Programming
ABC Family currently offers a slate of mostly reruns of contemporary comedies, such as Full House, 8 Simple Rules, Grounded For Life, Still Standing, Friends, What I Like About You, America's Funniest Home Videos, That '70s Show and My Wife and Kids, with the only off-network drama series on the schedule being Friday Night Lights (since moved to ESPN Classic due to low ratings and better audience compatibility) and Gilmore Girls (which resumed airing weekdays at 5pm ET in February 2012 as reruns of Secret Life performed under expectations). Since 2000, the network has aired several sitcoms that have aired on ABC's former TGIF block, including the Miller-Boyett produced Step by Step (one of the longest-running shows on the channel, running from 2001 to 2010), Family Matters (2003-2008), Two of a Kind (1999-2005), Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (2006-2011), and Full House (2003-2012), with Boy Meets World the only TGIF series that is currently airing on the network.
The channel also produces a limited amount of original series, such as The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Melissa & Joey, Pretty Little Liars, Switched at Birth, The Lying Game, Bunheads and Baby Daddy and former series such as Wildfire, Kyle XY, Greek, Lincoln Heights, 10 Things I Hate About You, Ruby and the Rockits, Huge, and the recently ended series, State of Georgia, The Nine Lives of Chloe King, Make It or Break It and Jane by Design. Of these original series, the channel has had minimal success with situation comedy programming as of recent, with its drama series having generally outlasted the original sitcoms. ABC Family airs their original series on Monday and/or Tuesday nights, and recently Wednesday nights for its new comedy block, typically preempting programming that airs in the 7 and 10 p.m. ET time slots the rest of the week. The network airs each season of its original series in a relatively uncommon format for broadcast television or basic cable, as the first half of the season airs with consecutive episodes, followed by a 4-6 month break, then the remaining episodes of the season are broadcast afterward; ABC Family typically only reruns episodes of their original series in a marathon that airs prior to a season premiere, mid-season or season finale, or other special occasion, though the channel does air week-behind encores of original series that air in the 8 p.m. ET hour prior to the newest episode and a same-night encore of the newest episode the evening of an episode premiere.
The channel also airs a limited amount of religious programming, a remnant from the network's CBN ownership, including the aforementioned daily broadcasts of The 700 Club and The 700 Club Interactive, as well as ministry programs from Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, James Robison, Joseph Prince, Doug Batchelor, Ed Young and the late Zola Levitt; aside from the 700 Club and 700 Club Interactive airings, most of the religious programming carried by ABC Family generally airs between 5-7 a.m. ET each weekday and on Sunday nights from 12-2 a.m. ET.
It is one of only two Disney-owned cable channels in the U.S. (ESPN Classic being the other) to air infomercials and one of the only cable channels to air informercials before 2:30 a.m. ET.; they air from 1-7 a.m. ET weekdays, 2-7 a.m. ET Saturdays and 12-7 a.m. ET on Sundays.
Read more about this topic: ABC Family
Famous quotes containing the word programming:
“If there is a price to pay for the privilege of spending the early years of child rearing in the driver’s seat, it is our reluctance, our inability, to tolerate being demoted to the backseat. Spurred by our success in programming our children during the preschool years, we may find it difficult to forgo in later states the level of control that once afforded us so much satisfaction.”
—Melinda M. Marshall (20th century)