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!

Fox and The CW Upfront 2007-08: Fall 2007 Schedule; ABC Family Adds 'Sister', '8 Simple Rules'

Your first look at Fox's official line-up!

Fox 2007-08
Fall 2007

Sundays
7:00PM NFL Postgame
8:00PM The Simpsons
8:30PM King of the Hill
9:00PM Family Guy
9:30PM American Dad

Mondays
8:00PM Prison Break
9:00PM K-Ville (NEW!)

Tuesdays
8:00PM New Amsterdam (NEW!)
9:00PM House

Wednesdays
8:00PM Back to You (NEW!)
8:30PM 'Til Death
9:00PM Bones

Thursdays
8:00PM Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00PM Kitchen Nightmares (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM The Search for the Next Greatest American Band (NEW!)
9:00PM Nashville (NEW!)

Saturdays
8:00PM Cops
9:00PM America's Most Wanted


January 2008:

Sundays
7:00PM King of the Hill
7:30PM American Dad
8:00PM The Simpsons
8:30PM Family Guy
9:00PM The Sarah Connor Chronicles (NEW!)

Mondays
8:00PM K-Ville (January)/Prison Break (Spring)
9:00PM 24

Tuesdays
8:00PM American Idol
9:00PM House

Wednesdays
8:00PM Back to You
8:30PM The Return of Jezbel James (NEW!)
9:00PM American Idol Results Show
9:30PM 'Til Death

Thursdays
8:00PM Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00PM Canterbury's Law (NEW!)

Fridays
8:00PM Bones
9:00PM New Amsterdam

Saturdays
8:00PM Cops
9:00PM America's Most Wanted

Fox has not yet scheduled a slot for mid-season comedy The Rules for Starting Over.
To recap, Fox will launch two new dramas, one new comedy and three new reality series in the fall. Two new dramas and two new sitcoms will launch in mid-season.

Discuss Fox's 2007-08 line-up here.



Your first look at The CW's official line-up!

The CW 2007-08

Fall 2007

Sundays
7:00PM Online Nation (NEW!)
7:30PM The CW Now (NEW!)
8:00PM Life is Wild (NEW!)
9:00PM Top Model Encore

Mondays
8:00PM Everybody Hates Chris
8:30PM Aliens in America (NEW!)
9:00PM Girlfriends
9:30PM The Game

Tuesdays
8:00PM Beauty and the Geek
9:00PM Reaper (NEW)

Wednesdays
8:00PM America's Next Top Model
9:00PM Gossip Girl (NEW!)

Thursdays
8:00PM Smallville
9:00PM Supernatural

Fridays
8:00PM WWE Smackdown!


Mid-Season:

Coming off the bench in mid-season are returning drama series One Tree Hill and returning reality series Pussycat Dolls Present along with two new reality series Crowned and Farmer Wants a Wife.

Discuss The CW's 2007-08 line-up here.


ABC Family has made changes to its June line-up and will be adding two sitcoms to its afternoon and evening line-up! Joining the line-up at 2 & 2:30 p.m. weekdays starting June 11 will be the Tia & Tamara sitcom Sister, Sister! Also joining the line-up, airing weekdays at 6 & 6:30 p.m. starting June 12 (a movie will air here on June 11 for that night only) will be the John Ritter sitcom 8 Simple Rules! Now because of these changes, ABC Family will edit some other timeslots. Step by Step which was airing 2 & 2:30 p.m. will move to 8 & 8:30 a.m. weekdays. 8 & :30 a.m. was Boy Meets World, now that will move to afternoons at 3 & 3:30 p.m. Full House was 3 & 3:30 p.m., now that will move down to 4 & 4:30 p.m., replacing Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which is now going to be weekdays at 9:00 a.m, replacing America's Funniest Home Videos. Grounded for Life will return to the weekday line-up and air at 7 & 7:30 p.m. 8 Simple Rules and Grounded for Life will replace 7th Heaven and Smallville. Smallville is going to be moving to 12 midnight replacing America's Funniest Home Videos. It will only air Wed-Fri because original encores air in the slot on Monday and Tuesday nights. What about 7th Heaven? It will only air Sunday mornings now at 7 & 8 a.m...ouch.
To view the full schedule, click HERE.

CBS Upfront 2007-08: Fall 2007 Schedule; ABC Schedule Change for Next Tuesday

Your first look at CBS's official line-up!

