Hot Off The Press! The Latest Television News and Info [Text View] - Page 41

Marcus Carr

03-28-06, 08:25 AM

Barton Gives Bells 10 Years

By Ted Hearn 3/27/2006 11:05:00 PM

Phone companies would be granted 10-year national video franchises with automatic renewal under a House bill released Monday afternoon by Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas).

The release of the bill sets the stage for a hearing Thursday and a possible vote next week by the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.

Reflecting changes sought by the cable industry, the 34-page bill would allow incumbent cable operators to escape local franchising in communities where phone companies are providing pay TV service or when their existing franchises are "no longer in effect."

“The House bill released today represents considerable progress, and we look forward to working with chairman [Barton] and all committee members in the weeks ahead,” National Cable & Telecommunications Association president Kyle McSlarrow said in a prepared statement.

McSlarrow was relieved because Barton originally wanted to deny cable incumbents a national franchise until the phone company had 15% of the local pay TV market. Barton also slapped pricing controls on cable.

"While our policy recommendation would be to reform and streamline the franchising process to ensure speedy entry by new competitors, we are pleased that the national franchising scheme proposed in the House bill seeks to ensure that all providers compete on a level playing field," McSlarrow said.

AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. have been urging Congress to adopt a national franchising approach to expedite their entry into cable markets. Under the Barton bill, the phone companies would have video-entry authorization from the Federal Communications Commission within 30 days.

“Verizon is studying the bill to make sure it meets objectives important to consumers: greater video choice, accelerated broadband deployment and a free and open Internet, unfettered by government regulation,” said Peter Davidson, Verizon’s senior vice president for federal legislative affairs, in a prepared statement.

Although the Barton bill did not include territorial-buildout requirements on phone-company video entrants, it would ban red-lining based on the economic profile of a community. The FCC is allowed to intervene in order to ensure that a neglected community is served.

Barton’s bill includes watered-down language on network neutrality, giving the FCC authority to enforce its consumer-centric broadband principles adopted last August. But the agency would not have the authority to promulgate net-neutrality rules.

The FCC could adjudicate disputes that arise under the principles, which do not directly address whether network owners are banned from establishing fee-based premium services on their high-speed-Internet platforms.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) -- who introduced a bill that would bar cable and phone companies from guaranteeing some Web merchants preferential treatment -- blasted the Barton bill.

“This legislation begins the construction of a multilayered, toll-strewn information superhighway that is out of sync with what has made the Internet work -- access for all. [My bill] ensures that the Internet will truly be free from discrimination, and I plan to continue to fight for that principle,” Wyden said in a prepared statement Monday night.

Public Knowledge, a group that seeks network-neutrality guarantees, complained that Barton’s approach failed to protect against discriminatory conduct by network providers.

“Without stronger legislation, the cable and telephone companies will have the power to change the fundamental nature of the Internet. This bill needs significant improvement before it will preserve the open Internet that consumers and service providers expect and deserve,” Public Knowledge president Gigi Sohn said.

Elsewhere, the Barton bill would require national video franchisees to contribute 1% of gross revenue to provide financial support for public-access channels and institutional networks that link government and educational facilities in a community. In the future, national franchisees would need to provide more channel capacity to public-access programming.

Barton’s bill would allow local government to offer high-speed-Internet access, provided that they do not seek any special advantages over private companies.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6319478.html?display=Breaking+News

Marcus Carr

03-28-06, 08:49 AM

House Would Grant 10-Year National Franchise

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/27/2006 5:21:00 PM

The House Energy & Commerce Committee has released a copy of legislation that a spokesman calls "the bill"-- rather than a draft--of a proposed new national video franchising scheme.

In a victory for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, gone are arguably the most cable-unfriendly provisions of an early draft of the bill.

Those would have allowed new video services, like telco video, to serve up to 15% of a market before cable could secure a similar national franchise. Another would have required incumbent cable operators to give price breaks to everyone in their systems, not just those who were being served by new competition.

The bill as currently constituted allows new video providers to get a 10-year franchise within 30 days of filing the requisite application, so long as they file the correct paperwork. It also allows cable to get a franchise under the same national franchise terms if a competitor enters the market with a national franchise or when their current franchise expires.

The national franchise can be revoked for "repeated and willfull violations," including discrimination in terms of service (so-called "red lining"), violating rights-of-way laws, or making false statements about service.

The bill still allows for local franchise deals if video providers wish to seek them.

Republicans were praising the bill as bipartisan, though an earlier bipartisan draft with the blessings of ranking Democrats John Dingell and Ed Markey fell apart when the 15% trigger and uniform pricing language was exised in the wake of strong opposition from the cable industry.

The only Democrat being cited in a release from the majority touting the bill was Bobby Rush (D-Ill.).

Another Illinois legislator, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, praised the bill and Chiarman Joe Barton (R-Tex.), saying: "I want to thank the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, including my friends, Chairman Joe Barton and Reps. Fred Upton and Bobby Rush, for putting consumers first as we prevent outdated regulations from stunting the growth of new pay-TV services and drive down costs by giving people more choice."

A hearing on the bill has reportedly been scheduled for Thursday, March 30.

http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6319469.html?display=Breaking+News

fredfa

03-28-06, 10:15 AM

Obituary
Dan Curtis, 78; Creator of Epic TV Miniseries 'Winds of War,' 'War and Remembrance'

By Valerie J. Nelson Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 28, 2006

Dan Curtis, whose battle to make two Emmy-winning World War II miniseries, "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance," lasted years longer than the war the epics were based on, has died. He was 78.

Curtis, who also created the daytime soap opera "Dark Shadows" in the 1960s that became a pop culture touchstone, died Monday of brain cancer at his Brentwood home, said his daughter, Cathy.

The landmark "War" miniseries were produced in the 1980s on a scale never before attempted on television. He served as executive producer, co-writer and director.

When "The Winds of War," a 16-hour, $40-million dramatization of the beginning of World War II, aired in February 1983, it was one of the most-watched miniseries of all time. ABC estimated that 140 million people tuned in to at least part of the series, which starred Robert Mitchum as Navy Capt. Victor "Pug" Henry.

"Wherever I turned, people were talking about it," Curtis told The Times soon after it aired. "No matter what I do the rest of my career, I can't imagine anything coming up to the high that was."

After spending more than four years on "The Winds of War," Curtis was adamantly opposed to adapting a second Herman Wouk novel that picked up the story of the war after Pearl Harbor. He relented when ABC promised a big budget and free rein to truthfully depict the horrors of the Holocaust.

When "War and Remembrance" began airing in 1988, the 30-hour, $104-million production was the biggest, longest and most expensive project in television history.

Writing the script took more than a year, location scouting took two years, and production required 21 months with filming in 10 countries. Curtis compared the editing, which took two years, to being in jail.

"The reality is, this is the end of 10 years of my life," Curtis said when the sequel aired.

"War and Remembrance" did not garner the ratings of its predecessor, but it was watched by about 40 million viewers. Though both miniseries received Emmys, the sequel brought Curtis his own, for outstanding miniseries.

After calling "The Winds of War" "a handsome hunk of pop entertainment," Times television critic Howard Rosenberg declared the sequel "a monumental slab of TV" that was worth the five-year wait.

Still, Curtis openly worried that he would be remembered for "Dark Shadows," his gothic horror daytime soap that ran from 1966-71 on ABC.

The idea for the show — about an orphaned governess who goes to work for a wealthy family — came to him in a dream that he shared with his wife when he woke up. She urged him to run with it.

At first, the campy series struggled in the ratings.

"My sister told him, 'make it scarier,' so he brought in the vampire Barnabas Collins, and the ratings took off," Cathy Curtis recalled.

In addition to the charismatic 175-year-old vampire, played by Jonathan Frid, other supernatural elements and characters were added that drew viewers.

A rabid fan base, fueled by cable reruns and video collections, still exists. By mining popular themes found in science fiction and horror literature, Curtis pushed the boundaries of daytime storytelling.

The show also introduced a number of future stars, including Kate Jackson, John Karlen and Roger Davis. Numerous up-and-comers such as Susan Sullivan, Marsha Mason and Harvey Keitel did guest shots.

With features based on the mythology of the show, Curtis segued to the big screen. "House of Dark Shadows" (1970) recast the original story and was more violent than its TV counterpart. In 1991, he tried to revive "Dark Shadows" on prime-time television, but the NBC show lasted only two months.

Daniel Mayer Cherkoss was born Aug. 12, 1927, in Bridgeport, Conn., to Edward, a dentist, and his wife, Mildred. After his mother died when he was 13, his father remarried. He gained a stepbrother, Myron Ballen, who later served three terms in the Connecticut Senate.

At Syracuse University, Curtis earned a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1950 and met Norma Klein, a student whom he married in 1952.

By the time he entered show business as a salesman at NBC, he had simplified his name to Curtis.

In the early 1960s, he formed his own production company and became the owner and executive in charge of the Emmy-winning golf program "CBS Match Play Classic" (1963-73). To be nearer to Hollywood, Curtis moved his family to Beverly Hills in 1972.

For much of the late 1960s and early 1970s, he worked in the horror genre, with small-screen remakes of such classics as "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (ABC, 1968) and "Dracula" (CBS, 1973).

He was producer of the ABC movies "The Night Stalker" (1972) and "The Night Strangler" (1973), which introduced Darren McGavin in his signature role of grizzled, has-been crime reporter Carl Kolchak.

Besides his "War" work, Curtis was proudest of two recent TV movies he directed.

Last year, he made "Our Fathers," a dramatized account of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal for Showtime. For NBC, he directed "Saving Milly," based on journalist Morton Kondracke's book about his wife's battle with Parkinson's disease.

The NBC film "touched close to home," his daughter said, because Curtis' wife, Norma, had Alzheimer's disease. She died three weeks ago.

In addition to his daughter Cathy and his stepbrother Myron Ballen, Curtis is survived by daughter Tracy. A daughter, Linda, died in 1975.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Eden Memorial Park, 11500 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills.

Instead of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Dr. Jeff Cummings' Alzheimer's research, c/o UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Center, 710 Westwood Plaza, Suite 20238, Los Angeles CA 90095.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-me-curtis28mar28,0,6469636,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

fredfa

03-28-06, 10:32 AM

TV Notebook
'Big Love': Real Polygamists Look at HBO Polygamists and Find Sex

By Felicia R. Lee The New York Times March 28, 2006

SALT LAKE CITY — Yuck, she said. A sex scene. And right at the beginning of the show, her friend chimed in.

"Big Love," HBO's new take on a fictional polygamous family in the suburbs of this city, was on the television. The Viagra-popping Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) was thrashing in bed with Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin), the youngest of his three wives. The five women watching the show — covering their eyes during the sex scenes, chiding the competitive wives, urging Bill to take control — were critics with special credentials: a current or past polygamous marriage.

And despite the show's flaws, these women called "Big Love" a cultural benchmark, one with the potential to cast a warmer light on their lives.

"It's a more realistic view of a polygamous family that lives out in society than people have known," said Anne Wilde, a widow who was part of a multiple family for 33 years. "It can be seen as a viable alternative lifestyle between consenting adults."

"Big Love," which had its premiere on March 12, has certainly made a noisy splash. Some television critics find it an intriguing twist on suburban family angst. The Mormon Church contends that the show glamorizes a practice it renounced in 1890. Vicky Prunty, the head of the leading anti-polygamy group here and herself a former polygamist, dismisses it as a Hollywood fantasy for men. The first "Big Love" episode was watched by 4.6 million people (following "The Sopranos," which drew 9.5 million), according to Nielsen Media Research. A week later, the number for "Big Love" was down to 3.4 million after "The Sopranos" attracted 9.2. million.

For the women gathered in a hotel room here at the request of The New York Times to talk about the intersection of their lives and popular culture, more is at stake than good ratings. "This is a glimpse of a family that is mainstream," Mary Batchelor, a 37-year-old mother of seven and director of "Principle Voices," a leading polygamy advocacy group, said of the Henricksons. "There are hundreds of these families. It shows an aspect of polygamy nobody ever sees. Before, you saw families in crisis." She referred to media images of men being carted off to jail for beating women or children or marrying child brides.

"This is making all of America say 'Why is there a law against polygamy?' " said a 55-year-old woman who wanted to be known only as Doris, because she feared repercussions at her new job after years of staying at home with her 14 children in suburban West Jordan. "This guy is just trying to support his family, and the family is just trying to make it."

While the women said "Big Love" had too much skin and not enough religion or humor for their taste, they agreed that it portrayed the Henricksons like any other American family, especially in an era of mixed marriages of all sorts, gay partnerships, single parents and serial monogamy.

In addition to Doris, Ms. Batchelor and Ms. Wilde, the women watching "Big Love" on this night included Linda, a 53-year-old widow and mother of four who said she lived for 30 years "in a plural situation" with 12 other wives; and another Mary, 52, who has been married for 10 years, has five children and whose sister-wife ("my best friend") lives up the street in a town called Bluffdale. She is an artist and high school teacher.

They did have some worries. "My concern is that this will stereotype and cause more prejudice from the mainstream Latter-day Saints Church," Mary said of the "Big Love" family. "People who are not Mormons will say, 'They are kind of normal,' but people in Mormondom will say, 'They are as disgusting as we thought' because of the sexual content." Like the characters in "Big Love," who talk about keeping their families below the horizon, these women were careful about providing private details. Ms. Wilde, for instance, declined to say how many sister-wives were in her family.

