor (LOLA) Edson Williams, Department Head Make-Up Cheri Montesanto, and Department Head Hair Scott Williams. They talk about the origins of this flashback episode of how the team got together, the challenge of incorporating all of the characters, capturing the 1997 forensics and science, how the sets were changed with filing cabinets and more paperwork, how they made the actors look younger digitally and with make-up, and how Horatio got his sunglasses.

Disc 2
MDPD Files: Jesse Cardoza & Walter Simmons (12:04) - This featurette includes interviews with Jonathan Togo, Producer Don Tardino, Emily Procter, Eddie Cibrian, Writer Tamara Jaron, Co-Executive Producer Barry O'Brien, Co-Executive Producer Marc Dube, Eva La Rue, Director/Visual Effects Supervisor Larry Detwiler, Omar Benson Miller, and Writer Melissa Scrivner. They talk about the new characters of Walter Simmons (Oman Benson Miller) and Jesse Cardoza (Eddie Cibrian), how the characters were introduced and their backgrounds, and the chemistry of the new characters.

Twist of Eight: Season in Review (16:11) - Jonathan Togo, Producer Don Tardino, Co-Executive Producer Marc Dube, Co-Executive Producer Barry O'Brien, Eva La Rue, Adam Rodriguez, Emily Procter, Rex Linn, and Director Rob Zombie. They talk about keeping the show fresh, the emotional side of Horatio, the relationship between Delko and Calleigh, Natalia's hearing loss, how new characters were added, the groundbreaking episodes of the season, guest stars Pau Gasol, Cheryl Ladd, Anthony Michael Hall, and working with Director Rob Zombie.

Disc 3
Leaving Las Vegas: Langston Heads East (23:28) - This featurette was also available on the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: NY releases. It details the triple crossover event. They started out in Miami, moved to New York and finished in Las Vegas. Inteviews include Executive Producer Carol Mendelsohn, Executive Producer Naren Shankar, Executive Producer (CSI: NY) Peter M. Lenkov, Laurence Fishburne, Co-Executive Producer (CSI: Miami) Mark Dube, Director/Producer (CSI: Miami) Sam Hill, David Caruso, Omar Benson Miller, Executive Producer (CSI: Miami) Barry O'Brien, Christian Clemenson, Emily Procter, Executive Producer (CSI: NY) Pam Veasey, Melina Kanakaredes and Gary Sinise.

Bear Necessities (3:17) - This featurette includes interviews with Director/Producer Sam Hill, Bear Trainer Scott Handley, Jonathan Togo, and Omar Benson Miller. They talk about working with the bear and how it cooperated in the episode.

Disc 6
Audio Commentary by Director/Producer Don Tardino, Script Supervisor Claudia Yarmy, Emily Procter and Adam Rodriguez on "Backfire"

Season eight was a season of change. A few characters were brought in that added more humor to the show. Adam Rodriguez missed a number of episode this season while working on other projects. They've tried to keep the show fresh and original. The season eight premiere, "Out of Time," was quite an interesting flashback episode to see how the team was brought together. Other memorable episodes this season included "Bone Voyage" as part of the CSI crossover event, "Show Stopper," "Mommie Deadest," "Time Bomb," and the season finale: "All Fall Down."

This is another very good release. If you've bought the other seasons, you know what to expect with the special features and how the episodes are presented. I'm a big fan of commentaries, so I always hope to see more of them included. This was the first season that was shot in high definition, so it's disappointing that there is no Blu-ray release to go along with the standard DVD. Despite some new characters and innovative episodes, season eight was the lowest rated season of the series. CBS has moved the show to Sunday nights at 10pm. After more than 200 episodes produced, this show is starting to show its age a bit. Viewership has continued to drop on Sunday nights, but I think they probably have at least a few more seasons left.

-- Reviewed by Todd Fuller

(4/5 stars)

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LOOKING AHEAD

Next Saturday is Christmas, but we'll still be here for another edition of Digital Digest regardless. It'll probably be a light news week, but we'll have reviews of some animated DVD sets to bring out the kid in you on Christmas morning. So after you wake up and open your presents, check us out here for the next edition of Digital Digest. Until then, keep it digital!

