FX Adds More “Shield”

By James Hibbard TVWeek.com

FX has ordered an additional eight episodes of its crime drama "The Shield," the network confirmed Thursday.

The episodes will be added to the fifth season, which premieres in January, for a total of 21 episodes. Actor Forest Whitaker will join the cast as a detective.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8725

Ask Matt
(from the Ask (TV Critic) Matt (Roush) column at TVGuide.com

Question: Is it just me, or is Grey's Anatomy the third-best show on TV right now (behind Lost and Veronica Mars, of course)? This last episode, "Make Me Lose Control," was amazing, and Ellen Pompeo gave a terrific performance. I love how there are compelling stories for both the main characters and the patients in the episode, unlike the past-its-prime ER. What you think of the second season? To me it is way better than its lead-in, Desperate Housewives, or another one of my faves, Gilmore Girls (which has been under par this season). Why don't you mention it in your column more? It is a perennial Top 10 show. Oh, love the column, by the way. — Ethan

Matt Roush: Well, thanks. I'm also a bit surprised I don't get more questions/comments on Grey's Anatomy, because it's really hitting its stride these days. I was lukewarm on the show when it premiered late last season — the pilot episode overused the voice-over narration, which only exacerbated the "It's hard work being a doctor-in-training" clichés. But quickly the show and, more importantly, its many endearing characters, found their feet. Now I'm surprised to find myself enjoying it much more than the creatively uneven Desperate Housewives (more on that and Gilmore Girls later). I'm not sure I'd put Anatomy on my personal Top 10 list quite yet. It's very entertaining, and the Oct. 9 episode (with the discovery of Cristina's ectopic pregnancy and Meredith's infamous mom being admitted to the hospital) was so strong, it felt like sweeps. But it's not especially groundbreaking. The cast is terrific and terrifically diverse, and it's hard to imagine anyone not finding a favorite among the characters (mine is currently George). The chemistry is reminiscent of ER's glory days, when you felt a personal empathy or antipathy toward almost every character (not the ennui of today). The breezy, sexy tone is very appealing as well, and provides a wonderful way to end a Sunday night.

Question: After seeing the first two episodes of the season, I just love Everwood more and more! The end of the second episode left me in tears. This show has the unique ability to be touching and real at the same time. What do you think of this season so far? How do you think it will fare against CSI? Do you think there is a possibility of it returning to Monday, when it clearly has a better chance of survival? — Amy

Matt Roush: Everwood became a personal favorite show of mine last season — I wrote a column declaring it to be TV's best tearjerker — and it's just as strong and moving this year. It is hands-down the best "family" show on TV, with a broad range of sympathetic characters, and the writing and acting continue to improve and shine. I hate that WB moved the show to the overstuffed Thursday night, where it's in danger of getting lost and buried. But it's doing better than anything WB ever put there before, so it's far from a disaster for the network (which is merely looking to generate some business, however small, on Thursdays). But I'm all for moving it back to Mondays now that Just Legal has been judged as incompatible for this network (anyone could have predicted that). Unfortunately, the first week after Legal was pulled, WB gave the slot to the woefully cutesy Related, and I fear that show may eventually inherit the time period. If so, let the jeering begin. Everwood is good enough to deserve a plum time period, and I hope WB steps up and does its fans a favor.

On another Everwood topic, Kelly writes: "Am I alone in not liking Ephram on Everwood? Maybe it's because I'm a parent myself, but I can't stand the way he treats his father. I couldn't believe he stormed out of the room because his father wouldn't pay rent for him to live in an apartment. Who does he think he is? Andy makes a lot of mistakes (the Madison thing was a whopper), but he doesn't deserve the way Ephram treats him. It seems like there is a trend of unlikable TV characters, but House, for example, can be a complete jerk, but I still love him. For some reason, it doesn't work that way with Ephram. I just want to kick him."
Ah, Ephram. If Everwood does have a flaw, it's making the adolescent characters so self-righteously angsty and precociously adult in attitude (shades of Dawson's Creek) that they often get the last word on the adults or parents. I think we're meant to feel that Ephram often deserves a kick in the pants, and some of the more emotional moments on the show come when Ephram wakes up to what a jerk he has been. I've read the script for a late-October episode when Ephram and Andy go on a camping trip (not easy for city boys!) and take tentative steps toward burying the hatchet. I only hope when Lorelai and Rory on Gilmore Girls take a step toward reconciliation, it will be even half as satisfying.

Question: What do you and your fellow critics have against Surface? I find it much more interesting than Invasion, with the story told from several points of view. I don't know where it is all going yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing how they tie a sea monster in (intelligent or not?) with Old Faithful suddenly spewing lava and then connect that to one guy's obsession with his dead brother contacting him through water! And I find it totally realistic that the government would try something as dumb as keeping everything secret, even though various parts of the mystery are plastered all over the news! (I work for the government and see dumb decisions made every day!) And to see the government painted in a different light, I enjoy Threshold! — Laurie

Matt Roush: I'm with you on Threshold, and if I found even one of the points of view in Surface fascinating, amusing or even tragically compelling, I might be more willing to stick with it. But the characters are cardboard, the writing a weak variation on any number of Spielbergian clichés and the plotting is literally all over the map, which strikes me as less ambitious than unfocused. The show seems to be a mess to me, and not a very enjoyable one. I've got plenty on my plate in this genre without wasting my time here. The knock on Invasion seems mostly to be how slowly it's unfolding and how limited it is in its quarantined geography. For me, because I like its moody and sustained tone, those are pluses. Still, I can see why people resist Invasion. Why anyone would embrace Surface is beyond me.

Question: I've been watching Commander in Chief the past two weeks, and I think it's pretty good. I heard that Steven Bochco has come on board as show runner, leaving Rod Lurie free of the day-to-day duties to develop other shows. Do you think Bochco will make it edgier? I love all the other shows he's done. — Sandy

Matt Roush: I can't imagine this will be a bad thing for the show, and yet there's something bittersweet about a series being taken away from its creator so soon in the process, especially when it got off to such a strong start in the ratings (and in much of the critical press). Bochco is a pro, and has developed series with others, but he has never taken over the reins of a preexisting show, so I'm sure it's an odd situation for him as well. But, I stress again, he is a pro, one of the best in the biz, which is why Touchstone/ABC turned to him to shepherd such a valuable project. I've been pleasantly surprised by Commander in Chief so far, with its mix of fantasyland politics (we could use a dose of that now!) and domestic/personal stories. Also, Donald Sutherland is one of the season's great villains. I may have said it before, but how cool and encouraging for a time period to be able to accommodate five successful shows (Commander, House, The Amazing Race, My Name Is Earl and Supernatural).

Question: Hey, Matt! First off, great column, great advice and great analysis, so thank you from a true TV fan! I wanted to know what you think about Desperate Housewives so far this season. For me, it has been quite a disappointment as I think (like you noted before) that the housewives are definitely going over the top. Also, they seem to have erased their memories of last season! Zach and Paul have easily been forgotten, except, apparently, by Mike in Episode 3. Andrew and Danielle took Rex's sudden death so easily, it seemed ridiculous, and what about Andrew's sexuality? They never officially blamed anyone for Mrs. Huber's death. It seems to me they are trying to take the show over the top and are forgetting the original mysteries that made it as amazing as it was. What do you think? — Alex

Matt Roush: First off: You're welcome. And while this pains me to say it, since I try to be a patient fellow and not the sort to jump on derisive bandwagons, Desperate Housewives has been downgraded, at least for now, in my mind from a can't-miss delight to just another TV show. I still enjoy spending time on Wisteria Lane, and at the moment wouldn't dream of missing the show, but it doesn't feel like so much of an event anymore. It's not so much a lack of continuity between seasons — I'm willing to let last season's intrigues fade away — but that a lack of compelling new stories has given the show a feeling of treading water, with a few exceptions. Loved Bree's freakout at Rex's funeral and most everything involving Shirley Knight. But she's gone for now and the neighbors seem like they're living in separate universes, so there's no overriding arc to pull us in. And really, they need to give Susan a story where she doesn't come off like a blooming idiot. However, with all that said, I find the show very pleasurable still and am happy for its success. Now it just needs to stop resting on its laurels.

Question: I'm a little confused and mad about some of the reactions I read from fans regarding the new season of Veronica Mars. I've read stuff like, "If Logan and Veronica don't get together now, I'll stop watching the show." And I really don't understand these thoughts. I watched Season 1 in about three days and rewatched it a lot after that. I think this show is amazing, especially in the way it does not revolve all around the teen soap opera, does-he-love-me? drama. So I don't get why real fans would say this. That's not what this show is about. I loved the season premiere; I was hopping all around my room after watching it. Amazing! And now I'm wondering what your thoughts are on Season 2 (so far), because some of these forum posters are freaking me out and I want to know what the pros think about it. — Marja

Matt Roush: The pros think you shouldn't let other fans get in the way of your enjoyment of what has so far been a jaw-droppingly amazing season. The Logan-Veronica dynamic is even richer because they're separated — last week's scene in the hotel corridor was so deliciously awkward — and as you said, the show is about so much more than that. And the mystery so far puts "Who Killed Lilly?" in the dust. If anything, I'm enjoying this season even more than the first. It's so confident, smart, poignant and intriguing. It just doesn't get much better than this — excepting, of course, Lost, in the exact same time period.

Question: What do you think of Lauren Holly as the new female lead on NCIS? I don't like her at all. She has no chemistry with Mark Harmon's character and she's not very likable. She's certainly no match for Sasha Alexander's character, Kate. — Lori

Matt Roush: If it makes you feel any better, Lauren Holly appears to be only a recurring player this season and, according to insiders, is likely to be seen in only a handful of episodes. Besides, I'm not sure she's meant to be likable. She's more a source of conflict. The actual replacement for the Kate slot is Cote de Pablo as former Mossad agent Ziva. You might not like her by comparison, either, but you'll have to get over Kate not coming back (the actress' choice, plus Kate is really truly dead).

Question: I was wondering why you're not enjoying the first few episodes of Gilmore Girls this season, and I guess I'm surprised that more people haven't written in to disagree with you. I find the estrangement between Rory and Lorelai to be interesting and realistic. I also love watching Rory come to terms with the life her mother gave her versus the life she could have had with the elder Gilmores. I've become very interested in Logan's character, as well as in watching Luke do his best to navigate Lorelai's emotional upheaval after "losing" her daughter. Perhaps it is my own tumultuous relationship with my mother that is influencing my view of the show, but I think that this breakup is some of the most compelling stuff the show has done in a long time. Maybe Lorelai is acting like a child, but hasn't that always been the point? And now that Rory is finally acting like a young adult as well, we can see what happens when both are forced to grow up. Anyway, that's my two cents. — Lee

Matt Roush: It all boils down to Lorelai's closing line in the recent episode where she watched a corny TV-movie by herself (which Rory would have loved mocking with her): "It's not the same." Gilmore Girls is much better when Lorelai and Rory are a team against the world, not when they're at each other's throats or removed from each other's company for a sustained period of time. The show also struggled trying to make good comedy-drama out of Rory's first year at Yale. Whatever benefits the show reaps in realism, it loses by robbing the show of the primary relations we tune in for (it is, after all, the title of the show). I did think this week's (Oct. 11) episode was a cut above, but that was primarily because of Richard and Emily; her tirade against Logan's mom was brilliant, and Richard's anger and agony as he realized the depth of Rory's hurt was ferocious. (Remind me again why Kelly Bishop and Edward Herrmann never get nominated for awards?) I guess I simply don't accept Rory choosing the DAR — group groan, everyone? — over Yale, just because of a bad performance review. The following response from Maria is more indicative of the Gilmore Girls mail I've been getting lately:

"How long do we have to endure Rory's Adventures in Emilyland? As if watching her rather willingly turn into just another, younger version of her entitled grandmother weren't bad enough, we have to watch her engage in empty-headed, reckless behavior with her Poor Little Rich Boy Logan. If I want to watch MTV, I know where that channel is. What used to be a witty, smart, gentle hour has turned into a shrill, mean-spirited mess. Please tell me the Palladinos have a plan, because Lorelai and Rory not interacting is sucking the charm out of this show. And even the promise of a Luke-and-Lorelai wedding may not be enough to keep me hanging in for the reconciliation." I might not go that far, but I sure did enjoy the MTV slam (this from a charter member of the I Despise Laguna Beach club).

Question: I think you missed the boat on 7th Heaven when you called it "comfort food." Sure, there's the obligatory "feel good" message in a lot of episodes, but this show has as much soapy melodrama and misguided teen/young adult sexuality as any other Aaron Spelling production — it's just alluded to more than portrayed. Maybe it's only been since you stopped watching, but Simon went on a sexual frenzy; Martin got a girl pregnant; Mary abandoned her family; and Ruthie is throwing around words like "sexy" and "hot." I've been watching the show for about three years now, and I've always seen it as a devious vehicle for Spelling to portray the same youthful recklessness as his other shows while hiding it behind the goody-goody facade of a minister's family, with some excessively cheesy messages thrown in now and then to make it seem like family-friendly entertainment. But the subject matter is often not at all appropriate for the entire family. — Dave
Matt Roush: Kind of like how Cecil B. deMille used to thread scenes of sensual debauchery through his Biblical epics, I suppose. I keep up with the story lines (at a distance) and watch the odd episode here and there, so I'm not completely out of the loop. But with your argument in mind, I guess I would now explain the show's success by citing its ability to pander to two audiences: those in desperate need of feel-good schmaltz and those who enjoy risqué material wrapped with a cloying candy bow. If you want the real deal, I still recommend Everwood.

Question: What do you feel about Ghost Whisperer? The CBS honchos made a big mistake when they said talking to ghosts plays better than talking to God. I personally don't think this show's acting and writing is of the same caliber as Joan of Arcadia's. Ghost Whisperer is just the 21st century's answer to Touched by an Angel. Been there, done that. — Marlene

Matt Roush: Nothing could make the CBS honchos, as you call them, happier than to have this show likened to Touched by an Angel, which had a very healthy nine-season run. No question that this is a less ambitious and distinguished show than Joan, and is in no danger of being nominated for Emmys (although with that ridiculous group you never know). But so far, it's doing quite well on Fridays, surprising just about everyone. Looks like a keeper to me. A keeper I have little intention of watching, but a keeper nonetheless.

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/askmatt/

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON: FRIDAY
'Hot Properties,' on the wrong block
A smart show but left to die on Friday night

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 14, 2005

ABC’s new sitcom “Hot Properties” has sharp writing, an excellent cast and the appropriately raunchy tone of a "Sex and the City" cleaned up for network primetime. Lots of people ought to be talking about it. They are not, and indeed the prospects for this show look quite dim.

“Properties” is one of the season’s funniest new sitcoms, but for reasons best known to ABC, the network has doomed the show by sticking it on the wrong night. It airs on Fridays at 9:30 p.m. after the toothless “Hope & Faith” and in the midst of what’s long been family hour on ABC, TGIF.

What was the network thinking when it slotted “Properties” in that timeslot? The sitcom garnered some buzz during pilot development season but that died as the upfront approached. Clearly the network had already written the show off when it came time to make up the fall schedule.

It's hard to imagine ABC, with three of the biggest hits on TV, seeing this as a chance to bolster its Friday lineup with a show of “Properties'” qualities. The audience that “Properties” would play best with, women 18-34, are not at home to watch TV on Fridays at 9:30.

For sure, "Properties" has its flaws. Its premise isn’t all that original: four very attractive real estate women bitching about men. And the “SATC” reverence is way overdone, with the first episode featuring the “Sex”-inspired book “He’s Just Not That Into You,” a reference to gaydar, or the ability to pick out gay men, and even a former “Sex” cast member, Evan Handler.

Yet “Properties” rises above being a mere knockoff by its wit and skillfully drawn characters. These women are actually likable.

Gail O’Grady (“American Dreams”) plays the owner of the real estate business, a fortysomething woman who recently married a 25-year-old and is now undergoing fertility treatment. She looks out for the others like a wise older sister while emiting an effortless sex appeal that Kim Cattrall would envy.

But the real standout is former “Mad TV” star Nicole Sullivan, playing whiny, slutty Chloe. She provides many of the show’s best one-liners. Her character is clearly a mess, yet Sullivan’s delivery is so fiery that she never seems pathetic.

Sultry Lola (Sofia Vergara) and virginal Emerson (Christina Moore) fill out the foursome, and they show an immediate rapport, as in tonight’s episode when they all get drunk and do silly things they'll later regret, like leaving inappropriate voicemails.

Writer and creator Suzanne Martin (the WB’s “Maybe It’s Me”) sometimes goes for the obvious joke but more often delivers lines that are original and unexpected.

That wit doesn't always rise to the occasion. When the male doctors from down the hall drop by, the jokes fall flat. Martin can’t write as well for men. And though the first two episodes are fun, there’s no conflict in the show and no sense yet of any sort of running plotline developing, something “SATC” excelled at.

But “Properties’” biggest worry right now is its timeslot. It needs something to persuade ABC to move it to another night, one on which single women are actually home to watch it, but that something has yet to arrive. It's received only mixed reviews, and its premiere was a middling one, bettering “Hope’s” numbers in adults 18-49 but still only averaging a 2.2.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_666.asp

Thursday’s network prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s opinions of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

NBC Revenue Drops

(from The Wall Street Journal)

(General Electric announced today that) profits rose 13% to $603 million at NBC Universal, but revenue dropped 26% to $3 billion compared with a year ago when NBC broadcast the summer Olympics. GE said Universal Picture's "40-Year-Old Virgin" surpassed $100 million in domestic box office receipts, but NBC has lost popular television shows in recent years such as "Friends."

CBS's 'Trace' tops NBC's fading 'ER'
Wins 10 p.m. slot for second week in a row

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 14, 2005
No matter how many times “ER” reinvents itself, and it’s certainly been many, it can’t hold up against CBS when the rest of NBC’s schedule is so weak.

Last week CBS’s “Without a Trace” topped “ER” among adults 18-49 for the first time in their four-year timeslot battle Thursday at 10 p.m. It did it again last night, averaging a 6.7 Nielsen overnight rating to “ER’s” 6.1, a 10 percent advantage.

“ER” and “Trace” both fell 3 percent week to week undoubtedly because of Fox’s coverage of the National League Championship Series, which didn’t finish until after 11 p.m. Fox averaged a 3.4 that hour.

“ER” isn’t getting much support from the lineup that used to provide so much momentum. NBC averaged just a 3.9 in adults 18-49 from 8 to 10 p.m. Comparatively, “ER” is actually holding up pretty well – it built on lead-in “The Apprentice’s” 4.6 average by 32 percent.

But “ER” is an aging show, now in its 12th year, while “Trace” is a mere pup at four years old. “ER” has weathered cast changes and plot twists while still remaining one of the top dramas in 18-49s.

Last year “Trace” passed “ER” in total viewers, and many figured it was only a matter of time before NBC’s 8-10 schedule slowed down enough that “ER” became vulnerable in 18-49s.

Now it looks as though “Trace’s” No. 1 finish last week was the start of a new trend. Expect the show to remain there for the foreseeable future, especially as unfamiliar faces continue to cycle through “ER.”

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_690.asp

DTV Date: April 7, 2009

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable

April 7, 2009: Thats the date when broadcasters will have to pull the plug on analog transmissions, according to a Senate Commerce Committee draft of a digital-TV "hard-date” bill circulated among staffers late last week.

As expected, the bare-bones bill does not deal with mandatory cable carriage of broadcasters' multicast DTV signals, or with any new public-interest obligations or cable conversion of the DTV signal, which are expected to be addressed in a separate bill.

The date is a compromise between the Jan. 1, 2009, date that has been floated for months, and a midsummer date favored by those who wanted to push it past the bowl games and the May sweeps viewing period into the lower viewing summer months.

The hard date bill would require that money collected from auctions of the reclaimed analog spectrum--the committee expects the auction to pull in $4.8 billion--would go into a new Digital Transition and Public Safety Fund to: 1) help pay for digital-to-analog converter boxes; 2) convert low-power TV stations and TV translators (an important issue with Commerce Committee Chairman Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska); 3) fund new emergency communications systems (some of the spectrum will be handed over to first responders); 4) help pay for an enhanced 911 system; and 5) provide money for hurricane assistance in coastal states.

The last provision was a way of addressing the pressure to use the auction proceeds to help pay for the hundreds of billions promised for Katrina relief.

The provision for funding translator conversion is near and dear to Stevens since rural areas--like Alaska--rely on them to relay TV signals to remote viewers.

The Senate "hard date" bill must be reconciled with a House version expected to be marked up by Oct. 28.

April 7, 2009: Thats the date when broadcasters will have to pull the plug on analog transmissions, according to a Senate Commerce Committee draft of a digital-TV "hard-date” bill circulated among staffers late last week.

That could be a very interesting Tuesday.

FX Adds More “Shield”

By James Hibbard TVWeek.com

FX has ordered an additional eight episodes of its crime drama "The Shield," the network confirmed Thursday.

The episodes will be added to the fifth season, which premieres in January, for a total of 21 episodes. Actor Forest Whitaker will join the cast as a detective.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8725
Wow, it just gets even better, great news!

That could be a very interesting Tuesday.


I certainly wouldn't want to be in any TV station's engineering department that day! :)

DTV Date: April 7, 2009
Senators to Mull April '09 Digital Date

By Todd Shields MediaWeek.com October 14, 2005

U.S. senators next week will consider a date of April 7, 2009, for ending traditional analog TV service, according to draft legislation released today.

The date would mean Congress likely would be in session --and in a position to react-- when analog TV sets that rely on over-the-air reception stop working in more than 21 million homes unless owners attach additional equipment. Cable and satellite customers' picture reception would be largely unaffected.

The bill, which is to be voted upon at an Oct. 19 meeting of the Senate Commerce Committee, also calls for subsidies for consumers to buy the set-top boxes that can convert digital signals to the analog format for use by legacy TVs.

A similar bill is expected to be introduced soon in the House, where some leaders have called for a transition date of Dec. 31, 2008.

A long road awaits any measure, since bills need approval from both chambers of Congress and the president's signature before becoming law.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001306315

GE's Immelt Downplays NBCU's Ratings Problems

By Jay Sherman TVWeek.com October 14, 2005

The chairman of NBC Universal parent General Electric attempted Friday to contain the severity of the problems confronting the entertainment unit's broadcast network, saying that ratings challenges confronting NBC are being more than offset by strong results in NBCU's film and cable assets.

Speaking to investors during the company's third-quarter earnings call Friday morning, GE Chairman Jeffrey Immelt acknowledged that NBC's prime-time ratings declines have taken a toll on NBCU's overall performance, and he warned that they would continue to do so through the first half of 2006.

However, Mr. Immelt and GE Chief Financial Officer Keith Sherin each sought to show that NBC's woes would not have a profound impact on either NBCU's overall results or those of GE.

"We are rebuilding our prime-time programming," Mr. Immelt said. But "it will be a journey."

In a bit of a shift from past earnings calls, GE executives provided a more detailed analysis of NBCU's results, splitting the entertainment operation into two distinct categories. They pointed out that the problem areas-prime-time programming, television production and owned-and-operated television stations-account for just 32 percent of NBCU's overall segment profit picture, while NBC News, NBCU's cable networks, the film studio and theme parks account for 68 percent of NBCU's segment profit.

Using that math, NBCU's third-quarter segment profit was able to grow 13 percent to $603 million, largely on the strength of news, cable and the studio, which reported a 31 percent surge in segment profit to around $410 million. The problem areas collective reported an 11 percent decline in segment profit, resulting in a contribution of $193 million for the quarter.

Revenue for the entire NBCU operation fell 26 percent to just over $3 billion. The company said the decline was driven largely by the absence of $930 million in Olympics broadcast revenue. Excluding that figure, the company said, NBCU's revenue would have been down 4 percent.

GE officials emphasized that NBCU accounts for just 10 percent of the conglomerate's overall revenues.

Both Mr. Immelt and Mr. Sherin each acknowledged the challenges facing NBC's prime-time schedule, but appeared to be bullish about the network's long-term prospects.

Mr. Sherin said the company believes NBC is "making progress in the fall lineup" and added that NBC News continues to perform well. He said that "Today" widened its lead over "Good Morning America." However, Nielsen Media figures show that for the of week Oct. 3, that gap had narrowed once again, this time to around 150,000-the narrowest since May.

Looking ahead, Mr. Immelt predicted NBCU's segment profit for the full year would be around $3 billion, representing a 15 percent increase over 2004. Profit for the prime time, production and stations profit is estimated to be off by 25 percent, while profit for the rest of NBCU is estimated to be up 50 percent. In 2006, Mr. Immelt said NBCU would be "flatish" as the unit continues to deal with its prime-time challenges.

Overall, GE said its third-quarter profit rose 15 percent to $4.7 billion, while revenue rose 9 percent to $41.9 billion.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8727

DTV Date: April 7, 2009
Senators to Mull April '09 Digital Date

The date would mean Congress likely would be in session --and in a position to react-- when analog TV sets that rely on over-the-air reception stop working in more than 21 million homes unless owners attach additional equipment. Cable and satellite customers' picture reception would be largely unaffected.



I just don't get this "all 21 million on one date" thing. It seems to me like any good plan would include a two or three month period of transitioning multiple cities per day. I think all broadcasters in a given DMA would want to switch over on the same day, so they do not give up viewers to other channels that still broadcast via analog. Am I missing something here, or does this just make too much sense for anyone in government to consider?

One problem with flexible dates is that broadcasters who were forced to go the earliest would be bitching about how unfair the system is.

Ratings Gap Closing Between 'Today,' 'GMA'

By Michele Greppi TVWeek.com October 14, 2005

It looks as if the morning-show ratings war is kicking into high gear again. After a summer watching NBC's No. 1 "Today" show run 400,000 or more viewers ahead, ABC's "Good Morning America" narrowed the gap to 150,000 the week of Oct. 3-7, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. That's "GMA's" closest finish since May, when the ABC morning show was three quarters of the way through its highest-rated season ever.

"Today" led the week with an average 5.49 million viewers, 2.8 million of them in the target demographic group of 25 to 54 years old. That was down 1 percent and 3 percent, respectively, compared with a year ago. "GMA" averaged 5.34 million, 2.6 million in the 25 to 54 demo, up 7 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

"The Early Show" on CBS averaged 2.8 million viewers, 1.2 million of them in the demo, down 2 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8730

JAY GETS HIS BIGGEST WEEKLONG WIN VS. ORIGINAL COMPETITION IN SEVEN MONTHS, CONAN GETS HIS BIGGEST NIGHT SINCE MARCH
Published: October 14, 2005


CONAN'S ALL-U2 THURSDAY TELECAST IS THE TOP-SCORING 'LATE NIGHT' IN 18-49 SINCE MARCH 24

JAY'S 18-49 MARGIN LAST WEEK, 0.7 OF A RATING POINT, IS 'TONIGHT'S' LARGEST OVER A WEEK OF FIRST-RUN 'LATE SHOWS' SINCE FEB. 28-MARCH 4

AMONG ADULT 18-34 VIEWERS, CARSON DALY IS UP 25 PERCENT VS. THE SAME WEEK LAST YEAR


BURBANK, Calif. -– October 14, 2005 –- "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" won the week of Oct. 3-7 with its biggest adult 18-49 margin over a week of first-run "Late Show with David Letterman" episodes in more than seven months. "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" also dominated its time period last week, led by Thursday's telecast, with the entire hour dedicated to rock superband U2. That episode achieved the highest 18-49 rating for a "Late Night" telecast since March and the show's largest overall audience since January.

Jay won the week by a margin of 0.7 of a rating point (2.0 vs. 1.3), his biggest margin over original Letterman telecasts since the week of Feb. 28-March 4.

Conan's Thursday U2 telecast averaged a 1.4 rating in 18-49, the top "Late Night" result for any night of the week since Thursday, March 24. Thursday's episode also averaged 3.3 million viewers overall, the biggest audience for Conan on any day of the week since Monday, Jan. 24.

At 1:35 a.m. ET, "Last Call with Carson Daly" continued to excel last week in the valuable adult 18-34 category, where it jumped 25 percent above its delivery for the same week last year (514,000 vs. 412,000). For the first three weeks of the season, "Last Call" is up 19 percent in 18-34. In total viewers, Carson Daly was up 15 percent last week versus the same week last year (1.6 million vs. 1.4 million) and is up 12 percent for the season to date. For the week and season, "Last Call" is outscoring CBS' "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in adults 18-34 and 18-49.


WEEKLY AVERAGES
(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of Oct. 3-7)

ADULTS 18-49

NBC "Tonight," 2.0 rating, 8 share
CBS "Late Show," 1.3/6
ABC "Nightline," 1.1/4*
ABC "Kimmel," 0.6/3*

NBC "Late Night," 1.1/7*
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.7/4

NBC "Last Call," 0.7/6*

TOTAL VIEWERS

NBC "Tonight," 5.9 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 4.1 million viewers
ABC "Nightline," 3.3 million viewers*
ABC "Kimmel," 1.5 million viewers*

NBC "Late Night," 2.5 million viewers*
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.8 million viewers

NBC "Last Call," 1.6 million viewers *

* "Conan" and "Carson Daly" aired encore episodes on Monday and "Kimmel" aired an encore on Thursday. Monday results for "Nightline" and "Kimmel" were delayed by football and the Monday "Nightline" is excluded from these averages.


SEASON-TO-DATE AVERAGES

ADULTS 18-49

NBC "Tonight," 2.0/9
CBS "Late Show," 1.3/6
ABC "Nightline," 1.2/5
ABC "Kimmel," 0.6/4

NBC "Late Night," 1.1/7
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.6/4

NBC "Last Call," 0.7/6

Each rating point equals 1.30 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS

NBC "Tonight," 5.9 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 4.0 million viewers
ABC "Nightline," 3.7 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 1.6 million viewers

NBC "Late Night," 2.4 million viewers
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.8 million viewers

NBC "Last Call," 1.6 million viewers

I certainly wouldn't want to be in any TV station's engineering department that day! :)


I can tell you my lumbaigo will be acting up that day!

“Showkiller” is fated to find success

By Mark McGuire Albany Times Union Friday, October 14, 2005

I'm going to root for Paula Marshall this year.

Like all new shows, her CBS sitcom "Out of Practice" is a long shot to succeed. Critics are split on it: Some like it, others don't.

I don't. But I'd like to see a stay of execution for the Queen of the Showkillers.

Paula Marshall isn't a great actress, but she's hardly among the worst in the business. Her real problem is this: Every TV show in which she's a cast member dies a quick death. Some deserve it, others are prematurely executed. "Out of Practice," which airs at 9:30 p.m. Mondays on WRGB Ch. 6, debuted at very respectable 22nd in the household ratings last month; it was 23rd its second week, and is holding firm in the top 25. It may have a shot.

Marshall's resume of flops spans the genres from romantic dramedy to spy thrillers to straight comedy. The constants have been Marshall, and cancellation.

But she keeps getting jobs. "Out of Practice" has a loaded cast (Henry Winkler, Stockard Channing) that's much better than the initial material. Like last season's "Center of the Universe," it's a CBS comedy with a great cast and not much else.

Appearing before critics in July, Marshall was breezy, funny, even defiant as she dismissed her showkiller rep.

"I don't think I was ever responsible for anything being canceled," she said. "I feel really fortunate people keep hiring me. People think I have talent."

But her series resume is a collection of trivia answers even the most devoted TV addict would have a hard time remembering: "Hidden Hills," "Cursed," "Snoops." ABC's "Cupid" had critical support and leading man Jeremy Piven, currently stealing the show on HBO's "Entourage" -- it didn't deserve to die.

Yes, Marshall has had recurring guest turns on successful series like "Veronica Mars," "Spin City" and "Just Shoot Me." But apparently the curse doesn't fall on shows in which Marshall merely guest-stars -- it takes a starring role to truly anger the gods.

Yet she keeps getting hired.

In the pantheon of showkillers, Marshall ranked right up there with Jon Cryer and Paget Brewster. In fact, Cryer and Brewster appeared together on the 2000 ABC sitcom "The Trouble with Normal," a show that was doubly condemned to failure before it aired.

But then Cryer broke his losing streak with the CBS hit "Two and Half Men," and Brewster landed a role in Showtime's well-received "Huff." (Which raises the question: Do broadcast showkillers have the same effect on premium cable?)

This sort of rep "gets in your head," Cryer said. "Everybody is just lucky to work. But if you either worked on one show for six years or six shows for one year, you're still working."

Well, Marshall has that.

As noted, she's an actor of modest talent, but she's not the reason shows featuring her get canned. (Well, maybe "Snoops" -- although she did meet her husband Danny Nucci on that project.)

Sometimes it's just a matter of picking bad shows. Other times, bad luck. Like a hitter in a slump, she's due.

So I'm going to root for her this season. Not that I'll watch her show.

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=408781

Friday’s network prime-time ratings have been posted at the top of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.

NBC Picks Up “Surface”
By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com

NBC has given a full-season order to its new Monday night sci-fi aquatic drama "Surface." The show, which premiered Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. (ET), scored a 3.4 in the adults 18 to 49 demographic Monday, according to Nielsen Media Research. That was a 13 percent increase in the demo from its previous week.

NBC announced earlier in October that it had given a full-season pickup to its sole new comedy of the fall season, "My Name Is Earl." The network has made one scripted cancellation, the new Friday medical drama "Inconceivable."

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8735

Since nashvillecat has an interest in this show, here is news reported earlier this week:

Court TV going to 'Trial'

The Hollywood Reporter--Court TV has snapped up rights to all 13 episodes of NBC's short-lived series "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" from NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution. The deal for the most recent series in Dick Wolf's franchise includes one never-before-seen episode of the courtroom drama, which stars Bebe Neuwirth and Fred Dalton Thompson.

"Given our viewers' interest in dramatic stories of life in the courthouse, we believe this 'Law & Order' series will work particularly well on Court TV," chairman and CEO Henry Schleiff said. The network will start airing the series -- which debuted on NBC in March -- in December as a two-hour block from 7-9 p.m. Saturdays.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001263210

Note: The lead in the following column does not fall into the category of “Spoiler”. There has been no official word on who will win the election in ”The West Wing”. But it is the considered opinion of Ms. De Moraes (and she explains her reasons) that the Jimmy Smith character will emerge victorious.

(Personally, I disagree and, for a number of reasons, believe Alda’s character will “win”.)

The TV Column
'West Wing' Candidates To Face Off in Live Debate

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Saturday, October 15, 2005; C01

This time around, the Republican will win the presidential debate, but the Democrat will win the election.

NBC will air a live debate during the November ratings race between faux candidates Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda on its struggling political drama series "The West Wing," which since moving to Sunday this season has seen its audience plunge from more than 11 million viewers to fewer than 8 million.

Alda plays Republican Sen. Arnold Vinick; Smits plays Democratic Rep. Matt Santos.

Executive Producer John Wells says that they'll have a "general sense of where they're going," are "definitely rehearsing a script" and are giving the two actors "substantial briefing materials" for the episode, noting that these days real presidential candidates are usually well rehearsed and almost never surprised by a question.

But there will be improvisation and spontaneity -- more than in the real thing, Wells said -- and they plan to solicit some questions over the Internet from viewers.

"To even call our current presidential debates 'debates' is stretching the term," he said, noting that virtually all elements, including the types of questions and the format, are "so pre-negotiated."

"In many ways what they've done is created a world for real presidential debates in which the candidates have an opportunity, to a larger audience, not to engage each other, but to give another version of their stump speech," Wells said.

"The whole idea about doing a [live 'West Wing'] debate was to try to do a debate in which the characters actually debated. . . . We will try to set up a world in which the candidates can have a real exchange," he said, adding that his goal is to get viewers to question why they don't get that in real life.

If yesterday's unscripted, spontaneous phone news conference is any indication, Alda will win the debate hands down -- though it's widely presumed that NBC has Smits in mind to play the next president of the United States if "West Wing" goes to another season -- if only because, at 69, Alda has nearly 20 years on Smits and is even further out of the 18-49 age bracket NBC chases than current "West Wing" faux president Martin Sheen, who's 65.

Alda is a very good public speaker. His early training, he notes, was in improv, whereas, Smits explained, "Jimmy is not a good talker," and his character is "much more verbal than Jimmy is or could ever be." Yes, it appears Smits sometimes talks about himself in the third person. Why is that so creepy?

Consider their answers to a simple question: "Is it important to you guys . . . that your character wins the debate or . . . the election?"

"What's important to me," Smits replied, "is that we do good storytelling. I think we've been doing that and keep the audience on their toes, keep it topical. And, just to reinforce what Alan said before, is that both points of view are strong and I think since last season we've been doing that and will continue doing that."

Alda also began with the same evasive blah, blah, blah, but then recovered with a great save: "But specifically, to answer your question . . . I have to tell you that it's hard to play any character and not want that character to get what he wants. I wanted to destroy Howard Hughes when I was in 'The Aviator' and I saw every good reason to do it, so that I could be the guy convincingly.

"Of course I want to win the debate, some part of me does, anyway, but . . . you do have to go along with what the story is. If the story doesn't actually have Richard III winning the battle, no matter how much he wants to win, he doesn't win. But you still have to want it. In a debate like this, where . . . you're the one live on camera, if you don't win, it's like something's wrong with you. So it gets even more personal. Some part of me of course wants to win. Even in our imagination I would love to rule the world."

To which Smits added: "Alan wants to cream me out there."

See what we mean?

Even Smits acknowledged he's no Alan Alda when one critic asked if he was worried about the live debate, given that "Alda is slick of tongue" and has been "talking for decades" -- which somehow sounded like it was meant to be an insult.

"Jimmy is not a good talker," Smits said, adding bravely that will force him to "prepare doubly hard."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/14/AR2005101401982_pf.html

I certainly wouldn't want to be in any TV station's engineering department that day! :)
I'm not so quick to share that gloom ...

Heck, if this passes, we'll finally have a hard date and more than three years to work this out. If we spend these three years wisely, this day could come and go with barely a hiccup, even with viewers at the OTA baseline.

I'll be spending that day kicking back and watching the local news on some channel ending in -1. When they get to the story about analog shutdown, I'll be saying, with a yawn, "Oh, THAT'S what day it is! Just as well, never really liked ghost images anyway ..."

It's a good year to be John O'Hurley
The actor has been able to 'reinvent' himself, thanks to fancy footwork

By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic October 15, 2005

John O'Hurley says when he won last month's rematch of Dancing With the Stars, vindication wasn't on his mind.

"I felt a sense of quiet and completeness, and I could put it to bed," says the Seinfeld alum who played pompous J. Peterman. "Losing stays with you. Winning is a quiet sense of completion.''

O'Hurley emerged as one of the brightest luminaries in the Dancing constellation. The ABC contest became the summer's biggest new hit, scoring its highest ratings in Orlando. O'Hurley's initial loss to Kelly Monaco of ABC's General Hospital set off widespread complaints of a fix. The whole phenomenon pushed O'Hurley to even greater celebrity.

Local fans can see him at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Southern Women's Show. He will sign autographs and judge a dance contest in the north building of the Orange County Convention Center.

It's a rare public appearance for the silver-haired actor, 51, who is busy pursuing new opportunities. He has become the poster boy for middle-age rebirth and an inspiration to baby boomers. He acknowledges a debt to Dancing With the Stars.

"It allowed me to reinvent myself, quite frankly," he says in a phone interview from Los Angeles.

He has performed in soap operas, sitcoms and commercials, but his stylish dancing is bringing him splashier jobs. In January, O'Hurley joins the Broadway musical Chicago as publicity-seeking lawyer Billy Flynn. Such a starring role has been dear to O'Hurley since he started acting in 1981.

"To be able to go back and headline a show is a thrill," he says. "It's a barometer of my life. It's a high-water mark. Seinfeld is great. This show [Dancing] is great. The highest-water mark was when my album came in at No. 13 on the Billboard chart.''

His Peace of Our Minds CD, featuring his compositions and cellist Marston, placed in the classical category.

The past year "has been kind of a complete regeneration for him -- his personal life, his acting life," says wife Lisa O'Hurley. "He's experiencing so much success, and I hope I'm helping him with that."

Dancing With the Stars put him on the Nielsen charts. After soap star Monaco won the summer contest, many O'Hurley fans were outraged.

"He was very surprised," says brother Bruce O'Hurley, a building-services contractor in New Hampshire. "All indications from the judges were basically he was the person to beat."

John O'Hurley, who remained a good sport during the flap, says he was more upset by the voting process than the outcome.

"I thought the voting template was askew, really off," he says. "That's what people reacted to, not that I won or lost. It was more a case of how I lost.''

The controversy prompted ABC to stage a dance-off, and a tight viewer vote gave O'Hurley the edge the second time around. The actor salutes his partner, Charlotte Jorgensen, as the personification of grace. They will shoot an instructional-dancing DVD that should be out at Thanksgiving.

The rematch allowed O'Hurley to raise money for the charity Golfers Against Cancer. So did a celebrity tournament last month in which he beat pro golfer Annika Sorenstam. Through the two events, O'Hurley netted $426,000 for the charity.

Golf also has been very good for O'Hurley's personal life. His wife, the former Lisa Mesloh, was an executive at the Golf Channel when they met. They married last year.

"That's probably the biggest thing that has happened in his life," brother Bruce says. "They share a love of golf, and she's exceptional at that."

A heavy schedule of projects is bound to cut down on the actor's time on the links. He has a development deal for a television series, in the style of Curb Your Enthusiasm, that will parody show business and his efforts to keep up with others.

"I think people enjoy pomposity and arrogance as long as it's pointed at you," John O'Hurley says.

He has a three-picture deal with the makers of the Barbershop movies.

He just signed a book contract. The title: It's OK to Miss the Bed on the First Jump. The premise: Everything O'Hurley needed to know he learned from his two dogs.

On Thanksgiving, he will host The National Dog Show on NBC.

"When you run it down, we have had a good year," Lisa O'Hurley says.

As a sign of his new celebrity, the actor notes that he will appear in People's forthcoming sexiest-men-alive issue. He savors the memory of learning of that honor.

"I looked at my wife and I said, 'I guess I don't need an Oscar or an Emmy. I can die a happy man.' "

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-ohurley05oct15,0,1453769,print.story?coll=orl-caltvtop

Chris Noth: When It's Easy to Play Older, Wiser, Wearier

By David Carr The New York Times October 15, 2005

The tidy, almost fussy apartment in Greenwich Village is a place where neither Mr. Big nor Det. Mike Logan would live. Sitting in jeans with an open white shirt and a nearly shaved head, Chris Noth, the man who played both characters, fits in pretty well with the quiet, the lush furnishings, the huge rack of CD's and the books, including a gigantic antique book on a stand.

Mr. Noth has never confused himself with his characters. Still, he gets dirty looks on the subway from women because he has played a cad on "Sex and the City" and approval from police officers for his righteous portrayal of a working New York detective.

This season, Mr. Noth (rhymes with "both") is reprising that role as Detective Logan, the emotional, intuitive police detective who helped found the "Law & Order" franchise back in 1990. When he left in 1995, he characterized his tour in that police procedural series as a "five-year prison sentence," so it is a bit of a surprise to see him prowling New York as part of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

Ten years later, things are different. His recurring role as "Mr. Big," the suitor who won Carrie Bradshaw's heart in "Sex and the City," turned out to be a prison of another sort. He was in a bar in Saigon a few years ago, and someone started yelling at him for his portrayal of that self-involved Lothario allergic to commitment.

And this time around on "Law & Order" - the grind wore him down during his last tour - he and his co-star, Anabella Sciorra, have a partnership that alternates with another detective team played by Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe, so the physical and mental sprint of a weekly series will be only half as taxing.

Still, it is a genre in which actors are as much game pieces as thespians, pushed around by plot and form.

"For an actor, it's troubling, because you have to ask the fundamental question: does it matter what I bring?" he said, backlighted by a very sunny day pouring in the south window of his apartment. His hair, normally a thick mop that is a bit of a trademark, is all but gone - "I got bored" - and at 49, Mr. Noth is less apt to lean on his boyish charms than show up as a man in full.

Both Detective Logan and Mr. Noth represent talented, mercurial characters tempered by forces beyond their control. Detective Logan is back in Manhattan after having punched a superior and been banished to Staten Island. Mr. Noth, who is fond of late nights and gnawing on the hand that feeds him, bears marks from both. The youth has been replaced by a kind of majesty, though the look of someone who has been places and seen things.

The show's fans seem to think that Mr. Noth's version of a "Law & Order" detective matters very much. "Criminal Intent" episodes have drawn an average of almost 12 million viewers this fall, a ratings performance fueled in part by Detective Logan's return. This season, he is beginning to turn his investigative skills and moral compass on fellow cops, giving him plenty of texture and conflicts to chew through.

Mr. Noth is back partly because a man has to eat, and partly because 10 years have given him some perspective on the value of working with your craft, regardless of the outlet. A 1998 "Law & Order" television movie, "Exiled," was a hit with viewers and gave Mr. Noth a measure of input into the character and development of Detective Logan. He called the "five-year prison sentence remark" a reflection of his youth at the time and the grind of being on camera every week.

"The danger is that you feel you are on an assembly line, but this particular schedule gives an actor time to infuse himself creatively," he said.

Because the range of the characters is limited on all the "Law & Orders" - "Criminal Intent" is the third installment of a brand that has spread across television for 15 years - Mr. Noth said that it is important to use screen time judiciously.

"Every moment has to have a meaning, because on a procedural show, it can easily appear that you are doing it by rote," he said.

"The older you get, the whole notion of success in this business is ephemeral, confusing and hard to give as much energy as when you're young and it meant everything," he said.

Mr. Noth is less mellowed than matured, still itchy and somewhat obsessed, but realistic about where he belongs in the firmament of celebrity and acting. He knows he is not George Clooney, another suave salt-and-pepper television brand who crossed over and never looked back.

Mr. Noth, an actor who attended the Yale School of Drama, just finished a run of "American Buffalo" at the Berkshire Theater Festival. Early in his television career, he spent a great deal of time banging against the limits of the procedural genre and the man who invented it, Dick Wolf, who created "Law & Order." When Mr. Noth sought more money, Mr. Wolf invited him to leave.

"Let's face it, I had one foot out the door, and Dick turned out to be fundamentally correct," Mr. Noth said. "I was not trying to hide the fact that I was frustrated and restless. Restlessness is a part of my nature, and it has always come to haunt me personally and professionally."

Mr. Wolf did not hide that he and Mr. Noth had a complicated professional relationship, or that he was enjoying the renewal of that dialogue.

"Look, no one can play Det. Mike Logan better than Chris Noth," Mr. Wolf said in a telephone interview. "He has an attitude, a physical presence. He looks the way that most New York detectives look when they get up in the morning."

"I have had a longer-term relationship with Chris than I have had with almost anybody in the business," Mr. Wolf said. "Neither of us would admit it to each other, but there is a well of affection that is hard to account for."

There is far more clutter than when they last worked together; thanks to "Law & Order" and "CSI," a similar procedural franchise, the top 20 shows feature a glut of whodunit-and-how shows that invite and cue the viewer to solve the crime just ahead of the people on the screen.

"It is a very different climate than when we started," Mr. Noth said. " 'Law & Order' was pretty revolutionary. It felt like something that had never been done. Even New York City was a very different city back then, a far more dangerous place."

Getting Mr. Noth started on the subject of New York is an invitation for a tutorial on the dangers of civic sanitization, on the things that can be lost when a city is "improved."

"It has deteriorated into a very clean and shiny mall," he said, running his hand back and forth over his bristle of hair as he gets worked up. "We have to go out of Manhattan to get a texture of the city. I'm not just talking about graffiti and that we want to bring the crime back. From the meatpacking district to the East Village to below Houston Street, all those delicious and interesting and complex neighborhoods are just basically gone. It has been death by fashion and trend."

"Being a New York detective is a character," he added. "They are different than other detectives. There is a fraternity and a brotherhood and a way of doing police work in New York that's different than anywhere else, and you've got to tap into that also."

"Most of them are what we would call working-class guys," he said, "who deal in a very specific world and live in that world, 100 percent committed."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/15/arts/television/15noth.html?pagewanted=print

Source: NASCAR closing on new television contract
NBC out of bidding

By David Poole Charlotte Observer Staff

NBC has withdrawn from negotiations to continue as a NASCAR television partner beyond 2006, opening a door through which ABC/ESPN might return to the sport, The Charlotte Observer has learned.

NBC informed NASCAR just more than a week ago that it felt NASCAR's asking price for rights to Nextel Cup and Busch races was higher than the value of the package, a source told the Observer.

Current television partners had an exclusive negotiating window in which they could work with NASCAR on a new deal. After electing not to continue negotiations, NBC has waived that clause, allowing NASCAR to negotiate with new partners, and the source said NASCAR is close to a new deal that could be announced early next week.

Fox Sports is expected to retain rights to Nextel Cup races in the first half of the season. Fox and NBC have had the season-opening Daytona 500 in alternating years in the current deal, but Fox is expected to get rights to that event each year in the new deal.

Cup races in the second half of the season, including the 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup, would likely air on ABC and ESPN, which are both owned by the Disney Company.

At least some of the Busch Series races would air on ESPN2, the source said.

NASCAR chairman Brian France said last week at Kansas Speedway that he would like to see the Busch Series have its own broadcast identity.

That raises the possibility that all or at least a majority of that series' events could be on one network.

ESPN and NASCAR fueled each other's growth through the 1990s.

ESPN's helped stock-car racing gain national exposure, and NASCAR providing attractive programming that helped ESPN get its networks picked up by more cable providers.

But when Fox/FX and NBC/TNT signed on to a $2.8 billion contract in late 1999, a deal that went into effect at the start of the 2001 season and expires at the end of 2006, ESPN was shut out.

"Everybody knows we are working on our TV contracts ... and we're having discussions with our existing partners and others," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president for corporate communications. "It's no secret that ESPN is extremely interested."

Spokespersons for ESPN and Fox Sports said they had nothing to announce about the talks.

In April, NBC announced a six-year deal to broadcast NFL games in prime time on Sundays, paying a reported $600 million a year for those rights.

That package begins next season. ESPN's Sunday night NFL package moves to Mondays in 2006.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/12908912.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Networks have to know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em
By Jim Benson, Ben Grossman and Anne Becker Broadcasting & Cable,10/17/2005
This time last year, the television industry was agog over ABC’s breakout monster hits Desperate Housewivesand Lost. As the new fall season unfolded this year, anticipation of another splashy debut or two was palpable, even though veteran TV hands know that instant mega-success is a rarity. And sure enough, this fall’s big story is the middling success of the networks’ slates of new shows.

Yes, there have been some notably strong performances, like My Name Is Earl’s for NBC and Commander in Chief’s for ABC, and some of the customary quick failures (WB’s cancelled Just Legal was just lethal, and Fox should plead temporary insanity for having granted Head Cases even a brief tryout). But the major theme of the fall so far: the encouraging number of shows that are doing well enough, if not to become huge hits, then at least to avoid being obvious candidates for the ax, and the way these solid performers are spread evenly among the networks for a change.

Though it’s still early, industry insiders have been eagerly reading the ratings tea leaves. Beyond handicapping which shows will last and which will go, and how various networks are faring (ABC galloping, CBS strong but possibly tiring, NBC limping worse than ever), the industry savants we consulted reached some wider-ranging conclusions as well.

After years of flocking to procedural dramas, audiences appear to be cooling to the genre, or at least to be unwilling to add copycat newcomers to their viewing habit. Reality TV, the demise of which has been regularly predicted for years, may in fact be finally losing its juggernaut status. And cable television, which used to cede the fall to broadcasters, has made inroads that—as with every other incursion of cable on broadcasters’ turf—are likely to become only more pronounced in future seasons.

Wall Street has already started to weigh in on the networks’ fall fortunes. While cautioning that the season is still young and merits further tracking, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst Michael Nathanson lauded the gains made after three weeks by Fox and ABC in the 18-49 demo from last year (up 20% and 8%, respectively).

Nathanson’s report noted that the networks’ owners, Disney and News Corp., have similar revenue exposure (about 11% each) to broadcast advertising and “could see positive earnings revisions” if the trend continues.

Fox has scored with its post-season baseball action and some strong showings by rookie drama Prison Break and offbeat medical drama House, which is a bona fide hit in its second year. ABC is primarily building on its existing franchises: Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy on Sunday, Lost on Wednesday. The supernatural drama Invasion follows Lost, and while Invasion pulls in a respectable audience of about 11 million, that means it loses half of its Lost lead-in.

ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson says Invasion’s future will hinge on where it stabilizes in the next four to six weeks. He laughs at all the early ratings analysis, pointing out that staggered premieres, the baseball playoffs and other factors have meant that “there is too much weird competition now to make predictions.”

Analyst Nathanson was unenthusiastic about the performances of NBC and CBS, which he called “on the losing side.” Both networks are shedding viewers in the key 18-49 demo. The 13% drop at the still-struggling NBC is surprising—apparently when things are dark, they can get even darker (no thanks to Inconceivable, a misbegotten fertility-clinic drama that aired twice before being pulled from the schedule).

A CURIOUS LOSS

But perhaps the most curious loss is the 5% drop at CBS from last year. Although it remains the dominant network in total viewers and older demos, CBS is slowly losing audience across the board. The loss is “significant,” Nathanson wrote, because the network has been the most stable the past five seasons and “is about to take on a bigger role as Viacom will split itself into two parts” early next year. According to Nathanson’s estimates, CBS will account for about 28% of the total revenue of the new company: “Any material change to CBS’ ratings will become a greater issue for investors.”

Nathanson didn’t separate out CBS’ little cousin UPN, which rose 7% in 18-49 in the season’s first three weeks, despite the inauspicious debut of the soapy Sex, Love & Secrets, which prompted the network to stop production after one airing. Much of UPN’s upturn can be attributed to the heavily promoted Everybody Hates Chris. Although UPN’s primary target is 18-34s, Chris likely will be judged on whether it can remain above a 2 rating in 18-49 in its highly competitive 8 p.m. Thursday-night slot. Should it drop below a 2, it would fall into the undistinguished ratings territory of UPN’s Monday-night comedies All of Us and One on One.

Former NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield is an analyst of another sort. Having worked for years alongside late programming legend Brandon Tartikoff, he knows the business as well as anyone. One of his insights into the new season: TV has reached the procedural saturation point. “You cannot launch a procedural hour in any time period without going against an incumbent procedural drama,” says Littlefield (who doesn’t happen to be in the procedural game right now; he’s executive producer of UPN sitcom Love, Inc.). “Therefore, there are a few being sold and developed, but not a lot.”

The established procedurals, like Dick Wolf’s Law & Order shows and Jerry Bruckheimer’s various CSIs, have maintained their popularity with viewers, but a newcomer like this season’s Night Stalker on ABC has struggled: Its 7 million average viewers are a quarter of the 28 million who watch CBS’ CSI—which happens to be the top-rated show and airs opposite Night Stalker on Thursday nights. Of course, it’s not clear whether the problems have to do with the quality of the show itself (with Stuart Townsend as a journalist investigating spooky crimes) or with the procedural genre.

Fox Entertainment President Peter Liguori remains bullish on the genre, saying procedurals will remain “as part of a good programming mix.” Like any genre, he says, procedurals just need to keep evolving in their conception. House, he says, represents “the next bounce on procedurals.”

A genre that may have lost some of its bounce: reality TV. Both Survivor and Amazing Race, two staples of CBS’ overall preeminence in recent years, have seen their audiences shrink in the first three weeks this fall (19% and 12%, respectively, in 18-49 from last year); they’re still strong, however, against tougher competition. And NBC’s Apprentice franchise appears to be tottering, regardless of whether Donald Trump or Martha Stewart is in charge; neither show is exactly stopping the bleeding at NBC.

“The decline of reality is official now,” says Littlefield. “The genre, which took so many dollars and time periods out of the marketplace, is just not as much of a dominant force anymore. For people who play in the world of scripted TV”—like Littlefield himself, it should be said—“it’s a very welcome sign.”

Of course, given the sheer number of unscripted shows on television, the “decline” could be a very gentle slope. But Littlefield is hardly alone among industry insiders when he says that TV has entered an era when fresh blood and fresh ideas are required—and welcome. “I think everybody more or less admits the old rules no longer apply,” he says. “Those who have taken risks the last few years have not always been rewarded, but enough so that people will continue to do it.”

The networks learned last season that viewers are hungry for ambitious new concepts that stretch familiar formats, says Fox’s Liguori: “As the landscape becomes a little more homogenous, it further inspires us to want to try something different.” As examples, he cites event series like ABC’s Lost and Fox’s Prison Break, the latter having the makings of a freshman hit.

Liguori’s counterpart at ABC, McPherson, lists Prison Break among the most promising new shows in what he calls an “interesting fall”—one that might lack game-changers like last year’s Housewives and Loston his network but is hardly a low-achiever. He singles out solid early performers spread across all the networks: ABC’s Commander in Chief,NBC’s Earl, CBS’ Criminal Minds and Ghost Whisperer, Fox’s Prison Break, The WB’s Supernatural, and UPN’s Chris.

McPherson attributes the more level playing field this fall to the fact that “everyone stepped up their marketing efforts.”

Another factor, says WB Entertainment President David Janollari, is the simple truth of TV programming: Runaway hits like the ones ABC launched last year are a rarity. “Those things come around once a decade,” he says, noting that, before ABC’s coup, the last time a network launched two gigantic franchises in the same season was NBC with Friends and ER in 1994.

STRONG LEAD-INS NOT NEEDED

One encouraging development for networks this fall: the apparent ability of some freshman series (Commander in Chief, My Name Is Earl) to draw viewers without requiring a strong lead-in to jump-start their ratings. If the trend holds, it would delight networks in search of franchises to build on new nights and in new time periods.

Less encouraging for the six broadcast networks: Although their combined prime time ratings were either stable or down marginally (depending on the demo) from a year ago, aggregate ratings for ad-supported cable climbed 2%-5% for adults and about 11% among teens. That shift might have been expected, given that this fall cable signaled its willingness to try to steal some of the broadcasters’ thunder. The Sept. 20 premiere of Nip/Tuck on FX was just one indication of challenges likely to come for broadcasters.

Cable whittled away more than ever at broadcast numbers over the summer, tipping the balance to a 60.9 share versus broadcast’s 32.7. In the fall, the margin narrowed to a 53.8 share for cable and 45.6 share for broadcast, thanks primarily to strong showings by ABC and Fox, according to Turner research chief Jack Wakshlag. (Last year, ad-supported cable out-delivered the broadcast networks in household share during the early fall season for the first time, 51.9 vs. 43.1).

“Cable grows in share and rating year-to-year every single quarter,” Wakshlag says. “In the old days, it was increased penetration, then more channels. Now it’s about programming and marketing.”

FX FLOUTS TRADITION

While ESPN, as it has since 1998, brings in many cable viewers each fall with Sunday-night football—and Monday-night football starting next year—the entertainment cable networks are doing their part. They deftly tied up summer originals as fall arrived, then rolled out new acquired dramas and movies for the fourth quarter.

USA added prime time episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent in September; Lifetime will run its first two-night miniseries Human Trafficking Oct. 24; and TNT is banking on major theatricals, premiering triple plays of Erin Brockovich, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Spiderman in the coming months.

Meanwhile, when FX flouted the cable tradition of clustering the premieres of original scripted series during the summer by bringing back Nip/Tuck in September, the network was rewarded with an average 4.5 million total viewers in its first three episodes—up 20% over season two.

FX’s fall scheduling “took some cojones, and clearly it didn’t hurt them,” says Sci Fi/USA President Bonnie Hammer.

Hammer’s own network also has been aggressive. USA, having grabbed World Wrestling Entertainment from Spike, debuted WWE Raw on Oct. 3, marketing it heavily under the network’s “Characters Welcome” tagline. It was a winner for the network, pulling in 5.6 million total viewers.

“Cable is a true competitor now,” Hammer says. “You see it in the way the ad dollars are going and in cable’s increasing growth of viewership. Cable’s getting more aggressive about where they put their original shows. We don’t run and hide.”

It used to hide. Now it’s what cable is seeking that could make future fall seasons more fascinating than ever.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6273131

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
This Season's Shows From Best-Reviewed to Worst-Reviewed

metacritic.comWhat did the critics like this fall?
We've ranked all the season's new shows in order, from best- to worst-reviewed.
* Shows in bold have been cancelled.

SHOW NET SCORE
Everybody Hates Chris UPN 89
My Name Is Earl NBC 79
Invasion ABC 72
How I Met Your Mother CBS 68
Prison Break Fox 65
Threshold CBS 65
Kitchen Confidential Fox 64
Supernatural WB 60
Commander In Chief ABC 55
Bones Fox 54
Close To Home CBS 54
Just Legal WB 53
Out Of Practice CBS 52
Reunion Fox 50
Related WB 49
The Night Stalker ABC 48
Head Cases Fox 43
Sex, Love & Secrets UPN 41
Criminal Minds CBS 40
Surface NBC 39
E-Ring NBC 38
Twins WB 37
Three Wishes NBC 36
Freddie ABC 33
Inconceivable NBC 32
Hot Properties ABC 29
War At Home, The Fox 28
Love, Inc. UPN 28
Ghost Whisperer CBS 26
Killer Instinct Fox 25

http://www.metacritic.com/tv/seasons/2005fall/

Bochco might turn `D.C. Pink' into `Blues'
Tom Jicha Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinal TV and Radio Writer

Don Johnson is looking for work again. The teens and twentysomethings who are the cornerstone of the WB didn't embrace a star older than their parents, so Just Legal was dismissed. The casts of Head Cases and Inconceivable are also getting back in line at the cattle calls. That's what happens when Paris Hilton's video is seen by more people than your series.

It might seem surprising, judging by the numbers alone, that Martha Stewart still has a prime-time job. With the demise of Inconceivable, the domestic diva's version of The Apprentice has the distinction of being NBC's lowest-rated series. On a network that still refuses to cut bait with Joey, this is not a good thing. But NBC has a big stake in Martha's daytime series, so it doesn't want to devalue her image by making her the season's highest-profile loser.

Actually, there is only one shocker so far this season -- and the reason it is such a startling development is that it involves the closest thing to a breakout hit, Commander in Chief. The ABC series starring Geena Davis as the first female president established instant dominance in its time period and is the only new series in Nielsen's Top 10. Nevertheless, its creator and executive producer, Rod Lurie, has been cast aside less than a month into the season.

Reportedly Lurie, whose background is primarily in film, was pushed out because he was having a hard time keeping up with the demands of weekly television. Scripts were arriving so late, the story goes, ABC was beginning to worry that eventually he wouldn't have an episode ready for its airdate.

Equally as stunning is the identity of his replacement, Steven Bochco. Bochco is peerless when it comes to gritty shows like Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue. However, there's no evidence that "Washington Pink," Lurie's vision for Commander in Chief, is in Bochco's repertoire. Also, Bochco's strength is as a creator, not a repairman.

The upside to the change is that Commander in Chief, which looks as if it will be around longer than George W. Bush, could stand a dose of realism and toughening up. Lurie was so anxious to push the concept of a woman president, he egregiously overplayed his hand. Donald Sutherland continues to be cartoonish -- a human Wile E. Coyote to Davis' Road Runner -- as the diabolically partisan Speaker of the House. Meanwhile, Davis' character is a composite of Margaret Thatcher, Mother Teresa and Wonder Woman.

As her first presidential act, she mobilized U.S. armed forces to rescue an African woman condemned to stoning for adultery. This past Tuesday, she not only faced down a dictatorial Latin American drug lord, but with just a few sentences, she inspired his followers to overthrow him. Then she played June Cleaver to her whiny teenage daughter.

For her vice president she chose her opponent in the last election, a man who repeatedly eviscerated her on the campaign trail. She liked him because he was independent like her. The ornery former military man repaid her faith by initially telling her what she could do with the job. But the crusty old crank reconsidered after he was moved almost to tears by the strength of leadership she demonstrated.

The West Wing is an idealistic take on the executive branch. Commander in Chief is a fairy tale.

It's unfathomable that these fantasies will continue in a Bocho-run show, so what can we expect?

The Oscar-winning Davis might have too much clout to be forced to bare her backside, but Kyle Secor, who plays her husband, better be prepared to drop trou. The entire cast -- well, at least the males -- might as well get used to swapping lines while standing at a urinal, another favorite Bochco device.

Bochco also has a penchant for calling on old friends, so maybe if we're lucky, Dennis Franz will pop in as the Secretary of Something or perhaps the head of the FBI. Who has more experience in law enforcement?

No matter what tinkering Bochco does, it's sure to make TV's political season a lot more interesting.

http://www.southflorida.com/movies/sfl-tv15tjoct15,0,1486503.column?coll=sfe-tv-headlines

Saturday’s network prime-time ratings have been posted at the top of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.

Fast National ratings for Saturday, Oct. 15th
THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
This Season's Shows From Best-Reviewed to Worst-Reviewed

metacritic.comWhat did the critics like this fall?
We've ranked all the season's new shows in order, from best- to worst-reviewed.
* Shows in bold have been cancelled.

SHOW NET SCORE
Everybody Hates Chris UPN 89
My Name Is Earl NBC 79
Invasion ABC 72
How I Met Your Mother CBS 68
Prison Break Fox 65
Threshold CBS 65
Kitchen Confidential Fox 64
Supernatural WB 60
Commander In Chief ABC 55
Bones Fox 54
Close To Home CBS 54
Just Legal WB 53
Out Of Practice CBS 52
Reunion Fox 50
Related WB 49
The Night Stalker ABC 48
Head Cases Fox 43
Sex, Love & Secrets UPN 41
Criminal Minds CBS 40
Surface NBC 39
E-Ring NBC 38
Twins WB 37
Three Wishes NBC 36
Freddie ABC 33
Inconceivable NBC 32
Hot Properties ABC 29
War At Home, The Fox 28
Love, Inc. UPN 28
Ghost Whisperer CBS 26
Killer Instinct Fox 25

http://www.metacritic.com/tv/seasons/2005fall/

Threshold - #6 new show ?!? :rolleyes:

Threshold - #6 new show ?!? :rolleyes:
Remember, this is based on critic's reviews, what do they know anyway? :)

Unfortunately, I had high hopes for Carla, but it looks like she's missed the mark again. She was great on Spin City, but it has been downhill since. :(

Remember, this is based on critic's reviews, what do they know anyway? :)

Unfortunately, I had high hopes for Carla, but it looks like she's missed the mark again. She was great on Spin City, but it has been downhill since. :(
Exactly, a critic's listing of best shows is suspect.

I think they should cancel Threshold and maybe Gugino could replace Union in Night Stalker.. :)

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
“Criminal Minds”: no crime show copycat

Jeanne Jakle San Antonio Express-News

The joke is that CBS stands for Crime Broadcasting System.

Not only does it offer "CSI" times three, but also there's "Without a Trace," "Cold Case" and the new suburbia-set crime show, "Close to Home."

The initial tendency, therefore, would be to dismiss another CBS newcomer, "Criminal Minds," as just the umpteenth procedural — let's-catch-the-bad-guy — drama.

Upon closer examination, however, the show is no crime copycat. It has a unique style and intriguing band of experts who use not only physical evidence as clues to serial cases, but also their meticulously trained brains to get inside perpetrators' minds.

I'm fortunate to have had a close-to-home incentive to look deeper into this show. Thomas Gibson ("Dharma & Greg"), who lives in San Antonio with his family, plays one of the behavioral analysts: Aaron Hotch, a dependable straight-arrow of a man, who easily earns people's trust.

On the edgier side is team leader Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), who may take more risks, but his volatile history also inspires worry. Gideon has made mistakes, ones that continue to haunt him. Caution and care, after all, are extremely important in the world of "Minds," where crimes — which so far have included multiple kidnappings and murders; arson at a university; and bombings in a neighborhood — involve the calculated destruction of numerous people.

One of my favorite characters is young Dr. Spencer Reid, a genius and computer whiz who's as naive about social situations as he is sharp about numbers and technology. Matthew Gray Gubler, a relatively new face on television, portrays him with the perfect blend of admirable concentration and lovable awkwardness. He's quirky, but not so quirky you'll want to roll your eyes. I'm looking forward to an episode (promised by a producer of the series) where Gubler just might use his offscreen talent for magic to catch a criminal.

Aside from Gibson, who fits FBI to a T with his dark, intense good looks, there are two other easy-on-the-eyes agents. However, neither Shemar Moore ("Diary of a Mad Black Woman") nor Lola Glaudini ("The Sopranos") fits the stereotypical pretty-person image. Their attractiveness is quieter, more real-life than Hollywood.

Another standout feature of "Minds" — one that keeps me coming back for more — is the almost surreal way crime segments are presented. For instance, in the third episode, a homemade bomb injures and kills neighborhood residents who just happen to be in the way. We see the explosion from the perspective of one man in its path; the distorted images that follow are reminiscent of a nightmarish Dali painting.

This week's episode involves a crime of obsession, the kidnapping of a twin, who's the daughter of a U.S. district attorney.

"Criminal Minds" has a difficult time slot — Wednesdays at 8 p.m. — opposite ABC's mega-hit "Lost." Still, it's managed to finish second in key demographics. Its premiere, which ran in the more preferable slot — Thursday after "CSI" — crowned it the most-watched newcomer of the season.

Let's hope CBS treats "Minds" with care. It really would be criminal to see this well-crafted gem go under.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/global-includes/printstory.jsp?path=/entertainment/columnists/jjackle/stories/MYSA101605.0Z.jakle.f510eed6.html

Exactly, a critic's listing of best shows is suspect.

I think they should cancel Threshold and maybe Gugino could replace Union in Night Stalker.. :)

Great Idea. She could also play the attorney/ex on Prison Break, the frequent bikini wearing Lake Bell role on Surface and a new promiscuous survivor on Lost. ;)

A simpler idea: now that ABC has some ratings traction, just bring back "Karen Sisco", promote it in "Lost", "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" and place it almost anywhere on the ABC schedule.

It would be a top 20 hit in a matter of weeks.

A simpler idea: now that ABC has some ratings traction, just bring back "Karen Sisco", promote it in "Lost", "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" and place it almost anywhere on the ABC schedule.

It would be a top 20 hit in a matter of weeks.
I totally support that!!!

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
TV's one-month checkup
'Earl' and 'Chris' are humming, Martha is slumming, and we're all still bumming that there's no new 'Lost' or 'Desperate Housewives' to buzz about

By Ken Parish Perkins Fort Worth Star-Telegram TV Critic Oct. 16, 2005

Ask any habitual TV watcher to comment on the month-old season and you're likely to hear a heavy sigh. Last year at this time, we were discussing the mythical symbolism of the head-scratching drama Lost, or the oh-no-they-didn't hilarity of the schizophrenic Desperate Housewives.

This year, we're talking about the mythical symbolism of Lost and the oh-no-they-didn't hilarity of Desperate Housewives.

It isn't that the 31 new dramas, comedies and Martha Stewart shows are all lousy or irrelevant (well, Stewart's Apprentice is); it's that none are so irresistible that they're compelling us to ditch happy hour or reschedule that tango class.

NBC's My Name Is Earl, about a perpetual loser making amends, and UPN's Everybody Hates Chris, a kind of Wonder Years-meets-Good Times comedy, are the two most-talked-about shows so far -- and neither are out-of-the-gate hits, according to Nielsen ratings. In fact, both could end up goners by midseason if they fall into a mini-slump of mediocrity.

But how interesting and encouraging it is that the two shows heading up the buzz pack are comedies, the TV genre that's supposedly dead and decomposing.

Or that The West Wing is doing its most ambitious, intriguing work and is being virtually ignored -- like nearly everything else on NBC.

And how Head Cases, a buddy comedy about a pair of nutcases with law degrees, was axed after two episodes. Hmm. Who'd have thunk that?

Perhaps the same people who thought men would watch a drama about a fertility clinic?

It's still early, but here's how the 2005-06 season is shaping up and out.

The hits are missing

One season of rookie blockbusters, and look how spoiled we've become. Those of you moaning over not having some newbie series kicking down your door ought to remember that droughts are par for the course.

Lost and Desperate Housewives arriving in the same season is the equivalent of a UFO landing.

We so badly wanted the same sensation this year that Earl and Chris were anointed (by critics, mostly) as The Next Great whatevers. Earl was impressive last week, racking up 13.2 million viewers in a tough time slot (against House on Fox, The Amazing Race: Family Edition on CBS and the new Commander in Chief on ABC) and Chris broke all sorts of ratings records for UPN, attracting 7 million viewers. But it's still UPN.

ABC hails the Geena Davis-as-president series Commander in Chief, averaging around 16 million viewers and No. 8 overall (tops among all new shows), as something of a hit. I say "something" because the network isn't thrilled with its demographics: women 50 and older represent the heart of the show's viewership. ABC will take the 16 mill, but it wants what advertisers want: Viewers who fall between 18 and 49.

Also on ABC, the medical melodrama Grey's Anatomy is showing some real staying power. It arrived at midseason and knocked Boston Legal clear to Tuesday. (Which isn't doing too shabby there, with 12 million viewers). Last week, Grey's Anatomy, co-starring the hunky Patrick Dempsey in yet another comeback, failed to hold on to 8 million of its Desperate Housewives lead-in audience -- but that still leaves 18 million viewers, good enough to land solidly in the Top 10. It's a delicious show that now has breathing room to stretch its legs.

Going, going, gone

Head Cases, after just two episodes, is finished.

So is the WB's Just Legal, the other buddy legal show with Don Johnson, and NBC's Inconceivable, the fertility drama, which couldn't sustain itself on female viewers alone (only 0.8 percent of men wanted to see people discuss babies for an hour. Go figure.)

Sex, Love & Secrets, a messy melodrama about singles in lust, drew 1.4 million viewers, prompting UPN to "halt production." (In other words, it's canceled). The same goes for Fox's Kitchen Confidential.

Other shows that have stumbled out of the gate: The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, on NBC; Killer Instinct, the Fox crime drama; Love, Inc., about a matchmaking service, is squandering Chris' lead-in on UPN; E-Ring, the silly Pentagon thriller on NBC starring Dennis Hopper and Benjamin Bratt; The Office, on NBC, is drawing only about 7 million viewers; Twins, on WB, averages 2 million, which could mean that ex-spouses Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith will both get canceled.

Two-time Emmy winner Arrested Development has taken up its usual post as the Best Show We Ignore, with a paltry 4 million viewers on Mondays on Fox. Joey, the Friends spinoff on NBC, has fewer viewers than last season's dismal showing. It's a goner.

UPN's Veronica Mars, with 3.3 million viewers, is performing only slightly better than last season despite a four-episode airing on CBS, a larger marketing budget, and assurances from CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves that "that lady [lead Kristen Bell] will be a star."

New and promising

Sitting alongside Chris and Earl are several CBS series, including the Jennifer Love Hewitt dead people drama Ghost Whisperer (10.8 million), the profiler procedural Criminal Minds (10.5 million) and How I Met Your Mother, (10.4 million) the standard but snappy sitcom with a twist, along with the WB's Supernatural, (5 million) the horror thriller about ghost-battling brothers.

Still king of the hill

CBS' CSI remains TV's top draw, averaging an eye-popping 28 million viewers with ABC's Desperate Housewives at 26 mill, followed by ABC's Lost, the missing-persons procedural Without A Trace on CBS and Grey's Anatomy. CSI: Miami, Survivor and Cold Case both on CBS are still among the most-watched shows on the tube.

Jerry Bruckheimer's bricks

The producer, who came into the fall season with more shows (9) than several production companies combined has seen his Just Legal dumped with E-Ring expected to join the scrap heap soon. CBS' Close To Home, about a suburban mom who happens to be a really, really good prosecutor, is averaging 10 million viewers over its two airings, just a few thousand more than what an over-the-hill Judging Amy mustered in that time period before getting axed. Just saying. With the exception of Amazing Race, Bruckheimer is finding it hard to expand beyond straight-up crime procedurals.

Better than expected

CBS' Ghost Whisperer (11 million), and Fox's Prison Break, (9.4 million), a preposterous drama about a guy who breaks into prison to break out his innocent brother, was on the air two weeks before the official start of the season and has managed to hang on to most of its audience. ABC's The Night Stalker got off to a decent start, helped by a large sampling of male viewers, who, instead of watching Inconceivable, apparently felt more comfortable with the Stalker storyline where pregnant women were yanked out of their homes by scary beasts. You guys.

Worse than expected

Amy Grant's Three Wishes on NBC, the feel-good, three-hanky wish-fulfillment show, started modestly and dropped from there. Could be timing, as in giving fatigue, what with Hurricane Katrina. (So what does the show do? They help a Katrina family in a "special" episode.) The series seems like overkill. It's hanging on to about 6.8 million viewers in a weak timeslot where the wimpy CBS sci-fi series Threshold is the night's winner and the now unbearably over-the-top Kelly Ripa resides on ABC's Hope & Faith.

Then there's ABC's Alias, which left us with quite a cliffhanger, only to have 8.2 million viewers care. (Last week's airing lured only 7.3 million). With Jennifer Garner (and her character Sydney) in mom mode, it scared off men, who like to watch Garner beat up on people while wearing next to nothing. Pregnancy might be the new black among celebrities, but nothing drives away men quicker than seeing a woman with a baby looking all glowy. They'll take scary beasts any day.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/entertainment/television/12911046.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Great Idea. She could also play the attorney/ex on Prison Break, the frequent bikini wearing Lake Bell role on Surface and a new promiscuous survivor on Lost. ;)
Yes, yes and yes.. :D

A simpler idea: now that ABC has some ratings traction, just bring back "Karen Sisco", promote it in "Lost", "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" and place it almost anywhere on the ABC schedule.

It would be a top 20 hit in a matter of weeks.
That's a great idea, and while we're at it, maybe NBC could replace E-Ring with Boomtown, I still can't believe they let that one go..

Let's hope CBS treats "Minds" with care. It really would be criminal to see this well-crafted gem go under.


I hope they do too, this one is a keeper in my book.

NBC gives Sorkin the green light
Two years after leaving "The West Wing," the writer-producer returns to network TV with a behind-the-scenes look at late-night comedy

By Scott Collins Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 16, 2005

Writer Aaron Sorkin knows something about fighting with TV executives. Now he's decided to make a show about them -- and has persuaded NBC to fork over big money for the idea.

Two years after leaving "The West Wing," the long-running White House drama he created for NBC, Sorkin clinched a deal with the network for "Studio 7," a behind-the-scenes sendup of a late-night comedy series very much like NBC's "Saturday Night Live."

NBC, which beat out CBS for "Studio 7" after a lively bidding war, will pay at least $1.6 million per one-hour episode and is aiming for the fall 2006 schedule, according to an executive familiar with the deal. Warner Bros. Television, Sorkin's longtime studio home and the maker of "West Wing," will produce. Sorkin and frequent collaborator Thomas Schlamme are both aboard as executive producers, with shooting likely to start early next year.

"This project is a noisy, compelling combination of bold drama and laugh-out-loud comedy," NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said in a statement on Friday. 10/14 "We're thrilled to again partner with this team on their next great NBC show." Sorkin and Warner Bros. declined to comment.

The deal has Hollywood veterans chattering for several reasons, including the fact that it represents the first TV series Sorkin has sold since leaving "The West Wing." "Studio 7" also underscores an emerging trend of TV executives buying "spec," or speculative, scripts, which are written before a network has agreed to back a project. Typically, established writers will not spend much time working on a program idea until a network has committed to the project in some fashion. But ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and NBC's "My Name Is Earl" — both bought on spec — have persuaded executives to pay more attention to writers' pet projects, according to several agents and executives interviewed for this article.

CBS, for example, earlier this month paid top dollar for a spec comedy called "Class" from former "Friends" executive producer David Crane.

"Studio 7" promises to take more than a few swipes at network executives and programming, and viewers likely won't have much trouble figuring out real-life inspirations for characters and plot points. In many cases, it's NBC taking it on the chin.

In a copy of the pilot script obtained by the Los Angeles Times, the executive producer of the "SNL"-type show has an on-camera meltdown, saying on live television: "This show used to be cutting-edge political and social satire, but it's gotten lobotomized by a broadcast network hell-bent on doing nothing that might challenge their audience."

Later, the producer attacks the network for programming that involves "eating worms for money." That might be construed as a none-too-veiled reference to the gross-out stunts on NBC's reality show "Fear Factor."

Hollywood satires have a mixed record on TV. HBO's comedy "Entourage" has strengthened its ratings, but a number of other recent experiments -- including Fox's "Action," the WB Network's "Grosse Pointe" and HBO's "The Comeback" -- have failed.

But Sorkin may have more colorful show-business experiences to draw on than most writers. When ABC insisted on using a laugh track to punctuate his short-lived ABC comedy "Sports Night," the writer-producer told the New Yorker that the experience made him feel "like I've put on an Armani tuxedo, tied my tie, snapped on my cuff links, and the last thing I do before I leave the house is spray Cheez Whiz all over myself."

A respected playwright and screenwriter (his play "A Few Good Men" was turned into a hit movie with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson), Sorkin became one of the most talked-about figures in the industry during his days running "The West Wing," which presents a fictionalized -- some might say idealized -- White House starring Martin Sheen as President Bartlet.

Sorkin was known as a workaholic who insisted on writing -- or rewriting -- virtually all the "West Wing" scripts himself. Critics particularly relished his rapid-fire dialogue and ability to manage large numbers of characters. But his work habits took a heavy toll; scripts were frequently delivered late, which caused widely reported production delays and costly budget overruns that were thought to be a factor in Sorkin's eventual exit from the series.

After "The West Wing's" second season, Sorkin was arrested at Burbank Airport on charges of possession of cocaine, hallucinogenic mushrooms and marijuana (the charges were later dismissed after he completed a rehabilitation program).

He once told TV Guide that he smoked crack every day while writing his 1995 film "The American President." "That is why it took me three years to write the script," he said.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-sorkin17oct17,0,7382544,print.story?coll=cl-tv-top-right

From http://nbcumv.com/sports/release_detail.nbc/sports-20051016000000-bestnotredamerati.html


ND-USC EPIC CONTEST EARNS BEST NOTRE DAME RATING IN MORE THAN A DECADE

NBC's Haden: "As Entertaining a Last Three Minutes of a College Football Game as I've Ever Seen"



NEW YORK - October 16, 2005 - Yesterday's USC-Notre Dame football game earned the best overnight rating for a Notre Dame game in more than a decade. The 7.9 overnight rating and 17 share was the highest since Notre Dame-Michigan earned a 8.4/21 overnight on Sept. 10, 1994.

The rating peaked at a 14.2/27 from 7:30-7:45 as USC QB Matt Leinert scored with three seconds remaining leading the Trojans to a dramatic 34-31 victory. Notre Dame had taken the lead with 2:02 left. No. 9 Notre Dame had been bidding to end No. 1 USC's 28-game winning streak.

Notre Dame on NBC analyst Pat Haden called the contest, "as entertaining a last three minutes of a college football game as I've ever seen."

The top-rated markets were: 1) Indianapolis, 14.7/30; 2) Los Angeles, 13.4/31; 3) Knoxville, 12.6/25; 4) Oklahoma City, 11.9/25; 5) Portland, 11.0/25; 6) Chicago, 10.7/24; 7) Birmingham, 10.4/19; 8) Boston, 10.3/21.

NASCAR ON NBC

NBC's broadcast of NASCAR Nextel Cup racing from Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday night delivered the highest overnight rating in the history of the event. The 4.8 overnight rating and 8 share outperformed last year's 4.6/8, the previous high for the fall race from Charlotte, by 4 percent.

The top-rated markets for the race were: 1) Greensboro, 14.7/24; 2) Greenville, 14.1/23; 3) Charlotte, 13.9/24; 4) Knoxville, 11.2/19; 5) Indianapolis, 10.0/16.

DirecTV's Stock Has Taken a Beating. Is a Buyback the Fix?

By Geraldine Fabrikant The New York Times October 17, 2005

It has been a tough year for shareholders of the DirecTV Group, the satellite television company controlled by Rupert Murdoch.

Fears about competition from telephone and cable companies have buffeted its stock price, which has fallen 12.9 percent this year. The shares rose 19 cents, or 1.3 percent, on Friday to close at $14.57 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Anxious analysts who have endorsed the stock are hoping shareholders will get a Christmas present as a reward for their loyalty. On Dec. 23, a tax ruling that prohibited DirecTV from buying its own shares will lapse, clearing the way for the company to go on a buying spree if it chooses to do so.

The analysts point out that the company's healthy balance sheet would permit it to buy back the entire stake of 215 million shares, or 15 percent of the company, that is held by the General Motors Pension Trust, although few of them expect the company to authorize such an aggressive purchase.

But even a far smaller buyback might give a lift to the stock at a time of increasing concerns about cable competition.

The cable industry, itself under siege from both the telephone companies and satellite operators, is getting more aggressive at pricing its packages of video, data and voice services. Last week, Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, said it might join in a bid to acquire a stake in AOL from Time Warner, potentially allowing it to offer instant messaging and other AOL services to Comcast customers.

In June 2004 the Cablevision Systems Corporation introduced a "triple play" - phone calls, Internet access and television channels - for $89.95 a month. The offer jolted the industry. In just 12 months, Cablevision signed up 174,000 triple-play customers and added about 55,000 new subscribers, the first annual increase for the company in two years, bringing its total to 3 million subscribers. "Satellite had been eating our lunch," Cablevision's chief operating officer, Thomas M. Rutledge, acknowledged in a recent interview.

Although Cablevision raised the price of the triple play to $115 for subscribers signing up for a second year, Mr. Rutledge said that the churn, or turnover rate, among these subscribers was 18 percent lower than that of other customers.

The cable packages and Comcast's interest in AOL "appear to make the competition for home video subscribers more competitive," said Craig Moffett, an analyst who follows cable and satellite TV for Sanford C. Bernstein & Company.

Not that Cablevision has cornered the market. Last year DirecTV added 1.7 million new subscribers, and it added another 730,000 through the second quarter of this year, for a total of 14.7 million subscribers. That makes it the second-largest provider of multichannel home video after Comcast, which has 21 million subscribers.

In the second quarter that ended June 30, DirecTV reported a profit of $161.5 million, compared with a loss of $13.3 million a year earlier.

DirecTV's subscriber growth rate has slowed this year, but that may not be all bad. Chase Carey, DirectTV's chief executive, said the company had opted for slower growth as it tried to reduce last year's higher churn levels, which were partly a result of taking on too many customers with weak credit.

"We have recognized that our churn rate was too high, and we have been monitoring the credit," Mr. Carey said.

Aryeh Bourkoff, a media analyst at UBS Securities, said the market was "very competitive for video services, and cable is beginning to offer the triple-play bundles, which has improved their competitive positioning, therefore making growth prospects more costly for DirecTV."

That specter of increased competition puts pressure on DirecTV to buy its own shares, he said.

Today, Mr. Murdoch owns 34 percent of DirecTV's shares through his News Corporation. The General Motors Pension Trust said early last year that it would sell 110 million shares of its stake, though ultimately it sold only half that amount.

Now there is some speculation that the trust may try to cut a deal with DirecTV to sell its shares to the company at a slight premium, on the theory that DirecTV does not want those shares dumped on the open market. A spokesman for the trust declined to comment, as did Mr. Carey.

Whether DirecTV will buy shares from the pension trust or the public is not clear, but certainly concern about the sale of the pension fund holdings is weighing on the stock, analysts agree. "We continue to believe that DirecTV's potential purchase of the G.M. stake would be a big catalyst," Douglas Shapiro, of Banc of America Securities, wrote in a recent report. That would eliminate the concern about a major sale that has depressed the stock price.

Thomas Egan, of Oppenheimer, added: "They could buy up all its shares with existing cash, which would be a big boost to holders." DirecTV has $4 billion in cash and a revolving credit line of $500 million. "It is the only company in the entertainment space that has more cash than debt," Mr. Egan said.

Owning a satellite TV business had long been a dream of Mr. Murdoch, who is chairman of DirecTV; he bought the shares in 2003 when the company was still a tracking stock of General Motors.

The link to News Corporation inevitably raises questions of the satellite company's strategy. For example, did DirecTV rush to expand last year, spending heavily for new subscribers but then suffering from high churn, because the additional subscribers gave the News Corporation's cable networks, including Fox News and FX, wider distribution? Mr. Carey says this was not the case.

Some analysts say they believe that even though growth has slowed, there are opportunities for DirecTV to add families with new homes or those who once had only broadcast TV.

"As the number of people who take only broadcast declines, the big growth in satellite does not come from cable, it comes from new homes or former broadcast-TV-only homes," Mr. Egan said. "Last year, cable lost between 400,000 and 500,000 customers, but satellite gained about 3.2 million."

Not everyone is so sure. Mr. Moffett, of Sanford C. Bernstein, has put a sell rating on the stock, because of competition and because he says he believes the company is entering a tough phase when it will be spending heavily to offer more new equipment: high-definition television and digital video recorders.

Mr. Carey said he was more optimistic because he believed that the cost of equipment was gradually coming down. DirecTV has been able to add subscribers, he said, because "at the end of the day, the core question is who provides the best television experience."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/17/technology/17directv.html?8dpc=&pagewanted=print

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
ABC Takes an Early Lead
No New Hits for Net, but Returning Series Build Among Demo

By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com October 17, 2005

By all accounts ABC had a good start in prime time last fall, powered by freshman breakouts "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost."

But so far this season-even without any out-of-the-box hits-the network is enjoying an even higher-rated prime time as it develops the depth in its schedule observers have said it needs to continue its comeback.

For the first three weeks of the 2005-06 season, ABC is delivering its most competitive start in the adults 18 to 49 demographic since 1993, back when comedy stalwarts Tim Allen and Roseanne Barr were cracking wise on the network. Driven by three of the top five shows, ABC is No. 1 season to date in adults 18 to 49 with a 4.3 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. That's a 10 percent increase over the network's year-ago performance as well as a 10 percent lead over its nearest competitor, CBS, which three weeks into the season last year held the top spot in the demo among the networks.

ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" have continued to strengthen in their sophomore seasons, with "Housewives" in the top spot in the demo among all series and "Lost" at No. 3. Adding to ABC's top 10 success are its Sunday night series "Grey's Anatomy," which debuted midseason last year, and sophomore "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" as well as ABC's sole long-term top 10 resident, "NFL Monday Night Football."

For the first time in a decade, ABC has nearly a full bench of programming, said Bill Carroll, VP and director of television for Katz Television Group.

"They do have some strength," he said. "At one point, the whole ABC Network was "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," "Whose Line Is It Anyway" and Drew Carey. It's now a complete lineup. That makes a huge difference.

ABC, the third-place finisher in adults 18 to 49 in 2004-05, is likely to give demo competitors CBS, Fox and NBC a healthy race well beyond the fall, Mr. Carroll said.

"They are off to a good start," he said of ABC. "Since it is built on continuing series, you have to believe that is in place for the rest of the season."

For the 2004-05 season, Fox scored a 4.1 in adults 18 to 49, which was closely followed by CBS (4.0), ABC (3.7) and NBC (3.5), the tightest competition for the top spot in the demo since the introduction of Nielsen Media Research People Meters in 1987. Industry insiders expected last season to be a close three-way race among CBS, Fox and NBC. ABC's resurgence expanded the charge to four challengers.

For 2005-06, ABC's early lead means the other networks are having to play catch-up with ABC. The scenario could change, but likely won't before January, when Fox unleashes the fifth installment of "American Idol," Mr. Carroll said.

"As in the last of couple of years, as the race has gotten closer, any of the contenders have a shot at [winning] adults 18 to 49," he said. "The only factor that is not in place right now and will be triggered in January is 'American Idol.' What happens with 'American Idol' is the factor that is going to go into who ends up where."

Fox's "Idol" was so successful last season that even with a dismal start, Fox was able to rise to No. 1, thanks to the continued success of the pop music competition. Whether "Idol" will retain its four-year role as a pop culture phenomenon remains to be seen, but its potential to alter the current rankings is still considered very real.

In addition, Fox's early performance gives it a leg up this season it could only dream of last fall. Despite being more than a full rating point behind ABC for the first three weeks of the season, Fox's growth over the same period a year ago is 20 percent, the highest of any network.

Like ABC, Fox is benefiting from the continued success of a sophomore series, in this case the Tuesday drama "House." But ABC's early ratings success is being further propelled by debuting performers.

The fact that two of the three debuting series-Wednesday's "Lost" lead-out "Invasion" and Wednesday's 9 p.m. political drama "Commander in Chief"-that broke into the top 20 were from ABC also bodes well for the network, Bruce Goerlich, executive VP and director of strategic resources for Zenith Media, said.

"I would say ABC is doing pretty well so far," Mr. Goerlich said.

ABC's most recent debut, last Wednesday's premiere of the sitcom "Freddie," also added to the network's momentum. "Freddie" built on its "George Lopez" lead-in and won its 8:30 p.m. (ET) half-hour in the demo with a 4.2, beating out its closest competitor, Fox's Major League Baseball playoff game, by 17 percent. It was the fourth consecutive Wednesday the network won the demo and total viewers.

Making any long-term conclusions about ABC's performance was still premature, Mr. Goerlich said, adding, "It's a nice place to start."
.
http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=28864

Not-so-'Desperate' future

By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News

If the news that Apple and ABC are about to make it possible for you to watch "Desperate Housewives" on your iPod didn't exactly rock your world, I completely understand.

In a country full of televisions large enough to require their own ZIP codes, the idea of watching Eva Longoria bounce around on a teeny-tiny screen isn't likely to appeal to any but the most tech-obsessed.

But last week's announcement may bring us a step closer to the point where we can see what we want when we want it.

Digital-cable users have so far experienced video on demand mostly with movies and a limited selection of cable programs, but broadcasters wouldn't mind getting in on it - if they can figure out how to get paid, either by selling programs whose ads can't be zapped or charging more for ad-free versions.

ABC's decided to offer its limited selection of reruns commercial-free for $1.99 a pop. If viewers bite, more networks will follow - and someone will figure out how to get it onto your TV looking as good as it should.

The future where - for a price - we can easily catch up on even the shows we forgot to record may not be here yet.

But it's on its way.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television/12922054.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

But her series resume is a collection of trivia answers even the most devoted TV addict would have a hard time remembering: "Hidden Hills," "Cursed," "Snoops."Hidden Hills was quirky and fun. I really enjoyed it and was disappointed when it was scrapped. Out of Practice is horrid, and not because of Paula Marshall.

Xesdeeni

Hidden Hills was quirky and fun. I really enjoyed it and was disappointed when it was scrapped. Out of Practice is horrid, and not because of Paula Marshall.

XesdeeniI'm disappointed that the horrid Out of Practice stole the Fonz as "Barry Zuckerkorn" from AD but they did replace him with Chachi as "Bob Loblaw". I smile every time I think of that name :)

Media Buyers Fret Over Friday Prime

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com October 17, 2005

Just one month into the 2005-06 broadcast season, media buyers are expressing concerns about soft Friday-night ratings and that the networks might be considering making Friday night the next Saturday—where repeats rather than first-run programming rule the night.

The networks last week publicly pledged to continue to try to program Friday night with original fare and say they have no plans to start putting wholesale repeats on the night. But the networks have a history of saying one thing and doing another when money is at stake. “We were losing money on Saturday nights for years [airing original programming]. Now we are essentially putting on programming [repeats] that cost us nothing, and we are solidly in the black on the night,” said one network exec, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Just how bad have Friday ratings been? Through the first two weeks, only CBS and ABC had cumulative 18-49 ratings above a 2.0. Through the third week, NBC drew a cumulative 2.0 by replacing new drama Inconceivable with a repeat of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. All six nets cumulatively averaged a 1.8 in 18-49 demo on Friday through the first three weeks.

“It is conceivable that the networks will look to make Friday the next Saturday night,” said Lyle Schwartz, executive vp, director of research and marketplace analysis at mediaedge:cia, “and that would not be good for advertisers. I realize that on Friday night, like on Saturday night, HUT (homes using television) levels are lower than the rest of the week. But putting repeats on Friday night will signal that the networks have given up on the night, and it could drive more people to cable.”

Kris Magel, senior vp and account manager for Zenith Media, agreed: “To see the networks give up another night would be disheartening. And if they do it, there is a definite possibility that we would consider moving more ad dollars to original programming on cable on the night. Repeats, even repeats of the top shows, are only good for delivering marginal ratings. And it’s hard to believe audiences watching repeats are as passionate and the ad environment is as good for clients’ ads as first run.”

The ratings for repeats on Saturday night support Magel’s contention. ABC aired repeats on Saturday night of its hit dramas Lost and Desperate Housewives on Oct. 8. The shows produced a paltry 1.3 and a 1.5 rating, respectively, in the 18-49 demo. But the network saved between $2 million and $3 million in production costs by not airing first-run shows.

Network execs, however, insist Friday will not become a carbon copy of Saturday. “We have no plans to turn Friday into a repeat night,” said Preston Beckman, executive vp of strategic program planning at Fox, which is the only Big Four network that airs original programming, albeit reality fare (Cops and America’s Most Wanted) on Saturday night. “We have ordered 22 episodes of Bernie Mac, 22 of Malcolm in the Middle and 13 of Killer Instinct, and we believe the best strategy is to leave these shows on [Friday] and see if they can grow.”

But Fox has changed its mind before. In the summer of ’04, then entertainment president Gail Berman pledged to keep new drama The Jury on the entire summer to let it find an audience. One week later, after five episodes, Fox cancelled it. Other nets have made similar show pledges, so buyers are skeptical.

“Friday has been a tough night for us, but we still have a commitment to air original, scripted programming on Friday nights,” said Mitch Metcalf, NBC Universal executive vp, program planning and scheduling. “We’re not looking to give up two nights of the week for repeats.” He said replacing Inconceivable with a Criminal Intent repeat was a stopgap measure until midseason, when a new scripted show can be moved to the 10 p.m. Friday slot. Metcalf also stressed that Friday prime remains an important lead-in to affiliates’ local news.

Steve Sternberg, executive vp of audience analysis at Magna Global USA, does not believe the problem for the networks is that viewers are not home or watching TV. He believes the networks just do not put on their best programming on Friday nights. “TV usage measures a 38 [HUT level] on Thursday [one of the highest viewing nights] and a 32 on Friday among the 18-49 demo, only 15 percent lower,” he said. “It’s not that nobody is home. They just need to put on better programming.”

Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, senior vp, director of broadcast investment at Starcom, is one media buyer less concerned about the soft Friday ratings, pointing out that any of the broadcast network 18-49 ratings are still higher than anything on cable on the night and that Friday shows are part of packages where ratings points can be boosted by other nights. “We expect some nights to underdeliver and some to overdeliver,” she said, adding, “In a world of fragmentation, multiple airings are not that bad a thing. If you have a good show, repeating it on another night might not be such a bad thing.” But Herbst-Brady stressed that she would not want to see the broadcast networks totally abandon Friday night to repeats.

So far, CBS is the prime-time leader on Fridays this season. Its 18-49 rating on the night is up 27 percent over last season to a 2.8. While its three dramas—Ghost Whisperer, Threshold and Numb3rs—have a cume median age audience of 53 years old, Kelly-Kahl, CBS’ executive vp, program planning and scheduling, said the shows draw a balance of younger and older viewers. “We added a show like Ghost Whisperer that has the potential to draw in a younger audience, but that doesn’t alienate older viewers on the night,” he said, believing that is the secret to success on Friday night.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001306494

Big ratings revival for college football
Credit the revival of big-name glamour teams

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 17, 2005

When Penn State lost to Michigan on a last-second touchdown Saturday, Nittany Lion fans weren’t the only ones howling in pain. Network executives had to be feeling some pains as well.

After a dull 2004 season when ratings were flat or down, the surprising success of storied but lately struggling programs such as Penn State, Notre Dame and Alabama has spiked interest in college football and pushed up ratings.

On Saturday two of those squads, then-undefeated PSU and the No. 9 Irish, lost on final-seconds plays. That could certainly cool some of the fervor during the second half of the season.

Still, this college football season appears headed to better 2004's showing. Penn State’s Oct. 8 primetime game with Ohio State produced the second-most-watched regular-season college game in ESPN history, with 4.43 million households tuning in. That trailed only a 1994 game between Miami and Florida State that averaged 4.85 million.

The network’s football talk show, “College GameDay,” scored its best-ever household rating, a 2.1, broadcasting from PSU’s campus.

The revival is happening on broadcast as well. NBC’s Notre Dame opener averaged a 3.8 household rating, bettering the network’s 2004 average for Irish games by 65 percent.

Last weekend ABC’s college football coverage was up 26 percent over last year’s average, to a 4.8 rating. CBS’s Oct. 1 telecast of the Alabama-Florida game averaged a 3.1, up 3 percent over its 2004 average.

Interest in college football tends to fluctuate according to how the big-name teams are performing. Casual football fans are more likely to watch when they perform well. Last year Notre Dame finished a disappointing 6-6, Penn State failed to make a bowl game, and Alabama went 6-6.

College football ratings dipped accordingly on ABC and CBS, which hold the rights to most of the big-conference games. Ratings for NBC, which televises only Notre Dame games, were flat.

Whether this trend will continue after Saturday’s losses remains to be seen. The Nittany Lions, Irish and the still-undefeated Crimson Tide have all been ranked in the top 10, and there’s still a lot of excitement over the programs’ revivals.

All three could still conceivably make Bowl Championship Series appearances at the end of the season, which could provide a nice boost for a system that last year had its lowest-rated championship game ever.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_694.asp

James Dolan to undergo heart surgery
Cablevision's CEO, who faced several stressful battles this year, is set for heart bypass operation

By Harry Berkowitz, Steve Zipay and Tami Luhby Newsday Staff Writers October 17, 2005

James Dolan, the often controversial and combative chief executive of Cablevision Systems Corp. and chairman of Madison Square Garden and its Knicks and Rangers, will undergo heart bypass surgery today after having been admitted to a hospital Saturday, the company said last night.

The development comes in a year that has been remarkably stressful for Dolan, 50, on many fronts, including monumental disputes with both the New York Jets and his own father, Cablevision founder and chairman Charles Dolan.

Cablevision declined to elaborate last night on its short statement about Dolan's hospitalization, which said his doctors "expect him to make a full and complete recovery." A person familiar with the situation said that Dolan, who lives in Oyster Bay, drove himself to the doctor on Saturday and that it is unclear how long he will be incapacitated.

Dolan was well enough to watch the Rangers on television from his hospital Saturday night as the hockey team defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 5-1, the source said.

Dolan, who often faces fierce criticism for his oversight of the teams, has struggled for several years to try to find ways to improve the poor performance of the Knicks and Rangers, who have among the highest payrolls in their leagues.

Among the battles this year, Dolan fought attempts by the New York Jets, who were backed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to build a West Side stadium that Dolan feared would compete with the Garden, which is preparing for major renovations but also is considering a move across Eighth Avenue to be part of the Farley Post Office complex.

Dolan also had an emotional showdown with his father, who turned 79 yesterday, over the fate of the now-shut Voom satellite TV service, which the patriarch had tried to save in defiance of his son and much of the board. Amid that tussle, Charles Dolan overhauled the board of Cablevision, the sixth-largest cable TV operator in the nation and the biggest in the New York metro area.

For a time during the Voom struggle, some analysts speculated James Dolan might be ousted. Instead, Dolan, whose 10th anniversary as chief executive was yesterday, is slated to become chairman of the Jericho-based Rainbow Media sports and programming division of Cablevision under a $7.9-billion plan to spin off the unit to shareholders and then take private the rest of the company, which is controlled by the Dolans.

Bethpage-based Cablevision yesterday left unanswered many questions about Dolan's condition, including when a problem was first suspected, the possible causes and even which hospital he is in.

The hospitalization and recovery period are not expected to affect Garden operations much in the short term.

"He's got his people in place and they certainly can continue to run the team operations until he's back on his feet," Bob Gutkowski, head of Marketing Group International and a former president of Madison Square Garden, said of Dolan.

On Oct. 8, Dolan met with reporters covering the Knicks at the team's training camp in Charleston, S.C.

"In the end, I'm accountable for the bottom line, and I don't shift that responsibility to anybody," he told the reporters.

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzdola174473330oct17,0,6398481,print.story

Hidden Hills was quirky and fun. I really enjoyed it and was disappointed when it was scrapped. Out of Practice is horrid, and not because of Paula Marshall.

Xesdeeni

My wife and I both loved "Hidden Hills" and were also dissapointed when it was cancelled. Of course, it was a quirky show, kinda like "Ally McBeal" was, which did well for several years.

Sunday’s network prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s opinions of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

Hidden Hills was quirky and fun. I really enjoyed it and was disappointed when it was scrapped. Out of Practice is horrid, and not because of Paula Marshall.

Xesdeeni

Paula put on a fair amount of weight (not that there's anything wrong with that ;) ), but she's still one of the hottest actresses on TV.

DTV Date: April 7, 2009

Well you gotta set a date, but they CAN'T turn off peoples TV sets. The markets must be ready. In Denver, the slick lawyer hired by the residents on the mountain has done a good job of holding up the new towers.

We're market 18 and are still working off a barely receivable low power broadcast. UPN isn't up at all.

Hopefully this will help get the fire burning, but I have a hard time seeing how this will actually happen.

Technology and entertainment: The next episode
Networks enter brave new world beyond TV sets

This is certainly going to be a VERY interesting experiment. I assume things will move in this direction. Perhaps TiVo will drive the industry into this model. Maybe you'll eventually get the purchase the show commercial free BEFORE is airs for free w/ commercials. Maybe they'll use the extra 20 mins for a special "Director's Cut".

I wonder how many people will pay? Currently there are other easy sources for most programming in XVid widescreen format (both SD and HD).

...We're market 18 and are still working off a barely receivable low power broadcast. UPN isn't up at all...


David, we're market #2, and our UPN (owned by NewsCorp) has announced no plans to go HD.

Karate chop for 'Walker, Texas Ranger'
Movie actually betters CBS's 18-49 numbers

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 17, 2005
“Walker, Texas Ranger” was one of the older-skewing shows on the air when it was canceled in 2001. But a revival of the franchise in the form of a butt-kicking Chuck Norris movie last night actually did much better for CBS among adults 18-49 than the previous weekend’s “Sunday Night Movie.”

“Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire” averaged a 2.9 18-49 rating from 10-11 p.m. last night, according to Nielsen fast nationals. The start time was delayed about 58 minutes due to a late-running NFL game that lasted until nearly 8 p.m., pushing the movie from a 9-11 slot to 10-midnight.

“Ranger’s” 2.9 was a 16 percent boost over the paltry 2.5 CBS earned during the same hour last week for the movie “Hunt for the BTK Killer.” “Walker” averaged 10.27 million viewers during the hour, just slightly more than the 10.24 million the series averaged during its last season.

It was also slightly higher than the final season’s 2.7 average.

CBS tells Media Life this morning that more “Walker” movies are possible, but none have been given the go-ahead yet.

Elsewhere last night, Fox’s playoff baseball coverage peaked during the 7:30 p.m. half hour with 14.24 million viewers tuning in to see the end of a tight National League Championship Series game between the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_718.asp

CHANNELING DAVID HASSELHOFF --- NBC UNIVERSAL TESTS GERMAN MARKET IN BID FOR OVERSEAS SUCCESS
By Mike Esterl, The Wall Street Journal, 10/17/2005


WHEN GENERAL ELECTRIC Co. struck a $14 billion deal to merge its NBC unit with Universal Studios two years ago, there was big talk about exploiting Universal's library of 55,000 television episodes and 9,000 movies to create new TV channels.

Among the ideas tossed around: NBC could use Universal, home to the trio of "Law & Order" juggernauts and older police dramas such as "The Rockford Files" and "Dragnet," to create an all-crime channel.

Now, almost 18 months after the deal was completed, no major new channels have materialized in the U.S., where demand has diminished. Many American households already have access to hundreds of TV channels. Cable-TV operators are more interested in developing new services such as video-on-demand than in carrying new channels.

While a spokeswoman says new channels in the U.S. remain a possibility, NBC Universal is first looking overseas. Last month, in what is likely to be a trial run for further initiatives, NBC introduced a channel in Germany, airing a diet rich in old Universal movies and TV shows. NBC Universal hopes a success in Germany will turn into a string of international expansions in Eastern Europe, Asia and Mexico. Overseas markets generate only about 20% of NBC Universal's annual revenue of $15 billion; the company hopes to change that. "Could it be 50-50 in five years? Maybe," says Brandon Burgess, executive vice president of business development.

The New York-based company will have to scramble to catch up with its U.S. rivals. NBC Universal operates just 11 international channels, including the new one in Germany, compared with 89 run by Viacom Inc., including 45 MTVs and 29 Nickelodeons. Walt Disney Co. has expanded its international business to 56 channels from 19 just five years ago. Time Warner Inc. owns 48 channels around the world, while News Corp. operates satellite-TV services on four continents.

"Everybody is hitting a growth wall in the U.S., so they're looking more at international opportunities," says Tom Wolzien, an independent media consultant.

Known as Das Vierte ("The Fourth" in German) -- a tweak at the country's three powerful groupings of state-run broadcasters -- the channel made its debut Sept. 29. Its program mix has included Universal films such as "Scent of a Woman" and "Scarface," both starring Al Pacino, and Universal-owned TV shows from the 1970s and 1980s. These include the detective drama "Magnum, P.I." and "Knight Rider," the 1980s cult hit about a detective and his talking Trans Am.

NBC Universal is wagering its retro offerings will strike a chord with German viewers even though more-contemporary American programming is available on other channels -- and much of Universal's own stable has been widely distributed in the country already. A company spokeswoman says part of the strategy was picking shows that already enjoy a "passionate following."

Indeed, the star of "Knight Rider," David Hasselhoff, is a bigger celebrity in Germany than in the U.S. His song "Looking for Freedom" raced to the top of the German music charts as the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. The Trans Am also has become an icon of sorts in car-obsessed Germany.

"You misuse the word `cult' many times, but for `Knight Rider' I think it's very true," says Wolfram Winter, who helps oversee NBC Universal's German TV operations.

Even so, NBC Universal is sure to face strong head winds in Germany. TV advertising revenue has shrunk about 20% in the past five years, according to some estimates, as weak consumer spending keeps the economy in the doldrums. Germans already have access to more than 30 free TV channels.

Das Vierte, whose U.S. programming is dubbed into German, has captured a market share of only 0.6% so far, according to GfK, a market research firm. "I'm not sure they will be successful," says Stefan Weiss, a German media analyst at the investment bank WestLB AG.

But NBC Universal says it can't ignore the world's third-largest economy, which even in its current condition is expected to generate almost $5 billion in TV ad revenue this year. It also maintains that the increase in reality programming by cost-cutting local broadcasters in recent years means there is a German appetite for more American movies and fictional TV shows -- often the older the better.

"Our objective is really to be patient and grow these assets while recognizing the hypercompetitive nature of the marketplace," says Patrick Vien, president of NBC Universal's international networks.

NBC and Universal aren't strangers to Germany. In recent years Universal started two pay-TV channels, 13th Street and Sci Fi; each has about three million subscribers in Germany. CNBC Europe, the pay-TV business channel headed by NBC, long has been available in many German homes. (Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal Europe, is a co-owner with NBC Universal of CNBC television operations in Asia and Europe, and provides news content to CNBC in the U.S.)

To achieve scale in Germany, though, where the overall pay-TV market remains small, NBC Universal concluded it also had to take aim at the free-TV market. Management doesn't rule out free-TV offerings in other parts of the world, even though its focus overseas until now has been pay-TV.

NBC Universal isn't the only U.S. media giant to get more active in Germany of late. Viacom reintroduced Nickelodeon last month after pulling the plug in 1998. A company spokeswoman says the ad market then wouldn't support a full-service children's channel; now Nickelodeon is part of a family of Viacom TV channels, an arrangement that reduces overhead. The channel is exceeding expectations, attracting a 5% share of its target audience.

ABC News Names Bashir, McFadden, Moran Co-Anchors of 'Nightline'

Show's New Format to Launch On Nov. 28

(ABC News Press Release)

Oct. 17, 2005 — - Martin Bashir, Cynthia McFadden, and Terry Moran have been named co-anchors of "Nightline," ABC News President David Westin announced today.

The three will assume anchor duties Monday, Nov. 28, with Moran in Washington and McFadden and Bashir in New York. McFadden will continue to anchor and report for ABC News "Primetime," where she has had a role since 1996, and Bashir, who joined ABC in 2004, will continue to report for the news magazine "20/20."

Expanding its format to multiple news topics each night, "Nightline" will be produced live from its studios in Washington and ABC's Times Square Studios in New York. Ted Koppel, who has been anchoring the program since its inception in 1980, departs ABC on Nov. 22 after 42 years at the network.

"Building on the great legacy of 'Nightline' as we go forward to the next era is both a challenge and an exciting opportunity. Cynthia McFadden, Martin Bashir, and Terry Moran bring the combination of intelligence, experience, and perspective that can ensure that Nightline's future is every bit as bright as its past," Westin said.

"I am delighted and honored to be working with such an accomplished team of journalists," said "Nightline" executive producer James Goldston. "These are three of the most talented journalists working in television. They will bring an incisive and distinctive edge to our journalism in the great tradition of 'Nightline'."

Moran, ABC News' Chief White House Correspondent since 1999, is currently the anchor of "World News Tonight Sunday." As White House correspondent, he reports on all aspects of the Bush administration for ABC News platforms and has traveled widely covering President Bush's domestic and foreign trips. As a key member of the ABC team covering the events of Sept. 11, Moran has continued to report on all aspects of the war on terror, and in November 2003 he traveled to Baghdad to report on the U.S.-led occupation and the insurgency against it. In covering Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign, Moran also reported on the subsequent legal battle for the White House.

McFadden joined ABC News in February 1994 as the network's legal correspondent and two years later was named a correspondent for "Prime Time Live," for which she has been a co-anchor since September 2004. Throughout her tenure at ABC, McFadden has reported several breaking stories, including a firsthand look at the process leading up to a man's execution on Louisiana's death row, and just this month two reports for "Nightline" on the U.S. government's attempts to secure loose nuclear materials and weapons domestically and abroad. In the wake of the London bombings last July, McFadden traveled to Pakistan for an exclusive interview with President Musharraf, which aired on "Nightline" and other ABC News platforms. For "Primetime," also last summer, she reported and anchored on the lives of children in America with a groundbreaking documentary on the phenomenon of grandmothers raising their grandchildren.

Bashir joined ABC in September 2004 as a correspondent for "20/20" for which he has reported international news-breaking stories,including the investigation of BALCO founder Victor Conte. He is also well-known for the landmark documentary "Living with Michael Jackson" and other investigative reports for the BBC and ITV in Britain, including an in-depth investigation of one of Britain's most notorious,racially motivated murders. His many honors include a BAFTA Award and two Royal Television Society Program of the Year awards.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/print?id=1222866

Somehow I neglected to post this the other day. It still makes its point, though.
“Rome” Running Out Of Steam?

By Robert Bianco USA Today

Trouble seems to be brewing at “Rome” and not just for poor fated-to-be-stabbed Caesar. After a terrific start, this still-entertaining series seems to be running out of steam — and, to judge from Sunday's foray to ancient Egypt, out of money.

True, Alexandria and its most famous royal resident, Cleopatra (played here as a drug-addicted trollop by Lyndsey Marshal), were probably not as grand as the Elizabeth Taylor camp-fest would have you believe. But it was the richest city in the Roman world, which means the streets were paved and the residents did not all look like they just wandered in from the set of Conan the Barbarian. And it's hard to sell Cleo as the most alluring woman in town when you dress the poor thing in a wig apparently made out of curtain pulls.

The sexually obsessed plot is faltering as well. Though it can be amusing to watch Vorenus and Pullo Forrest Gump their way through ancient history, the increasingly strained efforts to work them into the story are hurting the dramatic flow and contorting the historical figures.

Unlike most people, I'm still eager to watch Rome. But the show's decline is typical of HBO. It's wonderful to offer producers creative freedom, but executives need to remember that subscribers are the ones who are footing freedom's bill — and they deserve to have their interests kept in mind.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/criticscorner/2005-10-13-critics-corner_x.htm

David, we're market #2, and our UPN (owned by NewsCorp) has announced no plans to go HD.

How do they justify that?

That is truely sad. Didn't the new Satellite Home Viewers Rules provide for distant nets if the Locals don't get up and running by a certain date?

I'm not sure when this kicks in, but if that doesn't light a fire I don't know what would.

I think SHVERA does allow that, David. But it would be hard to see NewsCorp-controlled DirecTV bringing in an outside UPN station to compete with NewsCorp-owned KCOP.

Somehow I neglected to post this the other day. It still makes its point, though.
“Rome” Running Out Of Steam?

By Robert Bianco USA Today

Trouble seems to be brewing at “Rome” and not just for poor fated-to-be-stabbed Caesar. After a terrific start, this still-entertaining series seems to be running out of steam — and, to judge from Sunday's foray to ancient Egypt, out of money.

True, Alexandria and its most famous royal resident, Cleopatra (played here as a drug-addicted trollop by Lyndsey Marshal), were probably not as grand as the Elizabeth Taylor camp-fest would have you believe. But it was the richest city in the Roman world, which means the streets were paved and the residents did not all look like they just wandered in from the set of Conan the Barbarian. And it's hard to sell Cleo as the most alluring woman in town when you dress the poor thing in a wig apparently made out of curtain pulls.

The sexually obsessed plot is faltering as well. Though it can be amusing to watch Vorenus and Pullo Forrest Gump their way through ancient history, the increasingly strained efforts to work them into the story are hurting the dramatic flow and contorting the historical figures.

Unlike most people, I'm still eager to watch Rome. But the show's decline is typical of HBO. It's wonderful to offer producers creative freedom, but executives need to remember that subscribers are the ones who are footing freedom's bill — and they deserve to have their interests kept in mind.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/criticscorner/2005-10-13-critics-corner_x.htm

So is this an opinion or are the ratings taking a dive? Since Desperate Housewives is back it would certainly be reasonable if Rome lost some premiere numbers. Does HBO count the people that watch the encore showings in with it's weekly ratings?

I know the premiere of "Rome" got 3.8 million viewers (although, of course, there were numerous additional showings).

”…The first episode that aired on August 28th harvested 8.9 million total viewers over the course of 11 plays on HBO and HBO2 spread across the entire week. The 9.1 household rating ROME chalked up for the Sunday primetime run alone was the best number for a new-season debut episode since the fourth-season premiere of Six Feet Under in 2004…”

http://www.canmag.com/news/4/21/1963

I also know the numbers have slowly gone down since that first episode aired. (The second week got 3.0 million viewers in its initial airing -- down 23% from week one.) I'll try to find some more specific numbers and post them.

To guager where that "Rome" premiere fits in the HBO universe, here are some other recent HBO numbers:

”… According to Nielsen Media Research, the last season of "The Sopranos" fell to an average of 9.8 million viewers from 11 million in 2002. "Deadwood" averaged 2.4 million viewers, down from 4.5 million in its first season and the cult hit "Six Feet Under" pulled in an average of 2.5 million this season, down from 3.7 million last season…”

http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/26/news/fortune500/hbo_showtime/

Dolan doing fine after heart surgery

James Dolan, Cablevision’s 50-year-old CEO has come through his heart bypass operation in good shape.

The company issued the following statement late Monday afternoon:

“Following his admission to the hospital over the weekend, Cablevision President and CEO James Dolan underwent successful heart bypass surgery this afternoon.The doctors report that there were no unusual occurrences and that Mr. Dolan is currently in the recovery phase.Moreover, the doctors expect a full and complete recovery and the resumption of normal activity.The company will have no further comment at this time."

David, we're market #2, and our UPN (owned by NewsCorp) has announced no plans to go HD.

Are you saying they have announced that they have no plans for HD or just no plans have been announced yet? I am confused.

The last time I talked with the someone in engineering (and admittedly it was several months ago) he said there were no plans he knew of to go HD.

I know the premiere of "Rome" got 3.8 million viewers (although, of course, there were numerous additional showings).

”…The first episode that aired on August 28th harvested 8.9 million total viewers over the course of 11 plays on HBO and HBO2 spread across the entire week. The 9.1 household rating ROME chalked up for the Sunday primetime run alone was the best number for a new-season debut episode since the fourth-season premiere of Six Feet Under in 2004…”

http://www.canmag.com/news/4/21/1963

I also know the numbers have slowly gone down since that first episode aired. (The second week got 3.0 million viewers in its initial airing -- down 23% from week one.) I'll try to find some more specific numbers and post them.

To guager where that "Rome" premiere fits in the HBO universe, here are some other recent HBO numbers:

”… According to Nielsen Media Research, the last season of "The Sopranos" fell to an average of 9.8 million viewers from 11 million in 2002. "Deadwood" averaged 2.4 million viewers, down from 4.5 million in its first season and the cult hit "Six Feet Under" pulled in an average of 2.5 million this season, down from 3.7 million last season…”

http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/26/news/fortune500/hbo_showtime/


How do they know if viewers are not just watching Rome at another time?

It is rebroadcast again at midnight and also several times during the week.

harley1, that's why the first quote says: "…The first episode that aired on August 28th harvested 8.9 million total viewers over the course of 11 plays on HBO and HBO2 spread across the entire week..."

(On the same day we heard the sad news that former “Saturday Night Live” star Charles Rocket committed suicide, there is this much more upbeat story about another “SNL” alumna.)

She's now live from Miami
More than a dozen years after starring in 'Saturday Night Live',
Victoria Jackson is still busy as a comic actress
while raising two daughters in the 'burbs of Miami-Dade

By Fonna Gehrke-White Miami Herald

Her daughters call her the ''fun mom,'' the one who cracks jokes, stands on her head, knows the latest celeb gossip and, yes, can be extremely absent-minded. (So please yell at her to take the chocolate chip cookies out of the oven before they burn.)

More than a decade after moving from Hollywood and New York to become a mom in the 'burbs of northwest Miami-Dade, comic actress Victoria Jackson, 46, has found her niche as a wife, mom and entertainer.

''It's not easy to juggle being a mom and keeping your toe in the business, but I am a glutton,'' says Jackson who gained national fame as a Saturday Night Live regular from 1986 to 1992.

``I try to shove as much happiness into every day I can.''

Just in the last year, Jackson has appeared in two romantic comedies, Shut Up and Kiss Me! (her part was filmed in Fort Lauderdale) and Her Minor Thing, directed by Charlie Matthau, son of the late actor Walter Matthau. She has also mugged on the game show Hollywood Squares, won the nanny part on the Nickelodeon Romeo! series for two seasons and became one of the celebs on VH1's latest TV Celebrity Fit Club.

For the latter, she jokes she got paid to lose 20 pounds: 'I told my agent, `Let's go for that one!' ''

Being one of Hollywood's few openly evangelical Christians has also helped her. She has appeared a dozen times on ABC's Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher as the token religious conservative. ''Thank you for standing up for Jesus in Hollywood,'' one fan e-mailed her.

THE VOICE OF THE MOON MOUSE

Now, as the voice for the animated character Moon Mouse, she is busy helping promote the latest DVD, Mango Helps the Moon Mouse, in the award-winning series The Wheels on the Bus, which also features The Who's Roger Daltrey.

In the DVDs, Jackson speaks in her trademark high-pitched little girl voice as the intrepid mouse who is on a galaxy-wide mission to find cheese to take back to other Moon Mice.

''She has the perfect voice,'' says Tim Armstrong, executive producer of Our Happy Child Productions.

Jackson is also fun to work with, he says. ''She always had some kind of comic running commentary,'' he says. ``Besides getting such a good person and celebrity we were entertained.''

Jackson says it has been tricky balancing her career and family life, especially since she returned to South Florida in 1992 to marry her high school sweetheart, Miami-Dade cop Paul Wessel. Their daughter Aubrey is now 11 and Scarlet, Jackson's daughter from an earlier marriage, is 19.

Jackson says she flies around the country to perform her stand-up comedy routine. For movies or TV work, she heads to Los Angeles, where she keeps an apartment. She doesn't get many assignments in Miami, she says.

Jackson has depended on her mother, Marlene Jackson, or mother-in-law, Mattie Lou Wessel, to watch her daughters while she is gone and her husband is working. Scarlet helps out now that she is older.

Jackson takes her daughters to assignments when she can. All three spent one summer in Vancouver where the Romeo! cable television series was shot. Her husband goes with her, too, when he can get time off from flying a police helicopter.

ROOTED IN SOUTH FLORIDA

He and Jackson both grew up here. Jackson's father, Jim, was a Dade school teacher who taught gymnastics in the afternoons. (At 77, he still teaches in Weston.) Jackson remembers spending long hours in the gym, practicing handstands, flips and jumps.

She and Wessel met in seventh grade and dated their senior year while students at Dade Christian School in Northwest Miami-Dade.

Wessel later followed her to Furman University in South Carolina where Jackson had won a gymnastics scholarship. At 19, they became engaged.

But they drifted apart. Wessel earned his bachelor's degree in political science and went back home to join the police force.

Jackson dropped out of college and headed for Hollywood. ''It was the only time in my life I could do it,'' she says. ``I didn't want to regret that I hadn't done it.''

She started getting bit parts, including one in a Supercuts commercial that Wessel later saw in Miami.

''That's Vicky,'' he remembers saying. ``Cool. She's going places.''

By then they hadn't seen each other in a few years. They both married other people.

In her comedy act, Jackson jokes that her first husband was ''Satan,'' a fire-eating, piano-playing performer who opted to stay at home with their daughter Scarlet.

''I was the breadwinner,'' Jackson says.

By then, she had appeared 20 times on the Johnny Carson Show. (She remembers the late Carson laughing as she stood on her head reciting poetry.)

`IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!'

That led to producers choosing her to join Dennis Miller, Dana Carvey and the late Phil Hartman to re-energize the flagging New York-based Saturday Night Live in 1986.

The show took off with critics saying the new SNL regulars were ``probably the best ensemble the program has seen since the originals left.''

Jackson went on to appear in the Diana Keaton movie Baby Boom; Dustin Hoffman's Family Business, director Lawrence Kasdan's I Love You to Death and four other movies.

She could afford to buy two homes, a Mediterranean villa nestled in the hills of Hollywood and a rustic barn-like farm house on two acres in Connecticut where, she says, ``Scarlet could watch deer in the back yard.''

After six years on Saturday Night Live, Jackson decided to leave. She wasn't appearing in the show's skits as much as she wanted.

She had been promised her own sitcom, but that fell through.

By then, her marriage was on the rocks. She ended up getting custody of Scarlet after agreeing to pay alimony to her ex-husband. ''I never believed in women's lib,'' Jackson cracks. ``But after paying alimony for seven years, I really don't believe in it.''

COMING HOME AGAIN

Jackson hadn't forgotten her first love. She found Wessel, who was also divorced, through his family. The first time he called her, they talked for hours.

Jackson agreed to sell her two homes and move back to South Florida when they married in 1992. Wessel adopted Scarlet.

''He's Superman,'' Jackson says. ``He chases the bad guys in the air and then comes home and cooks, cleans the house and does the laundry.''

''It's a great marriage,'' her husband says. ``She is the love of my life.''

Not that they don't have their moments.

He would also like their comfortable pool home to hold less. It is overflowing with hundreds of knickknacks, paintings and pictures that Jackson can't imagine living without.

For her part, Jackson wishes they could move out to Los Angeles where she could act in a sitcom and still come home at night.

Wessel, though, says he can't leave his job here.

That leaves Jackson a frequent flier.

Their daughters admit their home life is ''different.'' But they wouldn't trade their lives for a more conventional family set-up.

''We travel more and see more things,'' says Scarlet, now a college student.

Plus, their mom introduces them to celebs, such as Adam Sandler.

''She's more cool than other moms,'' says Aubrey.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/television/12916463.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

For more on the Charles Rocket story:

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/10/17/D8D9T0RG0.html

Crap, that's the first I heard about Charles Rocket - very sad.

I agree.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Is it desperation time for 'Housewives'?

Marc Cherry, creator of the hit ABC series, assures disgruntled second-season viewers he's 'trying my darndest' to please them

By Maria Elena Fernandez Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 18, 2005

The air of desperation that saturates Wisteria Lane has permeated the real world this television season as fans have been wondering if the series that launched as an instant phenomenon last year was starting to lose its mojo.

Critics have piped in that the second season of "Desperate Housewives" seems a little stale and have conjectured that it could be because creator Marc Cherry hasn't written any scripts himself. Fans on the Internet have flat-out complained that they are bored. And everyone has been lamenting that the four leading actresses have not appeared on screen together since the season premiere.

Sunday night's episode — which delivered on humor (Gabrielle started a prison riot), outrage (Andrew told the creepy pharmacist how Bree moans during sex), self-indulgence (Susan gave Zach money to leave town) and heartache (Lynette sobbed after she got rid of her son's imaginary friend) — left fans who posted their thoughts on the Internet feeling less fraught. There was even one brief scene with three of the housewives: Gabrielle (Eva Longoria), Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Bree (Marcia Cross). But with no central mystery seemingly connecting the four women this season, questions remain about what direction the show is taking.

Cherry, who created the show largely from his experiences with his mother and is largely responsible for "Housewives' " sometimes outrageous blend of comedy and tragedy, tried to address some of the fans' concerns in an e-mail to The Times for this story.

"Yes, we're trying some new stuff," he wrote on Friday. "Some of it might work. Some of it might not. This, of course, is the nature of episodic television. They can't all be gems. But, rest assured, I'm paying attention to my audience's response and am trying my darndest to please them. And I will continue to do so as long as I've got that executive producer credit above my name."

While Cherry has not penned any of the episodes that have aired this season, he assured in the e-mail that "I am as involved in the writing process as I've ever been. I help come up with the story lines, I give notes, and, indeed, I rewrite things constantly. I take the credit and the blame for everything that goes on the screen."

The attachment of viewers to characters on TV creates different expectations for television audiences than it does for moviegoers, said Stuart Fischoff, a media psychologist at Cal State L.A.

"It's not so much what's going on that is the problem," Fischoff said. "It's the comparison to last year. If this was the first season, people wouldn't have a reference point, a cognitive map or emotional map to compare it to. But it's the second season, so you can say it's unfolding differently as last year and I don't like it. That's why you might be getting what appears to be premature frustration."

After the whirlwind of the first season, which included winning Golden Globe awards, the People's Choice award, Emmy Awards, set visits by Oprah and Diane Sawyer, and the selection of Cherry as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people, Cherry realized something had to give. He took only four days off between Christmas and May, writing 80% of the scripts himself, and fell ill three times. The former sitcom writer, who had been unemployed for several years and almost went bankrupt, also realized he had control issues and vowed to let his well-seasoned writing staff share more of the load.

"This show has a very specific tone, and the tone is best when I write it," Cherry told The Times in May. "Now, the other writers can approximate it pretty darn well, or they have learned to. But at the beginning our writers were taking shots at scenes and they just didn't write it like I wanted it written."

A ratings juggernaut since it premiered last year, "Desperate Housewives" is the No. 2 show on television this year. About 26 million people tuned in Sunday. But Cherry and other producers in the business caring about viewer response on the Internet is a sign that Nielsen ratings are no longer the only barometer of success for television, Fischoff added. The producers of ABC's Emmy-winning drama "Lost" also have admitted that they consider what fans post on blogs and message boards when they are breaking stories.

"That's becoming a more important source of information," Fischoff said. "The fact that fans can give their opinions instantly now is very valuable. When you're doing a show like this, you plant seeds. It's a slow development thing. But this show does feel more fragmented, and that's a change they may come back to rue. If people like the ensemble and the dynamics of the interplay between the women but then they separate them out as they have, you're missing the rhythm and the chemistry that lit the show up."

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-desperate18oct18,0,6148990,print.story?coll=cl-tv-top-right

Live from New York, it's ... 'Nightline'!
ABC News on Monday announced details for a revamped version of the long-running news program

By Scott Collins Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 18, 2005

Following months of speculation, ABC News on Monday announced details for a revamped version of "Nightline," whose original host, Ted Koppel, will exit the program next month.

Koppel will be replaced by three co-hosts, British journalist Martin Bashir and longtime correspondents Cynthia McFadden and Terry Moran, the network said.

Moran, who has covered the White House, will report from Washington, as Koppel has, while Bashir and McFadden will work from a studio in New York's Times Square. "Nightline' will also add at least eight new staffers to the New York office, bringing the program's total employee head count to about 50.

Broadcasting live from one of the world's busiest tourist hubs is a big change for the 26-year-old "Nightline," a typically sober-minded news program that has often focused on domestic and foreign policy, and has covered numerous serious stories given little attention by the rest of the mainstream media.

James Goldston, who is taking over as executive producer from longtime Koppel collaborator Tom Bettag, sees the colorful setting as a chance to win over new viewers. Except for when big news breaks, such as Hurricane Katrina, "Nightline" usually struggles in distant third place in the ratings, behind NBC's "Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman." "There is no more exciting place on Earth than Times Square at 11:30 at night," Goldston said in an interview Monday. "We'll use that energy to bring people in."

The new "Nightline," which will debut Nov. 28, will feature fewer in-depth interviews — a stock in trade for the probing Koppel — and more magazine-style pieces prepared by the hosts or other correspondents. There will also be new sets and new graphics, but Goldston said the program will remain true to its hard-news roots: "I see no change in 'Nightline's' DNA whatsoever. All shows evolve, and have to evolve."

Former ABC News executive Richard Wald said the network seems to have deliberately chosen hosts with complementary skills. McFadden has expertise at legal reporting, while Bashir drew notice for his high-rated, controversial ABC interview with Michael Jackson in 2003. Moran has years of experience covering Washington.

"What they've got is a good mix," Wald said. "This is not your father's 'Nightline.' "

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-nightline18oct18,0,5554570,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

'Earl' brings NBC good karma

By Bill Keveney USA TODAY

Television comedy and NBC, which both have seen better days, have a new hope. His name is Earl.

Launched without the help of a powerful lead-in in a competitive time slot, My Name Is Earl (Tuesday, 9 ET/PT) is the top-rated new series among advertiser-coveted young adults and No. 2 in viewers.

The story of a larcenous loser who discovers his own brand of redemptive karma, Earl has won both critical acclaim and a sizable audience, a rarity in a comedy drought. Earl is different from most comedies — it's shot like a film, without an audience, and its hero is down and out — but those involved say it's grounded in the classic elements: humor and heart.

"The show really is balanced, from the writing to the way it's shot, with intelligence and humanity. It's always sweet at the end of the episode. You really do like Earl," says Jason Lee, who plays the recovering ne'er-do-well, during a break in location filming.

Creator Greg Garcia is heartened by stories of viewers relating to the redemption story of Everyman Earl, who draws up a list of 258 wrongs to be righted. "Somebody paid me a nice compliment. They told me their friends said not only did they laugh, but they felt good at the end," he says.

Earl was considered a gamble for NBC, which desperately needs hits after going from first to fourth last season with young adults. Some thought Earl's low-rent entourage might not fit a network whose comedies were known for upscale characters.

"There was some skepticism: 'Oh, this show is funny, but does it fit on NBC?' " says entertainment chief Kevin Reilly, who championed Earl. "Earl has done what I hoped it would do, and that's rare."

NBC has picked up Earl for the full season. CBS and UPN also have ordered full seasons of their respective new comedies, How I Met Your Mother and Everybody Hates Chris, which also are seen as hopes for helping end TV's comedy malaise.

Earl has taken some of the sting out of what otherwise has been NBC's disappointing fall lineup, marked by the quick yanking of Inconceivable and the struggles of The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, E-Ring and Three Wishes. "It's a shining star in their otherwise dark programming firmament," says Shari Anne Brill of media buyer Carat USA.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-10-17-earl-cover_x.htm

Behind the scenes, 'Earl' is as quirky as its plotlines

By Bill Keveney USA TODAY

VAN NUYS, Calif. — Even in Jason Lee's folksy voice-over, the line sounds bizarre: "As fast as one-legged Didi was, her no-legged boyfriend was faster."

But the sight, at a location shoot for NBC's My Name Is Earl, is even more incredible. An angry Jake, as played by triple amputee Cameron Clapp, is chasing a bewildered Earl (Lee), who had arrived at the woman's house hoping to make amends for stealing her car.

"It should be quite a (messed)-up shoot," says Earl creator Greg Garcia, laughing as he surveys the scene being set up on a suburban neighborhood lawn.

It wouldn't be the first for Earl, whose quirky plotlines have helped make it the season's most-watched new comedy. So far, Earl has had to overcome his homophobia to help a gay man find love; has sent his twentysomething brother, Randy (Ethan Suplee), back to high school to try to score a touchdown; and has tried to atone for faking his death to avoid having to break up with a girlfriend.

Earl's different nature was likely one reason some networks passed on it. Garcia, an executive producer of the more conventional sitcom Yes, Dear, was committed to the concept, however, and it paid off. "He wrote what was in his heart, and a really great actor (Lee) responded to it," says Diane Burroughs, who wrote for Yes, Dear before becoming an executive producer of Still Standing.

Between takes, Lee is a cutup, joking with a crew of almost 50. The former pro skateboarder also is a producer of the series, offering suggestions to another actor and even tinkering with one of the cameras.

During takes, he shows off what is becoming an Earl trademark, a wide range of facial expressions — from determination to surprise to panic — that accompany his narration. They're presented in close-up, a benefit of the program's single-camera film style.

"It provides the show a cinematic quality. Each episode is its own little short film," Lee says.

Clapp and Tracy Ashton, who plays Didi, have no problem with the lost-limb humor. Clapp, who lost an arm and two legs after being hit by a train four years ago, says he's happy to be able to demonstrate his mobility skills to a national audience. "That'll open people's boundaries a little bit," he says.

The humor goes well with Earl, a recovering ne'er-do-well who means well even though he sometimes thinks or says the wrong thing. "We're making light of all the serious, politically correct stuff that society has created. Basically, Earl redeems himself (after) the mistakes he has made in judging people," says Jaime Pressly, who plays Earl's scheming ex-wife, Joy, who covets his $100,000 lottery winnings.

Pressly is speaking from a bar seat at The Crab Shack, a restaurant operated by Joy's true love (and soon-to-be husband), Darnell, aka Crab Man (Eddie Steeples). The set is on a soundstage between Joy's trailer-park home (with a car's front seats serving as outdoor chairs) and the motel digs of brothers Earl and Randy, strewn with crushed beer cans and their plaid flannel shirts.

Nearby is a jail set, likely to get heavy use considering Earl's priors and prior acquaintances.

Earl and his TV clan live in fictional Camden County, a place with the cachet of convenience stores, seedy motels and plenty of rough individuals. The real set offered its own inspiration; before production got up and running, Garcia says, men were sleeping in cars just 20 feet outside the writers' offices.

A nearby motel, used for exterior shots, has a rough feel, good for the kind of place maid Catalina (Nadine Velazquez) says has lost its half-star rating. "It's a functioning dirtbag hotel. It works for our universe," Suplee says.

Suplee and Lee, who knew each other even before they got their film starts in Kevin Smith productions (Mallrats, Chasing Amy), say that, so far, Earl has the feel of an art-house film, from the writing to the music to the film style.

Beau Bridges stars in an upcoming episode as the father of Randy and Earl. Giovanni Ribisi, a friend of both men, guests Tuesday night.

Lee balked at TV roles until he read the Earl script. Now he thinks the small screen is a good place to be. "It just seems that, one episode after another, the music is consistently good, the performances are consistently good," he says. "The energy is consistently right on."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-10-17-earl-side_x.htm

David, we're market #2, and our UPN (owned by NewsCorp) has announced no plans to go HD.

Go HD or go DTV?

NBC's mighty and redeeming: 'SVU'

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 18, 2005, 01:59

NBC’s troubles this season are well documented, but they don’t extend to “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” now the most popular incarnation of the Dick Wolf series. Through four episodes, “SVU” has averaged a 5.6 rating among viewers 18-49, a 10 percent boost over its 5.1 average last season and No. 2 on NBC’s schedule.

With Thursday nights now clearly slipping away from NBC, “SVU” has become one of its most important shows. The 10 p.m. show is the highest-rated program among 18-49s on any network on Tuesday, where NBC has posted as good or better averages than Thursdays in two of the first four weeks of the season.

Of course part of NBC’s Tuesday success is due to the new comedy “My Name is Earl,” which many believe could be moved to Thursdays before too long.

“Earl” and “SVU” have helped NBC finish first among 18-49s on every Tuesday so far this season, despite stronger competition from ABC and “Commander in Chief.”

On tonight's "SVU," guesting will be “The Shield’s” CCH Pounder, playing the role of an attorney out to persuade a jury that her client had good reason to kill. That will be a tough one to win, since the client is charged with the execution-style murders of several people with an extremely dangerous strain of the AIDS virus.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_719.asp

Paula put on a fair amount of weight (not that there's anything wrong with that ;) ), but she's still one of the hottest actresses on TV.I believe I noticed that only during the pilot. She seemed to have dropped some weight between the first and second episodes. I'm going to connect some dots here:

IMDB says she had a baby in March of 2005. If they filmed the pilot not too long after that, but then waited for it to be picked up before filming more, that would give her time to lose weight between episodes.

Xesdeeni

3 Anchors to Replace Koppel on “Nightline”

By Bill Carter The New York Times

ABC announced a new lineup of three anchors to succeed Ted Koppel on "Nightline" yesterday, in what the network hopes will lead to renewed success for the longtime award-winning news program.

Terry Moran, who is now ABC's chief White House correspondent, the veteran ABC reporter Cynthia McFadden, and a newcomer from British television, Martin Bashir, will make up the threesome that, starting Nov. 28, will replace Mr. Koppel, who has headed the program since its inception a quarter of a century ago.

The president of ABC News, David Westin, made the announcement, a crucial one for the news division, saying the move was made to build on the "great legacy" of "Nightline," even as it ushers in what he called "a new era" for the program.

James Goldston, a former producer for BBC News and ITV News in Britain, who was named in July to be the executive producer of the revamped "Nightline," emphasized yesterday that though he intended to change the format, "it will still be a show in the great tradition of 'Nightline.' "

That tradition has led to consistent critical praise as well as a multitude of journalism awards for the program and for Mr. Koppel.

But in recent years "Nightline" has struggled in the ratings, generally falling behind its entertainment rivals at NBC and CBS, "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and "Late Show With David Letterman" (although "Nightline" bounced back when the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina dominated the news). And it has struggled more seriously within ABC's management, which has considered alternatives that might prove more profitable.

Most famously, in 2002, ABC's corporate management at the Walt Disney Company tried to woo Mr. Letterman away from CBS, a move that would have ended "Nightline's" run as ABC's late-night entry at 11:35 each weeknight.

In the wake of that failed attempt, ABC and Disney recommitted to Mr. Koppel and "Nightline" but left open the possibility that a shift might be made to an entertainment show when he departed the program. When Mr. Koppel announced in April that he would be leaving after November, Anne Sweeney, the president of Disney-ABC Television, made a firm commitment to give the news division the first opportunity to replace Mr. Koppel's "Nightline" with another news program.

Ms. Sweeney declined at the time to say how long that news program would have to prove itself a success. Nor was it assured that the news program would still be called "Nightline" or have a similar format, covering the main news stories of the day.

But ABC News, after experimenting with a range of different formats, some of which included elements as far afield as a setting intended to look like a smoky nightclub, has chosen to stay with a concentration on what Mr. Goldston called "serious news and context."

The three new "Nightline" anchors come from established news backgrounds. Mr. Moran is considered a top ABC reporter, and he will continue to work out of ABC's Washington bureau. Ms. McFadden has been an anchor of the newsmagazine "Primetime," and she will continue in that role in addition to her "Nightline" duties.

Mr. Bashir joined ABC last year after working on documentaries for the BBC and has been working on the newsmagazine "20/20." He will retain that assignment.

Ms. McFadden and Mr. Bashir will be based in New York, and Mr. Goldston said the new "Nightline" would operate from sets in Washington and New York. He said that he expected on most nights the show would cover three separate stories using two of the three anchors, as opposed to the single-story format that has mainly been the approach in the past.

"The idea that we will be destroying something that was great is just wrong," Mr. Goldston said. He noted that the show continued to have a loyal audience. "The goal is to retain that and built on it."

"Nightline" will keep much of its staff in Washington, Mr. Goldston said, while adding new staff members in New York. He said ABC was "making a significant additional investment in the show."

That was a sign, he said, of how thoroughly ABC was behind the news effort. "It's incumbent on us to make a success of the show," he said. "But that's only proper."

As for how long he will have to generate that success, he said, "There is no timetable, and I would not expect ABC to give me one."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/18/arts/television/18nigh.html?pagewanted=print

The TV Column
Ted and Tyra's Synchronized Exits

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Tuesday, October 18, 2005; C01

Ted Koppel and Tyra Banks have so much in common, it's only fitting ABC should announce the date of Koppel's final appearance on "Nightline" the very same day CBS announced Banks's final runway appearance on its Victoria's Secret fashion show.

And, further solidifying the karmic convergence of the King of Late-Night News and the Queen of Late-Night Fantasies, they will take their final bows exactly two weeks apart -- to the day.

ABC News yesterday made official what had been widely speculated for some time: Martin Bashir, Cynthia McFadden and Terry Moran will co-anchor "Nightline" when Koppel leaves the show, which will happen the night of Nov. 22.

Marty & Our Gang take over on Nov. 28.

Though we have been told in the past that the "Nightline" folks are not aware of the dates of so-called sweeps ratings periods, Koppel's bow-out, which is sure to grab a big crowd, falls in the November ratings derby, as does the debut of the new "Nightline," which no doubt will attract a good number of curious news junkies.

How lucky for "Nightline," which has slowly but steadily been losing viewers in the sweeps since the start of this millennium.

On Dec. 6, precisely two weeks after Koppel's last "Nightline" appearance, CBS will broadcast the triumphant return of "The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show," which, while infused with its usual bouncy, festive holiday spirit, will be marked with some sadness when Banks makes her final fashion show appearance for the well-known undies-and-so-much-more company.

Koppel is a TV pioneer who broke new ground at "Nightline" when it debuted as a regular ABC show on March 24, 1980. Originally a series of late-night news specials called "The Iran Crisis: America Held Hostage" (and first anchored by Frank Reynolds), "Nightline" made waves as a live, single-subject news program and is widely credited, as Reuters recently noted, with helping usher in the nation's demand for round-the-clock news.

Koppel reportedly is going to announce when he leaves "Nightline" that he will be doing something for pay cable network HBO.

Banks is also a TV pioneer, and her name is synonymous with Victoria's Secret. Like Koppel, Banks broke new ground in the world of media. She was the first African American model to grace the covers of both GQ and Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issues, as well as the Victoria's Secret catalogue.

Banks went on to create and executive-produce one of a very few shows that have put a whole network -- UPN -- on the map. "America's Next Top Model" is averaging 4.8 million viewers this season -- to Koppel's 3.7 million. Banks also has a syndicated daytime talk show, which is averaging about 1.7 million viewers.

Victoria's Secret hopes it can fill the void created by the departure of the spectacularly voluptuous Banks with "the next generation of Victoria's Secret 'Angels' "--to wit, "new modeling sensations" Selita Ebanks and Izabel Goulart, who will be making their VS fashion show debuts on CBS. This is kind of like asking Jennifer Love Hewitt to stand in for Audrey Hepburn. Oh, wait -- some network tried that.

ABC News hopes it can fill the void created by the departure of the spectacularly talented, intimidatingly bright, hideously coiffed Koppel with Moran, McFadden and Bashir.

Moran is ABC News's chief White House correspondent and anchor of "World News Tonight Sunday." McFadden is co-anchor of "Primetime Live." Bashir joined ABC in September '04 as a correspondent for "20/20" but is probably best known as the guy who did that astounding documentary on the weirdsmobile Former King of Pop, "Living With Michael Jackson," for the U.K.'s Granada Television. It was sold to ABC, for which it snagged a whopping 27 million viewers during the February 2003 ratings sweep.

In yesterday's announcement and in a chat with The TV Column, "Nightline" Executive Producer James Goldston said they were "three of the most talented journalists working in television."

Which is a wee bit like calling Harriet Miers the very best candidate for the Supreme Court.

* * * *

Madeleine Albright is guest-starring on "The Gilmore Girls."

She will be playing herself.

In a red power suit.

In the home of Rory Gilmore and her mom, Lorelai.

In Stars Hollow, Conn.

Chatting very briefly with Rory, who looks up to Albright as a role model.

Possibly a dream sequence.

On Oct. 25.

There -- now we've told you all we know about the episode.

"Gilmore Girls" creator and Executive Producer Amy Sherman-Palladino wanted the press to quote her as saying about the unusual guest casting of the sixty-something former secretary of state on a chick drama that targets 12-to-24-year-olds:

"You know, late at night, when you're sitting in a dark room writing for the five-billionth hour in a row, and you're depressed, you look bad, and your butt is now chair-shaped, you think 'what the hell am I doing all this work for?' And then you get to meet Madeleine Albright. If you think she's [sic] seems brilliant and sassy strutting around the Middle East, you should try talking to her in person. We are very honored, very lucky, and soooo not worthy."

Isn't it interesting, that whole grass is greener thing?

Here we are, right in Albright's town, and when we're sitting in our dark room at The Post writing for the five-billionth hour in a row, and we're depressed and look bad, and our butt has become chair-shaped and we think, "What the hell are we doing all this work for?" -- not once have our thoughts turned to Albright, and never to her sassy strutting around the Middle East.

* * * *

You may have noticed that for the past week the press has been hyperventilating over the debut of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" -- a spinoff of its ballyhooed faux newscast, "The Daily Show," and starring its faux correspondent Stephen Colbert.

Associated Press: "The title of the new series should be pronounced with a silent 't' in 'report' as well as 'Colbert' (say: coal-bear ray-poor), as a verbal handshake exchanged by Colbert cognoscenti."

The Washington Post: "Colbert works in a loft-like building off Tenth Avenue, all overhead pipes and exposed brick, where a bulletin board festooned with blue, purple and pink index cards lists possible segments."

New York Times: "For it to succeed on a permanent basis, 'The Colbert Report' will have to show that it can overcome numerous challenges, not least that it can avoid the stumbles of other progeny . . . that were spawned by hit series."

USA Today: Comedy Central chief Doug Herzog "agreed to an eight-week tryout without a pilot. 'It's a tremendous companion piece to "The Daily Show" yet distinct from it,' he says."

Honestly, it's just heartbreaking the number of trees that various papers have slaughtered to aid the basic cable network in its effort to gin up an audience for this show, which, like "The Daily Show," will skewer evasive, hypocritical newsmakers and the preening on-air news talent who cover them.

But, surprisingly, you will not see reviews of last night's "The Colbert Report" in this morning's newspapers. The show debuted at 11:30 -- well past many papers' deadlines. It was taped hours earlier, but the press was barred from attending.

"It's common practice at Comedy Central not to allow the press to attend the first taping of a series -- there are always unforeseen glitches to be worked out, and the pressure of having the media in attendance is an unnecessary distraction to the production team and talent," a Comedy Central rep explained yesterday afternoon to The TV Column, sounding suspiciously like one of those evasive, hypocritical newsmakers "The Daily Show" so loves to nick.

But at The TV Column, we spit on deadlines. And thus can bring you "The Colbert Report," a Speed Review:

Colbert playing faux Bill O'Reilly/Joe Scarborough. Not so good. Highlight: "Anyone can read the news to you. I promise to feel the news at you!"

Colbert interviewing NBC's Stone Phillips. Much better, especially when he tried to nail Phillips by asking him on what three nights does NBC air neither a "Dateline" nor a "Law & Order." Phillips got two right.

Dueling Phillips and Colbert reading bogus headlines with gravitas. Inspired.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/17/AR2005101701679_pf.html

Rough reception for the new TV Guide

By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Tuesday, October 18, 2005

The tremendous volume of e-mails concerning TV Guide's changes makes it clear that the publication's image overhaul has roused a lot of passion out there.

Some is positive, but the overwhelming verdict can be summed up by reader Vern Isbell's subject line: "It sucks!"

Revamp an institution, and you're bound to create an uproar. Since 1953, TV Guide has been small, gray and reliably packed with grids and descriptions of TV shows you may not have known existed otherwise. What the digest-size periodical lacked in visual punch it made up for with its comprehensiveness.

Nowadays, though, television dominates our lives in a way TV Guide's creators never could have predicted. According to Nielsen Media Research, Americans now watch an average of 8 hours and 11 minutes of television per day. Many of us have tens upon tens of channels to choose from with round-the-clock content. And television listings are available daily in your newspaper.

Of greater concern to TV Guide, though, is the explosion of celebrity rags like Us Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Star and People. Young consumers, women especially, are buying these magazines in greater numbers while TV Guide's circulation sags.Then there are electronic options. A variety of Internet sources (including the P-I's Web site), digital cable and satellite guides deliver gratification more instantly than the slow-scrolling listings on the TV Guide Channel. The magazine's circulation, which hit 20 million at its peak in the 1970s, has dipped to 9 million.

Methinks Peter Brady's famous phrase applies here: When it's time to change, you have to rearrange. TV Guide captured this idea by putting "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's" Ty Pennington on its Oct. 17-23 cover. Listings have been slashed, and there are only East and West Coast editions, with no local programming information.

Accordingly, the circulation figure guaranteed to advertisers has dropped from 9 million to around 3 million, and the price is down from $2.49 to $1.99.

But! It has an expanded "Hot List," with 21 must-see shows. And the chatty "Is It Just Me?" which asks questions such as: "Is that a totally different actor playing Nurse Sam's Son, Alex, on 'ER'?"

A better question would be, "So, enough about me. How about you? What do you think of me now?" TV Guide didn't ask, but the P-I did. Here are a few of your responses.

"I grew up with TV Guide on dad's lounger arm. I counted on it for planning -- yes I said planning -- the time that I would give to watching TV that I wanted, and I read it from cover to cover. ... I don't even know the stranger that arrived in my mailbox this week."

-- Mark Markham, St. Louis, Mo.

"Somehow I got a free six-month subscription to TV Guide last July. It made me realize just how useless it had become. I tossed it every week until this one. Wow. They nailed it. It's great. Now I'm going to have to make sure the subscription is renewed. I have three TiVos on two TVs and TV is very important to me."

-- Susan Dennis, Seattle

"I have subscribed for the last 10 to 15 years but I will not after this year runs out. I want a guide not a magazine! ... It looks like I'll be subscribing to the newspaper now!"

-- Donna Kratofil, Lynnwood

"We buy the guide for the listings -- not the stories on various programs or on the actors. ... I hope other people feel this dislike for the new magazine and can influence the publisher to change back to the more realistic useful size."

-- Doris Feltham, Port Ludlow

"I hate the new one. It is cumbersome and in the way and I don't really care for all of the extras. Now I can't find anything."

-- Carmen Burnett, Seattle

"My wife and I love the new TV Guide so far. It's kind of like a guilt-free (not too sensational) National Enquirer with TV listings. ... I look forward to next week's issue."

-- Dean Fettig, Federal Way

(It) is the worst change in a magazine ever. ... I need to see local channels and local times, I DO NOT expect to have a motel version delivered to my home on a weekly basis."

-- Karen Palmer, Grand Haven, Mich.

"I will continue to be a longtime subscriber to TV Guide. ... The editorial content of the magazine has evolved over the years into a small version of People magazine, which is easily the shallowest magazine in print. The new TV Guide is just as silly as ever, only with larger print and pictures."

-- Bob Godfrey, Wenatchee

"I don't plan to renew! That says it all."

-- Mike Peringer, Seattle

"I absolutely hate it and am canceling my subscription. ... Of course, since I am an octogenarian they really aren't too interested in what I like. But I hope there'll be enough others like me that cancel to make them sit up and take notice.

-- Vera Locke, Tukwila

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/244904_tv18.html

Give “My Name Is Earl” A Chance

By Charlie McCollum San Jose Mercury News
I've been a big fan of ``Earl'' ever since I saw the pilot for the show more than six months ago. But while I admired NBC's willingness to give it a shot, I didn't believe that the American TV audience was ready for quirky tale about a redneck, low-rent thief trying to make up for all the bad things he had done over the years.
Well, I was wrong.

``Earl'' has become NBC's one legitimate new hit this fall and one of the few newcomers people are actually talking about.

If you haven't checked it out yet, try tonight's delightfully politically incorrect episode as Earl (the splendid Jason Lee) teaches English as a second language. It's a hoot, with a cool guest performance by Giovanni Ribisi.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/television/12930740.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

MEDIA
In ratings battle, 3 chosen to host `Nightline' after Koppel
By Phil Rosenthal Chicago Tribune Columnist October 18, 2005

James Goldston believes no one person can replace Ted Koppel on ABC's "Nightline." Three people is a different matter altogether. Goldston, the 37-year-old British executive producer charged with reinventing "Nightline" after Koppel departs on Nov. 22, is going with a trio of anchors--Terry Moran, Cynthia McFadden and Martin Bashir--to replace the man who has been the late-night landmark's host since its launch a quarter century ago.

Instead of being based in ABC's Washington bureau, often on tape, as it was when Koppel was anchor, the revamped "Nightline" will originate live from both the nation's capital and the network's studios overlooking New York's glitzy Times Square.

Rather than generally focusing on a single topic each weeknight after the late local news, the post-Koppel version of the award-winning half-hour newscast that makes its debut on Nov. 28 will take on multiple topics.

Whether all these increased numbers add up to more, or less, remains to be seen.

Of at least equal interest to industry observers, however, is whether the additions announced Monday by ABC News president David Westin result in the most important increased numbers of all--added revenue through more younger viewers, a demographic advertisers pay a premium to reach and news programs find elusive.

"We'll follow our instincts and make the best show that we can," Goldston said by phone Monday. "If we make a good show, people will watch it. That's all you can do. I'm not a fan of chasing the demo."

That may be true. But with millions at stake in the battle with NBC's Jay Leno and CBS' David Letterman (who was courted by ABC to supplant Koppel in 2002), you know someone somewhere keeps tabs.

It's no accident that Goldston is more than 20 years younger than Koppel's producer, Tom Bettag.

"20/20" correspondent Bashir is hardly a kid at 42, but he was a newborn when Koppel, 65, was starting at ABC News.

"Primetime" anchor McFadden, who will be based with Bashir in front of all that eye-catching Broadway neon, is 49. Washington-based Moran, ABC's chief White House correspondent, is 45.

"[Koppel] is one of the foremost journalists of his generation," said Goldston, who, like Bashir, came to ABC from British television last year after their 2003 collaboration, "Living With Michael Jackson," proved a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic.

"Clearly it didn't make sense to me to try to replace like for like. He's a unique voice and a unique talent, and we're taking a slightly different approach to the show as a result."

Even with two bases--Washington because "I was keen on keeping that essential DNA of the show" and Manhattan because "if you're live at [that time of] night, there's no more exciting place on earth than Times Square"--Goldston said anchors will be deployed around the country and the world, as warranted.

No decisions on correspondents have been made officially, but much of the staff is expected to stay with the program, even as Koppel is said by the New York Post to be headed toward pay-cable HBO and apt to want some to follow.

As for multiple topics, Goldston indicated that's less about shorter stories for shorter attention spans than the fact the old single-topic format on the program was tailored to make use of Koppel's skills as an interviewer.

"On a conventional night there's been a set-up piece and a long Ted Koppel debate," Goldston said.

"In the absence of Ted Koppel, that just doesn't make any sense anymore. . . . [The new format] enables us to cover a variety of subjects but keep true to the tradition of the show," he said.

Just how this overhaul plays out will be closely watched by network chiefs. If it works, don't be surprised if it influences the future shape of ABC's "World News Tonight" without Peter Jennings and "The CBS Evening News" without Dan Rather.

CBS chief Leslie Moonves is already toying with the idea of multiple anchors. Yet Goldston maintains the changes are more about substance than style. He said he wants the new "Nightline" to make news, set an agenda.

"I want to put the event back into late-night television and to come up with those big dramatic statements that echo around the world," he said.

"What's key in all this is that this show will echo that heritage and respect it. This is going to be, as it always has been, a serious news show that deals with the important issues of our time."

The future of serious TV news just happens to be one of them.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/chi-0510180131oct18,1,7843768,print.column?coll=chi-ent_tv-hed

Monday’s network prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s opinions of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

(From Marc Berman’s Tuesday, October 18, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
Freshman Series Scorecard: Primetime Recap

What follows is an update of the status of the 31 new primetime series.

A B C
-Commander in Chief: shoo-in for a full-season renewal.
-Freddie: strong start after one week.
-Hot Properties: on the fence.
-Invasion: on the fence.
-Night Stalker: waiting for the axe to swing.

C B S
-Close To Home: on the fence.
-Criminal Minds: full season renewal.
-Ghost Whisperer: full season renewal.
-How I Met Your Mother: full season renewal.
-Out Of Practice: three additional scripts ordered.
-Threshold: three additional scripts orders.

N B C
-The Apprentice: Martha Stewart: on the fence.
-E-Ring: on the fence.
-Inconceivable: canceled.
-My Name Is Earl: full season renewal.
-Surface: full season renewal.
-Three Wishes: on the fence.

Fox
-Bones: full season renewal.
-Head Cases: canceled.
-Killer Instinct: waiting for the axe to swing.
-Kitchen Confidential: waiting for the axe to swing.
-Prison Break: full season renewal.
-Reunion: on the fence.
-The War at Home: full season renewal.

UPN
-Everybody Hates Chris: full season renewal.
-Love, Inc.: on the fence.
-Sex, Love & Secrets: canceled.

The WB

-Just Legal: canceled.
-Related: on the fence.
-Supernatural: full season renewal.
-Twins: on the fence.

Sad, sad demise for NBC's “West Wing”

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 18, 2005

Another weekend has passed, and with it comes yet more evidence that NBC’s once-powerful “West Wing” is dying a pathetic death.

This is not the sort of end one would have imagined for a series that in its prime won four consecutive Emmys for best drama series while attracting the most affluent viewership and the most desirable advertisers.

Yet the series, which this season moved to Sunday from its longtime Wednesday berth, has seen a 30 percent plunge in its ratings and now consistently finishes in fourth place among adults 18-49 in its 8 p.m. timeslot.

Some media buyers were hoping the Sunday move would invigorate the series, reversing a decline in ratings over the past several years. It's had the opposite effect, and now the sense is that the move will prove the show's final indignity. As one media buyer opined in a recent Media Life survey about the networks’ fall programs: “NBC killed a great show!”

"Wing" is now down to a 2.3 among adults 18-49, from its 3.3 average rating last season, and this past Sunday it ranked a distant No. 4 behind “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” on ABC, “60 Minutes” on CBS and baseball on Fox. It did slightly better than “Charmed” on the WB.

The show's slide has been precipitous. “Wing” peaked in 2001-02, its third season, generating an average 6.2 rating in the demographic and attracting more than 17 million viewers. On Sunday, its rating was barely one-third of that while its total audience was down to 8.1 million people.

The show has even failed to improve its timeslot rating over last year's canceled “American Dreams.” That show averaged a 2.5, while "Wing" is pulling a 2.3.

NBC earlier this year cut in half the licensing fee it had been paying to Warner Bros. TV for the show. The price per episode was slashed from $6 million to $3 million, with several well-paid series regulars being demoted to recurring roles.

One could argue whether the Sunday move was the right decision. Clearly, NBC needed to make space for Martha Stewart's "Apprentice," which explains why "Wing" was shifted from the 9 p.m. Wednesday slot. But while the Sunday move pitted it against ABC’s powerful lineup, it would have perhaps faced a worse humiliation against ABC's "Lost" had it stayed.

In truth, though, there's little to debate. “West Wing’s” problems date back to 2003, if not before. In 2001, creator Aaron Sorkin was busted on drug charges, and in 2003 he left the show, as did original lead actor Rob Lowe. The show never recovered creatively.

By the 2003-04 season, “Wing” had already begun to fade, with its 18-49 rating tumbling to a 3.7 from a 4.5 a year earlier and a 6.2 at its peak.

“West Wing” has long attracted an affluent audience, which, while falling in sheer numbers, remains attractive to advertisers. The show this season so far still ranks No. 1 among all series in the percentage of 18-49 viewers who have a household income of more than $75,000.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_722.asp

R.I.P. Charles Rocket

By Michael Starr The New York Post

Charles Rocket's brief moment of TV immortality came in February 1981 - when he used the f-word on "Saturday Night Live."

He was fired pretty much as soon as the lights went down, and thereafter became known as the guy who threw away a comedy career in the twinkling of a word.

He continued to work somewhat more anonymously in lower-profile movie and TV roles.

But Rocket never approached the fame of his castmates Eddie Murphy, Gilbert Gottfried and Joe Piscopo.

Rocket, 56, has finally made headlines. He was found dead in a field 10 days ago near his Connecticut home. His throat had been cut.

Yesterday, the state medical examiner ruled that Charlie had done it himself.

There are few clues as to why Rocket, born Charles Claverie, took his own life. He apparently did not leave a suicide note.

He'd been married to the same woman, Beth, for 33 years and had a son, Zane. No trouble at home was reported.

And he left behind a group of friends who had long forgotten Charlie's big screwup - even if the rest of the world had not.

"He was an absolutely upbeat kind of guy," says Rudy Cheeks, a friend of Rocket's for over 30 years. "If he was dealing with something that was tough, he would come right back at it.

"He didn't stay down for any length of time. He wasn't one to be morose or depressed."

Rocket was hired for "SNL" in the 1980 season, the first time the show underwent major cast changes after the orginals - Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin et al. - had elected to move on.

Charlene Tilton, a cast member from the highly successful "Dallas" series, was guest-hosting and the show was doing a send-up of the prime-time soap,

Charlie was playing J.R. Ewing, who'd just been shot on the CBS series. For some reason, Rocket decided to improvise on his lines and ended up blurting out: "I'd like to know who the [bleep] did it."

NBC apologized to viewers, and Rocket was fired.

He went on to forge a career as a supporting player in movies ("Dances With Wolves," "Dumb and Dumber") and on TV, where he played Bruce Willis' brother on "Moonlighting" and co-starred opposite John Goodman in the short-lived Fox sitcom, "Normal, Ohio."

He managed lots of one-shot roles on other series, including "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Touched by an Angel."

Lately, he'd been doing a lot of voiceover work. Several years ago, he left L.A. and moved to Connecticut.

Cheeks says that Rocket never let on that his firing from "SNL" was a minor roadblock; shortly thereafter, he picked himself up, brushed himself off and went back to finding work.

One of Rocket's former "SNL" castmates remembers him as hungry for attention and being "wrapped up in career issues. If he wasn't front and center, he was bothered.

"He was never happy on the show and always wanted more."

"I wouldn't say [the f-word incident] haunted him," says Cheeks. "He got right back up.

"I think he more or less took the attitude that life goes on and he did a lot of work and kept on working."

There was no word on funeral arrangements yesterday.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly_new.php

A reminder for those interested:

Universal HD to Re-Play Notre Dame Game Tonight (Tuesday, Oct.18)

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com October 18, 2005

Universal HD, an NBC Universal Cable network launched in 2004, will re-air the Saturday, Oct. 15 match-up between Notre Dame and the University of Southern California in high definition. The football game will run in its entirety at 8 p.m. and 12 a.m. tonight (Oct. 18).

The game originally aired live on NBC and produced a 7.9 overnight household rating, the highest-rated Notre Dame televised game in 10 years.

NBC Universal Cable network is available on Cablevision, Time Warner, Cox, Charter and Mediacom cable systems and DirecTV satellite system, reaching more than 40 million homes.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001307698

Last week’s and the season-to-date network prime-time ratings have been posted at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the second post in this thread). The complete program-by-program list will be posted later today.

Burnout strikes for CBS's “CSI: Miami”
Snooper tumbles 9 percent from last season

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 18, 2005

Ratings for the entire “CSI” franchise were down over the summer, leading some media people to wonder if “CSI” saturation would lead to lower ratings this year.

It has, at least for Monday night spinoff “CSI: Miami.” The CBS show averaged a 6.1 Nielsen overnight rating among viewers 18-49 last night, down 9 percent from the 6.7 the show averaged last season.

Thus far this season, “Miami” has averaged a 6.0 overnight rating, down 10 percent from last year’s season average. Media analysts said over the summer that “CSI” oversaturation, with two spinoffs and several versions a day on Spike and in syndication, could lead to such a dropoff.

It seems to be a case of viewers choosing not to watch “Miami” rather than choosing to watch one of the timeslot’s other shows. “Miami’s” ratings have fallen, but so too have those for 10 p.m. competitor “Medium” on NBC, which has averaged a 4.7 overnight rating so far this season, down from a 5.4 last year.

Last night “Medium” averaged a 4.6 rating. That show has only been airing since January, and for sure has hurt "Miami," but as recently as last spring, "Miami" was averaging a 6.8 against it.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_747.asp

Multicast Carriage Measure Pulled From Senate Panel Vote

By Doug Halonen TVWeek.com October 18, 2005

In a blow to broadcasters, a spokeswoman for the Senate Commerce Committee said Tuesday that legislation that could settle a fight between broadcasters and cable TV operators over multicast carriage rules and other important issues related to the digital TV transition will not go to a vote this week.

Instead, the committee's session, moved from Wednesday to Thursday afternoon, will focus on a bare-bones measure that proposes to set an April 7, 2009, deadline for the transition and addresses only congressional budgetary issues related to the transition.

Some broadcasters expect multicast carriage to be the benefit they receive in the legislative trade-off for supporting legislation that would force them to make the DTV switch in 2009. Many broadcasters originally appeared confident that multicast carriage's momentum would be virtually unstoppable because it would be included in the same measure as the transition deadline. But several weeks ago it became clear that multicast would not be included in the measure containing the deadline, ostensibly because lawmakers first wanted to focus on DTV issues related solely to congressional budget concerns.

Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, announced recently that he planned to address a companion bill that would be moved at the same time as the deadline bill, and confirmed that the companion bill would be the vehicle that determined the fate of multicast carriage and other transition-related issues.

Sen. Stevens told reporters Tuesday afternoon that he hopes to have a draft of the companion bill ready for committee members Thursday. But with the companion bill apparently slipping from the committee's agenda for Thursday's meeting, industry concerns have been raised about its ultimate prospects.

Dennis Wharton, an NAB spokesman, said: "We knew the two bills would be split. We're hopeful multicast will be dealt with in the companion bill as soon as Sen. Stevens deems possible."

"[Broadcasters] are getting a hard date, and not these other things [multicast carriage rules and other DTV-related provisions that broadcasters want]," said a broadcast industry source.

The industry source warned that leading lawmakers are expected to float a variety of amendments unfriendly to the broadcast industry during the committee's Thursday voting session, including one sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would set the DTV transition deadline as early as 2006. Other proposed amendments are expected to try to turn the Federal Communications Commission's new children's TV rules into law and to require broadcasters to provide free airtime for political candidates.

Also on the committee's agenda is a vote on controversial legislation that would require federal agencies to clearly label their sponsorship of video news releases and bar broadcasters and cable operators from deleting the labels.

A spokeswoman for the Senate Commerce Committee said the April 7, 2009, DTV transition deadline was selected to avoid interfering with that year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8748

Network News Ratings Oct. 10-14

Total Viewers
NBC 9.186 million
ABC 8.312
CBS 6.907
(NBC notes that "Nightly News" has now placed first for 66 of the last 67 weeks and for 131 of the last 138 weeks.)

Homes Rating/Share
NBC 6.5/13
ABC 5.9i/12
CBS 4.9/10S

Adults 18-49 Rating
NBC 1.8
ABC 1.7
CBS 1.2

Adults 25-54 Rating
ABC 2.5
NBC 2.4
CBS 1.8

Source: Nielsen Media Research and NBC

The WB Pulls and Tweaks Its Schedule

Fran and “Git-R-Done” seem done for now. The WB has pulled “Living With Fran” and “Blue Collar” from its schedule.

It is also making a few other changes in its lineup.

A repeat of “Supernatural” will air in place of “Blue Collar” (and opposite ABC’s giant hit “Desperate Housewives” Sundays at 9 PM ET/PT.

Twins will move from 8:30 PM Friday to 9:30, replacing “Living With Fran”. A repeats of “What I Like About You” will take over at 8:30.

“Related” will swap its original and repeat broadcasts – the original will move to Mondays at 9 PM, the repeat (which replaced the quickly-canceled “Just Legal)) is moving to Wednesday’s at 9 PM (opposite ABC’s “Lost).

The WB has nine episodes of “Blue Collar” and “Living With Fran” and a spokesman says they will be aired sometime during the season.

“Three Wishes” For “E-Ring”

According to its schedule for the next several weeks, NBC is swapping the time slots for “E-Ring” and “Three Wishes” next week.

And so far, only for next week.

Both on-the-fence programs could get a boost from the switch.

So, if you are keeping score, (or even harder yet, just trying to keep track of the network prime-time schedules) “Three Wishes” moves to Wednesday Oct. 26 at 8 PM ET/PT, and “E-Ring” takes Amy Grant’s place on Friday Oct. 28 at 9 PM.

The following week, at least according to the now-available NBC schedule, they move back to their current slots. Got it? :)

Last week’s complete program-by-program list of network prime-time ratings have been added to the top of RATINGS NEWS (the second post in this thread).

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Shows in Potential Ratings Trouble

If you are looking for hints about ratings problems for a specific show, one useful tool is to check the bottom-rated programs for each network.

So here are the bottom five shows (including sports, but excluding specials and repeats), by network, for the fourth week of the 2005-2006 season, the week ending October 16th:

C B S
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
42 How I Met Your Mother CBS 9.84
47 48 Hours Mystery CBS 8.77
48 Yes, Dear CBS 8.76
54t Threshold CBS 8.07
66 Still Standing CBS 7.48

A B C
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
71 Supernanny 6.96
75 Hope and Faith 6.23
80 Hot Properties 5.41
83 Night Stalker 5.15
86 Primetime 4.48

N B C
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
61 Dateline: NBC (Sun.) 7.80
64 Office 7.62
68 Joey 7.35
72 Apprentice: Martha 6.94
73 Dateline: NBC (Fri.) 6.93

Fox
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
46 ALCS, Game 5 Pregame 9.13
63 MLB League Championship Series Pregame (Wed.) 7.63
65 ALCS, Game 4 (Sat.) 7.59
82 NLCS Game 2 Pregame (Thu.) 5.21
84 ALCS Game 3 Pregame" (Fri.) 5.11

UPN
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
96 Half and Half 3.53
97 Eve 3.47
100 Veronica Mars 3.03
101 Cuts 2.87
112 Sex, Love & Secrets 1.57

The WB
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
103 Living With Fran 2.65
105t Related (Wed.) 2.55
108 Blue Collar TV (9 p.m.) 2.28
109 Twins 2.21
111 What I Like About You 1.98

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Kutcher proposes to Fox
Ashton Kutcher has apparently gotten the last laugh on skeptics
who might dub his marriage to Demi Moore a farce.
He's turned their love into a sitcom

By Scott Collins Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 19, 2005

Ashton Kutcher has apparently gotten the last laugh on skeptics who might dub his marriage to Demi Moore a farce. He's turned their love into a sitcom.

The latest celebrity to spin his backstage life into a TV script, the former "That '70s Show" star has sold Fox an idea for a comedy series called "30-Year-Old Grandpa," executives say. It's about the complications that ensue when a young man becomes the stepfather to a brood of kids remarkably close to his own age, according to the trade paper Variety.

Sound familiar? In fact, given the amount of magazine pages devoted to the May-December romance between Kutcher, 27, and the 42-year-old Moore, the sitcom idea might not seem so novel.

But don't necessarily expect to see inside secrets of the Kutcher-Moore union, assuming there are any left to tell. The project, produced by Kutcher's Katalyst TV banner in association with 20th Century Fox Television, will be written by someone else (sitcom writer Holly Hester), and Fox has only committed to producing a pilot.

"This idea did spring out of his real-life situation," 20th Century Fox spokesman Chris Alexander said. But "how closely the script will adhere to the facts of his real-life situation remains to be seen."

What seems clear is that basing a script — however loosely — on a star's life can help pique the interest of network executives. "Everybody Hates Chris," based on the childhood experiences of Chris Rock, has strong numbers this season for UPN. Mel Gibson's experiences with raising a large family made their way into his (since-canceled) ABC sitcom "Savages," and Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith pitched their UPN sitcom "All of Us" as semiautobiographical.

Former Fox chief Sandy Grushow, who now runs the independent production company Phase Two Productions, said the trend is "a function of celebrities getting more involved and interested in television."

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-kutcher19oct19,0,6013233,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

The TV Column
The Week’s Winners and Losers
Prinze Wins; 'Nightstalker' Stumbles in the Dark

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Wednesday, October 19, 2005; C07

Four weeks into the TV season, the last of the new crop finally premiered: ABC's Freddie Prinze Jr. sitcom, "Freddie."

Here's a look at the week's hot and cold:

WINNERS

"Freddie." More than 9 million watched Freddie Prinze Jr.'s new sitcom open Tuesday -- the most-watched series in its half-hour. Better yet, ABC reported that it scored its biggest sitcom premiere rating in two years with young viewers.

"Criminal Minds." CBS's criminal profiler drama opened with 10.6 million viewers in the tough "Lost" time slot. Now it's up to nearly 14 million -- the network's biggest audience in the time slot, ironically, since Dan Rather interviewed Saddam Hussein in February '03.

"Surface." NBC picked up more episodes of its new aliens-in-the-water drama, which averaged about 10 million viewers last week, because, Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly noted in the announcement, it's catching on with more viewers each week.

"Bones." Fox picked up additional episodes of its Tuesday 8 p.m. forensic drama, spouting numbers that are such phonus balonus we don't even know where to begin and we're certainly not going to repeat them here. Let's just say that when it actually runs in its time slot -- which is to say when baseball does not -- it's been doing fine.

"War at Home." Ditto Fox's explanation for its pickup of more episodes on its new Sunday sitcom.

"Twitches." Disney Channel's Friday flick, based loosely on the kids' book series "T*Witches," was basic cable's most-watched telecast last week. Its more than 7 million viewers put it ahead of Disney-owned ABC, as well as UPN and WB in its nearly two-hour block.

CBS Sunday football overrun . The highly rated one-hour overrun helped CBS snap upstart ABC's three-week winning streak among the young viewers even CBS now admits it targets. Didn't help that "Walker, Texas Ranger" flick much, though; it started an hour late and copped 10.2 million viewers.

LOSERS

"Nightstalker." A measly 5.2 million viewers on Thursday makes this new ABC drama last week's least-watched original episode of a series on a Big Four network. As if that's not bad enough, that's about 2 million fewer viewers than watched its premiere two weeks earlier.

"Sex, Love & Secrets." This new UPN show hit its best number yet -- just under 1.6 million viewers -- but it was still the least-watched program on broadcast television last week.

"Primetime." ABC's saggy Thursday newsmag suffered its smallest audience since the summer of '03: 4.5 million viewers.

"Joey." Once again, the "Friends" spinoff was NBC's least-watched scripted show of the week.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/18/AR2005101801602_pf.html

“South Park” Season Premiere
Holy #@$*! 'South Park' turns 10
Potty-mouthed kids are still going strong too

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 19, 2005

It’s not your imagination. “South Park” is on about a zillion times per week, between original episodes on Comedy Central, repeats and now syndication. Last season, Comedy Central aired the show 307 times.

But over-saturation doesn’t seem to be a problem for the crudely animated satire about four bleeping third-graders. Last season, among basic cable shows that aired at least three episodes, the animated comedy ranked No. 38 among viewers 18-34 and No. 24 among men 18-34.

With “Chappelle’s Show,” the network’s other ratings powerhouse, on indefinite hiatus, that makes “South Park’s” strength even more important. Tonight the show returns for its 10th season at 10 p.m.

Clearly “South Park” is not getting soft with old age. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone parody Hurricane Katrina with an episode entitled “Two Days before the Day After Tomorrow.”

In nearby Beaverton, the world’s largest beaver dam breaks and causes massive flooding. While the displaced wait for help to arrive, everyone from the president and the mayor to scientists and the press, and even the flood victims, find themselves bickering over who’s at fault. Perhaps Cartman?

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_748.asp

PEACOCK TEES UP LAFFER - 'FOCKERS' SCRIBE JOINS GOLF CLUB LAFFER
By JOSEF ADALIAN, Daily Variety, 10/19/2005


"Meet the Fockers" scribe Jim Herzfeld has landed a rich pilot commitment from NBC for a half-hour comedy set at a Los Angeles country club.

Imagine Television's Brian Grazer and David Nevins will join Herzfeld as exec producers on the project, which will be produced under Imagine's overall deal at 20th Century Fox TV. Peacock has backed up its pilot commitment with a hefty penalty.

It's the first TV project from Herzfeld since he wrote "Meet the Parents" and last year's successful sequel, "Meet the Fockers." Combined, two pics have grossed $845 million worldwide.

Herzfeld told Daily Variety he's basing the show on his own experience during his 20s, when he worked at the Bel-Air Country Club while attending film school at UCLA.

"Country clubs are like a great microcosm of society, and I got a good glimpse of that," he said, adding that he plans to "mine a lot of that for laughs.

"I tell the stories at cocktail parties, and people laugh," Herzfeld added. "If that works on a grand scale, then great."

One of the main characters in the untitled show will be a Midwestern transplant who ends up working at the club.

"It's an outsider's perspective on L.A. and L.A. society," Nevins explained.

Herzfeld said he's been sitting on the idea for the NBC show for years, ever since he worked on the short-lived 1993 CBS laffer "The Trouble With Larry." Work on various features, as well as Herzfeld's desire to spend more time with his family, put the project on the backburner.

Now that he's back in television, this time as a creator, Herzfeld said one of his goals is "to do a good show where the people who work on it can still have a life."

He's also looking forward to collaborating with other writers again after the relatively solitary lifestyle of a feature scribe.

"Unless the avian flu hits," he said. "Then I'm going to lock myself in for six months, work only on features and order food in from delivery."

Nevins said he's not the country club type.

"But I've always found them to be this weird and slightly fascinating microculture," he said. "I've also played golf with (NBC Entertainment prexy) Kevin Reilly, and I can vouch for his skills."

CAA-repped Herzfeld is at work on "Toy Story 3" for Disney, and has at least one other film project in the works.

"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE IN THE '80s: LOST AND FOUND" DEBUTS NOVEMBER 13 9-11PM
( October 19, 2005 )

NEW YORK – October 19, 2005 – As part of the ongoing celebration of the 30th Anniversary of NBC's "Saturday Night Live," the network will present a new installment of the compelling behind-the-scenes look at the re-invention of the television icon in "Saturday Night Live in the '80s: Lost and Found" (Sunday, November 13, 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET).

Following up on his critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated documentary "Live From New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live," writer-director-producer Kenneth Bowser ("Easy Riders & Raging Bulls") has created a look at the roller coaster ride that SNL endured throughout the decade.

"'Saturday Night Live' is not only one of television's longest-running series, it continues to be one of the most influential and important," said Rick Ludwin, Executive Vice President, Late Night and Primetime Series, NBC Entertainment, "Viewers and critics made the 'SNL First 5 Years' special a hit. This new program is the next chapter of the story. It has all the memorable moments and backstage revelations from the comedy stars and creative talents who were there in the '80s."

The stories take the show all over the map – from near cancellation to re-invention and back again. Viewers will get a rare, intimate look at the behind-the-scenes changes at the most influential television comedy in history and its journey after such an auspicious beginning to firmly rooting itself as the comedy institution it has become over the last 30 years.

Among the new and candid interviews are creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels (who left the show in 1980 and returned in 1985), and executive producer Dick Ebersol (who took the reins from 1981 through 1984) as well as many of the show's stars who are still shaping comedy today including Jim Belushi, Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Nora Dunn, Gilbert Gottfried, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon, Joe Piscopo, Martin Short, and Terry Sweeney; as well as staff members and writers including Al Franken, Tom Davis, Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel.

The film transcends the traditional retrospective clip show. While there will be laughs aplenty from classic moments from the decade, the film is comprised of revelations and reminders of some of the most cutting edge comedy ever produced. A time when the people shaping comedy today (Larry David, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, O'Brien and others) were just starting out. A period when the show could be guest directed by Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola and 19-year-old unknowns like Eddie Murphy skyrocketed to superstardom. This is the decade of tumult and triumph with executive producers changing over...and the one cast seeing names like Robert Downey Jr., Joan Cusack, Anthony Michael Hall while another season would feature a roster that would come to be called the "all-star" cast including Crystal, Guest, Louis Dreyfus, Short and Belushi.

These are the stories fans haven't heard - all presented in the same funny, fast-paced, nostalgic format that earned "The First 5 Years" an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special. The stories from the '80s are also framed and propelled by the best musical acts of the decade, including: Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, Cowboy Junkies, Hall & Oates, Don Henley, Fine Young Cannibals, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Queen, The Bangles, The Kinks, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Lone Justice, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Harry Connick, Jr., Elvis Costello and Roy Orbison.

Leading up to the special, NBC has begun re-airing Emmy-nominated and memorable episodes from the '80s in the "All-Night" timeslot (directly following SNL on Saturday nights or at 3 a.m. ET, check local listings) for five weeks leading up to the special (it began this past Saturday with an episode hosted by Rev. Jesse Jackson from the 1984-85 season) and continues through November 12.

The October 22 "All Night" show, with host Madonna and musical guest Simple Minds (from the 1985-86 season), was the first show produced by Lorne Michaels after his five- year absence. The Oct. 29 show features the 1987 Sean Penn/LL Cool J episode featuring the unforgettable sketch with Penn decking Carvey's "Church Lady". November 5 brings the Emmy nominated episode from the 1988-89 season hosted by Tom Hanks featuring musical guest Keith Richards (as well as a cameo from then-staff writer Conan O'Brien with a horse). Finally, on November 12, 1983's episode hosted by Bruce Dern with music from Leon Redbone which features the (literally) show-stopping run of sketches following the assassination of Eddie Murphy's "Buckwheat."

Tuesday’s network prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s opinions of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

No Yanks, but nifty baseball anyhow
Fox is down just 11 percent from last year

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 19, 2005

Many were shocked when neither of Major League Baseball’s ratings darlings, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, reached the American League Championship Series. But here’s the bigger surprise: Even without them Fox is still pulling respectable ratings for its postseason baseball coverage.

The network's entire postseason coverage has averaged a 6.6 household rating through Monday night, off just 11 percent versus last year when the Yankees and Red Sox played one of the most memorable ALCS in MLB history.

Fox’s postseason household average is up 3 percent versus 2002, the last time neither the Yankees nor Red Sox made the ALCS.

Through Sunday, the night Chicago clinched the ALCS, Fox was down only 3 percent versus last year.

“Yankees-Red Sox is the greatest rivalry in all of sports, and for two years to go to seven games of nail-biting baseball, that’s drama up to the ceiling,” says Carmine N. Tiso, Major League Baseball’s manager for marketing communications.

There are several reasons why interest in this year’s postseason is still quite high, one being this year’s American League champions, the Chicago White Sox.

“The White Sox have not won a World Series since 1917,” Tiso says, “and that’s a compelling story that has invigorated the Chicago market.”

Also, the first-round series between the Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim drew better ratings than last year’s divisional series, giving Fox a postseason boost before New York exited in five games.

There have also been a number of exciting games, including Monday night’s National League Championship Series game between the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals in which Albert Pujols hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning to give the Cardinals a one-run win. That game peaked at an impressive 9.6 rating from 11:30 to 11:48 p.m., when the home run came.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_750.asp

“South Park” Season Premiere
Those Boys Are Back, as Timely as Ever

By Kate Aurthur The New York Times October 19, 2005

Trey Parker has a confession to make. "I've started confiding in people, other artists mostly, that I hate making 'South Park' and I always have," he said during a recent visit to New York. He continued: "It's super stressful. I'm always miserable. I want to kill myself every week."

Mr. Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of "South Park," will have that problem for at least the next three years. Over the summer, they signed an agreement with Comedy Central to produce the animated series about four foulmouthed Colorado boys through the end of 2008. (The monetary terms of the deal have not been released.) But the show's enduring success does not mean that making "South Park" has become any easier for its two creators, who met in college at the University of Colorado. Between them, Mr. Stone, 34, and Mr. Parker, 36, write, direct and edit each episode, and they give their voices to most of the main characters. The second half of Season 9 begins tonight at 10. (Mr. Stone and Mr. Parker produce seven episodes in the spring and seven in the fall.)

"South Park" has evolved from a cranky, obscene voice of 1990's slacker culture to a high-profile entertainment brand, in large part because it provides a continuous running commentary on current events. Eight years of tackling up-to-the-minute issues like the search for Osama bin Laden, the controversy over Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" and the right-to-die questions raised by the court battle over Terri Schiavo have elevated Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone to a position as opinion arbiters: viewers count on divisive, newsworthy topics getting the "South Park" treatment.

Mr. Stone and Mr. Parker bristle at these expectations. "Now it's like, 'What's "South Park" going to do this week about Hurricane Katrina?' " Mr. Stone said. "I don't know what we're going to do. We should do an episode about how the town can't wait to see this show and what they're going to do about Hurricane Katrina." (They may complain, but they can't help themselves: on tonight's episode, a beaver dam breaks, causing a flood in a neighboring town. Assigning blame becomes the top priority.)

Animated series are not known for their timeliness, but "South Park" is different. When the show began in 1997, Mr. Parker, Mr. Stone and their staff would spend two weeks on an episode. Now they create each one, from start to finish, in six days, handing it over to Comedy Central on the morning of the broadcast. The process evolved from what Mr. Stone called "sheer procrastination" and Mr. Parker called "laziness."

Doug Herzog, Comedy Central's president, said: "For Matt and Trey, life is still a term paper. They put it under the professor's door at 11:59."

This crunch is what allows "South Park" to comment in real time on zeitgeist themes, from news headlines to video-game releases, but it's a harried process. Mr. Stone and Mr. Parker begin the Thursday-to-Wednesday week in the writers' room, where they throw around ideas. When they hit on ones that might work, Mr. Parker writes individual scenes so that the animators can begin creating the actual episode. As days pass, those scenes add up to 21 minutes with, eventually, a beginning, an end and a plot. As for how they arrive at an episode's larger narrative, Mr. Parker described the different approaches: "Do we come at it from, 'Remember this from third grade'? Do we come at it from, 'This happened on the news'?"

Sometimes an idea is character-driven. "Like, 'We need a Kyle story, there hasn't been much Kyle this season,' " Mr. Parker said. Those episodes, where the boys are just boys, are Mr. Stone's and Mr. Parker's favorite ones. "It feels very 'Peanuts,' " Mr. Parker said.

With three more years of "South Park" to go, its creators are trying to figure out what they will do after the show ends. They will soon be starting their own production company - probably, they said, with Paramount, for whom they made last year's "Team America: World Police."

"We need to get into producing at some point if we're actually going to have careers in our 40's," Mr. Parker said. "It's really scary, because one of the things we make fun of so much is the Steven Spielbergs, where it's like, 'Dude, stop.' "

What kinds of movies would they want to produce? "We don't know yet," Mr. Stone said. "You don't want to make your 'War of the Worlds.' "

Speaking of movies, will there ever be a sequel to 1999's "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut"? After making a face when asked, Mr. Stone said, "If we came up with a good idea, we'd do it." But with dozens of episodes to plot, they said, thinking of a good story to put aside for a film is difficult. Particularly when they prefer doing the show, anyway. "We're so satisfied with 'South Park,' " Mr. Parker said. "We don't feel the need to do another movie."

The series continues to be Comedy Central's highest-rated show, delivering an average of 2.6 million viewers each week. The eight years' worth of episodes repeat well, also, and Seasons 1 through 6 have sold a total of more than 3.5 million units on DVD.

Mr. Herzog, in a telephone interview from his Los Angeles office, called the show the "center of our prime-time effort." "It remains the heart of the network, along with 'The Daily Show,' " he said.

Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone will not say with certainty that "South Park" will end after the current contract expires. Mr. Parker said: "If somebody actually came to me and said, 'O.K., this is it: write your last "South Park" episodes,' I'd be like, 'No, no, no.' We've worked so hard on 'South Park,' making it what it is. How can we give that up?"

Mr. Herzog said Comedy Central would be willing to extend the show's run into infinity. "If they want to do it, we want to do it," he said. "I say to them face to face that I don't see any reason why 'South Park' can't be on forever."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/19/arts/television/19park.html?pagewanted=print

“Related,” so much ado over nothing

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 19, 2005

The best thing about “Friends,” the late NBC sitcom, was the way the six main characters were given space to develop. Though the show often suffered from thin plots, the writers more than made up for it by deftly carving out each personality. As we came to know them we saw how they coped with setbacks, and their reactions were always plausibly within character.

So one would assume the WB’s new “Related,” produced by “Friends” co-creator Marta Kauffman, would set out to deliver a cast of similarly well-defined characters.

It does not. What we get in their place is much screeching over the inconsequential. The four twentysomething Sorelli sisters come off as drama queens who can’t play a game of cards without a crisis breaking out.

The show, which late yesterday was switched from Wednesdays at 9 to Mondays at 9, is too eager to jump into the storytelling, and does so in a big way, leaping from faux crisis to faux crisis. In the first 15 minutes of the pilot alone, one sister deals with an unexpected pregnancy, one breaks up with her longtime boyfriend, another gets evicted, and the youngest changes her college major.

Several things are wrong. First, all these crises are all given the same weight, and it's a heavy load. Though these events are far from earth-shaking, each sister reacts as if her world had ended. They cry and carry on as the camera zips quickly from one to the next.

But the bigger issue is that there's no character development leading up to the flood of tears and moans. The writers never establish who these women are or why the audience should care.

Case in point: One day the youngest sister Rose (Laura Breckenridge) inexplicably switches her major from premed to experimental theater. The next she dyes her hair blue in an act of rebellion. The sisters react as though Rose has murdered the family dog. They berate her. She whines that she's sick of always being the safe one.

What's going on? Lord knows. Since we have no character development, we have no understanding of Rose or this thing that happened that's caused her to suddenly rebel. We get only the emoting from the entire pack.

It’s fine for the kids on the WB’s “One Tree Hill” to act this way. They’re teenagers. But these are adults, and the hysterics create an artificiality that takes away from the show’s good qualities, such as Jennifer Esposito’s turn as the workaholic mom-to-be and guest star Dan Futterman as the frustrated boyfriend of second-oldest sister Annie (Kiele Sanchez).

This is the WB’s first show to aggressively target the older end of the 12-34 demo, and so perhaps some of the problems stem from that. The show steals equally from two shows women 18-34 adore, “Friends” and “Sex and the City.” From the former it takes the tight focus on an unhealthily co-dependent group, and from the latter it steals frothy music, a romanticized view of New York, and a very woman-centric focus.

Not surprisingly, “SATC” writer Liz Tucillo is a consultant on “Related.” But, constricted by broadcast’s decency standards, “Related” can’t be dirty or risky in its humor.

“Related” improves some after the frenetically paced pilot. In ensuing episodes the women digest and deal with the issues introduced the first week. Yet the characters still aren’t fully drawn. Lizzy Caplan, who plays second-youngest daughter Marjee, gets especially thin material, and it’s unclear why her character is such a mess.

“Related” aspires to be a dramedy, a bit of "Friends" and "Sex and the City," but it succeeds at neither drama nor comedy, and it lacks the qualities of the shows it attempts to imitate. The wannabe funny bits are too forced, and the drama seems inconsequential.

The first two episodes have averaged a 1.3 in 12-34s, off 13 percent from last year’s timeslot occupant, the quickly canceled “The Mountain.” Unless these women pull themselves together in their new timeslot and quit whining, the same will happen to them.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_751.asp

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Breaking out in prime time

YOU'VE SEEN THEM BEFORE, BUT NOW THESE ACTORS GET A CHANCE TO SHINE

By Charlie McCollum San Jose Mercury News Wed, Oct. 19, 2005

Every year in television, there are actors who break out in new series or have a major impact on returning ones. Sometimes, they crash and burn quickly (remember Taye Diggs on ``Kevin Hill'' last fall?). Sometimes, they become true stars (Hugh Laurie on ``House,'' Kristen Bell on ``Veronica Mars'' last season). But no matter what their ultimate fates turn out to be, these are the ones whose flames are burning brightest so far this season.

EMILY DESCHANEL, ``Bones'' (8 PM ET/PT Tuesday, Fox)

Where you've seen her: If you're a die-hard Stephen King fan, you probably remember her from the 2002 miniseries ``Rose Red.'' Otherwise, you'd have to look for her as a supporting actress in such films as ``Spider-Man 2,'' ``Cold Mountain'' and ``The Alamo.'' It's her younger sister Zooey (``The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'') who has had bigger parts.

Why she's hot: As Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist on ``Bones,'' the 27-year-old actress is tough and smart and just oozes sexual chemistry with her partner, FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz). Deschanel also gives Brennan an emotional fragility (and a certain lack of confidence in her own skills) that isn't always in the dialogue.

SHIRLEY KNIGHT, ``Desperate Housewives'' (9 PM ET/PT Sunday, ABC)

Where you've seen her: Knight has had a long and distinguished career as an actress. She was one of Hollywood's hottest ingenues in the late 1950s and 1960s, in such films as Tennessee Williams' ``Sweet Bird of Youth'' and Francis Ford Coppola's ``The Rain People.'' She then left the film industry for the theater, although she turned up regularly in made-for-TV movies and an occasional series guest-star appearance, as when she played Mel Harris' mother on ``thirtysomething.''

Why she's hot: At age 69, Knight has made a huge and delightful splash on one of TV's most-watched series as the manipulative, scheming Phyllis Van De Kamp -- the mother of Bree Van Kamp's late husband, Rex. Her juicy verbal jousts with Bree (Monica Cross) have been the best parts of this fall's ``Housewives'' episodes. In a recent one, Bree booted Phyllis out of Wisteria Lane. But I don't think we've seen the last of Knight.

JASON LEE, ``My Name Is Earl'' (9 PM ET/PT Tuesday, NBC)

Where you've seen him: The 35-year-old had a notable film career before agreeing to do ``Earl.'' Audiences probably know him best from a couple of Cameron Crowe movies, ``Almost Famous'' and ``Vanilla Sky.'' He also did a batch of independent films, including Rebecca Miller's recent ``The Ballad of Jack and Rose'' and Kevin Smith's ``Dogma.'' And he was the voice of Syndrome, the bad guy in ``The Incredibles.''

Why he's hot: Before the show made its debut, the feeling within the TV world was that ``Earl'' was just too cool for the room, an edgy bit of humor with characters most people would try to avoid in real life. But Lee has made Earl -- a beer-swilling lowlife trying to make up for all the wrongs he has done -- into a sweetly appealing character without losing that edge. Result: a surprise hit.

WENTWORTH MILLER, ``Prison Break'' (9 PM ET/PT Monday, Fox)

Where you've seen him: Miller probably would like to forget some of his early work, such as the ill-fated series ``Dinotopia.'' But he scored big in 2003 as the younger Coleman Silk, Anthony Hopkins' character, in Robert Benton's ``The Human Stain'' and had a memorable guest stint last season on ``Joan of Arcadia'' as Ryan Hunter, who might have been the devil.

Why he's hot: Miller isn't just hot. He's this season's hottie. But there's more than sex appeal to the 33-year-old's performance as Michael Scofield, who gets himself thrown into prison so he can break his wrongly convicted brother out. He provides a solid, believable anchor to a show where plausibility is, at best, a secondary concern. Whether it's those sexually charged moments with the prison doctor (Sarah Wayne Callies) or the showdowns with prison scum such as T-Bag (Robert Knepper), Miller is the man.

MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ ``Lost'' (9 PM ET/PT Wednesday, ABC)

Where you've seen her: Rodriguez has been in a batch of action-oriented films since her first notable role as would-be prizefighter Diana Guzman in 2000's ``Girlfight.'' She probably is best remembered for flashing both toughness and sex appeal as Letty in Rob Cohen's ``The Fast and the Furious'' in 2001.

Why she's hot: Technically, Rodriguez isn't a newcomer to ``Lost'' because she briefly played her character, Ana Lucia Cortez, in a flashback toward the end of Season 1. But now she's on full time as one of the survivors from the rear of Oceanic Air Flight 815 who were totally unaware that others had survived. Her sexy, tough chick already has smacked down Sawyer (Josh Holloway), and the producers say she will become another corner in the Sawyer-Jack-Kate triangle. Catfight!

TYLER JAMES WILLIAMS, ``Everybody Hates Chris'' (8 PM ET/PT Thursday, UPN)

Where you've seen him: If you have kids, you might recognize the 12-year-old Williams as one of the stars of PBS's ``Sesame Street,'' where he has been a cast member for three years. He also has made appearances on such shows as ``Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' and ``Saturday Night Live.''

Why he's hot: The precocious Williams has pulled off the near impossible by giving a natural, unforced performance as the young Chris Rock in the comedy based on the comedian's life. He suggests what Rock probably was like at age 13 without turning himself into an imitative mini-Chris. He has helped make ``Chris'' a hit for UPN, which rarely gets a show that challenges those on the major networks.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/television/12939793.htm

MLB Post Season Playoffs Off 11 Percent

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com October 19, 2005

With both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox out of the American League Championship Series, Major League Baseball post season playoff telecast ratings are down 11 percent vs. a year ago.

Fox's 12 prime time games through Oct. 17 have averaged a 6.6/11 vs. a 7.4/12 a year ago. Just how much does Fox miss the New York and Boston home teams in the playoffs? The Chicago White Sox' series-clinching win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night (Oct. 16) delivered a 7.2/11 rating, 24 percent below last year's comparable 9.5/17 for the Yankees-Red Sox playoff game. The Saturday night (Oct. 15) prime time game between Chicago and L.A. produced a 4.9/9 rating, 38 percent lower than the prior year's Yankees-Red Sox game.

But Fox has pointed out that the baseball telecasts have produced a 3.0 rating among adults 18-34, higher than season-to-date averages of either CBS (2.8) or NBC(2.7). And across the major male demos, prime time postseason games are averaging a better rating than the primetime average of any individual network in men 18-34 (3.9), men 18-49 (4.6) and men 25-54 (5.3).

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001347631

Doctor: Can “ER” Be Saved?
By Diane Werts Newsday Staff Writer October 20, 2005

I'm ready to give up. I've tried and tried to hang on, but they've pushed me to the breaking point.

I'm about to jump ship on "ER."

And I've held out for so long. Through the Kellie Martin years. Through Dr. Dave and show-killer Michael Michele. Through helicopter amputations and every will-they/won't-they romantic conniption among these claustrophobic staffers. Through everybody and her sister telling me "ER" was oh-so-over. Can't help it. I've still been drawn to the life-or-death pacing that was so groundbreaking back in 1994, and I've always found someone as persuasive as Maura Tierney's Abby Lockhart to care about.

But this season's initial episodes arrived as such a nonstop plod through dreariness, unlikelihood and noncommunication that it's been hard to hold out hope for recovery. "ER" no longer has a center with the departure of sole remaining original star Noah Wyle, so all the other characters simply float off into the ether of absurdity. That whole Luka-Sam "romance"? Two characters who can't voice their fears and thus alienate each other might be provocative in a literary novel or an art-house film; but in weekly serial TV, they're dead weight. What was with Goran Visnjic and Linda Cardellini crazily chasing all over the Midwest after her runaway son? And not speaking to each other while they did it? Could there be less logical goings-on for less expressive characters?

Back in the actual ER, authority has been vested this fall in Scott Grimes' aggravating red-haired resident - he's so aggravating, I must be mentally blocking his character name - who has spent his entire series life avoiding work, mangling medicine and offending everyone. So now he's in charge? Even real-life bureaucracy isn't that perverse. He's making me yearn for exasperating yahoo Dr. Dave, played by Erik Palladino, who's now doing fine work over on FX's underappreciated war drama "Over There" as it hurtles toward Wednesday's season finale in which - oops. See how easy it is to get sidetracked away from "ER" these days?

Even when something seems headed in the right direction, like Mekhi Phifer's Dr. Pratt finding his father in the form of Danny Glover's screw-up, it doesn't seem to make much impact. Phifer's Greg Pratt is, like Visnjic's Luka Kovac, a closed-soul character, without the web of ER confidants that made the early seasons soar. Anthony Edwards, George Clooney and Julianna Margulies were friends who could hash out their crises to bring us into their inner circle, too. Now everybody's so alienated, there's less revelation than there is pouting, whining and lashing out.

Nobody feels connected.

Seems NBC and the producers recognized those first deadly fall episodes, too, and called for help. The initial addition two weeks back was Kristen Johnston, that "3rd Rock From the Sun" amazon, as a high-tech-trained "nurse czar" with a PhD and the guts to challenge doctors. But while Johnston added some much-needed backbone among the increasingly mushy crew, the proceedings around her still lacked their characteristic intensity. The pacing dragged, the tone was muted, the whole thing felt talky. No wonder Visnjic's Kovac kept falling asleep.

Tonight at 10 on NBC, we see another cast-adding tactic, and perhaps the most telling one as to whether "ER" can resuscitate itself. Showbiz doesn't have a liver wire than John Leguizamo, the performer-writer-producer-professional extrovert. While the Colombian-born, Queens-raised personality is at his best in his own one-man stage shows, he can't not add juice to this sagging saga.

Consider him the two-punch to Johnston's one. He plays an equally state-of-the-art staffer, attending physician Victor Clemente, who arrives in Chicago from the Bronx as "much more of a technology guy, bringing in new procedures and new equipment," as Leguizamo said in a recent conference call with TV critics. "He's coming to County General to update them and bring them to the next level. He's stepping on a lot of toes and lighting a fire under everybody's butt. He's a genius doctor who's really bright and really self-serving."

So self-serving that he sneaks into the ER tonight as a patient to test the staff's mettle, which sets up immediate conflict. Leguizamo's inherent liveliness - his zippy speech patterns and brisk physicality - provide stark contrast to the contained powder keg that is Visnjic's presumed ER center of gravity. Unless "ER" is so insane as to damp Leguizamo down, the show can't help but perk up.

Leguizamo said he felt invigorated after spending time in Los Angeles ERs observing real attending physicians.

"They're constantly eating all this junk food and listening to hip-hop. They're very loose while there's a lot of stuff going on." That "stuff" will soon include "a lot of flirting," Leguizamo promised with glee, "and then I definitely get a very sexy, dirty white girl. There's gonna be a heated sexual healing kind of thing."

Whatever. It's got to improve on all the morose moping so far. And it had better if "ER" hopes to maintain anything close to its accustomed success on Thursday nights. The former No. 1 show, to which NBC is committed through the 2007-08 season, just slipped behind CBS' "Without a Trace" even in the 18-49 demographic it had dominated for a decade. After all the life-or-death choices "ER" has faced throughout its 250 episodes, this season's shakeups are undoubtedly the most crucial treatment decisions the show will ever make.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-ettel4475232oct20,0,6668863,print.column?coll=ny-television-headlines

Stevens: DTV Bill Would Set Aside $3 Billion for Converters

By Doug Halonen TVWeek.com October 19, 2005

DTV legislation slated for a vote Thursday by the Senate Commerce Committee would earmark $3 billion to help more than 60 million consumers buy digital-to-analog converters to ensure that analog-only TV sets still work after April 7, 2009, when the bill would pull the plug on analog TV operations.

That was the word from Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, in a speech to an industry seminar Wednesday in Washington.

"We plan to provide a set-top box to everyone who has a TV box that needs one," said Sen. Stevens, adding that converters are expected to cost about $50 apiece when the DTV transition is complete. The senator also said lawmakers have agreed that consumers would have to make a $10 co-pay for each converter, with additional costs coming from the $10 billion expected to be raised by auctions of the rights to the broadcasting industry's analog TV channels.

Sen. Stevens also confirmed that, due to parliamentary concerns, the five-page DTV bill that will go to a vote Thursday will include only provisions that are directly related to congressional funding concerns, because lawmakers want to include the measure in a major budget bill. Even so, Sen. Stevens predicted that efforts would be made to amend the budget package on the Senate floor to include such controversial provisions as a multicast carriage requirement. "And I may support some of those," he said.

Still, the lawmaker said a second bill would be needed to detail how the set-top box program actually works -- and to deal with other policy issues related to the DTV conversion, including whether to require cable TV operators to carry multicast signals and setting the ground rules for cable's down-conversion of the digital broadcast signals.

Among the other policy issues that the senator said might be addressed in the second bill would be what he described as "family issues" and rules requiring "special rates or at least special treatment" for political candidates before elections.

Sen. Stevens said he hopes the second bill will be approved this year, but he declined to forecast what it would end up including.

"If you had been in the discussions I was in yesterday, you'd wonder if it was ever going to be possible," he said. "But as a fact of the matter, it has to be done."

Added the senator: "What the content's going to be is going to be very difficult."

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8760

Hillary effect? ABC's 'Chief' stumbles

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 19, 2005

The web is abuzz with a new conspiracy theory: ABC’s Geena Davis-as-president show “Commander-in-Chief” is really a ploy by left-leaning Hollywood to pave the road to the White House for Hillary Clinton.

The theory has been getting a lot of attention in the media this week, but that may not be such a good thing for the show. Last night’s episode equaled its series-low rating among adults 18-49.

“Chief” posted a 4.3 final rating among 18-49s last night, tying its lowest showing through five episodes. It was down 9 percent from last week’s 4.7, though it did average 16.3 million total viewers, on par with its season average.

Perhaps it was conservative viewers tuning out, or maybe viewers don’t want real-life politics mixed with entertainment. Or maybe they’ve been reading what’s being said online.

NationalLedger.com columnist JB Williams writes, “When I heard about this series in production months ago, I suspected that there might be more to the timing and story line than the typical Hollyweird love-fest with the Clintons. I was right, there is much more to it.”

Blogger Colossus calls the show “nefarious plot to advance the notion of a Hillary Clinton presidency.”

The show fell despite facing less competition than last week. Because the American League Championship Series finished early, Fox aired a rerun of “House” rather than postseason baseball. “Chief” finished third in its 9 p.m. timeslot.

“Even if the American people know the connections between this show and the impending Hillary bid for the White House,” Williams warns, “many Americans are accustomed to taking their marching orders from Hollyweird folks already.”

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_775.asp

Cable to Pols: Competition Exists Post Adelphia Deal

By Todd Shields MediaWeek.com October 19, 2005

Cable officials on Wednesday told Congress there will be plenty of competition for video services after Comcast and Time Warner Cable absorb customers from bankrupt Adelphia to form regionally dominant cable providers.

"Our big competitors are better clustered than we will be," Glenn Britt, chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable, told the Senate's antitrust subcommittee. Britt said cable companies still will face two nationwide direct-broadcast satellite companies, and multi-state regional telephone companies that are moving rapidly into video programming.

The proposed merger would transfer bankrupt Adelphia's 5.4 million customers to Comcast and Time Warner, leaving the two companies as the dominant cable provider in such markets as Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Cleveland. The Federal Communications Commission is aiming to complete its review of the deal by early December.

Mark Cooper, research director for the Consumer Federation of America, said video competition from telephone companies was unlikely to aid consumers who are faced with rising cable rates and expensive programming packages. "It doesn't serve the needs of the average lunch-bucket consumer," Cooper said.

Senators said they wanted to explore implications of the proposed merger, and of telephone companies' moves into supplying video programming.

"We need to understand whether current regulations are getting in the way of a more competitive market," said Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), the antitrust panel's chair.

Congress is considering how to rewrite a broad suite of telecommunications laws that were last revamped nearly 10 years ago. Since then communications technology has evolved.

"The video marketplace is in flux," as are markets for voice and data services, DeWine said. "The more competition we have the better innovation and services we will see (and) accordingly that will be the goal" of new telecommunications laws.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001348193

Blogger Colossus calls the show “nefarious plot to advance the notion of a Hillary Clinton presidency.”


WOW! The stupidity of a good portion of this country is staggering! I guess Invasion is a nefarious plot to advance the notion of an alien immigration movement. Those damn liberals will let anyone into this country! :rolleyes:

Whoa, I posted the column because over in the "CIC" thread the politcal complaints seem to be coming pretty heavily, and I thought it best to at least acknowledge them.

(But to be honest, IMO a slight dip in the CIC ratings one week is not even statistically relevant.)

And this thread (in an HD forum) already breaks more than enough rules to test the incredible patience of David Bott, Allan Gouger and especially Ken H -- so I would ask we keep the political comments to a bare minimum!

(Preferably no more at all on this subject!) :)

Smits-Alda debate on 'West Wing' promises to be great TV

By Jeanne Jakle San Antonio Express-News

What a bummer to see such droopy ratings for NBC's "The West Wing" — both nationally and in San Antonio — when the show has never been better.

There's even going to be a live debate between the two presidential candidates: Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits), the Democratic senator from Houston, and Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda), the Republican nominee who's so reasonable even Democrats can't help but like him.

It happens at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 and promises to be an improvement over the lackluster and well-rehearsed debates we've grown used to today. Though part of it will be scripted — hey, that's reality, man — John Wells, the series producer, said there will be ad-libs, confrontations and surprises. The show will even solicit questions from viewers via the Internet.

If the live debate is anything like the live teleconference call with Alda and Smits that critics were treated to recently, this should be fab TV. Alda was the most glib, taking Smits' answers and adding just the right zinger. They both indicated that this debate will make an effort to show viewers something about the men running — something real debates seldom do today. Smits said it's fascinating to watch how the show peels away the layers of the candidates, bit by bit, as one peels "away at an artichoke."

Alda couldn't resist chiming in an even more astute observation. "We're talking about politicians," he said with a chuckle, "so we never get down to the heart."

This kind of irreverence should translate into great TV and I can't wait to watch. Hey, a real newsman — Forrest Sawyer —will be the moderator. Another plus? The debate episode will have more meat, and fewer commercial breaks, than usual.

San Antonio viewers may find what's said particularly relevant, given the makeup of the city's population. One of Vinick's goals, after all, is to wrestle the valuable Hispanic vote away from Santos, who is the obvious favorite of the ethnic group.

I know it's tough to turn away from your Sunday favorites, whether it's the top-rated "Extreme Makeover" on ABC or CBS' second-placer, "Cold Case."

But chances are, if you try "West Wing" this season, you'll like it. Not only is it engrossing drama, but it provides a lesson in the political system that just may prove beneficial to today's apathetic generation of voters.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/columnists/jjackle/stories/MYSA101805.1P.jakle.c88259c.html

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
NBC Wants Its Old Favorite Night Back

By Bill Carter The New York Times October 20, 2005

NBC, which used to own Thursday night lock, stock and barrel, now finds itself wearing the barrel on Thursdays.

The night that defined NBC's dominance in prime-time television for two decades is now a CBS principality, with that network finally winning the 10 p.m. hour in the Eastern and Pacific time zones among the only audience that NBC cares about - adults between the ages of 18 and 49 - with its crime drama "Without a Trace" edging past the most potent drama of the past decade, "ER."

For NBC, this ultimate defeat on Thursday may be the spur to action. Its executives have been thrashing over possible changes on the night, including a return to a Thursday comedy block. That would almost certainly involve the risky move of transferring the comedy "My Name Is Earl," NBC's bright spot this season, from Tuesday to Thursday, perhaps as early as January. Kevin Reilly, the president of NBC Entertainment, asked about moving "Earl," said, "Anything is possible at this point."

Last season NBC lost the overall Thursday audience in every ratings category for the first time since it began broadcasting "The Cosby Show" in 1984. But "ER" remained a winner in its time period. This season CBS has extended its dominance to every single half-hour - while NBC clings to second place.

The significance of winning Thursday night is all about money. It is, by far, the biggest night for television advertising because many advertisers who need to do big weekend business - starting with movie companies, but also including car companies and fast food restaurants - will pay a premium to reach viewers on Thursday night, the last big night of television before the weekend starts.

Leslie Moonves, the CBS chief executive, said last spring that taking control of Thursday would mean hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenues for his network. Yesterday he said that strategy had paid off with CBS adding about $400 million more in revenues this year. "Who would have ever believed we would be winning every half-hour on Thursday nights?" Mr. Moonves said in a telephone interview.

The current NBC lineup - "Joey, "Will & Grace," "The Apprentice" and ER"- has slid precipitously this fall. Now NBC is almost compelled to act. The questions are when, and with what?

"I never intended to stand pat for the whole season with what we had," Mr. Reilly said in a phone interview Tuesday. "Upgrading Thursday night remains the No. 1 priority for the network. It's definitely on the front burner."

Mr. Reilly did not want to tip his hand about the network's potential changes,but he conceded that moving "My Name Is Earl" has to be considered, especially if NBC intends to rebuild Thursday with a block of comedies, always its strength in the good old days.

"Earl," the new comedy that stars Jason Lee as a onetime petty criminal setting out to right all the wrongs of his earlier days, has surprised many in the industry by breaking out as an instant hit on Tuesday nights. Remarkably, "My Name Is Earl" is already the top-rated comedy on television with that 18-to-49 audience.

NBC is accustomed to having television's highest-rated comedy, but in the past it has always been on a Thursday night. That, of course is feeding the speculation that NBC will move the show there.

But any move of a new show is always a risk, and the ratings for "Earl," while impressive, still seem a bit fragile to some, especially NBC's competitors. Mr. Reilly acknowledged the risk. "You can oftentimes make a move and trade down," he said.

And comedies usually have to be judged in pairs. NBC is getting mixed results from "The Office," the show now paired with "Earl." It does extremely well with the youngest part of the audience, those up to 35, but loses a lot of the upper end of the under-50 group. "The Office" did tick up in the ratings this week. NBC also has three new comedies in production, and if one looks especially promising it could try to pair one with "Earl" on Thursdays.

Of course, the network has to decide which shows to replace. "Joey" has seemingly failed as the 8 p.m. entry, though NBC executives note that it still holds onto a core audience. Putting "My Name Is Earl" at 9 means displacing "The Apprentice," which has tailed off further this season, though it still draws a much better than average rating from 9 to 10 against television's most popular show, "CSI" on CBS. And "The Apprentice" retains the most affluent audience in prime time.

Mr. Moonves said, "Those 'Apprentice' numbers are still good; I'd take Donald Trump right now."

NBC has two natural breaks this season when it could at least experiment with Thursday. The first is in January when networks often introduce new shows. That month CBS will have to use some temporary program on Thursday at 8 because its hit, "'Survivor," has about a six-to-eight-week break between its two seasonal editions.

But this season NBC will also have a whole month, February, devoted to the Winter Olympics, so all its shows can be rested then. Presumably it would not want to start a new edition of "The Apprentice" in late January and then pre-empt it for four weeks of sports.

So NBC has an opportunity to try "My Name Is Earl" at either 8 or 9 p.m. on Thursdays, starting in January. That timing has an added benefit. It would mean "Earl" could avoid the invasion of what has been an overpowering ratings force on Tuesdays, "American Idol" on Fox.

That show will return in January with a two-hour edition on a Tuesday night. After that, Fox executives have said, they are likely to add some special 90-minute editions of "Idol" on Tuesdays later in its run. All of those would spill over against "Earl," all but assuring that NBC's ratings would plunge on those nights.

If NBC really wants to get out of the barrel on Thursday nights, the time may be January, and the catapult is the show "My Name Is Earl."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/arts/television/20nbc.html?pagewanted=print

Court TV to try scripts, irony and John Waters
The network plans to air a new series about true-crime domestic murder mysteries hosted by the iconoclastic film director

By Scott Martelle Los Angeles Times staff writer October 20, 2005

Taking a half-step from real courtrooms to "Law and Order"-style dramas, Court TV plans to air a new half-hour series this winter about true-crime domestic murder mysteries hosted by iconoclastic film director John Waters.

The series, called "Til Death Do Us Part," will focus on a single spousal murder in each episode, beginning with a reenactment of the wedding. Waters will serve as the "groom reaper," walking the viewer through each story.

"It has a little bit of irony to it, especially to start at the wedding," said Marc Juris, Court TV's general manager of programming and marketing. "Every bad marriage does have a happy wedding."

Envision Elvira and her "Movie Macabre" shows from the early 1980s. Or Vincent Price.

"I've always been jealous of Vincent Price's career," Waters said in a prepared statement. "Maybe now that he's dead, I can hijack it."

The series was conceived by low-budget horror film director Jeff Lieberman and will adopt an "over the top" tone, a Court TV press release said. It's unclear how that might play with the relatives of the victims, given that each of the episodes will be based on a real murder.

"I'm groaning already," Cheryl Guidry Tyiska, deputy communications director for the National Organization for Victim Assistance, said after hearing Court TV's description of the program. "While domestic violence and domestic homicide can be very dramatic stories, it sounds like this is designed for prurient entertainment.... My gut reaction is: Yuck."

Juris said the network would strive to balance storytelling with the sensitivities of the victims' families.

"The show features real accounts of actual events," he said. "Our goal is to tell compelling stories that illustrate human nature at an extreme, the investigative process and the power of our system of justice. We are always sensitive to those affected by these stories."

Juris said the half-hour episodes will unfold like a murder mystery, and the viewer won't know who the victim is until more than midway through. The first episode, based on a Michigan ax murder, begins shooting soon.

Court TV plans to commit to another 12 episodes after it assesses how the first episode works out.

"I hesitate to call it a pilot," Juris said. "We're in a different place in the decision-making process — let's get the first one right, then let's do it."

The show will be scripted from court records, police reports, news accounts of the crimes and Court TV's film archives of trials. Court TV is promoting the show as the first scripted series it has commissioned.

"We think the real beauty of this series is ... it's a real story," Juris said. "We love to tell stories that involve an investigation and a mystery and a solution — sort of justice being served. The trick is: How do you tell these stories differently?"

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-wk-court20oct20,0,2062574,print.story?coll=cl-tv-top-right

Hmmm, it sounds a little like "ER" has signed up a clone of Dr. Gregory House......

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
“ER” gets another transfusion of new blood

By Gary Strauss USA TODAY

NBC's hospital drama ER is growing long in the tooth and short on testosterone.

Now in its 12th season, ER drew 13.6 million viewers last week, a series low.

More significant, ER's core 18-to-49 audience is migrating to CBS' Without a Trace, which had 20.6 million viewers last week.

It has lost several key male leads, including Noah Wyle, the last of the original cast, who left last season.

Enter edgy Emmy winner John Leguizamo, who begins an extended house call tonight (10 ET/PT) to help revive the series. He plays hotshot doc Victor Clemente, whose abrasiveness and unconventional methods will become a flashpoint for conflict for the next 12 episodes.

"We're in a transitional phase, for sure," says ER executive producer David Zabel. "The women characters are really strong. We're trying to inject stronger male characters into the show. We're looking for a dynamic force."

Zabel says Leguizamo's character "is written to be a dynamo and a spark plug — a guy who comes in and shakes things up and has a new way of doing things."

Tonight (Oct. 20th’s) entrance highlights Leguizamo's unconventional methodology: He enters the hospital masquerading as a patient to size up the professionalism of Chicago County General's staff.

Leguizamo, 41, is best known for his comedy act, Broadway roles (Freak) and film work, including Moulin Rouge and HBO's Undefeated, which he directed and co-wrote. But his last extended TV role was on 1995's short-lived Fox sketch comedy House of Buggin'.

Leguizamo was exploring TV roles when ER executive producer John Wells approached him about a recurring part.

Leguizamo spent time in a hospital emergency room to research his role. But he says he was ill prepared for early ER shoots, when he had to juggle medical procedures with snappy lines, filming four episodes simultaneously.

"The first day was scary. There were crazy amounts of dialogue," he says.

"It's a physically and mentally demanding role. The pace is hectic. When you have to pump hearts and spout out dialogue, the adrenaline rush is ridiculous."

Vivi Zigler, head of NBC's prime-time programming, says ER's woes are compounded by the network's fading Thursday lineup and CBS' Trace lead-in, the top-ranked CSI.

"Ratings-wise and audience-wise, ER continues to do well, but it's in a tough time slot," she says.

Zigler says casting and compelling story lines are essential to resuscitating ER.

The show has added double Emmy winner Kristen Johnston (3rdRock from the Sun) as a regular. John Stamos will be a guest. Danny Glover will return as the estranged father of Mekhi Phifer's character, Greg Pratt. Wyle also will appear in some shows.

More guests are being lined up. "Any show that's been on this long is always looking to change the energy and make it feel renewed," Zabel says.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-10-19-er-leguizamo_x.htm

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
“Commander In Chief” gets pick up

It is not in the category of a major surprise, (or even any surprise at all) but ABC Wednesday officially picked up freshman series “Commander In Chief” for an additional nine episodes.

The program, starring Geena Davis as President of the United States, has been the highest-rated new show this season. Veteran producer Steven Bochko was named last week to take over the show-running duties from series creator Rod Lurie.

Wednesday's order from ABC means there will be the full complement of 22 episodes of “Commander In Chief” this season.

The pickup news was first reported by the trade paper Variety late Wednesday night.

Through last week, "Commander in Chief" has always finished in the weekly top ten and has easily been the highest-rated new program of the season in each of the three weeks it has aired.

September 28:16.36 million viewers (#9 for the week)
Next highest rated new show: #23 Invasion ABC 12.30 million viewers

October 5: 16.94 million viewers (#8 for the week)
Next highest rated new show: # 19 My Name Is Earl NBC 13.23 million viewers

October 12: 16.22 million viewers (#9 for the week)
Next highest rated new show: #17 Criminal Minds CBS 13.76 million viewers

October 19: 15.95 million viewers

FYI, part 2:

Warner embraces Blu-ray

Universal now only studio solely in HD DVD camp
By Scott Hettrick and Paul Sweeting 10/19/2005

OCT. 19 | In the biggest victory yet for Sony and the backers of Blu-ray in the war over the next-gen high-def DVD, Warner Home Video is expected to announce Thursday that the studio is embracing its rival’s platform.

Warner has been the primary studio backer of Toshiba’s so-called HD DVD format, which is incompatible with Blu-ray.

The studio, which will continue to support HD DVD, has been threatening to release movies in both formats since last month (VideoBusiness.com, 10-2)



One of the two other major studios in the HD DVD camp, Paramount Home Entertainment, became the first studio to hedge its exclusivity with HD camp when it announced earlier this month that it would also publish movies on Blu-ray.

Warner was holding out for concessions by the Blu-ray group on a number of issues, particularly increased safeguards against unauthorized copying. Sources say the Blu-ray board voted at 5 p.m. Wednesday to approve revisions requested by Warner.

"This is something the HD DVD camp cannot recover from," said one executive close to the negotiations.

But Toshiba, which has been aware of Warner's impending decision, is planning to go forward with the introduction next year of its competing high-def DVD.

"The studios have decided to allow consumers to decide, and that's a shame," said one top studio exec.

Industry observers believe Warner and Paramount are hedging their bets with their moves on the chance that Sony will not be able to deliver as robust a product as they say in the timeframe they promise -- mid-2006 either slightly before or after the introduction of Sony's PlayStation 3, which will incorporate Blu-ray as well.

If Sony delivers, many studio execs say that Warner and Paramount will likely abandon the HD DVD platform. If not, media companies are under such pressure to deliver a new product to revive double-digit growth of pre-recorded movies, that they will go ahead with Toshiba's format.

One studio exec says that engineers re-evaluated the Blu-ray technology as recently as this week and concluded that it will not be ready to offer everything Sony promises for two more years.

With Warner's announcement, Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the lone studio solely in the HD DVD camp. Although the studio is not commenting officially, sources say Universal has no motivation to follow the lead of Warner and Paramount and will likely wait at least a few weeks and maybe much longer before making any announcements of its own.

Aligned solely with Sony on Blu-ray are Disney, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Sony's own studio and its co-owned MGM Home Entertainment and Lions Gate Home Entertainment.

Ironically, Warner's decision came on the same day that Blu-ray board member Hewlett-Packard tried to bring the two sides closer together by announcing that it would ask the Blu-ray Assn. to consider adding two key HD DVD technologies to the Blu-ray format, a mandatory "managed copy" system and "iHD," both enthusiastically supported by Warner.

Managed copy allows consumers to make legitimate copies of their high-def movies and play them anywhere around the world.

iHD, an interactive layer developed by Microsoft and Disney, enables new interactivity with standards-based development tools and technologies.

Sources said while H-P's efforts were in the direction Warner was already asking the Blu-ray group to move, the announcement had little, if any bearing on Warner's decision.

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6276046.html

'EARL' HELPS NBC TO 18-49 WIN TUESDAY
By Cynthia Littleton, Hollywood Reporter, 10/20/2005


"My Name is Earl" was a pearl again for NBC on Tuesday.

The 9 p.m. comedy delivered the highest adults 18-49 demographic rating of any program of the night, pulling in an average of 11.8 million viewers and 5.6 rating/14 share, according to Nielsen Media Research.

"Earl" and 10 p.m.'s "Law & Order: SVU" (14.1 million, 5.3/14) led NBC to win the night in the demo (4.6/12). CBS stayed atop the total viewers column (12.8 million) as it boasted the night's most-watched program overall in 8 p.m. drama "NCIS" (17.1 million, 4.3/12).

CBS also had a pretty good showing from 9 p.m.'s "The Amazing Race" (11.3 million, 4.5/11), which elbowed past ABC's "Commander in Chief" (15.9 million, 4.3/11) to rank No. 2 in the hour behind NBC in the key demo.

Both CBS and ABC took dives at 10 p.m. with dramas "Close to Home" (9.9 million, 3.3/9) and "Boston Legal" (11.7 million, 3.4/9), respectively.

With last night's break in baseball's post-season action, Fox was in rerun-ville for the night with encores of "Bones" (4.4 million, 1.7/5) and "House" (8.2 million, 3.1/8).

The WB Network was in good shape with its drama combo of "Gilmore Girls" (5.9 million, 2.8/8) and "Supernatural" (4.9 million, 2.3/6). UPN was off the radar with its 8 p.m. repeat of "America's Next Top Model" (2.7 million, 1.1/3) and 9 p.m.'s "Sex, Love & Secrets" (1.1 million, 0.5/1).

Burnout strikes for CBS's “CSI: Miami”
...
It seems to be a case of viewers choosing not to watch “Miami” rather than choosing to watch one of the timeslot’s other shows.[/url]Count me as one of those. CSI:Miami jumped the shark this season. Slow-motion montages of every character for no apparent reason (if there really is ever a legitimate reason), including cut-ins of normal-motion video that is really jarring...much more over dramatic acting (even by Caruso standards)...cases so complicated that if you are able to follow them, you can't possibly fathom why anyone would go through such gyrations, even on a TV show...etc.!

All of that just sentenced CSI:Miami to fall off the bottom of my list of shows.

And speaking of jumping the shark, ER is poised for takeoff.

Xesdeeni

The TV Column
Kutcher Sells His Older Wife Tale

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Thursday, October 20, 2005; C07

That whole older chick/younger guy thing?

While it seemed to have worked pretty well for Stella and her groove in movie theaters, where discriminating audiences pay actual money to be entertained, when it comes to appealing to the larger, broadcast-TV-sized masses, it appears to be another matter entirely.

On the small screen it would seem that if you:

Focus on the woman -- uncomfortable-making.

From the guy's point of view -- totally hot.

Which may explain why such a commotion was made this week over news that Ashton Kutcher had sold a pilot to the Fox network about a 30-year-old guy who marries an older woman with kids only a few years younger than he is -- the very same week WB, citing lack of viewer interest, pulled its sitcom about a woman shacking up with her boyfriend on whom she's got a decade or so.

I know, there is that whole TV-imitates-life thing with Kutcher, who recently married Demi Moore, who will be 43 years old next month to Kutcher's 27. And yes, Kutcher is closer in age to Moore's oldest daughter, Rumer, who is 17.

But they've gone to great lengths to conceal from the public the real-life Kutcher-Moore connection to the new series, cleverly setting it in Chicago and making the title character a nightclub owner and his wife a businesswoman.

Then they've gone and called it "30 Year Old Grandpa," because the sitcom couple discover they're pregnant at the same time the wife's 22-year-old daughter announces she's also expecting.

Kutcher really did not invent the whole May-December, or in this case more like May-September, romance phenomenon, though you'd think so based on the hysteria in the media over his relationship with Moore and this week's kerfuffle over his sitcom pilot deal at Fox.

On WB's "Living With Fran," for instance, 48-year-old Fran Drescher plays a woman living with her grown son and with her younger boyfriend, played by 30-year-old Ryan McPartlin.

But, of course, that show was about the woman. And, like we said, it seems that on the small screen:

Older woman shacking up with younger man -- ick.

Younger man shacking up with older woman -- yum.

According to one of the partners in Kutcher's production company, "30 Year Old Grandpa" began as a series about a mother and her daughter having babies at the same time.

"It then dawned on us that the guy's point of view on this was the comedy hook," she said. Or, maybe they realized that Ashton Kutcher pitching a sitcom about Ashton Kutcher would go over big in Hollywood and in the press.

Which it did.

And, possibly, they too had figured out that the older woman don't play so well in these May-December TV romances. Viewers think they're a little sad. Viewers do not like their sitcoms sad. If they did, they'd be watching "Joey."

Kutcher did not even invent the whole pitching-a-series-about-a-May-December-romance-that-bears-an-uncanny-resemblance-to-your-personal-life thing.

ABC fell for that one several years ago. It was called "Then Came You."

That show focused on a pretty 33-year-old book editor and divorcee who moves into a swanky hotel, also in Chicago (coincidence? I think not), where she takes up with one of the 22-year-old waiters who brings her room service, if you know what I mean. It was scrubbed after six weeks.

"Then Came You" was based on the personal experience of Betsy Thomas, one of the show's creators and co-executive producers. After her divorce, Thomas had moved into the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles and had an affair with her room-service waiter.

Oh, and by the way, "30 Year Old Grandpa" is not the only show in which we will be subjected to Kutcher working through his newly discovered younger/older-folks-hooking-up thing.

His production company also has sold, to WB network, a reality series called "Fountain of Youth." It's like the CBS reality series "Amazing Race." Only each team will consist of a college student paired with a senior citizen.

Sweet.

* * * *

"Fran" is one of two shows WB has pulled off its lineup, in favor of reruns.

Lots and lots of reruns.

Starting tomorrow, WB is giving "Fran's" cushy post-"Reba" 9:30 p.m. slot on Fridays to its new sitcom "Twins," starring Melanie Griffith as a mother of twin girls who bear no resemblance.

In the 8:30 slot formerly occupied by "Twins," WB will rerun episodes of "What I Like About You" -- the series that airs at 8.

On to Sunday, where WB has pulled its back-to-back "Blue Collar TV" episodes in favor of repeats of Tuesday's new paranormal drama, "Supernatural."

On Monday, where reruns of WB's new one-hour series "Related" have been plugging the hole made when Jerry Bruckheimer's new drama "Just Legal" got the hook, original episodes of "Related" will take over. "Related" reruns are being moved to the show's original time period, Wednesdays at 9.

In a nutshell, WB is pulling expensive original programming out of the way of ABC's "Lost" on Wednesday and ABC's "Desperate Housewives" on Sunday, and filling those hours with repeats.

All told, WB will have 3 1/2 hours of repeat programming on its 13 hours of prime time.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/19/AR2005101902208_pf.html

Round the clock TV: Too much in demand?

By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News Oct. 20, 2005

I’ve been bending people's ears for months now about the wonders of "On Demand," the digital-cable service that's let me watch Showtime's "Weeds," or HBO's "Entourage" or the Sundance Channel's riveting documentary series, "The Staircase," anytime I want.

But having just spent a few days catching up on the doings of HBO's "Rome," I'm wondering if there might not be a downside to all this freedom.

For certain series - and I think "Rome" is one of them - on-demand programming just might not be demanding enough.

The show, after all, has been on since late August, and not only have I yet to see one of its 9 p.m. Sunday premieres - where this week it attracted 2.45 million viewers, less than 10 percent of the number that tuned in for ABC's "Desperate Housewives" - but until I decided it was time to catch up, it had been several weeks since I watched it at all.

For me, "Rome" had become like "Law & Order," a show I know will be on for the rest of all our lives, pretty much round the clock, and therefore feel no compelling need to watch.

Knowing that I can see what's up with Caesar and his friends and enemies any time at all, I've instead focused my viewing either on the shows that ask me to show up in front of the set at a certain time or on programs stored in my DVR, in hopes of seeing them before they get erased or fill up my hard drive.

I realize most people don't worry about not watching enough TV - and if you do, I'll bet there are support groups - but I wouldn't be surprised if the viewership for "Rome" hasn't suffered a bit because HBO's made it so darn easy for us.

When "The Sopranos" first came to television, fans may have known they could wait till later in the week to catch an episode, but they also knew that doing so meant they might have to cover their ears at the office until then, lest they find out who got whacked on Sunday night.

There's a fair amount of whacking going on in "Rome" these days - and in this Sunday's episode, something far more shocking - but I'm not hearing much about it.

Which is a shame, because it's a series that's getting more absorbing as the season goes on, and there's a lot to talk about - even if one of the things is the way that soldiers Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) manage to be in on just about every big thing that happens to Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), whether it's in Rome or Egypt.

Together, they're like the Zelig of the ancient world.

I realize that soon we may all be getting our favorite TV shows pumped into our cell phones (or into a chip in our brains), but I do wonder sometimes what that's going to do to serialized drama.

With the exception of the novels that first appeared in serialized form in 19th-century magazines, episodic storytelling is an art form that's mostly associated with television. Generations of writers have learned how to work around not only commercial breaks but around the longer ones between episodes, and we've learned to wait, sometimes eagerly, for the next installments of their stories.

Is something lost when the audience knows it can show up anytime?

Instant gratification is wonderful, but there's something to be said, too, for having to be in your seat when the curtain goes up.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television/12948487.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

FYI, part 2:

Warner embraces Blu-ray

....But Toshiba, which has been aware of Warner's impending decision, is planning to go forward with the introduction next year of its competing high-def DVD.

"The studios have decided to allow consumers to decide, and that's a shame," said one top studio exec.


Stupid move. Everyone needs to pick one and leave it at that. To me, as a consumer, I don't care which format wins, as long as we only have one format.

We don't need any more Betamax/VHS wars or DCC/DAT/MD wars or SACD/DVD-Audio....

For the WB, a bad case of the splits
Ratings dive in its push for older viewers

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 20, 2005

The WB came into the new broadcast season with the aim of broadening its audience beyond female teens to include more viewers at the upper range of the 18-34 demographic. It was a sound strategy, and if it worked it was sure to lead to a boost in ratings.

But the execution of that strategy has been a disaster. A month into the new season the network finds itself straddling been the two demographics with new shows that appeal to neither.

Ratings are plummeting, and yesterday the network laid out a dramatically overhauled lineup that returns its focus to young people.

Axed are Fran Drescher's “Living with Fran” and comedian Jeff Foxworthy's “Blue Collar TV." They follow the cancellation a couple of weeks ago of “Just Legal” with 1980s heartthrob Don Johnson. All three shows did poorly among younger women.

“Related,” a dramedy about four sisters, is struggling, its fate uncertain, as yet another new show with little to draw the WB's traditional youngish viewer.

But these shows also were not drawing the somewhat older viewers the WB was seeking. It doesn’t appear the WB is abandoning its strategy but is rather regrouping to get through sweeps.

“I don’t think their strategy is bad, but I question the way they’ve gone about fulfilling it,” says Sam Armando, vice president and director of television research at Starcom.

“They are trying to get older but alienating the core demo they spent 10 years attracting. Shows like ‘Just Legal’ and ‘Related’ don’t resonate with their core demo, but they also don’t resonate with the 18-34-year-old they are trying to get.”

Armando says some of the shows the WB has in development for midseason, such as “Pepper Dennis” with Rebecca Romijn, appear better suited to attract both teens and adults.

Until then, the network will air repeats of programs populated by teens and twentysomethings in place of the canned shows. The sitcom “What I Like About You” will now air twice on Fridays, an original at 8 p.m. and a repeat at 8:30 p.m., while the new drama “Supernatural” will air on originals Tuesdays and repeats Sundays.

Executives at the WB were not available for comment but Shari Anne Brill, vice president and director of programming at Carat, says the network isn’t likely to abandon its new programming strategy, and she believes it shouldn’t.

She sees yesterday's moves as an effort simply to shore up ratings in preparation for the November sweeps, when affiliates set prices charged to advertisers.

“A change in strategy doesn’t take hold five weeks into the new season,” she says. “Everyone is jockeying for position for the all-important sweeps. You want the [programs] that are working to stick around and rearrange or eliminate the ones that aren’t.”

The WB’s falling ratings suggest it needs major work on its lineup, which ranks in last place in most demographics.

It’s down 11 percent on a season-to-season basis in households through four weeks. Its total viewers average is off by 13 percent. And it’s down 20 percent among people 12-34, 22 percent among women in that age group, and 11 percent and 20 percent among adults 18-34 and women 18-34, respectively.

The WB’s nosedive is nearly as bad in older demographics. Its 18-49 rating is down 12 percent while its 25-54 rating is off by 6 percent. These ratings are based on an analysis of Nielsen Media Research data released this week by Magna Global.

At the same time, the WB’s rival UPN also launched the season with a new strategy of focusing on young women that has been under construction for the past few seasons. The results have been encouraging.

UPN’s ratings are up, if from a small base, by 20 percent among people 12-34, 13 percent in adults 18-34, and 7 percent among 18-49s, with sizeable increases in most timeslots and on most days of the week.

“They have been patient with finding that core women 18-34 while not alienating the audience they had,” says Starcom's Armando.

“I think what the WB has planned for midseason [is similar] to that. The moves had to be made to stop the bleeding until the programs in development can be put in.”

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_779.asp

On the 'Tonight Show,' heeeere's Ed
Former sidekick drops by to talk up Johnny

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 20, 2005

If Johnny Carson was one of Hollywood’s noted recluses, longtime sidekick Ed McMahon is quite the opposite. Never mind the years on America's doorstep awarding those prizes to lucky winners. Just in the past year the garrulous 82-year-old has appeared as himself in the “Bewitched” movie, a TV Land talk show, NBC’s “Scrubs,” and various early and late-night shows.

So it’s not usually notable when McMahon makes a television appearance, but tonight is an exception. He’ll appear on “The Tonight Show” to discuss his long late-night partnership with Carson, chronicled in his new book “Here’s Johnny: My Memories of Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show and 46 Years of Friendship.”

“For forty-six years, Johnny and I were as close as two non-married people can be,” McMahon writes in his book. “And if he heard me say that, he might say, ‘Ed, I always felt you were my insignificant other.’

“On his farewell show, I was deeply moved when Johnny told America, ‘This show would have been impossible to do without Ed. Some of the best things we’ve done on the show have just been ... well, he starts something, I start something ... Ed has been a rock for 30 years and we’ve been friends for 34. A lot of people who work together on television don’t like each other, but Ed and I have been good friends. You can’t fake that on TV.’”

McMahon’s visit may help boost viewership for the Jay Leno version of “Tonight,” not that the show has much trouble in that area. “Tonight” has averaged 5.9 million viewers this season, about 1.8 million more than CBS’s “The Late Show” with David Letterman.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_776.asp

Wednesday’s network prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s opinions of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

Stupid move. Everyone needs to pick one and leave it at that. To me, as a consumer, I don't care which format wins, as long as we only have one format.

We don't need any more Betamax/VHS wars or DCC/DAT/MD wars or SACD/DVD-Audio....

Analyst: Blu-ray to win drawn-out format war

By Stephen Shankland zdnet.com Oct 19, 2005

Sony's Blu-ray format for next-generation DVD drives will win over Toshiba's rival HD DVD format, analyst firm Forrester predicted Wednesday--but it won't be a quick victory.

"After a long and tedious run-up to the launch, it is now clear to Forrester that the Sony-led Blu-ray format will win," Ted Schadler, a Forrester analyst, said in a report. "But unless the HD DVD group abandons the field, it will be another two years before consumers are confident enough of the winner to think about buying a new-format DVD player."

Also on Wednesday, Blu-ray backer Hewlett-Packard said it has appealed to the group to incorporate two HD DVD features: mandatory "managed copy," which will mean consumers will always be allowed to copy movies to their computers' hard drives, and iHD, a Microsoft-designed technology for interactive features.

But Blu-ray has several advantages that will help it win the day, Schadler said. HD DVD is a one-trick pony for video playback, but Blu-ray is also designed for games and computers, he said. Indeed, its inclusion in millions of Sony's next-generation video game consoles is a factor. And when former HD DVD loyalist Paramount endorsed Blu-ray, it shifted the movie studio momentum. Finally, although Blu-ray manufacturing will cost a little more initially, it offers more capacity and employs a proven technology, Java, for interactive features.

But unless the HD DVD camp throws in the towel--a move Schadler recommended--the victory will be slow in coming. "Consumers will postpone a decision until the winner is obvious. The war between Betamax and VHS trained a generation of consumers to be wary of competing formats. Many consumers were caught with an expensive device that couldn't play the movies available at the video store," Schadler said.

Also slowing things down: The image quality of today's DVD is good enough that most people won't be itching to switch until high-definition TV is much more widespread.

The arrival of powerful networks has added a new twist to the situation, Schadler said. "The irony of this format war is that it comes at the tail end of the century-long era of physical media." Increasingly, people order movies on demand or watch Internet video.

In the computing industry, Schadler's prediction doesn't bode well for Intel and Microsoft, which allied themselves with HD DVD in September. Days after, Intel's two main PC chip customers, Dell and HP, reaffirmed their Blu-ray commitment.

Based on discussions with Panasonic, which has a pilot Blu-ray manufacturing plant in Torrance, Calif., Schadler believes HD DVDs will be only "pennies per disc" cheaper to build once Blu-ray manufacturing hits full speed.

Technologies such as Intel's forthcoming Viiv and Microsoft's Media Center help put PCs at the center of consumers' electronic entertainment gear, so it's no surprise the companies want the managed copy feature required by HD DVD. But studios are likely to prefer Blu-ray because it "allows...a higher level of copy protection," Schadler said.

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-5902753.html

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK
Saturday Night Dead

By Chris Erikson The New York Post

When the clock hits 11:30 p.m. this Saturday, a new broadcast of "Saturday Night Live" will kick off "live from New York," as it has for 31 straight years. There will be an A-list celebrity host, Catherine Zeta-Jones; a hot musical guest, Franz Ferdinand; and a cast handpicked from the country's vast pool of comedic talent, rested from a long break that ended just this month.

What will be missing, if recent history is anything to judge by, is one crucial ingredient: laughs.

Sure, there will be a chuckle here and there, but they'll be far outnumbered by cringe-inducing moments where sketches limp painfully along to no apparent end and lame gags are stretched out like stale taffy.

Watching the sketches these days is like seeing modern-day Muhammad Ali shadow box - a sad spectacle made all the more painful by considering the knockouts of years past.

It's time to cancel "Saturday Night Live."

Sure, that's not a brand-new sentiment. People have been griping about the decline of the show since before John Belushi died 23 years ago. Choruses have called for its cancellation before - during the dark days of the 1980 season or the excruciating "Weekend Update" episodes with Norm MacDonald.

But this time, it's finally hit rock bottom.

With head writer Tina Fey and key cast member Maya Rudolph out on maternity leave, the show is left adrift and nearly talentless. It also leaves the terminally unfunny Horatio Sanz as the co-anchor of "Weekend Update" - a once-key part of the show that now gets its lunch eaten and its milk money stolen by Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show." Sanz can't make it through "Update" without cracking himself up.

If "Saturday Night Live" wasn't the institution it is, it would have been canceled after its first two episodes this season. The debut was dominated by a tortured sketch called "The couple that should be divorced" - all the more painful because it's a recurring joke on the show.

And letting Ashlee Simpson "redeem" herself for lip-syncing the first time around is embarrassing for a show with such a proud tradition of musical guests.

The sight of "Live" crawling on all fours out of the starting gate is a painful one for fans who have an emotional attachment to a show that in its better years defined what TV sketch comedy could be.

Eric Marcisak, the founder of the sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Rewritten," which does the show, only funnier, every Sunday night at a downtown theater, says it hurts him to see the decline of a show he "fell in love with during the Phil Hartman-Chris Rock-Mike Myers years."

"Our show is full of the biggest fans of 'Saturday Night Live,'" he says. "The reason we do it is because we hate to see it going in the wrong direction."

That sense of loss is a common sentiment expressed by former fans, for whom the show is akin to an old friend who's abandoned them.

"It was true appointment television. You made your plans around that show," says Jon Hein, the creator of the television Web site "Jump the Shark."

Now, he says, "It's totally socially irrelevant. If the return of Ashlee Simpson is what you're banking the show on, that pretty much says it all."

A common sentiment on his site, where "Saturday Night Live" inspires above-average chatter, is people begging, "Give me a reason to watch the show," he says. "Give me a great character, or a great 'Weekend Update,' or a great musical guest, and it's just not there."

One writer active in the city's sketch comedy scene, who asked not to be named for professional reasons, says none of his fellow twentysomethings bother to watch the show anymore.

"It's definitely reached its death knell," he says. "Everything is a one-joke thing, and there's no character arc in anything they do. It's just pure gimmick. It's like they're just throwing ideas at the wall to see if they can get another movie out of it."

"It's so terrible," moans another performer active in a city comedy troupe. "It's gotten painful to watch. It's all these recurring characters that just go nowhere."

Meanwhile, the sketch writer says, he's mystified at the behemoth show's weakness given that the city's sketch comedy scene - which, ironically, is full of talent that was inspired by the show's better years - has never been stronger.

"There's such a huge pool to draw from. The quality of talent out there is amazing," he says. "Go and see some shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater, or the PIT [People's Improv Theater] and you can see what's available."

Why "Saturday Night Live," which can attract any talent it wants, isn't a thousand times better is a source of some headscratching for those who bewail the show's lameness.

One former writer for the show, who asked that his name not be used, says a big problem is meddling from the guest hosts who are given free rein to dictate what does and doesn't see airtime.

"There are a lot of constraints. The writers get all these amazing ideas, and all of a sudden the host comes in and says, 'My kids love the Mango.' So these high-concept, cool premises get skipped 'cause the host wants to do the Mango. Some of them bring their own writers, and the things they want to do are not that funny."

Marcisak lays the blame on a process that puts scripts through endless rewrites and second-guessing. "There are too many hands in the creative process," he says. "There are too many days, too many rewrites. It's like the saying goes, 'If you try to make a horse by committee, you end up with a camel.'"

The other big problem, he says, is SNL creator and uber-lord Lorne Michaels, himself. Michaels may have invented the show and overseen its best days, but 31 years in the trenches is a long time to run a show that demands a regular influx of fresh ideas and youthful spark.

"It's like, the show is run by Grandpa," Marcisak says. "It's funny for a while, but Grandpa gets boring sometimes."

For his own part, Michaels, who was given the 2004 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, told the Washington Post last year that the show was as strong as ever.

"Believe me, when the work's no longer good, people are going to let me know," he said.

Um, Lorne?

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly_new.php

Wave of revival for NBC's Wednesday
Ailing 'E-Ring' and 'Martha' hit series highs

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 20, 2005
When NBC flipped the timeslots for “E-Ring” and “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart” a few weeks ago, it looked as though both series were being left for dead, particularly “Martha.”

But two weeks later the move is looking like a smart one indeed, as both shows, while still not delivering strong numbers, reached series highs last night.

At 8 p.m., “E-Ring” averaged a 2.7 Nielsen overnight rating among viewers 18-49, third in its timeslot but well above the 2.3 overnight rating it had averaged through four previous episodes (the first two airing in the 9 p.m. timeslot). The show averaged almost 9.4 million total viewers, the most NBC has had in that slot with regular programming in more than a year.

At 9 p.m., “Martha” also averaged a 2.7 among 18-49s, tying last week’s series high and above the 2.5 it had averaged so far this season. The show is up 29 percent from its last outing at 8 p.m.

The timeslot switch has helped both shows. “E-Ring” airs against much weaker competition at 8, where it’s the only drama on the Big Four networks. And “Martha,” which skews heavily female, is helped by airing at a later hour, when TV watching among women 18-49 is about 17 percent higher than at 8 p.m.

The ratings upticks come after NBC had seemingly gone into panic mode. Earlier this week the network decided to swap “E-Ring” with Friday’s struggling 9 p.m. show “Three Wishes” to see if the latter, which many buyers tabbed a promising show during the upfront, could perk up.

That still may be the direction the network ends up going, but improving numbers for “E-Ring” and “Martha” at least give it more time to make a decision over the coming weeks.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_802.asp

I was just wondering if anyone knows the status of Showtime's "Weeds"? I believe it has done 10 episodes this season so far but it wasn't on last week or this upcoming week. Is it over for the season? How did it perform?

I was just wondering if anyone knows the status of Showtime's "Weeds"? I believe it has done 10 episodes this season so far but it wasn't on last week or this upcoming week. Is it over for the season? How did it perform?

Oct 10 was the season finale.

I was just wondering if anyone knows the status of Showtime's "Weeds"? I believe it has done 10 episodes this season so far but it wasn't on last week or this upcoming week. Is it over for the season? How did it perform?

Yes, the last episode of the season aired last Monday. Don't know how it did, ratings-wise, but it generated good buzz (no pun intended :p ) for Showtime. It ended....

...with our gal waking up in the morning after boning her son's friend's dad to discover he's a DEA agent! Hilarity will ensue next season.

The Hollywood Reporter Aug. 10, 2005

“…Showtime's new comedy "Weeds" started softly in its 10 p.m. Monday perch, where it attracted 488,000. The series actually got more sampling during a sneak preview Sunday following the series finale of "Queer as Folk," where it found 547,000. By way of comparison, "Weeds" topped drama "Huff," which opened to 456,000 in November, but fell far short of "Fat Actress," which premiered to 924,000 in March.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001011963

The ratings went fairly steadily downhill from there.

Frankly, I don’t remember if it got picked up for a second season.

“Miss America” Returns to TV

The Miss America Pageant, for one the highest rated programs of the year through the 1970s, will be televised by CMT on January 21. The ratings started slumping in the 80s, and never recovered.

Time and location of the CMT telecast will be announced later.

Yes, the last episode of the season aired last Monday. Don't know how it did, ratings-wise, but it generated good buzz (no pun intended :p ) for Showtime. It ended....

...with our gal waking up in the morning after boning her son's friend's dad to discover he's a DEA agent! Hilarity will ensue next season.
This was great.

I think I read that it had been picked up for another season, but don't recall where I read it...I do recall a lot of smoke in the air though... :eek: :D

We couldn't afford all the munchies we needed to watch it :)

Re "Weeds" renewal:

From a TVGuide.com interview with Weeds co-star Romany Malco posted a couple of days ago:

"...TVGuide.com: How's it looking for a second-season pick-up?

Malco: I've heard a little rumor here and there, but I would say that because of the critical acclaim of the show and the incredible job Mary-Louise is doing, and for the sake of Showtime getting a few Emmy nominations and for the [network's] profile, it would be wise. And you know what, I am really interested in seeing Sleeper Cell [a controversial series debuting on Showtime Dec. 4], and if you can sustain the life of high-profile shows like Weeds, you create the potential for even more people to be aware of Sleeper Cell. There is no excuse for [not wanting] to utilize what I consider to be one of the trailblazers for that, Weeds..."

http://www.tv.com/tracking/viewer.html&ref_id=28829&tid=72798&ref_type=101

Warner embraces Blu-ray

"The studios have decided to allow consumers to decide, and that's a shame," said one top studio exec.

Doesn't that just summarize neatly how the movie studios feel about their customers...

Re "Weeds" renewal:

And you know what, I am really interested in seeing Sleeper Cell [a controversial series debuting on Showtime Dec. 4],
I'm looking forward to this one as well.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Television drama, Oval-style

By ANDRÉS MARTINEZ Los Angeles Times Columnist October 20, 2005

Escapist television is back, in a big way, fueled by last season's success of "Lost," probably the best TV drama ever. Now prime time is populated by aliens, ghosts and even a female president.

Remarkably, there are two White House dramas on the air these days, and both of them — NBC's "The West Wing" and ABC's "Commander in Chief" — were launched as flights of fancy. In its early days (it debuted in late 1999) "The West Wing" was liberal Hollywood's alternative universe to the Clinton presidency. President Josiah Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen, was a brilliant liberal president who didn't engage in cynical triangulations at the expense of principle to position himself as a centrist.

But "The West Wing" has come a long way, and in the George Bush era, President Bartlet/Sheen became far more willing to make compromises. Just having a Democratic president was fantasy enough for Hollywood; he needn't be a saintly one anymore.

Most TV shows have a hard time realistically depicting workplaces, but "The West Wing" captures the crushing pressure, frenzied pace and intensity of a stressful office. The president's supporting cast constantly juggles five crises simultaneously. Their smart, clipped dialogue is the legacy of "West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin, and the show deserves credit for the wonkish perplexity of issues it takes on. (My mother once called me to teasingly ask if I had had anything to do with one episode that took up farm subsidies and media ownership rules, subjects I'd often editorialized about.)

"The West Wing" also captures the fatigue of a second-term presidency, and not every character has been comfortable with the compromises President Bartlet has made. Toby Ziegler, Richard Schiff's character, has been in a deep funk, and it now turns out he was responsible for a leak that has led to an investigation and to the jailing of a New York Times reporter. Did I mention the show can be timely?

Over on ABC, "Commander in Chief" is all about the fantasy of a female president, played by Geena Davis. Her character is as independent-minded (in fact she is formally an independent, belonging to neither party) and principled as Bartlet was at the outset of his presidency. But the show's episodes seem languid and uncluttered compared with "The West Wing" — as if the White House has the luxury of taking up only one weighty issue at a time. Also, to appeal to the folks who don't dig farm subsidy debates, President Mackenzie Allen's teenage kids seem to be acting out an episode of Fox's "The O.C." in the White House.

"Commander in Chief" stresses the domestic quandaries facing a president some characters call "mom." Rebellious daughter would rather make out with boyfriend than attend mom's first state dinner for the Russian leader? "Follow your conscience," President Allen counsels. And as she steps out to greet the Russian head of state, her husband, the first gentleman of the White House, cheesily tells her: "Right now, you become this country. You are the United States of America."

The relative success of these dramas is not fueled by a widespread craving for political programming. It has more to do with our fascination with the trappings of power and the human-interest story inherent in investing so much fleeting power in one individual.

Rod Lurie, the creator of "Commander in Chief" (who has since left the show), directed the 2000 political thriller "The Contender." The movie's best scene had the president, played by Jeff Bridges, calling the White House kitchen to order kung pao chicken, "but with walnuts instead of peanuts" to show off to a visitor that he could get anything he wanted. Those are the kinds of tidbits that will make people want to watch a show about the White House.

In their politics, however, both dramas depict Hollywood's slanted take on the American landscape. Anyone tuning in who knew nothing about the real world would assume the United States is a one-party state because Republicans are too evil to be taken seriously. Donald Sutherland's House speaker on "Commander in Chief" makes Tom DeLay seem cuddly.

"The West Wing," for its part, is in the midst of an engaging election campaign pitting Jimmy Smits against Alan Alda, and the two will face each other in an unscripted live debate in an upcoming episode. The Alda character is an appealing John McCain-like independent Republican. He is the only kind of Republican Hollywood seems to be able to treat positively — one at odds with most of the party's core positions. If Alda wins this TV election, it will be indicative of how much Hollywood has compromised its fantasies — from liberal Democrat to centrist Democrat to liberal Republican. But don't count on him winning; that would require the show to hire a whole new cast of Republican staffers.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-oe-martinez20oct20,0,2738772,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

Maybe that N Y Post critic can calm down a bit now…..

New Mom Tina Fey Returns to 'SNL'
Oscar Winner Catherine Zeta-Jones hosts with music from Franz Ferdinand

NBC Press Release Published: October 20, 2005

NEW YORK, October 20, 2005 -- "Weekend Update" co-anchor Tina Fey will return to her post as fake news anchor this Saturday on "Saturday Night Live" (live on NBC, 11:30 PM - 1:00 AM).

Fey, who had been on maternity leave after the birth of her daughter Alice on September 10, rejoins partner Amy Poehler on the show's signature news parody segment.

"I had to get back to work ... NBC has me under contract; the baby and I only have a verbal agreement," quipped Fey.

The October 22 episode will also feature Academy Award? winner Catherine Zeta-Jones as host and music from hot Scottish band Franz Ferdinand.

http://nbcumv.com/entertainment/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20051020000000-tinafeyreturnsto.html

ABC Picks Up “Invasion”

By Ben Grossman Broadcasting & Cable

One day after the unsurprising decision to pick up Commander in Chief, ABC has also ordered a full season of Wednesday night thriller Invasion.

While the show about the strange aftermath of a hurricane has consistently won its 10 p.m. time slot in the adult 18-49 demo against veterans such as NBC’s Law & Order and CBS’ CSI: NY, it has had only modest retention of the huge audience for lead-in Lost.

According to the overnights this week, Invasion held onto just 54% of its Lost lead-in with adults 18-49.

(So much for Cable’s defiant “we’ll never pay retransmission fees to local stations” stance.)

Carriage Pact Ends Cox Stalemate With Station Groups

By Jay Sherman TVWeek.com October 20, 2005

Cox Communications on Thursday reached an agreement with Nexstar Broadcasting and Mission Broadcasting in which it will pay the two station groups a retransmission fee to carry the broadcasters' signals on Cox's cable systems.

The agreement ends a nearly year-long stalemate that resulted in Cox removing the station groups' signals from cable systems in San Angelo and Mount Pleasant, Texas; Bossier City and Minden, La.; and Magnolia, Ark.

Nexstar is locked in a similar fight with Cable One.

Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed, though Nexstar Chairman and CEO Perry Sook said Nexstar and Cox "reached an economic agreement that is acceptable to both parties." Last December, when the battle between Cox and Nexstar first broke out, Nexstar was demanding to be paid between 25 cents and 30 cents per subscriber per month.

The carriage agreement with Cox covers the analog and digital signals of 12 Nexstar stations and nine Mission stations in 13 markets in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8767

What is the hockey term for “playing hardball”?

EchoStar Drops Outdoor Life from Dish Network Package

By Jon Lafayette TVWeek.com October 20, 2005

EchoStar Communications on Thursday said it dropped Outdoor Life Network from its Dish Network programming package, charging that the Comcast-owned network was demanding higher payments because it had added National Hockey League games to its lineup. "We work hard to provide choice for our customers and keep prices low," said Eric Sahl, senior VP of programming for EchoStar in a statement. "Most of our customers have made the decision they do not want to pay the additional cost of watching that channel." EchoStar said it will replace OLN by adding College Sports TV, NFL Network and ESPNU for free for some subscribers.

OLN, which had about 3 million subscribers, said in a statement that, "We are surprised and disappointed that Dish has unilaterally chosen to stop providing OLN to its customers--and denied fans the opportunity to watch sports coverage on OLN."

An industry insider said a Comcast negotiating team had just completed a meeting at EchoStar's headquarters in Denver when the satellite provider announced its decision to drop the network.

"We are also disappointed that EchoStar cut off the ongoing discussions with OLN that were designed to bring OLN's great programming to Dish customers," OLN said in a statement. "Fortunately, those customers do have the ability to explore other cable and satellite options that carry OLN."

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8769

As a side note, it is fun to watch the same company, Comcast, which refuses to carry Washington Nationals games because they would "raise the costs to our subscribers", at the same time try to force Dish, Cablevision and others pay extra for OLN for every sub on their systems.

Comcast, of course, is refusing to allow any satellite or cable provider to keep OLN in a sports tier. It demands that OLN be on "basic", that is a channel everyopne gets -- and pays for. That, of course, would force the roughly 95% of the nation which never, ever, watches hockey, to subsidize the 5% (being generous here) who do.

It is a blueprint perfected by ESPN, but the time may be past for new entrants into this particular type of extortion. Nonetheless it is very entertaining to see the same company try to play both sides of the argument.

And this is the company which is this week trying to convince the FCC that allowing it to gain another few million subs by taking over a good portion of Adelphia's system is not anti-competitive.

Way to go, Comcast, great timing! :)

Senate Committee Sets April 7, 2009 as TV's Digital Transition Date
Approves, 19-3, the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005

(Senate Commerce Committee Press Release)

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today approved by a vote 19-3 the Committee’s Reconciliation Bill submission called the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005.

The original Committee bill offered by Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Co-Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) provides two specific dates that will strengthen public safety communications and help advance the DTV transition and. First, the Act sets a hard date for the digital transition of April 7, 2009. This hard date establishes a date certain by which public safety personnel will be able to use an additional 24 MHz of spectrum recovered from the digital transition.

Second, the legislation begins the auction of recovered spectrum on January 28, 2008. Under its budget reconciliation instruction, the Commerce Committee is required to raise $4.8 billion in revenue in the next five years, and the spectrum auctions are considered to be the most viable method within the Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction to recover this revenue. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that auctions will raise a total of $10 billion.

After the required revenue is transferred to the U.S. Treasury, the remaining funds raised from spectrum auctions will be allocated as follows:

1) $3 billion for a converter box subsidy program

2) $200 million for a program to transition Low Power TV stations and TV translators to digital

3) $1 billion for state and local interoperability grants

4) $250 million to fund programs in the WARN Act, which establishes national alert and tsunami warning systems

5) $250 million in funding to improve E-911 communications under the Enhance 911 legislation sponsored by Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) passed last year

6) $200 million for assistance to coastal States affected by hurricanes and other natural disasters

In addition, the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act requires the Federal Communications Commission to raise $10 million in additional regulatory fees in Fiscal Year 2006 to meet the Budget Committee’s reconciliation instructions to the Commerce Committee.

Adopted by unanimous consent with the bill was a Manager’s Amendment offered by Senators Stevens and Inouye. The Amendment:

1) provided that any auction proceeds in excess of $10 billion be deposited in the Treasury to reduce the deficit. This could be a significant sum if the auction brings in over $20 billion as some industry groups have suggested;

2) set specific amounts for the program payments;

3) increased the amount to go to the Treasury from $4.8 billion to $5 billion to help reduce the deficit;

4) designated $50 million of $250 million for the national alert system to fund tsunami warning and coastal vulnerability programs; and

5) allocated any remaining funds from the converter box program and translator conversion be transferred to the emergency communications program.

Senator Burns also offered an amendment that was accepted by unanimous consent. The Burns amendment made $75 million from the spectrum auction available over a five-year period for the Essential Air Service program.

http://commerce.senate.gov/newsroom/printable.cfm?id=247497

Senate Committee Sets April 7, 2009 as TV’s Digital Transition Date
By Todd Shields MediaWeek.com October 20, 2005

A key Senate panel on Thursday voted to abolish traditional analog broadcast TV signals on April 7, 2009 and switch the nation to all-digital TV broadcasting.

The panel voted for $3 billion in subsidies to help buy converter equipment for analog TV sets that rely on over-the-air reception, including those in 21 million households that are not connected to pay services.

Most consumers get their TV via cable or satellite, and the pay TV companies are expected to ensure those customers? sets still receive an analog signal.

Passage by the Republican-led Commerce Committee marks a first step in a legislative path that must include passage by both chambers of Congress and signature by President Bush. Initial votes are expected soon in the House.

Congress, searching for revenue to help offset budget deficits and hurricane reconstruction costs, is counting on $4.8 billion that would be reaped by auctioning the spectrum now used by analog TV. The Commerce Committee chair, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), said the bill passed Thursday would lead to an estimated $10 billion in auction income.

Users of the freed spectrum are to include companies offering high-tech wireless applications, and emergency workers who need seamless communications during disasters.

The bill that passed on Thursday did not include a provision to force cable companies to carry the multiple streams of digital programming from broadcasters. The matter could be taken up in a companion bill, Steven has said.

Earlier Thursday, the Commerce Committee defeated an effort by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to move the transition date up to April 7, 2007.

McCain argued that emergency workers need spectrum soon to avoid lethal communications shortfalls in the chaos following a disaster. Stevens said that because McCain's proposal also would move the auction date forward, income from the spectrum sale would be lessened and the measure would not meet budgetary requirements.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001349068

Oops!
Reality raises questions about dream home recipient

By GREGORY D. KESICH Portland (Maine) Press Herald Writer Thursday, October 20, 2005

WELLS, ME — Doug Goodale's story was custom built for television. A Maine lobsterman who cut off his right arm in a freak fishing accident, Goodale made a perfect candidate for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," the hit reality TV show that each week creates a lavish new dwelling for a needy family with a compelling story.

This fall the show enlisted more than 1,000 volunteers and replaced Goodale's double-wide mobile home with a $500,000 log home.

But in the weeks since Goodale, his wife and their two children moved into their new home, the story of the 40-year-old lobsterman has become more complicated, raising questions about the show's screening process for recipients of its home makeovers.

Goodale has a criminal record, starting with a conviction for armed robbery as a teenager, for which he served 60 days in the York County jail. He also has a misdemeanor conviction for assault and two convictions for drunken driving.

A spokeswoman for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" would not discuss the specifics of Goodale's criminal history, most of which precedes his fishing accident in 1997. Melissa Armstrong, a Los Angeles-based publicist who works for the production company that supplies the show to ABC, said the show is looking into his record.

Goodale said he and his family have an agreement with "Extreme Makeover" not to speak to the media before their episode airs. He referred all calls to the show's producers, who declined to comment.

Since its debut in December 2003, "Extreme Makeover" has built homes for more than 40 families. It gets 2,000 applications a week. Last season, the show averaged 15 million viewers a week, according to ABC's Web site.

The show's online application form asks candidates whether they ever have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor and whether they have been the defendant in a lawsuit.

Neither the show nor Goodale will say whether his application form included the information, or whether a criminal record would have disqualified him from participating in the program.

Goodale's life does make for a dramatic story. While lobstering alone on Sept. 30, 1997, he got his right shirt sleeve caught in a winch, which grabbed his arm and crushed all of the bones.

To free himself, Goodale later told reporters, he cut away what was left of the arm and steered his boat back into Wells Harbor.

His story reached the producers of "Extreme Makeover" after a family member applied to the show. Goodale was emblematic of Maine and the region, Paul DiMeo, one of the show's star designers, told the Portland ABC affiliate that airs "Extreme Makeover."

"New England is its own place - its own place - and the people are very proud and they work so hard, so hard," DiMeo said, according to the WMTW-TV Web site. "And to be able to see what a lobsterman's life is like and to get this opportunity. . . . If you can learn something at the end of every day, then you are in good shape."

DiMeo said the Goodale house is the biggest and best home the show has built, according to WMTW-TV. Volunteers helped replace his family's mobile home with a big L-shaped building that features overhanging gables, a wrap-around porch and a copper-topped gazebo.

READERS RAISED QUESTIONS

Officials with Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, the Aroostook County-based company that supplied the materials to build the home, estimated its value at $500,000. The company also sent 25 workers, who stained the house inside and out during the last two days of the project.

David Gordon, the company's president, said it did not bother him to learn that Goodale had been in trouble with the law. "Absolutely not, as long as he paid his debt to society," Gordon said.

Goodale's criminal record became an issue for some people after stories about his good fortune made front pages and newscasts across the state. The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram received a telephone tip about Goodale's armed-robbery conviction from a man who wouldn't identify himself. A reporter confirmed the information using public records available online through the State Bureau of Identification.

The newspaper also received an unsigned letter from "citizens of Wells" asking whether the show did a thorough background check on Goodale. And readers posted comments on the newspaper's Web site, www.MaineToday.com, referring to Goodale's criminal history.

Goodale and a 17-year-old friend were arrested and charged with armed robbery on Jan. 29, 1982, according to court records and a story in the Press Herald/Telegram archives.

The day before, a man wearing a Halloween mask had walked into a Burger King on Route 1 in Kennebunk, pointed a revolver at five employees, locked them in a walk-in cooler and stolen $300 in cash.

A grand jury indicted Goodale on a single count of armed robbery, a felony. He pleaded guilty on July 15, 1982, court records show. He was sentenced to one year in prison with all but 60 days suspended. He served his sentence in the York County Jail. He also was ordered to pay $666 in restitution. His 17-year-old friend, who was not identified, was prosecuted as a juvenile.

On Aug. 14, 1997, Goodale was charged with assault by police in Sanford. Court records do not reveal the circumstances of the incident. The records show that he was released on bail and prevented from contacting his second, and current, wife, Rebecca Goodale, and from going near the family's home on Day Hill Road in Wells.

Goodale eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, all suspended. He was ordered to get an evaluation for domestic abuse and use of alcohol.

On Dec. 13, 1997, soon after his fishing accident, Goodale became one of 31 people caught in a sting operation in Salem, N.H., by state and federal law enforcement officials. Told he had won a free TV, Goodale drove to Salem to collect his prize. Instead, he was arrested because he was wanted on charges of driving while intoxicated, second offense, according to a story by The Associated Press.

His Maine driving record, which is separate from his criminal record, shows that his license was suspended twice, for drunken driving in 1985 and 1995.

One reason "Extreme Makeover" may not have known about Goodale's conviction for armed robbery is a mix-up over his birthday. A spokeswoman for the show said it was told that Goodale was born on Jan. 3, 1965. But all of his court records up until 1997 list his birthday as Jan. 3, 1964. That would have made him 18 and an adult at the time of his arrest and conviction for armed robbery.

Goodale's non-criminal record of driving offenses lists his birthday as Jan. 3, 1965. So does his Maine driver's license and his birth certificate, which is on file at Wells Town Hall. If he was in fact 17 at the time of the robbery, he could have been charged as a juvenile or as an adult, depending on the crime.

Goodale said his confidentiality agreement with "Extreme Makeover" prevents him from explaining the confusion. The lawyer who represented him in the armed-robbery case has since died.

But the mix-up means that anybody doing a computerized criminal record search using Goodale's 1965 birth date would not find his criminal record.

REALITY SHOW CELEBRITIES

The fact that Goodale has a record raises questions about the process used by "Extreme Makeover" to screen recipients for its largesse, which for Goodale also included a family trip to Disney World and a boat, according to the WMTW-TV Web site.

Nationally, contestants on reality TV shows have become public figures. The arrest records of recent performers on "American Idol" have become news stories. Web sites such as www.thesmokinggun.com specialize in posting online court records involving celebrities, the rich and powerful.

Goodale's ex-wife - who contacted the newspaper after reading the story of her ex-husband getting the house - said his past is relevant and questioned the "reality" of Doug Goodale that the show may present.

"He's had a hard life, but he brought it all on himself," said Becky Sellers, who was married to Goodale from 1985 until 1992.

SHOW ISN'T A CHARITY

Goodale would not comment and attempts to reach other family members for comment for this story were unsuccessful. But one of the show's many loyal viewers who flocked to Wells to participate in the construction of Goodale's new home said his record doesn't matter.

Kathy Tice of South Paris said she doesn't expect the recipients of "Extreme Makeover" houses to be perfect. She is moved by the way the show can transform people's lives.

"I watch it every Sunday night, and the joy and relief on people's faces, it gives them hope," Tice said. "I just feel that God takes care of the people who were picked, and these people were picked for some reason that we may never understand."

The show is not a charity, said Robert Thompson, a professor of television popular culture at Syracuse University. It is an entertainment program, and things like Goodale's criminal history could pose problems for the show if the recipients appear to be less than sympathetic.

"It's like the 'Queen For a Day' format, where we all feel like we contributed to help somebody even though we were just watching," Thompson said. "The whole value of the show is its feel-good presence. If they don't do a good job screening people, they will cut into the heart of what the show is all about."

Unlike a real charity, people who contribute products to "Extreme Makeover" receive valuable exposure on a popular national television show.

And unlike a reality show, groups that quietly provide help for the needy try to spread their resources broadly.

Stephen Bolton, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland, said his organization could house six families with what "Extreme Makeover" spent on the Goodales.

A criminal record would not automatically disqualify a Habitat applicant, Bolton said, but Goodale would not have qualified for a new home based on his life story alone. A Habitat applicant must volunteer 100 hours of work building other people's houses and complete home maintenance and budgeting courses.

Still, Bolton was not willing to criticize the show, which he said donates money to Habitat for Humanity programs. "We're less extreme," he said. "Our goal is to eliminate substandard housing. We don't build any porches or decks."

ABC has not announced when Goodale's episode is set to air. A network spokesman said this month that the show could air in December or January.

Thompson said the response of the public and sponsors will be interesting now that Goodale's story appears more complicated.

"Most people realize that scenes are reshot and people are led to do certain things on camera," he said. "I don't think people for the most part care, as long as it doesn't affect what brought them to the show in the first place."

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/york/051020goodale.shtml

Comcast, of course, is refusing to allow any satellite or cable provider to keep OLN in a sports tier. It demands that OLN be on "basic", that is a channel everyopne gets -- and pays for.
At the same time they have OLN on more expensive digital tiers on their own cable systems!!

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, eh, Comcast..?

And of course Comcast loudly protested when NewsCorp was trying to get approval of its takeover at DirecTV that Rupert would be "anti-competitive".

Don't any of these folks have any shame?

More importantly, hasn't anyone on Capitol Hill (hello, FCC?) got any freakin' memory?

And of course Comcast loudly protested when NewsCorp was trying to get approval of its takeover at DirecTV that Rupert would be "anti-competitive".

Don't any of these folks have any shame?

More importantly, hasn't anyone on Capitol Hill (hello, FCC?) got any freakin' memory?
When it comes to money, there is no such thing as shame..and that goes for the folks on Capitol Hill as well..

(This news ought to make Roger Ailes and the folks at Fox News quake in their boots -- or, much more likely, laugh their a**es off!)

“Idol” In For King

By Michael Starr The New York Post

EXCLUSIVE

Ryan Seacrest will host several upcoming editions of "Larry King Live" — in what looks to be the first step in an overall deal between Seacrest and CNN.

Seacrest, who hosts Fox's "American Idol," was given free rein by King to book his own guests, CNN insiders say.

He'll host this Saturday's "LKL" with guests Ashlee Simpson and her manager/father, Joe Simpson.

Seacrest is also scheduled to host at least three other "LKL" shows featuring Jessica Simpson, Ashton Kutcher and Nicole Richie (the Richie show is scheduled for sometime next month).

Seacrest and King are longtime friends. King, in fact, gave a speech when Seacrest received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last April.

Seacrest becomes the latest outsider to join the "LKL" stable as a guest host.

Earlier this year, sportscaster Bob Costas signed a deal to host 20 "LKL" shows over the course of a year becoming, in essence, King's primary substitute anchor.

Back in August, Costas exercised his contractual right and refused to host the show when the subject was missing Alabama teen Natalee Holloway.

Costas said he was uncomfortable with the subject matter.

Seacrest also hosts "American Top 40" and is the morning-drive DJ on L.A.'s KIIS-FM.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly_new.php

So, since we are having this little chat about Comcast, why is it that they are allowed to carry the HD signals of the major networks, yet the satelite companies can't do so (unless that network is Owned and Operated in your area)? I still don't get that. As far as I know, this is because basically Comcast (and maybe other cable companies as well) have convinced the big-wigs on some hill somewhere, that it would be wrong. I don't get it.

Maybe somebody could explain this one (Readers Digest version please) for those of us who are left scratching our heads.

I really don't care, since I have OTA for all the locals, but I am just curious, since it seems like somebody is scratching somebody elses back here and keeping the competition off on the side.

The thought never occurred to me, Scott. (And of course cable companies are allowed to carry "local" signals from areas that only receive fringe OTA signals -- yet lobbied for years to keep satellite companies from doing the same.)

Anyhow, yours is a very good question.

I hope someone has an answer.

So, since we are having this little chat about Comcast, why is it that they are allowed to carry the HD signals of the major networks, yet the satelite companies can't do so (unless that network is Owned and Operated in your area)? .
I don't understand the question. What major network signals are you referring to? The HD signals that Comcast carries are the local stations signals, network owned and affiliate. The reason satellite has not done so yet, among other things, is they have not had the bandwidth.

On '60 Minutes,' a lone sponsor means more story time

By Gail Shister Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist Oct. 21, 2005

Think Texaco Star Theater. Think 20 Mule Team Borax's Death Valley Days.

In a perfect world, says 60 Minutes boss Jeff Fager, his newsmagazine would have a sole sponsor for the entire season, not just one show - as it will Sunday.

For the first time in its 37-year history, CBS's 60 will have an exclusive advertiser: Philips Electronics.

"For so many years, TV has been going with more commercials, less content," Fager says. "It's become a lot of noise. It's hard for a company to stand out in that clutter, and to keep a story line going in a broadcast."

Moreover, Philips will give back half its 12 minutes' commercial time to 60. That means the three story segments will each average about 14 minutes instead of 12. (In TV time, that's two eternities.)

Adding content "is not hard," Fager says with a chuckle. "We will fill the time that's there to fill. It's the nature of the beast. If we had 20 minutes for each story, it would be fine."

A 90-second Philips spot will air at the top of the show, followed by uninterrupted back-to-back 60 segments. The second half will have two commercial breaks.

First up:Scott Pelley's piece on former Army Sgt. Robert Jenkins, whose Cold War-era desertion to North Korea turned into 40 years' captivity. Next, Ed Bradley's profile of Michael Jordan.

Lesley Stahl's report on musical savants is third.

Fager labels the arrangement "a win-win. What makes 60 Minutes unique is that we do big, investigative stories. This gives us more detail, more information, more interesting storytelling."

Philips had zero influence on 60's editorial content - a church-and-state separation Fager says he made clear to the company when meetings began in early summer.

"Our editorial standards are pure. I'm not worried about being compromised in any way."

And if a sponsor wanted its name on 60's title, it would be a deal-breaker for Fager. "That crosses the line of our independence. I'd go to the mat on that."

Thanks to the overrun of NFL games, 60 attracted 15.5 million viewers last week, up from last season's average of 13.9 million.

P.S. For the under-50 crowd: Texaco Star Theater, hosted by Milton "Mr. Television" Berle, was a wildly popular NBC variety show that debuted in 1948.

Death Valley Days, a syndicated Western anthology that ran from '52 to '75, was hosted by Ronald Reagan in '65-66.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television/12948689.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Doesn't that just summarize neatly how the movie studios feel about their customers...

lol

They should have learned their lesson this summer when they released such hideous movies that their customers decided to stay away in droves.

The thought never occurred to me, Scott. (And of course cable companies are allowed to carry "local" signals from areas that only receive fringe OTA signals -- yet lobbied for years to keep satellite companies from doing the same.)

Anyhow, yours is a very good question.

I hope someone has an answer.

Fred, et al. I seem to recall in the deep recesses of my memory, which is fading fast, that it might have something to do with common carrier status of DBS or satellite vs cable. I know that sounds strange, and may be 20 years old, but the thought comes to mind.
GT

EDIT:
This may help also, about the history of cable regulation. Probably more like it Such as the Carter Mountain case - importation of distant signals that compete with local stations.????
http://www.emunix.emich.edu/~jcooper/emlaw/unit8_cab1.html

EDIT again.
It also could be network affiliate agreements that prohibit such distribution. More likely the case.

Stars jostle to show their "Enthusiasm"

By Marisa Guthrie New York Daily News

Larry David, a persnickety crank with a slight case of social anxiety disorder, is the most popular guy in Hollywood. Really.

Mel Brooks, Ben Stiller, Ted Danson, Martin Short, David Schwimmer, Richard Lewis and, of course the cast of "Seinfeld" are among those in his inner circle. And more A-list types are clamoring to be on David's HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (10 p.m. Sundays), which kicked off its fifth season this month.

This season promises more star sightings. Rosie O'Donnell popped up in an episode. Also on the roster: Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Ali G.), Rob Corddry (from "The Daily Show"), Hugh Hefner (with Bunnies in tow) and, in the season finale, Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman.

Why are so many so eager to rub shoulders with this notorious misanthrope?

"The real Larry is an extremely nice guy," David says. "Ask anybody. And, by the way, I think the fictional Larry is pretty nice, too — he's just much more honest than the real Larry."

Indeed, David, says his old friend Richard Lewis, is "just astonishingly authentic."

"People in Hollywood have a tremendous amount of respect for him," he adds. "He doesn't have this huge jones for attention, and people respect that. He's a true artist."

The star guest turn is not an original idea. "The Larry Sanders Show" employed the device brilliantly with stars playing thinly veiled versions of themselves. "Sex and the City" picked up the conceit, using celebrities to send up their own images. "Will & Grace" regularly pulls out the celebrity trump card during sweeps. And inside-Hollywood shows like "Fat Actress," "The Comeback," Ricky Gervais' "Extras" and "Entourage" use it as a story-line staple.

But on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the stunt casting doesn't feel like a stunt. The show uses Hollywood purely as an absurd if tantalizing backdrop.

"The show takes place in L.A.," says David, "but I don't think I'm in the world of show business. The show is not about show business. I happen to live in Los Angeles, and I happen to ostensibly be in show business but I don't actually do very much."

The show has hit a nerve because it offers an unsparing glimpse at human nature and the compromises we make to get along in polite society.

The society of "Curb" is definitely not polite.

In a recent episode, Larry and Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) inadvertently adopted a dog that appears to be racist — the dog growls and barks only at African Americans.

David's honesty has earned him a significant place in the collective psyche.

"The guy, for want of a better word," Lewis says, "has become a Hollywood mogul. It's not so much that he's the guy who co-created 'Seinfeld.' It's the type of show that he created. It's Larry's mind. It's ad-libbing. You want to be a part of it. There isn't any show like this."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002573781&zsection_id=2002119662&slug=larrydavid21&date=20051021

I just upgraded my Directtv to a HD DVR and was told by the install guy that Dtv would be going live with possibly up to 30 more HD chanels in the near future. I called Dtv and the girl l talked to with the real cute southern accent said that in 05 they are looking at Detroit for adding local. That is the big push right now, local chanels. She didnt see Denver, but could only view 2005 targets. She did say that they have just launched a couple new satelites and are working on getting them in place and that those will increase the number of hd chanels. She couldnt give me a target date on those.

Does anyone have any other info on future HD programming offered by Dtv? The six chanels they offer right now just aint enough. I have my OTA antennae but am only getting one local chanel. I need to play with that some more, I dont think he mounted it high enough.

Mark

“West Wing” actor bitter
By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News

Toby Ziegler is exiting "The West Wing" with his head held high.

The man who plays him, Richard Schiff, is leaving with no small degree of bitterness and recriminations. To hear Schiff tell it, he and Toby are the victims of corporate politics.

Speaking to TV critics before the current TV season began, the actor charged that the outspoken, liberal Toby was falling prey to unnamed executives at Time Warner. "You feel this corporate shadow constantly suppressing and regulating and watching over, especially for the character Toby, who is somewhat conscience-driven and dynamic in his opinions. You just feel the suppression."

Yet when asked to provide any examples — even one — of that suppression, Schiff demurred. "It's more subtle than that. Please be careful how you express this because it's not a direct control. But it's their show. They own it and they have influence on it. They have influence on the budget, and they have influence over who's in the show and they have influence over, I'm assuming, what stories they want to tell and how we tell them."

At the same time, however, Schiff insisted that executive producer John Wells had gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting Toby. "John Wells is actually protecting me, and quite valiantly, and really wants me to be a part of this show. And so we've come to an agreement to do a few shows this year."

Those "few shows" are about to come to an end. After six-plus seasons of playing White House communications director Toby Zeigler, the character has admitted that he was the source of a leak of national security secrets to the press — and he's about to be fired by President Bartlet (Martin Sheen).

There's some speculation as to whether Toby actually did it or if he's taking the fall to protect other White House staffers and the presidential campaign of Democrats Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Leo McGarry (John Spencer). But however it turns out, Toby is looking pretty noble.

Schiff, on the other hand, surprised critics with his bitterness. And refusal to back up his charges. "Toby is going to be — through a mutual consent, really — phased out of the show this year. I mean, I've had enough. And also, I think they're more than happy to have me have had enough.

"I think that's partly from Warner Bros. and whoever runs the show over there. Who knows what the reason for that is? I mean, when I go across America, people are in love with this character. But there is this, I guess, pressure to relieve him of his voice. And so where is this coming from? I'm guessing it's coming from some suit somewhere up there."

Strange, but he sure didn't make it sound like this was "mutual consent." And, while it was all well and good to warn us to "be careful" how we write about this, the fact is, Schiff repeatedly insisted he and his character are the victims of unnamed corporate executives who did things he could not or would not delineate. "No, I don't want to go to that place, because that's a more personal battle between me and whoever. It's just — it's an obvious relationship," he obfuscated.

It's also a fact that "The West Wing" is a show very much in transition. The focus since midway through last season has been on the campaign to elect Bartlet's successor, and Bartlet and his staff have been de-emphasized. And it's been clear for several seasons that a big effort has been made to control costs on the show, which were out of control under creator and former executive producer/writer Aaron Sorkin. And one big way to cut costs is to phase out characters played by actors who make big money and replace them with new actors and new characters.

Even Schiff acknowledged that TV production isn't all about art. "I never quite realized what a factory this industry really is until I directed ("West Wing" episodes), and then I knew what budget restraints were. . . . We're in a bottom-line culture right now. And more money can be made if it's quicker, faster. And in the days of Aaron Sorkin, it was very expensive because his artistic process demanded more time and more exploration by us all. And so that has been eliminated."

There's a reason it's called show business.

If you've got charges to make, make them specific. Don't throw unsubstantiated mud at unnamed targets, dirtying a lot of innocent people in the process.

And leaving yourself the most mud-spattered of all.

http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635154807,00.html

TV Guide’s Matt Roush Answers Questions

By Matt Roush TV Guide

Question: First, I love your column; you always give really insightful answers. Second, after two strong episodes of Without a Trace, I wonder what CBS is doing to my favorite show! They make a point of setting up tension between Danny and Jack, adding to the awkwardness between the two from the shooting in the premiere, but by the third episode, they've dropped the whole thing. It's very frustrating. What's more frustrating is that they've added a new cast member, Elena (Roselyn Sanchez), to a cast that doesn't need adding to. In my opinion, they have the strongest cast of the crime shows, so why mess with that chemistry? She didn't add anything in the last episode. Did you like the first two episodes? And what do you think of the new agent? — Allison

Matt Roush: There's a lot of this "Why fix what isn't broken?" grumbling going on about the hot procedural crime dramas this season. Pretty much across the board, CBS had its crime dramas shake up the casts — losing or gaining cast or recurring cast members, a process still underway on many of them. The idea, I guess, is for the shows not to get stale. The danger, as almost all of my mail attests, is that it reduces story time for the already established characters. Not to mention that there's already tension most weeks in balancing the crime-solving story of the week with the personal subplots.

Without a Trace does it better than most, which is why I wasn't that thrown by the new addition. What I like about the Elena character (and judging by the letters, I may be in the minority) is that she brings a feisty new attitude to the squad, one that is sure to be tempered by experience as she learns that tracking missing persons requires more nuance and empathy than most beats. The fact that she has a history with Danny should also give the often-underused Enrique Murciano more to do, and that's got to be a plus. As for the show benching the subplots that were developed in the first few excellent episodes — the show is very much on its game this year — well, Trace isn't a soap opera, no matter how much some of its fans may want it to be. I imagine we'll come back to those situations when the story merits it.

On another CBS crime front, there's this from Cindy: "I saw the question about the new female lead on NCIS, which I don't watch, and would like to ask you about another substitution, over at Numbers: Diane Farr for Sabrina Lloyd. So far I am completely underwhelmed with Farr and can't understand why anybody would have displaced Lloyd for her, although to be fair, all of Numbers is currently far less 'whelming' than last year. Do you have any insight on whether Lloyd left of her own accord or was pushed out? For me, it's not just the character; Farr herself grates on me with her manner of delivery. Though I don't watch Rescue Me, I hear her departure is greatly lamented there. What do you think?"

Since you asked: I like Farr a lot. Always have, especially on Rescue Me. Her decision to jump coasts and take this job was her own, much as (I understand) Sabrina Lloyd's decision to leave Numbers may have had something to do with the underwritten nature of her role. Farr is a very distinctive actress, and because of that, she fits in fairly well on a show that features a number of endearing eccentric characters.
And finally, from Ashleye: "Why do you think this Sophia character is being forced on CSI viewers? She has an annoying accent and takes time away from the characters we want to see. With serious cast bloat, why is her addition necessary?" Again, producers and the networks want to mix up these shows that can easily get overly formulaic. But so much for that old maxim that variety is the spice of life, I guess.

Question: After some stellar episodes last season — the final two in particular — Cold Case has become my only must-see "procedural." (SVU would be on that list, too, but I go to bed early.) Oct. 9's episode was a little weak, but Oct. 2's frat-house fire episode was incredible. How emotional — repulsive yet poignant. The actress who played the victim (I think she may have been the same one who played the female wrestler who died on Boston Public back in the day) really captured the essence of a character that is usually limited. I know there is no chance for any recognition for her, but she deserves it. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that Cold Case is a Top 10 show; I didn't realize it was doing so well. Your thoughts? — Peter

Matt Roush: At the moment, I would probably put Without a Trace and Cold Case atop my list of fave procedurals — and I can't wait for football season to be over so the overruns won't get in the way of my enjoyment of Cold Case. (I'm watching so much on Sundays that I usually have to record this one, guessing at the stop and start times, and catch up later when I can.) I agree the frat-house fire episode was particularly strong (and yes, that was the same actress as on Boston Public: Lindsay Hollister, who was terrific), and I'm also gratified that the show is doing so well — except when the football overrun (like this week) was so long it put the show against Desperate Housewives. Ouch.

And now, harking back to the previous topic, there's this from Tina: "I read on the Sarah Brown website that Cold Case has fired her after four or five episodes because she doesn't fit into the cast. What in the world does this mean? I was enjoying having two female detectives on the show to help balance out all the males. After watching the boring story lines of the characters last year — Lilly's dislike of her sister, Scotty's girlfriend's death and his involvement with Lilly's sister — it wasn't worth trying to find it after football delays! So they add a detective who has an interesting background of scandal on the job and becomes a possible love interest for one of the men and adversary for another, and then they fire her? This show needed something to keep me interested enough to deal with the darn football delays and now they've lost me again."

Again, it's a question of whether you're watching primarily for the cases or for the characters. Cold Case is probably the least flexible because of the time it spends in the past. When you get past Lilly and Scotty, with glimpses into the others (I've been told they're just now filming an episode giving some insight into the John Finn-Lieutenant Stillman backstory), there's not a lot of room. I rather respect Cold Case for realizing that the new character may be able to sustain only a five-episode arc. But yes, she will be gone after five appearances.

Question: I am a devoted fan of your column and love reading Ask Matt Mondays and Fridays. Two of my favorite shows, Lost and Desperate Housewives, are often the highlights of my TV week. However, I have to comment on the thousands of commercial breaks during these two shows. I don't mind commercials at all, at normal intervals. But with these two shows, they seem excessive, even if the breaks are actually shorter. What's that about? I am pretty sure that isn't the case with other ABC shows. Can you shed any light on this? — Cheryl

Matt Roush: Basically, all ABC dramas are now adopting this five-act format, with an additional (if at times shorter) ad break built into the script structure, including one very close to the climax. One of the primary reasons for this is to do away with the act break in between shows, in the hopes that more viewers will stay tuned to what follows. This is also why shows like Housewives, Lost and now Commander in Chief bleed a minute over into the next hour. All very annoying, but necessary reminders that TV is first and foremost a business, and once they've got us hooked, they'll milk it for all it's worth.

Question: I just caught the second episode of Bodies and I was blown away by it. Could BBC America have the best television show on right now? That was probably one of the most emotional, intense hours of television I've seen in a while — one of the most realistic, humane shows ever to be depicted on the television screen. I saw your small write-up on it; have you seen all six episodes? — Adam K.

Matt Roush: I finally have, and you're in for a treat. A harrowing treat, but really: Wow. It's like an FX show set in an OB-GYN ward, where the worst doctors rise to the top and anyone who tries to tell the truth is risking career suicide or worse. Dark, edgy, scary, fascinating, incredibly well acted and written. In short, everything ER isn't these days. It's half over, but I'd recommend it to anyone with a taste for gripping medical drama. (It airs on BBC America Thursdays at 9 pm/ET). Even better news: A second series is already airing in England. Still waiting for word on if BBCA will air these episodes, but why wouldn't they?

Question: Last night (Oct. 17), I watched the most recent installment of CBS' How I Met Your Mother, and I've got to say I was pleasantly surprised. Although I have enjoyed the previous episodes, I always thought there was something missing. But last night felt more whole than ever. After thinking about it, I believe that it's because of Josh Radnor's character, Ted. For the past couple of episodes he's been kind of boring and whiny. Don't get me wrong, I love Ted, but he's been missing something. But last night, when he was flirting with that coat-check girl (who I also loved, by the way), he had a certain confidence and a sense of humor that has been hinted at previously but never shown. I hope that the writers focus more on that side of Ted from now on. What did you think —did you notice anything different about Ted? — Talli

Matt Roush: I agree, this was probably the best episode since the pilot, which may have something to do with the fact that it was probably the least silly episode since the pilot. There's a lot of natural charm in these characters and their situations, but when you put them in stories like Ted throwing party after party in hopes that Robin will finally show up, or Ted and Barney haunting an airport's baggage claim and flying to Philly to chase tail, they tend to look desperate and stupid instead of funny. In this episode, Ted was allowed to stop looking pathetic over his Robin crush and instead show us why any woman, including Robin, might find him disarming and appealing. Mother isn't a perfect show, but it's still good enough to merit some patience and to hold off on the knee-jerk derision I've seen too much of.

Question: I agree with Laurie, a reader from your previous column who chooses Surface over Threshold or Invasion. I am a big "sci-fan" fan (Star Trek, Farscape, The Prisoner, Lost, Dr. Who) and this show is far more interesting than the other two new entries this season. Threshold is OK, but its "monster of the week" story structure is can get old very fast. Invasion is dreadfully dull. I don't mind slow, but it's just not compelling in any way, and watching it quickly became a chore. Surface is fast and fun. You actually get to see the monster — a nice change of pace. It's hampered by NBC's family-first production values (think SeaQuest), but watching these four story lines unfold is much more interesting than, say, seeing a married couple bicker over who's watching the children tonight (i.e., the first two episodes of Invasion). It's supposed to be fun and it is. — Kevin B.

Matt Roush: One man's fun is another's nap time, but never let it be said that I don't allow opposing points of view in this column. And while you may think I'm not open-minded about Surface (I struggled to stay conscious through this week's episode, and during the Nimrod-goes-to-Piggly-Wiggly interlude, I felt like I'd stumbled into a bad Disney movie), I honestly think you're not giving Threshold enough credit. Tracking down the infected is the plot engine, but the mechanisms by which the aliens are trying to spread the mutation is chilling to me. And the cast, top to bottom, makes Surface look like amateur night in fantasy land. Surface's writing... now that's scary.

Question: I just can't understand why Arrested Development is not improving in the ratings. Do you have any insights? I understand that it is a cult-humor type of show and will never pull in huge numbers, but to still be on the brink of cancelation? — Kelly C.

Matt Roush: And I can't quite understand why it's so hard for the show's devoted fan base to accept the fact that this densely textured, deeply eccentric and bitterly, bitingly funny show is so off-putting to the masses. Perhaps if I share an example of the mail I often get whenever I offer this little show a branch of support. This is from Rhonda C.:

"OK, I've had it! I'm sick and tired of being preached to by just about every TV critic around about how I'm supposed to be instantly in love with Arrested Development and be deeply shamed for not watching it to help prop up its faltering ratings. I totally agree that AD is a very good comedy. I have watched several episodes and frequently laughed out loud. But it's just not a show I care for that much. I can't put my finger on why; I think it's just a little too 'quirky' for me. After faithfully watching Picket Fences and Ally McBeal, I guess I've just had enough of 'quirky' to last me for a while. This does not mean I'm an indiscriminate TV watcher or that I don't recognize quality when I see it. I. Just. Don't. Like. It. OK? And I'm not going to watch a show that I don't like just to keep it on the air for others. Sorry, I'm not that generous. Now, can people just lay off, please?"

Sorry, Rhonda, but for as long as Fox chooses to let Arrested Development stay on the air, many of us in the media, in concert with the show's small but loyal following, will continue to extol its elusive virtues. You don't have to watch, and believe me, I understand why you don't. But cut us some slack to work for a good, if seemingly hopeless, cause.

Question: With the way the Walker, Texas Ranger movie ended, it led me to believe that there would be a follow-up because Walker's wife gets shot and it ended with that. Are they going to bring it back on a regular basis? — Lisa

Matt Roush: Oddly (considering the surprising way the movie ended), there are no immediate plans for another Walker movie, according to CBS. Which doesn't mean it will never happen. But hard to imagine Chuck Norris letting the franchise end on that note.

Question: I want to put in my two cents regarding Gilmore Girls. I think the separation of Lorelai is great and realistic. Lorelai went overboard in trying to keep her daughter away from her grandparents' life because she didn't like it. Yet who did Lorelai think Rory would meet at the fancy private school and then Yale? I don't know a lot of working-class people who go to either. Lorelai's expectation that Rory would glide through Yale untouched and uninvolved with that class was symptomatic of her self-involvement. I can also see Rory reacting to Mr. Huntzberger's harsh criticism. Rory is the golden girl who has almost always succeeded. She is running headlong into the wall of real life and getting bruised. That is what growing up and out from under the protective arms of parents is all about. I loved seeing her take charge of the DAR party, just like Emily, and just like Lorelai at the Inn. I think that is what this season had been about. — Lois

Matt Roush: Not exactly a question, I suppose, but this is reflective of the mail that poured in after our latest debate over the now-infamous "rift." This particular defense gets to the very core of the show, and I do agree that there should be poignance and pain in the inevitable separation of mother and daughter. The circumstances here just seem so contrived to me, and I would beg to differ regarding the appeal of the DAR scenes, which to me are just excruciating. But as Roberta writes: "Yes, we think [Rory] is in the pit of hell with the DAR; she just has to realize it. I think this season has been great. Actual growth, change and crisis. What a concept." And it's not as if any of this has affected the ratings negatively. The show's doing as well as ever, and that's as it should be.

Question: Matt, help me out here. I could swear that we saw a little bit of Bernard on Lost last season on the airplane, and he was black. Now he's white. I don't really care either way, but isn't this a continuity issue? Or maybe this is actually part of the plot. What's up?! — Jenny

Matt Roush: I thought the same thing and turned to an editor here who's one of the resident Lost experts (I watch too much to be obsessive about any one show, and I purposely don't go to the Lost fan sites). She replayed the pilot and tells me he wasn't seen, though I could swear I'd seen him, too. Regardless, Sam Anderson (who's now playing Bernard) is a terrific character actor, so I'm at peace with it. And if I and my editor/friend are wrong, I'm sure someone will let us know instantly.

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/askmatt/

Who’s Your Momma?
By Don Kaplan New York Post

Tina Fey is cutting her maternity leave short to return immediately to "Saturday Night Live" — which has been trying to find its feet without its chief writer and most recognizable star.

Fey gave birth to a daughter, Alice, early last month. She is returning exactly six weeks after giving birth, the maximum time she would be permitted by law to stay out of work at full pay.

Women are entitled to take up to three months off — the last six weeks without pay.

No matter, it appears she was prevailed upon to come back early.

"I had to get back to work," Fey said in a prepared statement. "NBC has me under contract; the baby and I only have a verbal agreement."

"The doors were always open for her to come back when she wanted to," an "SNL" spokesman said. Fey — whose husband Jeff Richmond is a composer for the show — has been in touch with "SNL" producers throughout her leave.

A production source said she had been planning to return to work this week — but that she and the show had not said so publicly so that she could stay out longer if she decided later.

The bespectacled comic showed up for meetings last Monday and had been "in and out" all week. In her absence, the head writer's job has been handled by cast member Seth Meyers and a co-head writer, Andrew Steele.

"Tina is going to define her work load as she gets back in the swing of things," the "SNL" spokesman said.

Fey, 35, and Richmond, 45, met before their "SNL" jobs and dated for seven years before tying the knot in a Greek Orthodox ceremony in 2001.

Fey is also set to write and star in a sitcom pilot for NBC. The as-yet-untitled show is about a head writer for a sketch comedy/variety show much like "SNL." Producers have been trying to put together a cast for the past few weeks.

Saturday's "SNL," Fey's first of the season, will feature Academy Award winner Catherine Zeta-Jones as host.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly_new.php

Fox postseason ratings off 23 percent from 2004

MediaLifeMagazine.com---The Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals have developed a nice rivalry, but it still doesn’t compare to Yankees-Red Sox. And that has shown in Fox’s playoff ratings.

This year’s League Championship Series averaged a 6.8 household rating, down 33 percent versus a 10.2 last year, when the Boston Red Sox made their historic World Series run. Total viewers were off a little more, 35 percent, from a 15.9 million average last year to 10.4 million this year.

Both LCS last year, however, went seven games, while this year’s ALCS went five games and NLCS six. When comparing those 11 games against the same 11 games last year, ratings aren’t off as much. The 6.8 household rating through 11 games is down 20 percent versus an 8.5 average rating for 11 games last year.

So far Fox has averaged a 6.8 rating for this year’s playoffs, down 23 percent versus last year, but up 6 percent versus 2002, the last time neither the Red Sox nor Yankees made the LCS.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/cat_index_31.asp

Thursday’s network prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s opinions of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

TV Guide’s Matt Roush Answers Questions


I don't agree with everything he says, particularly about Threshold, but it's always an interesting read. Surface may be light in the writing dept, but it's far more fun to watch than the CSI:Alien of the Week storyline of Threshold. Plus, we get outdoors in Surface, Threshold has had maybe 3 outdoor daylight scenes..?

The info about Cold Case is good, all that character did was dilute the cast and make for odd pairings, glad to see she's gone.

For Trump, Martha's not the big worry
”Apprentice” slide began well before Stewart

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 21, 2005

Today Donald Trump may be feeling a little better about “The Apprentice,” with last night's episode hitting a season high of 4.8 in adults 18-49 according to Nielsen overnights. That's slightly over the 4.5 it's been averaging in recent weeks.

Over recent days the real estate mogul turned reality host has been dishing Martha Stewart real bad, complaining that she's the reason his show is down this season.

This week Trump told ABC News Radio he thought his show was hurt by viewers confusing the two versions, his and Stewart's, saying: "Mine continues to do well and, as you know, the other one has struggled very severely."

But in reality Trump's problems are not Stewart's fault. His ratings have been heading into a skid before her "Apprentice" spinoff debuted in September. Last night’s average was in fact down 25 percent from last season, when the show averaged a 6.4 among 18-49s.

But more worrisome for Trump, and for NBC, is that his "Apprentice" will likely slide as this season progresses if last season is any indication.

In late March, “Apprentice” averaged a 6.0 but by mid-May that had slipped to around a 5.0.

Meanwhile, Stewart’s Wednesday version of “The Apprentice” has actually been improving the past few weeks, matching a series-best 2.6 in 18-49s in its most recent airing.

It’s doubtful that “Stewart” will ever catch up to the original, even as the Trump version begins to drop. But the two will certainly get closer as the year progresses, and that probably won’t please Trump.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_830.asp

Sports Media
Will matchup equal ratings?

By Jay Posner San Diego Union-Tribune October 21, 2005

A year ago it was all about the Boston Red Sox and how they hadn't won a World Series since 1918. Now we have the Chicago White Sox, who can take that slump even further.

"We tried to sell the heck out of the Red Sox not winning in 86 years," Fox's Joe Buck said yesterday on a national conference call. "Here's a team that hasn't won in 88 years."

But it's not the same. The White Sox are the second team in the Second City – and much further down the list when it comes to national profile, known mainly for tanking a World Series 86 years ago and for wearing shorts in the 1970s. There's no talk of a curse, and it's not like MLB (and therefore Fox) wants to keep recalling one of the most shameful moments in the sport's history.

The Black Sox, not the shorts.

"You'll hear about it, along with 1917," said Fox Sports President Ed Goren, referring to the last year the White Sox won the Series. But not like we heard about 1918.

We'll also hear about 1962, which was when the Houston Astros, Chicago's opponent, were born. This is the first time Houston has advanced to a World Series.

Will it be enough to get people to watch beginning tomorrow evening? Who knows? One thing is for sure: It's a great matchup, especially for fans who appreciate good pitching and defense.

"I think the two best teams are meeting," Buck said. "I don't know that every year you can say that."

Said his broadcast partner, Tim McCarver: "We may not have Boston or New York from a ratings standpoint, but we have the third-largest (TV) market in Chicago and Roger Clemens going (in Game 1) for Houston, which has never been to the World Series (and is the 10th-largest market)."

One possible omen: This is only the second time since the Bay Area series of 1989 that a team from the Eastern time zone hasn't been in the Series. The other time was 2002, when the Angels and Giants played a seven-game classic that was virtually ignored; the average rating was 11.9, a record low.

But, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, if people don't want to watch good baseball, nobody's going to stop them.

Fox will pull out all the stops, as usual, with 28 cameras and 85 microphones and in-game interviews with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and Astros pitching coach Jim Hickey and those whooshing sound effects. (At least the network doesn't clutter up the field with useless color graphics the way it does during its NFL coverage.)

The only thing that might be missing: Lou Piniella. He was scheduled to reprise his role alongside Buck and McCarver, but at last report he was evacuating his family from their Tampa-area home as Hurricane Wilma approached. Goren said Piniella "still might be available" during the Series.

Bill King, 1927-2005

The broadcast world lost one of its great voices this week when Bill King died at 78.

King wasn't well-known outside the Bay Area, but that was everyone else's loss. I was fortunate enough as a teenager to hear him call Warriors and Raiders games (he later did the A's, too), and he was amazing. So good, in fact, that I would put him in Chick Hearn's class as a basketball announcer and better than anyone I've ever heard do football on radio.

His most famous call was of the Holy Roller play in 1978:

"The ball, flipped forward, is loose. A wild scramble. Two seconds on the clock. Casper grabbing the ball. It is ruled a fumble. Casper has recovered in the end zone. The Oakland Raiders have scored on the most zany, unbelievable, absolutely impossible dream of a play. . . . Madden is on the field. He wants to know if it's real. They said yes, get your big butt out of here. He does. . . . There's nothing real in the world anymore. The Raiders have won the football game."

Just printing the words can't do that call – or King – justice. You can hear him yourself during that game at: www.bayarearadio.org.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051021/news_1s21media.html

Sports Media and Business
Fox Hopes White Sox Are the New Red Sox?

By Richard Sandomir The New York Times October 21, 2005

The Mets required only seven years to make it to their first World Series, while the Houston Astros, who also entered the National League in 1962, as the Colt .45's, needed 43, the age of Roger Clemens, their starter in Game 1 tomorrow night.

In 1969, there were no nighttime World Series games, no bottom-screen score strip, no in-game manager/pitching coach interviews and no sinus-view close-ups.

But ratings? There were plenty of those, big ones, because there was no cable TV to speak of, no video games, no Internet, no video on demand and no ESPN. Life wasn't much worth living with an array of channels that climbed from 2 to 13.

Yet in that time, the Mets-Orioles World Series produced a 22.4 rating.

Seventeen years later, when the Mets made it to the World Series against the Red Sox, the rating grew to a 28.6, with an average 36.3 million viewers for each game, including 44.5 million for the memorable Game 6, when Bill Buckner became an advertisement for rubbing Bengay on your aching knees.

By 2000, everything had shrunk, and the Mets-Yankees World Series rated a mere 12.4, averaging 18 million viewers, proving the folly of a one-city fall classic.

All this is to underscore the challenges facing the Astros and White Sox in Houston's first trip to the World Series and Chicago's first since losing in 1959.

Will the White Sox prove that they are not the wrong Chicago franchise?

Will two pitching-laden teams attract an audience?

And will the White Sox' quest to win their first World Series in 88 years prove anywhere near as compelling as the Red Sox' curse-quashing was last year?

It is Fox's job to ignore ratings doubts and look on the bright side. Ed Goren, president of Fox Sports, said yesterday during a conference call, "We keep saying the White Sox are this year's version of the Red Sox, minus the sexy curse."

Sexy curses make for lovely albatrosses, especially if you're shedding an 86-year-old one. Last year, the Red Sox' sweep of the Cardinals produced an average of 25.5 million viewers a game, the most for a World Series since 1999.

Tim McCarver, Fox's analyst for the Series, said, "You may not have Boston or New York from a ratings standpoint, but you have the third-largest market and Roger Clemens going for Houston, which has never been in the World Series."

Home markets rally strongly when their teams play in the World Series, but this year presents a challenge for the White Sox. Chicago is usually characterized as a Cubs town, and Wrigley Field its adored monument; the White Sox are less storied, and U.S. Cellular Field is more Soviet-style edifice than great oeuvre.

When the Cubs lost the championship series two years ago to the Florida Marlins, the Chicago market rating built to a Game 7 peak of a 47.1, where 61 percent of TV homes in use were watching the Cubs lose.

Have enough White Sox fans quietly embedded in the South Side since 1959 - their World Series memories fresh of Ted Kluszewski booming two home runs in Game 1 to lead Chicago to an 11-0 victory - to make for potent ratings?

It's a big city, and a strong local rating in Chicago for the White Sox in the World Series should be no wackier than Harry Caray skipping across town from calling the White Sox to the Cubs. Odd things happen.

Ratings tend to rise when a team moves from the League Championship Series to the World Series. Fox extrapolates that if the Chicago market could produced a 32.5 rating (or 1.1 million households) for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Angels, it is logical to assume at least a 20 percent World Series jump.

But if the Cubs were playing? Think bigger - perhaps even Boston big. For its postseason redemption against the Cardinals last year, the Boston market rating rose to a Game 4 peak of a 59.0, or 1.4 million TV homes - meaning more than three-quarters of all televisions in use were watching the curse die.

Whatever has kept the White Sox from winning the World Series since 1917 will not be dwelt upon. The Foxians insist that they will stay largely in the present and not reminisce about 1959, or the 1919 Black Sox scandal, but, as the Fox announcer Joe Buck suggested, the network could still make use of the cast of "Eight Men Out."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/21/sports/baseball/21tv.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1129914042-PoNWC0ZnxzcpNsQFOOrQwA&pagewanted=print

“E-Ring” and “Three Wishes” Time Change Canceled

A few days ago NBC announced that “E-Ring” and “Three Wishes” would exchange time slots next week.

Now the network, without comment, has rescinded that move. Now “E-Ring” will stay in its Wednesday night slot and “Three Wishes” will remain on Friday.

Stronger ratings for both shows in their most recent airings probably prompted the move.

In other news, NBC ordered three more scripts for “E-Ring” which should give it a few more weeks to decidce whether to renew the programs, whose ratings -- although still not strong -- have been slowly growing.

Just curious....
There seem to be a lot of shows hanging on this year with fewer obvious losers (only a few cancellations so far).

Do the networks plan upfront to only keep a certain number of shows such there there will be inevitable cancellations?

I don't understand the question. What major network signals are you referring to? The HD signals that Comcast carries are the local stations signals, network owned and affiliate. The reason satellite has not done so yet, among other things, is they have not had the bandwidth.

I didn't think the question was that hard to figure out, but here it is in a different format:

I have DirecTV right now and can't get any locals, since I can get them with an antenna. I should be able to get the West Coast CBS feed on DirecTV's satelite since my area CBS station is O&O, but DirecTV hasn't read the news about that yet and will not just give it out, I still need waivers for it. The other stations are not O&O, so I don't and won't get them anytime soon.

If I switch to Comcast, I would get all the local major networks, without any hassles, it is in the package.

Why is it so hard for DirecTV customers (I assume Dish as well) to get the locals?

There is not enough bandwidth yet, Scott. It really is that simple.

I don't know if you are in the # 6 San Francisco or the #19 Sacramento DMA, but in either case, I would assume DirecTV will have HD LIL available to you in a few months.

Just curious....
There seem to be a lot of shows hanging on this year with fewer obvious losers (only a few cancellations so far).

Do the networks plan upfront to only keep a certain number of shows such there there will be inevitable cancellations?


David, the networks never consciously plan for cancellations. But they are big enough boys (and girls) to realize some shows just won't make it. They never know which ones.

("Criminal Minds" for example got horrible reviews, was up against "Lost" and seemed (according to almost every critic and Madison Avenue pundit) destined for failure -- but then the season started and it seems to have caught on. "Inconceivable", on the other hand, appeared doomed from the get-go -- and it was.)

Networks always have shows ready to replace failed programs. And beyond that, they are already working on shows for the 2005-07 season.

I don't know if you are in the # 6 San Francisco or the #19 Sacramento DMA, but in either case, I would assume DirecTV will have HD LIL available to you in a few months.

He's in the Sacramento market, where Viacom/CBS has recently purchased its affiliate. There's still some trouble getting D* to turn on west coast CBS O&O HDTV feeds there. (I wonder if he's run this past KOVR chief engineer Bob Hess, who's a regular in the Sac HDTV OTA forum? I can't remember if he has or not...Bob's promised to help with those issues, but he's been rather busy lately recovering from a lightning strike and integrating KOVR with Viacom's UPN station in the market.)

Since he's in market 19, he'll likely get LILs by mid-next-year...he's in the same second batch as we are here in the Cleveland market (#16).

I am sure Scott will read your helpful post, Inundated, and perhaps give Bob Hess a call -- or drop him an email asking for his help.

Thanks for the tip!

Some Upcoming TV DVD Releases
(Release Date: Tuesday, October 25)

Alias Season 4
Bewitched Season 2 (Color or B&W version)
The Doris Day show Season 2
Hart to Hart Season 1
In Living Color Season 4
Kids In The Hall Season 3
The L Word Season 2
The Little House On The Prairie Season 9
The Munsters Season 2
Point Pleasant the complete series
Tales From The Crypt Season 2
Third Rock From The Sun Season 2

Marc - Welcome. This thread is mainly for TV show news and ratings with an emphasis on Hd - fredfa does an awesome job of getting us all the articles relative to TV shows and occasionaly some channels.. As far as more HD from Directv.. its anyones guess.. check out these threads for all the discussion of more hd on directv..

Directv mpeg 4 info
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=501777

the detroit local rollout
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=592525

HD TIVO
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=394761&page=1&pp=30


jim

I just upgraded my Directtv to a HD DVR and was told by the install guy that Dtv would be going live with possibly up to 30 more HD chanels in the near future. I called Dtv and the girl l talked to with the real cute southern accent said that in 05 they are looking at Detroit for adding local. That is the big push right now, local chanels. She didnt see Denver, but could only view 2005 targets. She did say that they have just launched a couple new satelites and are working on getting them in place and that those will increase the number of hd chanels. She couldnt give me a target date on those.

Does anyone have any other info on future HD programming offered by Dtv? The six chanels they offer right now just aint enough. I have my OTA antennae but am only getting one local chanel. I need to play with that some more, I dont think he mounted it high enough.

Mark

He's in the Sacramento market, where Viacom/CBS has recently purchased its affiliate. There's still some trouble getting D* to turn on west coast CBS O&O HDTV feeds there. (I wonder if he's run this past KOVR chief engineer Bob Hess, who's a regular in the Sac HDTV OTA forum? I can't remember if he has or not...Bob's promised to help with those issues, but he's been rather busy lately recovering from a lightning strike and integrating KOVR with Viacom's UPN station in the market.)

Since he's in market 19, he'll likely get LILs by mid-next-year...he's in the same second batch as we are here in the Cleveland market (#16).

I am in the Sac area and I have chatted with Bob as well as paying attention to the thread on the Sac area.

Fred, there is enough bandwidth for the locals, since they do have them available, but only if the area is O&O, even though with cable it doesn't seem to matter, that is my whole beef. Maybe this shouldn't be in this thread though. I was just thinking the info on why cable can and satelite can't just give everyone their local affiliates without forcing people to use OTA antennas (like Marksnewa10 is trying to figure out).

Frankly, Scott, we're way beyond any slight expertise I might have when we start talking about bandwidth. It is my underfstanding that DirecTV just doesn't have enough to provide HD LIL until they get the new satellites working. But, as I say, I could well be wrong. But as I understand it many (if not most) cable systems do provide local HD.

And jim -- thanks for the kind words.

no problem fredfa - I would not know half the stuff I know about tv shows without you doing the work finding the articles :)

Fred, there is enough bandwidth for the locals, since they do have them available, but only if the area is O&O,
Steve, these "locals" are actually the local stations for Los Angeles. They are provided by DirecTV to markets that have Owned and Operated stations and to areas where no local stations are even offered.

For example, the CBS feed you mentioned is KCBS from LA. This station is the same feed for everyone in the western US who qualifies for it. It is not your local Sacramento station.

Due to current bandwidth restrictions only the 4 major nets in LA and NY are carried by DirecTV currently.

You are confusing these Distant Network Feeds(the CBS feed you referred to) with your local stations, they are 2 entirely different signals.

Halloween 2005
Not too soon for a spook sampler

By Diane Werts Newsday Staff Writer October 21, 2005

Here comes the spooky stuff. Much like TV's Christmas season, which now kicks off prior to Thanksgiving, Halloween has been extended into a holiday extravaganza hitting the air a couple of weeks before the actual Oct. 31 event.

You think today's column seems a bit early? It's almost too late. Sci Fi started its 13 Days of Halloween festival on Wednesday.

This weekend sees the launch of two week-plus movie marathons devoted to suspense and fright flicks - the better to help all those cable channels fill time in a thematic manner that might actually attract viewers. Kids TV has its own Halloween tricks and treats. And lest real life be left out, cablers showcasing history and documentary also find ways to air purportedly informative horrors.

(All times are Eastern. Check listings for more details)

FILM FESTIVALS

Monsterfest (Sunday through Oct. 31, AMC) - All-day all-night marathon starts Sunday at 11:30 a.m. with Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein." Other toppers include the "Halloween" films (Tuesday-Friday), "Friday the 13th" titles (Oct. 29) and the new half-hour "Movies That Shook the World: The Exorcist" (Oct. 28 at 10 p.m.).

Alfred Hitchcock (Monday through Oct. 31, Turner Classic Movies) - This definitive 100th-birthday salute to the late suspense director covers everything from Hitch's early British silents ("The Lodger," Oct. 30) through his American hits ("Vertigo" and "Psycho," Monday at 9 and 11:30 p.m.) to his final feature ("Family Plot," Oct. 28). Three dozen ad-free films unreel from 8 p.m. nightly till early morning.

Monster Movies (Oct. 28-31, MonstersHD, on Dish satellite) - The former VOOM channel lines up high-definition scares from the "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Friday the 13th" cycles, plus "Freddy vs. Jason," the clipfest "Monsters of Gore" and "Playboy's Halloween Spooktacular."

Indie Screams (Saturday and Oct. 29-31, IFC) - Nightly cult-title fright fest including "The Wicker Man," "Piranha," "Wendigo."

OTHER MOVIES

Abbott & Costello monster comedy films (Sunday 8 p.m.- 12:30 a.m., TCM) - The 1950s jesters meet the Invisible Man, Frankenstein and the Mummy.

Monsters, Inc. (Oct. 29 at 8 p.m., ABC) - The Disney/ Pixar hit voiced by John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi.

Cerberus (Oct. 29 at 9 p.m., Sci Fi) - Greg Evigan battles the three-headed mythological dog in this original film.

Supernatural Lifetime movies (Oct. 30, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Lifetime) - Titles include "Child of Darkness, Child of Light," "Voice From the Grave," "I've Been Waiting for You."

Vampire Bats (Oct. 30 at 9 p.m., CBS) - Lucy Lawless and Dylan Neal in a new TV-movie sequel to last year's "Locusts," with Brett Butler and Craig Ferguson.

Stephen King miniseries (Oct. 31, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sci Fi) - TV's version of "The Shining" is followed at 2 p.m. by "It." (Stanley Kubrick's theatrical film "The Shining" unreels on A&E Oct. 29 at 8 p.m.)

Sundance cinema (Oct. 31 from 9 p.m., Sundance) - Titles include "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me," Takashi Miike's "Audition," the Iceland documentary "Investigation Into the Invisible World."

KIDS/FAMILY TV

Sounds Like Halloween (Saturday 3-8 p.m., Disney) - Themed episodes of series including "That's So Raven," "Lizzie McGuire," "Sister Sister," "The Proud Family," new outings of "American Dragon: Jake Long" (5 p.m.) and "The Buzz on Maggie" (5:30 p.m.).

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Tuesday at 8 p.m., ABC) - Annual run of the animated Peanuts holiday special.

Scooby-Doo marathon (Wednesday-Oct. 31, Boomerang) - Six straight days of every "Scooby-Doo" mystery cartoon series ever made, 1969 to 2002.

Shriekin' Weekend (Oct. 28-30, Nickelodeon) - Eerie premieres include "Catscratch" (Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m.), "Zoey 101" (Oct. 29 at 8 p.m.), "Unfabulous" (Oct. 29 at 8:30 p.m.). Also "Backyardigans" (Oct. 31 at 10 a.m.).

Scare-a-thon (Oct. 29-31, Nicktoons) - Animated 48-hour marathon, hosted by Edgar and Ellen, includes new "Martin Mystery" episode (Oct. 29 at 9 a.m.).

Halloween episodes (Oct. 31, 6 a.m.-6 p.m., Noggin) - Preschool spookery includes new "Music Monster" episode of "Jack's Big Music Show" at 12:30 and 4:30 p.m.

Spooktacular films (Oct. 31 from 6 a.m., Starz Kids & Family) - Theatricals like "The Haunted Mansion" and "Hocus Pocus" for 24 hours.

REAL LIFE


Great Mysteries Week (Monday-Oct. 28, 8-10 p.m., History) - Various hour documentaries examine presidential prophecies, lost worlds, Bible mysteries, the Bermuda triangle.

Vampires (Oct. 28 at 8 p.m., A&E) - Two-hour look at the creatures' impact on pop culture.

A Haunting (Oct. 28 at 10 p.m., Discovery) - Series of paranormal tales premieres with a ghostly 19th century Connecticut farmhouse.

Howl-o-ween (Oct. 29-31, 8-11 p.m., Animal Planet) - Programs about creepy creatures, real and mythical.

Possessed Possessions (Oct. 30, 8-10 p.m., TLC) - Psychic James Van Praagh leads a team evaluating supposedly haunted objects including dolls, paintings, a samurai sword.

SERIES

Commander in Chief (Tuesday at 9 p.m., ABC) - Amy may not get to trick-or-treat due to security concerns.

Everybody Hates Chris (Thursday at 8 p.m., UPN) - Chris dresses as Prince for a Halloween party.

Bernie Mac (Oct. 28 at 8 p.m., Fox) - The kids get scared by a zombie movie. On "Malcolm in the Middle" (8:30), the family learns its home housed a murder.

Masters of Horror (Oct. 28 at 10 p.m., Showtime) - Series premiere of hour anthology from directors including Joe Dante, John Landis.

Medium (Oct. 31, 8-11 p.m., NBC) - Three-hour mini-marathon for Emmy winner Patricia Arquette.

Roseanne's Halloween House of Horrors (Oct. 31 at 10 p.m., Nick at Nite) - Two hours of episodes from the sitcom that took Halloween hilarity seriously.

Criss Angel Mindfreak (Oct. 31 at 10 p.m., A&E) - Halloween magic before a live audience.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-ettel4476414oct21,0,1552458,print.story?coll=ny-television-headlines

You are confusing these Distant Network Feeds(the CBS feed you referred to) with your local stations, they are 2 entirely different signals.

Exactly.

And the cable systems can carry local HD channels because they only need the bandwidth for X number of channels (5 or so, depending on how many local HD stations they carry).

DirecTV needs to have bandwidth to carry the HD channels for EACH MARKET they offer them in. That's the 5 stations above, times however any markets they are offering LIL HD stations into. There's no way for them to technologically "switch out" markets...they have to have the live feeds for all markets they offer HD LIL channels into.

There are 210 Nielsen Designated Market Areas. Figure about an average of seven stations per market (inclusing RSNs) and you come up with a few more than 1,400 HD LIL signals. Obviously some of the biggest markets may have more than seven stations. Many of the smallest 100 will most likely have considerably fewer.

At any rate, DirecTV has claimed for some time now it will have the band width to deliver 1,500 HD LIL signals by 2007.

There are 210 Nielsen Designated Market Areas. Figure about an average of seven stations per market (inclusing RSNs) and you come up with a few more than 1,400 HD LIL signals. Obviously some of the biggest markets may have more than seven stations. Many of the smallest 100 will most likely have considerably fewer.

At any rate, DirecTV has claimed for some time now it will have the band width to deliver 1,500 HD LIL signals by 2007.

I was wondering about RSNs. That's about the only reason I'd care about LIL here in NY. Should I expect to see local sports in HD in the near future?

I think it depends on the network. Some cable companies (Comcast in Philly, Cox in San Diego) refuse to allow DBS carriage. Others do.

But with the addition of HD, I don't know how that will work.

Once the HD LILs start coming on stream I suspect we'll find out more.

But it would be hard to believe DirecTV wouldn't include RSNs wherever
possible.

A Crisp, Clear Morning
GMA to debut in high-def
(Except for viewers in Mountain and Central Time zones)

By Ken Kerschbaumer Broadcasting & Cable

On Nov. 3, ABC's Good Morning America will become the first morning program and first broadcast-network news program to be aired in high-definition. The move gives viewers with HD sets on the East and West Coasts a chance to see a large portion of the program—including interviews and concerts from its Times Square home—with a whole new clarity.

Preston Davis, ABC president, broadcast operations and engineering, says the move has been in the works for years. “We were one of the first networks to go HD back in 1998, and everything we've done since then, including the move to Times Square [in 1999], is done with an eye toward an HD future,” he says. “It's a remarkable location, and this will only serve to enhance it.”

COST-PROHIBITIVE FOR MANY

Along with HDNet's HDNet World Report, GMA's going high-def gives momentum to a segment that is lagging in the transition to HD behind scripted programs, sports and movies. That's because broadcast-quality HD field-acquisition gear is still cost-prohibitive for many, and technical challenges, such as how to transmit live HD signals from reporters in the field, are just beginning to be addressed. Expect both issues to be faced head-on prior to next April's National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas.

The decision to offer GMA in high-def plays into parent company Disney's larger strategy of further embracing technology. Davis, who was recently putting the finishing touches on delivering content to 2.5-inch iPod screens, has turned his attention to 60-inch plasma screens.

“HD technology is finally mature enough for this,” he says. “Given the amount of HD sets in homes, there is an audience that wants high-quality HD programming in the morning.”

The HD shift began in earnest in August, when the production crew moved out of the control room and into production trucks so engineers could replace the standard-definition analog gear with HDTV equipment. It was the end of September before the crews moved back, and found themselves in a control room tricked out with HD gear.

A Sony MVS-8000 production switcher replaced the old Sony analog switcher, and SD video monitors were replaced with Miranda's virtual monitor wall, which can be reconfigured to suit personal preferences, such as adding or subtracting the number of video signals monitored on the wall.

It is especially well suited to working in both SD's 4:3 aspect ratio and HD's 16:9. “It's important that we have a great deal of flexibility so we can mix the 4:3 and 16:9 elements,” says Davis.

Once the control room and cameras were in place, GMA's production team got down to rehearsing, shooting the program once while outputting both standard- and high-def versions. Making sure HD viewers don't periodically see a crew member's body part popping into the side of the screen is just one of the new challenges.

“We're learning as we're going,” says Roger Goodman, ABC Television Network VP, special projects.

Goodman, who at one point in his career helped steer ABC from black-and-white to color, says HD opens up a world of possibilities. “One thing we're discovering is that, when video comes in from around the world, the HD material has detail that makes you want to sit back and study it,” he says. “We discovered that last January when, during the inauguration coverage, Charlie Gibson and Peter Jennings would tell us to just stay with a shot. It's a new world for all of us.”

NOT EVERYONE GETS IT

Not everyone, however, gets to visit the new world. Viewers in the Mountain and Central time zones won't be able to watch GMA in HD until next spring, because there aren't enough HD satellite paths and control rooms in place to serve the entire country. Even viewers on the coasts are limited; all studio elements shot in Times Square and live concerts held there or in nearby Bryant Park will be in HD, but footage that comes in from remote locations will primarily be in standard-definition.

Davis says ABC is gearing up to do some remotes in high-def, whether a single-camera shoot or, like its HD coverage of President Bush's inauguration last January, a complex multi-camera shoot. GMA staff will rely on upconversion gear to make the mix of HD and non-HD material seamless for viewers.

With more-affordable HD news gear in the works, Davis expects that GMA will soon have some high-def company: CBS has laid the foundation for an Early Show move with its new digital infrastructure, and NBC says it will convert Today to HD while the production team and talent are in Turin, Italy, for the Winter Olympics in February.

THE 2005 WORLD SERIES
Fox pair on replay fence

By Ray Frager Baltimore Sun October 21, 2005

Fox will have 26 cameras trained on each game of the World Series. The way things have gone this postseason, that's not good news if you're an umpire.

During a teleconference yesterday with Fox's Series announcers, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, the question of instant replay review naturally came up because of this fall's playoff series with phantom tags and strikeouts that weren't.

"I don't want to see it because I'm a traditionalist," McCarver said. " ... But you could make the case based on this postseason."

"We all want to see the games umpired correctly," Buck said. "[A bad call] takes away from the game.

"I'm starting to sway [in favor of limited use of replay] ... a list of a handful of things on which an umpire can look at the replay."

As for the matchup between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros, Buck said: "It's kind of a throwback World Series.

"It should be pitching heavy, two teams that know how to move runners along, two teams that have to scrap. ... I don't see the offense going nuts for either side."

McCarver said: "I can't remember a World Series that has had as many quality starters. ... You can make a case that every starting pitcher in this Series is a top-notch starter."

No Piniella

Guest analyst Lou Piniella had been scheduled to join Buck and McCarver for the Series, but it's unclear now whether he'll be on the air. Piniella, the former Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager, will be staying home in Florida because of the impending Hurricane Wilma. Fox is holding out hope Piniella could work the Series if the storm's effects don't keep him in Florida.

Buck and McCarver said they enjoyed working with him and wanted him back.

"We had to ask our mom if we could have Lou sleep over," Buck said.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-sp.frager21oct21,1,2476930,print.column?coll=bal-artslife-tv

THE 2005 WORLD SERIES
Series Should Be Heavy on Pitching, Not Ratings
Mike Penner Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 22, 2005

A Houston Astros-Chicago White Sox World Series is a great thing for Houston — a valuable diversion from the unholy wretchedness of Texan football — but only a partial blessing for Chicago, a city with a split personality when it comes to baseball and World Series droughts.

Every White Sox run, every Astro out will be rued by Cub fans who used to think April through September were the cruelest months of the year, but now are convinced that October has it in for them.

October 2003: The Night of the Bartman.

October 2004: The Red Sox reversed their curse first … against the Cubs' most hated rival, the Cardinals.

October 2005: The White Sox are four victories away from winning their first World Series since 1917.

Cub fans can barely stand to watch, but like it or not, the White Sox will play host to Game 1 of another Cub-free World Series today at 4:30 p.m., with Fox equipped with 85 microphones and 26 camera angles at U.S. Cellular Field, just ready to pour it on.

Joe Buck calls this a "throwback World Series," which is what Cub supporters would most like to do with it. Throw it back.

"I don't know how far I'm throwing it back," Buck said during a Thursday conference call. "It's a series that should be pitching-heavy [with] two teams that know how to move runners along and scrap to get runs in.

"I would say the White Sox probably have a little more pop in their lineup, but not a ton more pop. I see this as a pretty even series going in. This, to me, looks like a long series, and it's going to be one of those matchups that might be won or lost on the basepaths, or [by] somebody stepping up and getting a key hit at the right time. I don't see the offense going nuts for either side."

Notably, it is a World Series without participation by the Red Sox or the New York Yankees, only the second of that species since 1997. The last World Series played without the Yankees or Red Sox — the Angels versus the San Francisco Giants in 2002 — drew record-low TV ratings, so Buck did what he could to pump up a confrontation between the White Sox (last World Series appearance: 1959) and the Astros (last World Series appearance: never).

"I think the two best teams are meeting in this World Series," Buck said. "I think the best team from the National League is playing the best team from the American League. And I don't know if every year you can say that."

I don't know if you can say that this year. A quick review of the 2005 NL Central Standings:

St. Louis 100-62.

Houston 89-73.

Buck later clarified his opinion, saying, "I think the Cardinals have been built, the last two years, to be a very good team over 162 games. Just like the Braves were all those years, and still are, under Bobby Cox.

"But what you see in the postseason — and it's something we talked about during the playoffs from Lou Piniella — [is] power pitching, and what power pitching can do for you….

"I was at [Game 6 of the NLCS]. That thing was over in the second inning. I saw a couple players down below who were talking about [Houston starter Roy] Oswalt during the game and they said, 'My god, he's throwing the ball, it looks like it's 110 and it's rising when it comes to the plate.' And from him to [Roger] Clemens, [Andy] Pettitte, with all his postseason experience, what you get out of [Brad] Lidge in the bullpen, [Chad] Qualls, they've got power pitching. And I think power pitching trumps anything else….

"And that's the same for the White Sox in the ALCS. That's why I look at this as the two best teams hooking up and the potential of having a heck of a World Series, with the kind of power pitching that these guys throw at you."

Power pitching does not necessarily translate into powerful TV ratings.

However, on the plus side, a lot of ex-Yankees are pitching in this World Series. One of them, Clemens, who is Houston's Game 1 starter, also pitched for the Red Sox and, well, maybe that will pull in the East Coast audience for at least a look-see.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-penner22oct22,1,5360571,print.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-sports

THE 2005 WORLD SERIES
A Fall Classic? It's up to Fox

By Bob Raissman New York Daily News

This just in: Not everyone knows the Houston Astros will be in Chicago tomorrow night to face the White Sox in World Series Game No. 1.

Do you smell a ratings disaster?

Whether the odor has reached the nostrils of Fox executives (their network will broadcast its eighth Fall Classic) or commissioner Bud Selig depends on if you believe they believe in miracles.

It also has a lot to do with the suits' ability to promote this matchup. And we're not talking about a bunch of commercials being thrown on the air. To make this thing work, in terms of bust-out ratings, some tender-loving, consistent promotional care is needed.

Right now, by the Foxies' own devices, more of America knows about next month's season premiere of "That '70s Show" than it does about tomorrow's Game No. 1.

"I think Game 1 of this World Series - if you go back three years or four years - will do better (ratings wise) than we did back then," Ed Goren, Fox Sports president, said yesterday. "I think (in terms of ratings) this World Series will hold up extremely well."

No matter how anyone tries spinning, er, analyzing it, MLB's establishment knows the casual fan, the one needed to drive ratings into the promised land, does not see Astros-White Sox as a glamour matchup. So, on a Saturday night in October, many of these valuable viewers may opt for a night on the town rather than a night in front of the tube watching a baseball game.

That would mean the beginning of a ratings descent into the toilet for Fox's World Series presentation.

It doesn't have to - and should not - be that way. The product is sweet. You have the White Sox, a team from the nation's No. 3 TV market (3.4 million TV households), which has not won a World Series in 88 years. And the Astros, coming out of the country's No. 10 TV market (1.9 million TV households), never have been this far.

Two teams come to a World Series playing with legitimate hunger.

That's cool.

Both teams have compelling players. They both have the kind of quality pitching that produces close, dramatic games. Throw in the Wizard of Odd, Ozzie Guillen, for the bizarre - hopefully he generates some controversy - and there are plenty of hooks here.

Not so privately, the suits will admit they would rather have more of a marquee matchup. One that packs a ratings punch. The air went out of some programmers' balloons after the White Sox punctured Boston. And when the Yankees went down to the Angels, boxes of Kleenex likely were passed around the Foxies' Hollywood bunker.

And yet, having at least one marquee team in the World Series does not guarantee ratings success. The Yankees have the dubious distinction of participating in two of the three lowest-rated World Series in the history of televised baseball.

The Bombers' 2000 Subway Series with the Mets averaged a 12.4 rating for the five games. In 2003, Yankees-Marlins averaged a 13.9 rating for six games. The lowest-rated World Series took place in 2002 when the Angels-Giants seven-game Series averaged an 11.9 rating.

Recent World Series matchups void of baseball's glitterati have produced healthy ratings. The six-game 1995 Braves-Indians Series, carried on a split-network basis by ABC and NBC, recorded a 19.5 rating. NBC's 1997 Marlins-Indians seven-game Fall Classic notched a 16.8 rating.

If Fox and MLB suits want Houston-Chicago to approach the healthy 15.8 rating last season's Red Sox-Cardinals Series averaged they'd better roll up their sleeves and, over the course of the next 72 hours, remind America how much juice the 2005 World Series has. Now is the time for some urgency. Commercials are not enough. Fox should mobilize all its assets.

When you turn on Fox News Channel, do you see any World Series panel discussions? And how come MLB does not already have a small army of MLB stars - past and present - promoting the Series matchup on talk radio, early and late-night TV gabfests, MTV and various regional sports networks? Both the NBA and NFL have this strategy down to a science.

MLB is lagging.

This is free advice. It is needed. A wise man once said that when a sports TV rights package stays at one network for too long, the partners get comfortable - fat and lazy, so to speak. Everything is business as usual. Everyone starts believing, and recycling, lines like: "Volume - seven games - will produce good ratings."

That particular line, when applied to that Angels-Giants World Series, is jive.

This Astros-White Sox Series isn't. It is very watchable.

How many of you will?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/v-pfriendly/story/357770p-304858c.html

THE 2005 WORLD SERIES
Fox hopes for 'memorable' Astros-White Sox Series

By: JOHN MAFFEI (San Diego) North County Times Staff Writer

The first pitch of the 2005 World Series hasn't been thrown yet, so officials at Fox are optimistic that interest and ratings for an Astros-White Sox matchup will be strong.
No one expects numbers like last year, when the Red Sox-Cardinals pairing pulled a 25 share of the audience, but Fox has high hopes for good ratings.

"We'll have to compare the numbers from this year to ratings for the years prior to the Red Sox and Cardinals," said Ed Goren, president of Fox Sports. "I think this will be a memorable World Series with incredible ratings. I think the numbers will hold up extremely well and will be in the ballpark with last year."

While every network wants a marquee matchup with New York and Los Angeles teams, Chicago is the No. 3 TV market in the country and Houston is No. 11.

With veteran Roger Clemens starting Game 1 for Houston at 4:30 p.m. Saturday against Jose Contreras of the White Sox, followed by Houston's Andy Pettitte going against Chicago's Orlando Hernandez in Game 2 on Sunday, there is a chance for great ratings right from the start.

"I think this is a throwback World Series to the pitching-heavy days," said Joe Buck, who will call the play for Fox along with Tim McCarver. "Honestly, I think the two best teams are playing, and you can't always say that. I think this looks like a long World Series."

Fox is prepared for the Series, using 28 cameras ---- including "Diamond Cam," which can be spectacular or very annoying, depending on how much it's used. And there are no plans to stray from the Fox close-up shots.

Plus, Fox will use 85 microphones around the ballparks. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has agreed to be miked, as has Astros pitch coach Jim Hickey.

"People who don't like baseball say it's a slow game," Goren said. "It's only slow if the director sits on the center-field camera and waits for the next pitch to come. Our philosophy is to use close-up shots to enhance the action."

As for miking managers and coaches, Goren said, "NFL coaches are the masters of coach-speak. In baseball, I think we get some solid information. I think it's an asset to get clarifications on in-game situations. I think it's very effective."

No Lou for now

Lou Piniella, who was excellent as the third man in the booth along with Buck and McCarver for the ALCS, was scheduled to work the World Series.

But the former manager of the Devil Rays lives in Tampa and was busy evacuating his family as Hurricane Wilma approached Florida.

"Lou was looking forward to working the Series, but family comes first," Goren said. "He still might be available if the hurricane turns left or right."

Originally, Piniella was supposed to walk away after the ALCS, but his work was so good that Goren asked him to continue.

"I don't think Lou's looking to get a regular TV deal," Buck said. "I think he enjoyed himself, but I don't think this is something he'll do the rest of his life. It was a one-shot deal."

> Jeanne Zelasko and Kevin Kennedy will work the pre and postgame shows for Fox.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/10/21/news/columnists/john_maffei/22_44_4710_20_05.prt

Friday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.

A Week Full of Shrieks

By Brad Walters The Washington Post Sunday, October 23, 2005; Y04

Halloween isn't until next week, but the networks have already carved out programming designed to tingle the spine well before the big night. So light the jack-o'-lantern, dim the lights and prepare for a scare from this early Halloween fare. (All time ET.)

All Week

MonsterFest 2005, AMC. More than 200 hours of horror flicks start Sunday and run through Halloween night. A new "Movies That Shook the World" episode featuring "The Exorcist" airs Friday at 10 p.m.

Great Mysteries Week, History Channel. Starting at 8 p.m. each night this week beginning Monday, History delves into some of our culture's most mystifying secrets. The week culminates Saturday night with a showing of "The Haunted History of Halloween" and a "History's Mysteries" episode on legendary monsters.

Tuesday

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, 8 p.m., ABC. Linus awaits the arrival of the benevolent jack-o'-lantern in this Peanuts Halloween tradition.

Wednesday

Scooby-Doo marathon, Boomerang. Zoinks! Nonstop Scooby programming starts at midnight and runs through Oct. 31. (Boomerang's sister channel, Cartoon Network, runs prime-time Scooby all week.)

Friday

Masters of Horror, 10 p.m., Showtime. Prominent horror directors come together to produce a series of original one-hour horror films. The series premieres tonight with two short films; two more air Saturday night.

Secret Life of Vampires, 8 p.m., A&E. This new program takes viewers to Dracula's birthplace and shows modern vampires practicing their craft. (Yes, there's bloodletting -- and blood-drinking -- involved.)

Weekend, Nickelodeon. Programming for teens, tweens and tots is sprinkled throughout the weekend starting tonight. Check listings for specific programming.

Ed, Edd n Eddy's Boo Haw Haw, 7 p.m., Cartoon Network. In this new episode, the three sugar-seeking pals scope out a neighborhood known for its liberal candy-giving.

Haunting, 8 p.m. on Discovery. This series, premiering tonight, chronicles the terrifying true stories of the paranormal told by folks who experienced real-life horror.

Saturday

Scary Movie, 8 p.m., NBC. Teenagers are stalked by a bumbling serial killer in this parody of the horror genre.

The Shining, 8 p.m., A&E. The Stanley Kubrick classic stars Jack Nicholson as a deranged man determined to kill his wife and young son.

100 Scariest Movie Moments, 7 p.m. Bravo counts down the most bone-chilling moments in cinematic history.

Scare-a-thon, FX. A full day of horror programming begins at noon and features "The Blair Witch Project" at 8 p.m.

Scary movie marathon, ABC Family. The network's 10-hour scare-a-thon begins at 2 p.m. and features "The Sixth Sense" at 8 p.m.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/18/AR2005101801724_pf.html

DVDs help keep “Arrested Development” on the air

By Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune staff reporter October 23, 2005

The conventional wisdom says Fox's Emmy-winning comedy "Arrested Development" is a cult success but a commercial failure.

The conventional wisdom may well be wrong.

The critically acclaimed show, which returns from Fox's baseball break with two episodes featuring guest star Charlize Theron on Nov. 7, is indeed ratings challenged, but it's surprisingly dominant in another arena.

Fox won't release sales totals, but executives at the company's home-video division say the first two seasons of "Arrested," which chronicles the lives of the dysfunctional Bluth family, have sold very well on DVD.

"There's a lot of awareness of the series" thanks to extensive media coverage of the show, says Steven Feldstein, senior vice president of Fox Home Entertainment, which released Season 2 Oct. 11.

"There are a lot of people who maybe haven't sampled it yet and have the opportunity to do so on DVD; that's in addition to . . . the show's die-hard fans."

Season 2 of the show has spent much of the past week at the top of Amazon.com's boxed-set best-sellers chart, and that kind of commercial success, along with critical praise, industry awards and a supportive Internet fan base, has helped keep the show alive.

"Arrested" creator Mitchell Hurwitz says he doesn't think the show will end up producing the entire run of 22 third-season episodes (Fox cut the show's second season order from 22 episodes to 18), but he says he thinks Fox will keep the comedy in production long enough to make a Season 3 DVD boxed set worthwhile.

"It won't be 22," Hurwitz said. "It might be a good number" so that Fox can release the third season on DVD. "If they know they can sell those DVDs, they might keep it on the air long enough to have enough to sell it [that way]."

Strong DVD sales alone would not keep the show alive, though it's one of many factors in "Arrested's" favor, according to Craig Erwich, executive vice president of programming at the Fox network. "At the end of the day, networks have to sustain themselves with revenue that comes from ratings," Erwich said. "That's not to say other revenue streams don't factor in."

DVD sales, though they are a boon for the company as a whole, mainly function for broadcast executives as an indicator of "the kind of vitality the show has," Erwich said. "Strong DVD sales tell us what we know -- that `Arrested Development' is a great show and people love it. The other benefit is that sometimes DVDs are a good way to bring in new viewers."

Fox has had record-setting success with its DVD releases of "The Simpsons," "The X-Files" and "Family Guy" -- in fact, "Family Guy's" DVD releases were so successful that it was put back into production. And the potential for other revenue has been expanded again, now that Apple's iTunes is offering TV shows for sale.

"In the TV market, there might be a little bit of change," Hurwitz said. "Maybe you used to need an 11 [ratings] share to stay on the air, but maybe now you can have a smaller number, but make up for it with people who purchase the show."

"Ours has always been a country of niche audiences," says Jimmy Schaeffler, senior research analyst for the media consulting firm The Carmel Group. "What developments like these point out is that large media companies are not only starting to realize that fact, but they are making it a part of their business plans. . . . In the new telecom and media business, there are lots of ways to make money."

Passionate fans are an important part of that new equation, and "Arrested" has very loyal viewers. They flooded Fox and media outlets with fake bananas (the Bluth family owns a banana stand) and letters asking the network to bring the show back for a third year, and they're poised to spring into action again.

"If the show is put on hiatus, we would obviously flood Fox with letters again . . . pleading with them to bring the show back, pointing out the potential for future DVD sales, syndication rights, etc.," says Katherine McKee of SaveOurBluths.com. "We might also include a campaign to other networks such as NBC and HBO."

The question now for "Arrested" fans is how many episodes they'll get to see on the air this season. Some media insiders have floated the idea that Fox could move its struggling Monday sitcoms, "Arrested" and "Kitchen Confidential," to Fridays, but Erwich said that's unlikely. And what will happen to "Arrested Development" once "American Idol" churns up Fox's schedule in January is anybody's guess.

Still, though Hurwitz said he greatly appreciates the critical and fan support for "Arrested Development," he says it's not time for a save-our-show campaign -- yet.

"I really believe everyone at Fox desperately wants the show to succeed and is tremendously dedicated to that goal," Hurwitz said. "I hope they've come to see the show as a loss leader, not a negative to the network, but a different kind of positive."

Is your favorite TV show on DVD?

Though strong DVD sales can help cult shows stay on the air in their dicey early days (think "Alias" and "24") and even bring a canceled show back (think "Family Guy"), the format is mainly useful to media companies as a cheap profit machine (writers and actors usually make little or nothing from TV-on-DVD sales, which raked in $2.3 billion in 2004). Still, given the desire of media companies to make as much dough off their TV properties as possible, you'd think that most notable, acclaimed or just plain popular shows have already come out on DVD. Not so.

Negotiating DVD rights with producers and music copyright holders can be complicated and expensive (it cost $1 million to clear music rights for the first season of "Happy Days," according to The Wall Street Journal); in a crowded TV-on-DVD market, older shows sometimes fail to meet sales expectations; and properties often get caught up in media mergers and change hands, thereby slowing their DVD release (which appears to be the case with "Beverly Hills, 90210," which also has extensive music issues). Also, according to TVShowsonDVD.com founder Gord Lacey, some media firms just aren't as aggressive about mining their back catalogues, and even strained capacity at DVD production plants can be an issue.

None of the shows on this list, which was compiled from most-wanted lists on Amazon.com and TVShowsOnDVD.com, are out yet in the form of season-long boxed sets:

"WKRP in Cincinnati" (expensive music copyright issues have held up the DVD release of this classic)
"Beverly Hills, 90210"
"Third Watch"
"thirtysomething"
"JAG"
"Beauty and the Beast"
"Gunsmoke"
"China Beach"
"Melrose Place"
"Get Smart"
"Family Ties"
"Batman" (original TV show)
"St. Elsewhere"
"Welcome Back, Kotter"
"The Fugitive" (original TV show)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/chi-0510230438oct23,1,2072001,print.story?coll=chi-ent_tv-hed

Saturday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
The Wheat & The Chaff
By Maureen Ryan and Sid Smith Chicago Tribune staff reporters October 23, 2005

As the fall sweeps approach -- the biannual ratings race begins Nov. 3 -- we thought we'd take a look at what's working on TV this fall, what's not, and notable developments that fall somewhere in the smooshy middle between success and failure.

Winners

UPN

"Everybody Hates Chris" was supposed to put the upstart network on the map once and for all, and, boy, did it succeed. The laugh-out-loud series has both edge and heart, a tough mixture to pull off, but viewers and critics have rapturously responded to "Chris," which has on occasion beat "Joey" in key ratings demographics (every time it does so, we picture UPN executives doing a secret jig of glee). "Veronica Mars" has done surprisingly well (by UPN's standards) up against the monster hit "Lost," and "America's Next Top Model" continues to do just fine with its core female audience. Kudos to UPN, which has (gulp) more must-see fare than NBC.

FOX'S FALL STRATEGY

Starting "Prison Break" and other shows (both new and old) before the baseball playoffs was a good move by Fox; in particular, "Prison Break" has turned out to be (pardon the pun) a breakout hit. How the heck are they going to top that riot?

WB'S THURSDAY LINEUP

Thursday is one of the toughest nights on TV, given that every network has moved in for the kill against NBC's weak lineup. Few pundits, however, would have predicted that "Smallville" would turn out to be as powerful as it has been on this brutally competitive night, and "Everwood's" loyal fan base has followed the veteran show to its new night, where it's holding its own in the ratings and is on a creative high. (Speaking of the WB, the network's Tuesday odd-couple lineup of "Gilmore Girls" and "Supernatural" is also doing well. Who'da thunk it?).

HALF-HOUR COMEDY

It may be a stretch to call this one an outright winner, but things are looking up for the much-maligned half-hour comedy. Scruffy, irreverent "My Name Is Earl," though not consistent, is the most inventive comedy in quite a while, "The Office" is a wacky, malevolent hoot, and everybody loves "Everybody Hates Chris." "How I Met My Mother" and "Out of Practice," meanwhile, are respectable entries in the traditional laugh-track vein, and it's good news each week that the stellar "Arrested Development" is still avoiding cancellation (for more on that show, see The Watcher column in this section). Though "Joey" is a joke in the wrong sense of the term, there may be a glimmer of hope for this beloved but beleaguered genre.

"GREY'S ANATOMY" AND "LOST"

Chicago's own Shonda Rhimes has handed ABC another megasmash with the addictive doctor soap "Grey's Anatomy," which has only gotten better this year (the cast on "Grey's" is one of TV's juiciest joys). As for mega-hit "Lost," it got mega-slammed for its inconclusive first-season finale, but it's back in top form this season. Can "Lost's" great run last? We hope so, and so far we trust the writers to take us on a mind-bending adventure and supply us with yet more poignant character journeys. Just pull the plug before this show starts recalling the last few seasons of "The X-Files," mmm-kay?

Draw

SPOOKY/ALIEN TV

The meat-and-potatoes scare-mongering of "Supernatural" has been a surprise success for the WB on Tuesdays (so much so that the WB just announced it will air "Supernatural" repeats on Sundays), but viewers and critics have been tepid to negative about the waterlogged alien dramas "Invasion" and "Surface." The snappy "Threshold" is enjoying growing critical support, but it's been struggling in the ratings on Fridays. Clearly not all of the post-"Lost" crowd will make it to a second season, though we're rooting for "Threshold" (and call us shallow, but those "Supernatural" boys sure are easy on the eyes).

DEAD PEOPLE

"Ghost Whisperer" is doing well on Fridays (though it's nowhere near as good as the show it replaced, "Joan of Arcadia"), and coming off Patricia Arquette's surprise Emmy win, the underhyped "Medium" continues to do well. New shows that focus not on the chatty ghosts and the dearly departed but on grisly corpses are facing mixed results: The grim new crime drama "Criminal Minds" is doing well with the veteran winner "CSI" on Wednesdays, but "Close to Home," which comes from the production company that makes the various "CSIs," isn't bringing home "CSI"-style ratings, and Fox's deeply icky Friday night drama "Killer Instinct" might end up in the morgue (we can only hope).

WHITE HOUSE TV

Geena Davis' "Commander in Chief" is doing very well in the ratings, but network worries about pro-duction delays and the fact that the show skews older than ABC would probably like led to the creator of the show, Rod Lurie, and much of his writing staff being shown the door (the new commander of "Chief" is "NYPD Blue" veteran Steven Bochco). And though "The West Wing" is having a fine old time depicting the presidential race between characters played by Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits, the show's getting killed in the ratings on a very competitive Sunday night. Yes, "West Wing" is likely on its way out after this season, but since when does NBC have so many good scripted dramas that it can sacrifice this one for no good reason? (By the way, we'd pummel NBC more for this and other boneheaded decisions, but the network is doing so terribly this season that we fear invoking the slaughter rule.)

"DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES"

Still a ratings winner, and funny when dealing with Emmy-winner Felicity Huffman's awkward work-home balancing act and Eva Longoria's droll portrayal of a spoiled princess visiting her hubby in jail. But the main plot involving Teri Hatcher seems to be going nowhere, the new story line involving a husband imprisoned in a basement is too farfetched, even for the intentional hysteria of Wisteria Lane, and the overall pacing is drip-coffeemaker slow. This show had better pick up or wave those viewers goodbye.

REALITY TV

No, reality's not dead, and -- sorry, reality haters -- it's not going away anytime soon. Still, the oomph is missing from the unscripted world this fall (unless you count the breakaway success of MTV's "Laguna Beach," which garnered ever more buzz in its second year, will spawn a spinoff and has gotten a commitment for a third season). Still, "The Amazing Race" is having an off season -- the family edition just isn't flying with a sizable contingent of "TAR" fans, though ratings for the show are fine -- and both "The Apprentices" are filled with the usual (yawn) blunders, sniping and boardroom finger-pointing. Feel-good reality such as "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and NBC's new "Three Wishes" are doing well in the ratings (very well in the case of "Makeover," moderately OK for "Wishes"), but really, how many more grateful tears do we need to see on prime-time TV?

Losers


MARK BURNETT

Both versions of "The Apprentice" -- the one starring the Donald and the one starring the Martha -- are struggling mightily in the ratings, and "Survivor: Guatemala" is doing OK, but the aging franchise facing its toughest competition ever (and host Jeff Probst has even made noises about jumping ship after the next season). "The Contender," another highly touted recent outing, was quickly shipped to cable, and though "Rock Star: INXS" got good notices and saw a nice rise in its ratings over the summer, it was by no means another "Idol"-style giant killer. Never count the reality kingpin out, but his empire is looking vulnerable -- for the moment.

LAWYERS ON TV

"Boston Legal" has gone from being a somewhat hammy mixture of pathos and perversion to a jokey, silly exercise in moronic plots and bombastic over-kill (maybe an upcoming guest run by Michael J. Fox will turn things around, but then again, maybe not). Legal-eagle newcomers "Just Legal" and "Head Cases" have both already been axed. Maybe it's time for TV to focus on a new profession: MBAs? Teachers? Letter carriers? Anything?

ABC'S THURSDAY LINEUP

There are few dark spots in ABC's schedule, but Thursday has turned out to be a disaster for the resurgent network. An aging "Alias" isn't winning any new fans, and it alienated many old ones by killing off Michael Vartan's beloved character, Michael Vaughn (or did they? Not that we really care; we're so over "Alias"). The ratings for the show have been less than stellar, but at least they're better than the abysmal numbers drawn by the wan "Night Stalker," which will probably be stalking cancellation soon enough. Given those shows as its lead-ins, "Primetime Live" isn't exactly doing well either. How about a "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff on this night -- "McDreamy's Anatomy"? "All About George"?

SUBURBIA

Comedian Bill Maher recently begged TV execs to stop scaring suburbanites. Well, good luck, Bill. Serial killers, rapists, psychos and poltergeists are assaulting the suburbs like never before ("Close to Home," "Ghost Whisperer, "Medium"), and when they're not scaring the bejesus out of us, they're making fun (a la "Desperate Housewives") of those quiet side streets supposedly dominated by nymphomaniacs, homicidal pharmacists and devious malcontents. The city, if TV is to be believed, is the sole terrain of the in-crowd ("Freddie," "How I Met Your Mother," "Everybody Hates Chris").

SHOWS THAT ARE CANCELED OR "ON HIATUS
Head Cases
Just Legal
Inconceivable
Living With Fran
Sex, Love and Secrets
Blue Collar TV

WINNERS
Everybody Hates Chris
My Name Is Earl
Everwood
Smallville

Draw
Desperate Housewives
West Wing
Commander in Chief

Losers
Alias
The Apprentice

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/chi-0510230450oct23,1,7749282.story?coll=chi-ent_tv-hed

What’s wrong with “Desperate Housewives”?
By Henry Goldblatt Entertainment Weekly

There's something horribly awry on Wisteria Lane — and it has nothing to do with the guy in Alfre Woodard's basement. Since the show returned for its second season in September, the four titular wives have spent a total of 135 seconds together on screen. (For real.)

During that same time, Desperate Housewives has morphed into four series. Call it the Separate Housewives anthology: Bree, a seriocomic drama about a rigid wife who loses her kinky husband; Susan!, a romantic comedy about an impossibly gorgeous, impossibly klutzy divorcée who spars with her evil, poorly dressed blond nemesis, Edie; The Gift of Gaby (tagline: Her Milkshake Brings All the Boys to the Yard); and Baby Boom, a remake of the 1987 film, with Felicity Huffman wearing Diane Keaton's pumps.

The problem is that not one of these shows is nearly as good as last year's Housewives, a dark weave exploring the complex friendship between a four-pack of women — Disparate Housewives — who were united by proximity and a Nancy Drew mystery involving their dead pal Mary Alice. Now, as the actresses wander through their separate scenes (even the sets don't seem to match), all that unifies them is the one element of the show that should have been ditched at the end of season 1: Mary Alice's narration. (Let's introduce M.A. to Jennifer Love Hewitt's Ghost Whisperer — this is one dead lady who really needs to cross over.)

How did Housewives cross over from a pretty brilliant show to merely a good one? It's hard to fault the acting. The cast continues to turn in impressive performances, particularly Marcia Cross, who inhabits her character more confidently than any actress on TV, and Eva Longoria, who consistently delivers some of the funniest lines. And reports of on-set turmoil would be a facile (and quite frankly, sexist) explanation for segregating the leads.

No, the problems are long-standing ones that have become evident now that Housewives' novelty has worn off. The series has always had a tough time giving its impossibly large cast — at this count, 14 regulars, plus seven costars — enough to do, maintaining its dramedic tone, and pacing its plot revelations. (That jam-packed season finale last May was the TV equivalent of serving a seven-course meal in 30 seconds.)

Last Sunday's episode displayed all of Housewives' worst indulgences. Poor Huffman is staging a one-woman Groundhog Day, reenacting variations of the same tortured working-mom plot. Teri Hatcher's Susan — remember when she was the relatable one? — Ally McBealed herself with two ice cream sundaes in an elaborate chase scene that came at the expense of a single moment featuring four-time Emmy winner Woodard, or Harriet Sansom Harris' terrifically sinister busybody. Most disturbingly, the show's population is only growing: Coming soon — Edie's never-seen son and Spawn of Gaby.

The plot seems to be meandering toward a trial for Cross' Bree. That could, but probably won't, coalesce the inhabitants of Wisteria Lane. After all, Huffman's Lynette has expressed hardly an iota of sympathy to Bree over her husband's death, so why would she take time off work to attend a trial?

Even at its weakest, Housewives is better than 75 percent of network television, but the writers shouldn't be satisfied with that: They need to find a way to put these women in a room together — how about bringing back those all-gal poker games? Or integrating Woodard's Betty Applewhite more fully into the cast? Barring that, at least make sure her basement creepo's backstory reunites these women. I really hope it does.

Otherwise, reluctantly, here's the show I'll be watching: Family Guy. Grade: B

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/tv/0,6115,1120827_3_0_,00.html

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Nets ready to reload
As some fall bows falter, NBC and other nets look to midseason

By Josef Adalian Variety.com Sun., Oct. 23, 2005

While TV's fall frame is barely a month old, restless webheads are already preparing to make some major schedule shifts.

Gone are the days when webs could afford to be patient. Now, like mall owners trotting out Christmas decorations even before Halloween arrives, the Big Six begin plotting their midseason moves almost immediately after getting their fall frosh off the ground.

That's certainly the case at NBC, where entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly rightfully anticipated many of his new fall shows would flop fast. And with the Winter Olympics coming in February, the net has another incentive to step things up in the second half of the season.

It's no surprise, then, that the number of midseason backup series the Peacock has on deck actually exceeds the six frosh players it rolled out in September. With no fewer than 10 new and returning skeins on the bench, don't be surprised if the net rolls out an average of two new shows a month between December and May.

"NBC, by necessity, is going to have to shake things up," says one network insider, who notes that much is riding on the decisions Reilly and his team make.

Quips one exec: "They could find themselves with UPN nipping at their butts if they make the wrong moves."

Peacock scheduling chief Mitch Metcalf says the net is looking at the season in three distinct frames: fall, January and post-Olympics.

"Spreading the resources of our development over these three periods is something we always planned to do," he says. "It was a conscious strategy."

Helping -- and complicating -- matters for NBC is the unexpected success of new Tuesday comedy "My Name Is Earl."

As happy as the hit-hungry Peacock is to have a much-needed building block, figuring out what to do with its new weapon won't be easy. Some in the industry are already predicting "Earl" could move to Thursday nights by spring, if not sooner, as NBC looks to replace the all-but-dead "Joey" and the departing "Will & Grace."

Metcalf admits changes are coming to Thursday, but says there's no timetable for shifts. And he won't give any hint as to just which shows might be on the move.

"We don't want to make any rash moves," he says. "We want to make changes that are in our long-term best interest."

After NBC, the net with the most intriguing midseason game to play is ABC.

For the first time in more than 30 years, Alphabet execs will unveil a Monday night sked in January that actually has a chance of sticking around for fall. That's because "Monday Night Football" leaves the net in January, finally giving ABC the chance to put together a year-round, seven-night-a-week lineup.

In May, ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson announced a post-football Monday sked that included "The Bachelor," two comedies and the J.J. Abrams dramedy "What About Brian." But even then, McPherson cautioned that the sked was a work in progress.

McPherson won't say what he's thinking about Mondays these days, but he concedes he has difficult choices. His biggest decision: Whether to break up his super successful Sunday sked by shifting either "Grey's Anatomy" or "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to another night, possibly Mondays.

"Moving a hit show is always a tough decision," he says. "You want to do what's right for the show first and what's right for the network second."

McPherson says his midseason goals include "doing a better job promoting some of our comedies," and working on troubled timeslots (think all of Thursday night).

Overall, while ABC has a sizable number of midseason shows in its arsenal -- nearly as many as NBC -- it's general strength makes wholesale change unnecessary.

Same thing is true at CBS, which has the most stable and consistent sked of the Big Six. Eye's big question marks include whether to replace the ho-hum "Close to Home" with a sexier drama -- possibly the promising romantic dramedy "Love Monkey" -- and whether to finally ditch its Sunday movie franchise.

Complicating matters for almost every net: The January return of Fox's "American Idol."

"Hurricane Idol hits in January. We know it's coming," NBC's Metcalf says.

Fox's smash is one reason some believe NBC will move "Earl" to Thursday. "Idol" often expands to two hours on Tuesday nights, and getting a nascent hit like "Earl" away from the eye of the storm might make some sense.

Not squirming, of course, are Fox execs such as scheduling guru Preston Beckman. For him, "Idol" -- and the annual return of "24" -- are weapons of mass attraction that make it much easier for Fox to map out midseason strategy months ahead of time.

Beckman says Fox is still planning to implement the January shifts it announced last spring, including moving "House" to 8 p.m. Mondays and slotting "Bones" behind the Tuesday night edition of "Idol."

"The one big thing we didn't anticipate was how strong 'Prison Break' would be," Beckman says, referring to Fox's new Monday night hit.

For now, "Prison Break" is to take an indefinite break starting in mid-December.

Beckman says Fox is mulling the idea of keeping the show off the air until spring, allowing some original episodes to run in the summer. Unconventional laffer "Free Birds" could also get a late start.

"We're trying to be much more methodical over here than we've been in the past," Beckman says.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Scared Yet?

Rating TV's new creep shows

By Matt Roush, TVGuide.com

Thanks to Lost, TV has once again developed a taste for all things fantastic and spooky. Having grown up with scary movies on TV, from '30s-era Frankenstein classics to the cheesy monster romps lovingly mocked on Mystery Science Theater 3000, I'm delighted by this trend. The results can range from the truly horrific to the just plain horrible as the networks rediscover the thrills that evoke such iconic hits as The X-Files and The Twilight Zone — which I'll use as my benchmark as I assess each new show.

THRESHOLD (Fridays, 9 PM ET/PT, CBS)
Alternate Title: "Earth, We Have a Problem"
Zone-worthy? (As in Twilight) Absolutely. In this smart, frightening sci-fi chase thriller about an alien threat — they're invading and mutating our DNA through a strange audio signal — a team of witty science geeks and their foxy leader work in secret to save the world.
Drawback: Airing on Fridays, it's the season's best-kept secret.
Fear Factor: (0–10) 9

SURFACE (Mondays 8 PM ET/PT, NBC)
Alternate Title: "That Sinking Feeling"
Zone-worthy? No way. This lukewarm mess about the discovery of a new species of sea creature — including a cutesy baby version nicknamed "Nimrod" — is so busy ripping off Spielberg with echoes of Close Encounters and E.T. that there's little room for scares. The lack of originality drains it of wonder or surprise.
Drawback: See above.
Fear Factor: 1

INVASION (Wednesdays, 10 PM ET/PT, ABC)
Alternate Title: "It Gets Under Your Skin"
Zone-worthy? So far, so eerie, as a Florida town deals with unnatural, possibly otherworldly transformations in the wake of a natural disaster. It's quietly, creepily ambiguous — why is doctor mom (Kari Matchett) so drawn to water? — with suspense as thick as the humidity.
Drawback: It's unfolding at an awfully slow pace.
Fear Factor: 8

NIGHT STALKER (Thursdays, 9 PM ET/PT, ABC)
Alternate Title: "If It Bleeds, It Leads"
Zone-worthy? In theory. The '70s original about a rumpled reporter snooping into monstrous mysteries was a cult legend. This grisly do-over adds a tragic backstory but forgets the fun.
Drawback: As Kolchak, dour and callow Stuart Townsend is gravely miscast, and his gloomy narration is almost comically ponderous.
Fear Factor 4

SUPERNATURAL (Tuesdays, 9 PM ET/PT, WB)
Alternate Title: "The Boo Brothers"
Zone-worthy? Yes, if you like campfire stories. Each punchy episode is a mini-horror movie, as two ghostbusting brothers cross the country to confront evil forces from urban and local legends. The midflight airborne exorcism was especially cool.
Drawback: The ghoul-of-the-week formula can get old, but the show delivers shivers with boyish zeal.
Fear Factor: 7

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/review/

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Scared Yet?

Rating TV's new creep shows

By Matt Roush, TVGuide.com



THRESHOLD (Fridays, 9 PM ET/PT, CBS)
Alternate Title: "Earth, We Have a Problem"
Zone-worthy? (As in Twilight) Absolutely. In this smart, frightening sci-fi chase thriller about an alien threat — they're invading and mutating our DNA through a strange audio signal — a team of witty science geeks and their foxy leader work in secret to save the world.
Drawback: Airing on Fridays, it's the season's best-kept secret.
Fear Factor: (0–10) 9


I see a lot of remarks about this show saying the same thing. Do these critics know something we don't know? While I think the show has potential, I also think it's a long ways from being a "9" in any category to date.

In fact, I find Nightstalker more intense than Threshold. Threshold needs to move away from the "CSI: Alien Infectee Of The Week" mold that it seems to be stuck in.

It is just a matter of opinion, Jim, which is another reason I like to post as many of them as I can.

(Personally, I find all of them pretty weak...but again, that is just opinion.)

It is just a matter of opinion, Jim, which is another reason I like to post as many of them as I can.

(Personally, I find all of them pretty weak...but again, that is just opinion.)
Yes, I understand, having varying opinions is always good to have and appreciated, it's just that almost unilaterally, the things written about Threshold seem to be in favor of it. Sometimes it makes me wonder what show they are watching.. :D

I also agree, they are all pretty weak, but at least Surface is fun to watch while being fairly shallow story-wise. :)

I admit the pro-"Threshold" stuff has me pretty perplexed, too.

The Current State of HDTV
For HD, Size Matters

Can little HD become a mass-market reality? Not if advertisers concentrate only on numbers

By Mavis Scanlon CableWorld.com Oct 24, 2005

Hi-def programming mesmerizes viewers, but not advertisers--at least not yet. Some say antiquated audience measurement systems make it difficult for advertisers to tell who's watching. For others, measurement systems are beside the point--not enough people subscribe to HD networks, period, for advertisers to jump in.

"By and large, what I am not hearing is client-initiated conversations of any scale for high-definition channel advertising," says Tim Hanlon, SVP, Publicis Groupe Media. Hanlon blames audience measurement systems, which he says do not pick up the vast audience fragmentation occurring with HD.

The problem goes beyond HD. As the masses are segmented into dozens of tiny audiences through on demand and increased PVR and interactive usage, there's more need for systems that will measure set-top box tuning data, Hanlon argues.

"The issue with [HD] networks...is that there aren't enough homes [subscribing]," says Brad Dancer, VP, research, at National Geographic Channel. HD networks fall far short of the 20-30 million subscribers that will move the needle to even a fractional household rating on a Nielsen meter.

A recent Horowitz Associates survey of 800 cable or satellite subscribers in digital cable markets shows 38% of digital cable subscribers and 17% of satellite subscribers get HD service from their cable or satellite company. That translates to 19% of cable subscribers and 19% of all multichannel subscribers.

Paradoxically, the current buzzword in the ad industry is "engagement," shorthand for the theory that it's vastly more valuable to an advertiser to reach one attentive viewer than 100 inattentive ones. And nothing is more engaging in the TV landscape than high-definition programs. "So if advertisers and the industry are clamoring for engaging scenarios," Hanlon says, "high definition seems tailor-made for that."

But the vast majority of advertisers and agencies have shown little interest in HD. That means a lot of HD channels, even as they obtain satellite and cable shelf space in coming years, will find it challenging to get advertisers to subsidize the investments they've made in programming and equipment.

The advertising industry "can handle broad-based linear television channels north of whatever that magic Nielsen number is," Hanlon says, "the problem is that increasingly we're seeing a growing percentage of programming and or viewing activity that doesn't fit that category. The traditional response from the agency business is `if it doesn't fit, put it on the side.'"

Advertising and Content Development

Networks that simulcast their standard-definition feed on an HD channel get around the audience measurement problem by selling spots on both the standard and hi-def channels for one price.

"We won't be pitching HD individually" since advertisers aren't interested in the small HD audience alone, says John Ford, SVP, programming, at National Geographic Channel, which plans to launch an HD simulcast in early 2006. The standard-def/HD aggregate will be "much larger" than HD, he says. National Geographic has been producing virtually all its content in hi-def since February.

Programmers are incurring the heavy investment needed to produce hi-def content to supply what some viewers want--and, hopefully, what all of them will. Right now "it's more of a quality of audience sale and not really a ratings sale," says Jean-Briac Perrette, SVP, new media, and CFO, NBC Universal Cable. "There's a cost to us of upgrading the equivalent of our plant," he says. License fees and, perhaps eventually, advertising revenue, will help cover those costs.

At NBC Universal, Perrette is seeing more interest in sponsorships, such as the Dew Action Sports Tour on Universal HD. Given that the HD space is fairly new, it allows for more creative advertiser opportunities than are available with a standard-def network, he says.

The roughly 5 million-strong audience for high-definition programming in the U.S. "is as high quality an audience and demographics as an advertiser can possibly have," Perrette says. "And despite the fact that we don't have the ratings to back up the take rate and the eyeballs and the viewership that a show has to hit, it is an inherently great place to have a brand profiled."

Like Perrette at NBC, Hanlon argues marketers must be willing to accept HD, despite the lack of measurement--to take it on faith that the HD audience is an engaged, attentive group. Eventually the advertising community will take his not-so-subtle hint. Maybe.

http://www.cableworld.com/cgi/cw/show_mag.cgi?pub=cw&mon=102405&file=forhd.htm

“Frasier” back but this time as a legal drama
A lawsuit over profit participation may shed light on
accounting practices that studios prefer to keep secret

By Robert W. Welkos Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 24, 2005

How can a hit television series like "Frasier" gross $1.5 billion and yet be $200 million in the red?

That's the issue at the center of a recent lawsuit filed against Paramount Pictures by two talent agencies seeking answers to how "Frasier" — the Emmy-winning NBC sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer that ran for 11 seasons — can claim that it never turned a net profit even though it was one of the most successful shows in television history.

For its part, Paramount Pictures said it believes the case is "without merit" and promised to vigorously defend its position. But regardless of who's right, the suit filed Sept. 29 in Los Angeles County Superior Court could offer that rare window onto one of Hollywood's juiciest disputes: profit participation.

Complaints about the way studios divvy up the profits are rampant within the industry. And it's not just the little guys doing the complaining. Director Peter Jackson is suing over DVD profits from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But perhaps the most famous case also involved Paramount Pictures. The studio found itself embroiled in controversy over claims that the hit 1988 Eddie Murphy film, "Coming to America," had grossed $350 million, yet never turned a profit.

Such cases usually end in an out-of-court agreement, said attorney Pierce O'Donnell, who represented humorist Art Buchwald in the "Coming to America" case and went on to co-write a 1992 book titled "Fatal Subtraction: How Hollywood Really Does Business."

"The studios typically do not want to air their dirty-accounting laundry," he said. "Many a settlement of these kinds of suits occurs on the courthouse steps."

But if the "Frasier" case goes forward, it's sure to be followed by those who have long suspected that the industry's odds are stacked in favor of the studio.

People are fascinated by such disputes because of the names involved or the sums. But such contractual disagreements aren't all that unusual and certainly aren't limited to Hollywood, said Jason E. Squire, instructor of cinema practice at the USC School of Cinema-Television and editor of "The Movie Business Book." "But just because Hollywood is Hollywood, it gets more attention."

The "Frasier" breach-of-contract suit was filed by the Jim Preminger Agency of Los Angeles and the Kaplan Stahler Gumer Braun Agency of Beverly Hills. The agencies represented Peter Casey and David Lee, and the late David Angell, the creative team behind "Frasier," which ran 11 seasons on NBC from 1993 to 2004. (Angell died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.)

Grammer's character, the pontificating Boston psychiatrist Frasier Crane, was first introduced to audiences during the third season of the hit NBC series "Cheers" and became a regular, bantering with the likes of bartender Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and blue-collar barflies Norm (George Wendt) and Cliff (John Ratzenberger) and romancing waitress Diane Chambers (Shelley Long).

When "Cheers" came to an end, though, the writers weren't quite finished with the fussy Frasier. Casey, Lee and Angell, who had been writers on "Cheers," dreamed up a spinoff.

In "Frasier," Crane leaves Boston for his hometown of Seattle, where he works as a radio psychiatrist and moves into an expensive apartment with his dad, ex-policeman Martin Crane (John Mahoney). Jane Leeves portrayed Martin's English-born physical-care assistant, Daphne, while David Hyde Pierce costarred as Frasier's psychiatrist brother, Niles, and Peri Gilpin was Frasier's producer, Roz Doyle.

Traditionally, agencies are paid an upfront commission for services rendered on their clients' behalf. But sometimes, agents are in a position also to negotiate for a piece on the "back end." The agencies involved in the "Frasier" case have already earned upfront millions during the show's run, but they also negotiated deals in which they would take a percentage once the show started generating net profits, according to the lawsuit. They contend they could be owed millions more. (Their clients are paid separately and are not involved in this lawsuit.)

Few television shows have the longevity necessary to generate profits long after everyone else has taken their share. The agents, though, believed "Frasier" would do just that.

Since then, the suit states, the agents have been keeping an eye on the accounting behind "Frasier." The suit claims that Paramount has reported collecting more than $1.5 billion in gross revenues for "Frasier." That includes almost $830 million in network licensing fees paid by NBC.

Yet "Paramount has taken the position with the [plaintiffs] that the series has never produced 'net profits' under Paramount's definition of the term and that the series has actually lost over $200 million according to its latest calculations," the suit says.

Paramount won't discuss the accounting for "Frasier," but the suit makes plain that there is a pecking order when it comes to spreading the $1.5 billion around. Paramount took its own cut of $550 million in production and distribution fees, the suit states. And, the plaintiffs' attorney says, the studio also paid out hundreds of millions more for day-to-day production and distribution expenses the show incurred during its 11-year run, as well as carving out a hefty piece of the financial pie for the sitcom's creators and others. Paramount claims that when all was said and done, the show was in the red $200 million, according to the suit.

The dispute over the definition of "net profit" and far more arcane legal language is in the hands of the court, but the plaintiffs contend they have proof that Paramount did in fact pay net profits to another participant — whose identify is not revealed in the suit. If that participant earned net profits, the plaintiffs ask, then where's their share?

"Paramount's calculation [in regard to that profit participant] showed that the series had earned net profits in the tens of millions of dollars," said Sheldon Eisenberg of the Santa Monica law firm Bryan Cave LLP, who filed the suit. "My clients were never told about that."

The key to unlocking the mystery of Hollywood accounting often lies in the contractual definition of net profits, according to O'Donnell, the attorney in the Buchwald case. He also noted that clout plays a key role in the way a contract is structured. If you are a star like Eddie Murphy, your contract is more favorable than someone else's further down the food chain.

"I think talent agencies probably are on the same lowest rung of the Hollywood clout ladder as the writer," O'Donnell said. "Eddie Murphy, in my case, got 15% of the adjusted gross income.... So what I am saying is there is a pecking order — a ladder, if you will. The talent agencies bring the package to the network and there is a payment at the back end, but it may become illusory."

O'Donnell said many are under the false impression that "Coming to America" settled the issue of net profits once and for all. Actually, it didn't, say legal and accounting experts familiar with the case.

Buchwald and his partner, producer Alain Bernheim, sued Paramount in 1988 for breach of contract, claiming the studio had failed to give them credit for the original story behind "Coming to America." The case would last four years and capture the public's fancy.

Over the course of the case, Superior Court Judge Harvey A. Schneider not only ruled that the movie was inspired by Buchwald's treatment, but he also branded certain provisions of Paramount's net-profit formula as "unconscionable."

In March 1992, however, Schneider awarded Buchwald and Bernheim $900,000 — far less than the $6.2 million they sought. Both sides hailed the ruling as a partial victory. Paramount appealed the case and later settled out of court on the eve of the hearing on the appeal.

The "Coming to America" case resulted in no binding law forcing Paramount or any other studio to change its accounting practices. In the intervening years, there have been numerous lawsuits filed over vanishing net profits, experts note, but the cases are often settled out of court before they reach trial.

"Fifteen years after Buchwald vs. Paramount, it is still unresolved in Hollywood whether the standard net-profits definition, which is largely nonnegotiable, is conscionable," said O'Donnell.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-frasier24oct24,0,4515089,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

I admit the pro-"Threshold" stuff has me pretty perplexed, too.FWIW, I admit Threshold has not yet "grabbed" me like, say, the X-Files, but I like Carla and it is beginning to grow on me. I've gotten used to the Alien-of-the-Week thing, so now I just enjoy it for what it is, a story about how aliens might take over and how they fight that scenario. I'll keep watching it as long as it's on and I think the storylines will get better, I thought this week's episode was actually pretty good. I watch Surface and Invasion too and I have more trouble enjoying with Surface than Threshold and I'm not as thrilled with Invasion as the ratings are, though that too is growing on me as they develop the characters more. Oftentimes, I enjoy character interactions more than actual storylines.

If your are 45 or younger, you probably never heard of Shelly Berman. He has come back somewhat into the limelight by dint of his work on the HBO comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. But back in the day, he was a most influential comedy voice. This story details some of that.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Hey, Shelley Berman's phone is ringing again

By Paul Brownfield Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 23, 2005

"I'm still not a peaceful man," Shelley Berman said a few weeks ago. "I'm still not able to behave…. When somebody says 'Relax,' that really makes me nervous."

The 80-year-old Berman, who is experiencing some bittersweet career redemption playing Larry David's alter-kocher father on the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," was sitting in the den of a friend's house at the top of Country Club Estates, a development just up the 101 from the Berman place. It was the morning after he and his wife, Sarah, evacuated their Bell Canyon house during the Topanga fires, a hot, dry day; you could still smell smoke in the air. Fire trucks were parked in the local strip malls and there was ash on the ground. It was Shelley Berman weather — clear but worrisome.

"It's a good thing for me to have this interview," he said, "it's a good thing for me."

Season 5 of "Curb," which began late last month to continued fanfare tempered by its first sour critical notes, kicked off with Nat David suffering a stroke in a deli while eating the Larry David sandwich, white fish with sable, capers, onion and cream cheese. Later, in the hospital, he motions for Larry to come in close and whispers what the son hears as, "You're adopted."

The show isn't so much an attention-getting experience for Berman as an attention-resurrecting one. It means something to him — a great deal, in fact — that a car brings him to the set, that there's a chair with his name on the back. His was a career that played out in the public eye and then, suddenly and by degrees, came the vanishing. And Berman has never stopped worrying the question of why.

This, then, is how he sums up knocking over the room during the audition for the role of Larry David's father, after all these years: "Is that redemption? Well, it's part of redemption. Redemption is that finally people began to look at me and say, 'You know, he's not a prick.' "

A too-candid camera

THE story of Shelley Berman is that he was a great comic, an important comic, done in by a TV moment at a time when TV moments could still do you in, before television inured us to the inappropriate and the uncomfortable, before the raw feed of cable news and the hyperbolic reality of reality TV.

It sounds, in fact, like the leanest of footnotes: On a 1963 NBC documentary special called "Comedian Backstage," Berman was seen losing his temper after a show because a telephone rang backstage during one of his trademark telephone routines.

The documentary, seen today, is a fascinating piece of arcana, a kind of lost treasure — an hour with a comic at the height of his fame in Room 809 of the Diplomat Hotel in Miami as he prepares for opening night. At the time, Berman was a cultural force, on the leading edge of an epoch in stand-up that included Mort Sahl and Woody Allen and Lenny Bruce and Bob Newhart and Nichols and May, people who moved stand-up away from tuxedo-clad one-liners delivered in nightclubs and into coffeehouses, stoking conversation about the culture.

Berman was considered radical for the simple fact that rather than standing, he sat on a stool, and he didn't do jokes but contemporary situations, unburdening himself, a man slowly unraveling; he was the "devout coward."

He acted out phone calls before Newhart became equally and then more famous for them; if in Newhart's hands the absurdity grew from understatement, Berman could make the phone call a more perilous and emotionally charged journey into the unknown. He was the office worker calling the department store across the street to report a woman dangling from a ledge, who gets bounced from the complaint department to lingerie ("Describe her? What for? I'm looking at the building right now, she's the only one hanging out of a window.").

He was afraid or annoyed or anxious about lots of things, and he brought to the stage an intense, actorly focus, his elocution marvelous — "the first of the Method comics," Gerald Nachman called him in "Seriously Funny," his overview of the "rebel comedians of the 1950s and 1960s. Berman — the accidental comic, an actor first, who had worked with Mike Nichols and Elaine May at Chicago's Compass Players — was the first with a gold record for spoken word.

On "Comedian Backstage," Berman chain-smokes and frets and eats room service and barks instructions about how he should be introduced, for instance ("Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Shelley Berman," that was all he wanted). He paces and goes back downstairs, finally, to do his act, which seemed to go very well, except for this one moment when a phone rang, briefly, near the end of his show, which caused Berman to erupt: He went backstage and yelled at his road manager, he jerked the phone off the hook and paced, appearing inconsolable. Seen today, it is not so much remarkable for the behavior it exposes as the pain of the man, on naked display, a perfectly good show ruined, in his mind, by one or two seconds of ringing telephone. Wound tight the entire hour, Berman gives the special its climax — he comes undone.

Today, Berman will still emphasize an important point: He was angry because this was the second time that the phone backstage had rung during one of his shows, and this time during a long, semiautobiographical tone piece, a phone call between a Yiddish-accented father and son, the son asking for $100 toward acting school. "Sheldon, don't change your name. Goodbye, Sheldon," the father tells him finally.

But the documentary reversed the sequence, showing this second intrusion first.

His career didn't end, but he could feel a gradual exiling of him, a chilling toward his name. "A lot happened and a lot didn't happen," he said. "So that this thing that aired in 1963 would result a few years later in personal bankruptcy, would result in having people be on edge with me, wondering when I'm going to blow up. This would result in my trying to over, over-compensate by [saying] please and thank you, no matter what happened."

On the road, Berman had performance requirements; he was not the comedian who could hop up onstage, grab the mike and go. But now he found that these requests fed into his image.

"It became, very simply, that I was difficult. Very simply. Peel it all away, take off all the fat, it's that Shelley Berman, you're buying trouble. It became not merely an albatross, but an albatross that was hanging on my back, choking me."

Keeping up appearances

Knives are prominent in Berman's house, in display cases. There are also illustrations of knives on his living room wall. At the end of the month he and Sarah go to San Diego, to emcee a dinner at the annual Art Knife Invitational. Berman says he began collecting when he needed a bowie knife for a fishing trip in the 1950s.

"At that time in New York there was an extraordinarily wonderful sporting goods store, it was called Abercrombie & Fitch," he said. He was back in his living room the week after the fires, the house having made it through unscathed. "Lately, there is an Abercrombie & Fitch that sells contemporary grunge for kids," he went on. "It's horrible, you can't go into the store without going deaf from the music. You can't pass the store without the music reaching out and killing you. It's an alien. It's a dark black alien that's going to go out and clap both of your ears and you'll never hear again."

Berman's voice is deeper but uncannily little changed from the old records. On paper, it is easy to turn him into one of those old Jewish comics still howling over the hurts and injustices, from "Comedian Backstage" to Abercrombie & Fitch, sitting in a hillside ranch house in the San Fernando Valley. Except Berman is not just that; he's still engaged, teaching humor writing at USC, writing poetry, looking at mail on his website, shelleyberman.com.

After that special, Berman kept working—theater, dinner theater, TV. His life kept happening, happy but also tragic. In 1977, his son Josh died of a brain tumor at 12 1/2 .

"We made sure that his corneas would go to the eye bank," he had said a week earlier, after elaborating on this chapter. "We had nothing else we could give. And my wife woke me one morning, and I said, 'What's up?' She says, 'He's gone.' I said, 'Well, we'd better call the eye bank.' She says, 'I did.'

"She did before she woke me. She knew, business first."

His own worst critic

There is something, to be sure, still raw about Berman, still restive — the man from "Comedian Backstage," unable to relax.

"Shelley beats himself up worse than anyone else could," said Robert Weide, an executive producer on "Curb" and a filmmaker who has made documentaries about Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce and the Marx Brothers. "The nature of 'Curb,' it takes us a while to find the scene," Weide said. "It's not scripted and actors are making it up, and sometimes it's magic out of the gate and sometimes it has to be honed.

"Shelley will do a take and say, 'I'm sorry, I really screwed that up.' … And very often after he's done not just a satisfactory job, but a great job. You have to remember to take a moment to reassure Shelley that he's fine."

David added the character of his father in the third season, in an episode in which Larry goes to New York to appear in a Martin Scorsese movie and returns to L.A. to discover not only that his mother has died but that there's already been a funeral. Berman then has to explain that he and Larry's mother didn't want to worry him. For the audition, "that was the scene, which is not an easy scene," David said. "I mean for him, not for me. You have to play exactly the right thing."

The tendency for actors in that situation, David said, is to try to be funny. "And when you try and be funny you sometimes lose the reality of what is going on, so the scene is no longer believable…. He didn't think about being funny at all and just played the reality of the scene."

"I go there and they hand me a piece of paper," Berman said of the audition. "I see Shecky Greene is there, and he goes in ahead of me, and Shecky Greene walks out, we're old buddies, we're from the west side of Chicago, a couple of Jew boys who made good."

On "Curb," Berman is in disguise; he wears big bifocals and mutters in a baritone. For only the second time in his professional life, he is not wearing his hairpiece.

"When the audition was over he had left the room and then I realized the toupee might be a problem," David said. "I ran outside in the hall and said, 'Are you willing to lose the piece?' He didn't even think about it. It was a very definite 'Of course.' "

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-ca-berman23oct23,0,3945884,print.story?coll=cl-tv-features

(This week's issue of Time Magazine has the first public reaction from “Commander In Chief” creator Rod Lurie to the shakeup which saw him give up control of the show.)

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Commander in Change

Geena Davis' drama is the hot political show du jour.
But can it survive its own cabinet shake-up?

By James Poniewozik Time Magazine TV Critic Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005

It was a U.S. President -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt--who campaigned on the slogan "Don't change horses in the middle of the stream." On Commander in Chief, the nation has to: the President dies, and Vice President Mackenzie Allen (Geena Davis) succeeds him. But the presidents of ABC and Touchstone Television made the call to change horses themselves. CiC--following on Lost, Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy--was an immediate hit for the resurgent network. But creator Rod Lurie was having trouble with the grind of TV production. He was producing, writing and directing and was badly bogged down in minutiae. Scripts came late; production slowed down. ABC faced the prospect of having a new hit but no episodes to air.

So like his controversial woman President, Lurie was asked to step aside. Unlike her, he acceded. "It was painful," Lurie told TIME, in his first interview since being replaced. "But I understand their decision. The screenplays and production were lagging behind. They have an asset that needs to be protected." Lurie will nominally stay with the show, but the reins will be turned over to veteran producer Steven Bochco (NYPD Blue). "I feel like my baby is being adopted," Lurie says. "But at least it's being adopted by a Rockefeller."

Networks are usually loath to fix what's not broken, with good reason. The West Wing--that other White House drama--went into a ratings spiral after its creator, Aaron Sorkin, left the show in 2003. And the CiC change comes at a critical time. An out-of-the-box top 10 show, it has replaced The West Wing as the darling of pundits and pols. It has been cited as evidence that a woman could win in 2008, and producer Steven Cohen, a former Bill and Hillary Clinton press aide, even says it could help her do so. "For the viewing public to hear the phrase 'Madam President,'" he says, "certainly goes a great deal in getting people comfortable with the idea." (That may be a tad extreme. The argument assumes, on the one hand, that people weren't already willing to elect a woman and ignores, on the other, that CiC's viewership of 15 million or 16 million does not quite reach Ross Perot's tally in '92.)

But the show differs from the policy-heavy West Wing in that it focuses more on the President's juggling of work and family. In one scene, Allen's husband (Kyle Secor) asks the harried head of state whether she has seen their daughter's math workbook. "Under the portrait of Coolidge," Allen says. The show is really more about a working mom than a woman politician. Indeed, Lurie says Allen was inspired mainly by his mother Tamar, a successful real estate agent. The show is apolitical to a fault: President Allen is an Independent and has a knack for taking tough, principled stands almost no one could disagree with. She's against the repression of journalists in Russia and the stoning of women for adultery in Nigeria, and dammit, she doesn't care who she offends! "I'm the first to admit that in some ways, this is a fantasy President," says Davis. "We want and dream of a President who will make the right choices for the right reasons and not based on pleasing factions of their party."

CiC's fantasy has certainly pleased its fans. But Bochco's shows--from Hill Street Blues through Over There, the FX Iraq-war drama--are better known for gritty realism than uplift. Bochco wouldn't comment on his plans, and ABC president Stephen McPherson insists that Bochco is "going to be doing the same show that Rod created." But shortly after taking over, Bochco fired five of CiC's nine writers. He has a reputation for boldness, if not lately for success: he has had a string of recent network failures (Blind Justice, City of Angels, Brooklyn South).

People connected with the show say it will eventually move away from the novelty of a woman President to political questions--including base closings and disaster relief--and character development. "[Bochco] will probably be exploring characters and issues more," says executive producer Dee Johnson. But producers also say the show would have moved beyond the introductory, gee-whiz-she's-a-woman stage under Lurie too. "The early days of any presidency," says Cohen, "are about what a new leader brings to the office, what their style is and their approach and their inner makeup." They're also about transitions, early missteps and staff problems. And as CiC is learning, sometimes life imitates politics.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1122048,00.html

The roughly 5 million-strong audience for high-definition programming in the U.S. "is as high quality an audience and demographics as an advertiser can possibly have," Perrette says. "And despite the fact that we don't have the ratings to back up the take rate and the eyeballs and the viewership that a show has to hit, it is an inherently great place to have a brand profiled."

Well, I guess that sums up the good AND the bad of HD these days.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
How to fix Thursday’s problems
Who's Got Moonves' Moxie? CBS's Thursday Reign Scares Off Rivals

By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com October 24, 2005

Wanted: a programmer who has the cojones that Leslie Moonves has.

Moonves, CBS's programmer extraordinaire, has talent and guts. It's how he has built up CBS to its current status as the most popular broadcast network on TV.

Nowhere is that more evident than on Thursday night. What many industry observers want to know is, where's the competing major network programmer who will challenge Moonves on Thursdays? Is Fox's Peter Liguori or ABC's Steve McPherson or NBC's ReillyZucker up to the challenge?

The discussion centers around making a big, brassy, Moonvesian play, like ABC's moving "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy" to Thursday. Or Fox's bringing "The Simpsons" back there, maybe with "Family Guy," and pairing them with "House." Or, dare it be suggested, moving the mega-popular "American Idol" to Thursdays?

The networks may be doing themselves a disservice if they don't go after Thursday's riches, said John Rash, senior VP and director of broadcast operations for ad agency Campbell Mithun.

"The advertisers and audience opportunities are so significant on Thursdays that it is often worth the risk," Rash said. "Indeed, the biggest risk is to not be aggressive enough. CBS's planting of the flag on Thursday has paid off not only on the evening but with [its entire] schedule."

The point about Thursdays, of course, is that it's the night many high-spending advertisers love the most, as viewers plan their weekend entertainment. Led by the movie studios, the night has long been a gold mine for those networks able to draw the most eyeballs in the 18- to 49-year-old category. There is no question that NBC's financial fortunes for many years were spurred by its Thursday night success. Driven by its Don't Blink Thursday night lineup, CBS has written about $400 million more in ad revenue this year, Moonves told The New York Times last week.

A little background here, in case anyone has forgotten:

It's the May sweeps, 2000. As Moonves is preparing for that year's upfronts he's looking at Thursdays and sees NBC's juggernaut. On Thursday, May 12, 2000, for example, NBC scored a 12.4 in the advertiser Must Buy 18 to 49 demo, according to Nielsen Media Research. CBS did a lowly 2.1.

In a frightfully scary bet-the-house move, Moonves, nine months later, decides to challenge NBC head-on, taking what at the time were two of CBS's strongest new shows-"Survivor," which had premiered that summer to huge ratings, and the freshman crime series "CSI," which was growing nicely in the 18 to 49 demo-and moving them to Thursday in February 2001.

Fast-forward to almost five years later. Season to date, CBS is pulling a 7.6 in 18- to 49-year-olds on Thursday, and NBC is doing a 4.8. Over the past five years, since Moonves made his gutsy move, the seismic shift that has occurred on Thursdays has meant a remarkable 61 percent increase for CBS and a remarkable 367 percent decrease for NBC.

This season ABC moved "Alias" into the Thursday 8 p.m. time slot, but the show is hardly one of the network's biggest guns. Moving a new hit like "Lost" or "Grey's Anatomy" to Thursday would be a risk for ABC, but a calculated one. By now "Lost" has taken advantage of its first-season accolades and great word of mouth, and surely its fans would follow. The same for "Grey's Anatomy," which is growing its viewership even as the show it follows, "Desperate Housewives," is losing viewers.

Most important for a shift to Thursday night, both "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy" are in the top five shows in the 18 to 49 demo.

The biggest Moonvesian play would be if Fox moved "American Idol" to Thursday. But already that show garners more than $500,000 per 30-second commercial, so the additional financial benefits may be limited.

And yet, Fox has thought about the move.

"On two occasions we've had to run results shows on Thursday night, and both times we did quite well," said Preston Beckman, executive VP of strategic program planning and research for Fox. "We know there is an opportunity there. It's the one show we are probably a little bit more conservative with, just because a wrong move could be very costly to us. But we talk about it. We fantasize."

Last season Fox amped up the competition by moving teen drama "The O.C." to Thursdays at 8 p.m. It followed up this year by scheduling one of its most high-profile new series, the mystery "Reunion," at 9 p.m. But Fox has so far declined to move its newest hit drama, "House," to the night, or move its current top show in the 18 to 49 demo (after "Idol"), "The Simpsons," to Thursday. Some will recall that it was Bart and family who took on NBC's "Cosby" on Thursdays more than 15 years ago.

As for moving "House" to Thursday, Beckman said it wouldn't be a good idea. "You want to go with something that's young," he said. "You want to go in there and grab those 12 to 34 viewers. 'House' isn't the kind of show that will do that for you."

NBC itself also needs a dramatic Thursday night play. The problem the Peacock has is a dearth of hits. Freshman sitcom "My Name Is Earl" is clearly a possibility, as The New York Times reported last week. Another dramatic move for NBC would be pairing two Dick Wolf shows, "Law & Order: SVU" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," as a two-hour block. "SVU" does well in the demo, and on Sunday night's "Housewives"-hampered "Criminal Intent," the return of Chris Noth, and his relationship with Annabella Sciorra, is starting to steam up TV screens.

NBC is hardly blind to its Thursday tribulations, but making those kinds of changes can come with a price, said Mitch Metcalf, NBC's senior VP of program planning and scheduling.

"There's always a discussion of when to move something, when not to move something," he said. "There's no perfect time to do it. It's something we're constantly evaluating. What you don't want to do is move a show before its time or when it's too late in its life cycle. When we make a move on Thursday or any another night, we'll do it when it's in our long-term, best strategic interests."

The WB clearly realized the financial importance of Thursdays when it moved "Smallville" and "Everwood" to that night. "The WB was very smart for putting 'Smallville' there," said Steve Sternberg, executive VP and director of audience analysis at Magna Global. "That's doing very well." So well, in fact, that "Smallville" is breaking its own ratings records in some demos and is helping The WB post time-period highs.

The most dramatic, most Moonves-like move on Thursdays this season, not surprisingly, was made by the master himself, along with his team at UPN. (UPN reports to Moonves, whose current title is chairman and CEO of CBS and co-chief operating officer and co-president of Viacom.) They took the new show with the most buzz for UPN-"Everybody Loves Chris"-and, instead of playing it safe and putting it on a far less competitive night, gave it the prime 8 p.m. Thursday night time slot and then spent a gazillion dollars promoting it. And voila-it's UPN's highest-rated show to date in both total viewers and viewers 18 to 49.

Any network worth its salt is already thinking about what to do on Thursdays next season, especially since CBS's schedule is starting to age. The top contender for great change is ABC, said Brad Adgate, senior VP and corporate research director for Horizon Media in New York.

"Probably in a year or so, when ABC strengthens its position with 'Invasion' or 'Commander in Chief,' it may move one of those popular shows," he said.

http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=28897

That 'Desperate' hand belongs to...

By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News

It’s not every day I get invited to talk to the hand. At least not to the hand on ABC's "Desperate Housewives."

That was the pitch from a publicist for Page Kennedy, 28, the actor whose character, Caleb, was last night revealed to be the possible killer Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard) has been keeping locked in her Wisteria Lane basement.

Earlier, only Caleb's hand was visible, but according to Kennedy, who hadn't yet been cast, "the hand that you saw wasn't even mine... that's why if you go back, the hand looks lighter than me."

(Hey, on ABC's "Lost," there would already be Web sites devoted to the discrepancy.)

We still may not know much about Caleb - and Kennedy knows only a little more - but the Detroit-born actor, whose credits include a recurring role on Showtime's "Barbershop" and guest spots on UPN's "Love, Inc.," is already calling his part in television's No. 2 series "the role of a lifetime."

He said he even dropped out of a WB midseason series, "Pepper Dennis," to play Caleb.

He hopes Caleb will make it through the season, but "even if they killed me off, I think that the exposure I may get from this show might be bigger than if I lasted five years with Pepper Dennis," Kennedy said.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television/12982010.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Mike Wallace gives NBC first interview for new memoir

By Gail Shister Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist

Mike Wallace, a 46-year CBS veteran, will do the first TV interview about his new book... on NBC.

A taped, two-part Wallace sit-down with Katie Couric is scheduled for “Dateline NBC” Sunday, with the third segment to run on Today the next day. Of course, that program is in the same time slot as “60 Minutes”.

"Nobody was interested at CBS. It was quite apparent," says Wallace, 87, whose second book, Between You and Me (Hyperion), goes on sale tomorrow. "CBS knew the book was coming. It's really strange. Nobody reached out."

Not true, CBS says. Wallace is booked for The Early Show on Nov. 1, a network rep says. (Still, NBC has first dibs.)

Hyperion pitched Wallace to all the networks, says a rep for the publisher, but the NBC deal was sealed "ages ago" by a personal letter to Wallace from Today coanchor Couric, also a contributing anchor for Dateline.

"I know Katie, but not that well," Wallace says. "I thought to myself, 'This would be kind of interesting.' "

Interesting, and smart. At CBS, Wallace has only two shots, and both are problematic: The Early Show and 60 Minutes.

With Wallace a 60 correspondent since the show's 1968 launch, it would have appeared self-serving if executive producer Jeff Fager assigned a segment on his own guy. It's never been done on 60 before, and plenty of Wallace's colleagues have written books.

So prime time was out.

On the morning front, Early Show has its own zip code in the Nielsen basement. Today has been No. 1 for 10 years. Do the math.

"I have the responsibility of selling a lot of books," says Wallace. "You go where the eyes are." (At least you go there first.)

Between You and Me features highlights from Wallace's 60-year career. It's a far different animal from his 1984 memoir, Close Encounters. Gary Paul Gates was his coauthor on both projects.

Close Encounters "is about who I was and how I got there - the good, the bad and the ugly," says Wallace. "This one is not about me. It's about the people I've talked to over a period of 50 to 60 years."

Wallace begins a 10-city book tour Saturday in New Canaan, Conn. Next stop, on Nov. 1, is at Cherry Hill's Betty & Milton Katz Jewish Community Center.

Several other appearances are slated for similar venues, despite accusations of anti-Israel bias against the newsman.

"People know I am Jewish and proud of my heritage," he says. "I have done things for Israel, and am devoted to the existence of the state of Israel.

"But there are some people of my own faith who have labeled me a self-hating Jew because I try to be evenhanded about the Palestinians... . It comes with the territory. I don't dignify those things enough to be hurt by them."

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//12980819.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
WB Shifts Schedule as UPN Prime Time Lifts

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com October 24, 2005

The WB has started its third consecutive fall broadcast season with significant overall prime-time ratings declines, causing some concern among media buyers, but still not enough in their minds to threaten the long-term advertising viability of the network.

While WB’s archrival UPN has made inroads in the first month of the season—passing the WB in viewers and key female demos—media agency execs say they are willing to give the WB time to see if its strategy of offering more story lines for the upper end of its key 12-34 demo ultimately boosts viewership. “I don’t disagree with their strategy,” said Laura Caraccioli-Davis, senior vp and director of Starcom MediaVest Group Entertainment. “They may just have tried to change too much too fast and alienated some of their viewers in the process.”

“There’s still a long way to go before the final chapter is written,” said another media buyer, who asked not to be named. “I am still not sure how much postseason baseball telecasts are skewing viewing patterns.”

There are early red flags though. Through the first four weeks, the WB’s top-rated, but aging drama 7th Heaven has lost 1.3 million viewers from the same period last season, with its median age growing three years to 40.3. Another veteran drama, Charmed, is down 13 percent in the 18-49 demo, and its Friday night comedies are all down significantly in the ratings, including Reba, which is down 1.1 million viewers. The decision to move drama One Tree Hill to Wednesday at 8 from Tuesday at 9 has resulted in that show losing 1.8 million viewers over the same period last year.

But there are some positives. Veteran drama Gilmore Girls is performing on par with the same period last season, producing a solid 5.8 million viewers and a 2.5 18-49 rating, and moving Smallville from Wednesday at 8 to Thursday at 8 was accomplished with no loss of audience and gives the network a solid show on a night when ad rates are higher. In fact, last Thursday, Smallville set new WB records on the night in four demos and won its time period among all networks in three male demos.

The network also appears to have established a successful new drama with Supernatural on Tuesday nights at 9, with the show drawing a 2.3 18-49 rating and 5.2 million viewers.
David Janollari, WB entertainment president, said the recent shift of freshman Friday-night sitcom Twins to 9:30 from 8:30 was designed to nab more viewership leading out of Reba. Moving new drama Related in first-run to Monday night leading out of 7th Heaven was done for the same reason. Janollari said the goal is to be patient with these shows and try to grow their audiences. The WB did cancel new drama Just Legal after two episodes, but it skewed heavy among women 55-plus, not the audience the network is looking for.

“We believe the audiences are still grazing, searching for new things to watch,” Janollari said. “We need to try to expose these shows to as many new people as possible.” Janollari also said the network did not launch all of its new shows during the first week of the new season, which has flattened its numbers compared to last season. “Our new schedule was not completely up and running until the third week of the season,” he said. “In the second two weeks of the first month, we are up 21 percent in adults 18-34, 22 percent in women 18-34 and 14 percent in adults 18-49 over last season.”

Steve Sternberg, executive vp, director of audience analysis at Magna Global USA, agrees with that overall assessment. “UPN has shown growth among its core under-35 audience, with both persons and women 12-34 being up about 20 percent over last season. While the WB has declined by similar percentages, much of that is due to a heavy repeat load the first couple of weeks into the season. We should start to see the WB’s yearly comparison flatten out a bit over the next few weeks. But for the moment, UPN has moved past the WB.”

Dawn Ostroff, UPN’s entertainment president, while pleased that her network has, at least for the moment, passed the WB in some key demos, said she is less focused on the WB and more on her own network’s progress. “Our biggest goal has been to have more of an audience flow night to night, to be in business with A-level talent and to win the support of the ad community. And we have accomplished this. If advertisers want to reach female 18-34 viewers, they have to look at us very seriously now.”

But like the WB, UPN has also had some glitches this season. While new sitcom Everybody Hates Chris has succeeded on Thursday, new drama Sex, Love & Secrets is the lowest-rated scripted show in broadcast prime-time TV.

Because both the WB and UPN are reaching younger audiences, media buyers want to see both thrive. “The ad community needs both networks to move forward because the main demo they reach is increasingly harder to find,” said John Rash, chief broadcast negotiator at Campbell Mithun.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001349898

Who's that girl?

By Gail Shister Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist

Big night tonight, Prison Break fans.

After seven episodes in the shadows, the character behind the evil conspiracy to frame Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) will be revealed - as will the Emmy-winning actress who plays her.

