'Dukes of Hazzard', 'Bonanza', 'Scrubs' on Cable; Watch 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 1 on Thursdays on ABC

Yes, Dukes of Hazzard and Bonanza are already on cable, but that doesn't mean anything. With shared deals these days, a show can be on more than one cable channel--see Little House on the Prairie, Full House, Roseanne, A Different World, Cosby Show, Mad About You, among others for details. The Dukes of Hazzard airs on CMT weeknights at 7 p.m., but will also be coming to ABC Family Channel starting Tuesday, June 13, airing Tues-Fri nights at 11:59 p.m. ET/PT.
Classic TV western Bonanza's original episodes (260 episodes) air on TV Land everyday, but the lost episodes (over 160 episodes) are coming back to the Hallmark Channel starting July 3 with a marathon then it will air weekday afternoons at 12 noon starting the next day.
Current NBC sitcom Scrubs will be coming to syndication this fall to local channels, WGN, and Comedy Central. Comedy Central announced yesterday that it will premiere Scrubs on Sept. 19 airing it weeknights at 7 p.m. ET/PT. We will have more news on shows coming to cable/locals a lot this summer--so keep checking back!

ABC is moving the red-hot hospital drama Grey's Anatomy to Thursdays next fall. And are you one of the few people who have never seen the show? Well, you're in luck, because ABC will show all season one episodes starting Thursday, June 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT each Thursday! See it from the beginning! Fans can also watch season two encores on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
The show will premiere its third season in late September on ABC.

More 'House of Payne' Launches; Rembering Paul Gleason

First run syndicated sitcom House of Payne has already launched and aired ten episodes in New York City (weekdays from May 8-19 on WWOR-9) and Houston (weekdays from May 15-26 on KTXH-20), but eight other cities will get to watch those 10 episodes of this new syndicated sitcom this June and July! Here are the cities, channels, and days and times:

Philadelphia, PA: WPHL-17
Weekdays at 5:30 p.m. ET starting June 5

Baltimore, MD: WNUV-54
Weekdays at 10:00 p.m. ET starting June 12

Raleigh, NC: WRDC-28
Weekdays at 6:30 p.m. ET starting June 12

Washington, D.C.: WBDC-50
Saturday, June 17 and Saturday, June 24 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET

Dallas, TX: KTXA-21
Sunday, June 18 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CT

Chicago, IL: WCIU-26
Weekdays at 6:00 p.m. CT starting June 19
Encores Weekdays at 11:30 p.m. CT starting June 19; Sundays 1 to 3:30 p.m. CT starting June 25

Atlanta, GA: WTBS-17
Wednesdays 9 and 9:30 p.m. ET starting June 21
Encores Mondays 11 and 11:30 p.m. ET starting June 26

Miami, FL: WBFS-33
Sundays at 7 and 7:30 p.m. ET starting July 2

Actor Paul Gleason, who is best remembered as Principal Richard Vernon in The Breakfast Club film in 1985, passed away in a Burbank, California hospital on Saturday of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer linked to asbestos. During his career - which spanned five decades, Gleason starred in blockbuster movies such as Die Hard, Trading Places, National Lampoon's Van Wilder.

He also appeared in various TV shows as a guest such as the sitcoms Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, Seinfeld, Cursed, Veronica's Closet, Grace Under Fire, NewsRadio, Boy Meets World, The Wonder Years, and George Lopez; and TV dramas such as Dawson's Creek, Life Goes On, Cold Case, LA Law, The A-Team and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Mr. Gleason had just turned 67 on May 4. He will be missed and he was a familiar face as he appeared on many shows as a guest. One of the best character actors out there. Gleason is survived by his wife, two daughters and a granddaughter.

'Kotter' & 'Good Times' Return to the Big Apple; 'Full House' Memorial Day Marathon on ABC Family

Happy Memorial Day! Starting tonight, WPIX in New York City will start airing Welcome Back, Kotter 5 nights a week. For this week, Tues-Sat mornings (that's Mon-Fri nights) at 3:00 a.m. replacing one of The Jeffersons' timeslots. The Jeffersons will still air at 2:30 a.m. Cheers will still be in classic TV block at 3:30 a.m., but that will be short lived as Good Times joins the line-up next week and will air at 3:00 a.m., shifting Kotter to 3:30 a.m. WPIX might have some more goodies in store later! We will certainly let you know.

Spend your Memorial Day catching up with the Tanner family from Full House and all of their beloved pets. Get reacquainted with the entire menagerie including Bubba the Turtle, Rocket the Horse, Martin the Fish, Ginger the Chimp, Scruffy the Pig, Shorty the Donkey and of course Comet the Dog. Monday, May 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET/PT.

9:00am FUL-1006 "The Return of Grandma" - A frantic search for Jesse's missing pet turtle leads to the Tanner family turning the house upside down.
9:30am FUL-2004 "D.J.'s Very First Horse" - The Tanners are in for a wild ride when D.J. gets a horse, but goes to great lengths to hide her new pet from her dad.
10:00am FUL-3007 "And They Call It Puppy Love" - The Tanner children want to keep a lost golden retriever that has wandered into their yard but instead get to keep an unexpected gift - a puppy.
10:30am FUL-4017 "A Fish Called Martin" - Michelle's new fish, Martin, meets a tragic end when she gives him a bubble bath.
11:00am FUL-5007 "The Volunteer" - Stephanie and Michelle have a backyard dog show starring Comet and other neighborhood dogs.
11:30am FUL-5018 "Too Much Monkey Business" - Danny's sister Wendy comes to town with her pet chimp. The chimp turns the house upside down and develops a crush on Jesse.
12:00pm FUL-6021 "Room For One More" - Stephanie and Michelle take care of Scruffy, a neighbor's pig.
12:30pm FUL-8006 "You Pet It, You Bought It" - Michelle buys a donkey with her lemonade money and creates havoc in the Tanner household.

