Friday, April 20, 2012
Married with Children Now on VH1 Classic; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 23, 2012)
So it looks like Married...with Children on MTV2 didn't last long. It was removed after about a week last month, but now it has resurfaced on yet another Viacom-owned cable network. Married...with Children has aired on MANY Viacom networks already: Spike TV, TV Land, Comedy Central, CMT, Nick at Nite, MTV2 and now it has joined VH1 Classic as of last week. So if you're still counting, this is the seventh Viacom cable network to air the series in this same contract. The '90s comedy starring Ed O'Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate and David Faustino is airing now on VH1 Classic Sun-Fri at both 8-9am and 12am-1am. And of course as you all know by now, the series will continue to be shared with TBS which airs the series in very early mornings anytime between 2-7am.
And of course as a reminder, don't forget the pilot is set to reair on Fox this coming Sunday at 7pm as part of Fox's 25th Anniversary celebration! Whoooooooooooooa Bundy!
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 April 23-27, 2012, 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, April 23, 2012
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Watch Jesse on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Seinfeld) - Julia stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Joel McHale (Community) - Joel appears on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Tune in to see Kathy on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Damon Wayans Jr. (Happy Endings) - Damon is a guest on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) - Cynthia makes her Wendy show debut and tells us about her recent Broadway run in the play Wit on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Debra Messing (Will & Grace) - Debra drops by Anderson, so check your local listings.
- Sherri Shepherd (Less Than Perfect/Sherri) - Sherri guest co-hosts The Nate Berkus Show, so check your local listings.
- Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) - Catch Amy on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- James Van Der Beek (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - James is a guest on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
- Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/The Knights of Prosperity/Hot Properties) - Sofia appears on a repeat of Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family/The Class) - Jesse drops by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Holly Robinson Peete (Hangin' with Mr. Cooper/For Your Love) - Holly joins Dr. Jen and Tim to discuss Autism Awareness Week on The Revolution on ABC at 2pm ET/1pm PT/CT. She will also be on The Nate Berkus Show, so check your local listings.
- Topher Grace (That '70s Show) - Topher visits Anderson, so check your local listings.
- Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation) - Watch Rob on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Mindy Kaling (The Office) - Mindy appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Jim Gaffigan (My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Jim drops by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Jason is a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
- Joel McHale (Community) - Joel chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Marilu Henner (Taxi) - Marilu visits The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Kevin Nealon (Weeds) - Kevin stops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- James Van Der Beek (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - James continues to make the rounds on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings. He will also be on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) - Mario guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) - Tune in to see Cobie on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Gabourey Sidibe (The Big C) - Gabourey appears on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
- Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Catch Jason on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
- Clark Gregg (The New Adventures of Old Christine) - Clark is a guest on Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
- Jenna Fischer (The Office) - Jenna appears on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Garry Marshall (Creator of Happy Days/Laverne & Shirley/Mork & Mindy) - Garry visits LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Danny Pudi (Community) - Danny drops by The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Marilu Henner (Taxi) - Marilu continues to make the rounds on Anderson, so check your local listings.
- The Cast of One Day at a Time - ABC's Good Morning America reunites the cast of One Day at a Time between 7-9am.
- Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens) - Watch Patton on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) - Jason chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Marilu Henner (Taxi) - Marilu discusses her new book, Total Memory Makeover, on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- The Cast of Laverne & Shirley - ABC's Good Morning America reunites the cast of Laverne & Shirley between 7-9am. They reunited the cast of Murphy Brown this morning.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Hallmark Channel Schedule Changes; Remembering Dick Clark and Director Paul Bogart
As we reported last week, The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore were pulled from The Hallmark Channel weekend schedule block. Today we have some further bad news to tell you about. Starting Monday, April 23, both shows will be completely leaving the lineup. Cheers replaces The Bob Newhart Show weekdays between 2-3am. Frasier replaces the two-hour block of The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show between 3-5am. Finally, I Love Lucy replaces The Mary Tyler Moore Show between 5-6am. It's sad to see these shows move from bad timeslots to completely off the schedule. Low ratings is usually the culprit for the many Hallmark Channel schedule changes. It's difficult for these shows to garner an audience when they are placed at these early hours. The Bob Newhart Show has been airing since January. The Mary Tyler Moore Show had just premiered on the network on April 1 with a marathon. In some Hallmark Movie Channel news, Mister Ed is leaving the weekday schedule. The two-hour block that has been airing weekdays between 6-8am is being replaced by a double dose of Matlock. It will still air weekends from 6-8am. Mister Ed has been airing on The Hallmark Channel's spin-off network since March 26. Digital simulcast network This TV also airs the series weekday mornings at 3:30am (following The Patty Duke Show at 3am).
We have some sad news to report. Legendary television and music pioneer Dick Clark, best known for hosting American Bandstand, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and the Pyramid game show, has died. Clark died on April 18 after suffering a heart attack following a medical procedure at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. He had suffered a stroke in December 2004. Mr. Clark, known as "The World's Oldest Teenager" for his youthful appearance, was 82.
Clark's television career began at WKTV in Utica, NY. He first hosted a country music program called Cactus Dick and the Santa Fe Riders. In 1952, he relocated to Philadelphia and worked as a disc jockey at the WFIL radio station. WFIL also had a television station where he would work as a substitute host on Bob Horn's Bandstand. In July 1956, he took over the full time hosting duties. ABC picked up the show nationally and renamed it American Bandstand. The show premiered on ABC on August 5, 1957, with an interview with Elvis Presley. American Bandstand was a a huge hit for its over 30-year run. The show introduced national audiences to numerous artists such as Chuck Berry, Chubby Checker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, and many more.
In 1972, he produced and hosted Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. He presided over the dropping of the Times Square ball in New York City every year since 1972 except in 1999 when ABC preempted it for ABC 2000 Today and in 2004 after he had suffered a stroke. Clark hosted and appeared in a variety of other television series. In 1958-1960, he hosted a 30-minute Saturday night program called The Dick Clark Show. He began hosting the The $10,000 Pyramid on March 26, 1973. The show continued in various formats until 1988. Clark won three Emmy Awards for best game show host and the daytime versions of Pyramid won nine Emmy Awards for best game show.
In 1984, Clark produced and co-hosted with his friend and former neighbor Ed McMahon the NBC series TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes. The show aired in various formats and specials on NBC and ABC until 2004. In 1990 and 1991, he hosted the syndicated television game show The Challengers and in 1993 he hosted Scattegories on NBC. In 2001-2003, he co-hosted the NBC daytime talk show The Other Half. Clark worked as a producer for many television series and specials, including the American Music Awards, The Golden Globe Awards, Greed and American Dreams. His sitcom guest appearances included The Joey Bishop Show, The Partridge Family, The Odd Couple, Police Squad!, Blossom, Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Drew Carey Show, Murphy Brown, Dharma & Greg, Just Shoot Me and Baby Bob.
Clark is survived by his wife, Kari Wigton, and his three children, Richard, Duane and Cindy. We thank him for bringing us many quality hours of entertainment over the years. Mr. Clark was a true legend both in TV and music. New Year's Eve will never be the same. He will be deeply missed. For now Dick Clark... so long.
American Idol is planning a tribute for him tonight on Fox. GSN (Game Show Network) will air an original 15-second remembrance of Clark during the network's broadcasts of $25,000 Pyramid over the next several days, and will add an additional hour of the show to its schedule this Saturday, April 21.
GSN's special, original remembrance of Dick Clark will air during each of the following episodes of $25,000 Pyramid (all times Eastern):
· Thursday, April 19 at 3:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
· Friday, April 20 at 3:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and during all 10 episodes of GSN's 7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. five-hour $25,000 Pyramid block
· Saturday, April 21 at 3:00a.m.,12:00 p.m., and 12:30 p.m.
What are your favorite Dick Clark memories? Discuss them here.
Emmy-Award winning television and film director Paul Bogart has died. Bogart died of age-related causes on April 15 at his home in Chapel Hill, NC. Mr. Bogart was 92.
He was a prolific director of episodes of television series from 1955-1991. Bogart directed 20 episodes of the acclaimed 1960s dramatic series The Defenders. In 1965, he won his first Emmy Award for his work on the show. He would later win two Emmys for his directing of CBS Playhouse in 1968 and 1970. His sitcom directing credits included Get Smart, All in the Family (97 episodes), Archie Bunker's Place, Mama Malone, The Golden Girls and Bagdad Cafe. In 1978, he won an Emmy Award for his work on All in the Family for the episode Edith's 50th Birthday, an one-hour episode in which a man tries to sexually assault Edith. He shared an Emmy Award in 1986 as a supervising producer when The Golden Girls won for Outstanding Comedy Series. His film directing credits included Marlowe, Skin Game, Class of '44, Oh, God! You Devil, and Torch Song Trilogy.
You can view an extensive inteview with him from 2001 at the Archive of American Television. Bogart is survived by his children, Peter, Tracy and Jennifer; his sister, Jeanette Gavaris; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. We loved his work on the iconic All in the Family. He will be missed.
We have some sad news to report. Legendary television and music pioneer Dick Clark, best known for hosting American Bandstand, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and the Pyramid game show, has died. Clark died on April 18 after suffering a heart attack following a medical procedure at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. He had suffered a stroke in December 2004. Mr. Clark, known as "The World's Oldest Teenager" for his youthful appearance, was 82.
