'Hot In Cleveland' Syndication Deal Spans 65% Of U.S.

CBS Television Distribution has made some deals that will make 2014 a warm year indeed for "Hot In Cleveland," according to Deadline.

TV Land's all-time most popular series launches into syndication in two years and in advance, CTD has already sold the series to stations covering 65 percent of the U.S. market. Since picking up domestic distribution rights last year, that includes sales in nine of the top  10 U.S. markets and 18 of the top 20.

CTD President of Sales Joe DiSalvo on Thursday called the series "a breakout hit for TV Land and a perfect fit for the broad audience of broadcast syndication."

Picking up "Hot In Cleveland" could be called quite the coup for CTD's syndicated comedy offerings. CTD also recently picked up syndication rights to acclaimed CBS sitcoms "2 Broke Girls" and "Mike & Molly."

TV Land launched the series in June 2010 as the first scripted series in its now almost 15-year history. Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendy Malick play three aging entertainment industry veterans who fall in love with downtempo Cleveland when their flight out of Los Angeles makes an emergency landing. They end up leasing a house from spunky elderly caretaker Betty White.

The rest, it seems, was history. The fourth season's production is set to begin in August, and it's even spawned the Cedric the Entertainer spin-off "Have Faith" picked up for 12 episodes by TV Land earlier this year. Only July 14, 2011, the series netted its first two Primetime Emmy nominations, including White's for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.