Week 36 Ratings (Final Week of Season); How the Sitcoms Did; Final Season Ratings

Week 36 numbers (final three nights of the seasons, Mon-Wed):

Households: FOX: 15.2/23.4; CBS 7.1/11.1; ABC: 6.5/10.1; NBC: 5.3/8.3; The WB: 1.3/2.1; UPN 1.3/2.0.
Total Viewers: FOX: 26.36 million; CBS: 10.91 million; ABC: 10.17 million; NBC: 7.98 million; The WB: 1.96 million; UPN: 1.79 million.
Adults 18-49: FOX 10.4/26.3; ABC: 3.9/9.9; CBS: 3.4/8.5; NBC: 2.7/6.8; The WB: 0.8/1.9; UPN: 0.7/1.9.

Final May Sweep Numbers:

Households: CBS: 8.1 rating/13 share (- 8 from last season), Fox: 7.0/12 (+ 8), NBC: 6.1/10 (- 3), ABC: 6.0/10 (- 8), WB and UPN: 1.8/ 3 (-22 each).
Total Viewers: CBS: 12.47 million (- 8), Fox: 11.61 (+ 9), ABC: 9.30 (- 5), NBC: 9.16 (- 1), WB: 2.71 (-20), UPN: 2.65 (-23).
Adults 18-49: Fox: 4.8/13 (+ 7), CBS: 3.6/10 (-12), ABC: 3.5/10 (- 5), NBC: 3.1/ 9 (- 3), WB: 1.1/ 3 (-21), UPN: 1.1/ 3 (-27).

Analysis: The final three nights of the season was dominated by Fox, thanks to American Idol and House. Nothing else was even close. ABC's Lost and CBS's CSI: Miami finished strong but everything else didn't compete with Fox's reality juggernaut. On Monday, NBC's Deal or No Deal won the opening hour among total viewers. Fox was strong with the first half of 24's season finale and ABC put up a fight with an Oprah Winfrey special. Lost in the mix were CBS's 8 p.m. hour comedies. 9 p.m. saw a battle between the CBS comedies and the final hour of Fox's 24 season finale. The Apprentice and the first half of ABC's series finale of Alias didn't do so well. Monday's highest rated show, CSI: Miami, scored 19.96 million viewers, more than 2 million from last week when it faced the second half of the monster season finale of Grey's Anatomy. Tuesday was all Fox with American Idol & House, with 31.78 and 25.47 million viewers. Both were up more than 3 million viewers from last week. I wonder if House can still draw 20 million viewers in the fall without American Idol? I have no doubt it will win its hour, but I think it will be in the range of 18-20 million, but come next January, it will be back to 22-25 million. CBS aired the Acedemy of Country Music Awards and did 12.02 million, down from its usual Tuesday average. Law & Order: SVU was not on tonight for NBC and thus NBC was a distant 4th place tonight--NBC aired the 10.5 sequel which bombed. ABC did OK with the new Stephen King movie doing 7.5 million, better than what their comedies did. The last night of the season, Wednesday, it was again Fox, as the Idol season finale was too much for everyone with 36.38 million from 8 to 10 p.m. It peaked in the final half hourwith well over 42 million. Up big from last year by far. Who would have thought a series in its 5th cycle would actually grow from cycle 4? Will CBS or ABC be aggressive next season against AI? The two-hour season finale of Lost on ABC did just fine oppostie AI juggernaut scoring an average of 17.84 million viewers, but it did much better in the 10 p.m. hour when there was no AI. Well that's a wrap to this season. We will be back with analysis in the fall, we will still give you repeat numbers for sitcoms this summer, but the real ratings will return in September! Stay tuned below for final season numbers.


Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - 8.39 million for the season finale.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - Season finale did very good with 15.51 million.
• New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) 2 episodes - 8:30 p.m. didn't do as well as How I Met Your Mother would have done, 7.53 million...9:30 did way better with 13.06 million.
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends, Half & Half (UPN) - Repeats...
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

None.


Final 2005-06 Season Numbers
September 19, 2005 through May 24, 2006

Households:
CBS: 8.2 rating/13 share (- 2 from last season), ABC: 6.9/11 (+ 6), NBC: 6.4/10 (- 2), Fox: 6.2/10 (+ 2), WB: 2.1/ 3 (- 5), UPN: 2.1/ 3 (- 9).

Total Viewers:
CBS: 12.60 million (- 2), ABC: 10.80 (+ 7), Fox: 10.10 (+ 1), NBC: 9.72 (- 1), WB: 3.12 (- 7), UPN: 3.11 (- 7).

Adults 18-49:
Fox: 4.1/11 (no change), ABC: 4.0/11 (+ 8), CBS: 3.8/10 (- 5), NBC: 3.3/ 9 (- 6), UPN and WB: 1.3/ 3 (- 7).

Adults 18-34:
Fox: 3.9/12 (+ 3), ABC: 3.2/10 (+ 7), CBS and NBC: 2.6/ 8 (-10), UPN: 1.4/ 4 (no change), WB: 1.4/ 4 (- 7).

Adults 25-54:
CBS: 4.8/12 (- 2), ABC: 4.6/11 (+ 7), Fox: 4.4/11 (+ 2), NBC: 3.9/10 (- 7), WB: 1.3/ 3 (- 7), UPN: 1.2/ 3 -14).

- CBS, Fox and ABC all had something to write home about this season. NBC didn't do so well again this season coming in 4th in total viewers and adults 18-49.