We have another very exciting interview for you today. Yesterday we spoke to Antenna TV's Sean Compton, today we have an interview with Me-TV Network's Neal Sabin (Executive Vice President at Weigel Broadcasting) about their national launch. We get answers to various questions that you will all want to know about, including updates on affiliates, cable providers and of course the shows itself! As always with all of our interviews, it is in Seven Questions form. So let's first tell you a little bit each about Neal Sabin and Me-TV Network (as if you didn't already know).

We had the pleasure to interview Neal Sabin, Executive Vice President at Weigel Broadcasting. A Windy City original, Neal has spent nearly a quarter century programming, managing and reinventing independent television stations in Chicago. Currently, he oversees the company's three local stations (soon to be four stations,) plus contributes to the management for the television properties in Milwaukee and South Bend. He most recently launched the Me-TV Network which mirrors the highly successful classic television brand that he developed on a local level in Chicago and Milwaukee. Neal also co-created various aspects of THIStv Network, a digital multicast program service with partner MGM. Previously, he transformed WCIU, a.k.a. The U, into a personality-driven local independent powerhouse that reflects the diversity of its urban market. Neal got his start in television as Program Director of WPWR-TV. Neal is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Speech.

Me-TV Network is from Weigel Broadcasting Co. and is a classic TV network that launched nationally on December 15, 2010. Me-TV (Memorable Entertainment Television) is a 24/7 program service for broadcasters searching for quality programming that audiences and advertisers find comfortable and engaging. Me-TV's library includes series from Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution and CBS Television Distribution as well as independent series owners and producers. Some of the comedies on Me-TV include: M*A*S*H, Cheers, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy and The Bob Newhart Show. Dramas on the network include: Perry Mason, The Untouchables, The Big Valley, the original Star Trek and the original Hawaii Five-O series. In total, the Me-TV Network will premiere with approximately 50 series under long-term license agreements. This allows for the type of seasonal and thematic program stunts which have defined Me-TV in Chicago for more than seven years as the destination for true, classic television presented with respect for the programs and viewers.



"Seven Questions with Me-TV Network's Neal Sabin"

SitcomsOnline: Thank you for agreeing to do an interview. We are very pleased that Me-TV is going national as the Me-TV Network. Now fans outside of Chicago and Milwaukee can see this classic TV network and what it is all about! When and why was it decided to bring Me-TV to a national level and why now?
Me-TV Network's Neal Sabin: Thanks to you for letting people know all about Me-TV. We are very passionate about classic TV at Weigel Broadcasting and have wanted to take Me-TV national for a long time. The planning has been going on for about two years, just after our launch of THIStv with MGM Studios. It has taken this long because we wanted to have what we consider to be a significant selection of the best television series ever produced. Getting the rights nailed down was not easy nor inexpensive.

SitcomsOnline: MGM will be handling the distribution for the national Me-TV Network, like they do with This TV. I know we have asked you this already and we mentioned it on a story last week that it will take time to negotiate station clearances, but I'm sure everyone still asks about when affiliates will be announced. Is there some idea on when more the first batch of Me-TV affiliates will go live, as right now only Chicago, Milwaukee and South Bend are going to air during the national launch? And what can people out there do to help if they really want the network?
Me-TV Network's Neal Sabin: We have an incredible number of inquiries for affiliation, and it's MGM's job to investigate them all. Just as it took time to collect all the great programs such as M*A*S*H, Cheers, The Honeymooners, Batman, etc. We are going to take our time in signing affiliates who understand and are passionate about carrying the Me-TV Network. You will be able to enter your zip code on our website, metvnetwork.com in the near future and find the affiliate in your area. If your readers wish to help out, they can contact the stations in their markets and request they affiliate with Me-TV Network.

