TBS picks up ABC’s ‘Cougar Town’
Loading ...Atlanta’s TNT saved “Southland” from NBC.
Now raise a wine glass to sister station TBS, which has picked up ABC’s quirky sitcom “Cougar Town” for 15 episodes next years, according to TV Line.
The show, which survived three seasons but no consistent time slot on ABC, built up a modest but fervent fan base. Creator Bill Lawrence, worried about the show when it didn’t appear on the fall or spring schedule, held fan parties across the nation out of his own pocket, including one in Atlanta over Christmas break. ABC eventually stuck it on the schedule this spring on Tuesdays after “Last Man Standing.”
“Cougar Town is a smart, whimsical sitcom that draws its humor from likable, relatable characters,” said Michael Wright in a press release. “We are thrilled to have Cougar Town moving to the TBS neighborhood as the network continues to expand its slate of original comedy series.”
UPDATE: Lawrence spoke with TV Line’s Michael Ausiello late yesterday afternoon after the news was announced for an exclusive. He said ABC would have asked for only 13 episodes. TBS was willing to take 15. Better yet, it’s a two-year pickup, with TBS having the option to cancel after one year. And the licensing fee was the same so nobody takes a pay cut.
“TBS came at the show hard and passionately and is really looking at making it a flagship show for them,” he said.
Shows swapping networks is not terribly common but does happen on occasion. Examples include Lawrence’s show “Scrubs,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Roswell,” “Medium,” “The D.L. Hughley Show,” “Futurama,” “Project Runway,” and “Family Matters.”
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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38 comments Add your comment
Sarah
May 10th, 2012
2:14 pm
My mom is going to be so happy. She was hoping this would happen.
tbs: Very Lame
May 10th, 2012
2:17 pm
TBS:
Even a test pattern is better than anything Tyler Perry creates for our network.
Maurice
May 10th, 2012
2:20 pm
“Cougar Town is a smart, whimsical sitcom that draws its humor from likable, relatable characters,”…..What? Are you kidding!
Tiger Woods
May 10th, 2012
2:27 pm
Tyler Perry shows are unbearable. Some of the worst acting and writing on TV.
BDW
May 10th, 2012
2:28 pm
This show is lame. Kill it.
UGABugKiller
May 10th, 2012
2:45 pm
Well… it sounds like Maurice hasn’t actually SEEN the show, just objects to the title.
Funny, how some of the best shows on television history, like the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, had titles that kept boring, risk-averse people like Maurice away, to the show’s ratings detriment (but no detriment to the content).
Not Worth The Time Slot
May 10th, 2012
2:46 pm
It just needs to go away….not worth the time slot nor the time wasted watching it. Courtney Cox’s day in the sun died with Friends.
Mike
May 10th, 2012
2:52 pm
Disagree! I’m thrilled that Cougar Town will be back. Go ahead and continue watching 2 & A Ha
Mike
May 10th, 2012
2:52 pm
Disagree! I’m thrilled that Cougar Town will be back. Go ahead and continue watching 2 & A Half Men and Last Man Standing. Awesome television there….
lost in windy
May 10th, 2012
2:53 pm
Cougar Town is awful and yes, I’ve watched it. Put it out of its misery. We appreciate TNT picking up Southland, but let’s pick up everything. Also I bet all of the objections on this blog to Tyler Perry are written by White people. However, Meet the Browns is terrible . Just another modern day incarnation of JJ. So I guess White people will like seeing Black people in that light. Afterall this is the South and Atlanta!
DU WHUT
May 10th, 2012
2:56 pm
ding dong……. Hello?
yabba daba du …… whatchu say to me!
Bendaddy
May 10th, 2012
2:58 pm
Lost in Windy has lost his mind. What does black or white have to do with anything? Bad writing is bad writing, regardless of what color the actors are. Dont you just love when people try and bring race into everything?
Atlantan
May 10th, 2012
3:02 pm
I’d rather have this than any of that Tyler Perry mess any night of the week. He is awful. And who does he really think he’s fooling?
