NBC Upfront 2008-09; Yet More Upfront Rumblings; More ABC Summer 2008 Series

NBC has already announced their Fall 2008 schedule early last month, along with Mid-season 2009 and Summer 2009 schedules, for some reason, but they still made some announcements at its upfront presentation today.
- NBC has identified the last piece in its late night succession plan, naming Jimmy Fallon as the new host of Late Night when Conan O'Brien moves to The Tonight Show in 2009. The premiere date for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon will be announced at a later date.
- NBC will introduce Momma's Boys, a new reality series to be executive-produced by Ryan Seacrest and Andrew Glassman centering on a group of mothers who must help choose the perfect bride for their complacent sons -- and ultimately, the series poses the question: "Who is really the most important woman in every man's life?" The series will premiere on the heels of NBC's All-American Summer and the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

We will announce more on NBC's upfront, if anything else noteworthy comes out of it.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the Fall line-ups for ABC and The CW!

As for more upfront rumblings, CBS has picked up four new dramas and two new sitcoms, as of now. Dramas are: Eleventh Hour & The Mentalist for the fall and The Ex List (AKA: Mythological Ex) & Harper's Island for mid-season. The Ex-List could be shared with Moonlight on Fridays, which could be benched until mid-season. And the two sitcom pick-ups are Worst Week and Project Gary (starring Jay Mohr), both likely for the fall. There could be another pilot or two picked-up (Tower or sitcom My Secret Public Journal), but right now slim chances. Single White Millionaire with Fred Savage has no shot now. The Unit looks like will be back for another season, possibly on Sundays or Fridays in the fall, while Shark has been killed most likely. CBS announces its line-up on Wednesday.
On the Fox front, animated comedy Sit Down, Shutup has been renamed to Class Dismissed. They have also officially canceled New Amsterdam & Canterbury's Law, which I didn't think had a chance anyway. Fox is shopping canceled sitcom Back to You and the animated pilot The Pitts for new homes, along with the drama pilot The Oaks. None are likely to be bought.
The CW has for sure brought back sitcom The Game, while drama Reaper will be back...but for mid-season (13 episodes). The CW also announced new reality series, Stylista (also from Tyra) will air after Top Model this fall. Filthy Rich Girls joins 90210 as a new drama series order.
On ABC, no surprises so far, Eli Stone has been renewed for 13 episodes, while October Road has been canceled. Life on Mars finally officially got picked-up. Miss Guided is still set to return this fall.

Moving on to ABC summer news, we have more news. We announced ABC's summer slate already, but there is a bit more to announce. Before the NBA Finals begins, ABC Tuesday will feature According to Jim (new on May 27), Samantha Who, and Boston Legal repeats from 8-11pm on May 27 and June 3 (and June 17 if NBA Finals Game 6 is not necessary)
Friday, June 6 and Friday, June 13 from 8-10pm will be repeats of AFV and According to Jim from 8-10pm.
The NBA Finals begins Thursday, June 5 and will air Thursdays, Sundays and Tuesdays through June 19, if necessary. So up to 7 dates. The NBA Finals starts at 8:30pm ET each night, leading into them will be Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night at 8pm ET. Join Jimmy in primetime for up to seven times! On Sundays when the NBA Finals airs, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition repeats will air at 7pm instead.
After the NBA Finals, starting Sunday, June 22 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will air two-hour encore episodes from 8-10pm, leading into Desperate Housewives at 10pm, which will be its new summer time slot. High School Musical reality series starts on the night on Sunday, July 20 at 8pm.
Effective Tuesday, June 24, all-new Primetime: Crime will air Tuesdays at 10:00PM until further notice. The premieres of Wipeout and I Survived a Japanese Game Show launches from 8-10pm on the same night.
Effective Wednesday, June 25, all-new Primetime: The Outsiders will air Wednesdays at 10:00PM Et/PT until further notice.

Oxygen Re-Branding in June; Circus Celebs Announced for NBC; 1,000 Movie Trailers Come to TVLand.com

Oxygen was recently bought by NBC Universal...now it will be re-branding and NBC Universal will make its mark on the network this June. Oxygen, the fastest growing cable network among adults (18-49) reveals a revamped brand, including a new logo and new tagline titled Live Out Loud, which will roll out across all platforms in June 2008. The network developed this approach by defining and targeting its distinct audience young trenders who consume heavily and influence others' spending pattern. The network has dubbed this audience "Generation O" -- trenders, spenders and recommenders.
The network is introducing a new logo and a new tagline geared toward "Generation O." The new logo re-imagines the O, with the word Oxygen breaking through the border. The re-brand will showcase the bright, energetic and off-kilter yellow "O" as a space where exciting, unconventional, entertaining things happen a window into the world of what viewers will see on the network.
The new tagline, Live Out Loud, will appear in conjunction with the logo on programming, digital assets, advertising campaigns and marketing materials. The line was developed for women who like to look good, feel good and have fun living life on their own terms; women who like to "live out loud." The tagline telescopes the sentiment of both the Oxygen network and the audience.
If Oxygen: Live Out Loud later changes any of its current programming when it re-brands in June, we will let you know for sure!

