Poor In Case of Emergency. The ABC newbie had only one week left in its only recently extended run, but the network is yanking it on April 18 and putting a Lost repeat in its place. And speaking of dead series, the Alphabet net is adding to its website the first of the remaining five episodes of Six Degrees, on April 27.
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At the time this interview with Jonathan Silverman was set up, tonight at 9:30 pm/ET was supposed to present the season finale of ABC's In Case of Emergency. But just before Silverman called, ABC extended his sitcom's run, pushing its freshman finale to April 18. Regardless, TVGuide.com wasn't about to pass on the chance to chat up the funnyman who in addition to his role as ICE's Harry, is about to visit fiancée Jennifer Finnigan's Close to Home.
TVGuide.com: Just to be clear, I'm speaking to Jonathan Silverman and not Jason Schwartzman, right? I get yo
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Question: Does ABC plan on ever finishing the run of a new sitcom? Last year, they gave Emily's Reasons Why Not a one-night trial, along with the returning Jake in Progress. They also pulled Crumbs after five episodes, after it averaged 7.5 million viewers on Tuesdays. That's much better than any of ABC's comedies have averaged this season, besides Dancing with the Stars-fueled Help Me Help You, which was pulled with four episodes left to air. Then, the network pulled Big Day with only one episode left to air, The Knights of Prosperity with four episodes left, In Case of Emergency with two episodes left and Notes from the Underbelly, which will only air seven of its 13 episodes. Do you think this shows an overall lack of confidence in new sitcoms?
Answer: Whew. You're certainly paying a lot more attention to that wasteland than I am. In most cases (though not for Knights of Prosperity, which deserved better), for ABC to take these shows off the air early is kind of like a mercy killing.
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Question: Seriously, does anyone really think a sitcom about the Geico cavemen is a good idea? They are commercials, and while the first couple were funny, you can't possibly create a half hour based on this premise. I guarantee, as just a TV fan who sort of knows the biz, that this series will not last even as long as Joey did. It is just a mistake waiting to happen, just like when ABC ruined Who Wants to Be a Millionaire by airing it too often.
Answer: Are you likening Joey Tribbiani to a caveman? The very idea. Something else for those thin-skinned neanderthals to pout about, I suppose. Seriously, don't put the cart before the dinosaur here. Developing a pilot is a long way from putting it on the air, but consider how desperate ABC's comedy executives must be to tap this rich vein of humor. (Not since CBS's short-lived It's About Time, about astronauts and cavemen, which lasted all of 26 episodes in 1966-67.) But honestly, can whatever they come up with be much worse than In Case of
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Question: I am having a hard time understanding how the networks are scheduling programs. To me, it just doesn't seem like the audience for Heroes is going to stick around to watch Studio 60 or The Black Donnellys. I don't think these shows mesh at all together. On ABC, they decided that the order of the Wednesday comedy block should be George Lopez, The Knights of Prosperity, According to Jim and In Case of Emergency. Again, I don't see how the audiences of each of those will stick around to watch the other shows. George and Jim are more family-oriented, and Knights and Emergency lean to adults. Unfortunately, shows like Studio 60 and Knights, both of which I like, are not getting fair chances by getting better scheduling. I'm curious about your thoughts on this.
Answer: I don't really agree where Studio 60 is concerned. While it's true that Heroes cult fanatics aren't the perfect target audience for Studio 60, it was still a powerful lead-in, and NBC kept Studio 60 in the same time
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