View source for TV Land

{{Short description|American pay television channel}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = TV Land
| logo = [[File:TV Land 2015 logo.svg|245px|class=skin-invert]]
| logo_size = 200
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2015
| founder = [[Nick at Nite]]
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1996|04|29}}
| closed_date = 
| picture_format = [[1080i]] [[HDTV]]<br />(downscaled to [[letterbox (filming)|letterbox]]ed [[480i]] for the [[SDTV]] feed)
| owner = [[Paramount Media Networks]] ([[Paramount Skydance|Paramount Skydance Corporation]])
| parent = [[MTV Entertainment Group]]
| country = United States
| language = English<br>Spanish (via [[Secondary audio program|SAP]] audio track)
| area = [[National (distribution)|National]]
| headquarters = [[One Astor Plaza]]<br />[[New York, New York]], U.S.
| former_names = Nick at Nite's TV Land<br>{{small|(1996–97)}}
| key_people = 
| replaced = 
| replaced_by = 
| sister_channels = {{collapsible list|
* [[Nickelodeon]]
* [[Nick Jr. Channel]]
* [[Nicktoons (American TV channel)|Nicktoons]]
* [[TeenNick]]
* [[CBS]]
* [[CBS Sports Network]]
* [[CBS Sports HQ]]
* [[CBS Sports Golazo Network]]
* [[MTV]]
* [[MTV2]]
* [[MTV Tres]]
* [[MTV Live (TV network)|MTV Live]]
* [[MTV Classic (American TV channel)|MTV Classic]]
* [[BET]]
* [[VH1]]
* [[Comedy Central]]
* [[Logo TV|Logo]]
* [[CMT (American TV channel)|CMT]]
* CMT Music
* [[Pop (American TV channel)|Pop TV]]
* [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]
* [[The Movie Channel]]
* [[Flix (TV network)|Flix]]
* [[Paramount Network]]
* [[Smithsonian Channel]]
}}
| website = {{url|https://www.tvland.com}}
| online_serv_1 = Affiliated Streaming Service
| online_chan_1 = [[Paramount+]]
| online_serv_2 = Service(s)
| online_chan_2 = [[DirecTV Stream]], [[FuboTV]], [[Hulu + Live TV]], [[Philo (company)|Philo]], [[Sling TV]], [[YouTube TV]]
}}
'''TV Land''' is an American [[pay television]] [[television channel|channel]] owned by [[Paramount Skydance|Paramount Skydance Corporation]] through its [[Paramount Media Networks|networks division]]'s [[MTV Entertainment Group]]. It was originally launched as '''Nick at Nite's TV Land''' as a spin-off of the [[Nick at Nite]] programing block consisting exclusively of classic television shows. The channel now airs a combination of recent and classic television series (ranging from the 1960s to the 2020s), as well as  limited theatrically released movies. In the 2010s, the network aired original scripted series. The network is headquartered at [[One Astor Plaza]] in New York City. {{As of|2023|11}}, TV Land is available to approximately 67,000,000 pay television households in the United States; this is down from its 2011 peak of 98,000,000 households.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wrestlenomics.com/u-s-cable-network-households-universe-1990-2023-nielsen-data/|title=U.S. cable network households (universe), 1990 – 2023|website=wrestlenomics.com|date=May 14, 2024|access-date=July 28, 2019}}</ref>

== History ==
=== Launch and debut ===
The network launched at 8:00&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]] on April 29, 1996, as '''Nick at Nite's TV Land'''. Following a seven-minute short film introducing the network, the first program aired was the episode of ''[[Love, American Style]]'' which served as the pilot for ''[[Happy Days]]''. Later at 10pm ET, a syndicated edit of ''The Best of [[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' featuring [[the Beatles]]' American debut along with routines by [[Joan Rivers]], [[Richard Pryor]] and [[Señor Wences]]. The show led off a launch-day lineup that rebroadcast numerous [[series premiere]]s, [[television pilot|pilot episodes]] and television firsts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuPE711i62A|title=TV Land Premiere (29 April 1996)|date=January 18, 2017 |publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=August 1, 2020}}</ref>
{{multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| align             = right
| width             = 120
| image1            = TV Land 1996.svg
| caption1          = TV Land's first logo ran from April 29, 1996 to June 2000; the "Nick at Nite's" prefix accompanied it in full-time usage until December 31 of that same year, and was used sparingly thereafter.
| image2            = TV Land Logo.svg
| caption2          = TV Land's second logo ran from July 2000 to November 22, 2009. Another version from that point featured a streamlined version with the boxes framing each letter removed and the "TV" letters rendered in [[Clarendon (typeface)|Clarendon]].
| image3            = TV Land 2009.svg
| image4            = TV Land 2012.svg
| caption3          = TV Land's third logo ran from November 23, 2009 to May 8, 2012. TV Land also gained a slogan, "Laugh more", two years later in December.
| caption4          = TV Land's fourth logo ran from May 9, 2012 to June 22, 2015. It continued to be used as a secondary logo for the network's daytime classic programming until four years later, with the "Laugh more" tagline removed.
| image5            = TV Land 2015 logo.svg
| caption5          = TV Land's fifth and current logo used since June 23, 2015.
}}