NBC's daring new series Celebrity Circus features six celebrities who will perform some of the most death-defying circus acts ever seen on television. Antonio Sabato Jr., Blu Cantrell, Christopher Knight (Brady Bunch), Janet Evans, Jason "Wee Man" Acuna and Rachel Hunter will attempt breathtaking stunts in a head-to-head competition in front of a live studio audience. Each week viewers at home will cast their votes for the best acts and determine which of the celebrities is going home. Hosted by former *NSYNC member and Emmy Red Carpet host Joey Fatone (Dancing with the Stars), Celebrity Circus brings the incredible world of the Big Top into America's living rooms in a special 90 minute premiere on Wednesday, June 11 at 9:30 P.M. ET. 9 episodes have been ordered and will air regularly Wednesdays 9-10pm on NBC this summer for 9 weeks.

Beginning immediately, visitors to TVLand.com will be greeted with a huge collection of movie trailers representing movies that TV Land viewers grew up with, fell in love with, laughed at, got scared by and more. From Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to Chariots of Fire and The Way We Were to Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, nearly 1,000 movie trailers are being offered, providing visitors with the chance to relive the excitement, romance, laughter or fear of their favorite films via the three minute snapshot that has become synonymous with the movie-going experience.
With movie trailers spanning from the 50s to the 90s -- with the bulk of the movies from the 60s, 70s and 80s -- TVLand.com visitors now have access to trailers from movies they fell in love with at the drive-in, the multiplex or at home. The collection is alphabetically searchable or by genre or decade and offers information on each film.

NBC Switches 30 Rock and Scrubs Slots; Female TV Stars Give Stess Secrets

Starting next Thursday (April 24) NBC will switch the timeslots for 30 Rock and Scrubs for the last three episodes of the season for both. 30 Rock was airing at 8:30pm on Thursdays but now will be moving to 9:30pm, where Scrubs was airing, while Scrubs will move to 8:30pm. Is this move because of Grey's Anatomy returning with new episodes on ABC? I don't think so. I think NBC is probably trying to bring more of an audience to critically acclaimed 30 Rock following The Office, which does well in the 18-49 rating demo.

A number of female celebrities are participating in Johnson's newest online campaign in the feature "Celebrity Stress Secrets." Johnson's, the skin care expert, has announced the launch of a new online campaign and microsite to promote its award-winning Melt Away Stress line of skin care products. "Celebrity Stress Secrets" features nearly 20 videos of unscripted stress tips and interviews from experts and celebs including Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty), Dr. Michelle Callahan, psychologist and life coach, and Susan Cernek, Glam Media’s Lifestyle Editor.
Additionally, the site will also include quotes from a range of celebrities including Alison Sweeney (The Biggest Loser), Stacey Dash (Clueless), Roselyn Sanchez (Without a Trace), Constance Marie (George Lopez), Nia Long (Big Shots) and Bonnie Somerville (Cashmere Mafia) on how they deal with stress. Further, the site is hosting the Express Your Stress competition, where women submit their stories on dealing with stress in hopes of winning a Girlfriend's Getaway to Jamaica.
Visit their website for more information! Check out their YouTube page for videos, such as Ana Ortiz's Advice For Young Women and De-stress Techniques.
And don't forget Ana Ortiz and the rest of the hilarious Ugly Betty cast return with all-new episodes starting next Thursday (April 24) at 8/7 central on ABC!

Wings Joins USA Network Again; Celebrity Family Feud Debuts July 1 on NBC

Wings is flying back to USA Network this June! The sitcom aired on USA Network from about 1995 to 2002, if I'm not mistaken. Then it moved to Nick at Nite in March 2003 and didn't do too well in primetime...then it eventually moved to sister station TV Land, which is where it is airing right now weekdays at 7:30am ET until the end of May. The other day we gave you TV Land's June schedule and Wings was not a part of it, because it will be moving to USA Network. So, starting June 2, Wings returns to USA Network! It will be paired with Becker in the 6am hour, with Becker remaining at 6am and Wings airing at 6:30am. That may not sound much but it is better than nothing since TV Land is losing the show at this end of this month. So get ready to watch it an hour earlier on another channel! Maybe Wings will fly to a better timeslot soon after, as the show did pretty well for them in the late 90s.

One hundred people surveyed, top ten answers on the board and celebrity 'families' behind the buzzers. Al Roker will host all the action when Celebrity Family Feud joins NBC's summer primetime line-up premiering Tuesday, July 1 from 8-9 p.m. ET/PT. It will be a star-studded version of the beloved and enduring game show, featuring four celebrity families matching wits each week to raise money for their respective charities. In some cases, competing families will each consist of one celebrity and their real-life relatives, while other episodes will feature nostalgic or current television clans. All celebrities will be announced at a later date...and when it is announced we shall let you know!