The personal and the political sometimes converge, though. Ms. Batchelor is a second wife who became an only wife after the departure of the first wife — that being Ms. Prunty, the co-director of Tapestry Against Polygamy. That nonprofit group's trustees and directors include formerly polygamous wives and family members, and its advisory board consists of legal and social-work professionals. Their main focus is to help people leaving polygamous families and to educate the public.

"Big Love" skims the surface of the intense dynamics in plural families, Ms. Prunty said. Their isolation, secrecy and complicated logistics make them breeding grounds for forced marriage, under-age brides and abusive men, she said. The writers of the series have said that those issues will be addressed.

"In reality, there's not a woman out there who's going to share a man without religion being a factor," Ms. Prunty said. "That's what's missing in the show. This seems like some male fantasy, some alternative marriage that is Hollywood."

While each episode, after discussions between HBO and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, includes a disclaimer that the Mormons long ago renounced polygamy, thousands of polygamists who call themselves Mormon fundamentalists say they are following the church's original teachings on marriage, called "the principle." Some live in religious communities, others live independently.

C. Michael Quinn, a historian and former professor at Brigham Young University, said his research shows that the devotion of fundamentalist Mormon teenage girls to polygamy helps keep the practice alive. Dr. Quinn, the author of several scholarly books on Mormons, said the girls from polygamous families cannot imagine another life. The boys, he said, cite the difficulties in supporting a big family but find wives among the girls in their community.

"They believe polygamy was a commandment from God to the Mormon founder, Joseph Smith Jr., in the 1830's," explained Dr. Quinn, himself an excommunicated Mormon from a Mormon family that goes back seven generations. He estimates that one-third to one-half of about 30,000 to 50,000 Mormon fundamentalists are also polygamists; Tapestry Against Polygamy estimates that there may be as many as 100,000.

The fictional Henricksons are portrayed as independent fundamentalists. Middle-class and attractive, their three households include seven children in total and discreetly share a backyard. Bill is hustling to open his second home-improvement store. The show's darkest element is a creepy father-in-law, Roman (Harry Dean Stanton), the patriarch of a polygamous clan, who wants a bigger cut of Bill's business profits.

The women gathered to watch the show liked that a distinction was made between such groups and more modern, independent polygamists. They laughed at Roman but admitted he represented a certain reality. "There's diversity," Ms. Wilde said. But Linda added, "Please, we don't believe in forced marriage or child brides."

They also liked the cool and collected first wife, Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn); disliked the second wife, Nicki (Chloë Sevigny), a secret shopaholic and Roman's daughter; and empathized with the efforts of the newest wife, Margene, to fit in. Bill, they said, was mismanaging his time and not standing up to the women, who seem to fight constantly for his attention. In the show's second episode, Nicki and Barb are upset about the short robe that Margene wears to breakfast with the whole family and spar about the need for the women to stick to "the schedule" for visits from the Viagra-enhanced Bill.

"Viagra is not part of our culture," Linda said. "Our men don't need Viagra." She added that sister-wives would not put pressure on a man sexually.

Later in the show, when a friend asks Bill if he is thinking of "adding a fourth" wife, Bill demurs, saying that he has his hands full. "They're the path you've chosen; walk it with decency," the friend comments.

"That's a good line," Linda said, as the other women murmured their assent.

The creators of "Big Love," Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer (who along with the actor Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman are the executive producers of the series), said in a telephone interview that they were hearing all the criticisms and compliments. The show was conceived as a prism through which to look at the "struggle for the common good over the individual good" that exists in any family, Mr. Olsen said. He and Mr. Scheffer are partners in real life.

"The pro-polygamists think it's too dark," Mr. Olsen said. "The anti-polygamists don't think it's dark enough. I think we've split the baby down the middle." The men said they spent almost three years researching the show, talking to experts and reading everything from sociological tracts to official Mormon records.

Mr. Scheffer said future episodes would explore some of the darker aspects of polygamy, like the abuses of patriarchy. There are already hints in the early episodes: Roman has at least one teenage bride.

Back in the Salt Lake City hotel room, where a light snow mixed with rain fell outside, Ms. Batchelor worried aloud about Bill and his wives. "I think they're a family in transition," she said. "I hope they're going to make it."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/arts/television/28poly.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-28-06, 10:39 AM

TV Notebook
Friedman's back on CBS' morning beat

By Paul J. Gough The Hollywood Reporter March 28, 2006

New York -- Former "Today" executive producer Steve Friedman will return to CBS News beginning Tuesday to head morning broadcasts.

CBS News President Sean McManus tapped Friedman as vp of morning broadcasts. He'll be in charge of "The Early Show," "The Saturday Early Show," "CBS Morning News" and "Up to the Minute."

Friedman has a long list of credits beyond two stints at "Today" from 1979 to 1987 again in the 1990s. He brought "Today" to the top position in the morning during both of those times. He's also been executive producer of the "NBC Nightly News" and created "Dateline."

He was senior executive producer of "The Early Show" when it began in 1999 until 2002.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002237165

keenan

03-28-06, 11:17 AM

From The Hollywood Reporter,

March 28, 2006

Earth to ABC: Kelley preps 'Mars' attack

By Nellie Andreeva

David E. Kelley is going back in time with a new drama project for ABC, which has received a put pilot commitment with a hefty penalty attached.

The show, targeted for fall 2007, is based on the BBC's 2006 sci-fi crime drama "Life on Mars," which stars John Simm as a 21st century detective who, following a car crash, mysteriously finds himself working as a cop in the 1970s.

Kelley is set to pen the pilot script and to executive produce the pilot.

Kelley's 20th Century Fox TV-based David E. Kelley Prods. is producing the project with the original series' producer, British company Kudos Film & Television, and 20th TV.

Kelley became interested in bringing the format to U.S. television after his representatives at WMA, which recently signed Kudos, introduced him to the property.

Kudos' joint managing directors, Stephen Garrett and Jane Featherstone, who executive produce the British series, also are on board to exec produce the U.S. version alongside Kelley.

The deal keeps Kelley in the ABC fold, where he created and executive produces the drama "Boston Legal." It also marks Kelley's first stab at the crime drama genre since the 1999 series "Snoops," also on ABC.

"Life on Mars," named after the David Bowie song, debuted on BBC 1 on Jan. 9 with an initial run of eight episodes.

It was created by Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan and Ashley Pharoah, who also collaborated on Kudos' hit crime drama for the BBC, "Hustle."

Kudos' producing credits also include the hit BBC series "Spooks," which airs on BBC America as "MI-5."

Kelley is additionally repped by manager Marty Adelstein and attorney Michael Gendler.

Kudos also is repped by attorney Jamie Mandelbaum.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002237277
Earth to ABC: Kelley preps 'Mars' attack

Alan Gordon

03-28-06, 12:08 PM

Alan, I also read that article at tvweek, and couldn't find it later. What I did see at other sites though, was talk about the CW's pre-upfront meeting, that mentioned that they had given out a packet with some show info in it on possible shows that could return. My guess is that tvweek just mistook that info for official renewal announcements, then pulled that info off when nobody else ran it. UPN's "All of Us" was another show on that list that was kind of a longshot.

Thanks Rocky, I figured it was probably a mistake on TVWeek's part too, but didn't connect the pre-upfront meeting to it.

~Alan

fredfa

03-28-06, 12:35 PM

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

Alan Gordon

03-28-06, 12:45 PM

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know where to find out when a station's affiliation with a network expires?!

~Alan

pwrmetal

03-28-06, 02:14 PM

Doctor Who ratings:

The Unquiet Dead rating fell to a 1.27 with an audience of 1.55 million viewers. (As noted earlier in this thread, the reports from last week listed viewers as 1.58 and 1.61 million when in fact that was the rating.)

Oddly enough the rating dropped despite an increase in viewers 18-49 (13% up for men, 12% overall).

(Courtesy Shaun Lyon of Outpost Gallifrey (http://www.gallifreyone.com))

RussTC3

03-28-06, 04:40 PM

A drop in HH but a gain in the key demos.

The guy over at that forum has great access to the ratings, so I think we can rely on that forum for all the ratings data for now on.

Really great breakdowns.

SnakeEyes

03-28-06, 06:02 PM

fredfa

03-28-06, 06:39 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Breakout: Fox reclaims Monday night

Easily takes No. 1, bounding up 41 percent

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 28, 2006

Fox already dominates Tuesday and Wednesday nights on the strength of “American Idol,” and now it is once again competing for No. 1 on Monday night after a tough fall.

Last night the network finished first among viewers 18-49 with a 5.2 average Nielsen overnight rating, up 6 percent versus last week’s 4.9 and up 41 percent over the 3.7 final rating it has averaged on the night so far this season.

Fox won the night by more than a point. With NBC and ABC also boasting competitive if not spectacular schedules, and CBS still the favorite, Mondays have become a lot more interesting.

Some of Fox’s week-to-week gains surely came because CBS aired mostly reruns last night, but the Monday night tandem of “Prison Break” and “24” is also looking strong.

The return of “Prison Break,” which had been on hiatus since November, wasn’t overly impressive last week, posting a 4.3 overnight rating among 18-49s after averaging a 4.4 last fall. But the show grew in its second outing, up 5 percent to a 4.5 last night and serving as a stronger lead-in for “24.”

The Kiefer Sutherland action drama posted a 6.0 among 18-49s last night, up 9 percent from a 5.5 last week.
Last fall, Fox’s Monday schedule struggled mightily. Though “Break” was an immediate hit, the sitcoms “Arrested Development” and “Kitchen Confidential” at 8 and 8:30 p.m. flopped, pulling Fox’s average way down for the night.

Fox led a competitive night among 18-49s with a 5.2 average rating and a 13 share. CBS finished second at 4.0/10, NBC third at 3.8/10, ABC fourth at 3.8/9, UPN fifth at 1.4/3, and WB and Univision tied for sixth at 1.3/3.

NBC started the night in the lead with a 5.0 rating at 8 p.m. for game show “Deal or No Deal.” Fox was second that hour with its 4.5 for “Prison Break,” ABC third with a 3.8 for “Wife Swap” and CBS fourth with a 2.6 for repeats of “The King of Queens” and “How I Met Your Mother.” WB and Univision tied for fifth at 1.3, WB for “Everwood” and Univision for “Barrera de Amor,” with UPN seventh with a 1.2 for “One on One” (1.2) and “All of Us” (1.2).

At 9 p.m. Fox took the lead with its 6.0 for “24.” ABC was second with a 4.2 for “Supernanny,” and NBC and CBS tied for third at 4.1, NBC for “The Apprentice” and CBS for a repeat of “Two and a Half Men” (4.5) and a new episode of “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (3.8). UPN and Univision tied for fifth that hour at 1.5, UPN for “Girlfriends” (1.5) and “Half and Half” (1.5) and Univision for “Alborada,” while WB dropped to seventh with a 1.4 for another hour of “Everwood.”

At 10 p.m. CBS took the lead with a 5.2 for a repeat of “CSI: Miami.” ABC was second with a 3.4 for “Miracle Workers,” NBC third with a 2.3 for a “Heist” rerun and Univision fourth with a 1.1 for “Cristina.”

CBS took the night among households with an 8.3 average rating and a 13 share. Fox was second at 7.3/11, NBC third at 6.8/10, ABC fourth at 6.2/10, WB fifth at 2.3/3, UPN sixth at 2.2/3 and Univision seventh at 2.0/3.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_3727.asp

fredfa

03-28-06, 09:40 PM

TV Notebook
Fox tacking a year on its 'Prison' term

By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter March 29, 2006

Two episodes into the spring portion of "Prison Break's" freshman season, Fox has given the suspense drama a full-season pickup for fall.

The first season of the show has chronicled the planning of a prison break by a group of inmates led by two brothers, Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) and Michael (Wentworth Miller).

Because the season culminates with a group of eight inmates escaping from prison, the second year of the series will have a brand new story line. "Season 1 was the prison break, and Season 2 will be the manhunt," series creator-executive producer Paul Scheuring said in a phone interview from New Mexico where he is scouting locations for the show's second season.

"It will be 'The Fugitive' times eight. We're going to be scattering our escapees to the four corners of the country, using various modes of transportation, planes, trains and automobiles. Basically it's going to be the second half of 'The Great Escape.' "

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002237755

fredfa

03-28-06, 10:06 PM

Last week’s top 10 prime-time program ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS -- the first post in this thread.

fredfa

03-28-06, 10:26 PM

Last week’s complete network average prime-time results (with demographic averages) are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS the first post in this thread.

homcom

03-29-06, 12:02 AM

fredfa, any news on the show Yes, Dear. The first post says it might be back next season, is there still a chance? I really like that show, but the on again off again scheduling, plus the timeslot changes make it hard to keep up with it.

Thanks so much for doing all the work, that this thread requires, it is a really great resource.

pwrmetal

03-29-06, 08:45 AM

Very interesting. Not sure what to make of it. Obviously a drop in overall isn't good but an increase in the key demo is. Lets see where the overall sits this Friday and if the key demo is able to at least maintain it's boost.

