Classic TV Newsbrief 6/26/21

Here’s what’s happening in the world of classic television…

Classic TV diginet MeTV is making several changes to their schedule in July, most notably to their Sunday lineup. Joining the schedule is Monk, the 2002-9 comedy-drama detective series starring Tony Shalhoub. It takes over the 8-10PM slot while Columbo and other shows shift their timeslots. Here’s the complete 3rd Quarter MeTV schedule, effective July 12:

MeTV 3Q 2021

Fellow diginet Antenna TV is also tweaking their summer weekend lineup. Rejoining the schedule are Archie Bunker’s Place, Benson, Maude, The Ropers and Three’s A Crowd. Leaving the lineup are Lotsa Luck, The Paul Lynde Show and What’s Happening Now!! The full schedule effective July 1:
Antenna TV 3Q 2021

We’ve lost more classic TV friends over the past few weeks:

  • Actor Ned Beatty, best known for his big-screen roles including Deliverance and Network. He also guested on classic TV shows like Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, The Rockford Files and The Waltons.
  • Actor-director Frank Bonner, remembered for his role as sales manager Herb Tarlek on WKRP in Cincinnati.
  • Actor John Gabriel, who had a long career in daytime soaps including Ryan’s Hope. He guested on primetime shows like 77 Sunset Strip and Gilligan’s Island, later landing a recurring role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
  • Actress Joanne Linville, who appeared on such classics as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Barnaby Jones, Bonanza, Hawaii Five-O and Star Trek.
  • Producer Norman Powell, who worked on early classics like Richard Diamond Private Detective and Wanted: Dead or Alive, later on The Big Valley, Burke’s Law and The New Dick Van Dyke Show. His mother was actress Joan Blondell and his adoptive father was actor Dick Powell.

Classic TV Newsbrief 4/26/21


Classic TV diginet MeTV is making a couple changes to their lineup next week. 1960s sitcom The Addams Family (previously seen on thisTV) joins the weekday schedule, replacing The Flintstones at 6PM. Another classic toon comes to the Saturday Morning Cartoons block: The Pink Panther.

Here’s the complete MeTV lineup effective May 3:
MeTV 2Q 2021

On a sad note, we’ve recently lost a number of classic TV friends. Thanks for the memories and rest in peace…

  • Former child actor Lee Aaker, who played Rusty on the Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
  • Actor James Hampton, best known for his role as Private Hannibal Shirley Dobbs on F Troop. Also guested on classics like Gunsmoke, Mannix and The Rockford Files
  • Actress Gloria Henry, who played Alice Mitchell, the mom on classic sitcom Dennis The Menace
  • Actor Felix Silla, remembered for his performances as Cousin Itt (Addam’s Family) and Twiki the robot (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)

MeTV Adds Another Classic Cartoon

Classic TV diginet MeTV brings back another beloved 1960s animated series this weekend. Meet George Jetson, Jane his wife, daughter Judy, his boy Elroy and family dog Astro.

The Jetsons slots in Sunday mornings at 11:30AM Eastern, replacing an episode of The Flintstones.

Here’s a look at MeTV’s cartoon lineup:

Weekdays
7-8AM Toon in with Me (classic cartoons including Bugs Bunny, Popeye, Tom & Jerry)
6-6:30PM The Flintstones

Saturdays
7-8AM Popeye & Pals
8-9AM The Tom & Jerry Show
9-10AM Bugs Bunny & Friends

Sundays
10-10:30AM The Flintstones
10:30-11AM The Flintstones
11-11:30AM The Flintstones
11:30AM-12:00N The Jetsons

MeTV Adding Classic Cartoons in 2021

Classic TV diginet MeTV is bringing cartoons back to broadcast television this January.

Following the successful addition of The Flintstones to it’s lineup, MeTV will launch a new hosted cartoon show weekday mornings. TV Newscheck reports Toon In With Me will feature “Warner Bros. superstars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Road Runner and the many other fan favorites from the Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes shorts.”

MeTV also announced the weekend debut of Saturday Morning Cartoons, a three-hour “all cartoons, all the time” block reminiscent of the Saturday morning broadcasts of yesteryear. Each hour will feature a collection of cartoons including Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, Popeye and Friends and Tom & Jerry. Saturday Morning Cartoons will also premiere in early 2021.

Happy Days IS Here Again: The Summer of Me

Classic TV diginet MeTV launches their annual Summer of Me programming schedule on June 1, including the return of classic sitcom Happy Days.

