The New Adventures of Old Christine

Condoleezza Rice to guest on 30 Rock

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will guest star in an upcoming episode of 30 Rock. Rice is said to be playing Jack’s (Alec Baldwin) ex-girlfriend.

Cook to return to Criminal Minds

A.J. Cook has closed a deal to return to Criminal Minds after being dropped from the series last year. The actress will reprise her role as Special Agent Jennifer ‘JJ’ Jareau for the next two seasons.

Katy Perry for American Idol

Katy Perry has been confirmed to perform on this week’s American Idol results show. The singer will perform her new single E.T..

Louis-Dreyfus pilot picked up

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has had her new comedy pilot picked up by HBO. The former Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine actress will play the lead role in the series entitled Veep.

Looks like the Nine network are applying a similar programming mentality to GEM as they do with GO! with more changes to the GEM line up, as its third week on air comes to a close.

From October 17, The New Adventures of Old Christine will no longer be seen, just as the show was about to move into its fifth and final season. GEM is now the THIRD channel Old Christine has been pulled from.

It first aired on Nine, then had a short stint on GO!, now, it does not even rate a stay on Nine’s third channel GEM. The decision is no doubt ratings driven – hopefully for any remaining fans of the show (if they have been able to follow when and where to watch it) Nine will see fit to play it out on one of their channels over summer. Old Christine was one of the few shows on GEM – a HD channel – that is actually made in HD.

Old Christine is replaced by the Nanny – which is also still seen on GO! (unless they change that too) – and airs on GEM in Christine’s timeslot of 6pm daily as well as all those repeat times late night and daytime.

Nine’s new channel GEM, replacing 9HD officially launches Sept 26. Programming was supposed to air from midday Sept 24, but that is no longer due to technical issues. GEM starts broadcasting from 6am Sunday Sept 26.

Here is the first full day of programming from GEM:

Sunday Sept 26
6.00am Movie: Kim (1950)
8.30 Movie: Spring and Port Wine
10.30 Movie: Thousands Cheer (1943)
1.05pm Movie: Life With Farmer (1947)
3.55 Movie: The Jazz Singer (1980)
6.00 The New Adventures of Old Christine
6.30 Wife Swap USA
7.30 Random Acts of Kindness (new)
8.30 Movie: The Bodyguard (1992)
11.10 The New Adventures of Old Christine
11.40 Wife Swap USA
12.40 Random Acts of Kindness replay
1.40 Movie: The Bodyguard

GEM replaces 9HD and can be seen on channel 90 (80 in eastern state regional areas) from Midday Sept 24.

See what’s on GEM for the rest of the first week here: http://www.throng.com.au/new-adventures-old-christine/first-look-tv-guide-gem

The first week of programming for GEM has been released. Like GO, GEM will offer repeats of prime time shows late night – which is great to help avoiding PVR conflicts earlier in the night. The Ellen Degeneres show will be on GEM at 5pm weekdays in HD, 4 hours after it airs on Nine. The mornings feature a simulcast of Today from 5.30am – 9am.

In going through the guide, for a HD channel, it is somewhat disappointing to see the number of shows not in HD. The inclusion of Today in the mornings – which is made in HD – would have to have been done to make sure Nine meets its daily HD requirements. Numerous older shows, movies, and even recent programs are not in HD.

Nevertheless, GEM will offer more alternative viewing and represents now 1 of 14 digital free to air channels we have the option to watch. Ratings will be interesting considering GEM is HD only and HD penetration is about 60%.

Like when GO began, there is NO Home Shopping on GEM. Let’s hope they keep it that way, as the late night / early morning repeats will give people some options when they would usually have nothing but Home Shopping or sport to chose from on free to air TV.

Here is the summary.

Prime Time.

Sunday Sept 26.
6.00 The New Adventures of Old Christine HD
6.30 Wife Swap USA
7.30 Random Acts of Kindness NEW
8.30 Movie: The Bodyguard
11.10 The New Adventures of Old Christine HD
11.40 Wife Swap USA
12.40 Random Acts of Kindness reply
1.40 Movie: The Bodyguard

Monday – Friday 6.00 – 7.30pm
6.00 The New Adventures of Old Christine HD
6.30 Friends
7.00 The Zoo

Monday Sept 27
7.30 60 Minutes (not clear whether this is exactly the same as Nine on Sunday)
8.30 Movie: The Fugitive.
11.15 Friends
11.45 Old Christine HD
12.15 60 Minutes
1.15 Movie: The Fugitive

Tuesday September 28
7.30 Secret Millionaire USA
8.30 Cold Case
9.30 Movie: Mystic River HD
12.15 Friends
12.40 Old Christine HD
1.05 Secret Millionaire USA
2.00 Movie: Mystic River