Memorial Day Sitcom Marathon on TV One; 'Housewives' Reruns Sold to 10 MyNetworkTV Locals for Fall 2008

Spend your Memorial Day vacation watching your favorite TV One sitcom characters go on vacation as TV One presents the "Memorial Day Madness Marathon."
On Monday, May 29 starting at 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (and also repeats late night), join your favorite characters from Martin, 227, Good Times, In the House, and Amen for a full day marathon of trips with hilarious circumstances.
From Martin's vacation in Hollywood to Marion's reunion in New York, the "Memorial Day Madness Marathon" will have you laughing out your seat. Who needs the beach?!
The following is the line-up:

9:00am/4:00am Martin Episode 514, Goin' Overboard Pt.1
9:30am/4:30am Martin Episode 515, Goin' Overboard Pt.2
10:00am 227 Episode 414, Babes in the Woods
10:30am Good Times Episode 307, The Weekend
11:00am/11:00pm In the House Episode 402, Cruise Pt.1
11:30am/11:30pm In the House Episode 406, Cruise (2)
12:00pm/10:00pm Martin Episode 211, Hollywood Swinging Pt.1
12:30pm/10:30pm Martin Episode 212, Hollywood Swinging Pt.2
1:00pm Amen Episode 8610, Retreat, Heck!
1:30pm/1:30am In the House Episode 105, Hats Off
2:00pm Amen Episode 8916, The Deacon And The Mother-In-Law
2:30pm/2:30am In the House Episode 208, Sister Act: The Episode
3:00pm/12:00am 227 Episode 505, How the West was Fun, Pt. I
3:30pm/12:30am 227 Episode 506, How the West was Fun, Pt. II
4:00pm/1:00am Martin Episode 422, The Cabin Show
4:30pm/3:30am In the House Episode 421, Mr. Hill Goes to New York
5:00pm/2:00am 227 Episode 403, Play It Again, Stan
5:30pm Amen Episode 8801, Fear Of Flying
6:00pm 227 Episode 414, Babes in the Woods
6:30pm Amen Episode 8610, Retreat, Heck!
7:00pm Good Times Episode 307, The Weekend
7:30pm/3:00am Martin Episode 324, The Romantic Weekend

Fox Corp’s new MyNetworkTV (MNT) is buying Buena Vista’s hit prime time soap Desperate Housewives for its ten owned-and-operated stations (example: WWOR in NYC) for weekend syndication. The two-year deal begins in 2008 and the MNT O&Os plan to run Desperate Housewives on Saturday and Sunday nights according to Broadcasting & Cable.
MNT is launching Sept. 5, 2006 with two hour strips of English language telenovellas. So far, the network has affiliates in 139 markets representing 82% of the country. Presuming its strategy for prime time soaps is successful, Desperate Housewives reruns would be an excellent weekend compliment in 2008. Lifetime has already bought the cable syndication rights for the show, also beginning in 2008, for about $500,000 per episode. Lifetime will also air the show once a week starting this August.

Norman Lear Sitcom Book Coming This Fall; NBC Revised Fall Thoughts; Paul Goebel's Hilarious PSA

A new book on the sitcom creator Norman Lear is coming out later this year. The book titled The Sitcoms of Norman Lear, will be written by River Edge, New Jersey native Sean Campbell. The amazing thing is Sean is only 16 years old and he will have a major book out this early in his life. Visit his website at dear-norman.com. And now here is a description of the book:
Archie Bunker, George Jefferson, Maude—the television sitcom world of the 1970s was peopled by the creations of Norman Lear. Beginning in 1971 with the premiere of All in the Family, Lear’s work gave sitcoms a new face and a new style. No longer were families perfect and lives in order. Mostly blue-collar workers and their families, Lear’s characters argued, struggled, uttered sometimes shocking opinions and had no problem contributing to—or at least, acknowledging—the turmoil so shunned by 1960s television. Significantly, not only did Lear address difficult issues, but he did so through successful programming. Week after week, Americans tuned in to see the family adventures of the Bunkers, the Jeffersons, and Sanford and son.
With a thorough analysis of his sitcoms, this volume explores Norman Lear’s memorable production career during the 1970s. It emphasizes how Lear’s shows reflected the political and cultural milieu, and how they addressed societal issues including racism, child abuse and gun control. The casting, production and behind-the-screen difficulties of All in the Family, Sanford & Son, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons and One Day at a Time are discussed. Each show is examined from inception through series finale. Interviews with some of the actors and actresses such as Rue McClanahan of Maude and Marla Gibbs from The Jeffersons are included.
You can pre-order the book by clicking here. It looks like a nice read and congrats and best of luck to Sean!

OK, as I promised, I will let you know my thoughts of the revised NBC Mon-Fri fall line-up. Let's start with Mondays. Previously it was Deal or No Deal, Heroes, Medium. Now it will be Deal or No Deal, Heroes, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip. I think NBC might have made this night a bit stronger. I think Heroes, Studio 60 should switch slots though because Studio 60 has more buzz and would benefit a lot from Deal or No Deal's strong numbers. Heading to Tuesday, previously it was Friday Night Lights, Kidnapped, Law & Order: SVU. Now it will be Friday Night Lights, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: SVU. I think this change will not really affect them. I doubt Kidnapped would have done better than Law & Order: CI. If they wanted two Law & Order's back to back, they should have moved SVU to 9 p.m. and the original at 10 p.m. The original needs a boost and SVU is perfect for it. Heading to Wednesdays, previously it was The Biggest Loser, 20 Good Years, 30 Rock, Law & Order. Now it will be 20 Good Years, 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser, Kidnapped. OK, now this is a bad move. The Biggest Loser a lead-in to new drama Kidnapped? That is so stupid! Yes, Loser is a good alternative at 9 p.m. from Lost or Criminal Minds, but still poor new drama Kidnapped will be killed by CSI: NY and possibly ABC's The Nine. I would have kept the original line-up they had, but I think I would move the original L&O to 10 p.m. Tuesdays. But what would I have Wednesdays at 10? I think ER would work there. Moving on to Thursday, previously it was My Name is Earl, The Office, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip, ER. Now it will be Earl, Office, Deal or No Deal, ER. Wise move moving their most buzz show (Studio 60) away from CSI & Grey's Anatomy. Now they are moving their highest rated show Deal or No Deal in that slot. It will take a big hit I think but will do much better than what Studio 60 would have done. NBC should have taken advantage of Deal and aired a new show at 10 p.m., like The Black Donnellys. ER is not going to benefit from Deal. Look for ER possibly to be third place in its slot this fall behind two rookies: Six Degrees and Shark. Finally we will look at Fridays. Previously it was Deal or No Deal, Las Vegas, Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Now it will be Crossing Jordan, Las Vegas, Law & Order. This is their second worse move (behind Wednesdays). No Deal or No Deal means no chance for a win for the night. Crossing Jordan can't air that early...it is a 10 p.m. show. The original Law & Order on Fridays at 10? Stupid. CI would be better here. I don't know what they could have done here. Maybe Dateline, Las Vegas, Law & Order: CI? Or maybe a third Deal at 8? Anyway, I think NBC made Mondays and Thursdays a bit better, Tuesdays will be the same probably, and Wednesdays and Fridays are terrible moves. The first line-up looked better to me, but we shall see what happens this fall!

