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No More I Love Lucy on Hallmark Channel (August 2019)


Harrison
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It looks like that the Hallmark Channel has once again removed I Love Lucy from its schedule. Only this time in favor of The Middle! It started this past Monday (August 3rd). And right before Lucy's birthday? What is up with that? This reminds me of the time when Nick-at-Nite removed I Love Lucy from their block party summer line-up back in 2001 right before or on her birthday. The show they put in Lucy's place was Gilligan's Island!

I wouldn't be too surprised if this is just apart of the phasing out process. I have noticed with each passing year that they have either reduced Lucy or removed her entirely for a couple of months at a time (mostly due to their stupid sappy Christmas movies).

The one show that hasn't been effected with this new schedule is The Golden Girls and that show has been on Hallmark Channel more or less the same number of years as I Love Lucy. And they now playing TGG SIX HOURS A DAY (8-11AM, 11-2AM)!!!  

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Crazy! We no longer get Hallmark, but I remember back in circa 2009 when the show made its debut on the network. School got done at 3:30, and I believe the show aired at 4:00. Of course the day that it was premiering, our last class of the day (Social Studies) got held back after the bell because we were all misbehaving. I went on a minor tirade about how I had to get home so I could see "The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub". I made it home in time, and barely 30 seconds in, the signal got messed up and the picture froze with Lucy and Ethel still at the kitchen sink. You can imagine what a disaster this was. Nowadays, I could pull out my DVD or Blu Ray or go onto a streaming service with no problems, but a decade ago, the struggle to see every episode felt unconquerable.

It seems like Hallmark is trying to change gears with its programming. Certainly what they're most known for at the moment are their atrocious holiday movies, which are pretty popular with girls my age and slightly older. It's odd that they'd replace Lucy with The Middle, which is a wonderful show, but it doesn't really skew to the same demographic that watches schlock like "Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane" (yes, I've seen it; the things we do for love!). Perhaps they're looking to score with the midwestern housewife demographic? They'd certainly relate to The Middle. 

The Golden Girls, like Lucy, is an evergreen cash cow in syndication. Unless Lucy had aired on Hallmark previously, I think TGG was on the channel before she was. I distinctly remember promos voiced by Betty White showing up around 2008 announcing the impending arrival of the show. I had heard the title but had never seen it, and had no idea what it was about. Per my recollection, I assumed it was a drama series! Its premiere was marked with an all-day marathon that we watched one day in the summer. They had a hefty selection of episodes that concluded with the finale. By the time we reached it, I felt like I'd been with the series for all seven years and was completely hooked. They ran the same group of episodes again immediately after, and we sat through the whole thing one more time. I didn't realize it then, but it was my introduction to Betty and Bea and all of those wonderful performers. It definitely helped to cement my love for multi-camera sitcoms.

Harrison's post has made me realize how much nostalgia I feel for the late 2000s Hallmark Channel. Around 2009-10 (when I was nine or ten!) it was a real treat to get up early every morning in the summer and watch Golden Girls from 9:00-11, Lucy from 11:00-12, and Who's The Boss from 12:00-2! Of course, this wasn't every day; I did go outside and play with friends for goodness' sakes, but those three shows on Hallmark are definitely a "hallmark" of my childhood.

:bill1:Goodness, that was a long-ass post! 

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1 hour ago, Freddie2 said:

Harrison's post has made me realize how much nostalgia I feel for the late 2000s Hallmark Channel. Around 2009-10 (when I was nine or ten!) it was a real treat to get up early every morning in the summer and watch Golden Girls from 9:00-11, Lucy from 11:00-12, and Who's The Boss from 12:00-2! Of course, this wasn't every day; I did go outside and play with friends for goodness' sakes, but those three shows on Hallmark are definitely a "hallmark" of my childhood.

:bill1:Goodness, that was a long-ass post! 

