TBS to become an all comedy channel

[tvje]

Can anyone tell me what the announcement by TBS that it will become all comedy channel? Is it going to compete directly with Comedy Central? Will is still air movies? Will it still air Atlanta Braves baseball? What does this announcement mean?

[AKA]

Yeah, I was wondering about the Braves thing, too. Perhaps they'll keep the them. Or maybe they'll move the games to TNT, much like they did with Atlanta Hawks basketball years ago.

I don't think Comedy Central has much to worry about, though. Comedy Cenral and the new TBS will be different beats.

For anyone who doesn't know yet, here's the details:

Turner brands TBS for comedy, TNT for drama

By Gary Levin
USA TODAY

Call it a tale of two Turners.

Two of the top five basic-cable networks — TNT and TBS — share an owner and often battled an image problem. Both aired NBA games and moldy movies. Without much original programming, each lacked an identity.

"They were indistinguishable from each other," says Turner Entertainment Group president Mark Lazarus.

That's changing. TBS details plans today to complete its transformation to an all-comedy network, adding an edited Sex and the City (Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT starting June 15) and Everybody Loves Raymond (coming in July) to a lineup that already includes top hits Friends and Seinfeld.

It's part of TBS' move from Mayberry to Manhattan that has lured more young viewers.

The network will sandwich Sex with a handful of comedy-reality series, including a real-life version of Gilligan's Island (Wednesdays, 9 p.m. ET/PT) and Outback Jack (Tuesdays, 9 p.m. ET/PT), a cross between The Bachelor and Crocodile Dundee. In the pipeline: A competition among "macho men" as female impersonators.

In June, it will rebrand itself as "TBS very funny" — a counterpart to TNT's "we know drama" slogan — reduce movie nights to three from six and drop serious films such as Philadelphia.

Similarly, TNT has pumped millions into acquiring network dramas including top-rated Law & Order, NYPD Blue and ER. Without a Trace is due this fall and Alias next year, part of a series budget for both networks that's doubled since 2000.

Having spurned original dramas (Witchblade) for their high cost and negligible ratings impact, the network is jumping back in to add luster — and viewers.

"The smartest thing to do is to build the foundation, walls and roof before you build the chimney," says Steve Koonin, chief operating officer. "Now we're ready to build the chimney."

Steven Spielberg's $50 million Into the West, a 12-hour epic about the settling of the American West, is due next summer. The Grid, a six-week drama about counterterrorism experts starring Dylan McDermott (The Practice) and Julianna Margulies (ER), starts in July.

And the network has ordered five pilots, with the goal of launching a new drama each summer, along with a miniseries event. Contenders revolve around prosecutors, a SWAT team and emergency medical technicians.

But as with many basic-cable networks, the vast majority of its programming will be time-tested repeats: 85% of TBS' lineup and 70% of more sports-heavy TNT.

[Dean Winchester]

the only thing I don't get about TNT is that they take the "Drama" thing TOO SERIOUSLY.

They've shown promos for movies like The Wedding Singer and The Wedding Planner that they were going to air, and then hyped them as DRAMAS. The Wedding Singer is as much a drama as The English Patient is a comedy. I know TNT airs a lot of drama shows (tho they need to realize at this point, Charmed's as much of a comedy), but by hyping comedy films as "Drama" isn't going to work very well.

[barwars]

I think its a good move.
but "TBS Very Funny" sounds "very stupid"

[Pavan]

It's not going to affect their daytime line-up. It's basically for primetime that will change. More original series will air then, and reruns of Seinfeld, Friends, and Sex and the City will air weekly in primetime. Seinfeld and Friends will still air in its normal weekday slots as well. I will post TBS June in a few.

And yes, The Braves will still be on.

[Skywalker]

TBS needs more variety. They also have to stop butchering their sitcoms. I don't understand how they can cut 1 minute and a half of Seinfeld, and yet they show Chips unedited.

[Jenya]

Originally posted by pavanbadal

And yes, The Braves will still be on.

Here's a question- if anybody can remember. Is it my imagination, or did TBS used to broadcast the Atlanta Thrashers regular season hockey games several years ago?

[Chelsea]

TJ, you'd know a lot better than I would...

As *I* seem to recall, Thrashers games have always aired on Turner South, or other varied channels, but never TBS. I could be wrong though.,

[James]

Originally posted by AKA
It's part of TBS' move from Mayberry to Manhattan that has lured more young viewers.

Could somebody please explain?

[barwars]

Originally posted by James
Could somebody please explain?

CBS did it in the fall of 1970.... TBS has been doing it for years.
Its moving away from "rural" sitcoms in to shows with more "urban" appeal.

[spunkygirl]

Originally posted by pavanbadal
It's not going to affect their daytime line-up. It's basically for primetime that will change. More original series will air then, and reruns of Seinfeld, Friends, and Sex and the City will air weekly in primetime. Seinfeld and Friends will still air in its normal weekday slots as well. I will post TBS June in a few.

And yes, The Braves will still be on.

*crosses fingers that they bring back Lois & Clark to their daytime lineup*

[ClassicComedyFan2]

Originally posted by James
Could somebody please explain?

In the spring of 1971, CBS cancelled numerous shows with "rural appeal" including Green Acres, Hogan's Heroes, The Ed Sullivan Show, Petticoat Junction, and The Beverly Hillbillies in favor of more "urban" sitcoms like All in the Family or Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Previously, TBS showed classic shows like The Flintstones, The Andy Griffith Show, and Bewitched (back in the days when everything on the newtork aired on the 5s). Now, they are moving toward all of those "dopey guy, beautiful wife" sitcoms like Everybody Loves Raymond and King of Queens and the sexually-obssessed Sex and the City.

I really hope the Braves, Mama's Family, Cosby (1996), and Saved by the Bell stay on the network. I do ocassionaly watch a movie on the net, too, along with the early morning airings of CHiPs.

[Pavan]

Originally posted by Topanga
*crosses fingers that they bring back Lois & Clark to their daytime lineup*

I wish, but they lost rights after the end of August of last year. I know that for a fact.

[spunkygirl]

Originally posted by pavanbadal
I wish, but they lost rights after the end of August of last year. I know that for a fact.

Really? Someone at Lois and Clark board emailed TBS a few months ago, and they said that they did still have the rights to the show