Two iconic sitcoms are joining COZI TV’s lineup. TV Insider has learned exclusively that COZI TV, NBCUniversal Local’s national multicast network that delivers TV’s all-time best shows and pop culture favorites, has acquired the digital broadcast rights to Sony Pictures Television’s “Married… with Children” and “The King of Queens.” These beloved shows will join COZI TV’s 24-hour lineup on August 5 and September 9, respectively. Notably, COZI TV will be the first to deliver “Married… With Children” in digitally remastered HD.
“Married… with Children” debuts on August 3 with a special eight-hour, 16-episode first-season marathon, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. It becomes part of the regular lineup on August 5, with four-episode blocks Mondays through Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m. ET. The comedy, starring Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate, and David Faustino, centers on the not-so-lovable family of four, the Bundys, a middle-class family in Chicago, and their neighbors, Steve and Marcy Rhoades.
It’s one of the longest-running sitcoms in American television history and was considered a departure from traditional sitcoms of the era due to its offbeat humor, unflinching honesty, unsavory characters, and strained relationships. It was the first primetime scripted series on the FOX broadcast network and originally aired from 1987 to 1997. Created by Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt, the 259-episode series ranked as the network’s top-rated comedy and No. 2 overall program from 1991 to 1997. The show earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series, Comedy, in 1991.
“The King of Queens” enters its 27th consecutive season on television as part of COZI TV’s primetime lineup beginning September 9, Mondays through Fridays and Sundays, with four-episode blocks airing from 8 to 10 p.m. ET. An 11-hour marathon will air on September 15, beginning at 11 a.m. ET. The comedy, starring Kevin James and Leah Remini, follows a working-class married couple, deliveryman Doug and secretary Carrie Heffernan, as they navigate daily life with their friends and family in Queens, N.Y. The cast also features Jerry Stiller as Arthur Spooner, Carrie’s widowed father, and Victor Williams and Patton Oswalt as Doug’s friends.
The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt and averaged more than 10 million viewers per episode across nine seasons on CBS from 1998 to 2007. It won 14 awards and was nominated for an Emmy (for James, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006) during its 207-episode original run.
“COZI TV delivers a thoughtfully curated selection of TV’s best comedies and most compelling drama titles, and we’re proud to continue to refresh and expand our collection with beloved titles like ‘Married… With Children’ and ‘The King of Queens,’” said Meredith McGinn, EVP of Diginets and Original Production for NBCUniversal Local, in a statement. “These timeless sitcoms and their characters remain extraordinarily popular with longtime fans and with new generations of viewers.”
Source: TV Insider
