THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
“Desperate Housewives” can survive the backlash

By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News Oct. 25, 2005

With this week's Entertainment Weekly - Charlize Theron on the cover, "PLUS What's Wrong with 'Desperate Housewives' " - the "DH" backlash has officially begun.

Right on time.

Yes, folks, it's the second season of a hit show, one that became such a cultural phenomenon in its first year that even other networks cash in on its cachet (as CBS did last week in "CSI: Miami" and "Close to Home," which both featured suburban women running amok).

If we're following the "Ally McBeal" playbook, this is the year:

• That one or more of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" can be expected to go from skinny to scary.

• That critics will begin to complain that the show isn't nearly as good as it was a year ago.

• That the show's audience will largely stay put. And may even grow.

No one knows exactly why actresses on hit shows tend to lose weight after the first year or so - could there be something in the spotlight's glare that actually speeds metabolism? - but there's no mystery in the divide that often springs up between critics and fans as cutting-edge series become more familiar.

We critics tend to love new.

Viewers tend to love familiar.

This is why NBC's "ER" continued to attract huge audiences long, long after the creative thrill was gone, and it's also why the Peacock's former powerhouse is finally faltering: So many of the familiar faces are missing that County General finally feels like a real hospital, where the shifts change regularly and all patients see is a dizzying flurry of white coats.

It's true, as Entertainment Weekly's Henry Goldblatt and others have pointed out, that this season's "Desperate Housewives" haven't been spending as much time together as they did last season.

Lynnette (Felicity Huffman) has gone back to work full time, Bree (Marcia Cross) is dealing with the fallout, legal and otherwise, from her husband's fatal heart attack, Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) is often visiting her husband, Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) in prison, and Susan?

Susan (Teri Hatcher) has been running all over, coping with her boyfriend (James Denton), his possible offspring, Zach (Cody Kasch), her thieving agent (Wallace Shawn), and, of course, Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan), who's shacked up with Susan's ex (Richard Burgi) right there on Wisteria Lane.

Plus, the neighborhood's newest addition, Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard), has a possible murderer (Page Kennedy) locked up in her basement.

So it's not as if any of these women has been sitting around admiring her manicure.

They're just not hanging out together much.

Last season, I'd argued that one of the appeals of "Desperate Housewives" was the fantasy it created of busy women finding time for the kind of friendship that can be conducted around someone's kitchen table.

Sadly, it was a fantasy for a lot of women, who are as busy - if not quite so desperate - as Susan, Lynette, Bree and Gabrielle and whose kitchen tables may be too crowded with bills, school announcements and dioramas-in-progress to even manage breakfast with their families, much less coffee with the girls.

What some of them have managed to find, though, is an hour a week to spend with women whose problems make them laugh on the night before yet another busy week.

And it's going to take more than a few bad reviews to break up that friendship.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television/12989760.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

TV reporters' windy blather does disservice to viewers facing disaster


By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic October 25, 2005

Another hurricane, another chance for Anderson Cooper to act like a fool.

Television relayed a lot of vital information Monday morning about Hurricane Wilma's march through Florida, but the silly moments overshadowed the substantial ones. One reason Floridians feel hurricane fatigue is reporters' stupefying willingness to stand in lashing winds and carry on like Indiana Jones.

In doing so, they transform reports into misguided adventures. Worse yet, they trivialize the disaster facing their viewers.

Setting the pace for hurricane hot dogs is Cooper, who never misses a chance to throw on his CNN slicker and let the winds pound him. He's an excellent anchor, but his hurricane observations are often lame.

Stationed at Marco Island for Wilma, he said, "It's actually kind of hard to breathe out here in this wind."

He marveled as the storm whipped up a hotel swimming pool: "It's an amazing sight."

Standing next to Cooper, colleague John Zarrella added, "I can barely hear what Anderson is saying."

Nothing worth hearing. This derring-do was needlessly dangerous. Gov. Jeb Bush rightly complained Monday that seeing "these characters" putting themselves in harm's way "creates a bad example."

But reporters keep putting themselves out there in the belief it will help their careers. Over on Fox News Channel, Steve Harrigan was busy dodging a big piece of flying roof in Everglades City. High winds pushed him across the screen as if he were a silent-screen comedian.

Those images gave way to bizarre banter, with an anchor wondering whether Harrigan had brought his protective glasses. "No," Harrigan said. "I could kill myself."

With no shame, Fox News followed that chatter with the report of a fatality in Coral Springs.

Trace Gallagher of Fox News kept viewers wondering whether he might blow away in West Palm Beach. The reporter gripped a garbage can and questioned a report that put the wind speed at 95 mph. "It feels a lot breezier where I am," he said.

Weird, but the oddest moment belonged to Al Roker of NBC's Today. In Naples, he revealed how a cameraman held his legs through gusty conditions. Katie Couric and Matt Lauer laughed at the antics, which weren't so funny when Roker fell.

Television journalists evidently don't feel any embarrassment about this showboating. As Florida struggled, CNN even repeated footage of its reporters weathering Wilma's winds.

The channel never misses a chance to promote itself. Miles O'Brien had CNN emblazoned on his slicker and his microphone as the CNN logo decorated the screen. But he took time to say, "CNN, your hurricane headquarters." An announcer immediately followed with: "CNN, your hurricane headquarters."

Will television's hurricane follies ever end?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-wtv2505oct25,0,1221382,print.story?coll=orl-caltvtop

Dolans drop plan to take Cablevision private

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS October 25, 2005, 10:22 AM EDT

NEW YORK -- The family that controls Cablevision Systems Corp., a major cable company in metropolitan New York, has abandoned a bid to take the company private after failing to agree to terms with the company's board of directors.

At the same time, the Dolan family also recommended that the company declare a special one-time dividend of $3 billion to all shareholders. The company said it would consider the proposal.

The news sent the company's shares plunging $3.30, or nearly 12 percent, to $24.50 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzcabl1026,0,7602219,print.story?coll=ny-business-leadheadlines

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.

Dolans Withdraw Cablevision's Plans for Privatization

By Anthony Crupi MediaWeek.com October 25, 2005

Cablevision’s board of directors announced Tuesday that the Dolan family has withdrawn a $7.9 billion offer to take the company private.

In a statement issued Tuesday morning, the board said that Cablevision chairman Charles Dolan and his son James, the company’s president and CEO, have taken their proposal of June 19 off the table. The Dolans had proposed taking their cable operations private and spinning off the Rainbow Media unit, an umbrella for the company’s programming, sports and entertainment businesses.

While Cablevision offered no rationale for the about face, a letter from Charles Dolan to the board dated Oct. 24 stated that “it has become clear that we will be unable to reach agreement with the Special Transaction Committee on the terms of our proposal, despite good faith negotiations.”

Dolan also cited “a decline in communications sector valuations and an increased competitive environment.”

Additionally, the Dolans now recommend that the board consider declaring a one-time cash dividend of $3 billion. The board is said to be considering the dividend proposal, although no decision has been made as yet.

Wall Street hadn’t been supportive of the proposal, as analysts agreed that the Dolan bid was anywhere from $2 to $3 a share short of the company’s actual value. Shares of Cablevision have dipped 13 percent since the Dolans issued the proposal in June.

The decision to abort the proposal is the latest bombshell in a year that has seen Charles Dolan battling his son over the fate of the cash-hemorraghing Voom satellite TV service and Cablevision taking on the city of New York in a bid to block the erection of a multi-purpose arena near the Dolans’ Madison Square Garden.

Last week, Cablevision announced that the 50-year-old James Dolan had undergone successful coronary bypass surgery.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001351187

For Immediate Release,
October 25, 2005


ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD AND ABC SPORTS HD COMBINE TO TELEVISE 24 COLLEGE BOWL GAMES
MORE THAN 600 TELECASTS SLATED TO AIR ON ESPN HD AND ESPN2 HD IN 2006


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ABC Sports HD will continue to expand their programming line-ups by offering 24 of the 25 post-season college bowl games on the networks services in high-definition December 20 through January 4. ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ABC Sports HD will deliver 16, three and five high-definition games in 15 days, respectively.

Beginning December 20 through December 24, ESPN's Bowl Road Trip will kick off with the New Orleans Bowl and continue on to Capital One Bowl Week on December 26, concluding with the BCS national championship game on ABC Sports HD from the Rose Bowl, Presented by Citi, on Wednesday, January 4 at 8 p.m.

“Offering 24 bowl games in high definition raises the bar and emphatically demonstrates our HDTV leadership,” said George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN and ABC Sports. “From affiliates of ABC, to distributors of ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD, and along with current and future sponsors, the message is clear - ESPN and ABC Sports are delivering the future of sports and technology.”

In continuing to over deliver high-definition inventory projected each year across both HD services, ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD will distribute over 600 event telecasts to fans across the country in 2006. Up from the projected 400 to the actual 468 delivered in 2005, ESPN continues to be at the forefront of the HD industry.

“Quantity is catching up with quality,” said Bryan Burns, vice president, strategic planning and business development. “When we launched ESPN HD we predicted we would display 100 events in its first 12 months of operation and it was a major accomplishment. Now 2.5 years later we have launched a second HD service and are planning for over 600 events. Our distributors and our fans are the clear recipients of this upswing in quality sports programming in high definition.”

In addition to the over 600 event telecasts ESPN’s two HD services will offer, all Bristol-based news and information programs such as shows SportsCenter, NFL Countdown, NFL Prime Time, NFL Live, Monday Night Countdown and Baseball Tonight, will continue to be produced and delivered in high-definition.

Highlights on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD in 2005-2006 include over 150 men’s and women’s college basketball games, over 100 college football games, all 56 World Cup matches from Germany, and every Monday Night Football game, when it moves to ESPN next season.

24 BOWL GAMES ON ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and ABC SPORTS HD

· ABC Sports HD’s five bowl games will include the four-game Bowl Championship Series, highlighted by the National Championship Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi, and the Capital One Bowl.

· ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD’s 19 bowl games will be highlighted by Capital One Bowl Week, one of ESPN’s most-viewed weeks of the year, with 14 games in eight days, December 26 - January 2.

2005/2006 COLLEGE FOOTBALL POST-SEASON HD SCHEDULE

Tuesday 12/20
ESPN HD 8:00 p.m. ET New Orleans Bowl

Wednesday 12/21
ESPN HD 8:00 p.m. ET GMAC Bowl

Thursday 12/22
ESPN HD 8:00 p.m. ET Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl
ESPN2 HD 10:30 p.m. ET Poinsettia Bowl Presented by San Diego County Credit Union

Friday 12/23
ESPN HD 8:00 p.m. ET Fort Worth Bowl

Capital One Bowl Week

Monday 12/26
ESPN HD 4:00 p.m. ET Motor City Bowl

Tuesday 12/27
ESPN HD 5:00 p.m. ET Champs Sports Bowl

Tuesday 12/27
ESPN HD 8:30 p.m. ET Insight Bowl

Wednesday 12/28
ESPN HD 4:30 p.m. ET MPC Computers Bowl
ESPN HD 8:00 p.m. ET MasterCard Alamo Bowl

Thursday 12/29
ESPN HD 4:30 p.m. ET Emerald Bowl
ESPN HD 8:00 p.m. ET Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

Friday 12/30
ESPN HD noon ET Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl

ESPN HD 3:30 p.m. ET Independence Bowl

ESPN HD 7:30 p.m. ET Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Saturday 12/31
ESPN2 HD 11:00 a.m. ET Meineke Car Care Bowl

ESPN HD 1:00 p.m. ET AutoZone Liberty Bowl

ESPN2 HD 2:30 p.m. ET EV1.net Houston Bowl

Monday 1/2
ESPN HD 11:00 a.m. ET Outback Bowl

ABC HD 1:00 p.m. ET Capital One Bowl

ABC HD 4:30 p.m. ET Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

ABC HD 8:30 p.m. ET Nokia Sugar Bowl

Tuesday 1/3
ABC HD 8:00 p.m. ET FedEx Orange Bowl

Wednesday 1/4
ABC HD 8:00 p.m. ET Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi (National Championship Game)


ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD
ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD will combine in 2006 to deliver over 600 major events plus over 2,000 programs totaling more than 6,000 hours in high definition featuring live programming, individual programs, movies and series from ESPN Original Entertainment plus news and information programming. Event telecasts will include a variety of match-ups from college football, the men’s and women’s College World Series, the Little League World Series, Major League Baseball, men’s and women’s college basketball, the National Basketball Association, Monday Night Football from the National Football League, the Women’s Final Four, the National Finals Rodeo, the National Hot Rod Association, the NCAA Frozen Four (hockey championships) and the FIFA World Cup from Germany. The ESPN Digital Center, a 120,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, all digital high-definition facility at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., began operation on June 7, 2004. The building contains over seven million feet of cable and three HDTV studios that are home to Bristol-based news and information programs such as SportsCenter, NFL Countdown, NFL Prime Time, NFL Live, Monday Night Countdown and Baseball Tonight, all of which are produced in high definition. ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD are delivered to cable systems and satellite providers in the 720p high-definition format.

Source: ESPN Communications

A big Halloween helping of Peanuts
It's the annual “Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 25, 2005

The leaves are falling and the air is thick with commercialism. Halloween is near, and one of the holiday’s greatest traditions, outside of making yourself sick on candy corns, comes tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC with “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

“Great Pumpkin” premiered in 1966 and quickly became a classic. In this special, Linus awaits the Great Pumpkin, Snoopy battles the Red Baron, and Charlie Brown dons his multi-eyed ghost costume.

Though the animation looks prehistoric these days, the characters are as relevant today as they were 39 years ago. Linus, the 5-year-old equivalent of a great philosopher, is the eternal optimist, forever hopeful that the Great Pumpkin will arrive despite his friends’ and family’s doubts.

Like all men of faith, Linus is continually tested: “I've learned there are three things you don't discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.”

His observations are also practical: “Never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker.”

Meanwhile, Charlie Brown has some problems of his own. He receives rocks in his candy bag instead of treats. When the special first aired, hundreds of kids, sympathetic to his plight, sent bags of candy to Charlie Brown.

“Great Pumpkin” aired on the same night in the same timeslot last year, earning a 3.7 overnight rating among 18-49s, followed by “George Lopez.” Tonight, “According to Jim” has that honor.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_860.asp

A base hit for returning “Prison Break”
Rises by 7 percent in 18-49s after baseball break

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com Oct 25, 2005

Fox’s “Prison Break” got an early jump on the competition, debuting three weeks before premiere week, but that raised a question: How would it hold up against other first-run shows after taking three weeks off for the baseball playoffs?

The early answer is it will hold up just fine: “Prison Break” averaged a 4.7 Nielsen overnight rating among viewers 18-49 last night in its first new episode since Oct. 3.

The rating is the show’s second-best ever, behind only a 4.9 earned by the second of two episodes the night it premiered. Last night’s rating is also up 7 percent versus the 4.4 overnight 18-49 rating the show had averaged through seven previous episodes.

Though the show finished only third in its timeslot, its rating has to encourage Fox. It’s head-to-head against tough competition at 9 p.m. in ABC’s “Monday Night Football” and CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” but it’s doing very well until proven hit “24” takes over the timeslot come mid-season.

And that’s with no lead-in to speak of. Yesterday Fox aired a “Prison” rerun at 8 p.m., which did much better with a wan 2.6 rating than usual lead-in comedies “Arrested Development” and “Kitchen Confidential” have been doing.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_888.asp

Last week’s (week five of the 2005-2006 TV season) and the season-to-date network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the second post in this thread). The complete program-by-program list will be posted later today.

24 of 25 ESPN/ABC bowl games in HD? Which one's the straggler, the "Toilet Bowl"? :D

2005/2006 COLLEGE FOOTBALL POST-SEASON HD SCHEDULE

Tuesday 12/20
ESPN HD 8:00 p.m. ET New Orleans Bowl

Where's this going to be moved to, and will it still be called the New Orleans Bowl?

It'll be in Lafayette, LA, (in 31,000-seat Cajun Field) and yes, it is still the New Orleans Bowl.

Check It Out!

If you haven’t yet checked out AVS Radio, which offers two new shows a week, what are you waiting for?

It is produced by The HTGuys for AVS Forum and offers news, interviews, and HT topics that are sure to make you a weekly listener.

Here is all the info you need:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/announcement.php?f=34&announcementid=81

Happy Listening!

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Through Week Five: The Top 15 Shows

There are few big surprises so far this season, except, perhaps, for the strength of "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC and the absence of "Law and Order" from the top 15 list.

1. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CBS
2. Desperate Housewives ABC
3. Without A Trace CBS
4. Lost ABC
5. CSI: Miami CBS
6. Grey’s Anatomy ABC
7. Commander In Chief ABC
8. NCIS CBS
9. (Tie) Survivor: Guatamala CBS
9. (Tie) NFL Monday Night Football ABC
9. (Tie) Law and Order: SVU NBC
12. (Tie) Two and a Half Men CBS
12. (Tie) Cold Case CBS
14. ER NBC
15. CSI: NY CBS

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
The WB’s “Supernatural” WB scares up some fun

By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News

When I was a kid, I used to love scary TV shows. Shows like "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," "Night Gallery" and repeats of the original "Twilight Zone." (Hey, even I'm not old enough to have watched them in first-run.)

Not that there have ever been a whole lot of shows that scare you.

These days there are plenty that gross you out, but genuine scares? Those are a lot harder to come by.

And combining scares with humor is even harder — and more rare — than that.

Which is why "Supernatural" is such a pleasant surprise. It's highly entertaining, often quite scary and has a sense of humor.

"Supernatural" follows brothers Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) as they travel around the country fighting all manner of evil. As we learned in the pilot, their mother was (apparently) killed by some sort of demon when they were very young. Which turned their father into a demon-hunter, with Dean and Sam as his assistants.

Sam tried to pursue a more normal life, but when his girlfriend met the same fate as his mother, he was back in.

"It's almost like these two guys are cowboys, and they kind of ride into town and they hunt down whatever's evil and hurting people in that town," said creator/executive producer Eric Kripke. "And then they kiss the girl and ride off into the sunset."’

Turns out Kripke had a darn good idea for the show, and it's worked better than I expected through its first half-dozen episodes. "Supernatural" is sort of the "Law & Order" of horror shows — it takes real urban legends (oxymoron though that is), twists them a bit and turns them into episodes.

There was that woman who appeared to travelers, then the travelers ended up dead. The wendigo. The ghost dragging people down in a lake. The spirit causing plane crashes. The shape-shifter. "The show is sticking to folklore and urban legend," Kripke said. "I have sort of a mandate to the writers that the show must be extremely Google-worthy."

Which is why, if you watched the episode titled "Wendigo" and then Googled the word, you'd find several hundred thousand entries somehow related the Native American legend of a murderous monster, of sorts.

Not that the show's young viewers necessarily need to be looking on the Internet. You should have heard the screams from the teenage girls who live in my house when the WB promo'd the episode about Bloody Mary. (Having never been a teenage girl myself, I was out of the Bloody Mary loop.)

But even I've heard of the Hook Man, a story that was old when I was a kid. You know — the guy with a hook for a hand who terrorizes and/or slaughters teenagers parked on a lovers lane of some sort. And the hook man is terrorizing a small Iowa town in tonight's episode of "Supernatural."

There have been moments of blood and gore — it's too intense for younger children — but compared to shows like "CSI" and "The X-Files," "Supernatural" is almost Disney-esque. "I think what works for our show is less-is-more," Kripke said. "And horror that happens in the shadows and what you can imagine is 50 times scarier than what you can see."

"Supernatural" is sort of the horror version of "Route 66," with the traveling pair of brothers and the monster of the week. But Kripke and his writing team do have an overall story arc going, too. Sam and Dean's father is missing, and they're trying to track him from haunting to haunting as they root out evil.

"I think there's an overall mythology to the show," Kripke said. "I think it's a very emotional one. I mean, it's about a family trying to reunite."

To date, that hasn't played a big part in the episodes, but it just might before long. "I'm not a fan, personally, of the endless tease of the shows that are all questions and no answers," Kripke said. "My own personal preference is to tease it out, create drama, but then answer some questions in a big, slam-bang episode and then ask several more difficult, larger questions.

"So, yeah, I think Dad may be making an appearance somewhere in the first season in some unexpected way."

Can't wait.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635155834,00.html

24 of 25 ESPN/ABC bowl games in HD? Which one's the straggler, the "Toilet Bowl"? :D


At first glance, I can see a pair of bowl games the Disney press release missed:
the December 30th Sun Bowl (CBS)
and the January 2nd Cotton Bowl (Fox)

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Spotlight: TiVo's most-recorded shows
Week of Oct 17-23
Rank Series Net Pct. Of TiVo Owners
1. Desperate Housewives ABC 30.2
2. Lost ABC 24.7
3. Grey's Anatomy ABC 19.4
4. CSI CBS 19.3
5. Survivor: Guatemala CBS 17.6
6. The Apprentice NBC 15.6
7. ER NBC 13.8
8. CSI: Miami CBS 13.4
9. Medium NBC 12.9
10. Commander in Chief ABC 12.5
Source: USA Today and TiVo, week of Oct. 16-22; based on an analysis of viewing preferences of an anonymous aggregate sample of 20,000 households; reflects recorded and live viewing of prime-time programs of the six major networks.

The WB’s “Supernatural” WB scares up some funI'll chime in here and say I'm really enjoying this show as well. It seems like every other show claims the "chemistry" between the main two characters is wonderful, but then I fail to see it. But I do like the byplay between the brothers. It's humorous and even for a rather video-experienced (meaning I've watched WAY too much TV and there isn't much that is new to me any more) old TV-aholic like myself, it is able to send a chill or two up my spine each week. If you haven't checked it out, give it a try. Unfortunately, it's on against several other shows you might find more interesting (House, Earl/Office, Commander in Chief, Amazing Race, etc.). But I'd really recommend that you set the VCR in the back bedroom to record it and check it out.

Xesdeeni

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: WEEK FIVE
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 (excluding specials, movies and repeats), by network, for the fifth week of the 2005-2006 season, the week ending October 23rd:

A B C
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
68 Alias 6.78
71 Primetime 6.58
73 Hope & Faith 6.23
75 Supernanny 5.74
76 Hot Properties 5.63

C B S
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
39 Close to Home 9.91
46 48 Hours Mystery 8.37
63 Yes, Dear 7.56
64 Threshold 7.45
67 Still Standing 6.98

Fox
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
69 "NLCS Pre-Game 5 (Mon.) 6.77
83 Bones 4.46
85 Killer Instinct 4.30
91 Bernie Mac 4.00
94 Malcolm in the Middle 3.63

N B C
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
52 Dateline: NBC (Sun.) 8.01
54 Will & Grace 7.88
56 The West Wing 7.85
61 Joey 7.60
70 Apprentice: Martha 6.62

UPN
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
97 Love Inc. 3.14
99 Veronica Mars 3.05
101 Eve 2.66
105 Cuts 2.45
113 Sex, Love & Secrets 1.12

The WB
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
96 Reba (Fri.) 3.34
98 One Tree Hill 3.12
104 Twins 2.49
108 Related (Mon.) 2.25
110 What I Like About You (8 p.m.) 2.15

“Over There" fails to draw big audience

By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News Wed, Oct. 26, 2005

A few months ago, I thought FX's "Over There," Steven Bochco's all-too-contemporary drama about the war in Iraq, might become the most controversial series on television.

Certainly it had what it takes: blood, guts, a hot-button topic.

Everything, it now seems, but viewers.

Turns out even Bochco, whose "NYPD Blue" brought us Dennis Franz's naked backside and helped pioneer the use of certain words on network TV, can't do controversy in a vacuum.

If a tree strips naked and swears in the forest, will the Parents Television Council - or anyone else - be offended if there's no one there to watch?

Bochco, who just took over ABC's "Commander In Chief," may chafe at the content restrictions of broadcast television. But now that he's rejected all the conventional wisdom about dramatizing an ongoing war and produced a cable series that goes into tonight's (Wednesday, Oct. 26th) season finale having averaged just 2.2 million viewers - in recent weeks, it was more like 1.7 million - I'm betting the bigger, safer broadcast networks are looking better to him.

Which is too bad, because "Over There" - which wasn't all that shocking, if you could get past the fact that the war these guys were fighting is still going on - probably deserved a bigger audience than it's gotten.

But as one of the early fans who let episodes pile up in my DVR as the fall season began to claim my attention, I understand why so many shied away.

Watching a war with no clear end in sight doesn't sound like entertainment.

It can feel more like news.

And while it's easy to bash the people who'll stick a yellow ribbon on the SUV but don't want to think too much about what it is the troops most of us claim to support are going through, watching a television drama's not meant to be like eating your spinach.

Nor is it actually important.

It's telling that for all of the envelope-pushing on FX's "Rescue Me" and "The Shield," the network's most popular show - at 4.2 million viewers a week - remains an often farcical soap opera about plastic surgeons, "Nip/Tuck."

Tonight's "Over There" finale, which ties up a few storylines and leaves others open-ended, was written by co-creator Chris Gerolmo. Literally explosive in places, it's nevertheless subtler than the show's July premiere, and even if you haven't been watching regularly, you can see character development's occurred over 13 episodes.

Watching the last two back-to-back yesterday, it occurred to me that "Over There" is exactly the kind of show that could do well on DVD, the medium that allows viewers who get hooked on an entire season in a weekend.

Assuming, that is, you can get them to pick it up in the first place.

In the case of "Over There," it might be wiser to wait till whenever things are over, over there.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television/12998275.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Andrew Heyward Out At CBS News
Sean McManus To Be News and Sports Chief
By Sandy Brown TheStreet.com Staff Reporter

CBS named its head of sports, Sean McManus, to its top news position.

He'll replace Andrew Heyward, whose contract won't be renewed at year's end.

The appointment is effective Nov. 7. Heyward, who has held the post of President of CBS News for almost 10 years, will serve as an adviser to the CBS News Division and assist McManus in the transition.

CBS News came under heavy criticism last fall for running a story taking issue with President Bush's National Guard service in the early 1970s. After mounting a vigorous early defense of the story and its sourcing, anchor Dan Rather and CBS conceded that they couldn't confirm the authenticity of documents cited in the report.

The furor started with the Sept. 8, 2004, "60 Minutes" broadcast. After initially brushing off questions about the segment, CBS in mid-September started an investigation into the matter and said it would seek to get to the bottom of the dispute.

"Based on what we now know, CBS News cannot prove that the documents are authentic, which is the only acceptable journalistic standard to justify using them in the report," Heyward said Sept. 20. "We should not have used them. That was a mistake, which we deeply regret."

Rather, who reported the story, issued an apology.

"We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry," he said in September. "It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism."

Heyward was spared the brunt of the ordeal last year, with CBS Chairman Les Moonves standing firmly beside him, but Rather soon announced his own retirement and a number of producers associated with the piece departed as well.

Meanwhile, Moonves has said repeatedly that it continues to be a major priority at CBS to modernize and customize the news to suit current audiences.

"I believe Sean's background has prepared him well for the significant tasks that face us at CBS News, and I am very pleased that we have such a brilliant executive within our management team who can take on this crucial role," said Moonves, in a statement.

"The business is changing and the challenges are many. I'm confident that, while maintaining the standards and values of this great organization, we can build upon its legacy and become even more successful, competitive and relevant to the viewers and the nation we serve," said McManus.

Of Heyward, who served the company for more than two decades, Moonves said, "Andrew is a man of great character, whose integrity and experience has guided our News division through a time of tremendous change in our industry," said Moonves. "I want to thank him for his unwavering commitment to the core values of journalism, and for his years of creativity, dedication and loyalty to this company. I wish him only the best and look forward with anticipation to what I'm sure will be an important next phase in an already-distinguished career."

http://www.thestreet.com/stocks/media/10249587.html

Tim Goodman Answers Viewer Questions
All the dirt on sci-fi shows and D.C. dramas
Rudi Bakhtiar's absence on CNN strongly felt

By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Before we get to the questions of choice, let's get to the obvious answer: Yes, your Fox shows will probably be coming back after the baseball playoffs. Why say probably? Because this is Fox, and there's no clear indication that it has planned anything beyond next week.

Also, I didn't get this question so I'll pose it myself: Why do cable TV reporters stand out in the wind and rain during hurricane coverage? A: Because they're morons and they don't know any better. And their bosses, particularly at CNN, think this makes for great television: "As you can tell, rain is pelting my pretty face, and the only thing keeping me from doing cartwheels right now is the hamburger I had two minutes ago. We are approaching Category 4 stupidity."

On to the real deal:

Q: Have you never reviewed Sci Fi's excellent series remake of "Battlestar Galactica"? Having read your reviews for the past few years and looking at the shows you've favorably reviewed, it seems like it'd be right up your alley (good character drama, great budget spent wisely on effects, political commentary and some nice darkish humor here and there). Now that I think of it though, you've never seemed too keen on the sci-fi flavored stuff. --- Dave Long, Novato

A: You're right, Dave. Never reviewed it. I like what I've seen but I'm not a faithful watcher. I do like some sci-fi stuff (I was essentially prodded by readers to jump on the "Farscape" bandwagon), but I find that with a lot of sci-fi material, if you get one part of the mythology wrong -- "Gorgon's wife, related to Vishnuzium by the blood of a dark arts cousin" -- the faithful blow up your e-mail. It's a mighty headache.

Q: I have a research job for you: What happened to Rudi Bakhtiar on CNN? She had to be one of TV's more engaging newscasters. --- Jonathan Bruce, Raleigh, N.C.

A: This is another of the most frequently asked questions, particularly from men. Bakhtiar, who was very high profile at CNN and a frequently ogled/googled/downloaded female media personality, has recently had some personal setbacks and been off the air. When contacted, this was CNN's official statement: "Rudi is no longer with CNN. She has recently gone through the protracted illness and ultimate loss of her father. She is taking this time to be with her family."

Q: What's the rationale for moving "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" to 9 p.m. against "Lost" on Wednesday? Do the network execs think "E-Ring" can pull better numbers at 8 p.m.? While Mark Burnett may not be quite the god he once was, I think they wouldn't want to rub him the wrong way by putting his show up against one of the most popular shows on TV. --- Laurel Theren, Oakland

A: Martha's version of "The Apprentice" continues to slide and has been a huge disappointment for NBC and Burnett. Now Donald Trump is taking potshots at her -- this after NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said the network had contemplated only one season of the show, which immediately won fall's Least Believable Statement. Though "E-Ring" has benefited from the move away from the "Lost" Death Star and NBC continues to spin the "Martha" ratings, there's no buzz for the show, the network is distancing itself from her and, in all likelihood, Martha's version will be a one-time experiment. By the way, Trump's original version has declined as well.

Q: Why can't HBO number their episodes on something like "Rome"? I think I may have missed one because I had to cancel my TiVo Season Pass (ran out of room), and don't know if I have them all to date. Or is there somewhere to look up what the episodes are so far?

My other pet peeve when setting a Season Pass is that when you designate "first run only," on shows like "The Daily Show" or "Hardball," all the numerous reruns for the day will record too, since they don't say "repeat." TiVo says they can do nothing about it. That's why I had to cancel my Season Pass on "Rome." --- N.B. Carlson, Saratoga

A: Almost every network and cable channel numbers or refers to the title of each episode, so you can keep track. HBO included. Check out their Web site. Also, a good resource for updates is www.epguides.com. As for your TiVo woes, they are my woes too. I called TiVo, and they said the problem stems from the listing service not indicating when a show is a repeat or not. They said this problem will be fixed -- hopefully soon. In the meantime, for anyone taping something like "SportsCenter" that repeats throughout the day, there's a work-around, according to TiVo: Go to TiVo Central, then "Pick Programs to Record," then "Record By Time or Channel," then "Manually Record Time/Channel" -- and you can prompt it for day, channel, start and stop time. That should eliminate repeat tapings. Whew.

Q: Can anything be done to get the producers of "Commander in Chief" to hire some decent writers? They have taken an interesting concept and thrown every TV plot cliche at it. --- Larry Klein, San Francisco

A: From your lips to Steven Bochco's ax, Larry. After taking over for Rod Lurie, who created the series (Lurie was ousted by the network, allegedly for being too slow with scripts, thus slowing down production, thus burning cash), Bochco has reportedly dumped more than half the show's writers. That should help.

Q: How are the ratings determined? More specifically, what is the math? It is something like Total TVs/TVs turned on/TVs tuned to a show? Or is it really just a room full of monkeys with darts and a dartboard, with the shows listed on it?

Also, how are ratings determined for cable shows (premium and regular cable)? Is the quantity of subscribers to that cable service taken into consideration? Or does HBO have to go straight up against NBC? --- Norm Stuart, Windsor

A: It's all those things, Norm, plus the monkey and the darts and a whole bunch of cheap booze. Nielsen Media Research says that a rating is "the estimate of the size of a television audience relative to the total universe, expressed as a percentage. The estimated percent of all TV households or persons tuned to a specific station." Got that? A share is a percentage of households or people "tuned to a specific program or station at a specified time."

Great, thanks, Norm. Half the people on BART just jumped to Jon Carroll. Ah, but there's more: According to Nielsen, there are 110.2 million "television households," which means that "a single national ratings point represents 1 percent or 1, 102,000 households."

Ad supported cable and pay cable also use Nielsen, though HBO and Showtime have said that ratings are pointless because of the lack of advertising. And yes, far fewer people get HBO than get NBC, so that skews total viewers. Much more important to HBO is buzz, which then prompts people to subscribe.

Q: My partner and I got an invitation from the Nielsen people the other day, asking us to become a member of the Nielsen family, but only if we were either single and living alone, or married (among other categories we did not fit, as a same-sex couple). Are these always the criteria that Nielsen uses to pick who gets to contribute to the Nielsen ratings, thus consistently excluding same-sex couples, and could this help explain why Nielsen ratings always seem so out of whack? --- Emily Griffen, Oakland

A: This is complicated and it's not, Emily. To get to the heart of your question, Nielsen doesn't discriminate based on same-sex couples, or any other qualifier. "Absolutely not," according to Anne Elliot, vice president of marketing communications for Nielsen Media Research. Elliot says that if there are, say, six people living together in a household, Nielsen doesn't care what they're doing inside or how they're related to each other, only how they're watching TV. Without knowing your exact circumstance, Elliot suggested that what most likely occurred is that an "initially designated household" in the random sample declined to participate, and Nielsen had to replicate, with an alternative home, the makeup of the previous household, thus the questions.

As for Nielsen being out of whack, well, until they come up with a way to show 10 million or more people watching "Arrested Development," I say the whole system is broken.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/26/DDGP4FDDE81.DTL&type=printable

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.

(From Marc Berman’s Wednesday, October 26, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
National Ratings in Primetime - Week Ending October 23rd
CBS Dominates; ABC and CBS on the Plus Side

CBS remained in the winner’s circle for this fifth week of the 2005-06 season, with a first-place finish in households, total viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. The Eye net has now won every week this season in households and total viewers, with its second consecutive weekly win (over ABC) among adults 18-49, and third in a row among adults 25-54. ABC was No. 1 in adults 18-34. Although the below-average Baseball World Series was still enough to lift Fox into the No. 2 spot in households, total viewers and adults 18-34, year-to-year the network struck out with losses of 49 to 55 percent in the five surveyed categories. That’s what happens when a New York team is not in the competitive mix!

CBS not only dominated, it outdelivered No. 2 Fox by a hefty 2.45 million viewers, growing over the year-ago week by as much as 11 percent. ABC was also on the plus, building by margins of 10 to 18 percent thanks to the success of Desperate Housewives, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Commander in Chief and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Struggling NBC finished fourth across-the-board, declining by as much as 19 percent. An ongoing sore spot for the Peacock net remains relocated The West Wing, at No. 56 overall in total viewers (7.78 million) and tied for No. 69 overall among adults 18-49 (2.1/ 5).

The WB, which was close to year-ago levels, moved into the No. 5 spot, while last-place UPN was down in four of the five categories. Although UPN has flourished with Everybody Hates Chris (see below rankings), the rest of the network’s Thursday schedule -- Love, Inc., Eve and Cuts -- could use a major facelift.

Martial Arts From the Varicam POV

By Michael Goldman

Oct 25, 2005 2:26 PM


DP Tim Gordon gave Panasonic’s AJ-HDC27F 720p Varicam system a hefty workout during taping of a unique documentary called Fight Science, which is slated to air on the National Geographic channel early next year. The show documents the science of martial arts—painstakingly illustrating and measuring the force of blows and analyzing movement of fighters in a variety of situations. The scientists featured on the program use motion capture technology and ultra high-speed scientific cameras to conduct their analysis, but the workhorse for the entire show was the Varicam.



On other projects in the past, Gordon had always shot martial arts fights on film in order to alter frame rates to emphasize certain movements. But Gordon says his work on Fight Science has convinced him that the Varicam can be used in a very specialized way to highlight the movements of martial artists engaged in choreographed combat.



“I have shot choreographed fights in the past with John Brenkus (creator/co-producer/director of the show for BASE Productions, Washington D.C.), and he really prefers stylized fighting,” Gordon explains. “We shot some of that stuff 35mm in the past, but this show needed more flexibility than a 35mm shoot could provide since the schedule was very compact, and also because we were doing a variety of other things besides the fights—weapons demos, the documentary portions, the science stuff, and so forth—all on the same set and packed into the same schedule.



“The good thing about the Varicam was that the adjustable frame rate covered all our fighting needs and gave us all kinds of shuttered angles for the choreographed portions. Then, for the rest of the show, our operators could use the same system handheld to cover the other segments. Plus, we had to cover all the mo-cap sessions (which are featured as scientific content in the program, in addition to being used to animate digital versions of the fighters) under extreme low-light conditions. In other word,: we were serving a lot of masters and had limited ability to change our approach for each one. This format was the best one for that purpose.”



Gordon says the choreographed fights particularly benefited from his ability to alter frame rates, because it allowed him to capture specific moments in time.



“For each beat of a fight sequence there were certain punches, kicks, etc., that were points of emphasis, either to relate to the mo-cap animation or to illustrate the science,” says Gordon. “In order to capture these specific moments in time between two or more martial artists, overcranking was a must to clearly see these moments. To see a spinning kick at 60fps goes a long way in illustrating the complexity and level of difficulty, whereas at 24fps, the moment is so fast that you can’t understand the athletic ability, timing, and speed these athletes need to perform at this level. Sometimes we shot 6fps or 12fps just because we liked the motion, and it added a little flair to fight sequences.



“As for shutter angles, this system was valuable for understanding the weapons themselves, and how they are used either in attacking or defending. Using different shutter angles allows the eye to understand the path the weapon takes, and why that path makes it an effective weapon. It also gives the fight a hyper-real aspect which, in the end, creates a fight with more impact than shooting a standard frame rate and shutter speed. If you watch how fast these guys use nunchakus, for instance, and you shoot different shutter angles, you can actually see the pattern left by the chuk, like a tracer in the air. That gave us an excellent way to illustrate the movement.”



For a detailed look at all aspects of producing the Fight Science documentary, see the upcoming November issue of Millimeter.

SureWest Set to Offer HDTV Over IP Network
SureWest Communications is set to become the first company in the United States to offer high-definition TV (HDTV) commercially over its Internet Protocol (IP)-based fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) network.

Beginning today, the Roseville, Calif.-based company will take its HDTV over IP beta testing out of the lab environment and into a broader production environment. This full-service round of testing will be the final stage leading up to SureWest's commercial HDTV deployment.

"Using IP technology over our fiber-optic network offers the potential for increased clarity to the HD experience and will allow SureWest to offer a variety of emerging video products, while maintaining the area's fastest high-speed Internet service," says Bill DeMuth, SureWest's vice president and chief technology officer. "The IP FTTP service delivery model provides flexibility and abundant cost-effective bandwidth to deliver voice and data services, as well as a host of interactive television capabilities with IPTV.

"This is more of what people are looking for from their televisions and we are excited to be at the forefront of this movement."

As part of its broadband growth strategy, SureWest has built an FTTP network throughout the Sacramento, Calif., region, passing more than 80,000 marketable homes. SureWest currently expects to launch HDTV over IP commercially in November 2005.

(From Marc Berman’s Wednesday, October 26, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
NEW SERIES RESULTS
Week Ending October 23rd
(Listed in order of viewership. Times are ET/PT. Fox’s Bones is excluded because it was a repeat telecast.)

Commander in Chief
(ABC, Tues. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 16.30 million (#10)
A18-49: 4.3/11 (#23t)
Biggest surprise new hit of the season. Geena Davis – get your Emmy acceptance speech ready!

Criminal Minds
(CBS, Wed. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 12.79 million (#21)
A18-49: 3.9/ 9 (#30t)
Even competing with ABC’s Lost cannot thwart the current appetite for crime solving dramas.

Out of Practice
(CBS, Mon. 9:30 p.m.)
Viewers: 12.25 million (#24)
A18-49: 4.3/10 (#23t)
Retention this week from lead-in Two and a Half Men was a still modest 79 percent in viewers and 78 percent among adults 18-49.

My Name Is Earl
(NBC, Tues. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 12.19 million (#25)
A18-49: 5.6/14 (#11)
The lights are not totally dark at NBC.

Invasion
(ABC, Wed. 10 p.m.)
Viewers: 11.24 million (#30)
A18-49: 4.7/12 (#17t)
Considering lead-in Lost scored 21.38 million viewers with a 9.3/22 among adults 18-49, Invasion is really nothing to boast about.

Ghost Whisperer
(CBS, Fri. 8 p.m.)
Viewers: 10.55 million (#35)
A18-49: 2.9/10 (#48t)
On another evening, Ghost Whisperer would be a modest performer. But on the how HUT level Friday, it’s a hit.

How I Met Your Mother
(CBS, Mon. 8:30 p.m.)
Viewers: 10.14 million (#38)
A18-49: 3.9/10 (#30t)
Growth of 11 percent among adults 18-49 out of King of Queens is a positive this week.

Close To Home
(CBS, Tues. 10 p.m.)
Viewers: 9.92 million (#39)
A18-49: 3.3/ 9 (#40)
Certainly not great, but younger than former occupant Judging Amy.

Surface
(NBC, Mon. 8 p.m.)
Viewers: 9.56 million (#41)
A18-49: 3.0/ 8 (#45t)
Modest, but still better than expected as a replacement for Fear Factor.

E-Ring
(NBC, Wed. 8 p.m.)
Viewers: 9.55 million (#42), A18-49: 2.8/ 8 (#51t)
NBC has asked for three additional scripts above the initial 13-episode order.

Three Wishes
(NBC, Fri. 8 p.m.)
Viewers: 8.84 million (#44)
A18-49: 2.6/ 8 (#56t)
Series-high ratings for Three Wishes this week means a full-season renewal should be coming any moment.

Threshold
(CBS, Fri. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 7.45 million (#64)
A18-49: 2.1/ 7 (#69t)
Series-low performance this week.

The Apprentice: Martha Stewart
(NBC, Wed. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 6.62 million (#70)
A18-49: 2.6/ 6 (#56t)
What NBC should have done was rested Donald Trump for one season, and scheduled Martha’s version on Thursday. There was no need for two hours of The Apprentice, and the Donald has no one to blame but himself.

Everybody Hates Chris
(UPN, Thurs. 8 p.m.)
Viewers: 5.52 million (#77)
A18-49: 2.1/ 6 (#69t)
Bona fide hit for UPN.

Supernatural
(WB, Tues. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 5.00 million (#80)
A18-49: 2.3/ 6 (#63t)
One bright in a sea of freshman mediocrity on the WB.

The Night Stalker
(ABC, Thurs. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 4.51 million (#82)
A18-49: 1.6/ 4 (#88t)
Tick, tock…the cancellation clock is ticking.

Killer Instinct
(Fox, Fri. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 4.30 million (#85)
A18-49: 1.7/ 5 (#84t)
Also waiting for the axe to swing.

Love, Inc.
(UPN, Thurs. 8:30 p.m.)
Viewers: 3.14 million (#97)
A18-49: 1.3/ 4 (#97t)
Considering the lead-in is Everybody Hates Chris, UPN should put this time period to better use.