The network's original lineup consisted of ''[[Hill Street Blues]]''; ''[[St. Elsewhere]]''; ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''; ''[[Gunsmoke]]''; ''[[That Girl]]''; ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]''; ''[[Honey West (TV series)|Honey West]]''; ''[[The Addams Family]]''; ''[[Love, American Style]]''; ''[[Petticoat Junction]]''; ''[[Green Acres]]''; ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]''; and ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]''.<ref name=ussblineup>"Nick-at-Nite's TV Land joins U.S. Satellite Broadcasting Lineup"; ''Business Wire'', April 30, 1996.</ref><ref>[http://www.freewebs.com/tvlandarchives/ TV Land archives on Freewebs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024013607/http://www.freewebs.com/tvlandarchives/ |date=2012-10-24 }} (1996–2004)</ref>

The channel launched during a time when [[retransmission consent]] was becoming more common with subscription networks and [[terrestrial television|terrestrial]] [[television station]]s nationwide as a result of a provision in the [[Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992|1992 Cable Act]]. However, MTV Networks offered TV Land to subscription providers for free for its five years of operation if providers would agree to add the channel to their expanded basic tiers during the 1996 calendar year.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110624034438/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-17480264.html Brown, Rich. "Nick at Nite becoming Nick at Nite-and-Day; MTV Networks Inc.'s launching of classic TV channel called TV Land"], ''[[Broadcasting & Cable]]'', October 30, 1995.</ref> [[United States Satellite Broadcasting|USSB]], then one of two services that used the [[DirecTV]] satellite, offered TV Land as a free channel to USSB and DirecTV satellite users, without requiring a subscription, for its first years on air.<ref name=ussblineup/>

Shortly after TV Land's debut, [[MCA Inc.|MCA]] filed a lawsuit against Viacom.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/04/30/mca-viacom-sue-each-other/ |title=Mca, Viacom Sue Each Other| publisher=[[Chicago Tribune]]| date=1996-04-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627123652/https://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-04-30/business/9604300292_1_viacom-joint-venture-stake| archive-date=2013-06-27}}</ref> Because MCA's original agreement with Paramount Pictures to operate [[USA Network]] prohibited either partner from operating other pay-television networks outside the [[joint venture]], Viacom had been in [[breach of contract]] ever since the company bought Paramount in 1994, because it had operated MTV Networks (including Nickelodeon, [[MTV]] and [[VH1]]) since its founding in 1983, and [[Showtime Networks]] (owners of [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]], [[The Movie Channel]] and [[Flix (TV network)|Flix]]) since it was founded in 1985. MCA claimed that the intention of TV Land was to compete directly with USA, a claim that turned out to be true.<ref>"[http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/money/sumner-red-faced-embarrassing-papers-article-1.745413 Sumner Red-faced Over 'Embarrassing' Papers]"; ''New York Daily News'', November 5, 1996</ref> Viacom claimed that the matter had already been settled when [[Sumner Redstone]] released [[Frank Biondi]] from his contract to let him work at MCA.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130616035037/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-04-30/business/9604290423_1_nite-tv-land-mca-and-viacom-usa-network "Mca, Viacom File Suits In Dispute Over Usa Network"]; ''SunSentinel'', April 30, 1996</ref> The suit was eventually settled when Viacom agreed to sell its 50% stake in USA Networks to MCA (MCA later became [[Universal Pictures]], formerly just a subsidiary, which eventually [[NBCUniversal|merged with]] [[NBC]] and, later, [[Comcast]]).