NBC Announces 2008-09 Season Schedules; RTN Announces 3 More Affiliates, Launches Official Website

NBC today unveiled its new lineup for the 2008-09 television season, introducing a schedule earlier than ever. All the other networks will continue announcing the schedule in the annual upfronts in mid-May, but NBC has decided to break that tradition and announce the schedule 6 weeks earlier than normal. Also, they have actually made actual timeslots for the entire year, going with a 52-week schedule. Among the series they have picked-up for the fall are sitcom Kath & Kim, and new dramas Knight Rider, My Own Worst Enemy and Crusoe. Coming in mid-season are The Office spin-off, new dramas The Philanthropist, Merlin and Kings.
Returning to the NBC schedule next season will be ER, the most-nominated series in Emmy Award history, returning for its 15th and final season on NBC's Thursday night lineup, and the acclaimed Friday Night Lights, slated to re-join the Friday schedule in February as part of a unique broadcast partnership between NBC and DIRECTV. NBC would begin broadcasting the Season 3 episodes on Fridays (9-10 p.m. ET), starting soon after NBC's telecast of the Super Bowl in 2009. DIRECTV would have exclusive rights to the season's 13 new episodes beginning Wednesday, October 1 on DIRECTV's entertainment channel "The 101."
NBC also announced today that the post Super Bowl slot, will be used to launch a spinoff of the network's hit comedy series, The Office. Immediately following NBC Sports' coverage of Super Bowl XLIII, the network will first present an original episode of The Office, followed by the debut of the new Greg Daniels comedy.
Also, a surprise on the schedule is the return of Lipstick Jungle, which will move to Wednesdays now. Law & Order will return in the winter for an all-new season. No sign of Scrubs returning, so it could be very well moving to ABC next season.
Here are the schedules:

Fall 2008
(New programs in CAPS, except ER)
MONDAY
8-9 p.m. Chuck
9-10 p.m. Heroes
10-11 p.m. MY OWN WORST ENEMY
TUESDAY
8- 9:30 p.m. The Biggest Loser: Families
9:30-10 p.m. KATH & KIM
10-11 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. KNIGHT RIDER
9-10 p.m. Deal or No Deal
10-11 p.m. Lipstick Jungle
THURSDAY
8- 8:30 p.m. My Name Is Earl
8:30-9 p.m. 30 Rock
9- 9:30 p.m. The Office
9:30-10 p.m. The Office/ SNL THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE
10-11 p.m. ER
FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. CRUSOE
9-10 p.m. Deal or No Deal
10-11 p.m. Life
SATURDAY
8-9 p.m. Dateline NBC
9-10 p.m. KNIGHT RIDER (Encores)
10-11 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Encores)
SUNDAY
7- 8:20 p.m. Football Night in America
8:20-11 p.m. NBC Sunday Night Football

For the winter and summer 2009 schedules, and more on all these new series, I advise you to click HERE! You wanna bet we will see changes to the winter and summer 2009 right? Maybe even Fall 2008 will see changes. It makes no sense to release winter and summer 2009 already.

Retro Television Network (RTN) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Citadel Communications Company to launch RTN programming in three markets. The new affiliates will air on the digital streams of WOI-TV (Des Moines-Ames, IA), KLKN-TV (Lincoln, NE) and WHBF-TV (Davenport, IA/Rock Island-Moline, IL).
Meanwhile, their official website is now up! RetroTelevision.net is their website. The website has details on RTN, their programming, shows, affiliates, how to advertise and how to contact them. It's 'primetime all the time' has now hit the web! The Fonz, Mr. T, Andy, Lucy, Matlock and the rest of RTN's finest are now online! Take a peek...it is pretty well designed, too!

TV Land May 2008 Highlights; RTN Adds 2 More Affiliates; Hulu.com Launches

As promised, we will bring you TV Land May 2008 highlights today! No schedule changes are being made thus far, so we should expect the same changes that happened on March 10. New original series The Big 4-0 will continue through May 14, Wednesdays at 10. It starts April 16, of course, as we mentioned in the April highlights. For every mom whose ever wanted to sit back and watch dad do the work, TV Land's Movie Land block offers Three Men and a Baby, celebrating Mother's Day Weekend on May 9 and 10. Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg star as three swinging bachelor roommates who find a baby girl on their doorstep. Moms everywhere can sit back and relax as they watch three ill-equipped men try to tackle a job that normally only take one woman to accomplish!
The TV Land Movie Week for May has a lot of fun. Grab your popcorn and kick back as Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline lead an all-star cast of diamond thieves in the hilariously funny A Fish Called Wanda on Monday. Tuesday, the star power continues with Steve Guttenberg, Ted Danson and Tom Selleck who find themselves thrust into fatherhood in Three Men and A Baby. Sigourney Weaver and Melanie Griffith duke it out in the workplace on Wednesday with Working Girl. Thursday brings an out of this world experience with Christopher Lloyd, Elizabeth Hurley, Jeff Daniels and Darryl Hannah in My Favorite Martian, based on the '60s TV series.
The regular Friday Movie Land block in May features movies such as E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Working Girl, A Fish Called Wanda, Flashdance.
TV Land will feature all of the best and brightest M*A*S*H episodes the weekend of May 17-19. They're fun, odd and unforgettable! If that wasn't enough, TV Land has got the highest rated episode in television history, the M*A*S*H Finale, plus the 20th & 30th anniversary M*A*S*H Reunions!
This Memorial Day, it's a day full of TV Land's newest and brightest originals. Starting at 8am, it's enjoyable and adventurous birthday celebrations with The Big 4-0. Then at 11am the fun never ends with the classmates from High School Reunion and at 5pm Myths and Legends reveals stars best kept secrets and some of the greatest stories in Hollywood. A primetime marathon of Andy Griffith rounds out the night.
Finally, on Saturday, May 31, there's only one "fabulous", "chic" and "sassy" man who can take TV Land's fashion head-on–celebrity stylist and judge of TV Land's new original reality series, She's Got The Look (premiering June 4) ... Robert Verdi! Integrated in surprising "pop-up" flags, Robert entertains viewers with his lovably-snarky fashion commentary of everyone's favorite TV Land characters, from the mile-high trousers of Jethro Bodine to the super shoulder pads of our Designing Women and Miami Vice.
For more on TV Land May 2008, click HERE!