Other shows joining the lineup: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Laverne & Shirley, Mama’s Family and The Powers of Matthew Star.

Leaving the schedule: ALF, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gilligan’s Island and The Monkees.

The complete MeTV summer schedule is shown below:

MeTV 3Q 2020

Good Night John Boy! The Waltons Are Back

The classic (1972-1981) family drama series The Waltons is returning to broadcast TV, joining the MeTV daily lineup on January 1, 2020.

Classic TV diginet MeTV is also bringing back a number of shows that previously aired on the network: Adam-12 (moving from Cozi TV), Columbo (the 1970s episodes, returning from Cozi), Dragnet (also from Cozi), The Fugitive, The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy and Mission: Impossible.

Leaving the network are Charlie’s Angels, Columbo (80s-90s episodes), Diagnosis Murder, Diff’rent Strokes (moving to Cozi), The Facts of Life (also moving to Cozi), The Jeffersons and Thriller.

The complete MeTV 1st Quarter 2020 lineup is shown below:
MeTV 1Q 2020

MeTV Launches Holiday Programming Tomorrow

Classic TV diginet MeTV kicks off their annual “A Very Merry MeTV” holiday lineup tomorrow, Sunday November 17.

MeTV will air a 3-hour block of holiday-themed shows every Sunday from 5-8PM Eastern. Tomorrow’s schedule includes Thanksgiving episodes of Diff’rent Strokes, The Love Boat, Happy Days and Mama’s Family. Other classic shows airing in the Sunday showcase include The Andy Griffith Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Bob Newhart Show, The Brady Bunch, Cheers, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Honeymooners, The Jeffersons, Laverne & Shirley, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, The Odd Couple, Taxi and WKRP in Cincinnati.

In addition to the 3-hours on Sundays, MeTV will be running other classic holiday episodes as part of their regular lineup, along with special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day airings of The Ed Sullivan Show. Click here for the complete holiday schedule.

Classic TV Shows A-Z On Broadcast TV

Our crack research team dug into the broadcast schedules of a dozen over-the-air digital broadcast networks to compile a listing of classic TV shows airing on a regular basis in October 2019.

Our definition of “classic” is shows that premiered in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

According to our research, there are currently 168 different series running on those dozen OTA channels (Antenna TV, Buzzr, Charge!, Comet, Cozi TV, Decades, GetTV, Grit, Heroes & Icons, MeTV, Retro TV, This TV):