Clark's television career began at WKTV in Utica, NY. He first hosted a country music program called Cactus Dick and the Santa Fe Riders. In 1952, he relocated to Philadelphia and worked as a disc jockey at the WFIL radio station. WFIL also had a television station where he would work as a substitute host on Bob Horn's Bandstand. In July 1956, he took over the full time hosting duties. ABC picked up the show nationally and renamed it American Bandstand. The show premiered on ABC on August 5, 1957, with an interview with Elvis Presley. American Bandstand was a a huge hit for its over 30-year run. The show introduced national audiences to numerous artists such as Chuck Berry, Chubby Checker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, and many more.
In 1972, he produced and hosted Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. He presided over the dropping of the Times Square ball in New York City every year since 1972 except in 1999 when ABC preempted it for ABC 2000 Today and in 2004 after he had suffered a stroke. Clark hosted and appeared in a variety of other television series. In 1958-1960, he hosted a 30-minute Saturday night program called The Dick Clark Show. He began hosting the The $10,000 Pyramid on March 26, 1973. The show continued in various formats until 1988. Clark won three Emmy Awards for best game show host and the daytime versions of Pyramid won nine Emmy Awards for best game show.
In 1984, Clark produced and co-hosted with his friend and former neighbor Ed McMahon the NBC series TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes. The show aired in various formats and specials on NBC and ABC until 2004. In 1990 and 1991, he hosted the syndicated television game show The Challengers and in 1993 he hosted Scattegories on NBC. In 2001-2003, he co-hosted the NBC daytime talk show The Other Half. Clark worked as a producer for many television series and specials, including the American Music Awards, The Golden Globe Awards, Greed and American Dreams. His sitcom guest appearances included The Joey Bishop Show, The Partridge Family, The Odd Couple, Police Squad!, Blossom, Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Drew Carey Show, Murphy Brown, Dharma & Greg, Just Shoot Me and Baby Bob.
Clark is survived by his wife, Kari Wigton, and his three children, Richard, Duane and Cindy. We thank him for bringing us many quality hours of entertainment over the years. Mr. Clark was a true legend both in TV and music. New Year's Eve will never be the same. He will be deeply missed. For now Dick Clark... so long.
American Idol is planning a tribute for him tonight on Fox. GSN (Game Show Network) will air an original 15-second remembrance of Clark during the network's broadcasts of $25,000 Pyramid over the next several days, and will add an additional hour of the show to its schedule this Saturday, April 21.
GSN's special, original remembrance of Dick Clark will air during each of the following episodes of $25,000 Pyramid (all times Eastern):
· Thursday, April 19 at 3:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
· Friday, April 20 at 3:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and during all 10 episodes of GSN's 7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. five-hour $25,000 Pyramid block
· Saturday, April 21 at 3:00a.m.,12:00 p.m., and 12:30 p.m.
What are your favorite Dick Clark memories? Discuss them here.
Emmy-Award winning television and film director Paul Bogart has died. Bogart died of age-related causes on April 15 at his home in Chapel Hill, NC. Mr. Bogart was 92.
He was a prolific director of episodes of television series from 1955-1991. Bogart directed 20 episodes of the acclaimed 1960s dramatic series The Defenders. In 1965, he won his first Emmy Award for his work on the show. He would later win two Emmys for his directing of CBS Playhouse in 1968 and 1970. His sitcom directing credits included Get Smart, All in the Family (97 episodes), Archie Bunker's Place, Mama Malone, The Golden Girls and Bagdad Cafe. In 1978, he won an Emmy Award for his work on All in the Family for the episode Edith's 50th Birthday, an one-hour episode in which a man tries to sexually assault Edith. He shared an Emmy Award in 1986 as a supervising producer when The Golden Girls won for Outstanding Comedy Series. His film directing credits included Marlowe, Skin Game, Class of '44, Oh, God! You Devil, and Torch Song Trilogy.
You can view an extensive inteview with him from 2001 at the Archive of American Television. Bogart is survived by his children, Peter, Tracy and Jennifer; his sister, Jeanette Gavaris; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. We loved his work on the iconic All in the Family. He will be missed.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
BET Renews The Game, Let's Stay Together, Read Between the Lines, Orders New Wayans Sitcom; MeTV Brands As MeTV Hollywood in Los Angeles
During its annual Upfront presentation to the advertising community, BET Networks, the leading provider of content to black consumers globally, revealed its new programming content including scripted programs and original movies for both BET and Centric as well as new web series for BET.com. During the presentation, BET announced new late night series Don't Sleep, new scripted series Second Generation Wayans, House Husbands, and new reality series The Mathis Project.
BET has also renewed all three of its sitcoms. New episodes of The Game will be produced by and air exclusively on BET. This will be its sixth season. After enjoying record ratings in syndication, The Game, created by Mara Brock Akil and executive produced by Kelsey Grammer, Salim Akil and Kenny Smith, will follow the lives of the fictitious San Diego Sabres - and the women who love them. BET will bring back Let's Stay Together for a third season. When two independently minded sisters take the step toward marriage, life puts their love to the test. This sophisticated romantic comedy series keeps its sense of humor as it tackles the intricacies of sex, intimacy, and communication. Created and executive produced by Jacque Edmonds Cofer and executive produced by Flavor Unit Entertainment. Ans finally, a second season of refreshing family comedy Read Between the Lines is navigating the ups and downs of love, work and family. This contemporary blended Black family uses wit, warmth and humor to keep life's challenges in perspective, remembering to always make room for love.
As for the upcoming new BET series, Don't Sleep is a fresh new voice joining the ranks of Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert and Bill Maher. House Husbands is an insanely funny sketch from the 2011 BET Awards (which quickly became a phenomenon) starring host Kevin Hart, rap heartthrob Nelly, R&B crooner Bobby Brown, comedian Anthony Anderson and film star Nick Cannon is coming to primetime.The Mathis Project is a powerful new docu-series aims to empower neighborhoods plagued by unsolved homicides starring Judge Greg Mathis. And the final new show, Second Generation Wayans, is a hilarious new scripted comedy based on the lives of the members of the next generation of the Wayans family. However, as it turns out, being a Wayans isn't all fun and games. Viewers see the good, the funny and the ugly as the young trio emerges from the long shadows of their uncles to carve out their own paths to stardom in Hollywood. Executive produced by Devon Shepard, Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez. Starring Craig Wayans, Damien Dante Wayans, and George O. Gore II.
From the floor of the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, Weigel Broadcasting Co. announced increased distribution for MeTV in Southern California via a new primary channel affiliation with KVME-TV. Classic TV fans in Southern California will find it easier than ever to "Like Me" as the MeTV Network begins airing its memorable entertainment programming Monday, April 30 on KVME-TV, Channel 20, licensed to Bishop California. MeTV will also continue to air on Los Angeles independent KDOC-TV, Channel 56.3. Both stations will brand themselves as "MeTV Hollywood."
In addition to over-the-air reception, MeTV fans can also find the definitive classic television network on DirecTV and Dish Network Channel 20, as well as FiOS Channel 462. These changes add more than two million homes to MeTV's expanding footprint in Southern California. The MeTV Network clearances now cover more than 78% of the country, serving 121 affiliates.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
More On Moesha On GMC, 7th Heaven Coming Soon; Episode 9 and 10 of Reimagine That! With Chris Mann
As we announced nearly two weeks ago, Moesha is now on GMC. The sitcom premiered with a marathon this past Saturday (April 14) from 9am-7pm. Now we can reveal its regular airings. It will air every Saturday from 12pm-3pm right after Sister, Sister from 9am-12pm. Both sitcoms only air on Saturdays on the cable network. 227 will follow on Saturdays from 3-5pm and then Cosby from 5-7pm. Both 227 and Cosby, along with Amen, also air weeknights starting at 11pm. So none of that is changing, only the Saturday schedule is altered a bit to make room for Moesha. The sitcom will not air on weekdays.
The rest of the weekday schedule is of course filled with family dramas: The Waltons, Judging Amy, and Dr. Quinn Medicine Women along with reality series Don't Forget the Lyrics! We have a new acquisition coming soon to GMC to be added to this mix. GMC has acquired the rights to the family drama 7th Heaven. We cannot reveal just yet when it will air, but stay tuned for full information! Currently 7th Heaven is not airing anywhere, which is quite surprising as it has been seen on Hallmark, ABC Family and WGN America in recent years.
Moving on, we haven't blogged about this yet, but our good friend Chris Mann of Retroality.tv has posted episodes 9 and 10 of his podcast Reimagine That! Both episodes feature an interview with Kenneth Johnson, who opens up about his iconic '70s series The Bionic Woman and The Incredible Hulk, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and offering candid insights into why others' small-screen and big-screen "reimaginings" of these two franchises failed. The acclaimed and forever-forward-thinking storyteller -- whose 1983 NBC miniseries V was also recently rebooted without his involvement -- discusses why heart, humanity and humor were essential in his creations of Jaime Sommers (as embodied by Lindsay Wagner) and David Banner (as personified by the late Bill Bixby), and how all three components were missing in NBC's failed 2007 Bionic Woman reboot and recent CGI-driven Hulk motion pictures. At the end of part one, Johnson shares how he got started in television as a director-producer for The Mike Douglas Show and game shows and why he parted ways with The Bionic Woman when Wagner reached the pinnacle of her celebrity. Also in episode none, Reimagine That! announcer and producer Linda Kay shares with Chris some of her fondest memories of late Monkees singer Davy Jones and iconic composer Robert Sherman. Listen to episode nine of Reimagine That!
On the second part, Kenneth Johnson shares his hopes and plans for his long-awaited, big-budget V feature (or triology thereof!), explaining how it will stay true to and reinvigorate his original vision as expressed in his franchise-launching V NBC miniseries nearly 30 years ago. The always-forward-thinking creator also opens up about his feminism and the diverse audience affection for The Bionic Woman, and he explains how he and series star Lindsay Wagner have in recent years come full circle in their relationship following a long estrangement. Finally, he offers insight into his experience adapting "Alien Nation" for TV audiences in the late '80s and '90s.
