Chris Harrison named new “Millionaire” host

Is there now a Millionaire hosting curse? Disney-ABC Domestic Television on Monday named Dallas native Chris Harrison as the new host of its syndicated Who Wants To Be A Millionaire game show. Harrison replaces Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews, who just replaced Cedric The Entertainer this season. Cerdic was named host of the show in 2013 to replace Meredith Vieira, […]

“Wheel”, “Jeopardy” renewed through 2018

As expected, CBS Television Distribution’s Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy have been renewed for another two years, taking the veteran game shows through the 2017-18 television season. The options for hosts Pat Sajak, Vanna White, and Alex Trebek were picked up a few weeks ago, so the game shows’ renewals were right around the corner. CTD has renewed both shows […]

The truth is still out there: “X-Files” mounts comeback

  Get your conspiracy on folks, because Mulder and Scully are about to make another run to find “the truth”. Looking to strike gold again, Fox announced Tuesday it has ordered six episodes of The X-Files, with production set to begin this summer. With an airdate yet to be set, the X-Files revival is expected to air sometime next season […]

Cubs, White Sox invade Indianapolis TV

Deal with WGN sends selected Cubs and White Sox games to former CBS affiliate; nine other Midwestern markets also cleared  In order to fill a programming void left by CBS, a local Indianapolis TV station is turning to two Chicago institutions. Media General-owned WISH-TV announced Friday it was planning to air a package of Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games produced […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: Bulls score in ratings despite slump

Also: Rentrak signs Tribune stations; Grudge Match eyes return; Shout! launches online TV channel – Despite a lackluster January where the Chicago Bulls went 8-9, the team scored a winning ratings record on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. The RSN scored a 4.8 Nielsen household rating in January – up a whopping 65 percent from last year, when the team was without […]

NATPE 2015 is off and running

The 53rd annual gathering of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) got underway at the Fontainbleau Resort in Miami on Tuesday as syndicators, producers, and content creators converged for the three day conference, which ends on Thursday. There were some programming announcements made at or just prior to NATPE’s start: – Disney-ABC Domestic Television announced updated clearance information for new Tyra […]

Debmar-Mercury, Fremantle to launch “Buzzr TV”

Both companies strike deal with Fox Television Stations to carry new classic game show channel In news that would no doubt please classic game shows fans, a new digital subchannel featuring the genre is launching this summer thanks to Fremantle Media NorthAmerica and Debmar-Mercury. The two companies are launching Buzzr TV, a new classic game show channel molded in the […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: Bill Kurtis joins Decades

– Emmy and Peabody winner Bill Kurtis has a new gig: he’ll host a show on the new Decades network called Though the Decades, a weekday strip recalling the events of historical significance between the 1950s and 1990s, beginning in May. The series plans to draw from the vast resources of CBS News and Entertainment Tonight libraries for material. A […]

“Bob’s Burgers” renewed for sixth season

Mission to one hundred is accomplished; syndication riches to follow. Maybe. Bob’s Burgers, the underrated show that’s become a utility player for Fox in the last few years, has been renewed for a sixth season, pushing it past the one-hundred episode mark and guarantees itself a syndication afterlife. The show is produced by Twentieth Television. The Emmy-winning animated series lives […]

2015: A look ahead

With 2014 now behind us, here’s what to expect in 2015: 1. The Cubs’ new media homes. This year, the Cubs enter a new era: a new over-the-air TV home (WLS-TV/ABC 7) and WBBM-AM, after 90 years with WGN-AM. What’s left unresolved is a package of 45 games, whose TV home is yet to be determined. 2. As the WGN […]

Indianapolis’ WISH to join the CW

Soon-to-be former CBS affiliate WISH-TV will have a new network affiliation at the first of the new year – with The CW. The Media General-owned station announced Monday it was joining the upstart young skewing network, months after it lost its longtime CBS affiliation to WTTV, ending a relationship dating back to 1956. Created by the merger between The WB […]

“Hot Bench” renewed for second season; shifts to WBBM-TV

  In an unusual move, at least in this day and age, freshman first-run strip Hot Bench is changing stations locally in the middle of the season. As part of a CBS O&O deal, Hot Bench – syndicated by co-owned CBS Television Distribution – is shifting to WBBM-Ch.2 where it will air weekdays at 2 p.m effective as of March […]

“Queen Latifah” canceled

      At least Jimmy DeCastro didn’t screw this up. But it wouldn’t have mattered: Sony Pictures Television has canceled The Queen Latifah Show after two seasons, marking the second time she struck with with a daytime talker (the last time was in 2001, when Warner Bros. dropped her similarly-titled show after two seasons.) The program will continue in […]

Tyra’s back in new daytime show

New panel talk show called The Fab clears ABC-owned stations, including WLS-TV Guess who’s back in daytime? After a five-year hiatus, Tyra Banks is back as host of a new one-hour daytime talk show strip called The Fab from Disney-ABC Domestic Television Distribution, scheduled to debut next fall. The program also features four other co-hosts in a panel format. They are: […]