New Sitcoms Coming Out On Nbc
Everybody get out your pencils. It’s the Peacock Network’s turn to juggle its schedule.
NBC will debut two Tuesday sitcoms, “Newsradio” and “Pride & Joy,” on March 21.
In other moves, “Hope & Gloria” will join the Thursday lineup as expected on March 9; Patty Duke’s “Amazing Grace” (filmed in Coeur d’Alene and Spokane) will move into the Saturday 8-9 p.m. block on April 1; and “In the House” bows April 3 at 8:30 p.m.
“Newsradio” will take over for “Something Wilder” in the 8:30 p.m. half-hour. Dave Foley and Phil Hartman star in Paul Simms’ sitcom set in a New York City all-news radio station.
“Pride & Joy,” Marc Lawrence’s sitcom about two young couples with children, will replace “The John Larroquette Show” at 9:30 p.m.
“Friends” is moving to the Thursday 9:30 p.m. slot formerly occupied by “Madman of the People.” That leaves 8:30 p.m. open for “Hope & Gloria,” a female buddy sitcom starring Cynthia Stevenson, Jessica Lundy, Alan Thicke and Enrico Colantoni.
“Amazing Grace,” starring Duke as a single mother and newly ordained minister, is replacing NBC’s Saturday sitcom slate from 8-9 p.m.
“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” will be packaged with new sitcom “In the House,” starring LL Cool J and Debbie Allen, on Mondays, moving in for “Blossom.” The rap singer plays a super athlete and Allen plays a once-rich divorcee.
NBC whacks `Blossom’
It’s adios for “Blossom.”
The 5-year-old sitcom will end its run on NBC this May.
The Monday-night series (8:30) will end with an episode called “Goodbye,” which was shot over the weekend.
“Blossom’s” demise is not totally unexpected. While the show has generated strong younger-audience ratings, it has lost some steam in recent years. In fact, its season-todate overall ratings are down 16 percent from its 1993-94 season average.
“All parties involved agreed it was time to end the series,” said an NBC spokesman. “`Blossom’ has been very successful for NBC on Mondays.”
“Blossom” launched on Jan. 7, 1991, with young actress Mayim Bialik in the lead role of the family sitcom. In the years since, both she and costar Joey Lawrence have become teen faves.
When it goes off the air, 113 episodes will have been produced.
“Blossom” and its lead-in, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (8 p.m.), have both had ratings problems this season. ABC moved “Coach” into the Monday 8 p.m. spot earlier this season and Fox moved its young-skewing drama “Melrose Place” into the time slot, too. The recent launch of the United Paramount Network and its Monday-night “Star Trek: Voyager” series has also siphoned off viewers.