SitcomsOnline.com 2008-09 Upfront Preview: CBS

CBS continues to be the network that will have the least amount of changes to its fall schedule. I think we will see a few moves and some cancellations though.
Here is the SitcomsOnline.com CBS 2007-08 preview:

New Series Already Picked-Up: None
New Series We Think That Are Almost Good To Go: Eleventh Hour (drama), The Mentalist (drama), Single White Millionaire (sitcom), My Secret Public Journal (sitcom) and Exit 19 (drama).
New Series Perhaps Picked-Up for Mid-Season: Tower (drama) and Exit 19 (drama)

OUR FALL 2008 PREDICTION:

Sundays
7:00PM 60 Minutes
8:00PM The Amazing Race
9:00PM Can Openers (NEW!)
10:00PM Cold Case

Mondays
8:00PM The Big Bang Theory
8:30PM How I Met Your Mother
9:00PM Two and a Half Men
9:30PM Single White Millionaire (NEW!)
10:00PM CSI: Miami

Tuesdays
8:00PM Navy NCIS
9:00PM The Mentalist (NEW!)
10:00PM Without a Trace

Wednesdays
8:00PM Rules of Engagement
8:30PM My Secret Public Journal (NEW!)
9:00PM Criminal Minds
10:00PM CSI: NY

Thursdays
8:00PM Survivor
9:00PM CSI
10:00PM Eleventh Hour (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM Ghost Whisperer
9:00PM Moonlight
10:00PM NUMB3RS

Saturdays
8:00PM Crime Repeats
9:00PM Crime Repeats
10:00PM 48 Hours Mystery

Comments: CBS will probably have one new show each from Sun-Thurs. Their Monday sitcom block will likely have one new comedy, Single White Millionaire starring Fred Savage seems like it would hold most of Two and a Half Men's numbers. As for Tuesday, there could be a shake up to this night. The Unit has been MIA since the strike, and it probably won't return...so CBS will try something new at 9 following NCIS, like The Mentalist? Exit 19 starring Geena Davis could also be an option (in her old Commander in Chief slot, but that was ABC) ...if not, for mid-season then. The cursed 10pm slot could go to a proven player like Without a Trace, which would move for the third time in three seasons if it were to move. Wednesdays 9-11pm will likely remain intact, but the 8pm hour CBS has had difficulty with. I think two sitcoms are the best option, possibly a returning one like Rules of Engagement paired with a newbie like My Secret Public Journal. CBS Thursdays will have to change if Without a Trace leaves from 10pm, CBS will likely add the Jerry Bruckheimer drama Eleventh Hour following CSI. Fridays will likely remain the same, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ghost Whisperer or NUMB3RS move to another night, like Sundays. Moonlight is doing OK, but maybe CBS could pick up new drama Mythological X, as that sounds like it would skew younger after Whisperer. And as for Sundays, CBS always gets screwed with the sports run-over (especially in the fall with the NFL) and they usually are in 30-40 minute delays or even more for the entire country except the west coast. I suggest they just shorten 60 Minutes, or it will kill a new show if they launch one on Sundays, which I think they will. Maybe a medical drama like Can Openers which would skew younger than the normal CBS show probably, especially out of the Amazing Race. I think Amazing Race will be back at 8pm...maybe for two cycles this year. As long as they don't bring back Big Brother in the regular season! What a disaster that was. Cold Case could be on the move to 10pm to better close the night.
Series canceled or will be include The Unit, Shark, Cane, Power of 10, Viva Laughlin, Kid Nation & Jericho. I think CBS will bring back Old Christine for mid-season in case one of the comedies fails. If not, then ABC will sure pick it up...so don't worry fans. Jericho is gone for good...send all the nuts you want, it won't work again. Price is Right will likely return in primetime for some specials...I doubt they would air it as a weekly series. I don't think they will pick-up any new mid-season sitcoms, especially since Jennie Garth is no longer in the My Best Friend's Girl pilot.

Remember, next Wednesday (May 14) is the actual date when we will find out CBS's plans for the 2008-09 season. So, come on back next Wednesday and we will let you know the details and you can see how much we were right (or wrong). Stay tuned tomorrow for a preview on Fox's upfront.
Discuss your thoughts on our prediction and feel free to make suggestions of your own by clicking HERE!

Slow news day so far...if we have anything (which I'm sure we will have SOMETHING), we'll post it, so check back!

Remington Steele Coming to AmericanLife TV in May; Two and a Half Men and CSI Writers Switcharoo

AmericanLife TV Network, the cable network devoted to the Baby Boomer generation, debuts American Classic, Remington Steele on Thursday, May 1, 2008 as part of their classic programming line-up. The show will air twice daily Monday thru Friday at 10:00a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (EDT).
Remington Steele is an award winning detective television series first broadcast from 1982 to 1987. The series is an action, romantic comedy show that stars the handsome, enigmatic Irishman and 'future James Bond' Pierce Brosnan as a roguish thief, Remington Steele ("Before he was Bond, he was Remington Steele") and the beautiful and talented Stephanie Zimbalist as private detective Laura Holt. The show quickly took off and continues to be an American favorite.
There will be no other changes to the AmericanLife TV line-up. AmericanLife TV will continue to feature some of America's favorite classics in May, including: Mission Impossible, St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, LA Law, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Lou Grant, Combat!, Burke's Law, Lost in Space, Trapper John MD, The Color Honeymooners, Batman, The Green Hornet and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea to name a few.

