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ABC’s Tgif programming block had viewers hoping for Friday nights to watch their favorite sitcom.

Over the years, many people believed the acronym stood for “Thank God It’s Friday.” However, in a new interview, Jim Janicek, who help create the programming block, clarified that the letters stood for “Thank Goodness It’s Funny.”

“We were talking about things like the ‘Friday Fun Club,'” Janicek said on Pod Meets World about the names they considered before Tgif. “There’s a whole list somewhere I probably could dig up, but I remember that one. You know, ‘It’s Friday Night.’ Lots of little short-isms.”

Janicek recalled that the network’s executives were initially worried that using Tgif would cause problems with a chain of restaurants.

“We did our first animation, which kinda was more childlike, with a little mouse called Friday the Mouse. We were animating that with a guy...

Lisa Kudrow remembers her Friends TV mom, Teri Garr, following news of her death.

Garr died at the age of 79 due to multiple sclerosis, which was first diagnosed in 1999. Kudrow shared the small screen with Garr in multiple episodes of the NBC sitcom and paid tribute to her late co-star.

“Teri Garr was a comedic acting genius who was and is a huge influence on me and I know I’m not alone in that,” Kudrow said in a statement to People. “I feel so lucky and grateful I got to work with Teri Garr.”

Garr played the role of Phoebe Abbott on Friends, Kudrow’s Phoebe Buffay, and Ursula Buffay’s estranged mother. Her first appearance was in the 1997 Season 3 finale episode titled “The One at the Beach.” In the episode, Phoebe meets with a woman she believes is her parents’ friend. Phoebe later discovers that the woman is her biological mother.

Teri Garr was born on December 11, 1944 in Lakewood, Ohio and passed away on October 29, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The American actress is dead at age 79 following a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Garr had over 150 acting credits to her name, including in the beloved films “Young Frankenstein” (1974) as Inga, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977) as Ronnie Neary, “Tootsie” (1982) as Sandy Lester, and “Mr. Mom” (1983) as Caroline Butler. May her memory be a blessing.

Garr received a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 1983 Oscars for “Tootsie,” losing out to her co-star Jessica Lange. Gold Derby recently named “Tootsie” as the best film in director Sydney Pollack‘s entire career. The plot follows out-of-work actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), who dresses in drag to get a job on a daytime soap, and his alter ego, Dorothy Michaels, becomes a national sensation. Garr plays his girlfriend Sandy, a fellow actress who has...

Tgif may have stood for "Thank God It's Friday," but ABC put its spin on 1980s and 1990s TV shows with a block of family-friendly sitcom programming known as "Thank Goodness It's Funny," with some of the most iconic Tgif shows. Tgif quickly became one of the popular TV blocks of the week and gave birth to some of the most beloved comedy shows of all time. Tgif scored several hits while struggling to find a place for others. Tgif shows continue to live on in the hearts and minds of children who grew up in the '80s and '90s.

This programming block was responsible for some of the most wholesome, fun, and uplifting family-friendly sitcoms ever to grace television. The characters in these memorable shows continue to stand the test of time, but not all the shows on the block enjoyed the same success. Some of them...

Based on the bestselling children’s book series by Paula Danziger, family series Amber Brown is heading to Apple TV+, starring Grey’s Anatomy alum Sarah Drew and Carsyn Rose (The Rookie) as the titular Amber. Bonnie Hunt will write, direct, and act as showrunner. “Amber Brown is an unfiltered look at a girl finding her own voice through art and music in the wake of her parents’ divorce,” reads the series description. Described as “an everykid who is going through what many children experience,” Amber will have to work out her family’s new dynamic using her sketches and video diary as outlets for expression. Drew will star as Amber’s mother, Sarah, alongside Darin Brooks (Blue Mountain State) as Sarah’s new boyfriend, Max, and newcomer Liliana Inouye as Amber’s friend, Brandi Colwin. First published in 1993, the award-winning book series was created by author Paula Danziger and...

