Day 93: WGA's Strike; Perfect Strangers DVD; RTN Coming to Rio Grande Valley

We are now on day 93 of the strike. We are closer and closer each day for this thing to end. The WGA has set membership meetings for this Saturday in Los Angeles and New York to inform their members on the latest developments in negotiations with the producers and perhaps give the industry an idea of how close the strike is to being settled.
WGA chairman John Bowman said neither the negotiating committee nor the WGA boards will "take action on the contract until after the membership meetings." So it doesn't seem we'll get an announcement on the end of the strike this week...but maybe early next week? Pray!

The Perfect Strangers DVD is out today! Warner Home Video is finally releasing this series on DVD and we get the complete first and second seasons on DVD TODAY! Order it if you haven't already by clicking HERE! We just got the DVD today unfortunately for review, so I am working hard to get this review up for you all by the end of today. This is an extra special review, because so many have waited so long for this day, that I must let you all know about the DVD. But please order it...so we can be assured of all seasons on DVD in the near future.
Come on back for a link to our review...you'll find the link to it on the message boards, the main page of the website, the DVD reviews page, and right here on the blog on our DVD Pick of the Week! And my good friend Linda Kay, who runs PerfectStrangers.TV has put up her review already! Like everything she does, it is a great read. What a nice detailed review with lots of images. Check out her review on her website. I'm off now to finish this review up...check back!

UPDATE: Perfect Strangers - The Complete First and Second Seasons DVD Review

RTN keeps on growing guys! Yet another announcement today! Retro Television Network (RTN) announced today that it will bring RTN programming to Harlingen/Weslaco/Brownsville/McAllen, TX (Rio Grande Valley). The new affiliate is scheduled to air later this year on a digital stream of the market-leading ABC affiliate, KRGV.

Fox Announces Mid-Season Premiere Date; Perfect Strangers Coming to DVD!

Fox has announced a premiere date for one of its mid-season entries. Again facing relentless Terminators that will stop at nothing until John Connor, the future leader of the resistance, is eliminated, Sarah Connor stops running and starts fighting back against fate and the machines that are out for her son in the highly anticipated new series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles premiering Monday, Jan. 14 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on Fox.
This means Prison Break will have its Fall Finale on Monday, Dec. 17. It will return to the Fox schedule in its regular time period Monday, April 14, 2008, and will air original episodes into June, along with 24, as previously announced. 24 will have a two-night premiere, Sunday, Jan. 13 from 8-10pm and in its regular night and time on Monday, Jan. 14 at 9pm.
No word yet on what will happen to K-Ville, but it will probably be long gone by then anyway.

I am so happy today! February 12, 2008 will be a big day. Perfect Strangers: The Complete 1st and 2nd Seasons will be coming to DVD then! Yes, the classic 80s slapstick sitcom is FINALLY coming to DVD. Yes, FINALLY! Looks like Warner Home Video finally listened and will give us fans what we have wanted! We will be getting a bonus feature as well on the Dance of Joy. I was hoping they would throw in the unaired pilot with Louie Anderson as the Larry character, but it doesn't look like it. I will make sure to let them know about it.
Read the press release HERE! We will have more on this of course, including a full review closer to the release date.

If we have more news, we will have it for you right here. So try and check back.

Tonight we have new episodes of Back to You and 'Til Death on Fox. Also, I think they will be starting something classic tonight. Before the first scene begins they will say, "Taped before a live studio audience." We haven't heard that on a sitcom in awhile. Shows like Happy Days, Cheers, Coach I know did that before the first scene, while most of the others say it in the closing credits. Anyway, the comedy hour starts at 8/7 central on Fox!

Two and a Half Men Sweepstakes: Win a Trip to Malibu!

Warner Home Video announced the launch of its Two and a Half Days in Malibu sweepstake, an interactive contest to get fans excited about the leading comedy on television, Two and a Half Men: The Complete First Season (see our DVD review), coming for the very first time on DVD on September 11.
Fans of Two and Half Men can log on to http://warnervideo.com/twoandahalfmen for a chance to be the winning twosome to live the once-in-a lifetime, free-wheeling extravagant lifestyle of Charlie Harper in a Malibu Home coupled with VIP treatment, spa package and spending money. The sweepstake centers around users spreading the 'Two and a Half Men Hipster Card' to their friends (up to 5 per user/per day). The cards allow for users to be easily involved with their favorite show on television and share it with multiple friends.
The Two and a Half Days in Malibu sweepstake remains true to the brand and is specifically designed to reward and engage long standing fans, who played a critical role in the show’s success.
Good luck! Hopefully someone who reads this news from right here at Sitcoms Online wins!