Related
(WB, Wed. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 2.28 million (#108)
A18-49: 1.1/ 3 (#101t)
The WB had better be patient.

Twins
(WB, Fri. 9:30 p.m.): time period debut
Viewers: 2.49 million (#104)
A18-49: 1.2/ 4 (#100)
Moving to Friday at 9:30 p.m. did not help.

Sex, Love & Secrets
(UPN, Tues. 9 p.m.)
Viewers: 1.12 million (#113)
A18-49: 0.5/ 1 (#113)
Thankfully, it’s now officially over.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

Change At The Top At CBS News

CBS.com NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2005-- CBS News President Andrew Heyward announced Wednesday he would be leaving his post when his contract expires at the end of the year. Heyward will be replaced by CBS Sports President Sean McManus.

"After nearly ten years in this job … it's time for a change, both for the News division and for me," Heyward wrote in an e-mail to CBS News staff. Heyward is the second-longest serving CBS News president in history. Richard Salant ranks first.

McManus takes the reins of the news division Nov. 7, when Heyward is expected to begin coaching him on his new role. McManus will meanwhile retain his position as president of CBS Sports, which he has held since 1996.

Heyward has been with CBS for 24 years in various roles, including executive producer of the CBS Evening News and vice president of CBS News. Heyward said he will stick around until the end of the year, making himself available to the new president as an advisor as needed.

CBS Chairman Les Moonves praised Heyward upon the announcement of his departure.

"He is, quite simply, a man of great character, whose integrity and experience has guided our News division through a time of tremendous change, and I want to thank him for his unwavering commitment to the core values of journalism, and for his years of creativity, dedication and loyalty to this company," Moonves said in a message to CBS employees.

"Sean McManus is a superb executive, a great leader and a fierce competitor whose pedigree for excellence in live-event programming is well-known," Moonves said of the incoming president.

"I’m very excited about the opportunities that lie head," McManus said in a press release. "CBS News is a truly great institution, and its people have defined excellence in broadcast journalism since the beginning of the medium."

During his time at CBS Sports, McManus transformed it into the No. 1 broadcast organization of its kind in the industry. McManus, who will continue to be based in New York, will keep offices at the headquarters of both CBS Sports and CBS News, although he will spend the majority of his time at CBS News for the foreseeable future.

"The business is changing and the challenges are many," McManus said. "I’m confident that, while maintaining the standards and values of this great organization, we can build upon its legacy and become even more successful, competitive and relevant to the viewers and the nation we serve.”

Recently, Heyward had steered CBS News through choppy water, including the cancellation of 60 Minutes Wednesday, a news program he initiated. The broadcast of disputed documents pertaining to President Bush's National guard service that led to the dismissal of four CBS News personnel and long-time anchor Dan Rather's departure from the CBS Evening News.

Bob Schieffer now sits in the CBS Evening News anchor chair, and it is assumed that a new Evening News format is being planned.

Early Wednesday, Heyward wrote to staff: "As for my own plans, I do not intend to 'pursue other interests' or even 'spend more time with my family,' wonderful as it is. I am going to remain fully engaged in the media business."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/26/national/printable981421.shtml

THE 2005 WORLD SERIES
Swat sweat: World Series is a sinker
Off 33 percent from last year and dropping

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Oct 26, 2005

The first three games of the World Series have been some of the most exciting in years, featuring a walk-off home run, a game-winning grand slam, and last night’s 14-inning, five-hour affair.

But thrilling baseball is not what draws postseason ratings. Popular teams do, and in that regard, the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros have been miserable failures.

This year’s World Series is on pace to become the least-watched in history, averaging just 16.1 million total viewers for Games One and Two over the weekend.

That will fall off even more once final numbers for last night’s game, which lasted until 2 a.m., become available. Though viewership tends to peak after 11 p.m. for most Series games, only the most loyal fans stick around for games that run past midnight.

This year’s fall classic is pacing well behind the 2002 World Series, the last in which neither the Boston Red Sox nor New York Yankees appeared. That Series averaged 19.3 million total viewers for a seven-game nail-biter between the Anaheim Angels and San Francisco Giants.

This year’s average is 4 percent behind the 16.8 million two-game average for the 2002 Series. It’s also pacing behind the least-viewed World Series ever, the 2000 Subway Series between the New York Yankees and Mets, which averaged 18.1 million viewers over five games and 18.2 million through the first two. The Astros-White Sox are 12 percent below that average.

It’s a third behind last year’s 24 million average for Games One and Two, but Fox and Major League Baseball expected a significant dropoff. Last year featured the Red Sox trying for their first World Series win in 86 years, and ratings were inflated despite mostly dull baseball in a four-game Boston sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Series’ big problem is that both its participants are low-profile squads.

Though Chicago is the country’s No. 3 television market, the White Sox are not the city’s biggest baseball draw. The Chicago Cubs are, and before the Series, many Cubs fans swore not to watch their hated cross-town rivals attempt to win their first title since 1917.

The Series’ other participant, the Astros, come from the nation’s 10th-biggest TV market, but a significantly smaller one than Chicago, at 1.9 million homes to the latter’s 3.4 million.

Neither team has a strong national following, like the Red Sox or Yankees, and no storylines have arisen from this series that would interest the casual baseball fan, such as the curse of the Bambino that fueled last year’s series or a scrappy underdog making an unexpected run, like the 1997 and 2003 Florida Marlins.

This series also had to face ABC's dominating Sunday lineup in Game Two. The "Desperate Housewives" factor alone likely went a long way to chilling viewership.

Ratings usually rise through the course of a postseason series. But with the White Sox now up 3-0 and a sweep very much possible, the remaining game or games aren’t expected to improve.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_893.asp

“Over There" fails to draw big audience


What a shame, TV this good is rare, it's too bad people are more interested in mindless entertainment instead of a well written and executed drama about current events. I guess folks would rather keep their head in the sand. Maybe some of the writing and directing talent from Over There will make it into CiC as CiC is fluff compared to Over There, it could use it.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
A big autumn salute for CBS's “NCIS”
Third-year show up 21 percent over last season

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Oct 26, 2005

After an impressive summer in which it did very well in repeats, CBS’s “NCIS” has become Tuesday’s most-watched show, and its biggest surprise.

Last night’s episode of the Navy crime-fighting drama averaged a 4.1 overnight rating among 18-49s, up 21 percent over its 3.4 average through five episodes last year.

The third-year show has also taken off among total viewers. Last night’s episode averaged 17.2 million, up 100,000 over the previous week, and up 19 percent over last year’s 14.4 million to this point in the season. It was the most-watched non-sporting show of the night.

Last week “NCIS” set series bests in households, viewers 18-49 and 25-54s for the third straight week. It probably won’t reach the same levels when final numbers are released for last night, because timeslot competition was much tougher. But it may equal last week’s 4.3 final rating in 18-49s.

Last night ABC jumped 33 percent week to week in the 8 p.m. timeslot thanks to “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” while Fox jumped 153 percent with the World Series.

“NCIS’s” growth can be attributed to several things. First, without “American Idol” in the timeslot during the fall, viewers are looking for something else to watch. Second, the show received lots of publicity when Lauren Holly joined the cast over the summer, which led to some new viewership.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_918.asp

What a shame, TV this good is rare, it's too bad people are more interested in mindless entertainment instead of a well written and executed drama about current events.Not to open up a political debate, but a group of Iraq veterans who screened the show said it did not reflect the realities they had experienced: http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/733.

Xesdeeni

The "gritty realism" is there - whether it is "real" or not. Over There is definitely in my Top 5 most-anticipated shows each week.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
For ABC, sweeps could be a toughie
After its hot start, CBS is pulling ahead

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Oct 26, 2005

In the early weeks of the new season, anticipating November, it looked as though the sweeps rating period was ABC's to lose, with returning hits "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" even stronger than last year and promising starts for new shows “Invasion” and "Commander in Chief."

Now, it looks as though ABC will be lucky if it ties or squeaks past CBS, in what looks to be the closest November sweeps race since NBC edged Fox by 0.1 in 2001.

Over the past two weeks, CBS has crept up, winning both weeks in adults 18-49. ABC’s 4.2 season-to-date average still leads CBS’s 4.0, but that slim 0.2 edge appears highly vulnerable, looking at some weaknesses that have popped up on ABC's schedule

ABC remains strong on Wednesday, but its overall rating for the night has slipped significantly over the first five weeks, from a 7.6 average in premiere week to a 5.7 last week, representing a decline of 25 percent.

The main reason is the falloff of “Invasion,” which airs at 10 p.m. following “Lost.” During premiere week the supernatural spooker pulled a 6.8 rating, holding 67 percent of “Lost’s” 10.2, but last week “Invasion” was down to 4.7, just half of “Lost's” 9.3.

For any other show a 4.7 would still be a respectable rating, but for one leading out of a top show like "Lost" it signals real trouble, with more likely to come. ABC's worry is that the pace of decline will pick up.

Also slipping is ABC’s formidable Sunday.

Last week, the network averaged a 6.8 rating for the night, its lowest of the season and down 13 percent from the 7.8 of premiere week. Some of the dropoff can be attributed to baseball, with Fox's Game Two of the World Series drawing some viewers away from ABC, but there's also been a slight cooling for "Housewives."
It's still the top show in primetime, and ABC is at no risk of losing the night. Yet any further declines, even modest declines, will hurt the network during sweeps.

Meanwhile, CBS is looking stronger after a slow start, with the “CSI” franchise performing well and its Friday lineup providing a boost over last year in 18-49s. It has also pulled solidly ahead among 25-54s after trailing ABC the first two weeks.

Looking ahead to sweeps, ABC's best hope may well be movies and specials scheduled through the month. Besides the annual American Music Awards, it will air movies “Catch Me If You Can,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” How those do could well determine whether it can edge past CBS, or at least gain a tie.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_892.asp

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Last Week’s Top 15 Cable Shows
# Show Network Viewers in millions
1. WWE Raw (10 p.m.) USA 4.6
2. WWE Raw (9 p.m.) USA 4.3
3. Twitches DIsney 4.2
4. Casper Meets Wendy Disney 4.0
5. Nip/Tuck FX 3.8
6. Law & Order: SVU (Sat. 10 p.m.) USA 3.6
6. Little Vampire Disney 3.6
6. Laguna Beach MTV 3.6
9. NFL Prime Time ESPN 3.5
10. Zack & Cody Disney 3.4
11. Law & Order: SVU (Sat. 9 p.m.) USA 3.2
11. SpongeBob Nick 3.2
13. The O'Reilly Factor (Thur. 8 p.m.) Fox News 3.0
13. Avatar Nick 3.0
13. Law & Order TNT 3.0

Source: Nielsen Media Research and USA Today

THE 2006-2007 TV SEASON?
NBC, Bruckheimer Check Into the Hospital

By A.J. Frutkin MediaWeek.com October 26, 2005

The WB's Just Legal has flatlined. NBC's E-Ring is on life support. But that won't stopped Jerry Bruckheimer from entering the ER. Teamed with Seabiscuit writer/producer Gary Ross, the CSI uber-producer is developing a medical drama at NBC.

Titled Invisible, the series is set at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and revolves around a researcher tracking a mysterious illness.

On the comedy front, ABC is developing a hybrid multi-single cam sitcom about a recovering alcoholic. The project is from exec producers Dave Caplan (George Lopez) and Emile Levisetti (Hope and Faith).

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001390399

The "gritty realism" is there - whether it is "real" or not. Over There is definitely in my Top 5 most-anticipated shows each week.
Same here, and I'll miss it when it's gone. Whether or not it's real or factually correct isn't the point, anything is possible and what they've portrayed is entirely plausible and that's what makes it good TV.

Heck, I feel I know these characters better than the ones on Alias, which I've been watching for 5 years.

THE 2006-2007 TV SEASON?
NBC, Bruckheimer Check Into the Hospital



Titled Invisible, the series is set at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and revolves around a researcher tracking a mysterious illness.


Didn't NBC already do this? Medical Investigation I believe was the title..maybe JB's golden touch will bring something better this time.

In TV, everything old is new again -- sometimes even within the same season

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON: WEEK FIVE
Shows in Potential Ratings Trouble


Fox
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
69 "NLCS Pre-Game 5 (Mon.) 6.77
83 Bones 4.46
85 Killer Instinct 4.30
91 Bernie Mac 4.00
94 Malcolm in the Middle 3.63


Funny how last night, before the game, Fox was showing long commercials for it's gem, "House" but also showed commercials for Bones and Malcom that I saw. They felt so strongly about this that they didn't even show the throwing of the first pitch until the game was already underway...

I think "Bones" will ultimately be fine, Scott, but "Malcolm" may be about out of steam.
I'd rather see Fox try to save "Killer Instinct" which I think has some promise. But it may already be too late for that.
And, of course, there may not be many more World Series games to use as promotion vehicles.

In TV, everything olk is new again -- sometimes even within the same season
True. :D

I think "Bones" will ultimately be fine, Scott, but "Malcolm" may be about out of steam.
I'd rather see Fox try to save "Killer Instinct" which I think has some promise. But it may already be too late for that.
And, of course, there may not be many more World Series games to use as promotion vehicles.
I think Killer Instinct has promise as well, the pilot sucked, but the cast change from ep 2 on was a definite improvement. Kristin Lehman is far more engaging than either of the 2 males leads in fact.

President of CBS News Steps Down
By Jacques Steinberg The New York Times October 26, 2005

The chairman of CBS, Leslie Moonves, announced today that he was replacing the longtime president of CBS News, Andrew Heyward, with the longtime president of the network's sports division, Sean McManus.

In a conscious nod to Roone Arledge, who oversaw both the news and sports divisions at ABC for more than a decade, Mr. McManus, 50, will similarly serve in both capacities at CBS. But Mr. McManus will face challenges that simply did not exist in Mr. Arledge's time, as CBS - and other television news divisions, to say nothing of newspapers - struggle to find new ways to captivate viewers who are increasingly defecting to newer outlets like Fox News and Yahoo, and increasingly skeptical of journalists as a whole.

Mr. McManus's most immediate challenge will be to develop the next incarnation of the "CBS Evening News," which has been led on camera, since April, by Bob Schieffer, whose tenure has always been characterized as temporary. It has been nearly a year since Mr. Moonves said he was seeking to blow up what he has described as the "voice of God" single-anchor format for the nightly news in favor of something more innovative - a quest that has thus far proved elusive.

In succeeding Mr. Heyward, whose contract expires at the end of the year, Mr. McManus inherits a once-vaunted news division - symbolized by Edward R. Murrow, whose legacy is celebrated in the current George Clooney movie "Good Night, and Good Luck" - that is now reeling on several fronts.

Last fall, the news division was upended by the fallout from a report, first broadcast on the weeknight edition of "60 Minutes," that purported to present new details about the Vietnam-era National Guard service of President Bush but was later discredited after the network acknowledged it could not vouch for the documents on which it was based.

Mr. Heyward - who, at least initially, fiercely defended the report and the documents, despite fundamental questions raised immediately about their authenticity - managed to hold on to his job in the months afterward. But few others involved in the production of the report did. Dan Rather, the correspondent on the report and the anchor of the "CBS Evening News" for nearly a quarter century, stepped down as anchor in the spring, a year earlier than he had planned.

Meanwhile, after an outside panel concluded that the disputed report had been rushed onto the air under competitive pressure and never should have been broadcast, Mr. Moonves fired the segment producer, Mary Mapes, and demanded the resignations of three other top journalists, including Betsy West, a senior vice president, who was one of Mr. Heyward's chief deputies.

While Mr. Heyward, president of CBS News for nearly a decade, survived that period, he has failed, in recent months, to meet Mr. Moonves's mandate of developing a successor to the broadcast led by Mr. Rather and now Mr. Schieffer.

"Clearly there's a need for a different vision for CBS News," Mr. Moonves said today in a telephone interview. "Obviously the evening news is one issue that has sort of been on hold for a while."

"This has been a very difficult year for CBS News, for Andrew, for other people in CBS News," Mr. Moonves added, a moment later. "I think it was a mutual decision. Andrew's been head of CBS News for a long time, longer than anyone else in many years. It was just time."

And, Mr. Moonves added, "we had another extremely talented executive right down the hall."

Mr. McManus, who has been president of CBS sports since 1996, is the son of the legendary ABC sportscaster Jim McKay, whose legal name is McManus.

In an interview today, Mr. McManus said he faced a steep "learning curve," but said that there were many similarities between sports and news, not least the necessity of enlisting good story-tellers capable of working on deadline pressure and often live.

While saying he and Mr. Moonves had already begun to discuss ideas for the next "CBS Evening News," he said he was not prepared to share any details of what that format might be.

"One of the things we're going to look at very closely is putting together the best ensemble," he said. "Whether that involves having an anchor or not having an anchor, it's way too premature."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/business/media/26cnd-cbs.html?ei=5094&en=1acca29a2bd1b5b8&hp=&ex=1130385600&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1130353996-UbQUK9/iGhQFjI8azP1YvA&pagewanted=print

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Missing persons
Audiences turn away from crime dramas. The suspect: show cloners

By Scott Collins Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 26, 2005

The nation's crime wave — the one on TV, that is — may have peaked.

Ratings for some of prime time's top crime shows, such as NBC's "Law & Order" and CBS' "CSI" franchise, have slumped this fall, raising suspicions about the genre that sustained network drama departments for years before "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" came along.

Executives say that so-called procedurals, which use the crime-solving process to advance plots, still have plenty of life. But there are growing signs of a shakeout on the way.

"It started to become a little bit overstated that, 'Well, a procedural will work,' " NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly said this week. But "if you bring on a generic show, odds are it's not going to do particularly well."

Added Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment: "The whole [television] landscape is more competitive. You can't deny that."

Consider, as "Dragnet's" Det. Joe Friday might say, just the facts about two high-profile Wednesday shows.

"Law & Order," now in its 16th season and the forerunner of virtually all of today's top procedurals, has seen a 16% slide among the advertiser-friendly young-adult audience compared with last year, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research (the show is down a more modest 5% in total viewers, to 12.9 million). "CSI: New York," which like "Law & Order" airs at 10 p.m., has shed an alarming 29% of its young-adult audience and 23% of its total viewers (to 14.3 million), although it's still the most-watched program in the time slot. Both shows have been heavily affected by ABC's new thriller "Invasion."

Any declines among young adults are especially worrisome to TV executives because those viewers are considered very hard to win back, advertisers pay premium rates to reach them and their viewing habits are often predictive of general audience trends, researchers say.

Crime is paying smaller dividends on other nights too. CBS' "CSI: Miami" and NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" have each slipped 19% in viewers ages 18 to 49 this season. Even "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the smash hit that unleashed the forensics craze back in 2000, has stopped increasing its total audience and is down 6% in young adults, though the show remains No. 1 in the ratings. The drop-offs are especially noticeable when compared with overall network performance: No. 1-ranked CBS is up 1% this season in total viewers, to 12.9 million, followed by ABC (11 million, up 12%), NBC (9.5 million, down 5%) and Fox (8.9 million, down 20%).

Among the few crime shows bucking the trend are two spinoffs, NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and CBS' "NCIS" (which followed "JAG"), which have both posted gains across the board this season.

But generally, the outlook for procedurals is one of decline, and many TV veterans say there's no mystery why: In addition to the competition from new hits like "Lost," there are simply too many look-alike crime shows.

Of course, me-too programming is a time-honored TV tradition. The surprise success of ABC's "Lost" last year brought a spate of supernatural-themed shows this season. CBS' "Survivor" series spurred a reality gold rush that is only now abating. What makes the procedural dominance unusual is that it's lasted for so long and spawned so many shows.

Blame "television's unalloyed penchant for wretched excess and cloning," said Tim Brooks, a TV historian and executive vice president of research at Lifetime Entertainment. The procedural genre, he added, is "beginning to show signs of wear."

Crowded field

Mysteries and crime shows of various stripes occupy just under half of CBS' weekly schedule, including a two-hour block of repeats dubbed "Crimetime Saturday." Add the three "Law & Order" shows on NBC and there were already very few time slots for any new procedural that would not put it in instant competition with a similar show on another network. And yet this season has somehow brought even more.

CBS recently ordered more episodes of "Criminal Minds," a profiler show starring Mandy Patinkin that has delivered respectable if not enormous ratings. Fox has gotten into the act with a modestly successful forensics show called "Bones."

CBS' Tassler disputes the idea that the genre is overcrowded, arguing that each of the shows has certain story and character elements that set it apart.

"The only thing I take a little bit of offense with is to sort of lump them all into one thing," she said. "We have viewers that are really attracted to shows that have a crime-solving, mystery or procedural element…. The fact that 'Criminal Minds' is certainly showing signs of growth [proves] that our audiences are still responding to shows with those kinds of elements."

Others take a different view.

"There are too many procedurals," said "Law & Order" creator and executive producer Dick Wolf. "Most of these shows will go away over the next couple of years." He added: "I certainly don't think any of the 'Law & Orders' or 'CSIs' fall into that category."

Wolf is doing everything he can to make sure his shows aren't among the dropouts. He is still seething that NBC canceled a third spinoff, "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," after 12 episodes last spring. He has long said he wants the original "Law & Order" to stay on the air at least 21 years, thus beating CBS' western "Gunsmoke" as TV's longest-running drama.

NBC has strong incentives to help him achieve that goal. The network acquired the studio rights to the entire "Law & Order" franchise as part of its merger with Universal, and repeats earn high ratings on NBC's cable networks USA and Bravo, as well as on Time Warner's TNT. NBC estimates that the three shows reach 100 million viewers per month, and its total ad tally for the franchise amounts to a reported $1 billion annually.

"Company-wide, in the television business, there's no bigger asset," Reilly said. (NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric, also has interests in motion pictures and theme parks.)

Like Tassler, who says "CSI: New York" is finally on track creatively after a shaky first season, Wolf said "Law & Order" is being reinvigorated by the addition of a new "show runner" this fall, Nick Wootton. "No one is throwing any darts at the show creatively," he said.

"Law & Order," though, may be a victim of its own success, because it inspired the creation of a host of other procedurals that now threaten its existence. The original show is in many ways a throwback to Jack Webb's pioneering cop drama "Dragnet" — a pure procedural that generally ignores what detectives and prosecutors do in their off-duty hours. Each episode's two-part structure, one focused on crime detection, the other on the criminal courts, initially confused some viewers, Reilly said. That problem was solved partly by the voice-over introduction that has become the show's signature: "In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups … "

As "Law & Order" grew its audience, it gradually became impregnable on Wednesday nights. And NBC, which has had trouble finding a new runaway hit drama after "ER" debuted in 1995, came to rely increasingly on the show and its spinoffs ("SVU" arrived in 1999 and "Criminal Intent" in 2001).

"It seemed there for quite a while that the only thing that would work was a procedural," Reilly said. "Certainly during the reality craze, we were having a hard time finding any dramas that could match the firepower of a reality show."

Wolf said that a big part of "Criminal Intent's" current decline is due to its unforgiving Sunday time slot: "I don't know any other shows that could have stood up against the tsunami that 'Desperate Housewives' is." The Wednesday "Law & Order," he added, has suffered from a weak lead-in, "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart."

Wolf says that NBC has grown "overly reliant" on the "Law & Order" franchise. At the same time, he remains unhappy about the fate of "Trial by Jury," which focused on the preparation behind criminal trials.

"It never should have been canceled," he said.

Reilly said the audience for "Trial by Jury" skewed older than NBC would have liked. "It was a tough year to add a new addition to the brand, and I think [the show] didn't get off to a particularly strong start," he said.

But then, Wolf doesn't have too much cause to worry. NBC is already working with him on another series. It's — you guessed it — a procedural about assistant district attorneys called "Conviction."

Viewers may find the show familiar in more ways than one. As Reilly noted, the new show will use "Trial by Jury's" old sets.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=34

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
WATCH list
Five TV actors you don't want to miss

By David Kronke, Los Angeles Daily News Television Writer

You know them when you see them: They're supporting characters on your favorite TV shows whose scenes seem to pop just a little more than the others, whose presence elevates a good show to great and a great show to bliss.

In other words, they're folks you wouldn't mind seeing more of.

Here, the Daily News offers five of its favorite supporting players.

Lisa Edelstein, "House" (9 p.m. Tuesdays, Fox all times are ET/PT).

Edelstein wrote and mounted her own musical about AIDS before she was 21. "That's the time in your life to do those impossible things; nothing has really broken you just yet," she explains with a laugh.

So clearly she has the moxie to tangle with Hugh Laurie's acerbic curmudgeon on Fox's hit medical drama "House." As House's boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, Edelstein gives as good as she gets, and if you don't discern a whiff of flirtatiousness between the two, you're not paying attention.

"There's definite chemistry," she says. "Cuddy enjoys his brilliance, humor and gall. I wouldn't say there won't be something between them in the future. I'm enjoying getting to that point. It's more interesting, in the end, than two characters just crashing together."

Nonetheless, Cuddy has been subtly undercut on the series by high-profile guest stars: Chi McBride as a hospital administrator last season, and, currently, Sela Ward as House's old flame.

"In both circumstances, those characters brought a lot of parallels to what Cuddy does," Edelstein says. "It forced my character to have to step up."

Seeing that House had a relationship with a woman not unlike Cuddy, Edelstein says, "lays a nice foundation for our two characters. Ultimately, that's not a bad thing."

Pauley Perrette, "NCIS" (8 p.m. Tuesdays; CBS).

Perrette declines to take credit for the popularity of her character, cheeky goth-girl lab tech Abby Sciuto, on the popular military crime procedural "NCIS."

"(Series creator) Don Bellisario did an amazing thing when he cooked up Abby," Perrette enthuses. "When he created 'Magnum, P.I.,' Vietnam vets were mainly being portrayed as junkies, crooks, complete messes. He created a vet who was doing fine to give people another angle on a stereotype."

In the same way, Abby offers viewers a portrait different from the kid lounging outside Amoeba Records on Sunset Boulevard.

"He's presenting a character that to some people has an extreme kind of look and dress, but there's nothing about her that isn't completely competent," Perrette says. "She's smart, together, focused and excellent at her job. Young people tell me, 'My grandfather loves you.' She spans a lot of gaps. She may sport dog collars and tattoos, but she's so incredibly smart, there's no way you can't respect her."

Perrette admits the cast was nervous when Sasha Alexander decided to exit the series. "Summer was, wooo - scary," she says. "No one in our show wanted to change the dynamic at all. I told Don, 'I don't care who you cast, but please make them cool and fun, no prima donnas." Lauren Holly and Cote de Pablo joined the cast, meeting with Perrette's approval: "Not only was my wish granted," she says, "but granted twice."

Tom Amandes, "Everwood" (9 p.m. Thursdays; The WB).

Amandes, who plays the wryly, weasly (if occasionally redeemable) Dr. Abbott, is apparently a favorite of series creator Greg Berlanti as well. "Greg told me, "If I get stuck while writing an episode, I just write a Dr. Abbott scene,"' Amandes says. "They're fun, but I suspect Greg has more Dr. Abbott in him than he'd care to admit."

Even if Amandes doesn't get more screen time, his presence will continue to be felt: He directed his first episode last season and will do a couple more this year. Before this interview, he had just finished scouting locations in Utah, where the series is shot, "driving from one mountain to the next."

Though Abbott is one of "Everwood's" flies in the ointment, Amandes plays him with such wit that when he and Treat Williams' Dr. Brown square off, one is never sure who'll deliver the final bon mot. Amandes significantly humanizes his character, as well.

"The saving grace for Dr. Abbott is how much he loves his family and how much he is loved by them," Amandes notes. "Early on, they said, 'We're going to do great stuff with your character.' I've learned to take such pronouncements with a grain of salt, but Greg remained true to his word. They can throw anything at Dr. Abbott - any situation, dramatic or comedic - and have fun with him. He's a fun guy to play."

Enrico Colantoni, "Veronica Mars" (9 p.m. Wednesdays; UPN).

"Veronica Mars' " sexy, street-smart teenage detective (Kristin Bell) and deadpan dialogue has made the show cool, but Colantoni brings it warmth. He co-stars as Veronica's divorced father, Keith, a sheriff-turned-private-investigator who recruits his daughter for many of his cases.

Colantoni credits his and Bell's chemistry: "It was immediate. ... My only concern was, she's so cute and blond and blue-eyed ... how will anyone buy me as her father?" he says. "She's adorable, she's funny, and she does no wrong. Thank goodness - if she was bratty on any level, I would hate to come to work."

The actor also finds resonance in the father-daughter relationship. "They're underdogs who have fallen from grace," he notes. "They constantly get knocked down, but they always get back up."

Veronica begins her second season and senior year of high school simultaneously, which might make an actor playing the father of a clever girl wonder how much longer he's going to be viable on the show.

"I brought that up right away," Colantoni says, adding with a laugh, `I'm not so good at math, but if she's in her senior year, and she wants to go to Stanford, those plans might not include her father."

Series creator Rob Thomas has told him not to worry. "If this is a story about black sheep, and she goes to Stanford, she has nothing to be upset about," Colantoni reasons. "She has to get stuck at a local school so she can stay angry."

Diane Farr, "Numb3rs" (10 p.m. Fridays; CBS).

Before the calculating crime procedural "Numb3rs" even began its second season, we knew we'd want to see more of Farr's new character, FBI agent Megan Reeves. How? By watching season two of FX's terrific black-comedy/drama, "Rescue Me."

Farr co-starred as Laura Miles, who joined a machismo-dripping firehouse (led by Denis Leary's Tommy Gavin), confronting rampant misogyny and her inevitably doomed attraction to womanizing co-worker Franco (Daniel Sunjata).

"With every card on the table, she pulled the joker, the one that'd bring her down," laughs Farr. "The thing you fear the most in life will be the thing you run toward the fastest."

Farr spent three weeks traversing the country twice a week, finishing her work on "Rescue Me" while beginning it on "Numb3rs." Already she's noticed a difference between the two sets: On "Numb3rs," "There's not as much testosterone."

Maybe, but there's just as much estrogen. Megan will clearly learn nothing from Laura's mistakes. "At the moment, Megan will be throwing it around the math department and seeing where it may land over there," suggests Farr, referring to the university department that employs her partner's brother (David Krumholtz), who offers technical assistance on crimes.

"I'm thrilled. Either one I find totally impressive. David Krumholtz and Peter MacNicol - can I please see if there's anything there."

http://www.dailynews.com/entertainment/ci_3149740

CBS has selected the Alabama-Mississippi State game for its SEC HD telecast for Nov. 5th.

The football (college and pro) HD listings are now complete through November 5th under Latest News, the first post in this thread.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
WATCH list
Five TV actors you don't want to miss

By David Kronke, Los Angeles Daily News Television Writer



Enrico Colantoni, "Veronica Mars" (9 p.m. Wednesdays; UPN).

The actor also finds resonance in the father-daughter relationship. "They're underdogs who have fallen from grace," he notes. "They constantly get knocked down, but they always get back up."


One of the things I noticed about Veronica Mars outside of it being super cool. The father character was not an idiot or bad guy. It just seemed to me that most shows going for the teen to 30 something demographic its always a rotten father or hes a complete moron. I find it refreshing that in Veronica Mars that the father character is actually a decent guy.

I agree.

It just goes to show not every TV show is written by the same six people (although it often seems like that is the case).

THE TV ON DVD REVOLUTION
“Lost” Weekend: A Season in One Sitting

By Stephanie Rosenbloom The New York Times Oct. 27, 2005

Robert Michelin’s landlord was worried. She lived downstairs from him and had not heard a noise, not so much as a footstep, in his apartment for two days. Mr. Michelin himself was weary, and his girlfriend was too.

"You should have seen the two of us in our P.J.'s," Mr. Michelin, 23, a student of ethnomusicology who was then living in London, wrote in an e-mail message, "exhausted from lack of sleep, hungry at times, stressed at other times, elated and shocked most of the time."

"But," he added, they were "determined to complete the season." The entire second season of the television show "24," that is. Mr. Michelin, who now lives in Freeport, N.Y., was holed up in front of the television in a marathon viewing of 24 episodes of that hit series on DVD. "We did not see the light of day until we were done," he wrote.

Thousands of television series, from the era of "I Love Lucy" to that of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," are newly available on DVD'. They have already made an impact on people's precious leisure time and given new meaning to the concept of the lost weekend. Viewers cram a 13-episode television series into one gluteus-numbing session in front of the set, forgoing sit-down dinners, party invitations and all manner of social obligations as they revisit a favorite series like "Lost" or "Six Feet Under," or catch up on what all the fuss was about.

Almost since the advent of television, viewers have parked themselves on La-Z-Boys to binge on football or old movies. And in recent years, some network and cable stations have shown old series like "The Brady Bunch" back to back. But only recently have viewers had the technology - which besides DVD's includes on-demand satellite and cable channels and digital video recorders like TiVO - to screen for themselves the entire second season, say, of "The X Files," which is packaged on seven discs.

"About 70 percent of all TV DVD titles have been released in the last year, so it's a pretty new phenomenon," said Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer for Netflix, the online DVD rental company. And the market is only expected to grow. "They're cramming over a weekend," he said. "A month's worth of viewing in one sitting."

Three years ago, only about 230 series were commercially available on DVD, Mr. Sarandos said. Today there are about 2,000; critically acclaimed favorites like "24" and "The Sopranos," but also oddities like "The A-Team," "Knight Rider" and "MacGyver."

The Netflix DVD's currently most in demand, Mr. Sarandos said, are "Lost," "Six Feet Under," "Chappelle's Show" and the original BBC version of "The Office." (The all-time favorite television DVD from Netflix is Season 5 of "The Sopranos," he added.)

Jan Saxton, a film entertainment analyst at Adams Media Research in Carmel, Calif., said that studio revenue from television-show DVD's was $2.3 billion in 2004, up from just $132 million in 2000.

"That's a huge jump in four years," Ms. Saxton said. The growth is expected to continue, reaching $3.1 billion in 2006, she said, adding, "The big money is in the current hit shows that are coming right off the TV."

Bruce Gersh, the senior vice president for business development for ABC Entertainment, said DVD's help build brand awareness. One of ABC's aims in making the first season of "Lost" available to buy or rent was to pump up anticipation for the second season, Mr. Gersh said.

He was not worried that DVD sales would encourage viewers to skip watching the original broadcasts, eroding the audience that advertisers pay the network to reach.

"We obviously look at it as an opportunity to gain new fans as well as to gain new revenue stream," he said. "It's a great promotional vehicle for the series."

Some marathon episode-watchers are fans who want to see a favorite series uninterrupted by commercials. Others are catching up on the early seasons of shows they have just begun to like. Then there are those people who intentionally miss new episodes of a favorite series, preferring to see them all at once on DVD, like an epic film. Fans of "24," in which each episode is a consecutive hour in a single day, are famous for this.

"You can't stop," said Kimberly Dolan, 32, a lawyer in Manhattan who discovered the series after it became a hit. "It leaves you on a cliffhanger every week."

On one particular "24" binge, Ms. Dolan ran to her local video store at midnight to get the next "24" DVD, only to find that she was not alone in her need; several other people were looking for "24" DVD's.

Marathon viewing of series is creating a new breed of television aficionados, some say, people with a sharper eye for narrative twists, suspense techniques and character development. Like film buffs they become familiar with the names of the directors and writers of a series, pick up on nuances others may have missed and acquire a deeper appreciation of plotlines.

"From a dramatic standpoint the characters really come alive," said Jason Treat, 31, of Washington, who once watched more than 20 hours of "Twin Peaks" in what he described as a "spooky" house in Baltimore. "You become much more invested in what's going on."

That people can find such large chunks of time to devote to television does not come as news to John P. Robinson, co-author of "Time for Life: The Surprising Ways Americans Use Their Time," which reported that people have much more free time than they think they do: from 35 to 40 hours a week.

"Television is just about half of free time," said Dr. Robinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland and director of the Americans' Use of Time Project, which collects diaries from thousands of people about their daily activities. "It's the 800-pound gorilla of free time."

Seven Rivera, 31, a lawyer, once squeezed five full seasons of "Gilmore Girls" into two months, though he said his most impressive DVD marathon was when a snowstorm caused his office to close and he spent about 22 hours watching the entire first season of "Angel."

Such devotion means that every now and then he must decline an invitation to happy hour. He has been known to turn off his cellphone and later claim that it died. His more creative excuses include informing callers that he and his roommate are engaged in a John Madden PlayStation tournament or that they cannot go out because they purchased an "Ultimate Fighting Championship" from pay-per-view.

"You make up a reason," Mr. Rivera said, "because you can't say you're not going out on a Thursday night because 'I'm going to see how this 'Gilmore Girls' ends.' "

Dave Kass, 28, who works in public relations in Manhattan and who used to watch "Real World" marathons on MTV with a girlfriend, recently purchased a digital video recorder, the better to enjoy marathons of favorite shows like "Deadwood," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Entourage."

"My DVR is my new girlfriend," Mr. Kass said. "And she does whatever I tell her to do."

While watching so many consecutive hours of television might be considered antisocial, series marathons can also be a way for people to share with others a show they are already hooked on, or to trade DVD's.

"We want to introduce them to friends and family," said Gillian Crippen, 27, of Northampton, Mass., who along with her husband, Andrew, 28, is a fan of the BBC series "The Office." The Crippens have given "The Office" DVD's to Ms. Crippen's sister, shown them to friends and taken them on trips.

Harlan Eplan, 40, part owner and a vice president of a technology company, said that he, his sisters and their 77-year-old father all enjoy watching Bravo's marathon broadcasts of previous seasons of "The West Wing," so that viewing becomes a family affair, even if they are not physically together.

Impatience with the weekly suspense built into a television series is another reason people prefer watching one episode after another. "You don't have to wait," explained Laurie Dawson, 41, a massage therapist from Manhattan, who usually complements her marathons with Indian food. "It's immediate gratification."

Alan Cohen, 39, a journalist in Manhattan, agreed. "Lost" is the most recent show he watched continuously. He had missed most of the first season and did not want to start watching halfway through so he simply waited for the DVD box set to come out.

"There's something exciting - and probably tremendously sad - about finishing one episode of "Lost" and knowing you've got another one all ready to fire up," he wrote in an e-mail message. "No more of this waiting-a-week-to-find-out hassle. It's like finding a cache of Playboys as a kid. One Playboy was cool, but it was so much better knowing you've got all these other Playboys on deck, ready to go."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/27/fashion/thursdaystyles/27dvd.html?pagewanted=print

CBS Sports Chief Also Will Head News Division

By Howard Kurtz Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, October 27, 2005; C01

Sean McManus, the president of CBS Sports, didn't have any trouble naming his professional role model during a conversation last month with his boss.

The son of legendary sportscaster Jim McKay, McManus spent much of his childhood in control rooms with ABC sports impresario Roone Arledge, including during the terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics. So he told CBS Chairman Les Moonves that Arledge was his idol.

And what, Moonves asked, had Arledge accomplished that McManus hadn't? The answer was obvious: Arledge went on to run ABC's news division at the same time as its sports empire. "Bingo," Moonves said.

McManus, 50, was "totally taken aback," Moonves recalled yesterday as the network announced that its top sports executive was also being put in charge of CBS News, replacing Andrew Heyward.

"Look, this guy is a phenomenal executive," Moonves said. "He took CBS Sports from being a doormat to being the dominant sports network. . . . This is not a schlockmeister. He's a great leader."

McManus said he would spend 95 percent of his time on the struggling news division for the next two years.

"I'm pretty good at doing Super Bowls and Final Fours," said McManus, whose father, Jim, changed his last name to McKay. "I understand those are different from elections or conventions, but there are more similarities than differences. I pride myself on really good storytelling. We do a lot of really good reporting, although the subject matter may be different, steroids or coaching changes."

The coaching change at CBS News ends the decade-long tenure of Heyward, a tenacious and thoughtful executive whose stock declined after last fall's botched "60 Minutes II" story about President Bush and Heyward's subsequent failure to sell a permanent plan for replacing anchor Dan Rather.

"Ten years in this job is a really long time," said Heyward, who plans to remain in the media business. "These are tough assignments. I'm pleased I'm leaving in an amicable, civilized, mutually respectful way. Leslie felt it was time for a change and so did I."

McManus clearly faces what Moonves calls "a learning curve" in taking over the news operation without a news background. But while Arledge's 1977 appointment to lead ABC News sparked considerable unease among journalists there, many CBS News staffers regard McManus as a proven winner.

"This is an excellent choice," said interim "Evening News" anchor and "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer. "I've just always been impressed with the guy. He's got a very good record not only as an executive but as an innovator."

Tony Petitti, executive producer of CBS Sports, said "the place was a little bit down" before McManus arrived, but staffers noticed "he was so confident in the way he talked about how he was going to win." When McManus started calling in during games, or even to discuss two-week-old broadcasts he had watched on tape, "all of a sudden they realized, 'Hey, this guy's watching.' "

McManus served notice that he is "not happy" that CBS's morning and evening newscasts are languishing in the ratings. "I'm a very competitive person," he said. "Being No. 3 in any area is just not acceptable. I'm not going to sleep well until we're out of third place."

McManus said the sports division he has run since 1996 -- which includes college basketball, golf, tennis and, after he negotiated its return seven years ago, the National Football League -- will not suffer because long-term contracts are in place with the leagues and with such broadcast stars as Jim Nantz, Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason. McManus is a hands-on manager who often calls with advice during games, "which producers hate," he said.

His most immediate challenge is to fix the "Evening News," which Schieffer has been anchoring since March, far longer than originally planned. "How do you make it more relevant to people sitting at home who have so many choices?" McManus asked.

Heyward has presented pilots to Moonves and pushed White House correspondent John Roberts as at least one of Rather's successors, given that Moonves favors a multi-anchor format, but never got the green light.

Moonves said he liked some of Heyward's elements and disliked others, but declined to say he will definitely use several anchors. "I want to let Sean see, think and come up with a game plan," Moonves said, breaking his vow to stay away from sports analogies.

Asked about a New York Times Magazine article that quoted him as saying he wanted "to bomb the whole building" at CBS News, Moonves said he was being tongue in cheek. "I'm really not looking for a revolution," he said. "I'm looking for an evolution. We need to do something different. I'm not talking about doing the news for my 18-year-old son. I'm talking about getting 40-year-olds to watch the news."

Heyward, a CBS producer and executive for a quarter-century, overcame a rocky start after his 1995 elevation. CBS took hours to cover the news of Princess Diana's death, Heyward's hiring of former GOP congresswoman Susan Molinari for a Saturday morning show flopped, and Bryant Gumbel failed to pull big ratings either as a prime-time host or co-anchor of "The Early Show." Heyward defused resistance from "60 Minutes" in creating a weekday spinoff, but that show was canceled this year, a victim of mediocre ratings and the fallout over Rather's reliance on unverified documents in reporting that Bush received favorable treatment from the National Guard.

Heyward approved the story hours before it aired and initially defended it. Moonves spared his job after an independent panel in January denounced CBS's handling of the piece, saying Heyward's instructions to his deputies weren't carried out.

The National Guard story had "nothing to do with this," Heyward said. He noted he had also been involved in creating the newsmagazine "48 Hours," adding: "Anyone who's out there taking risks is going to have successes and failures."

The CBS shakeup leaves ABC's David Westin, a company lawyer who succeeded the late Arledge nine years ago, as the dean of news division presidents. NBC is searching for a permanent news chief after Neal Shapiro's resignation last month.

McManus, who has worked at each of the Big Three networks, said the "out of the blue" offer from Moonves has made him think back to the many hours he spent watching Arledge in action. "I'd like to think some of his genius rubbed off on me," he said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/26/AR2005102602574_pf.html

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Thoughts on “SNL” and “The West Wing”
By Rich Heldenfels Akron Beacon Journal

-- I had hopes that the return of Tina Fey would give ''Saturday Night Live'' a boost. And it was nice to have her back in the update segment, which provided a couple of the night's chuckles. To wit: "Last week, Hurricane Wilma grew into the most intense Atlantic storm ever recorded, a Category 5 with 175 mile-per-hour winds. Or what's known around FEMA as 'Casual Friday.' '' And "Madonna made a surprise appearance at New York's Hunter College on Wednesday as a guest professor. The course was 'Fake English as a Second Language.' ''

But beyond that, what a sad sack of a show. Sketch after sketch was endless and aimless. It seemed as if they decided that having Catherine Zeta-Jones speak in different accents was funny by itself, then never came up with actual gags to go with the accents. A disappointing season lumbers on.