An unprecedented CSI and Two and a Half Men "writers' crossover" is happening next week on CBS!
A CSI investigating a murder at Charlie Harper's house? Grissom and the team investigating the mysterious death of a diva sitcom star? It's all part of a first-ever "writers' crossover," in which CSI's writers will write an episode of Two and a Half Men and Two and a Half Men's writers will write an episode of CSI.
The Monday, May 5 episode of Two and a Half Men is written by CSI writers Sarah Goldfinger and Evan Dunsky from a story by CSI executive producers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar. A CSI team investigates a mysterious death at Charlie's (Charlie Sheen) house. Robert Wagner and Jenny McCarthy guest star.
The Thursday, May 8 episode of CSI was written by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn, executive producers/writers of Two and a Half Men. Grissom (William Petersen) and the CSI team investigate the death of a diva sitcom star (guest star Katey Sagal) who dies suddenly while her show is filming in Las Vegas. Suspects include the entire writing staff, her loser husband and the actress who serves as her stand-in (Rachael Harris).
Should be fun!

Meanwhile, CBS has decided it will air new episodes of Shark Tuesdays at 9pm starting April 29 after all. It was originally slated for that slot but then CBS decided to move it to 10pm and have reruns of The Unit at 9pm, which didn't make too sense. Now Shark will air at 9pm following original episodes of NCIS and 10pm will be crime repeats of CBS's strongest crime dramas. This will only be for three weeks anyway, as Shark only has 3 original episodes remaining.

ION Television May 2008 Highlights; CBS Summer 2008 Schedule

ION Television has announced its May 2008 schedule and highlights. As of now, there will be no changes to the regular schedule, which means the schedule that started Monday, April 7, will remain in effect unless there is a last minute change. So, Wayans Bros., Steve Harvey, Family Feud, Mama's Family, Quantum Leap and Drew Carey will remain from 5-11pm. Total Theatre Thursday movies for the month of May are: The Cowboys, Superman, Superman II, Risky Business and Bladerunner. RHI on ION movies for Fri-Sun in May include The Odyssey, Neil Simon's London Suite, Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys, and the three-part Larry McMurtry's Streets of Laredo.
Click HERE for the full ION May 2008 highlights and to discuss this month.
ION will have its upfront in about two weeks, on May 1...so hopefully more items will be announced then and we still plan to interview them shortly after that upfront.

CBS today unveiled its 2008 summer schedule comprising nearly 90 hours of original programming, including three new reality series (Greatest American Dog, Million Dollar Password (hosted by Regis Philbin) and Jingles (from Mark Burnett)), two new dramas (Swingtown and Flashpoint), summer stalwart Big Brother, two live mixed martial arts events (CBS Elite XC Saturday Night Fights), The American Theatre Wing's 62nd Annual Tony Awards and AFI's 10 Top 10 special.
The summer lineup will also see rebroadcasts of Without a Trace, NUMB3RS and Cold Case moving to new time periods.

Here is the summer line-up:

Thursday, Effective May 29
8:00-9:00 PM TBA
9:00-10:00 PM CSI (repeats)

Saturday, May 31
9:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT CBS Elite XC Saturday Night Fights

Sunday, Effective June 1
7:00-8:00 PM 60 Minutes
8:00-9:00 PM Million Dollar Password (Series Premiere...6 episodes ordered)
9:00-10:00 PM Cold Case (repeats)
10:00-11:00 PM TBA

Tuesday, Effective June 3
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS (repeats)
9:00-10:00 PM Shark (repeats)
10:00-11:00 PM Without a Trace (New Time Period, repeats)

Thursday, Effective June 5
8:00-9:00 PM TBA
9:00-10:00 PM CSI (repeats)
10:00-11:00 PM Swingtown (Series Premiere...13 episodes ordered)

Sunday, June 15
8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT The American Theatre Wing's 62nd Annual Tony Awards

Tuesday, June 17
8:00-11:00 PM AFI's 10 Top 10

Thursday, Effective July 10
8:00-9:00 PM Greatest American Dog (Series Premiere...TBD episodes ordered)
9:00-10:00 PM CSI (repeats)
10:00-11:00 PM Swingtown

Friday, Effective July 11
8:00-9:00 PM Ghost Whisperer (repeats)
9:00-10:00 PM NUMB3RS (New Time Period, repeats)
10:00-11:00 PM Flashpoint (Series Premiere...13 episodes ordered)

Sunday, Effective July 13
7:00-8:00 PM 60 Minutes
8:00-9:00 PM Big Brother (Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM Cold Case (repeats)
10:00-11:00 PM TBA

Tuesday, Effective July 15
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS (repeats)
9:00-10:00 PM Big Brother (Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM Without a Trace (repeats)

Wednesday, Effective July 16
8:00-9:00 PM Big Brother (Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM Criminal Minds (repeats)
10:00-11:00 PM CSI: NY (repeats)

Saturday, July 26
9:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT CBS Elite XC Saturday Night Fights

Sunday, Effective July 27
7:00-8:00 PM 60 Minutes
8:00-9:00 PM Big Brother
9:00-10:00 PM Jingles (Series Premiere...8 episodes ordered)
10:00-11:00 PM Cold Case (New Time Period, repeats)

For complete details on the new summer series, click HERE.

Today's blog brought to you by the new hit sitcom Samantha Who? Watch it tonight at 9:30pm ET/PT on ABC!

TV Land's High School Reunion Finale Scores Big, Renewed For Second Season; CBS Pulls Talents of the Stars

The first finale of TV Land's High School Reunion averaged over 1 million total viewers for last night's 10 p.m. telecast, making it the most-watched episode of the season. The episode was also the highest rated of the season, building over last week's episode with double digit increases. High School Reunion is now TV Land's most watched original series ever among A25-54.
The episode posted a 0.5 rating (560,000 viewers) among A25-54, up 42% in rating from last week's episode and up 43% in viewers 25-54. Among the network's core A40-54 audience, the episode earned a 0.5 rating (266,000 viewers), a rise of 32% in rating and 30% in delivery over last week. It also scored double digit gains in total viewers (over 1 million) with a 51% increase over last week.
Throughout the season, High School Reunion averaged 821,000 total viewers, up 89% over the same time period last year with a median age of 45. Among A25-54, it posted a 0.5 rating for the season (487,000 viewers), up 147% in rating and 152% in viewers 25-54 versus last year. Among A40-54, the series averaged a 0.5 rating (275,000 viewers), an increase of 92% in rating and 96% in delivery over a year ago.
All this comes off last week's renewal announcement. Following impressive ratings gains and steady growth of its original reality series High School Reunion, TV Land announced that it has renewed the series for a second season, with Mike Fleiss returning as executive producer. Premiering in first quarter 2009, the second season will reunite high school alumni after 20 years as they gather for two weeks in an exotic vacation getaway.
Come on back tomorrow to the blog as we announce TV Land June 2008 highlights and schedule...which will have the TV Land Awards, Hogan's Heroes joining the line-up, Mad About You & Murphy Brown in the late nights and new original series She's Got the Look premieres.