Grey’s Anatomy alumna Sarah Drew and child actor Carsyn Rose (The Rookie) headline Amber Brown, an Apple TV+ single-camera comedy series based on the bestselling books by Paula Danziger. The series, which co-stars Darin Brooks (Blue Mountain State) and newcomer Liliana Inouye, is written and directed by Bonnie Hunt (Life with Bonnie), who also serves as executive producer and showrunner. Filming on the series, produced by Boat Rocker, is underway in Salt Lake City.

Amber Brown is described as an unfiltered look at a girl finding her own voice through art and music in the wake of her parents’ divorce. Rose plays Amber Brown, an everykid who is going through what many children experience, and making sense of her new family dynamic through her sketches and video diary. Drew plays Amber’s mother Sarah, a good, caring mom with strict rules. Brooks plays Sarah’s boyfriend, Max; Inouye plays Amber’s friend Brandi Colwin.

Apple has ordered a series adaptation of the “Amber Brown” books by Paula Danziger, Variety has learned.

Bonnie Hunt is set to write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner on the adaptation. Carsyn Rose will star in the title role, with Sarah Drew, Darin Brooks, and Liliana Inouye (“The Slows”) also attached.

“Amber Brown” is an unfiltered look at a girl finding her own voice through art and music in the wake of her parents’ divorce. Amber Brown (Rose) is an everykid who is going through what many children experience, and making sense of her new family dynamic through her sketches and video diary. Drew stars as Amber’s mother, Sarah Brown. Brooks will play Max and Inouye will play Brandi Colwin.

The “Amber Brown” books have been published in 53 countries with over 10 million copies in print. Danziger wrote nine books in the series prior to her death in 2004. Then...

Almost 30 years after earning his first Tony Awards nomination for portraying Jackie Robinson in the musical “The First,” David Alan Grier may finally take home his first trophy. Nominated this year for his work in the Broadway debut of Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “A Soldier’s Play,” Grier currently leads our odds in the Featured Actor category.

Grier earned some of the best notices of his career for his role in the revival, which ran at the American Airlines Theater from January to March 2020. Set on a segregated military base in Louisiana in 1944, the play starred Grier as the vicious Sergeant Vernon C. Waters, whose murder gives the play its central mystery and plot. Helen Shaw (Vulture) wrote that Grier “machines each of his scenes to the inch, developing his portrait from a comic tinpot bellower into villainy and then, remarkably, something more tragic,” while Vinson Cunningham (New Yorker) said,...

Exclusive: Californication star/executive producer David Duchovny is returning to Showtime for a potential new series based on his recently published novel Truly Like Lightning. Duchovny is attached to star in the project, which is in development at the premium cable network with a script order.

Duchovny will write the adaptation with Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, the writers-directors of The Peanut Butter Falcon, who are also set to direct should Truly Like Lightning be picked up to pilot. The three are executive producing the project, which is produced by Showtime.

In Truly Like Lightning, the unplugged, off-the-grid, almost biblical desert lives of former Hollywood stuntman, Bronson Powers (Duchovny) and his 3 wives and 10 children is upended when a ruthless real estate developer stumbles upon his thousands of acres in Joshua Tree and tries to force him off his land and return his family to the temptations and modernity of 21st century America.

Comedy legend and TV pioneer Carl Reiner died at 98, according to Variety. His assistant, Judy Nagy, said he was with his family when he died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills on Monday night.

Reiner was one of the true greats. He helped shape comedy on television from the early golden era. Filmed comedy would not be the same without him. Even standup comedy owes him a great debt. There are sandwiches named after him in kosher delis around the world. Reiner was always beloved, and forever acting. He was instantly popular from the moment he appeared on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows in 1950. He and Mel Brooks brought a party gag to national prominence they created the “2,000 Year Old Man” routine. He was veteran conman Saul Bloom in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven movie franchise, played Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer’s stepfather on Two and a Half Men.