-- Well, we've seen yet another step in the dismantling of the old ''West Wing,'' with Toby summarily fired after he confessed to leaking secret information. Wish I could say I cared more. As interesting as ''WW'' became when it focused on the new presidential campaign, the last couple of weeks have felt clumsy. As I said in an earlier post, the show has had a problem dealing with the sprawling cast in the White House and in the campaigns, but neither group of characters has been well served lately. Oh, sure, I'd watch Richard Schiff silent and devastated on almost any occasion. ''West Wing'' is loaded with people who can get to you without saying a word: the great John Spencer, naturally, Janney, Hill, Sheen ... Still, once they speak, you want them to have something to say.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Some top shows are looking a bit lost, desperate

By Gail Pennington The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Television Critic

Disappointed in "Desperate Housewives"? "Lost" losing you? Amazingly
uninterested in this season's "Amazing Race"?

Join the crowd of viewers complaining that some of their favorite shows are
suffering slumps this fall.

The loudest outcry, resounding from morning talk shows to Internet message
boards to St. Louis living rooms, targets ABC's "Desperate Housewives."

"Dull," some fans (or former fans) call the show this year. "Dumb," others
label the second season's story lines.

Although I still find "Housewives" enjoyable, I have to agree with many of the
complaints.

The second season's pivotal mysteries - who's chained up in Alfre Woodard's
basement, and who killed Rex Van de Camp? - haven't proved particularly
involving, and neither is progressing at what you'd call a brisk pace.

A real insult to viewers has been the silly course of the romance between Susan
and Mike (Teri Hatcher and James Denton). Hatcher's character has always
bordered unfortunately on the slapstick, but May's season-ending hostage
incident apparently turned her into a complete idiot, prone to babbling,
simpering and throwing ice cream.

The story line in which Lynette (Felicity Huffman) goes back to work, leaving
husband Tom (Doug Savant) at home with the kids, had (and still has) lots of
potential. But why make her new boss (played by Joely Fisher) the Wicked Witch?
Isn't that a bit obvious for a show that spent a whole season playing with
unexpected twists?

The "Housewives" slump has become something of a media cause
celebre, and the backlash reached as far as creator Marc Cherry. "Yes,
we're trying some new stuff," he told newspapers and The Associated Press in an
e-mail. "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."

So far, ABC has no cause for alarm. "Desperate Housewives" is the No. 2 show on
television (after "CSI"), drawing upward of 26 million viewers.

I'd have argued that "Lost" - after a marginally unsatisfying first-season
finale - was suffering no sophomore slump at all. Except for the choppy and
confusing second episode involving the raft survivors, the mystery of what's in
the hatch has unfolded in riveting fashion.

But some viewers find that "Lost" seems to have lost something.

"I'm lost, and I don't care," says JR, from Belleville.

"I still watch, but I've stopped caring as much as I did last season," admits
Steve, from the Central West End. He complains that with the hatch open, "it
seems there now is an endless supply of easy plot complications. . . . This now
has settled into a kind of experience in which the stakes are high, but feel
like there are only so many more disasters to happen to the group until the
ideas run out."

Some posters on "Lost" fan sites agree. "I'm very disappointed so far this
season," says one. "We probably set our expectations too high," suggests
another.

Again, ABC has no cause for concern. "Lost" is Nielsen's No. 3 show, with
almost 22 million viewers in an extremely competitive time slot.

The show whose slump leaves the biggest void in my TV-viewing life is my
beloved "Amazing Race," which is tanking big time with its ill-advised "Family
Edition."

A terrible idea, badly executed, "Family Edition" is almost impossibly boring.
Even devoted fans report that they're bailing out on the show, which tinkered
with its Emmy-winning formula by recruiting four-person teams of relatives,
including kids as young as 8.

The result has been a stunningly boring trek down interstate highways from one
trite tourist destination to the next. Tasks are tedious and not particularly
challenging; the teams are so uninteresting that it's tough to remember them.

This from Ken, of St. Louis, sums the biggest problem up brilliantly.

"The things that made this show such a kick to watch - Americans abroad,
sometimes ugly, sometimes awestruck, from a plethora of backgrounds - are just
not happening. I at least want to see those perky Gaghan kids deal with
shoveling elephant dung and crazy mom Paolo cope with sleeping in a tent on a
glacier. Bus rides that stop at the Waffle House just don't cut it."

Although he says he'll keep watching for now, Ken threatens to cast his vote
for Geena Davis. Plenty of viewers are already doing that. "The Amazing Race,"
once a reliable Top 20 show, has dropped to 31st, with just less than 11
million viewers. "Commander in Chief," meanwhile, makes Nielsen's Top 10, with
almost 17 million.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/emaf.nsf/Popup?ReadForm&db=stltoday%5Centertainment%5Ccolumnists.nsf&docid=B0721B85DCDC6157862570A500325412

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.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
(From Marc Berman’s Thursday, October 27, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)

Freshman Series Scorecard: Primetime Recap
Here is the updated status of this season's 31 new primetime series.

A B C
Commander in Chief: full-season renewal.
Freddie: expected full-season renewal.
Hot Properties: on the fence.
Invasion: full-season renewal.
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 ordered.

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

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

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

Here is one person we don’t have to expect to join the AVS forum!
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
TV signal scheme is a rip-off of set owners

Mike Himowitz The Baltimore Sun October 27, 2005

If you have a TV set that receives signals over the air, pay attention to Congress. It's about to pick your pocket by turning every one of those sets into a paperweight - unless you pay $50 ransom for each set.

The vehicle for this exercise in highway robbery? Legislation setting a firm date for the switchover from analog to digital TV broadcasting, abandoning the technology broadcasters have used since the dawn of the medium.

Sometime in 2009, you'll need a new digital television to watch your favorite shows over-the-air, or you'll have to buy a converter for your existing set.

The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee this week picked midnight on Dec. 31, 2008, for the change. Not surprisingly, the committee disagreed with its Senate counterpart, which chose April 7, 2009, during markup of its switchover bill last week.

The later date would give us a chance to watch postseason bowl games and NCAA basketball finals before our screens go dark and all hell breaks loose.

That's only one difference between the House and Senate bills. The other critical question is how much money Congress will provide to help the poor, elderly and maybe even ordinary citizens who want to know why they suddenly have to pay to continue watching TV over airwaves they already own.

House Republicans had their answer yesterday - $990 million to subsidize consumers who purchase converter boxes. Those boxes are estimated to cost $40 to $60 apiece. Figuring in administrative costs, the money would cover roughly 20 million sets.

Unfortunately, the National Association of Broadcasters estimates that 73 million sets will be affected. So if you own one of the other 53 million, you'll have to buy a new set, pay for a converter, or just chuck that otherwise perfectly good TV into the trash. We won't even talk about the environmental nightmare that presents.

As the markup session wore on, Republicans beat back a Democratic attempt to expand the subsidy to $4 billion, which is about a billion more than the Senate provided in its version.

So Democrats are already lining up to make this a prime Republican- bashing issue.

"This is a government-forced condemnation of private property," Rep. Edward J. Markey declared in the very highest dudgeon.

He's right, of course. But the Massachusetts Democrat didn't mention that this entire misbegotten scheme was hatched during the Clinton administration, with the full participation of his party.

But that's water over the digital dam. You're probably wondering how this will affect you. So here it is in a nutshell:

Any TV hooked up to a cable or satellite feed will be OK after the switchover, because the cable companies will continue providing analog signals to their customers.

You're only out of luck if you're one of the 20 percent of U.S. householders who rely directly on broadcasters - because you don't want cable or can't afford it. You're partially out of luck if you're among 40 percent of cable and satellite customers who still have at least one set that receives over-the-air broadcasts.

You'll only have to replace or buy a converter for the non-cabled sets.

Unfortunately, this blatant rip-off - which critics rightly call the TV Tax - is pretty much a done deal. But it's instructive to understand how and why it happened - maybe we can keep it happening again in some other venue.

It began in the mid-1990s, when an unholy alliance of lawmakers, broadcasters, TV manufacturers and wireless telephone operators got together to figure out a way for everyone to make a pile of money at your expense and mine.

None of this had anything to do with demand from you or me or anyone else in the marketplace.

Here's the scheme they hatched:

Sometime in the first decade of the 21st century, TV broadcasters would give up the analog technology they've been using to send TV signals over the air for more than 60 years. They agreed to switch to a new, digital broadcasting system that sends video and audio as a series of zillions of ones and zeros - which no traditional analog set can decode. The broadcasters would also give up the radio frequencies they were currently using and switch to new frequencies.

The broadcasters had to front a lot of money for new equipment to do this, but they get a choice of goodies in return. The first was technology that can provide a high-definition TV signal - maybe good enough to recapture some of the eyeballs they'd lost to DVDs and computer screens. Those are the HDTVs that home theater buffs are buying today.

But here's the catch: The broadcasters don't have to broadcast in HD all the time. Instead, they can choose to use that same bandwidth to broadcast several digital channels in standard definition. That gives them a chance to reach more audiences and sell three or four times as many commercials - if anybody wants to watch what they're broadcasting.

Another advantage of the technology: Digital broadcasting uses far less bandwidth than today's analog system. That will free up frequencies the government can use for other purposes. Some of it will go to "first responders," meaning police, fire and other agencies who say their existing radio channels are too crowded. That's why you'll see some of the snake oil salesmen in Congress touting this as a "national security" measure. This is pure baloney, of course.

What Congress really wants is $10 billion or so from auctioning off the lion's share of that freed-up radio spectrum to wireless telephone and data service providers (who plan to make their money back sending music, movies and real-time porn videos to your cell phone.)

Back in 1996, when the national budget was much closer to being balanced, that $10 billion seemed like a big deal. But today it's a drop in the deficit bucket - enough to run the occupation of Iraq for maybe three months. Then it's gone.

Still, if you're a congressman of the GOP persuasion worried about preserving tax breaks for your buddies while deficits are going through the roof and your own fiscal conservatives are turning purple - well, any income that doesn't involve voting on a direct tax is welcome indeed.

Did I mention the people who make TVs and converter boxes? Are they salivating over the prospect of selling millions and millions of new TVs, plus all those converter boxes? Of course they are.

Heck, they're already selling 18 million analog TVs a year, knowing full well that customers will have to convert them or replace them in 2009.

Who winds up paying for all this? You and me.

This is one of the most disgraceful performances in the history of government, and every legislator who voted for it, anywhere along the line, should be ashamed.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-bz.himowitz27oct27,1,4862749,print.column?coll=bal-artslife-tv

“Prison Break” Finale

Fox announced today the finale of “Prison Break” will be broadcast November 28th.

There has been no official word yet on a second season, though the ratings for the show make it inevitable (if difficult to imagine creatively).

Here is one person we don’t have to expect to join the AVS forum!
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
TV signal scheme is a rip-off of set owners

Mike Himowitz The Baltimore Sun October 27, 2005
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-bz.himowitz27oct27,1,4862749,print.column?coll=bal-artslife-tv

And so the FUD and whining begins ... jeeeze, you can't even give handouts anymore :rolleyes: :D

“Prison Break” Finale

Fox announced today the finale of “Prison Break” will be broadcast November 28th.

There has been no official word yet on a second season, though the ratings for the show make it inevitable (if difficult to imagine creatively).
Wow, only 13 eps for the season..?

And so the FUD and whining begins


I think this could be challenged easily by writing letters to editors of local newspapers and the like. Writing these things isn't my bag but I think I know the basic points that would need to made.

You may have heard that congress is going to shut off TV here are the facts.

1: If you receive your TV signals through cable this will have NO impact on you.
2: If you receive your TV signal through satellite this will have NO impact on you.
3: If you only receive your TV signals with an over the air antenna then yes you will be required to get a digital converter box for a small fee.

The rest of the letter would explain the benefits of digital TV and so forth in such a way that a NON technical person would understand and appreciate.

Wow, only 13 eps for the season..?

Yes, that is all Fox ordered...so far.

Wow, only 13 eps for the season..?

Probably only ordered 13 expecting to start the season after World Series like last fall before changing their mind to start the season before the World Series.

Yes, that is all Fox ordered...so far.

I thought they gave 'Prison Break' a "full season pickup", which would translate into 22 episodes. :confused:

Was the show always intended to be only "half" a season long....? That would be a great disappointment to those of us who have become big fans of this fast-moving show. For my money, it's the best new series of the season.

Plus Fox has "24" and "American Idol" coming back in January.

And it will be moving "House" to Mondays (at 8 PM, followed by "24" at 9 PM), and putting "Bones" after "AI" on Tuesday.

I thought they gave 'Prison Break' a "full season pickup", which would translate into 22 episodes. :confused:

Was the show always intended to be only "half" a season long....? That would be a great disappointment to those of us who have become big fans of this fast-moving show. For my money, it's the best new series of the season.

In fact, Fox is calling it the Fall Finale. There may yet be more episodes this season.

I thought they gave 'Prison Break' a "full season pickup", which would translate into 22 episodes. :confused:

Was the show always intended to be only "half" a season long....? That would be a great disappointment to those of us who have become big fans of this fast-moving show. For my money, it's the best new series of the season.

They did pick up the whole season. The rest will air next year - although there are rumors that they will start it late enough that some episodes will actually stretch into the summer - intentionally.

They did pick up the whole season. The rest will air next year - although there are rumors that they will start it late enough that some episodes will actually stretch into the summer - intentionally.

Ah, just in time for February sweeps, no doubt. But where will they slot it?

THE WORLD SERIES
Pyrrhic victory: Sox win lowest-watched series
Worst ratings ever with just 18 million viewers

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Oct 27, 2005

Fox got another close game between the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox last night as Chicago won its first World Series since 1917 with a 1-0 victory and a four-game sweep. The problem for Fox is that they were exciting games between teams much of the country didn’t care much about, which will likely result in the least-watched, lowest-rated Fall Classic ever.

Last night’s game averaged a 14.8 in households, according to metered market ratings, better than the 13.1 overnight earned by Tuesday’s game.

This year’s Series could be the lowest-rated among households, a distinction currently held by the 2002 Series between the Anaheim Angels and San Francisco Giants that averaged a 12.6.

The first three games averaged just over a 10.5 household rating. Fox would have needed a much better rating last night to push that average above a 12.6.

Fox averaged 18.2 million viewers between 8:30-11 p.m. for last night’s deciding game, the second most-watched game of the series behind Tuesday night’s 14-inning marathon. The game lasted until nearly midnight, but Nielsen does not provide overnight estimates past 11 p.m. Playoff games generally gain more viewers after 11.

Media Life predicts that based on Nielsen fast national data for all four games, this will be the least-watched Series ever, finishing behind the previous low, 18.08 million in 2000. According to Media Life estimates, Fox will average around 16.5 million viewers for the four games.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_946.asp

Ah, just in time for February sweeps, no doubt. But where will they slot it?
Sounds like the Battlestar Galactica disease..

With Heyward out, questions remain for net news

MediaLifeMagazine.com--CBS has a new news chief, but there are still plenty of questions surrounding the Big Three’s news operations.

ABC hasn’t decided on an anchor, and NBC News doesn’t have a permanent president.

Sean McManus, Andrew Heyward’s successor at CBS News, figures to move quickly in implementing changes to the nightly news, and if he does so, that will necessitate some answers.

NBC’s Neal Shapiro stepped down last month after the network’s longtime morning No. 1 “Today” began feeling heat from ABC’s “Good Morning America” last spring. NBC News senior vice president Steve Capus is now NBC News’ acting president.

Meanwhile, ABC has not made any public decisions about its anchor two months after Peter Jennings’ death.

The network may have been more interested in securing Ted Koppel’s successors on “Nightline,” as that show has had ratings woes for years. “World News Tonight” has remained relatively steady despite Jennings’ absence.

The immediate question facing McManus is finding a permanent successor to Dan Rather. Bob Schieffer has been the interim anchor since March and will likely stay there until this spring.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/cat_index_31.asp#940

I thought they gave 'Prison Break' a "full season pickup", which would translate into 22 episodes. :confused:

Was the show always intended to be only "half" a season long....? That would be a great disappointment to those of us who have become big fans of this fast-moving show. For my money, it's the best new series of the season.


You (and CPanther95) are correct, of course, as is noted clearly in the Marc Berman post of this moirning. Sorry for my error.

Changes at ABC

Broadcasting & Cable is reporting today that “In an organizational shakeup at ABC, Alex Wallau, president of Network Operations & Administration, saw his domain decrease with two of his biggest reports, ABC News President David Westin and ABC Sales and Marketing President Mike Shaw, now reporting to Anne Sweeney…”

Why is this important to us?

It may not be, but Wallau has long been an ardent and impassioned supporter of HD. And so he has been a friend of ours, even if we have never met him.

(Apparently going HD hasn't paid off for David Letterman, at least so far.)

“Tonight” and “Late Night” score big ratings wins

NBC Press ReleasePublished: October 27, 2005

BURBANK, Calif. -- "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" has once again increased its lead versus year-ago results, winning the Oct. 17-21 week over CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" by a margin of 31 percent in adult 18-49 viewers, up from a 26 percent margin for the same week last year. It's the fifth time in five weeks this season that "Tonight" has increased its 18-49 lead over "Late Show" versus results for the same week last year. For the season, Leno leads Letterman by a 48 percent margin, versus a 26 percent advantage at this point last season.

For the week of Oct. 17-21, "Tonight" averaged 2.536 million adult 18-49 viewers, versus 1.938 million for "Late Show." Jay's 18-49 audience increased by 12 percent over his total for the same week last year. For the season through Oct. 21, "Tonight" is averaging 2.568 million adult 18-49 viewers while "Late Show" is reporting 1.732 million. Jay is up 1 percent versus his year-ago average in this category while Letterman is down 14 percent. In total viewers, "Tonight" leads "Late Show" this season by a 43 percent margin (5.822 million vs. 4.068 million), up from 26 percent at this point last season.

Jay's 48 percent margin this season in 18-49 viewers is his second-biggest at this point in the season in seven years, and his 43 percent margin in total viewers is Jay's second-biggest in six years.

Last week also saw "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" continue its mastery of the 12:35-1:35 a.m. hour, which it won versus CBS' "Late Late Show" competition for the 525th consecutive week in a streak that dates back to the week of July 17-21, 1995.

For the season, Conan leads "Late Late Show" by a 66 percent margin in 18-49 viewers (1.374 million vs. 830,000), Conan's second-biggest margin at this point in this season in seven years.

For the Oct. 17-21 week, encore telecasts of "Last Call with Carson Daly" tied first-run episodes of "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and out-rated original episodes of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in adults 18-49 (Thursday's "Kimmel" was a rebroadcast). In the valuable adult 18-34 category, Carson Daly topped Ferguson and Kimmel, though "Last Call" airs 90 minutes later than Kimmel and an hour later than Ferguson in much of the country.


WEEKLY AVERAGES
(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of Oct. 17-21)

ADULTS 18-49

NBC "Tonight," 2.0 rating, 8 share
CBS "Late Show," 1.5/6
ABC "Nightline," 1.1/5*
ABC "Kimmel," 0.6/3*

NBC "Late Night," 1.0/7*
CBS "Late Late Show," 0.7/4

NBC "Last Call," 0.7/5 (in encore telecasts)

TOTAL VIEWERS

NBC "Tonight," 5.7 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 4.4 million viewers
ABC "Nightline," 3.5 million viewers*
ABC "Kimmel," 1.5 million viewers*
NBC "Late Night," 2.5 million viewers*
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.9 million viewers
NBC "Last Call," 1.5 million viewers (in encore telecasts)

* "Conan" aired an encore episode on Monday and "Kimmel" aired an encore on Thursday. Monday's 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," 2.0/8
CBS "Late Show," 1.3/6
ABC "Nightline," 1.1/5
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," 5.8 million viewers
CBS "Late Show," 4.1 million viewers
ABC "Nightline," 3.5 million viewers
ABC "Kimmel," 1.5 million viewers
NBC "Late Night," 2.4 million viewers
CBS "Late Late Show," 1.8 million viewers
NBC "Last Call," 1.6 million viewers

Each rating point equals 1.30 million viewers

Sounds like the Battlestar Galactica disease..

Like Battlestar, though, and 24, I think Prison Break is better off running 13 weeks uninterrupted (more or less, except 2 weeks for baseball), without repeats, stupid pre-emptions, etc. If it comes back later and can run uninterrupted again, I'm willing to wait. Fox would do well to let it go over into June when almost everything else on the major networks is reruns or dumbass reality shows.

Fox used to hook a lot of people to shows they wouldn't otherwise watch with its "summer seasons." It's too bad they gave these up.

They didn't so much give up, as switch to all reality jun k -- I think the audience gave up more than Fox did.

When it was trying to grow its ratings several years ago, CBS wisely kept to a pretty set lineup -- even in the sujmmer. That is why many people finally found out about CSI and Without A Trace and Cold Case, etc.

When their "own" shows (like "ER") were in repeats, they could easily move over the CBS and see something they hadn't seen before. It took patience and guts, but it sure seems to have worked.

Just two weeks before it switches to HD (at least on the East and West Coasts) “Good Morning America” is breathing down the ratings neck of the “Today” show once again.
With fall, “GMA” again gains on “Today”
ABC morning show narrows lead to 300,000

By Abigail Azote MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Oct 27, 2005

ABC’s “Good Morning America” had NBC’s “Today” sweating last year after its steady rise on the power of ABC’s surging primetime lineup. Over the summer “GMA” faded back well behind “Today,” but with “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” back, ABC’s mornings are rising once again.

“GMA” has narrowed the gap with “Today” to 300,000 total viewers, and there’s a good chance that this time it will surpass the longtime morning leader instead of just getting close. But if that’s going to happen, it must happen before February, because as soon as NBC’s Olympic coverage begins, “Today” will get a boost that will carry it through the spring.

“Good Morning America” averaged 5.3 million total viewers through the four weeks ended Oct. 16, up 10 percent from its summer average. “Today,” on the other hand, is up just 5 percent, to 5.6 million for the same period.

“Today” led “GMA” by an average of 500,000 viewers in the summer but that lead has shrunk to an average of 300,000 viewers in the first four weeks of the season. And with ABC's stronger primetime that trend will likely continue.

“‘GMA’ looks like it will regain most of the ground lost during summer. NBC will likely have a more difficult time,” says Lisa Quan, vice president and associate director of broadcast for Magna Global.

Morning shows tend to rise and fall with a network’s primetime lineup, and “GMA” has been rising since last season. But can “GMA” actually surpass longtime No. 1 “Today?” Many people think it can because of ABC’s strong primetime and NBC’s weakening lineup.

“Probably is the answer, though not certainly,” says news analyst Andrew Tyndall. “The window for them is between now and the Turin Olympics [in February].”

Just as ABC’s primetime success has bolstered “GMA’s” ratings, so too will NBC’s coverage of the Winter Games boost “Today,” as happens every Olympic year. If “GMA” has not pulled ahead by then, it will be hurt by those two weeks.

Another factor that may determine “GMA’s” fortune is the CIA leak case. News analysts say that “Today’s” strength with hard news and political reporting could lead to a bump for the show if White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove or vice presidential aide Lewis “Scooter” Libby is indicted for revealing operative Valerie Plame’s identity.

“If there isn’t an indictment, then ‘GMA’ probably will [surpass ‘Today’],” says Tyndall. “The fate of ‘GMA’ is in [special prosecutor] Patrick Fitzgerald’s hands.”

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_919.asp

McManus mandate: Revive CB$ New$
Moonves will spend to vie with NBC and ABC

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Oct 27, 2005

CBS chairman Les Moonves has talked for months of how he might replace Dan Rather's “CBS Evening News.” Until yesterday it seemed just talk.

With the naming of CBS Sports president Sean McManus to succeed Andrew Heyward as president of CBS News, announced late in the morning, Moonves is acting on his commitment to revive the network's long-ailing news division. He's also making clear his intent to spend what's needed to challenge NBC and ABC.

Expect CBS to blow out budgets on its evening news show in particular, hiring a depth of fresh if seasoned reporting talent and spiffing up the show's feature segments.

Among his other talents, McManus knows how to spend money.

“The story of Heyward’s tenure as president of the news division is that he was a successful cost-cutter, which obviously is not a long-term strategy for survival,” says Andrew Tyndall, publisher of the Tyndall Report, a newsletter covering television news.

“That’s a decision that CBS management has to make at the highest level, whether to continue with that strategy or try to grow. Hiring McManus may signify a change in course, given that he expanded CBS Sports by acquiring NFL and continuing with college basketball.”

Moonves is well known for plotting programming changes for several years before swooping in for the kill. Such was the case with the network’s four-year ascent in primetime to finally topple NBC on Thursdays last season.

The CBS chairman has recently been tightening his grip on the news division, after years in which it was allowed to operate in near autonomy, a legacy from the era of Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow. Over at "60 Minutes" he's freshened up the largely octogenarian reporting staff with the addition of well-known reporters like CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

CBS News has also been creeping into Viacom-owned cable networks, popping up, for instance, with CBS News-branded programs on the gay and lesbian network Logo, which debuted in June.

Moonves, who became CBS chairman in 2000, had been eyeing changes for the evening news show for some time, certainly well before the now-famous Memogate scandal of a year ago in which Rather and producers bungled a “60 Minutes II” story about President Bush’s record in the Texas Air Guard.

There was already talk that Moonves was pushing for Rather's retirement. What was less clear was how Moonves hoped to revive the show, and for much of the past year it appeared he himself was not sure, as he talked about multiple-anchor formats and other ideas.

Change is much needed, with the evening news show now a distant No. 3 in the core adults 25-54 demo behind “NBC Nightly News” and ABC’s “World News Tonight.” The median age of the networks’ news audience is 60 years old.

As with primetime, Moonves is trying to attract younger people to the evening news, which suggests that McManus' charge will be to bulk up on stories that appeal to younger viewers.

But is that the best approach? John Rash, senior vice president and director of broadcast negotiations at Campbell Mithun, says the strategy may not be the best way for CBS to boost news ratings.

“Often the approach to revitalizing or reinvigorating a [program] is to make it softer with more feature-oriented stories that are perceived to be more relevant to the audience,” he says.

“Conversely, there is a significant untapped audience that gets their news from what are perceived to be more thorough or thoughtful venues, such as PBS, NPR and other key print and online sources. This may be a more sound strategy to differentiate a network newscast.”

McManus was named president of CBS Sports in 1996. Prior to that he spent several years at ABC Sports and NBC Sports.

Moonves, in promoting McManus yesterday, surprised more than a few media people by giving him the added responsibility of overseeing CBS News while still running sports. But the move fits in nicely with Moonves’ strategy.

Where Heyward has built a reputation for holding onto CBS News’ profits by cutting costs, McManus is a big spender familiar with attracting viewers to sports who are far younger than people watching network news.

At CBS Sports, for instance, he brought back NFL football to the network in 1998 with an eight-year, $4 billion deal. And in 1999, for $6.2 billion, he signed an 11-year extension for rights to NCAA basketball.

“CBS, outside of its journalists, is famous for not going outside its ranks,” says Tyndall. “McManus originally comes from the world of ABC. So, this may be a sign that that tradition may be broken, which would be progressive for them by refreshing the corporate culture.”

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_941.asp

CBS replaces news chief
Network sports boss McManus to succeed embattled Heyward

By Phil Rosenthal Chicago Tribune Media Columnist October 27, 2005

More than a year after CBS News was scarred by its flawed pre-election report on President Bush's National Guard service, embattled Andrew Heyward is leaving as news division president.

CBS chief Leslie Moonves on Wednesday announced that Sean McManus, the head of CBS Sports and son of veteran sportscaster Jim McKay, will add to his responsibilities by also taking on the presidency of ratings-challenged CBS News, effective Nov. 7.

"There are some great journalists over there," McManus said in an interview. "There's a wonderful heritage and a wonderful tradition, and I want to build upon that. So I want to meet everybody, evaluate everybody, see who shares my vision for CBS News.

"My first vision is to not be No. 3 in any daypart, including the evening news and the early morning news program. Now that obviously is not something that's going to happen overnight, but I want CBS News to be perceived as the No. 1 news organization in America. Whether or not it is now is not for me to judge, but I want it to be."

When Moonves asked McManus a month or so ago to name his professional role model, McManus cited his first network boss, the late Roone Arledge, a former ABC Sports chief who revolutionized ABC News. Now McManus will follow in Arledge's footsteps, running both the news and sports divisions.

This is cause for considerable speculation about the future format and style of "The CBS Evening News." McManus will take charge at a time when Moonves is still weighing how to overhaul the network's nightly newscast without Dan Rather, who retired earlier this year.

The lessons McManus said he learned from Arledge is the importance of storytelling to engage viewers and of compelling talent to better showcase those stories.

"Roone built ABC News with great programming, but all his great programming had great people out in front," McManus said, rattling off the roster assembled, including Ted Koppel, Peter Jennings, Barbara Walters, David Brinkley, Sam Donaldson, George Will and Cokie Roberts.

"Having watched Jim McKay and Howard Cosell and Keith Jackson and Frank Gifford [boost ABC Sports], he understood how vitally important on-air talent is and making that on-air talent big stars and how important that is to building a division."

While Heyward has been credited with many accomplishments, the news division during his tenure has not been thought to have a great bench. That's why names such as NBC "Today" co-host Katie Couric's come up in discussions of the future "CBS Evening News."

"I'm going to evaluate everyone there and try to put on the best on-air talent I can," McManus said. "If they happen to work for CBS News now, great. If they happen to work somewhere else and they're available, I'll get them from somewhere else."

McManus said he expects that "for the foreseeable future, which I'll assume is at least 18 months, probably 90 to 95 percent of my efforts will be directed toward the news division," though he will continue to oversee sports, as he has since 1996.

Moonves, in a news release, called McManus "a superb executive, a great leader and a fierce competitor."

As for Heyward's exit, a transition described as "civilized" by a CBS News source, only the timing came as much of a surprise. He has been with CBS News for more than 24 years, the last decade as its president, and his current contract expires at the end of the year.

"It's time for a change, both for the news division and for me," Heyward told staffers in an e-mail before the announcement was made public, noting he does "not intend to `pursue other interests' or even `spend more time with my family,' wonderful as it is" but rather "to remain fully engaged in the media business."

Though Heyward survived the purge earlier this year that followed a blistering independent investigation into its botched expose of Bush, fronted by Rather in September 2004, his days were seen as numbered ever since the "Memogate" scandal erupted.

The independent investigation determined that CBS rushed its "60 Minutes Wednesday" Bush report on the air before sufficiently verifying the authenticity of documents on which it was based.

While Rather already had announced plans to step down as anchorman before the findings came out, they resulted in the forced resignation of three CBS News executives and the firing of Mary Mapes, who produced the Bush report.

Mapes' book on the scandal is due out Nov. 6, the day before McManus takes over.

"I'm focused on the future, not the past," McManus said when asked about the fiasco. "I know that may sound like a cop-out. I don't want to ignore what happened in the past at CBS News. I certainly want to learn lessons, as I think people there do. But as far as commenting on it, I'm going to restrict my comments to the future and restrict them to things I have control over."

Moonves--whose wife, Julie Chen, is a co-anchor of CBS News' "The Early Show"--has taken a keen interest in the reshaping of "The CBS Evening News" in an effort to ensure a future for the program.

Like the network newscasts of ABC and NBC, CBS' nightly headline service has an aging audience, though it dwarfs those of the cable news networks. Moonves hopes to remake the program in an effort to appeal to younger viewers, who increasingly look elsewhere for their news and information.

"People ask if the evening news is relevant," McManus said. "Well, it's relevant because 75 million people each week watch the three news programs.

"So the question is not `Is it relevant?' It's `How do you make it more relevant, more interesting, more applicable to people's everyday lives?' If we do that, more people will watch `The CBS Evening News,' which is obviously one of my goals."

Moonves has convened groups of people inside and out of the news division to comment on prototypes for his new "Evening News," but McManus said he has not been part of those conversations.

"I watch as much news as I do sports. When there's not a game on at night that I want to watch, I watch CNN and Fox and MSNBC and CNBC. I love all those programs. I compare all those programs. I'm a news junkie. I always thought that if I were ever asked, I would have something to offer in terms of news programming. But I never sought the job. I never solicited it."

McManus, whose parents once were newspaper reporters for the Baltimore Sun, grew up around network television, thanks to his father.

His father, who took McKay as a professional name, is perhaps best known for his calm and deft performance under pressure when abruptly thrust into the role of newscaster when terrorists interrupted the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics.

But McManus' first job was as a production assistant under his father's boss, Arledge, who would later revolutionize ABC News as its president. McManus was one of many Arledge proteges to rise in later years.

Among McManus' ABC Sports co-workers upon arrival in 1977 was recently installed Walt Disney Co. boss Robert Iger, then reviewing the expense reports of low-level ABC Sports employees.

"We had a couple of interesting discussions about why I might have been tipping a bit more generously than I probably should have," McManus recalled.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/chi-0510270072oct27,1,2989507,print.column?coll=chi-ent_tv-hed

Here is one person we don’t have to expect to join the AVS forum!
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
TV signal scheme is a rip-off of set owners


This is the very reason Congress has been so reluctant until recently to do this. This is only the first salvo in a VERY long line to come. Best get use to it. The good news is, the shutdown can't be derailed, but the public outcry will only get louder until a possible explosion the day after shutdown. Typical Joe Sixpack not caring until it affects him.

Sad thing is you take the left wing rhetoric out of this column and he basically has the facts correct. But as can be seen, his presentation is VERY biased.

I agree this is just the tip of the iceberg. And I suspect the rhetoric will seem tamecompared with what we'll be hearing in a year or so.

Fox Scores With World Series, Sort Of

By Jon Lafayette TVWeek.com October 27, 2005

Despite going down as the lowest-rated World Series ever, the four games of the just-completed Series powered Fox to four prime-time wins in five days for the first time since last year's World Series.

The Chicago White Sox victory over the Houston Astros in Wednesday's fourth and final game drew a 13.0 Nielsen Media Research rating and 21 share, the highest-rated game in the Series and Fox's highest-rated program since the May 25 finale of "American Idol."

The entire Series averaged an 11.1 rating and a 19 share, down 30 percent from last year's extraordinary curse-busting Boston Red Sox championship.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8802

The epic mini-series “Rome” is about to end its run on HBO in the United States. But it is about to begin its run in just a few days on the BBC in England. Here is a look at how a British critics sees the production .
A Look at “Rome” From Great Britain
BBC's drama of epic proportions

The BBC epic "Rome" is the most explicit and expensive period drama in British TV history. James Rampton spent two days on location with a series that crosses the small-screen Rubicon

By James Rampton The (U.K.) Independent October 27, 2005

In these budget-conscious, belt-tightening times, Rome is the last of the big spenders. A co-production between the BBC and HBO (the producers of The Sopranos and Sex and the City) that features no fewer than 350 speaking parts, this spectacular new 11-part series about the ancient civilisation comes with an eye-watering price-tag of £60m ($107 million). That makes it the most expensive British television drama of all time.

But the money has not gone on the stars' Winnebagos. It is all up there on the screen, as this sweeping tale recounts, on a grand scale, the dastardly schemes of rival politicians to prevent the immensely popular military leader Julius Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) from seizing power on his triumphant return from victory in Gaul in 51BC. The plotting, back-stabbing and double-crossing makes the Tory leadership contest look like a children's tea party.

But it is not the budget that has been catching the press's attention this week. It is the unexpurgated nature of the series that has set the red-tops' pulses racing. Beside full-frontal screen-grabs from the show, one headline screamed: "10 minutes after the watershed, the BBC's graphic view of Roman life."

For once, you can understand why the red-tops are foaming. Here are some highlights from the first episode of Rome, which starts on BBC2 on Wednesday 2 November. They have been edited to spare the blushes of more sensitive readers.

Within minutes of the start, Atia (Polly Walker), Caesar's breathtakingly manipulative niece, has stripped naked and mounted a diminutive horse-trader. As she dismounts and admits that she has used sex to secure a prized white stallion, she grins, "This was not a hardship for me. I've always found something perversely erotic about goaty little men."

It continues in a similarly graphic vein with unflinching scenes of a shower in a cascade of bull's blood (you'd pay a fortune in certain exclusive Soho clubs to recreate such a scenario), several crucifixions, a corpse having its teeth removed as trophies, and the public rape by Mark Antony (James Purefoy) of a shepherdess in front of both her flock and an entire Roman legion. And so it goes on with a succession of scenes that will have nervous viewers hiding behind the sofa.

Caligula had nothing on this.

The thoughtless brutality of the era is underlined when I am on set in Italy, cowering behind the camera, watching in awe as a terrifying cohort of raging, screaming Ulbian horsemen gallop across a plain and ruthlessly scythe down a motley crew of thieves who are attacking the two central characters - a sturdy pair of centurions called Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson). Clad in bearskins and wielding fearsome blades, the horsemen make both me and the ground tremble. Their helmets are adorned with severed human fingers and other male body-parts that I cannot possibly describe in a family newspaper. How's that for authenticity?

Already a huge hit in the USA, where a second series has been commissioned, Rome presents a compelling picture of a culture where casual cruelty is the norm. And yet the makers reveal that they have had to tone down the reality of the savagery. But Jane Tranter, the head of BBC drama, denies that the BBC's vision of Rome is sensationalist. "BBC2 and HBO are grown-up broadcasters. Rome will push all sorts of boundaries. Every time there is sex or violence, it is used to tell the story. It's there because that is how Rome was." She emphasises that no viewer will be ambushed by the gory nature of the show. "There will be plenty of on-air trails and content announcements beforehand."

The film-makers believe we cannot be too judgemental about the Romans, who they say had no concept of shame, so nothing was taboo. They thought nothing of having multiple partners of either sex - there is no Latin word for "homosexuality".

"The mores we have today just didn't apply in those days," says Ray Stevenson. "They didn't see their behaviour as cruelty. In their minds, the Romans were so far advanced of the people they were enslaving that they could do what they liked with them.

The series's creator, Bruno Heller, explains that the brutality of Roman life endowed it with a tremendous vibrancy which lends itself very well to serial drama. "Life back then was lived in very vivid colours. It was very cheap, but for that reason it was also lived to the full." This is mirrored in the down-and-dirty look of the drama. The blood-spattered buildings are far from the pristine white-marble portrayals of Rome we are used to.

April Ferry, the costume designer, declares that "our Rome is like modern-day Bombay - intense, dirty, dense, funky. Also, our Romans are a lot grubbier than usual. This is an ancient city on the brink of collapse, rather than a serene and noble mausoleum."

The producers constructed a five-acre replica of Ancient Rome on the expansive back-lot at Cinecitta, on the outskirts of the Italian capital. The life-sized recreation of the Forum, with the Senate, the Treasury and the Temples of Jupiter, Venus and Vesta, is a thing of gigantic beauty. The producers hope it will remain standing for at least five years, so it is built out of solid concrete. The star of this show is Rome itself.

As well as being a feast for the eye, Rome provides food for thought. It offers, for example, many modern-day political echoes. Viewers will not have to look far to find parallels between Rome then and the US now. McKidd, who has headlined in films such as Trainspotting and Kingdom of Heaven, says that "Rome developed its power and influence across the world. Once the Romans had got a stranglehold on a country and reaped the benefits, they just moved on. And as soon as there was a sniff of anything that Rome didn't like - boom! - they'd lay waste to your country. The parallels with the US today are scary."

("Rome" begins on BBC2 at 9pm on 2 November.)

http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article322623.ece

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 None Strike, No World Series
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 18.1 million viewers (2nd fewest ever)
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 25.4 million viewers
2005 FOX 11.1 19 Chicago White Sox over Houston 4-0 17.2 million viewers (fewest ever)


(Source: Nielsen Media Services and 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 2005-06 TELEVISION SEASON
The rise of no-shower star power
Characters on "My Name Is Earl" and "Lost" give rise to "slacker chic."

By Paul Brownfield Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 28, 2005

Is it coincidence that two of the most beloved characters on TV right now are unwashed dudes who've won the lottery?

Earl Hickey of NBC's "My Name Is Earl" and Hugo "Hurley" Reyes of ABC's "Lost" are marginal creatures normally pushed to the background of shows, loosely defined on casting-call sheets as slackers No. 1 and No. 2. And yet this time around they're full-blooded characters. Hurley exudes convenience-store clerk Buddha on a deserted island, while Earl is a born-again Samaritan laid up at a motel that serves as headquarters for his new lease on life.

"My Name Is Earl," while lacking, say, the art direction and deeper cultural critique of the movies that seem to have influenced it, nevertheless represents a sea change in network comedy. NBC, trying to reinvigorate its prime-time schedule, has seen "Earl" become its ray of hope, a series that is ranking so well among 18- to 49-year-olds that NBC is said to be considering moving "Earl" to Thursday nights. That's the night that NBC used to dominate, its comedies replete with Ross and Chandler types — twitchy, verbose guys in clever Banana Republic combinations of V-neck sweaters and T-shirts, unafraid to expose their feminine sides.

And yet it's simplistic to define Earl as NASCAR counter-programming, because the character, as embodied by Jason Lee, transcends the red state/blue state divide. True, on paper, Earl is a former petty thief and layabout with redneck tendencies, but as played by Lee he's more of an indie-comedy antihero — less defined by geography than movie iconography.

Ditto Hurley on "Lost" (Jorge Garcia), whose Latino roots don't factor into a show so savant-ish about pop culture it can seem like one giant reference to movies. A few weeks ago, in flashback, we learned that his former life was properly unambitious: a McJob at a fast-food joint and off-hours spent at a used record store, à la "High Fidelity." In the flashback, he quits his job because he knows he's going to come into lottery money, but even that he is not too psyched about, money being its own curse. Similarly, when Hurley is put in charge of a food supply discovered in an underground bunker, he panics. It's the panic of the movie slacker: The thing he fears most is becoming management.

It is a measure of the new durability of this type that Hurley and Earl — basically the same sentient pop-culture reference — occupy such vastly different physical environments, neither of which can be found on a map: One is a nameless island, the other a nameless town outside a nameless city.

The ethos of the movie slacker is about the search for identity in a culture homogenized beyond recognition, where the young are cast adrift. Not doing anything about any of this is a form of slacker protest. Thus, Hurley on that island is just Hurley on that island; he's both the least resourceful castaway and the most believable.

The movies both characters have migrated to TV from are deadpan comedies like "Slacker," "Clerks," "Napoleon Dynamite," "Office Space" and "The Big Lebowski"; Internet Movie Database lists 47 titles under the keyword "slacker." That beloved canon of movies worked for the way they captured the rhythms of the unspectacular life as lived by the man of low ambition and offbeat obsessions. The middle-aged Dude of "The Big Lebowski," a Vietnam-era counter-culture refugee, is described as "most definitely a lazy man" (his serenity involves bowling and pot), while "Napoleon Dynamite" is an elegy for high school outsiderness, resonating for a younger age group.

If Hurley has a bit of Napoleon's inscrutability, Lee recalls Nicolas Cage's crazed, scruffy mug in "Raising Arizona," his style practically suggesting a new sitcom-male chic — T-shirts over plaid shirts, T-shirts over other T-shirts, battered jeans, worker boots; there is something at once young Hollywood and Southern about him. The long sideburns are just part of this crossover appeal.

He is not a hick, even though last week we learned he used to make fun of immigrants with accents. His penance involved teaching an English-as-second-language class. "How hard can it be to teach foreigners to speak American?" he asked in a voice-over, innocently. The show nods at red state vulgarity, most notably through Earl's estranged wife, Joy, in a born-to-play-her performance by Jaime Pressly.

"Honey, I don't care if she's Vietnamese, Chinese or Chuck E. Cheese, she don't need to be learnin' no English," Joy said, angry that a Vietnamese student in Earl's class has opened a rival trailer-park nail salon.