In my opinion, the key ratings weeks for Dr. Who are the rating for the 6th episode "Dalek" and then following that. I think Sci-Fi will promote that one heavily, and IMO it's the first truly fantastic episode of the season, and is also when the season really starts to take off. Whether people tune in for it and whether or not the episode generates a buzz will be key to the ratings for the rest of the season.

fredfa

03-29-06, 10:07 AM

TV Notebook
Nothing to show but 53 shows

Lame duck 'Arrested Development' will expire 47 episodes short of the 100 mark. And, apparently, that spells failure.
By Scott Collins Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 29, 2006

The strange fate of "Arrested Development" reminds us once again of the odd up-is-down commercial imperatives of American network TV.

Variety reported Tuesday that creator Mitch Hurwitz has decided to bail on the sitcom about a grandiosely strange Orange County family, which won an armload of glowing reviews, a best comedy Emmy after its first season and whispered reverence from Fox executives, who referred to the show the same way nuns might speak of a medieval relic associated with the Virgin Mary. Unfortunately, what "Arrested" could never do is get arrested. Not nearly enough viewers ever tuned in to justify all the heroic attempts to save the show, which is now evidently dead beyond all doubt.

"The fans have been so ardent in their devotion and in return … I've given everything I can to the show in order to try to live up to their expectations," Hurwitz told Daily Variety. "I finally reached a point where I felt I couldn't continue to deliver that on a weekly basis."

In the annals of Hollywood, "Arrested" will go down as a tragedy — not because it was a creative flop (its small but intense legion of fans say quite the opposite) but because it committed the unpardonable sin of crapping out after three seasons. To TV executives, that is just about the worst thing a series can do, because it means that the studio has spent big money to keep alive a show that in all likelihood will never produce serious cash in syndication, where it takes about 100 episodes, or almost five seasons, to prosper.

Does that make any sense? Only to accountants at the TV studios. The economic model that American viewers are stuck with tends to encourage painfully incremental storytelling among dramas and formulaic situations in comedies. Why? So the shows can reach the vaunted 100 mark more easily. Producers lean toward that magic number whether creativity dictates it or not. For all the talk of the death of network comedies, precious little thought has been given to changing the financial formula.

This is the not the way it is everywhere. Consider the BBC. One of its most highly regarded sitcoms, John Cleese's landmark farce, "Fawlty Towers," produced precisely 12 episodes. Twelve! That's one-half of an American season. BBC's "The Office" produced a grand total of 14 episodes. The NBC version, in its second season, has already made roughly twice that many.

"Arrested" lasted 53 episodes. Only in America would that be considered an early death.

Hicks are gaining on the suits

Memo on the red-state/blue-state humor divide:

Comedy Central, best known for coddling the media elites with fare like "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," has a profitable programming sideline with blue-collar comics. Sunday's "Ron White: You Can't Fix Stupid" averaged a whopping 4.5 million total viewers, making it the third-most-watched program in the network's history, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research. That's about three times as many viewers as Stewart's "Daily Show" gets.

What are Comedy Central's two most-watched shows of all time? Last year's roast of comic Jeff Foxworthy (6.2 million viewers) and "Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again" (6.1 million).

White, a frequent guest on Foxworthy's "Blue Collar TV," uses a cigar and a whiskey highball as stage props.

Think of him as the anti-Colbert.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-channel29mar29,0,1575156,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

fredfa

03-29-06, 10:28 AM

Nielsen Notebook
'Adventures' continues

By Gary Levin, USA Today

• Christine crosses. CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine (15.1 million viewers) Monday matched last week's time-slot debut, suggesting the show is a keeper. Former Two and a Half Men companions fared worse in their new Wednesday homes: Out of Practice (6.9 million) and Courting Alex (6.3 million) hit series lows.

• Idol mauls. American Idol keeps chewing up the competition: Wednesday's results (27.7 million) sent Law & Order (9 million) and Lost (16.1 million) to series lows; Criminal Minds (12.1 million) was well below average. Tuesday's two-hour performance episode (33.4 million) was Idol's biggest yet, excluding auditions and finales.

• Unan1mous numbers. Fox's new reality show Unan1mous premiered with 16 million viewers Wednesday, the biggest post-Idol opener since Skating with Celebrities. (Unlike that show, which tanked on Mondays, Unan1mous will air regularly behind Idol.) And ABC's American Inventor held up in Week 2 with 13 million viewers, winning its slot among young adults and down just 8% from the two-hour opener.

• Chef cooks. Wednesday's instant-classic South Park 10th-season premiere, addressing the departure of Isaac Hayes and his Chef character, averaged 3.5 million viewers, the biggest audience since its second season in August 1998. Stand-up special Ron White: You Can't Fix Stupid drew 4.5 million Sunday, the third-biggest audience in Comedy Central history.

• Up, down. Week 3 of HBO's The Sopranos dipped to 8.9 million Sunday, from 9.2 million, but Big Love climbed to 3.7 million from 3.4 million.

• Hannah fans. Disney Channel's latest scored a one-two Friday punch: Original movie Cow Belles averaged 5.8 million viewers, while the debut of Hannah Montana was the channel's highest-rated series telecast yet among tweens and averaged 5.4 million viewers overall.

• Real low. Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County premiered with a measly 430,000 viewers Tuesday, dropping from Blow Out's low 521,000-viewer lead-in. Wednesday, Top Chef averaged 720,000.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-03-28-nielsen-analysis_x.htm

fredfa

03-29-06, 11:29 AM

TV Notebook
For 'Scrubs,' sixth season looks likely

By Abigail Azote MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 29, 2006

At the beginning of this season, the future of “Scrubs” seemed bleak indeed.

The NBC sitcom, entering its fifth season, was bumped from the fall schedule and pushed to a less-desirable January premiere. The sense among media people was that NBC was using "Scrubs" as a fill-in in the hope that its new comedies would catch with viewers, allowing it to finally put the quirky hospital sitcom to rest.

That doesn't look like it's going to happen. More than likely, “Scrubs" will return for a sixth season, if not in the fall certainly in January again.

The reason, say media buyers: NBC may not have a choice. With the exception of "My Name is Earl," the network's new comedies have largely stumbled, and it's also losing some older comedies, including "Will & Grace” and “Joey.”

“It’d be very risky to let ‘Scrubs’ go at this time,” says Tom Weeks, entertainment director at Starcom Entertainment. NBC must fill about 10 hours of programming in the coming season, by Starcom’s estimate, either with new shows or shows that are on the bubble, such as "Scrubs," and a share of those hours must be devoted to comedies.

Since premiering in January, "Scrubs" has been airing back-to-back original episodes Tuesdays at 9 and 9:30 p.m. Among total viewers, the show is down 6 percent, to a 6.5 million season-to-date average, while averaging a 3.2 in 18-49s, up a slight 3 percent from last season’s 3.1. That's well down from its peak in its second season, when it averaged a 7.9 18-49 rating in the plum Thursday timeslot leading out of “Friends.”

The network has no shortage of comedies in development. It recently announced 10 comedy pilots in the works, including one written by “Saturday Night Live” comic Tina Fey.

But the critically acclaimed "Scrubs" will still get preference, even with its weak ratings. As the saying goes, better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.

“Why would you take something that’s untested and bump something that has a track record?” asks Karen McCallum, media director at Esparza Advertising in Albuequerque, N.M. “Inherently, that’s risky."

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3751.asp

fredfa

03-29-06, 11:32 AM

fredfa

03-29-06, 12:11 PM

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

fredfa

03-29-06, 02:30 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
A gentleman's C for 'Teachers' on NBC

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 29, 2006, 01:25

Reviewers gave it failing marks, but viewers didn’t seem to agree. NBC’s new sitcom “Teachers” had a decent premiere last night against tough competition in the 9:30 p.m. timeslot.

The show posted a 3.3 overnight rating among viewers 18-49, a 22 percent increase over what NBC averaged in the timeslot a year earlier and up 10 percent from the 3.0 it averaged over the last four weeks.

Those last four weeks included three repeats of “Scrubs” and one new episode.

Up against Fox’s hit “House” and CBS’s new “The Unit,” “Teachers” did okay if not great. Its 3.3 bettered the 3.0 ABC’s “Sons & Daughters” posted in that timeslot on the same night earlier this month. And it retained 94 percent of lead-in “Scrubs’” 3.5 in 18-49s.

Critics found the comedy, from one of the guys behind of “Scrubs,” lacking. Media Life’s Toni Fitzgerald wrote, “It tries too hard, its jokes aren’t funny, and it has an air of desperation, as though it knows things won’t work out. It's awful.”

But to young adults, the show was more appealing than most of the other choices in the timeslot. “Teachers” earned a 3.3 among 18-34s, second only to “House.”

Of course, as is always the case, no real judgments can be made about the show until next week. Among 18-49s, “Sons & Daughters’” dropped 37 percent from its premiere in its second week.

Meanwhile, on the strength of “American Idol” and “House,” Fox easily took the night among 18-49s with a 10.8 average rating and a 26 share. CBS was second at 3.7/9, NBC third at 3.5/9, ABC fourth at 2.3/6, Univision fifth at 1.8/4, WB sixth at 1.0/2 and UPN seventh at 0.8/2.

At 8 p.m. Fox bettered the combined broadcast competition with a 12.9 rating for “Idol.” CBS was second with a 3.0 for a repeat of “NCIS,” ABC third with a 2.0 for a repeat of “According to Jim” (1.9) and a new “Hope & Faith” (2.0) and NBC fourth with a 1.8 for “Most Outrageous TV Moments.” Univision was fifth that hour with a 1.5 for “Barrera de Amor” and UPN and WB tied for sixth at 1.0, UPN for a repeat of “America’s Next Top Model” and WB for a “Gilmore Girls” rerun.

Fox led again at 9 p.m. with an 8.9 rating for a new episode of “House.” CBS finished second again with a 4.5 for “The Unit,” with NBC third with a 3.4 for “Scrubs” (3.5) and “Teachers” (3.3), and Univision fourth with a 2.1 for “Alborada.” ABC dropped to fifth that hour with a 1.9 for an hour of “Sons & Daughters,” with WB sixth with a 0.9 for another “Gilmore Girls” rerun and UPN seventh with a 0.5 for a repeat of “Veronica Mars.”

NBC took the lead at 10 p.m. with a 5.3 for “Law & Order: SVU.” CBS was second with a 3.7 for “The Amazing Race,” ABC third with a 2.9 for “Boston Legal” and Univision fourth with a 1.7 for “Rocio Durcal: Inolvidable.”

Among households, Fox finished first for the night comfortably with a 15.4 average rating and a 23 share. CBS finished second at 8.1/12, NBC third at 5.6/9, ABC fourth at 4.5/7, Univision fifth at 2.1/3, WB sixth at 1.7/3 and UPN seventh at 1.3/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3755.asp

fredfa

03-29-06, 02:37 PM

TV Notebook
''Commander in Chief'' Comes Back -- But ...

By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal TV blog

For weeks, ABC has had the return of ''Commander in Chief'' scheduled for April 18. Now it will be back sooner than expected, according to this ABC announcement today:

“Commander In Chief” makes its return to the ABC schedule beginning THURSDAY, APRIL 13 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). In the interim, the ABC newsmagazine “Primetime” will air on FRIDAYS, APRIL 14 & 21 and MAY 5 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET). “Primetime” will return to its regular scheduled time period THURSDAY, MAY 25 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET). “Less than Perfect” returns TUESDAY, APRIL 18 (9:30-10:00 p.m., ET), along with an additional episode of “Hope & Faith” (9:00-9:30 p.m., ET).
The ABC primetime schedule for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays will be as follows:
Beginning Thursday, April 13
“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition -- After the Storm” 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET
“American Inventor” 9:00-10:01 p.m., ET
“Commander In Chief” 10:01-11:00 p.m., ET
Beginning Friday, April 14
“America’s Funniest Home Videos” 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET
“Primetime” 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET (April 14, 21 and May 5 only)
“20/20” 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET
Beginning Tuesday, April 18
“According to Jim” 8:00-8:30 p.m., ET
“Hope & Faith” 8:30-9:00 p.m., ET
“Hope & Faith” 9:00-9:30 p.m., ET
“Less than Perfect” 9:30-10:00 p.m., ET
“Boston Legal” 10:00-11:00 p.m., ET
(end announcement material)

I'm not sure what to make of this. ''Commander in Chief'' is still well-liked by viewers, judging from the frequent letters I get asking when it will return. So why put it at Thursdays at 10, when it has to compete against ''ER'' and ''Without a Trace''? It could be that ABC is just burning off the show, but I'm not convinced. After all, ''American Inventor'' has shown some promise for the network, and may be a good lead-in to ''CiC.'' ABC may also sense that those ''CiC'' letter-writers will follow the show almost anywhere.

Interesting to see ''Less Than Perfect'' return instead of, say, ''Crumbs,'' which is not scheduled and still has unaired episodes waiting for telecast. I guess ABC thinks the older comedy still has some life.

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

keenan

03-29-06, 03:27 PM

TV Notebook
''Commander in Chief'' Comes Back -- But ...

I'm not sure what to make of this. ''Commander in Chief'' is still well-liked by viewers, judging from the frequent letters I get asking when it will return. So why put it at Thursdays at 10, when it has to compete against ''ER'' and ''Without a Trace''? It could be that ABC is just burning off the show, but I'm not convinced.
I'm convinced, putting it against those two shows is like sending it down the road on a death march.

archiguy

03-29-06, 03:47 PM

I'm convinced, putting it against those two shows is like sending it down the road on a death march.