We'll be back later if we have more news. So try to come on back. TGIF!

SitcomsOnline.com 2007-08 Upfront Preview: ABC; Some ABC, NBC Notes; DVD News AND MUCH MORE!

The network with the most talked about pilots will be once again ABC! Again dramas will rule but the one comedy probably getting the most buzz is actually on ABC this year. Will ABC bring back any of their returning comedies? We shall see...
Here is the SitcomsOnline.com ABC 2007-08 preview:

New Series Already Picked-Up: None.
New Series We Think That Are Almost Good To Go: Private Practice (drama, GA spin-off), Dirty Sexy Money (drama), Perfect Gentlemen (drama), Pushing Daisies (drama), Football Wives (drama), Marlowe (drama), Sam I Am (sitcom).
New Series Perhaps Picked-Up for Mid-Season: Cashmere Mafia (drama), Eli Stone (drama), Cavemen (sitcom) and Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office (sitcom)

OUR FALL 2007 PREDICTION:

Sundays
7:00PM America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00PM Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00PM Desperate Housewives
10:00PM Perfect Gentlemen (NEW)

Mondays
8:00PM Dancing with the Stars
9:30PM Sam I Am (NEW!)
10:00PM Brothers & Sisters

Tuesdays
8:00PM Marlowe (NEW)
9:00PM Dancing with the Stars: The Results
10:00PM Dirty Sexy Money (NEW)

Wednesdays
8:00PM October Road
9:00PM Private Practice (NEW)
10:00PM Pushing Daisies (NEW)

Thursdays
8:00PM Ugly Betty
9:00PM Grey's Anatomy
10:00PM Football Wives (NEW)

Fridays
8:00PM Men in Trees
9:00PM Boston Legal
10:00PM 20/20

Saturdays
8:00PM College Football

Comments: For the fall ABC is not likely to have a lot of sitcoms. One at most I think, and that is the most buzzed sitcom probably, Sam I Am, starring Christina Applegate. It will probably not debut until a few weeks after the season starts as ABC is likely to run a few two-hour Dancing with the Stars episodes...I think Brothers & Sisters would do well on this night after Stars those few weeks. I think ABC should keep Stars Mondays at 8 ad Tuesdays at 9, and launch a procedural Tuesday at 8. I would have preferred Women's Murder Club, but it doesn't look like that pilot will make it and Marlowe will. Tuesdays at 10 is what ABC should go after. Boston Legal is declining and I think a Friday move would be ideal...it would draw there, as ABC can make headways in the Tuesday at 10 slot with a high power project, so it is worth the risk. Maybe Dirty Sexy Money could take the hour away from the once unstoppable Law & Order: SVU. Wednesday will also be big if Private Practice does at least 75% of GA's numbers. Lost will return in February most likely for 16 straight weeks, maybe Wednesday at 8 would be good. ABC is likely going to air repeat free for most of its shows, so they can test new mid-season shows more than usual. Hope to see Cashmere Mafia, Eli Stone, etc. Will ABC get Scrubs? And do they really need it? The only thing I can see is Wednesdays at 8, followed by something like Knights of Prosperity or the new Cavemen, then Lost and then maybe Private Practice moving to 10PM for the rest of the season to avoid Idol? I guess ABC will worry about that when the time comes, first priority is the fall. Look for Football Wives to do big...they have to pick it up, I guarantee it will be a BIG hit. Series that will be canceled or are ending include: What About Brian, Six Degrees, The Nine, According to Jim, Show Me the Money, Day Break, The Great American Dream Vote, Big Day, In Case of Emergency, George Lopez and Help Me Help You. I will bring back on the bubble sitcoms Notes from the Underbelly & The Knights of Prosperity and try them somewhere. The Bachelor, Wife Swap & Supernanny will all return for mid-season or maybe December. Looking at the fall line-up, ABC has at least one strong show each night (such as Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy...their 9pm shows are very strong and they anchor the nights well) and hopefully they can build or maintain ratings with new shows such as Dirty Sexy Money and Perfect Gentlemen. It should be another ratings plus for ABC in the fall. They just have to find a way to maintain it for that little lull from December to February. I think they have a plan and will do well, by airing alternate series, movies, and specials in December and January.
Anyway, this season ABC had some decent hits like Ugly Betty and Brothers & Sisters and to some extent Men in Trees and October Road. But this coming year will be bigger I think. I see Private Practice, Football Wives and Dirty Sexy Money breaking out big time...maybe the way Lost, Desperate Housewives & Grey's Anatomy did in 2004-05 season and Perfect Gentleman will be also pretty big maybe.
Click here to see our detailed information on all of ABC's sitcom pilots. And here for ABC's drama pilots.

