Sunday, November 20, 2011

Week 9 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

2011-12 Week 9 TV Ratings (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: 1. CBS 8.0/12.4 rating/share; 2. ABC 7.2/11.1; 3. Fox 5.1/7.7; 4. NBC 3.3/5.2; 5. The CW 1.0/1.5
Total Viewers: 1. CBS 12.89 million; 2. ABC 10.85 million; 3. Fox 8.46 million; 4. NBC 5.12 million; 5. The CW 1.44 million.
Adults 18-49: 1. CBS 3.5/9.2 rating/share; 2. Fox 3.0/7.9; 3. ABC 2.7/7.1; 4. NBC 1.7/4.3; 5. The CW 0.6/1.5

Week 9 (Nov. 14-20) Analysis: Week 9 has CBS on top in all categories so far. The first four nights were basically all regular programming except a few ABC News specials. Through the first four nights this week, CBS is in the lead. ABC is a close second in HH/viewers, while Fox is second in 18-49. ABC is third in 18-49, while Fox is third in HH/viewers. So that means NBC is still way behind in fourth in everything. It's hard to predict what will happen for this week, but CBS will win the week in all categories as the NFL overrun will seal that. ABC should be second in all categories this week helped by the AMA Awards tonight. While, Fox should be third across the board and NBC in fourth in everything even with a good NFL game tonight between the Giants and Eagles. As for last week, week 8, CBS just edged ABC in HH/viewers for first place. Fox was first in 18-49 for the week, beating number two ABC. CBS was third in 18-49, while Fox was third in HH/viewers. NBC was fourth in all categories as is the case usually.

Monday was a typical Monday, with CBS on top again in 18-49 and ABC on top in viewers. Starting with ABC, Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race from 8-10pm with 17.95 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, off some from previous week, though ABC was preempted in Green Bay/Milwaukee for MNF simulcast. At 10pm, Castle was preempted but ABC got a good showing from A Special Edition of 20/20 With Diane Sawyer: Gabby and Mark - Courage and Hope did 12.39 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, on par with the time period from previous week. Look for a big Castle episode tomorrow night involving a sniper. For CBS, How I Met Your Mother started it off with 10.42 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, again up some from previous week, it has certainly surprised this season. 2 Broke Girls followed with 11.77 million and a 4.8 18-49 rating, again up some from previous week. This is a big hit. At 9pm, a new Two and a Half Men, with new star Ashton Kutcher, did 14.77 million and a 5.4 18-49 rating, up some from previous week. All the series have gone up two tenths week-to-week. A new Mike & Molly followed the huge lead-in and did 12.18 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating, up two tenths from the previous week. An all-new Hawaii Five-0 was next doing 11.71 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, yes, up two tenths from the previous week. Fox started with the expensive Terra Nova and it did 7.01 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, down from previous week. Not too good. And at 9pm, House looks more and more like this will be its last season as it posted 6.63 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, also down from previous week. NBC followed with another two-hour The Sing-Off doing only 4.18 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. What a dud. At 10pm, NBC aired a new episode of Rock Center with Brian Williams and it did an embarrassing 3.87 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, but that 18-49 is up a tenth from previous week and a series high...ouch. The CW was new with Gossip Girl doing 1.24 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, on par week-to-week. At 9pm Hart of Dixie did 1.62 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating each, up a tenth from previous week. Gossip Girl is really low.

On Tuesday, CBS took both honors again, beating Fox in 18-49 and ABC in viewers. CBS had the juggernaut NCIS opening the night off with 20.0 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, off a tenth from previous week but anything over 20 million viewers is amazing. Then spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 15.15 million and 3.4 18-49 rating, on par with previous week again. And a new Unforgettable did 11.37 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. ABC was next with new comedy Last Man Standing with Tim Allen leading the night off doing 9.06 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, on par with the previous week. Solid. And the show is very funny since Halloween. Week five of Man Up! was next and it did 6.29 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, also on par with previous week, but it's not good enough. Eight more to go and it is done. Then Dancing with the Stars: The Results followed at 9pm with 15.1 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, yes on par with the previous week, as we said goodbye to Hope Solo. The finals tomorrow night! It is going to be a photo finish I think, as anyone can win this. At 10pm, Body of Proof was back after a week off doing 9.76 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, its best showing since the season premiere. ABC has ordered three more episodes too, for a total of 20. Good sign for a season three. Fox aired a new Glee which has fallen faster than any major hit I could ever think of, doing 7.08 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, down a tenth week-to-week. I can imagine in the spring this series will be even lower. At 9pm, New Girl did 6.91 million and a solid 3.5 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. Zooey is certainly good to look at, but Fox has messed the show up with its weird scheduling. Next Raising Hope did just 4.84 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, up a lick from previous week's season low. NBC was next with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 6.25 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down some from the previous week. At 10pm, Parenthood did 5.06 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, on par week-to-week and sadly it is one of NBC's better performing series. The CW aired a new 90210 that did 1.59 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, down a tenth week-to-week. Then the Sarah Michelle Gellar drama Ringer followed at 9pm with 1.83 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, on par from previous week. Disappointing. Sarah would do much better on ABC or Fox. She is too big for The CW (and too young for CBS and of course nothing works at NBC).

Wednesday it was Fox on top in young adults, but CBS nipped them by in total viewers. First, CBS started the night off with Survivor: South Pacific at 11.6 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week's lowest airing in weeks. Veteran drama Criminal Minds was all-new and did 12.72 million and a solid 3.7 18-49 rating, up from previous week. At 10pm, CSI was new too and did 10.6 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, up a tenth week-to-week. ABC returned its Laugh On comedy block after a week off with an new The Middle doing 9.19 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, which is on par from normal. Suburgatory followed at 8:30pm with a solid 8.19 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, but it didn't build from its lead-in for the first time ever. Still very good numbers. The mega hit Modern Family was next at 9pm and it did normal business with 12.91 million and a 5.6 18-49 rating, for a scripted series best for the week. At 9:30pm the buzzworthy Happy Endings did a solid 6.94 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating. Retention is iffy, but it was already proven with a repeat as its lead-in it did the same type of numbers. At 10pm the red-hot drama Revenge did 7.98 million and a tied for first place 2.6 18-49 rating. Solid numbers, but down from its previous episode by some. Fox aired The X Factor doing 11.31 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating for two-hours, up a tenth from previous week. NBC opened the night with a new Up All Night at 4.88 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. Look for a move to Thursdays in January. At 8:30pm, a repeat followed and did just 3.92 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, but up some from previous week's repeat. At 9pm, Harry's Law was new and did nothing, doing just a 1.1 18-49 rating, for a series low and the total viewers of 7.21 million is its only thing of note, but that doesn't make the money as this series has lower ad-rated than The CW series at this time. At 10pm, Law & Order: SVU was new doing 7.33 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating for last place and tying series lows for the veteran series. The CW had a repeat of Top Model leading the night off with 1.16 million viewers and a 0.4 18-49 rating, on par with previous week's Ringer encore. The declining fast America's Next Top Model was next at 9pm with 1.9 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, also on par with the previous week.

Thursday it was CBS on top with the return of new episodes for the entire night after a week off. First, ABC opened the night with A Special Edition of 20/20: Regis Philbin - The Morning Maestro with Katie Couric doing a solid 8.08 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, up from previous week's Charlie's Angels. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy had its big fall finale the previous week, so this week Private Practice had a two-hour fall finale that did a solid 7.23 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, off only some from previous week. This show can always bring in the numbers on its own even when given the chance. CBS opened with the red-hot The Big Bang Theory at 15.05 million and a 5.3 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. Then, a new Rules of Engagement was next doing 10.9 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. Still solid, but CBS keeps trying to do better as this series will be benched in January for Rob Schneider's sitcom Rob! A new episode of Person of Interest followed with 11.65 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, off some from its previous new episode two weeks prior, as the previous week was a repeat for some reason in sweep. A new episode of The Mentalist followed and did 12.21 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, down from its previous new episode two weeks prior, as the previous week was also oddly a repeat. Fox aired a one-hour The X Factor doing 9.71 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, for another season low. Then at 9pm, week three of veteran Bones did 8.76 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week with lesser competition. NBC was in the familiar fourth place with the should-be-not leading-off Community getting slaughtered with 3.62 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating only, but up some from previous week. Then Parks and Recreation followed at only 3.68 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, also up some from previous week. Its only positive is the build from the lead-in, like usual. At 9pm The Office jumped to 5.5 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, down some from previous week and a Thursday low I think. A new episode of Whitney closed the comedy block with only 3.97 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, for series lows. Who watches this crap? NBC's drama bust Prime Suspect closed the night with only 4.34 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. NBC has essentially canceled this series with two burn-offs expected on Saturdays in January (14 and 21 at 8pm). The CW's big gun Vampire Diaries and new drama The Secret Circle were preempted for the movie Beneath the Blue that did nothing with 1.1 million and a 0.3 18-49 rating.

Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won the night thanks to Blue Bloods at 10pm. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for ABC was up from previous week and NBC's Chuck did terrible ratings again, while week four of Grimm did OK beating Fox's Fringe by a lot, as that tied a series low.
Saturday numbers had ABC Saturday Night Football on top by a wide margin, while CBS repeats were a distant second.

Tonight ABC Sunday is all-new but its normal line-up of AFV, Once Upon a Time, Desperate Housewives, and Pan Am are preempted for the AMA Awards. They should be competitive, especially in 18-49. NBC will win the night with the NFL with the Giants and Eagles, though. CBS has its normal line-up of 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, The Good Wife and CSI: Miami, but look for an NFL overrun boosting it. Fox has the animated comedies from 7-10pm, with The Cleveland Show moving to its new time of 7:30pm.

As for the week (week 9), CBS will win the week in everything. ABC will be second in HH/viewers, but could surpass Fox in 18-49 too with the AMA's. Fox should be third across the board and battle NBC. Why NBC? Tonight's game could be huge and might help them move passed Fox if the animated comedies do poorly tonight without an NFL overrun boost. As for the coming week (week 10), sweeps ends on Wednesday. The final three days of the sweep has the Dancing with the Stars two-night finale that should help ABC. Fox has The X Factor on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, so that will help them. New episodes will air on Thanksgiving Eve, so be aware! It's the last day of sweep, so ad rates are good.

Week 9 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 8 -- Nov. 7-13)

  • The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode did 7.5 million and a 3.4 18-49 following NFL action (for the east and central time zones), but again off some from previous week.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - preempted.
  • Allen Gregory (Fox) - The third episode did 4.24 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, down some again from previous week. This show is not going to make it folks.
  • Family Guy (Fox) - An all-new episode was way below normal again doing 6.01 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, but on par week-to-week.
  • American Dad! (Fox) - A new showing did 4.87 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating at 9:30pm, off a tick week-to-week.

Monday Sitcoms

  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - An all-new episode did 10.42 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, up some from the previous week. One of the surprises in this TV season for its growth.
  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A new airing did 11.477 million a 4.8 18-49 rating, up some as well from the previous week. Quietly the number one new series now, as New Girl has faltered thanks to Fox's scheduling.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.76 million and a 5.4 18-49 rating is excellent and up from previous week.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - With the strong lead-in, a new episode did 12.18 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating, also up two tenths from previous week.

Tuesday Sitcoms

  • Last Man Standing (ABC) - An all-new episode in the 8pm half-hour did 9.06 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, on par with previous week and very solid. This show has been consistently in the 2.6-3.0 range since week two. Not bad for a self-starter.
  • Man Up! (ABC) - Week five of this comedy did 6.29 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. ABC will not move forward after 13 episodes, so it is going to be 13 and out. Yes, it is consistent but needs to do better than a 1.7-2.0 rating.
  • New Girl (Fox) - A new episode did 6.91 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating on par week-to-week. Still building from its lead-in, however. So a winner still, despite Fox's terrible scheduling. It is preempted again this Tuesday.
  • Raising Hope (Fox) - A new episode did 4.84 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. This will never break out, no matter how good people say it is.

Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) - After a week off, a new episode did 9.19 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating. Normal numbers now.
  • Suburgatory (ABC) - 8.19 million tuned in for Tessa's sweet 16 party and a 2.9 18-49 rating. Solid, but didn't build from the lead-in for the first time ever.
  • Up All Night (NBC) 2 episodes - A new episode did 4.88 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, up from previous week's lows. A repeat followed with 3.92 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, which is more than the previous week.
  • Modern Family (ABC) - 12.91 million and a 5.6 18-49 rating for a new episode is number one for scripted TV in 18-49.
  • Happy Endings (ABC) - A new episode did 6.94 million and 3.2 18-49 rating. Solid. Great episode, too.

Thursday Sitcoms

  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A new episode did 15.05 million and a 5.3 18-49 rating, on par with the previous week. So far the number one scripted series of the week in total viewers!
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A new episode did 10.9 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating, up a tenth week-to-week and still solid numbers. CBS is benching this series in January. They hate this show that much?
  • Community (NBC) - A new episode did just 3.62 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, up a tenth week-to-week.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A new showing of this show did 3.68 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, up some week-to-week. The only thing positive is it builds from the lead-in, or it would be a loser, too.
  • The Office (NBC) - A new episode did 5.5 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, for the best of the block like usual, but still down some from previous week.
  • Whitney (NBC) - A new episode did just 3.97 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, down from previous week. Why is this show going to kick-off a night in January? It'll be a Community 2 in the ratings.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms

  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat on Comedytime Saturday did a prelim 4.4 million and a prelim 1.2 18-49 rating. Not bad for a Saturday repeat.
  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A repeat followed with a prelim 4.14 million and a prelim 1.3 18-49 rating. Not bad at all!

Airing tonight (Sunday) are Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm, including the 7:30pm premiere of The Cleveland Show.

Summing it up. Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, 2 Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, New Girl, Rules of Engagement, The Middle, Suburgatory were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Raising Hope, Up All Night) or just plain old terrible (such as Community, Whitney).

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 6:00 PM
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Saturday, November 19, 2011

Digital Digest: Arrested Development to Netflix; Black Friday Digital Bargains; It Takes a Thief - The Complete Series DVD Review

Happy Thanksgiving (since we won't be back until Saturday, which is AFTER Thanksgiving!) and welcome to Digital Digest! Since Thanksgiving is coming up, we of course have a special Digital Bargains to give you a heads up on all of the Black Friday deals coming up this year. And of course, we have our regular news and a review of It Takes a Thief - The Complete Series, a great set containing every episode of the series starring the iconic Robert Wagner. Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

Are you a fan of the cult-classic series Arrested Development? Many people are, and the series has been in the news lately with talks of a movie and new episodes. But given the success that the series showed on TV, where would those episodes air? Well, they have found a very fitting home where they will find success with their fanbase: on Netflix! There is no word on exactly when these episodes will debut (it'll be some time in 2013), but you can read more about it here.

DVD news has been slow this week, but hopefully we can bring you somewhat of a smile with some new upcoming releases from Warner Archive. No, it isn't new season sets of the series Growing Pains, but it is close: they are releasing both of the post-series reunion movies on DVD on December 6! You can pre-order The Growing Pains Movie and Growing Pains - Return of the Seavers now. We hope to have reviews of these sets soon.

The Donna Reed Show - Season Four is coming to DVD soon, as we all know, but as it turns out, it'll be a little sooner than we anticipated. Now scheduled for December 13, the five disc set will contain a ton of special features, a complete list of which can be seen here.


DIGITAL BARGAINS

It's the week before Thanksgiving, and of course, we couldn't let this week go without bringing you our infrequent (but hopefully very useful when we do bring it to you!) segment of Digital Digest, Digital Bargains! With Black Friday coming up, you will have a prime opportunity to own some of the DVD and Blu-ray Disc sets of all of your favorite series at a deeply discounted price. And the best part is, unlike the $200 laptops that people will be in line at midnight (yes, many stores are opening at midnight this year!) to buy, these will often (though not always) be available throughout the weekend and often be available to purchase online if you want to avoid the crowds. So let's get in to the deals!

Last year, the big giant Best Buy didn't really mention many of their deals in their ad, but this year, they've got plenty listed! At Best Buy, you'll find DVDs of every season (or volume in the case of Family Guy) that has been released to date of Boy Meets World, Family Guy, Friends, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Weeds for the low price of $8.99 each. But wait! That is hardly all that you can find for $8.99. The more impressive $8.99 deals are for DVDs of The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Fourth Season, Modern Family - Season Two, and perhaps the sweetest deal, you can even get the Blu-ray Disc OR Blu-ray sets of each of the first four seasons of Mad Men for $8.99 each! There are plenty of $12.99 titles as well, with each of the first seven seasons of Entourage, seasons five and six of The Office, and seasons six, seven, and eight of Two and a Half Men. And if you go up to $18.99, you can find another great steal with The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Fourth Season... on Blu-ray! And this is hardly an exhaustive list. The advertisement suggests that there will be more titles available in store. We can't wait to find out what those will be!