CBS 2007-08

Fall 2007

Sundays
7:00PM 60 Minutes
8:00PM Viva Laughlin (NEW!)
9:00PM Cold Case
10:00PM Shark

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

Tuesdays
8:00PM Navy NCIS
9:00PM The Unit
10:00PM Cane (NEW)

Wednesdays
8:00PM Kid Nation (NEW)
9:00PM Criminal Minds
10:00PM CSI: NY

Thursdays
8:00PM Survivor
9:00PM CSI
10:00PM Without a Trace

Fridays
8:00PM Ghost Whisperer
9:00PM Moonlight (NEW!)
10:00PM NUMB3RS

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


Mid-Season:

Coming off the bench in mid-season are returning series The Amazing Race and The New Adventures of Old Christine along with new drama Swingtown and new gameshow Power of 10.

Discuss CBS's 2007-08 line-up here.

ABC has made a schedule change for next Tuesday (May 22). ABC will move the two-hour season finale of Dancing with the Stars from 8-10pm to 9-11pm! Boston Legal's season finale was scheduled at 10pm and will move to the following Tuesday (May 29) at 10pm. ABC will air The Bachelor: After the Final Rose special at 8 p.m. on May 22.

NBC 2007-08 Upfront: Fall 2007 Schedule; More Upfront News

Your first look at NBC's official line-up!

NBC 2007-08

Fall 2007

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

Mondays
8:00PM Deal or No Deal
9:00PM Heroes
10:00PM Journeyman (NEW)

Tuesdays
8:00PM The Biggest Loser
9:00PM Chuck (NEW)
10:00PM Law & Order: SVU

Wednesdays
8:00PM Deal or No Deal
9:00PM Bionic Woman (NEW) (Will air on Sci Fi Channel a few days later)
10:00PM Life (NEW) (Will air on USA Network a few days later)

Thursdays
8:00PM My Name is Earl
8:30PM 30 Rock
9:00PM The Office
9:30PM Scrubs
10:00PM ER

Fridays
8:00PM 1 vs. 100 / The Singing Bee (NEW)
9:00PM Las Vegas
10:00PM Friday Night Lights

Saturdays
8:00PM Dateline
9:00PM-11:00PM Crime Repeats
(Law & Order: Criminal Intent second run is reportedly here.)

Mid-Season:

January (Sundays after NFL ends)
7:00PM Dateline
8:00PM Law & Order
9:00PM Medium
10:00PM Lipstick Jungle (NEW)

NBC will kick-start the weekend on Fridays (8-9 p.m. ET) with "Game Night," a rotation of game shows that features 1 vs 100 (hosted by Bob Saget) for eight weeks, followed by six weeks of the new variety competition series The Singing Bee in the fall. The program is a competition that challenges contestants to accurately sing the lyrics to popular songs -- even when the band stops playing.
Later in the fall, NBC plans to introduce the unscripted series, World Moves, a talent competition program from executive producer Randy Jackson ("American Idol") that features dance teams from around the world auditioning for their shot to come to Los Angeles and compete for a global championship and an international touring contract.
Single camera sitcom The I.T. Crowd will join for six weeks in mid-season. Some other notes: The Office will have 30 half-hours of the hit series, including five hour-long episodes, and also has increased the season order for My Name Is Earl to 25 episodes. NBC "bulks up" with 30 combined episodes of Heroes and Heroes: Origins, an innovative new spin-off that each week will introduce a new character -- one of whom will be chosen by viewers through the Heroes website on NBC.com to become a cast regular the following season. Finally, Jerry Seinfeld, star of the classic NBC mega-hit Seinfeld, returns to the network to create and star in 20 unique live-action comedy "minisodes" inspired by his experiences creating the upcoming DreamWorks animated feature film Bee Movie, in theaters November 2.
Discuss NBC's 2007-08 line-up here.

Well, tomorrow we have ABC coming up at the upfront. We announced a few days ago what series have been picked-up thus far. ABC has picked up 10 new series so far (Private Practice, Big Shot, Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, Cashmere Mafia, Sam I Am, Women's Murder Club, Carpoolers and Cavemen), but now they also have picked-up sitcom Miss/Guided for mid-season. Maybe a 12th will be picked-up soon in sitcom The Middle starring Ricki Lake. We'll find out tomorrow. Football Wives will probably not be picked-up (as we mentioned, expense issues) but ABC will have an option to pick-it up, similar to what they did with October Road last year. And other series that were in the run like The Hill & The Thick Of It seem unlikely. According to Jim might actually return for mid-season, but George Lopez seems unlikely now.
As for CBS, they made it official, they have picked up four dramas and a sitcom so far. Dramas are: Cane, Moonlight, Viva Laughlin, & Swingtown. The latter is expected for mid-season. No mention of Babylon Fields...unless CBS already picked it up. It was slated for mid-season, maybe CBS won't need it now. Sitcom wise so far The Big Bang Theory has been picked-up, with two more likely, possibly the back from the dead I'm in Hell and The Captain. CBS also picked-up game show The Power of 10 hosted by Drew Carey. CBS is expected to bring back shortened seasons of Jericho, Close to Home and The Unit.