Also, inspired in part by Kenny's hopes to "reinvigorate" his original V vision ("V"ision?), Chris talks about his full-circle journey as a writer/storyteller while previewing an upcoming podcast segment tentatively titled "Reality Reimagined." Listen to episode ten of Reimagine That!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Our 10th TV Land Awards Recap, Airs April 29; Fox Pulls Breaking In
(Pat Harrington and Bonnie Franklin / Fran Drescher)
Celebrity icons from television, film and music joined TV Land and host Kelly Ripa for an unforgettable evening on Saturday night at the TV Land Awards 10th Anniversary celebration, which returned to New York for the second year in a row! The gala event, which premieres on TV Land on Sunday, April 29 at 9pm ET/PT, honored Aretha Franklin (Music Icon Award) and the casts of Laverne & Shirley (Fan Favorite Award), One Day at a Time (Innovator Award), In Living Color (Groundbreaking Award), Murphy Brown (Impact Award) and Pee-wee's Playhouse (Pop Culture Award).
We were on hand on Saturday night at the "Black Carpet" (as you know, if you followed our tweets) where most of the stars came before going inside to the event. We got to talk to Bonnie Franklin of One Day at a Time, and she told us she doesn't expect her to return for another episode of Hot in Cleveland, with her former One Day at a Time co-star Valerie Bertinelli. Here's hoping Mackenzie Phillips, Pat Harrington, Glenn Scarpelli and Richard Masur guest star soon! We also talked to T'Keyah Crystal Keymah of In Living Color on why she thought the show was groundbreaking and if she talks to Bill Cosby still. T'Keyah co-starred with Bill Cosby on the 1996-2000 sitcom Cosby, playing his daughter. She said she talks to him still and thanked me for reminding her to call him! We also saw on the "Black Carpet," Carrie Ann Inaba, a former Fly Girl on In Living Color and now of course a judge on Dancing with the Stars. She mentioned that her favorite show of all-time is Happy Days and she would LOVE to see Ron Howard as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars! Ralph Macchio, who will be guest starring on Happily Divorced, was also on the "Black Carpet" and mentioned his favorite shows were Taxi, Cheers, M*A*S*H, Happy Days, Seinfeld. Among the other stars we saw on the carpet were host Kelly Ripa, Faith Ford, Valerie Bertinelli, Tommy Davidson, Fran Drescher, Aviva Frescher, Diane English, David Alan Grier, Pat Harrington, Pee-Wee Herman, Charles Kimbrough, Laurieann Gibson, Lisa Marie Todd, Deidre Lang, David Lander, Penny Marshall, Michael McKean, Kelly Coffield Park, Mackenzie Phillips, Joe Regalbuto, Thomas Roberts, Grant Shaud, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Kim Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, and Cindy Williams! Fun! And that was just the "Black Carpet!"
(Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams)
(Mackenzie Phillips and Bonnie Franklin)
Memorable moments on the actual show on this night of top-notch entertainment included a hilarious opening sketch (with 13 costume changes!) by second-time host Kelly Ripa, who started the show coming down from the ceiling dressed as Catwoman from Batman. Later, Murphy Brown co-star Faith Ford (who starred with host Kelly Ripa on Hope & Faith) danced like her alter ego on the show, Corky, while Jim Carrey gave a heartfelt speech when accepting the Groundbreaking Award with his fellow cast members of In Living Color. The TV Land Awards 10th Anniversary also featured amazing performances by Music Icon Award-winner Aretha Franklin singing her hit songs "RESPECT," "Chain of Fools," "I Came To Lift Him Up" and "Ombra Mai Fu,"(some of which will be posted exclusively on TVLand.com). To close the night, the In Living Color Fly Girls danced out the show with Kelly Ripa to The B-52's "Rock Lobster."
Among the presenters, Katie Couric presented the Fan Favorite Award to the cast of Laverne & Shirley. Host Kelly Ripa presented the Impact Award to the cast of Murphy Brown. Whoopi Goldberg presented the Groundbreaking Award to the cast of In Living Color. Mike Myers came by to present the Pop Culture Award to "Pee-wee Herman" for Pee-wee's Playhouse. Fran Drescher, star of TV Land's Happily Divorced, presented the Innovator Award to the cast of One Day at a Time, which included Valerie Bertinelli, who now stars on TV Land's Hot in Cleveland (which leads into Happily Divorced every Wednesday night). And finally, The Music Icon Award was given to celebrated musician and "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin, who brought down the house with four of her hit songs and accepted her award from presenter John Legend, who serenaded her on stage. Watch the full 90-minute telecast on Sunday, April 29 at 9:00pm! It was a fun night and we can't wait for you to see it on April 29!
View more photos and videos on our Facebook page.
In other news, Fox has pulled struggling second year comedy Breaking In from the schedule. The series was set to return April 24 after a two-week hiatus so Raising Hope can air its two-part finale, but now Fox will not return Breaking In. Instead, repeats of New Girl will air on April 24, May 1 and May 8. May 15 and May 22 Fox has the final two episodes of the season of Glee, at a special time. There is no word yet on if and when the Christian Slater comedy Breaking In will return. Perhaps sometime in the summer? Fox has only aired five episodes of the thirteen episode order.
Let's hope they schedule it soon, as they are even airing the remaining episode of I Hate My Teenage Daughter this June on Sunday from 7-8pm and this comedy is much better. We want to see the Alyssa Milano guest appearance for this season! Stay with us if Fox does indeed schedule Breaking In again...but a chance for a third season is almost zero now. They don't have your back now, unfortunately.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Week 30 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did
2011-12 Week 30 TV Ratings (first four nights final ratings, Mon-Thu):
Households: #1. CBS 6.7 rating/10.6 share; #2. Fox 6.3/9.9; #3. ABC 6.2/9.9; #4. NBC 3.6/5.8; #5. The CW 0.7/1.1
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 10.56 million; #2. Fox 10.31 million; #3. ABC 9.45 million; #4. NBC 5.78 million; #5. The CW 970,000 viewers.
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox 3.2 rating/9.0 share; #2. CBS 2.7/7.4; #3. ABC 2.2/6.1; #3. NBC 2.1/5.7; #5. The CW 0.4/1.1
Week 30 (April 9-15) Analysis: Week 30 had mostly all new programming (minus most of CBS Thursday). Through the first four nights, CBS is in top in HH/viewers, but it is Fox on top in the more important adults 18-49. CBS is second in adults 18-49, while Fox is second in HH/viewers, just edging third place ABC. ABC is third in 18-49, just ahead of NBC. NBC is a distant fourth in HH/viewers. When the week is over by tonight, it could be as it is right now. More on the prediction of week 30 below. As for last week, week 29, CBS took home both HH/total viewers crown and the 18-49 crown. ABC was second in HH/viewers, while Fox was second in 18-49. ABC was third in 18-49, while Fox was third in HH/viewers. NBC was fourth across the board. All of this was just like the previous two weeks.
On Monday, it was NBC with the edge. First, on ABC, Dancing with the Stars started it off from 8-10pm doing a first place 16.39 million and a 3.0 rating, up a tenth from previous week. At 10pm, Castle was preempted for an encore of the Scandal pilot that did 6.21 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating for more sampling. For CBS, a new episode of How I Met Your Mother did 8.0 million and a 3.5 rating, which is s0lid but a season low. A new episode of 2 Broke Girls followed with 8.78 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, still good but this was its series low. A new Two and a Half Men followed at 9 with 10.4 million and a 3.6 rating, tying a series low. The only bright spot of the night was Mike & Molly, which was also new and did 9.58 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating. At 10, a new episode of Hawaii Five-0 did 10.3 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, which is solid for 10pm. Fox started off the night with Bones doing 7.56 million and a 2.2 rating, down three tenths from the previous week. House was new at 9 with 6.01 million and a 1.9 rating, down four tenths from previous week and a series low. NBC started it off with a two-hour The Voice and did a second place 10.52 million and a first place 4.0 rating, which was down a tenth from previous week. Then at 10pm week ten of critical darling Smash was next doing 5.99 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, which down a tenth from previous week and a series low. It's coming back for a second season anyway, but the show is pricy, so it needs to do better. The CW aired an all-new Gossip Girl and did just 980,000 viewers and 0.5 18-49 rating, on par with previous week's pathetic ratings. A new Hart of Dixie followed with 1.2 million and a 0.5 rating.
On Tuesday, it was close for first place with all four networks close to each other. First on CBS, NCIS at 8 started it off with a new episode doing 17.66 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, for a season low. Skews old. Then a new NCIS: Los Angeles at 9pm did 12.86 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, for a series low. Ouch. At 10pm, a new Unforgettable did 9.45 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, for a series low and losing to ABC's drama. ABC aired a new Last Man Standing doing 6.84 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, still OK but ties its low. A new Cougar Town did 4.81 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which could be better. At 9pm, the live Dancing with the Stars: The Results did 13.39 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, down half a point from previous week for a Results low, as we said goodbye to Sherri Shepherd. This season is so competitive. Body of Proof was all-new at 10 for its season finale doing 10.05 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, down just a tenth from previous week and first place at 10. I think this show will be back, perhaps Fridays in the fall for 13 weeks. This show certainly upped its game this season big time. Great episodes lately. Fox brought back Glee doing 6.76 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, solid but no longer a big hit. New Girl was new at 9 too and did 5.23 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, up a good amount from previous week's series low. At 9:30pm Raising Hope was new and did just 3.81 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, but up two tenths from previous week when it aired at 8. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser cut to the 8pm hour only doing 6.52 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which was up a tenth from previous week. At 9, NBC aired the live The Voice results show doing 9.0 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, up three tenths from previous week. At 10pm, NBC's new reality series Fashion Star did just 4.66 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, like its lead-in, up three tenths from previous week. The CW was a repeat with 90210 doing 670,000 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating, on par week-to-week. Then at 9pm, Ringer was new and did 1.1 million and a 0.4 18-49 rating, on par week-to-week. I don't think it will return.