CBS has pulled new reality show Secret Talents of the Stars after just one airing. The show just did 4.58 million viewers in its Tuesday at 10pm slot in its premiere and now only airing. You know that was low when it went down from the struggling Big Brother, which was its lead-in. For the next two weeks, CBS will air 48 Hours at 10pm on Tuesdays. Then starting April 29, CBS will move on-the-fence drama Shark to this timeslot. Shark was previously slated to return on this night at 9pm, but CBS will bring back reruns of The Unit in its old slot of Tuesdays at 9 leading into the fresh episodes of Shark. Talents joins series such as quarterlife, Viva Laughlin, and The Return of Jezebel James as shows that got pulled very fast this season. So darn it, we won't get to see Malcolm-Jamal Warner play the bass now!

BET Schedules Diff'rent Strokes and Malcolm and Eddie Marathons; CBS Brings Back Shark, More Price

Last Monday we gave you some BET schedule news as weekends changed a bit with more Sanford (Sundays 12-1pm now). We also gave you details that Jamie Foxx Show and Wayans Bros. are expiring from the channel and will leave after their farwell marathons this Saturday (March 29). Their last regular schedule appearances will be on Friday (March 28). Now we have more BET schedule updates! First off, Sanford will gain two more slots now starting Saturday, April 12...it will air Saturday nights at 3:00am & 3:30am (that's early Sunday mornings). It will continue to air Sundays at 12:00pm & 12:30pm, too. Also, a special 3:00pm & 3:30pm afternoon airing is scheduled on Saturday, April 5 ONLY.
Now to the major news. Diff'rent Strokes, which is airing weekday mornings from 9-10am, will get a marathon! The marathon will air Sunday, April 6 from 1pm-9pm. We don't have episode details yet, but as soon as we do we will post in our message boards. In other Strokes news, fans will be happy that starting tomorrow morning they will start airing season three episodes in the rotation ("The Magician" and "The Bank Job" will air...remember they are going in production order). That is great because seasons three and on are not on DVD yet. So if fans were waiting for that, tune in starting tomorrow (March 25) at 9am!
Malcolm & Eddie will also get a marathon, too! The marathon will air Saturday, April 19 from 9:00am-7:00pm, which means Thea will be preempted 9-10am on this Saturday (April 19) only. We will post episode info when available.
We will post episode info when available on our message boards, so check back. Also, please discuss this!

The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular will return with four new Wednesday primetime specials starting Wednesday, April 30 at 8:00pm while Shark, the second-year on-the-fence drama starring James Woods, returns with four original broadcasts on a new day and time period--Tuesdays at 9:00pm starting Tuesday, April 29. Its second season finale will be broadcast on Tuesday, May 20 at a special time of 10:00pm. Following Shark on Tuesdays will be the new reality series Secret Talent of the Stars on Tuesdays at 10:00pm, starting April 8. That show will put 16 stars together to find secret talents. Among the stars are Clint Black, George Takei, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Marla Maples, Sasha Cohen, Ric Flair, Joe Frazier, Bridget Marquardt, Mya, Sheila E., Roy Jones, Jr., Cindy Margolis, Ben Stein and Danny Bonaduce.

Latest BET Schedule Notes, More Sanford; According to Jim Returns April 15, More ABC Notes

We have some more BET schedule notes today for you. Currently the weekend shows Sanford airs Saturday nights at 2:30am and Sundays at 11:30am and Thea airs Saturdays 9-10am, 3am late night and Sundays at 12 noon. Now we are getting some time changes, and it is better actually. Effective this weekend (March 22-23), Thea will now only air Saturdays 9-10am, but it will be two episodes a week still, and no more confusion of the encores (as sometimes BET messes up and airs a different episode then). Sanford will now only air Sundays 12-1pm, but that is also better because we get two episodes instead of an encore! Sanford for some reason didn't air this weekend in its 11:30am Sunday slot, and the 2:30am slot was already supposed to not air because of a special (same for Thea at 3am this past weekend). I think now it is easier to remember...Thea Saturdays 9-10am and Sanford Sundays 12-1pm.
Sanford at 12:30pm will be replacing In Living Color, which will return to weekdays starting March 31, though. In Living Color will air weeknights at 3am and 3:30am starting the week of March 31, replacing the Wayans Bros. Jamie Foxx Show will also be replaced starting March 31 by more Hell Date airings at 12am and 12:30am. Viewers can say goodbye to Jamie Foxx Show and Wayans Bros. with a marathon of both shows on Saturday, March 29 from 10am-8pm. Jamie from 10am-3pm and Wayans from 3pm-8pm. I'm not sure if their contracts expired or what, but both shows joined in October 2005 I believe, as did In Living Color, but that will still be on, so who knows. If I find out anything, I will for sure let you all know. Will any more sitcoms join since Jamie and Wayans are leaving? We will let you know if they do plan on more sitcoms!