Carl Reiner, a comedian, actor, and director best known for his roles on the Dick Van Dyke Show and the Ocean's movies, has died.

He was 98.

Variety first reported the news.

According to reports, Reiner passed away at his home in Beverly Hills Monday night, and was surrounded by his family.

He died of natural causes, according to his assistant, who shared the news wit Variety.

Reiner's manager George Shapiro took to Twitter earlier this week to share a photo of Reiner, his daughter, and Mel Brooks.

Reiner has been a part of some of the biggest TV shows and movies around, with an IMDb page that boasts more than 400 credits to his name.

In addition to starring in The Dick Van Dyke Show, he also created it. The popular series aired from 1961 to 66 and earned Reiner several Emmy wins.

Throughout his multi-decade career, he scored nine Primetime Emmy wins.

Comedy legend Carl Reiner, whose multi-decade showbiz career included nine Primetime Emmy wins, died Monday of natural causes. He was 98.

“Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting,” Reiner’s son Rob, also an actor and filmmaker, wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. “He was my guiding light.”

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A prolific actor, director and producer, Reiner was...

Seventeen years ago Jennifer Aniston won the first (and so far only) Golden Globe of her career thanks to playing Rachel Green on NBC’s ratings behemoth “Friends.” At the podium Aniston looked positively stunned, saying, “I barely just got here! Oh my lord, I never expected this to happen.” That year marked Aniston’s first nomination as a lead actress after previously being nominated in the catch-all supporting category. Above, watch the Golden Globes flashback video from the 2003 telecast.

See‘The Morning Show’ reviews: What do critics think of Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in Apple’s flagship show?

Aniston gave a wonderful shout-out to each of her “Friends” co-stars — Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer — proclaiming, “I love you guys.” She continued on, “You started out as my colleagues and [now] you’re my friends and you’re my family. This wouldn’t even...

Stand-up comedian and flamboyant star of film and TV Rip Taylor died Sunday in Beverly Hills, Deadline has learned. He was 84.

Known for his confetti-clad campy comedy, Taylor was born Charles Elmer Taylor in Washington D.C. on January 13, 1935. His comedy career started when he joined the U.S. Army and started to perform stand-up in clubs around the world where he developed a signature bit where he would cry and beg for the audience to laugh.

Taylor would go on to become known as “The Prince or Pandemonium”, “”The Master of Mayhem”, “The Crying Comedian” and “The King of Camp and Confetti”. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show nearly 20 times as well as The Jackie Gleason Show. On TV, he appeared on The Monkees and lent his voice to animated series including The Addams Family as Uncle Fester and Here Comes the Grump in the ’70s. He continued to...

Ben Stiller will be in Cannes in October for the world-premiere screening of his Showtime series “Escape at Dannemora.” The series will be showcased on the first day of Mipcom, the biggest event on the international TV calendar.

Stiller directed and executive-produced “Escape at Dannemora,” which stars Benicio Del Toro (“Traffic”), Patricia Arquette (“Boyhood”), Paul Dano (“There Will Be Blood”) and Bonnie Hunt (“Life With Bonnie”). Michael Imperioli has a guest starring role.

The series is based on a real-life 2015 prison break in upstate New York that saw two convicts escape with the help of a married female prison employee, with whom they both became romantically entangled.

The series is written by Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin, who were writers on Showtime’s “Ray Donovan.” Both will exec-produce with Stiller, Bryan Zuriff, Michael De Luca though his Michael De Luca Productions and Nicky Weinstock for Red Hour Productions.

CBS Studios International...

Chad Lowe will steer the cult of Supergirl.

The Pretty Little Liars alum will guest-star on the CW drama as Thomas Coville, the charismatic religious leader of a group that worships the Girl of Steel, EW.com reports.

RelatedFall TV Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 35+ Returning Favorites, Including Supergirl!

Lowe will also direct a separate episode of the CW series, which returns for Season 3 on Monday, Oct. 9 at 8/7c.

Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets? Well…

* AMC has renewed Ride With Norman Reedus for a third season, to air in 2018. The second season premieres Sunday, Nov. 5 at...

Bonnie Hunt (Life With Bonnie) is set to co-star opposite Benicio del Toro, Patricia Arquette and Paul Dano in Showtime's limited series Escape At Dannemora, directed and executive produced by Ben Stiller. Escape At Dannemora is based on the headline-making true story of a 2015 prison break in upstate New York, which spawned a massive manhunt for convicted murderers Richard Matt (del Toro) and David Sweat (Dano). The pair were aided in their escape by married female…...

After nine years on the The X-Files, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (who won a 1997 Emmy for her role as Agent Dana Scully) had not only found their way into our conspiracy-loving hearts, they could also pretty much write their own tickets, career-wise. So what have the ex–alien hunters been up to in the 13 years since the original series ended in 2002? Ahead of Sunday and Monday’s two-night premiere of the six-episode reboot, here’s a timeline of every non-paranormal thing they’ve done.2003 Duchovny had already done a bit part as weatherman Johnny Volcano on Bonnie Hunt’s 2002 show Life With Bonnie, so he wasn’t above becoming a notch on Carrie Bradshaw’s bedpost on Sex and the City. He played a high-school ex with a bit of a “commitment” problem. He also took on the title role in the video game Xiii, as a Jason Bourne...

Make people laugh and they won't even realize you're making them think. Over the past 50 years, women have broken through the glass ceiling time after time, shattering stereotypes and thumbing their noses at the old chestnut that "Women aren't funny." Fact: Anybody who says women aren't funny doesn't want them to be funny. We're looking back on the 50 funniest women of the past 50 years, their contributions to comedy, and their enduring legacies that inspire men and women alike. These are the 50 women who have helped (and are helping) to introduce the next class of hilarious women, which will inevitably include Amy Schumer, Lena Dunham, Mindy Kaling, Tig Notaro, Chelsea Handler, Maria Bamford, Aubrey Plaza, and Kate McKinnon. Keep in mind this list only includes women who are primarily performers in movies, television, and standup comedy. That's why you don't see legends like Nora Ephron, Anne Beatts, and Elaine May here.

HollywoodLifers, now you can get our breaking celebrity news and relationship advice nonstop by tuning into our new SiriusXM show! Kick-start your summer with me and all of our amazing celebrity guests!

HollywoodLife.com is everywhere! You can now tune in to The Hollywood Life With Bonnie Fuller and get your celebrity news every day starting on June 10 for an entire week. I was formerly the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Glamour, and Us Weekly so I know a thing or two about the nonstop world of celebrity news! And with the help of the HollywoodLife.com team, I’ll be bringing you unbeatable celeb insight and exclusive scoops!

Tune Into ‘The Hollywood Life With Bonnie Fuller’ SiriusXM Show’

This will be a weeklong special summer series where we will be live on satellite radio! Here are the five reasons why you should tune in.

1. You’ll get to listen...

By Carson Blackwelder

Television Contributor

***

Everyone has his or her favorite actor on TV, but what about the more obscure entertainers out there?

Amid the slew of popular TV performers that dominate the headlines lies an undercurrent of cult favorites, made iconic by uber-fans and bloggers — we’re talking the people that inspire beautiful, beautiful fan fiction and subreddits.

These actors may not earn millions or attend award shows, but they garner a small fan base that makes up for its size in devotion. No matter where this entertainer goes, for better or for worse, fans are sure to follow.

Here are the top 10 cult actors and actresses of all time:

10. Donal Logue

Starting the list is Donal Logue, a Canadian actor best known for his role as Sean Finnerty on Fox/The WB’s Grounded For Life.

Logue, who made an appearance on a 1993 episode of Fox’s The X-Files...