SitcomsOnline: And after viewers hear about some new affiliates joining, they will want to know if cable providers will carry the Me-TV Network in their market. Is the process to secure cable companies to carry the Me-TV Network also being negotiated right now or is the main priority getting station clearances?
Me-TV Network's Neal Sabin: Part of the affiliation process is determining cable and other carriage options. We are looking for partners that can provide that kind of distribution. Again, another reason to take our time.

SitcomsOnline: In lieu of the network launch, Chicago and Milwaukee have turned their local Me-TV stations into the national network feed. Good news for those two cities is that the shows that couldn't be cleared nationally will still remain locally in Chicago on Me-Too (which has merged the local Chicago Me-TV and Me-Too into one) and you told us Milwaukee will launch a local Me-Too in early 2011. Will it be similar to Chicago's version of Me-Too with shows that can't air nationally and the type of shows that aired on the local Milwaukee Me-TV? Where can we expect the Milwaukee Me-Too station to be placed?
Me-TV Network's Neal Sabin: The Me-Too programming stream in Milwaukee will be on one of our digital full power stations and have cable carriage. It will include some of the shows we don't have national rights to that air on Me-Too Chicago and some others such as Emergency! and Matlock.

SitcomsOnline: Moving back to the national Me-TV Network, most of the series acquired are from CBS Paramount with some classics from 20th Century Fox as well. Does Me-TV have an overall library deal with CBS and/or Fox where Me-TV Network can pick and choose series? If so, can we expect more series to join the schedule at some point? Some shows that haven't been seen nationally include CBS Paramount's Webster and Dear John, so those would be nice.
Me-TV Network's Neal Sabin: We have over 50 series from those two studios as well as programs such as The Dick Van Dyke Show from independent producers. You will see The Mod Squad, The Millionaire, Bosom Buddies, The Rebel, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space and others later. Batman joins in the fall. Webster was a syndication disaster and I don't think you'll see it on Me-TV Network. Dear John and many other shows from that vintage are caught up in the residual payment issue that plagues broadcast TV but not cable. Don't get me started.

SitcomsOnline: Me-TV in Chicago is known for changing its schedule every season (fall, winter, spring, summer), will this also be the case for the national Me-TV Network? Are there certain airing restrictions for any of these shows, since some long-running hits like Happy Days are only on weekends?
Me-TV Network's Neal Sabin: We will "mix it up" from time to time. We don't have restrictions, the schedule is based on our experience with what works best for our audiences as well as advertisers.

SitcomsOnline: Finally, what is your goal for the national Me-TV Network? How do you envision the network eventually being? Will it be the place to be for classic series from the 50s-70s?
Me-TV Network's Neal Sabin: Our goal is to be the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) of classic television. That's a simple way to say, quality programming presented with respect for the viewer and advertisers.

Our thanks to Neal Sabin and Me-TV Network. We wish them the best of luck and we hope affiliates will be announced soon so everyone can enjoy these shows once again. For more information on Me-TV Network, continue to stay with us for info and don't forget to view their website http://www.metvnetwork.com/. So, stay tuned right here on the blog for continued news and programming updates for this network.


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 Dec. 20-24, 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, December 20, 2010

• Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Watch Jason on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Catch Jason on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC at 1:37am.
• Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) - Jack appears on the TODAY Show on NBC sometime between 7-9am.
• Kelsey Grammer (Frasier/Cheers/Hank/Back to You) - Watch Kelsey on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show, so check listings or watch on BET at 12am.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Catch Sofia on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Mila Kunis (That '70s Show/Family Guy) - Watch a repeat of Mila on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12:06am on ABC.
• Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Jason makes the rounds this week, today he will be on ABC's The View at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Donal Logue (Knights of Prosperity/Grounded for Life) -Watch a repeat of Donal on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:37am on NBC.
• Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development/Better Off Ted) - Watch Portia on a repeat of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your listings.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

• Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Segel promotes his movie on the Early Show on CBS between 7-9am. And also on NBC's TODAY Show, in the 10am hour.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

• Zachary Levi (Less than Perfect) - Catch Zachary on The Tonight Show at 11:35pm on NBC.
• Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Watch Jason on an all-new Conan on TBS at 11pm. You can also see him on a repeat of LIVE! with Regis & Kelly, so check listings.

