Tonight, July 5, is the big night for Malcolm in the Middle lovers. At precisely 8pm ET, the long-running Fox sitcom, which ran for seven respectable seasons, makes its second syndication premiere on basic cable’s Nick at Nite. The first network to syndicate the comedy after its 2006 demise was FX.

Even better, Nick at Nite is doing the sitcom proper justice by welcoming it to the lineup with a nice long marathon. The series will air consecutive episodes from 8pm tonight until 6am tomorrow morning.

I briefly scanned what’s on the roster, and it looks like all of the episodes are from the show’s first season, but not aired in episode order, unfortunately. Still, better to have them available out of order than not at all. Plus, some (all?) episodes will air more than once, giving viewers more than one chance to watch.

This weekend brought good news for fans of the old Fox series Malcolm in the Middle, which ran on the network from January 2000 until May 2006. The reliably funny comedy has a new home on basic-cable’s Nick at Nite, where it will premiere early next month.

Look for the series to join the network’s primetime lineup on Sunday, July 5, at 8pm ET. The sitcom stars Frankie Muniz as the title character, a teenage genius with a decidedly wacky family.

Raising the Bar’s Jane Kaczmarek and Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston play Malcolm’s weary parents Lois and Hal, while actors Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield, and Erik Per Sullivan portray his three very mischievous brothers Francis, Reese, and Dewey.

It should be fun to hang out with the crazy clan again.

Variety and other entertainment news outlets report that male-oriented basic-cable network Spike TV has acquired the syndication rights to all episodes of the Emmy-winning HBO comedy Entourage.

That means the network will have the ability to broadcast every single episode of the show ever produced, including the 78 aired thus far, those in the sixth season to premiere this summer, and those in any subsequent seasons that might follow.

By prevailing over other contenders, such as TV Guide Network, Spike TV has become the first network to obtain syndication rights to the series. It’s no surprise then that the premiere month is already set as January 2010. I imagine Spike TV executives can’t wait to rake in the profits from the very likely Entourage ratings windfall since this is the most high-profile and critically acclaimed series the network has ever had in its stable.

Listen up, HIMYM fans. Tonight at 7pm EST, the fresh and funny sitcom is making its syndication debut on the women-centric network Lifetime.

Even better, the present schedule seems to indicate the episodes will rotate in proper broadcast order, at least initially, which is always a much welcome and infrequent bonus. Hooray!

Lifetime will offer two back-to-back episodes of How I Met Your Mother each Monday from 7pm to 8pm EST. First out of the gate tonight is the series-opening “Pilot,” followed by installment Number Two, “Purple Giraffe,” both of which chronicle the earliest stages of Ted’s relationship with Robin after he first meets her.

And, don’t forget: Although tonight’s episode on the series’ home network CBS is a repeat of the current fourth season’s premiere “Do I Know You?,” the comedy resumes airing new episodes next Monday, January 12, starting with “Benefits.”

Since I’m a diehard Mother fan myself, I’m thrilled to have not one, not two, but three whole opportunities to watch the show on TV each week, not to mention the chance to go all the way back to the beginning, to when the magic first started happening. You done good, Lifetime!

How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays on CBS at 8:30pm EST and now Mondays at 7pm and 7:30pm on Lifetime.

Fans of The CW’s Girlfriends, take note. The long-running sitcom canceled last February has a new home on television at the women-oriented cable network WE.

Beginning on Monday, October 6, the series will air weekdays from 12pm to 1pm EST. And to celebrate the addition of Girlfriends to the network’s lineup, WE plans to give viewers a little something extra on the big premiere day: a four-hour marathon later that night, starting at 6pm EST.

Very nice. Now I just hope the target audience is aware of what WE is and interested viewers get the network with their cable package.

Broadcasting & Cable reports that cable’s Nick at Nite has just scooped up non-exclusive, off-network rights to one of television’s most underappreciated sitcoms, The CW’s fantastic Everybody Hates Chris.

The show is actually owned by CBS and gains much of its prominence from executive producer, creative inspiration, and narrator Chris Rock, whose life serves as a major point of reference in plots. Due to the deal, Chris will begin airing on Nick in Fall 2009.

What a commendable development. Now the millions and millions of people who don’t currently watch the show — almost a given for any program airing on The CW that doesn’t include “Top Model” or “Smackdown” in its title — will have an additional opportunity to check it out later.

For what it’s worth, if you’re not already hooked on Chris and company, I highly recommend the series.

A week ago, I wrote about the fact that Sci Fi Channel is now airing episodes of the hit NBC spy dramedy Chuck on Friday nights. There’s been a slight change to the show’s time slot following last week’s first-season finale for the sci-fi series Flash Gordon, which was airing at 8pm EST. As a result, Chuck has moved from its earlier time of 7pm to the newly vacant spot one hour later.

Next up is “Chuck Versus the Tango,” the third episode of the first season. I really appreciate how Sci Fi Channel is sticking to the original broadcast order, making now a great time to discover Chuck Bartowski and company if you missed them during their initial NBC run.

The title pretty much says it all.

Starting on Monday, March 3, NBC’s junior sitcom My Name Is Earl will make its off-network debut on basic cable’s TBS.

There’s not much more information available at this early date, but in the immediate future, episodes will air in pairs every Monday night, between 10pm and 11pm EST, following a two-hour block of the animated comedy Family Guy.

Did you know that starting this month, you can catch up on the many daring misadventures of Chuck Bartowski and company every Friday night at 7pm EST on the Sci Fi Channel? Well, now you do.

Tonight’s episode is installment number two, “Chuck Versus the Helicopter,” on which our hero must contend with dueling secret agents Casey and Walker after a doctor who claims to have the ability to help with Chuck’s little Intersect problem turns up dead instead. Good times.

Good news, Office fans. Tonight at 10pm EST, the U.S. version of The Office will begin in syndication on basic cable’s TBS. Even better, the network is wisely and considerately starting the series at the very beginning with the March 2005 pilot, although in coming weeks it will inexplicably air installments out of synch but in the correct season order.

For example, next week, Season One’s fourth episode “The Alliance” will follow Season One’s sixth episode “Hot Girl,” while the third and fifth episodes—“Health Care” and “Basketball,” respectively—will air backwards the following week. Ditto for Season Two, according to the Upcoming Episodes site. Why the convoluted scheduling? I honestly have not the slightest idea; I’m just grateful people will have the opportunity to see previous years.

The first season of The Office was actually quite short, containing only a meager six episodes. Longtime fans will additionally recall that the rookie season was also when the show received a lot of flak from critics for allegedly not measuring up to the original U.K. version co-created by current international superstar Ricky Gervais and his fellow Brit Stephen Merchant.

Ha! Who got the last laugh on that count?! Now The Office is a television megahit, lauded by fans, reviewers, and award givers alike. So, if you love the sitcom or happen to be one of the two or three people who’ve never watched it, now is the time to put in some Office work.

At present, back-to-back syndicated episodes of The Office will air Tuesdays on TBS at 10pm EST, with variations to be expected (for instance, next month, episodes will air on Wednesday, October 10 instead of Tuesday, October 9). To remain up-to-date and learn more about the show, visit TBS’ dedicated Office Web site.