Yep; looks like ABC has decided to "impeach" President Mac. :D

keenan

03-29-06, 03:57 PM

From Broadcasting & Cable,
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6320280.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP
Broadcasting & Cable: The Business of Television

FCC Cancels Some Proposed Indecency Fines

by John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/29/2006 2:53:00 PM

The FCC, without elaboration, has vacated over a quarter of a million dollars in proposed indecency fines against a number of Indiana and Tennessee stations.

In Indiana, the stations, which had aired CBS' Without a Trace, including a scene of teen-sex party, were ones that aired the broadcast at 10 p.m., when indecency broadcasts are protected, rather than the 9 p.m. airing in the Central and Mountain zones, where the broadcast could be fined (the indecency "safe harbor is 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.).

The mix-up was that while some Indiana stations make the switch to Daylight Saving Time, the majority don't, which means the majority were airing it after 10 p.m. That will change, though, since the state has passed a law to regularize the observance starting this weekend.

The Tennessee stations are all in the Eastern time zone, so they appeared to have simply been inadvertently included in the 111 stations fined for the program.

The stations now off the hook are WTHI Terre Haute, Ind.; WANE Fort Wayne, Ind.; WISH Indianapolis; WLFI Lafayette, Ind.; WSBT South Bend, Ind.; WVLT Knoxville, Tenn.; WDEF Chattanooga, Tenn.; and WJHL Johnson City, Tenn.

Each had faced a proposed fine of $32,500, so that knocks $260,000 off the slightly over $3.6 million fine total for the broadcast on CBS affiliates.

The FCC process makes room for such appeals, announcing the proposed fine but giving the stations an opportunity to explain why they should not be fined. Stations can also appeal a fine once the FCC has officially levied it.

keenan

03-29-06, 03:59 PM

Yep; looks like ABC has decided to "impeach" President Mac. :D
Of course, moving it to the 10PM hour might mean we get to see a little flesh, and a more serious drama instead of the kiddy-fantasy pablum that it's been until now. :)

fredfa

03-29-06, 04:22 PM

That is the hopeful view, jim.
I suspect the next few episodes are already in the can.

fredfa

03-29-06, 04:25 PM

TV Notebook
USA, Disney, TNT Top Cable's First-Qtr. '06 Ratings Race

By Anthony Crupi MediaWeek.com March 29, 2006

USA Network was the top-rated ad-supported cable network in the first quarter of 2006, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The general entertainment network posted a 2.2 household rating in the first three months of the year, averaging 2.64 million total viewers in prime, an increase of 12 percent over the same period a year ago.

Disney Channel, which is not ad-supported, trailed USA with a 2.1 HH rating and an average 2.46 million viewers in prime, a 28 percent leap over its first-quarter 2005 audience.

TNT took third place in the quarter, averaging a 2.0 HH rating and 2.31 million total viewers in prime, a drop of 11 percent from 2.59 million a year ago.

USA also was tops in the 18-34, 18-49 demos as well as its target 25-54 demo, averaging 1.2 million viewers to TNT’s 1.1 million.

Other high-ranked nets in the total-viewer field were: TBS (1.71 million viewers in prime), ESPN (1.67 million), Nick at Nite (1.61 million), Cartoon Network (1.51 million), Lifetime (1.5 million), Fox News Channel (1.49 million), Spike TV (1.3 million) and FX (1.28 million).

In the 18-49 demo, USA’s 1.18 million viewers edged TNT (1.03 million), TBS (1 million), FX (745,000) and ESPN (721,000).

Big gainers in prime included BET, up 27 percent in the quarter, BBC America (up 27 percent) Biography Channel (up 63 percent), CMT (up 37 percent), E! (up 13 percent), Discovery Channel (up 9 percent), FX (up 24 percent), Hallmark (up 20 percent), HGTV (up 11 percent), OLN (up 23 percent), TV Land (up 16 percent) and VH1 (up 17 percent).

Nets that lost ground in prime included: A&E (down 15 percent), AMC (down 11 percent), Sci-Fi Channel (down 15 percent), Spike TV (down 17 percent), Nick at Nite (down 12 percent) and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim (down 16 percent).

On the news side, FNC was down 8 percent in prime and dropped 28 percent in the 25-54 demo. CNN fell 14 percent in prime and also slipped 23 percent in the news demo.

The smaller news nets continued to show ratings growth, as Headline News was up 38 percent in prime, and rose 24 percent in 25-54, while CNBC grew 21 percent in prime and 19 percent in 25-54. MSNBC was up 15 percent in prime and grew its 25-54 audience 27 percent..

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002273734

jpeckinp

03-29-06, 05:30 PM

Marcus Carr

03-29-06, 06:17 PM

Telecom Bill? Bet On It, Says Barton

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/29/2006 4:41:00 PM

A confident House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-Tex.) told reporters Wednesday that he fully expected the president to have signed a telco reform bill by the end of this congressional session.

Calling himself "a pretty good poker player," he said "the odds are 2 to 1 that the president is going to sign a bill this year."

In a roundtable with a couple handfuls of reporters, Barton challenged them at least twice to bet against him, saying majority leader Dennis Hastert, who publicly supports the bill, had cleared floor time for the vote sometime in May or June.

Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said that they were "very close" to getting both the cable and telco sides to sign off on the bill, which creates a national franchising system for both new entrants like telcos and incumbent cable systems.

The legislation has already been made more cable-friendly by the excising of two provisions in an earlier draft that would not have allowed cable to seek a national franchise until a competitor had penetrated 15% of the market, and would have forced cable to apply any price cuts it made to apply to its entire service area, not just where a competitor was offering service.

That excision meant that a once bipartisan bill lost the support of ranking Democrats Ed Markey and John Dingell, with Markey highly critical of the new bill without what he saw as those and other consumer-friendly provisions, like one setting benchmarks for building out systems.

Both Upton and Barton pointed to the support of Illinois Democrat Bobby Rush as the reason they were billing the legislation as bipartisan, though no other Democratic names are on it. Rush called it a good bill for minorities, consumers, and his constituents," saying: "I expect to have a lot of Democrats support this bill."

Rush said his constituents need competition to cable to lower prices and he wanted to "break the logjam."

Barton said that "anytime you don't have the ranking member on the full committee and subcommittee on board [Dingell and Markey, respectively], that is not a positive sign," but called Rush a "superstar" late addition to the team.

He also said they may yet get Markey and Dingell on board, and agreed with Rush's hopeful assessment that "we're going to get a lot of Democrats on board."

Broadcasters concerned about the possible inclusion of an amendment to the bill targeting retransmission consent should be less so, suggested Barton. When asked whether there was a "germaneness" problem with an amendment that Rep. Nathan Deal was said to be working on, Barton said there was, instead, "a vote-getting problem. It won't pass."

Barton said he would encourage Deal not to introduce the amendment.

A complementary telecom reform bill is working its way through the Senate Commerce Committee, with a markup planned for after the spring recess.

Barton and Senate Commerce Chairman Stevens have differences over at least one provision--whether to extend the industry-fed Universal Service Fund, which underwrites phone service to rural areas--to broadband service as well. But their differences are "conferenceable," Barton said, meaning that there wasn't anything that couldn't be worked out.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6320349.html?display=Breaking+News

keenan

03-29-06, 07:14 PM

Is there any word when this bill would be effective, given that it's passed and signed? Our local franchise board in Santa Rosa CA suspects the below is a major reason why Comcast has dragged it's ass on completion of a new agreement.

The legislation has already been made more cable-friendly by the excising of two provisions in an earlier draft that would not have allowed cable to seek a national franchise until a competitor had penetrated 15% of the market, and would have forced cable to apply any price cuts it made to apply to its entire service area, not just where a competitor was offering service.

fredfa

03-29-06, 10:00 PM

TV Notebook
ESPN scores 45 Sports Emmy noms

By Paul J. Gough The Hollywood Reporter March 30, 2006

WASHINGTON -- ESPN scored 45 Sports Emmy nominations Wednesday, the highest among any network.

The original ESPN network received 26 nominations, with ESPN 2 delivering 12 more noms and ESPN Classic receiving four and ESPN.com receiving three. It, along with ABC Sports' 14, were the largest Emmy nominations for the fourth time in five years.

Other high-profile networks also did well. HBO received 17 nominations, while Fox Sports received 16, CBS 11, TNT nine and NBC seven.

NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics last month in Turin, Italy, was not eligible for consideration this year but will be eligible next year.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002274423

Ken H

03-29-06, 11:26 PM

This technology could be just what us satellite subs have been looking for.

If they do what they say they can I don't see why we couldn't have full rez full bandwidth HD.Sounds too good to be true.....

fredfa

03-30-06, 01:58 AM

TV Notebook
“Love Monkey” on VH1

The cancelled CBS series “Love Monkey” will at least finally get all its eight programs aired.

VH1 will begin showing the series April 11.

SVonhof

03-30-06, 09:18 AM

This technology could be just what us satellite subs have been looking for.

If they do what they say they can I don't see why we couldn't have full rez full bandwidth HD.

http://www.eucliddiscoveries.com/press_release.php#032806

Interesting read. Sounds good from everything they say, except if they are the first to figure out how to do this, why wouldn't we wait for EuclidVision2 or 3? Wouldn't those have better compression and maybe better overall quality? If this technology was not expected to hit this early, maybe this version will be improved on within a short time?

Still is promising and if it does work well, I would think that the Sat and Cable companies would jump all over it.

fredfa

03-30-06, 10:13 AM

TV Notebook
Pulled After Approval Ratings Fell, 'Commander in Chief' Returning

By John Maynard Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 30, 2006; C07

President Mackenzie Allen is back in office next month after a lengthy vacation that would make real-life presidents blush.

ABC's "Commander in Chief," starring Geena Davis as the nation's first woman president, will return to the lineup in a new time slot (10 p.m. Thursdays) beginning April 13, the network announced yesterday. The show bumps the newsmagazine "Primetime" to Fridays at 9 p.m.

The embattled "Commander," which has not aired since Jan. 24, has had its share of backstage drama since debuting in the fall to initially strong ratings and mostly critical acclaim.

In October, veteran television producer Steven Bochco took over as the "show runner" -- overseeing the day-to-day operations -- replacing creator Rod Lurie, who reportedly had fallen behind in delivering scripts to the network.

Bochco was removed as the show's supervisor last month after ratings dipped and he became more involved with developing the pilot for a crime drama, "Hollis and Rae." Dee Johnson, an original executive producer with the show, becomes "Commander's" third show runner; Bochco and Lurie remain executive producers.

"Commander" debuted Sept. 27 with 16.4 million viewers and peaked the next week with nearly 17 million. Ratings declined steadily, though, and the last two episodes in January -- going head-to-head with the returning "American Idol" -- averaged 10.5 million viewers.

In its new time slot, "Commander" will face stiff competition against the CBS crime drama "Without a Trace," which is averaging nearly 19 million viewers and is ranked sixth in the Nielsens, and NBC's aging "ER," which still draws about 13 million.

"Commander" will get a decent lead-in from "American Inventor," a reality show produced by "American Idol's" Simon Cowell that is averaging nearly 14 million after two weeks.

ABC also announced yesterday that beginning April 18, the office sitcom "Less Than Perfect" will return to the lineup Tuesdays at 9:30.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/29/AR2006032902168_pf.html

slocko

03-30-06, 10:54 AM

Just finished watching Rome. I had recorded but didn't have a chance to watch much because of some travelling.

What a great show. How did it do rating wise? Is it coming back to HBO?

fredfa

03-30-06, 11:45 AM

fredfa

03-30-06, 11:48 AM

TV Notebook
'Commander in Chief,' back into battle

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 30, 2006, 01:19

“Commander in Chief,” ABC's White House drama that at one point looked like it would be the new season’s breakout hit, will return April 13 after being on hiatus since January.

But by the looks of things it will be returning to almost certain death, airing in the Thursday 10 p.m. timeslot on a night that has killed off many ABC shows over the years. The scheduling can only be read as a final vote of no-confidence from ABC.

Many had wondered if “Commander” was ever coming back after creator Rod Lurie was fired and Steven Bochco, who replaced Lurie as showrunner, was forced out last month. By placing it Thursdays at 10, where the network has struggled for years, ABC seems to be confirming the belief that it saw no way to save the show.

Airing at 10 on Thursdays, “Commander” will face off against CBS’s “Without a Trace,” which has long been on the rise, and NBC’s still-strong “ER.” It's a formidable duo. Combined, they're averaging an 11.4 rating in adults 18-49 this season. By comparison, “Primetime,” the ABC show now has in the timeslot, has averaged a 2.5.

“Commander” was already in deep trouble when it was taken off the air Jan. 24. After averaging nearly 17 million total viewers for its second episode, the show had dipped 40 percent, to 10.5 million viewers, for that final airing. It’s averaging a 3.7 in 18-49s.

If ABC thought the show could be revived, it would have picked a less-contentious timeslot, perhaps Mondays, Wednesdays or even a special Sunday run.

Or the network could have kept “Commander” on Tuesdays at 9 p.m., where it originated and where viewers would know to look for it. Its chances may have been better on Tuesday, despite increased competition from CBS’s new hit “The Unit” and Fox’s “House,” which now has a powerful “American Idol” lead-in.