Meanwhile, over at Target, there will be some great deals as well, and some of the same items being offered at Best Buy are being offered at Target for a dollar less at $7.99! These titles include season sets of Mad Men, Weeds, Psych, and Gossip Girl. Coming in at $12.99, you can pick up any of the four seasons of The Big Bang Theory, as well each of the first two seasons of Modern Family on DVD. Of course, it is always possible (and likely) that more titles will be available in store.

Walmart isn't being too specific on what their Black Friday TV-on-DVD deals are, but an ad-scan does show some $10 titles, and it indicates that more titles will be available in stores. Among the titles seen in the advertisement are The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Glee, Bones, True Blood, and more. Of course, you'll have to wait until Friday and check online to see the complete availability of titles.

Regional retailer Shopko (northwestern United States) has some $9.99 DVD deals that are worth looking in to. They are offering titles such as Reba, M*A*S*H, Friends, Breaking Bad, and Monk at this price. But which seasons? As is the case with Walmart, we aren't really sure, but we assume it will be multiple seasons at that price.

Hastings has a few DVD offerings, but the prices aren't quite as competitive as the ones at other retailers this year. You can, however, get titles such as American Dad!, The Boondocks, Firefly, and Burn Notice for $9.99. They are also offering the first seasons of series including The Office, Weeds, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, and more at various prices between $9.99 and $14.99, but all of these titles can be purchased cheaper at the other retailers mentioned, even without Black Friday sales.

Finally, there is our old standby Big Lots. They've been very quiet lately with TV-on-DVD deals, but their Thanksgiving Day ad includes a Thanksgiving Day ONLY sale on more season sets, priced at $6 per season! The advertisement shows many different CBS DVD series, and it is unclear as to whether these will be the same as last year's deals, but it is great to know that more are going to be in stock for this holiday season!

But if you really just don't want to get out to do shopping on the most insane shopping day of the year, alas, there are options for you as well! You can check out Amazon.com for deals all throughout the week! You have to check the link for the exact times for the deals as well as prices (not all are given, yet), but here, you'll find deals on series such as Boy Meets World, Friends, Weeds, Mad Men, and Family Guy (are you noticing a trend on some of the titles at each store by now?). But there will be more deals on the online retailing giant, for sure, and even though they aren't saying it, they have in the past price-matched just about every Black Friday deal, so check out Amazon.com this weekend if your favorite retailer runs out of stock on the item you want or if you just don't feel like getting out... because chances are, the lowest retailer price will be matched by them!

All in all, I think this is going to be a good Black Friday for DVD deals, and unlike last year where there were decent deals that I simply wasn't interested in, there actually are many that I'll be heading out to get, particularly at Best Buy and Target! Happy hunting, and don't get run over by any shopping carts. (FYI: I'm serious, this happens several times every year on Black Friday at many stores!)


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (November 22) brings one traditional sitcom to DVD with Meet the Browns - Season Three. But if you want something a little bit different, with a British accent, BBC Video has the US release of The Office (UK) - 10th Anniversary Special Edition, which every episode (all fourteen of them!) of the British series. This, of course, is the series that the American "modern classic" is based upon, and we will actually have a review of this set next week as one of our regular reviews (it will not be in the blog). And if you want legal drama, CBS DVD has Perry Mason - Season 6, Volume 2. You can check out our review of this set from last week's Digital Digest.


Blog DVD Review - It Takes a Thief - The Complete Series (E1 Entertainment, $199.98)

Espionage was huge on television screens in the late 1960s, and one of the last ones to debut was a series that aired on ABC starring veteran actor Robert Wagner, It Takes a Thief. This one was unlike many other series before it, though. In the series, Wagner stars as Alexander Mundy, a master thief who begins the series in prison. He is one of the slyest thieves around, and his antics even carry over into prison, where he is still too hard to handle. But in the meantime, a federal government agency, the Secret Intelligence Agency, devises a program where they need a master thief to steal for the government, in order to intervene in matters of national security. So Noah Bain (Malachi Throne) offers to give Mundy a chance to be released from prison, in exchange for providing his mater thievery services to the government. The series only lasted for three seasons, but it left behind many loyal fans, and now, for the first time ever, the entire series can be found on DVD in a very nice set.

The series begins with the pilot, "Magnificent Thief," where Alex Mundy is paroled by Noah Bain to steal for the government. Al has to smuggle a British scientist out of the Iron Curtain in "When Boy Meets Girl." In "Totally By Design," Al has to steal a Swiss bank account passbook to prevent a dictator from financing a hostile takeover of a neighboring country. Al has to steal NATO defense plans before they fall in the wrong hands in "To Steal a Battleship." In "Turnabout," Al breaks his ankle and has to teach Noah how to be a thief. Al has to return a stolen jeweled globe in "A Matter of Royal Larceny," but there is a surprise inside that is explosive. The first season ends with "The Lay of the Land," where Al has to secretly microfilm the unpublished memoirs of a famous duchess to ensure they do not contain incriminating secrets.

Magic may just save the day in "The Bill is in Committee." In "Get Me to the Revolution On Time," it is going to take six acts of thievery to stop a Communist revolution. Noah arranges for Al to be imprisoned in East Germany so that he can be exchanged for a Communist spy who is working for the US in the two-part episode "Hans Across the Border." In "Glass Riddle," Al has to break into a bank vault in plain view of a busy street to stop an international cartel. Al finds himself in trouble when his fingerprints match the wrong ones in "The Artist is for Framing." In the two-part episode "A Matter of Grey Matter," Al gets a big surprise while he is out to steal a solid missile fuel formula from the richest man in the world. Al could be in big trouble when he is the target of a hitman in "The Funeral is on Mundy." In "The Family," Al is quarantined in the home of an American industrialist who has some awful family secrets. The second season ends with "Mad in Japan," where Al contends with a rogue SIA agent while trying to bring a laser gun prototype back from Tokyo.

Al faces poisoning in "Saturday Night in Venice." In "Who'll Bid Two Million Dollars?," a case of mistaken identity could (once again) prove fatal to Al. Al goes behind the Iron Curtain once again in "The Blue, Blue Danube," but he may be forced to divulge state secrets. Fred Astaire appears as Al's father in "The Three Virgins of Rome," where the son has to protect three priceless painting from being stolen by his own father. Al's life is in danger (isn't this a common theme?) in "A Friend in Deed," where his past brings back more woes. In "The Second Time Around," Al and his father are targeted for execution (yes, again!) for having broken up a Soviet counterfeiting operation. In "Touch of Magic," Al organizes a caper to help an aging jewel thief recover her own mojo. Did Al commit treason? He is accused of it in "Beyond a Treasonable Doubt." The series ends with "Project X," where prominent scientists start dying aboard a plane en route to a conference, and Al must find out why.

Normally, I would mention guest stars with the episodes that they appeared in. But this series is LOADED with guest stars. Among them are Susan Saint James, Raymond Burr, Fernando Lamas, Tina Louise, Bill Bixby, Suzanne Pleshette, Yvonne Craig, Ricardo Montalban, George Takai, Julie Newmar, Barry Williams, Gavin MacLeod, Teri Garr, Bette Davis, and many others

The episodes are unedited... or so it seems. There are some runtime issues (64 minutes) with the pilot episode (which will be discussed a bit later in this review), BUT keen and cautious observers who are also huge fans of the series seem to indicate that this is not edited, but rather time compressed, likely because of using a foreign source for the episode. Honestly, I don't think it matters one bit anyway, because there is a 99 minute alternate feature-length version of this episode included as a bonus feature. Episode runtimes are as follows:

Season 1:

Disc 1:
1. "Magnificent Thief" (1:04:31)
2. "It Takes One To Know One" (50:49)
3. "When Boy Meets Girl" (50:58)
4. "A Very Warm Reception" (50:55)

Disc 2:
5. "One Illegal Angel" (50:52)
6. "Totally By Design" (50:55)
7. "When Thieves Fall In" (50:56)
8. "A Spot of Trouble" (50:47)

Disc 3:
9. "When Good Friends Get Together" (50:50)
10. "Birds of a Feather" (50:50)
11. "To Steal a Battleship" (50:55)
12. "Turnabout" (50:58)

Disc 4:
13. "The Radomir Miniature" (50:50)
14. "Locked in the Cradle of the Keep" (50:53)
15. "A Matter of Royal Larceny" (50:52)
16. "The Lay of the Land" (50:56)

Season 2:

Disc 1:
1. "One Night in Soledade" (51:23)
2. "A Sour Note" (50:55)
3. "The Bill is in Committee" (51:22)
4. "The Thingamabob Heist" (51:21)

Disc 2:
5. "Get Me to the Revolution on Time" (51:19)
6. "The Packager" (51:19)
7. "Hans Across the Border (Part 1)" (51:20)
8. "Hans Across the Border (Part 2)" (50:49)

Disc 3:
9. "A Case of Red Turnips" (51:19)
10. "The Galloping Skin Game" (51:20)
11. "Glass Riddle" (51:18)
12. "To Catch a Roaring Lion" (51:21)

Disc 4:
13. "Guess Who's Coming to Rio" (51:20)
14. "The Artist is for Framing" (51:22)
15. "The Naked Billionaire" (51:12)
16. "A Matter of Grey Matter (Part 1)" (51:04)

Disc 5:
17. "A Matter of Grey Matter (Part 2)" (51:03)
18. "Catspaw" (50:02)
19. "Boom at the Top" (50:58)
20. "The Funeral is on Mundy" (51:03)

Disc 6:
21. "The Baranoff Timetable" (51:01)
22. "Rock-Bye, Bye Baby" (51:02)
23. "The Family" (50:23)
24. "38-23-36" (51:01)

Disc 7:
25. "The Great Chess Gambit" (50:02)
26. "Mad in Japan" (50:59)

Season 3:

Disc 1:
1. "Saturday Night in Venice" (51:22)
2. "Who'll Bid Two Million Dollars?" (51:21)
3. "The Beautiful People" (50:36)
4. "The Great Casino Caper" (51:02)

Disc 2:
5. "Flowers From Alexander" (51:08)
6. "The Blue, Blue Danube" (51:40)
7. "The Three Virgins of Rome" (51:35)
8. "Payoff in the Piazza" (51:35)

Disc 3:
9. "The King of Thieves" (51:31)
10. "A Friend in Deed" (51:45)
11. "The Second Time Around" (51:45)
12. "The Old Who Came In From the Spy" (51:14)

Disc 4:
13. "To Lure a Man" (51:32)
14. "The Scorpio Drop" (50:35)
15. "Nice Girls Marry Stockbrokers" (51:40)
16. "The Steal-Driving Man" (51:23)

Disc 5:
17. "Touch of Magic" (51:22)
18. "Fortune City" (51:20)
19. "Situation Red" (51:19)
20. "To Sing a Song of Murder" (51:24)

Disc 6:
21. "The Suzie Simone Caper" (50:15)
22. "An Evening With Alister Mundy" (50:24)
23. "Beyond a Treasonable Doubt" (51:25)
24. "Project X" (51:28)

The packaging for this set seems to be very divisive among those who have already picked it up. Some people (like me) absolutely love the packaging, but there have also been some people who just don't like the packaging. It is not a standard style of packaging at all. Basically, the set comes in an almost cubical shaped red box with black and white portraits of Wagner on the front and back, and silhouettes of characters on both sides. On the top, there is a yellow lid with the series title in red. When you remove the lid, you'll find the cases for the DVDs, and some extras. I suppose the real complaint is the cases. Much like recent DVD sets of The Simpsons, these cases are folding cardboard cases where you can slide the discs out from the case. These are small CD-sized cases, and there is a case for each individual season--a yellow one for the first season, a red one for the second season, and a black one for the third season. When the case is folded, there is a listing of all of the episodes on the back of the case, but when you unfold the case, there is a description of all of the episodes along with the original airdates for the episodes. You'll also find several photos on the case. The disc artwork has a silhouette of Wagner on each disc (same one as seen on the cover art), with background colors corresponding to the color of the cases for each season. The episode titles are also printed on each disc. Each disc contains four episodes (except for Disc 7 in Season 2, which only has two episodes), and the only bonus disc in the set is included with the season one episodes.

But there is much more to the packaging with the extras that are included in the set. Inside the box, you'll find a nice booklet that gives a history of the series, along with several rare photos. You'll also find a limited edition senitype, which is a single film frame excised from the series that was digitally scanned and reproduced to look exactly like a film frame from the series. These even come with a unique identification number for each set; mine was #3050. But we still aren't done with the extras! They even included a set of four It Takes a Thief coasters in the set! I won't be using them (it would destroy the harmony of the set for my collection, naturally), but these are high quality coasters that contain images of the series logo and (again) silhouettes of Wagner on them. This is certainly one impressive set for these bonuses!

The menus are very nicely designed, with some animated transitional effects at the beginning. The theme song plays in the background, with artwork (same as what is seen on the box for the set) and options of Play All and Episodes. Selecting Episodes will take you to a menu that lists the episodes on the disc, along with a small snapshot from the episode. Once you select an episode, it plays immediately. Chapters are placed throughout each episode.

For the most part, the video and audio quality of the episodes looks rather decent. The episodes have a nice clean and crisp picture, although more restoration work COULD have been done. Still, I don't believe fans have a valid reason to gripe about the quality. There are some minor black level issues and a TINY bit of grain and debris, but I've seen much worse on shows that were filmed using newer and better technology. One complaint that I have been reading about online is claims that the first episode (as presented on Season 1, Disc 1) has some PAL/NTSC conversion issues, which supposedly accounts for the runtime that is shorter than one would expect for it. At 64 minutes for an episode that aired in a 90 minute timeslot, it certainly sounds as if there may very well be some issues there, particularly as nobody has complained about anything being missing in this episode. But honestly, it isn't that big of a deal, because that same episode is presented as a 99 minute version on the bonus features disc. The audio is mostly nice and clear, though it isn't completely perfect. Naturally, it is presented in mono. Unfortunately, the episodes are not closed-captioned or subtitled, which is surprising given how nice of a set this is.

I expected this set to be full of special features, but I ended up actually being a tad bit disappointed here... although what we do have is good. All of the special features can be found on the Bonus Disc included in the case for the first season. First, we have the extended feature-length version of the pilot episode (1:39:23). Why is this a big deal? Well, the pilot episode of the series ran in a ninety minute timeslot when it originally aired, and the lack of considerations for syndication made it difficult to air the episode in syndication. The result was that the pilot was not included in domestic syndication packages, but upon exporting it to Europe, the extended length pilot, with added footage, was put together. Eventually, this was distributed in the United States and even released on VHS by MCA Universal Home Video (that logo is actually still at the beginning, by the way!). So now, you can see that full-length episode here. Perhaps the nicest special feature, though, is "The King of Thieves" (29:45), which is a brand new in-depth interview with Robert Wagner, produced especially for this DVD set. Finally, there is "A Matter of Larceny" (28:27), which is an interview with producer Glen A. Larson, who of course also went on to bigger projects of his own in the 1980s with Knight Rider and Magnum, P.I. This feature, though, was not created exclusively for this set, but was in fact created for the 2010 release of the series in Australia by another studio.

I only recently began to watch this series on Antenna TV, and I was intrigued by the press that the DVD set was getting leading in to the release date. This set is by no means a disappointment, although it certainly would have been nice to have had a FEW more special features on it. Fans have been waiting for years for this set, and I think that what we have here will not disappoint the fans. The only drawback of the set is the nearly $200 MSRP, but then again, I'm not seeing it being offered that expensively from retailers, as most seem to be marking it at about half that price (which is much more reasonable). E1 has truly taken a great series and given it the proper treatment that it deserves on DVD. This set is a great addition to any DVD collection, particularly for fans of the spy genre of television of the 1960s.

(4/5 stars)

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CLICK OF THE WEEK

Surf the Channel (www.surfthechannel.com) - Normally, for our Click of the Week, we bring you sites that give you unique content that can't be found anywhere else. But this week, we have something a little bit different. More and more people (including many people who read this blog) frequently visit the various websites online to watch our favorite TV shows, but there are clearly so many of these websites out there. So why not have a one-stop location for all of this? Well, Surf the Channel is a website that gives you that one-stop location.

You probably won't find anything on here that you can't find by going to a lot of different websites, but what makes this site so good is that it aggregates the content from all of the major (and legal) providers of online TV series viewing. You can put in a series title in the search box (or go to the list of series), then get a list of episodes and find links to watch the episodes on the major sites such as Hulu or the respective networks. This makes it a lot easier for those times when you ask yourself where you could possibly watch the shows, but have no clue where to start. Of course, you'll find that very often links do go to Hulu, but you'll also find other links that you may not have been aware of, as well as links to watch programs that are on other TV viewing websites on the internet.