Friday, December 24, 2010

• None.

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

We have a very exciting interview for you today. We have an interview with Antenna TV's Sean Compton (President of Programming at Tribune) about their upcoming launch. We get answers to various questions that you will all want to know about, including updates on affiliates, cable providers and of course the shows itself! As always with all of our interviews, it is in Seven Questions form. So let's first tell you a little bit each about Sean Compton and Antenna TV (as if you didn't already know).

We had the pleasure to once again interview Sean Compton, President of Programming for Tribune Broadcasting. Compton previously worked for Clear Channel radio for 16 years and was their VP Programming for 10 years before leaving in April 2008 to run Tribune programming as SVP, which includes the massive change for WGN America and now the creation of Antenna TV. Compton was promoted to President of Programming in May 2010. Compton also oversees programming for Tribune's local television stations and for WGN America. Compton is 36 years old and has worked in radio since he was in high school, and he also says his childhood hero was actually legendary NBC programmer Brandon Tartikoff. Compton is originally from Connersville, Indiana, which is between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and he grew up watching those TV markets. See our previous interview with Sean back in 2008 regarding WGN America, when he brought back classic TV.

Antenna TV is a new digital network from Tribune Broadcasting that will debut on New Year's Day on multicast stations nationwide. 50 million homes will be reached in the first wave of clearances. Antenna TV starts broadcasting at midnight EST, on January 1, 2011 with more than 24 hours of The Three Stooges. The program lineup on Sunday, January 2, 2011 is built around a Benny Hill marathon. The network's regular programming schedule, featuring a combination of movies and classic television shows, include TV sitcoms All in the Family, Sanford and Son, The Nanny, Married...with Children, Maude, Good Times, Three's Company, The Partridge Family, Dennis the Menace, Too Close for Comfort, Father Knows Best and Burns & Allen begins on Monday, January 3, 2011. Legendary announcer Gary Owens is the voice of the channel.



"Seven Questions with Antenna TV's Sean Compton"

SitcomsOnline: First off, I have to say I am personally very excited for Antenna TV's Jan. 1 launch. Most of the series that Antenna TV will be airing are some of my favorites, including Three's Company. I have to ask, how did this idea come about and how was it made into a reality?
Antenna TV's Sean Compton: We looked around the television landscape and through the cable and broadcast universe all groups are trying to appeal to younger demos. This includes our own group with WGN America and its younger appeal with recent additions. TV Land used to own the space but has jumped deep into original programming and with the recent successes they will go deeper in original programming. We see it as a huge opportunity, This TV, the MGM movie channel, is free to over the air viewers 24 hours a day. The only over the air, all movie channel. Antenna TV will be a great over the air destination for some movies but primarily classic sitcoms. Three's Company is a big win for us, as it hasn't had much exposure on cable in many years yet still has a huge fan base. The Three Stooges appeals to every demo. Benny Hill is a riot and Married... with Children is a great late night show.

SitcomsOnline: This world of digital television is really fascinating. It has really opened up the doors for older series to air again. Still, many people out there don't have televisions without cable or satellite. Antenna TV is a free digital station, but many of the viewers will still rely on cable to watch it. We know Comcast Cable has picked it up in Chicago on channel 353, but what about the rest of the markets? Is Comcast the main cable provider for Antenna TV or will more providers also carry it?
Antenna TV's Sean Compton: Most of the markets will have a cable home for Antenna TV. If you live in a large city you should go out and buy an HD antenna anyway. I've got DirecTV and Comcast in my home and I also have rabbit ears so I can watch the dot 2 and dot 3 choices out there as well. It's starting to get interesting as broadcasters are getting their dot 2's and 3's cranked up and its going to get competitive.