Wednesday it was Fox with the win another two-hour Idol leading the way of course. First, CBS started the night off with a new Survivor: One World doing 9.91 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, which was down a tenth from the previous week for a series low. Then at 9pm, a new Criminal Minds did 11.81 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, which is below normal but on par week-to-week. And at 10pm a new CSI did 9.93 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, down a half a point from previous week. ABC was all-new for its Laugh On comedy block with The Middle doing 7.06 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating. Suburgatory followed with a new episode at 8:30pm doing 6.04 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, held 100% of its lead-in's ratings. The mega hit Modern Family was next at 9pm with a new episode and it did 10.35 million and 4.2 18-49 rating, which was a season low but still impressive. At 9:30pm, the series premiere of the hilarious Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23 did a solid 6.91 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating. It's not as wild this week, but still very funny and perhaps funnier than the pilot! At 10pm the addicting Revenge will return this Wednesday with the last six episodes of the season, but ABC aired the special Revenge: From the Beginning and did 5.6 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, if you get a clip show, you know you're doing well. Fox aired American Idol from 8-10pm doing 16.81 million and a 5.0 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week and still good for #1 for the week again. Take that again The Voice, says Fox. NBC opened the night with a new Betty White's Off Their Rockers doing 6.06 million but just a 1.6 18-49 rating, down three tenths from previous week's timeslot premiere. Episode two of new comedy Best Friends Forever followed with only 2.78 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, also down three tenths from previous week and even lower than Chelsea, ouch. Not good, and perhaps NBC will drop it soon. But it gets worse for NBC, at 9pm, a new Rock Center with Brian Williams returned to 9pm and did only 2.62 million and a 0.5 18-49 for a series low again. And at 10pm, a new Law & Order: SVU got hurt as a result and did 5.57 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, for a series low. The CW had a repeat of America's Next Top Model start it off at 8pm doing 870,000 viewers and a 0.4 18-49 rating. A new America's Next Top Model followed at 9 and did 1.08 million and a 0.5 18-49 rating, tying NBC but below normal for this show.
Thursday it was Fox again for the win, with CBS in mostly repeat mode. Starting with ABC, they opened the night with week five of Missing doing 7.91 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week. Total viewers is still good (and up from previous week) but the 18-49 needs to be better. Perhaps a good Friday destination in the fall, if it were to come back. At 9pm, a new Grey's Anatomy aired doing 8.85 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week's low. At 10pm, Private Practice is now moving to Tuesdays starting Tuesday, as now Scandal airs in this slot and week two did 7.28 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, on par with its premiere. Good that it didn't drop. CBS started with a repeat of The Big Bang Theory doing a great 9.72 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating. Yes, it did 3's earlier this season, but this is solid. A new Rules of Engagement did 8.46 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, on par with previous week even with the lead-in a repeat. Impressive. A special repeat of Big Bang aired at 9 doing 10.21 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, wow. Not its best repeat number, but still excellent. A special repeat of 2 Broke Girls didn't do as well at 9:30 doing 7.26 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating. Person of Interest aired at 10, but a repeat and did 8.58 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating. The Mentalist was preempted. Fox aired American Idol at 8 doing 15.81 million and a 4.3 18-49 rating, up four tenths from previous week. Fox aired a new episode of Touch, doing 8.17 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which was down a tenth from previous week. Toss up for a return, still need more sampling. NBC was all-new with a new Community up first doing 3.09 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, which was up a tenth from previous week. I think it will return though, but it still sucks in the ratings. At 8:30pm, 30 Rock was new at 8:30pm and did 2.98 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, up two tenths from previous week's series low. As I keep saying, time to end it after six seasons. A new The Office was next and did just 4.39 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, for a series low. I called low 2's, didn't I? At 9:30pm Up All Night had its finale (probably series) and did just 3.12 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, up three tenths from previous week. I don't think this will be back next season. At 10pm, week seven of Awake is not awake in the ratings as it did 2.68 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, on par week-to-week's series low. Another series that won't be back, I think. The CW's big gun Vampire Diaries was a repeat and did 1.02 million and a 0.4 18-49 rating. Then at 9pm, drama The Secret Circle was a repeat too and did 860,oo0 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS and ABC tied on Friday. ABC was a solid #2 for Shark Tank at 8pm as Undercover Boss won the 8pm hour by a tenth. At 9pm What Would You Do? did solid for ABC but NBC's Grimm won the hour as CSI: NY was preempted on CBS. CBS' Blue Bloods was also preempted, so ABC's 20/20 was #1 at 10. Fox's Fringe was down at 9pm and tied its low. CBS aired the Lionel Richie & Friends in Concert special from 9-11pm.
Saturday numbers have Fox easily winning the night with NASCAR. ABC's Titanic mini-series skewed old but still beat NBC's all-new Escape Routes and The Firm. CBS tied ABC for second with crime repeats.
Tonight ABC's line-up is AFV, Once Upon a Time, Titanic, and GCB. AFV & GCB are new and Titanic concludes tonight. NBC has Dateline at 7, with Celebrity Apprentice from 9-11pm, and Harry's Law leading in. Maybe a first place finish. CBS has new airings of 60 Minutes then Amazing Race, The Good Wife and the series premiere of NYC 22 which will bomb I think. A third place finish I think behind NBC and Fox. Fox is almost all-new for Animation Domination starting at 8pm, as they could surpass ABC.
As for the week (week 30), Fox will likely win the week in 18-49. CBS will easily win HH/viewers. CBS will be second in 18-49, while ABC will hang on to HH/viewers. ABC likely beat NBC in 18-49 for third, but it will be close. NBC will be fourth for sure in HH/viewers. As for the coming week, week 31, watch week two of Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 Wednesday at 9:30/8:30c on ABC. Awesome stuff!
Week 30 How the Sitcoms Did
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 29 -- April 2-8)
- The Simpsons (Fox) 2 airings - A repeat at 8pm did 3.06 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, which was off some from previous week. A repeat at 7pm earlier in the night did 1.83 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30pm did just 1.95 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating.
- Bob's Burgers (Fox) - A repeat at 8:30pm did 2.73 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating.
- Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat at 9 did a below normal 3.94 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, but still best of the block.
- American Dad! (Fox) - A repeat at 9:30pm did 3.44 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 8.0 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating is solid, but below normal for this season. And a season low.
- 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A new showing did 8.78 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating. Great but a series low.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A new episode of this sitcom did 10.4 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating, the best of the block but way down from usual and ties a series low.
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - 9.58 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating is pretty good considering 8-9:30 was at season/series lows.
Tuesday Sitcoms
- Last Man Standing (ABC) - A new episode returned to 6.84 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, tying a low. But in defense, lots of repeats and preemptions the previous two weeks.
- Cougar Town (ABC) - A new episode unfortunately didn't do that well with 4.81 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. This really needs to be airing on Wednesdays.
- New Girl (Fox) - A new episode at 9pm did 5.23 million and a 2.8 rating, up half a point from previous week's series low. Good comeback, helped by Glee, no doubt.
- Raising Hope (Fox) - A new episode at 9:30 did just 3.81 million and a 1.8 rating, up two tenths from previous week when it aired at 8.
- The Middle (ABC) - A new episode did 7.06 million and a 2.1 18-rating, which is on par with its last airing all those weeks ago. Hilarious episode!
- Suburgatory (ABC) - A new showing did 6.04 million and a 2.1 rating, as always solid and holds its lead-in.
- Best Friends Forever (NBC) - The second episode did just 2.78 million and a very low 0.9 18-49 rating. When will it be pulled?
- Modern Family (ABC) - A new episode of this mega hit did 10.35 million and a 4.2 18-49 rating, down from normal and a season low. But still the tops for scripted TV.
- Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23 (ABC) - The premiere did 6.91 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, for an excellent premiere! Good buzz, reviews and now solid ratings. I hope it continues because I have seen episodes 2 and 4, and they are HILARIOUS!
Thursday Sitcoms
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 2 airings - A repeat at 8 did 9.72 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, which is excellent for a repeat.
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) - A new episode did 8.46 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, which is par on with previous week when its lead in was new. Good showing!
- Community (NBC) - A new episode did 3.09 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. Still terrible.
- 30 Rock (NBC) - A new episode did 2.98 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, up two tenths from previous week's series low.
- The Office (NBC) - A new episode returned to 4.39 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, for a series low. Eeck.
- Up All Night (NBC) - The finale did just 3.12 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, but up three tenths from previous week thanks to the new lead-in. I doubt it returns.
Friday Sitcoms
- None.
Saturday Sitcoms
- None
Airing tonight (Sunday) are Fox's animated comedies from 7-10pm but with repeats.
Summing it up. Airings of Modern Family, Two and a Half Men, 2 Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, The Big Bang Theory, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Rules of Engagement, New Girl were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Last Man Standing, The Middle) or just plain old terrible (such as Best Friends Forever, Community).
