What’s happening to the cherished genre these days isn’t funny as it could be reduced to nothing Seven weeks ago, CNN launched The History Of The Sitcom – an unnecessary eight-part documentary on a subject covered to death through books, PBS, and other media celebrating the form stretching from the days of I Love Lucy on your black-and-white mono […]
Some sad news to start off this edition of notations: Emmy-award winning actress Kathryn Joosten died on Sunday after a long battle with lung cancer at the age of 72. She was best known for her portrayal of presidential secretary Mrs. Landingham on The West Wing, and most recently, the nosy neighbor on Desperate Housewives. Born in Eustus, Fl. in […]
Here’s what in The Grab Bag on this Friday: – One day after Merlin Media re-launched WKQX as an Alternative Rock outlet, the company launched a new news/talk station in Philadelphia Monday with former WBBM-TV and Access: Hollywood anchor Larry Mendete as the centerpiece. Billed as “IQ 106.9” (WWIQ-FM), the station is being touted as an alternative to all-news KYW-AM […]
When Who Wants To Be A Millionaire returns to begin its ninth syndicated season on September 13, the show will go under a dramatic overhaul so stringent, the only thing you may recognize is host Meredith Vierra. To stem declining ratings, the series is changing the way how it plays the game. And if you thought it was tough to […]
Law & Order’s fate hanging in the balance It was a day for cancellations. In a move that does not surprise anyone, The Thursday night science-fiction series’ ratings declined significantly throughout the season in the key adults 18-49 demographic. Last Thursday’s airing of FlashForward finished in last place among adults 18-49 in its time period, even behind CW’s Vampire Diaries, […]
Me-TV, the home of classic sitcoms (and a few educational and first-run weeklies) has revamped its schedule, effective this Monday. The most notable change is the removal of raunchy sitcoms Married… With Children and That’s ’70’s Show from the schedule and airing Scrubs at 12:30 a.m. – a half-hour before its regularly scheduled 1 a.m. WCIU showing. And speaking of […]
Weigel Broadcasting, owner of independent WCIU-TV in Chicago and classic TV stations Me-TV (WCIU-DT, 26.2) and Me-Too (WMEU-TV and WCIU-DT 26.3) has released its fall schedules for the 2009-10 season. Click the links to view each schedule, all in PDF form: WCIU 2009 Fall Schedule Me-TV Fall Schedule Me-Too Fall Schedule Similar to what Turner has done to TBS and […]
The final day of the press tour came Saturday, and it was ABC’s turn to face the press. ABC – During the ABC executive session, Stephen McPherson talked about ABC’s aggressive new series push this fall – eight in all – airing Tuesday through Friday (more on this a little later.) – But the big news is McPherson wants Paula […]
The first of the Big Three started its’ presentation today at the TCA Press Tour. First up, ABC and its two-parter: – Odd sight: A reporter for the “Sarasota N.Y. newspaper” asks if ABC is courting Jay Leno. Turns out the reporter is… Jimmy Kimmel! He dashes about before real journalists asked him about… well, you know… – ABC chief […]
Every move you make, I’ll be watching you… Creepy! Hold the flag above your heads kids, because there is a network that will make you proud to waive the red, white, and blue this 4th of July. But it doesn’t have an American flag as part of its logo. And the programming (crummy as it is) hasn’t really changed. Yet. […]
ABC released its fall schedule today, and you can view it by clicking here(all times Eastern; programs air one hour earlier in Chicago and the rest of the Central and Mountain time zones.) Not much in the way of changes: ABC announced only two new shows this fall with Life on Mars and Opportunity Knocks on the sked. Also, Boston […]
The latest from the Upfronts: Here is what you won’t see on the fall schedules – i.e. the programs that have been canceled: ABC: Men in Trees, Miss Guided, October Road, Women’s Murder Club. CBS: Cane, Welcome to the Captain (Wait a minute. This show was on the air?) FOX: Back to You, Canterbury’s Law, New Amsterdam, The Return of Jezebel James […]
Last week, two programs reminded us how much the words “vertical integration” meant to the TV business. The possible renewals of tired sitcoms According to Jim and Scrubs. Both come from the same studio (ABC Studios) and both are being considered for pickups by ABC next season, despite the fact both have drawn less and less viewers over the last […]
Scrubs could be soon in the same company with the likes of Peter Gunn, Let’s Make A Deal, Get Smart, Scooby-Doo, Family Matters, JAG, The Hogan Family, Step by Step, The Critic, Diff’rent Strokes, Taxi, and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer: series that has aired on more than one network. ABC is reportedly picking up Scrubs for next season, which has […]
Good news for local fans of the TV series Scrubs: WCIU-TV has acquired the second cycle of the hit NBC comedy from Disney/ABC Domestic Television beginning in the fall of 2009. The move means the program will stay in broadcast syndication and not head for an exclusive deal on cable, which many off-network sitcoms have recently done (i.e. Home Improvement, […]
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