SitcomsOnline: As of launch on Jan. 1, Antenna TV will be in 50 million homes (thanks to mainly the Tribune stations) including the top 5 markets, which is great. Are you close to sealing deals with stations in other top markets like San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit and other markets like Louisville? We also hear that some markets already cleared will be getting sneak peek launches, like in Los Angeles. What will that be like?
Antenna TV's Sean Compton: The sneak peak is just some classic shows that will air on KTLA in Los Angeles to promote Antenna TV. There are a lot of OTA's (over the air) homes in Los Angeles and we want to tap into the KTLA audience and let them know it is coming. Regarding the other markets, we have signed a group deal with Local TV LLC. They own WJW in Cleveland, KDVR in Denver, WNEP in Wilkes Barre and many other markets. They are excited and sign on in early first quarter. There are other groups talking to us now and we have a number of offers for markets that we are working through now. There are a lot of affiliate interest for us out there, partially because we are committed to great programming. Zero paid programming, 24/7 movies and sitcoms. (View an Antenna TV promo!)

SitcomsOnline: The classic TV shows acquired by Antenna TV are either from Sony Pictures Television or DLT Entertainment. Does Antenna TV have an overall library deal with these studios or were these series specifically bought? If it is a library deal, can we expect schedule changes frequently with new additions? (Hoping for some Diff'rent Strokes, What's Happening Now!!, The Facts of Life, and other Sony greats.)
Antenna TV's Sean Compton: We did do an overall library deal. Jeff Wolf at Sony worked hard for several weeks putting this together with us. John Fitzgerald did the same for us at D.L. Taffner. You will see other shows weave in and out of the line-up over the next several years. Possibly we'll tap into other distributors for product as well.

SitcomsOnline: You previously mentioned to us that stunts and marathons will be done during the holidays. 2011 kicks-off with a marathon weekend of The Three Stooges and Benny Hill, but what else can we expect for other holidays later this year? I personally am hoping for a short-lived sitcom stunt one of these days, as Sony Pictures Television has plenty of short-lived, but good, series from the '70s and '80s. Among them are The Jeffersons spin-off Checking In, the Sanford & Son spin-offs Grady and Sanford Arms, the Who's the Boss? spin-off Living Dolls, and other short-lived fare such as One in a Million starring Shirley Hemphill, The Dumplings from Nicholl-Ross-West, Norman Lear's Hot L Baltimore, also Filthy Rich starring pre-Designing Women stars Dixier Carter & Delta Burke, and 704 Hauser, where a new family moves into the Bunker house from All in the Family.
Antenna TV's Sean Compton: We haven't thought it all through yet. Our big priority has been getting launched and affiliates set. As you know, I am a big fan of event programming. WGN America's Munster Mash on Halloween had monster, pun intended, ratings this past year. It is the third Halloween that we've aired it. We've done a 70's week, an 80's week, Valentine's Specials, etc. I imagine you'll see much of the same on Antenna TV especially around the holidays.

SitcomsOnline: Before we go further, I have to mention that Antenna TV will be airing two short-lived spin-offs on its schedule. The Three's Company spin-offs -- The Ropers and Three's a Crowd -- will be aired within Three's Company's hour timeslot (5pm-6pm and encores 12am-1am). That is very cool and to my knowledge, it never has been done. Back to questions, Antenna TV will also air movies, mainly during mornings and early afternoons. Will these films also be from specific studios and what are some of the films we can expect?
Antenna TV's Sean Compton: The films will come from the Columbia/Sony libraries. It's a very deep film library and prevents overlap from anything on This TV, which is fueled by the MGM library. I love Three's a Crowd and The Ropers (Three's Company spin-offs) being a part of the line-up. (Once the Ropers leave the Three's Company episodes, you'll see The Ropers scheduled in one of the half-hours, and later on Three's a Crowd in one of the half-hours after the final Three's Company episode airs.) They were solid spin-offs that at the time were short-lived and have had little exposure. Another show that I'm thrilled to have is Too Close for Comfort.

