Tribune, Weigel, CBS Stations Add ES Sitcoms

Entertainment Studios Inc., on Monday announced that Tribune, Weigel and CBS Television Station Groups have given a firm “go” to carry new sitcoms The First Family and Mr. Box Office as part of a two-hour primetime weekend comedy block, which has been cleared in over 85% of U.S. television homes.

Both sitcoms will air two half-hours, back-to-back, creating a two-hour primetime sitcom block.  Each sitcom has an initial order of 104 episodes — for a total of 208 episodes for the primetime comedy block.

The First Family is a sitcom about an African-American family that resides in The White House.  It features an all-star cast including Christopher B. Duncan (The Jamie Foxx Show), Kellita Smith (The Bernie Mac Show), Gladys Knight, Jackee Harry (227), John Witherspoon (The Wayans Brothers), Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons, 227), and Michael D. Roberts (Seinfeld).

Mr. Box Office is a sitcom about one of the world’s biggest movie stars, who is sentenced to community service teaching English at an inner-city high school in South Central Los Angeles.  It features an all-star cast including Bill Bellamy, Jon Lovitz, Vivica A. Fox, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Rick Fox, Gary Busey, Alex Thomas, Tony T. Roberts, and Tim Meadows.

Both shows are produced and distributed by Entertainment Studios.