In an occurrence as semi-regular as the El Nino weather pattern, television will make one of its frequent attempts to find a place for Bonnie Hunt, the actress whose star quality remains an object of network executive faith, despite the many, many canceled shows that would seem to suggest otherwise. Hunt's long history of short-lived TV shows—Grand, Davis Rules, The Building, Bonnie, Life With Bonnie, and The Bonnie Hunt Show among them—will likely be mentioned with tongue-in-cheek, self-effacing humor should her new project for ABC make it to the actual series order and press junket stage, and ...

Exclusive: Ben Stiller is teaming with another comedy multihyphenate, Bonnie Hunt, for a comedy project at ABC that will star the comedienne. Hunt will write the half-hour, titled compliKATEd, with her writing partner and frequent collaborator Don Lake. The ensemble comedy centers on Kate (Hunt), a confidently insecure woman with a complicated life. It is produced by Stiller’s Red Hour Television, Hunt’s Bob & Alice Prods and ABC Studios, where Red Hour TV is under an overall deal. Hunt and Lake will executive produce with Red Hour TV’s Stiller, Debbie Liebling and Stuart Cornfeld. This marks Hunt’s return to ABC and ABC Studios, where she toplined the 2002 comedy series Life With Bonnie, also co-created/executive produced with Lake. The two also co-wrote together the 2006 ABC/ABC Studios comedy pilot Let Go, directed by and starring Hunt. This is the third ABC sale for Red Hour TV in its maiden development season,...

They already had the queen of TV, Oprah, on the show, now Tina Fey & Co. have booked film royalty Tom Hanks to guest star in an upcoming episode of NBC's 30 Rock. The Oscar winner confirmed the news via Twitter. No information yet on the role he would play, but my bet is on an oddball character, possibly in the show's 100th episode. Hanks, whose last TV series role was 30 years ago in several episodes of Family Ties, joins other high-profile feature guest actors on 30 Rock this season such as Matt Damon and Susan Sarandon. (As himself, Hanks has appeared on a couple of shows, including Life with Bonnie and The Naked Truth.) Hanks previously worked with Fey and 30 Rock executive producer Lorne Michaels on NBC's Saturday Night Live, which Hanks has hosted eight times. He recently did two skits on Jimmy Kimmel's post-Oscar show.

Actress Bonnie Hunt's daytime U.S.talk show has become the latest TV series to get the axe due to disappointing viewer ratings.

The Jerry Maguire star has hosted two seasons of The Bonnie Hunt Show, which debuted in September 2008, but broadcasting executives have confirmed the Warner Brothers-produced show has been cancelled.

Hunt's previous small-screen efforts, an earlier Bonnie Hunt Show in 1995 and the 2002 sitcom Life With Bonnie, were also axed.

Monday marks a big day in first-run syndication this season, with no fewer than five new shows entering the competition for eyeballs.

Talkers "The Bonnie Hunt Show" and "The Doctors," the game show "Deal or No Deal" and the court strips "Judge Karen" and "Family Court With Judge Penny" are among the new shows debuting nationwide. They will be followed by the Sept. 22 launches of the game show "Trivial Pursuit: America Plays" and the court show "Judge Jeanine Pirro" (the latter of which is airing solely on CW stations nationwide) as well as the scripted weekly "Legend of the Seeker" during the weekend of Nov. 1.

While the failure rate in syndication is high, the talent and producers behind all the new series say they offer something unique for viewers. For his part, Howie Mandel, who hosts both the primetime and syndicated version of "Deal," isn't worried about viewers seeing too much of him.

David Alan Grier and Tim Hightower have teamed with Touchstone Television for a sketch-comedy series tentatively titled The Davey Gee Show. Grier and Hightower will write, executive produce and star in the project, said to be similar in style to In Living Color, the Fox series that gave Grier his big break. The project, which has received a script order by the studio, will feature Grier and Hightower leading a small cast of sketch performers. Davey Gee continues Grier's relationship with Touchstone. In the past two seasons, the comedian co-starred in Life With Bonnie, the studio's comedy for ABC. Grier, on the big screen in Baadasssss! next appears in The Woodsman. He is repped by Endeavor, Dave Fleming of Mosaic Media Group and attorney Matt Johnson. Hightower, whose writing credits include Mad TV and Malcolm & Eddie, is repped by Jim Kellem of JKA Talent & Literary and attorney Patti Felker.

