TV Land Upfront 2003 -- Mr. Ed, Flip Wilson, Bonanza, Green Acres, Carol Burnett, etc

[Pavan]

Now all the secrets are revealed (no secret to me though). As you can see the hints I was giving are mentioned, like the secret drama, secret western, etc. Here is everything that is coming from now to 2004:


TV Land Adds Eight Classic TV Series to Its Line-up Through 2004

New Acquisitions Include Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Mister Ed, The Flip Wilson Show, Bonanza, Green Acres, Fantasy Island and Carol Burnett and Friends

New York, NY, May 6, 2003 – TV Land, cable television’s only 24-hour home to the best of everything television, will add six timeless classic series throughout the next year, it was announced today by Larry W. Jones, Executive Vice President and General Manager, TV Land and Nick at Nite during the MTV Networks Upfront presentation held in New York today. Hit classics Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Mister Ed, The Flip Wilson Show, Bonanza, Green Acres, Fantasy Island and Carol Burnett and Friends will join the TV Land line-up through 2004.

“These shows are unforgettable classics,” states Larry W. Jones. “Combined with the network’s already-stellar programming, TV Land truly is the network that celebrates the best of television’s rich history.”

TV Land experienced its most successful year ever in 2002 as the network recorded its highest audience levels ever among total viewers and in its target Adults 25-54 audience. TV Land continues to fulfill its promise to present the best programming from TV’s first 50 years through its network created by TV experts for passionate viewers.

TV Land will add the following shows throughout the next year:

Bewitched (May 31, 2003)

TV Land delves into the bewitched, bothered and bewildered when the comedy classic Bewitched returns to TV Land beginning with a 48-hour marathon on May 31, 2003, and will begin airing in its regular timeslot on June 2, 2003. This imaginative series, which proved to be a star vehicle for actress Elizabeth Montgomery, garnered several Emmys and was the biggest hit series produced by ABC up to that time.

Bewitched aired from 1964 to 1972 and centers around a beautiful witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and her earnest attempts to abandon her witchcraft to lead a normal life with her husband Darrin (Dick York in 1964-1969; Dick Sargent in 1969-1972). Ironically, the last and only normal event in this couple’s union was their marriage in the first telecast. One twitch of her nose unleashes powers enabling her to consistently get her way around the house. Samantha has a slew of relatives, all witches and warlocks, eager for her not to turn into a mortal including: her nosy mother Endora (Agnes Moorehead) who unleashes her own powers on Darrin whenever she deems necessary; her father Maurice (Maurice Evans); jokester Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde) and Aunt Clara (Marion Lorne).


Fantasy Island (June 2, 2003)

This romantic drama executive produced by Aaron Spelling (Love Boat, Dynasty) set on a remote island resort was a major hit from 1978 to 1984. Each episode consists of several different stories, all with the same result – the island’s visitors always have their lifelong dreams come true. Whether it is an innocent island visitor wanting to become sexy and sophisticated during their stay, or a frustrated family man wanting respect from his clan – every fantasy comes true. Many of the storylines focus on ordinary people seeking glamour and excitement in their lives.

The island’s owner, the suave Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalbon) and his helper Tattoo (Herve Villechaize) oversee the different dramas each week. Roarke becomes increasingly mysterious in later seasons, involving himself with spells and potions, and Tattoo is later replaced with Lawrence (Christopher Hewitt) as Roarke’s sidekick. Guest stars throughout the show’s run included: Michelle Pfeiffer, Cathryn Damon, Abe Vigoda, Charo, David Cassidy, Heather Locklear, Red Buttons, Robert Goulet, Sammy Davis Jr. and Sonny Bono.


I Dream of Jeannie (June 2, 2003)

TV Land viewers’ every wish is Jeannie’s command when the network launches I Dream of Jeannie on June 2, 2003. The comedy series, which aired from 1965-1970, made actors Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman and Bill Daily household names. The show’s blend of slapstick humor and wacky storylines also made it one of the most popular of its day. TV Land will celebrate the addition of I Dream of Jeannie with a 48-hour marathon beginning June 7, 2003 at 6 a.m.