In February 1999, according to [[Nielsen Holdings|Nielsen]] ratings data, TV Land averaged a 1.0 share during primetime, tying [[ESPN]] for tenth place among all pay-television networks. Its siblings, MTV and VH1, tied for 17th and 26th place respectively. Columnist John Dempsey reported in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]:'' "That February rating put TV Land into the top 10 for the first time since it began operating, and opened the eyes of the TV industry to the rich vein of golden-oldie TV shows that distributors are mining for an audience of nostalgia buffs and kids who are stumbling across the series for the first time."<ref>Dempsey, John, "It's Boom(er) Time for TV Land"; ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', March 8–14, 1999.</ref>

=== Original programming efforts and shift to Generation X ===
The network first forayed into original scripted programming in 2010 with the debut of the sitcom ''[[Hot in Cleveland]]'' (starring established sitcom stars [[Valerie Bertinelli]], [[Jane Leeves]], [[Wendie Malick]] and [[Betty White]]), which premiered in June 2010 to 4.75 million viewers, a record audience for the channel.<ref>[http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/17/betty-white-lightening-strikes-again-tv-lands-hot-in-cleveland-draws-nearly-5-million-breaks-tv-land-records/54461 Betty White Lightning Strikes! "Hot In Cleveland" Draws Nearly 5 Million; Breaks Records] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621052031/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/17/betty-white-lightening-strikes-again-tv-lands-hot-in-cleveland-draws-nearly-5-million-breaks-tv-land-records/54461 |date=2010-06-21 }} TV by the Numbers, June 17, 2010</ref> (The success of that series led to a [[spin-off (media)|spinoff]] called ''[[The Soul Man]]'', which debuted in June 2012.) This was followed by the January 19, 2011, debut of ''[[Retired at 35]]''.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i6ad645d17ccf55b7fbfb9c95c60beaa2  |title=TV Land finds cast for George Segal pilot |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=January 3, 2010}}</ref>

In November 2014, amid growing allegations of sexual assault against [[Bill Cosby]], the network removed reruns of ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' from its lineup and deleted all references of the series from its website. A marathon of ''The Cosby Show'' episodes that had been scheduled for [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] was also canceled.<ref>[https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/tv-land-scraps-the-cosby-show-marathon-set-for-thanksgiving-week-1201360538/ TV Land scraps ''The Cosby Show'' marathon set for Thanksgiving week]. ''Variety'' (November 19, 2014). Retrieved November 19, 2014. "(E)pisodes have been pulled immediately for the foreseeable future…TV Land even removed references to ''The Cosby Show'' from its website on Wednesday afternoon as the scandal accelerated."</ref> Episodes from the [[Steve Harvey]] run of ''[[Family Feud]]'' were aired instead.

The network began a programming transition in March 2015, when the new [[Sutton Foster]] series ''[[Younger (TV series)|Younger]]'' was launched without either traditional network branding or advertising. After the series finale of ''Hot in Cleveland'', a new logo was unveiled as part of a larger rebranding that saw TV Land shift its focus to [[Generation X]] viewers who grew into the network's demographic. New original series ''[[Impastor]]'' and ''[[The Jim Gaffigan Show]]'' were unveiled as the network officially announced the rebranding on June 23, 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/tv-land-unveils-new-logo-branding-campaign-aimed-at-gen-xers-1201526440/|title=TV Land Unveils New Logo, Branding Campaign Aimed at Gen-Xers|last=Littleton|first=Cynthia|date=23 June 2015|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=24 June 2015}}</ref> Completing the shift to edgier, single-camera programming, TV Land announced on July 28 that the upcoming fifth season of the multi-camera sitcom ''The Soul Man'' would be its last.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/the-soul-man-renewed-final-season-5-tv-land-1201486316/|title='The Soul Man' Picked Up For Fifth & Final Season By TV Land|author=Nellie Andreeva|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=28 July 2015 }}</ref> Less than two weeks later, on August 10, TV Land's last remaining multi-camera sitcom ''The Exes'' was canceled as its fourth season was still airing, and the final episode aired on September 16.<ref name="cancelled">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/08/the-exes-cancelled-tv-land-4-seasons-multi-camera-kristen-johnston-1201497094|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811135012/http://deadline.com/2015/08/the-exes-cancelled-tv-land-4-seasons-multi-camera-kristen-johnston-1201497094/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 11, 2015|title='The Exes' Cancelled By TV Land After 4 Seasons, Last Multi-Cam Original Series|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=August 10, 2015|access-date=August 15, 2015}}</ref>