Retro Television Network (RTN announced that it plans to add an RTN affiliate in Evansville, IN. The new affiliate will launch this summer on a digital stream of WEHT-TV, Evansville's ABC affiliate that is owned by Gilmore Broadcasting Company. Evansville will see James Garner in Rockford Files, Jack Klugman in Quincy, M.E., Raymond Burr in Ironside, Jack Lord in Hawaii 5-0 and Don Adams in Get Smart on weekdays. On the weekends, viewers will see The Partridge Family, The Monkees, The A-Team, Knight Rider, Kojak, Airwolf, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West and many more.
Meanwhile, Retro Television Network (RTN) announced today that it will partner with Trans-America Broadcasting Corporation to launch an RTN affiliation in Fresno, CA. The network will begin airing in April on a digital stream of KAIL-TV. Hit shows like Perry Mason, The Rockford Files, Magnum, P.I. and Hawaii 5-0 will air weekdays, while the weekend lineup will include Emergency!, Kojak, Airwolf, The A-Team, Knight Rider and The Wild Wild West.

Hulu.com, a joint venture between News Corp. (Fox) and NBC Universal has launched! Obviously it will have current Fox and NBC shows on here such as 'Til Death, The Simpsons, House, Law & Order, ER and The Office, but it has SO much more from other outlets. Hulu.com is a vast online library of ad-supported TV shows and movies. Other networks on Hulu are Bravo (The Real Housewives of New York City, Make Me A Supermodel , etc), NBC Universal's Chiller (Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Tremors, etc), E! (Pop Fiction), Fox Reality Channel (Paradise Hotel 2), Classic Fox (Arrested Development, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bob Newhart Show, etc), FX (Dirt, 30 Days, etc), MGM (Addams Family, Fame, etc), Sony's Minisode Network (Facts of Life, Dilbert, Married with Children), MyNetworkTV (Decision House), Classic NBC (A-Team, Knight Rider, The Munsters Today, Problem Child animated, etc), NBC Universal (Jerry Springer, etc), Sci-Fi Channel (Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, etc), NBC Universal's Slueth Network (Simon & Simon, Miami Vice), Sony-owned (Benson, Archie Bunker's Place, What's Happening Now!!, Married with Children, Who's the Boss?, etc), Universal Media (Major Dad, Adam-12, Airwolf, etc), USA Network (Monk, Psych, Starter Wife, etc), and Warner Bros. (Welcome Back Kotter). Wow! Most of the shows are full episodes, but some are clips as well. This will be a treat for everyone as it will have something you like, I'm sure! Check it out!

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.

TV Rebels: That Girl; Network Notes: Scrubs to ABC?, Family Guy Spin-Off?, Quarterlife to Bravo?

It is time for our monthly TV Rebels essay! We have gotten special permission to publish at least 6 different essays on TV shows and actors that will be featured in the upcoming book TV Rebels: 100 People and Programs That Shaped the Medium by author Lou Orfanella. The book is still in the works and will be released in 2009.

So without further adieu, we bring you the third column of TV Rebels:

That Girl: It's Not a Man's World Anymore
Before Mary Tyler Moore tossed her hat into the Minneapolis wind, before Murphy Brown changed secretaries like other people change underwear, before Carrie sought sex in the city, Ann Marie climbed aboard the suburban commuter train from Brewster, New York to seek fame, fortune, and romance in the big city.
A young single girl living on her own in Manhattan and trying to make it in show business may seem like pretty tame fare in the twenty-first century, but when Marlo Thomas debuted as That Girl in 1966, television was still a man's world. From Father Knows Best's Margaret Anderson to Leave it to Beaver's June Cleaver, a woman’s place was in the home, or perhaps in a case like Our Miss Brooks, in the classroom. But on her own on in a New York City apartment? Not in TV Land. The men went to work and the women stayed home cooking up schemes to trick their men or getting into predicaments from which their men could rescue them.
During its five year run on ABC, That Girl did not necessarily tackle feminist issues head on or include ground breaking storylines. There were the traditional sitcom trappings. Ann gets her toe stuck in a bowling ball. Ann meets "special guest star" Ethel Merman. Ann takes a temporary job and chaos ensues. The program did however present a young girl who was not afraid to embrace life with little more that ambition and self-assuredness. Sure, there was a dichotomy of sorts to Ann Marie. Her father, restaurateur Lou Marie (Lew Parker) was always hovering nearby overprotecting and offering advice and boyfriend magazine writer Don Hollinger (Ted Bessell) would bail her out of jams, yet through it all, Ann did things on her terms and spoke her mind. That represents the turning point for the modern TV woman.
In That Book About That Girl Stephen Cole sites That Girl as a conduit of sorts between the traditional female lead television character and the contemporary. "...Ann and her crew forged a place in the hearts of American television viewers. She wasn't Lucy (of I Love Lucy) and she wasn't Margie (of My Little Margie). She was something new and contemporary. One part Doris Day, two parts Jean Arthur, and all parts Marlo Thomas. She was the bridge to Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and all other modern women in the sitcoms of today. She was Ann Marie. That Girl!" (13)
Speaking in an online interview with Lynn Sherr, Marlo Thomas discussed the influence of her Ann Marie character on television history. "I think That Girl made a journey through Kate and Allie (single moms), Cagney and Lacey (women working in traditionally male roles), Murphy Brown, who was the first imperfect woman hero on television (she had a drinking problem, she yelled at people who worked for her, she had a baby out of wedlock), and now the young women on Friends. I think that all of those women are links in a chain of the depiction of females on television ("That Girl").

Works Cited
Cole, Stephen. That Book about That Girl. Los Angeles: Renaissance Books, 1999.
"That Girl was a Pioneer." That Girl on the web. May 2002. 28 July 2007 http://thatgirltv.com/interview.html


Moving on to some news. There are reports all over the place (Hollywood Reporter, Variety, TV Guide, etc), that ABC is close to picking up 18 episodes of Scrubs for next season. The comedy is in its 7th season currently and has aired on NBC all 7 seasons. NBC has promoted this as the final season but they might not air an actual series finale because of the strike and that it might go right to DVD instead. ABC Studios produces the series and they are mulling a deal to bring the show to ABC next season. NBC is upset and has threatened legal action because they say they have first rights. I think this is a ploy by ABC Studios to bring the show back...and it looks to be working because no one thought Scrubs would be back next fall, and now it seems like it will, whether it is on NBC or ABC! And if it does return, YES Zach Braff will be a part of it. We shall have more on this for sure, so come on back.
Fox is developing a spin-off of Family Guy based on the Cleveland character. The show will be titled Cleveland. If it makes it on air, it could be paired with Family Guy on Sunday nights or for sure somewhere on the Sunday schedule. This could be bad news for American Dad or King of the Hill. Fox is also developing a spin-off of Prison Break based on women in prison. I am thinking that they will introduce it next season on Prison Break, which will likely be the last season of Prison Break (if renewed, that is), and if it hits, Fox will make that into a series. More to come I'm sure.
Finally, NBC announced yesterday they have pulled Quarterlife after just one airing (it didn't even have a 'quarter' of its 6 episode order aired!), now one of their cable networks will air the remaining episodes...Bravo. Bravo will air the remaining five episodes later this season.

Stay tuned tomorrow for our review of the upcoming new Fox sitcom Unhitched, which launches Sunday at 9:30pm.

ABC Family Changes Their Minds; No Reunion on Today Friday; ABC Picks Up Reality Series For 2008-09; NBC Pulls Quarterlife

A few weeks ago we announced a few changes for ABC Family starting in March. One of them was Sabrina, the Teenage Witch leaving the 2-3pm weekday slot in favor of Step by Step...but looks like ABC Family has decided not to do that, as Sabrina, the Teenage Witch will remain in that slot. All the other changes we mentioned will still be on, though. Sorry Step by Step fans! The show will still air weekdays at 9am, though!

NBC's "Together Again" reunions on Today has come to an end today with the Knots Landing reunion. Remember we mentioned we would announce what reunion will take place on Friday, as they didn't announce it yet? Well looks like they couldn't book anyone, so there will no reunion on Friday unfortunately. We mentioned they had listed a Taxi reunion in the advanced listings, but it seems they couldn't book them. Hopefully we get more "Together Again" installments in the future...and when they do, you'll know here first!

ABC Entertainment announces early pick-ups of alternative series for next season (2008-09), including America's Funniest Home Videos, Dancing with the Stars, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Supernanny and Wife Swap.
No surprises here, as all are doing very well in the ratings. I'm surprised no early pick-up was announced for Dance War and The Bachelor, but I think those will return anyway. I think Oprah's Big Give will also do huge this week and that will return next season.
These alternative series pickups join the scripted series pickups already announced a few weeks back.

Finally, after just one airing, NBC has pulled new drama Quarterlife from the schedule. The show premiered on Tuesday at 10pm on a special night and time and did just a 2.2 HH rating and 3.13 million viewers. That is pathetic even when a repeat airs. The show was slated to air Sundays at 9, but that is not happening. NBC will schedule a repeat of Deal or No Deal this Sunday at 9 to go up against ABC's premiere of Oprah's Big Give. Then repeats of Law & Order will air for the rest of the month on Sundays at 9.