According to Jim returns April 15 on ABC. You're probably thinking what do you mean "returns," since it has been airing Tuesdays at 9 since January. But last Tuesday was its last airing in that slot because Dancing with the Stars returns this week. When Jim returns, it will move to Tuesdays at 8:00pm and 8:30pm, replacing Just for Laughs. 7 new episodes remain for the season. If they air one new episode a week that will make it last through the end of May, but I'm sure once or twice, they will air two new episodes in the hour. This might not be the final 7 episodes, because ABC is mulling to bring it back next season for an eighth season. No official news yet, though.
In other ABC schedule news: Lost's pre-strike finale is this Thursday at 9, but ABC has announced Lost will remain in that slot for repeats on March 27, April 3 and April 17 (April 17 is 8-10pm). The show returns with 6 new episodes starting April 24 at 10pm following Grey's Anatomy's return. ABC will stop the Fridays at 8pm encores of Grey's Anatomy starting April 4. An AFV repeat is scheduled for April 4 leading into the return of game show Duel at 9pm (it will air for 10 episodes and won't be serialized like the tournament week was in December). Not sure yet what will air Friday, April 11 at 8pm, but April 18 will be a Desperate Housewives' encore from its first post-strike episode, which will debut Sunday, April 13 at 9pm. To catch up on Desperate Housewives' return, ABC will re-air the final pre-strike episodes on a special night of Thursday, April 10 from 8-10pm. As for Eli Stone, yes ABC will air all 13 episodes! Episode 12 will air on a special night though...Sunday, April 13 at 10pm. It will air right after that new Desperate Housewives return episode. Brothers & Sisters returns the following week with new episodes. The final Eli Stone of the season will air in its normal Thursday at 10pm slot on April 17.
So, ABC will let viewers catch up on Desperate Housewives and Lost with the last two pre-strike episodes, but what about Grey's Anatomy? Nothing announced yet, but it will return April 24 at 9pm with new episodes.

Speaking of returns, tonight is a big night! Scripted TV makes its first return with post-strike episodes tonight with CBS's sitcoms The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men. The bad news for that is Dancing with the Stars also returns tonight on ABC. I'm sure both will do well!

CW Schedule Changes; Summer News for NBC and CBS

Yes, we gave you The CW's post-strike returns a few weeks ago, but some minor date changes and time changes have been announced. One of them is The Game will now be Sundays at 9pm rather than 9:30pm starting March 23.
I advise you to click HERE to view the full spring line-up. Compare the two links to see what changed.

NBC will celebrate America, its communities, athletes, songs, heroes, talent and Gladiators all summer long as part of "NBC's All-American Summer" - the network's run-up to its exclusive coverage of the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. The network will ignite a late spring and summer of original programming paced by the premieres of series favorites American Gladiators (returns Monday, May 12, 8-10 p.m. ET), America's Got Talent (season premieres Tuesday, June 24, 9-11 p.m. ET), Last Comic Standing (season premieres Thursday, May 22, 9:30-11 p.m. ET) and the network debut of Nashville Star with new host Billy Ray Cyrus (Monday, June 9, 9:30-11 p.m. ET).
In addition, NBC will unveil the new suspense and horror anthology series Fear Itself on Thursday, May 29, 10-11 p.m. ET, as well as two new alternative series Celebrity Circus (premieres Wednesday, June 11, 9-11 p.m. ET) and The Baby Borrowers (Wednesday, June 25, 8-9 p.m. ET).
Wow, that's a ton of reality with one scripted anthology series.
Here is a recap:

Monday, May 12
American Gladiators - two-hour premiere 8-10 p.m.; series resumes on May 19 (8-9:30)
Thursday, May 22
Last Comic Standing - premiere 9:30-11 p.m.; series resumes on May 29 (8:30-10 p.m.)
Thursday, May 29
Fear Itself - premiere 10-11 p.m.
Monday, June 9
Nashville Star - (9:30-11 p.m.)
Wednesday, June 11
Celebrity Circus - two-hour premiere (9-11 p.m.); series resumes on June 18 (9-10 p.m.)
Tuesday June 24
America's Got Talent - (9-11 p.m.); another two-hour show follows on July 1. Series resumes with regular hour-long episodes on July 8 (9-10 p.m.). The show will be on hiatus during the Olympics, returning on August 26 (performance episodes) and "results shows" commencing on August 27 (8-9 p.m.)
Wednesday, June 25
The Baby Borrowers - premieres 8-9 p.m.

CBS also announced some summer news...surprisingly they will launch two scripted dramas in the summer. I think these are burn-offs because they couldn't fit them in this season, most likely because of the strike. The drama Swingtown will launch on Thursday, May 29 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT and drama Flashpoint in July. The premiere date and time period for Flashpoint will be announced at a later date.
Swingtown peeks into the shag-carpeted suburban homes of the culturally transformative '70s to find couples reveling in the sexual and social revolution that introduced women's liberation and challenged conventional wisdom. During this heady era of provocative change, Susan and Bruce Miller move their family to an affluent Chicago suburb where they're confronted with personal choices, experimentation and shifting attitudes, all against the backdrop of a changing social climate defined by its unforgettable music, fashion and style.
Flashpoint is an emotional journey into the tough, risk-filled lives of a group of cops in the SRU (inspired by Toronto's Emergency Task Force). It's a unit that rescues hostages, busts gangs, defuses bombs, climbs the sides of buildings and talks down suicidal teens. As they race against the clock to determine what brought these people to their respective breaking points, members of this highly skilled team use their training in negotiating, profiling and getting inside the suspect's head to diffuse the situation to try to save lives.

If we have more news we will return later. Try to come back if you can.