The King of TV and a good friend of ours, Paul Goebel, has made a hilarious mock video of the Feed the Children PSA. Paul and his little daughter star. Click here to view the funny two and a half minute mock PSA. Feeding the hungry and poor is no laughing matter, but somehow he has made this pretty funny! Sally Struthers would be proud! Don't forget to rate the video there and don't forget to visit Paul's website TheKingofTV.com.

NBC Revamps Fall 2006 Line-Up; 'My Fair Brady' Season 2 Starts Sunday!

There was a rumor that NBC would move new fall drama Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip from Thursdays to Mondays (because ABC put Grey's Anatomy on Thursdays next fall), but that would probably be the only change. Guess what? They did make that change and much more. Monday through Friday sees at least one change each for each night. Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip will move to Mondays at 10 p.m. The most surprising move is moving the original Law & Order to Friday nights. Crossing Jordan goes from mid-season to Fridays in the fall, while Medium goes from Mondays in the fall to mid-season. I wonder if the advertisers are now pissed at NBC? They had an upfront just 10 days ago, and now NBC revamps 5 of the 7 nights. They were promised this schedule and now they change it? It doesn't make sense to me, but Mondays look better now for NBC probably but Wednesdays look terrible to me:

Here is NBC's official Fall Line-Up: The Revised Edition

NBC 2006-07

Sundays
7:00PM Football Night in America
8:00PM Sunday Night Football

Mondays
8:00PM Deal or No Deal
9:00PM Heroes (NEW)
10:00PM Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (NEW)

Tuesdays
8:00PM Friday Night Lights (NEW)
9:00PM Law & Order: Criminal Intent
10:00PM Law & Order: SVU

Wednesdays
8:00PM 20 Good Years (NEW)
8:30PM 30 Rock (NEW)
9:00PM The Biggest Loser
10:00PM Kidnapped (NEW)

Thursdays
8:00PM My Name is Earl
8:30PM The Office
9:00PM Deal or No Deal
10:00PM ER

Fridays
8:00PM Crossing Jordan
9:00PM Las Vegas
10:00PM Law & Order

Saturdays
8:00PM Dateline Saturday
9:00PM Crime Repeats
10:00PM Crime Repeats


Mid-Season:

Sundays after NFL ends
7:00PM Dateline Sunday
8:00PM America's Got Talent
9:00PM The Apprentice: Hollywood
10:00PM Raines (NEW)

New drama The Black Donnellys will air Thursdays at 10:00 p.m. in January. Single camera sitcoms The Singles Table and Andy Barker, P.I. will also join at a later date. Fan favorites Medium and Scrubs will return to the NBC schedule at some point later in the season.

We will come back tomorrow probably to analyze these changes. So you might want to come back!

Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry are going to the chapel and they're getting married...maybe! VH1 reunites America with the reality sweethearts who first laid eyes and other bodily parts on each other on the set of Surreal Life 4. From there, the May-December love blossomed and now they're engaged and planning a wedding. Premiering Sunday, May 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, My Fair Brady: We're Getting Married! captures all the challenges of planning a traditional wedding with the most untraditional couple.
When you last saw them...Adrianne told Chris that she needed a rock-solid commitment from him (i.e. an engagement ring) or she would move out, get her own place and their relationship would be over. Feeling frustrated and pressured, Chris told her he did not think he could give her what she wanted. Thus, Adrianne began apartment hunting, while Chris began contemplating the possibility of losing the love of his life. In the season finale he mustered the courage to propose, but can this May-December couple survive the pressures of getting married?

Summer Line-up for ME-TV in Chicago; TV Guide Channel's 'Square Off'

Me-TV, WWME, broadcast channel 23 in Chicago, IL premieres a new summer schedule on Monday, June 5 including favorites from the 60s and 70s such as Lassie, The Lone Ranger, Maverick, Mr. Ed, The Flying Nun and Patty Duke.
Plus, get down with the grooviest families around – The Bradys (The Brady Bunch), The Munsters, and The Partridges (The Partridge Family). Along with Me-TV favorites Gidget, The Monkees, Mary Tyler Moore, Starsky & Hutch, The Facts of Life and plenty more. Me-TV is the place to be this summer! For the full list of changes for Me-TV this summer, click here. This local TV station should become national! They change their lineup for each season and it is usually good changes.

You are invited to be a TV industry insider! Square Off is a weekly television series on the TV Guide Channel dedicated to discussing (and sometimes arguing) over the world of television and what we watch and why. The episode that airs this Friday (May 26) at 8:00 p.m. features Henry Winkler talking about ‘jumping the shark’ on Happy Days, working with Ron Howard and his character’s sexuality on Arrested Development.
Square Off aims to immerse viewers in the business of television with lively debate hosted by Brian Lowry (Media Columnist, Daily Variety) and Andrew Wallenstein (TV Features Editor, The Hollywood Reporter). Created by Peter Bart (Editor-in-Chief of Variety), Peter Guber (Chairman/CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group) and producer Scott Sternberg (Emmy®-Award winner and President of Scott Sternberg Productions), the series features the entertainment industry’s top power players in front of and behind the camera, including actors, agents, managers, network executives, producers, directors, television critics and reporters.
As of Saturday, June 10 Square Off will be moving to 9:00 PM on Saturdays and will be running repeats every Friday thereafter at 11:00 PM. Actor John Cryer will be featured on June 10.
For a video preview of the Henry Winkler episode, click here.