We shall be back with more, if anything breaking happens. Don't forget to come back this weekend for our pilot review of Unhitched and tomorrow for our monthly classic TV essay!

Network Notes, Includes More According to Jim; WPIX Brings Back Honeymooners; Oprah Talks to Shatner and Winkler

We have some network notes for you today. ABC announced its post-strike schedule and series already, but now we could have two more series return this season with new episodes! ABC will have 6 more According to Jim episodes this season! 12 episodes were shot of the sitcom before the strike ended now 6 more will be shot following the strike (taping resumes March 7)! So, the show will fullfill its 18 episode order for the season. Currently, the show is airing Tuesdays at 9PM on ABC but after March 11, the show will be on the move to another timeslot, as Dancing with the Stars: The Results will take over in that slot. By March 11, 11 of the 12 episodes would have aired. We will let you know when ABC will air the remaining episodes of the season when they announce it. This will likely be the final episodes, so be sure to tune in to Jim and the gang. And as a heads-up, this week the show will announce a major storyline plot...so tune in!
The other ABC show that could return this season with new episodes following the strike is the new hit drama Women's Murder Club. The drama has been a decent hit on Friday nights and ABC has found a new showrunner and thus 3 new episodes will be produced and could be on the air by April. No word when they will launch yet, but I am assuming it will remain Fridays at 9, as ABC certainly needs help 8-10pm on Fridays as repeats of other series are doing nothing there. We will let you know as soon as ABC announces!
Moving on to NBC, they have all but confirmed that Las Vegas will not return this season with new episodes or next season. So, the finale that aired a few weeks ago, could be the series finale. NBC also will not return new series Bionic Woman and Journeyman, as we stated previously. However, we might have some good news for the struggling Lipstick Jungle. NBC has ordered 6 more scripts, so that is a good sign. Maybe NBC will order those scripts to episodes and have it air in the summer, as NBC is going for a 52-week season rather than Sept-May only.

Last week we announced what will happen to WPIX, WWOR and WNYW in New York when Everybody Loves Raymond moves from WPIX to WWOR. There was one TBA timeslot that I couldn't announce until today. The TBA slot was for Sunday nights from 1-2am on WPIX. So, the TBA slot will be...The Honeymooners!
For over 30 years, the WPIX-TV (CW11) has been New York's home for The Honeymooners. Now, the CW11 will begin a year-long Honeymooners Viewer's Choice Hour to run every Sunday night. See all 108 episodes of hamana-hamana-hamana hijinks with Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason), Ed Norton (Art Carney), Alice Kramden (Audrey Meadows) and Trixie Norton (Joyce Randolph) in a weekly viewer's choice hour commencing Sunday, March 16 from 1-2 am.
Beginning on March 7, Honeymooners fans can visit CW11.com to vote for their favorite episodes. Each week, the two episodes with the most votes will air in the Viewer's Choice Hour on the CW11 on Sunday nights.
Can't remember the title of your favorite episode? CW11.com will feature a short clip from all 108 Honeymooners episodes (with title, cast and summary information) on the voting page. Each week, viewers can log on and vote for the two episodes they want to see on air that weekend. On Sunday nights at 1am the CW11 will air back-to-back-episodes of the top two vote-getters. Once an episode has aired it will be removed from the polls and all episodes will air only once.
Great news and start voting on March 7! To discuss this news with other fans, click HERE!

Oprah gave us a Cosby Show kids reunion a few weeks ago, and she has talked to classic TV stars such as Phylicia Rashad and Valerie Bertinelli about their current projects in the past few days, but now she will have a legends episode with two classic TV legends and a music legend tomorrow (Tuesday, February 26, check local listings for time and channel in your area).
Here is what Oprah says: Our viewers have been asking for him, and now he's rocking out on our stage. It's rock legend Rick Springfield! Watch as Rick makes one unsuspecting fan's big dream come true! Then, Oprah chats with one of the most recognized people on planet Earth, beloved TV icon William Shatner (Star Trek)! He shares what it has meant to him to be loved by millions as Captain Kirk and how he has been able to reinvent himself again and again over his half-century career. Plus, Oprah talks to TV's "coolest" legend..."The Fonz!" Henry Winkler (Happy Days) talks about his place in TV history and how he has managed to use his celebrity to help children with learning disabilities.

Stay tuned tomorrow for some big news (everyday is a big day now it seems, Oprah must be proud of us)...the launch schedules for ME-Too in Chicago and ME-TV in Milwaukee! Lots of Classic TV!