ABC's Post Strike Schedule; CBS Swaps 'Bang' and 'Mother's' Slots; NBC Announces Classic TV Streaming Episodes

ABC has saved their post-strike schedule for last, but it is well worth the wait! ABC will return television's biggest hit shows, including Boston Legal, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Samantha Who? and Ugly Betty. Returning first is the hit new comedy Samantha Who? with 6 new episodes (three of those are from pre-strike episodes, so three more new ones will be shot). The show returns Monday, April 7 at 9:30pm following Dancing with the Stars, which will be two-hours on March 24 and March 31 (season premiere on March 17 is 90-minutes). Boston Legal returns next with 6 all-new post-strike episodes also starting Tuesday, April 8 at 10pm. The megahit Desperate Housewives returns on Sunday, April 13 at 9pm for the first of five original episodes and a special two-hour finale (so, seven hours total). What will this mean for Oprah's Big Give? That reality show will launch on March 2 and was supposed to be for 8 weeks (lasting through its April 20 airing), so maybe ABC will move the last two episodes into the 8pm slot giving Extreme Makeover: Home Edition a well deserved two-week break (as the show has done very well in two-hour episodes this season)? We will find out and let you know. The other Sunday hit Brothers & Sisters returns with four all-new post-strike episodes a week later, on Sunday, April 20 at 10pm. The bit Thursday shows will return on April 24 with 5 all-new episodes each for Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy. Lost will move to its new 10:00pm time period on that very same day (Thursday, April 24), with five weeks of original episodes. Lost will end its 8-week run at 9pm, which are the pre-strike episodes, on Thursday, March 20. Three of this season's top hits, Pushing Daisies, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money will return next season with all-new episodes.
Everything else not mentioned scripted wise, is in limbo and has no status yet, which includes According to Jim, Cavemen, Carpoolers, Women's Murder Club, Big Shots, October Road, MEN IN TREES, Cashmere Mafia, Eli Stone, and Notes from the Underbelly. A few of these could return next season...having the best shot is Women's Murder Club and MEN IN TREES. According to Jim always seem to have some life, so it could also return.

CBS's hit freshman comedy The Big Bang Theory will lead off CBS's Monday comedy block when it moves to Mondays at 8:00PM, beginning March 17 when it returns with all-new episodes. This means, How I Met Your Mother, which was airing at 8:00PM, will shift to The Big Bang Theory's former Monday 8:30PM time period when it returns with new episodes on the same night.

NBC Digital Entertainment and NBC Universal Cable Entertainment announced that they are streaming vintage television content on their entertainment websites. Full episode streaming of classic, fan-favorite series including The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Kojak, Miami Vice, the original Battlestar Galactica, The A-Team and Emergency! will be offered on NBC.com, SCIFI.com, ChillerTV.com and SleuthChannel.com beginning this month.

Here is a full list of shows on each website:

NBC.com
The A-Team
Emergency!
Night Gallery
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Miami Vice
Battlestar Galactica (1978)
Buck Rogers

SCIFI.com
Battlestar Galactica (1978)
Buck Rogers
Tek War
Night Gallery

ChillerTV.com
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Swamp Thing
Tremors
Crow
Night Gallery

SleuthChannel.com
Kojak
Miami Vice
Simon & Simon
The A-Team
Night Gallery

Still to come this week on the blog...full details on Classic TV Reunions happening next week and how the move of Everybody Loves Raymond from Tribune stations to Fox stations will affect New York City.

ION March 2008 Highlights; CW Announces Post-Strike Returns; CBS Renews 11 Shows for 2008-09 Season

We told you before that Baywatch is coming to ION Television in March 2008, but we didn't have the full month's highlights yet. Now we do. There will be no other changes, so Baywatch will start March 3 at 10pm, airing Mon-Thurs. If anyone is wondering, they will be going in production order, but will be starting with Season 3...which is the first season with Nicole Eggert and Pamela Anderson. They will skip the two-part season premiere it seems, as they will start with the episode "Rookie of the Year." No other changes will be made to the line-up, as of now, so we can expect back-to-back Wayans Bros, Alice, Mama's Family and Drew Carey Show from 6-10pm Mon-Thurs leading into Baywatch at 10pm. RHI will continue to air Fri-Sun from 7-11pm with movies and mini-series such as Merlin, Arabian Nights, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
We will keep you up to date if anything changes, but for now click HERE for the March highlights where you can also discuss the programming.

The CW is now the third network (joining CBS and NBC) to officially announce plans of what series will return this season with new episodes following the end of the writers' strike. Everybody Hates Chris and Aliens in America already completed production before the strike started and still has episodes left over. So, they will launch first. Chris has 12 new episodes left (for a total of 22 this season), while Aliens has 8 left (for a total of 18 this season). Both will return Sunday, March 2. CW will return their highest rated sitcom The Game on March 23 with an expected 9 new episodes. Production will be underway soon. It is not good news however for long-running sitcom Girlfriends. The CW has announced it will not return, which the show will now end after 8 long seasons. CW could plan a series finale or a special for its final airing. One Tree Hill still has about 5 pre-strike episodes left still, but 6 new ones will be produced and will start on April 14, which is a Monday, so it seems the show will move to Mondays at 9. The current batch of new episodes, aka: the pre-strike episodes, will air Tuesdays at 9 still. Smallville will return Thursday, April 17 with 5 new episodes. I believe a few episodes before the strike also remain to air...the show will air a total of 20 episodes this season. Rookie drama Gossip Girl will return with 5 new episodes starting Monday, April 21. The show had been in repeats since early January because it ran out of episodes. Another rookie drama, Reaper will return to air on Tuesday, April 22 with 5 new episodes. The show has aired 9 so far and a few pre-strike episodes still remain and will air in its upcoming Thursday at 9 slot before moving to Tuesdays at 9 with post-strike episodes. Finally, Supernatural will return with 4 new episodes starting Thursday, April 24. This coming Thursday (Feb. 21) Supernatural will be all-new for its last pre-strike episode before goina on hiatus until April 24.
We will bring you ABC and Fox's plans as soon as they are "officially" announced.

Meanwhile, CBS has renewed 11 series for next season in a move that will return 10 hours of the network's primetime schedule and eight of the top twenty scripted series on television. Cold Case, Criminal Minds, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Ghost Whisperer, NCIS, Numb3rs, Two and a Half Men, Without a Trace and the Freshman Comedy The Big Bang Theory join previously announced Survivor and The Amazing Race as series returning next season (2008-09).
The jury is still out on shows like How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, Old Christine, Shark, The Unit, Moonlight, and Jericho for next season, but we could expect a few of these to indeed return.