'House of Payne' Scores Big in NYC and Houston; CMT Special Countdowns Top 20 Country Sitcoms

Tyler Perry's original comedy series, House of Payne, is scoring with late night audiences as its two week test run on WWOR-My9 finished up last week. In its two week test at 11 pm, House of Payne has delivered big female demographics for WWOR-My9, MyNetworkTV's flagship station. In all three key demos; W18-34 (2.3/7), W18-49 (2.1/6) and W25-54 (2.2/5) House of Payne has dramatically increased the time period average of Bernie Mac with gains of 75%, 100% and 67% respectively vs. February 2006. Competitively House of Payne scored big for WWOR-My9, beating sitcom giant Seinfeld in all three female demos, outscoring Sex and The City in W25-54, and tying Sex in W18-49. House of Payne's female demos were the top-rated amongst all strip shows on WWOR-My9 all day long.
KTXH, Ch 20 Houston (The FOX Television Stations owned and operated MyNetworkTV station) which is completing its first week has also seen the show deliver a spike in audience, averaging a 3.1/6 rating and share which is 100% improvement over the February '06 time period average and a 50% increase over the Steve Harvey lead-in. This comes on the heels of its fantastic primetime one-hour premiere last week at 7:00 pm, where House of Payne delivered a 6.7/10 tying it for first place in the time period with CBS' comedy block and NBC's Deal or No Deal.
For further details, click here.

This Saturday CMT presents: CMT 20 Greatest Country Comedy Shows. The most-popular TV series, in the genre, of the '60s to present day. Will Evening Shade, Designing Women, Green Acres, Mayberry RFD, Andy Griffith Show, Petticoat Junction, Grace Under Fire, Dukes of Hazzard and King of the Hill make the cut? Find out Saturday, May 27 from 8 to 10 p.m. only on CMT!
Also, CMT has been airing TV movies of The Waltons, Dallas, Dukes of Hazzard and more. So be on the look out this summer!

'That's So Raven' Spin-Off; SitcomsOnline Exclusive: The 'Life Goes On' DVD Theme Story; Good Times S6 DVD

Disney Channel is set to go into production on its first series spin-off, Cory in the House, which features two characters from the network's hit comedy That's So Raven.
In the series, Kyle Massey and Rondell Sheridan will reprise the roles they have played for the past four years -- Cory and Victor Baxter, a son and father now making the move to the White House. They are now adjusting to life in Washington after dad Victor is chosen as personal chef to the newly elected President, Richard Martinez.
While Raven goes off to college and mom Tanya moves to the U.K. to finish law school, Victor is handpicked to be the personal chef to the newly elected president. He and Cory move into the staff quarters of the White House and must contend with characters including the president's sly 8-year-old daughter and his no-nonsense personal adviser.
While Cory marks Disney Channel's first series spin-off, another one could be making its way to the network as Disney Channel recently picked up a pilot for a spin-off of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Life Goes On fans were excited when the first season was finally released on DVD May 9. Many were not so excited when they discovered that the theme song to the beloved series had been replaced. Only included in the pilot, the famous song sung by the cast is absent in the rest of the 21 episodes.
Marc Jackson of Zoo Street Music in Burbank, CA, was given the daunting task of creating a new theme song. Being a fan of the show himself, Marc understood that the fans would be initially disappointed over the missing title song. “When it is a show you love, that theme coming on evokes emotions and anticipation,” says Jackson. Jackson believed trying to capture what the original had with the cast singing a well-known Beatles song, which already evokes its own set of emotions in all of us, would be tragic to say the least. The result would be a very disappointing, watered down ghost of the original. Instead he took a risk and created something that was inspired by his own admiration for the show and its rich characters. And the song turned out to be its own thing. The result was a catchy infectious tune that may not replace the nostalgia of the original but does help set the mood for the show. Says Jackson, “To my knowledge, the open sequence has not changed. It is the exact same length and contains the same visuals. I personally thought it came out sweet and charming. I think the song works very well and I hope it grows on the audience. Whether people like the song or not, they can at least know that much care went into creating it by someone who has great respect for the show and its fans.”
Yes, we agree! The DVD theme is quite catchy even though we would all prefer the original of course, but this is a nice theme, too! So who sings the song? The song was originally sung by Marc but Warner Bros. thought that it should be sung from a woman's perspective much like the original theme was. Zoo Street hired Tara Johnston a local singer/songwriter to do the job because she had an excellent pop sensibility and capture the feel Marc was going for.
You can order the set and read our review from last month by clicking here.

Good Times fans can rest assure now because the sixth and final season will come out on DVD on August 1. We got a lot of feedback on it, and we are proud to break this story first to you. The set will be a 3 disc set running 580 minutes. More details I'm sure will pop-up on TVShowsonDVD.com a bit later. Dyno-mite! And a little hint...I expect Sony to announce some big titles for August 15. So we should know in 2 weeks what they are. Come on back!

Week 35 First Four Day Ratings; How the Sitcoms Did

WWeek 35 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: FOX: 9.6/14.8; CBS 9.0/14.0; NBC: 8.0/12.5; ABC: 6.6/10.4; UPN: 1.8/2.7; The WB 1.5/2.3.
Total Viewers: FOX: 15.82 million; CBS: 14.14 million; NBC: 12.27 million; ABC: 10.22 million; UPN: 2.59 million; The WB: 2.2 million.
Adults 18-49: FOX 6.4/16.2; NBC: 4.6/11.8; CBS: 4.5/11.3; ABC: 3.9/10.0; UPN: 1.2/3.0; The WB: 0.9/2.3.