In July 2015, TV Land dropped reruns of ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'' after the removal of the [[Modern display of the Confederate flag|Confederate battle flag]] from the grounds of the [[South Carolina State House]] because the flag is displayed atop the show's car, the [[General Lee (car)|General Lee]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/tv-land-pulls-dukes-hazzard-reruns/story?id=32152437|title=TV Land Pulls 'Dukes of Hazzard' Reruns|date=July 1, 2015|access-date=July 1, 2015|agency=ABC News}}</ref>

2016 saw the debut of the single-camera sitcom ''[[Teachers (2016 U.S. TV series)|Teachers]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/10/impastor-teacher-picked-up-to-series-tv-land-844454/|title=TV Land Picks Up ''Impastor'' & ''Teachers'' To Series|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=October 1, 2014|access-date=August 13, 2015}}</ref>

Since 2017, Viacom has been reorganizing its media businesses around six flagship brands, including [[Paramount Pictures]], [[BET]], [[Comedy Central]], [[Nickelodeon]], [[Nick Jr. Channel|Nick Jr.]] and [[MTV]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/02/spike-the-paramount-network-renamed-viacom-rebranding-1201906611/|title=Spike President On Channel's Rebranding As The Paramount Network|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 9, 2017|access-date=February 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/02/spike-name-change-the-paramount-network-viacom-1201906039/|title=Spike To Change Name & Become The Paramount Network In Viacom Rebranding|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 9, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/02/viacom-ceo-bob-bakish-supports-paramount-non-core-networks-how-long-1201906682/|title=Viacom CEO Supports Paramount And Non-Core Networks – But For How Long?|last=Lieberman|first=David|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 9, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2017}}</ref> Network president Keith Cox was reassigned to the newly rebranded [[Paramount Network]] (the former Spike), and two series originally slated for TV Land—''[[American Woman (TV series)|American Woman]]'' and ''[[Heathers (TV series)|Heathers]]''—were reassigned to the channel. The former was canceled after its first season, while the latter eventually aired in a heavily edited and redacted form.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/shannara-chronicles-canceled-as-paramount-network-passes-season-3-1075217|title='Shannara Chronicles' Canceled as Paramount Network Passes on Season 3|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2018-01-17|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/tv-land-paramount-network-heathers-american-woman-1202010496/|title=TV Land's 'Heathers' Reboot and 'American Woman' Moving to Launch Paramount Network|last1=Wagmeister|first1=Daniel|last2=Holloway|first2=Elizabeth|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=March 16, 2017|access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> ''Younger'' was also supposed to move to Paramount Network for its sixth season, but the move was reversed before the newest season launched.<ref name="YoungerTVLandReturn">{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2019/04/03/younger-season-6-tv-land-paramount-network/|title=Younger Season 6 Will Air on TV Land; Move to Paramount Network Cancelled|last=Swift|first=Andy|date=April 3, 2019|work=[[TVLine]]|access-date=April 3, 2019}}</ref> The series would eventually move to [[Paramount+]] and [[Hulu]] for its final season, with later airings on TV Land.<ref name="Paramount+Moved">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/younger-season-7-paramount-plus-1234914508/|title='Younger' Season 7 to Premiere on Paramount Plus|work=Variety|first=Elaine|last=Low|date=February 24, 2021|access-date=March 3, 2021}}</ref><ref name="S7Premiere">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/younger-premiere-date-teaser-season-seven-paramount-1234716608/|title='Younger': Paramount+ Unveils Premiere Date & Teaser For Comedy's Seventh & Final Season|first=Alexandra|last=Del Rosario|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=March 17, 2021|access-date=March 17, 2021}}</ref>