Writers' Strike Officially Over; CBS Announces Post-Strike Returning Series; Remembering Ron Leavitt

The writers' strike is officially over! The membership of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) voted overwhelmingly in favor of lifting the restraining order and ending their 100-day strike that began on Nov. 5. 3,775 writers turned out in Los Angeles and New York to cast ballots or fax in proxies, with 92.5% voting in favor of ending the work stoppage.
WGAW and WGAE members will next vote to ratify the tentative three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The membership ratification vote will be conducted by mail and also at membership meetings on February 25, 2008.

CBS has announced return dates for new episodes of nearly all of its returning scripted series! Between 4-9 episodes for each series will be produced immediately for air. The first returning series with new episodes will be the Monday sitcoms on March 17. We will see 9 new episodes each of How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men starting March 17. Old Christine will not be going back into production it seems, but it still has a handful of episodes left from before the strike. The other CBS Monday sitcom Rules of Engagement will be back with 6 new episodes starting April 14. What about Welcome to the Captain? Only 6 were ordered and they will all air by March 10. Slim chance it returns next season.
Moving on to the dramas, CSI: Miami will have the most for dramas and will return Monday, March 24 with 8 new episodes. Sunday drama Cold Case will air for 5 new weeks starting March 30. The other Sunday drama Shark is expected to produce 4 new episodes, but it is unclear when they will air, if at all this season. Wednesday dramas Criminal Minds and CSI: NY return April 2 with 7 new episodes. Thursday dramas CSI and Without a Trace will each have 6 new episodes each starting April 3. Moving on to Fridays, Ghost Whisperer and NUMB3RS will return April 4 for 6 new episodes and rookie Moonlight will return April 11 with the first of 4 new episodes. Finally, the Tuesday dramas will only see Navy NCIS return on April 8 with the first of 7 new episodes. The Unit will not return this season and Cane will also not. Only a slim chance Cane will return at all. CBS will continue to use Big Brother, Showtime's Dexter, and Jericho to fill the void of no The Unit, Shark, and Cane. Yet to premiere mid-season drama Swingtown is resuming production, but when it will air is still a question mark.

Hopefully ABC, NBC, Fox and The CW will release something similar soon. When they do, we will bring it to you for sure.

Finally we leave you today with some sad news. Ron Leavitt, a TV writer and producer who co-created the successful Fox sitcom Married With Children, has died. He died Sunday of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles. He and Michael G. Moye co-created the hit sitcom. Michael also served as the show's executive producer and helped write nearly 150 episodes. He even appeared in some episodes as a one-liner, usually the character of Jack Dallas.
He was a major player in sitcoms behind the scenes. He wrote for series such as Busting Loose, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and The Bad News Bears. He wrote the pilot episode for the hit '80s sitcom Silver Spoons. He was also a producer of sitcoms such as Unhappily Ever After, Laverne & Shirley, The Jeffersons and It's Your Move. Ron also was the creator of two short-lived Married with Children spin-offs, Top of the Heap and Vinnie & Bobby, both of which starred a pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc. Ron was last seen on the short lived 2004 WB sitcom The Help as a writer and director.
Fans of sitcoms, especially Married with Children, will miss Ron, but his work will live on forever. Ron will be missed. He was 60.

Day 92: WGA's Strike; ION Touts Its Ratings for RHI and Drew Carey; 5 More RTN Affiliates

Today is day 92 of the strike. Rumors are swirling that this will be resolved very soon. An announcement could come as soon as this week! I bet nothing will come officially until Wednesday or Thursday at the earliest (as right now the main stories are the high-rated Super Bowl and Super Tuesday primaries). If the strike does end this week, production on many shows could be back up and running by the end of the month or early March for sure and we could start getting new episodes of our favorite scripted shows by the end of March or early April! Good news indeed!
Don't forget to tune in to the new CBS sitcom Welcome to the Captain premiereing tonight at 8:30pm, and then an hour later at 9:30pm it is the season premiere of Old Christine!

The RHI mini-series Journey to the Center of the Earth starring Ricky Schroder (NYPD Blue, Silver Spoons), Victoria Pratt (Day Break) and the legendary Peter Fonda, garnered significant ratings success with its Sunday, January 27 debut on ION Television. According to Nielsen Media Research data, the two-hour original television movie, a dynamic new adaptation of the classic tale by Jules Verne executive produced by Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr., was seen in more than 1.1 million households and attracted over 1.6 million total viewers. The mini-series is the fifth original production from RHI Entertainment to air on ION, also generated the highest delivery among key demographics of RHI content on ION since its start. The Sunday night RHI Movie Weekend block has shown continued growth versus the fourth quarter, boosting households by 112 percent and more than doubling in every demographic category. RHI programming airs on ION Fri-Sun from 7-11pm.
Meanwhile, ION Television saw a ratings boost on Monday, January 28, as The Drew Carey Show delivered a 0.6 HH rating, doubling its four-week average of 0.3 HH since its launch on New Year's Day. In its 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. timeslot, the Emmy-nominated series captured 622,000 households (close to 1 million total viewers), and delivered a 73 percent increase in adults 25-54 and a 141 percent increase in women 25-54 in comparison to its average performance since its launch. After somewhat a slow start, hopefully it can keep this up as ION will add Baywatch right after it starting March 3.

Retro Television Network has announced that it will partner with White Knight Broadcasting to bring RTN programming to Shreveport, Louisiana (KSHV-DT) and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (KZUP-CA). The network will launch late this year in both markets. Also, under the terms of the agreement, RTN programming will also air an additional four to seven hours a day on Shreveport's My Network affiliate, KSHV.
In addition, they will launch an RTN affiliate in Wichita/Hutchinson, Kansas. The network will begin airing in the second quarter of this year on KGPT, a Great Plains Television Network station.
Finally, they will launch RTN affiliates in two South Dakota markets, Sioux Falls and Rapid City. In Sioux Falls, the network will begin airing in March on KAUN, a station owned by J.F. Broadcasting that currently airs ION Television. In Rapid City, RTN programming will launch this summer on a digital stream of KOTA, the local ABC affiliate that is owned by Duhamel Broadcasting.