 

I Love Lucy premiered on The Hallmark Channel in January 2009 after a seven-year run on TV Land and before that an additional seven-year run on Nick-at-Nite (both networks owned by the same company). The Golden Girls as you can see below was added to the network in March of 2009 after a twelve-year run on Lifetime. Here's the initial schedule for the arrival of The Golden Girls on Hallmark Channel:

 

The Hallmark Channel March 2009 --

What's new: Golden Girls
What's back: Cheers
What's leaving: The Waltons

Blog Story: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/20...timeslots.html
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/20...-schedule.html


Weekdays, effective Monday, March 2
8:00am I Love Lucy
8:30am I Love Lucy
9:00am The Golden Girls (replaces The Waltons)
9:30am The Golden Girls (replaces The Waltons cont.)
10:00am Little House on the Prairie
11:00am Little House on the Prairie
12:00pm Touched by an Angel
1:00pm 7th Heaven
2:00pm 7th Heaven
3:00pm Little House on the Prairie
4:00pm The Golden Girls (replaces Little House)
4:30pm The Golden Girls (replaces Little House cont.)
5:00pm M*A*S*H
5:30pm M*A*S*H
6:00pm M*A*S*H
6:30pm M*A*S*H
7:00pm Walker, Texas Ranger
8:00pm Walker, Texas Ranger
9:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
11:00pm Murder, She Wrote
12:00am The Golden Girls (replaces Murder, She Wrote)
12:30am The Golden Girls (replaces Murder, She Wrote cont.)
1:00am The Golden Girls (replaces Walker, Texas Ranger)
1:30am The Golden Girls (replaces Walker, Texas Ranger cont.)
2:00am I Love Lucy (replaces Walker, Texas Ranger)
2:30am Cheers (replaces Walker, Texas Ranger cont.)

Saturdays, effective Saturday, March 7
6:00am The Golden Girls (replaces Little House)
6:30am The Golden Girls (replaces Little House cont.)
7:00am The Golden Girls (replaces Little House)
7:30am The Golden Girls (replaces Little House cont.)
8:00am The Golden Girls (replaces Little House)
8:30am The Golden Girls (replaces Little House cont.)
9:00am Hallmark MOVIE
11:00am Hallmark MOVIE
1:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
3:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
5:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
7:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
9:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
11:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
1:00am Murder, She Wrote (replaces Walker, Texas Ranger)
2:00am Murder, She Wrote (replaces Walker, Texas Ranger)

Sundays, effective Sunday, March 8
8:00am NASCAR Angels
8:30am The Golden Girls (replaces I Love Lucy)
9:00am The Golden Girls (replaces 7th Heaven)
9:30am The Golden Girls (replaces 7th Heaven cont.)
10:00am 7th Heaven
11:00am 7th Heaven
12:00pm 7th Heaven
1:00pm 7th Heaven
2:00pm 7th Heaven
3:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
5:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
7:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
9:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
11:00pm Hallmark MOVIE
1:00am Murder, She Wrote (replaces Walker, Texas Ranger)
2:00am Murder, She Wrote (replaces Walker, Texas Ranger)

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1 hour ago, Freddie2 said:

Crazy! We no longer get Hallmark, but I remember back in circa 2009 when the show made its debut on the network. School got done at 3:30, and I believe the show aired at 4:00. Of course the day that it was premiering, our last class of the day (Social Studies) got held back after the bell because we were all misbehaving. I went on a minor tirade about how I had to get home so I could see "The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub". I made it home in time, and barely 30 seconds in, the signal got messed up and the picture froze with Lucy and Ethel still at the kitchen sink. You can imagine what a disaster this was. Nowadays, I could pull out my DVD or Blu Ray or go onto a streaming service with no problems, but a decade ago, the struggle to see every episode felt unconquerable.

It seems like Hallmark is trying to change gears with its programming. Certainly what they're most known for at the moment are their atrocious holiday movies, which are pretty popular with girls my age and slightly older. It's odd that they'd replace Lucy with The Middle, which is a wonderful show, but it doesn't really skew to the same demographic that watches schlock like "Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane" (yes, I've seen it; the things we do for love!). Perhaps they're looking to score with the midwestern housewife demographic? They'd certainly relate to The Middle. 