Joy is the show's one consistent cultural punch line. Earl, in the end, is much harder to place, which is fitting for the still-evolving slacker type. The new FX comedy "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," for instance, even has slackers in a "Friends"-like urban configuration. These shows are moving the culture forward in one sense, at least: by throwing out some well-worn signposts of geographic, economic and even racial difference, until you arrive at the godforsaken nexus of all of us, the parking lot of Chuck E. Cheese.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-earl28oct28,0,1151898,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

THE 2005 WORLD SERIES
For Fox Television, The World Series Was Ratings Bust
By JOE FLINT Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL October 28, 2005

The Chicago White Sox's four-game World Series sweep over the Houston Astros produced the lowest televisions ratings on record for the Fall Classic, and Fox's television network didn't meet ratings guarantees it promised to advertisers.

The World Series averaged about 17.2 million viewers and drew a record low rating of 11.1, a 30% decline from the 25.4 million viewers and 15.8 rating that the Boston Red Sox-St. Louis Cardinals Series averaged a year ago, according to Nielsen Media Research data. A rating point represents approximately 1.1 million homes.

Fox may avoid any financial penalties for the low ratings because it was able to provide extra commercials to advertisers that aired during the 14-inning third game. In addition, when a Series is a four-game sweep, baseball contractually provides a discount on fees to the network the following year, according to a person familiar with the deal. A spokesman for Major League Baseball couldn't be reached to comment. A Fox spokesman declined to comment on the Series contract.

The numbers weren't overly surprising. Neither the White Sox nor the Astros have large national followings. And neither team has much in the way of marquee names beyond Houston's ageless pitching ace Roger Clemens. The Red Sox-St. Louis Cardinals drew solid ratings because of the Red Sox's broad popularity.

The latest ratings will give Fox food for thought as it heads into the last year of its six-year $2.5 billion deal with Major League Baseball. The current deal -- on which Fox parent News Corp. has already taken charges of $225 million against the value of the contract -- averages out to about $417 million a season, a huge increase from the network's previous deal, which cost about $115 million a season.

Fox was unperturbed at the latest ratings. "We definitely want to keep baseball," said Peter Liguiori, president of entertainment on Fox. Although that is not a great number, it is still 50% higher than the prime time average of NBC, CBS and ABC combined this season.

Postseason baseball still commands top dollar from advertisers. Fox was able to charge about $350,000 for a 30-second spot, compared with $330,000 last year. The Series also can be a promotional platform for its prime-time lineup: Fox especially wanted to use baseball to promote its fledgling drama "Prison Break," which targets men.

Separately, Univision Communications Inc. and Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN and ABC have retained the rights to soccer's World Cup. People familiar with the deal said Univision, the No. 1 U.S. Spanish-language broadcaster, will pay more than $300 million for the rights to two men's and two women's World Cups through 2014. That is up from $150 million in the previous deal, which included two men's and one women's tournament. ESPN and ABC will pay $80 million, twice as much as under their current deal.

The contracts were awarded by FIFA, soccer's international federation, in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday. NBC Universal Inc., in a package for its NBC and Telemundo networks, and Fox also bid. A spokesman for ESPN and ABC declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Univision didn't return a call for comment.

McManus mandate: Revive CB$ New$
Moonves will spend to vie with NBC and ABC

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Oct 27, 2005

CBS chairman Les Moonves has talked for months of how he might replace Dan Rather's “CBS Evening News.” Until yesterday it seemed just talk.

With the naming of CBS Sports president Sean McManus to succeed Andrew Heyward as president of CBS News, announced late in the morning, Moonves is acting on his commitment to revive the network's long-ailing news division. He's also making clear his intent to spend what's needed to challenge NBC and ABC.

Expect CBS to blow out budgets on its evening news show in particular, hiring a depth of fresh if seasoned reporting talent and spiffing up the show's feature segments.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_941.asp

Talk is cheap. CBS News has had it's budgets cut for 20 plus years now under multiple regimes.

Moonves has spoken of how they have rolled out the big bucks in other CBS Divisions for the last 12 months - but just ask the Tampa Radio division for example how much they ante up when competition takes them on - if the Market Manager even makes it to the end of the year.

And boy have they plowed money into the CBS Morning show, lol.

As said in Jerry Maguire - SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Then I'll believe it.

Maybe it should really read: McManus mandate: Revive ¢BS News

Fredfa,

I know virtually nothing about the TV business and how ad space is paid for, etc. I am just wondering in light of the world series poor ratings, why do not advertisers pay based on a count of eyeballs. In other words, if the show does poorly in the ratings, they are charged less. Maybe round the cost off to the nearest ten thousand viewers, for example.

Do you know if this idea has ever been floated? At least that way, advertisers are guaranteed to get their moneys worth. I guess then the potential cost hit would shift to the network.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Second-year series are the class of 2005 TV

By Robert Bianco USA Today

So far, 2005 is the season of the sophomores.

Over the first weeks this fall, four second-year series have unexpectedly risen to the top of the TV class — establishing themselves as the best shows on TV at the moment. Seldom if ever has a sophomore group achieved so much in tandem.

Who are these second-season overachievers? ABC's audacious, gorgeous Lost, which uses its complex island mystery as a peg to explore its finely drawn characters; Fox's House, which is driven by intriguing plots and a great central character; UPN's Veronica Mars, which is TV's wittiest, smartest exploration of the teenage class divide; and ABC's ever-improving Grey's Anatomy, which is as endearing and entertaining a TV hour as you're likely to find.

Here's more good news: We may be able to return the most popular of the sophomores, ABC's Desperate Housewives, to the best-of-show list. After a shaky start, Housewives gave its first sign last week that it may be ready to return to first-year form. The writers even brought the housewives together, though they still need to give them a common purpose.

Granted, it's not unusual for series to find their voice in their second year. Such classics as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Newhart needed a season to make the gearshift from good to great. But it is almost unprecedented for four series to do so at once, and in such dominant fashion. And with the exception of poor, underwatched Veronica, all have been rewarded with strong ratings — and even Veronica is doing better than it did at this time last year.

True, this second-year success is more coincidence than intent, as the networks don't exactly recruit classes together. Even so, the achievement is an impressive one, and one that bodes well for the future for the shows and their fans.

The entire sophomore class is not sharing in its leaders' triumph. ABC's Boston Legal and NBC's Medium are riding along as middling hits thanks to a group of loyal, misguided fans and an even more misguided group of Emmy voters. As for NBC's Joey and CBS' CSI: NY, you could say they were going through a sophomore slump, but that would imply they had some height to slump from. The surprise isn't that they're bad; it's that they've managed to become even worse.

Still, the TV news so far this season is surprisingly upbeat. A host of new series have staked an early claim on must-see status, including ABC's Invasion and Commander in Chief, NBC's My Name Is Earl, UPN's Everybody Hates Chris, Fox's Bones and Prison Break, and CBS' Threshold. They join such still-strong favorites as CBS' CSI, CSI: Miami, Without a Trace and Two and a Half Men, WB's Gilmore Girls, NBC's Will & Grace and ABC's Alias - with HBO's The Sopranos, Deadwood and The Wire still waiting in the wings.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-10-27-sophomores-series-main_x.htm

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Four series are the ones to watch

By Robert Bianco USA Today

Looking for the best shows on TV? Look no further than these four, which actually have strengthened in their second year:

Lost (ABC, Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET/PT)

Each week, this brilliant, beautiful, intricate series about life lived in doubt has strengthened its claim as TV's top series. Start with the perfectly pitched season premiere, which ingeniously negotiated the dance a series like Lost must master: doling out enough information to keep an audience involved without depleting the series' store.

From there, it has been one high point after another — all leading to the show's Nov. 9 return and the threatened loss of one of the main characters. It's a testament to the writers and the actors that many fans would no doubt be happy if the network promos proved to be misleading. I can't think of a single castaway I'm willing to lose.

Veronica Mars (UPN, Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET/PT)

What do you do when you've built your show around a mystery and then solve it in the first season? If you're Veronica Mars, you come back with an even stronger story, one that throws the show's smart-as-a-whip teen detective into the middle of the divide between the local haves and have-nots.

Yet as intriguing as the main plot may be, there's far more to Mars than its mystery. Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni are playing the funniest and yet most touchingly realistic father-daughter team on TV. Now if only they were doing so in front of a larger audience.

House (Fox, Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET/PT)

If you were afraid that House might start to soften its fabulously abrasive main character, you can stop worrying.

This excellent medical drama has deepened our understanding of its curmudgeonly diagnostician without rubbing away his rough edges or succumbing to the TV urge to make every character easily likeable. When the series returns from its baseball hiatus Tuesday, House will be horrid to a fellow doctor because he resents the doctor's popularity. What makes him behave so badly? Wait another week, when you meet his father.

The writing this season has been first rate, as the show learns to tweak its format and our expectations. And the show's incredible star, Hugh Laurie, is playing the most difficult and yet engaging TV character since Andy Sipowicz — and that's as high as TV praise gets.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Sunday, 10 p.m. ET/PT)

Some shows sort of sneak up on you.

Arriving last spring as no more than a decently designed companion for Desperate Housewives, this female-centric medical drama has blossomed in its second season. Clearly, Grey's has found its stride and its confidence, as witness Sunday's terrific episode, which lightens the drama with jokes about the show's own all-seeing narrator device.

In a flawless supporting cast, the standouts have been Sandra Oh, as an unabashedly ambitious young surgeon, and Chandra Wilson, who brings warmth and nuance to a character who could have been a standard-issue taskmaster. But the real spark this fall has come from the romantic equilateral triangle of Ellen Pompeo, Kate Walsh and Patrick Dempsey, who ideally captures both the charm and the selfishness that so often comes with being considered "McDreamy."

Who does McDreamy pick? You'll have to watch Sunday to find out.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-10-27-sophomore-series-side_x.htm

TV Sports Notes
Series ratings hit low, night owls excepted

By Michael Hiestand USA Today

Major League Baseball's playoffs might be more watchable if games were played more quickly. But, as Fox's ratings suggest, they might not draw as many viewers.

Despite inevitable complaints from some Easterners that it's hard for them to stay awake for the final outs, late-night baseball action is a big draw. In time periods after 11 p.m. ET, Fox's overall playoff ratings were 31% higher than ratings for action prior to 11. (TV ratings are based on audience measurements for 15-minute segments.)

Ratings peaked after 11 ET in 10 of Fox's 17 playoff broadcast windows in prime time and peaked after 10 in all but one of the others. This might show that people in the East will stay up for TV they deem special. While networks usually aren't thrilled about sports adding instant replay because it can drag them into on-field controversy, it might help baseball ratings — by making games longer.

And baseball could use some help. Fox wound up with the lowest-rated World Series ever, averaging 11.1% of U.S. TV households (17.2 million viewers) for the Chicago White Sox's four-game sweep.

That new low seemed inevitable from Game 1, when Fox drew ratings comparable to those for the opener of the 2002 Series, which held the previous low with an 11.9% average. But since the 2002 Series went seven games — ratings generally build the longer a Series lasts — this Series didn't stand much chance of topping 2002.

And for anyone who still doesn't get that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox affect playoff ratings the way Tiger Woods sways golf ratings: The 2005 Series' ratings finished down 30% from those for last year's Red Sox's sweep.

Still, Fox was the most-watched network each night it had a Series game. Prison Break, the show Fox hyped during baseball, returned Monday, and its rating was up 10% over it previous average.

Fox's baseball deal ends after the 2006 season. While Fox has lost money on baseball, Fox spokesman Lou D'Ermilio says it "hasn't deterred our desire to continue (showing baseball) in an economically viable arrangement."

Last go-round:

Horse racing analyst Charlsie Cantey ends her TV career Saturday on NBC's Breeders' Cup: "I just don't want to do any more on-camera stuff. It's been 30 years. That's a pretty good trip in anybody's world."

She'll still have NBC ties via a 3-year-old filly that "the whole gang at NBC" has invested in. The horse's apt name, given its owners cover the sport: Conflict of Interest.

NBC, which has had the Breeders' Cup since its debut 22 years ago, last year got its lowest rating for the event: 1.4% of TV households. ESPN programmer Len DeLuca says live video of Cup races will be available via cellphone and online when ESPN gets the event next year: "Our goal is to establish the Breeders' Cup as the legitimate Super Bowl of horse racing."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2005-10-27-series-ratings_x.htm

Fredfa,

I know virtually nothing about the TV business and how ad space is paid for, etc. I am just wondering in light of the world series poor ratings, why do not advertisers pay based on a count of eyeballs. In other words, if the show does poorly in the ratings, they are charged less. Maybe round the cost off to the nearest ten thousand viewers, for example.

Do you know if this idea has ever been floated? At least that way, advertisers are guaranteed to get their moneys worth. I guess then the potential cost hit would shift to the network.

They do. The Network and local station guarantee delivery at certain levels. When the ratings come in they will post.

Fox will be running LOTS of bonus weight for this one.

The only good news for Fox is TV avails are so open right now you can run semi-trailers through them.

Fredfa,

I know virtually nothing about the TV business and how ad space is paid for, etc. I am just wondering in light of the world series poor ratings, why do not advertisers pay based on a count of eyeballs. In other words, if the show does poorly in the ratings, they are charged less. Maybe round the cost off to the nearest ten thousand viewers, for example.

Do you know if this idea has ever been floated? At least that way, advertisers are guaranteed to get their moneys worth. I guess then the potential cost hit would shift to the network.

HDTVFanAtic is right, chris.

But in this particular case, Fox will probably be OK because it ran many "bonus" spots in that 14-inning third game.

Here's how it works for TV, sports events as well as specials and regular series:

The higher the show's rating, the higher the ad price (usually expressed in 30-second segments). The network "guarantees" a certain rating. If it comes in lower, the network then provides extra spots in some other program to make up the ratings points needed.

chris_h2, some more: (I believe most of the information in this article to be correct with the exception, as I said above, that most of the ratings "make-goods" were taken care of in that extra-inning game Tuesday night):

THE 2005 WORLD SERIES
Series ratings hurt Fox
by Wayne Friedman [Media Daily News[/B] Friday, Oct 28, 2005

FOX'S LOWEST RATINGS ON RECORD for a World Series brought other misery--the four-game sweep also cost the network about $20 million to $30 million in missed advertising sales per game--or a total of $60 million to $90 million had the series gone the full seven games.

Wednesday night's sweep by the Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros means that for the second year in a row, Fox was put in the unfortunate position of missing out of three additional games each year. The Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight games in 2004.

Fox had been selling the World Series for around $350,000 for a thirty-second commercial spot. Typically, TV network buying and selling executives say if the World Series can get through game five, then they are "break even" in terms of what it cost in licensing rights. That means Game 6 and Game 7 are usually pure profit for Fox. But the missed advertising dollars are not the worst of it.

Fox's ratings for this series were down by 32 percent versus a year ago, averaging 17.2 million viewers from 25.4 million a year ago--the lowest viewership on record for a World Series. The viewership was 5 percent below the previous record--the 18.1 million mark, set in the 2000 World Series which featured New York Yankees-New York Mets that year.

The fourth game averaged a Nielsen Media Resarch 6.6 rating/18 share in adults 18-49--down 34 percent in 18-49 from last year's Boston-St. Louis game 4, which came in at a 10 rating/26 share. One saving statistic: the fourth game was up 10 percent from the 2002 game 4 between the Anaheim Angels and the San Francisco Giants, which marked a 6.0/16.

With ratings well down, Fox will no doubt be also stung with having to offer advertisers make-good inventory in other programming--mostly sports, say industry executives. Much of that will probably be offered in NFL Football, or perhaps NASCAR car racing events in the months to come.

Still, Fox made some correct moves this year, according to media buying executives, with regard to its prime-time programs. Media analysts applaud Fox's changed approach this season--debuting its shows before the playoffs began instead of waiting until November, after the baseball playoffs concluded. New shows, or relatively new shows--like the highly regarded and high-rated "Prison Break" and "House"--had new episodes airing before the playoffs.

Promotionally, Fox used the games--as it always does--to mostly tout its upcoming prime-time shows. This year, that activity included "Prison Break" and last year's mid-season effort "House," which was paired with "Bones," a procedural crime drama, in a number of promos.

Competing networks' marketing executives were impressed by the minute-long promo spots used to tout "Prison Break," all of which will help the network in the months to come.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=35601&Nid=16234&p=289069

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.

(From Marc Berman’s Friday, October 28, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
TV Tidbits: Notes of Interest

Dancing With the Stars – Season 2:
Summer 2005 sensation Dancing With the Stars will return to ABC in January for 8 weeks, replacing the currently scheduled Alias, which will go on a temporary hiatus. A second weekly half-hour telecast of Dancing With the Stars revealing the results has not been scheduled yet.

So Long, Strong Medicine:
Six-year old Lifetime drama Strong Medicine, the longest running regularly scheduled drama on basic cable, will not be returning for season 7.

Futurama on Comedy Central:
Cable net Comedy Central has acquired all 72 episodes of Futurama, and will begin airing the animated sitcom in January 2008.

-Charlotte Ross on Jake in Progress:
Former NYPD Blue star Charlotte Ross will join the cast of ABC comedy Jake in Progress, which is expected to return on in January.

Fox in November 2005: Programming Highlights
With the start of the November sweep just 6 days away, here are the programming highlights of note on Fox:

Season Premieres
-Stacked (Wednesday, Nov. 9): 8:30 p.m. ET

Movies:
-Anger Management (Wednesday, Nov. 23): 8 p.m. ET
-Daddy Day Care (Thursday, Nov. 24): 8 p.m. ET
-Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (Friday, Nov. 25): 8 p.m. ET

Guest Stars:
-Jeri Ryan on The O.C. (Thursday, Nov. 3 and 10): 8 p.m. ET
-Peter Strauss on Killer Instinct (Friday, Nov. 4): 9 p.m. ET
-Dennis Rodman and Terry Bradshaw on The Simpsons (Sunday, Nov. 6): 8 p.m. ET
-Patrick Stewart on American Dad (Sunday, Nov. 6): 9:30 p.m. ET
-Charlize Theron on Arrested Development (Monday, Nov. 7 and 14): 8 p.m. ET
-Bruce Willis on That ‘70s Show (Wednesday, Nov. 16): 8 p.m. ET
-Lily Tomlin on The Simpsons (Sunday, Nov. 27): 8 p.m. ET
-James Lipton on Arrested Development (Monday, Nov. 28): 8 p.m.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

Veronica Mars:

It's gets such good reviews and yet such bad ratings. Well, average Joe doesn't read the reviews, so I guess this comes down to a marketing failure at UPN.

I think people preceive this as just another silly, teen, chick drama. I'm afraid it may be too late to save it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ASDFIG/102-7378782-1804923?v=glance&n=130&n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance

Hart to Hart Series 1 DVD was just released and it's amazing how many commercials we're stuck with now compared to the past. Set is 1139 minutes for 22 episodes - that's 51.77 minutes per episode. If you check the link, also notice that they were "Remastered in High Definition" - although no mention of being downrezzed for the DVD. ;)

More “Earl”

NBC has ordered two more scripts for its freshman comedy series “My Name Is Earl”, bringing the total for the season to 24.

Next Weekend’s HD Football Schedule

The college and pro HD football schedule for the Nov 5-6 weekend has been posted at the top of the first post in this thread.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ASDFIG/102-7378782-1804923?v=glance&n=130&n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance

Hart to Hart Series 1 DVD was just released and it's amazing how many commercials we're stuck with now compared to the past. Set is 1139 minutes for 22 episodes - that's 51.77 minutes per episode...

That is some 11 minutes of additonal programming about 25% per hour! more than we are getting now.

Since several minutes of that added clutter time is spent promoting other network programs, and network ratings keep falling, one would wonder if the time might be better spent on the programs themselves.

Frankly, without TiVo, (or an chronic bladder infection which needed "attention" every ten minutes) network TV programs would be almost impossible to watch.

Veronica Mars:

It's gets such good reviews and yet such bad ratings. Well, average Joe doesn't read the reviews, so I guess this comes down to a marketing failure at UPN.

I think people preceive this as just another silly, teen, chick drama. I'm afraid it may be too late to save it.

Not at all. VM has become their "prestige" show (it's all they have since putting the Star Trek franchise into hiatus), and UPN will keep it on their schedule unless the ratings tank far beyond their current pace.

If it were on CBS it would probably do (at least) twice as well.

Many viewers simply aren't used to tuning in to shows on UPN or The WB.

Fredfa and HDTV fanatic,

Thanks for edumacating me. ;-)

Chris

Veronica Mars:

It's gets such good reviews and yet such bad ratings. Well, average Joe doesn't read the reviews, so I guess this comes down to a marketing failure at UPN.

I think people preceive this as just another silly, teen, chick drama. I'm afraid it may be too late to save it.
It's a great show, smart, intelligently acted and it keeps you interested, even with multiple story lines. Very well crafted in my opinion.

Our pleasure, Chris.

Keep reading - and ask questions whenever you like.

We sometimes can actually provide accurate answers. :)

From Mediaweek (www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001391824)

Cablevision to Carry OLN on Basic Digital Tier


October 28, 2005
By Anthony Crupi

Hockey fans in the New York DMA caught a break Friday as Cablevision announced it has reached a deal with Comcast which will move OLN to its basic digital tier, thereby allowing Cablevision to carry the network's National Hockey League games.

OLN had blacked out its NHL coverage in Cablevision households, citing a carriage agreement that stipulates that the network has to be made available to at least 40 percent of its MSO partners’ subscribers in order to be granted access to all of its programming. Until now, Cablevision had carried OLN on its digital sports tier, which meant that a mere percentage of its subs––about 3,000 out of a total base of 3 million––had access to OLN.

The deal includes other Comcast properties, although neither side would elaborate on specifics.

“We are pleased that we were able to reach agreement with Comcast in a number of areas, including making OLN and its exclusive telecasts of NHL hockey games available to many more Cablevision customers,” said Mac Budill, Cablevision’s senior vp of programming.

OLN is now available on Cablevision’s iO digital service.

(From Marc Berman’s Friday, October 28, 2005 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
TV Tidbits: Notes of Interest



Futurama on Comedy Central:
Cable net Comedy Central has acquired all 72 episodes of Futurama, and will begin airing the animated sitcom in January 2008.

2008? Robot aliens could invade the Earth by then.

No kidding!

We don't even know what the Big 4 network schedules will be in January ("Alias"?, "The Night Stalker"?, "Arrested Development"?, "Killer Instinct"?, "Close To Home"?, "Joey"?, "The West Wing"?, etc.

But thank God we do know that "Futurama" will be on Comedy Central in just 26+ months!

ABC’s "DANCING WITH THE STARS" Press Release

SUMMER SENSATION "DANCING WITH THE STARS" RETURNS TO WARM UP WINTER, BEGINNING THURSDAY, JANUARY 5


(From ABC)—The summer hit "Dancing with the Stars" will return with an eight-week run, beginning Thursday, January 5 (8:00 p.m., ET), it was announced today by Andrea Wong, executive vice president, Alternative Programming, Specials and Late-Night, ABC Entertainment. This summer's only true hit series, "Dancing" will replace the action drama "Alias," which will take a broadcast hiatus due to Jennifer Garner's maternity leave and which is scheduled to return to the lineup with original episodes in the spring.

"We are so grateful viewers embraced this show," said Ms. Wong. "With a new cast of stars and the addition of the results show, we will be delivering to them a season that has even more drama, more dancing and more glitter!"

This second season of "DWTS" will feature a new lineup of celebrities, who will be announced at a later date. A weekly results show will air in the days following the Thursday broadcast. The day and time of that broadcast will also be announced at a later date.

With an average audience of 16.8 million viewers, "Dancing with the Stars" concluded its six-week summer run as the most-watched summer series on any network in the last five years - since the inaugural season of CBS' "Survivor" during Summer 2000. The ABC unscripted show ranked a dominant No. 1 in its time slot among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, qualifying as the top TV show of the evening on each of its telecasts on both Nielsen measures. "Dancing with the Stars" greatly improved its time period, boosting ABC's performance in the hour by 12.2 million viewers (16.8 million vs. 4.6 million) and by 168% in Adults 18-49 (5.1/15 vs. 1.9/6) over the same weeks the previous summer.

http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=102805_01

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Ask Matt
(from the Ask (TV Critic) Matt (Roush) column at TVGuide.com

Question: I really don't understand all the letters I see in your column about Invasion being boring. Yes, it has been moving slowly, but the sense of dread has grabbed my attention. I was set to TiVo the last episode because I was tired and planning to go to bed early, but then I started watching and couldn't turn it off! I absolutely got chills when the sheriff told his story to the "survivors" group. A plane crashed into a swamp and he was the sole survivor? Whoa. I love the way the story is unfolding — it always keeps me wanting more. Lost doles out its secrets slowly, too, but I am not one of those viewers who wants all the answers now! I watch to learn more about the lostaways and their backstories. So I guess my question is: Why do you think people are so impatient? Why not appreciate a well-told story and just go along for the ride? If everything was revealed immediately, what the heck would the writers do for the rest of the series? — Lea S.

Matt Roush: Firstly, I understand the complaints about Invasion; I just don't happen to agree with them. I'm with you in terms of being seduced by the sustained tone of dread and mystery and how it plays out against a deceptively mundane backdrop of fractured family and shattered community. This show is almost daringly subtle in its approach, especially compared to the insipid obviousness of a show like Surface. The issue of "originality" often comes up in discussing these shows — as in, what's original about Invasion's "body snatchers" premise or Threshold's contain-the-alien-threat scenario — but I counter that argument by claiming that what counts in these sorts of shows is the execution. And in my book, Invasion and Threshold are doing it right, with an emphasis on surprise and suspense and a grounding in (well-acted) character with a minimum of pandering — and that includes letting the mysteries play out in their own time. To address your basic question, there's always tension in a serialized thriller in terms of how long to play things out, when to introduce new puzzles while still teasing us with the old ones and so on. It's all about the quality of storytelling, and none are better at this than Lost. Whoever thinks there hasn't been plenty of story-churning this season is deluded. And whoever doesn't care about backstories as poignant as Jin and Sun's, well, they're simply watching the wrong show.

Question: Wow. The West Wing's Oct. 23 episode just ended and I'm still in shock. I think that was probably the best episode written by someone other than Aaron Sorkin. It was tension-filled and kept me glued to the television. It was very similar in that regard to the "17 People" episode from The West Wing, the first era. (BTW, we're currently in the second era of The West Wing, better known as the we-no-longer-care-about-the-Bartlet-Administration-and-only-care-about-the-campaign era). It would definitely have been better if the entire hour had been dedicated to the White House, but it was still great. What were your thoughts? Also, is this the end for Richard Schiff? I have not heard that he is leaving the show and it would be perfectly reasonable for the investigation-indictment-prosecution process to take three months, which is about what is left until Election Day, according to the show's time line. I will be very sad to see him go if it is. It would also contribute to my growing feeling that long-term fans of this show are getting cheated. Vital story lines containing main characters in the last season of a show aren't supposed to wrap up until the end — it's the payoff for seven years of dedication. The teaser for the season premiere already gave away too much (and hinted that Toby was the leak). If Toby leaves now, it'll add to my disappointment with the way the show is ending. I don't want the series finale of The West Wing to be 75 percent new people and 25 percent old people, like the finale of The Practice. — Sylvia

Matt Roush: Lots and lots of mail on this episode, making me wish I'd had time to file a separate dispatch this week. But I agree this was a standout episode, and the show in general is much improved from the last few seasons. I am surprised to find myself making an appointment to watch it on Sundays, after more often than not letting it slide on Wednesdays over the last year or so. I was especially impressed at the quiet intensity of the fall-of-Toby episode sustained in its White House scenes, and agree it would have been nice to leave the campaign trail for this full hour (though I often feel the Bartlet scenes nowadays stop the show dead, but not this week). The minute Toby confessed, it was over for him. Another take on the episode from Kelly, who wrote: "The meeting with the president was brutal, and I agree — someone should thank Toby for his service. So my question is this... am I the only one who got choked up? Okay — I confess, I actually shed a few tears and had to get a tissue." I won't go so far as to say it had me in tears. More like Gil's response: "It had been a long time since the show had affected me in any real way. It was a very well-directed, extremely well-acted episode that brought home a conclusion to a story line that I didn't really care about until they ended it. It was nice to wake up the day after an episode and want to talk to someone about what I had seen on The West Wing. It had been a while." Isn't that the truth?

In conclusion, while I empathize with Sylvia's feelings that longtime fans are being robbed of a cathartic final year with the old gang, what makes this season stand out is that it doesn't feel as stagnant as it did a year ago. In large part, that's because of the Santos-Vinick story lines, which brought much-needed new blood into a tired and tiring show. (For the record, the "17 People" episode referenced above was the one in which Toby discovered the president had MS and fretted with Leo over the legal implications. Kinda ironic, no?) As for Leo's future on the show: I suppose it will be pretty limited, but as the show heads toward its final bow, I imagine Richard Schiff will be seen again.

Question: Maybe I missed it, but I don't see anyone talking about the absolute best comedy on TV at the moment. The show Extras consistently makes me laugh out loud and is thoroughly enjoyable overall. Matt, have you had a chance to take in this hidden gem on HBO, which has received hardly any promotion? If so, what are your thoughts? — Colleen

Matt Roush: I reviewed it quite positively when it premiered in late September, and now having watched the last few episodes — as with The Office, Ricky Gervais does only six at a time — I am still a fan. I love the fact that it isn't the same exact show every week; the episode when he stepped into an ill-fated holiday, panto stage production of Aladdin as a gay genie, playing opposite a sad-sack comic, was a terrific change of pace. Like the original Office, it is painfully, often brutally funny, but it doesn't surprise me that the show hasn't exactly caught the culture on fire, especially considering how far HBO has slipped under the radar on Sundays lately. (After the Nov. 6 season finale, Extras will be repeated on Sundays after new episodes of the noticeably uneven Curb Your Enthusiasm.)

Question: What did you think of the season premiere of South Park? I loved it. This show is better than any other in truly depicting what is going on in this country and how many people are missing what is really important. It is amazing how it's able to mix great/crude comedy with superior insights into what is going on in the world today. I always miss this show when it is in reruns, because now that it is back, I can't wait for Trey Parker to create more great story lines that coincide with today's news. — Mike P.

Matt Roush: South Park is brilliant, savage satire. Along with the essential The Daily Show and the enjoyable (if more limited) parody of The Colbert Report, Comedy Central is really delivering the goods these days when it comes to smart, topical, take-no-prisoners humor. The fact that South Park manages to do this with animation is little short of miraculous.

Question: I know it's early, but can I give an early plug for Grey's Anatomy for next year's Emmy awards? This show has quickly become appointment viewing, and each episode seems to get better and richer this season. While ABC's Desperate Housewives and Lost seem to get all the awards buzz (and deservedly so, as I love them both), I hope Grey's doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Case in point: the Oct. 16 episode, which featured another knockout performance from the fabulous Sandra Oh (which should guarantee her a second supporting-actress nomination) but also an equally brilliant performance from Chandra Wilson's Dr. Bailey, who is becoming one of my favorite characters on television. What do you think the awards prospects are for this great show? — A. Madsen

Matt Roush: I'll be shocked if Grey's Anatomy doesn't make a good showing at the Golden Globes in January, at the very least. This show is tailor-made for the Globes: It's sexy, popular, hugely entertaining, with a sensational and (possibly more important) gorgeous cast, and, as you said, it just keeps getting better. Wait till you see Sunday's (Oct. 30) episode; it's a knockout, both in the medical and personal arenas. (I may not have choked up at The West Wing last week, but this week's Grey's... I'm only human.) Next to Lost, this is probably the watercooler buzz show of the moment. Agree with you on Dr. Bailey as well. And how about George's wicked surgery in the elevator while Alex froze? (I never said the show was believable.) For a show whose pilot left me cold, I've become a total convert. But as for the Emmys, keep in mind that the drama field has been overcrowded for years. (Plus, The Sopranos will be back in the mix by the end of the season.) And because Grey's doesn't take itself particularly seriously, despite its occasional wrenching moments, there's a chance the Emmys will miss the boat on this one, as they have done so many times in the past.

Question: I would like to respond to Meg's comments from a recent column about 24 being "escapist" entertainment. 24 is definitely a blast to watch, but what separates it from shows like Prison Break is that it tackles such grim and emotionally disturbing issues. Anyone who saw 24 release that virus in the hotel, allow Jack to sacrifice Chappelle and Paul, and portray a Middle Eastern family as a sleeper terrorist cell can't possibly say 24 is only "escapist" entertainment. 24 also takes the time to flesh out every character in new and shocking ways. Dina, Chloe, Nina, Sherry, President Palmer and, of course, Jack Bauer are the types of brilliantly portrayed characters that Prison Break, etc., can only dream of having. — Michael M.

Matt Roush: Which is why 24 will end up on my (and hopefully others') Top 10 list, while Prison Break settles for being a rip-roaring guilty pleasure. It was great having the show back this week, and while (unfortunately) the identity of the female vice president had been spoiled for me, I thought it was a terrific climactic reveal. A jam-packed episode (even cats aren't safe in this prison), but there's no question it lacks the visceral charge and emotional undercurrents — and, yes, depth of character, despite the format's limitations — that make 24 so sensational. Those with long memories may recall that, much as I loved Lost and was happy to see it win the Emmy for best drama, my personal pick would have been 24. Can't wait for it to come back in January.

Question: Matt, I look forward to your column on Monday mornings — makes them a little more bearable! Anyway, I was noticing that I haven't seen a full-season pickup announced for Threshold. What are they waiting for?! Have you heard anything about this? It's one of my favorites on TV right now. Thanks. — Dani

Matt Roush: What, the Friday column doesn't do it for you, too? (Joke.) Anyway, I'm still cautiously optimistic that CBS will give Threshold at least a full first season to weave its spell. When CBS announced its first wave of full-season orders, Threshold was given an additional script order, which is a positive sign. Getting the additional episode order would have been better. It probably doesn't help that NBC's Three Wishes appears to have edged past it in the younger demographics last week. At the moment, the show appears to be a victim of CBS' success elsewhere, and because the viewership dips for Threshold from the shows on either side of it — Ghost Whisperer and Numbers, neither of which are particularly compatible with this show's rock-'em, sock-'em alien-invasion adventure — Threshold does appear vulnerable. I'm at a loss, though, to know what the bar for success is on Friday nights, especially for a show that is so different from anything else on CBS' schedule, which makes me lean toward accentuating the positive. At least for now.

Question: I am a bit of a television addict, as well as being addicted to your column. Last year, I was completely hooked on Desperate Housewives but have lost a bit of interest this year. Regardless, I'm still watching it each Sunday and enjoyed most of this past week's (Oct. 23) episode, save for one thing. I work with adults with special needs and admire and care about all of these individuals. I'm afraid that the show is veering towards a story line where an individual with developmental disabilities is locked in the basement. I'm not generally the type of person to get up in arms about something like this, but it makes me queasy. Am I wrong about the story line? Please, tell me a show that I admire wouldn't perpetuate such a negative stereotype. — Debra

Matt Roush: I don't exactly know where the story is going, but it seems to me that Betty Applewhite and son Matthew may be keeping Caleb locked up for his own protection, and it's still not entirely clear what his involvement was in the murder case that's in the news. It's obviously pretty risky material (not to mention way over the top), and shows like Housewives aren't especially concerned about political correctness. All in all, next to Susan's seemingly irreversible dizziness, this is the show's most problematic story line right now.

Question: I liked your response to the complaints about new characters on Without a Trace and CSI (the "this isn't a soap" comment, especially) and the Josh/Donna romance on The West Wing. But when it comes to excess soapiness and bad-boy romance, I feel the same way about Veronica Mars. It seems that some online-columnist types are just as much into the oooh, oooh, squeal, squeal, Logan, Logan thing as the worst of the fangirls, and I don't get it. I like all the guys around Veronica (Duncan, Logan, Wallace, Weevil), but I think romance "shippers" really miss the point of the show. It's not about Veronica's love life but about nefarious doings under the covers of Neptune, with rich against poor and honest against corrupt. Happy lovey-dovey stuff or people squealing for more Logan in his underwear or whining that they want Duncan gone because he comes between Logan and Veronica really messes with what's good and different about the show. For me, anyway. What do you think? Does too much Logan worship take away from what's right about Veronica Mars? — Julie

Matt Roush: Everything in moderation, Julie. What I love about a show like Veronica Mars is that it can be enjoyed on so many levels: for its mystery, for its wit and especially for its heart, which inevitably includes romantic entanglements. It would be a lesser show if Veronica weren't torn between these two poor little rich boys. But I would agree that fans who go online to whine that the show isn't as good because she dumped Logan to go back to the safe haven Duncan represents really are missing the point. Keeping Veronica and Logan apart heightens the many tensions the show revels in. There is a difference between a continuing drama and a soap opera, and Veronica Mars walks that line with confidence.

Question: Hey Matt! Your online column is just about as addictive as the shows I love! Back in the Buffy heyday, I could not get a certain friend to watch the show. Her resistance to love the denizens of Sunnydale only further fueled my desire for her to accept it into her life. After several heated debates, I wanted to duplicate that scene in A Clockwork Orange and strap her in front of a TV! Why do you think viewers get so impassioned about "just TV shows"? Do you ever get annoyed at readers who try to convince you to like a show you've written off (Surface, Criminal Minds, etc.)? "You'd adore it if you'd only watch one more episode...!" — Navarro P.

Matt Roush: Hey, thanks. And good question. My feeling always has been that people get possessive, obsessive and sometimes downright deranged over their favorite shows because it's such an intimate process to invite these series and characters into one's home on a regular basis. There's nothing quite like getting wrapped up in a well-told story or revisiting a world of inviting characters on a week-to-week basis (which is why so many TV creative types like to cite Dickens as an inspiration). And it can be maddening when people you trust and respect, or who merely happen to have a platform in the media, don't share your love for some show or other. I was recently accused in an e-mail of being "sharp" in some of my comments in this column, but I do try to maintain a balance between letting opposing views get aired while retaining my own right to stick to my critical guns. (I'm sure I don't always succeed in keeping my cool.) But generally, I'm happy that people enjoy the shows they watch, even if I don't always share their enthusiasm. If I find Surface childish and empty, and Criminal Minds flat and mannered and absolutely one formulaic crime show too many, I am all too aware that I won't sway those shows' fans any more than they can sway me — unless, of course, the shows magically improve. Which they rarely do.

And finally, since you brought up Buffy, let's revisit this tried-and-true topic, from Chris: "You've always been straight-up on things, so honestly, do you think there'll be any Buffyverse TV movies, or is it time to let the Buffyverse go on-screen for now? There has been so much conflicting talk in the press, from Joss, Tim Minear and the WB, about various issues such as money. I've heard it will happen and is slowly being put together now and I've heard reports that it won't and that nothing is in development. The various actors who would do a TV movie are on new projects, and James Marsters has a time limit that at last check is down to two or three years. Does Serenity's failure at the box office impact things? What's your honest opinion on a Buffyverse TV movie actually happening?"

I'm not really in the loop on this one, and don't have time to keep up with what may or may not be happening, but I would still love to see a Spike movie; there is so much untapped potential in that character. But will it happen? Who knows. If it does, I'll welcome it the way I did the Farscape miniseries. If not, I still have seven seasons of Buffy and five of Angel to treasure. That's plenty right there. (And I doubt the fate of Serenity has anything to do with it.)

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

No kidding!

We don't even know what the Big 4 network schedules will be in January ("Alias"?, "The Night Stalker"?, "Arrested Development"?, "Killer Instinct"?, "Close To Home"?, "Joey"?, "The West Wing"?, etc.

But thank God we do know that "Futurama" will be on Comedy Central in just 26+ months!

You don't have to wait. It's on TBS and Cartoon Network now.

When I first read the release, I thought they were saying that Cartoon Network bought the rights to Futurama and would be airing original episodes.

Thanks for the info, Marcus.
To be honest, "Futurama" has never even been on my radar (at least since I was a very young person and it was the name of a show, hosted by Sonny Fox, on Channel 5 in NYC).

Frankly, without TiVo, (or an chronic bladder infection which needed "attention" every ten minutes) network TV programs would be almost impossible to watch.Truer words were never spoken, although it doesn' have to be a TiVo. :) Since I've gotten used to time-shifting as much as possible with the SA8300HD, I can barely stand to watch live TV no matter how important the show is.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
NBC flips, flops
By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News

One of two things is going on in the executive suites at NBC these days.

Either NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly has decided to keep a promise . . . or he's lost his mind. At this point, I'm not sure which.

Early last week, NBC announced that it would try a one-week experiment that would flip-flop "E-Ring" and "Three Wishes" on its schedule. The former, which normally airs on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., would air on Friday at 8 p.m.; the latter, which normally airs on Fridays at 8 p.m., would air on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

A little odd, but given that neither show is doing particularly well in the ratings, not all that surprising. It's not unusual for network programmers to see if a show will do better in a different time period . . . although the flip-flopping of two shows is somewhat out of the ordinary.

But just a few days later, NBC went back to the original schedule. "E-Ring" will be on tonight; "Three Wishes" will be on Friday.

If we were anywhere near April 1, I'd almost think those cutups at NBC were just kidding the first time around.

Or maybe Reilly suddenly remembered the promise he made to critics over the summer to stop playing so fast and loose with the schedule, as has been the wont of executives at seemingly every network in recent years.

"Truthfully, I have a hard time finding where some of the stuff is — not only on our air, (but) on television. I don't know how the viewer is supposed to follow it," he said. "We've looked at it now, and we've said, 'You know what? Get back to sort of fundamental blocking and tackling. Put a show in its time period, leave it in its time period, start it on time. . . . So we're going to play by the rule book now.' "

Uh-huh.

If you think back a couple of weeks, you might recall that when the season began, "E-Ring" was on Wednesdays at 8 p.m., right after "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart." That lasted only a couple of weeks before the two shows flip-flopped on the schedule.

If you wonder why it's darn near impossible for any publication — even a daily newspaper — to keep up with television listings, this is the reason.

http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635156118,00.html

“Grey’s Anatomy”: Intensive operation

By Alan Sepinwall Newark Star-Ledger

Chaos reigns at Seattle Grace Hospital. A train derailment has filled the ER with gruesome casualties. In one corner, an intern is searching for a patient's severed leg. In another, surgeons are debating how to save two passengers impaled by an iron rod -- or, even worse, whom to save if they can only choose one.

And on the sidelines of all of this, Meredith Grey sits and wonders whether her boyfriend is going to leave his wife.

Just another night on "Grey's Anatomy" (Sunday, ABC, 10 PM ET/PT), where the patients' traumas get equal weight, at best, with the doctors' love lives -- and where the writing is so shiny and smart that this doesn't seem particularly tacky.

As Meredith (Zellweger-alike Ellen Pompeo) complains about her situation in the midst of death and dismemberment, she at least has the sense of proportion to say, "Before you judge me, I know there was a train accident, people are very badly hurt, and that I'm a vapid narcissist."

But more than any other TV show outside of HBO's "The Wire" (grim and gritty where this one is light-hearted and whimsical), "Grey's Anatomy" understands that this is a job for its characters -- a challenging, sometimes horrifying job, but still a job. If they can't let themselves be distracted by sex and drinking and good old-fashioned competition, they probably couldn't function.

When the surgical interns get a look at the train casualties, their first reaction isn't empathy or revulsion -- they're excited to get a crack at some novel cases, and to stake their claims to the most interesting ones.

When it looks like Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) isn't going to find the missing leg the chief of surgery ordered her to retrieve, a paramedic suggests the patient might be able to live without it.

"This is so not about the leg or the guy," Cristina snaps.

Creator Shonda Rimes and her writers aren't going to win many points for originality -- the train storyline, written by Krista Vernoff, evokes the "ER" blizzard episode and the "Homicide" subway episode -- but they tell their stories with such heart and humor (not to mention the outstanding soundtrack selections by Alexandra Patsavas) to more than compensate.

