2011-2012 Fall Preview Specials

The start of the 2011-2012 television season is just weeks away (things officially kick of Monday, September 19th) which means it is time for the networks to unveil their fall preview specials. So far, it looks like ABC, CBS, NBC and The CW have preview specials in the works, with NBC’s already available online. Both CBS and The CW are actually airing their specials in prime time. As always, check your local listings because individual affiliates may be airing some of these specials at random times during the next few weeks, as well as cable channels. Read about the history of the fall preview special here.

ABC – “ABC Fall Preview Special 2011”

Zap2it has a listing for this special, with the following summary: “A sneak peek at new fall dramas includes ‘Pan Am,’ ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ ‘Revenge’ and ‘Once Upon a Time’.” It is airing in my ABC affiliate on Saturday, September 3rd but I haven’t found any information about it online. It does not appear to be airing nationally.

CBS – “CBS Fall Preview”

The cast of The Big Bang Theory will host this half-hour special, airing Thursday, September 8th from 8:30-9PM. According to this press release, it will be available On Demand through a variety of cable systems. Additionally, CBS affiliates will be able to repeat the special after its initial broadcast.

NBC – “The NBC Fall Primetime Preview”

Whitney Cummings and Chris D’Elia (stars of new sitcom Whitney) co-host this half-hour special, which was released on August 11th and will not be broadcast nationally. From an NBC press release:

The annual Fall program will be offered to NBC’s 234 television stations (check local listings) as well as other channel entities such as USA, Syfy, Bravo, UniHD, Chiller, mun2, MSNBC, CNBC, Oxygen, Sleuth, Xfinity, E! Entertainment Television, mun2, NBC2Go, on-demand and broadband. NBC stations will also make it available on their websites while NBC.com will feature it as well. In addition, the program will be screened on selected American Airlines flights (estimated to be shown on approximately 11,000 flights).

You can watch it online at NBC.com (but not Hulu, it seems). I’ve embedded the NBC.com video below:

FOX

The “FOX Fall Preview Special” is an affiliates-only special that began airing the weekend of August 27th/28th.

The CW

Maggie Q and Kristoffer Polaha will host a 45-minute special entitled “The CW 2011 Fall Preview Special” on Monday, September 12th from 9:15-10PM. A press release is available here.


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18 Replies to “2011-2012 Fall Preview Specials”

  1. Well, CBS is cancelling ‘Cookie Jar TV’ on September 10, 2011. It comes off as no surprise, as it was indeed DEAD LAST in the previous season (2010-2011): No new episodes, mostly boring shows, and the ‘PAPERING THE GAPS IN THE WALL’ pretty much killed that name!

    It will be replaced on September 17 with a new block called ‘TEAM TOON’, but the line-up has not been released yet!

    I HOPE THOSE GUYS AREN’T GIVING US ANOTHER SLATE OF RERUNS OF ‘SABRINA: THE ANIMATED SERIES’ THIS SEASON!

    Jeremy.

    1. To answer your question, Jeremy, the new “Team Toon” schedule is as follows:

      9/9:30 BUSYTOWN MYSTERIES
      10 THE DOODLEBOPS (the live version)
      10:30 DANGER RANGERS
      11/11:30 HORSELAND

      1. Oh, motherfracking Lords of Kobol, this is the same shit as the Cookie Jar TV lineup!

        CBS should either get rid of this Saturday block or come up with one of their own (complete with a Saturday morning version of the recent Star Trek movie!)

  2. Pavan at sitcomsonline.com reported yesterday in his blog that the ‘FOX Fall Preview Special’ begins airing this weekend as an affiliate special on local FOX affiliates, and it is expected to feature sizzle reels from their new programs ‘The X Factor’, ‘Terra Nova’, ‘New Girl’, ‘Allen Gregory’ and ‘I Hate My Teenage Daughter’.

