It was launched in 2005 originally as a local alternative to Nick at Nite's TV Land on Channel 23. Three years later, a second such channel was conceived on Channel 48. Pretty soon, WWME 23 & WMEU 48 are going to look a lot different. Chicago's home for classic TV, known as MeTV, is going national.

Weigel Broadcasting, the parent company of WWME, WMEU & WCIU 26 The U, will soon launch a MeTV Network that'll feature quite a TV smorgasbord for everyone to enjoy. MeTV Network will combine a lot of the classic comedy that currently airs on MeTV 23 and the classic cop shows, westerns and other dramas that currently air on MeTOO 48.

The new MeTV Network has already secured over 50 long-term deals with CBS/Paramount Television, 20th Century FOX Television, as well as other Hollywood studios & independent producers. Viewers will notice quite a few scheduling changes when the new network launches one week from today, Wednesday, December 8th.

Looking at the initial programming lineup that can be found at metvchicago.com, along with promos for the new MeTV Network, viewers will notice quite a few changes to the schedule, which appear to be heavy on classic westerns such as "Rawhide", "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza" and "The Big Valley" to name a few. There are some reruns on the initial MeTV Network schedule that haven't aired in some 30 years! There are video promos and schedules available at metvchicago.com. Don't feel bad if your favorite reruns aren't there at first. The schedule will constantly change as other reruns will join the ever-changing lineup in a rotation.

Is jimmypasta the Program Director?

I looked at the new schedule. They moved the hour-long All in The Family block at 8:00 PM to only a half-hour at 10:30.

Sons of bitches...

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Whoever scheduled that is soon to be fired.

Insanity - premiering a new network 2 days after the launch of the Mike North Entertainment Network.

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You know me like that.

When is the first scheduled airing of the Diff'rent Strokes Bike Shop Pedaphile episode starriing Gordon Jump?

After sampling some All In The Family recently, it might very well be the best sitcom of all time and still holds up today.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

GD, "All in the Family" was ahead of its time in how they dealt with very sensitive issues such as discrimination, hate and other powerful issues that few shows dared to cover when the show originally debuted in 1971.

All in the Family is good, but I prefer the barely repressed homoerotic tension shared by the Skipper and Gilligan on Gilligan's Island.

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The use of the exclaimation point in the title here kind of oversells the excitement associated with this news.

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I went on the web site, saw that "schedules are coming soon" and that the change isn't coming until Dec. 15th. Epic fail, Sharko. Epic fail.

MeTV needs to show more black and white Andy Griffith Shows. And more 3 Stooges.

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That was one of the first "very special" episodes of a sitcom that I remember. After that every comedy had them. You can't count M*A*S*H, because every fucking episode after season 3 was one. Diff'rent Strokes had a shitload including Willis smoking weed, Kimberly with bulimia, Dudley's dad having lung cancer, and Mr. D raping Pearl. Maybe that last one didn't really happen.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

You forgot Sam gets kidnapped by the guy who supposedly lost his Dog

Dudley's dad had lung cancer?

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I was just pissed they found the ugly little prick.

Edit: I forgot about Kimberly and Arnold being abducted while hitchiking, Nancy Reagan's Just Say No show, and Pearl's epilepsy.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

Willis stands up to Arnold's bully (not the Gooch) and ends up in the hospital. They set up a sting thru Arnold.

Kimberly's racist boyfriend who wouldn't let his sister go to the dance with Willis.

Kimberly's hair turning green from that evil acid rain.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

Youve bested me. Well done.

Diff'rent Strokes featured some very special episodes that involved child molesting, pedophilia, hitchhiking, kidnapping, epileptic seizure, bigotry, bullies, racism, bulimia and drug abuse.

According to my DIRECTV DVR program guide, the changes to MeTV's schedule take effect next Wednesday, coinciding with the launch of the new network.

As long as they keep "The Honeymooners" on the schedule I'm good.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Spousal abuse...

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This is my signature...

Bang zoom!

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

They really should have just tried to throw all of this into one EXTRA very special episode.....with Nancy Reagan of course

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It's still there, Scorehead, although it appears as if they may have pushed back the start date of the new MeTV Network. According to my DIRECTV program guide, the new look lineup begins Monday, December 13th instead of Wednesday, December 8th.

I had a question, when you say METV's going national, does that mean it will be all over the country or still in Chicago and in some other parts, like on Directv.

All the things descibed about Diffrent Strokes, I thought I watched most of the episodes, but when I was reading about it on wikipedia, I didn't remember many of the special episodes.

Reents, MeTV is indeed going national. However, the Weigel-owned Independent's launch of the new MeTV Network has been pushed back. They were supposed to start Wednesday this week, but it's now going to be next Wednesday, December 15th.

Interestingly enough, Tribune Broadcasting, parent company of WGN's CW9 and WGN America, DIRECTV 307, is launching a classic TV channel of their own. I'm not sure where you can find it, but it's called Antenna TV. Antenna will supposedly feature a great deal of programming from the SONY/Columbia Pictures vault, starting off with "The Three Stooges" on New Year's Day 2011.

This thread reminds me. Where the hell has pasta been? Do we need to do a wellness check? I know the elderly have trouble with the below freezing weather sometimes.

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So did this channel go national today and what channel is it if it did.