This 1960s comedy about a genie and her master begins when astronaut Tony Nelson’s (Larry Hagman) space mission is aborted and he parachutes onto a deserted island. While waiting to be rescued, he notices a strange-looking bottle that has washed ashore. When he opens it, in a puff of smoke out pops a genie named Jeannie (Barbara Eden). Jeannie gets him back to civilization safely, goes along for the ride and the two return to his home in Florida. Delighted to revel in her freedom and her handsome "master," Jeannie becomes Tony's constant companion. Though she capably and willingly grants her master every wish, she causes more than her fair share of trouble because she pops up and performs her genie powers only for him. The base psychiatrist, Dr. Alfred Bellows (Hayden Rorke) is convinced that he is suffering from delusions. Only his best friend, girl-crazy fellow astronaut Roger Healy (Bill Daily) realizes that Jeannie really exists and has magical powers. After four seasons, Tony finally realizes he loves Jeannie and decides to marry her.



Mister Ed (September, 2003)
This classic TV series which aired from 1961-1966 is remembered around the world as one of the finest American sitcoms of the 1960s. Shortly after Wilbur Post (Alan Young) and his wife Carol (Connie Hines), purchase their new home, Wilbur discovers an unusual resident in the barn – a talking horse named Mr. Ed (voiced by Alan “Rocky” Young). Wilbur is the only human whom Ed will talk to, leading to his misadventures as the owner of this talking horse. Stories depict the chaos that ensues as Wilbur struggles to conceal the fact that Mr. Ed speaks.


Bonanza (September, 2003)
Bonanza aired from 1961-1972 and was a non-traditional Western centering on a prosperous family of ranchers living in Nevada during the Civil War years, after the discovery of the Comstock Silver Lode. Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) is a widower and patriarch of an all-male clan and owner of Ponderosa Ranch. His three sons – Adam, Eric “Hoss” and Little Joe – each have a different mother, none of whom are still alive. Adam (Pernell Roberts) is the most serious of the three and is the successor to the ranch. Hoss (Dan Blocker) is a gentle giant who is quite naïve and Little Joe (Michael Landon) is the youngest and most romantic of the trio. The first Western to be televised in color, the show focuses on the everyday adventures in mining and ranching, as well as the relationships the Cartwright men had with those they encounter. For most of the 1960s, Bonanza ranked as one of the highest-rated programs on television, and its driving theme song, “Bonanza,” was also a huge hit.


Carol Burnett & Friends (January, 2004)

For more than a decade, Carol Burnett and the talented cast of The Carol Burnett Show entertained America with song, dance and comedy in one of the most successful variety series of all time. The show was one of the most successful programs in television history. In an era when variety shows would come and go, the Emmy-award winning program remained successful, due in large part to the chemistry between Carol and her supporting stars. Burnett, one of television’s most versatile variety performers who could sing, dance, act, clown and mime was the cast’s binding force. Carol Burnett & Friends, the syndicated half-hour rebroadcast of the original, begins airing on TV Land January, 2004.
The show is filled with comedy sketches, spoofs of TV series and movies as well as other forms of mass entertainment. Among Burnett’s extensive range of comic characterizations are “Mr. Tudball and Mrs. Wiggins” in which she plays an inept office worker with a frustrated boss played by Tim Conway. In “Old Folks at Home” Carol and Roger, played by Harvey Korman, are an unhappily married couple always fighting with Carol’s sister Chrissy (Vicki Lawrence) and in “Ed and Eunice” she and Korman play a married couple constantly at odds with Eunice’s mother, played by Vicki Lawrence. That sketch was to become the basis for the series Mama’s Family, starring Vicki Lawrence.


Green Acres (April, 2004)

One of CBS’s most successful rural comedies, this is the true “fish-out-of-water” story. A wealthy couple from New York City, Oliver (Eddie Albert) and Lisa Douglas (Eva Gabor), give up their luxurious life and buy a farm in a fictitious town of Hooterville, the setting for Petticoat Junction (the two shows were produced by the same people). Because of its proximity to the neighboring town, often the characters from Petticoat Junction visit Lisa and Oliver and the other cast of characters which include Arnold the Pig, a handyman named Ebb, and a brother and sister carpenter team who work on the Douglas’ home.


The Flip Wilson Show (July 3, 2004)

TV Land will begin airing The Flip Wilson Show in July 2003, a ground-breaking variety show that forever changed the face of television and hasn’t been seen in over twenty years. This Emmy-award winning series, which aired from 1970-1974, solidified Flip Wilson as a proven Hollywood star, and combined some of America’s most talented performers with characters Flip had developed based on people he encountered in his own life. His best-known personality is his sexy, out-spoken Geraldine, who made millions laugh as she bragged about her jealous boyfriend, Killer, and would often exclaim, “what you see is what you get!”


Now seen in more than 78 million U.S. homes, TV Land was created in April 1996. The network’s broad mix of sitcoms, dramas, westerns, variety shows and classic commercials – which TV Land refers to as retromercials – have helped make TV Land one of the fastest-growing networks in all of television.

[tvfan 2]

I'm glade TV Land has decied to add some new ReRuns. I hope they keep add some more Old Shows.

[Impressions]

YES! Green Acres, Mister Ed and The Flip Wilson Show are back! I'm glad they are bringing back some of their best shows from their line-up, when TV Land first made it's debut. All of these shows are truly classics, I have been waiting years to see them air ever since TV Land or Nick-at-Nite picked them up for the first time.

[ABC1]

Fantasy Island is coming??? I hope it's for more than just a few episodes. If it is, I will do my "dance of joy".

[Sean Snow]

Sounds cool! I'm glad The Flip Wilson Show and Fantasy Island, two shows I wasn't expecting, are coming so soon. I'm looking forward to Mr. Ed, Green Acres, and Carol Burnett & Friends too.

[TVJunkie101]

Awesome, awesome news.

Thanks Pavanbadal!

[Scoobiedoo30]

I was wondering when did Flip Wilson last air on TV Land
I think it was a long time ago but I forgot when.


Aaron

[ClassicTVHits]

I know that Flip Wilson was on when TV Land was originally formed back in 1996, but I don't remember when it went off the air!

[Impressions]

Originally posted by ClassicTVHits
I know that Flip Wilson was on when TV Land was originally formed back in 1996, but I don't remember when it went off the air!

I believe The Flip Wilson Show ran on TV Land from (August 19th, 1997-1999).

[*PinkLady*]

I haven't seen Flip Wilson in a really long time. I love that show...

[Nanny Fine]

wow I am PSYCHED about Fantasy Island!

Now I wonder what time it will come on and what part of my taping schedule that will screw tih.

[Pavan]

Originally posted by Nanny Fine
wow I am PSYCHED about Fantasy Island!

Now I wonder what time it will come on and what part of my taping schedule that will screw tih.

Weekdays at 8 p.m. E/P starting June 2. Check the June TV Land schedule thread for details.

[Nanny Fine]

Originally posted by pavanbadal


Weekdays at 8 p.m. E/P starting June 2. Check the June TV Land schedule thread for details.

Well that just wreaks havoc all over my schedule for every single day!!!!!!! I'm still excited it's coming on but man that messes me up!

[LucyFan]

Although I am upset with the Brady Bunch/Happy Days (two of my favorite shows) hour replaced . . . I just hope I will like Fantasy Island. I have never seen it. I am excited to see Bewitched, Mister Ed, Carol Burnett & Friends, I Dream Of Jeannie, and The Flip Wilson Show being added to the network. That will add a lot of variety to the network. I feel the days are numbered for Happy Days on TV Land. I like the way TV Land is now but I just hope they don't screw up with the schedule as the upcoming shows premeire on TV Land. Well, now if we could only get TV Land to acquire The Lucy Show and The Addams Family.

[ClassicTVHits]

Brady Bunch and Happy Days will still air Saturday & Sunday Nights @ 8:00 & 8:30PM respectively .

I remember reading somewhere that TV Land doesn't plan to air any other Lucy series, besides I Love Lucy .