Forget all the garment-rending about what's wrong with "Desperate Housewives," a show that wasn't significantly better or worse last year. "Grey's Anatomy" is the best drama on Sunday nights, hands (or legs) down.

http://www.nj.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/columns-0/113039340786480.xml&coll=1

I LOVE this show. In my mind it's surpassed Desperate Housewives, which is still a good show, but has weakened in it's second season.

I am with you, RussTC3.

It has joined the short list of "must see" shows in our house.

WEEKEND TV
"Bats" sucks, but there's hope for "Horror"

By Kay McFadden Seattle Times Oct. 29, 2005

Go on, scare me. I dare ya.

After all, that's the point of Halloween. But if the high-frequency whine you hear is a cranky critic rather than the winged approach of desmodus rotundus, blame CBS's "Vampire Bats."

This made-for-TV flop, airing at 9PM ET/PT Sunday, is a comprehensive example of how not to do a fright film. The rest is covered by Saturday night's 10 o'clock premiere of Showtime's "Masters of Horror," whose first episode is more of a thinking fan's guide to letdown.

Though I'm no cultist, I love being terrified. Just as some viewers adore cowboy Westerns or Japanese cartoons, my nearly favorite thing is to curl up late at night with "Twilight Zone," "HBO's Tales from the Crypt" or any Val Lewton gem.

I'm not alone. Despite speculation that that the world is too full of real fear to appreciate the fake version, this fall's hits include "Medium," "Ghost Whisperer" and "Supernatural." Spooky spirits may even be our death-averse culture's way of coping with the after-life.

A major deficiency of "Vampire Bats" is that it has no footing in mankind's deepest apprehensions — the kind shrouded in mystery.

The film stars Lucy Lawless as a professor of batology (OK, "animal behavior") at a college in Louisiana. When ordinary bats become eight-fanged mutants with a penchant for ecstasy-taking freshmen and scantily clad sorority sisters, Lawless learns why.

The villain turns out to be a company that's greasing the palm of a corrupt local official in order to dump waste.

Were this a "Simpsons" episode, we'd be at the start of a classic in which the residents of Springfield get money from the corporate bad guys and use it to buy a monorail.

But this is "Vampire Bats," which wants to shoot us in our psyches with arrows tipped by corporate malfeasance.

Lots of luck. However reprehensible some multinationals may be, I don't cower in the dark during Michael Moore documentaries (except when he appears). Ditto "Vampire Bats."

It's fair to wonder why a gimmick that worked 50 years ago, when horror films regularly presented the results of government or private-sector meddling gone awry, doesn't resonate today.

Two causes come to mind. The first is that "Vampire Bats" fails at every other aspect of suspense. The timing is sluggish, the lead performances under-inspired and the plot so formulaic as to border on camp without going the last yard to gleeful self-mockery.

Casting provides the only novelty. Brett Butler has a small, entertaining part as Lawless' nosy sister-in-law, and Timothy Bottoms as town mayor gives a dead-on imitation of George W. Bush at his most flummoxed.

The second problem with "Vampire Bats" is its literalism. That's a broader issue that extends to "Masters of Horror" — or at least to tonight's installment, called "Incident On and Off A Mountain Road."

"Masters of Horror" is a great idea. In the tradition of anthologies, Showtime has lined up 13 Hollywood experts to direct one-hour stories. Among them are Dario Argento, John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, Joe Dante, Takashi Mike and Don Coscarelli ("Phantasm"), who helms this evening's piece.

Coscarelli's pacing, editing and visual tricks are impressive; in that sense, the "Masters" of the title is deserved. And Showtime has put money into the stylish production.

Nevertheless, I was disappointed. Like so many chiller-thrillers today, this one climaxes in a prolonged bombardment of graphic depiction. Splattering gore requires deftness, but "Incident On and Off A Mountain Road" resembles the indiscriminate eagerness of children's Spin Art where the fine hand of Jackson Pollack was required.

The script, based on the short story by Joe Lansdale, has a clever premise. A woman (Bree Turner) leaving her abusive, survivalist husband (Ethan Embry) finds she must summon the very skills he taught her after she meets a bigger ogre.

Initially, the fright potential is high. As the woman fights and hides, flashbacks take us through her courtship. The hints that her future spouse is a nut are ratcheted up so gradually, I was completely fooled by a scene in a mountain meadow.

And there's the rub. The mountain moment works because it balances a viewer on the sharp edge of anticipation — one twist promises shock. When the film wallows in gruesome images at great length, shock passes on to clinical detachment.

I still have high hopes for "Masters of Horror." Meanwhile, those who toil in the terroir of terror may consider revisiting what actually scares grown-up audiences.

Once, it was sufficient for Dracula and his ilk to simply be darkness personified. By the 1950s, monsters were founded on scientific blunder and, by the '70s, on psychological trauma. Each step moved us further into the mundane realm of the petri dish or analyst's couch.

And yet it seems clear that what's truly blood-curdling are the fears that can never be explained away. Call me old-fashioned, I like my evil pure.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002587955&zsection_id=2002119662&slug=kay28&date=20051028

If it [Veronica Mars] were on CBS it would probably do (at least) twice as well.

Many viewers simply aren't used to tuning in to shows on UPN or The WB.

But twice as well on CBS would have it already cancelled. I'd rather have it fly under the radar at UPN and produce a few seasons worth of shows.

24 of 25 ESPN/ABC bowl games in HD? Which one's the straggler, the "Toilet Bowl"? :D

The Hawaii Bowl, according to HDSportsGuide.com

But twice as well on CBS would have it already cancelled. I'd rather have it fly under the radar at UPN and produce a few seasons worth of shows.
Last year when UPN threw it on CBS for 3 weeks, it did MUCH better than what it was doing on UPN. The final episode's rating I believe was a 2.8. I don't watch this show, but I think it's pretty obvious any good show on UPN would excel on another network.

To be honest, "Futurama" has never even been on my radar (at least since I was a very young person and it was the name of a show, hosted by Sonny Fox, on Channel 5 in NYC).


Fredddddddddddddd... that was Wonderama ;)

Fredddddddddddddd... that was Wonderama ;)


Wasn't that hosted by Bob McCallister? "come on everybody do your exercise!"

Last year when UPN threw it on CBS for 3 weeks, it did MUCH better than what it was doing on UPN.From Zap2it (http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C97777%7C1%7C,00.html):
The 3.3 million viewers for the "Veronica Mars" premiere top even the audiences for reruns that aired on CBS this summer.GeorgeLV is right, though -- even if Veronica Mars were on CBS and doubled its premiere audience to 6.6 million viewers, that'd still make it by far the lowest rated show on CBS. Sometimes smaller is okay. Kevin Smith said he regretted passing on UPN's offer to air Clerks: The Animated Series, instead taking an offer from ABC who cancelled it after a few episodes, for instance.

Sonny Fox did host Wonderama, then when he left Bob McCallister took over as host. What a great show it was too.

Oh yeah, "Futurama"/"Wonderama" they all meld as my brain slowly (or perhaps not so slowly) fries.

Thanks for the corrections, guys!

Sorry for the delayin replying (and posting) today, but I've been out of town watching my beloved UCLA Bruins play at Stanford. I'll get caught up with posting the Friday (and Saturday) ratings in the morning.

After a long delay, Friday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread. Saturday's will be added later this morning.

(re: one of 25 bowl games not in HD this year)

The Hawaii Bowl, according to HDSportsGuide.com

That actually makes sense, believe it or not. We have the discussion every year for the NFL Pro Bowl. The infrastructure and equipment for HD live sports coverage is apparently not there yet in Hawaii.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
A Formula Behind The Fright

By Amy Amatangelo, Special to The Washington Post Sunday, October 30, 2005; Y05

This season, television series are chock-full of creepy, crawly bugs, ghosts with some serious revenge issues, disturbingly creative serial attackers and aliens that do not come in peace.

"I don't think this is new," said Robert Singer, executive producer of "Supernatural" on WB. "I think people have been going to scary movies for as long as filmed entertainment has been on. And even before that with stage plays. It goes back to people telling ghost stories around a campfire."

Shaun Cassidy, executive producer and creator of "Invasion" on ABC, agreed. "Fairy tales help kids process their demons. Scary stories exist for adults for the same reason."

The stories that are unfolding on TV this season can be divided into three categories -- alien shows, paranormal programs and crime dramas (see story below). These and other scare-inducing shows follow some simple rules for success, including:

Using Comedy: Hurley on "Lost" is the epitome of this technique. On "CSI," Grissom is always dropping one-liners before investigating a crime, and the brothers on "Supernatural" make a sport of the fake names they throw around: "Star Wars" and the band Metallica were recent inspirations.

"Humor saves the day," Cassidy said. "Even in their darkest hour, people are funny."

But pacing is important when introducing a light note to dark situations. Singer likes to disarm his audience with humor and then hit them with a dose of horror.

"The only rule we have when our guys are faced with whatever the threat of the week is, [is that] we don't play the humor in the middle of those scenes," he said.

Providing Answers: The brains behind shows based in mystery know that eventually there has to be a payoff for the audience or a series can get tangled in its own mythology (see the final seasons of "The X Files").

"Lost," for example, kicked off this season by letting viewers know exactly what was in that blasted hatch. And on "Invasion," Cassidy promises that many of the questions posed in the pilot episode will be answered soon.

Greer Shephard, executive producer of FX's "Nip/Tuck" and TNT's "The Closer," pledged that the identity of the Carver -- the serial attacker in this season's "Nip/Tuck" -- will be revealed by the season's final episode.

AVOIDING OBVIOUS PLOTS:

Playing with people's expectations and not succumbing to the cliches of the genre are part of the plan for many shows. "I think if we do subscribe to a convention of the genre, it's that we try to lull the audience into a sense of comfort and then spring [something horrific such as] the Carver on them," Shephard said.

But that's not to say the show writers avoid classic icons of horror.

"There's nothing wrong with doing a vampire story if it's a really cool vampire," Singer said. "Nothing wrong with a werewolf story if it's a really cool werewolf."

BASING IT IN REALITY:

In "Supernatural," Singer said, "one thing that we try to do is to ground all this in some sort of legend -- something that, if you Googled it, you could find it." Take, for example, the Bloody Mary episode that explored the lore behind that creepy character.

Crime shows take a different approach. In "The Closer," Shephard said, "there are no monsters out there. When you go to investigate a crime you don't find paw prints, you find fingerprints. Which means all of this stuff comes from within human beings. The whole thrust behind our crime stories is that these are crimes that any one of us could have committed if we were pushed."

"Oftentimes the real life case is much worse than the one we actually portray," said Jennifer Finnigan, star of "Close to Home," a legal drama on CBS. "It's very eye-opening. The kind of shows we've done thus far are really intense and really shocking. And even scarier and more real because they are set in this really safe suburban setting."

SCARE TACTICS

Hollywood has gone beyond the standard-issue frights in trying to find new ways to scare viewers. Here are three areas in which the networks are raising the fear factor:

Paranormal Shows: The smash hits "Lost" and "Medium" spawned an outbreak of shows ("Night Stalker," "Ghost Whisperer," "Surface") that deal with monsters, demons, and the cranky undead. "I think people come to these stories willingly . . . because there's always that element of disbelief," said Robert Singer of "Supernatural." "Probably, it's more enjoyable to watch than a show about a terrorist because terrorists really do scare you . . . these kind of shows scare you in a way you want to be scared."

Crime Shows: Perhaps the scariest shows are the ones that are the most plausible. From "CSI" to "Crossing Jordan," episodic crime dramas remain TV's most popular format. "People like to be jolted out of the mundaneness of their lives," said Greer Shephard of FX's "Nip/Tuck" and TNT's "The Closer." "Many of our days are routine and ritualistic, and there's something to be said to being yanked out it for a second or two. It's a type of adrenaline rush. It's the same type of experience you have when you go on a roller coaster."

Alien Shows: Life-forms from other planets never seem to arrive wanting to eat at our restaurants, shop at our malls or read Us Weekly. Shows such as "Invasion," "Threshold" and "The 4400" all feature aliens that want to conquer society and mutate our genetic makeup. Even on "Smallville," Clark Kent is the only nice guy from Krypton. "It's the fear of the unknown," said "Invasion's" Shaun Cassidy. "We assume the enemy is smarter than us."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/25/AR2005102501203_pf.html

From Zap2it (http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C97777%7C1%7C,00.html):
GeorgeLV is right, though -- even if Veronica Mars were on CBS and doubled its premiere audience to 6.6 million viewers, that'd still make it by far the lowest rated show on CBS.

The real difference would come in the marketting push CBS could put on for the show rather than UPN. That would be much more valuable then the extra markets that CBS has.

The real difference would come in the marketting push CBS could put on for the show rather than UPN. That would be much more valuable then the extra markets that CBS has.


Bingo!

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
'Grey' is a great 'Anatomy' lesson

By Scott D. Pierce Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News

Watching "Grey's Anatomy" is kind of like watching the plate spinners who used to appear from time to time on shows like "Ed Sullivan."

You know — plate spinners. The guys who would balance a piece of china on top of a stick and set it spinning. Then add another. And another. And another. Pretty soon you could hardly believe how many plates were up there spinning . . . and you were waiting for some of them to crash to the floor.

"Grey's Anatomy" has so many things spinning in midair that it's amazing — and highly entertaining — to watch. But I can't help but worry that some of those things are going to eventually come crashing down.

Sunday's episode (10 PM ET/PT) has a lot going on and takes a lot of wild turns. It's touching drama, laugh-out-loud comedy and excellent soap opera with a bit of gross-out medical-show stuff thrown in.

When last we left the medical staff of Seattle Grace Hospital, Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) had just told Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) — a k a "Dr. McDreamy" — that he had to choose between her and his estranged wife, Dr. Addison Shepherd (Kate Walsh) — and Meredith asked him to choose her. While she's waiting for him at the local watering hole, the survivors of a train wreck start coming into the hospital.

Meredith has been drinking, but the rest of the staff goes into action. At the top of the list are two strangers who have been pierced by the same pole, and removing it will kill one or the other of them.

It's a remarkably well-handled, touching storyline . . . contrasted with Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) running around trying to find the right severed leg to reattach to another patient.

As soap opera, "Grey's Anatomy" has been great. The characters ring true (despite the sometimes unbelievable medical cases they're faced with) and there are enough surprises to keep things interesting. So far, the writers haven't taken the easy way out. It would have been simple to make Addison a witch of an estranged wife as a contrast to Meredith, but — despite the fact that her separation from Derek is her fault — she's genuinely likable.

The biggest problem with "Grey's Anatomy" is worrying about the future. Because so many characters have so many interpersonal relationships, the show runs the risk of running out of things for them to do. We've seen it happen umpteen times before in everything from "Dallas" and "Dynasty" to "ER" and "L.A. Law."

That may prove to be a bigger problem for the actors than for the audience. The day may come when they're going to need to write in new characters and write out old characters.

For now, it's amazing how many plates are spinning.

http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635156978,00.html

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

The real difference would come in the marketting push CBS could put on for the show rather than UPN. That would be much more valuable then the extra markets that CBS has.I'm still not convinced that it'd be a hit on CBS. I adore Veronica Mars -- I just don't think it's the type of show that'll ever pull in 12 million viewers a week, regardless of reach or marketing push. I'm more concerned with longevity than ratings, and I think the show has a much stronger chance of survival as a medium-size fish in a small pond (the most recent episode pulled in 3.58 million viewers, making it the third most watched show on UPN that week) than a guppy in the CBS sea.

I agree, Adam. The other thing is that if the show were to move to CBS, everyone involved with the show would undoubtedly want more money and that would mean even more viewers would be needed for survival. Also, moving to CBS would bring a lot more pressure and influence on scripts, etc., and I think the show would slowly evolve into something quite different. IMHO, niche shows like this and Star Trek do just fine on networks like UPN and The WB where they capture enough of the 18-49 group to stay profitable (at least I assume it's profitable for UPN). I'm with you, I'd much rather they remain the medium-sized fish they are and continue for a few more years than try to fight the uphill battle to become big fish in a much bigger pond.

I agree, Adam. The other thing is that if the show were to move to CBS, everyone involved with the show would undoubtedly want more money and that would mean even more viewers would be needed for survival. Also, moving to CBS would bring a lot more pressure and influence on scripts, etc., and I think the show would slowly evolve into something quite different. IMHO, niche shows like this and Star Trek do just fine on networks like UPN and The WB where they capture enough of the 18-49 group to stay profitable (at least I assume it's profitable for UPN). I'm with you, I'd much rather they remain the medium-sized fish they are and continue for a few more years than try to fight the uphill battle to become big fish in a much bigger pond.

Yeah, even if you manage to suspend disbelief and convince yourself that CBS needs a teen drama in their lineup it helps to remember that if your show isn't named CSI the censors at CBS will butcher anything controversial. No matter how much we like the show, it is what it is -- a piece of the puzze for UPN to finally start competing with the WB.

The real difference would come in the marketting push CBS could put on for the show rather than UPN. That would be much more valuable then the extra markets that CBS has.Yes, but that approach would turn UPN into nothing more than the farm team for CBS, which is not the plan.

Yeah, even if you manage to suspend disbelief and convince yourself that CBS needs a teen drama in their lineup it helps to remember that if your show isn't named CSI the censors at CBS will butcher anything controversial. No matter how much we like the show, it is what it is -- a piece of the puzze for UPN to finally start competing with the WB.
I don't think CBS wants a teen drama on their schedule. That's what UPN is all about. Two networks, same bank account.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
“Bones”: Skull-duggery

By Matt Roush TV Guide

A mystery series with meat on its Bones

When you hear someone wonder aloud, "What's the fastest way to ship a human arm?" chances are good you're watching Bones. Here's a show CSI's Gil Grissom might even love.

You might think you can't possibly fit one more crime-solving procedural onto an overcrowded calendar, but consider giving Bones a break. Mixing the clinical with a refreshing dose of the whimsical, Bones returns November 1 from baseball hiatus with a terrific episode spotlighting the show's considerable charms.

By which I mean the chemistry between prickly forensic anthropologist/part-time novelist Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel in a role inspired by writer Kathy Reichs) and stoic sniper-turned-Fed Seeley Booth (Angel's David Boreanaz). They banter and bicker but are drawn to each other as they tackle exotic cases that often involve sifting through grisly remains and rebuilding skeletons.

Brennan is an antipeople person who, according to coworker Angela (the delightful Michaela Conlin), "has enough pent-up sexual energy to power a small Midwestern city." Booth, who insists on calling her "Bones," is empathetic and impulsive and regards her colorful team of science-lab "squints" with amused disdain.

This week, Brennan and Booth travel to Washington State when parts of a body are found inside a bear, with saw and bite marks indicating human cannibalism might be at work. Clues are found in bear droppings, prompting this gem of a line: "The skin in the scat has a sun on it." (The local sheriff's response: "What is that, a haiku?")

And you've got to admire a heroine who clocks a bad guy mid-confession, declaring, "Nobody wants to hear that rambling psycho speech." Gotta tell ya: This Dr. Bones has got some stones.

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

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Support for presidential dramas just doesn't add up

By Matthew Gilbert, Globe Staff | October 27, 2005

Look now, or you'll miss the fact that ''The West Wing" may be tumbling into the electronic dumpster.

Since NBC moved TV's most politically complex drama to Sunday nights at 8, its ratings have plummeted -- this despite a juicy White House leak plot with strong parallels to the Valerie Plame case. Now competing with ''Cold Case" and ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," the series has suffered a 30 percent decline in viewers from last season. Meanwhile, Geena Davis's ''Commander in Chief," ABC's simplistic ''West Wing" knockoff, has become an instant Nielsen Top 10 hit.

Go figure.

Not long ago, the crash of ''The West Wing" might have merited an indifferent shrug. So brilliantly charged in its early days, the drama underwent serious creative lows, both from creator Aaron Sorkin's excessive idealism and braininess and then from replacement producer John Wells's ill-advised character futzing. All the smarty-pants talk could be mind-numbing, despite the steadicam struts; and all the character nobility could be cringingly all-for-one-and-one-for-all. How about a few scoops of deep-seated cynicism on that pie in the sky?

But recently ''The West Wing" has reemerged creatively as a sharp epic about campaign chess gaming, with a fierce presidential contest between Alan Alda's liberal Republican and Jimmy Smits's unpolished Democrat. Now in its seventh season, the show is also profiling a two-term presidency as it awkwardly disbands. And it has cleverly enacted a timely plot about a White House leak to a now-jailed New York Times reporter.

Some longtime ''West Wing" watchers were disappointed that Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) was responsible for the leak, and not someone more flagrantly villainous. But it was more interesting to see the grim but loyal face of ''The West Wing" exposed for all his arrogance. With an almost violent suddenness, Allison Janney's C.J. Cregg stops talking to him, he is sequestered by lawyers, and Martin Sheen's Jed Bartlet refuses to offer even a morsel of support. In a scene on Sunday that played like a funeral for the show's residual giddy idealism, Bartlet coldly refuses to acknowledge any of Toby's moral reasoning for leaking information. He also refuses to accept Toby's resignation, preferring to terminate him.

So far in its run, ''Commander in Chief" is showing us it will not pursue this kind of moral layering and character depth. This approach may change once the show's new producer, Steven Bochco (''NYPD Blue," ''Hill Street Blues"), gets to put his fingerprints on the series, but its first episodes have been painfully naive. It plays out with all the intricacy and depth of an unrevisionist Western shootout between the good guys (Davis's President Mackenzie Allen and her team) and the bad guys (Donald Sutherland's Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton and his old-boy network). Surely the battles in the presidential office aren't quite so black and white, and surely they don't always end with a heroic flourish.

Regardless of whether you feel Davis brings enough gravitas to her role, or whether you feel her straining to bring gravitas to her role, her President Allen is written as a one-dimensional character. She's all triumph and virtue, ultimately overcoming all the obstacles -- including the sort of sexism that last Tuesday found Sutherland saying, ''It's so easy to deal with women if you just remember they're not men." If she is a positive fantasy about what might or might not happen with a female president in office, she is almost too positive to seem human and possible. Dramatically, she's predictable.

In each episode of ''Commander in Chief," President Allen seems to solve some major global issue with a political savvy for which her limited experience in government probably wouldn't have prepared her. One week she manipulates a Latin American country into overthrowing an evil dictator and puts its president back into office; the next, she gets a Russian premier to agree to help jailed journalists before she dances with him at a state dinner. There's no extended anatomy of political problems, like the leak story on ''The West Wing," just crises of the week.

President Allen's almost preternatural ability to resolve world events and know rare information recalls the least appealing images of President Bartlet through the years. And giving Allen stale family problems doesn't counterbalance those superhuman qualities. In the most obvious domestic issue the ''Commander in Chief" writers could tackle, the first female president is finding it hard to juggle career and family. Recently, in an embarrassingly obvious scene, her preteen daughter wanders into the Oval Office, where the secretary turns her away because she doesn't have an appointment. And husband Rod (Kyle Secor) gets tripped up once too often in male ego twists as the first First Gentleman.

''Commander in Chief" may rise to the occasion of its largeviewership. Let's hope it finds the grit to be less blandly heroic before, as with this season's ''West Wing," it's too late.

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2005/10/27/support_for_presidential_dramas_just_doesnt_add_up?mode=PF

Boy, does this review hit the nail on the head for me! I think a lot of folks are simply tired of watching real-life drama unfold on the news and then watching it again on one of their favorite dramas. I think too a lot of previous viewers might be thinking they know what's going to happen each week since the show has been pretty predictable in the recent past. I happen to think they are wrong and don't know what they are now missing.

Then too, Cold Case is a very good show and I suspect West Wing has been relegated to a recording. I time/day shift almost everything, so I watch both, but I'm not sure what I would have done at the beginning of the season if I had had to pick one or the other. I probably would have stuck with West Wing and caught Cold Case in reruns, but I can see why a lot of folks might have gone the other route.

There are also a lot of political reasons I can think of, but this is not the place to discuss all that. :)

Slain Young Actress Is Mourned
Tara Correa-McMullen had a TV role as a teenager killed while trying to turn her life around.
Last week, she was shot to death

By Amanda Covarrubias and David Pierson Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
(Times staff writers Claudia Luther and Richard Winton contributed to this report.)

When Tara Correa-McMullen was 14, she got the kind of big break that aspiring actors long for — a recurring role on the TV show "Judging Amy."

She played a former gang member who over the course of the season is urged by the show's main character to turn her life around. At the end of the season, however, her character is killed in prison.

Last week, Tara, 16, was hanging out with friends in front of an apartment complex in Inglewood when she was fatally shot. Police described her as the innocent victim of a gang-related shooting.

Friends, family and Hollywood colleagues gathered Friday to say goodbye to Tara, who died as she was struggling to build her career. This summer, 20th Century Fox released her first feature film, "Rebound," in which she played one of the middle school basketball players coached by Martin Lawrence.

They remembered a girl who loved to perform, playing the piano at age 4 and dancing and singing as a youngster.

They also remembered her as staying firmly grounded despite her rising star. On the set of "Rebound," her parents said in their eulogy, Tara made a point of eating with crew members rather than with the other actors. The crew brought her a cake to celebrate her 15th birthday on the set.

"She didn't judge anyone," her parents, Devora Correa and Thomas McMullen, wrote in the eulogy, which was read by an employee at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park Hollywood Hills. "Whether they were a grip or a caterer, it didn't matter to her. She made friends with everyone at every level."

"The girl stood out in a crowd," they added. "She had a special energy and an infectious personality."

Besides singing and acting, Tara loved to dance, practice martial arts and spend time with her family, her parents said. She was especially close to her older sister, Abigail, 18, and they would often sing together during family get-togethers.

Abigail sang "Amazing Grace" during the memorial service but had to stop when she was overcome by emotion. "I can't sing anymore," Abigail said tearfully as she walked from the podium.

Inglewood police said Tara was shot several times in the torso while standing outside an apartment complex on East Plymouth Street about 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 21. Two men were also shot but survived. Authorities said they didn't know why she was there. Detectives don't have any suspects, and they were unsure if the shooting was a drive-by or a walk-up crime.

"Not that she is a gang member, but she may have just been at the wrong place at the wrong time," said Sgt. Steve Overly.

Tara grew up on the East Coast and moved to Northern California in 1996 with her mother and sister. The family later moved to Venice, where Tara sang in the Venice High School choir and performed in several local dance groups.

She landed the "Rebound" role soon after, almost by chance. At the time, her mother was working in the office of a casting company. When officials expressed frustration that they were unable to cast the role of the only girl on a boys' basketball team, Correa mentioned that her youngest daughter, who had never acted before, might fit the bill.

"Even though she lacked a resume, the director went to bat for her," her parents said in the eulogy.

After wrapping the movie, which came out in July, she won the recurring role on "Judging Amy" that ran earlier this year.

She played a troubled and remorseless teenager, Graciela Reyes, who had been abandoned by her mother and two brothers who had fled to Guatemala. Judge Amy, played by Amy Brenneman, tries to turn Graciela's life around, but the teen gets involved in a drive-by shooting. Judge Amy attempts to prevent Graciela from being tried as an adult. She fails, but almost succeeds in getting her a new trial when Graciela is murdered in prison.

Friends at the funeral said Tara recently had been hanging out with a "bad crowd" in Inglewood.

The friends said the similarity between young Tara's life and that of her television character was eerie.

"This is life as art," said Cindy Osbrink, whose agency had represented Tara off and on for the last couple of years.

About halfway through Tara's appearance as Graciela, the actress became unreliable, Osbrink said, and the agency staff decided to pick her up and drive her to the day's shoot to make sure she showed up. After "Judging Amy," the agency dropped her as a client.

Osbrink said that Tara had come to see her several months ago, saying she wanted to continue acting, and was signed again. But when she missed an audition, she was dropped a second time.

"Needless to say, we are devastated," Osbrink said. "She had everything going for her."

Some friends who attended the funeral said Tara's mother had been trying to persuade her daughter to move to Glendale with her, but Tara wanted to stay in Inglewood with her older boyfriend.

"She was an angel," Tara's friend Maurice Tipton, 18, said before the service. "She had a lot of obstacles in her way that took her motivation away. She kind of went wherever she got attention. But she was a good person, a sweet, giving person who cared about people and didn't want to see people get hurt."

Tipton said that he had detected a change in Tara in recent weeks, and he felt that she was trying to get her life back in order.

"She was attending church every Sunday," Tipton said. "She wanted to sit there and turn to God."

Anyone with information about Tara's death is asked to call Inglewood homicide detectives at (310) 412-5246.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tara29oct29,1,7724230,print.story

I don't think CBS wants a teen drama on their schedule. That's what UPN is all about. Two networks, same bank account.

So let's use that logic in reverse. How about a ratings challenged CBS show (think Joan of Arcadia) flipping to UPN? I'm sure it would get better ratings than much (if not all) of the UPN schedule.

So let's use that logic in reverse. How about a ratings challenged CBS show (think Joan of Arcadia) flipping to UPN? I'm sure it would get better ratings than much (if not all) of the UPN schedule.After harboring Wolf Lake, Roswell, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, UPN doesn't want to be thought of as the repository for other networks' castoffs anymore.

So let's use that logic in reverse. How about a ratings challenged CBS show (think Joan of Arcadia) flipping to UPN? I'm sure it would get better ratings than much (if not all) of the UPN schedule.
Might have worked although it may have been too expensive. Some pretty high-dollar actors on that show(Mantegna and Steenburgen).

Boy, does this review hit the nail on the head for me! I think a lot of folks are simply tired of watching real-life drama unfold on the news and then watching it again on one of their favorite dramas. I think too a lot of previous viewers might be thinking they know what's going to happen each week since the show has been pretty predictable in the recent past. I happen to think they are wrong and don't know what they are now missing.

Then too, Cold Case is a very good show and I suspect West Wing has been relegated to a recording. I time/day shift almost everything, so I watch both, but I'm not sure what I would have done at the beginning of the season if I had had to pick one or the other. I probably would have stuck with West Wing and caught Cold Case in reruns, but I can see why a lot of folks might have gone the other route.

There are also a lot of political reasons I can think of, but this is not the place to discuss all that. :)

Personally, I enjoy both White House shows (and "Cold Case", too!) and post reviews and articles about them because I hope you will find them interesting.

I must say I appreciate the fact that so many of you read them and yet manage to stay away from the political quagmires that envelop so many discussions about either "The West Wing" or "Commander In Chief" in other threads.

So let's use that logic in reverse. How about a ratings challenged CBS show (think Joan of Arcadia) flipping to UPN? I'm sure it would get better ratings than much (if not all) of the UPN schedule.

As Adam said, UPN has a policy of not taking shows from other networks in place now. Even if that policy was not in place I don't think you'd get the entire audience to change over because UPN still lacks affiliates compared to the Big 4 and the WB. Even where they are on it's often a difficult to receive low-power station, cable only, or a secondary affiliate that show UPN programming out of slot. I'm in a top 50 market and I can only see my UPN because DirecTV chooses to carry their low power Class A station in the locals package -- Dish Network does not.

Rivera Promises Hard News, Less Commentary On Syndicated Show

The Tampa Tribune---Geraldo Rivera has always been a larger-than-life celebrity journalist, so his new syndicated show, "Geraldo at Large," has a fitting title.

The 62-year-old reporter says he wants to finish his career with at least one more hit.

"I'm going to give it my best shot," he said in a recent telephone interview. "It will be news with passion, which is the hallmark of Fox News."

Rivera's half-hour news-commentary program will air at various times on Fox Owned and Operatyed stations, beinning Monday night (Oct. 31).

Taped "live" at 4 p.m., "Geraldo at Large" will air at various times throughout the country (from 6:30 to 11 p.m.). It replaces the canceled "A Current Affair."

Rivera said the program will be like his "Geraldo at Large" weekend show, which has been on Fox News Channel, but with less commentary.

Rivera said the daily "Geraldo at Large" is groundbreaking because it's the first attempt to produce a syndicated "hard news" program.

It's also the first time a cable network -- Fox News Channel -- has produced a syndicated newscast.

All the Fox News Corp. stations, including WTVT, are carrying it.

Fox officials deny it, but some industry observers say "Geraldo at Large" is the first step toward developing a Fox News program to compete with newscasts on NBC, CBS and ABC.

"We will be covering the big story or big issue of the day as well as two other stories," Rivera said.

Fox News veteran reporters Phil Keating and Laura Ingle and newcomer Laurie Dhue, a former CNN anchor, will contribute.

Rivera joined Fox News Channel in November 2001 as a war correspondent stationed in Afghanistan.

"I was deployed six times to Iraq, five times to Afghanistan. I've been to Somalia, Sudan, Colombia, the West Bank, Lebanon, Gaza," he said. "I've put in a lot of time in the trenches, and we're going to keep covering the war on terrorism."

Rivera said some people were surprised when Fox News President Roger Ailes hired him.

"I was one of Bill Clinton's most ardent supporters during the impeachment," Rivera said.

Many Fox viewers are conservatives, and they viewed Rivera as a product of the so-called "liberal" media.

"Roger and I go back a long way," Rivera said. "He asked me to take on this new job, and I trust his judgment.

"I've still got a lot of fight and passion in me, and I want to keep going as long as I can -- Mike Wallace is my hero."

Married five times, Rivera rose to fame in the 1980s as one of the original reporters on ABC's "Good Morning America" and as a crusading reporter on "20/20."

He had a syndicated talk show from 1987 to 1998 before working for CNBC and NBC News.

Coming in April is the 20th anniversary of Rivera's memorable 1986 prime time special "The Secrets of Al Capone's Vaults," in which he watched as workmen tore into an old vault discovered in a hotel owned by the Chicago mobster and found two empty gin bottles.

http://walttv.tbo.com/walttv/MGB37BHUFFE.html

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Commanding respect
Donald Sutherland is an august presence,
be it TV, film or just as himself

By Susan King Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 30, 2005

DONALD Sutherland is intimidating. Perhaps it is his stature — he's 6 feet 4 — or the shock of white hair or the piercing blue eyes. Maybe it's that voice, filled with gravitas.

"What are we talking about?" he asks in a businesslike manner at the outset of a recent interview.

A little bit of everything.

Sutherland, a fit, handsome 70, is everywhere these days. He's stealing scenes as Geena Davis' nemesis, House Speaker Nathan Templeton, in this season's only breakout hit, ABC's "Commander in Chief."

The Canadian-born actor also gives a winsome performance as the father of five daughters in the new feature version of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," which opens Nov. 11.

And he's the subject of an American Cinematheque retrospective at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica today, Wednesday and Thursday.

Initial impressions of Sutherland are deceiving. Funny, articulate, passionate about his craft and the proud father of five children, including "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, the actor turns out to be less a lion than a charming pussycat.

Q: With your film career thriving, what prompted you to do a series?

Donald Sutherland: I made a decision to do a pilot. Rod Lurie came to me a couple of years ago about doing a film called "West Point." He came back and said we have this character [in "Commander"]. It was a wonderful script and a wonderful idea, and I admire Geena immensely. And so I said sure. The idea was that if it were to be picked up, that was fine because my wife and I decided we would be here with the three boys in Los Angeles. To be frank, I didn't think it would be picked up because it was so good….

I was in a quandary when we started to work because I am so used to a beginning, a middle and the end [for a character], and this has no middle or no end. Then about three weeks into it, I discovered I was a Dickens character in the author's head and I was creating my own life. My relationship with Rod was really fantastic in terms of creativity. We were bound by osmosis. It was just wonderful.

Q: You've said in the past that you didn't like working with the same director twice. But in television, you frequently work with the same director.

Donald Sutherland: That has kind of gone by the board. Rod directed a couple at the beginning, and then we had some other guys come in. I transferred all my affection for a director, which has been tradition in my life, to the producer and creator. Now, given the change that's taken place, I am going to transfer that affection to Steven Bochco [who replaced Lurie Oct. 7].

Q: Have you met with Bochco?

Donald Sutherland: I have been with him a couple of times. He came in and put his arm on my shoulder, and I felt like I had known him for 20 years.

Q: But it must have been difficult to lose Lurie.

Donald Sutherland: It was like a death in the family. It is very painful. But I am really looking forward to the particular kind of discipline I know Steven will bring to it. It was inherent in all of the talks that we had. There is a particular kind of security an actor can find in that.

Q: You have always been politically active on the liberal side, especially during the Vietnam War. So what is it like for you playing a conservative?

Donald Sutherland: I have played guys who have killed people, and I have played guys who made love with their daughters.

Q: What movie was that?

Donald Sutherland: "Benefit of the Doubt" with Amy Irving….[Templeton] is a man, and you will find out that he has a wife of however many years. I actually love him. His politics are not the same as my politics, but they are his politics.

Q: You must be excited with the retrospective, especially the selections this week: "MASH," "Klute" and "Don't Look Now."

Donald Sutherland: I remember Connie Hall [the late cinematographer Conrad Hall]. He was buying a suit on Rodeo Drive. I said, "How are you doing?" and he said, "I am doing great. I am doing all of these retrospectives. I think I'm going to die." And there is that little bit of that about it. I have to be truthful — I am still looking forward when I look back. All I see are mistakes.

Q: So you don't look at your old films?

Donald Sutherland: I do look, and sometimes I've thought maybe I would have been better than that, but I wasn't. I enjoy it, actually. I have such a selective memory. When you are working on a picture, all of your concentration, all of your intensity is directed toward the heart of it, to such a degree it burns inside of you. Then after it's over, it's gone. My being obliterates everything about it. I don't have a natural easy social memory of it as if it was something that was a part of my life.

Q: In "Pride and Prejudice," you and Keira Knightley, who plays your favorite daughter, Elizabeth, have a great bond on screen.

Donald Sutherland: She is really grand to work with — to watch the intensity that she applies herself and the discipline and the ability, the rigor to not get involved in all of the wasting of time that happens on set. We rehearsed for two or three weeks before filming, and we had a family.

Q: You and Kiefer appeared in "A Time to Kill," though you didn't have any scenes together. Are you going to ever do a film together?

Donald Sutherland: We were going to make a movie years ago. It fell apart for me and I kind of let him down, which I am really sorry about. There was something [about it] that wasn't right for me. So who knows? He's a wonderful actor.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-ca-brief30oct30,0,3021422,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

I wonder if Donald Sutherland ever gets asked in a serious interview about how he destroyed the Buffy feature film to such an extent that he inspired Joss Whedon to redo it in what became of the more sucessfull cult franchises in history.

It would be an interesting last question, George, especially if the interviewer never wanted to speak with him again. :)

THE NOVEMBER SWEEPS
Disasters sweep television

By Virginia Rohan Bergen Record Staff Writer

Just when you thought it was safe to ease up on the panic button...

Along comes Nerve-racking November!

As if we haven't seen enough natural disasters on the news lately, the networks are about to embark on a sweeps period heavy with natural and man-made catastrophes. In addition to CBS' cheery miniseries sequel, "Category 7: The End of the World," and NBC's scary remake of "The Poseidon Adventure" - updated with a terrorist bomb plot - regular series will feature even more murder and mayhem than usual.

Another major character supposedly will be killed off in the Nov. 9 episode of "Lost."

The detectives of "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: NY" will jointly track a serial killer up and down the East Coast.

And though it's not quite sweeps yet, even "Grey's Anatomy" gets into the act tonight (Sunday, Oct. 30th 10:01 PM ET/PT), with an "ER"-like episode that has the doctors putting aside their personal dilemmas as they race to save victims of a devastating train derailment.

It's not all doom and gloom, of course. There are also comedy and music specials - country music is especially popular this November - as well as "heartwarming" movies, and attention-getting gimmicks. "The West Wing," for example, will feature a live debate between the fictional presidential candidates, and "Medium" has a 3-D episode. Naturally, there are also very special guest stars. One example: Bruce Willis drops by Fox's "That '70s Show" by invitation of pal Ashton Kutcher, who's newly married to Willis' ex-wife, Demi Moore.

Then, too, this sweeps period, which runs Nov. 3-30, did narrowly avert yet another big night of disaster - when NBC decided to postpone its sequel miniseries "10.5: Apocalypse," in which killer earthquakes continue to threaten the United States. NBC planned it for Nov. 27 and 29, but the network postponed it until some time next year, giving no reason for the change. Considering Pakistan's recent catastrophic quake, it may have been for sensitivity reasons. Then again, the beleaguered Peacock may have been just trying to avoid the label "NBC - the disaster network."

Here's a look at some of TV's noteworthy November nights ahead.

Doomsday scenarios

"Category 7: The End of the World": "Category 6: Day of Destruction" ended with a catastrophic weather system wiping out Chicago. Now, the disastrous storm gathers even more strength in this two-parter and starts to ravage the rest of the world (as a televangelist broadcasts alarming warnings of epic biblical plagues). (9 PM ET/PT Nov. 6 and 13, CBS)

"The Poseidon Adventure": In this three-hour, effects-laden remake of the classic 1972 disaster film, the majestic S.S. Poseidon departs from Cape Town on a monthlong cruise but doesn't get far before terrorists detonate a bomb that blows a hole in the ship's hull, causing it to capsize. (8 PM ET/PT Nov. 20, NBC)

Christmas in November

"Snow Wonder": A Christmas Eve snowstorm brings miracles to people around the country. Mary Tyler Moore, Camryn Manheim, Jennifer Esposito, Eric Szmanda, Poppy Montgomery and Jason Priestley star in five unconnected stories. (9 PM ET/PT Nov. 20, CBS)

"Silver Bells": This Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation casts Anne Heche and Tate Donovan as a young widow and a widower with children who "come together during the holiday season." (9 PM ET/PT Nov. 27, CBS)

"Christmas in Rockefeller Center": NBC presents its eighth annual national telecast of the famed Christmas tree's lighting in this one-hour special, featuring stars and musical performances. (8 PM ET/PT Nov. 30)

A little bit country

"The 39th Annual Country Music Association Awards": Martina McBride, Gretchen Wilson, Brooks & Dunn, Lee Ann Womack, Keith Urban and other country stars perform, live from Madison Square Garden. (8 PM ET/PT Nov. 15, CBS)

"I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash": Sheryl Crow, Foo Fighters, Norah Jones, Kid Rock, U2 and others turn out to honor the late legend. (8 PM ET/PT, Nov. 16, CBS)

"The Faith Hill Special"": In this "eventful" (oh, my) one-hour special - Hill's second on NBC - the country-music superstar takes center stage. (9 PM ET/PT Nov. 23, NBC)

"Kenny Chesney: Somewhere in the Sun": The one-hour special juxtaposes the hot country star's high-energy sold-out stage shows with his life out of the spotlight. (8 PM ET/PT Nov. 23, ABC)

Very special episodes

"The West Wing": Congressman Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Sen. Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) will engage in a live debate. Though the actors will be somewhat prepared, they'll do a lot of improvising. (8 PM ET/PT next Sunday, NBC)

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent": In a two-hour "movie" episode, both sets of "CI" detectives - Goren and Eames (Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe) and Logan and Barek (Chris Noth and Annabella Sciorra) - probe the disappearance of an Iowa teen, gone missing during a school trip to New York. (9 PM ET/PT next Sunday, NBC)

"Medium" in 3-D: NBC will distribute 3-D glasses to viewers for "an enhanced look" at this episode, in which Allison (Patricia Arquette) comes to realize there is an added dimension to the way she experiences art. The disturbing, three-dimensional images she sees in one man's work lead her to believe he may have a deadly secret. (10 PM ET/PT Nov. 21, NBC)

"The Simpsons: Tree House of Horror XVI": It's the annual "ghoultide" trilogy, folks. First up: "B.I.: Bartificial Intelligence," in which Bart's in a coma after attempting to jump from the roof into a swimming pool, and his family copes by taking in a robotic boy who proves to be a better son. (8 PM ET/PT next Sunday, Fox)

"Reunion": When the '90s dawn in this mystery drama, viewers will learn the identity of the murder victim. (9 PM ET/PT Nov. 10, Fox)

"Prison Break": In the show's "explosive fall finale," the inmate conspirators will finally make a break for it - with Lincoln's execution just minutes away. (9 PM ET/PT Nov. 28, Fox)

"Without a Trace": For the first time, the show will unfold from the point of view of the missing person's loved ones - the parents (Laurie Metcalf, Matt Craven) of a missing 15-year-old boy. (10 PM ET/PT Nov. 17, CBS)

Guest appearances

"Two and a Half Men": Martin Sheen drops by son Charlie's sitcom, playing Harvey, the father of Rose, TV Charlie's amiable stalker neighbor, who's determined to get the inveterate Hollywood player to love her. (9 PM ET/PT Nov. 7, CBS)

"Half & Half": Jaleel White - the immortal Urkel on "Family Matters" - plays an old high school pal Mona sees at her 10-year reunion. (9:30 PM ET/PT Nov. 7, UPN)

"Veronica Mars": Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," makes his acting debut as a rental car agent in an episode that also has Harry Hamlin's character facing trial for Lili's murder. (9 PM ET/PT Nov. 9, UPN)

"Stacked": Kid Rock guest-stars in the season premiere of ex-squeeze Pamela Anderson's sitcom as a delivery man who becomes entranced with her Skyler character. (8:30 PM ET/PT Nov. 9, Fox)

"That '70s Show": Bruce Willis, who's donating his fee to aid Hurricane Katrina victims, plays Vic, a fast-talker with a bad toupee and thick glasses who's head of security at Chicago's Playboy Club and interviews Ashton Kutcher's Kelso for a security position there. (8 PM ET/PT Nov. 16, Fox)

"Alias": Michael Vartan, whose Vaughn character was apparently killed off recently, returns to guest star, and photos from the episode show him kissing a very pregnant Sydney (Jennifer Garner, Vartan's ex-girlfriend in real life). Is it all just a dream? (8 p.m. Nov. 17, ABC)

http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNjcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cW VlRUV5eTY4MDEyMDAmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3

The Big Change at CBS News
A Team Builder in TV Sports Confronts the Challenges of CBS News
By Richard Sandomir The New York Times October 31, 2005

At his first editorial meeting of the "CBS Evening News" since being named president of CBS News last week, Sean McManus listened to the proposed rundown for that night's program: Harriet E. Miers's troubled nomination for the Supreme Court, the possible indictments of I. Lewis Libby Jr. and Karl Rove in connection with the leaking of the name of a C.I.A. agent, the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma and the World Series victory of the Chicago White Sox.