NBC Announces Post-Strike Returning Series, Next Season Renewals; Fox Summer 2008 Plans

Yesterday we gave you CBS' return dates for new post-strike episodes with the number of new episodes expected. Now NBC has released their returning series, but they didn't release how many new episdodes we can expect like CBS did.
NBC will resume the broadcast of many of its scripted series in April with new original episodes following the settlement of the Writers Guild of America strike, including The Office, 30 Rock, My Name Is Earl, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, among other programs.
For the Thursday sitcoms, My Name Is Earl will return with a one-hour episode on Thursday, April 3; the Emmy Award-winning 30 Rock will begin on Thursday, April 10; likewise, the Emmy-winning The Office also resumes with new episodes on Thursday, April 10; and Scrubs will come back with original episodes beginning Thursday, April 10 as well.
Thursday drama ER also will come back on Thursday, April 10 with new episodes following the complete run of Lipstick Jungle, which concludes on March 20. Celebrity Apprentice will conclude on March 27.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will return with fresh episodes on Tuesday, April 15. Law & Order resumes with more original episodes on Wednesday, April 23. Meanwhile, Medium (Mondays, 10-11 p.m. ET) continues in originals.
NBC has not announced what they will do with Las Vegas and Friday Night Lights yet. Journeyman and Bionic Woman seem like they won't return ever. While Chuck, Life, and Heroes were renewed for next season but will not return this season. I was surprised by the Life renewal.
We will keep you up to date of further developments for NBC. We still will have details on ABC, Fox, and The CW, when they announce their plans.

But in a strange move, Fox has already announced plans for its summer slate. So You Think You Can Dance will kick off the summer season on Thursday, May 22 and Wednesday, May 28 from 8-10pm on both nights. Then it will air Thursdays at 9 and Wednesdays 8-10pm. Then reality series When Women Rule the World(working title), will debut with a special two-hour premiere Monday, June 2 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT before the series will air in its regularly scheduled time period beginning Monday, June 9 at 9:00 ET/PT.
All-new episodes of Fox favorites The Moment of Truth, Hell's Kitchen, Cops and America's Most Wanted will continue through the summer. The Moment of Truth will continue with all-new episodes, but it will be airing Thursdays at 8:00PM ET/PT starting June 12. After premiering Tuesday, April 1 at 9:00 PM ET/PT Hell's Kitchen will continue to heat up, while counting down to the winner, with all-new episodes on Tuesdays at 9:00 PM ET/PT.
Fan favorite Bones continues airing encores on Mondays at 8:00 PM ET/PT all summer, and House moves to Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET/PT with encores starting May 27. Second runs of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? will join encores of Sunday night's animated comedies starting June 1 at 7PM.

Day 95: WGA's Strike; Family Ties Reunion on Today; Nick at Nite News; RTN Adds Maryland Affiliate

Well today is day 95 of the strike. Some shows are actually getting ready to go back into production, which a sure sign the strike will end soon for sure. The big hits like Grey's Anatomy, House, Desperate Housewives, CSI will all for sure return to the air, but some new shows like Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies, Moonlight could be held back until the fall for more promotional push. Traditional sitcoms like Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Back to You could be back on the air the earliest, as it doesn't take much time for them to get back to work...we could see them back on-air in mid-late March.
As far as single camera sitcoms go, The Office has scripts ready already, so it can get on the air as fast as the traditional sitcoms. Samantha Who has three episodes left, it is a question mark though if ABC will hold on to those until the fall or get back into production right away and get in more episodes for this season. With Dancing with the Stars returning, it makes sense to get Samantha back in production ASAP for this season.
We will certainly know much more when the strike officially ends, on what will return and what won't.

The cast of NBC's Family Ties all gathered for the first time in 18 years on Thursday on NBC's Today show to help promote a new memoir, titled "Sit, Ubu, Sit," by the creator of the iconic 1980's television sitcom, Gary David Goldberg. Joining Gary David Goldberg were Michael J. Fox, Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter, Justine Batemen and Tina Yothers.
"Had it not been for this book, we would not have had this reunion. This is the first time in about 18 years that we have all been on the same piece of real estate at the same time," said Michael Gross.
You can read more about this reunion that took place this morning, and watch the entire video of it by clicking HERE!
And don't forget the third season is on DVD next week. See our review for details on it and how to order! Sha la la la!

Updating our story from yesterday on Nick at Nite's overnight changes, they will indeed make these changes for the rest of the month at least rather than just this week. So, we will see a pattern of Full House, Roseanne and Cosby Show in the overnights. So Fresh Prince will be just 11pm-12am, joining Home Improvement and George Lopez in primetime, while the other three shows are for late owls.
For the schedule of the overnights, click HERE!

Yet more RTN news! Retro Television Network (RTN) announced today that it will launch an RTN affiliate in Salisbury, MD. The network will begin airing on WRDE in the 4th quarter of this year on the station's digital channel. The station is currently being acquired by XBC Broadcasting, LLC, pending FCC approval.