CBS Mid-Season Pilot Review: Welcome to The Captain - Premieres February 4; Solomon's Weekly Rant

Today instead of our regular Saturday Mini-DVD Review we have a pilot review for a new sitcom premiering Monday on CBS! We still have Solomon's Weekly Rant right below the review, so not to fret!



Welcome to The Captain - Mondays at 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres February 4 at 8:30PM ET/PT

Welcome to The Captain is a comedy about a wildly eclectic group of people whose lives are intertwined through the place they all call home, a fabled Hollywood apartment building, El Capitan, which they've dubbed "The Captain." Josh (FRAN KRANZ, The TV Set), is a Hollywood whiz kid whose filmmaking career has hit a wall. Just when Josh is about to move back to New York, his accountant-to-the-stars best friend, Marty (CHRIS KLEIN, American Pie), convinces him to move into his legendary apartment building. Among the eccentric tenants are Uncle Saul (Emmy Award nominee JEFFREY TAMBOR, Arrested Development), a former Three's Company writer who is the building's self-proclaimed expert on anything and everything; Charlene (Golden Globe Award winner RAQUEL WELCH, The Three Musketeers), the femme fatale who welcomes Josh in her own seductive style; Jesus (comedian AL MADRIGAL), a gossipy doorman who knows all the residents' most tantalizing secrets, and Astrid (VALERIE AZLYNN, Two and a Half Men) a flighty, aspiring young actress. Josh is most taken with the earthy, beautiful Hope, (JOANNA GARCIA, Reba), an aspiring acupuncturist who enlists him as a practice patient. The folklore of this fabled apartment building always continues to grow and, as each dweller quickly learns, the walls never stop talking.
The single-camera comedy, shot in Los Angeles, premieres Monday, Feb. 4 (8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS. The series was created by John Hamburg and is executive produced by Hamburg, Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen for CBS Paramount Network Television.

Cast Details:

Fran Kranz as Josh Flum, Chris Klein as Marty Tanner, Jeffrey Tambor as Uncle Saul Fish, Joanne Garcia as Hope, Raquel Welch as Charlene Van Ness, Valerie Azlynn as Astrid, and Al Madrigal as Jesus.

Fran Kranz (Josh) is best known for his performance in the feature film The TV Set. A graduate of Yale University, Kranz has played a series of memorable roles in feature films. He also has extensive theatre credits. He is new to the television industry and impressively is the lead in this new sitcom.

Chris Klein (Marty) began his acting career in the critically acclaimed film Election. His performance garnered him a Chicago Film Critics nomination for Most Promising Newcomer and the film received a nomination for Best Picture at the Independent Spirit Awards. He went on to star as Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher in the raucous comedy American Pie and reprised his role in American Pie 2 the following year. Klein has featured roles in upcoming films and has done a lot of movies previously. This is Klein's first regular role in a television series.

Jeffrey Tambor (Saul) is a television veteran and has starred on television in the hit series The Larry Sanders Show and the critically-acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning Arrested Development, for which he received two Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. Also, he had three guest roles on the sitcom Three's Company (for which his character on this show was a writer for), and he also had a co-starring role on the spin-off The Ropers. He also recently starred in the short-lived sitcom 20 Good Years opposite John Lithgow. Tambor just wrapped production on two films Hellboy 2 and Superhero, which will be released this year. His other feature film credits include How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Dolittle, There's Something About Mary, and many others.

Raquel Welch (Charlene) has millions of movie fans who first glimpsed her statuesque beauty in the science fiction classic One Million Years B.C., after which she secured a place for herself as the reigning sex symbol of the '60s and '70s. She has starred in over 45 films and won a Golden Globe for best actress in The Three Musketeers. She also acted on the stage with a remarkable performance in the hit Broadway musical Woman of the Year, which led her to a starring role in Victor/Victoria.

Joanna Garcia (Hope) was born and raised in Tampa, Fla. and first began performing at the age of 10 when she auditioned for a local theater production and earned the lead role. From there she was discovered by Nickelodeon, who cast her in the television series Are You Afraid of the Dark? Garcia attended the University of Florida, but after her freshman year she moved to Los Angeles and landed a role in the 1999 John Ritter CBS television movie Holy Joe on her first day in town. She went on to co-star the hit series Reba, playing Reba's daughter, Cheyenne Montgomery. Her other television credits include Party of Five, Freaks and Geeks and Boston Public. Her feature film credits include American Pie 2 (with co-star Chris Klein) and Not Another Teen Movie.

Valerie Azlynn (Asterid) was born and raised in New London, Conn. She moved to New York to pursue a career as an actress and built a resume performing in the theatre and singing with a reputable Opera Company in Manhattan. Her previous television credits include a recurring role in the CBS drama CSI: NY, as well as the CBS comedies Two And A Half Men and How I Met Your Mother. Her feature film credits include Poseidon, Bewitched and Constantine, and will be seen in the upcoming films Tropic Thunder and Hancock.

Al Madrigal (Jesus) has been called "dynamic" by the New York Times, and his flair for storytelling has established him as one of the nation's premiere stand-up comedians. He won the "Jury Award for Best Stand-up Comedian" at the 2004 HBO Comedy Festival. Madrigal can regularly be seen on television in his own half-hour Comedy Central Presents special, as well as his frequent guest spots on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Madrigal continues to headline comedy clubs and theatres around the country.

Pilot Plot:

We have received the first two episodes of this sitcom, "Pilot" and "Weekend at Saul's."