"Then they said, 'Sean, what are your thoughts?' " recalled Mr. McManus, who will remain as president of CBS Sports. "I just said, 'You have to move the White Sox to the top of the show, which is more important than all the Harriet Miers stuff.' There was complete panic in everyone's eyes, like 'Is this guy serious?' I heard the pause and I said, 'Come on.' "

Bob Schieffer, the interim anchor of the "Evening News," who attended the meeting, said he played along with Mr. McManus's ruse.

"That's what we're doing Sunday on 'Face the Nation,' " he said.

Mr. McManus, 50, said he had not thought about leading the news division until the CBS chairman, Leslie Moonves, asked him last month to assume the kind of dual role established in the 1970's and 80's by Roone Arledge, as the president of both ABC Sports and ABC News.

In that new role, he faces a considerable challenge: to rebuild the reputation of CBS News after its flawed report last year about President Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service. That was followed by Dan Rather's retirement as the anchor of the "CBS Evening News," which was in third place among network news programs. CBS is now looking for an appealing, long-term successor.

Mr. McManus will also be called on to rebuild the prestige of the news department, which has been driven for years by outsize personalities like Mr. Rather and Don Hewitt, the former executive producer of "60 Minutes."

In some ways, his challenge at CBS News is not dissimilar to the one he faced when he took over the sports division in 1996, although the stakes are much different. Morale there was low because of the devastating loss two years earlier of National Football League broadcast rights - television's marquee sport and a program of CBS's for 38 years.

The network still had top-tier golf, tennis and college sports events, but with the N.F.L. rights gone to the freer-spending Fox Network, it was diminished.

Mr. McManus - who is the son of the ABC sportscaster Jim McKay, and like his father, a low-key personality - proved to be an effective private negotiator and an adroit public spokesman for CBS Sports.

Lance Barrow, the lead producer of golf and football for CBS Sports, said, "What News will learn is that Sean knows what producers and directors and on-air talent want; he knows what they're going through."

In 1998 Mr. McManus, with the backing of Mr. Moonves, reacquired N.F.L. rights (Mr. McManus lighted a prayer candle at St. Patrick's Cathedral on his way to submit the winning bid), renewed the deal for the N.C.A.A. men's basketball tournament at $6 billion over 11 years, and reorganized CBS Sports into a more efficient operation.

"He came in and didn't make sweeping changes," said Jim Nantz, CBS's lead announcer for football, golf and the N.C.A.A. men's tournament.

CBS had to increase credibility, "our events and our audience," Mr. Nantz said.

"And as much as you'd like it to happen next Monday, it takes time to develop that attitude. We're at that place right now, and Sean made that happen."

Greg Gumbel, the host of "The N.F.L. Today," CBS's Sunday pregame program, went to NBC Sports after CBS lost the football rights, but returned at Mr. McManus's request when the network regained them. "I've seen previous regimes where people seemed a bit lost," he said, but now, "Sean maintains terrific relationships with the N.F.L., the P.G.A. Tour and the N.C.A.A. You can't put a price or a value on that."

Mr. McManus knows he cannot remedy problems at CBS News by acquiring the rights to an event like a presidential election or a papal conclave. And the question of a suitable anchor for the evening newscast may be the most immediate problem.

It will indeed be a more serious personnel test for Mr. McManus than nurturing the career of David Feherty, a wacky Irish-born golf analyst, or replacing the golf producer Frank Chirkinian with Mr. Barrow, whom Mr. McManus also elevated to be the top producer of N.F.L. games.

Mr. McManus said he would use his success at CBS Sports in hiring and assigning talent as the basis for what he will do at the "Evening News."

"I'd like to think I have a pretty good eye for talent and what works on television," he said. "The issue on the 'Evening News' is multifaceted. A primary one is who the anchor or anchors will be, if indeed we have anchors, an ensemble, or one or two. But story selection is important, stories that resonate with people at home. The journalism has to be there, but stories have to make people say, 'I relate to this.' "

He continued: "It's not whether the 'Evening News' is relevant. It's whether I can make it more relevant to viewers. I don't find third place acceptable, but I know movement in ratings is glacial. People's viewing habits are incredibly strong."

He has learned the difficulties of building an ensemble at "The N.F.L. Today." While its cast is now stable, Mr. McManus jettisoned everyone in the first cast in 1998 except for Mr. Nantz, and tinkered through last year.

"We took some risks, made some mistakes and made some decisions we shouldn't have made," he said. "But the big difference is that whoever is going to be on the 'Evening News' is not someone newly retired from professional sports or someone who hasn't done studio work before."

Last year, Mr. McManus engineered, by sports standards, a stunning job swap between Mr. Nantz and Mr. Gumbel, which made Mr. Nantz the No. 1 N.F.L. announcer and Mr. Gumbel host of "The N.F.L. Today." They were reluctant at first, but adapted easily.

Mr. Nantz said the experience with "The N.F.L. Today" should not reflect on Mr. McManus's ability to fix the "CBS Evening News." The sports program, he said, is hindered by a contract with the American Football Conference that provides it with fewer large-market teams than Fox's agreement with the National Football Conference agreement does. Fox's entertainment-oriented pregame show has been higher rated.

"He's covering news now," Mr. Nantz said. "Not A.F.C. news, while NBC and CNN are covering N.F.C. news. It's a level playing ground."

Mr. McManus has had past dealings with CBS News, working closely with Andrew Heyward, whom he will replace on Nov. 7, to balance coverage of the House vote in 1998 on the impeachment of President Clinton with a Saturday afternoon N.F.L. game, then determining how to televise the start of the war in Iraq in March 2003, which coincided with the start of the N.C.A.A. men's basketball tournament.

Referring to an arrangement by which all the CBS-produced games were shifted to a cable network, Mr. McManus said: "We'd gotten pretty good intelligence that the war would start that Thursday so Andrew, Leslie and I were in regular talks, which is when we set it up to move the games to ESPN during the day." I would say that Andrew and I spoke at least every 10 minutes during that entire weekend. Andrew would call the studio with updates. He'd say, 'O.K., I want to do a 30-second report, or nothing major happened, or we have all this new footage we can use in halftime."

Mr. McManus's pedigree gives him one advantage: as Mr. McKay's son, he has known Mr. Arledge since he was a child.

"Hopefully, through osmosis, some of what he did rubbed off," said Mr. McManus, whose CBS News appointment was not greeted with the bewilderment that attended Mr. Arledge's taking on ABC News. "It was joked that he'd turn the news into 'Monday Night Football,' " he said, but quickly added that Mr. Arledge succeeded in engaging the problems of each part of the broadcast schedule. "I've boned up on his moves," he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/31/business/31mcmanus.html?pagewanted=print

A number of you have voiced support for “Over There”. Here is a story from Weekly Variety detailing some of the problems the show faced:

FX between Iraq and a hard place
'Over There' winds down, too violent for some, too apolitical for others

By JOHN DEMPSEY Variety.com

FX tried its damnedest to avoid what it knew were the pitfalls facing "Over There," one of the riskiest TV series ever set in motion.

Because "Over There" was dealing directly with the Iraq War -- the first time a TV series had ever tackled an American war while it was still exploding in daily headlines -- FX made sure that the show played it down the middle, coming off as neither belligerently pro-war nor militantly anti-war.

FX commissioned one of the most respected TV producers in Hollywood, Steven Bochco ("NYPD Blue"), to create and produce it with Chris Gerolmo, a blue-chip screenwriter ("Mississippi Burning") and director.

Twentieth Century Fox TV, the production company, drew up a generous budget of $1.8 million an episode, making it one of the most expensive basic-cable series ever mounted.

Laying out multiple millions of dollars to promote the season premiere on July 27, FX harvested one of the biggest ratings for a new-show debut in the history of cable, a gaudy 4.06 million total viewers. Most of the reviewers recommended it. The show is "smart and engrossing," wrote Alessandra Stanley, TV critic of the New York Times, its battle scenes "expertly filmed."

Three months later, "Over There" has staggered to the end of a 13-week run, its total-viewer count having shrunk to an unacceptable 1.6 million. The last episode aired Oct. 26.

The show hoped to draw more than a million young women every week by setting many of the scenes in Homefront, USA, where the soldiers' families lived out their melodramatic lives. But after checking out the first episode, women deserted the show in vast numbers, presumably turned off by the graphic violence that made the combat scenes eye-popping but hard to watch.

Most observers echo John Barker, president of DZP Marketing, who says: "The odds were stacked against the show. It called up all sorts of turbulent feelings and made viewers uncomfortable, particularly if they had relatives in Iraq. For them, it was feel-bad TV."

Joe Turow, communications professor at the U. of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School, says he had a problem with what he calls "the lack of political context." Turow compares "Over There" unfavorably with HBO's "Rome," which can shift from the personal drama of two soldiers in Caesar's army to the skullduggery of senators in the Roman Forum hatching schemes to keep themselves in power.

By steering clear of the political big picture in the U.S., Turow says "Over There" dramatized only a portion of the complexity of the Iraq War.

Not taking sides also hurt "Over There." A series like "MASH" (CBS, 1972-83) could get away with criticizing the ongoing Vietnam War because it removed itself to the safe distance of the decades-old Korean conflict.

And "MASH" was a comedy, putting it at a further remove from the murderous violence of Vietnam, says Bob Thompson, director of Syracuse U.'s Center for the Study of Popular TV. He adds that TV sitcoms with a military setting -- like "Hogan's Heroes," "Gomer Pyle" and "McHale's Navy" -- tended to chalk up more viewers, and stay on the air longer, than the war-themed series like "Combat," "Rat Patrol" and "China Beach."

But Thompson liked "Over There" and dreaded FX's cancellation notice. "Unfortunately," he says, "creativity in TV usually means picking another city for the latest 'CSI' spinoff."

With this coming season likely to be the last for The Shield, FX is going to need something to fill the other 26 weeks Rescue Me and Nip/Tuck are not on. Maybe the upcoming Thief with Andre Braugher will gain enough audience, although I haven't seen anything mentioned about in months. It was supposed to begin in Nov but it's not even on the FX website anymore. Bummer, I've always enjoyed Braugher.

Me too, but lately he seems to be the kiss of death for any series.

I looked, this seemed the most logical forum to post in.


UNIVERSAL TO SUPPLY FILMS IN DIGITAL FORM
The Wall Street Journal, 10/31/2005


LOS ANGELES -- Universal Studios Inc. has struck an agreement to distribute its films to as many as 4,000 screens running new digital equipment in the U.S.

Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, will supply digital movies to theaters that install systems from Access Integrated Technologies Inc. and partner Christie, a unit of Japan's Ushio Inc. The deal is nonexclusive.

In recent weeks, Walt Disney Co. and News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox have struck similar deals. However, no theater chains have signed onto the Access IT and Christie plan. The companies say they are in talks with several exhibitors, and hope to have equipment installed in 4,000 theaters during the next two years.

Sending movies out in digital format costs much less than the $1,000 or so it takes to send each movie out on reels.

Access IT and Christie have devised a payment plan for converting theaters to digital that will cost the studios no more than paying for film prints.

Once costs for buying the digital projectors and servers are paid, sending prints in digital format could save the studios millions of dollars a year.

While hundreds of the nation's 36,000 screens have digital projectors, just a handful have the very advanced digital projectors that meet Hollywood's latest standards for digital cinema, announced in July. Benefits to consumers will include sharper pictures, with no scratches. Technicolor Inc., a unit of Thomson SA, is negotiating with studios on a similar plan.

DVDs Surge as Back-End TV Market
Series Sales on Disc Begin to Transform Economic Model of Television Business

By Kevin Brass Special to TelevisionWeek October 31, 2005

The tremendous ongoing sales boom in TV shows released on DVD has begun affecting every aspect of the TV industry, from production to marketing.

Suppliers are rushing to mine the vaults. Actors, writers and producers are demanding a piece of the pie. Networks are developing "DVD-friendly" shows. And the phenomenon has sparked new cooperation between television and home video divisions.

"Honestly, a decade ago I don't think I could have picked anyone from the home video division out of a lineup," said Gary Newman, president of 20th Century Fox Television. Now he stays in regular contact with his sister division, involving it at every level, including series pitches.

Fox's "Prison Break," an hour-long drama, might not have made the cut without the prospect of a life in the DVD market, Mr. Newman said.

"We used to ask 'Is this something that will travel to Europe? Will it have syndication value?'" Mr. Newman said. "Now the question we ask is 'Does this feel like a DVD property?'"

The success this fall of season packages of such series as "24," "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives"-

released before the start of the new season, once unthinkable-has officially destroyed traditional video release windows.

Any concerns about possible negative impact on the long-term value of a property by releasing it on DVD during its broadcast run were steamrolled by the revenue numbers. The August release of the second season of "The O.C.," for example, shipped more than 225,000 copies and generated retail revenue of $11 million, according to Home Media Retailing, an industry trade magazine.

After barely generating a blip of revenue in the heyday of VHS, TV programming is the fastest-growing sector in the DVD industry. This year alone consumers will spend more than $3 billion on TV programming on DVD, up from $2.3 billion in 2004, according to Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen. With few blockbuster theatrical hits on the slate, TV on DVD may account for as much as 25 percent of DVD revenues this year, studio executives say.

For this holiday season there is actual buzz in the home video industry over the expected release of such titles as "SeaQuest DSV," Steven Spielberg's splashy underwater series from the early '90s, and the first season of "The Rockford Files," not to mention the coveted fourth-season set of "The Brady Bunch."

The newfound TV money couldn't come at a better time for the industry. Overall, DVD sales are slowing, showing the first signs of a mature market. With 75 million U.S. households owning at least one DVD player, 2005 might be the first year without a double-digit increase in player sales since the format's launch in 1997, according to figures compiled by the Digital Entertainment Group, an industry organization.

Even more troubling for home video divisions, sales of theatrical new releases on DVD are flattening, according to industry analyst Tom Adams, president of Adams Media Research. As recently as 2002 television represented only 5 percent of the DVD business; by 2004 it was up to 18 percent, according to Mr. Adams.

Television programming is "a much smaller percentage of units [shipped], but the price is higher" than theatrical releases, Mr. Adams said. While the release of a new movie may command $20, a boxed season set of a top television series can easily fetch $150.

TV product "has really propped up the market quite a bit on the heels of a slow box office period," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix, an online DVD rental site. TV programming now represents 15 percent of Netflix's rental business, he said. Shows like the short-lived Comedy Central series "Strangers With Candy" have broken out as hits among customers who may not have heard of the show during its original run. "To them, it's not an old cult show that aired five years ago; it's brand-new programming," Mr. Sarandos said.

From "Freaks and Geeks" to "The Oblongs," DVD fans have shown a voracious appetite for TV programs that, in some cases, they barely watched on network TV.

"What we didn't expect is for a show like 'Sledgehammer' to really jump out," said Mark Ward, VP of acquisitions for Anchor Bay Entertainment. The indie supplier also found success with a season package of "Profit," the Stephen J. Cannell production canceled by Fox after only four episodes aired in 1996. The disc includes four episodes that never aired. "DVD buyers are collectors," Ward said. "VHS was looked at as a rental market."

In the VHS era, the only shows that posted significant sales were cult science-fiction classics like "The Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek." Few consumers were eager to shell out, say, $400 for a 20-tape collection of "The Monkees," and even fewer were willing to devote the shelf space necessary to maintain their Monkees obsession.

But DVD is a perfect fit for TV programming, allowing multiple episodes to be indexed on one disc, with a much cheaper manufacturing cost. With high-volume runs, a five-disc set can cost as little as $5 to $10 in replication costs. "It doesn't take much to make it worthwhile to put out there," said Ralph Tribbey, a former MGM Home Entertainment executive who now publishes the DVD Release Report.

In the early days of DVD the studios approached TV programming with the same attitude of the VHS days, focusing on old science-fiction series and little else. But the meteoric adoption of DVD quickly changed the business.

"Once the market had enough installed base, if you were just partially successful you might sell 20,000 to 30,000 units," Mr. Tribbey said.

The success of "Family Guy" was a landmark, providing a bright red flare that DVD was more than simply an aftermarket. Various releases of "Family Guy" sold more than 3 million units, according to industry estimates, a key factor in Fox's decision to revive the long-dead series, which was also finding a new audience on the Cartoon Network.

As the market grew, suppliers quickly learned that DVD buyers are different from earlier video consumers. TV was a low-price impulse buy in the VHS era. But DVD buyers take TV seriously and want to buy complete series sets, not compilations or single episodes. "We found that one person's 'best of ...' is not necessarily another's," said Steve Feldstein, senior VP of corporate and marketing communications for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

After initially releasing titles in drips, the industry has almost completely shifted toward series packages. In 2004 suppliers released 445 multidisc packages, compared with only 352 single-disc offerings, according to DVD Release Report.

"Late adopters are not like early collectors," said Kate Winn, VP of sales and marketing for A&E Home Entertainment. "They like the idea of buying a big set to jump-start their collection. They like the idea of a library in a box."

Like most suppliers, A&E spends a considerable amount of time these days interacting with TV fans, attempting to figure out what they want. For releases of "Kids in the Hall" and "Thunderbirds," A&E allowed fans to vote online for their favorite episodes to be included on discs. When Fox released the series set of the quickly canceled "Wonderfalls" earlier this year, it staged the announcement on a fan site that had been clamoring for the release of the series. The series package sold more than 25,000 units in stores during the first two weeks, according to industry reports.

To appease the hardcore fans, the new generation of TV DVDs are full of the kinds of extras found on theatrical releases-commentaries, deleted scenes and outtakes. DVDs are now seen as extensions of the series. The DVD of the first season of the American version of "The Office," released in August, included enough deleted and extended scenes to piece together two new episodes.

Fox is even shooting special scenes for the upcoming DVD editions of "24," part of a newfound enthusiasm for integrating the series and video releases.

Some suppliers have learned the hard way that TV buyers are fickle and attentive. Hardcore fans of "The Cosby Show" and "Alf" were outraged when discs were released with only the shortened syndicated versions of each episode. When Universal Studios Home Entertainment released the second season of "Quantum Leap" with different music than that of original airing, fans let them know they weren't happy. Universal now includes a notice on boxes if the music has changed.

"With the Internet and blog sites, you can't get away with anything," Tribbey said.

Trying to determine which series will prompt a wave of obsessive buying has become one of the biggest guessing games in the industry. On TVshowsonDVD.com, the most requested series at the moment are "Beverly Hills 90210" and "JAG." The third-most requested series of "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.," which starred geek icon Bruce Campbell.

With 75 million DVD households, even a show with a tiny cult following can find an audience. A season set of a modest classic series might ship 12,000 to 15,000 units, priced anywhere from $30 to $50, industry executives say.

"It's not enormously expensive to market these things," said Arny Schorr, president of S'More Entertainment, which is releasing Wally Cox's 1952 classic "Mr. Peepers" and "Lotsa Luck," the short-lived 1973 series starring Dom DeLuise. "These collectors are avid and they talk among themselves. It's like a virus. It spreads."

Mr. Schorr doesn't rely on traditional brick-and-mortar stores, which account for about 60 percent to 65 percent of sales. "The only saturation point is in terms of shelf space [in stores], not the consumer," Mr. Schorr said.

But there are now almost 3,000 TV releases on the market-including more than 700 in 2005 alone-according to the DVD Release Report. After exhausting season compilations, suppliers are turning to themed packages focusing on a particular story arc or a character's best episodes to keep franchises alive in stores.

"What's happening now is they've pretty much burned through the premium content and are getting low into the coffers," said Jerilyn Kessel, an industry analyst.

Releases of current shows may be popular with renters, but they won't spark the same buying frenzy, she believes. "People are still under the misconception that everybody is buying," she said.

http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=28924

I am also looking forward to Thief. I was under the impression that it wasn't to begin until early 2006. Also, I believe the series was to take place in New Orleans which might cause problems. Just found this item. http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051018/NEWS01/510180324/1002/NEWS01
Looks like filming has begun in Shreveport.

THE NOVEMBER SWEEPS
Hey, look out! Disaster flicks are back on TV

By Charlie McCollum San Jose Mercury News Mon, Oct. 31, 2005

Last season, the television networks discovered that a 1970s genre -- the old-fashioned, Irwin Allen-esque disaster flick -- could still ``fill the seats.''

Both NBC's ``10.5'' (a series of quakes destroys the West Coast) and CBS's ``Category 6: Day of Destruction'' (really, really bad weather trashes Las Vegas and Chicago) pulled in surprisingly big ratings following Allen's tried-and-true formula. Start with a disaster -- often caused by man's stupidity (global warming is the current fave), take out some well-known landmarks (downtown L.A. is always good), mix in a cast of semi-famous actors who had nothing better to do with their time and toss with a few spicy special effects.

Never mind logic or good writing. It doesn't really matter and, often, the results are more enjoyable if everyone involved doesn't take their work seriously.

Television being a copycat medium, it was all but inevitable that having succeeded once, the networks would play the disaster card again. In fact, November was almost the perfect storm of disaster flicks with three originally on the schedule. NBC's ``10.5: Apocalypse'' -- a sequel to the original with earthquakes spreading across the United States -- has been pushed back to next year. But that still leaves us with the NBC remake of ``The Poseidon Adventure'' (one of Allen's signature films) on Nov. 20 and CBS's ``Category 7: End of the World,'' a two-part miniseries that begins this week (9 PM ET/PT Sunday and Nov. 13, CBS).

Now, ``Category 6'' was a bad disaster film. Not good-bad like ``10.5,'' which was so preposterous (watch a bike messenger outrun the collapsing Space Needle in Seattle) that it was good for howls of laughter. Nope, ``Category 6'' was just badly written and badly acted with special effects that were a pale imitation of what you would get in a theatrical film like 2004's ``The Day After Tomorrow.''

But as bad as the original was, the sequel is even worse. Plus, there's something rather disturbing about a really awful film with echoes of weather catastrophes such as hurricanes Katrina and Wilma including an ineffectual FEMA, government officials who can't get a grip on the situation and frantic evacuees fleeing the oncoming storms.

The producers of ``Category 7'' are calling this timely, but it really borders on insensitivity. It certainly left a bad taste in my mouth.

To make matters worse, the creators have layered on a terrorist subplot involving some televangelists who are using the storms as an excuse to proclaim the end of days and go to extreme measures to prove their prophecy is correct. (At least James Brolin and Swoosie Kurtz as the evangelists have a grand ol' time hamming it up.)

The rest of the cast is sprinkled with recognizable faces, including Randy Quaid, the only actor dumb enough to reprise his role from ``Category 6,'' Gina Gershon as the head of FEMA (what?) and -- in what may be a real sign that the apocalypse is at hand -- Shannen Doherty as a scientist.

In a sense, ``Category 7'' is the perfect cheese-ball disaster flick with lots of giggles when there should be thrills. But given the impact of recent real-life storms on this country, its timing is something less than perfect.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/television/13041579.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Fox Net Looking to Play Ball Again
Low-Rated World Series Not Enough to Sour Deal

By Jon Lafayette TVWeek.com October 31, 2005

Despite suffering through a World Series sweep that cost it millions of dollars in potential ad revenue, Fox expects to renew its deal with Major League Baseball.

The four-game Series victory by the Chicago White Sox drew the lowest-ever average for the fall classic, turning in an average 11.1 household rating and a 19 share, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Still, "Everybody involved wants to see the relationship continue," Fox Sports President Ed Goren said.

Fox's current six-year $1.5 billion deal for its game of the week and postseason baseball coverage expires after next season. While moving more of the first round of the playoffs to cable is a possibility, Mr. Goren said, "Right now we're looking at a similar package to what we have."

While ratings of this year's World Series were 30 percent lower than last year's curse-busting Boston Red Sox championship, Mr. Goren noted, "There are three other networks that would have loved those quote-unquote low ratings for those four nights."

The games made Fox the No. 1 network for four nights, boosted Fox's ratings among viewers 18 to 49 by 10 percent season to date and provided a solid promotional platform for entertainment shows such as "Prison Break."

"I don't think it's prudent to make a decision based on one year," Mr. Goren said. "Every other sport would love to have the average ratings that baseball has in the postseason, except the NFL."

Over the course of Fox's baseball deal, the World Series has been averaging about six games, he said. The rule of thumb is networks break even once the series goes to five games.

"The World Series for the foreseeable future remains an important sports asset, and I expect Fox will continue its agreement with Major League Baseball," said Neil Pilson, a sports consultant and former CBS Sports president.

The ratings and short series cut into Fox's ad revenues, but those losses were minimized by Fox's decision to increase the average length of its commercial pods in Games 2, 3 and 4 to 2:55 minutes from 2:30. With Game 3 going a record-tying 14 innings, Fox was able to run double the usual number of spots, including make-goods, because the games were underdelivering on guarantees to advertisers, said Mike Law, associate group director at Carat.

Still, with commercials selling for $350,000 to $375,000 for 30 seconds and 60 units available per game, an opportunity for another $67 million in ad revenue was largely lost.

Fox will be able to shift some of those advertising commitments to other programming, including its NASCAR and NFL coverage, but "At the end of the day, if they don't run and you want your money back, you just get it back," Mr. Law said.

"You'd rather have six or seven games, but you can certainly live with a short series," Mr. Pilson said. "Some guys get apocalyptic about it, but in fact it's just an anticipated business issue that the networks and Major League Baseball deal with every year."

http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=28934

Thanks for the "Thief" link, Windom Earle.

I've posted a pretty extensive "TV Week" report on HD and the DirecTV/Dish/Cable plans for the next year or so. You can find it here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/printthread.php?t=597572&p=6447786

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Fox takes another swing after dismal Series

By Gary Levin USA TODAY Oct. 31, 2005

In a perennial rite of Halloween, Fox starts its fall season over again Monday night.

The network's full series lineup returns after the lowest-rated World Series in history. But Fox, like the winning Chicago White Sox, has more reason to be hopeful this year.

Last fall was a disaster, as early-starter reality shows — remember The Rebel Billionaire? My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss? — dominated the schedule. They promptly tanked and left Fox starting from scratch when it finally unveiled scripted series in November. It took American Idol and 24's return in January to save Fox, which ultimately won its first season among young adults.

"Last year was obviously tough coming out of baseball, even with the spectacular ratings and great games," says entertainment chief Peter Liguori.

This fall, the story is different. Medical drama House is one of TV's biggest hits, and has doubled its ratings since last fall. Prison Break and The War at Home are solid newcomers, Bones shows early promise, and the return of the canceled Family Guy has paid off on Sundays, where it's the strongest alternative to Desperate Housewives.

Fox's entertainment lineup is up 29%. Yet in another reversal, postseason baseball fell 21% from last year's Cinderella story of the Boston Red Sox. And the World Series was down 32%.

Though it ranks fourth overall, Fox is "in significantly better shape than they were last fall," says Magna Global USA analyst Steve Sternberg. The network will stay that way "if American Idol doesn't decline."

One worry: In House's four-week absence, NBC's My Name is Earl and ABC's Commander in Chief became the top newcomers in the same time slot. "Commander in Chief is a new wild card on Tuesday," Liguori says.

One victim of Fox's early rebound is Prison Break. Designed as a placeholder for 24, which returns Jan. 8, Break is scheduled to complete its initial 13-week run Nov. 28, but won't return to finish its first season until May. "The appeal of creatively bringing it back later in the year and keeping it on in the summer outweighs the disruption it would cause" to try to fit in the nine remaining episodes sooner, says scheduling chief Preston Beckman.

Trading Spouses returns Wednesday at 9 to replace the canceled Head Cases. Arrested Development will get knocked off the air by January, when House joins 24 on Mondays. And though far from hits, Reunion and Killer Instinct are likely to stick around.

Fox’s Two Falls
Top five series so far this year vs. last (viewers in millions):
2004

Show Viewers
America's Most Wanted 6.6M
That '70s Show 6.5M
The Swan 6.4M
Cops 6.3M
Renovate My Family 5.8M

Source: Nielsen Media Research, Sept. 19-Oct. 23, 2005 vs. Sept. 20-Oct. 24, 2004
2005

Show Viewers
House 12.8M
The Simpsons 10.5M
Prison Break 9.2M
Family Guy 9.0M
The War at Home 8.5M

'Grey's Anatomy': No missing parts
Holds audience even after 'Housewives' rerun

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Oct 31, 2005

ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” helped build “Grey’s Anatomy” into a hit, but last night the medical drama proved that it is now a hit on its own.

Last night’s episode of “Grey’s” was the first original to air after a repeat of “Housewives” (one episode last season aired after a highly rated season recap clip show). The show performed very well, delivering a 7.6 overnight rating among viewers 18-49.

That was down 10 percent versus the 8.4 overnight rating the show averaged through the first five episodes of the season, but without the benefit of a huge lead-in from “Housewives.”

“Grey’s” improved on its “Housewives” lead-in by nearly 40 percent. “Housewives” originals have averaged an 11.4 overnight this season; last night’s episode averaged a 5.7.

ABC did a lot of “Grey’s” promotion over the past week, especially on its Saturday college football games. That evidently helped the show, which last year averaged an 8.1 rating.

With such a strong performance on its own, ABC may be tempted to move “Grey’s” from the Sunday 10 p.m. timeslot at some point this season or next. Sure, it’d be a risky proposition to tinker with a Sunday night lineup that’s been so successful, but moving “Grey’s” and replacing it with another show that can feed off the “Housewives” lead-in could potentially make the network’s entire Monday-through-Sunday lineup even stronger.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1002.asp

I've posted a pretty extensive "TV Week" report on HD and the DirecTV/Dish/Cable plans for the next year or so. You can find it here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/printthread.php?t=597572&p=6447786
Mr. Leichtman noted that a gulf exists between those who have bought HD sets and those who have actually signed up to receive HD programming from a cable or satellite operator. The number is currently about 40 percent, which means that 60 percent of HD set owners are not receiving HD programming.he reality is that consumers need a hi-def set, a hi-def box and the HD service before they can tune the TV to an HD channel and see the images in high definition.Well golly gee...I guess my OTA antenna isn't receiving HD like I thought.

Xesdeeni

That's a problem with almost all research, it rarely tells the whole story and makes bad assumptions because of it. Many viewers get their HD OTA, including many DirecTV customers who have not opted for the HD package of non-local channels. There are even quite a few viewers who get their HD via cable, by using a QAM-capable tuner for locals that are not encrypted, and they would also not be counted by the likes of Mr Leichtman.

Sunday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.

MARC’S BERMAN’S “MR. TELEVISION" COLUMN
Programming 101

By Marc Berman MediaWeek October 31, 2005

I have never been shy about suggesting to the networks how they can im-prove their prime-time schedules. So, it's time for me to stick my not-so-small nose into the not-so-new season. After six weeks, there are a number of things in need in fixing. First up is CBS, which should free up the plum Monday 9:30 p.m. time period immediately for something better than the painful-to-watch Out of Practice. With ample support from relocated lead-in Two and a Half Men, Jenna Elfman in Everything I Know About Men or Julia Louis Dreyfus in Old Christine are worth considering. Both sitcoms are scheduled for midseason, and both can't be worse than the embarrassingly bad Stockard Channing/Henry Winkler sitcom.

While I have never been one to advocate scheduling repeats, I have an idea for NBC. Start airing second-run episodes of My Name Is Earl Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. out of Will & Grace, which should be moved up a half-hour to (finally) finish its run because it still has a larger audience than Joey.

Since we all know Joey is over, and My Name Is Earl will end up as the anchor to Thursday next season, why not get ready by giving viewers who have not seen the first-rate comedy on Tuesday a chance to discover—or revisit—it on Thursday? With CBS' Survivor: Guatemala down by 1.8 million viewers from Vanuatu last fall, NBC has an opportunity here, and it is in no position to squander it.

On the flip side, I am concerned that the WB's lineup is too repeat-driven. By adding second-run episodes of Related, Supernatural and What I Like About You, three hours (or 27 percent) of the network's weekly schedule is now repeats. While I understand that the name of the game these days is to keep programming costs down, the network needs to be more aggressive if it wants to stop the audience bleeding.

Last spring the WB announced an ambitious number of midseason shows, four in all, including dramas The Bedford Diaries and Pepper Dennis (starring Rebecca Romijn) and sitcoms Misconceptions and Modern Men. Because Reba is the only sitcom on Friday that still has an audience, I would move it back into the 8 p.m. anchor slot and give one of the new comedies a good lead-in—and a chance for success.

The WB also needs to take another look at What I Like About You. After four seasons of low ratings (and enough episodes for syndication), it's time to put Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth (and the television audience) out of their misery. And I would ship Twins star Melanie Griffith back to the world of C-level theatricals. Even the low-rated WB on Fridays is too good for her.

If the WB is intent on repeating Related, do it Friday at 9 p.m., when fewer viewers are watching television, instead of the more highly visible Wednesday 9 p.m. hour. Considering no other networks have comedies scheduled on Wednesdays at 9 o'clock, the network could use that to its advantage.

UPN has an opportunity, now that Everybody Hates Chris is a bona fide keeper. However, the problem with UPN on Thursday is sliding ratings from 8:30 p.m. and beyond. The network could do a lot better at 8:30 than the bland Love, Inc. My solution would be to cancel both Love, Inc. and Cuts (which airs at 9:30 p.m.) and move the more-established Eve into the 8:30 p.m. half-hour. A good candidate for the 9 p.m. hour is the Jennifer Lopez-produced drama South Beach, because NBC's competing The Apprentice 4 is fading, and ABC's Night Stalker and Fox's Reunion are struggling.

Fox, meanwhile, has a problem the other networks would envy. It needs to find a time period for surprise hit drama Prison Break after 24 comes back on Monday. Since Friday remains a sore spot, I would move Prison Break to the 9 p.m. hour to ignite some interest. While the concern, of course, is the potential absence of the target audience of younger viewers, don't forget that The X-Files was once a hit on that night.

Last, but certainly not least, is ABC, which hopes to get back in the competitive loop on Thursday with the return of Dancing With the Stars at 8 p.m. in January. Once that's in place, it makes no sense for the network to waste a potentially solid lead-in on the struggling Night Stalker , which may be canceled by the time you read this. ABC should think about using one of its seven midseason shows in the slot. That's plenty to choose from.

I am also looking forward to Thief. I was under the impression that it wasn't to begin until early 2006. Also, I believe the series was to take place in New Orleans which might cause problems. Just found this item. http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051018/NEWS01/510180324/1002/NEWS01
Looks like filming has begun in Shreveport.
Thanks for the link. :)

The weekend’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.

Predsident Allen gets a Mom

The New York Post—The president's mom is coming to dinner.

Polly Bergen has been cast in "Commander in Chief" as first-female-President Mackenzie Allen's mother, the show said over the weekend.

She'll make her first appearance on the Nov. 29 Thanksgiving-themed episode when she shows up at the White House.

The choice of Bergen appears to have had some poetry behind it.

Polly also played the first female president more than 30 years ago — in the 1964 movie "Kisses for My President."

Fred MacMurray played her husband.

The movie was played more as comedy than drama — and ended with Bergen resigning the presidency when she finds out she's pregnant.

No word yet on what kind of relationship she has with her presidential daughter, played by Geena Davis.

"Commander in Chief" has been on a hiring spree in the past two weeks — ever since the show's creator Rod Lurie was replaced as exec producer of the hit series by Hollywood insider Steven Bochco.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar, from Bochco's "NYPD Blue," was hired early last week to play a presidential media strategist.

http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/30380.htm

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
The WB in November:

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

Damn, too bad NBC couldn't get it ready in time for sweeps! :)

(Who Says NBC Is In Trouble?)
Network announces “Fear Factor’s” return

(NBC Press Release)

BURBANK, Calif. -- October 31, 2005 -- NBC's popular reality series "Fear Factor," hosted by Joe Rogan ("NewsRadio"), will return to the network's regular program lineup for its sixth season on Tuesday, Dec. 6 (8-9 PM ET/PT).

The first reality show to be sold into syndication, the "Fear Factor" recipe will have a new look and feel when fresh episodes return. A brand new stunt team with credits including "The Matrix Revolutions," "Kill Bill, Vol. 2," "Minority Report" and "Ocean's Eleven," will provide the most outrageous stunts to date.

The series also will continue its reputation for unpredictable fantasy prizes -- such as trips around the world, a garage stocked with new cars and the chance to fly a fighter jet over Russia.

"We are thrilled to bring back the 'Fear' since 'Fear Factor' has virtually become a trademark series," said Curt Sharp, Vice President Primetime Alternative Programs and Specials, NBC Entertainment. "It brings a loyal audience and should mesh well on Tuesdays at 8 after the success of another reality series, 'The Biggest Loser,' earlier this season."

"It was a great challenge to make our new season stand out from the previous five seasons of some of the most shocking entertainment on television. We have exceeded our own expectations," said Matt Kunitz, "Fear Factor" Executive Producer. "We put together a new stunt team and created a Home Invasion segment where Joe Rogan invades unsuspecting households across the country delivering fear to their doorstep. This season brings new twists, massive explosions, crashes, high speeds, and raw emotion. It's a whole new game."

"We're very excited about returning to the NBC lineup where we've been a fixture for the last five years," said David Goldberg, President of Endemol USA. "After hundreds of hours on the air, including 34 last year, we took some oxygen on the side line and are coming back fresh and reinvigorated. A lot of time, thought and money was spent to make improvements in the show. I wouldn't call it an Extreme Makeover, but 'Fear' will be returning bigger and better with an all new look and feel."

Last season, "Fear Factor" averaged a 4.2 rating, 11 share among adults 18-49 and 10.2 million viewers overall, to rank as the #1 regular program in the Monday 8-9 p.m. ET hour in 18-49 for a fifth season in a row.

(Semi-rant begins here)

A question.....

Has anyone kept track of which college football teams have appeared in HD so far this season?

By my very unofficial count (all by memory) #1 USC has been shown in HD only once (on NBC at Notre Dame); and #2 Texas hasn't been shown in HD at all.

#3 Virginia Tech has made an appearance or two, #4 Alabama has been seen, I believe, three times, and #5 UCLA has been shut out of HD games.

(Next in today's BCS rankings are #6 Miami, #7 Penn State, #8 LSU, #9 Florida State and #10 Ohio State.)

If anyone has kept track of HD games already shown, I'd love to get it and compile a list.

It is a shame that some of these God-awful mid-Major teams get ESPN and ESPN2 exposure week after week while some of the nation's top team are never seen except in SD.

/End of semi-rant/

(Semi-rant begins here)

A question.....

Has anyone kept track of which college football teams have appeared in HD so far this season?

By my very unofficial count (all by memory) #1 USC has been shown in HD only once (on NBC at Notre Dame); and #2 Texas hasn't been shown in HD at all.

#3 Virginia Tech has made an appearance or two, #4 Alabama has been seen, I believe, three times, and #5 UCLA has been shut out of HD games.

(Next in today's BCS rankings are #6 Miami, #7 Penn State, #8 LSU, #9 Florida State and #10 Ohio State.)

If anyone has kept track of HD games already shown, I'd love to get it and compile a list.

It is a shame that some of these God-awful mid-Major teams get ESPN and ESPN2 exposure week after week while some of the nation's top team are never seen except in SD.

/End of semi-rant/


Pittsburg v. Someone; it was a Thursday night game
NC State v. Clemson
Georgia Tech v. Auburn
Wisconsin v. North Carolina
Maryland v. VT
The SEC games on CBS; don't remember all of the games
Boston College v. Florida State
Virginia v. Florida State
Arizona State v. LSU
Michigan v. Northwestern
Notre Dame games on NBC

Thanks, Antonio

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
ABC in November:

With the start of the November 2005 sweep just 3 days away, here are the programming highlights of note on ABC:

Specials:
2005 American Music Awards (Tuesday, Nov. 22): 8 p.m. ET
Kenny Chesney: Somewhere in the Sun (Tuesday, Nov. 23): 8 p.m. ET
Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2005 (Tuesday, Nov. 29): 10 p.m. ET

Movies:
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Thursday, Nov. 3): 8 p.m. ET on The Wonderful World of Disney
Catch Me if You Can (Saturday, Nov. 5): 8 p.m. ET
Old School (Saturday, Nov. 12): 8 p.m. ET
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Saturday, Nov. 19): 8 p.m. ET

Guest Stars:
Richard Lewis on George Lopez (Wednesday, Nov. 9): 8 p.m. ET
Malcolm David Kelley and Ian Somerhalder on Lost (Wednesday, Nov. 9): 9 p.m. ET
Gayle King (you know – Oprah’s best friend) on Hot Properties (Friday, Nov. 11): 9:30 p.m. ET
Bob Newhart and Leslie Ann Warren on Desperate Housewives (Sunday, Nov. 13 and 20): 9 p.m. ET
Robert Wagner on Hope & Faith (Friday, Nov. 18): 9 p.m. ET
Linda Hamilton on According To Jim (Tuesday, Nov. 29): 8 p.m. ET
Esai Morales on Freddie (Wednesday, Nov. 30): 8:30 p.m. ET

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
Fox in November 2005:

With the start of the November sweep just days away, here are the programming highlights of note on Fox:

Season Premieres
Stacked (Wednesday, Nov. 9): 8:30 p.m. ET

Movies:
Anger Management (Wednesday, Nov. 23): 8 p.m. ET
Daddy Day Care (Thursday, Nov. 24): 8 p.m. ET
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (Friday, Nov. 25): 8 p.m. ET

Guest Stars:
Jeri Ryan on The O.C. (Thursday, Nov. 3 and 10): 8 p.m. ET
Peter Strauss on Killer Instinct (Friday, Nov. 4): 9 p.m. ET
Dennis Rodman and Terry Bradshaw on The Simpsons (Sunday, Nov. 6): 8 p.m. ET
Patrick Stewart on American Dad (Sunday, Nov. 6): 9:30 p.m. ET
Charlize Theron on Arrested Development (Monday, Nov. 7 and 14): 8 p.m. ET
Bruce Willis on That ‘70s Show (Wednesday, Nov. 16): 8 p.m. ET
Lily Tomlin on The Simpsons (Sunday, Nov. 27): 8 p.m. ET
James Lipton on Arrested Development (Monday, Nov. 28): 8 p.m.