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Digital Digest: Kojak - Season Four DVD Review
Welcome to this week's edition of Digital Digest! We are back with all of your regular news, a look ahead at Tuesday's releases, and our Click of the Week. Also, this week, we have a review of Kojak - Season Four, which may seem weird considering that it hasn't even been a whole month since the release Kojak - Season Three (read that review here), but Shout! Factory is moving moving very quickly on these releases and rapidly approaching the end of the series. Let's get started!
DIGITAL NEWS
The story on the DVDs of Cagney & Lacey have been trickling out slowly over the past six months or so, and it certainly appears that every effort is being made to bring out a top-notch release when it does come. This week, some new details were announced about this release which only serve to intensify the hype. As previously mentioned, the release will contain every episode of the series, even including the "semi-lost" first season (it isn't exactly lost, it is just that the corporate powers-that-be at MGM decided to skip that season when they released it on DVD on DVD) and the pilot movie. But there will also be new interviews (a rarity for VEI) on this release, and perhaps a few other special features. The sets which will be sold online will even be personally autographed by the stars of the series, as well as creator Barney Rosenzweig. As of right now, the release is projected to be sometime later this year (fall), but this is going to be a huge release, so it is not entirely out of the realm of possibility that a delay could be necessary... but hopefully that speculation (which is ONLY speculation on our behalf) is off base. You can follow up on releases for this set by reading Rosenzweig's blog.
Are you trying to buy that Benson - The Complete Second Season DVD set, but not having much luck? It was supposed to be released on April 3, but it still is not shipping from amazon.com, and although it did briefly ship from Warner Archive, it is no longer even listed on that website. Well, our reviewer for this set has not yet received his review copy, but I did receive a personal copy which I purchased from Warner Archive. And even though I did briefly enjoy the episodes, it didn't take me (like the posters on our own message boards did in this thread) long to realize that this particular release is a disaster which was most likely pulled because it is full of defects. The first defect in this release won't be too noticeable if you aren't familiar with the series, but if you are familiar with it, you will notice that the entire first episode of the season was somehow left out. From there, things are generally acceptable for the remainder of the first two discs, but once you hit Disc 3, you'll find episodes which are completely out of order, and for some reason, the first two episodes of the third season at the end of the disc (which wouldn't be a bad thing if it was a special feature, but it is an obvious flaw). Most likely, this release has been pulled due to these issues, but we honestly don't know if that is the reason. We also have no idea if there will be any type of disc replacement program for the small number of people who actually received the set. Finally, we don't know when the release will finally be available (again, in the case of Warner Archive). However, we are going to withhold doing any review for this release for now in hopes that Sony fixes these problems before the set is actually released, and until then, we very strongly advise that nobody, even if you are a huge fan of the series, even consider purchasing this set. Hopefully, we'll be able to change this recommendation when/if there is an improved release.
Timeless Media Group has another very rare vintage police drama from the early '60s coming to DVD in August. On August 7, the studio will release all 30 episodes of the series 87th Precinct, with 87th Precinct - The Complete Series, under license from NBCUniversal. Since this show is so rare that even we don't know much about it, we'll share the information that the studio has provided through their press release:
Are you trying to buy that Benson - The Complete Second Season DVD set, but not having much luck? It was supposed to be released on April 3, but it still is not shipping from amazon.com, and although it did briefly ship from Warner Archive, it is no longer even listed on that website. Well, our reviewer for this set has not yet received his review copy, but I did receive a personal copy which I purchased from Warner Archive. And even though I did briefly enjoy the episodes, it didn't take me (like the posters on our own message boards did in this thread) long to realize that this particular release is a disaster which was most likely pulled because it is full of defects. The first defect in this release won't be too noticeable if you aren't familiar with the series, but if you are familiar with it, you will notice that the entire first episode of the season was somehow left out. From there, things are generally acceptable for the remainder of the first two discs, but once you hit Disc 3, you'll find episodes which are completely out of order, and for some reason, the first two episodes of the third season at the end of the disc (which wouldn't be a bad thing if it was a special feature, but it is an obvious flaw). Most likely, this release has been pulled due to these issues, but we honestly don't know if that is the reason. We also have no idea if there will be any type of disc replacement program for the small number of people who actually received the set. Finally, we don't know when the release will finally be available (again, in the case of Warner Archive). However, we are going to withhold doing any review for this release for now in hopes that Sony fixes these problems before the set is actually released, and until then, we very strongly advise that nobody, even if you are a huge fan of the series, even consider purchasing this set. Hopefully, we'll be able to change this recommendation when/if there is an improved release.
Timeless Media Group has another very rare vintage police drama from the early '60s coming to DVD in August. On August 7, the studio will release all 30 episodes of the series 87th Precinct, with 87th Precinct - The Complete Series, under license from NBCUniversal. Since this show is so rare that even we don't know much about it, we'll share the information that the studio has provided through their press release:
"Manhattan's 87th Precinct forms the backdrop for this grim and gritty police drama based on the long-running series of novels by Ed McBain. Storylines focus on neighborhood crime, and the tight-knit lives of the officers of the 87th and their families: Steve Carella (Robert Lansing) and his deaf/mute wife, Teddy (Gena Rowlands), rookie Bert Kling (Ron Harper), long-time veteran Roger Havilland (Gregory Walcott) and the wryly philosophical Meyer Meyer (Norman Fell). Each gripping story features performances from the top rung of the acting profession, including Jack Albertson and Beverly Garland (Killer's Payoff), Robert Culp (The Floater), Dennis Hopper (My Friend, My Enemy), Jeanette Nolan (Idol in the Dust), Peter Falk (The Pigeon) and many more!"
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (April 17) is a day for animated fans, with two releases from the Fox Sunday night lineup. Those releases include American Dad! - Volume 7 (read our review), which is a somewhat misleading title as it actually contains the entire sixth season of the series, as well as Bob's Burgers - The Complete First Season (read our review). Warner Home Video brings some classic '70s family fun to DVD with their release of Eight is Enough - The Complete First Season. We hope to have a review of this set soon. Finally, Lionsgate has more episodes of a current TBS sitcom, with Meet the Browns - Season Five. We received our review copy of this set just yesterday, but we should have a review before Tuesday's release.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Kojak - Season Four (Shout! Factory, $44.99)
by skees53
Lieutenant Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas) is back in Kojak - Season Four, a six disc set containing 24 more episodes of the classic detective drama, with episodes from the 1976-1977 season. Now charging full-force into the late '70s, the series has evolved into an even edgier and more exciting series than it ad been in the past, and (hopefully) at the end of each day, Kojak will get to the bottom of each and every crime.
Crime takes a personal toll on Kojak when his niece is kidnapped in "Birthday Party." The mistress of a fellow detective is murdered in "A Summer Madness." In "Law Dance," Kojak must search for the killer of a key witness in a murder trial. Kojak is on the hunt for a slasher who murders out of greed in "Out of the Shadows." A child molester abuses his diplomatic immunity in "A Need to Know." In "An Unfair Trade," a police shooting of a Puerto Rican youth causes community outrage. A drug-addicted girlfriend of a cop accidentally kills her boyfriend's partner during a drug bust in "A Hair-Trigger Away." In "My Silence Betrayed," Kojak is on the case of a few waterfront murders.
In "A Shield for Murder," a wealth political leader is determined to make sure that Kojak doesn't open up a two-year old matricide case, but why? A princess and her servant seek to recover family jewels in "The Pride and the Princess." A private eye who can't seem to stay out of Kojak's way returns in "Black Thorn." Kojak investigates the murder of a construction kingpin in "Where Do You Go When You Have No Place to Go?" In "Dead Again," a woman's pleas for help are going unheard, and perhaps by the time they are heard, it will be too late. Kojak's godson is mixed up in gang activity in "The Godson." In "The Condemned," a boxer is accused of murder, and decides to take church parishioners hostage.
A wealthy ecologist's wife plans the perfect murder in "When You Hear the Beep, Drop Dead." A Puerto Rican cop goes undercover in his old neighborhood in "I Was Happy Where I Was." In "Kojak's Days," what starts out as a simple death investigation becomes very complicated rather quickly. A gambling addiction causes a veteran officer to begin to behave unethically in "Monkey On a String." In "Kiss It All Goodbye," Crocker accidentally shoots a fashion model, putting his career in jeopardy. Kojak has to work with a female detective which he doesn't exactly like in "Lady in the Squad Room." A nun... yes, a nun... is out for revenge in "Sister Maria." The season ends with "Another Gypsy Queen," where a Gypsy woman wants to find and kill the man responsible for the mass murder of her own family.
In "A Shield for Murder," a wealth political leader is determined to make sure that Kojak doesn't open up a two-year old matricide case, but why? A princess and her servant seek to recover family jewels in "The Pride and the Princess." A private eye who can't seem to stay out of Kojak's way returns in "Black Thorn." Kojak investigates the murder of a construction kingpin in "Where Do You Go When You Have No Place to Go?" In "Dead Again," a woman's pleas for help are going unheard, and perhaps by the time they are heard, it will be too late. Kojak's godson is mixed up in gang activity in "The Godson." In "The Condemned," a boxer is accused of murder, and decides to take church parishioners hostage.
A wealthy ecologist's wife plans the perfect murder in "When You Hear the Beep, Drop Dead." A Puerto Rican cop goes undercover in his old neighborhood in "I Was Happy Where I Was." In "Kojak's Days," what starts out as a simple death investigation becomes very complicated rather quickly. A gambling addiction causes a veteran officer to begin to behave unethically in "Monkey On a String." In "Kiss It All Goodbye," Crocker accidentally shoots a fashion model, putting his career in jeopardy. Kojak has to work with a female detective which he doesn't exactly like in "Lady in the Squad Room." A nun... yes, a nun... is out for revenge in "Sister Maria." The season ends with "Another Gypsy Queen," where a Gypsy woman wants to find and kill the man responsible for the mass murder of her own family.