By moving the show to Thursday, ABC seems to have admitted that “Commander” is all but finished. Many media people had written the show off before the network announced its return, speculating that the show would not return at all.

“Commander's” one chance would come if it should pull even decent ratings in the new slot, indicating that old viewers had returned and that the show had found new ones even against the tough competition. ABC might then pick it up for a second season.

But that seems unlikely. The first few episodes that will air in its return were overseen by Bochco, who was widely criticized for trying to turn the show into an over-the-top action-adventure series wherein President McKenzie Allen (Geena Davis) saved the world anew each week. Lurie’s vision was much calmer, focusing on the problems faced by the first-ever woman president.

Lurie got booted in October after failing to deliver scripts on time, costing the network money on production delays. ABC brought in “NYPD Blue” creator Bochco to replace him, and Bochco axed most of the writing staff and brought in new cast members.

The new version of the show struggled almost immediately. Viewership declined into December, and ABC unwisely put the show on a long break, waiting until mid-January to debut a new episode.

Dee Johnson, who succeeded Bochco last month, was with Lurie from the beginning as a writer, and that means that the show could return to its original creative promise. But at this point, it could be too late to save it.

At the very least, “Commander” will have a stronger lead-in than past Thursday burnoffs. The new reality show “American Inventor,” which airs from 8 to 10 p.m., has averaged a 5.3 adults 18-49 rating, more than double ABC’s average in the timeslot last year. But that hasn't helped "Primetime" much.

“Commander” will bump “Primetime” to Fridays at 9 p.m., replacing freshman series “In Justice.” Also yesterday, ABC said that sitcom “Less Than Perfect” will return Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on April 18.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3784.asp

slocko

03-30-06, 12:08 PM

Rome's biggest problem will be filling Caesar's shoes. He was a great actor. But they do have Antoni, Vorenus, and Pullo. They can work with that.

fredfa

03-30-06, 12:32 PM

Wednesday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

03-30-06, 12:34 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
NBC's Wednesday strategy turns sour

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 30, 2006

NBC has a real problem on Wednesday nights, and it has to do something about it quickly or it risks killing a new show with some promise as well as an old show that has gone into a fast fade in its new timeslot.

Last night “Heist,” the well-reviewed new crime caper that took over “Law & Order’s” 10 p.m. timeslot, averaged a 2.5 Nielsen overnight rating, down 17 percent from last week’s 3.0 rating for its premiere.

To add more to NBC’s woes, “L&O” continued to struggle in its new 9 p.m. timeslot, averaging a 2.7. That was up 0.1 from last week but nearly a full point below its season-to-date average.

Both shows finished last in their timeslots among the Big Three, and squandered a strong lead-off at 8 p.m. from the new hit game show “Deal or No Deal,” which had its second-best average ever, a 5.4.

NBC does not have a lot of time to make a decision. It needs to revive “L&O” quickly, and it must either take “Heist” off the schedule or put it in a timeslot where it does less damage.

The network apparently overestimated the 15-year-old “L&O’s” strength by moving it to 9, where it competes with ABC’s “Lost” and Fox’s “American Idol.” The best solution might be to return to what NBC had been airing before “Heist’s” premiere, “L&O” reruns at 9 and originals at 10. After all, last night’s original was only 0.6 better than a “L&O” rerun did in the same slot two weeks ago.

It could then move “Heist” somewhere else on the schedule, perhaps to Friday nights, where it would be a great companion to the equally flashy “Las Vegas.” It could replace “Conviction,” which has shown virtually no promise in more than a month on the air, at 10 p.m.

Meanwhile, Fox finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 6.4 average rating and a 16 share. ABC was second at 4.1/11, NBC third at 3.5/9, CBS fourth at 3.2/1, UPN and Univision tied for fifth at 1.6/4, and WB seventh at 1.1/3.

NBC led at 8 p.m. with the 5.4 for “Deal.” Fox was second with a 4.0 for “Bones,” ABC third with a 2.5 for “George Lopez” (2.4) and “Freddie” (2.6), and UPN fourth with a 2.3 for “America’s Next Top Model.” CBS was fifth that hour with a 1.7 for already-fading “Out of Practice” (1.7) and “Courting Alex” (1.7), Univision sixth with a 1.6 for “Barrera de Amor” and WB seventh with a 1.2 for “One Tree Hill.”

Fox took over at 9 p.m. with an 8.7 for its “American Idol” results show (11.2) and “Unan1mous” (6.3). ABC was second with a 6.6 for “Lost,” CBS third with a 3.5 for “Criminal Minds,” NBC fourth with a 2.7 for “Law & Order” and Univision fifth with a 1.9 for “Alborada.” That left UPN sixth with a 1.0 for “Veronica Mars” and WB a disappointing seventh with a 0.9 for the premiere of “Bedford Diaries.”

At 10 p.m. CBS led with a 4.6 for “CSI: NY.” ABC was second with a 3.1 for “The Evidence,” down 9 percent from the previous week’s premiere. NBC was third with a 2.5 for “Heist” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Don Francisco Presenta.”

Among households, Fox led the night with a 9.6 average rating and a 15 share. CBS was second at 7.3/12, NBC third at 7.1/11, ABC fourth at 6.4/10, UPN fifth at 2.4/4, Univision sixth at 2.1/3 and WB seventh at 1.6/3.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3783.asp

keenan

03-30-06, 01:30 PM

Ratings were disappointing, and trended downward from episode one.

There has been some dispute if season two is being shot -- or not. Frankly I forget the latest, but I am sure someone who reads the thread can update us.
The last I read about Rome was that Albrecht said it was picked up for a second season, buy he was rather ambivalent about whether it would actually happen, stating that they had until either March or May of 2006(can't remember which) to make a final decision as that is when shooting for the second season would have started. My guess is it won't be back, HBO needs some surefire hits to replace the ones that have gone, like The Sopranos early next year and Sex In The City which is gone already.

keenan

03-30-06, 01:35 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
NBC's Wednesday strategy turns sour

It could then move “Heist” somewhere else on the schedule, perhaps to Friday nights, where it would be a great companion to the equally flashy “Las Vegas.” It could replace “Conviction,” which has shown virtually no promise in more than a month on the air, at 10 p.m.

That's a good idea, Conviction is blah TV and Heist would make a good companion to Las Vegas. Plus, did NBC and Wolf think L&O was going to last forever..?

fredfa

03-30-06, 01:42 PM

Frankly, I thought last year's "L&O: Trial By Jury" had a lot more promise than :"Conviction".

fredfa

03-30-06, 04:19 PM

TV Notebook
'Commander in Chief' on the move

By Maureen Ryan from the Chicago Tribune TV blog

When it finally returns, “Commander in Chief” will take up a spot on a new night.

ABC announced Wednesday that “Chief” will return Thursday, April 13 (previously, it had been set to come back Tuesday, April 18). The show will air 9 p.m. Thursdays through May, and the Thursday news magazine “20/20” will move to Fridays until the end of the season.

Starting April 13, ABC’s Thursdays will look like this: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition -- After the Storm,” “American Inventor,” and “Commander in Chief.”

One wonders how "Chief" will be received on its return, given that the show is on its third head writer, it’s had such a long break without new episodes and it’ll be up against “ER” and “Without a Trace” when it does come back. At the very least, let’s just hope that the stunt-driven writing of Steven Bochco’s short-lived “Chief” reign is over when the Geena Davis drama returns.

By the way, the network is also revamping its Tuesday schedule, in the face of “American Idol’s” continuing domination. It’s sticking with “According to Jim” and “Hope & Faith” at the 7 p.m. hour, but starting April 18, those shows will be followed by a tepid block consisting of “Hope & Faith” and “Less Than Perfect”; “Boston Legal” will stay where it is at 9 p.m.

It looks as though the experimental ABC comedy series “Sons & Daughters,” which has been airing at 8 p.m. Tuesdays, at won’t be occupying that slot for much longer. Get your fill of it while you can.

One more TV note: "Crossing Jordan's" 100th episode, a May 7 outing, will serve as the NBC show's season finale.

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

fredfa

03-30-06, 05:52 PM

fredfa

03-30-06, 06:03 PM

Here are some excerpts from a Nov. 17, 2005 story by Bill Carter in The New York Times:

HBO chairman Chris] Albrecht announced only a couple of weeks into ["Rome's"] run that he was renewing the series for another season. But in the interview he said, "That ship hasn't entirely sailed yet."

The reason, he said, has nothing to do with how well "Rome" turned out. Mainly, the issue has been money. "Rome" was wildly expensive, costing an estimated $100 million. It initially experienced debilitating production delays, fueling rumors that it was a troubled show. Once it was on the air and was seen to be a quality production, Mr. Albrecht said, those rumors subsided.

But he said those delays meant he had only a short window of time to retain a hold on the actors, which was why he renewed the series so quickly. For now, that means ordering scripts, which will be difficult to write because they need to cover the complicated period following the fall of Caesar.

"The real reason why, even though I ordered the show, we haven't formally gone into production, is how long it's going to take," he said. " 'Rome' won't be back until, at the earliest, March of 2007. Which makes you say to yourself: When I bring the show back, can I build an audience?"

AFH

03-30-06, 06:05 PM

TV Notebook
CBS Races to Another Time Slot

By Ben Grossman Broadcasting & Cable 3/30/2006

Hoping to breathe some life into its venerable reality franchise, CBS is moving The Amazing Race to Wednesdays at 8 beginning next week. The show has been airing Tuesdays at 10, where it has struggled to retain the audience of strongly-performing lead-in The Unit.

Moving Race to Wednesdays at 8 means CBS is benching rookie comedies Out of Practice and Courting Alex, though the network says in a press release that both will return to the schedule at a later date.

In place of Race Tuesdays at 10, the network will air crime drama repeats and specials, which will be a better fit coming out of the The Unit. The time slot will be occupied by a CSI: Miami repeat next Tuesday and then an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation the following Tuesday.

I hate to say I told them so, but I told them so in this same exact thread when it was announced that CBS would be moving 'Race' to 10pm Tuesdays. It took them a couple of episodes to realize that moving 'Race' into the 10 spot was a no-no and should have been a no-go from the beginnning. But then again what do I know. I only watch the show 3 or 4 days on my Tivo. :)

AFH

03-30-06, 06:06 PM

fredfa

03-30-06, 06:08 PM

Here is the entire Bill Carter article, originally posted on this thread on 11/17/05, so that folks won't say the "Rome" quotes were out of context:

Deep in this story is a ighlighted area in which HBOs chief indicates the renewal of "Rome" might not be such a sure thing aftar all. Interesting.

HBO Takes the ABC Sunday Challenge

By Bill Carter The New York Times November 17, 2005

Chris Albrecht, the chairman of HBO, does not buy the widely heard argument that something has undermined his channel's former hold on viewers on Sunday nights at 9, something in the form of an ABC show called "Desperate Housewives."

For one thing, he dismisses the notion that HBO plays by the programming rules of the broadcast networks. "We can't get distracted by somebody's else's rules or scorecard," he said in a recent interview in his New York office. HBO, he says, judges the success of its shows by criteria other than one night's rating, criteria that include subscriber totals (up this year), video-on-demand orders and even number of awards won.

For another, he points to what he feels is a deeper lineup of distinctive series on HBO, everything from the comedy "Entourage" to the dramas "Deadwood" and "Rome" to the coming, sure-to-be-talked-about "Big Love." All of these, he insisted, have the stuff to emerge as worthy successors to HBO's hugely popular and award-laden shows like "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City."

But that doesn't mean he hasn't been paying attention to how "Desperate Housewives" has altered the Sunday night landscape. Looking forward to the return of HBO's biggest gun of all time, "The Sopranos," in March, Mr. Albrecht said he had been pondering a potential marketing plan, to center on a photograph to be shot by Annie Leibovitz, which would play off the billboard ad HBO used two years ago. That ad featured the "Sopranos" cast in a rowboat surrounded by the ghosts of the dead characters who had been rubbed out over the years.

"Wouldn't it be funny," Mr. Albrecht said, "if we did the same thing, and all the dead people in the water were the women from Wisteria Lane?" - a reference to the lead characters of "Desperate Housewives." He added: "And the headline would be: 'They're back!' "

HBO was clearly elated (and relieved) when it concluded a deal with David Chase, the creator of "The Sopranos," to extend that show beyond what had been expected to be its final 12 episodes, starting in March, to an additional mini-run of eight episodes, beginning in January 2007. As usual with "The Sopranos," it has now been off the air a long time. "Two years later can 'The Sopranos' be as big as it was?" Mr. Albrecht asked, another way of asking the broader question that he acknowledged had been thrown at HBO in the past year or so: Can HBO be as big as it was?

The question has arisen mainly because of ratings comparisons, which is how broadcast network shows are measured. By that standard, there is no question that HBO is off its best results for Sunday nights, when episodes of its series have their first showings. That powerhouse ABC series at 9 p.m. has to be a factor.

But Mr. Albrecht disputes any notion that HBO is off its game. "I feel like we've done the job we needed to do in programming," he said. "Our audience has certainly moved off Sunday nights to other points during the week." As for "Rome," he said, HBO has been encouraged by the series' growth among viewers and by a second round of critical comments, which largely moved from tepid to enthusiastic.

In strict viewer terms, HBO calls "Rome" a success because, while its Sunday totals are not overwhelming, it accumulates more than 7 million viewers a week during its multiple showings.