That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Posted by Skees -- SitcomsOnline.com at 3:30 PM
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Friday, November 18, 2011

BET and Centric Present Sitcoms On Thanksgiving Weekend; Sitcom Stars On Talk Shows (Week of November 21, 2011)


My Wife & Kids

This Thanksgiving, BET and Centric will each present sitcoms all weekend long! It's non-stop sitcoms with your family! Let's start with Centric, they will air a Proud Family marathon on Thanksgiving Day from 9am-6am. And then the day after, Centric will present a marathon of Sister, Sister from 9am-6am. And finally, Centric invites you to spend the weekend with Steve Harvey on his sitcom The Steve Harvey Show -- Saturday from 6am-10:30pm and Sunday from 9am-8pm.
Sister network BET has more sitcoms if you want to catch some more sitcoms! BET will air a My Wife & Kids marathon on Thanksgiving Day from 8am-5pm, followed by a marathon of its original sitcom Read Between the Lines (starring Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Tracee Ellis Ross and Anna Maria Horsford) from 5pm-12am. You can catch all 14 episodes that would have aired to date. The sitcom airs regularly Tuesdays at 10pm. However, a special two-part episode will premiere on a special night & time, Sunday, Nov. 27 at 11pm. Don't miss it! Back to the marathons, BET will present a marathon of The Parkers the very next day on Friday from 8am-12am. On Saturday, spend the day with Chris on Everybody Hates Chris from 9am-7pm. And finally on Sunday, BET will air a a short marathon of Bernie Mac from 10am-3pm. Later that day they will air the 2011 Soul Train Awards from 8-11pm, leading into the special two-part episode of Read Between the Lines at 11pm. Another marathon of the show follows from 12am-6am, too.
As always, stay with us for more on BET and Centric. I was hoping a marathon of The Cosby Show would be on Centric, but guess not.


It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of November 21-25, 2011, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, November 21, 2011
  • Ty Burrell (Modern Family/Back to You/Out of Practice) - Watch Ty on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Atticus Shaffer (Modern Family) - Catch the young and talented Atticus on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Robin Williams (Mork and Mindy) - Robin appears on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory/Roseanne) - Johnny stops the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Jason visits ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am, then he goes to LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings and finally he will be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. The Muppets opens in theaters on November 23.
  • Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld) - Jerry guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly Monday-Wednesday, so check your listings.
  • Fran Drescher (Happily Divorced/The Nanny) - Fran drops by The Joy Behar Show at 10pm on HLN.
  • Christopher Gorham (Out of Practice) - Christopher chats on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Betty talks about her book, Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo, on NBC's Today between 7-9am.
  • Marlo Thomas (That Girl) - Marlo will be on NBC's Today between 7-9am. She will also be on Thursday and Friday.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
  • Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Catch Jason on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings) - The lovely Eliza visits the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City) - Kim appears on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Tim Allen (Last Man Standing/Home Improvment) - Tim stops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show/Newhart/Bob) - Bob is a guest on a repeat of The Rosie Show at 7pm on OWN.
  • Tracy Morgan (30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tune in to see Tracy on a repeat of The Rosie Show at 7pm on OWN.
  • Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Eric chats on The Joy Behar Show at 10pm on HLN.
  • Candace Cameron (Full House) - Candace appears on NBC's Today between 10-11am.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
  • Tim Allen (Last Man Standing/Home Improvement) - Watch Tim on a repeat from last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Ty Burrell (Modern Family) - Ty continues to make the rounds on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) - The lovely Sofia visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
  • Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) - Eric joins Anderson Cooper for dinner to talk about his Thanksgiving charity, and reveals his secret family recipe on Anderson, so check your local listings.
  • Faith Ford (Hope & Faith/Murphy Brown) - Faith appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
  • Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Jason helps Rachael make "It's Not East Being Green Bean Casserole" on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
  • Louis C.K. (Louie) - Catch Louie on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
  • Kristin Davis (Sex and the City) - Kristin is a guest on a repeat of LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
  • Roseanne Barr (Roseanne) - Tune in to see Roseanne on a repeat of The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
Friday, November 25, 2011
  • Ellen DeGeneres (The Ellen Show) - Watch Ellen on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
  • Danny DeVito (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Taxi) - Tune in to see Danny on a repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Stockard Channing (Out of Practice) - Stockard stops by Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
  • Jerry O'Connell (Carpoolers) - Jerry guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
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!
Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM
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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Boy Meets World Now On MTV2; South Park Renewed Through 2016, Its 20th Season


Boy Meets World

In a very last minute schedule change, MTV2 has acquired the rights to the popular '90s comedy Boy Meets World! As of Monday, the sitcom has been airing weekdays from 10am-12pm ET/PT. The series will also air Saturdays in a block from 10am-2pm. The sitcom joins Martin, The Wayans Bros., Malcolm & Eddie, and In Living Color as other popular '90s sitcoms (and sketch comedies) on the network. Martin and The Wayans Bros. air regularly weeknights after 10pm, while the other two seem to air as a filler here and there. Boy Meets World will also continue to air on ABC Family weekday mornings from 7-8am, so this looks like a shared deal between Disney and Viacom. Perhaps the sitcom will pop-up on other Viacom networks in the future like TeenNick or Nick at Nite? We will let you know if that happens for sure, but watch the sitcom right now on MTV2! Mr. Feeny gets even hipper by now being on MTV (well MTV2, that is)!
If you don't know, here is what the sitcom is about: Cory is your average guy. He has a best friend from the other side of the tracks, a teacher that constantly keeps him on his toes and a friend named Topanga who he has trouble understanding. With the support of his parents and his big brother Eric, Cory learns to cope with the roller coaster called growing up. Starring Ben Savaga as Cory Matthews; Rider Strong as Shawn Hunter; Danielle Fishel as Topanga Matthews; Will Friedle as Eric Matthews; Trina McGee as Angela Moore; Matthew Lawrence as Jack Hunter; and William Daniels as George Feeny.
In other MTV2 scheduling news, they have scheduled a Martin Thanksgiving Day marathon (Thursday, Nov. 24) from 3pm-9pm! Tune into to see all the crazy antics from Martin Lawrence and company.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have reached a new deal with Comedy Central to extend cable's longest-running animated series, South Park. The deal for three additional seasons ensures the top-rated Emmy(R) and Peabody Award-winning series will remain in original episodes through 2016 and a milestone 20th season. Parker and Stone will continue to write, direct and edit every episode of South Park, as they have since the premiere of the series in 1997.
Recently voted "The Greatest Animated TV Series" in a poll conducted by Entertainment Weekly, South Park, which wrapped up its 15th season last night, has averaged over 3.5 million viewers per episode during its most recent season (most current data), in which it was the #1 show in all of television among Men 18-24 in Wednesday Prime and the #1 show in cable among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34, Adults 18-24, Men 18-34 and Men 18-24 in Wednesday Prime. The series has also accumulated 35 million fans on Facebook, making it the most-liked series in cable and the #3 series in all of television.
South Park launched on August 13, 1997 and premiered its 15th season on April 27, 2011. South Park's Web site is www.southparkstudios.com. The series airs Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m. and repeats later that night at midnight (all times ET/PT).
Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM
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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Nick at Nite's Thanksgiving Weekend Has Friends Marathon; MeTV Coming To Boston Area In December


Friends - Thanksgiving

While family is certainly the number one priority on Thanksgiving, Nick at Nite would also like to have some "friends" over for the holiday, as Nick at Nite presents a five-night Friends Thanksgiving Marathon! You've got six friends - three guys and three girls - in their twenties, pursuing careers, love and happiness in New York City while relying on each other for support. These friends are like family, so watch the marathon beginning Wednesday, November 23 through Sunday, November 27, 2011 on Nick at Nite from 9pm-6am each night (well, on Saturday it is 10pm-6am and on Sunday it is 8pm-6am). The sitcom regularly airs on Nick at Nite with a block of four episodes in a row from approx. 11pm-1am every single night.
Stay with us for further updates on Nick at Nite, such as what they have in store for December and Christmas.