The episodes appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "Birthday Party" (49:42)
2. "A Summer Madness" (49:40)
3. "Law Dance" (50:14)
4. "Out of the Shadows" (50:15)
2. "A Summer Madness" (49:40)
3. "Law Dance" (50:14)
4. "Out of the Shadows" (50:15)
Disc 2:
5. "A Need to Know" (49:36)
6. "An Unfair Trade" (49:38)
7. "A Hair-Trigger Away" (49:38)
8. "My Silence Betrayed" (50:12)
6. "An Unfair Trade" (49:38)
7. "A Hair-Trigger Away" (49:38)
8. "My Silence Betrayed" (50:12)
Disc 3:
9. "A Shield for Murder" (1:38:02)
10. "The Pride and the Princess" (49:41)
11. "Black Thorn" (49:39)
Disc 4:
12. "Where Do You Go When You Have No Place to Go?" (49:41)
13. "Dead Again" (49:42)
14. "The Godson" (49:40)
15. "The Condemned" (49:28)
13. "Dead Again" (49:42)
14. "The Godson" (49:40)
15. "The Condemned" (49:28)
Disc 5:
16. "When You Hear the Beep, Drop Dead" (49:31)
17. "I Was Happy Where I Was" (49:42)
18. "Kojak's Days (Part 1)" (49:31)
19. "Kojak's Days (Part 2)" (48:24)
17. "I Was Happy Where I Was" (49:42)
18. "Kojak's Days (Part 1)" (49:31)
19. "Kojak's Days (Part 2)" (48:24)
Disc 6:
20. "Monkey on a String" (49:29)
21. "Kiss It All Goodbye" (49:17)
22. "Lady in the Squad Room" (49:32)
22. "Lady in the Squad Room" (49:32)
23. "Sister Maria" (49:29)
24. "Another Gypsy Queen" (49:26)
The packaging on this release is just a standard Viva-case, which is actually very nice considering how large this set would be otherwise. On the cover, there is a large photo of Kojak, and on the back, there are a series of episode snapshots and a general description of the series. Inside the cast, you'll find the six discs, all of which have the New York City skyline with a greenish tint. Each disc contains four episodes, except for Disc 3 which contains three (one is a double-length episode) and Disc 6 which contains five. And if you are interested in episode titles and descriptions, you'll find them printed inside the cast, along with original airdates.
The menus on this release are pretty much identical to the previous release. The main menu has an animated transition, along with the theme music playing in the background. Eventually, when you get to the main menu, you have options of Play All, as well as a listing of each episode on the disc. As soon as you select an episode, it plays immediately, with chapters placed throughout the episode.
The video and audio quality for this set is perfectly fine. There is a slight bit of grain and debris which comes naturally with the age of the series, but it really isn't as bad as one would come to expect. The audio is in mono (as originally aired), but it is certainly loud and clear enough. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitled.
There aren't any special features included this time, but it is somewhat understandable. Shout! Factory did a great job with the interviews for their release of the Kojak - Season Three, as well as their release Kojak - The Complete Movie Collection, and there really isn't a whole lot more to be said or done.
This is another decent release of the classic series, even if there aren't any special features this time. It is great that Shout! Factory has not only taken over this series over six years after Universal abandoned it after just one release, but has in fact released additional seasons of this series at a very steady pace. With that being said, we are down to just one last season of the series (season five) remaining to be released, and hopefully we'll get that by the end of this year. It would really be nice if we could get the first season re-released as well (since Universal did a shoddy job with the double sided discs there). Still, this release, despite not having anything extra or exciting, is a great step towards getting this series to completion.
(4/5 stars)
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CLICK OF THE WEEK
TV by the Numbers (tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com) - Every Sunday on our blog, we give you details for how well (or how poorly) all of your favorite sitcoms did when it comes to the Nielsen ratings for the previous week. If you haven't been checking this out, it provides great information and analysis for the broadcast network sitcoms. But, as we just indicated, we only cover the network sitcoms in greatest detail, so with the end of the 2011-2012 TV season rapidly approaching, where can you turn to for daily updates on ratings, with full tracking of ratings for all series on both the broadcast networks as well as the cable networks? TV by the Numbers is a great place for this constantly updated and in-depth analysis.
The site is very user-friendly and easy for even web novices to navigate, and provides ratings and detailed analysis for all of the broadcast. One of the nice features that they have is a renew/cancel index, where they predict the likelihood of a series returning or not based not only upon the actual numbers, but also other factors such as how close the series is to making it to syndication, production costs for the series, and ratings relative to the rest of the lineup on the network or even the specific night which it airs. The cable ratings are very interesting to look at as well, and provide some surprising insights, such as the ratings for the week ending April 8, 2012 where the #5 cable program of the week was, of all things, a Saturday night airing of the Nickelodeon series iCarly. They even provide a daily cable top 100 ratings list, where you'll frequently find virtually daily "champions" including The Big Bang Theory on TBS, Family Guy on Adult Swim, and plenty of awful reality series featuring names which we honestly should never known or heard of such as "Kardashian." Although visiting to the website and leaving comments isn't going to save all three flavors of CSI (or whatever your favorite series is) from being canceled at the end of this season (and by the way, this site is leaning towards one or both of the Miami or NY series being canceled), it is still fun to see what is going on with the networks and where your favorite series stand.
That's it for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
Friday, April 13, 2012
TV Land Airing That '70s Show in June 2012; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 16, 2012)
TV Land will start airing That '70s Show starting June 1. The 1998-2006 Fox sitcom has been airing on the Viacom family since June 2008 when The N (now TeenNick) started airing the show. Last June, TeenNick stopped airing the sitcom but sister network Nick at Nite started airing the show and they still air the series every night at 10pm. That '70s Show can also be seen on Viacom-owned MTV from time to time in the early evenings. The Viacom networks share the series with ABC Family. Anyway, TV Land will start airing the series on June 1 and they will air a three-night marathon from Friday, June 1 through Sunday, June 3 from 9pm-12am each night. We have no idea right now if the series will also remain on Nick at Nite. It is possible it will since it does well for them and series like The Nanny air on both networks. Originally back when the Viacom deal was announced, it was supposed to go from TeenNick to TV Land in Fall 2010, but Nick at Nite started airing it in June 2011.
That '70s Show revolves around the lives of several teens living in Wisconsin in 1976 including Eric Forman (Topher Grace), who lives under the authority of parents, the girl next door and girlfriend Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), a foreign-exchange student soaking up American culture, Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis), her on-again, off-again boyfriend Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) and Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson), the conspiracy theorist of the group. The gang spends their time in Eric's basement, thinking of their lives, parents, and futures, but they manage to get into funny adventures and mishaps along the way through their teenage years.
We will reveal its regular airing schedule on TV Land very soon when we announce the June 2012 schedule. That '70s Show will not be the only new addition! Hint: a classic sitcom is coming to TV Land this June! What is it? Stay with us in the near future when we announce the June line-up. And also keep checking back if That '70s Show will still remain on Nick at Nite or not come June (my hunch is it will be on both networks).
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 April 16-20, 2012, 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, April 16, 2012
- Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Watch the lovely and funny Krysten on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Kathy stops by The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation) - Aziz chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) - D.L. guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly Monday-Tuesday, so check your listings.
- Sherri Shepherd (Less Than Perfect/Sherri) - Sherri appears on Anderson, so check your local listings.
- Fran Drescher (Happily Divorced/The Nanny) - Fran visits Anderson, so check your local listings.
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Seinfeld) - Catch Julia on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings. She will also be on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11pm.
- Kathy Griffin (Suddenly Susan) - Funny lady Kathy dishes about her new Bravo talk show, Kathy, on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Jennie Garth (What I Like About You) - Jennie appears on NBC's Today between 10-11am ET-PT.
- Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) - Watch Sean on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show) - Jennifer appears on a repeat of The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- J.B. Smooove (Bent/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Tune in to see J.B. on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
- Lena Dunham (Girls) - Lena is a guest on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) - Jaleel chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) - Casey visits The Rachael Ray Show, so check your local listings.
- Gabourey Sidibe (The Big C) - Catch Gabourey on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation/The Office) - Rashida chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Ana Gasteyer (Suburgatory) - Ana drops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings.
- Annie Potts (Designing Women - Annie talks with Tavis Smiley, so check your local listings.
- Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) and Will Sasso (Less Than Perfect/$#*! My Dad Says) - Sean and Will preview The Three Stooges movie on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Jaleel White (Family Matters/Grown Ups) - Jaleel talks about his new SyFy competition show, Total Blackout, on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations.
- Jim Gaffigan (My Boys/Welcome to New York) - Jim joins the Chew Crew on The Chew on ABC at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
- Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown) - Watch Candice on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
- Jerry Ferrara (Entourage) - Jerry visits The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
- Lena Dunham, Marnie Michaels, Jessa Johansson and Shoshanna Shapiro (Girls) - The cast of Girls chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Steven Weber (Wings/Cursed) - Steven appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Fox To Air Married...with Children Pilot; Hallmark Pulls Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart On Weekends
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Fox is giving viewers a chance to look back at a show that defined the network and created one of television's most iconic characters: Al Bundy. On Sunday, April 22, the premiere episode of Married... With Children will air at 7:00 PM ET/PT followed by an encore of The Simpsons' 500th episode at 7:30 PM ET/PT, kicking off an historic evening on Fox. Married... With Children premiered Sunday, April 5, 1987 on Fox, with three half-hour broadcasts (7:00 PM, 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM) of the show's "Pilot" episode. In the pilot, Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) gets front row seats to a basketball game, but Peggy (Katey Sagal) makes him stay home and meet their new neighbors, Marcy (Amanda Bearse) and Steve Rhoades (David Garrison). The Simpsons officially launched as a full-fledged series on January 14, 1990, but Springfield's most famous family had appeared on Fox for several years in a number of animated "shorts" as part of The Tracey Ullman Show. So, to celebrate The Simpsons' continuing impact on popular culture, Fox will encore the series' 500th episode, "At Long Last Leave," in which the Simpsons are evicted from Springfield and join an off-the-grid community outside of town.