The mystery actress - our lips are double-sealed - agreed to appear uncredited in the first seven episodes of Fox's new hit 9 p.m. drama to heighten the mystery further, says a Prison rep.

Look for the payoff in the last five minutes. She'll stick around for the whole season.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//12980819.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Sunday’s network prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s opinions of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

(From Marc Berman’s Monday, October 24, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
The WB in November: Programming Notes

With the start of the November 2005 sweep just 9 days away, what follows is a glimpse of what’s coming up on the WB:

Movies:
-Felicity: An American Girl Adventure – Tuesday, Nov. 29: 8 p.m. ET

Guest Stars:
-Tom Wopat reunites with John Schneider on Smallville - Thursday, Nov. 3: 8 p.m. ET
-Steve R. McQueen (Steve McQueen’s grandson) on Everwood - Thursday, Nov. 3: 9 p.m. ET
-Barry Bostwick on What I Like About You - Friday, Nov. 4: 8 p.m. ET
-Michael McDonald on 7th Heaven – Monday, Nov. 7: 8 p.m. ET
-Milo Ventimiglia reprises his role as Jess on Gilmore Girls – Tuesday, Nov. 8: 8 p.m. ET
-Dana Delany on Related – Monday, Nov. 14: 9 p.m. ET
-Loretta Devine on Supernatural – Tuesday, Nov. 15: 9 p.m. ET

Tidbits: Notes of Interest

-Mark-Paul Gosselaar Heads to Commander in Chief:
Former Saved by the Bell and NYPD Blue star Mark-Paul Gosselaar is joining the cast of hit ABC drama Commander in Chief. Gosselaar will play a slick media strategist.

Reader Feedback Forum: Invasion

”I want to put in a good word for ABC’s Invasion. I will not compare it to the other new alien shows, because I don't see any fair basis for doing so. At first, I was concerned the cast was too low profile. And in that sense, the series appears to be in a race against time -- can Invasion hold what may be a tenuous audience while these characters sink in? Invasion is a sophisticated, subtle drama, which leaves much to the imagination and is, in my view, the most original approach to a series among the new shows this year. And for those of us who still miss short-lived The Agency, it gives us another taste of Shaun Cassidy's crafty approach to drama.

My profile -- 53, live in Pennsylvania, and I stopped watching Invasion's lead-in Lost last year because there was just too much time spent on characters that weren't compelling.
B.S., PA

The P.I.:
After a recommendation of this caliber, I would say Invasion is worth another look, particularly if you are tired of the competing crime solving on Law & Order and CSI: NY. Now that ABC has renewed the sci-fi drama for the remainder of the season there is more time to tune in.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
How to fix Thursday’s problems
Who's Got Moonves' Moxie? CBS's Thursday Reign Scares Off Rivals

By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com October 24, 2005

As for moving "House" to Thursday, Beckman said it wouldn't be a good idea. "You want to go with something that's young," he said. "You want to go in there and grab those 12 to 34 viewers. 'House' isn't the kind of show that will do that for you."

Are we maturing that fast these days where 12 year olds are a coveted demographic? :)

For some of the Fox shows, it probably is on the high side :)

DICK EBERSOL
By Ben Grossman, Broadcasting & Cable, 10/24/2005


Bringing the NFL back to NBC was a coup, even for a man with Dick Ebersol's unique credentials. But, for Ebersol, this was more than just another acquisition: He finalized the deal in April, just after returning to work following a plane crash that took the life of his 14-year-old son, Teddy, and left Ebersol bedridden for months.

"It was emotionally just a sweet way to come back into the business," he says. "It was a great way to come back from the most sad and horrible part of my life."

For a man whose first job in sports was to make athletes look empathetic, little did Ebersol know that, nearly 40 years later, the sports and entertainment world would be picking him up in his time of need. "My wife and I received just over 4,000 letters, I don't know how many thousands of cards, 16,000 e-mails," he says of the accident's aftermath. "The embrace of the industry was unbelievable."

No doubt that outpouring was because of the lives Ebersol has touched over the years. He started at ABC Sports, picking up work while he was a high school student in France. Near the end of his sophomore year at Yale, a letter came out of the blue asking him to interview for a job as an Olympics researcher. Landing the job, Ebersol roamed the U.S. and Western Europe, putting together mini-bios on Olympic athletes that showed the human side of these heroes.

He worked through both the summer and winter Games in 1968, including the now-legendary Mexico City Olympics, famous for the raised fists of black American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos. After graduating from Yale, Ebersol became an assistant to a man who would have an unrivaled influence on his career: the late Roone Arledge.

"Roone was far and away the most original thinker I ever met in network television; he could go into a control room and out-produce anybody," Ebersol says with unabashed awe. "The number of young people he educated is legion today among the leaders of television."

Ebersol worked at ABC until 1974, when then-NBC CEO Herb Schlosser offered him an opportunity he couldn't pass up. Johnny Carson wanted the weekend repeats of The Tonight Show taken off the air, and NBC needed a replacement show. Ebersol got the new title of director of weekend late night programming and introduced Schlosser to a young Canadian by the name of Lorne Michaels, who had some thoughts about a sketch-comedy show. In October of the following year, Saturday Night Live was born. Just 28, Ebersol was NBC's first VP under the age of 30. He's 58 now.

Ebersol would stay with SNL until 1976, when he left for Los Angeles to become head of comedy, variety and specials for the network. He was pushed out by then-NBC President Fred Silverman in 1979, over what Ebersol calls -a difference of opinion." But by 1981, Ebersol was persuaded to return to SNL by the late Brandon Tartikoff, who was once Ebersol's assistant. His return brought about another life-altering encounter.

"The second host that I had was an actress I didn't know named Susan St. James," he says. "I went to her hotel to meet with her, and within five minutes, we were crazy about each other. We were dating by the end of the week and married six weeks after."

His secret in landing the actress? "She says that I wore some pretty sexy leather pants to that first meeting, but I don't remember," he says with a laugh.

At the time, Ebersol also formed a production company that would develop Friday Night Videos, Saturday Night's Main Event and Later With Bob Costas. He left SNL again in 1985 and devoted his time to the company, called No Sleep Productions, before returning to NBC in 1989 as both president of NBC Sports and senior VP of NBC News.

While Ebersol has been involved in the TV production of virtually every major sporting event in the country, 1995 sticks out as a high point in his career. Ebersol, over a series of four months, embraced his Olympics background by securing two deals for NBC to broadcast the Olympics from 2000 all the way through 2008, a groundbreaking achievement. "Those represent to me the great innovative deals of my career," says Ebersol, who credits NBC Universal Television Networks Group President Randy Falco as well.

For a man who has been involved in everything from the creation of an iconoclastic show to the building of a television sports empire, it's the Olympics that still excite him the most. "If there's anything that is the center of my career both creatively and emotionally, it's the Olympics," he says. "It's the only thing left I literally produce myself, and if I didn't, I think I probably would have moved on by now."

NBC now has extended its Olympics arrangement until 2012, when Ebersol's contract ends and when he says he'll step out of the production truck for the last time. He and his wife will split time between Martha's Vineyard and Colorado. And after last year's tragedy, he will do so with a new perspective.

"I will never be cynical again about people," Ebersol says. "You learn at a time like that just how loving and caring people can be."

Are we maturing that fast these days where 12 year olds are a coveted demographic? :)
No but their parents are, "Mommy, Daddy, buy me this, this and this"... :D

(Note: 7 PM ET/PT on Sunday is the only hour during the entire week when the four major networks do not offer at least two programs in HD. As a matter of fact, they offer none.)

Swish! Jordan scores for '60 Minutes'
Interview with NBA great spikes ratings 42 percent

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 24, 2005

Michael Jordan is still capable of a slam dunk, at least in the ratings.

One of the NBA's all-time greats sat for a rare interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” last night, helping the show to a 4.4 Nielsen overnight rating among viewers 18-49, its best showing of the season. It was up 42 percent over the show’s season-to-date overnights average.

“60 Minutes” was no doubt helped by runover for late NFL games, which didn’t end until about 7:30 p.m., and lots of promos for the interview during those games. But Jordan himself also demonstrated the ratings lifting effect he had during his NBA days.

“60 Minutes” grew throughout its hour. During the first half hour the show averaged a 4.1 rating among 18-49s, but then jumped 15 percent to a 4.7 during the last 30 minutes.

In its four previous episodes, “60 Minutes” had averaged a 3.1 overnight rating in the demo, achieving a 4.0 on two separate occasions. Like last night, both of those 4.0 ratings came on nights following late NFL action on CBS.

The Jordan bit received lots of pre-air press, with excerpts airing on ESPN and lots of print coverage of the interview. In it Jordan admitted to being stupid about his gambling habit but insisted that he was not a compulsive gambler and that his competitiveness never hurt his family.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_859.asp

An Unhappy Milestone for Broadcast Sitcoms
TV WeekGuest Commentary

By Stephen Winzenburg October 24, 2005

Broadcast television is about to hit a milestone-one that it may not want to celebrate. For the first time in the 55-year history of network TV ratings, it appears there will not be one situation comedy on the Nielsen top 10 list at the end of the season.

While writers and critics praise new shows such as "How I Met Your Mother," there are so far no comedies in the Nielsen top 10 season ratings and only "Two and a Half Men" makes the top 15 (in 13th place). No matter how many stories are published about the perceived success of shows like "Everybody Hates Chris" or "My Name Is Earl," 2005-06 may go down in history as the worst season ever for sitcom ratings.

As reported in my 2004 book "TV's Greatest Sitcoms," in every television season since 1950 there has been at least one situation comedy near the top of the ratings. The genre peaked twice: once during the Norman Lear-influenced '70s (every program on the top 10 list in 1978-79 was a sitcom) and during the "Cosby Show" era (eight out of 10 were comedies from 1987 to 1989). As recently as 1996-97, there were seven sitcoms at the top of the Nielsens.

The loss of "Seinfeld" hurt the format badly, with only two or three comedies making the upper 10 since 1999. Though every year broadcast networks debut the latest show that critics claim will "save the sitcom" (from "Malcolm in the Middle" to "Arrested Development"), nothing has stopped the slide. To be labeled a "successful" comedy today a series may only need to get 5 percent of the country watching. Instead, larger audiences are finding humor in reality shows or satirical dramas such as "Desperate Housewives."

Television has been close to setting this record before. There has been only one sitcom on the top 10 list at the end of the season three times over the past 50 years. But what followed those dry spells were revolutionary sitcoms with wide appeal: "Here's Lucy" (No. 3 in 1970) preceded the debut of "All in the Family" in 1971, while 1982's "Three's Company" and 1983's "Kate & Allie" were the only top 10 comedy hits just before "The Cosby Show" premiered in 1984.

The fact that there are no sitcoms near the top of the ratings today is historic, yet it brings hope that we are on the verge of another breakthrough comedy. But "Mother," "Earl" and "Chris" are not breakthrough shows. Hollywood producers and network executives want something "edgy" and "different," while mass audiences are drawn to contemporary material that tweaks the safe and familiar. The last top 10 comedy, "Everybody Loves Raymond," was the perfect example of an old-fashioned hit sitcom, one that had fun with conservative family values without offending the sensibilities of viewers.

Gone are the days of similar series with ratings in the 30s, like "Happy Days," "Family Ties" and "M*A*S*H," or even those that reached a 20 rating, like "Roseanne" or "Home Improvement." Networks would be thrilled today with a comedy that could deliver half those numbers. But instead of looking to the past to see what works in attracting a comedy audience, it appears networks program for elites, demographics or critics.

"My Name is Earl" grabs only 6 percent of the young adult audience but is pronounced the season's big success because it attracts the right demographics and does better than a dozen lower-rated comedies.

"Everybody Hates Chris" came in 74th place last week, yet reviewers call it the next "Cosby Show." USA Today last week claimed "How I Met Your Mother" was "helping end TV's comedy malaise" even though the show ranked in 42nd place.

Hype doesn't make a show a hit. Demographics and media praise may sell some ads now, but without a broader audience the newer comedies won't last long enough to make big bucks in syndication. Instead of overstating the success of the current batch of low-rated comedies, programmers and critics should give a complete picture of the sad state of television comedy. The real story is that network sitcoms are about to set one record that is no laughing matter.

(Stephen Winzenburg is a professor of communication at Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa, and has researched TV programming for 25 years. His latest book, "TV's Greatest Talk Shows," was released this month.)

The Current State of HDTV
For HD, Size Matters
...
"By and large, what I am not hearing is client-initiated conversations of any scale for high-definition channel advertising," says Tim Hanlon, SVP, Publicis Groupe Media. Hanlon blames audience measurement systems, which he says do not pick up the vast audience fragmentation occurring with HD. I avoid advertising like the plague with my HD HTPC. But more HD advertising means more HD content. If there's no money in broadcasting a single HD program, there's a good chance networks will slide back and put on 6 SD channels of garbage to get 6x the advertising revenue.

So I recommend we drop a line to HD advertisers letting them know we notice. I've noticed HD Target ads in the last month or so (as I zip by :-) ). Maybe some positive feedback would help our cause.

Xesdeeni

ESPN Kicks Nascar's Tires as NBC Gives Up Rights to Second Half of Nextel Cup Season

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com October 24, 2005

ESPN president George Bodenheimer has been saying for years that the one sports TV-rights package he most wants to obtain is Nascar’s Nextel Cup races.

Now, it seems, he might get his wish.

NBC has decided against renewing its rights to the second half of the Nascar Nextel Cup season that it jointly holds with cable network TNT, opening the door for ESPN and sister broadcast network ABC. When NBC quietly notified Nascar of its intent to relinquish its exclusive negotiating window a few weeks back, ESPN jumped right into negotiations, which are now ongoing.

While Nascar and ESPN declined to discuss the situation other than to say they are talking, sources close to those talks say ESPN/ABC would pay anywhere between $250 million-$275 million per year for second-half rights, up from the $200 million currently paid by NBC/TNT. Fox, which owns the first-half Nextel Cup rights and pays $200 million per year, is also negotiating with Nascar to renew its rights agreement.

NBC, despite producing household ratings that are up 10 percent over last season for its Nascar telecasts, felt the asking price for the renewal rights was too steep. Fox, whose telecasts produced a record 6.0 household rating average for 13 races this season, averaging a solid 9.6 million viewers, is also looking for some added value if it is going to pay an increase for the rights.

Nascar is reportedly contemplating giving Fox the rights to the February telecast of the Daytona 500 every year, instead of alternating the rights with the second half of the season rights holder, as it currently does.

The second-half Nascar rights holder would get to air the Pepsi 400 in prime time each year during Fourth of July weekend, rather than alternating with the first-half rights holder. The Daytona 500, however, is more valuable, since it produces twice the ratings as the Pepsi 400.

ESPN is said to be pushing hard to get Nascar to sell it the rights to all the Nascar Busch Series races, which air on Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights and are under the current rights agreement shared by Fox/FX and NBC/Turner. The thinking is that this would offset giving up the Daytona 500 races. But Fox doesn’t agree, according to sources, insisting that it wants to continue to air the Busch races on sister network FX during the first half of the season.

NBC dropping out weakened Nascar’s bargaining position somewhat, since neither Fox nor CBS, because of Sunday National Football League telecasts, can air Nascar, leaving only ABC as a potential major broadcast partner.

TNT’s position without NBC is also weakened. The network still wants to carry Nascar Nextel Cup races. Its household rating was up 11 percent this year for seven races, reaching a solid 3.9. But TNT has little bargaining power. Still, Nascar insiders say that because of past history with TNT carrying Nascar races, they would like to give TNT at least a few. Nascar could do that by creating a separate package for TNT.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001349888

An Unhappy Milestone for Broadcast Sitcoms
TV WeekGuest Commentary

By Stephen Winzenburg October 24, 2005

While writers and critics praise new shows such as "How I Met Your Mother," there are so far no comedies in the Nielsen top 10 season ratings and only "Two and a Half Men" makes the top 15 (in 13th place).

Random comments:

While I enjoy both of these CBS shows, I'm left with the feeling that "...Men" is just "The Odd Couple" with a kid thrown in and "...Mother" is a cross breed of "Friends" plus "The Single Guy." ... Not that there's anything wrong with that ... it's just not as "fresh and original" as many would have you believe. :) OTOH, I do enjoy the "vanity cards" at the end of "...Men."

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Fox's Game One down 31 percent from 2004
But up slightly from last non-Yankees/Red Sox Series

Fox began coverage of the World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros Saturday night, earning a 9.5 overnight household rating. That was down 31 percent versus a 13.7 for game one of last year’s World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox. However, the rating was up 1 percent versus a 9.4 for Game One of the 2002 World Series, the last time neither the Red Sox nor New York Yankees, both fan favorites, made the Series.

World Series TV Ratings Since 1969

1968 NBC 22.8 57 Detroit over St. Louis 4-3
1969 NBC 22.4 58 New York Mets over Baltimore 4-1
1970 NBC 19.4 53 Baltimore over Cincinnati 4-1
1971 NBC 24.2 59 Pittsburgh over Baltimore 4-3
1972 NBC 27.5 58 Oakland over Cincinnati 4-3
1973 NBC 30.7 57 Oakland over New York Mets 4-3
1974 NBC 25.6 47 Oakland over Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1
1975 NBC 29.0 53 Cincinnati over Boston 4-3
1976 NBC 27.7 48 Cincinnati over New York Yankees 4-2
1977 ABC 29.9 52 New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2
1978 NBC 32.7 56 New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2
1979 ABC 28.0 51 Pittsburgh over Baltimore 4-3
1980 NBC 32.8 56 Philadelphia over Kansas City 4-2
1981 ABC 30.0 49 Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees 4-2
1982 NBC 28.0 49 St. Louis over Milwaukee 4-3
1983 ABC 23.3 41 Baltimore over Philadelphia 4-1
1984 NBC 22.9 40 Detroit over San Diego 4-1
1985 ABC 25.3 39 Kansas City over St. Louis 4-3
1986 NBC 28.6 46 New York Mets over Boston 4-3
1987 ABC 24.0 41 Minnesota over St. Louis 4-3
1988 NBC 23.9 39 Los Angeles over Oakland 4-1
1989 ABC 16.4 30 Oakland over San Francisco 4-0
1990 CBS 20.8 36 Cincinnati over Oakland 4-0
1991 CBS 24.0 39 Minnesota over Atlanta 4-3
1992 CBS 20.2 34 Toronto over Atlanta 4-2
1993 CBS 17.3 30 Toronto over Philadelphia 4-2
1994 n/a n/a n/a
1995 ABC /NBC 19.5 33 Atlanta over Cleveland 4-2
1996 FOX 17.4 29 New York Yankees over Atlanta 4-2
1997 NBC 16.8 29 Florida over Cleveland 4-3
1998 FOX 14.1 24 New York Yankees over San Diego 4-0
1999 NBC 16.0 26 New York Yankees over Atlanta 4-0
2000 FOX 12.4 21 New York Yankees over New York Mets 4-1
2001 FOX 15.7 25 Arizona over New York Yankees 4-3
2002 FOX 11.9 20 Anaheim over San Francisco 4-3
2003 FOX 13.9 25 Florida over New York Yankees 4-2
2004 FOX 15.8 25 Boston over St. Louis 4-0

(Source: baseballalmanac.com)

Note: The first number, the rating, is an average percentage of all households in the United States which watched the World Series.
The second number, the share, is the percentage of those watching TV who watched the World Series.

THE 2005 WORLD SERIES
World Series starts strong, but ratings lag

By Michael Hiestand USA Today

The Chicago White Sox's entertaining 5-3 win against the Houston Astros in Saturday night's Game 1 of the World Series suggests Fox might end up with the lowest World Series TV ratings ever.

Fox's coverage was first-rate. But it drew 9.5% of U.S. TV households. Although this might smack of using early exit polling to call political races prematurely, that rating suggests Fox will set an all-time Series low and raises questions about the breadth of Major League Baseball's national TV appeal.

Fox's 9.5% is down 31% from the rating for Game 1 of last year's Boston Red Sox-St. Louis Cardinals Series. Such a drop was predictable because the Red Sox and New York Yankees seem to be like Tiger Woods in golf — guaranteed TV draws.

But the 9.5% also is just 1% above the rating for Game 1 of the Anaheim Angels-San Francisco Giants Series in 2002, the last time neither the Red Sox nor Yankees appeared in the Series. That Series, despite going seven games, averaged 11.9% of TV households — the lowest-rated Series ever. Unless this Series goes six or seven games — viewership generally builds the longer a series lasts — Fox might set a new low.

Don't blame the teams' fans. In Houston, the USA's No. 11 TV market, the game drew 39% of households to lead all cities and produce a rating 16% higher than its National League Championship Series game average. And while the White Sox might be the Second City's second team, Game 1 drew 33.5% of households in the USA's No. 3 TV market — up 27% from Chicago's American League Championship Series average rating.

It might have helped Fox if Saturday's game had dragged on. Despite Easterners who complain about Series games keeping them up past bedtime, the time periods in Series games after 11 p.m. ET typically draw the highest ratings. Saturday's game lasted 3:09 — 46 fewer minutes than last year's Game 1. (Meaning, strangely, that baseball ratings probably would improve if the sport dragged out its games by using instant replay to review umps' calls.)

For Fox, in the midst of negotiating a new MLB TV deal, Game 1 was still a winner. It produced the highest-rated Saturday night on any network since March.

Fox's game coverage couldn't have been much better. After engaging analyst Tim McCarver early on argued Houston starter Roger Clemens, 43, is "as good as he's ever been," he candidly joked about his "expert analysis" after Clemens gave up three runs and limped away after two innings. Joe Buck, in a sign of a good announcer, managed to make fun of his network's own hype, such as the wailing siren touting the show Prison Break. "If you ever try to break out of prison, Tim, that's what it's going to sound like," Buck said.

Sunday night, Fox's magnified replay showed umpire Jeff Nelson's botched call on Chicago's Jermaine Dye in the seventh inning — the batter before Paul Konerko's grand slam gave the White Sox a 6-4 lead. The White Sox went on to win 7-6.

Fox ably focused on White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who might end the Series, even if they lose, with more endorsement prospects than any player. McCarver noted, "His hand gesticulations are fascinating."

And maybe just what Fox needs to boost its ratings. Stay tuned, Fox's Dan Bell said: "We had a terrific start and expect the Series to build momentum."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2005-10-24-hiestand-series_x.htm

I have added the current BCS rankings to the college teams in the "Upcoming Football Games in HD" list at the top of LATEST NEWS -- the first post in this thread.

I have also added the NFL team records to the NFL HD schedule.

After seven episodes in the shadows, the character behind the evil conspiracy to frame Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) will be revealed - as will the Emmy-winning actress who plays her.

Was this really a big secret? Since she first appeared, I've been pretty sure that the actress is:

thirtysomething's Patricia Wettig, most recently seen as a CIA psychiatrist on Alias

My guess is based on her voice, but I'm pretty sure my guess is an Emmy winner for the first show I mentioned in the spoiler tag. I guess we'll see tonight!

WARNING: These whited-out spoilers are visible in emails using the new notification system. This spoiler has been sent to everyone that receives notices that this thread is updated.

“SG-1” and “Stargate Atlantics” Renewed

SCI_FI Channel has ordered new seasons of both it’s Stargate series.

The network announced today it has ordered new 20-episode seasons of both “Stargate SG-1” and “Stargate Atlantis”.

Production of the tenth “SG-1” season and the third “Atlantis” season begins in January. The programs will begin their new seasons on SCI FI Channel next summer.

Meanwhile, the current season of each show will resume in January. “SG-1”, with the season pickup, becomes the longest running science fiction program in American TV history. It is averaging 2.4 million viewers a week. “Atlantis” is just behind, with an average of 2.3 million viewers weekly.

Note: Across the pond, the BBC’s" Dr. Who", which aired from 1963 to 1989, returned last year for season No. 27.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Too Much TV Poker?
ESPN betting on darts as next big TV phenomenon

By Joe Rhodes The New York Times

If you had predicted 21/2 years ago that the next great American sports television phenomenon was going to be poker, lots of people would have laughed, pointed and called you names.

Of course, that was before the summer of 2003 and the Travel Channel's World Poker Tour and ESPN's World Series of Poker. The combination turned Texas Hold 'Em into a national craze. Televised poker suddenly popped up on Bravo, Fox Sports and even NBC. Viewers, especially young, male, beer-drinking, truck-buying viewers, went, as they say at the tables, all in. And the ratings have shown no signs of diminishing.

Which leads to the inevitable question: If this is how millions of Americans, some of them not even drunk, want to spend their TV-sport-watching hours, what else might appeal to them? Bowling? Fishing? Professional full-contact shuffleboard?

Michael Davies, the executive producer who has made a fortune bringing British television properties such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Wife Swap to America, thinks he may have the answer:

Darts.

"The last thing I'm going to do is run around town trying to tell anybody that darts is going to be the next poker," Davies said in a recent telephone interview, "but darts have a lot to recommend it to American television. It fits into that intersection of American popular culture and sports and regular life, which poker has readily occupied. So there are some similarities."

Enough, apparently, that ESPN has signed a deal with Davies to broadcast a made-for-television darts championship next year as a World Series of Darts. There are to be eight hour-long episodes, and the series is tentatively scheduled to begin in July. The invitational tournament will include the 16 top-ranked players in the world, most of whom live in Britain, and 32 Americans, who will be chosen through a series of regional qualifying tournaments. The top prize will be $100,000, "unless an American wins it," Davies said. "And then we'll add a zero. If an American wins, the prize will be $1 million."

Davies said that the events would be held next spring at a casino on the East Coast of the United States and broadcast next summer on ESPN with a format very much like that of the World Series of Poker.

"What makes poker work on television are the personalities, the players, their idiosyncrasies, their conversations, their body language, their humor," said Mark Shapiro, ESPN's just-departed executive vice president of programming, who authorized the deals for the series. "And darts has many of the same built-in factors. So we're gonna roll the dice."

Televised darts is already a huge hit in England, where such legends as the 12-time world champion Phil "The Power" Taylor, a former factory worker, and Andy "The Viking" Fordham, a 400-plus-pound saloonkeeper, are as famous as the soccer heroes David Beckham and Michael Owen. Millions of British cable-TV subscribers ponied up 22 pounds (about $39) to see them battle it out in a crowded tavern last November, only to be disappointed when Fordham, who claimed to have drank copious amounts of beer that day, collapsed and forfeited the match.

"These guys are characters, and that's one of the things that got ESPN very excited," Davies said. "They don't look so perfect. They've got strange regional accents and odd facial hair. They've lived a lot of life, and they look like it. And they are also superb at what they do."

What they do is stand 7 feet 91/4 inches away from a woven-fiber dartboard positioned exactly 5 feet 8 inches above the floor and throw steel-tipped darts, three per turn, at specific spots on the board. The scoring is complicated - each player starts with 501 points and deducts from there, based on where the dart hits. For a player to get to zero, the final dart must be either a double number or a bull's-eye; reaching zero in nine throws makes for a perfect game.

Add in a frequently drunk crowd roaring in the background, carnival-barker announcers screaming out every point and thousands of dollars at stake and you get a precise sport in an unruly atmosphere, the equivalent of Tiger Woods trying to sink a putt in the midst of an oncoming rush-hour crowd.

"There's an expression," Davies said, "that you can take darts out of the pub, but you can never take the pub out of darts. Like poker, it has that kind of underground feel to it. And it really, really works on television."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/arts/television/23rhod.html

Series Ratings Still Lag

Varietry.com—Fox Sports couldn't have asked for more from Sunday night's Game 2 of the World Series, but ratings for the Fall Classic continue to significantly underperform last season.

A competitive, high-scoring matchup won by the Chicago White Sox in the bottom of the ninth inning settled for ho-hum Nielsens by World Series standards, although Fox was a strong second to ABC on the night.

According to preliminary nationals from Nielsen that are adjusted for time zone differences, Sunday's game between the White Sox and Houston Astros averaged a 5.7 rating in adults 18-49 -- down 35% from last year's 9.0 for Game 2 of the Boston Red Sox-St. Louis Cardinals series.

In overall viewership, Sunday's game figures to come in above 17 million viewers for its 8-11 p.m. ET duration, compared with 25.5 million for last year's Game 2.

Game earned a 39.5 household rating/55 in Chicago (or roughly 1.35 million households) and a 41.3/54 in Houston (roughly 790,000 homes), according to Nielsen metered-market overnights. Final nationals for the first two games of the World Series will be released later today.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Early diagnosis: TV season checkup
The new broadcast season is 5 weeks old
so enough time has passed for its first checkup

By Ed Bark The Dallas Morning News 11:27 AM CDT Monday, October 24, 2005

The new broadcast season is five weeks old, so enough time has passed for its first checkup.

The combatants

CBS already looks like a sure bet to repeat its victory among total viewers, but Fox won't be winning again among advertiser-coveted 18- to 49-year-olds after beating CBS by a paper-thin margin last season. ABC instead has the inside track among younger viewers. It all basically boils down to sports, which we'll get to later.

Comedy

America isn't exactly roaring with laughter again at what it sees in prime time. But four promising comedies already have been picked up for full seasons, with NBC's pacesetting My Name Is Earl the top-ranking new show among 18- to 49-year-olds. Also getting official go-aheads are CBS's How I Met Your Mother, UPN's Everybody Hates Chris and Fox's The War at Home.

All except the latter have Emmy potential, as well as survivable ratings. And War at Home at least can be a laugh-out-loud guilty pleasure for parents old enough to have teenage kids and teenage kids who enjoy laughing at a loud, exasperated dad.

It's a shame, though, that Fox's Arrested Development and NBC's The Office aren't doing much funny business. Their ratings are seriously disappointing.

Creature features

Of the five new ones, only ABC's The Night Stalker looks doomed. The WB's Supernatural and NBC's surprisingly buoyant Surface officially have earned full-season runs while CBS's Threshold also could be good to go until spring. The highest-rated entry, ABC's Invasion, has the advantage of following Lost on Wednesdays. The disadvantage is that it's losing too many of its inherited viewers despite getting a full-season run. A kindred spirit, CBS's Ghost Whisperer, sees both dead people and a bright future courtesy of a full-season pickup.

Other drama

ABC pretty much would be nowhere without its hours of power. Desperate Housewives and Lost are rolling along as the second- and third-most-watched prime-time shows. The network's No. 8-ranked Commander in Chief easily is the No. 1 new series in total viewers, with Grey's Anatomy joining it in the top 10. CBS's surprising Criminal Minds (as with Surface, it's deemed surprising because most of us know-it-all critics didn't like it) continues to do well in a tough time slot opposite Lost. Two Fox newbies, Prison Break and Bones, have full-season orders.

Reality

Woo-hoo, it's tanking. Just ask NBC, whose two unscripted newcomers, The Apprentice: Martha Stewart and Three Wishes, are both big losers. Ratings for Donald Trump's original Apprentice have gone from blockbuster to lackluster. That leaves just one reality hour in the top 10. But CBS's Survivor: Guatemala (No. 7) is averaging 2 million fewer viewers than the Vanuatu edition had at this time last fall.

Cancellation corral

Officially dropped are NBC's Inconceivable, Fox's Head Cases , the WB's Just Legal and UPN's Sex, Love & Secrets. WB also has axed sophomore Living With Fran.

Sports

Last fall at this time, Fox was basking in the mega-ratings afterglow of Game 7 of the storybook New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox American League Championship series, which had 31.5 million viewers. It also reaped big ratings for the abbreviated Red Sox-St. Louis Cardinals World Series. They combined to shoot Fox into first place among 18- to 49-year-olds. And it greatly helped to have the Super Bowl later. ABC has the Super Bowl this season, and Fox (currently fourth among younger viewers) has been shorn of both the Red Sox and the Yankees. The resultant ratings shortfall will keep Fox out of the 18- to 49-year-old winners circle even if American Idol again goes nuts in the Nielsens in midseason.

http://www.guidelive.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/television/stories/DN-bark_1024gl.State.Edition1.94365f1.html

I avoid advertising like the plague with my HD HTPC. But more HD advertising means more HD content. If there's no money in broadcasting a single HD program, there's a good chance networks will slide back and put on 6 SD channels of garbage to get 6x the advertising revenue.

So I recommend we drop a line to HD advertisers letting them know we notice. I've noticed HD Target ads in the last month or so (as I zip by :-) ). Maybe some positive feedback would help our cause.

Xesdeeni


Extremely good idea.

If we spent half as much time complimenting people for helping push the HD movement forward as we do bitching about how this or that isn't perfect, we would probably be a little farther down the HD road.

WARNING: These whited-out spoilers are visible in emails using the new notification system. This spoiler has been sent to everyone that receives notices that this thread is updated.

I sincerely hope that NO ONE has signed up for automatic e-mails for each time this thread is updated! Yikes!

THE 2005 WORLD SERIES
World Series TV Ratings Off 30%

By John Consoli MediaWeek.com October 24, 2005

The first two games of the World Series (Houston Astros vs. the Chicago White Sox) on Fox are averaging a 10.3/17 rating, down 30 percent from last year's first two games (Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals) which produced a 14.7/25, according to Nielsen Media Research data.

Still, the games were the highest rated programming in prime time on both nights. The Sunday night, Oct. 23 telecast, which recorded a fast national rating of 11.1/17 and 17.2 million viewers, had some impact on ABC's hit show Desperate Housewives on the night, which proudced its lowest rating of the season, but a still solid 10.9 rating in the 18-49 demo, 7 percent below its season average.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001350861

I sincerely hope that NO ONE has signed up for automatic e-mails for each time this thread is updated! Yikes!
I have--and it works quite well for me. You only get one notice until you visit the link. So reading the email and deleting it will not start email notifications again- you have to actually visit the web site.

I find it convenient since the link will take me directly to the first post below the last one that I read. Then I read it, and all the others that follow. This resets what I have read. After the next post I get a new email notification to the first news item that I have not read-and no further annoucements will come.

I never read the emails- rather, at my convenience, I click on the link to take me to my starting point.

Ah, OK, I thought you might get an email every time I update the thread! :)

“Commander In Chief” Adds a Bochko Veteran
MARK-PAUL GOSSELAAR (“NYPD BLUE”) JOINS
THE CAST OF ABC’S “COMMANDER IN CHIEF”

(ABC Entertainment October 24, 2005)—Mark-Paul Gosselaar joins the cast of “Commander In Chief” as of episode nine, it was announced today. Gosselaar will play a slick, savvy media strategist. His character’s name is still TBD. This marks the second time he has worked with Steven Bochco, who created and executive-produced “NYPD Blue,” in which Gosselaar starred from 2001-2005.

“Commander In Chief,” starring Academy-Award winner Geena Davis as the first female president, has received critical acclaim and consistently been the most-watched show in its time period. Recently picked up for a full season order, it airs on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network.

Delivering the most-watched Tuesday drama series debut on any network in the last 5 years, “Commander In Chief” has remained a strong performer for ABC in one of the most competitive time periods on television. On average, “Commander In Chief” ranks No. 1 in its hour among Total Viewers (16.4 million), Adults 25-54 (6.1/13) and Women 18-49 (5.6/13), while placing a solid second among Adults 18-49 (4.5/11). The most-watched new TV series this season, “Commander In Chief” is also the only new TV show to rank among the Top 10 shows season to date in Total Viewers (No. 8).

On average, the freshman Touchstone-produced drama has improved the time period for ABC by 6.5 million viewers and by 10% among Adults 18-49, over the Network’s average in the hour at the same point a year ago. “Commander In Chief” delivers a very desirable “upscale” (high income) audience. Among Adults 18-49 in homes with $100K+ annual income, “Commander In Chief” indexes (137) as ABC’s third-most “upscale” show this season, while placing among the Top 10 series on television in upscale Adult 18-49 rating (6.3).

“Commander In Chief” stars Geena Davis as Mackenzie Allen, Donald Sutherland as Nathan Templeton, Harry Lennix as Jim Gardner, Kyle Secor as Rod Allen, Ever Carradine as Kelly Ludlow, Caitlin Wachs as Rebecca Allen, Matt Lanter as Horace Allen and Jasmine Anthony as Amy Allen.

“Commander In Chief” was created by Rod Lurie. Steven Bochco, Dee Johnson, Rod Lurie and Marc Frydman serve as executive producers. The series is produced by Touchstone Television in association with Steven Bochco Productions.

Ask Matt Roush
TV Guide’s Critic Answers Viewer Mail

Question: I'm really liking (read: loving) Prison Break. It's a blend of the intensity and clock-ticking, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrills of the first season of 24 mixed with the gritty cliffhangers and family tensions of the first season of Alias. In your Oct. 7 Ask Matt, you recommended Prison Break but "with reservations" and said "big flashing warning bells here: Suspend your disbelief." Yet, to all the naysayers of Alias and 24 over the years, you've been adamant that the reason you love (or loved, as is the case with Alias) those shows was because they weren't meant to be taken seriously and were just good, escapist fun. Truly, how much more escapist than Prison Break can someone get? So, why the hesitation, Matt? — Meg

Matt Roush, TV Guide: I just love using the word "escapist" when discussing Prison Break, don't you? This is a tricky question. I find myself feeling very anxious for the show to return tonight (Monday) after a baseball hiatus, which is a good sign that I'm hooked. But unlike 24 and Alias at their peaks, I still regard Prison Break as mostly a guilty pleasure. Nothing wrong with that, but I'm not inclined to put this on my top-10 list. The reason I put warning bells up for novices is that I understand why many potential viewers would be put off by the absurd premise of how Michael Scofield got himself in jail. Plus, the show is awfully uneven, especially the mopey scenes involving friends and family on the outside and the dopey scenes involving the conspiracy (which might improve once we get the next revelation over who's pulling the strings; I know but won't tell here, just in case). The caper stuff in prison I love, and Wentworth Miller is the new TV star of the year. It's good, juicy, harrowing fun, but not top-tier just yet.

Question: What do you think of this season's NCIS? I think it is the best yet. I will miss the Kate character, but think Ziva and the new director add great dynamics to the group. I love watching the gang deal with Kate's death. It's great that the show is finally starting to look into the characters' personal lives a bit. (I'd like even more of that, but I'll take what I can get.) I love that they are giving Gibbs some background. What is this about a daughter and what happened to her and his first wife? Seeing Gibbs with the director shows that he has some life inside that gruff exterior. This is the best season by far. I can't wait to find out more about Gibbs and the other characters. — Sadie

Matt Roush, TV Guide: You're certainly not alone. I don't watch the show faithfully (as in every week) — the plate is awfully full when it comes to crime drama, no thanks to the CBS glut — but I generally like it when I do watch. It's better than I would have imagined it to be when it first started, and its popularity keeps growing, pretty amazingly. I'll take your word for it that this is the show's best season, but there's no question this is turning out to be NCIS' breakthrough season.

Question: What defines a show as a "procedural"? I keep hearing the critics say there are too many of them now. I remember the days when shows were in two basic categories: comedy or drama. Then someone coined "dramedy," and started coming up with subcategories: Western, medical, police, sci-fi, horror, etc. Can't we just put everything back in two categories: good and bad? — Laurie

Matt Roush, TV Guide: Well, there's good and bad in each of these categories, which are better known as genres, and each has its own conventions, trademarks and ardent fans. The "procedural" tag really caught on in the wake of the franchising of Law & Order and, later, CSI. It typically refers to a crime drama in which each episode deals with the solving of a crime, usually a self-contained story each week, and has minimal soap-operatics. There are variations on the formula — some are high-end like Homicide: Life on the Street and the short-lived Boomtown, and some (like this season's wretched Killer Instinct and Criminal Minds) exploit the formula with little that's new beyond grisly content and mannered, clichéd characters. I seem to be in the minority on Criminal Minds, which CBS has picked up for a full season: I hate it.

Question: I have a question regarding Alias. Whatever happened to viewer goodwill? It seems that more and more these days, people are looking for reasons to say a show "jumped the shark." I don't know how many times shows like Alias and 24 got off to a slow start but then really got rolling later. After the Oct. 13 episode, I think Alias is getting back on track. I thought it was great. I also think killing Vaughn (if he really is dead) was a good step for the show. Sydney's revenge was what fueled the first two seasons, and giving her a personal mission makes it more exciting. I know the ratings are down, but I'd be curious to know how the Alias Thursday-at-8pm/ET ratings compare to what ABC had in that slot last year. So, unlike some viewers, I'm not ready to drop it yet; I still have faith in it. I'd just like to know your thoughts. — Jeremy

Matt Roush, TV Guide: I am a charter member of the ban-the-"jump-the-shark" crusade, so I'm with you on that. I also thought the episode in which the writers positioned young Rachel as the new Syd (basically a replay of early Alias, with Syd in SD-6) was the best so far this season, and I loved seeing Amy Acker as a bad guy (as have many others who've written in). I have gone on record saying I'll stay loyal to Alias this season no matter what, and I'll be thrilled if eventually the show rewards my loyalty. The mail I'm getting lately is more pro-Alias than against, which is refreshing. But still, watching the show reinvent itself with all of these new characters, including a new "Sloane" in Gordon Dean, still seems like a last gasp for a series that might have been better off going out gracefully at least a year earlier. As for the Thursday ratings: They suck, but at least ABC is doing a little business on this night, and that's what counts. Nobody expected Alias to soar this season.

Question: Good Day, Matt. I love Lost. I really do. But what I don't love so much these days are all these Internet sites popping up with hints and clues and "what you missed last night" deals. I enjoy watching it with my husband and trying to figure out the mystery by watching the show carefully and discussing it. I don't have time to check all these websites and spoilers. Am I going to miss out on the full effect of the show if I don't read into all those "Easter eggs" people discover each episode? Can't I just watch it and enjoy it and not worry about everything everyone is reading into it each week? Won't the producers tell me everything I want to know when the time is right? — Jackie

Matt Roush, TV Guide: Bless your heart. You're my hero. And you're watching Lost in exactly the way it's meant to be watched: for your own personal satisfaction and with a bit of realistic perspective. Like you, I'm aware of the spoilers and obsessive madness where each and every detail of this show (some hidden, some not) are concerned, and I have to at least try to keep up with some of this for professional reasons, but for the most part, I love Lost for its own sake. I'm glad it has a following that makes The X-Files fandom look lazy, but you're not missing a thing by just taking Lost at face value and enjoying it for what it is: an astoundingly entertaining and engrossing show. Which brings me to a related topic.

Question: Hi, Matt. Question for you: Why do TPTB leak major spoilers to viewers via the press? I understand that they want to build excitement and hopefully attract more viewers to their shows, but what about all the viewers who enjoy a surprise once in a while? I feel like there is too much information out there that ruins major upcoming plot developments — and I'm not even referring to the numerous spoiler sites or message boards. Most news and gossip outlets are now chockful of spoiler goodies that, in my opinion, go too far. Instead of fun teasers, they are full-fledged reveals that take away the true entertainment value of these shows. C'mon people, ignorance really is bliss! — Kate

Matt Roush, TV Guide: From your fingertips to TPTB's ears. It's a messy situation for all involved. First, there are the TV reporters and columnists who share the curiosity of millions of viewers and fans and are digging for scoops and exclusives. They walk a fine line between how much to reveal and how far they can go before burning bridges with their sources and maybe even their readers. And then there are the fans themselves who desperately want to know what's happening next and then beat themselves up for having it ruined for them when they learn too much. Why do you think they call them "spoilers"? It's part of the entertainment culture right now, and it's a very competitive business, to put it mildly. I will tell you that I have attended story meetings at the magazine that I have later regretted, because of the information we're sitting on that I would rather have experienced when the episodes actually aired. Comes with the territory.

Question: I would like to know why Just Legal wasn't given a better chance to prove itself. I am a great fan of Don Johnson and have never seen him in anything that wasn't wonderful. This was a good program showing that younger and older people could work together. Loved your review on the show. Just wish it would have had more time. It was a great show that never had a chance. — Earline I.

Matt Roush, TV Guide: Of all the new shows canceled so far this season, this was easily the best of the lot. But it wasn't exactly a surprise. WB was taking a risk going outside its target demo with a show built around a veteran actor (albeit pairing him with a kid), and it didn't pay off. I doubt WB really believed in the show, which is why it was yanked so quickly. This is a classic situation of a show airing on absolutely the wrong network. If this had been developed for CBS, for example, it would probably still be on the air.

Question: I find it interesting that critics such as yourself, and TV Guide in general, call Everwood a "family" show. To me, a family show is one the whole family can enjoy. I would never let my children watch this show! It has way too many adult themes, and I certainly would not want my children imitating the behavior of the young characters. For these reasons, I stopped watching it early on, and the commercials I've seen have done nothing to change my mind. — Laurie

Matt Roush, TV Guide: A "family" show doesn't have to be a "children's" show. Everwood, to me, is the best, smartest and often most emotionally rich (as in mixing tears with laughter) show on TV right now dealing with family and family issues. And no, very few of these characters could be considered role models, but they suffer enough as a consequence of their actions that I think it's pretty clear to a thinking viewer of any age (by which I'm including adolescents) that this is meant to be drama, not a how-to pamphlet. Now, trash like One Tree Hill, I'm with you. Hardly suitable for anyone except those who live to be pandered to.

Question: As much as I love Alan Shore and Denny Crane (and the actors who play them), I'm giving up on Boston Legal. I can't stand to watch the show anymore because I'm sick of the way they clumsily shoehorn the cheesy political debate of the day into their scripts. It's not that I disagree with the points the show makes; I often agree. It goes back to that old writers' maxim "show, don't tell." The show's favorite way of writing the debate into the script is just to put the two opposing viewpoints into the two opposing lawyers' mouths and let them monologue. That's boring as hell. I'd much rather watch 24, which espouses a political viewpoint I disagree with to the point of abhorrence, but does so by dramatizing the issue so that the politics play out as choices by realistic characters. I don't want to listen to fake lawyers sermonize, even if I agree with them. Your thoughts? — Greg

Matt Roush, TV Guide: I think the word you're looking for is "preachy," a tendency that befalls many a legal drama. Personally, my objection to Boston Legal is its smarmy, sophomoric sense of naughty-boy humor, which is rarely as funny as the musical score thinks it is. But you make a valid point.

Question: I disagree with your recent comment regarding House's move from Tuesdays to Mondays. Fox did a great job in establishing a hit show by putting it after American Idol last season. Now that it can hold its own as a strong performer, a great show like Bones should get that same chance to become a hit. Shouldn't the network take advantage of a powerhouse show like American Idol before it burns out? — T. Paul

Matt Roush, TV Guide: Absolutely. But the question I was answering had to do with the wisdom of moving House off of Tuesdays and into an earlier time period, both of which I think might be mistakes. Bones is doing a lot better now than House was doing a year ago (pre-Idol), so it may not need the boost anyway. To me, Bones (a more appropriate show for the 8 pm/ET time slot) would make just as solid a lead-in to 24 on Mondays come January, if that's what Fox decides. But that Tuesday time period is so incredibly competitive right now, I'm not sure why Fox would want to shift House from where it is, regardless of the Idol lead-in. And keep in mind, we don't know where Prison Break is going to end up once it's displaced by 24. Anything is possible.

http://tvguide.com/tv/roush/askmatt/

Miss The Start if Your Favorite Program? No Problem!
Time Warner, NBC To Help Tardy Viewers
(But They Won’t Be Able To Skip Commercials)

By David Lieberman[B]USA TODAY

NEW YORK — NBC Universal gave a big boost on Monday to a Time Warner Cable service that promises to help schedule-challenged cable customers keep up with their favorite shows.

The entertainment giant agreed to let Time Warner use popular programs — including The West Wing, Law & Order: SVU and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno —on a cable service called Start Over, which will be launched next month in Columbia, S.C.

With Start Over, digital cable customers who miss the beginning of certain shows, but who tune in before the end, can push a button and go back to the start. They also can pause and rewind the show — but can't fast-forward through commercials.

The service lets viewers act on impulse or because of unexpected delays. They don't have to plan ahead to record a show, as they do with digital video recorders (DVRs).

"It's like a mulligan. You get an extra try with friendly partners," says Time Warner Cable Executive Vice President Peter Stern. He says that Start Over is "the most popular feature we've tested (for video)."

The company says it plans an ambitious rollout for Start Over, but is still deciding which markets will get the new service first.

Time Warner sees Start Over as another sweetener to lure customers to pay the extra $10 or so a month for digital service, which also brings more channels and adds services including video on demand (VOD).

But programmers and networks must give Time Warner permission to store and transmit their shows. Many have resisted cable operator pleas to offer shows on a VOD channel for time-shifted viewing.

Start Over allays some of their worries. With VOD, "You have to push to get viewers back to your live content," says NBC Universal Cable President David Zaslav. "The attraction of Start Over is that there's no fast-forwarding through commercials, and it keeps you on the traditional television platform."

Start Over viewers will be counted in the traditional audience ratings, and those with Time Warner DVRs can't record the shows once they've gone back to the beginning. NBC's shows are a big attraction, although the agreement also enables Time Warner to add programs from NBC Universal's USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo and Sci-Fi to the Start Over line-up.

Start Over also will have shows from networks controlled by Time Warner (including WB, TNT, TBS, CNN and Cartoon Network), Scripps (DIY Network, HGTV and Food Network) and Comcast (OLN, The Golf Channel and G4).

The pact with NBC was part of a larger deal in which Time Warner agreed to continue carrying NBC Universal's cable channels — including newcomers Universal HD and Telemundo Puerto Rico — for two years.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-10-24-nbc-timewarner-rewind_x.htm

Behind a Quiet Little Hit, a Reliable Hit Maker

By Bill Carter The New York Times October 25, 2005

The most-watched show on Tuesday night is one that few in television would ever think of when compiling a list of the most popular shows on television. CBS's three-year-old crime drama "NCIS" has emerged as the hit nobody really knows about.

"It's the quiet little hit that is succeeding totally under the radar," said Leslie Moonves, the CBS chief executive. Not under CBS's radar, of course. The network is thrilled with the performance of "NCIS."

Indeed, for the last two weeks in a row, the series has posted its best ratings ever. It wins its time period, 8 p.m. Tuesday, every week - and not just among total viewers, where it amassed an impressive 17.7 million people last week. "NCIS" has steadily built its audience among viewers ages 18 to 49, one of the chief benchmarks of network success.

In that category, "NCIS" has also been scoring its best numbers ever, and this season it ranks second only to CBS's far more celebrated hit, "Survivor," among shows that lead off nights for networks.

And as Mr. Moonves pointed out, "NCIS" has another invaluable quality: it has proved itself to be the one show on television seemingly impervious to the wave of ratings numbers that crashes on Tuesday night in the winter when the Fox network adds "American Idol." "We never have to worry like the other networks do when 'Idol' comes in for Fox," Mr. Moonves said.

That this happened with a show so unheralded is remarkable and unexpected, though perhaps it shouldn't be. "NCIS," after all, is the latest series from one of television's most reliable hit makers, the writer-producer Donald P. Bellisario. Though his name has never become a household word along with some of television's other multihit program creators, like Steven Bochco or David E. Kelley, Mr. Bellisario's record is striking for the consistency of its success.

Mr. Bellisario has had a successful prime-time show on network television steadily for the last 25 years. First it was "Magnum P.I." on CBS; then "Quantum Leap" on NBC; "JAG" on CBS; and now "NCIS." That doesn't even count some other shows Mr. Bellisario created, like "Airwolf" in 1984 and "Tales of the Gold Monkey" in 1982.

"He doesn't win a lot of awards," Mr. Moonves said of Mr. Bellisario. "All he does is put on big commercial hits."

In some ways "NCIS" is Mr. Bellisario's greatest triumph, because it has so defied all expectations - even those of CBS. Mr. Bellisario said in a telephone interview that he had to battle his own network to steer his new show away from being stigmatized as a spinoff of "JAG."

The knock on "JAG" was always that it was a show almost exclusively for older viewers, those with a fondness for military yarns. And "NCIS" did start as a spinoff episode of "JAG." Mr. Bellisario said CBS so wanted to recreate what it had with "JAG" that the network insisted, against his strenuous objections, in calling the new series "Navy NCIS" in its first year. (The initials stand for Naval Criminal Investigation Service.)

"I fought that idea all the way," Mr. Bellisario said. "I did not want the show to be just a stopgap for CBS. I foresaw CBS saying this is good for now and always looking for something better."

So he rejected CBS's initial promotional efforts, which he felt made the show look like another military based drama - or else too much like CBS's big hit, "CSI." Mr. Bellisario wanted to include real humor as well as some murky back stories for his characters.

And he wanted to play down the military angle. He pointed out that he chose the naval branch of criminal investigations because it did not report directly to naval superiors and used civilian investigative agents. The stories simply have to involve military personnel.

Most of all, Mr. Bellisario was convinced he could start to pull in younger viewers, and he tailored his cast for that purpose. Beyond the lead actor, Mark Harmon, and the comeback to television of David McCallum, the cast of "NCIS" is largely made up of young actors. One, Pauley Perrette, even plays television's only regular goth personality.

Mr. Moonves said Mr. Bellisario was constantly pressing the network to emphasize his young, good-looking cast in promotions.

In many ways "NCIS" follows what has become a hugely successful formula for CBS. It's a crime show with a prominent male star in the lead, surrounded by a cast of quirky but loyal subordinates. The difference is Mr. Bellisario, who not only writes many of the episodes but also adds unusual stylistic touches.

He decided, for example, to shoot the show with multiple cameras, so that the actors in a scene never know when they are out of the shot. He uses overlapping dialogue whenever he can. Recently he added flashback sequences shot in grainy 16-millimeter black and white.

Then there was the stunning elimination last spring of a chief character: Kate, a young agent on the team. Mr. Bellisario said the actress, Sasha Alexander, came to him last year and said the pace was wearing her out; she wanted to leave the series.

Mr. Bellisario said: "I told her, 'All right, then I'm going to kill you.' She was taken aback."

He managed to incorporate the killing into an ongoing storyline about a terrorist named Ari who is the nemesis of the Mark Harmon character, Gibbs.

This season Mr. Bellisario added Lauren Holly to the cast as a new supervisor who happens to have had a steamy romantic past with Gibbs. He also wanted to bring in an exotic female character, so he introduced an Israeli agent with the arresting name of Ziva David, and hired an attractive young Chilean actress named Cote de Pablo to play her. "Les took one look at her and said, Wow!," Mr. Bellisario said.

The constant invention is part of a strategy to turn "NCIS" into an even bigger hit. And it all springs from the mind of the indefatigable Mr. Bellisario, who just recently celebrated his 70th birthday. A former Marine staff sergeant, who spent years as a journalist and then in advertising, Mr. Bellisario built his career in television mainly on sheer pluck.

He came to Hollywood in the 1970's determined to write feature films. But he told his agent at the time that he had only six weeks worth of cash. The agent suggested he try television. Mr. Bellisario hasn't stopped working since.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/25/arts/television/25ncis.html?pagewanted=print

THE “MR. TELEVISION” COLUMN
Lost Chances

By Marc Berman MediaWeek Magazine October 24, 2005

Considering there isn't a watercooler out there that isn't bubbling with conversation about ABC's Lost, you would think the future of the Emmy-winning drama would be paved with gold. Lost, after all, ranks No. 3 overall out of 130 shows this season, according to Nielsen Media Research`data in both total viewers (22.4 million) and adults 18-49 (9.0/22), with double-digit across-the-board year-to-year gains. It's the biggest scripted drama hit since CSI.

Pretty damn impressive, don't you think?

Although I could not figure out what creator J.J. Abrams meant when he told me last spring that Lost would look considerably different in season two, I'm now beginning to understand. Instead of focusing on the 48 bewildered castaways who scramble for safety on a mysterious Pacific island after a terrifying plane crash, the mystery of the hatch—the best serialized cliffhanger since "Who Shot J.R." on Dallas in 1980—has revealed an underground system of computers. And the return and ultimate capture of Sawyer, Jin and Michael reveals that the population is increasing on Lost.

If you think there were mysteries in need of solving in year one, just wait. There is now much more than meets the eye on Lost than 48 survivors, an unseen monster, wild boars, a marooned Frenchwoman, jinxed lottery numbers and a dangerous pack of "Others" who may, or may not, have kidnapped young Walt. With all the questions raised in season one, you might have thought we would have had some answers by now. Instead, an entirely new—and frustrating—can of worms has been opened.

Unlike Dallas, which revealed early in the season that troubled Kristin (Mary Crosby) pulled the trigger, satisfying the millions of viewers who debated all summer who did it, on Lost we still—five episodes into the season—don't have a definitive explanation for that hatch (or any of the other mysteries, for that matter). In fact, we've barely even seen the beach. Instead, a good portion of the action takes place in this subterranean habitat where a hermit named Desmond was assigned the bizarre task of saving the world by pressing a button every 108 minutes.

Who is Desmond? How did he get on the island? Are the plane crash survivors part of a large-scale experiment? Will Desmond, who ran off in episode two, be back?

As the survivors of Flight 815 continue to look for answers, viewers might begin to look for the remote, as Lost becomes increasingly difficult to follow. Instead of solving any of the first-season mysteries, season two has raised a ton of new questions that only add to the growing confusion. Even a Rhodes scholar might have a hard time understanding what is happening.

Where is Walt? What happened to Claire when she was kidnapped last season? Did Jack really see his father? How did Locke miraculously regain the use of his legs? Eventually, the answers to these first-season questions are going to have to be solved. After all, you can only tease an audience for so long.

Abrams once told me that his primary concern for any of his shows (dramas Felicity and Alias were his first two) was not the ratings. But what he and co-creator Damon Lindelof need to understand is that the initial appeal of Lost was the complexity of the characters and their situation, and the sense that, little by little, viewers would be let in on their, and the island's, secrets.

I am beginning to worry that Lost is traveling the same route as serialized drama Twin Peaks, which started out strong but ended prematurely just one season later.

After Twin Peaks exploded onto the scene in April 1990 as a must-see murder mystery from avant-garde filmmaker David Lynch, everyone speculated on who killed Laura Palmer. But when season two opened that fall—populated with oddities like dancing dwarfs and towering giants—viewers jumped ship by the millions, and the show was canceled that spring. While the initial success of both Twin Peaks and Lost came from creating a surreal world, you can only go so far without alienating viewers.

I can guarantee that Lost will not be canceled next spring. But unless the writers begin to start tying up some of the loose ends, Lost could very well live up to its title in season three. We need some answers, and we need them now.

Miss The Start if Your Favorite Program? No Problem!
Time Warner, NBC To Help Tardy Viewers
(But They Won’t Be Able To Skip Commercials)

By David Lieberman[B]USA TODAY

<edit>.......The pact with NBC was part of a larger deal in which Time Warner agreed to continue carrying NBC Universal's cable channels — including newcomers Universal HD and Telemundo Puerto Rico — for two years.



Whaaaat? TWC "agrees to continue carrying.....Universal HD......"...? I wasn't aware that they had started. Here in Charlotte, we keep looking for it, and keep not finding it in our lineup. Are there any TWC systems anywhere in the country who are carrying UHD right now??!

That was the most interesting part of the story to me, too. I am glad you picked up on it.