Program (OTA Network)
Abbott & Costello Show (Decades)
Adam-12 (Cozi TV)
Addams Family (This TV)
Adventures of Annie Oakley (Retro TV)
Adventures of Kit Carson (Retro TV)
Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (Retro TV)
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Retro TV)
Adventures of Superman (Heroes & Icons)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (MeTV)
Alice (Antenna TV)
All In The Family (getTV)
Andy Griffith Show (MeTV)
Archie Bunker’s Place (Antenna TV)
The Avengers (This TV)
The Barkleys (Retro TV)
Barnaby Jones (MeTV)
Barney Miller (Antenna TV)
Batman (Heroes & Icons)
Bat Masterson (MeTV, This TV)
Benson (Antenna TV)
Beverly Hillbillies (MeTV, Retro TV)
Bewitched (Antenna TV)
Big Valley (MeTV)
Bob Newhart Show (Decades)
Bonanza (MeTV)
Brady Bunch (MeTV)
Branded (Heroes & Icons)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (MeTV)
Burns and Allen (Antenna TV)
Cannon (MeTV)
Card Sharks (Buzzr)
Carol Burnett & Friends (MeTV)
Charlie’s Angels (MeTV)
Cheyenne (Heroes & Icons)
CHiPs (Charge!)
Cimarron Strip (Heroes & Icons)
Columbo 60s/70s (Cozi TV)
Dan August (getTV)
Daniel Boone (Heroes & Icons)
Dark Shadows (Decades)
Death Valley Days (Grit)
Dennis the Menace (Antenna TV)
Dick Cavett Show (Decades)
Dick Van Dyke Show (MeTV)
Diff’rent Strokes (MeTV)
The Doctors (Retro TV)
Dolly! (getTV)
Donna Reed Show (Decades)
Dragnet (Cozi TV)
Ed Sullivan Show (Decades)
Emergency! (Cozi TV)
Facts of Life (MeTV)
Family Affair (Decades)
Family Feud (Buzzr)
Father Knows Best (Antenna TV)
The Flintstones (MeTV)
Four Star Playhouse (Retro TV)
Gilligan’s Island (MeTV)
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (MeTV)
Good Times (getTV)
Green Acres (MeTV)
Green Hornet (Heroes & Icons)
Gunsmoke (MeTV)
Hart to Hart (Cozi TV)
Have Gun, Will Travel (Heroes & Icons, MeTV)
Hazel (Antenna TV)
High Chaparral (Heroes & Icons)
Highway Patrol (MeTV, This TV)
Hogan’s Heroes (MeTV)
Hondo (getTV)
Honeymooners Lost Episodes (Decades)
The Houndcats (Retro TV)
How The West Was Won (getTV)
I Dream of Jeannie (Antenna TV)
I Love Lucy (Decades)
I Married Joan (Retro TV)
The Invaders (MeTV)
Iron Horse (Heroes & Icons)
Ironside (Cozi TV)
Jack Benny Program (Antenna TV)
The Jeffersons (Decades, MeTV)
Jerry Lewis Show (Retro TV)
Joey Bishop Show (Antenna TV, Retro TV)
Johnny Carson (Antenna TV)
Kojak (Cozi TV)
Lancer (Heroes & Icons)
Land of the Giants (MeTV)
Laramie (Grit)
Laredo (getTV)
Lassie (Cozi TV)
Leave it to Beaver (MeTV)
Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp (Grit)
Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (getTV)
Little House on the Prairie (Cozi TV)
Lone Ranger (Cozi TV, Retro TV)
Lost in Space (MeTV)
Lotsa Luck (Antenna TV)
Love Boat (MeTV)
Lucy Show (Decades, Retro TV)
Mackenzie’s Raiders (This TV)
Make Room for Daddy (Cozi TV)
Mannix (MeTV)
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (Decades)
Mary Tyler Moore Show (Decades)
M*A*S*H (MeTV)
Maude (Antenna TV)
Match Game (Buzzr)
Match Game PM (Buzzr)
Maverick (Heroes & Icons, MeTV)
McCloud (Cozi TV)
McHale’s Navy (Antenna TV)
McMillan & Wife (Cozi TV)
The Millionaire (Decades)
Mister Ed (This TV)
Mod Squad (Decades)
Mork & Mindy (Antenna TV)
My Favorite Martian (Cozi TV)
My Three Sons (MeTV)
Naked City (Retro TV)
Now You See It (Buzzr)
One Step Beyond (Retro TV)
The Outcasts (getTV)
Outer Limits (Comet)
Partridge Family (Antenna TV)
Password (Buzzr)
Password Plus (Buzzr)
Patty Duke Show (This TV)
Paul Lynde Show (Antenna TV)
Perry Mason (MeTV)
Peter Gunn (MeTV)
Petticoat Junction (Decades, MeTV, Retro TV)
Planet of the Apes (MeTV)
Police Story (Heroes & Icons)
Police Surgeon (Retro TV)
The (Original) Price Is Right with Bill Cullen (Buzzr)
The Quest (getTV)
Rat Ratrol (This TV)
Rawhide (Heroes & Icons, MeTV)
Rockford Files (Cozi TV)
The Rifleman (MeTV)
The Ropers (Antenna TV)
Route 66 (Retro TV)
Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (Decades)
The Saint (This TV)
Sanford and Son (getTV)
Sea Hunt (This TV)
Shane (getTV)
Six Million Dollar Man (Cozi TV)
Smother Brothers Comedy Hour (getTV)
Soap (Antenna TV)
Soupy Sales Show (Retro TV)
Star Trek (Heroes & Icons, MeTV)
Tattletales (Buzzr)
Three’s Company (Antenna TV)
The Three Stooges (MeTV)
The Time Tunnel (MeTV)
Thriller (MeTV)
To Tell the Truth (Buzzr)
Trackdown (MeTV)
Twilight Zone (MeTV)
Voyage to the Bottom of The Sea (MeTV)
Wagon Train (MeTV)
Wanted: Dead or Alive (Heroes & Icons, MeTV)
Welcome Back, Kotter (Antenna TV)
What’s Happening!! (Antenna TV)
What’s My Line? (Buzzr)
Wonder Woman (MeTV)
Zane Grey Theatre (Grit)