ABC was plotting an extensive makeover of its primetime lineup during the weekend, while the WB Network was looking at more modest changes to accommodate an eclectic batch of new series. Both networks will present their 2003-04 lineups to advertisers Tuesday in New York. On the comedy side, ABC has picked up the Faith Ford-Kelly Ripa starrer Hope and Faith, from Touchstone TV and Industry Entertainment; It's All Relative, from Paramount Network TV/Touchstone TV/Storyline Entertainment; The Big House (previously the untitled Kevin Hart project) from 20th Century Fox TV/Imagine TV; and the 20th TV/Brad Grey TV untitled Tom Hertz sitcom for midseason. Sources said ABC was planning to revive its TGIF family-friendly branding initiative for its Friday night lineup, with some new additions anchored by returning comedies George Lopez and Life With Bonnie. There also was talk that the Wonderful World of Disney telefilm showcase would move from the Sunday 7-9 p.m. berth, possibly to Saturday. And at long last the jury has returned on The Practice. David E. Kelley's Emmy-winning drama has been picked up for an eighth season after lengthy negotiations between the network and 20th Century Fox TV. Sources said the deal calls for the network to cut the show's license fee by at least half -- ABC had been paying an estimated $6.5 million per episode -- but the show is guaranteed a return to its old Sunday 10 p.m. time slot after suffering through a disastrous move to Monday 9 p.m. in late January. Also making the cut is the Dick Wolf remake of Dragnet, which inherited Practice's Sunday 10 p.m. slot for its debut but is now believed to be headed to a tougher neighborhood, Saturday 10 p.m.

ABC was plotting an extensive makeover of its primetime lineup during the weekend, while the WB Network was looking at more modest changes to accommodate an eclectic batch of new series. Both networks will present their 2003-04 lineups to advertisers Tuesday in New York. On the comedy side, ABC has picked up the Faith Ford-Kelly Ripa starrer Hope and Faith, from Touchstone TV and Industry Entertainment; It's All Relative, from Paramount Network TV/Touchstone TV/Storyline Entertainment; The Big House (previously the untitled Kevin Hart project) from 20th Century Fox TV/Imagine TV; and the 20th TV/Brad Grey TV untitled Tom Hertz sitcom for midseason. Sources said ABC was planning to revive its TGIF family-friendly branding initiative for its Friday night lineup, with some new additions anchored by returning comedies George Lopez and Life With Bonnie. There also was talk that the Wonderful World of Disney telefilm showcase would move from the Sunday 7-9 p.m. berth, possibly to Saturday. And at long last the jury has returned on The Practice. David E. Kelley's Emmy-winning drama has been picked up for an eighth season after lengthy negotiations between the network and 20th Century Fox TV. Sources said the deal calls for the network to cut the show's license fee by at least half -- ABC had been paying an estimated $6.5 million per episode -- but the show is guaranteed a return to its old Sunday 10 p.m. time slot after suffering through a disastrous move to Monday 9 p.m. in late January. Also making the cut is the Dick Wolf remake of Dragnet, which inherited Practice's Sunday 10 p.m. slot for its debut but is now believed to be headed to a tougher neighborhood, Saturday 10 p.m.

