WBTVGCBSTelevisionStationsAcquireMikeMolly2BrokeGirls06.20.12 [1]
CBS Television Stations Acquire “Mike & Molly” and “2 Broke Girls”
(June 20, 2012 – Burbank, CA) – Two of television’s hottest and most popular situation comedies, Warner Bros. Television’s “Mike & Molly” and “2 Broke Girls,” have been sold to the CBS Television Stations and Weigel for off-net debuts in Fall 2014 and 2015, respectively. The announcement was made today by Peter Dunn, President, CBS Television Stations, and Ken Werner, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
The CBS Television Stations will serve as the primary launch group, taking the show for their stations in New York (WLNY-TV), Los Angeles (KCAL-TV), Philadelphia (WPSG-TV), Dallas (KTXA-TV), San Francisco (KBCW-TV), Boston (WSBK-TV), Atlanta (WUPA-TV), Detroit (WKBD-TV), Seattle (KSTW-TV), Tampa (WTOG-TV), Miami (WBFS-TV), Sacramento (KMAX-TV) and Pittsburgh (WPCW-TV). The series also has been bought by the Weigel station group for its stations in Chicago (WCIU-TV) and Milwaukee (WDJT-TV/WMLW-TV). All in all, the series has been cleared in 35% of the country.
“We are thrilled to be in the sitcom business with the CBS Television Stations,” said Werner. “What a unique opportunity to be able to acquire two A-level sitcoms that will debut in consecutive years, having run on the same night on the number one broadcast network. CBS saw the power of such a purchase and pursued it.”
“It is always great when we are able to acquire the off-network rights to series that are CBS primetime hits and we are extremely pleased to add two of the most popular comedies on CBS to our stations’ line-ups,” said Dunn. “‘Mike & Molly’ and ‘2 Broke Girls’ will be great additions to our programming schedules in 13 markets, especially in New York, where these comedies represent our first major acquisition from the syndication marketplace since we purchased WLNY-TV earlier this year.”
Added Werner: “Similar to ‘Big Bang,’ ‘Two and a Half Men’ and ‘Modern Family,’ both ‘Mike & Molly’ and ‘2 Broke Girls’ benefit from possessing the same key ingredients of A-level network sitcoms: dominant ratings, strong repeatability, great male demos and broad audience appeal.”
“Mike & Molly” and “2 Broke Girls” will be paired together in the coveted Monday night 9-10 pm hour in the upcoming 2012/13 season on CBS. “Mike & Molly” will begin its third season and “2 Broke Girls” its second season, where both series led their Monday night time periods and were CBS’ top new series in their debut seasons.
About The Shows:
“Mike & Molly” is a comedic love story about two people — ordinary yet extraordinary — who have always protected themselves and relied on their ability to laugh through life. Now, with the help of each other, these two working-class Chicagoans are learning to open up and trust one another. But being in love is no easy task, especially when surrounded by friends and family who are just a little too close — and a little too opinionated. This multi-camera romantic comedy gets down to the nitty gritty of what it means for Mike, an affable police officer, and Molly, a smart and cheerful teacher, to have a relationship amongst all the disruptions and chaos that befall two good-natured people just trying to find a little slice of happiness. The series stars Billy Gardell (“My Names Is Earl”) as Officer Mike Biggs; Emmy Award winner Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”) as Molly Flynn; Reno Wilson (The Cosby Show) as Mike’s Chicago Police Department partner, Officer Carl McMillan; Katy Mixon (“Eastbound & Down”) as Molly’s overindulgent sister, Victoria; Nyambi Nyambi as Samuel, a Senegalese waiter whose dry wit and diner food keeps Mike and Carl both fed and in their place; Louis Mustillo (“The Sopranos”) as Vince, the lascivious fiancé to Molly’s mother, Joyce; Cleo King (“Deadwood”) as Carl’s grandmother; Tony Award winner Rondi Reed (Broadway’s “August: Osage County”) as Mike’s cantankerous mother, Peggy; and Emmy and Tony Award winner Swoosie Kurtz (“Sisters”) as Molly’s smart-talking mother, Joyce. Beginning its third season this fall airing Mondays 9:30/8:30c on CBS, “Mike & Molly” was created by Mark Roberts, and the executive producers for the show’s first two seasons were Chuck Lorre, Mark Roberts, Don Foster and James Burrows. “Mike & Molly” is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. and Warner Bros. Television. In “2 Broke Girls,” the breakout hit comedy from Emmy Award winner/executive producer Michael Patrick King (“Sex and the City”), two girls from very different backgrounds — Max, poor from birth, and Caroline, born wealthy but down on her luck — wind up as waitresses in the same colorful Brooklyn diner and strike up an unlikely friendship in hopes of launching a successful business venture: their dream of running a cupcake empire. All they need to do is come up with $250,000 in start-up expenses. Working together, these two broke girls living in one expensive city might just find the perfect recipe for their big break, proving life can