  3. I HOPE THOSE GUYS AREN’T GIVING US ANOTHER SLATE OF RERUNS OF ‘SABRINA: THE ANIMATED SERIES’ THIS SEASON! May ALAXAN FR naman?
    “Tunay na lakas at palabas ng Sabrina The Animated Series sa totoong tagumpay. At hindi ako manood ng Sabrina The Animated Series, makamit lang ang paulit-ulit na tagumpay.” ARAY KO, GALING KO. ALAXAN FR.

    WHAT IS ALAXAN FR?
    Alaxan FR contains Ibuprofen (200mg) and Paracetamol (325mg), two of the most widely used and trusted pain relievers by doctors worldwide.

    WHAT IS ALAXAN FR USED FOR?
    Alaxan FR is used for the relief of mild to moderately severe pain of musculoskeletal origin such as myalgia, arthritis, rheumatism, sprain, strain, bursitis, tendonitis, backache and stiff neck. Also, for the relief of tension headache, dysmenorrhea, toothache and pain after tooth extraction and minor surgical operations and for the reduction of fever

    HOW SHOULD ALAXAN FR BE USED?
    Consult your doctor for the right dosage.

    WHAT SHOULD I KNOW WHEN I’M TAKING ALAXAN FR?
    * Ibuprofen plus Paracetamol, when taken within therapeutic levels, have low incidence of side effects. No serious adverse effects have been reported to date. Only minor allergic type reactions such as skin rashes, which are expected with any other NSAIDs like aspirin, etc., have been reported. Do not use:
    * With any other product containing Ibuprofen and/or Paracetamol
    * For more than 10 days for pain unless directed by a doctor
    * For more than 3 days for fever unless directed by a doctor

    Discontinue use and consult a doctor if:
    * Symptoms do not improve
    * New symptoms occur
    * Pain or fever persists or get worse
    * Redness or swelling is present

    Do not exceed recommended dose. Keep out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, contact a physician or poison control center immediately. Prompt medical attention is critical for adults as well as for children even if you do not notice any signs or symptoms.
    Use with caution in patients with peptic ulcer, liver and kidney impairment, heart failure and high blood pressure.

    Alaxan FR (Ibuprofen + Paracetamol)

    SABRINA THE ANIMATED SERIES

    Sabrina Spellman is a twelve-year-old girl with a big heart and an even bigger secret. Sabrina is half mortal and half witch – and her life is one big fun-filled adventure just waiting to happen!

    Based on the sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch debut on September 27, 1996, Sabrina: The Animated Series is a cartoon show that features Sabrina Spellman as a 12 year old middle school student who’s just beginning to learn how to use the magical powers she’s inherited. Together with her best friends Harvey Dwight Kinkle and Chloe Flan, Sabrina navigates the wild waters of Jr. High, and of secretly coming from a family of witches.

    The show was made in 1999. It is the spin-off to Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, the sitcom. This cartoon was completely different from the show itself. It featured our main character Sabrina Spellman as a 12 year-old in Junior High School just developing her powers. Her best friends are Chloe Flan and Harvey Dwight Kinkle. Chloe is the only mortal that knows that Sabrina is a witch, and Harvey is still Sabrina’s secret crush. Together they have many adventures. Her rival is Gem Stone, the equivalent of Libby Chessler from the original show, and is incredibly rich. She still has the same aunts: Hilda and Zelda Spellman except they are teenagers, and she has an additional household member, Uncle Quigley. In this show even though Sabrina has her magic, she relies on a Spookie Jar to sometimes to help her cast spells. All of these characters help make the show as great as it was. Unfortunately Sabrina, the Teenage Witch was still greater so the show ended with only one season of 65 episodes. Though it has ended, it still is a great addition in Sabrina history and Viacom productions. However it wasn’t the end for Sabrina: the show was slightly brought back in October 2002 as a Nickelodeon TV-Movie! Sabrina the Animated Series: Friends Forever or Sabrina: Friends Forever.