After finding success on the small screen with her ABC series, Life With Bonnie, on which she plays a working mom, writer-director-actress Bonnie Hunt will try her hand at motherhood on the big screen, joining Steve Martin in 20th Century Fox's remake of Cheaper by the Dozen for helmer Shawn Levy. Hunt has closed a deal to star in the role originated by Myrna Loy in the 1950 comedy about the Gilbreth family and their often amusing struggle to keep it all together with a brood of 12 children. Hunt and Martin are the first two actor deals to close on the project, but deals for several of the children's roles are expected to close in the next few days as production is scheduled to begin March 31, the studio said. The original Cheaper was based on the book by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Sam Harper penned the contemporary adaptation with TCF vp production Vanessa Morrison overseeing for division topper Hutch Parker. Producing the project for the studio are Robert Simonds, Michael Barnathan and the project's original rights holder, Ben Myron. Hunt is repped by ICM. Her series has wrapped for the season, but it recently was picked up for a sophomore run on next year.

After finding success on the small screen with her ABC series, Life With Bonnie, on which she plays a working mom, writer-director-actress Bonnie Hunt will try her hand at motherhood on the big screen, joining Steve Martin in 20th Century Fox's remake of Cheaper by the Dozen for helmer Shawn Levy. Hunt has closed a deal to star in the role originated by Myrna Loy in the 1950 comedy about the Gilbreth family and their often amusing struggle to keep it all together with a brood of 12 children. Hunt and Martin are the first two actor deals to close on the project, but deals for several of the children's roles are expected to close in the next few days as production is scheduled to begin March 31, the studio said. The original Cheaper was based on the book by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Sam Harper penned the contemporary adaptation with TCF vp production Vanessa Morrison overseeing for division topper Hutch Parker. Producing the project for the studio are Robert Simonds, Michael Barnathan and the project's original rights holder, Ben Myron. Hunt is repped by ICM. Her series has wrapped for the season, but it recently was picked up for a sophomore run on next year.

Stephanie Leifer has been promoted to senior vp comedy programming at ABC. The senior vp stripes for Leifer come in recognition of the success the network has had with its new sitcoms this season, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, Life With Bonnie and Less Than Perfect. ABC also has two midseason comedies on tap, Regular Joe and Lost at Home. Leifer has overseen ABC's comedy development since January, when former department head Julie Glucksman resigned as part of a shake-up that included the departure of ABC entertainment co-chairman Stu Bloomberg and the ascension of Susan Lyne to entertainment president.

ABC's new Tuesday lineup posted another nightly win among adults 18-49, while CBS continued its rein on the night in total viewers. At 8 p.m., 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (12.8 million viewers, 4.7 rating/14 share among adults 18-49) cooled off from previous weeks, but still won the half-hour in adults 18-49, while passing the total viewers baton this week to CBS' veteran military drama JAG (14.9 million, 3.3/9 from 8-9 p.m.). ABC's According to Jim (12.4 million, 5.0/14) at 8:30 p.m. also topped the competition in adults 18-49, building on to its 8 Simple Rules demo lead-in, according to preliminary Nielsen data. NBC didn't see improvement from switching its 8-9 p.m. comedies. The block of In-laws (6.9 million, 2.4/7) at 8 p.m. and Just Shoot Me (8.0 million, 3.0/8) at 8:30 p.m. was down 13% in the 18-49 demographic, and up 5% in total viewers from last week, when Just Shoot Me (6.6 million, 2.7/8) opened the night at 8 p.m. and In-laws (7.7 million, 3.5/9) ran at 8:30 p.m. The two shows' delivery in 18-49 is on par with what Emeril and Three Sisters did for NBC in the time period last year. At 9 p.m., NBC's Frasier (13.6 million, 5.2/13) won the hour with Life with Bonnie (9.3 million, 4.0/10) running second in 18-49, while the two networks' sitcoms at 9:30 p.m., NBC's Hidden Hills (9.9 million, 4.3/11) and ABC's Less than Perfect (9.3 million, 4.1/10) ran neck and neck. CBS' legal drama The Guardian (13.2 million, 3.3/8) topped the 9-10 p.m. hour in total viewers. For the night, ABC averaged 11.6 million viewers and a 4.7/13 in 18-49 to CBS' 14.0 million viewers and a 3.6/9. NBC logged 9.8 million viewers and a 3.8/10, while Fox posted 6.1 million viewers and a 2.9/8 with repeats of That '70s Show, Cedric the Entertainer Presents and John Doe.

