Hurricane Sandy Affects Primetime TV Scheduling

Before we give you the lay down on how Sandy is impacting television this week, we want to be sure to send our thoughts and prayers to all of those who are in one way or another affected by Sandy this week. You’re in the Yak’s thoughts.

Now, those of you hoping to get CBS’s comedy block and Hawaii Five-0 last night found out the hard way. CBS pre-empted their original programming and aired a CBS News special on Sandy, since those on the east coast likely were not able to enjoy the same laughs you might have. The original episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Partners, 2 Broke Girls, Mike & Molly and Hawaii Five-0 will air next Monday, November 5.

ABC and NBC have also made some moves. NBC’s special Halloween episodes of Go On and The New Normal, slated to air Tuesday at 10/9c after The Voice, have been pre-empted. ABC has also pre-empted Private Practice on October 30. Both NBC and ABC will air special coverage of Hurricane Sandy instead. Private Practice will return November 13th (next week is Election coverage) and there is no word when NBC will air their Halloween comedy specials.

The irony between much of the country being unable to see Revolution last night is not lost on NBC. The peacock has opted to pre-empt their Thursday comedies (30 Rock, Up All Night, The Office and Parks & Rec) to air a repeat of Team Adam and Team Cee Lo’s Knockout Round on The Voice, which aired Monday night. Monday night’s Revolution will air Friday November 2 at 8pm ET, followed by an all-new Grimm. NBC will, however, air an ORIGINAL 30 Rock Wednesday Oct 31, since the episode is a continuation from last week’s election themed plotline. This will give Tina Fey and Co. to finish off that story before next week’s actual Presidential election. This 30 Rock episode knocks off the final episode of already cancelled Animal Practice.

Phew. Got all that? That about covers it … check your DVRs.

Gay Themed Sitcom Gets Pulled from Utah NBC Affilate

“The New Normal” hasn’t premiered yet and it is already causing a stir in some communities around the country. According to Salt Lake Tribune, a Utah NBC Affiliate has pulled Ryan Murphy’s new sitcom from it’s Tuesday nights lineup. KSL, which is owned by the Latter-day Saints church, refuses to air a television show showcasing the ups and downs of a gay couple raising their new child.

“The dialogue might be excessively rude and crude,” CEO of KSL’s parent company, Bonneville International, Jeff Simpson tells the Tribune. “The scenes may be too explicit or the characterizations might seem offensive.”

KSL is no stranger to pulling questionable content off their airwaves. Last year, NBC show “The Playboy Club” didn’t get any airtime on the NBC affiliate. The show was eventually cancelled in October. In regards to “The Playboy Club,” KSL’s programming director Michelle Torsak said “Our intent is not to tell people what they can and cannot watch, but rather to share programming with our audience in accordance with our mission.”

Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee, hasn’t commented on the developments yet. “The New Normal” was also under fire recently from One Million Moms who questioned the content and message the show sets to convey.

“The New Normal” premieres nationwide on Sept 11 at 8:30pm EST. Matt Jacquint, general manager of KUCW and KTVX, other affiliates in Utah, says that they WILL air the episodes on the weekends. They are just looking for a timeslot at the moment. So the folks in Utah will have a chance to catch the show, after all.