MeTV Network has announced an affiliation agreement with WMFP-TV in the Boston market. The independent station is owned by NRJ TV and managed by Titan Broadcast Management. MeTV Network will launch on December 15, 2011 and be carried over the air on primary channel 62.1, as well as the market's cable and satellite systems. MeTV will be replacing RTV on the station. If you don't know, MeTV features a wide range of programming that audiences and advertisers find comfortable and engaging. MeTV's library includes more than 80 series from Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, CBS Television Distribution, NBCUniversal Television as well as independent series owners and producers. MeTV's line-up include some of the most beloved television programs ever produced, including: M*A*S*H, Perry Mason, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Bob Newhart Show, the original Star Trek and Hawaii Five-O series.
Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM
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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

CBS Midseason Winter 2012 Schedule, Includes New Comedy; NBC Midseason Winter 2012 Schedule, Includes Return of 30 Rock


Midseason is on the horizon and today we have the winter portion (Jan-Mar) for CBS and NBC to give you. CBS has announced midseason 2012 premiere dates for the new comedy ¡Rob! and the return of reality series Undercover Boss. Both series will start airing in January, 2012. ¡Rob!, a new comedy starring Rob Schneider as a lifelong bachelor who just married into a tight-knit Mexican-American family, premieres Thursday, Jan. 12 at 8:30PM, ET/PT following The Big Bang Theory on Thursday nights. ¡Rob! also stars Cheech Marin, Claudia Bassols, Diana Maria Riva, Eugenio Derbez and Lupe Ontiveros. The new comedy has an episode order for eight episodes. Veteran comedy Rules of Engagement will return to its Thursday at 8:30 PM, ET/PT time period later this season, but its episode order has been cut from 18 to 13 (it is actually 15 because the sitcom had two leftover episodes from last season). The sitcom will air its fifth episode of the season this Thursday and perhaps another one will air in December before it goes on a hiatus for eight weeks starting Jan. 12. If all goes well, you will see it return sometime in March at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Undercover Boss returns with its third season premiere on Sunday, Jan. 15 at a new earlier time of 8:00 PM, ET/PT. Each week, Undercover Boss follows a different executive as they leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their companies. It is unclear how many weeks the series will run in this timeslot, as The Amazing Race will return in this timeslot at mid-season with a premiere that will be announced at a later date. Other than that, CBS has not announced any other changes. Still to be scheduled is new cop series The 2-2, which is likely for March or later in the spring. CBS also has not announced what will air Wednesdays at 8:00 PM, ET/PT in January before Survivor returns sometime in February, but it will likely be encores. And finally CBS has ordered three additional episodes of struggling Friday drama series A Gifted Man. The series will now air 16 episodes this season. My inclining is that it will be on the bubble for a second season until the day of upfront. Anyway, view and discuss the early changes to CBS midseason 2012.


30 Rock

We have another early midseason schedule for you, covering January-March 2012 for NBC! NBC announced its new mid-season 2012 schedule which features the premieres of four new series in Smash (Monday, February 6), The Firm (two-hour premiere Sunday, January 8, time slot premiere Thursday, January 12), Fashion Star (Tuesday, March 13) and Are You There, Chelsea? (Wednesday, January 11). The new lineup also includes the return of The Voice, 30 Rock, The Celebrity Apprentice and Who Do You Think You Are? Newcomer Prime Suspect and third year comedy Community will go on hiatus, but will return later in the season. In addition, there are day and time period changes for Whitney, Up All Night, Rock Center with Brian Williams and Harry's Law.

Let's detail it night-by-night. On Mondays, last spring's hit vocal competition series The Voice returns even louder with an hour-long season debut following Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5 at approx. 10pm ET/7pm PT and then resumes in its regular day and time on Monday, February 6 from 8-10 p.m. ET. Following The Voice is the much-anticipated musical drama Smash which premieres Monday, February 6 at 10 p.m. ET for 15 weeks. On Tuesdays, Fashion Star - the new reality competition series hosted and executive-produced by Elle Macpherson - will premiere with a two-hour episode on Tuesday, March 13 from 9-11 p.m. ET and resume on Tuesday, March 20 airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET. The Biggest Loser will open a new edition on Tuesday, January 3 from 8-10 p.m. ET followed by Parenthood at 10 p.m. ET, but it concludes its season on Tuesday, February 28 with its season finale. On Wednesdays, the freshman comedy Whitney" moves into a new day (Wednesday) and time (8:00 p.m.) beginning Wednesday, January 11 followed by the series debut of the new comedy Are You There, Chelsea? at 8:30 p.m. ET also on Wednesday, January 11. NBC will move Rock Center with Brian Williams to Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, starting Wednesday, February 8 as it has its last Monday telecast on Jan. 30. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit remains at 10 p.m. (ET).

For Thursdays, the new drama The Firm moves into the Thursday lineup at 10 p.m. ET beginning Thursday, January 12 following its special two-hour premiere the previous Sunday (January 8) from 9-11 p.m. ET. The first-season comedy Up All Night will also move to Thursday nights at 9:30 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, January 12 which is also the night that multiple Emmy Award-winning 30 Rock returns for its season debut at an earlier time of 8 p.m. ET, with an expected episode order of a full season. Parks and Recreation and The Office remain in the same time periods at 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. ET. Moving on to Fridays, the returning series Who Do You Think You Are? makes its season debut on Friday, February 3 at 8 p.m. ET, as Chuck will have its two-hour series finale on Friday, January 27 from 8-10 p.m. ET. Newcomer Grimm and Dateline NBC remain in the respective time periods from 9 to 11 p.m. Saturdays will feature encores of Harry's Law, The Firm and Law & Order: SVU. And finally on Sundays, The Celebrity Apprentice returns on Sunday, February 12 from 9-11 p.m. ET. Dateline NBC begins on Sundays from 7-9 p.m. ET, on January 8, but then Harry's Law moves to the 8 p.m. (ET) time period on March 4, so Dateline NBC will be cut just to the 7 p.m. (ET) hour starting on March 4.

That's a whole lotta changes, but more is still to come. Still missing from the mid-season schedule for NBC are new drama Awake, new comedies Bent & BFFs, and practical joke series Betty White's Off the Rockers. As mentioned, Community will return later in the spring to complete its 22 episode order (10 are scheduled to have aired by the end of 2011, so 12 will be ready to go later this season). We urge you to view and discuss the NBC midseason 2012 schedule for Jan-Mar.

Sitcom Recap:
New sitcoms - Are You There, Chelsea? (TBD episodes, NBC Wednesdays at 8:30pm starting Jan. 11) and ¡Rob! (8 episodes, CBS Thursdays at 8:30pm starting Jan. 12)
Returning - 30 Rock (TBD episodes, NBC Thursdays at 8:00pm starting Jan. 12)
Moving - Whitney (NBC Wednesdays at 8:30pm starting Jan. 11) and Up All Night (NBC Thursdays at 9:30pm starting Jan. 12)
Hiatus - Rules of Engagement (CBS) and Community (NBC) - both expected back in Spring
Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM
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Monday, November 14, 2011

The Odd Couple Thanksgiving Day Marathon on WPIX; Reimagine That! Episode 3 with Dianne Kay of Eight is Enough


The Odd Couple

This Thanksgiving join Laurel & Hardy, Oscar & Felix on WPIX-11 in New York. On Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 24), PIX11 will continue its Thanksgiving tradition and air March of the Wooden Soldiers (9-11am) followed by a 12-episode viewer's choice marathon of The Odd Couple (11am-5pm). The 1934 classic film has the classic comic team of Laurel and Hardy star in this lighthearted version of Victor Herbert's classic operetta about a fantasy world where toys are made and nursery-rhyme characters live. In this rendition, Stan and Ollie help save Toyland from the Bog. Then its 6-hours of The Odd Couple, starring award-winning actors Tony Randall (as neat-freak, Felix) and Jack Klugman (as everyone's favorite slob, Oscar) which ran for 5 seasons (1970-1975.) Vote for your favorite episodes through PIX Rewards (membership required) http://rewards.wpix.com/. The Odd Couple marathon is sponsored by Time Warner Cable. Too bad a national network is not airing this '70s classic, but if you're in the NYC market or get WPIX on satellite, you won't want to miss this classic sitcom marathon!