SitcomsOnline: Finally, it is really great Tribune is creating a network like this for the digital era. You have done a great job in preserving classic TV sitcoms first on Tribune's WGN America (where we previously interviewed you) and now with Tribune's Antenna TV. Will Antenna TV depend on Nielsen ratings like broadcast networks and cable networks? Or is the landscape different in digital substation world? Fans have also asked if these programs will be unedited or at least close to being unedited if there are less ads on digital substations?
Antenna TV's Sean Compton: Thank you for the kind words. We air the shows the way that the distributors supply us. We will do no editing on our end. We also will not be squeezing the end credits nor will we have an Antenna TV bug/logo on the screen during programming. Stations locally may decide to put theirs up, but nationally we will not display one. As far as ratings go, yes we will look at ratings but in the digital world it's driven a bit differently. The product we bought was done specifically to find opportunities. The Cosby Show, Cheers, Roseanne are on television in syndication and cable everyday, so we went after shows that haven't had the mass exposure in recent years. We won't live and die with this network by ratings in the first 2-3 years.

Our thanks to Sean Compton and Antenna TV. We wish them the best of luck on their launch on January 1! For more information on Antenna TV, continue to stay with us for info and don't forget to view their website http://www.antennatv.tv/. So, stay tuned right here on the blog for continued news and programming updates for this network.

Before we get to the rest of today's blog, we want to give you information on KTLA's preview of Antenna TV in Los Angeles that Sean talked about in our interview. In anticipation of this new programming, KTLA will broadcast a sneak peek of Antenna TV on its main channel, KTLA 5. Antenna TV is coming to KTLA's digital channel 5.2 in Los Angeles on January, 1 2011.
The first sneak peek will be this Saturday (Dec. 18) and will air from 2pm-5pm PT with an hour each of sitcoms Dennis the Menace, Father Knows Best and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. A few hours later in primetime on Saturday from 8-10pm PT, KTLA will air four episodes of Sanford & Son. Then on Sunday (Dec. 19), KTLA will give two episodes each of Gidget, Circus Boy, and The Monkees all starting at 9am PT. In late on Sunday, KTLA will air two hours of The Three Stooges from 11pm-1am with six classic episodes. And finally on Sunday, Dec. 26 KTLA will give LA fans a preview of Antenna TV's Sunday morning western block with The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin at 1pm, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok at 2pm, and The Iron Horse at 3pm.
View more information on KTLA's preview of Antenna TV.


Awards season is heating up with Golden Globes and the WGA Awards, now we have another. The 17th Annual Screen Actor Guild Awards (SAG) nominees have been announced. Leading the pack were Modern Family, Glee, 30 Rock and Mad Men. Among the broadcast networks, NBC led with 6 nominations followed by ABC and Fox with 4 each. HBO led overall with 9 nominations. TV Land had its first ever nomination, with Hot in Cleveland getting a nomination along with star Betty White. The awards will air Sunday, Jan. 30, on TNT and TBS at 8 PM ET/PT.
Here are the main TV nominees:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire, HBO)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, AMC)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Showtime)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men, HBO)
Hugh Laurie (House, Fox)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Glenn Close (Damages, FX)
Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU, NBC)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife, CBS)
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men, AMC)
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer, TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, NBC)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC)
Steve Carrell (The Office, NBC)
Chris Colfer (Glee, Fox)
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family, ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie, Showtime)
Tina Fey (30 Rock, NBC)
Jane Lynch (Glee, Fox)
Sofia Vergara (Modern Family, ABC)
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland, TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
The Closer (TNT)
Dexter (Showtime)
The Good Wife (CBS)
Mad Men (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 Rock (NBC)
Glee (Fox)
Hot in Cleveland (TV Land)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Office (NBC)

View the complete TV portion nominees and to discuss the nominees!


Stay tuned either tomorrow or early next week for an interview with Me-TV Network! And of course tomorrow will bring news and our weekly look at the coming week's talk shows with sitcom stars as guests. Come on back!