Next week, I'll begin writing about what the Canadian networks are planning for their fall schedule starting with CBC but first they have to fill out their summer timeslots. Don't expect anything earthshaking but already there are a few minor tweaks that I need to mention:

1. Teletoon Retro changed their website and logo last month to be a little more social media friendly. When good stations start re-inventing themselves it can't be a good sign and it's starting to happen here. In the last year, the station has begun showing more 80s cartoons and now they've gone into the 90s, right about when the original Teletoon first showed up. Teletoon also owns a Canadian version of Cartoon Network and the channel premiered last summer with positive results and now Teletoon Retro will begin showing one of Cartoon Network's main attractions. Saturday July 6 at 9 pm will begin the network premiere of Dexter's Laboratory. It will run Saturdays at 9 and 9:30 pm and it will also be featured in the weekly Teletoon Retro Rewind block Sunday July 21 from 1 to 4 pm. I give the whole thing a big thumbs down!


July 2013 Programming Highlights:
TELETOON, TELETOON at Night, TELETOON Retro (http://www.teletoonmedia.com/en/index.php/teletoon/highlight/category/july_2013_programing_highlights)

2. In somewhat better news, CTS has made a few changes to their afternoon lineup, finally removing "Full House" and "Fresh Prince" and replacing them with "Gilligan's Island", "Mad About You", and "The Cosby Show", which to me seems like a big improvement. The revised schedule will look like this:

CTS Ontario - Weekdays


3:30 PM Mad About You
4:00 PM The Waltons
5:00 PM Gilligan's Island
5:30 PM The Nanny
6:00 PM The Cosby Show
6:30 PM 100 Huntley Street
7:00 PM Gilmore Girls
8:00 PM The West Wing

CTS Alberta - Weekdays

3:30 PM Mad About You
4:00 PM Mad About You
4:30 PM The Partridge Family
5:00 PM Gilligan's Island
5:30 PM The Nanny
6:00 PM Gilligan's Island
6:30 PM 100 Huntley Street
7:00 PM Gilmore Girls
8:00 PM The West Wing

All in all, not too bad, although The Nanny pretty much ruins the afternoon for me. The changes take effect this week. Here are the general highlights as summed up on its Facebook page:


https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/p480x480/391686_10151610595684788_1409368451_n.jpg


https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/p480x480/988477_10151610597269788_316434286_n.jpg

So long as Teletoon Retro doesn't only start to air newer cartoons, I don't think it's a bad thing. Dexter's Laboratory won't be a big portion of the schedule so to have it a few times a week on Saturday night or on Sunday afternoons won't be too bad.

I think it's also worth mentioning that MuchMusic is airing California Dreams weekdays at 5pm followed by Saved by the Bell at 530pm. California Dreams hasn't been on TV since, I think, 2003 when it was on Superstation WGN. Pairing these two shows is great and extremely unexpected for a channel like MuchMusic. However, in the past year, they've been airing a lot of sitcoms. Fresh Prince airs every weekday 4-5 and 7-8pm and overnight are shows such as Sabrina, the teenage Witch, Clueless, Malcolm in the Middle.