The TV IV Blog

The writers strike is still in full swing this week but there is some good news an end is now actually possible. The two sides have agreed to meet starting next week. It’s unlikely that they will reach a deal quickly but at least it is now theoretically possible for the strike to end. The networks have started to make longer term plans for a continued strike. They’ve started buying new shows and scheduling the non-scripted shows they stockpiled in anticipation of the strike.

This Week

Just three premieres and one special presentation this week first up is TBS’s new sketch comedy Frank TV (Tuesday 11PM) which was supposed to have eight episodes but because of the strike will have only five unless the strike ends quickly. Then on Thursday at 10PM ABC has a special premiere of October Road to make sure Grey’s Anatomy fans that watched it last year realize it’s back. It moves to it’s regular timeslot next Monday at 10PM. On Saturday at 9:30PM CMT debuts the first of it’s four part miniseries Billy Ray Cyrus: Home at Last showcasing the singer/actor/father as he navigates through the different aspects of his life. Lastly also on Saturday at 9PM the Sci Fi Channel debuts the special Battlestar Galactica movie Razor. This will be the only new BSG material until early April 2008.

tags: tv schedule, tv programming, tv iv, tv news, tv updates, writers strike, tbs, frank tv, abc, october road, cmt, billy ray cyrus, home at last, sci fi channel, battlestar galactica, razor, nbc, quarterlife, dirty sexy money, the duel, clash of the choirs, deal or no deal, life, the apprentice, bravo, top chef, holiday special, millionaire matchmaker, house of payne, ghost hunters, ghost hunters international, mtv, kaya, making menudo

New Shows

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The writers strike is now in full swing and while it hasn’t had a direct effect on the primetime schedules yet it has upset some future scheduling dominoes and as the finished episodes run out will start being more and more noticeable. FOX seems to be the only network that’s really acknowledging that the strike is going to most likely last a long time. NBC even refuses to cancel the new episodes of Leno and Conan more than one day in advance. They’ll have to do something about it soon as they’re going to run out of new Office episodes after this week. For a full run down of the effects of the strike and how many episodes of a particular series will be completed check out our info. box on the right side of the main page.

This Week

Quite a few premieres this week as the schedules start to transition from fall to winter. Bravo’s premiere reality show Project Runway kicks off it’s fourth season Tuesday at 10PM making Bravo the Timm Gunn network for a couple weeks until his Guide to Style finishes its season. Wednesday night (well early Thursday morning) at 12:30AM Comedy Central offers a preview premiere of the Canadian import Kenny vs. Spenny. A pretty funny show about two friends that compete against each other in a bunch of silly contests. This goes to show how important South Park is to CC when they use the late night encore as a premium lead-in for a new show. On Sunday at 11:30PM the show slides into its regular timeslot. Friday at 10PM MTV starts airing new reality show The Kentucky Kid focused on pro-motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden. The Disney Channel is starting the second season of Corey in the House on Saturday at 8:30PM so it’s one third of the way to being cancelled. HBO is bringing back it’s Mayweather fight hyping reality show this time co-starring Hatton with Mayweather/Hatton 24/7. The second season of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! starts on Adult Swim on Sunday at 12:15AM (okay techically Monday).

tags: tv programming, tv schedule, tv iv, tv updates, tv news, writers strike, bravo, project runway, comedy central, kenny vs. spenny, mtv, kentucky kid, disney channel, cory in the house, hbo, mayweather/hatton 24/7, tim and eric awesome show, great job, adult swim, the n, student body, cmt, can you duet, abc, cashmere mafia, fox, 24, terminator: the sarah connor chronicles, sarah connor, prison break, when women rule the world, moment of truth, hell’s kitchen, new amsterdam, return of jezebel james, unhitched, canterbury’s law, bones, til death, nbc, american gladiators, cw, crowned, mother of all pagaents, we tv, high school confidential, fox reality, the academy

Well it seems this week and the writers’ strike are starting at the same time. The only immediately noticable influence will be all the late night shows going to repeats at the same time. Nightline’s ratings should go up at least the news writers are in a different union. For full coverage of all the effects of the strike on television check out our info box on the main page. Now time to get down to the regular column.

This Week

Not much at all premiering this week (next week is a huge premiere week though) on Tuesday Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County third season premieres at 10PM don’t really know much about the show or what’s coming up this season. 10:30PM Wednesday sees the premiere of Court TV’s MyCase.com (don’t bother checking out that website it doesn’t seem to even be registered to Turner kind of a stupid name if so) the show follows investigations into the online clues and trails criminals leave. CSI and Without a Trace are having their first cross-over on Thursday. Looks like CBS is trying to boost up Trace’s ratings to what they were before they moved it to Sunday. Don’t Forget the Lyrics expands to a second Friday at 9PM edition on FOX as The Next Great American Band scales back to one hour. On Saturday CMT premieres Trick My Trucker (Saturday 8PM) a spinoff of Trick My Truck where the truck drivers get the makeover instead of the trucks.

tags: tv iv, tv programming, tv schedule, tv news, bravo, housewives of orange county, court tv, mycase.com, cmt, trick my truck, cbs, don’t forget the lyrics, fox, nbc, amne$ia, oxygen, coolio & the gang, tv land, 50 greatest tv icons, the singing bee, heroes: origins, abc, samantha who, women’s murder club, showtime, weeds, l word, hbo, extras, fx, rescue me, sci fi channel, battlestar galactica, usa, monk, psych, comedy central, kenny vs. spenny, a&e, paranormal state