UPFRONT & CENTER: The Golden Girls to Move to Hallmark Channel
Emmy Award-Winning Show from Disney-ABC Domestic Television to Leave Lifetime Television After February 2009
By Anne Becker -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/26/2008 2:01:00 AM
Hallmark Channel has bought the rights to The Golden Girls from Disney-ABC Domestic Television.
The Emmy Award-winning show will begin running on the cable network after February 2009, when it will leave its longtime home, Lifetime Television. The deal does not give Hallmark exclusive rights, however.
“The Golden Girls has been on our wish list for a long time, so we’re delighted to reach this agreement,” said Michelle Vicary, Hallmark’s senior vice president of acquisitions and scheduling. “This is the perfect complement to our schedule of family-friendly programming.”
Golden has run on Lifetime since March 1, 1997, and while it has a devoted core fan base, it takes up a big chunk of its schedule -- six episodes per day -- and doesn’t bring in huge enough ratings to justify such a big presence for a network trying to establish branding based on its original programming.
Last week’s most-viewed episode averaged about 800,000 viewers at 1 a.m. on a Thursday night, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The show, produced by ABC Studios, ran for seven seasons beginning in 1985.
Hallmark announced the acquisition at its upfront presentation to press Tuesday night at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
The network made several other announcements, among them the acquisition of 99 classic family Disney movies also from Disney-ABC Domestic TV, including The Shaggy Dog, Flubber, Old Yeller, The Parent Trap, The Incredible Journey, The Princess Diaries and Freaky Friday. They will run on Hallmark and sister channel Hallmark Movie Channel.
“The ‘classic’ series will depart our schedule after a 12-year run to make room for our next generation of off-net comedies such as the very popular Reba, Still Standing and Will & Grace, as well as numerous original comedies in development, along with the return of the smash hit Army Wives,” Lifetime said in a statement. “We wish Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia all the best of luck in their new home.”
For complete coverage of the upfronts, click here.
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Where did the Golden Girls go?! Now there's the show charmed with dumb girls doing magic and fighting all buffy the vampire slayer style? I could barely handle the ghost whisperer but now this??? I'm super bummed on the lifetime channel right now.
Kellye - 7/8/2010 5:29:48 PM EDT -
plz plzzzzzzzz bring back the golden girls at 5 on life time chanel 122 on cable i loveeeeee to watch after work relaxe and i enjoy it
wendy - 6/25/2010 7:50:50 PM EDT -
Why Have t-you moved the golden girls to 6 pm?? and are they still on at eleven oclock, as I go to bed with everynight except Weekendsas i AM A POOR SLEEPER, AND THEY WORK FOR ME, dID martha Stewart buy your whole station, just to geton, I totally do not like her and never will, please e-mail me with the answer . thank you, Pat Murphy, as I say so much for Hallmark until 6 PM and 11pm I hope. 01-14-2010 I will turn on your station until 6.pm Sorry
Patricia M. Murphy - 4/14/2010 12:22:08 PM EDT -
I could never get tired of watching the Golden Girls.
Hallmark, thank you so much for running them. Andy
Griffith and the GG are the best shows ever.
Ms. Peggy S. Doss - 9/30/2009 12:20:40 AM EDT -
Thank you for bringing GG into our homes. They keep me laughing.
R. Martinez - 5/14/2009 8:19:53 PM EDT
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