The Golden Girls, like Lucy, is an evergreen cash cow in syndication. Unless Lucy had aired on Hallmark previously, I think TGG was on the channel before she was. I distinctly remember promos voiced by Betty White showing up around 2008 announcing the impending arrival of the show. I had heard the title but had never seen it, and had no idea what it was about. Per my recollection, I assumed it was a drama series! Its premiere was marked with an all-day marathon that we watched one day in the summer. They had a hefty selection of episodes that concluded with the finale. By the time we reached it, I felt like I'd been with the series for all seven years and was completely hooked. They ran the same group of episodes again immediately after, and we sat through the whole thing one more time. I didn't realize it then, but it was my introduction to Betty and Bea and all of those wonderful performers. It definitely helped to cement my love for multi-camera sitcoms.

Harrison's post has made me realize how much nostalgia I feel for the late 2000s Hallmark Channel. Around 2009-10 (when I was nine or ten!) it was a real treat to get up early every morning in the summer and watch Golden Girls from 9:00-11, Lucy from 11:00-12, and Who's The Boss from 12:00-2! Of course, this wasn't every day; I did go outside and play with friends for goodness' sakes, but those three shows on Hallmark are definitely a "hallmark" of my childhood.

:bill1:Goodness, that was a long-ass post! 

 

Hallmark Channel has been changing gears with its programming. Those sappy Christmas movies have proved to be so popular with their viewers that they have been producing more of them each year and dedicating more airtime to them throughout the year. Those movies also inspired the network to focus on original programming with their target demographic being women. The older sitcom fare has worked for them in the past and are consistent with maintaining the same level of viewership but it's those movies and original series that are bringing in the viewership that the network is seeking for. I read somewhere not too long ago that their viewership has actually increased year-to-year since the shift towards movies and original programming. And that their network is now in the top five of the most-watched cable channels. So obviously (and unfortunately), their new strategy is working better than the former.

Yeah, The Golden Girls, has always been the most popular of their syndicated fare ever since it joined their line-up. It has outdid shows with longer runs like Cheers, Frasier, M*A*S*H, Who's the Boss, Happy Days, Home Improvement, etc. in regards to attracting viewers. I don't see TGG leaving the network anytime soon. It's too popular amongst their target demographic.

Would you believe that the Hallmark Channel had three different rotations of I Love Lucy at one point in time? If I remember correctly, one rotation aired during the weekday mornings, second one in the weekday late-night (2:30am), and third one on the weekends with encores in the late night. It was really interesting to see how they were airing I Love Lucy during that time period.

 

 

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You should see the reaction on social media. All these fans are completely losing their shit over this. This is when you need the DVDs. Just always have loaded in the player 1ready to go.  With the ever changing world of streaming, who knows where and for how long you'll be able to stream it on the service you currently pay for. Also not all episodes are on streaming. Maybe physical media will start to come back in popularity with all the streaming shifting. 

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1 hour ago, Luvsbway said:

You should see the reaction on social media. All these fans are completely losing their shit over this. This is when you need the DVDs. Just always have loaded in the player 1ready to go.  With the ever changing world of streaming, who knows where and for how long you'll be able to stream it on the service you currently pay for. Also not all episodes are on streaming. Maybe physical media will start to come back in popularity with all the streaming shifting. 

i just saw their Facebook page and saw tons of posts about them dropping I Love Lucy, which they say is on hiatus - we shall see.

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On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 4:53 AM, tropicjeff said:

Can't stand seeing Lucy on Hallmark as it is sped up everyone sounds like they are on steroids.

I wouldn't doubt it. It seems like that is what all of the cable networks do these days with syndicated reruns. And let's not forget their horrible editing/chopping to fit more commercials in with a half-hour program that lasts anywhere between thirty-five minutes to a hour with the closing credits not intact. That's part of the reason why I just watch the DVDs or a streaming service.   

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Well this blew over fast. Looks like it's coming back next week.

So did they really listen to people who wrote in or was this the plan all along?  

I got snarky on the 8000 post about this in a Lucy FB groups and just wrote:

"I heard all the episodes burned in a fire and now they are just ashes. Worn out ashes."

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