The end of the rainbow must be near because this channel is pure gold! Launching on August 2, Comedy Gold pays tribute to the series that helped shape the cultural landscape of the last 40 years, featuring iconic and ground-breaking comedic series from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. The all-new channel launches with an all-day marathon of comedy’s classic funny females: Comedy Gold digs out the hairspray and shoulder pads with the fierce, funny and fabulous ladies of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, MURPHY BROWN and DESIGNING WOMEN. Showcasing the legendary first episodes of three landmark series, the sisters are doing it for themselves when the marathon kicks off with the classic career gal herself on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW at 2 p.m. ET/PT. The marathon continues with two-time Emmy®-winner MURPHY BROWN at 5 p.m. and the always-sassy, DESIGNING WOMEN at 7 p.m. The marathon repeats at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
“Comedy Gold is the destination for classic comedy programming in Canada,” said Michelle Daly, Director of Content for The Comedy Network and Comedy Gold. “With the enduring appeal of sitcoms and their classic stars, viewers have an appetite for this kind of programming. We’re happy to offer the funniest line-up out there.”
Comedy Gold’s regular programming kicks-off August 3. Viewers can tune in every day to catch a line-up of classics from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s that helped shape the culture of the day and change the landscape of TV history. The after-school crowd won’t want to miss FULL HOUSE and THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR while MURPHY BROWN, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW and DESIGNING WOMEN bring a triple dose of fierce females. Those looking to relive the classic comedy stylings of legendary comedian Bob Newhart will revel in a double-dose with THE BOB NEWHART SHOW and NEWHART. And starting in September, fans of slapstick and satire will love the court-room hi-jinks of NIGHT COURT.
FULL HOUSE
Monday – Friday, 4 and 4:30 p.m. ET/PT
Before Bob Saget turned Blue comic he was the head of the Tanner household, teaching family values to kids everywhere as the flagship series of ABC’s “TGIF” Fridays. The series spawned catchphrases “Cut, it, out!” and “You got it, dude”, and “Have mercy!” FULL HOUSE ran for eight seasons and was one of the few primetime sitcoms every to reach more than 190 episodes.
THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR
Monday – Friday, 5 and 5:30 p.m. ET/PT
Launching to career of Will Smith, THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR gave us DJ Jazzy Jeff, “the Carlton” and one of the catchiest theme songs of all time. THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR centres on a wealthy family living in Bel-Air who take in their teenage relative, played by Oscar®-nominated and Grammy® Award-winner Will Smith.
THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW
Monday – Friday, 8 p.m. ET/PT
Three-time Emmy® Award-winner for Outstanding Comedy Series, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW was the first show on television to feature a never-married, independent career woman as the central character. Included on TIME Magazine’s list of the “17 Shows That Changed TV,” THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW paved the way for strong, independent women on television and beyond.
THE BOB NEWHART SHOW
Monday – Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET/PT
Rated among TIME Magazine’s “100 Best TV Shows of All-Time”, THE BOB NEWHART SHOW premiered in 1972 and was the first sitcom for the already renowned comedian Bob Newhart. THE BOB NEWHART SHOW follows Bob (Bob Newhart), a successful Chicago psychologist who shares a secretary with his best friend, orthodontist Dr. Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz). Also starring Suzanne Pleshette as Bob’s supportive (though occasionally sarcastic) wife Emily. The series ran for six seasons.
NEWHART
Monday – Friday, 9 and 9:30 p.m. ET/PT
In 1982 Bob Newhart returned with NEWHART. Boasting the title of “most unexpected moment in TV history” for the legendary dream reveal finale, two-time Emmy®- Award nominee for Outstanding Comedy Series, NEWHART follows Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart) and his wife Joanna (Mary Frann) after leaving New York City to run a small inn in Vermont. Dick is a sane, mild-mannered everyman surrounded by a community of oddballs like Larry, Darryl and his other brother Darryl, in a town which exists in an illogical world run by rules that elude him. NEWHART frequently featured guest appearances including Johnny Carson, Jack Riley and Bob’s real-life pal, comedian/actor Don Rickles.
MUPRHY BROWN
Monday – Friday, 10 p.m. ET/PT
Of all the series of the ‘90s, none sparked more controversy than two-time Emmy®- winner for Best Comedy Series, MURPHY BROWN. The series stars four-time Emmy®- and two-time Golden Globe®-winner for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Candice Bergen, in the title role. A recovering alcoholic, Murphy Brown is returning to investigative news show FYI for the first time since a stay at the Betty Ford Clinic. Her colleagues at FYI include stuffy anchor Jim Dial (Charles Kimbrough), who affectionately addresses Murphy as “Slugger”; reporter Frank Fontana and the scatterbrained Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford), a former Miss America. MURPHY BROWN made headlines when then Vice President Dan Quayle publicly criticized Murphy’s choice to become a single parent. Quayle’s remarks caused a public discussion on family values, culminating in the 1992–93 season premiere where the television characters reacted to Quayle’s comments and produced a special episode of FYI showcasing and celebrating the diversity of the modern family.
DESIGNING WOMEN
Monday – Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET/PT
Focusing on the working and personal lives of four strong Southern women running an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia, DESIGNING WOMEN made television waves and dominated the tabloids for four seasons. Never afraid to make a statement as bold as their shoulder pads, DESIGNING WOMEN took on controversial topics such as homosexuality, racism, dating clergy, AIDS, hostile societal attitudes towards the overweight and spousal abuse.
Starting September 2010:
NIGHT COURT
Monday – Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET/PT
Often compared to BARNEY MILLER, three-time Emmy®- nominee for Best Comedy Series, NIGHT COURT aired for nine seasons between 1984 and 1992. Starring comedian and magician Harry Anderson as the eccentric Judge Harry T. Stone, NIGHT COURT featured the bizarre dealings of a Manhattan court night shift. While Harry Anderson remained the lead, the break-out star of the show was three-time Emmy®- winner John Larroquette as narcissistic prosecutor Dan Fielding.
Comedy Gold pays tribute to timeless sitcoms of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. On Comedy Gold, classic laughs are new again – a home on the dial for enduring TV satisfaction. Comedy Gold, sister station to The Comedy Network, Canada’s first-and-only specialty service, is owned by CTV Limited, a division of CTVglobemedia, Canada’s premier multimedia company. Comedy Gold is on Canada’s leading online network at www.comedygold.ca.