Tammy
May 10th, 2012
3:09 pm
Glad it has been picked up by TBS – love the show.
blahblahblah
May 10th, 2012
3:22 pm
I thought the first two seasons were very well done. I’ve lost some interest this 3rd season. I hope a new home breathes some life into the product.
DunwoodyDad
May 10th, 2012
3:30 pm
Cougar Town is ALMOST as bad as Happy Endings. Both shows should be scrapped. I feel bad that i watch 30 seconds of Happy Endings when my DVR over records Modern Family.
swimmer
May 10th, 2012
3:40 pm
There’s nothing more pathetic than middle age narcissism.
quake
May 10th, 2012
3:44 pm
What Tammy said. And if you don’t like it, don’t watch it. Simple.
Wine Me!
May 10th, 2012
3:50 pm
Oh, yay! I was worried my Big Carl would get lonely w/o our regular date.
Robert A. Booey
May 10th, 2012
3:51 pm
Great news for Stern fans – Eric the Midget/Actor will surely guest star in a few episodes.
“Keys, woman!!”
Bring it!
May 10th, 2012
4:46 pm
Southland is one awesome show! Cougar Town is fun.
CobbGOPer
May 10th, 2012
4:47 pm
Well Tyler Perry must be doing something right, have you seen his house?! The damn poolhouse alone is 5 stories tall…
Cougar fan
May 10th, 2012
5:13 pm
Cougar Town is a really great show, although not a fan of the direction they’ve taken this third season.
And I HOPE they don’t let Tyler Perry have any kind of connection to this show whatsoever. His shows are A-W-E-F-U-L.
LanFan
May 10th, 2012
5:15 pm
Cougar town is a great show. I will play a game or two of Penny Can to night to celebrate.
elyse
May 10th, 2012
5:44 pm
JAG only lasted one season on NBC. CBS picked it up and it lasted another 10 seasons or so.
Vino Gurl
May 10th, 2012
5:55 pm
OMG ….. Cougar Town puts out some of the most classic one liner zingers! Hope the same writers stay with the show. Its one of the few decent sitcoms currently on the air now! Obviously all the haters are the same ones who lack a sense of humor. Good move TBS!
Boozer
May 10th, 2012
5:55 pm
Let them re-name the show!!! “Cougar Town” was forced on them by ABC, and it does not fit the show itself.
George
May 10th, 2012
5:56 pm
Why all the hating on T. Perry? Obviously, he’s good and his shows are funny-they’re on the air for like 50 hours a week. Get real haters, the man reps the A, respect it.
Boozer
May 10th, 2012
5:57 pm
Pennnnny Can!
Boozer
May 10th, 2012
5:58 pm
The man may rep the A, but what about his shows are good?? You can’t give play time as a reason for it being good.
Chuck
May 10th, 2012
6:10 pm
Tyler Perry shows make Amos & Andy look culturally sensitive.
Tom in GA
May 10th, 2012
7:02 pm
If 1 in 30 people watch it, financially TBS will be fine. On clearly there are clearly many of the 29 in 30 who won’t but that’s really irrelevant as to whether it should be on tv. I don’t watch it but there’s other options too. With 200 channels, DVRs, and Netflix – just find what you want to watch and let other people enjoy their show.
Tom in GA
May 10th, 2012
7:03 pm
Eh, lost the plot there for a moment… should read “Clearly on this thread there are many of the 29 in 30 who won’t…”
David C
May 10th, 2012
8:45 pm
This is one of the funniest shows on TV right now. Can you say “Penny Can!!”
urban redneck
May 10th, 2012
8:57 pm
O M Lord. Now my wife says we gotta get cable.
Edward
May 10th, 2012
9:38 pm
I love “Cougar Town”. Tyler Perry, not so much. Tyler is the same old tired script just rearranged and a new title slapped on it.
BehindEnemyLines
May 10th, 2012
10:47 pm
@ Tom re: 1 in 30 … If TBS got close to a 3 with this they’d be celebrating for life. ABC hasn’t been getting that out of it. More likely TBS is well satisfied with anything over 1 in 100.
Zeeeeee Nachos aka "The Living Legend"
May 10th, 2012
10:55 pm
Hi Bodney
Courtney Cox…. would you hit it?