Mr. Albrecht announced only a couple of weeks into its run that he was renewing the series for another season. But in the interview he said, "That ship hasn't entirely sailed yet."

The reason, he said, has nothing to do with how well "Rome" turned out. Mainly, the issue has been money. "Rome" was wildly expensive, costing an estimated $100 million. It initially experienced debilitating production delays, fueling rumors that it was a troubled show. Once it was on the air and was seen to be a quality production, Mr. Albrecht said, those rumors subsided.

But he said those delays meant he had only a short window of time to retain a hold on the actors, which was why he renewed the series so quickly. For now, that means ordering scripts, which will be difficult to write because they need to cover the complicated period following the fall of Caesar.

"The real reason why, even though I ordered the show, we haven't formally gone into production, is how long it's going to take," he said. " 'Rome' won't be back until, at the earliest, March of 2007. Which makes you say to yourself: When I bring the show back, can I build an audience?"

Long interruptions have never cooled viewers' ardor for "The Sopranos," but Mr. Albrecht acknowledged that those layoffs had not been ideal for scheduling. "Part of the challenge for us is to figure a way to be a little more flexible," he said.

He is already demonstrating a bit of that flexibility, rethinking his plan to bring back the western drama "Deadwood" in March at 10 p.m. on Sundays following "The Sopranos." Now, Mr. Albrecht said, he thinks the best move for the HBO's future would be to slot its new drama, "Big Love," in that position to direct some of the hordes of "Sopranos" fans to what he says he hopes will be HBO's next significant cultural phenomenon.

"Big Love," a family drama like none other on television, deals with a regular American dad who happens to have three wives and families. The issue of polygamy in the show, set in Utah, is sure to stir debate, and HBO will be only too happy to be in the middle of it.

HBO loved the chatter that accompanied the run of the Hollywood comedy "Entourage" this year, a sign, HBO executives suggest, that the show may be about to take off the way "Sex and the City" did after a couple seasons. Mr. Albrecht has ordered 20 more episodes of "Entourage."

In the meantime, Mr. Albrecht defends HBO, saying it still sets much of the agenda for quality television. "You have seen the supposed successor to 'Sex and the City' be on a broadcast network," he said, "if indeed 'Desperate Housewives' is the successor, which I don't believe creatively it is - maybe from an audience point of view it is."

For Mr. Albrecht, even that may be giving too much credit to the ABC show that has sucked up so much audience during the hour formerly owned by HBO. Re-emphasizing just how unconcerned he really is about that competitor, he noted the critical reaction to "Desperate Housewives" this season. "Anybody who knows anything about television," he said, "could look at that show and say: two years, maybe three."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/17/arts/television/17hbo.html?pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-30-06, 06:08 PM

Some Ratings definitons

Many of you read the daily ratings and aren’t sure about the different methodology -- or terms -- used.

Here is the explanation of the two major overnight ratings sources from Nielsen itself:

Metered Market Overnight Ratings: This is normally the first available ratings information, and consists of household ratings and shares based on the electronic measurement service that Nielsen Media Research provides in 56 of the nation’s largest markets. In each market a separate sample of homes is selected to represent that individual market. Often, networks or syndicators provide metered market information as an early indicator of a program’s performance. In aggregate, the 56 metered markets represent 75,427,430 homes, or 69.58% of all U.S. TV households.

Fast Affiliate Ratings: These first national ratings, including demographics, are released to subscribing customers daily. These data, from the National People Meter sample, are strictly time-period information, based on the normal broadcast network feed, and include all programming on the affiliated stations, sometimes including network programming, sometimes not. The figures may include stations that did not air the entire network feed, as well as local news breaks or cutaways for local coverage or other programming. Fast Affiliate ratings are not useful for live programs, because the data reflect normal broadcast feed patterns. For example, on Monday Night Football, ABC’s Fast Affiliate Ratings would include whatever aired from 9-11PM on affiliates in the Pacific Time Zone, following the live football game, but not game coverage that begins at 6PM PT. The same would be true of Major League Baseball Playoffs and Presidential debates. “

Whitearrow

03-30-06, 06:21 PM

The last I read about Rome was that Albrecht said it was picked up for a second season, buy he was rather ambivalent about whether it would actually happen, stating that they had until either March or May of 2006(can't remember which) to make a final decision as that is when shooting for the second season would have started. My guess is it won't be back, HBO needs some surefire hits to replace the ones that have gone, like The Sopranos early next year and Sex In The City which is gone already.

YES, it is coming back. I'm happy to say we can answer this question once and for all :)

It was in Variety -- shooting on season 2 starts April 10 at Cincetta. It's also on HBO's web site in the FAQ for Rome, and Rome is one of the shows featured in HBO's very cool "backward" promo about its returning original series. Season 2 will begin airing in early 2007, most likely March.

It's fortunate that ratings aren't the end of the equation for HBO. The show received a number of award nominations in the fall, and appeared on a number of year-end "best of" lists. (Like many HBO shows, Rome took a while to build, but started garnering a lot of critical support by the end.)

It's also selling well in foreign markets, which is a big deal financially to HBO.

IMO, there is no such thing as a "surefire hit" for HBO, and it makes sense that HBO would continue nurturing a show that's started to develop a following and has sold well internationally. Especially when you consider that a huge part of the money spent was on the sets, which can be used over a number of seasons.

Slocko: Yes, it is a great show!

keenan

03-30-06, 06:54 PM

From Variety,
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940324?categoryid=19&cs=1&query=rome&display=rome
Variety.com - Irritated Italos give HBO's 'Rome' the thumbs down

Irritated Italos give HBO's 'Rome' the thumbs down
Some claimed epic was censored, historically inaccurate

By NICK VIVARELLI

ROME -- Just as the second installment of "Rome" starts shooting at Italy's Cinecitta, a toned-down version of HBO's lusty historical skeinskein has finally marched onto Roman TV screens sans nudity and violence.

And it has been snubbed by Italos with anti-Yank disdain.

The lavish epic, which has sold around the world in both its original format and the sanitized version, aired on pubcasterpubcaster channel RAI-2 to a mere 10% audience share, half as many viewers as skit comedy show "Zelig" got on rival commercial broadcaster Mediaset.

That is a far cry from the substantial ratings the original "Rome" scored when it debuted on HBO Stateside and on the BBC in BlightyBlighty.

For Italians, "Rome" was preceded by polemics over the edited-out frontal nudity, which some blasted as censorship. There were also qualms over historical accuracy -- a worry shared by the British press.

Newspaper Corriere Della Sera blasted it as a "prime example of historical misinformation," calling Ciaran Hinds' Caesar a "parody" -- "too young and with too much hair" -- and describing the sexual relationship between Roman matron Atia (Polly Walker) and Mark Anthony (James PurefoyJames Purefoy) as "ridiculous."

"Many Italian journalists and commentators just don't want to see their history depicted by Anglo-Saxons," says RAI drama exec Paola Masini. "Watching British actors playing Romans rubs a lot of people the wrong way and prompted the press to find fault with the historical accuracy."

The Japanese had similar qualms with "The Memoirs of a Geisha," starring Chinese thesps Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li.

It's something that RAI -- which co-produced the Italian version with HBO and the BBC to the tune of E4.5 million ($5.4 million) -- had been aware of from the start, but could do little to avert.

Because of a lack of English-speaking ItaloItalo thesps, the best RAI could do was make suggestions to HBO and the BBC on the scripts, and supervise the tailored Italo version, which differs only slightly from the one HBO sold for syndication.

"I truly believe this is not a piece of cheesy Yank misrepresentation," says "Rome" executive producer Marco Valerio Pugini, a native Roman. "It's not 'Ben Hur' or 'Gladiator,' and top Italian historians have actually signed off on the script."

"We've been concerned about how we are representing Roman history for Romans not just because we're working with RAI, but also because we are working with real Romans in the heart of Rome," says Jonathan Stamp, the Oxford U.-educated Brit who is the skein's historical consultant.

But aside from cross-cultural considerations, the "Rome" Italy outing is the first time the skein has played a major international territory in its expurgated version, posing questions that programmers in other territories will be mulling.

"To everyone I say: there is the HBO version and there is a tamer version, which is considerably toned down," says Charles Schreger, prexyprexy HBO Enterprises.

Paradoxically, when it comes to Roman history, Anglo-Saxon territories may prove less prudish than neo-Latin ones.

Australia's Nine Network will go with the racier "Rome," while France's M6 and other broadcasters are still deciding.

Meanwhile, at Cinecitta, the Forum is being spruced up and helmets and leather bodices dusted prior to production kickoff of series two, April 10.

It is being shepherded by John Melfi ("Sex and the City""Sex And The City"), who takes over from Frank Doelger as executive producer, while Anthony Pratt has replaced Joseph Bennett as production designer.

Episodes one and two will be helmed by Timothy Van Patten and Allen CoulterAllen Coulter respectively, both of whom also worked on the first series.

Casting is underway in Britain for an older Octavian to take over from Max Pirkis.

And, while new plot elements are under wraps, Stamp said that Rome will become a desperate and anarchic place due to a famine. Epic will start with Caesar's funeral, have at least one big set-piece battle, and continue to feature lots of nudity.

Date in print: Mon., Mar. 27, 2006, Weekly

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanks for the tip Whitearrow.. :)

Whitearrow

03-30-06, 07:12 PM

Newspaper Corriere Della Sera blasted it as a "prime example of historical misinformation," calling Ciaran Hinds' Caesar a "parody" -- "too young and with too much hair" -- and describing the sexual relationship between Roman matron Atia (Polly Walker) and Mark Anthony (James Purefoy) as "ridiculous.

Which I suppose its why it's labelled as "fiction" as opposed to "documentary."

BTW, Caesar was about 56 when he died... Ciaran Hinds was about 52 when they started filming. Yeah, that's pretty ridiculous, all right.

Sheesh.

Anyway, it's coming back, so I don't give a damn what the Italian press thinks :)

PJO1966

03-30-06, 08:01 PM

I'm sorry they're recasting Octavian.

henry296

03-30-06, 08:06 PM

TV Notebook
CBS Races to Another Time Slot

By Ben Grossman Broadcasting & Cable 3/30/2006

Hoping to breathe some life into its venerable reality franchise, CBS is moving The Amazing Race to Wednesdays at 8 beginning next week. The show has been airing Tuesdays at 10, where it has struggled to retain the audience of strongly-performing lead-in The Unit.

Moving Race to Wednesdays at 8 means CBS is benching rookie comedies Out of Practice and Courting Alex, though the network says in a press release that both will return to the schedule at a later date.

In place of Race Tuesdays at 10, the network will air crime drama repeats and specials, which will be a better fit coming out of the The Unit. The time slot will be occupied by a CSI: Miami repeat next Tuesday and then an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation the following Tuesday.

That tended to be the time that my wife and I would watch it anyway. 10 PM was too late, so we DVR'd it and watch it after dinner on Wednesdays.

slocko

03-30-06, 08:07 PM

I wonder if they might have had more success if it had been placed at the beginning of Caesar's rise to power. It could have hilighted his military genius.

Either way, great show with great characters.

jpeckinp

03-30-06, 08:55 PM

Interesting read. Sounds good from everything they say, except if they are the first to figure out how to do this, why wouldn't we wait for EuclidVision2 or 3? Wouldn't those have better compression and maybe better overall quality? If this technology was not expected to hit this early, maybe this version will be improved on within a short time?

Still is promising and if it does work well, I would think that the Sat and Cable companies would jump all over it.

What makes it even better is the fact that it works on todays Mpeg-4 hardware. So that could mean just a quick reprogram of receivers and maybe the sats and we could have it.

fredfa

03-30-06, 09:51 PM

Thanks for the update Whitearrow. Sorry I missed it.

But to be honest, though "Rome" may have "started to develop a following" that contention clearly hasn't been reflected in ratings, which declined week by week and ended up barely half of the premiere's numbers.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was immensely watchable and a fun show, but, to me at least after the premiere, it wasn't appointment TV, it was Tivo'd and viewed when time permitted.

Inundated

03-30-06, 09:55 PM

jim tressler

03-30-06, 10:31 PM

Tivo baby - doesn't matter to me when they show it :) although its one of the few I watch live.. but the 10pm time slot helped with that.. kids are (Hopefully) asleep by then!

fredfa

03-31-06, 10:21 AM

TV Sports
ESPN Puts Down Mutiny

By Phil Mushnick The New York Post March 31, 2006

Monday was to have been the first of a two-day seminar for approximately 125 frontline ESPN producers, reporters, anchors and analysts, gathered in a hotel near Hartford.

But day one became something else, something weird and potentially wonderful. Day one saw the closest thing to a palace revolt ever conducted against ESPN.

You see, not everyone at ESPN always willingly lines up to drink the latest, stronger blend of Disney Kool-Aid. There are ESPNers, from everywhere within the company, who are mortified by what ESPN has become. But, short of quitting, there's not much they can do about it.

Monday, however, when the topic turned to ESPN's new project with Barry Bonds, the hired help let their bosses know that they're still, minimally, broadcast journalists, with credentials to match.

And then they lined up to let their bosses know they simply can't quietly suffer the fact that ESPN continues to jump into bed with news figures, let alone with Bonds, currently the nation's foremost representative of sports villainy.