Analysis: The last full week of the season was this past week. We have 4 more nights left coutning tonight. Then it will be rerun season and summer programming. We still have finales like Desperate Housewives, Alias, Lost, American Idol, and 24 to look forward to So it should be a fun finish. President Bush's speech on Monday night messed up everything, especially for CBS. The CBS comedies were down, especially Two and a Half Men which didn't start until around 9:20. 9 p.m was a heavy battle, but ABC's special airing of Grey's Anatomy won big, followed by Deal or No Deal and 24. Prison Break on Fox at 8:20 p.m. starting the night with a second place finish in A18-49 and total viewers. Monday's usual highest rated show, CSI: Miami, scored 17.5 million viewers, losing to Grey's Anatomy in the 10 p.m. hour. ABC's Grey's Anatomy season finale did an outstanding 22.5 million from 9 to 11, and an impressive 9.9 A19-49 rating. Tuesday was all Fox with American Idol & House, with 28.33 and 22.38 million viewers. House was down from last week's ratings by nearly 2 million viewers. CBS's dramas did well against them with NCIS and The Unit both scoring well but everything else was anemic, like usual. A special The Unit episode at 10 p.m. was neck-and-beck with powerhouse Law & Order: SVU at 10 p.m.--but this time it won 13.08 to 12.97 million (HH rating SVU won 8.9 to 8.2). It was a different story though in A18-49, with SVU doing a 5.2 to The Unit's 4.3. Wednesday it was again Fox, as Idol was too much for everyone with 27.67 million in the 9 p.m. half hour, though down a bit last week. Lost on ABC was down almost 2 million from last week's 16.35 million to this week's 14.67 million opposite the AI juggernaut. Deal or No Deal scored 13.99 million viewers for NBC to start the night, down about 1.5 million from last week. Criminal Minds was not on tonight, so The Amazing Race had its two-hour finale from 8 to 10 and scored less than 9 million, so maybe that is why CSI: NY lost to Law & Order--13.59 to 13.23 million. Thursday it was an old time battle between CBS and NBC. CBS's CSI encore won in total viewers and Will & Grace Clip Show won in adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. That '70s Show ended its run at 8:30 p.m. with 10.02 million. CBS won the 9 and 10 p.m. hours with new episodes of CSI and Without a Trace scoring 25.4 and 19.81 million, but NBC's Will & Grace finale did better than thought with 18.43 million and won the 9 p.m. hour with a 8.4 A18-49 rating to CSI's 8.3. ER must have been boosted by Grace, as it did 16.56 million and a first place 7.1 A18-49 rating. Friday saw CBS winning with Dr. Phil Special winning the 8 p.m. hour, much better than last week's special, whatever that was. Loser of the night was again NBC's Conviction, which for some reason they aired during sweeps for two-hour tonight. AFV's season finale did decent in the demos from 8 to 10 for ABC. CBS won the night thanks to strong numbers for the NUMB3RS season finale at 10 p.m. Saturday saw decent numbers for CBS and Fox. NBC and ABC went to the movie route, and didn't do so well. FOX will win the week in adults 18-49, and probably hang on in total viewers as well. ABC will win tonight in a big way with the two-hour season finale of Desperate Housewives. ABC also has a two-hour season finale of EM: Home Edition earlier in the night.


Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - 8.21 million for an episode that started around 8:20.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 8.64 million. Can it jump start a lineup next season?
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.04 million, down a lot from its usual first run numbers...blame Bush.
• New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) - 11.4 million tuned in, built from lead-in, but again blame Bush.
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Half & Half (UPN) - Half & Half had an hour long episode doing 2.7 million. All of Us did well with 3.23 million.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Will & Grace (NBC) 2 repeat episodes - Repeats did bad with 3.86 and 3.87 million.
  
• Scrubs (NBC) 2 episodes - New episodes did OK with 6.19 million at 9 p.m., and at 9:30 with 6.57 million.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Half & Half (UPN) - Special encore of Monday's finale did 1.9 million, down from last week's Girlfriends repeat.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Will & Grace (NBC) - Clip show at 8 p.m. did well with 12.91 million and the series finale ended like it did in the old days with 18.43 million.
• That's 70s Show (FOX) - The last two episodes did decent, 8.58 million and 10.02 million.
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - 2.84 million for an encore
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - Repeats of the canceled series did under 2 million.
  

Friday Sitcoms

None.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Will & Grace, That '70s Show 8:30pm and The New Adventures of Old Christine were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as That '70s Show 8pm, King of Queens, How I Met Your Mother) or just plain old terrible (such as UPN Thursday).

New Fall 2006 Sitcoms Preview

Today, we take a look at the new sitcoms that made the networks' schedules. There will be a total of 15 new sitcoms this season, including 5 that will air at mid-season. 8 will be multi-camera sitcoms, and the other 7 will be single-camera. Some familiar faces returning include Donal Logue, Ted Danson, Jere Burns, Wendie Malick, Jonathan Silverman, Lori Loughlin, Brad Garrett, Joely Fisher, Megyn Price, Jeffrey Tambor, John Lithgow, Andy Richter, and Patrick Warburton.

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ABC



The Knights of Prosperity (formerly known as Let's Rob...) - Tuesdays at 9:00PM EST/PST on ABC

For almost 20 years, Eugene Gurkin has dreamt of opening a bar, but his dead end job on the late, late janitorial shift won't even fund a bottle of premium booze. In the wake of a co-worker's death, he catches an episode of television. Call it divine intervention, call it a dumb idea, but whatever it is takes hold of Eugene and soon he recruits a group of misfits into his "gang" for a heist to finance their dreams. The target: Rock icon Mick Jagger's super-luxe Central Park West apartment. Working together, this band of affable, new-age Robin Hoods, who have never even shoplifted a candy bar, are soon casing the joint and prepping for their crime. What they don't know is that there's a much richer target for them... the chance to find hope, self-esteem and confidence within themselves. From Jon Beckerman and Rob Burnett, producers of "Late Show with David Letterman" and creators of "Ed," comes a hilarious tale of haves and have nots. Donal Logue ("Grounded for Life") stars. Mick Jagger appears in a cameo (he is not a series regular).