Remember, next Tuesday (May 15) is the actual date when we will find out ABC's plans for the 2007-08 season. So, come on back next Tuesday 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 CBS's upfront.

As for some network news, as we mentioned up top, ABC has decided to air 16 episodes next season of Lost. The series will end in May 2010, so ABC will air three more seasons of 16 straight episodes...that's the final 48 episodes. Everything will be answered and it will not just end without anyone knowing. There is a planned ending. Can't wait, but I surely want the time to go slow so we can enjoy it!
Meanwhile, NBC has picked up Medium for 2007-08, which is no surprise. And in immediate news, NBC has pulled The Real Wedding Crashers from Mondays at 10 and will move Law & Order: Criminal Intent there for its final two episodes of the season. Its current Tuesday at 9 slot will be encores now. So maybe it looks good for that show to return next season and the original will be on the bubble?

Warner Home Video had their annual chat last night at HTF. While there were no definite news on sitcoms, series such as Perfect Strangers & Family Matters are being evaluated for a release in 2008. Finally! Warner will consider season two's of Night Court, Growing Pains, but there are no plans yet. And they flat out said nothing in the works for sitcoms such as Hogan Family & Head of the Class. You can read the full chat transcript here. TVShowsonDVD.com has a good highlight item, if you want to read that instead.

Mother's Day is on Sunday, but the Biography Channel is celebrating the day all-week with bios on your favorite TV moms past and present! The week-long stunt started last night actually with a Biography on Julia Louise-Dreyfus, the mom on The New Adventures of Old Christine. The Bios air all week at 8pm ET/9pm PT: Tonight it is Carolyn Jones from The Addams Family; Wednesday it is Elizabeth Montgomery of Bewitched; Patrica Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond is Thursday; and Donna Reed of The Donna Reed Show is on Friday.

ABC Adds More 'Jim', 'Underbelly' for Next 2 Weeks; Warner Home Video Chat at HTF

Mini-DVD Reviews will not be seen today, stay tuned for a special edition of news, right here on the SitcomsOnline.com News Blog (You know it is May sweeps when we bring news on a Saturday)! Mini-DVD Reviews will return next week with an all-new mini-DVD review of The Chipmunks Go to the Movies!

For the next two Wednesdays (May 9 and 16), ABC will drop the previous week Lost encores for a repeat of According to Jim at 9pm and an all-new Notes from the Underbelly at 9:30. Both will be up against American Idol. They will still air out of the path of Idol at 8 & 8:30, with new episodes. Lost will remain at 10 p.m. and will still have the two-hour season finale from 9-11pm on May 23.

Warner Home Video will have its annual TV DVD chat at HTF on Monday from 8-11pm ET! On hand will be: George Feltenstein, SVP Catalog Marketing, Warner Home Video; Dorinda Marticorena, VP, Kid and Sports Marketing, Warner Home Video; Rosemary Markson, VP, TV Marketing, Warner Home Video; and Amit Desai, Exec. Director, Kid Marketing.
Meet the people that bring you your favorite Warner Home Video
product with an opportunity to ask questions regarding past and future releases. And Everwood fans out there...only one total question will be asked about that show. Us sitcom fans want to know where are season sets of Perfect Strangers, Family Matters, Step by Step, Hogan Family, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Chico and the Man, Alice, and so many others. And why haven't new sets come out for Night Court, Growing Pains, Murphy Brown, and Life Goes On? Now is our chance to be heard! Click HERE to read the rules and join the chat on May 7. Be there!

New Shows for In2TV; VB Article on TV-DVDs; 'Studio 60' Burns Off Post-Sweeps on NBC

In2TV, the online TV channel airing tons of TV shows, has added some new shows this month. New shows and specials: Freddie, Wally Gator, Mr. Bill, Gumby, The Zeta Project, and The Growing Pains Movie. A short Growing Pains Blooper Reel has also been added.
And of course more episodes of your favorite In2TV shows are added. Have fun watching!

Video Business just posted an article on TV DVDs. Susanne Ault wrote the piece and it talks about classic TV on DVD. It tells us if sales are not good, they put shows on hold for future seasons. Also, this confirms what we first reported that Warner Home Video has put the TV Favorites campaign on hold and will release full season sets only! Read the article here.

NBC will return freshman drama Studio 60 from the Sunset Strip on Thursday, May 24. It will burn-off all six of its remaining episodes likely. The show is returning after May sweeps ends, so it doesn't seem likely it will return next season with new episodes. The show will air at 10 p.m. on May 24.