Day 94: WGA's Strike; New Sitcom Pick-Ups; Nick at Nite Overnight Changes

Today is the 94th day of the strike. No news to report, but there are some sitcom news to report.
MyNetworkTV has ordered 13 episodes of C To The B Productions and Qtopia Entertainment's new half-hour comedy, Under One Roof. Starring Flavor Flav, the series is scheduled to debut in the Spring of 2008.
Flav plays Calvster Hill, an ex-convict that moves in with his wealthy, conservative brother, Walter (Kelly Perine). Calvster subsequently turns the Hill family's life upside down, parading his old prison cronies through the house; teaching his nephew Walter Jr. to be a gangsta rapper; and butting heads with Walter's snooty wife, Ashley. The series is currently in production in Toronto, Canada and licensed by C To The B Productions and Qtopia Entertainment to MyNetworkTV.
Since the series is written by Canadian writers, this show will have no effect from the strike.
Meanwhile, NBC has announced a series pickup of the American adaptation of the Australian hit comedy series Kath & Kim, starring Molly Shannon (NBC's Saturday Night Live) and Selma Blair (Legally Blonde).
6 episodes have been picked-up, but not word when it could start airing. I would guess the fall. It is a series adapted from Australia's hit comedy of the same title, is a look into the minutiae of middle-class suburbia that digs deep into the daily lives of Kath, a cheerful, forty-something divorcee, and her self-absorbed daughter, Kim. It's the love and hate, push and pull, of the dysfunctional relationship only a mother and daughter could share.

It finally looks like the every night marathon of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Nick at Nite in the late nights could be gone...at least for this week. Last night Full House aired from 2-6am, and it appears at least for this week, there will be no Fresh in the overnights. In addition to Full House on Tuesday night, we get Roseanne tonight from 2-5:30am, The Cosby Show on Thursday night from 2-6am, more Full House on Friday night from 3-6am, more Roseanne on Saturday night from 2-6am, and more The Cosby Show on Sunday night from 1:30am-6am.
I will let you know as soon as I do what will happen next week...but my guess is it will be the same as this week, with Fresh Prince on Monday nights from 2-6am. No schedule changes will be made from 9pm-2am.

Day 87: WGA's Strike; More NATPE Notes; 2 More RTN Stations Added; TV Land Scores Big in January 2008

Today is day 87 of the strike. Various reports are saying the strike could end very soon because the informal negotiations are going well. Let's hope this is true and we get an official announcement soon. If the strike were to end in the next week or two, we could see many of our favorite scripted shows return for a month or two of new episodes this spring! But there are reports shows like Pushing Daisies and Law & Order: SVU would not be able to come back with new episodes until the fall. We'll keep you posted for sure.
In other news, NBC has renewed Celebrity Apprentice for another season. The second season of The Celebrity Apprentice will premiere in January of 2009. The first season wraps up Thursday, March 27 from 9-11pm.

As we did yesterday, we have some more NATPE notes for you.
- Program Partners and 44 Blue Productions have cleared Family Court With Judge Penny, a new syndicated courtroom show, in more than 70% of U.S. markets for this Fall. Clearances include WNYW/WWOR in New York, KTTV/KCOP in Los Angeles, WCIU/WWME in Chicago, WUPA in Atlanta, WBFF/WNUV in Baltimore and KTVT/KTXA in Dallas.
- It looks like The Montel Williams Show is ending after this season. However, CBS TV Distribution will offer 260 episodes of the best of Montel to stations for fall 2008. The show has aired for 17 seasons. Fox stations in the top two markets declined to renew the series for next season.
- NBC Universal's The Steve Wilkos Show was renewed for season two, with clearances in more than 85% of the country including top-market stations WPIX New York, KTLA Los Angeles, WGN Chicago and WPHL Philadelphia. Top Sinclair stations picking up the show for season two include WTTA Tampa, Fla.; WNUV Baltimore; WTTE Columbus, Ohio; and WLFL Raleigh, N.C., and Fox-owned stations extending their deal include WFTC Minneapolis and KUTP Phoenix.
- Litton Entertainment announced that Storm Stories, an unscripted series based on raw footage of extreme weather, has cleared 70% of U.S. stations. It will launch this fall. It comes from The Weather Channel and features customizable format options with features such as live local news and weather updates from station meteorologists. Major-market stations that have signed on include WABC in New York, KCAL/KCBS in Los Angeles, WGN in Chicago, KYW in Philadelphia, WJBK in Detroit, WSB in Atlanta, WTSP in Tampa, Fla., WJW in Cleveland, KPHO in Phoenix, KUSA in Denver, WESH in Orlando, Fla., KXTV in Sacramento, Calif., KSDK in St. Louis, WPXI in Pittsburgh and WJZ in Baltimore.
Litton has done big so far in NATPE, already selling Baywatch reruns to ION and has Cribs, and Pimp My Ride up for sale for this fall.

Retro Television Network (RTN) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Media General to bring RTN programming to Mobile, AL/Pensacola, FL and Columbus, GA. The new affiliates will launch in the second quarter of this year on a digital stream of WKRG, the CBS affiliate in Mobile/Pensacola, and WRBL, the CBS affiliate in Columbus.

TV Land scored its most-watched month ever across several key categories for January 2008, according to Nielsen Media Research (12/31/07-1/27/08). The successful launch of new acquisition Just Shoot Me!, the network's regularly scheduled "Friday Night Movies" which included a telecast of The Jerk and "The Beverly Hillbillies New Year's Eve Marathon" led the network to score double-digit gains in rating and delivery among its target A25-54, core A40-54 audience and total viewers in total day.
In total day, TV Land posted a 0.4 rating (382,000 viewers) among A25-54, up +33% in rating and +33% in delivery over a year ago. The network attracted an average of