Of course immediately following these rebroadcasts, Fox's 25th Anniversary Special will air from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT (as we have mentioned many times) and will take an entertaining look back at the groundbreaking and irreverent shows that have come to define the network. The star-studded special will pay tribute to Fox's most memorable moments with appearances by Fox talent, highlights from iconic series and specials and reunions with cast members from some of the network's fan-favorite series, including Married... With Children, In Living Color and That '70s Show, among other surprises.
The Hallmark Channel has made a last minute minor schedule change. It's not that big of a deal, but we still want to make a note of it for you classic TV fans out there. Starting this weekend, the Saturday and Sunday 2-6am block of The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show will be removed. Two hours each of Frasier and I Love Lucy will air instead on weekend mornings. Not to fret fans of The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, because both classic sitcoms will remain in this block on weekdays from 2-6am. It's just that they won't be seven days a week anymore. No reason for this weekend change, but perhaps ratings had a lot to do with it. Usually that is the culprit for a quick leash, especially on Hallmark.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show premiered 12 days ago on April 1 on Hallmark with a marathon that did OK in the ratings, while The Bob Newhart Show has been airing on the cable network since January, but it has moved timeslots already--going from 8-10am to 2-4am. With Mary Tyler Moore starting at 4-6am, there is no other place to go for a bad timeslot, other than out of the line-up completely. So let's hope it does well in this early morning block, so at the very least it can remain there. We're gonna make it after all!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Murphy Brown Cast Added To 10th TVLand Awards; TV Guide Magazine 2012 Fan Favorites Awards Winners
TV Land announced that the cast and show creator behind the cutting-edge and witty CBS series, Murphy Brown – Candice Bergen, Faith Ford, Joe Regalbuto, Charles Kimbrough, Grant Shaud and Diane English – will be honored with the Impact Award at the TV Land Awards 10th Anniversary celebration, taping this Saturday, April 14 at the Lexington Avenue Armory at Gramercy Park in New York City. Previously announced honorees include In Living Color (which now includes former Fly Girl Carrie Ann Inaba), Laverne & Shirley, One Day At A Time, Pee-wee's Playhouse and Aretha Franklin. The TV Land Awards 10th Anniversary will air on Sunday, April 29 at 9pm ET/PT. The 90-minute telecast is hosted by Kelly Ripa.
Additionally, TV Land announced presenters for the show, including esteemed journalist and news anchor Katie Couric from ABC News and actress Fran Drescher, who will be on hand to pay homage to some of television and music's biggest stars. More presenters will be announced in the coming days. In addition, three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated music group The B-52s will set the mood for the evening, rocking out as the house band for the 10th anniversary show. As for Murphy Brown, the recipient of this year's Impact Award, it infused hot topic current events and shined a light on real-life career and personal issues. The revolutionary show starred Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning actress Candice Bergen as title character Murphy Brown, a reporter for successful primetime news show FYI. With the help of her friends and co-workers – Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto), Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford), Jim Dial (Charles Kimbrough) and Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud) – Murphy was a star journalist who truly had it all, even becoming a single mother later in the series. The show created some of the most memorable episodes with help from guest stars and fellow TV Land Awards honorees and presenters Aretha Franklin and Katie Couric. Murphy Brown aired on CBS from 1988 to 1998.
The votes are in, and TV Guide Magazine has announced the winners of the 2012 Fan Favorites Awards, celebrating the best shows and stars in television. The winning shows and actors received personalized trophies and will be featured in the April 16 issue of TV Guide Magazine, on newsstands tomorrow (Thursday, April 12). Fans cast more than 200,000 votes on the TV Guide Magazine Facebook page during the two week voting period, coming back each day as a new category was added to make sure to keep their favorites in the lead. After voting, fans were invited to submit their email address to enter a sweepstakes to win a trip to the TV Guide Magazine 2012 Hot List party in Los Angeles.
The winners of the TV Guide Magazine 2012 Fan Favorites Awards are:
Favorite Comedy
Community, NBC
Favorite Drama
Fringe, Fox
Favorite Actor
Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Showtime)
Favorite Actress
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl, Fox)
Favorite Ensemble
Community, NBC
Favorite Comeback
Tim Allen (Last Man Standing, ABC)
Favorite Train Wreck
Toddler & Tiaras, TLC
Favorite Singing Competition
The Voice, NBC
Favorite Horror Show
Supernatural, The CW
Favorite Villain
Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla, Once Upon a Time)
Favorite New Show
Once Upon a Time, ABC
Favorite TV Foodie
Gordon Ramsay (Hell's Kitchen/Kitchen Nightmares, Fox)
Favorite Couple
Castle and Beckett (Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic, Castle, ABC)
Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Ringer, The CW
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
ABC Mid-Season Pilot Review: Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 - Premieres April 11; Fox Renews New Girl, Raising Hope and Glee for 2012-13
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 - Wednesdays 9:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 9:30PM ET/PT
By Pavan
After a naïve Midwestern girl's big city dreams are dashed during her first week in New York, she finds herself living with her worst nightmare in this hilarious, contemporary comedy about a female odd couple who are surrounded by an outrageous cast of characters.
Cast Details:
* Krysten Ritter as Chloe
* Dreama Walker as June
* Liza Lapira as Robin
* Michael Blaiklock as Eli
* Eric Andre as Mark
* James Van Der Beek as James Van Der Beek
Krysten Ritter (Chloe) has crossed mediums with an impressive body of work in film, television, writing, producing, music and, recently, fashion design. Ritter is well known for her critically acclaimed turn on AMC's hit series, Breaking Bad, where she played Jane Margolis, a young woman who battles a history of drug addiction. The award-winning television series premiered in January of 2008 and will conclude with its fifth and final season in mid-2012. Ritter stars alongside Kate Bosworth and Rachel Bilson in the indie-comedy L!fe Happens, which she co-wrote and co-produced with director Kat Coiro. The film follows two best friends who have to maintain normalcy in their lives after one (Ritter) gets pregnant and has a baby. Ritter has also written and co-written several feature and TV scripts which are currently in various stages of development and production. Her film credits include the DreamWorks comedy, She's Out of My League (2010); the Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer film Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), opposite Isla Fisher; What Happens in Vegas (2008), with Ashton Kutcher; and 27 Dresses (2008), alongside Katherine Heigl. Other television credits include the Starz dark comedy Gravity, Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls and Gossip Girl. In theatre, this past summer Ritter was seen off-Broadway in Zach Braff's play, All New People, opposite Justin Bartha at the Second Stage Theater.
Dreama Walker (June) is best known for her recurring character, Hazel Williams, on Gossip Girl. Her work in this sitcom represents her first major starring role on a primetime network television series. Walker was most recently seen as a recurring character on the Emmy-nominated CBS drama, The Good Wife. She has also guest-starred on Mercy, Ugly Betty, Royal Pains and Law & Order, and played the lead in the Lifetime miniseries Seven Deadly Sins in 2010. On the big screen, Walker played the granddaughter of Clint Eastwood's character in the critically lauded Gran Torino, directed and produced by the legendary Eastwood. She also appeared in The Invention of Lying, with Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner, and just completed production on two independent films, Chlorine, starring Kyra Sedgwick and Tom Sizemore, and Compliance, opposite Ann Dowd and Pat Healy. Walker will next be seen alongside Jonah Hill in The Sitter, set for release in December.
Liza Lapira (Robin) began her career doing workshops and Off-Broadway plays with various theater companies. Lapira's first television series regular role was as Maggie, Oliver Platt's long-suffering assistant on the cable series Huff. Most recently she played neuroscientist Ivy on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse and was a regular on the Fox short-lived comedy Traffic Light. She has also had recurring roles on Dexter, ER, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and NCIS and recently guest starred on Psych. Film credits include Tony Scott's Domino, J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield, 21, Fast & Furious and Repo Men. Lapira was most recently seen in Crazy, Stupid, Love, opposite Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon and Ryan Gosling.
Michael Blaiklock (Eli) was born and raised in Ashland, Massachusetts. A proud graduate of Emerson College in Boston, he began performing improv and sketch comedy. Blaiklock has starred on HBO's comedy Hung, Comedy Central's Secret Girlfriend and FX's hit comedy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He also co-starred in the Sony feature comedy Fired Up.
Eric Andre (Mark) performs live almost every night of the week. He brings a manic energy to the stage, combining autobiographical experience with experimental psychedelic rambling. Andre has traveled the country performing stand-up at clubs, colleges and festivals. His numerous television appearances as a stand-up include The Awkward Kings and Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey on Comedy Central, and Lopez Tonight on TBS. In addition to his series regular role on this new sitcom, Andre just shot his own pilot, The Eric Andre Show, for Adult Swim/Cartoon Network.