ABC has secured its hot Tuesday lineup through May with a full-season pickup for the new comedy Less Than Perfect, which stars Sara Rue and Eric Roberts. The back-nine order comes after two airings of the Touchstone TV sitcom in the 9:30 p.m. slot and two consecutive Tuesday nightly wins for ABC in the key adults 18-49 demographic. Last week, ABC's other two new Tuesday shows -- Touchstone TV's comedies 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter and Life With Bonnie -- became the first rookie series this fall to receive full-season orders (HR 10/4).

ABC served up another strong performance on Tuesday with its 8-10 p.m. comedy block and NYPD Blue. CBS also had a strong night with its drama lineup, led by JAG, which ranked as the most-watched program of the night. NBC got off to a slow start with the season premiere of Just Shoot Me at 8 p.m. pulling in just 6.7 million viewers and 2.7/8 in the adults 18-49 demo. At 8:30 p.m., NBC's new sitcom In-Laws rose to 7.8 million viewers and 3.4/9 in 18-49, but both of the peacock's comedies were still beaten by CBS' older-skewing "JAG" (14.6 million, 3.3/9). ABC's "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" (14.6 million viewers, 5.6/16 in 18-49) and According to Jim (13.5 million, 5.6/15) won the hour. NBC's fortunes picked up at 9 p.m. with Frasier (14.2 million, 5.6/14), but ABC's Life with Bonnie (10.3 million, 4.6/12) held up well in the time slot. At 10 p.m., NYPD Blue (12.9 million, 5.3/15) was the clear winner in the demo but CBS' Judging Amy led in total viewers (14 million). For the night, CBS won in total viewers (14 million) while ABC led in 18-49 (5.1/14) and was No. 2 in viewers (12.3 million). Fox's regular lineup was preempted for baseball playoff coverage.

ABC's 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter and Life With Bonnie became the first rookie series of the fall 2002 batch to receive a full-season pickup. ABC has ordered nine additional episodes of the comedies from Touchstone Television, which have performed solidly for the network in their first three Tuesday night outings. "These are two shows that are in great shape creatively, and they've performed even better than we expected, so they earned their back nine," ABC entertainment president Susan Lyne said. ABC is facing serious challenges this fall, battling a ratings slump and launching a schedule dominated by new shows to fill the void left by the departure of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and such veterans as Dharma & Greg and Spin City.

Tuesdays are definitely looking brighter for ABC. The new John Ritter sitcom, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, continued to flex its demographic muscle, while Bonnie Hunt's Life With Bonnie hung tough in its first face-off at 9 p.m. with NBC's Frasier. For the third straight week, 8 Simple Rules (13.4 million viewers, 5.3 rating/16 share) won its 8-8:30 p.m. slot in the adults 18-49 demo, which helped ABC win the night in the demo. Buoyed by the fourth-season premiere of Judging Amy (15.7 million, 4.6/13), which ranked as the most-watched show of the night, CBS was No. 1 in total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The WB Network won the night in adults 18-34 and persons 12-34, with Gilmore Girls hitting series highs in the 18-34 (3.7/11) and 12-34 (4.0/12) demos. ABC also had solid results from the sophomore-season premiere of According to Jim (12.2 million, 5.2/14) at 8:30 p.m. and the debut of Less Than Perfect (10.4 million, 4.3/11) at 9:30 p.m. Moreover, ABC's Bonnie (11.1 million, 4.7/12) held up well against Frasier (14.5 million, 5.7/15) -- off its stellar season premiere -- giving ABC its most competitive demo performance in the 9-9:30 p.m. period with a comedy opposite an original episode of Frasier in nearly a year and a half.