    The So-called “prequel” Spin-off of the hit tv series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. It only lasted 3 years on TV. She still had her aunts Hilda and Zelda Spellman, except they are teenagers who take care of the tweenage Sabrina Spellman, who is 12 years old in this Spin-off! Sabrina is voiced by Emily Hart-Melissa Joan’s little sis. This cartoon is completely different from the show itself. It featured our main character Sabrina except in Junior High School just developing her powers and Harvey is still Sabrina’s secret crush and her best friend. Her other best friend is Chloe Flan. Chloe is the only mortal that knows that Sabrina is a witch, Together they have many adventures. Her rival is Gem Stone, the equivalent of Libby Chessler from the original show, and is incredibly rich. Sabrina also has an additional Uncle named Quigley. Unfortunately Sabrina, the Teenage Witch was still greater so the show ended with only one season of 65 episodes. Though it has ended it still is a great addition in Sabrina history and Viacom productions. However it wasn’t the end for Sabrina: the show was slightly brought back in Oct. 2002 as a Nickeldeon TV-Movie! Sabrina currently airs on the The WB mornings and Toon Disney.

    Sabrina: The Animated Series is the name of an American animated television series based on the Archie Comics character Sabrina, the Teenage Witch produced by DiC Entertainment, which was owned by Disney at the time. Additionally, a continuation-spinoff series, Sabrina’s Secret Life, was produced, this time without the ownership of Disney.

    The series debuted in 1999. The Archie Comics star had already graced the Saturday morning airwaves in the 1970s, but the popularity of the live-action Sabrina, the Teenage Witch sitcom in the 1990s formed part of the basis for this spinoff series.

    The series ran on UPN and in syndication (on Disney’s One Too weekday afternoon block) and on ABC (on Disney’s One Saturday Morning block) for one season with 65 episodes produced. In October 2002, a made-for-television movie based on the series was produced for cable channel Nickelodeon. This was soon followed by a follow-up animated series, Sabrina’s Secret Life. The original series at that time began airing on cable channels Disney Channel and Toon Disney, but recently has reverted once again to airing in syndication. The series returned to Saturday mornings in the Fall of 2006 on CBS as part of its new KOL Secret Slumber Party on CBS.

    Unlike previous versions, Sabrina in this series was depicted as a 12-year-old attending middle school. As in the original comic series, Sabrina lives with her two aunts, Hilda and Zelda Spellman, and Salem Saberhagen, Sabrina’s sarcastic cat (voiced by Nick Bakay, the voice of Salem in the live-action Sabrina the Teenage Witch sitcom), all of whom advise Sabrina on the use of her powers (thereby contradicting the live-action show’s premise of not having those powers prior to her sixteenth birthday).

    In this series, the two aunts little resemble their comic counterparts in appearance (Hilda becomes a brunette, while Zelda’s hair is turned reddish-blonde in color). They appear to be young (thanks to having been de-aged as part of an undefined punishment by the Witch’s Council), but in the episode “Witchery Science Theatre”, Zelda claims to be over 65 years old, and proves it with a scroll from an Egyptian Pharaoh. In the episode “Working Witches”, they claim to have been hired by the king of Troy to “help interior decorate his fortress” by bringing in the Trojan Horse, followed later in the episode by remarking that “we have 300 years under our belt, but our bodies are 16.”

    An original character created for this series is Uncle Quigley, Sabrina’s maternal great-uncle and the household’s adult guardian.

    Sabrina’s best friends in this series were Chloe Flan (voiced by Cree Summer) and Harvey Kinkle. Chloe, an African-American girl, is the only “mortal” (the name that witches give to ordinary humans) besides Quigley that knows that Sabrina is a witch. Harvey, meanwhile, is the boy that Sabrina has a crush on. Together, the three friends lived in the fictional town of Greendale, and would engage in numerous adventures.