In the premiere episode, "Pilot" (airing Feb. 4 at 8:30), Josh Flug, a one-time Hollywood hot shot, is persuaded by his friend, Marty, to move into the El Capitan apartment building, dubbed "The Captain" by its residents. With its eccentric group of tenants, he realizes this is the fresh start he needs.
Directed by: John Hamburg
Written by: Executive Producer John Hamburg

Episode 2: "Weekend at Saul's" (airing Feb. 11 at 8:30) - When Josh invites Hope to stay at his apartment for the weekend, Uncle Saul convinces him that it is a bad move, and persuades him to stay at his weekend retreat in order to make her jealous.
Directed by: Mark Mylod
Written by: Executive Producers Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen
Guest Stars: Michael Weston as Brad and Christine Woods as Claire

Analysis:

This sitcom is actually pretty interesting. It is basically about a one-time Hollywood writer named Josh moving into The Captain hotel that is filled with ex-Hollywood stars. He was persuaded by his friend Marty, who seems very crazy, to move in to the hotel. Marty himself lives in the hotel as well. We also have Saul Fish, who likes to be called "Uncle Saul," living here. He was once a writer for four seasons on Three's Company, which he likes to call "T. Co." There are a lot of Three's Company references (such as #1 in the Nielsen's, Suzie Somers and Mrs. Roper). Then we have the front-desk attendant/doorman Jesus (not pronounced Hesus), who eavesdrops a lot and gossips about everyone. He and Saul are a good comedy team. Then we have the sexy older woman Charlene, was on either Knots Landing or Falcon Crest, no one can remember which. She seduces Josh but it is Uncle Saul who has a crush on her. Then we have Josh's love interest, Hope, an aspiring acupuncturist who enlists him as a practice patient...and Josh falls in love, but he later finds out she has a boyfriend in New York. Then finally we have Astrid, a flighty, aspiring young actress, who Marty tried to set-up Josh with, but she is too dumb for Josh.

That's all the characters in a nutshell. It really is an interesting show and after two episodes, I'll continue to watch this show. The pilot has us all meeting the characters while episode two is more about Josh's pursuit of Hope. I really like all the pop culture references here...we get Three's Company, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, Alice, Weekend at Bernie's, and more. It is so funny that Tambor's character Saul was a writer on Three's Company because Tambor guest starred on three episodes of that show and also starred in the spin-off, The Ropers. Very clever. Let's hope Joyce DeWitt or Suzanne Somers can guest star in the future. Saul and Jesus are clearly the funniest on the show. Marty is also not too shabby. Saul also says he had a thing going with Linda Lavin of Alice...funny stuff.
One of the funniest lines is in the pilot with Saul saying Charlene has a tush like a buttery chardonnay.

Conclusion:

This is certainly a watchable sitcom. With the strike, we don't have as many options as we would have before scripted wise, so it might get a decent sampling. What will hurt is that it will follow repeats of How I Met Your Mother. Another thing working against this show is that it is in a single-camera sitcom. CBS is not known for these at all. In fact, all of their sitcoms are traditional style. NBC or ABC is more known for these. Little is expected of this sitcom, so it could surprise. With the strike still going, there is a chance this could be picked-up in the fall for more than 6 episodes, since a pilot season could be washed away.

I liked the show. It is charming and has a romantic feel to it. Will Hope & Josh get together? With the help of Saul and Jesus, it could happen. Or will Marty ruin it by staying in Josh's apartment even more? Marty has his own apartment, but one of his girlfriends is now living there. He is certainly girl crazy, but more crazy in general, too. It is smartly written, which is not CBS's style. I'm not sure if it is funnier than The Big Bang Theory, which is probably CBS's smartest sitcom as of now, but this one is the smartest after two episodes. Maybe I am thinking that because it is single-camera. Fans of shows in a hotel, like Hotel, Faulty Towers, Over the Top, and so many others (wow this has been done a lot, hasn't it?), will like this show. Let's hope it gets laugh-out-loud funny!

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

-- Reviewed by pavanbadal on 02/02/08

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

Wikipedia

Welcome to The Captain Photo Gallery


Solomon's Weekly Rant
Saturday, February 2, 2008
"Annoying Auditions on American Idol; Lifetime Original Gone Without Notice; Miami Heat Still on National TV?"
By Solomon Davis

Every season around this time American Idol fans have to watch all the auditions that are not funny anymore just so we can get to the real part of the show. When will the American Idol producers realize that 75% of these people who are auditioning only want to be seen on TV and have no intention of becoming the next American Idol? Seems like everyone these days wants to follow in the footsteps of that god awful William Hung from three years back and purposely try to make a fool of themselves so they can be discovered. It's time to cut these auditions down since most of these clowns only come on the show to act a fool not show they have singing talent which is what the show is supposed to be about.

The last time I checked there was a new show on Lifetime called Matched in Manhattan and now it's gone? It was airing right after the god awful show How to Look Good Naked and it just vanished off the schedule completely. Lifetime couldn't give the show at least a month? Why just yank the show off so quickly when most people were probably getting into the show? And to make things worse How to Look Good Naked is on for a FULL HOUR now while Matched in Manhattan is no longer on the schedule. How to Look Good Naked is nothing but a sneaky rip-off of TLC's What Not to Wear. I'm done with Lifetime original programming since this is the second time they did this to me.

I know the Miami Heat has Dwayne Wade and the team was expected to be a contender this season but they are not and it's no reason for their games to be on ESPN, ABC, or TNT. The Heat record is 8-38 and the NBA expects NBA fans to still be excited to watch a horrible team like that on their day off? The NFL doesn't have a problem canceling games if a certain team has a horrible record so why can't the NBA do the same? The last time I checked I thought networks were interested in HIGH RATINGS and not still airing the games of a losing team on national TV because they have a NBA All-Star.

Agree or disagree with Solomon? Discuss it here.

DISCLAIMER: Remember, Solomon is not the voice of SitcomsOnline.