My regular reminder of something I think you will really find interesting:

Check It Out!

If you haven’t yet checked out AVS Radio, which offers two new shows a week, what are you waiting for?

It is produced by The HTGuys for AVS Forum and offers news, interviews, and HT topics that are sure to make you a weekly listener.

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ABC Crowing Over Big Sunday Ratings Win

Anyone who thought “Grey’s Anatomy” was just the lucky recipient of all those “Desperate Housewives” viewers might have to rethink that belief.

ABC publicists seemed ecstatic today in describing last night’s smashing win by “GA”, despite following a repeat of “Housewives”. Here’s how ABC described the numbers:

"Desperate Housewives" (9:00-10:01 p.m.)
A repeat telecast of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" won the 9 o'clock hour in viewers and young adults. The replay airing of the ABC sophomore series beat second-place NBC's replay of "Law & Order: C.I." by 1 million viewers (14.8 million vs. 13.8 million) and by 33% in Adults 18-49 (5.7/13 vs. 4.3/10).

* "Desperate Housewives" delivered its strongest-ever repeat telecast in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

"Grey's Anatomy" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
Building on its "Desperate Housewives" lead-in by over 2 million viewers and by 33% in Adults 18-49, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" delivered another commanding victory in the Sunday 10 o'clock hour. ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" outdrew NBC's second-place "Crossing Jordan" by 4.6 million viewers (17.1 million vs. 12.5 million) and topped its combined NBC and CBS competition in the time period by 31% in Adults 18-49 (7.6/20 vs. 5.8/14) and by 18% among Adults 25-54 (8.5/20 vs. 7.2/17).

* "Grey's Anatomy" qualified as the No. 1 TV show on Sunday night among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

And staying on that topic, ABC seems to be taking no chances with “Grey”s Anatomy”….

'Anatomy' Gets Super Bowl Lead Out

By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com October 31, 2005

Eschewing the chance to promote a midseason show or a first-season series, ABC will air sophomore hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy" immediately after Super Bowl XL on Feb. 5, 2006.

With the game slated to start at 6 p.m. (ET), it is expected that an original episode of "Anatomy" will begin immediately following all postgame coverage some time after 10 PM ET.

The show is a top five series for the season in adults 18 to 49 and younger female demos.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8820

Geraldo’s Show Debuts

Melanie Clarke of Broadcasting & Cable live-blogged today's debut of Geraldo Rivera's new syndicated program, ”Geraldo at Large”. Here's what transpired.

4:00 First off, the mustache is still there. No last-minute decision to hack the thing off for a "fresh start" on the debut episode. Strangely comforting.

4:00 Geraldo signs on from New Orleans announcing top stories on "Katrina predators", the 2,000-plus predators who dissolved into various cities from New Orleans after the deadly hurricane hit; the Horowitz murder case; announces he will go "eye to eye" with the Mayor of New Orleans. He looks sunburned and anxious.

4:01 Laura Ingle reports on the almost 4,000 (way more than Geraldo's 2K, but moving on) sex offenders that left The Big Easy along with other evacuees. Estimates of 1,400 in Dallas where they find Michael Loving, who is taken in by local authorities to register (while repeatedly cursing then raising his middle finger at cameras).

4:04 Back to Geraldo in the field. He gives additional examples of sexual offenders caught in similar manner. Geraldo not doing badly, but looking nervous.

4:05 Geraldo talks with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin about alleged rapes during the first days following Katrina's landfall. Nagin reveals that some women came forward, but not in the face of the media.

4:06 Geraldo promises to follow up on that "outrageous" story in a moment.

4:07 Laura Dhue from the studio handles the "World at Large" segment. Halloween riots out of control; a "spectacular" fire spouting "massive" flames; a "dramatic" helicopter crash; and a "terrifying" roller coaster ride that stranded riders for 2 hours.

4:08 Beauty Queens: a beauty pageant for transvestites; Campus porn: a student videotapes sex with an adult film star.

Armchair quarterbacking: The first segment moved quickly. The top story was good and well-produced, but the frantically-paced “World at Large” segment featured less attention-grabbing headlines. Crash and fire somewhat innocuous. It was sort of Situation Room-meets-breakroom.

[NOTE: Although not mentioned on the blog, I assume the FIRST COMMERCIAL BREAK went here.)

4:11 Geraldo returns with a conversation with Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti Jr. They discuss his challenges dealing with sexual predators that evacuated after Katrina.

4:13 Geraldo teases Horowitz murder story. Despite a fair performance, he seems uncomfortable in front of the camera.

SECOND COMMERCIAL BREAK

4:17 Geraldo returns with the story of the murder of Pamela Vitale, the wife of federal criminal defense attorney and TV legal analyst Daniel Horowtiz. Homicide investigator Mark Furman (of the O.J. Simpson trial) is shown discussing the investigation

4:21 Interview with Michael Cardoza, defense attorney for the young man accused of beating Pamela Vitale to death.

4:23 Geraldo asks viewers to send information on this story or any story on the show to tips@geraldoatlarge.com.

Armchair quarterbacking: The Vitale piece was complex and took up the lion’s share of the show, but the pace felt hurried. To make matters more confusing, Mark Furman (Note: it is "Fuhrman") was shown holding the Geraldo at Large microphone as if he was interviewing himself.

THIRD COMMERCIAL BREAK

4:27 Geraldo returns looking as if he’s about to be asked to defend his thesis on the Iraq war. He announces they will be back tomorrow with more “exclusive” stories and they will “follow these stories as far as they go”.

4:28 Geraldo signs off.

End of show.

http://www.bcbeat.com/

”Prison Break” Star’s Long Travail
The Ennui of the Illustrated Man

Deborah Starr Seibel The New York Times

Wentworth Miller is deeply grateful to the producers of FX's "Nip/Tuck" and HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" - especially Larry David. Remote control firmly in hand, Mr. Miller, the star of Fox's most promising new drama, "Prison Break," uses the two shows to distract himself in the makeup trailer for the four long hours he is required to remain motionless while having an intricate fake tattoo applied to his arms and torso.

Mr. Miller, 33, plays Michael Scofield, who robs a bank and gets intentionally sent to the penitentiary in order to rescue his brother, who is on death row and wrongly accused of killing the vice president's brother. Scofield's mission is to free his brother, and for that, the elaborate body art is essential. Designed by the renowned tattoo artist Tom Berg (who also did the tattoo design for the film "Red Dragon" in 2002), its complex detail hides crucial pieces of information, including names, numbers and maps embedded in the design. "In the background, there are stained-glass windows with lots of right angles that form the blueprints of the prison," Paul Scheuring, the creator and executive producer of "Prison Break," said in a telephone interview from his Los Angeles production office.

To create the intricate design, a puzzlelike series of blue-green decals is applied, sprayed, peeled off and then sealed with glue to protect the design. For two hours of the four-hourlong application process, when they are working on his torso, Mr. Miller has to stand with his arms above his head. "I'm not gonna lie," he said in a telephone interview from Chicago, where a new episode is filmed every eight working days, "it's a tedious process. Mercifully, we only have to do the full torso once per episode."

The first time the decals were applied, Mr. Miller said, he was "thrilled - it felt like you were a walking work of art." Indeed, there is a beautiful ascension of angels up the right arm and another of devils up the left arm, signifying, Mr. Scheuring said, the battle between good and evil. But the thrill soon faded when Mr. Miller discovered that this artwork is sticky. "It's like wearing flypaper," he said. "And when the weather heats up, your shirt will stick to you like Saran Wrap." He said he usually takes the decals off "at the end of the day, scrubbing them off with solvents. Because if I didn't, I'd stick to the sheets at night."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/arts/television/30seib.html?pagewanted=print

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK
”The West Wing”
Teased

By Rich Heldenfels Akron Beacon Journal

A critic once summed up ''The Empire Strikes Back'' as a very long trailer for ''Return of the Jedi.'' Tonight I watched a ''West Wing'' episode that was an hour-long trailer for next week's ''West Wing.'' Most of the time I didn't mind.

As you may know, ''West Wing'' is going live on Nov. 6 for a debate between Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Vinick (Alan Alda). With ''West Wing'' struggling in the ratings, this is an attempt to get back viewers for at least a week. And there have been promotional efforts about it. In my office are buttons for both Santos and Vinick, a Santos flying disc and a Vinick mug -- all meant to make me pay more attention to the show.

Well, I pay attention anyway, at least when I remember to watch or record it on Sunday, and I've been much more interested in the campaign stuff than the White House scenes. So I watched tonight, as the two campaigns moved toward the moment -- already shown in the promos -- when the two candidates finally agree to debate.

Up until that moment, I also enjoyed the episode. Yes, the show is trying to keep us off-balance about these guys. Tonight's episode focused on Vinick being a pro-choice Republican, Santos a Democrat with a pro-life bent, and how those positions put each in an uncomfortable box relative to his political party. And while the boxes got tighter, the show was pretty good. Only, at the end, we didn't really see if they got out of the boxes -- or if they decided just to scrunch in -- because they decided to debate face-to-face instead.

In other words, stay tuned for next week's Very Special Episode. I knew we were basically headed in that direction, but it still felt kind of cheap, especially at the end of a telecast that was fairly entertaining. (I mean, we knew we had not seen the end of Donna, but what a nice way to bring her back.) But that's what shows trying to drag viewers along will do.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/

The Making of A “Lost” Junkie
Or, How I got Lost on an island of my own (with a little help)

By Emma Trelles South Florida Sun-Sentinel Arts Writer

Television is evil. I don't mean that watching it is a silly way to spend your time. I mean that it was spawned from the dark core of the earth that houses the undead. I say this even though I recently bought a flat-screen TV during a weekend where I proved how very American I was by also buying a car. The car I needed; the TV I pined for. My 1993 Magnavox had finally flat-lined and I had not been able to gaze into the holy eye for two weeks.

I purchased my new set at one of those discount stores the size of a double-wide barn. It's loud in there. The galaxy of electronics running all at once and at full volume has something to do with it. But I think there's a stealthier facet behind the blare. I think it exists to wipe out any thought you have of changing your mind, of actually listening to the thin voice inside your head that pleads, `Hey, why not try living without a TV? Why not finally read Doctor Zhivago or catch up on the laundry or, dare I suggest it, look at someone face to face and converse?'"

I bargained with the voice as we gently carted my matte-silver set to the parking lot. Henceforth, I would only watch art films and American Masters. I would not watch TV during daylight hours. I would limit my viewing time to two hours a day. And, because I like to sneer at friends who flip their schedules to catch their favorite series, I tacked on the most important: I would not watch network television, especially those stupid shows everyone keeps blathering about, like Lost.

In Spanish, we have an expression: No escupas en el aire. Don't spit in the air -- as in, your own saliva will come splashing down into your face, you fool.

I should have recalled this maxim when a co-worker slipped me the first season of Lost on DVD. I should have been alarmed at the way she handed it to me: The box lay upon the flat of her palms and she held it before her as if it were a lamb from the Old Testament. I should have been vigilant. By now you must know that I was not.

Instead, I brought Lost: The Complete First Season (with special features) to my sweetheart's house for the weekend. His set has rabbit ears and he has no cable and while there is plenty of PBS for the watching, there are also endless hours of golf and some painfully lame Spanish talk shows. His lack of servitude to technology (he also owns no computer) is one of his many charms. But the prospect of a rainy weekend daunted us. Besides, DVDs did not break any of my new commandments.

After a fine breakfast of Cheerios and fresh strawberries, we decided to pop in the first disc. Let's watch an episode, and then get out for a while, perhaps saunter through the gray drizzle of a nearby park. This was the plan. But somewhere on disc one, which is stamped with a sweaty and severe-looking Jack, between "Pilot: Part 1" and "Walkabout," our plans evaporated with an almost audible pop. I could blame this on the lures of Lost's plot lines -- the way you expect, let's say, Michael to stomp off across the street after slamming a pay phone down, but who, instead, is mowed down by a speeding car. Or how the seemingly wrongly accused Kate is like one of those ancient Egyptian jewels -- beautiful to look at but a curse to any man who draws near.

But the blame is also placed on the giddy, almost ghoulish pleasure we took in lying on our individual couches, hair matted to head and a pile of chocolate and ginger ale cans on the coffee table between us. We shelved the mantra of "must-get-out-and-DO-THINGS" that echoes in our skulls every weekend. We lay there. We rested. We gasped when Lost took us to unexpected places. We wagered who was not to be trusted. We wondered what we'd be like if we were stranded somewhere else besides my sweetheart's living room. But, above all else, we responded with a resounding "yes" each time an episode ended and one of us turned to the other and asked "Another?"

http://www.southflorida.com/movies/sfl-tv30intermissionoct30,0,7512972,print.story?coll=sfe-tv-headlines

Fox considers new day for 'Idol'

By Tim Cuprisin Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It may just be talk, but it's pretty interesting talk as Fox floats a trial balloon about moving "American Idol" to Thursday nights.

Remember "Must-See TV" Thursdays, when the night was owned by NBC?

It's been up for grabs for a while now, even before the replacement of "Friends" with the second-rate "Joey."

CBS generally pulls in the top numbers with its combination of "Survivor" and murder shows.

These days, even UPN is scoring respectable numbers with the desirable younger audiences with Chris Rock's "Everybody Hates Chris."

Fox had a bit of success with the teen-skewing "O.C.," although that show has been fading. And now there's the talk of an "Idol" move to re-juice its lineup.

As a bit of a counterattack, NBC is considering moving "My Name Is Earl," its successful new sitcom (a rarity at the network these days), over to Thursdays from its current 8 p.m. Tuesday night perch.

The possible midseason shifts, as floated in The Hollywood Reporter, include Fox putting one night of "Idol" up against CBS' powerhouse "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." There aren't any details on how this would affect the old "Idol" schedule of a performance show on Monday with a results show on Wednesday.

http://www.jsonline.com/enter/tvradio/oct05/367059.asp?format=print

No “Ray” Spinoff, After All

The New York Post---”Everybody Loves Raymond" star Brad Garrett says his dream of starring in a spin-off of the great CBS sitcom are pretty much dead.

"CBS waited so long [to put it in motion] that we've lost most of the writers," Garrett told a Fox News reporter.

Garrett is now on Broadway co-starring in the revival of "The Odd Couple" with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. The lumbering comedy star can't seem to shake his typecasting — he plays Murray the Cop in the Neil Simon comedy.

When "Raymond" ended last spring, there was much talk of a new version of the series built around Garrett's brother Robert character, his new wife, Amy, and her religiously conservative family, the MacDougalls.

During a tearful farewell on this fall's Emmy Awards show, "Raymond" star Ray Romano even said he would be willing to come back for a guest appearance on the proposed spin-off.

But "we're in limbo now," says Garrett. "So it looks like it won't happen."

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly_new.php

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK
''House''

By Rich Heldenfels Akron Beacon Journal

Hugh Laurie is such a powerful presence on ''House'' that it's sometimes easy to ignore the show around him. And in the early going, I think the show leaned on that idea -- letting the character's appeal carry the day when the plots were not as strong as they should be.

Now, there are times when House almost seems too much for ''House.'' That doesn't mean the character has gotten worse. It means the show has gotten better.

I have seen the episode airing Tuesday night, and the one on Nov. 8, as Fox wants folks like me to remind viewers like you that the World Series is over and the regular programs are back. In tomorrow's episode, there were moments when House seemed a little too jokey, a little too deliberately annoying, as if the balance between anger and humor in the character had been thrown off-kilter.

My mistake. In fact, it turned out that House's extreme behavior was part of a larger point -- to remind us that House is a deeply flawed person. We can at times forgive his bluntness, even his cruelty, because -- to borrow an old phrase from Barry Goldwater -- in our hearts we know he's right. But these two episodes will argue that there are limits to what House can do even when he is right -- and sometimes he isn't remotely right. He is petty, he is capable of jealousy, he really is that angry man.

And while reminding us of that, the show is giving more insight not only into House but into the people around him.

In the Nov. 8 episode, you're going to get to see House's parents and find out something about that relationship; but House's dealings with his father also provide a look at his feelings about Cameron, giving that relationship new complexity. In fact, the episode -- called ''Daddy's Boy'' -- is a wrenching consideration of the relationship between fathers and sons (both because of House's parents and because of a patient's case), between lies and truth and between the lies and truth that fathers and sons tell.

The Nov. 1 episode, meanwhile, establishes a character that brings out House's bad side -- which makes me hope we might see more of him. (The episode leaves that possibility open.) It is a good and noble doctor, played by Ron Livingston, who at first seems to designed to put House's limitations in a bad light. He is Lance White to House's Jim Rockford, or Richard Stone to House's Martin Tupper. The new doc is also more complicated than he at first appears, although not so complicated that House comes off as any better a person.

In other words, the show is not taking it easy. I do worry sometimes that we are learning too much about House -- that the more we understand him, the less we fear him, and House's ability to inspire fear is one of the things that makes him so interesting. But when he is not in the middle of things, the show still tells a good story. And those stories make it all the more interesting when House is in the middle of things.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/

Fox, NBC mull midseason moves

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter)—With the summer hit "Dancing With the Stars" now set to cut in on Thursday nights starting in January, some of ABC's competitors are considering some fancy footwork of their own.

Fox is weighing a shift of television's top-rated series, "American Idol," to Thursday to grab a greater share of the massive amounts of movie marketing dollars studios lavish on the night. NBC may follow suit with a bold move of "My Name Is Earl," which has emerged as primetime's top-rated comedy in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic.

To be sure, no one can know whether the industry chatter about these potential scheduling shifts are trial balloons or strong considerations; programming brass often engage in the kind of posturing and politicking commonly seen among contestants on another Thursday asset, CBS' "Survivor."

But in stark contrast to the stability the broadcasters are preaching as they head into the November sweep period Thursday, no one is ruling out the possibility of a major scheduling shakeup on TV's most lucrative night as the new year approaches.

"We think about it, we've talked about it, it's a possibility," Preston Beckman, executive vp strategic program planning at Fox, said of a Thursday "Idol" move. "But right now we have the right plan going forward for our schedule."

Fox made a big move on the night last season in relocating its teen fave "The O.C." to 8 p.m. Thursday, where it has given the network a pulse on a night where it had long been D.O.A.

NBC brass also are treading cautiously with "Earl," given the risks of messing with the good fortune the Jason Lee comedy show has found on Tuesday.

"It's something we'll look at really carefully," Mitch Metcalf, executive vp program planning and scheduling at NBC, said of the prospect of moving "Earl." "The last thing we want to do is damage an asset."

The jockeying for position is a continuation of a trend first triggered at May's "upfront" advertising market, when several networks made bold scheduling changes while the network that once owned the night, NBC, has stuck with a shaky lineup that has only grown weaker this season.

"I think the thing with Thursday night is, it's not the daunting night it used to be," Beckman said. "Everyone feels they can go in and make some noise."

Beckman would not speculate on specific "Idol" scheduling strategies, but the most commonly heard scenario among the rumblings in broadcaster boardrooms this week was Fox pushing the results show from Wednesday to 9 p.m. Thursday, replacing new drama "Reunion." That also would keep "Idol" away from ABC's sophomore drama "Lost," which has only picked up steam in its new Wednesday 9 p.m. time slot.

Many doubt that Fox would dare alter a franchise it has so carefully and conservatively cultivated over the years; some suggest the network is simply feeding the rumor bill to keep competitors off balance. Peter Liguori, president of entertainment at Fox, may be loath to put himself in the position of being the man who hurt "Idol" so early in his new job; the Wednesday hour is estimated to command more than $700,000 from advertisers for a 30-second spot, making it the most expensive primetime slot.

But Liguori also may be feeling emboldened now that Fox is seeing strength elsewhere on the schedule, including the successful launch of Monday drama "Prison Break" and the continuing strength of 9 p.m. Tuesday drama "House."

As for NBC, "Earl" may not command "Idol" ad prices yet, but moving it could represent an even bigger risk. The Tuesday 9 p.m. comedy is a huge point of pride for a struggling network that may not want to jeopardize a good thing.

That said, the 9 p.m. Tuesday hour is not a total success story for NBC. The 9:30 p.m. comedy "The Office" is retaining just 56% of its 18-49 lead-in, according to Nielsen Media Research figures. Although the retention has trended up in recent weeks, it's still the weakest retention rate among all comedy pairings on the Big Four. But would "Earl's" scruffy charms work better opposite the slicker urban stylings of NBC's flagging Thursday comedies "Joey" or "Will & Grace?"

One commonly cited scenario is that NBC will double-pump "Earl" in some form, either moving its slot to 8 p.m. Thursday and repeating it Tuesday or stacking a repeat at 9:30 Tuesday to correct the lag in its "Office" lead-out.

Another question for NBC is timing. Thursday's serious declines would necessitate putting "Earl" in as soon as possible, but "Earl" may have to wait until March, when NBC is expected to institute changes all over the schedule backed by promotional power of its Winter Olympics coverage in the second half of February.

ABC isn't waiting until then, replacing 8 p.m. Thursday entry "Alias" (due to star Jennifer Garner's maternity leave) with "Dancing," the biggest summer hit since "Survivor" dawned in 2000. Although "Alias" and new drama "Night Stalker" improved ABC's 18-49 ratings by 11% over the previous year, there's room for improvement, said to Jeff Bader, executive vp ABC Entertainment.

"We need to do better on Thursday," he acknowledged.

The return of "Dancing" also raises other questions, including where on the schedule its results show will end up, whether "Alias" will eventually return to the same time slot and whether "Stalker" will last much longer on Thursdays too. In a brutal time slot, "Stalker" has averaged a paltry 2.1 rating/5 share in adults 18-49. "To go up against 'CSI,' we knew was a tough task to begin with," Bader said.

ABC's "Dancing" likely will take a sizable chunk of the audience left behind by "Survivor," which probably will be between seasons for most if not all of "Dancing's" eight-week run. ABC's decision to shift "Dancing" may also reflect a creeping vulnerability at CBS, even though the network has largely replaced NBC as the dominant force on Thursday. Nevertheless, all three CBS series are drooping versus year-ago numbers, particularly "Survivor," which is down 15% in 18-49. All in all, CBS is down 8% in 18-49 on the night.

Kelly Kahl, executive vp program planning and scheduling, isn't worried. "'Survivor' is down a little bit, but think of how resilient the show is," he said.

Fox and NBC aren't the only ones who may need to make midseason moves on Thursday. Although UPN has rejuvenated its lineup with "Everybody Hates Chris," the network may have to tinker with the rest of the night's lineup. "Chris," which averages a 2.4/7 in 18-49, is not boosting the likes of 8:30 p.m. entry "Eve" (1.5/4).

What might embolden a little Thursday experimentation is WB, which raised eyebrows by shifting two of its more established players, "Smallville" and "Everwood," strengthening its hand on the night, particularly with the young-male audience; "Smallville" takes in more men 18-34 than "Survivor."

"We feel not only we've established a toehold, but we planted a flag on what's arguably the most important TV night of the week," said Rusty Mintz, senior vp programming and scheduling at WB.

And then there is the school of thought that holds that "Dancing" and any other potential Thursday latecomers may only end up raising overall HUT (homes using television) levels on the night, giving everyone something to gain. When "Survivor" first moved to 8 p.m. Thursday in 2000, it carved out an audience without hobbling NBC's "Friends." Similarly, NBC's "The Apprentice" last year found its own sizable viewership in the shadow of CBS's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" in the 9 p.m. hour.

"Look historically at Thursday when shows have gone in there; it hasn't been a zero-sum game; they've added to the pie," Mintz said.

http://channels.netscape.com/news/story.jsp?id=2005103101390002611994&dt=20051031013900&w=RTR&coview=

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK
A Love of “Anatomy”

By Matt Roush TV Guide TV Critic October 31, 2005

One of the happier surprises of this TV season has been my deepening crush on Grey's Anatomy, which has taken advantage of Desperate Housewives' sophomore malaise to become the water-cooler show on Sunday night. (And a show I gave a lukewarm review when it premiered last spring.)

This week's (Oct. 30) episode may have been the best yet, a scintillating mix of soap opera and medical drama — with just the right blend of mordant comedy (Cristina's hunt for the missing leg) and wrenching tragedy (the two train passengers impaled by a metal pole, only one of whom could possibly survive).

Grey's is a fabulous show for "shippers" who groove on will-they-or-won't-they dynamics, epitomized by Meredith's mortifyingly drunken wait for Dr. McDreamy's answer — will he pick her, as she asked him to do to his face, or will he stay with his intimidating estranged wife Addison (a name I've loved since All About Eve). He picked Addison, but for how long?

Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey are perfectly sympathetic and swoony as the star-crossed couple, but there's also the compellingly tentative relationship between another young doctor and her aloof boss, with Sandra Oh's voraciously ambitious Cristina Yang battling her feelings for Isaiah Washington's coolly efficient Dr. Burke.

Adding new wrinkles to the show's relationship romp is the Izzie-Alex flirtation, nicely underplayed by Katherine Heigl and Justin Chambers. Izzie is justifiably puzzled over obnoxious hotdog Alex's sudden ambivalence toward his work and his play. (He didn't even kiss the former underwear model on their date.) How long before everyone realizes that Alex's medical career is in the balance?

And then there's my absolute favorite, George (T.R. Knight), a mouse who roars when the circumstances are right. He stepped up like a champ when he and Alex were stuck in a stalled elevator with a patient who needed emergency open-heart surgery. (Alex, struggling with self-doubt, froze.) At home with Meredith and Izzie, George is treated like one of the girls, with the condescension you'd give a tagalong brother or maybe a pet. He writhes with comic frustration at not being taken seriously, as either a doctor or a man. But we can see what they don't, that he's got the goods.

The other great performance on Grey's Anatomy is Chandra Wilson's brusque, funny and ferocious Dr. Bailey, supervisor of the young docs. A tiny dynamo of attitude and barely disguised compassion, she's a role model in many ways, not the least being the fact (which came as a surprise to all) that she has been happily married for years.

Grey's Anatomy has charisma and tremendous entertainment value and buzzes with the glorious hum of all cylinders working, reminiscent of ER during its early days. (That original cast is taking on a mythic hue, kind of like Saturday Night Live's classic ensemble of the first five years.) Though ER has badly faded into a mopey bad habit occasionally brought to life by a memorable patient, Grey's and House (which makes a welcome return this week) prove that the TV medical drama is far from dead.

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

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK
What to watch Tuesday

By Robert Bianco USA Today

With baseball behind us, Fox is able to bring back two of Tuesday's best series. Both return in fine form:

• Start with an amusingly gruesome Bones (Tuesday, 8 ET/PT), which sends Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (David Boreanaz) on a Pacific Northwest field trip to figure out how a human arm found its way into a bear's stomach. The case is one of the show's better efforts (though you may not want to watch while eating), but the real draw of the episode is the amusing by-play between Deschanel and Boreanaz, who are one of TV's most entertaining and attractive pairs. Plus, anyone who has ever tired of the procedural genre's fondness for chatty criminals will appreciate Brennan's decision to slap one suspect upside the head to shut him up.

• Stick with Fox for the return of House (9 p.m. ET/PT) as the wildly difficult doctor (Hugh Laurie, superb as always) meets his egotistical match in an ill humanitarian played by Ron Livingston, who really needs a TV series of his own. The two men understand each other perfectly, which helps us get a little deeper understanding of House.

• While House is the prime pick in the 9 ET/PT slot, second position is a tossup between NBC's My Name Is Earl and ABC's Commander in Chief. Unless you can keep multiple recorders running, you'll have to be content to catch up with one of them in reruns.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/criticscorner/2005-10-31-critics-corner_x.htm

(From Marc Berman’s Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)
ABC in November:

Old School (Saturday, Nov. 12): 8 p.m. ET



Not sure how they're going to be able to make this presentation funny given how much editing will need to be done. Off hand, I can't think of a single funny moment that wasn't "blue."

(Semi-rant begins here)

A question.....

Has anyone kept track of which college football teams have appeared in HD so far this season?

By my very unofficial count (all by memory) #1 USC has been shown in HD only once (on NBC at Notre Dame); and #2 Texas hasn't been shown in HD at all.

#3 Virginia Tech has made an appearance or two, #4 Alabama has been seen, I believe, three times, and #5 UCLA has been shut out of HD games.

(Next in today's BCS rankings are #6 Miami, #7 Penn State, #8 LSU, #9 Florida State and #10 Ohio State.)

If anyone has kept track of HD games already shown, I'd love to get it and compile a list.

It is a shame that some of these God-awful mid-Major teams get ESPN and ESPN2 exposure week after week while some of the nation's top team are never seen except in SD.

/End of semi-rant/


Fred,

This should have everything you need.

College Football Weekly Schedules (http://mattsarz44017.tripod.com/)

NBC SPINS WEB VERSION
By MICHAEL LEARMONTH, Variety, 10/31/2005

NEW YORK -- NBC News will offer its flagship "Nightly News With Brian Williams" online, in its entirety, in a bid to broaden the audience for the newscast.
It will be made available along with an archive of previous newscasts at the Web address of nightlynews.msnbc.com starting Nov. 7 after it clears West Coast affiliates at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.

"I sense today that despite all the obits about the 6:30 evening newscasts, there is a yearning for a half-hour of serious, condensed news," said "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams. "We want as many sets of eyeballs as we can get."

Evening news audiences have been in steady decline since the early '80s due to a variety of factors, not least of which is the shift in American society to laborlater hours, meaning many potential news watchers are either at work or commuting during the 6:30 newscasts.

"I hear it everywhere from well-meaning, loyal viewers: They say, 'I'd love to watch,' but the pressures on the American family during what we used to call the 'dinner hour' prevent it," Williams said. "This new service reflects the fact that the pace of our lives has changed."

Williams is personally invested in reaching an online audience -- he updates his newscast blog at dailynightly.msnbc.com on a daily basis.

The decision to rebroadcast "Nightly News" online required the consent of affiliates, which had to be persuaded the move would not cannibalize the first-run of the newscast, and MSNBC, which ostensibly provides the 24-hour cable news for those who want to watch news throughout the evening.

The newscast will be available for viewing just as it appeared on network television except the segments will be broken up and separated by one advertisement of either 15 or 20 seconds in length.

NBC is the first to offer its full evening newscast online, though others, such as CBSNews.com, CNN.com and ABCNews.com allow users to watchsegments separately.

CBSNews.com offers a three-segment version of its evening newscast online each night and offers the other segments individually.

MSNBC.com offers segments of all its news offerings including "Nightly," "Today," "Dateline" and "Meet the Press."

MSNBC.com, a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal, is the largest news site on the Web with 23 million monthly visitors.

Not sure how they're going to be able to make this presentation funny given how much editing will need to be done. Off hand, I can't think of a single funny moment that wasn't "blue."


If it isn't funny, it would then rank right up there with the majority of today's sitcoms, don't you think, Tabasco?

Thanks, JeffU -- I never even thought of looking there :)

THE NOVEMBER SWEEPS
Goodbye, cruel world
TV is ready to provide Hollywood endings to life as we know it
By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic November 1, 2005

After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, television will sock viewers with fantasy disasters.

Two such calamities loom over November sweeps, a crucial ratings period that begins Thursday. CBS' Category 7: The End of the World, starting Sunday, unleashes devastating weather that obliterates the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore. On Nov. 20, NBC rolls out a remake of The Poseidon Adventure, but this time around, terrorists rather than a tidal wave cause an ocean liner to capsize.

NBC originally planned to air 10.5: Apocalypse in November, but moved that miniseries to next year to give it a bigger promotional push. It's a sequel to last year's 10.5, a miniseries that envisioned severe earthquakes rearranging the West Coast. Other fictional crises have cropped up recently in prime time, such as CBS' Spring Break Shark Attack, Locusts and Vampire Bats, which aired Sunday.

This confluence of catastrophes might strike storm-weary viewers as bad timing or bad taste. But programmers stress they're aiming for entertainment.

"With Category 7, ours is sort of a popcorn movie, a roller coaster," says Bela Bajaria, CBS' senior vice president for movies and miniseries. "It's 'look at the Eiffel Tower fall apart.' You're not looking at real loss of life and the aftermath. We don't look at a death count. That wouldn't be fun. That's one of the rules in making popcorn movies."

Television critics usually hurl tomatoes at these productions, citing weak writing and hammy acting. Many viewers endorse the programs anyway. An average of 18 million viewers swallowed the popcorn last year when CBS aired Category 6: Day of Destruction. That good showing prompted the sequel.

"It's the extreme version of what could happen, the really extreme version," Bajaria says. It's so extreme that Randy Quaid's character, who rode a tornado in a pickup in the original, has returned.

NBC favors fantasy calamities that aren't in the realm of possibility, says Jeff Gaspin, who oversees that network's movies. That formula worked last year when 10.5 averaged 20.3 million viewers during its two nights.

"In the case of 10.5 this year and last, it would take millions of years for the disaster to happen. In our film, it takes a couple of days," says Gaspin, who is president of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, Digital Content & Cross-Network Strategy.

But will viewers want to watch after the Asian tsunami, the Pakistan earthquake and the hurricanes?

"There's always that risk," Gaspin says. "These movies are not supposed to echo those tragedies. These movies are 'watch them from the safety of your home.' They're roller-coaster rides for television."

The film industry has taken patrons on many such rides through the decades. San Francisco, a 1936 epic with Clark Gable, astonished moviegoers by re-creating the 1906 earthquake. The 1970s were the heyday for catastrophic stories, such as Airport, The Towering Inferno and Earthquake.

On television in 1983, The Day After gripped the nation with a harrowing depiction of life after a nuclear bombing in the Midwest. James Cameron's 1997 version of Titanic collected record box-office receipts and a best-picture Oscar. (A three-disc DVD of Titanic came out last week.) Last year's The Day After Tomorrow turned fears about global warming into a special-effects nightmare.

The better the cast and characters, the better the disaster film, says Peter Bogdanovich, who directed The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon. He cites Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds as the genre's best for its wonderful sequences and eerie plot about the bird world's inexplicable attack on humanity. Bogdanovich says disaster films operate on a basic level.

"There's a morbid fascination to it -- I think that's what gets to people," he says. "Sitting in the comfort of your living room and having barbecue and watching the world be destroyed. I don't find those kinds of films that interesting."

Yet millions do because they feel for the characters -- or they feel something else.

"Human nature is one of the things about the movies: feeling superior to people on the screen," says Bogdanovich, who also hosts The Essentials on Turner Classic Movies. "It's sort of a built-in sadistic element. You get to see everybody die, but you're chomping on popcorn."

Special effects are a crucial ingredient in serving this brand of popcorn. The original 10.5 destroyed the Seattle Space Needle, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Hollywood sign. NBC's Gaspin won't reveal which landmarks fall in the sequel, but says the program lives up to its apocalyptic title.

"There's volcanic eruptions, there's tidal waves," he says. "We used just about every disaster cliche in this one."

CBS' Category 7 wipes away the White House and installs a determined director (played by Gina Gershon) at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That story could be either amusing or appalling after the recent furor over FEMA's handling of hurricane relief. Yet the U.S. president is neither named nor portrayed in this fictional universe.

"In four hours, you try to deal with some larger global issues so there's something to talk about when the lights come up," says Robert Sertner, executive producer of Category 7. "I don't see it as a political hot button, but a social issue we'll be facing in decades to come. Global warming is on that list. Religious extremists are on that list. The line between reality and entertainment is a difficult line to walk. I tried to have fun with televangelists using the storms for their own benefit."

James Brolin and Swoosie Kurtz play those married televangelists with florid style and set the standard for over-the-top acting in the CBS miniseries. Without the evangelists' knowledge, a follower becomes an extremist and adds a subplot to the natural disasters.

Terrorism alters the remake of The Poseidon Adventure and sends that three-hour movie into new waters. A few scenes play on the public's anger since the 2001 attacks.

"It's what we're living with," Gaspin says. "It is a legitimate story line, as opposed to a giant wave that falls more into the fantasy category. This change does make it a little more possible. I'm not sure the boat would turn upside down rather than sink."

So the fantasy element remains the survivors' climb up through the capsized liner, Gaspin adds. The new version stages its own version of a memorable scene in the 1972 film: a heroic swim by actress Shelley Winters. This time around, veteran actress Sylvia Syms takes the plunge.

Plots and faces change in disaster movies, but the chance to rubberneck never disappears.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/orl-endofworld05nov01,0,5971129,print.story?coll=orl-caltvtop

Commercials bug viewers

By Dusty Saunders (Denver) Rocky Mountain News November 1, 2005

My pal Marty Meitus, the Rocky Mountain Daily News' food editor, recently complained, as only Marty can, about the excessive commercial load on network programs, particularly on ABC's Commander in Chief.

She's not alone.

Elaine Zupanic e-mailed that her blood pressure "went up 10 points," while recently watching Commander in Chief.

Zupanic tracked the commercial breaks, and claims that for every minute of drama there were five minutes of commercials.

Scott Hightower of Broomfield echoed the complaints, saying that as much as he enjoys Commander in Chief, he's tempted to stop watching it.

Are these complaints justified?

Commercial time per hour on the networks hasn't gone up significantly since last season.

However, over the past decade, the networks have gradually added two minutes of commercials.

But commercials, particularly on ABC, are inserted in a way that can be maddening, leaving the impression of far less programming time.

Until last year, ABC, along with its network rivals, would air a "teaser scene" at the start of a program, followed by a commercial break.

Next came four separate acts, the last of which would usually end at 56 minutes past the hour.

However, Steve McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment, changed his network's production ground rules, eliminating the long block of commercials at the end of an episode. Believing that policy led to channel-changing, McPherson ordered producers of hour-long shows to add a "fifth act" to each episode.

The result: While ABC dramas like Commander in Chief and Desperate Housewives don't have more commercials per hour, they do have more and longer commercial breaks before the end of the episode - which leads to viewer frustration.

And some producers aren't enthusiastic about the ABC policy, feeling it's difficult to build suspense and action in those shorter time periods.

That's why it's called commercial television.

That's also why if you're a movie fan you should cherish Turner Classic Movies, which offers films uncut and commercial free. Even TCM's promotional time is tasteful and low-key.

I used to watch AMC (American Movie Classics) occasionally until that movie network went to commercial interruptions and loud self-promotion at the end of the films.

http://www.insidedenver.com/drmn/entertainment_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_84_4201383,00.html

If it isn’t the commercials (see the Dusty Sauders column above), we hate most, it probably is the number of network prime time repeats…..
CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK
Repeats Have Got Us Restless

By Diane Werts Newsday Staff Writer November 2, 2005

Getting lost when it comes to "Lost"? Feeling desperate about "Desperate Housewives"? Got those rerun-episodes-so-early-in-the-season blues?

The networks' quick resort to repeats when the fall season has barely started reminds me of the Al Pacino line but in reverse.

Just when I think I'm in, they pull me back out.

You start caring what's in the hatch or who's in the basement, then wham! You're bounced back to an episode that aired last month. John Leguizamo got all of one week to establish himself on "ER" before NBC inserted a pre-Leguizamo repeat.

They're hitting the rewind button way too soon.

If the situation improves tomorrow, it's because Thursday marks the start of Nielsen's November sweeps period, when the research firm gathers ratings data in all 210 American TV markets. Savvy viewers already know that, though. And since most viewers are savvy these days, thanks to incessant show-biz coverage, we understand how the networks play the rerun game.

That doesn't mean we have to like it. Which we don't. Which we're taking out on the networks in so many ways, they're going to look back a decade from now and go, aha! - so that's why the viewers left. In the meantime, they're doing things the usual way, wondering why their numbers keep plummeting.

Four big reasons - and reruns are part of all of them.

1. Smart viewers. Even your grandmother knows now that Nielsen's big sweeps are November, February and May. The networks hold their freshest shows till it "counts." They only produce around 22 episodes of a series per season anymore, which aired consecutively would end in February. So to stretch originals into May, nonsweeps months get mostly repeats. Now hip to this trick, viewers are essentially trained to pay less attention to the networks outside the season's start and the three sweeps. Other times, we can look elsewhere, thanks to ...

2. Competition galore. When ABC, CBS and NBC were the whole ball game into the 1980s, we had the "least objectionable program" theory, which said viewers would watch whichever show at any given time they found less awful than the others. Even a rerun would get an audience slice. Not anymore. Not with dozens of channels to turn to and digital cable's shows on-demand. With so many ways to avoid that "least objectionable" last resort, why watch a repeat? Especially when that's not a problem with ...

3. Cable seasons straight-through. HBO, Showtime, FX, Sci Fi and other cablers first took advantage of network reruns by launching their big-ticket original series in repeat-laden times such as March or June. Then they held viewers' attention by offering the entire season in consecutive weeks, no interruptions. Once "The Sopranos" starts up, you don't get hooked on competing series during repeat weeks because there aren't any. You don't forget to watch, and you don't wonder whether it's an original or a repeat and say the heck with it. (Cablers might rethink that new mini-season strategy of running 10 or fewer episodes of "Monk" and "Battlestar Galactica" before a break of weeks or months till the season's second half unreels. Isn't there a network lesson to learn here?)

4. DVD. Fresh episode every week? Video discs let you have a fresh episode every hour. You can sate that gotta-know-what-happens-next need immediately. No repeats, no distractions, series immersion.

DVD offers another rerun insight, too, in those "original airdates" listed on many sets. The legendary filmed season of "The Honeymooners," for instance, ran from Oct. 1, 1955 to June 2, 1956 without missing a single week. Not even Thanksgiving or Christmas. That's 36 weeks straight. (Three more filmed episodes ran the following fall.) A generation later, "M*A*S*H" could reel off 24 new episodes in 1973-74 while skipping only the week between Christmas and New Year's. Of course, that meant the "M*A*S*H" season concluded March 2, which wouldn't make today's Nielsen needers happy. Even 1980's famed "Who Shot J.R.?" cliff-hanger ended that "Dallas" season in March, after the serial drama went straight through the season, skipping just four weeks including Christmas. "Dallas" actually ran a second fresh hour in two of those weeks. No wonder viewers got so into the Ewings.

And the 4077th. Is it coincidence that the "M*A*S*H" finale and "Dallas" shooter reveal are ranked Nielsen's No. 1 and 2 network telecasts of all time? Networks can cite snowballing competition for sliding ratings, but it all gets back to the notion of seeing something fresh and timely as well as good. The networks implicitly promised all those things. They act as if we've somehow broken faith in deserting them for other viewing choices. But like my Al Pacino line, it's the other way around. Chronic in-season repeats symbolize their promise broken. Today's viewers aren't the kind to forgive or forget.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-ettel4493212nov02,0,4567121,print.column?coll=ny-tv-columnists

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK: THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON
Sophomore hits, smart moves, more

By Mike Duffy Detroit Free Press TV Critic

Best network move: It looked like certain disaster for Clark Kent when the WB announced that "Smallville" was moving to Thursdays. But instead of dying in a Kryptonite time slot at 8, the teen Man of Steel has given WB its best Thursday night ratings and also helped "Everwood" nicely survive the Thursday shift as well.

Worst network move: NBC's decision to uproot "The West Wing" from 9 p.m. Wednesday after six seasons and shift it to 8 p.m. Sunday, where a sharp drop-off in ratings puts the creatively re-energized political drama in jeopardy of finally being voted out of office.

Lipstick politics: After blasting the distracting bright red early on, President Mackenzie Allen (Geena Davis) has adopted a more muted lipstick color palette in recent weeks on "Commander in Chief." Adios, wax candy lips.

Crime does pay: Despite some hostile reviews, "Criminal Minds" (CBS) has impressively averaged 12 million viewers opposite "Lost" and has given the Eye its latest crime procedural success to go along with "CSI," "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case." No police blotter blues for CBS.

Sophomore slump: Even with continued blockbuster ratings, "Desperate Housewives" has been spinning its storytelling wheels this fall. The disappointments? No new whodunit as beguiling or suspenseful as the Mary Alice mystery. Not nearly enough witty, entangled, support group interaction among the women of Wisteria Lane. And poor Alfre Woodard, who plays neighborhood newcomer Betty Applewhite, has been stuck in her own little suburban storytelling ghetto so far. But we kvetch too much. Despite its slightly diminished state, most of the time "Housewives" remains a Sunday night delight.