James Van Der Beek (James) burst onto the world scene as the title character in the hit television show Dawson's Creek, a groundbreaking cultural phenomenon that ran for six years, established the fledgling WB Network, and is now syndicated globally. On the feature film front, he anchored the sports classic Varsity Blues, and subverted his teen idol image to great dramatic effect in Oscar winner Roger Avary's The Rules of Attraction, based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel. Since the conclusion of Dawson's Creek, Van Der Beek has displayed an impressive dramatic range in numerous TV and film roles, portraying everything from a killer with multiple personality disorder in the two-hour Criminal Minds TV event; an FBI agent with an unshakeable moral compass in the independent film Formosa Betrayed (for which he and the film both won top prizes at the San Diego Film Festival); and an aging, balding former Mr. Teen Winnipeg on How I Met Your Mother. He was seen in the short-lived NBC medical drama Mercy as Dr. Joe Briggs, and completed filming the feature The Big Bang, opposite Antonio Banderas. Up next, Van Der Beek will be seen guest starring on the TNT series Franklin & Bash and of course as a series regular in this new sitcom, where he will be playing himself.
Pilot Plot:
We received three episodes for review! This review will be based on all three episodes that we saw.
#1 "Pilot" (Airs April 11, 2012)
June (Dreama Walker) moves to Manhattan for a dream job and the perfect company apartment, only to have them disappear in a puff of reality, thanks to a CEO from the Bernie Madoff school of embezzlement. Deep in debt and out on the streets, June scrambles to land a job and a place to live. It seems that her luck has turned when she gets hired at a coffee shop and finds Chloe (Krysten Ritter), a charming, vivacious roommate – but with the morals of a pirate. Chloe soon swindles June out of all her savings, but she and her snarky friend, James Van Der Beek (playing himself), come to learn that, just because June's naïve, she isn't stupid. June ingeniously turns the tables on Chloe, who is so shocked about being scammed herself that she decides to pull June into her colorful band of friends. Sure, it's all dysfunctional, bizarre and overwhelming, but so is New York City. And with the help of Chloe and the other oddballs around her, June might just learn the survival secrets she needs to make it there.
Guest starring in "Pilot" are Peter MacKenzie as Mr. Colbern, Eve Gordon as Mrs. Colbern, Tate Ellington as Steven, Adrian Kali Turner as Jeremy, Rob Yang as moving man, Nick Puga as Alan the cat guy, Rebecca Grant as Yolanda the pole dancer, Daniel Berson as T-shirt man, Clement Von Franckenstein as Mr. Buchwald, Gameela Wright as cop, BJ Clinkscales as policeman, Thushari Jayasekera as executive assistant, Dante Bonner as hot dog vendor, Helmar Cooper as doorman, Anoush NeVart as Mrs. Yilmaz, Armaan Juneja as young boy, Zitto Kazann as old man, Katherine Tokarz as Nicole, Tim Trella as stunt coordinator on-camera, Gary Lambert as rapper, Amee McKay as Rhonda and Daniel Hall as tuxedo man.
The episode was written by Nahnatchka Khan, and directed by Jason Winer.
#2 "Daddy's Girl" (Airs April 18, 2012)
Dating is awkward enough, but when you add Chloe into the mix, it grows tenfold, which June learns the hard way when she begrudgingly allows Chloe to set her up. Meanwhile, James decides to teach an acting class but can't seem to escape his Dawson persona.
Guest starring are Eve Gordon as Mrs. Colburn, Peter MacKenzie as Mr. Colburn, Ray Ford as Luther, Michael Landes as Scott, Marin Hinkle as Karen, Amra Silajdzic as Svetlana, Elizabeth Mercer as customer, Brian Konowal as drunk guy, Dante Swain and student no. 1, Foster Wilson as student no. 2, Maisie Pacia as student no. 3.
The episode was written by Nahnatchka Khan and directed by Michael Spiller.
#4 "The Wedding" (Airs May 2, 2012)
Chloe gets jealous when June and James starts doing things that she would usually do with James after she teaches June a thing or two. Kevin Sorbo is tricked into being a wedding date for Chloe, while James starts preparing for his gig on Dancing with the Stars.
Special Guest Star Kevin Sorbo as Kevin Sorbo.
Analysis:
This is the pilot that I was absolutely amazed by last May and it is finally airing! I've watched the pilot about four or five times and every time I laugh. It's sharply written, outrageous and laugh-out-loud funny. The pilot does its job of setting things up and still delivers the laughs. The premise is simple and effective. A nice girl (June) from the mid-west moves to New York City for a job and a company paid apartment...but the job suddenly goes under and June is forced to find another job and more importantly someplace to live until her fiance finishes his thesis. She finds a job at a coffee place, which isn't of course her dream job that she wanted. Then she looks for a place to live and after an extensive search she finds a place and loves her new roommate (Chloe). She eventually finds out her roommate is a... b---. And so the fun begins!
This show is not 2 Broke Girls, just because it has two female leads who move in together. That's about the only thing similar between the two shows. This show is much more clever and better written...and this show has James Van Der Beek as an exaggerated version of himself. James plays Chloe's best friend. There are Dawson's Creek (which James of course starred in) references everywhere. And they are funny. Van Der Beek pokes fun at himself and it really works. The rest of the cast includes Robin, who lives in the apartment and is a former roommate of Chloe's. She is also apparently in "love" with Chloe and that brings some comedic moments. Then there is Eli, another neighbor and has a window where he can see everything inside Chloe and June's apartment. Eli is like the new Pearl from 227, as he is mostly seen sticking his head out the window. Except Pearl wasn't a pervert like Eli. Another supporting character is Mark, who was working at the job where June was supposed to be working for. Now he is a manager of the coffee place where June just applied to. Can't have any gaps on the resume, Mark! Even after just four hours. Hilarious! We also have Steve, who recurs as June's fiance (or at least for now). I won't give anything away about the fiance, but I hope you like birthday cakes!
The pilot is just hilarious and has some risque moments that you'll go and say, "oh no, they didn't!" It's that good. And subsequent episodes are even better, if that's possible. We saw two more episodes (episodes 2 and 4) and they continue the surprises, fun and wackiness. It's like an adult cartoon (think Family Guy, American Dad) without the animation. I mean Van Der Beek does some video bits like a Vietnamese energy commercial and clips from a Guy Ritchie movie he did in England. It's so clever. The second episode airing, "Daddy's Girl," is something you'll get after the reveal. June starts dating again and Chloe sets her up with a nice guy (guest star Michael Landes). But who did she really set her up with? It's genius and has no cliches. Elsewhere in the episode, James is teaching an acting class at a college and all the students just keep thinking about Dawson's Creek. Seriously, Van Der Beek is great for poking fun at himself. The fourth episode airing, "The Wedding," is another great episode. Kevin Sorbo guest stars as himself as he is tricked by Chloe in attending a wedding that June and James go to, after getting jealous that those two are now spending quality time. I guess at some point in episode three, which was not available for review, they mention James will be doing Dancing with the Stars! On this episode, he is prepping for it (but no actual practices) in a funny way. I can't wait until those episodes air as Dean Cain will guest star as himself as a contestant on Dancing and also James' rival. Dancing pro Karina Smirnoff will also guest star as herself.
Conclusion:
This is comedy at its wackiest but even if Chloe is a bitch, you love her. She is very likeable, as is June. Chloe and James have such great chemistry. All their scenes together are comedy gold. Krysten Ritter, who plays Chloe, is the clear standout of this show and deserves many awards for this role. Everyone in this cast has something to work with and it comes out well on screen. There aren't many series regulars in the main cast, so you'll get used to everyone by the end of the pilot. There are many recurring stars or guest stars though. But that's fine since the show is set in New York and they are in many places in each episode, whether it is in the apartment or outside.
I hope no one turns away just because "B----" is in the title. It is a comedy geared for adults, hence why the promos in a hilarious way are saying, put the kids to bed after Modern Family. This show is not for kids, but teens and especially young adults will eat this up. Hopefully it has a broad audience and not a niche audience for shows like Community have. It will get sampled out of TV's highest rated comedy among adults 18-49, Modern Family. The show is getting great buzz and press so that will help for sure. ABC launched Happy Endings this way last year and while the ratings were not that great (it aired at 10PM though), the buzz was. And the show even has a theme song! I'm not perfect, I'm no snitch, but I can tell you she's a b----! Badada bapapa! Anyway, Apartment 23 is outrageously funny, offbeat, daring and strangely relateable! Krysten Ritter is going to be a huge star out of this! Forget Zooey Deschanel, we have a "new girl" in town on TV and she can take Zooey down! Saving the best for last: best new comedy of the 2011-12 TV season.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4.5/5
Funniness: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, April 11 on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
Speaking of New Girl, Fox has ordered a second season of the freshman breakout hit, a third installment of the irreverent family comedy Raising Hope and a fourth season of the genre-defying musical sensation Glee. Yes, this means all three series will return for the 2012-13 TV season. Raising Hope is probably the most surprising, but at the same time I am not that surprised. The other two shows were pretty much a given. Fox has not announced any other new early pick-ups for 2012-13 besides X Factor. The animated comedies and Bones will also be back.
All-new episodes of Glee return to Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET/PT, beginning tonight, with New Girl remaining at 9:00 PM ET/PT, and Raising Hope returning to its regular time slot at 9:30 PM ET/PT for its two-week season finale.
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Saturday, August 29
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "Heartbreak and the Refuge of the Downtrodden" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Georgie, Mandy and the family do their best to lift Connor’s spirits during a rough patch while Connor tries to figure out a plan for his life.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 24)
Saturday, August 29 and Auguest 30
- Amy Poehler (Duncanville/Parks and Recreation) and Will Ferrell (The Hawk/The Office) - Amy and Will bond over their box office bomb on a repeat of The Weekend View on ABC News Live at 7:30am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/29/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
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