Our pal Chris Mann of Retroality.tv is back with episode three of his must-listen podcast, Reimagine That! Well, he premiered it on 11/11/11, so it was released a few days ago. Retro pop meets forward thought as Eight is Enough star Dianne Kay (no relation to Reimagine That! announcer Linda Kay) -- in part one of her exclusive, in-depth interview -- opens her heart about her TV dramedy co-stars, including Dick Van Patten, Susan Richardson, Adam Rich, Grant Goodeve, Betty Buckley, Connie Needham-Newton and the late Lani O'Grady and Diana Hyland. The upbeat and funny blonde beauty also talks about surviving kidney cancer last year as well as surviving the pitfalls of Hollywood. And for the first time ever, she talks about being suspended from an episode of Eight is Enough after standing her ground when show writers decided to make her character, Nancy, pose nude for an art gallery and then receive self-esteem talk from the Bradfords after they show up at the gallery. (One word: Ewwww!)
ALSO: Chris discusses the upcoming literary event (tour?!?) titled "Good Girl vs. Bad Girl: Mary McDonough in conversation with Alison Arngrim," in which the respective authors of "Lessons from the Mountain: What I Learned from Erin Walton" and "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch" offer behind-the-scenes dish while discussing the events and issues that shaped them as women and as advocates. Chris also reveals how the Family Feud home game brought strife to his house in the late '70s/early '80s, shares his cinnamon bun-enhanced fascination with actress-author Carrie Fisher (who once followed him on Twitter -- come back, Carrie, come back!), talks about Showtime's hit new dramedy Shameless, exposes his true feelings about having bowl-resistant hair in the Adam-Rich-bowl-a-riffic '70s, and previews his plans for an updated edition of his book "Come and Knock on Door" for the 35th anniversary of Three's Company in 2012 (James Franco, can Chris borrow your "Chrissy" wig?). Chris mentions Eight is Enough and Three's Company on the same show. Add 8 and 3 and you get 11. 11's are wild on 11/11/11!
Finally, in the third installment of a recurring "dream weaver" segment, Chris and dream weaver Yvonne Ryba (http://YvonneRyba.com) talk lions and tigers and bears (oh, my) while encouraging listeners reimagine their own reality via dream interpretation.
Anyway, listed to episode three on iTunes or on YouTube. You might even hear Dianne slap Chris eight times for calling her Nancy!
Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 12:00 PM
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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Week 8 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

2011-12 Week 8 TV Ratings (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: 1. ABC 8.2/12.7 rating/share; 2. CBS 7.7/11.9; 3. Fox 5.0/7.5; 4. NBC 3.4/5.3; 5. The CW 1.2/1.8
Total Viewers: 1. ABC 12.68 million; 2. CBS 12.31 million; 3. Fox 8.4 million; 4. NBC 5.21 million; 5. The CW 1.76 million.
Adults 18-49: 1. CBS 3.3/8.6 rating/share; 2. ABC 3.2/8.3; 3. Fox 3.1/7.9; 4. NBC 1.7/4.5; 5. The CW 0.8/2.0

Week 8 (Nov. 7-13) Analysis: Week 8 has ABC on top in HH/viewers, with CBS edging out ABC in 18-49 so far. ABC had a good sweep special showing in 45th Annual CMA Awards, giving them the lead so far. Through the first four nights this week, ABC is on top in HH/viewers and a tenth off for first in 18-49, with CBS in the lead. CBS is a close second in HH/viewers, while Fox is third across the board. So that means NBC is still way behind in fourth in everything. It's hard to predict what will happen for this week, but I'm going to say ABC will win the week in HH/viewers, as their Saturday night Football game did well, too. Fox should prevail in 18-49 because of the NFL overrun is with them again. CBS should be second in HH/viewers and third in 18-49, while NBC is fourth in everything. It's hard to predict this week with specials and sports. As for last week, week 7, CBS was first in all categories, helped a lot by the primetime SEC game on Saturday (over 20 million tuned in), even with Fox having the NFL overrun. ABC was second in HH, but Fox edged them out in total viewers. Fox was second in 18-49 for the week thanks to the NFL overrun helping. NBC was fourth in HH/viewers, but edged ABC in 18-49 with a strong showing from Sunday Night NFL. This is only the second time this season NBC was out of fourth place in 18-49, in a forgettable fall for them.

Monday was a typical Monday, with CBS on top again in 18-49 and ABC on top in viewers. Starting with ABC, Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race from 8-10pm with 18.16 million and a 3.4 18-49 rating, up a lot from previous week when it was 90-minutes. Best numbers since the premiere. A new Castle at 10pm was first place with 11.07 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, down some from previous week's big hostage episode. For CBS, How I Met Your Mother started it off with 10.28 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating, up some from previous week, it has certainly surprised this season. 2 Broke Girls followed with 11.43 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, up some from previous week. It's probably the biggest hit of the season. At 9pm, a new Two and a Half Men, with new star Ashton Kutcher, did 14.71 million and a 5.2 18-49 rating, up a good number from previous week. This is similar to what the series did with Sheen, which is not bad at all. A new Mike & Molly followed the huge lead-in and did 11.93 million and a 4.2 18-49 rating, up from the previous week. With increased competition coming in early 2012, it will be interesting if the sitcoms can keep it up, with The Voice, The Bachelor and I'm sure a more hyped Dancing in the spring coming. An all-new Hawaii Five-0 was next doing 10.32 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, up a tenth from the previous week. Fox started with the expensive Terra Nova and it did 7.75 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, up from previous week's lows. If it can stay around here, it has a shot of returning. But it is iffy with the cost. And at 9pm, House looks more and more like this will be its last season as it posted 7.75 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, but up some from previous week. NBC followed with another two-hour The Sing-Off doing only 4.25 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. What a dud. At 10pm, NBC aired week two of Rock Center with Brian Williams and it did an embarrassing 3.46 million and a 1.0 18-49 rating, down in viewers from the premiere and on par in 18-49 from previous week. The CW was new with Gossip Girl doing 1.26 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, which is not good. At 9pm Hart of Dixie did 1.45 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating each, holding steady from the lead-in.

On Tuesday, CBS took both honors again, beating Fox in 18-49 and ABC in viewers. CBS had the juggernaut NCIS opening the night off with 20.38 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating, up some from previous week and a season high in total viewers. Then spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 15.66 million and 3.4 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. And a new Unforgettable did 11.72 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. ABC was next with new comedy Last Man Standing with Tim Allen leading the night off doing 9.26 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, off a tenth from previous week. Solid. And the show is very funny since Halloween. Week four of Man Up! was next and it did 6.24 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week. Not good again. Nine more to go? Then Dancing with the Stars: The Results followed at 9pm with 15.07 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, on par with the previous week, as we said goodbye to Nancy Grace. Semi-finals tomorrow night! Go Hope Solo and Maks! At 10pm, Body of Proof was preempted for the sweep special In The Spotlight with Robin Roberts doing 8.46 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, lower than the usual timeslot rating. Fox aired a new Glee which has fallen faster than any major hit I could ever think of, doing 6.91 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, though up a tenth week-to-week. At 9pm, New Girl did 6.84 million and a solid 3.5 18-49 rating, but down a tenth from previous week for a second straight season low. Zooey is certainly good to look at. Next Raising Hope did just 4.51 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down from previous week and a season low. Close to a series low even. NBC was next with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 6.86 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, up a tenth from the previous week. At 10pm, Parenthood did 5.3 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, down a bit week-to-week, but sadly one of NBC's better performing series. The CW aired a new 90210 that did 1.55 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, up a tad week-to-week. Then the Sarah Michelle Gellar drama Ringer followed at 9pm with 1.75 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, down a tenth. Sarah would do much better on ABC or Fox. She is too big for The CW (and too young for CBS and nothing works at NBC).

Wednesday it was all ABC with a sweep stunt. First, CBS started the night off with Survivor: South Pacific at 10.8 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, its lowest airing in weeks. Veteran drama Criminal Minds was all-new and did 11.36 million and a solid 3.4 18-49 rating, but down from previous week. At 10pm, CSI was new too and did 10.16 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, also down some week-to-week. ABC preempted its hot Laugh On comedy block of The Middle, Suburgatory, the mega hit Modern Family and Happy Endings along with buzzworthy drama Revenge for the 45th Annual CMA Awards that did a huge 16.4 million and a first place 4.8 18-49 rating. Look for the hot regular ABC Wednesday to return this week. Fox aired The X Factor doing 10.25 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating for two-hours, down some from previous week. NBC opened the night with a new Up All Night at 4.79 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, on par with previous week's series lows. No comedy competition from ABC and it still didn't go up. At 8:30pm, a repeat followed and did just 3.49 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating, on par with previous week's repeat. At 9pm, Harry's Law was new and did nothing, doing just a 1.3 18-49 rating, but up some from previous week's series low and the total viewers of 7.11 million is its only thing of note, but that doesn't make the money as this series has lower ad-rated than The CW series at this time. At 10pm, Law & Order: SVU was new doing 6.7 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating for last place and series lows for the veteran series. The CW had a repeat of Ringer leading the night off with only 980,000 viewers and a 0.4 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. The declining fast America's Next Top Model was next at 9pm with 1.7 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, also on par with the previous week.