Sophomore sensations: "Lost" and "Veronica Mars" (UPN) have sustained their storytelling excellence. "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC) and "NCIS" (CBS) have their ratings on the upswing, heading toward juggernaut status.

Most valuable new supporting player: Donald Sutherland as scheming House Speaker Nathan Templeton, "Commander in Chief." Runner-up: Ethan Suplee as beer-lovin' doofus brother Randy on "My Name is Earl."

Collapsing like a cheese souffle: Martha Stewart's comeback. Her heavily promoted domestic diva version of "The Apprentice" is a dreary flop, exiled to the death watch slot opposite "Lost" and "Criminal Minds."

Best network to escape from crime procedural overload: ABC. "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," "Commander in Chief," "Boston Legal," "Lost," "Invasion" and "Alias" make the Alphabet Network the No. 1 stop for quality drama.

Coolest new prime-time couple: Fox's foxy "Bones" sleuths Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, giving it the old Scully and Mulder zing as odd crime-solving couple Dr. Temperance Brennan and FBI guy Seeley Booth.

Most disturbing fall trend: The escalation of gore and graphic violence on crime procedurals, a trend that began with "CSI" and has only grown more dismaying, with women frequently the favored targets of brutal, deviant crimes.

TV's most irritating new character: Annabeth Chase (Jennifer Finnigan), holier-than-thou suburban mommy and mega-pompous prosecutor on "Close to Home" (CBS). Runner-up: FBI profiler Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) of "Criminal Minds" (CBS), a sleuthing windbag who's nutty for Nietzsche.

Best guilty pleasure: "Reunion" (Fox). It's a mystery, it's a soap opera, it's a yummy slice of '80s flashback whodunit fun about six high school classmates entangled in jealousy, friendship and murder.

Great thrill-ride expectations: "24," the show whose mid-season premiere just can't arrive too soon. The crazy, clock-ticking adventures of counterterrorism ace Jack Bauer? They begin with a double-barreled, four-hour shot of suspense when the fifth season of "24" blasts off at 8-10 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Jan. 15-16, on Fox. Start your cliff-hanger engines.

http://www.freep.com/entertainment/tvandradio/duffy-box530e_20051030.htm

Fox’s “Break”-down

By Maureen Ryan Chicago Tribune November 01, 2005

Nooooooooooooooooooo!

Fox, say it ain’t so!

According to a story in USA Today, “Prison Break” will end its current batch of episodes on Nov. 28, and the locally filmed series won’t come back until May.

You read right -- until May!

Oh, no. No!

Fox expects us to go six months without “Prison Break”? That is just wrong. And cruel. Did I mention cruel?

The network says it has a too-crowded schedule for early 2006, once “American Idol” comes back. Well, Fox could choose not to overstuff its schedule with additional “Idol” episodes. Much as we’re all jazzed here in Chicago by the White Sox World Series win, Fox is, well, not so jazzed. The Series got low ratings for Fox, hence we’ll be seeing more “Idol” than ever as the network attempts to juice up its overall ratings for the season. I’ve already bought my earplugs in anticipation of the dozens of "Idol" hours that will no doubt feature terrible auditions.

But hey, if the network is committed to endless “Idol” but needs space cleared off its schedule to make room for “Break” in early 2006, how about canceling the abysmal “Killer Instinct”? I know, I know, heaven forbid we should have to go without a TV series about grisly murder cases and the wooden cops who solve them. Somehow I think we could muddle through.

Other things to get rid of: “That ’70s Show,” which is, I think, on its 47th season. Now that both Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace are gone, it’s time for that show to go. I don’t know if “Trading Spouses” will be part of Fox’s schedule when January rolls around, but if axing it means more “Prison Break,” then by all means, ax away. “Stacked.” Please. The world will not miss its special brand of terribleness. And hey, this season especially, Fox is no longer about the terrible (amazingly enough).

So, c’mon, Fox, clear away the dead wood on your otherwise surprisingly respectable schedule before you consign “Prison Break” to limbo! Don't make us wait six months for new episodes of "Break," especially because you just have to know the show's going to leave us on a massively cruel cliffhanger.

Look, it’s swell that Fox is bringing back “24,” we have that to look forward to in the new year. But if Fox doesn’t overstuff the schedule with too much “Idol” and/or cancels some of its deserving-of-cancellation shows, voila! There’s plenty of room for “Prison Break”!

See, that wasn’t so hard.

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

Cable's Per-Sub Cost Climbing

By Anthony Crupi MediaWeek.com

Call it the George Steinbrenner theory of cable network economics. In order to keep a commanding lead in the ratings game, the networks are obliged to spend increasingly large sums of money each year on programming.

According to a new report from Kagan Research, ESPN tops all comers with its programming expenses, spending an estimated $25.90 per subscriber in 2004, a sum that’s expected to reach $47.46 per sub in 2009, given a projected 14 percent increase per year over the next four years.

Second on Kagan’s list is Fox Sports Network, which last year spent $14.42 per sub, up just over $4 from its 2000 spending levels. That ESPN and Fox Sports are at the upper reaches of the list comes as no surprise, as sports rights packages constitute the single most expensive programming on television.

TNT comes in third at $9.27, thanks in part to its slate of National Basketball Association coverage and its investment in original drama series like The Closer and the Steven Spielberg miniseries Into the West. Rounding out the top ten are USA Network, TBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, Lifetime, NBA TV and FX, all of which fall short of the overall average for the list, $7.78 per sub.

In the aggregate, spending is significantly lower when all 139 basic cable nets are factored in, as per sub programming costs average $2.29. That number is expected to rise three percent annually, reaching $2.69 by 2009.

Overall, Kagan believes that the market bears out the principle that you get what you pay for, as high programming costs are born out by big ratings and boosts in advertising revenues.

“Many were skeptical when FX started spending big bucks for original shows, when TBS began laying out huge sums for movies in an earlier window, and when HBO and Showtime started investing in new original shows,” says Derek Baine, senior analyst at Kagan Research. “There have been a few flops but I would say net-net the investment in programming has been a success story.”

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/cabletv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001392761

Mondays 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 Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com)

CBS in November:

With the start of the November 2005 sweep just 2 days away, here are the programming highlights of note on CBS:

Movies:
Category 7: The End of the World (Sunday, Nov. 6 and 13): 9 p.m. ET
Snow Wonder (Sunday, Nov. 20): 9 p.m. ET
Silver Bells (Sunday, Nov. 27): 9 p.m. ET – Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation

Specials:
The 39th Annual Country Music Association Awards (Tuesday, Nov. 15): 8 p.m. ET
IWalk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash (Wednesday, Nov. 16): 8 p.m. ET

Cross-Over Episodes:
Gary Sinise from CSI: NY on CSI: Miami (Monday, Nov. 7): 10 p.m. ET
David Caruso from CSI: Miami on CSI: NY (Wednesday, Nov. 9): 10 p.m. ET

Guest Stars:
Alex Kingston (ER) on Without A Trace (Thursday, Nov. 3): 10 p.m. ET
Camryn Manheim on How I Met Your Mother (Monday, Nov. 7): 8:30 p.m. ET
Martin Sheen on Two and a Half Men (Monday, Nov. 7): 9 p.m. ET
Paul Sorvino on Still Standing (Wednesday, Nov. 9): 8 p.m. ET
Elizabeth Berkley (Showgirls) on Threshold (Friday, Nov. 11): 9 p.m. ET
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio on Without A Trace (Thursday, Nov. 24): 10 p.m. ET

Diane Werts is right on. The most important factor is the mythical "39 week season" and the trend towards fewer episodes per season. Volume of commercials and, as Dusty Saunders noted above, the forced change to more, smaller acts makes things even worse.

Not all shows would benefit tremendously from a straight run through their episodes. However, I bet there are some shows on the fence, or since cancelled, that would have survived if they had been catgorized as serials that need to hook and keep viewers and therefore should not be divided. Even a moderately good show can lose a significant number of viewers - permanently - if you encourage them to tune away for a single week. Once the routine is broken, you may have to earn those viewers back.

Reunion is one example. That is a slowly unfolding series that better not allow viewers to find another show to watch for a week or two - or they may find many who don't feel compelled to return. Programmers should have a "hook index" based on the number of minutes per week of original programming that airs from the premiere to the finale. 22 episodes, each 41 minutes in length yields an average of 23 minutes of new material a week over 39 weeks. Maybe they'll refine that Index so they can determine that a show like LOST with an avid group of follows will survive a "23", but a show like Reunion needs a "34" in order to survive.

Another way to encourage more episodes and lower costs would be to lower the number of executive producers (they all get paid per episode), producers, supervising producers, etc.

And get the actors to sign on, at first, for far lower salaries.

Similarly, the studios (mostly owned by the networks) should charge far less to the network per episode for a first season. Then, if the show catches on, and the ad rates increase, raise the pay of all concerned by the same percentage.

In a ratings and commercial-driving medium, make the payoff to all concerned relative to the ratings and the commercial profit.

The current TV model is collapsing, (and it is not collapsing slowly), because of the greed of all concerned.

Slow Start for Geraldo at Large

By Marc Berman Media Week November 01, 2005

The debut of Twentieth Television's limited-run Geraldo at Large wasn't so large in syndication yesterday.

Based on 32 metered markets, the half-hour first-run strip opened with a disappointing 2.6 rating, 5 share. Comparably, that was a decrease of 26 percent in rating and 2 share points from the lead-in average (3.5/7), and 40 percent in rating and 3 share points from the Oct. 2004 time period average (4.3/8).

More recently, the Oct. 2005 time period average was a 3.3/7.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001393337

If it isn't funny, it would then rank right up there with the majority of today's sitcoms, don't you think, Tabasco?

:D Guess I didn't think of the limited competition. The only sitcoms I watch are Earl, 2.5 Men, and Arrested Development, all of which I think are quite funny.

BCS Ratings/HD Appearances

Only four top-10 BCS teams have made in into the ranks of Top-10 HD appearances thus far this season.
The fans in Texas have been the biggest losers: #2 Texas and #15 Texas Tech have yet to appear in HD this season. (All statistics are include games scheduled to be broadcast in HD this coming weekend, ending Saturday, Nov. 5. BCS rankings below the Top 25 are courtesy of Jerry Palm and college bcs.com)

BCS Rank / College / HD Appearances
16 Florida 6
33 Tennessee 6
11 Georgia 5
14 Notre Dame 5
8 L S U 4
3 Virginia Tech 4
4 Alabama 3
20 Auburn 3
9 Florida St 3
34 South Carolina 3
12 Wisconsin 3
19 Boston College 2
41 Colorado State 2
28 Georgia Tech 2
6 Miami-Florida 2
21 Michigan 2
29 Northwestern 2
10 Ohio State 2
7 Penn State 2
38 Iowa 1
40 Iowa State 1
27 Louisville 1
31 Michigan St 1
35 Rutgers 1
39 Stanford 1
18 T C U 1
5 U C L A 1
1 U S C 1
30 U T E P 1
37 Virginia 1
17 West Virginia 1
36 Arizona St 1
32 Boise St 0
23 California 0
22 Colorado 0
24 Fresno St 0
26 Minnesota 0
25 Oklahoma 0
13 Oregon 0
2 Texas 0
15 Texas Tech 0

Weekly Network ratings for Week Ending Oct. 30th

In the sixth week of the 2005-06 Prime-TYme TV season CBS swept, beating Fox in total viewers, edging Fox in viewers 18-49, and beating ABC in adults 25-54.

In season-to-date numbers, CBS has widened its total viewers lead over ABC and strengthened its 25-54 lead over ABC, but ABC still clings to a tiny lead over CBS in 18-49.

Last week's and the season-to-date complete network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the second post in this thread). The program-by-program list will be posted later today.

It's ABC by a nose heading into sweeps
CBS, lagging 4.0 to 4.1, needs to score

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Nov 1, 2005

With the November sweeps set to begin Thursday, things could not be much closer between ABC and CBS. If CBS wants things to still be that way at the end of the year, the network needs an outstanding sweeps.

According to numbers released by Nielsen this morning, ABC remains 0.1, or just 3 percent, ahead of CBS season-to-date with a 4.1 average rating and 11 share among adults 18-49. CBS is averaging a 4.0/11, followed by NBC and Fox tied for third at 3.3/9.

ABC won the first three weeks of the season, but has since finished behind CBS for three weeks. Last week was a bit of an aberration, with baseball-fueled Fox taking the week with a 4.1 rating and CBS second at 3.8, followed by ABC at a 3.6.

CBS, ABC and NBC had lots of reruns last week in anticipation of Fox’s World Series coverage.

But the November sweeps is when things will get really interesting. CBS needs to build a cushion on ABC if it hopes to win the year in the demo, something it has clearly been shooting for since rolling out a younger-skewing schedule last May.

In February, ABC has the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards, which should boost it to a sweeps win and will also give it a big advantage in the year-long standings.

Thus November sweeps becomes that much more important to CBS, its big chance to gain an edge. And the past three weeks, the network has been doing much better.

Its Monday night lineup was up 6 percent last week to a 5.2 rating, and “CSI” was the week’s top show despite being a repeat. Though Thursday’s “Survivor: Guatemala” is off from past seasons of the 10-year-old reality show, it’s still thrashing the supposedly stiff competition at 8 p.m. and still consistently delivers a 6.2 average.

Equally important, Wednesday’s “Criminal Minds” has shown some promise despite airing against ABC heavyweight “Lost.” The show is averaging a respectable 3.6 and rose to a 3.9 against the most recent original “Lost” episode two weeks ago.

If ABC wants to retain the top spot, it needs “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” its three biggest hits, to stop their slight slide since the start of the season.

It also needs better ratings for “Monday Night Football,” which is averaging a 6.0, to rebound. The show is 12 percent off of last year’s 6.8 average through six outings.

NBC will be lucky to finish third. It’s down 13 percent from last year at this time, and its one bright spot, Tuesday nights, can’t make up for weak Wednesday and Sunday schedules.

As for Fox, it should do better than last year, with Monday hit “Prison Break” and Tuesday’s “House” providing a tremendous boost over what it had last season.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1029.asp

It looks like pretty soon every broadcast network will have a cable sports net….
Viacom Close to Acquiring CSTV

By Anthony Crupi MediaWeek.com November 01, 2005

Viacom is ready to cut a deal to acquire College Sports Television, according to sources close to the negotiations.

While neither side offered official confirmation Tuesday, the deal could be closed before the end of the week. If all goes through as planned, Viacom’s CBS Sports unit would take control of CSTV, the independent collegiate sports net launched in 2003 by cofounders Brian Bedol and Steve Greenberg.

Bedol and Greenberg have been down this road before, developing Classic Sports Network in 1995, and turning around and selling it to ESPN two years later for $200 million. Classic Sports was then rebranded as ESPN Classic.

A Bloomberg News story published Tuesday said CSTV could be worth about $500 million, which translates into another tidy profit for the network founders, which put up $100 million to get CSTV up and running.

CSTV and CBS already have a business relationship, as CSTV has secured streaming media deals with CBS SportsLine.com and has negotiated the rights to produce an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament highlights package that was carried by Viacom’s Spike TV.

While Viacom co-COO Les Moonves was noncommittal about the possibility of picking up CSTV during the company’s third quarter conference call Tuesday, he conceded that if “there’s something that fits with some of the businesses that we’re already in, we would consider that.”

Another hint that a deal with CSTV may be in the offing came earlier in the week when newly appointed executive vp of CBS Sports Tony Petitti said that he would look to acquire new programming, particularly in the collegiate sports arena.

At present, CSTV reaches about 15 million cable and direct-broadcast satellite households, having distribution agreements with Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner, Charter, Cox and EchoStar’s DISH Network.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001393622

FX Axes “Over There”

FX today announced there wouldn’t be a second season of Steve Bochko’s critically-acclaimed series “Over There”.

The reason: the same as usual, sagging ratings.

John Landgraf, head of FX, said: “"That decision was motivated entirely by 'Over There's' ratings performance and our belief that the numbers were reflective of what the show is about, rather than its quality or entertainment value. While are passionately committed to fostering great television, we are an advertiser-supported network, and the size of our audience is vital to our bottom line."

While it started with a bang -- 4.1 million viewers saw the premiere episode, putting it in the top 10 of all cable premieres -- “Over There” saw its numbers sag quickly, and it ended up averaging just over two million viewers per episode. Other far less expensive programs managed to snag far more viewers. “Nip/Tuck” and “The Shield” each averaged more than three million viewers per episode and “Rescue Me” averaged 2.8 million.

“Wanted” Returns to TNT in December
LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com)—”Wanted," TNT's original series about "an elite team of crime fighters from various federal and local law enforcement agencies comes together to form a covert, undercover strike force," will return for the second half of its inaugural season on Monday, December 5 at 10 PM ET/PT the network confirmed today.

The series opened to a solid 3.7 million viewers on July 31 with its summer finale on September 18 drawing 3.4 million viewers. TNT opted to give the series an 11-week break in order to avoid facing off against the broadcast networks' fall premieres. In total, five of the 13 completed episodes of the series have yet to air.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/newswire.cgi?id=7023

More info on the FX announcement ---

FX Takes a Pass on Renewing “Over There”

By Anthony Crupi MediaWeek.com November 01, 2005

Citing disappointing ratings, FX will not renew its original Iraq war drama Over There for a second season.

Although the Steven Bochco-created series was a critic’s darling, Over There just never was able to build a solid core audience.

Over the course of its 13-week run the show averaged 2.1 million total viewers and 1.3 million adults 18-49, and while those aren’t shabby numbers for basic cable, the ratings were in free fall since its August debut.

The premiere episode drew 4.1 million total viewers and 2.4 million adults 18-49, but thereafter went into a steady decline, bottoming out at 1.35 million viewers and 882,000 in the 18-49 demo for the Oct. 26 finale.

“I’m deeply proud of Over There,” said FX president John Landgraf, who added that the decision not to renew was a difficult one. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to ratings points: “While we are passionately committed to fostering great television, we are an advertiser supported network and the size of our audience is vital to our bottom line.”

Compared to Over There’s showing, top FX dramas Nip/Tuck is averaging 4.1 million total viewers per episode in its third season, The Shield drew 3.2 million total viewers in its fourth season and Rescue Me took in 2.8 million total viewers in its sophomore season.

Of the three new series FX debuted this summer, only one, the half-hour comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been picked up for a second season. Also on the chopping block was the eating disorder comedy Starved.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001393882

ABC's 'Monday Night Football' fumbles
Final numbers: Pulls a 6.3 in 18-49s

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Nov 1, 2005

The final season of “Monday Night Football” on ABC has been a bummer.

Last night’s game averaged a 6.4 Nielsen final rating among adults 18-49 from 9 to 12:18 p.m., slightly ahead of its season average in that demo. That’s down 7 percent from last season’s 6.8 through seven airings. Its season average of 6.0 is down 12 percent.

Total viewers have also slipped 9 percent this season, from an average of 16.38 million last year to 14.96 million this year.

Why are the games down? The problem could be in the matchups in this age of a parity-stricken NFL. Rams-Colts and Jets-Falcons (the two previous “MNF” games) aren’t good games, even though they looked that way in the preseason.

But next week’s game between the undefeated Indianapolis Colts and defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots looks more promising.

ABC is also facing tougher competition from Fox this year. The network’s new hit “Prison Break” airs opposite “MNF.” The show has averaged a 4.3 rating.

That said, ABC’s “MNF” average was up slightly last night from the two previous weeks, likely because most of the other networks aired reruns. “MNF” will move to ESPN next year, and “Sunday Night Football” moves to NBC.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_1030.asp

ESPN HD College Football for Nov. 12th

ESPN announced today it will air the Florida State at Clemson game in HD at 12 Noon ET Saturday Nov. 12th, and the Auburn at Georgia game in HD at 7:45 PM ET. The 7 PM ET ESPN2 HD game has yet to be announced.

FX Axes “Over There”


What a shame. I enjoyed it while it lasted and I hope FX keeps pushing the envelope, maybe something that is both great TV and attracts viewers comes down the pipe.

Thanks to FX for the one season anyway.

I agree Jim, and when I first found out about the news, I almost hesitated to post it because I know how much you enjoyed "Over There".

FX Cancels “Over There”

FX will not renew Over There for a second season based
on the series' ratings performance over its 13-epsiode run.

from futoncritic.com/Released by FX

FX will not renew Over There for a second season based on the series' ratings performance over its 13-epsiode run.

(Please see ratings information below).

Statement from John Landgraf, President and General Manager of FX Networks

"I'm deeply proud of Over There, which was beautifully produced, acted, written and directed. The series was arguably the most critically acclaimed new television show of the year, a fact which made the decision not to renew it all the more difficult. That decision was motivated entirely by Over There's ratings performance and our belief that the numbers were reflective of what the show is about, rather than its quality or entertainment value. While are passionately committed to fostering great television, we are an advertiser supported network and the size of our audience is vital to our bottom line.

"It was a deeply gratifying experience for everyone at FX to work with Steven Bochco, Chris Gerolmo and their immensely talented and dedicated team of collaborators, whose artistry was reflected in each episode."

RATINGS INFORMATION

- For its 13-week run (Wednesdays, 10 PM ET/PT), Over There averaged 2.1 million total viewers and 1.3 million Adults 18-49.

- Over There enjoyed a very strong premiere with 4.1 million total viewers and 2.4 million Adults 18-49.

- Over There leveled off to an average of 2.1 million viewers and 1.3 million Adults 18-49 for episodes 2-9.

- Over There then began a steady decline, eventually bottoming out at 1.35 million viewers and 882,000 for the season finale.

- Over its final four episodes, Over There averaged 1.6 million total viewers and 990,000 Adults 18-49.

- In comparison to FX's other drama series (most recent/current season):

Nip/Tuck is averaging 4.1 million total viewers and 2.9 million Adults 18-49 (#1 in basic cable on A18-49)

The Shield averaged 3.2 million total viewers and 2.0 million Adults 18-49

Rescue Me averaged 2.8 million total viewers and 1.8 million Adults 18-49

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/pr.cgi?id=20051101fx01

Don't be editing content on my account, I can take it like a man. :D

CRAP - "Over There" was one of the best shows on television.

Too bad we couldn't convince about a million other people of that fact. :(

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).

Too bad we couldn't convince about a million other people of that fact. :(

Or convince some of those Nielsen families to take some time out of their busy schedules to extract their heads from their rectums, stop playing canasta and flip the channel occasionally to some quality television.

THE 2005-2006 TV SEASON: WEEK SIX
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 (excluding – for the most part -- specials, movies and repeats), by network, for the sixth week of the 2005-2006 season, the week ending October 30th:

C B S
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
46 48 Hours Mystery CBS 9.02
62 Yes, Dear CBS 6.76
66 Still Standing CBS 6.47
66t "Vampire Bats" CBS 6.47
70 Threshold CBS 6.09

A B C
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
63t Hope & Faith ABC 6.55
75 Primetime ABC 5.61
81 Wonderful World of Disney ABC 5.31
86 Supernanny ABC 5.02
87 Night Stalker ABC 5.00

N B C
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
59 Apprentice: Martha NBC 7.38
60 Dateline NBC (Sun.) NBC 7.28
61 Dateline NBC (Fri.) NBC 6.79
69 Will & Grace NBC 6.27
71 Joey NBC 6.06

Fox
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
88 "Maid in Manhattan" FOX 4.90
89 Cops (8 p.m.) FOX 4.47
91 Killer Instinct FOX 4.31
97 Bernie Mac FOX 3.70
100 Malcolm in the Middle FOX 3.53

UPN
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
110 Half and Half UPN 2.96
112 Eve UPN 2.72
114 Cuts UPN 2.22
115 Love Inc. (9 p.m.) UPN 2.17
118 Love Inc. (9:30 p.m.) UPN 1.97

The WB
Rank Show Viewers (in millions)
103t One Tree Hill WB 3.36
109 Twins WB 3.03
116 What I Like About You (8:30 p.m.) WB 2.05
117 Supernatural WB 2.03
119 Related (Mon.) WB 1.96

It is really a shame that people simply can't seem take a program like Over There for what it is, GREAT entertainment. Yes, it mirrored a lot of what is happening "over there" today and the realism probably more than anything led to it's dismal ratings and low audience numbers, though the timeslot didn't help much.

My son-in-law is serving in Afghanistan as we speak and my daughter didn't miss an episode. I asked her how she could watch it when it was so real and she replied, as I knew she would, that it gave her a sense of what her husband was doing and why, smart girl. :)

I look back at the 50's and 60's when all the great war movies were made and television had Rat Patrol, MASH, etc. I think some day we will look back and see just how well done Over There really was and it might just be the first series DVD I purchase. I hope it is nominated for and wins lots of awards.

I hope it is nominated for and wins lots of awards.
It should be, there were a lot of oustanding performances. Curries Graham's performance during his guest appearance was without a doubt Emmy material.

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.

I wish they would rate shows watched only by folks who have DVRs with dual-tuners. I'd bet the ratings mix would be a lot different. :)

Anderson Cooper's star rising at CNN
Hoping to boost its ratings, the cable network is in talks to expand the anchor's role, sources say

By Matea Gold Los Angeles Times Staff Writer November 2, 2005

NEW YORK — CNN is considering several options that would elevate the role of anchor Anderson Cooper, seeking to give the broadcaster's brand of emotive reporting greater exposure, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Currently the host of "Anderson Cooper 360," Cooper has anchored CNN's 7 p.m. newscast since March 2003. Last month, the show saw a substantial boost in its ratings, compared with October 2004. Cooper took on an additional role in early September, shortly after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, when CNN paired him with "NewsNight's" Aaron Brown at 10 p.m. for an extended two-hour program.

But teaming the two men and their divergent styles — Brown's folksy musings and Cooper's passionate queries — has drawn mixed reviews.

Network officials are now looking to better showcase Cooper, considered a favorite of CNN/U.S. President Jonathan Klein. One possibility involves the two swapping their original time periods, sources said, with 56-year-old Brown taking over the 7 p.m. slot and the 38-year-old Cooper anchoring the flagship 10 p.m. newscast, presumably in the hope of attracting a more youthful audience.

CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson would not comment on the ongoing discussions, saying only that no decisions had been made.

It remains to be seen whether Brown, long CNN's lead anchor, would go along with any changes. He and Cooper are both on vacation this week and unavailable for comment.

The talks are just the latest indication of the growing profile of Cooper, a former ABC News correspondent who also hosted that network's reality show "The Mole." After Katrina hit, he decamped to the Gulf Coast for much of September, delivering often emotionally wrought reports about the destruction.

CNN officials have increasingly been touting his anchoring style as they attempt to regain their standing against Fox News, which has held the top spot in the cable news wars since 2002.

"It does seem pretty clear that Cooper has gotten a lot of attention since the Katrina coverage, and the network may be looking to capitalize on that," said Deborah Potter, a former Washington correspondent for CNN who runs NewsLab, a nonprofit journalism training and research center.

"But from the outside looking in, it appears to be deck chair rearrangement. I don't think it's the kind of fundamental shift that CNN needs to consider to be competitive again."

So far this year, Fox's average prime-time audience is up 11% to almost 1.8 million people, while CNN's has increased just 2% to 879,000, according to Nielsen Media Research.

CNN officials note that Cooper's 7 p.m. show averaged 811,000 viewers in October, a 36% hike over the same period last year. His competition — "Fox Report With Shepard Smith" — drew an average audience of 1.57 million viewers, down 10% from October 2004 but still larger than the combined viewership of all the other cable news programs during that hour.

It's harder to gauge the effect of Cooper's presence on "NewsNight." Its 10 p.m. hour was up just 4% over October 2004, when the presidential campaign boosted the ratings for all the cable news networks. At 11 p.m., "NewsNight" drew an average of 215,000 viewers in the key 25- to 54-year-old demographic last month, up 41% compared with regularly scheduled programming in the same period last year, which averaged 153,000 viewers.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-cooper2nov02,0,4277042,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

“Over There” Reaction
By Rich Heldenfels Akron Beacon Journal

The (statement from John Landgraf, President and General Manager of FX Networks [above posts]) was a very long way of saying it wasn't politics that killed the show, it was a lack of audience enthusiasm. And I feel a little guilty about not paying closer attention; I don't have a Nielsen box, but if I had watched more, I might have written more about ''Over There,'' and maybe someone with a Nielsen box would have tuned in.

And I very much liked ''Over There'' in the early going; the first episode had problems but by the third, you could see a show that was worth the time and effort. Still, somewhere along the way, I stopped watching.I would DVR it, and set aside the review discs that came in. My wife was watching every episode, and loving them, and insisting to me that ''you really should be watching this.'' But somehow there was always something else to fill my time.

In that way, ''Over There'' was my ''Carnivale,'' another high-quality show that many people just decided not to watch. When the days and nights are full of obligations, including TV shows, sometimes a really good one gets lost.

But my wife is going to be really ticked.

http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/2005/11/bad_news_for_ov.html

Weekly Ratings Notes
World Series grounds out

By Gary Levin USA TODAY

•Bunt. The 2005 World Series went into the record books as the least-watched in history, with 17.2 million viewers for the Chicago White Sox's four-game shutout of the Houston Astros. That was down 32% from last year's four-game Red Sox-Cardinals matchup.

•Monday madness. Opposite football, CBS' Two and a Half Men scored 16.8 million viewers Monday, its biggest audience since May, after the finale of former lead-in Everybody Loves Raymond. And Fox's Prison Break returned from a baseball break with 10.1 million viewers. It's the drama's best showing since its premiere Aug. 29 and sets a series high among young adults.

•Was it the garlic? CBS' latest B-movie cheesefest, Vampire Bats, crashed with 6.5 million viewers Sunday, ranking fourth among young adults. That compares with 11.6 million for March's Spring Break Shark Attack and 12.7 million for Locusts in April.

•Good grief. Perennial It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, which first aired in 1966, drew 11 million viewers on ABC Tuesday and won its time slot among young adults. Sunday's new Grey's Anatomy ranked second for the week among the 18-to-49 crowd — its best ranking yet — and built by 2.6 million viewers off its Desperate Housewives repeat lead-in.

•Mars rising. UPN's critical favorite Veronica Mars hit a series-high 3.6 million viewers Wednesday, helped by a repeat of time-slot rival Lost.

•Heavy traffic. Lifetime's two-part movie Human Trafficking scored solid numbers for the cable network, averaging 5.5 million viewers Monday and Tuesday, its biggest movie audience this year.

•Over the hill. FX Iraq war drama Over There whimpered out with a series-low 1.4 million viewers Wednesday, just a third of the audience for its premiere in July. The show was canceled Tuesday. But Nip/Tuck is holding up nicely; 3.5 million watched last week.

•Curbed numbers. HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm hit a ratings trough with 1.1 million viewers Sunday; Friday's premiere of Showtime's Masters of Horror series scared up only 167,000.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-11-01-nielsen-analysis_x.htm

The TV Column
The Week’s Winners and Losers
After Six Weeks, CBS Boasts: The Eye Has It

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Wednesday, November 2, 2005; C07

CBS is the new NBC. The eye network said so yesterday when it crowed that it had won the first six weeks of the TV season -- a feat last accomplished in fall 1988 season by NBC with the help of "The Cosby Show," "Cheers" and "The Golden Girls."

Here's a look at the week's hot and not:

WINNERS

CBS . Six of last week's 10 most watched shows aired on CBS, starting with a "CSI" rerun that clocked more than 24 million viewers. Season-to-date, CBS has a 2-million-viewer lead over closest competitor ABC.

"Criminal Minds." A rerun of CBS's surprisingly strong freshman crime drama Wednesday stomped on a rerun of ABC's oh-so-hot soph series "Lost" among viewers overall and the 18-to-49-year-olds both networks chase. ABC pointed out the "Lost" rerun already had been rebroadcast once before this season, on a Saturday night. And whose fault is that?

"Grey's Anatomy." In its first broadcast following a "Desperate Housewives" rerun, ABC's Sunday drama about lusty doctors built on that lead-in by nearly 3 million viewers. ABC rewarded it immediately, announcing it would get the coveted post-Super Bowl slot Feb. 5.

"NCIS." CBS's military crime drama broke the 18 million viewer mark last week. A week earlier it broke the 17 million mark; two weeks before that it broke 16 million for the first time.

"Human Trafficking." Having scored an Academy Award tackling the lighthearted, sexy side of prostitution in "Mighty Aphrodite," Mira Sorvino tackled the more problematic side in this Lifetime two-parter. Part 1, on Monday, logged 5.1 million viewers and became the most watched original movie on basic cable so far this year. Part 2 eclipsed that the next night with 5.8 million.

Madeleine Albright launched her TV career in a big way when her cameo on WB's "Gilmore Girls" caused the show to finish the week as the most watched program on WB or UPN -- a crown held most weeks this season by Chris Rock's "Everybody Hates Chris."

LOSERS

World Series. Lowest-rated Series ever, it averaged a puny 17.2 million viewers (compared with last year's 25.4 million) even though it marked the Chicago White Sox' first Series win in 88 years, which just screams Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks flick in the making. Depending on whether you're a Little Ender or a Big Ender, this is because (a) the games all started so late and why can't they bring back the good old days when the Series aired during the day and you snuck your portable radio into class to listen, or (b) nobody cares about the White Sox, aka That Other Team in Chicago, much less the Houston Astros, which is okay if the Series goes to seven games, but which, combined with a four-game sweep, is a lethal combination.

"Vampire Bats." Lacking the insouciance of CBS's "Locusts" and the artless grace of its "Spring Break Shark Attack," "Vampire Bats" pretty much sucked the life out of the network's Sunday flick ratings. An anemic 6.5 million watched Lucy Lawless investigate why nasty bats are draining the life out of a quaint Louisiana town.

"Over There." FX network announced yesterday that it would not pick up a second season of its Iraq war drama, a decision that FX President John Landgraf said was based entirely on its lousy numbers, which "were reflective of what the show is about rather than its quality or entertainment value." "Over There" opened with an impressive 4.1 million viewers but wound up with 882,000 viewers for the season finale. "While we are passionately committed to fostering great television, we are an advertiser-supported network and the size of our audience is vital to our bottom line," Landgraf said, marking the most candid statement ever made by a network suit in the history of the medium.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/01/AR2005110101602_pf.html

I, too, was disappointed 'Over There' failed to find an audience - or more precisely - that the audience it did have melted away during the show's run. I must confess that I only watched the first 3 or 4, but have the rest resident on the DVR and will finish them at some point. Some of that is practical - SD material doesn't take up much room - I'm more inclined to quickly watch the HD shows I record because they take up roughly 3 times the footprint on the DVR's HDD, and its limited space is precious.

This was a quality show, though, and deserved to survive. Gosh, how many times have I written that sentence? :(

Meanwhile, yet another formulamatic military themed lawyer show - NCIS - continues it's perplexing climb up the ratings ladder and that new Jamie Foxx Iraqi-War-1 movie is coming out and will probably draw 10 times the total audience of 'Over There' in just it's opening weekend.

How does this happen? I rationalize it by saying the American people get what they deserve in movies, TV, politicians, etc., but their poor choices affect me too, dadgumit. Bah! Humbug! :mad:

The Week in Cable
The fast life and death of “Over There”

By Abigail Azote MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Nov 2, 2005

When “Over There” premiered on FX in July, it was touted by many critics as a bold, unflinching look at the brutalities of war. It also made history as the first dramatic series to be based on a contemporaneous war.

But as it turns out, it was a bold, unflinching look at the brutalities of war that viewers could well do without. For all its realism and raw drama, “Over There” brought home a war that was already too close to home. Late yesterday afternoon FX canceled the show.

It comes as no surprise. The series had a promising debut, averaging more than 4 million total viewers, but steadily lost its following week to week, with last week's finale drawing just 1.35 million viewers, for a 67 percent decline from its premiere. Through 13 episodes, “Over There” averaged 2.12 million viewers.

“The program may have been too raw for viewers to be able to distance themselves from the tragedy of an on-going conflict,” says Bill Carroll, vice president and director of programming at Katz Television Group.

“Over There” brought the reality of the crisis in Iraq to living rooms around the country without the benefit of distance in time or place. Unlike “M*A*S*H,” which used a past conflict (Korean War) to address a more recent military action (Vietnam War), “Over There” dramatized a war that viewers already follow in the news every day.

“Was the show artistically successful in its portrayal? The answer is yes,” says Carroll. “But could or would the mass audience embrace that realism as entertainment? The answer it would seem, based on viewership, is likely no.”

The series concluded with an open-ended episode, leaving open the possibility of a return. But even before yesterday's decision, its future looked grim.

“Ratings are probably below the level of sustainability from our standpoint,” FX president John Landgraf told USA Today last week. Also, producer Steven Bochco left last month to helm ABC’s “Commander in Chief.”

Meanwhile, in other cable ratings for the week ended Oct. 30:

Top five networks in primetime (18-49s):
ESPN
USA
Lifetime
TBS
TNT

Top five networks in primetime (total viewers):
ESPN
USA
Lifetime
TNT
TBS

Top movie (18-49s):
Lifetime’s “Human Trafficking” (Tuesday 9 p.m.) 2.72 million

Top sporting event (total viewers):
ESPN’s NFL: Bills vs. Patriots (Sunday 8:30 p.m.) 9.7 million

Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s,18-49s and 25-54s:
ESPN’s NFL: Bills vs. Patriots (Sunday,`8:30 p.m.)
Lifetime’s “Human Trafficking” Parts 1 & 2 (Monday & Tuesday, 9 p.m.)
FX’s “Nip/Tuck” (Tuesday, 10 p.m.)
USA’s WWE Entertainment (Monday, 9 & 10 p.m.)

Show on the rise: “13 Nights of Halloween,” ABC Family, various times. The seventh incarnation of this two-week Halloween special delivered double-digit increases for ABC Family. The network averaged a 0.6 18-49 rating, up 20 percent from a year ago, and a 0.5 18-34 rating, up 25 percent compared to last year. The block included the basic cable debut of “The Sixth Sense,” which drew more than 2 million total viewers.

Show on the decline: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Speed Channel, various times. The latest televised race from Atlanta averaged a 1.09 household rating, good enough to be the fourth most-watched NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Speed since it started airing the races in 2003. But its ratings fell behind two previous races this year and one in 2004, despite the network having added 371,000 households to its reach in October.

http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_1032.asp

Will 'The Wire' be cut by HBO? Well, read on ...

By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, November 2, 2005

Still nothing on what makes "ALF" so great, or why I'm still watching "Little Bear" in my spare time, but the offerings remain sharp and varied.

Q: I am a huge fan of HBO's "The Wire" and am wondering will there be a season 4? If so, when will it air? I knew there was some discussion of the show getting canceled -- please say it ain't so! --Claire Berney, San Mateo
A: It ain't so. Not only is "The Wire" coming back for a fourth season, the odds are good that it will also get a fifth season. HBO wanted creator David Simon to give it a two-season story arc now that the drug-trade story line featuring all the Avon Barksdale-Stringer Bell genius has played out over the first three seasons. The reason HBO was keen on direction is two-fold: After delivering what was quite possibly the greatest 13-episode run in television history -- establishing a novelistic tracking of the Baltimore drug trade from the perspective of the dealers and the cops -- Simon abruptly shifted focus for season 2 and tackled "the death of the American working class" from the perspective of the Baltimore docks, relegating the remnants of season 1 to "B" story line status.

Jarring? And then some. Though season 2 was wholly different and transcendently great for a variety of reasons unrelated to season 1, there's a reason you don't get to reinvent your television series every year: People freak out. So do executives. Imagine "24" going in a different direction in its second season without Jack Bauer. Although season 3 of "The Wire" refocused on drugs, Simon essentially closed the book on the major players. HBO wanted to know where he was going -- not just for one, but two seasons. They liked what they saw. Says HBO: "With the Barksdale investigation concluded, the fourth season of 'The Wire' will expand its focus to include a look at the role of the educational system in an urban environment."

Look for season 4 sometime in the latter part of 2006.

Q: Why is it a network will cancel a show after only a couple of airings and then replace it with reruns of other shows, rather than let it play out until it either finds an audience or they have a solid replacement? With all it must take to get a show on the air in the first place, and the monetary commitment network and advertisers have made, to pull the trigger on a show before it has any hope of finding an audience doesn't make sense after only an episode or two. --Greg Gilmore, Burlingame
A: The short answer is easy, Greg: fear. The four-network mad dash for viewers is extremely tight. Nobody has much patience for failure these days because one weak show could mean the difference between staying close and getting fired. The difficult answer is this: Though networks understand, in theory, that patience sometimes pays off ("Hill Street Blues," "Seinfeld" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" among the most famous examples), in practice, they see a show tank in 15-minute increments. As viewers flee, it hurts the show following it. A couple of weeks of that and a whole night could be irrevocably lost, so instead of trying to fix the problem, they patch it with something they know will work.

Of course the networks wouldn't have this problem, in many cases, if they practiced better quality control at the plant.

Q: Your answer to the question about shows not starting and ending on time, while accurate, was not satisfying. We already know that it is EXTREMELY ANNOYING. We are the annoyed. Can you help us viewers get organized and express our displeasure to the networks? I'd gladly pitch in a buck or two to buy an ad in a trade to put the shame on 'em, or take other organized action. You're a smart guy (I'm sucking up here) who knows how that world works. Please tell us how we can make a really big stink out of this. --Rodger Raino, San Francisco
A: Actually -- not that smart. And the networks are unlikely to stop this EXTREMELY ANNOYING practice anytime soon. However, yes, there is a way to have your say. Every network Web site (cbs.com, etc.) has at the bottom of the main page either a "contact us," "feedback" or "FAQ" link. You can sometimes get phone numbers or addresses or a form for e-mail complaints. Will someone read it? Yes. Will they act on it? Not sure. Many times these skipped-over links provide useful information. Many times they are merely EXTREMELY ANNOYING. If this doesn't satisfy your desire to make a stink, and there appears to be an outcry for more information, I'll dig up something better for you, short of Leslie Moonves' personal e-mail address.

Q: Are you like me and think that "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is the greatest thing to come down the pike in a long time?! Did it pull enough ratings to get renewed? --Amy Knight, Oakland
A: Yes and yes, Amy. I love the ridiculous non-PC approach to the series and FX apparently believes in it as well, as the channel picked it up for another season.

Q: Is there anything to be done about those little bottom-of-the-screen commercials that run during a television show? I'm thinking duct tape, but there must be a more elegant solution. Also: "The Office" isn't one of your favorite shows? --Alice Dockter, Alameda
A: Those "bugs," as they're called, are a plague. People who make TV shows hate them. But networks think it helps promotion. So go with the duct tape. And yes, I still like "The Office," but it didn't make my tough-love minimalist list that recently ran. And I'm not sure it has much of a future, given the dismal ratings.

Q: When "Grey's Anatomy" first came out, you panned it. I didn't like it much myself. But I've been watching this season and am hooked. I find the story lines touching and compelling. Have you changed your mind as well? --Stacy Taylor, El Cerrito
A: I thought the pilot was absurd and trite and I whined (that's the polite word for it) about how "Grey's Anatomy" wasn't rewriting the hospital drama. That was true then, but the show has improved considerably. Still, it's a hospital drama. And those tend to freak me out. But yes, it's better. I haven't yet got past star Ellen Pompeo channeling Renee Zellweger, however.

Q: How do you feel about John Leguizamo joining the cast of "ER"? Is he a welcome addition who can resuscitate this moribund series and save it from totally flat lining, or is he an uninspired choice who can't carry Paul McCrane's stethoscope? The boundless polymath stuff was a bit heavy, sure (speaks Russian, Spanish, oozes street cred and drops hip-hop references), but I thought he brought a new energy to last week's episode that has been missing since Goose was still around. I, for one, hope he doesn't get crushed by a falling helicopter anytime soon.--Peter Spoerl, Berkeley

A: Wait, so you're saying "ER" is still on the air, Peter?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/02/DDGABFGVKO1.DTL&type=printable

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

Question: