Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
TV Land
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| TV Land | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | April 29, 1996 |
| Owned by | MTV Networks (Viacom) |
| Slogan | Here for the TV Generation |
| Sister channel(s) | Nickelodeon, Nick-at-Nite |
| Website | TV Land |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| UHF-TV Inc. (Willmar, Minnesota) | K17FA Channel 17 |
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV | Channel 301 |
| Dish Network | Channel 106 |
| Cable | |
| Available on most cable systems | Check Local Listings for channels |
TV Land (originally "Nick-at-Nite's TV Land") is an American cable television network which first started transmissions on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Noggin. TV Land is a spinoff of Nickelodeon's Nick-at-Nite, hence that it was originally called "Nick at Nite's TV Land".
Currently, TV Land's programming primarily consists of reruns of television series such as I Love Lucy, Sanford and Son, The Munsters, The Andy Griffith Show, and Gunsmoke.
Starting in 2007, the network began targeting Baby boomers, airing programming from all eras of television; what Boomers watched growing up, and what they watch now. The network no longer labels itself as a "Classic TV" network. Results of this switch were acquisitions of Star Trek and M*A*S*H, both older shows popular among Baby boomers. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was acquired in August 2007, and Just Shoot Me, Scrubs, Mad About You, and Murphy Brown were all recent shows acquired for 2008; classic shows The Beverly Hillbillies and Hogan's Heroes were acquired as well. Designing Women was borrowed from Nick@Nite and began airing in October, 2007. The network plans to begin airing original programming targeted towards Boomers in 2008 with a high-school reunion show and a modeling show. Accompanying this strategy was a refresh of the network's graphic identity, designed and conceived by Trollback + Company, who also created its earlier look in 2000.
More recently TV Land has aired some original programing, including Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg, TV Land Legends: The 60 Minutes Interviews and I Pity The Fool.
For several years the station broadcast old advertisements, called "TV Land Retromercials." Examples of advertisements aired are the "Mamma mia, that's a spicy meatball!" from Alka-Seltzer and "In Soviet Georgia" from Dannon yogurt, as well as the animated Tootsie Pop owl. Some retromercials have included future stars like Judd Hirsch, Rene Russo, Roy Scheider and Jodie Foster. Retromercials have not surfaced on TV Land in recent years. In early years, current commercials were not shown on TV Land.
TV Land often airs marathon weekends devoted to a single program. In the early 2000s, TV Land aired special programming blocks on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: the final day of the year would revolve around final episodes of classic television series, and the first day of the new year would air exclusively pilot episodes.
When a program deemed particularly important is airing on another network, TV Land would sometimes air nonsense programming (such as footage of staff members holding signs or wearing T-shirts) to encourage viewers to watch the network programming. Recent examples include the series finales of Friends (2004) and Everybody Loves Raymond (2005). The network went dark during the last episode of Seinfeld (1998).
Harry Shearer is the regular announcer for the network promos. The original announcer was DJ Dan Ingram.
TV Land has been the broadcast home for the TV Land Awards show since the show's inception in 2003. The TV Land Awards are celebration of past classic TV shows and TV stars. The TV Land Awards also broadcasts simultaneously on Nick-at-Nite.