Wednesday September 29 HD night!
7.30 Who Do You Think You Are? HD
8.30 CSI HD
9.30 The Big C NEW – Pilot HD
10.00 Weeds NEW HD
10.30 Secret Diary of a Call Girl HD
11.00 Friends
11.30 Old Christine HD
12.00 Who Do You Think You Are? HD
1.00 CSI HD
2.00 The Big C NEW – Pilot HD
2.30 Weeds NEW HD
3.00 Secret Diary of a Call Girl HD

Thursday September 30
7.30 How Clean is Your House?
8.00 Neighbours at War
8.30 Marco Pierre White’s Chopping Block
9.30 The F Word
10.30 Amazing Medical Stories
11.30 Friends
12.00 Old Christine
12.30 Marco Pierre White’s Chopping Block
1.30 How Clean is Your House?
2.00 Neighbours at War
2.30 The F Word
3.30 Amazing Medical Stories

Friday October 1
7.30 Getaway Encore
8.30 Holiday Showdown
9.30 movie: Gangs of New York HD
12.50 Friends
1.15 Old Christine HD
1.40 Holiday Showdown
2.35 Movie: Follow the Boys

Saturday October 2
6.00 Old Christine HD
6.30 Deadly Surf
7.00 Animal Emergency
7.30 A Year With the Royal Family
8.30 Movie: Being Julia HD
10.45 Movie: The Jazz Singer
1.00 Old Christine
1.30 Movie: Being Julia HD

Daytime – Weekdays.
5.30 Today HD
9.00 Alive and Cooking
9.30 The Zoo
10.00 Old Christine HD
10.30 Friends
11.00 The Alice
12.00 Old Midday Movie
2.00 Varies – usually a replay from previous night.
3.00 McLeods Daughters
4.00 Sea Patrol
5.00 The Ellen Degneres Show HD

Weekend day times at this stage mostly made up of old movies.

Programming information TV Tonight. Subject to change.

GO are at it again, rearranging their program for next week and hoping that people will just figure out what is on when – unless of course, you are kept up to date here…

Here’s the summary:

New Adventures of Old Christine and The Middle will no longer be seen on Tuesday nights. The two shows are out altogether although the Middle remains at 9.10 Thursdays for now. The Bachelor will now move to 7.30pm, with CSI: Miami repeat at 8.30pm.

On Wednesday, The Bachelorette moves to 8.30pm while Chuck falls back to 10.30pm.

In conclusion:

Tuesdays from June 22:
7.30 The Bachelor
8.30 CSI: Miami
9.30 Eastwick

Wednesdays from June 23:
7.30 Crash Course
8.30 The Bachelorette
10.30 Chuck

Fiennes lands new role

Flashforward star Joseph Fiennes is set to go back in time in new costume drama series Camelot. Fiennes has signed on to play the wizard Merlin alongside Eva Green as sorceress Morgana and Brits Jamie Campbell Bower and Tamsin Egerton as Arthur and Guinevere. Shooting for the 10-part King Arthur tale begins later this month.

Golden Girl dies

Golden Girl actress Rue McClanahan has passed away aged 76. The actress, best known as Blanche Devereaux in the classic 1980’s sitcom, died of a stroke this morning with her family close-by. McClanahan is the third Golden Girl cast member to pass away, leaving Betty White as the sole remaining member.

Minnelli for Celebrity Rehab?

The producers of reality show Celebrity Rehab are seeking Liza Minnelli for the next season of the show. The 64-year-old has been reportedly offered US$500,000 to appear on the show which already has Tila Tequila and ex-Laguna Beach and The Hills cast member Jason Wahler locked in. The producers want the already sober Minnelli on the show to strengthen her sobriety.

Gallo returning to Bones

Actress Carla Gallo has confirmed she will return for the next season of Bones, with producers already planning future storylines for her. “I will be back on Bones because the pilot I shot [The Station] did not get picked up,” Gallo said. “[The producers] told me they would find a place for me.”

Brie reprises Mad Men role

Mad Men actress Alison Brie will reprise her role in the next season of the hit drama. Brie, who plays Pete Campbell’s wife Trudy, has said she will find it difficult to return to the show after working for eight months on another project where she played a character completely opposite to that of her Mad Men guise.

ABC lets Christine go

American network ABC has decided against picking up new episodes of the recently axed The New Adventure of Old Christine. The sitcom was cancelled last month by CBS but ABC showed interest in acquiring the rights to the show. However, the network has said negotiations have broken down and they will not be pursuing it any further.