be fun — even if you’re broke. Max and Caroline … they put the “class” in working class. The series stars Kat Dennings (“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” “Thor”) as sassy, streetwise Max Black; exciting new discovery Beth Behrs (“American Pie Presents: The Book of Love”) as the sophisticated former trust fund princess Caroline Channing; Garrett Morris (“Saturday Night Live”) as Earl, a 75-year-old cashier at the diner; comedian Jonathan Kite (“I’m in the Band”) as Oleg, the diner’s overly flirtatious Russian cook; and Matthew Moy (“Scrubs”) as Han Lee, the diner’s new eager-to-please owner. Jennifer Coolidge (“American Pie” and “Legally Blonde” films) guest stars in a recurring role throughout season one as Sophie, a glamorous Polish housekeeper and noisy neighbor to Max and Caroline. The number one new series of the 2011–12 season among Adults 18–49 and the number one new comedy among Total Viewers, “2 Broke Girls” returns for its second season this fall in the new time slot of Mondays 9/8c on CBS. Created by Michael Patrick King and white-hot comedian Whitney Cummings (“Whitney”), “2 Broke Girls” is executive produced by King. The series is from Bonanza Productions, Inc. in association with MPK Productions and Warner Bros. Television.###
“Mike & Molly” is a comedic love story about two people — ordinary yet extraordinary — who have always protected themselves and relied on their ability to laugh through life. Now, with the help of each other, these two working-class Chicagoans are learning to open up and trust one another. But being in love is no easy task, especially when surrounded by friends and family who are just a little too close — and a little too opinionated. This multi-camera romantic comedy gets down to the nitty gritty of what it means for Mike, an affable police officer, and Molly, a smart and cheerful teacher, to have a relationship amongst all the disruptions and chaos that befall two good-natured people just trying to find a little slice of happiness. The series stars Billy Gardell (“My Names Is Earl”) as Officer Mike Biggs; Emmy Award winner Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”) as Molly Flynn; Reno Wilson (The Cosby Show) as Mike’s Chicago Police Department partner, Officer Carl McMillan; Katy Mixon (“Eastbound & Down”) as Molly’s overindulgent sister, Victoria; Nyambi Nyambi as Samuel, a Senegalese waiter whose dry wit and diner food keeps Mike and Carl both fed and in their place; Louis Mustillo (“The Sopranos”) as Vince, the lascivious fiancé to Molly’s mother, Joyce; Cleo King (“Deadwood”) as Carl’s grandmother; Tony Award winner Rondi Reed (Broadway’s “August: Osage County”) as Mike’s cantankerous mother, Peggy; and Emmy and Tony Award winner Swoosie Kurtz (“Sisters”) as Molly’s smart-talking mother, Joyce. Beginning its third season this fall airing Mondays 9:30/8:30c on CBS, “Mike & Molly” was created by Mark Roberts, and the executive producers for the show’s first two seasons were Chuck Lorre, Mark Roberts, Don Foster and James Burrows. “Mike & Molly” is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. and Warner Bros. Television. In “2 Broke Girls,” the breakout hit comedy from Emmy Award winner/executive producer Michael Patrick King (“Sex and the City”), two girls from very different backgrounds — Max, poor from birth, and Caroline, born wealthy but down on her luck — wind up as waitresses in the same colorful Brooklyn diner and strike up an unlikely friendship in hopes of launching a successful business venture: their dream of running a cupcake empire. All they need to do is come up with $250,000 in start-up expenses. Working together, these two broke girls living in one expensive city might just find the perfect recipe for their big break, proving life can be fun — even if you’re broke. Max and Caroline … they put the “class” in working class. The series stars Kat Dennings (“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” “Thor”) as sassy, streetwise Max Black; exciting new discovery Beth Behrs (“American Pie Presents: The Book of Love”) as the sophisticated former trust fund princess Caroline Channing; Garrett Morris (“Saturday Night Live”) as Earl, a 75-year-old cashier at the diner; comedian Jonathan Kite (“I’m in the Band”) as Oleg, the diner’s overly flirtatious Russian cook; and Matthew Moy (“Scrubs”) as Han Lee, the diner’s new eager-to-please owner. Jennifer Coolidge (“American Pie” and “Legally Blonde” films) guest stars in a recurring role throughout season one as Sophie, a glamorous Polish housekeeper and noisy neighbor to Max and Caroline. The number one new series of the 2011–12 season among Adults 18–49 and the number one new comedy among Total Viewers, “2 Broke Girls” returns for its second season this fall in the new time slot of Mondays 9/8c on CBS. Created by Michael Patrick King and white-hot comedian Whitney Cummings (“Whitney”), “2 Broke Girls” is executive produced by King. The series is from Bonanza Productions, Inc. in association with MPK Productions and Warner Bros. Television.