The WB Schedule Changes; Pop Culture Podcast

The WB Network announced today that the star-studded one-hour romantic comedy Pepper Dennis will headline an exciting mid-season lineup. Pepper Dennis will be joined by controversial mid-season drama The Bedford Diaries and the highly anticipated return of acclaimed drama Everwood. Pepper Dennis, which stars Rebecca Romijn as a television news reporter, will kick off on Tuesday, April 4 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET). The series, which also stars Josh Hopkins and Brooke Burns, will follow Tuesday-night hit comedy, Gilmore Girls, (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET). Regular encores of Pepper Dennis air on Sundays (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET), beginning April 9.
The Bedford Diaries will debut on Wednesday, March 22 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) as the lead-out to One Tree Hill, which returns with original episodes that same night. The Bedford Diaries stars Matthew Modine as the professor of a sex and the human condition seminar at a New York university, along with Milo Ventimiglia and Penn Badgley as two of his students.
Everwood, starring Treat Williams, Gregory Smith and Emily Van Camp, returns with a two-hour episode on Monday, March 20 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET). The family drama then returns to its original Monday time period, following 7th Heaven, on March 27.
Replacing Beauty and the Geek on Thursdays will be Supernatural, beginning March 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET). This move should advantage the first-year hit, pairing it with the compatible and über-successful Smallville (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET), which is enjoying its best season ever, both creatively and in the ratings.
Will The Bedford Diaries & Pepper Dennis be battling to get on The CW schedule next fall? We think so. So, if they do very very well, we can expect them on The CW next season.

Podcasts are becoming so popular these days. There is a Podcast now called "Just My Show" and the first guest on that show was sitcom star Harry Anderson (Night Court, Dave's World)! He talks about his television career, living in New Orleans, who he talks to from the cast of Night Court, and his possible appearance on The Surreal Life. Glad to hear Harry is safe after Hurricane Katrina hit. I'm sure they talk about that in the Podcast.
You have two choices for listening to "Just My Show." The first is to simply hit the play button (the arrow) located in the upper right corner of the page and the "current show" page. The other choice is to download an MP3 file to your computer, which will also enable you to listen on your iPod or other MP3 player.
For all that and more click here.

Lifetime Edits March Schedule Before It Even Begins; Recapping Last Night's SAG Awards

Lifetime TV has already changed some of their March line-up before it even started. Frasier joins the line-up March 6 and it was supposed to air weekdays at 6p, 6:30p, 11:30p and 12:30a, but now they have changed it to 1p, 1:30p, 11p, and 11:30p. The full updated schedule is here, and includes the addition of Kate & Allie --no, I'm just kidding about that show (I wish I wasn't!)! No other new shows will join the line-up in March, but we can expect Reba in August and Still Standing in September. They are no Kate & Allie that's for sure.

ABC's Desperate Housewives and Lost were two of the big TV winners last night at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. The awards were handed out last night at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center, and the ceremony was aired simultaneously on TNT and TBS starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Below is a complete listing of the 12th annual SAG TV winners list:

* Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Paul Newman / EMPIRE FALLS – Max Roby HBO

* Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
S. Epatha Merkerson / LACKAWANNA BLUES – Rachel “Nanny” Crosby HBO

* Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Kiefer Sutherland / 24 – Jack Bauer FOX

* Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Sandra Oh / GREY’S ANATOMY – Dr. Cristina Yang ABC

* Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Sean Hayes / WILL & GRACE – Jack McFarland NBC

* Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Felicity Huffman / DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES – Lynette Scavo ABC

* Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
LOST ABC

* Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC

Week 19 First Four Day Ratings; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 19 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: FOX 10.9/16.1; CBS: 9.8/15.0; ABC: 7.3/11.0; NBC: 5.5/8.4; The WB: 2.3/3.5; UPN 1.4/2.1.
Total Viewers: FOX 18.77 million; CBS: 15.21 million; ABC: 11.07 million; NBC: 8.32 million; The WB: 3.52 million; UPN: 2.06 million.
Adults 18-49: FOX 7.9/18.9; CBS: 4.7/11.5; ABC: 3.8/9.2; NBC: 3.3/8.1; The WB: 1.5/3.6; UPN: 0.9/2.1.

Analysis: Again it was American Idol that powered Fox over on Tuesday and Wednesday. 34.96 million tuned in for the two-hour Tuesday edition, slightly down from last week's 35.5 million. Last Wednesday 31.65 million tuned in for the one-hour Wednesday edition. You would think this week would be slightly down? Wrong! 32.44 million tuned in this Wednesday. Again Idol dented a lot of programming, including According to Jim, Rodney, Fear Factor, Scrubs, George Lopez, Freddie, Commander in Chief. CBS's second episode of new drama Love Monkey only scored 7.68 million, a distant third place, even down from the premiere's 8.63 million. Fox again had a strong Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Skating with the Celebrities was way down from its post-Idol slot, but still was solid for Fox to open on a Monday. 24 followed with great numbers, including a first place finish in adults 18-49 for the hour. The new CBS sitcom Courting Alex did well with just under 15 million, slightly better than what Out of Practice was doing. Let's see what Alex will do next week before calling this a hit. Tuesday again was all Fox with American Idol. Wednesday it was a little better for the other networks but still Fox's Idol was too much for everyone, including the return of George Lopez/Freddie. Lost did solid for ABC and CBS's Criminal Minds also did well. Thursday it was all CBS and ABC. ABC won the 8 p.m. hour with Dancing with the Stars, while CBS won the 9 and 10 p.m. hours with CSI and Without a Trace. CSI might be a little affected by the last half hour of Stars, as CSI usually gets 27-30 million, this week it only saw 25.86. Friday it was again a battle between CBS and ABC with the Dancing with the Stars: The Results, followed by first place finishes for the CBS dramas at 9 and 10. Saturday was very very slow. All the networks had nothing to write home about. Fox will win the week in both total viewers and adults 18-49 thanks to one show. CBS will be unaffected by Idol and pull the same numbers as it usually does, but will have to settle for second place. ABC will be a solid contender as well.


Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - 11.38 million tuned in. Very solid.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) -10.82 million tuned in. And built on from lead-in in A18-49 from a 3.9 rating to a 4.1 rating.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 17.07 million tuned in. Easily the best sitcom of the week. A nice 5.8 A18-49 rating was also best for sitcoms this week.
• Courting Alex (CBS) - Solid start for the new sitcom. 14.9 million tuned in and a solid 5.1 A18-49 rating. If it can sustain that or even build on it next week, we will call it a hit.
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - All repeats and had usual repeat numbers. I think only one of these will survive for The CW next fall.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - Last week's repeat saw only 4.92 million, but this week an all new episode scored 5.94 million. Idol will dent the sitcoms.
• Rodney (ABC) - A new episode did only 5.52 million. And sustained from lead-in's 1.9 A18-49 rating.
• Scrubs (NBC) 2 episodes - 5.45 million and 5.73 million tuned in for the two airings. It'll be interesting once Idol is down to one-hour and ABC puts Sons & Daughters in this slow for March.
• UPN comedy repeats - Why did they even bother? All under 2 million and under a 1.0 A18-49 rating.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Still Standing (CBS) - Only 6.88 million tuned in, down from last week's 7.32 million.
• Yes, Dear (CBS) - Built from lead-in and won the slot among sitcoms with 7.38 million.
• George Lopez (ABC) - Geroge is back in 2006 but Idol is greeting it. Season low with only 6.31 million.
  
• Freddie (ABC) - Usually Freddie builts on George, not this week. Only 6.05 million. It did build on A18-49 from 2.1 to a 2.4 rating.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Will & Grace (NBC) - It was even worse that last week. Only 6.91 million.
• Four Kings (NBC) - Cancelation clock is ticking. 6.28 million only.
  
• That's 70s Show (FOX) 2 episodes - An original episode did 5.68 million, a repeat followed with a better 5.69 million--both slightly up from last week.
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) - Slightly down from last week, but still solid with 10.45 million.
  
• The Office (NBC) - 8.6 million tuned in.
  
• Crumbs (ABC) - A little drop from last week, but still a solid 10.73 million, highest rated sitcom of the night.
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - Repeat scored 3.49 million. Will The CW be better for this show?
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - Repeats again for these sitcoms that will probably be all gone next season.

Friday Sitcoms

The WB Friday was dead last in each half hour. And two Bernie episodes on Fox were in the 2 ratings.

Summing it up. King of Queens, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Courting Alex, My Name is Earl and Crumbs were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Office, Yes Dear) or just plain old terrible (such as WB Friday, Bernie Mac, Rodney).

ABC Mid-Season Sitcom 'Sons & Daughters' to Premiere March 7; Some Saturday Fun

Yesterday ABC announced (and we are proud to say that we posted it first anywhere on the internet yesterday!) that mid-season sitcom Sons & Daughters will premiere on Tuesday, March 7 on ABC at 9 p.m. Two episodes will air each week in the month of March on Tuesdays at 9 and 9:30 p.m. It is likely that the show will air only for 4 or 5 weeks, finishing its 13 episode order for the season. The ABC hit drama Commander in Chief will be on a brief hiatus and will return in April for all-new episodes. Sons & Daughters is a one-camera sitcom, and those type of sitcoms have never really found an audience over the years, despite most of them being critically acclaimed. Arrested Development, Scrubs, The Office, Jake in Progress are among those type of sitcoms. My Name is Earl is the only one that is considered a hit. I saw the pilot of Sons & Daughters, I am not really a fan of these type of sitcoms, so I didn't enjoy it much. But I'm sure many of you will.
Fred Goss (Significant Others) stars in Sons & Daughters, a unique hybrid comedy series that offers a mix of improvisational and scripted humor in an unadulterated look at marriage, raising children and living in close proximity to an extended family. Series creators Goss and Nick Holly borrow from their own middle-American, middle-class upbringings to deliver a very real and relatable modern-day family comedy.
Read all the details on the very first article that was on the internet about the premiere date.

Usually we have at least two stories in a day, but today we only have one. So let's have some fun on a Saturday! SitcomsOnline.com now presents "a what the heck moment." This has nothing to do with sitcoms, but oh what the heck! The NHL team the Anaheim Mighty Ducks will be changing its name to the Anaheim Ducks. Wow what a drastic change! I wonder if they will rename the movie "The Mighty Ducks," to "The Ducks" too for home video/DVD and TV plays? And if that was not enough, the baseball team the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are thinking of changing its name, too. They are thinking of changing their name to the Tampa Bay Rays. Yes, yet another big change! Well, you are probably thinking, why the heck is he posting this? I'm thinking the same thing. I hope you had a chuckle over this what the heck moment! And all this is true. I'm serious. I feel like Dave from Invasion today. He has his own blog, check it out every Thursday after each new episode of Invasion on Wednesdays on ABC.

Sitcom Syndication Update; ABC's 'Stars' Finale on a Sunday; Bonus Episode Titles for Gimme a Break! DVD

The annual NATPE convention was this week. The CW news was the main talk this year so everything else was really overlooked. We don't have a complete recap yet of what is coming up in syndication this fall, but we will soon. So stay tuned. We do have news on what sitcoms are coming to syndication this fall. 20th TV just announced an 86% clearance for sitcom Still Standing. Stations were not announced however. The show also is coming to cable network Lifetime this fall. Other sitcoms coming this fall to locals: According to Jim, Scrubs, and Reba. Reba will be on that daytime block on The WB, well The CW, or whatever you want to call it. Reba also is coming to Lifetime in August. Scrubs is also coming to cable network Comedy Central this fall. According to Jim is the only real syndication deal here. It will only come to locals this fall (WPIX in NY, WGN Chicago, and KTLA in L.A. are the top three) and it will come to cable a few years later on TBS; that's the way it should work! Having them both come to cable and locals at the same time is a disaster I think. Buena Vista is also selling George Lopez for syndication, but I don't think it'll be ready until fall 2007. Two and a Half Men is also in 2007.

ABC announced that the season finale of Dancing with the Stars will not be on Friday, Feb. 24. Instead we will get the finale on Sunday, Feb. 26! Right before Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy--what a Sunday that will be! It is not confirmed yet if it will be a one-hour finale or a two-hour finale. ABC will air a special two-hour AFV on Friday, Feb. 24. The last Thursday show for Stars will be Feb. 23 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. ABC also confirmed that Jake in Progress will not return on Mon. Feb. 20 afterall. A special two-hour Wife Swap will air instead from 8 to 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Finally, the Gimme a Break! Season 1 DVD is coming Feb. 14 as we all know. We now have episode titles for the bonus episodes on that set! There are three bonus episodes. One of Kate & Allie, the episode is from season one titled "A Very Loud Family." The second bonus episode is of Charles in Charge, the episode is from season one titled "Extracurricular Activity." And the last bonus episode is from the second season of Gimme a Break!, the episode title is "Nell Goes to Jail."
The Charles in Charge Season 1 DVD is also coming Feb. 14, and that set will have one bonus episode of Charles in Charge from season two. The episode title is still not confirmed, but all bets are on the first episode with the Powell family ("Amytville"). And the Kate & Allie season one DVD is coming this spring! Stay tuned for more news on that.

It's 227 vs. Amen in...Bid Whist!; Yes, Dear Season (or Series?) Finale; Paramount DVD Questions

From the network that brought you the 227 vs. Amen marathon featuring the best of the best episodes from both series, brings you 227 vs. Amen TV One Bid Whist Party! Join Clifton Davis (Amen) and Alaina Reed Hall (227) star in the all-new TV One's Bid Whist Party Throwdown IV on Saturday, Janurary 28 at 8 p.m. only on TV One! Will Clifton "Reuben" Davis win or Alaina "Rose" Reed Hall win? Tune in to find out!

CBS has announced that the season finale of Yes, Dear will air on Wednesday, February 15 at 8:30 p.m. This will likely be the series finale, too, not many people think the show will return next season. The episode is being directed by series stars Mike O'Malley. Still Standing's season finale has not been announced yet, but that series is also likely done after this season.

Now to what everyone has been waiting for! Paramount TV DVD answers! You've asked, we've got some answers. The biggest question we were getting the past month or so was, "What happened to the Wings Seasons 1 and 2 DVD that was supposed to come out on Feb. 7?" The answer is... it is coming, but in May! Paramount wanted to pair it up with the next installments of both Cheers and Frasier (both season 8 sets). And if that is not all, Paramount will give Wings "The Brady Bunch Treatment" (meaning, season sets in a very fast pace). We can expect season 3 a few months or so after the first two seasons and then a few months later season 4 as well. I think Frasier will have seasons 9 and 10 done by this year, marking the end of that series on DVD (since season 11 was already released). Cheers will likely need early 2007 for it to finish its 11 seasons. Taxi remains a question mark. I have yet to hear anything on that series continuing. And unfortunately still no news on Happy Days, Mork & Mindy and Laverne & Shirley continuing as well.
Coming up in April for Paramount are two big dramas for the first time on DVD! Mission: Impossible Season 1 and The Sentinel Season 1.

Majors News: UPN and The WB Gone This Fall, Replaced By New Network The CW

The WB and UPN networks will both cease operations starting in September 2006. CBS Corporation, which owns UPN, and Warner Bros., which obviously owns The WB, will merge into one and create a new network called The CW (stands for CBS Corp/Warner Bros.). I'm sure everyone has heard something about this by now. If not, you certainly will get the picture by the end of this story. I will cover everything here so no one will be confused.

The new CW network will either be on what is now known as your local WB or your local UPN.

• If you live in the following markets, then you will get The CW on your WB affiliate: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Houston, Miami, Denver, St. Louis, Portland, Indianapolis, San Diego, Hartford, New Orleans, and Albany. Those are all Tribune owned WB stations. For example New York's WPIX and L.A.'s KTLA will have The CW programming.
• If you live in the following markets, then you will get The CW on your UPN affiliate: Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Detroit, Tampa, Seattle, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, West Palm Beach, Norfolk, Oklahoma City and Providence. Those are all UPN stations owned by CBS Corp. Combining the Tribune and CBS Corp. stations, that covers more than 48% of the country. The CW is expected to reach 95% of the country.

Note: Philadelphia, Seattle and Atlanta--both have a WB station that is owned by Tribune and a UPN station owned by CBS Corp., but for all three, The CW will be on their UPN stations, so their WB stations will turn independent, meaning they can program whatever they want in primetime, such as movies, classic sitcoms and dramas, syndicated programming and more. Personally, I can't wait to see what WWOR (UPN9) in New York will do, as they will become independent because WPIX (WB11) will be turning into The CW. Hopefully WWOR brings back classic sitcoms or dramas in primetime. Maybe that will be the case, please read further down to see what I mean.

There is also another little problem in the major markets. Fox Corp. owns UPN stations in markets like New York (oh no that is my WWOR!), Los Angeles, and Chicago. Those stations are not turning into The CW, but will become independent. But Fox is eyeing those stations for something more. They could start up another programming service, and Tribune has expressed interest for their three independents (Philly, Seattle, Atlanta) in such a network. If that happens, looks like I won't get my classic sitcoms and dramas after all?

As for markets other than Tribune and CBS markets, the CW’s affiliations must still play out.
Sinclair Broadcasting and other mid-level station groups that lose their WB affiliations will be in need of a large amount of programming, Sinclair has 18 WB stations and owns or operates a half dozen UPN outlets. Sinclair owns both the WB and UPN stations in four markets: Birmingham, Milwaukee, Nashville, and Raleigh. So far, it’s known that in four other Sinclair markets, the CW affiliation will go to Tribune or CBS (Tampa, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, and Oklahoma City), leaving Sinclair with at least eight stations that will have no affiliation. Still, Sinclair will likely get the CW affiliation in the majority of its markets.
The CW will inherit the WB's 100+ station group, the net's band of small-market cable-only outlets.

So what will be The CW programming hours? Well, they will use The WB's exact hours. Meaning, Sundays 5-7pm and 7-10pm; Weekdays 3-5pm and 8-10pm; and Saturdays 7am-12 noon. Sundays 5-7pm is likely going to be repeats like how The WB does right now, with new programming Sundays 7-10pm and Weekdays 8-10pm. It is likely the Daytime WB block (currently consists of ER, 8 Simple Rules) will be on The CW line-up from 3-5pm on Weekdays and Kids' WB, which will be renamed of course, will still be on the air on The CW airing Saturdays 7am-12 noon.

What will happen to all of UPN's and The WB's current shows? Well, simple, most will be gone, some will be on this new channel. Some of the shows that are rumored to be on The CW include: America's Next Top Model (UPN), Beauty and the Geek (WB), Smallville (WB), Gilmore Girls (WB), Supernatura (WB), Veronica Mars (UPN), Everybody Hates Chris (UPN), Grifriends (UPN), Reba (WB) and WWE Smackdown (UPN). Imagine if they had Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars on one night! Maybe then VM can get a decent audience with a similar type of lead-in. If they use all those shows and add some news ones, they will have some of the highest rated shows from The WB and UPN. We should have a grasp of their full schedule by May, when the upfronts are held. I expect a few new shows, but mainly the best of the best from The WB and UPN will be on The CW. They will have what no other network has ever had, starting with established shows.

Now to those stations that will turn independent due to all this. Syndicator Carsey-Werner has struck a deal to distribute the Stephen J. Cannell library both inside and outside the U.S.
The deal covers rights on various platforms, including cable, video-on-demand and the Internet, and will add thousands of hours to the distributor's library, including Baretta, The Rockford Files, A-Team, Hunter, 21 Jump Street, Wiseguy, Silk Stalkings and Michael Chiklis' first shield outing as The Commish.

Will the company start packaging the dramas in a block for some of the new independents created by the folding of UPN and The WB? Let's hope and pray we see these classic dramas in the primetime line-up for these stations that will turn independent. I hope we see some sitcoms on there, too. How about some shows that have not been on the air much? Silver Spoons, Small Wonder, One Day at a Time, Facts of Life, Hogan Family, Mr. Belvedere, and Diff'rent Strokes ring a bell?

I think this CW situation is good news. Both UPN and The WB were really terrible, but had some shows worth saving, and I guess now those will be on one network. The thing I'm ecstatic the most about are the stations that will turn independent. It will be very interesting what they program in primetime. I just hope the Fox-owned UPN stations don't get screwed by this and Fox takes over them. Let them remain free! The CW premieres this September (and the new independents!)

Gimme a Break! Marathon on TV One; Megan Mullally to Host 4th Annual TV Land Awards; And Warner Home Video Needs Your Help for Full House

Gimme A Break, now I know what it takes. I'm putting a new face on the old one. Ready for anything. Playing with fate, not a moment too late. I'm showing the whole world. Nothing can get me down. Woo woo hoo! Gimme A Break, Yeah yeah! Gimme A Break! 'Cause I sure need one!...
Oh sorry, had that stuck in my head while writing up this story! Well, as you can tell this is about the hit '80s sitcom Gimme a Break! starring the late great Nell Carter. To celebrate the first season coming to DVD (on Feb. 14), cable network TV One will air a nice ten-hour marathon of the series' best episodes. Tune in on Saturday, February 11, 2006 from 12 noon to 10 p.m. for some Gimme a Break! They will re-air most of the episodes from 12 midnight to 6 a.m., if you miss any during the day. The series has not been on cable lately, as it last aired on USA Network in the mid-late '90s. TV One has not made any plans yet to air the series as a regular, but hopefully this marathon does well for them and they add it to their regular line-up very soon. So WATCH IT! TV One airs great African American sitcoms such as Amen, 227, Good Times, Martin, Roc and In the House. Gimme a Break! would be a nice addition to the line-up if they decide to add it. But first let's get through the marathon on Feb. 11. To see which episodes are airing, click here. And buy the complete first season on DVD from Universal Home Video on Feb. 14, just days after the marathon.

And TV Land has announced that Will & Grace co-star Megan Mullally will be hosting the 4th Annual TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV airing March 22 on TV Land and Nick@Nite. The previous hosts include John Ritter, Brad Garrett, and Cedric the Entertainer. Personally, the hosts have gone down hill every year. John Ritter was the only classic TV star. Click here for details.

Finally, we leave you today with some DVD news! Warner Home Video has come knocking on our door for yet another round of your top 10 episodes. This time they are asking fans of Full House to post their top 10 episodes and they will select 6 of those for an upcoming TV Favorites set, that is right now in consideration. There is no set date yet or anything, but they are "considering" a best of set just for the fans. AND NO, THIS DOES NOT MEAN SEASON SETS WILL STOP. The season sets are selling very well for them and will continue with season three in April and subsequent seasons to follow. This set will be just for the fans, that consists of six memorable episodes from the series. So, let's help them out again and you will be rewarded with episodes that you actually want instead of episodes that they randomly pick.
This process was very popular the two previous times we helped them--for Alice and for Perfect Strangers. Both got an overwhelming response from the fans and WHV was very pleased, especially with Perfect Strangers. Click HERE to post your top 10 Full House episodes. You can even use episodes from seasons one and two, if you want.

They have also filled me in on the June TV Favorites set. Alice, Step by Step and Perfect Strangers are being worked for June, but it is not confirmed yet. Family Matters will for sure not be in June, as they have some issues right now for that and hopefully it can be resolved at a later date. Stay tuned!

TCA Network Winter Press Tour: ABC and NBC; 'The Facts of Life' on DVD in June?

ABC and NBC were up at the TCA tour this weekend. ABC didn't release a concrete schedule of their March schedule, but they did talk about their upcoming March shows. ABC addressed the situation about pulling Emily's Reasons Why Not after just one airing. “We had seen the majority of big long-lead advertising money for Emily before we even saw a script, unfortunately, given the way production schedules work. Creatively we just did not get the show where it needed to be. All of us tried really hard: producers, the network and the studio, but it never got on track. I think you kind of have to measure your patience based on how you believe in the creative, and we felt it was not going to get better.”
The future looks a little brighter for Jake in Progress, which was also pulled after one episode this season. ABC President Stephen McPherson holds out hope that he'll be able to bring the show back later in the season. "I have a crush on John Stamos," he jokes about "Jake's" star.
ABC also talked about the status of Arrested Development coming to their network: “I don’t foresee that happening,” said Stephen McPherson. “I believe that I can market that show really well, and I think we have some spots on our schedule that make sense for us. But it is a long-shot.”
Finally ABC addressed their two new dramas Commander in Chief and Invasion. “Obviously, we are disappointed in Commander in Chief ticking down recently. I think being off the air for so long, not being able to hit it with aggressive marketing, has hurt it. We feel like we have to get the viewers and the demo back in there.”
“Invasion is a great television show. There are a lot of theories why it is not holding onto the Lost audience. A lot have people have said to me, ‘I watch that one hour of Lost. It’s such an intense experience. I come in for that appointment. No matter what you put in after that, I am not going to watch anything else.’ But I think it’s a great example for us of when to be patient and when to kind of fold them. We believe in Invasion.”
I think we will see both shows back next season, even if they move to another night and time.

So what is coming up this March for ABC? Returning sitcom Less Than Perfect, returning drama Alias, new drama from J.J. Abrams What About Brian, new one camera sitcom Sons & Daughters, new feel good reality show The Miracle Workers and new drama The Evidence. ABC also has a new mini-series in the works called The Ten Commandments. Should air in April for Easter. And don't forget Hope & Faith and Jake in Progress will likely be back from hiatus, too. ABC also has a series of specials with Regis Philbin in This is Your Life.

NBC released actual dates and times for its new March line-up. The game show Deal or No Deal returns Feb. 27 and will run through March 3 airing every night at 8 p.m. Then it will settle to its new weekly slot of Mondays at 8 p.m., replacing Surface, which is likely done for good. Also, The Apprentice (Trump edition of course) returns that night airing Mondays at 9 p.m., replacing Las Vegas which moves to Fridays at 9 p.m., which replaces Dateline NBC, which will now go to Saturdays at 8 p.m. Say that ten times fast! In a strange move, NBC will move Law & Order from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 9 p.m. Wednesday up against Lost, Criminal Minds, and American Idol Results Show. NBC might have to settle for fourth place, but it is better than what they are doing right now in that slot. New drama Heist will follow at 10 p.m. I don't think Heist will compete with CSI: NY and even Invasion. What NBC should have done was to air the new Dick Wolf drama Conviction at 10 p.m. Wednesday, but instead they will air that Fridays at 10 p.m. New sitcom Teachers will take over April 6 for The Office at 9:30 p.m., which will end its season early in late March. Not to worry The Office and the hit My Name is Earl have been already renewed for 22 episodes for next season. Some of NBC's moves are questionable, but they will be heavily promoted during the Winter Olympics.
NBC has yet to announce what they will do with the remaining Joey episodes and their other new sitcom Thick and Thin. Personally, Joey is good as dead, I doubt they will air it between March-May.

NBC has confirmed that long running hits Will & Grace and The West Wing will both be gone after this season. NBC’s The West Wing will end its seven-year run with an hour-long retrospective on Sunday, May 14 at 7 p.m., followed by the series-finale at 8 p.m. Will & Grace, meanwhile, will officially conclude its eight-year run on Thursday, May 18 with an hour-long retrospective followed by the series-finale at 9 p.m. Both shows have declined in the ratings this season. NBC might also lose Scrubs next season, but it is not official yet.
NBC announced some of their summer plans: In addition to the surprise return of The Last Comic Standing, NBC will launch Windfall, its long-awaited drama about a group of lottery winners, and the unscripted Treasure Hunters, where contestants search for hidden treasure.

Finally, on Saturday Facts of Life fans were out celebrating as the show is apparently finally heading to DVD this June! The Beyond the Facts of Life site is reporting that seasons one and two (29 episode set) will be out from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment this June. It is not official yet, but it seems like this will happen. If I were Sony, I'd release Silver Spoons Season 1 and Diff'rent Strokes Season 3 on the same day for a great marketing campaign. We will of course try to find out more on this and get back to you. For now head on over to TVShowsOnDVD.com and they have the exact quote that Sony said to this fansite. And you can discuss this news with fans right here on our message boards.

Coming tomorrow: Hit '80s sitcom Gimme a Break! coming to cable network TV One? Find out the details tomorrow in a SitcomsOnline.com exclusive!

Week 18 First Four Day Ratings; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 18 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):
Households: FOX 11.5/16.9; CBS: 9.5/14.3; NBC: 7.5/11.2; ABC: 6.9/10.4; The WB: 2.4/3.5; UPN 1.5/2.2.
Total Viewers: FOX 20.26 million; CBS: 14.67 million; NBC: 11.22 million; ABC: 10.53 million; The WB: 3.54 million; UPN: 2.02 million.
Adults 18-49: FOX 8.5/20; CBS: 4.6/11.1; NBC: 4.2/10.1; ABC: 3.6/8.7; The WB: 1.5/3.5; UPN: 0.8/2.0.

Analysis: American Idol is back and it is better than ever it seems. Not good news for the other networks. Over 35.5 million tuned in to the season premiere on Tuesday and 31.65 more on Wednesday. Fox will make a run for the adults 18-49 crown for the season but I think CBS or ABC will hang on. ABC still has the Super Bowl and The Oscars to come. Idol dented a lot of programming this week, including According to Jim, Rodney, Fear Factor, Scrubs, Commander in Chief. NBC's ratings are a tad inflated due to the Golden Globes. CBS's premiere of new drama Love Monkey didn't do so well, with a last place finish at 10 p.m. with only 8.63 million tuning in. Fox had a strong Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 24's season premiere part two was decent on Monday with 14.08 at 8 and 15.7 at 9, both solid finishes behind NBC's Golden Globe Awards. Tuesday again was all Fox with American Idol. CBS's Navy NCIS and The WB's Gilmore Girls seemed unaffected though from Idol. Wednesday it was a little better for the other networks but still Fox's Idol was too much for everyone. Lost did solid for ABC, Criminal Minds did well and Fox's Skating with Celebrities got off to a good start, but can it continue without American Idol as its lead-in? CSI: NY won the competitive 10 p.m. hour. We will find out tomorrow night. Thursday it was all CBS and ABC. ABC won the 8 p.m. hour with Dancing with the Stars, while CBS won the 9 and 10 p.m. hours with CSI and a season high performance from Without a Trace. NBC's comedies were way down from last week when CBS was all in reruns. Friday it was all ABC with the Dancing with the Stars: The Results, followed by a first place finish for the well done drama In Justice. A repeat of NUMB3RS won the 10 p.m. hour with ABC's 20/20 closely behind. Saturday was also ABC's night with a showing of the Will Smith movie Enemy of the State. Fox will win the week in both total viewers and adults 18-49 thanks to one show. CBS will be unaffected by Idol and pull the same numbers as it usually does, but will have to settle for second place. ABC will pull ahead of NBC after tonight.


Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - A repeat this week, 8.97 million tuned in.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) -Only 7.93 million tuned in for a repeat. I think CBS will ship this sitcom to Wednesdays once New Adventures of Old Christine joins the line-up.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.47 for a repeat, and still number one for the week among sitcoms--impressive.
• Out of Practice (CBS) - A repeat scored a decent 11.24 million--see you in March, as Courting Alex takes over this slot starting tomorrow.
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - All new and all consistent, 9 p.m. was the best with 3.11 million.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - Damn Idol is back so this sitcom will now suffer. Yes, it was a repeat but only 4.92 million tuned in.
• Rodney (ABC) - A new episode actually, but since its lead-in was a repeat, only 4.6 million.
• Scrubs (NBC) 2 episodes - Both episodes were down well over a million from last week, but you can thank Idol for that.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Still Standing (CBS) - American Idol is back but this was the only sitcom in the half hour , scored a so-so 7.32 million.
• Yes, Dear (CBS) - Again the only sitcom in the half hour and did a so-so 7.13 million.

Thursday Sitcoms

• Will & Grace (NBC) - Down BIG from last week's 9.69 million to only 7.49 million. Ouch.
• Four Kings (NBC) - This sitcom is now tumbling, this week only 7.43 million tuned in.
  
• That's 70s Show (FOX) 2 episodes - An original episode did only 5.23 million, a repeat followed with a better 5.6 million--bot slightly up from last week.
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) - Down a lot from last week since CSI was new this week. 10.78 million tuned in.
  
• The Office (NBC) - Like all of NBC's comedies, down a lot from last week to only 8.7 million.
  
• Crumbs (ABC) - The best new sitcom of the season did great with 11.37 million, down only 500,000 from last week.
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - A new episode was on par with a repeat from last week.
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - New episodes of all these were well under a 1.0 A18-49 rating--ouch.

Friday Sitcoms

The WB Friday was dead last in each half hour. And two Bernie episodes on Fox were in the 2 ratings.

Summing it up. Repeats of Two and a Half Men & Out of Practice, a new My Name is Earl and Crumbs were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Office, King of Queens) or just plain old terrible (such as WB Friday, Bernie Mac, Rodney).

ABC Delays 'Emily' & 'Jake' Even More Plus Special Tuesday Airing of 'Crumbs'; Museum of Television and Radio

Yesterday ABC told us that they will expand The Bachelor: Paris to two hours on Feb. 6 and 13. Meaning, Emily's Reasons Why Not and Jake in Progress will not air those two weeks, in addition not airing this Monday due to a encore of The Bachelor: Paris and on Jan. 30 a special InStyle Weddings will air. As of now, Emily's Reasons Why Not and Jake in Progress will air on Monday, Feb. 20. The following week, Feb. 27, is the two-hour season finale of The Bachelor: Paris.
ABC also probably is testing the waters for next season as a special episode of Crumbs will air on a special night and time. On Tuesday, Feb. 7, ABC will air an all-new episode of Crumbs on a Tuesday, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. Martin Mull guest stars. Crumbs will continue to air on Thursdays at 9:30 p.m., this Tuesday airing is a "one-time-only" airing. I think ABC should move Crumbs to Tuesdays next fall and bring back a four comedy night. Commander in Chief will be pre-empted on that night only. ABC should move that to Mondays and that should help them next season in place of Monday Night Football. And at 9 p.m. that night a second new episode of According to Jim will air. It will also air at its regular 8 p.m. slot as well.

Some of TV's biggest stars and hottest behind-the-scenes personnel are headlining the 23rd annual William S. Paley Television Festival, which will be held February 28 through March 15 in Hollywood. Sponsored by the Museum of Television and Radio, the festival takes place at the Directors Guild of America Theater. Programs featured:

- Grey's Anatomy, 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 28. Scheduled to appear include are stars Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh and Ellen Pompeo.
- Entourage, 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 1. Scheduled: stars Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly, Debi Mazur and Jeremy Piven.
- Everybody Hates Chris, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 2. Scheduled: stars Tichina Arnold, Terry Crews, Tequan Richmond and Tyler James Williams, along with co-creator/executive producer Chris Rock.
- Battlestar Galactica, 7 p.m. Friday, March 3. Scheduled: stars Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos.
- Supernatural, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 4. Scheduled: stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, among others.
- Medium, 7 p.m. Monday, March 6. Scheduled to appear: stars Patricia Arquette, David Cubitt, Maria Lark, Miguel Sandoval and Jake Weber.
- My Name is Earl, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 7. Scheduled: stars Jason Lee, Jaime Pressly, Eddie Steeples and Nadine Velazquez, among others.
- House, 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 8. Scheduled: stars Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard and Lisa Edelstein.
- Family Guy, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 9. Scheduled: Creator/executive producer Seth MacFarlane and others, plus Seth Green and Mike Henry.
- The Golden Girls, 7 p.m. Friday, March 10. Scheduled: stars Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Betty White. (Estelle Getty, 82, is not participating)
- How I Met Your Mother, 7 p.m. Monday, March 13. Scheduled: stars Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Radnor, Jason Segel and Cobie Smulders.
- "An Evening with Sally Field," 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14.
- Weeds, 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 15. Scheduled: stars Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins.

Tickets can be purchased through http://www.ticketweb.com or at (866) 468-3399.

Courting Alex Premieres on CBS on January 23rd

Courting Alex stars Jenna Elfman ("Dharma & Greg") in a comedy about Alex (Elfman), an attractive, single attorney, who has everything life has to offer... except a life. Alex works alongside her father, Bill (Dabney Coleman, "The Guardian"), at his law firm, and while he is very proud of her, it pains him that his daughter is not married yet. If Bill had his way, Alex would settle down with her colleague, Stephen (Josh Stamberg, "A Lot Like Love"), a star lawyer at their firm who is obviously smitten with Alex. Julian (Hugh Bonneville, "Doctor Zhivago"), Alex's charming British neighbor, who makes his living as an artist, and Molly (Jillian Bach, "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place"), her loyal and brutally honest assistant, are the two people she chooses to lean on for advice. However, no amount of advice could prepare her for the unexpected feelings she's having for Scott, (Josh Randall, "Ed") an impressive, Renaissance man, who she recently met while trying to negotiate a deal involving his tavern. If Alex can put down her cell phone for long enough, her successes in love just might catch up to an already successful career.