ThunderCats coming

Cartoon Network is working on a new animated series of the classic series ThunderCats. The series will premiere next year and is said to be “a sweeping tale combining swords and science and boasting ferocious battles with the highest of stakes”. The original cartoon ran from 1985 to 1990.

Go are making some major changes to Monday and Tuesday nights from Monday June 7.

Community and the InBetweeners will move from their current timeslot of Tuesday night to Monday from June 7, while new episodes Hell’s Kitchen makes its first appearance on GO following the InBetweeners. Wife Swap USA remains at 7.30pm, and Nip/Tuck remains at 10.30 Mondays where it will continue into the seventh and final season.

On Tuesday nights, series 12 of the Bachelor comes to GO with the first episode being “Where Are They Now?” This will be followed by the 13 part small screen adaptation of The Witches of Eastwick called Eastwick at 9.30pm.

So from June 7, Monday nights on GO! Look like this:
7.30 Wife Swap USA
8.30 Community
9:00 The InBetweeners
9.30 Hell’s Kitchen
10.30 Nip/Tuck
11.30 South Park

While Tuesday nights look like:
7.30 The Middle
8.00 New Adventures of Old Christine
8.30 The Bachelor: London Calling
9.30 Eastwick
10.30 South Park

And on Thursday nights, with only 8 episodes remaining before the final episode ever, ER doubles are no more. Gossip Girl returns to GO at 10.30 Thursdays from May 27. Assuming no more programming changers, that should mean the finale of ER will be near the end of July. The finale in the US was a two hour episode that saw many of the show’ sold characters return for special appearances.

Teen Wolf for MTV

MTV has picked up a new series based on the 1980s movie Teen Wolf. The network has ordered 12 episodes of the revamped series which is described as being less comedic than the Michael J. Fox starrer was. Tyler Posey will lead a rookie cast in the series which will join the US remake of Skins on the network’s new line-up.

Lost simulcast

UK’s Sky1 network is going to extraordinary lengths to air the Lost finale episode before internet pirates get a hold of it. The network is set to screen the finale at 5am on Monday 24 May, which means it will run simultaneously with the ABC broadcast in the US. They join Italy, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Turkey and Canada in simultaneously broadcasting.

Emmy approval for Lost

The upcoming super-sized finale of Lost has been granted a special entry into the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards should ABC want to submit the show for awards consideration. Whereas previously only shows that ran for two hours were allowed to be up for consideration, the Awards has allowed the mammoth two-and-a-half hour finale special approval.

Spice Girl’s new show

Ex Spice Girl Melanie Brown has scored herself a new reality show that will focus on her life as she juggles her musical career and motherhood. “The Mel B Project” will run for 10 episodes and is described as non-scripted. It premieres in September.

Curb moving to NYC

Larry David is moving his Curb Your Enthusiasm series from LA to New York. Whereas location is not an issue for many shows, Curb fans are worried the move will affect the comedy series in that Larry’s neurotic oddball character, who stood out in laid-back California, may appear normal in New York.

MasterChef debacle

Supermarket giant Coles has been left red-faced across the ditch after the latest episode of MasterChef Australia where two contestants had to rethink their dishes due to the pastry they bought from the supermarket was discovered to be past its use-by date. Worse still is the fact Coles is a major sponsor of the hit series.

Christine creator slams axing

The creator of axed sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine has slammed the show’s cancellation, saying the CBS decision was sexist. “As far as what happened at CBS, we’ve suffered from a serious lack of support from them since the beginning,” Kari Lizer said. “I hate to say it, but I’m afraid they don’t care much for the female-of-a-certain-age point of view over there.”

American network CBS has gone on the rampage, culling seven shows from its line-up for the next season.

The network has cancelled several big-name shows as it makes room for new projects for the upcoming American summer.

Headlining the list of cancellations is drama series Cold Case, which has faded in the ratings in recent seasons. The show has run for seven seasons in total.

Jennifer Love Hewitt vehicle Ghost Whisperer has also been axed despite the show performing well for the network on Friday nights.

Despite rumours it may be saved by ABC, The New Adventure of Old Christine will also finish its run on CBS.

The other shows on the scrap heap are Numb3rs, Gary Unmarried, Miami Medical and Accidentally on Purpose.

But there was good news coming from CBS HQ as well with news that Rules of Engagement and Medium have been renewed by the network for another season.

Source: TV Squad

8:00pm – Tuesday, August 11 on Channel Nine

Christine’s controlling nature causes her to go too far and jeopardize one of Richard’s construction jobs. When she learns that Richard has been hired to remodel Lindsay’s bathroom, Christine can’t help intervening to make sure he doesn’t screw up the job and risk their reputation at Ritchie’s school. She and Richard are also at odds over which of them should have a talk with Ritchie about sex.