    Most episodes centered around the typical problems of middle school, along with those that stemmed from Sabrina’s inexperience with or misuse of witchcraft. Sabrina and best friend Chloe would often use magic (often from the “Spooky Jar”-a cookie jar containing a genie-like being-in the family’s kitchen) for all sorts of perceived emergencies, ranging from trying to fit into skinny new clothes to making Sabrina’s boyfriend Harvey into a superhero. By the end of each episode, the magic would backfire. Sabrina would learn that using magic usually wasn’t the solution to her day-to-day problems.

    Sabrina’s chief rival in the series is Gem Stone (voiced by Chantal Strand), a wealthy snob and Sabrina’s classmate.

    Melissa Joan Hart, title star of the live-action sitcom, acted as producer of this series, but her younger sister, Emily Hart, voiced Sabrina. Melissa instead voiced Sabrina’s two aunts, Hilda and Zelda.

    Savage Steve Holland (whose previous credits include producing Eek! The Cat) was the executive producer of Sabrina: The Animated Series. As such, the series reflected some of the irreverent style of humor seen on Eek! The Cat. Celebrity voice cameos in this series included Mr. T and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

    Sabrina: The Animated Series (title shown as Sabrina, the Animated Series in opening credits) is the name of an American animated television series based on the Archie Comics character Sabrina, the Teenage Witch produced by DiC Entertainment, which was owned by Disney at the time. Additionally, a continuation-spinoff series, Sabrina’s Secret Life, was produced, this time without the ownership of Disney.

    The series debuted in 1999. The Archie Comics star had already graced the Saturday morning airwaves in the 1970s, but the popularity of the live-action Sabrina, the Teenage Witch sitcom in the 1990s formed part of the basis for this spinoff series.

    The series ran on UPN and in syndication (on Disney’s One Too weekday afternoon block) and on ABC (on Disney’s One Saturday Morning block) for one season with 65 episodes produced. In October 2002, a made-for-television movie based on the series was produced for cable channel Nickelodeon. This was soon followed by a follow-up animated series, Sabrina’s Secret Life. The original series at that time began airing on cable channels Disney Channel and Toon Disney, but recently has reverted once again to airing in syndication. The series returned to Saturday mornings in the Fall of 2006 on CBS as part of its new KOL Secret Slumber Party on CBS.

    Unlike previous versions, Sabrina in this series was depicted as a 12-year-old attending middle school. As in the original comic series, Sabrina lives with her two aunts, Hilda and Zelda Spellman, and Salem Saberhagen, Sabrina’s sarcastic cat (voiced by Nick Bakay, the voice of Salem in the live-action Sabrina the Teenage Witch sitcom), all of whom advise Sabrina on the use of her powers (thereby contradicting the live-action show’s premise of not having those powers prior to her sixteenth birthday).

    In this series, the two aunts little resemble their comic counterparts in appearance (Hilda becomes a brunette, while Zelda’s hair is turned reddish-blonde in color). They appear to be young (thanks to having been de-aged as part of an undefined punishment by the Witch’s Council), but in the episode “Witchery Science Theatre”, Zelda claims to be over 65 years old, and proves it with a scroll from an Egyptian Pharaoh. In the episode “Working Witches”, they claim to have been hired by the king of Troy to “help interior decorate his fortress” by bringing in the Trojan Horse, followed later in the episode by remarking that “we have 300 years under our belt, but our bodies are 16.”

    An original character created for this series is Uncle Quigley, Sabrina’s maternal great-uncle and the household’s adult guardian.

    Sabrina’s best friends in this series were Chloe Flan (voiced by Cree Summer) and Harvey Kinkle. Chloe, an African-American girl, is the only “mortal” (the name that witches give to ordinary humans) besides Quigley that knows that Sabrina is a witch. Harvey, meanwhile, is the boy that Sabrina has a crush on. Together, the three friends lived in the fictional town of Greendale, and would engage in numerous adventures.