Cast: Lenny Venito, Josh Grisetti, Maz Jobrani, Sofia Vergara, Donal Logue, Kevin Michael Richardson

Links:

ABC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com



Help Me Help You - Tuesdays at 9:30PM EST/PST on ABC

Whoever came up with the idea of group therapy? Take a bunch of people who are all really messed up in different ways and put them in a room together to try and help each other out. he group leader, Dr. Bill Hoffman, is probably the craziest and most self-obsessed of all, but his patients would never know it because he hides behind his very respectable celebrity image as a bestselling author of phenomenally successful self-help books. Directed by Brian Dannelly ("Saved," "Weeds"), the series explores the comical side of group therapy as members of the group apply the good doctor's advice to the real world with enthusiastic effort, until they begin to realize maybe Dr. Bill should be doing the heavy lifting along with them. Ted Danson ("Cheers") stars.

Cast: Suzy Nakamura, Jim Rash, Ted Danson, Charlie Finn, Darlene Hunt, Jere Burns

Links:

ABC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com



Big Day - Mid-Season on ABC

If "24" married "Father of the Bride," their child would be "Big Day." Everything matters at a wedding, and the smallest imperfections can reverberate throughout the event as if lives actually hang in the balance. Choice of side salad? A trivial decision you would think, but for the mother of the bride, this might as well be the most critical decision of her life, and if you're the caterer, you'd better get it right. That's just the beginning -- the maid of honor accidentally drinks the best man's contacts after sleeping with him, and the father of the bride wants to stop the wedding. Things are about to get even more complicated for Danny and Alice, as their day turns into a season-long roller coaster where nothing goes according to plan. Over the course of an entire season, each episode will focus on one day - Danny and Alice's wedding day. The writers of "What Women Want" and "13 Going on 30" take a full season to dissect the biggest day in any family's life. Marla Sokoloff ("Desperate Housewives"), Josh Cooke ("Four Kings") and Wendie Malick ("Just Shoot Me") star.

Cast: Miriam Shor, Kurt Fuller, Wendie Malick, Marla Sokoloff, Josh Cooke, Stephen Rannazzisi, Stephnie Weir

Links:

ABC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com



Notes from the Underbelly - Mid-Season on ABC

Andrew and Lauren have just found out they're going to have a baby, and they're having a difficult time following rule number one - keeping it secret. Suddenly switching to decaf, becoming a teetotaler at cocktail parties, and going to the OBGYN are all difficult to keep from family and close friends. Well Andrew and Lauren are about to learn that, when the secret gets out, the politics of parenthood can be just as demanding as raising a child. Sometimes all that "help" from loving but intrusive parents and "advice" from well-meaning but competitive friends who are trying to show you what great parents they are is not exactly what you're looking for. Knowing what's best for the child could be the easiest part... maintaining your relationships with family and friends can be the real challenge. Director Barry Sonnenfeld and two producers of "Two and a Half Men" create a comic take on life's greatest adventure. As these friends watch their lives change to accommodate the little stranger, their relationships change in ways they never expected before they were expecting. Peter Cambor and Jennifer Westfeldt ("Kissing Jessica Stein") star.

Cast: Sunkrish Bala, Melanie Paxson, Rachel Harris, Michael Weaver, Jennifer Westfeldt, Peter Cambor

Links:

ABC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com



In Case of Emergency... - Mid-Season on ABC

Who you were in high school is usually not who you end up being. Harry, Jason, Sherman and Kelly all went to the same high school. Several years on since graduation, their lives haven't exactly turned out the way they planned. Diet guru Sherman will hijack a pastry truck and over-indulge after discovering his wife left him and cleaned him out. In the face of a fraud indictment, financial whiz Jason will dodge the suicide bullet only to shoot himself in the foot... literally. Unhappily divorced, Harry goes for a relaxing "massage," only to discover his scantily clad "masseuse" is Kelly, their high school valedictorian. A series of emergencies will reunite this hapless brood and they'll find, at the end of the day, that they've got each other in case of emergency. Director Jon Favreau ("Elf," "Swingers") directs Jonathan Silverman ("Jekyll"), David Arquette ("Scream"), Greg Germann ("Ally McBeal") and Kelly Hu ("The Scorpion King") as a fresh quartet of emotionally and physically injured oddballs, and Lori Laughlin ("Full House") as the doctor who grounds them all. Together, they're proving that any colossal mistake can be overcome with a lot of help from your friends... and pain killers.

Cast: David Arquette, Kelly Hu, Jonathan Silverman, Lori Loughlin, Greg Germann, Nicholas Roget-King

Links:

ABC.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

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CBS



The Class - Mondays at 8:00PM EST/PST on CBS

THE CLASS (Monday, 8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT), from Emmy Award winner David Crane ("Friends") and Emmy Award nominee Jeffrey Klarik ("Mad About You"), is a comedy about the lives of a group of 20-somethings who are inextricably bound together having shared the same third grade class. Now face to face at an impromptu reunion to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the day they met, they wonder if they'll have anything in common besides vague memories of playground kisses and underwear sightings on the monkey bars. Turns out they do. After two decades apart for most of them, some are eager to show off, some want to rekindle old crushes and others just want to satisfy their curiosity. Whatever the case, their lives will intersect from this point forward, sharing childhood memories and dealing with adult issues -- career, relationships and the general direction or misdirection life will take them. Jason Ritter ("Joan of Arcadia"), Heather Goldenhersh ("The Merchant of Venice"), Lizzy Caplan ("Related"), Jon Bernthal ("Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman"), Sean Maguire ("Eve"), Jesse Tyler Ferguson ("Putnam County Spelling Bee"), Lucy Punch ("Ella Enchanted") and Andrea Anders ("Joey") also star.

Cast: Jason Ritter, Lizzy Caplan, Heather Goldenhersh, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jon Bernthal, Sean Maguire, Lucy Punch, Andrea Anders

Links:

CBS.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

Rules of Engagement - Mid-Season on CBS

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, a comedy starring Patrick Warburton ("Seinfeld") from Adam Sandler's production company that follows two couples and a single guy as they navigate the jungles of dating, engagement and marriage.

