Let's hope they show some classic TV sitcoms:

TBS rebrands itself in June; Gilligan's Island Reality Series in the works


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TBS: The Superstation is no more, starting in June, TBS will turn into TBS: Very Funny.

When it relaunches in June, TBS will have dropped its "Superstation" logo in favor of the new tagline "TBS Very Funny," emblematic of its new comedy-centered lineup of acquired sitcoms and original reality fare.

Unscripted projects in the pipeline include reality takes on "Gilligan's Island" and "Sex and the City," as well as a hidden camera show from Martin Lawrence and Gay Rosenthal ("Behind the Music").

As a follow-up, the reality version of "Gilligan's Island" is slated to serve as the lead-in to "Sex" during the fourth quarter. Cabler has partnered with the creators of the original series, Lloyd and Sherwood Schwartz, for eight episodes of the project in which the series' real-life counterparts are stranded and working together to get off an island.

Setups for certain segs will resemble situations from classic episodes. Skein will begin casting soon for a real-life skipper, first mate, millionaire couple, movie star, Kansas farm girl and professor.

"Gilligan's Island" is not the first classic laffer to get the unscripted treatment. Sony and VH1 are working up a new take on "The Partridge Family.

The marketing people have gone insane. This is like the Dudley Moore movie where the lunatics were writing advertisments like 'Volvo: Boxy but Safe'.

Here are some future name changes.
Cinemax: Almost Porno
MTV: Hot Young Girls Dancing
CMT: Country Music Television (wait a sec....)
Shotime: HBO without the Sopranos.


D

It can't get any worse than the current...

TBS: Back to Back to Back Steve Seagal Movies ALL WEEKEND!

So where do they get TBS out of "Very Funny?"

I'm serious here.

And I thought SpikeTV was the stupidest channel name I'd ever heard.

I stand corrected

That logo sounds like a botched Japanese translation. Crazy panda he drive train ha ha ha.

Very Funny!

I think I'll probably watch that Gilligan's Island thing.

I'm so ashamed.

That is so unbelievably stupid. What makes me angrier still, is the chimp who wrote that makes several times my salary.

The watered down for content Sex in the City actually should be laughable.

"Bear is driving! How can that be?"

What is "very funny" is that they actually pay people to come up with this clever rebranding. Dear Lord, a six-year-old could come up with something better.

That tagline will go to TNT

Oh yeah! I always get those two confused...

TBS is the Back to Back to Back Cliffhanger Network, right?

Very funny!

TBS. We bring the funny.

TBS. Total BS.

I wonder they'll play for the other 15min. every half hour?

So they're going from being "TNT Lite" to "Comedy Central Lite".

Hasn't a "Gilligan's Island" reality series already been done? I think it's a little show called "Survivor." But maybe I'm way off base here.

It seems TBS is trying to drive themselves into the ground.

They ned to cut 8 minutes each episode simply for commercial time. The original episodes are 30 minutes solid.

Will the Atlanta Braves also be Very Funny?

This is just ridiculous. We already have a "very funny" channel and it's called Comedy Central. I hardly think the new TBS will be any competition.

Hopefully they will bring back The Super Terrific Happy Hour

I hear the Tex Avery estate is suing because they feel that the network is trying to capatilize on his name.