Courting Alex stars Golden Globe Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Jenna Elfman as Alex Rose, Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner Dabney Coleman as Bill Rose, Hugh Bonneville as Julian, Josh Randall as Scott Larson, Jillian Bach as Molly, and Josh Stamberg as Stephen.

Courting Alex premieres on CBS on Monday, January 23rd at 9:30PM ET/PT.

Read our review of the pilot episode here.

Discuss the show after you watch it on Monday on our message board.

Related Links:

CBS.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Courting Alex Photo Gallery

TCA Network Winter Press Tour CBS Day 2; UPN

CBS was up for a second day at the TCA Tour and they gave information on some of its mid-season entries. Courting Alex, which premieres this Monday at 9:30 p.m., starring Jenna Elman is Alex, an attractive, single, workaholic attorney who has everything in life with the exception of one thing…a life. Executive producer Rob Hanning is comparing this show to The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The official SitcomsOnline.com Review of the pilot for this new series is coming soon. So stay tuned to see what we think about the show and about that comparison. Another sitcom they have in the works is The New Adventures of Christine starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Can the Seinfeld alum break the post-Seinfeld curse? Well we can't tell yet because CBS has still not announced what night and time it will air. It'll be either Mondays or Wednesdays, I'm sure, and it will start this March. CBS also has a crime drama (yes yet another!) in the works as well, titled The Unit. No night and time for that yet either.

Elsewhere at CBS, they announced that Nickelodeon on CBS Saturday mornings will be gone starting fall 2006. DiC Entertainment has now teamed up with the eye net for Saturday morning cartoons and the block will be called CBS' Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party. Shows have not been announced yet, but DiC has a vast array of shows on the air now in some form such as Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?, Sabrina: The Animated Series, Madeline, Strawberry Shortcake, Liberty's Kids, Trollz, Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, Archie's Weird Mysteries, The Littles, Inspector Gadget's Field Trip, and Sonic Underground.

CBS has optioned the format rights to an internationally successful property dubbed Game Show Marathon, which will feature a half-dozen celebrity contestants competing in a different classic game show (The Price is Right, Match Game, Beat the Clock, etc.) each week.

Former Joan of Arcadia co-star Jason Ritter has enrolled in the CBS comedy pilot The Class.
The action begins with a party thrown by 27-year-old Ethan (Ritter) for his girlfriend, whom he met in third grade. Ethan invites six other people who were in the class with them, all of whom have since lost touch with one another. The party then becomes the springboard for following how the lives of the reunited characters continue to intersect.
Also cast in the pilot is Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who will play one of the schoolmates, a serious man going through a dark period in his life. The two join previously cast Lucy Punch.

In the UPN front, executive producers Chris Rock and Will Smith will direct episodes of their respective UPN series, Everybody Hates Chris and All of Us, which will air later this season on UPN.
In the Chris Rock directed episode of Everybody Hates Chris entitled "Everybody Hates Corleone," Chris grows tired of getting beat up by bullies at school, so he asks his parents to be transferred to the neighborhood school, but when they deny the request, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Meanwhile, Julius' new job at the fish market makes him stink up the house and everyone in it.
In the Will Smith directed episode of All of Us, Bobby says the "N" word at a birthday party, and it forces Robert to examine his own use of the term and whether or not it's appropriate.

UPN's comedy Half & Half will feature a three-episode HIV storyline guest starring Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child in which she plays Naomi Dawson, a rival record producer who is HIV positive with whom Spencer (Chico Benymon) is pursuing a relationship. The three-episode arc airs in consecutive weeks beginning Monday, February 13 (9:30-10:00 p.m, ET/PT) on UPN.

Nick at Nite in Latin America; ABC's 'Emily', 'Jake', 'Hope' on Hiatus

MTV Networks Latin America said Wednesday that it will launch Nick at Nite sitcom block to Nickelodeon Latin America and Nickelodeon Brazil from 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. - 5 a.m., respectively, beginning Feb. 13. The block will feature sitcoms from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, including ALF, Mork & Mindy, Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, The Addams Family, The Munsters, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie and Growing Pains. None of those shows air on the Nick at Nite in the U.S., but some of those shows do air on sister network TV Land in the U.S.

Meanwhile ABC announced that Emily's Reasons Why Not and Jake in Progress will be benched for two more weeks. They were both slated to return on Jan. 23 after a one week break, but now at the earliest they will return Monday, Feb. 6. On January 23 ABC will air an encore episode of The Bachelor: Paris and on the 30th ABC will air an In Style Weddings special. And ABC also said that Friday sitcom Hope & Faith will not be returning this Friday afterall. In fact it will not return to Fridays until at least March 3. ABC will air an expanded Dancing with the Stars: The Results instead. This does not mean ABC will not air Hope & Faith at all until March 3, maybe they will air it on another night. The most possible scenario would be at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday (in place of Rodney) and in a long shot Monday at 9 p.m. The sitcom recently taped episodes featuring guest stars Regis Philbin, Robert Wagner and Mark Consuelos.

CBS is up at the TCA Winter Press Tour. They have two days to present information. Today they really didn't present anything. They did announce that they will revive the classic 1976 TV movie Sybil starring Sally Field, but