Cast: Elizabeth Bogush, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Megyn Price, Patrick Warburton, Paulo Costanzo

Links:

Internet Movie Database

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Fox



'Til Death - Thursdays at 8:00PM EST/PST on Fox

'TIL DEATH is a comedy about middle-aged EDDIE (Brad Garrett, "Everybody Loves Raymond") and JOY STAMM (Joely Fisher, "Desperate Housewives"), who are on day 8,743 of their marriage and have the battle scars to prove it. Their new next-door neighbors are young newlyweds STEPH (Kat Foster, "Law & Order") and JEFF WOODCOCK (Eddie Kaye Thomas, "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle") - idealistic, passionate, adorable and married for all of 12 days. It's a show about new marriage versus old marriage, about keeping the romance alive - or at least staying together so you have someone to drive you to the hospital for your operations. Eddie is a cynical realist who considers himself an expert on most topics. A high school history teacher, he's learned well the lessons of history and applies the basic principles to his marriage: all fights are about power, land and resources - and women love to kill fun. A veteran of the marriage wars, Eddie freely gives his advice to the younger, idealistic Jeff, who's the new Vice Principal at Eddie's school. Of course, Eddie's little secret all along is that he loves Joy more than anything. And however brash and sardonic Joy herself appears, she loves Eddie right back.

Cast: Brad Garrett, Joely Fisher, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Kat Foster

Links:

Fox.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com



Happy Hour - Thursdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on Fox

Straight arrow HENRY BECKMAN (John Sloan, "The OH in Ohio") had it all: a great job, a perfect girlfriend and a sweet apartment. He was a big fish in the small pond of Amsterdam, Missouri. And then he let HEATHER (Brooke D'Orsay, "King's Ransom") talk him into moving to Chicago to work in her family business, where it all went wrong. In the space of one morning, Henry gets dumped by Heather, learns he can no longer work for Heather's uncle, and gets kicked out of their apartment. It's in this vulnerable state that he meets his new roommate, a vain, flashy, loveable rogue named LARRY CONE (Lex Medlin, "Still Standing"). Larry is a modern-day Dean Martin who is looking for a new protg to teach the wisdom of staying single and enjoying the good life. Larry's last roommate and best friend, BRAD (Nat Faxon, "Joey"), has gotten engaged to the shrew TINA (Jamie Denbo, "Must Love Dogs"), a cold and controlling fiance who's immune to Larry's considerable charm. Under Larry's tutelage, Henry begins to rebuild his life and goes to work for Larry's childhood friend AMANDA (Beth Lacke, "The Rest of Your Life"), a beautiful mess who's unsuccessfully trying to emulate her perfect ideal of womanhood, Kelly Ripa. Will Henry manage to hold onto his traditional values and remain a hopeless romantic? Or will Larry indeed "build a better Brad"?

Cast: John Sloan, Lex Medlin, Nat Faxon, Jamie Denbo, Beth Lacke, Brooke D’Orsay

Links:

Fox.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com



The Winner - Mid-Season on Fox

A 43-and-a-half-year-old narrator, who is incredibly rich and successful, looks way back to 1994, when he lost his innocence and started to become a man - at the tender age of 32. In 1994, GLEN ABBOTT (Rob Corddry, "The Daily Show"), still living with his parents, finally steps out into the world and tries to make something of himself when the only girl he'd ever kissed, the radiant ALISON MILLER (Erinn Hayes, "Everwood," "Kitchen Confidential"), returns to town. Driven by the desire to become a success and win Alison's heart, Glen goes through his "wonder years" a mere 20 years older than, well, most everyone. But it's not in vain, as this unlikely underdog will eventually transform from fear-riddled underachiever to the richest man in Buffalo in a mere five years. Luckily, Glen doesn't have to go though this awkward period alone. He becomes best friends with the only person he can truly relate to: Alison's 13-year-old son JOSH (Keir Gilchrist, "A Lobster Tale"). Josh is a fellow hypochondriac, and they help each other survive "puberty." Glen also receives parental guidance from his absurdly enabling mother IRENE (Julie Hagerty, "Girlfriends," "Malcolm in the Middle") and his supportive but quasi-rage-aholic dad RON (Lenny Clarke, "Rescue Me," "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events").

Cast: Rob Corddry, Keir Gilchrist, Erinn Hayes, Julie Hagerty,
Lenny Clarke

Links:

Fox.com

Internet Movie Database

TV.com

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NBC



Twenty Good Years - Wednesdays at 8:30PM EST/PST on NBC

This high-energy comedy follows two New Yorkers who have finally realized that life doesn't last forever. Mismatched buddies John Mason (Emmy Award winner John Lithgow, "3rd Rock from the Sun"), an impulsive, thrice-divorced surgeon who has been forced into retirement -- and Jeffrey Pyne (Jeffrey Tambor, "Arrested Development"), a widower judge who agonizes over every situation -- are polar opposites in every way. The one thing the duo can agree on is that they only have about 20 good years left and both men vow to live each day as if it were their last -- with no regrets. "20 Good Years" also stars Heather Burns ("Bewitched") as John's pregnant daughter Stella, and Jake Sandvig ("The Story of Us") as Hugh, Jeffrey's un-motivated son.

Cast: John Lithgow, Jeffrey Tambor, Heather Burns, Jake Sandvig

Links:

NBC

Internet Movie Database

TV.com



30 Rock - Wednesdays at 8:00PM EST/PST on NBC

Emmy Award winner Tina Fey (NBC's "Saturday Night Live," "Mean Girls") writes, executive-produces and stars in this workplace comedy that takes viewers behind the scenes of a frenetic television variety show. Single Liz Lemon (Fey) is living every comedy writer's dream. She's head writer on a demanding, live TV program in New York City whose life is jolted when a brash new network president (Alec Baldwin, "The Aviator," "The Cooler") interferes with her show and bullies Liz into convincing Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan, "Saturda