Thursday it was a three-way horse race between Fox, ABC and CBS in 18-49. First, ABC opened the night with Charlie's Angels doing 5.1 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week for a series low. One more episode left, if they are going to ever air it. Only option is a Saturday night. I liked this show, too bad the ratings sucked. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy followed with 11.29 million and a 4.1 A18-49 rating, up big from previous week and tied NCIS so far for #1 in drama (Once Upon a Time is in contention for that tonight). Great episode and cliffhanger for the fall finale. At 10pm, Private Practice did 7.51 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, best since the season premiere again. Look for the two-hour "intervention" episode this week that could do around the same as this. CBS opened with the red-hot The Big Bang Theory at 15.89 million and a 5.3 18-49 rating, off a tenth from previous week. Classic episode, too, with Leonard and Penny bonding and Sheldon and the blue jay. My favorite of the season. Then, a new Rules of Engagement was next doing 11.57 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, off some from previous week. Still solid, as CBS can't do any better unless they air a Bang repeat and that would be repetitive. A repeat (why in sweeps?) of Person of Interest followed with 9.11 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating. A repeat (again, why?) episode of The Mentalist followed and did 10.08 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating. Fox aired a one-hour The X Factor doing 10.13 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, for a season low. Then at 9pm, week two of veteran Bones did 8.64 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, down a lot from previous week. NBC was in the familiar fourth place with the should-be-not leading-off Community getting slaughtered with 3.49 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating only, down some from previous week. Then Parks and Recreation followed at only 3.66 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, also down some from previous week. Its only positive is the build from the lead-in, like usual. At 9pm The Office jumped to 5.96 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, also down some from previous week. A new episode of Whitney closed the comedy block with only 4.28 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, on par week-to-week. NBC's drama bust Prime Suspect closed the night with only 4.86 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, only up a tenth from previous week despite CBS being a repeat. The CW's big gun Vampire Diaries did 3.17 million, and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down some from previous week's season high. The new The Secret Circle was next at 2.17 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, down a tenth from the previous week. Latter still needs to find itself.

Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won the night thanks to Blue Bloods at 10pm, even though it was down from previous. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for ABC was down from previous week, but it was a Veteran's Day telethon and NBC's Chuck did terrible ratings again, while week three of Grimm dropped again but still OK beating Fox's Fringe by a lot, as that was a series low.
Saturday numbers had ABC Saturday Night Football on top, while Fox was second with UFC helping them actually. CBS and NBC were way behind.

Tonight ABC Sunday is all-new (AFV, Once Upon a Time, Desperate Housewives, and Pan Am). Once is a big hit and the number one drama of the season. NBC will win the night with the NFL with the Jets and Pats doing big. CBS has its normal line-up of 60 Minutes, Amazing Race, The Good Wife and CSI: Miami, but that might be only good for fourth place without an NFL overrun boosting it. Fox has the animated comedies from 8-10pm following then NFL overrun that will boost them up, but the animated comedies will be hurt big time by NBC NFL action.

As for the week (week 8), ABC could win the week in HH/viewers. CBS will be second, with Fox and NBC battling for third. Why NBC? Tonight's game could be huge. As for 18-49, think Fox will seal it. ABC, CBS and even NBC will be close to each other, but I think the order will be: Fox, ABC, CBS and NBC. As for the coming week (week 9), the Gabby Giffords interview will likely be a big draw tomorrow night for ABC. A classic sweep stunt. So far only ABC has capitalized in sweep stunts. Week 9 is also the last full week of November sweep. How crazy is that?

Week 8 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 7 -- Oct. 31-Nov. 6)

  • The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode did 8.0 million and a 3.7 18-49 following NFL action (for the east and central time zones), off some from previous week but still solid.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - preempted.
  • Allen Gregory (Fox) - The second episode did 4.32 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down from its premiere even. Still terrible and lost a good chuck of its lead-in's ratings. That's superbad, Jonah Hill (sorry for the pun).
  • Family Guy (Fox) - An all-new episode was way below normal again doing 5.82 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, off a bit week-to-week. Solid, but not the big force it can be.
  • American Dad! (Fox) - The return did 4.85 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating at 9:30pm. Nothing to write home about, but it's always up and down.

Monday Sitcoms

  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - An all-new episode did 10.28 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating, up some from the previous week. One of the surprises in this TV season for its growth.
  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A new airing did 11.43 million a 4.6 18-49 rating, up some as well from the previous week. Quietly the number one new series now, as New Girl has faltered thanks to Fox's scheduling.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.71 million and a 5.2 18-49 rating is excellent and up from previous week.
  • Mike & Molly (CBS) - With the strong lead-in, a new episode did 11.93 million and a 4.2 18-49 rating, also up a half a point from previous week.

Tuesday Sitcoms

  • Last Man Standing (ABC) - An all-new episode in the 8pm half-hour did 9.26 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, off a tenth from previous week but still very solid. This show has been consistently in the 2.6-3.0 range since week two. Not bad for a self-starter.
  • Man Up! (ABC) - Week four of this comedy did 6.24 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week. I think we will see the series through next month only and then ABC will bring in another sitcom in January (the multi-camera Work It).
  • New Girl (Fox) - A new episode did 6.84 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating for a series low again, down a tenth week-to-week. Still building from its lead-in, however. So a winner still.
  • Raising Hope (Fox) - A new episode did 4.51 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down from previous week and lower even than the same night last season. Ouch.

Wednesday Sitcoms
  • The Middle (ABC) - preempted.
  • Suburgatory (ABC) - preempted.
  • Up All Night (NBC) 2 episodes - A new episode tied a series low 4.79 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating. This show is slowly dying on this night. A repeat followed with 3.49 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating.
  • Modern Family (ABC) - preempted.
  • Happy Endings (ABC) - preempted.

Thursday Sitcoms

  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A new episode did 15.89 million and a 5.3 18-49 rating, down a tenth from the previous week. With no Modern Family, the #1 sitcom (and scripted show) of the week!
  • Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A new episode did 11.57 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, down some week-to-week but still solid numbers.
  • Community (NBC) - A new episode did just 3.49 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, down some week-to-week.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A new showing of this show did 3.66 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, likewise for this series, down some week-to-week. The only thing positive is it builds from the lead-in, or it would be a loser, too.
  • The Office (NBC) - A new episode did 5.96 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, for the best of the block like usual, but still down some from previous week.
  • Whitney (NBC) - A new episode did 4.28 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. This whole NBC line-up just sucks in the ratings. Move them to USA Network and I bet they will become big hits.

Friday Sitcoms

  • None.

Saturday Sitcoms

  • None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are Fox's animated comedies from 8-10pm, following NFL action, including the dud Allen Gregory at 8:30pm.

Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, 2 Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, New Girl, Rules of Engagement, Last Man Standing were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Parks & Recreation, Man Up!) or just plain old terrible (such as Community, Raising Hope).

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 6:00 PM
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, February 23

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to the Zhuzh" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin secretly coaches Dave during a big job interview. Meanwhile, Marty plans his proposal and Malcolm’s secret romance hits the tabloids.

DMV - "Hot Gurlz" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Colette goes on a date with Ceci’s cousin Miguel (Eddie Ramos) and discovers he may be the key to Ceci’s heart. Meanwhile, Barb finds out about Gregg’s lawsuit against the DMV while Vic helps Noa deal with rude customer Brent (Mark Feuerstein).

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "Pilot" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Twenty years after a career-ending scandal, former running back Reggie Dinkins enlists filmmaker Arthur Tobin to make a documentary he hopes will rehabilitate his image.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "Nittany Means Big" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Tobin spends the day with Monica and uncovers the truth about Reggie's famous food poisoning game; Reggie struggles to apologize to Brina.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of February 23)

Monday, February 23

  • Christina Applegate (Dead to Me/Up All Night/Samantha Who?/Jesse/Married... with Children) - Watch Christina on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Tracy Morgan (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins/Crutch/The Last O.G./30 Rock/The Tracy Morgan Show) - Tracy is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He also talks about The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
  • Ray Romano (No Good Deed/Everybody Loves Raymond) - Ray appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He sits down with Sherri to talk about his star turn in Broadway's All Out on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Tiffany Haddish (The Last O.G./The Carmichael Show) - Tiffany is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling discusses Paradise on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Isabel May (Alexa & Katie/Young Sheldon) - Isabel talks about Scream 7 on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Laura Linney (The Big C) - NBC's Today catches up wit Laura in the 9am hour.
  • Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Drew is sharing more of her sit-down interview with Jennifer on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD) St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive

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