    Most episodes centered around the typical problems of middle school, along with those that stemmed from Sabrina’s inexperience with or misuse of witchcraft. Sabrina and best friend Chloe would often use magic (often from the “Spooky Jar”-a cookie jar containing a genie-like being-in the family’s kitchen) for all sorts of perceived emergencies, ranging from trying to fit into skinny new clothes to making Sabrina’s boyfriend Harvey into a superhero. By the end of each episode, the magic would backfire. Sabrina would learn that using magic usually wasn’t the solution to her day-to-day problems.

    Sabrina’s chief rival in the series is Gem Stone (voiced by Chantal Strand), a wealthy snob and Sabrina’s classmate.

    Melissa Joan Hart, title star of the live-action sitcom, acted as producer of this series, but her younger sister, Emily Hart, voiced Sabrina. Melissa instead voiced Sabrina’s two aunts, Hilda and Zelda.

    Savage Steve Holland (whose previous credits include producing Eek! The Cat) was the executive producer of Sabrina, the Animated Series. As such, the series reflected some of the irreverent style of humor seen on Eek! The Cat. Celebrity voice cameos in this series included Mr. T and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

  4. By golly, if I ever have another headache, I’ll be SURE to take Alaxan FR.

    Now, where’s my dough???

  5. “THE FOX 2011 FALL PREVIEW” special appeared on WNYW-TV, New York this morning at 12:30am, and will be repeated early Monday morning as well….

  6. Has anybody noticed that The Playboy Club and Pan Am are basically copies of Mad Men? Never let it be said that TV networks are original in programming choices.

    Cookie Jar is transferring former CBS block shows Dino-Squad and Doodlebops Rockin Road Show over to their This TV block this October!

    Now if only CBS could get rid of all of the Cookie Jar shows, and go back to presenting it’s own cartoon block (complete with cartoons based on Paramount properties like Star Trek and a couple of others), I’d be happy.

  7. Neville, the Team Toon line-up is not exactly the same line-up as Cookie Jar TV: The original Doodlebops is replacing the RRS and Danger Rangers is replacing Trollz.

    The main problem is that they are keeping the EXACT SAME ‘double portions’ (Busytown Mysteries and Horseland) as the previous line-up! Why?

    J.A.P.

  8. ECONOMICS, Jeremy. Cookie Jar feels it’s cheaper to schedule two half-hours of the same series back-to-back, in order to save money on ordering new series….or scheduling more repeats. The company’s financial outlook is somewhat shaky, and they’re watching every penny they’re investing in new series…note that almost all of their “Team Toon” schedule on CBS are repeats.

  9. I’d say “PAN AM” and “THE PLAYBOY CLUB” are copies of “MAD MEN” as far as trying to duplicate the overall look of the original, Neville (it’s very easy to simulate the early ’60s these days). Just don’t expect either series to be as thought-provoking- and exploring social and moral issues of the time- as ‘MAD MEN”, though.

  10. Cookie Jar’s This TV block features Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills, a completely-American-derived tokusatsu show from 1995: http://www.blip.tv/RowdyReviewer/tv-trash-tattooed-teenage-alien-fighters-5815933

    My main problem with their CBS block was a lack of action-adventure shows (Some people might consider Danger Rangers to fit the mold) as well as ‘sharing’ shows with the This TV block!

    I am hoping that they drop Busytown Mysteries (Due to it also appearing on the This TV block) and Horseland (due to it being TOO GIRLY) from the CBS ‘Cookie Jar TV’ block in January-February!

    J.A.P.

    1. Although NBC fall 2011 has had a few high profile (and expensive) flops (‘The Playboy Club’, ‘Prime Suspect’), I think they can draw solace in three series that are showing legs…’Grimm’ which has been an A18-49 winner on Fridays, ‘Whitney’, which is getting funnier as it progresses and doing OK numbers on Wednesday, and ‘Up All Night’, which gives every indication that it could blossom into a bona fide sitcom hit for the Peacock net.

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