On August 20, 2019, two TV Land-branded channels, TV Land Drama and TV Land Sitcoms, were launched on [[Pluto TV]], a free streaming service acquired by Viacom in March 2019. The latter channel was a rebrand of the former Pluto TV Sitcoms channel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190304005551/en/Viacom-Announces-Completion-Pluto-TV-Acquisition|title=Viacom Announces Completion of Pluto TV Acquisition|date=2019-03-04|website=www.businesswire.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-04}}</ref><ref name="Pluto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/pluto-tv-is-adding-4-new-channels-tomorrow-including-tv-land-drama-tv-land-sitcoms-comedy-central-roast/|title=Pluto TV is Adding 4 New Channels Tomorrow Including TV Land Drama, TV Land Sitcoms, & Comedy Central Roast|last=Bouma|first=Luke|date=2019-08-19|website=Cord Cutters News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-21}}</ref>

== Programming ==
{{main|List of programs broadcast by TV Land}}

TV Land's programming originally focused on television series from the 1950s to the early 1980s. Such programming continues to air during the daytime hours, while the network's primetime lineup focuses on both recent and contemporary sitcoms originating from the late 1990s. The network held its own annual award show, the [[TV Land Award]]s, from 2003 to 2016.

== Canadian version ==
{{Main|Comedy Gold (TV channel)}}
In 2001, [[Craig Media]] launched a [[Category B services|Category 2]] pay-television [[specialty channel]] called TV Land Canada<ref>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tv-land-mtv-and-craig-broadcast-systems-to-launch-new-canadian-services-in-september-71796602.html TV Land, MTV and Craig Broadcast Systems to Launch New Canadian Services in September]; PR Newswire; 2001-08-21</ref> through a [[brand licensing]] agreement with Viacom (which later acquired a minority ownership stake in the channel months after its launch). On August 2, 2010, TV Land Canada was rebranded as [[Comedy Gold (TV channel)|Comedy Gold]], reformatting the channel as an offshoot of [[The Comedy Network]]. The rebranded channel focuses primarily on [[sitcoms]] and sketch-comedy programs from the 1970s to the 1990s.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3i6a6e67e8ba8cbab8d1e2679ff69a3cbb CTV tweaks TV Land Canada's focus], ''The Hollywood Reporter'', 21 June 2010</ref> Viacom sold back its stake in the channel to [[CTVglobemedia]] (which would later be acquired outright by minority shareholder [[Bell Canada|BCE, Inc.]] on September 10 of that year to form [[Bell Media]]<ref name="bell-pr-2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2010/10/c8677.html|title=Bell to acquire 100% of Canada's No.1 media company CTV|publisher=CNW Group|author=Bell Canada|date=2010-09-10|access-date=2010-09-10}}</ref>) following the rebrand.<ref>[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ownership/cht209d.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011103205/http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ownership/cht209d.pdf|date=October 11, 2010}}</ref> The channel was shuttered on September 1, 2019, after its broadcast license was sold to [[Wow Unlimited Media]].

== See also ==
* [[Antenna TV]] – an American digital broadcast network owned by the [[Nexstar Media Group]] focusing on classic television series and movies from the 1950s to early 1990s.
* [[Catchy Comedy]] - an American digital broadcast network owned by Weigel Broadcasting, formerly as Decades focusing on classic TV comedies from the 1950s to 1990s.
* [[fetv]] - an American digital cable, satellite, livestream broadcast  network owned by [[Family Broadcasting Corporation]] focusing on classic television series from the 1950s to 1980s.
* [[Retro TV]] – an American digital broadcast network owned by [[Get After It Media]] focusing on classic television series from the 1950s to 1980s.
* [[Rewind TV]] - an American digital broadcast network owned by Nexstar Media Group, and as the sister network of Antenna TV focusing on TV comedies from the 1980s to early 2000s.
* [[Me-TV|MeTV]] – an American digital broadcast network owned by [[Weigel Broadcasting]] focusing on classic television series from the 1950s to 1980s.
* MeTV+ - an American digital broadcast network also owned by Weigel Broadcasting focusing on more classic television series from the 1950s to 1980s like their sister network, MeTV.
* [[Cozi TV]] – an American digital broadcast network owned by [[NBCUniversal]] airing classic television programs from the NBCU library, along with programming from forerunner network NBC NonStop.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.tvland.com}}
* {{YouTube|id=BuPE711i62A|title=TV Land Premiere (29 April 1996)}}

{{TV Land original sitcoms}}
{{Nick at Nite}}
{{Nickelodeon}}
{{Paramount Media Networks}}
{{Paramount Global}}

[[Category:Classic television networks]]
[[Category:Paramount Media Networks]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1996]]
[[Category:English-language television stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Television networks in the United States]]