Next, after ESPN execs heard, "Please don't do this," from one staffer after another, the surprise guest speaker was introduced - Mike Wallace, of CBS' "60 Minutes" fame.

And Wallace joined in. After learning about the Bonds deal, Wallace told the assembled that the ESPN execs in the room - the folks who invited him - were about to embark on an unholy alliance that guarantees only ridicule and regret, in exchange.

Wallace, 88, first explained his presence by reading aloud from the invite that promised him $15,000 for the gig, then trashed ESPN management for the deal it had made with Bonds.

(Wallace, however, admitted that the two segments devoted to Tiger Woods on "60 Minutes" the previous day was a tank job, with Woods and Co. dictating the ground rules for what correspondent Ed Bradley could and could not ask.)

In ESPN's recent string of appalling decisions, the Bonds deal is the worst. Even in a TV world where good-faith news and sports broadcasting are regularly abandoned in favor of anything-it-takes entertainment and corporate shilling, this is the kind of decision by which a network always will be measured and remembered.

This is the kind of decision that leaves a stain.

ESPN has selected the ultimate 2006 sports bad guy - a bad guy in every way and a bad guy long before he was even suspected of juicing - and placed him on its payroll.

Starting next week and relying on the thin rationalization the project is an ESPN Original Entertainment endeavor, ESPN will weekly slide into the sack with Bonds in exchange for exclusive access as he pursues baseball's hallowed home-run record, a record Bonds is now commonly known to be gaining on as a matter of ill-gotten gain.

ESPN is not only paying $4.5 million to a documentary unit to produce Bonds' diary, it will allow Bonds and his minions editorial control. It's mind-blowing.

As Monday's meeting turned to ESPN's alliance with Bonds, a trickle of stand-up-and-be-counted dissent became a flood. John Skipper, newly named Executive VP of Content, was described as "stunned" by the thumbs-down response to the project.

According to witnesses, Skipper then made some hopeful noises that, given such strong opposition from within, perhaps the Bonds project should be killed. After all, ESPN's execs had made it clear that the Bonds deal would lose money. And if it's about buying access and surrendering control, good grief, why take such a double dive for Barry Bonds?

It can't always only be about ratings, can it? Sometimes, a network's good name - what's left of it, anyway - and the good names of your employees should count at least as much as ratings, no?

By day one's end, there was genuine hope that ESPN management would come to its better senses, that ESPN would not pay to be compromised by Bonds, that ESPN would pull the plug on the Bonds project.

But Tuesday, during the second day of the seminar, Skipper announced that while he respects the thoughts of his top producers, on-air personnel and even other ESPN execs, ESPN would proceed - it would remain in bed with Bonds. Thus, what should have been out of the question is a done deal.

ESPN's bosses could have done the right thing and come out smelling like heroes. They could have said, "You know what? You're right - this doesn't pass even a minimum-standard smell test. Besides, if you folks feel this strongly about the integrity of our network, nothing else matters. The Bonds deal is dead."

But they didn't.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/sports/63787.htm

fredfa

03-31-06, 10:30 AM

TV Sports
Reality Bites Back: Some at ESPN Assail Bonds Show

By Richard Sandomir The New York Times March 31, 2006

A two-day seminar attended by ESPN personnel at an airport hotel in Hartford earlier this week exposed a schism within the network about the wisdom of televising a 10-hour reality series starring Barry Bonds.

The series, "Bonds on Bonds," starts Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern, on ESPN2. It will join the overheated Bonds-oriented news cycle that includes a raft of accusations in a new book, "Game of Shadows," about his use of performance-enhancing drugs, and Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig's announcement yesterday of an investigation into steroid abuse.

There have been rumblings of discontent within ESPN since the plan to carry the series was announced, but the internal critics were unable to confront a unified senior management until Monday.

The emotional, sometimes angry debate within ESPN centers in part on whether it has put itself in an untenable journalistic position by aggressively reporting on Bonds's pursuit of Hank Aaron's career home run record while simultaneously carrying, at least through midseason, a series that provides Bonds editorial control of its content.

Other serious concerns are whether ESPN is paying for access to Bonds, who is difficult to cover, and giving him hours of time to rehabilitate his image.

ESPN is paying several million dollars to Tollin/Robbins Productions, which is sharing marketing revenue with Bonds.

"This has conflicts that need to be resolved," said Jeff Brantley, an ESPN analyst who played with Bonds on the Giants in 1993. "Take this one: Pedro Gomez is covering Bonds on a daily basis, and if he asks tough questions, will Barry be allowed to go back at Pedro on his show?"

Vince Doria, ESPN's news director, who admitted to having early reservations about carrying the series, said yesterday that Bonds would be "ill-served" if he uses the series to "belittle some of our people."

Gomez, who was among those who objected most pointedly during the meeting, declined to discuss what he said. Others who cover baseball for ESPN were also said to be among the harshest critics of the series.

Doria said the reactions among the ESPN reporters, analysts, anchors and production workers included those who "felt it was a deal that we shouldn't have made, some felt it was fine, some felt in between."

ESPN executives have justified their decision to carry the series by saying it is a product of ESPN Original Entertainment, which is separate from the news operations of "SportsCenter" and other shows.

To that end, they have said, ESPN will not use anything from the series until it is aired, and will make it available to other networks and stations.

"If real news is broken and we can't use it until it airs, people will raise questions," Doria said. "But I'd rather face those questions than give the impression that we're paying for news."

A guest speaker at the Monday seminar was Mike Wallace, the "60 Minutes" correspondent, who was paid to discuss his interviewing style.

Wallace arrived after the main session but said in an interview yesterday that after talking for a while about his work, debate returned to the Bonds series. "And all of a sudden they began to shoot their mouths off, about how could ESPN, in effect, pay this huge amount of money to this production company for what isn't reportage," Wallace said.

Wallace said he told one of the ESPN executives, "You've got to be kidding," in reference to the decision to carry the series. And in the interview, he said, "I think the majority thought it was a bad idea."

He also called the series an example of "checkbook journalism."

Brantley said he was satisfied with the responses of ESPN management, but is still concerned how the series will look and if it will make the network seem, as he put it, "stupid." He wondered if the series would stay on the air if it was substandard.

When the seminar resumed on Tuesday, John Skipper, ESPN's executive vice president for content, who had opened up the seminar for the Bonds debate, said the series would proceed as scheduled.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/sports/baseball/31tv.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-31-06, 10:42 AM

The Digital Revolution
Dems Blast Video Bell Bill Backed by GOP

By Todd Shields MediaWeek.com

A bill designed to foster competition to cable fails to protect consumers, Democrats claimed Thursday as Republicans said the measure would drive down prices and increase choice.

The comments came during an initial hearing on a bill to let Bell companies offer TV-like video services over their landlines without first seeking permission from local governments. Bell companies claim such permission is slow in coming, an assertion disputed by some local officials.

“This whole effort is about removing the governmental roadblocks which are getting between consumers’ wallets and the increased competition … they desperately deserve,” said Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chair of the telecommunications subcommittee that staged the hearing.

The measure faces initial votes next week, Upton said.

The bill would abandon requirements that video providers must offer the same prices and services to all residents of a locality, even those in poor neighborhoods.

“Significant areas of our country will be left behind,” said Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the committee’s ranking minority member. “The less desirable or more remote parts of town may see their cable rates increase or watch as providers upgrade other parts of town and pass them by.”

The bill would not prohibit Bells and cable operators from favoring one Internet service over another. Critics said that could leave the Internet dominated by companies that can afford steep fees, leaving small and innovative services isolated from potential customers.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002275067

fredfa

03-31-06, 10:51 AM

The 2006-2007 Season
The hot pre-upfront buzz: 'Studio 60'

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 31, 2006, 01:15

After two years in which NBC has presented a development slate full of low-buzz disappointments like “Surface,” “E-Ring” and “Hawaii,” as well as some high-buzz flops like “Father of the Pride,” “Joey” and “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart,” it looks as though the network finally has some shows that media buyers like.

In fact, it may have the most-anticipated new program for fall, based on reaction after the broadcast networks previewed their upcoming programs over the past three weeks.

It’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” from “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin and starring “Friends’” Mathew Perry, “Wing’s” Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet. It follows the behind-the-scenes drama at a “Saturday Night Live”-style variety show, in much the same way Sorkin’s critically acclaimed ABC show “Sports Night” went behind the camera at a “SportsCenter”-like program.

In addition to good writing and strong acting, it also has a unique concept. Media people say the show, which has already received a commitment from NBC, could be fall’s big hit.

That combined with other promising shows on NBC’s slate, as well as “Sunday Night Football,” “My Name is Earl” and surprise game show hit “Deal or No Deal,” could help NBC turn things around after two straight seasons of finishing No. 4 among adults 18-49.

“It looks like NBC is really making an investment to get good programming on the air,” says Shari Anne Brill, vice president and director or programming at Carat. “It’s a little bit of everything.”

Among NBC’s other dramas is “Kidnapped” with Timothy Hutton, which has already been picked up for the fall.

NBC comedies include “Andy Barker, P.I.,” notable for starring former “Late Night” sidekick Andy Richter with a pilot co-written by “Late Night’s” Conan O’Brien.

Rather than relying on one fad to come up with hits, the broadcasters are developing many types of shows this year, with about an equal number of comedies and dramas.

Some are quirky like ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” others mimic the single-camera style of comedies like NBC’s “The Office,” others unearth one-time big-name stars, and there are even programs that have roots in novelas, the Spanish-language soap operas.

“Everyone’s trying different types of comedies and there are crime shows, character-driven dramas, and plenty of procedurals,” Brill.

“They all want a distinctive voice and are using existing programs as the launching pad. And reality is there, too, but there’s also the realization that scripted programs are the networks’ bread and butter.”

Brad Adgate, senior vice president and corporate research director at Horizon Media, is upbeat about this year’s development.

“The networks are trying different things, but there’s also a large amount of romantic comedies, legal, medical, and police dramas,” he says. “And there are a lot of stars doing TV for the first time like James Woods and Virginia Madsen.”

Perhaps the network with the most buzz is ABC, although more so for its recent trio of hits – “Desperate,” “Lost,” and “Grey’s Anatomy” – than for any specific program previewed at last week’s pre-upfront presentations.

The network has about a dozen dramas in development, including “Hollis and Rae” from Steven Bochco, whose recent misstep on “Commander in Chief” hasn’t smudged his decades-long track record.

ABC also is taking a cue from the enormously popular novelas with “Ugly Betty,” based on a Telemundo hit. It’s also developing soap operas, with dramas such as “Brothers & Sisters” with Calista Flockhart and “Six Degrees” from “Alias’” J. J. Abrams.

Sitcoms include “A Day in the Life” with Wendie Malick, late of the presumably canceled John Stamos comedy “Jake in Progress.”

CBS president Les Moonves has been saying his network is so solid that it has the luxury of being experimental.

Among the dramas CBS is developing is “Edison,” about a con artist starring John Leguizamo that was originally in development for cable network USA. “Ultra” is based on a graphic novel.

CBS is developing several comedies, including “The Big Bang Theory,” from the creators of its “Two and a Half Men,” and “Play Nice” from the executive producers of “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

Fox has a slew of programs in development, including the drama “American Crime” from “CSI” producer Jerry Bruckheimer and comedies like “Julie Reno, Bounty Hunter” with former “Designing Women” star Annie Potts.

Meanwhile, the upcoming CW is solidifying its lineup with programs from both UPN and the WB. But it also has six shows in development, including the highly anticipated “Smallville” spinoff “Aquaman.” Sitcoms in the works are “The Game,” from Kelsey Grammer, executive producer of UPN’s “Girlfriends,” and “She Said/He Said,” with Jessica Simpson’s ex, Nick Lachey.

“The first we’ll see of these shows is the week of May 15,” says Adgate, referring to when the networks hold upfront presentations.

“There may be some announcements before that and there will be some buzz and rumors. But the shows that will be picked up will be made official that week.”

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3781.asp

humdinger70

03-31-06, 11:28 AM

Glad to see CBS is moving "The Amazing Race". I mean, I was used to it at 9 on Tuesdays, but "The Unit" has apparently caught on. TAR was a poorly matched follow to that show, and was NOT a 10 PM show. Whoever put it on at 10 should be slapped. :D

Problem with putting on Wednesday at 8 is it now runs into the juggernaut we have come to know and love, "Deal or No Deal".

fredfa

03-31-06, 12:16 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Poof! 'American Inventor' up in smoke

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 31, 2006

ABC’s “American Inventor” had a strong first two weeks, dominating weaker-than-usual competition. But with NCAA basketball over and “CSI” back on Thursday night, the ABC reality show fell off sharply in its third outing last night.

“Inventor” posted a 3.7 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 in the 9 p.m. timeslot last night, down 30 percent from the 5.3 it averaged over its first two episodes, when it was up against CBS’s men’s basketball tournament coverage.

No one would have expected “Inventor’s” ratings to stay where they were before TV’s No. 1 crime drama returned from its mini-hiatus, but a 30 percent dropoff is not good news for ABC, which plans to move “Commander in Chief” to Thursday nights in two weeks to lead out of “Inventor.”

ABC is still better off than it was a few months ago, when it rarely rose above a 3.0 in the timeslot.

And “Inventor” did manage to deflate the return of “CSI.” The Vegas-set procedural posted a 7.9 among 18-49s last night, down 13 percent from the 9.1 it had averaged over its last four original episodes. That 7.9 was 68 percent better than the 4.7 CBS averaged in the slot the past two weeks with NCAA basketball.

“Inventor” was third in it timeslot last night among 18-49s, behind “CSI” and NBC’s comedies “My Name is Earl” and “The Office,” which it finished ahead of in its first two outings.
“CSI,” the night’s top-rated show in the demo, helped CBS finish first for the night among 18-49s with a 6.5 average rating and a 17 share. NBC was second at 4.5/12, ABC third at 2.9/8, Fox fourth at 2.4/6, WB fifth at 1.7/5, Univision sixth at 1.7/4 and UPN seventh at 0.8/2.

CBS led or tied for the lead during each hour last night, beginning with a 5.9 rating at 8 p.m. for “Survivor.” NBC was second that hour with a 3.5 for “Will & Grace” (3.6) and a repeat of “Earl” (3.4), with ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and Fox’s repeat of “That ‘70s Show” (2.4) and a new episode of “The Loop” (2.0) tied for third at 2.2. WB was fifth with a 1.9 for “Smallville,” Univision sixth with a 1.5 for “Barrera de Amor” and UPN seventh with a 0.9 for repeats of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Love, Inc.”

At 9 p.m. CBS led easily with its 7.9 for “CSI,” followed by a 4.3 for NBC for “Earl” (4.4) and “The Office” (4.1). ABC was third with its 3.7 for “Inventor,” Fox fourth with a 2.6 for “The O.C.,” Univision fifth with a 2.0 for “Alborada,” WB sixth with a 1.5 for “Supernatural” and UPN seventh with a 0.7 for repeats of “Eve” and “Cuts.”

At 10 p.m. CBS and NBC tied for the lead at 5.6, CBS for “Without a Trace” and NBC for “ER.” ABC was third that hour with a 2.7 for “Primetime” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Aqui y Ahora.”

CBS easily led the night among households with a 12.6 average rating and a 20 share. NBC was second at 6.8/11, ABC third at 5.1/8, Fox fourth at 3.3/5, WB fifth at 2.5/4, Univision sixth at 1.9/3 and UPN seventh at 1.5/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3815.asp

fredfa

03-31-06, 12:55 PM

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

keenan

03-31-06, 01:09 PM

A programming note,

Showtime's Huff premiers Season 2 Sunday, April, 2 at 10PM ET/PT.

One of my favorites. :)

fredfa

03-31-06, 01:11 PM

Thanks for the reminder, keenan.

fredfa

03-31-06, 01:14 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Fan fave 'Huff' back for a 2nd season

By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News

Sometimes the size of a TV show's audience can't begin to match the passion of its viewers.

Showtime, the premium-cable network that only this week surrendered in its effort to rescue Fox's "Arrested Development" after "AD" creator Mitch Hurwitz decided he'd had enough, knows from passion.

While its subscriber base continues to lag well behind HBO's, it's carved a niche for itself as the home of series like "The L Word," "Queer as Folk" and "Weeds" - shows that a relatively small group of people can't imagine living without.

In the case of "Huff," which returns for a second season Sunday, many of those people live in Los Angeles, which helps explain the seven Emmy nominations for Season 1 for a series that wasn't exactly on everyone's radar.

Geography may also explain why Oliver Platt, who plays Huff's extremely screwed-up lawyer, Russell Tupper, hasn't been able to go anywhere for months without being asked when "Huff" was coming back.

"I've never been involved in any sort of enterprise" that's gotten this kind of response, Platt said in January during a CBS/Showtime party on the West Coast.

"I mean I literally have strangers walk up to me on the street, grab me by the lapels and say, 'When is that show coming back?' " he said.

"Seriously. They'll manhandle me on the street. 'When, when, when?' " he added.

"I was at the dentist's the other day, a lady got out of the dentist's chair, ran down the hallway, with her bib on and like, you know, stuff coming out of her mouth [mumbling], 'When is "Huff" coming back?' "

OK, I've had a few e-mails myself, asking the same thing.

But nothing like that.

Platt, who'll spend several episodes this season sparring with uber-guest star Sharon Stone, would, on almost any other TV show, be the best reason to tune in, but "Huff" has one of those casts that would be fun to watch even if the people writing their lines weren't pretty good.

There's Hank Azaria, of course, playing beleaguered psychiatrist Craig "Huff" Huffstodt, who started off Season 1 watching a young patient kill himself in his office and begins this season trying to locate his own schizophrenic brother, Teddy (Andy Comeau), before he does the same thing.

Paget Brewster plays Huff's wife, who'll struggle this season with the demands of her hellishly self-centered mother-in-law, Izzy (Blythe Danner, in the role that won her one of the show's two Emmys), and her own dying mother (Swoosie Kurtz).

Thank goodness, then, for Platt and Stone, who'll provide much of the comic relief in a show that can make "The Sopranos" look like musical theater.

Even Russell, though, drug-addled as he often is, has a deeper side, which is why the episode last season that found him in bed with Izzy - the mother of his longtime friend - proved so unexpectedly moving.

"One of the things that I thought was so beautiful about that writing last year is that in most other shows, that would have been some kind of sweeps stunt and highly implausible," Platt said.

"But I totally bought it that those two lonely, f------up people found each other in that way," he said.

"I think it's about who they are. That was an accidental moment that was beautifully supported in the writing. And a lot of people have told me that."

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//14219902.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

03-31-06, 01:17 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Hank Azaria gets his second wind on Showtime's 'Huff'

By Gail Shister Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist

Hank Azaria is back to Huff and puff, but he won't blow his house down.

"Creatively, this is the best job I've ever had," says Azaria, whose Showtime drama, Huff, returns for its second season Sunday - the same day, coincidentally, as Azaria's swan song with the hit Broadway musical Monty Python's Spamalot.

Note: Non-Showtime subscribers can catch the 10 p.m. premiere as part of the premium network's free preview weekend, tomorrow through Sunday.

Huff, which stars Azaria as conflicted psychiatrist-dad Craig Huffstodt, "is one of those rare things where, from day one, the right elements came together," he says. "It's such beautiful material."

When season two opens, Huff's friends and family are questioning his sanity after his smackdown with best pal Russell (Oliver Platt), whom Huff saw having sex with Huff's martini-swilling mother (Blythe Danner).

Oh, and his mentally ill brother, Teddy (Andy Comeau), has disappeared. And Sharon Stone shows up as a troubled (what else?) legal client for the coke-snorting horndog Russell.

Three cheers for family values.

"Huff's a smart guy and his heart is in the right place," says Azaria, who turns 42 next month. "But at the moment, he's in such turmoil, he has to heal himself before he can be much good to anybody else."

Ditto for ol' Russell, says Platt, 46, Azaria's bud since their college days at Tufts. Unlike Huff, however, Russell is a committed degenerate.

Playing him "is a blast," Platt says. "I see Russell as a lost poetic soul who likes token whores. It's a great, great part. The writers are so clear that all that stuff is only symptomatic. It's just how he acts out."

In a weird "art imitates life" twist, Russell starts the season in a neck brace, from injuries suffered in his cliffhanger mano a mano with Huff. In real life, Platt broke his neck in a diving accident at a Massachusetts beach when he was 18.

"I dove into shallow water, and there was a sandbar," he recalls. "I could have died."

Platt will make his Broadway debut in May in Conor McPherson's Shining City. In a karmic twist, Platt stars as a guilt-ridden man who goes into therapy (with Tony winner Brian F. O'Byrne) after seeing the ghost of his recently deceased wife.

Azaria's next project: He'll reprise his Emmy-winning characters from Fox's The Simpsons (Moe Szyslak/Chief Wiggum/Comic Book Guy) for an animated Simpsons movie set to premiere in '08.

Meanwhile, Azaria remains a staunch proponent of the therapeutic process.

"I'm a believer in maintenance. In times of crisis, I'll go rather intently. When it's going well, knock on wood, I'll just check in every once in a while for a tune-up.

"Going to a wise man and talking about what's going on is always a good idea. If nothing else, it's a place to download your whining about your friends and family."

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//14218027.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

03-31-06, 01:19 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Cookie-cutter approach might have viewers leaving in a huff

By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Friday, March 31, 2006

Notice how premium cable series don't seem all that special these days? You know what I'm talking about if you've kept up with what's on. HBO and Showtime no longer corner the market on brilliant writing and bold concepts. No, that mantle's been seized by USA, TNT and even Sci Fi. Each has at least one great series. FX has several.

Showtime would kill for just one. Sure, "The L Word" is performing well enough, and this year's breast cancer story line raised its profile more than it enjoyed in previous seasons. The girlie show is not an overwhelming hit by any stretch -- but at least it performed better than "Huff" did in its first season.

Apples and dynamite, you say? Well, yeah. They're very different dramas. Showtime had high expectations for "Huff," a family drama about a psychiatrist who's a bit of a head case, from the moment it slid across entertainment president Robert Greenblatt's desk. The show sounded so clever and had such potential for broad appeal that its second season, kicking off Sunday night at 9 (and again at 10), got a green light before the first episode aired.

Imagine the surprise in Showtime's offices when, in spite of a wave of positive reviews and a high-profile, high-cost ad campaign, the November 2004 debut attracted only about 456,000 viewers.

We may look back on that as the day premium stopped meaning primo.

It's not as if "Huff" has insurmountable flaws. Actually, the series sports a fantastic cast, poetic writing and a string of impressive guest stars. Sharon Stone, Anjelica Huston, Swoosie Kurtz and Tom Skerritt all swoop through Dr. Craig Huffstodt's crazy life over the next few months, some of them making more of a dent than others.

At issue is the fact that a conflicted shrink doesn't stick out much in a landscape saturated with intriguing, enigmatic characters struggling to grasp profound truths.

Against everything else available to viewers, "Huff" is premium cable-grade content without the "wows" that justify the extra expense.

While watching it last year, I pictured series creator Bob Lowry punching its traits into a Hit TV Series Generator:

"Let's see ... give me a sympathetic male lead --" (clack!) "-- suffering from existential angst --" (clack!) "-- with an affliction that he keeps a secret." (Clack!)

"Give him family trouble -- an attractive yet unhappy wife --" (clack!) "-- a brother with schizophrenia --" (clack!) "-- an alcoholic, bigot of a mother --" (clack!) "-- and give him a teenage son with a strange name who is wise beyond his years." (Clack!) "Oh, we need comic relief -- tragicomic. How about a rich, tubby best friend with a gigantic substance-abuse problem?"

(Clack!)

Following a great deal of whirring and hissing, out popped Huff (Hank Azaria) a middle-age psychiatrist, who has neglected his wife Beth (Paget Brewster) for his work. The good doctor talks to an imaginary figure called the Homeless Hungarian (Jack Laufer), who is either a manifestation of his conscience or proof that he's losing his mind.

Beyond this, Huff's son Byrd (Anton Yelchin) is the voice of reason, always there to put his family's hysteria into perspective. Huff's brother Teddy (Andy Comeau) has been institutionalized, and is the one to whom Huff opens up, which works best when Teddy's catatonic.

The fascinating roles belong to Huff's peripheral co-stars. Oliver Platt, who plays his downward-spiraling best friend, Russell, and Blythe Danner, Huff's drunk, imperious mother, Izzy, offer scene-swiping performances that are enough to hold your attention.

The two got in bed at the end of season one, and all hell broke loose. Huff pushed Russ down a flight of stairs, and Teddy jumped into his brother's luxury car and drove off to parts previously unknown.

As the second season opens, Huff sets out after Teddy, and Beth is less enamored of her husband than ever. She's trying to deal with her mother's (Kurtz) slow deterioration from cancer, while Izzy lives in a state of perpetual inebriation. Attorney Russ takes on a rich, barely sane client, Dauri Rathburn (Sharon Stone, who plays crazy like an expert -- go figure).

This doesn't sound too terrible, right? It's not. But trust me, once you've seen a few episodes, you'll understand why I'd imagined "Huff" being made by machine. It's solidly constructed and yet ordinary in its greatness.

Even the frills come standard with most TV dramas. There are the gentle piano riffs twinkling in the background, indicating that you're witnessing a revelatory moment. There are performances from Azaria and Brewster that are remarkable, although not quite award-worthy. There's the lovely prose Lowry puts in his characters' mouths -- some too florid and too perfect to ring true.

Having said that, the actors truly make "Huff" worth checking out. Danner snagged an outstanding supporting actress Emmy for playing Izzy, and several monologues that practically scream "Emmy clip! Emmy clip!" ensure she'll be in the running in 2006 as well.

Platt is equally wonderful and frightening as Russell, who degenerates from being out of control to flirting with death and loneliness this season. With a kid on the way, conceived in a drug binge with homely electronics store employee Kelly Knippers (Faith Prince), Russ should straighten up.

Accordingly, he worsens, because in premium cable, there are no neat and tidy endings.

Just as one would expect.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=b&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/264965_tv31.html

Inundated

03-31-06, 02:54 PM

Problem with putting on Wednesday at 8 is it now runs into the juggernaut we have come to know and love, "Deal or No Deal".

I'm not worried about "Deal". Wasn't "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" on all the time, too? ;)

AFH

03-31-06, 02:56 PM

The 2006-2007 Season
The hot pre-upfront buzz: 'Studio 60'

By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Mar 31, 2006, 01:15

Snip.......

Meanwhile, the upcoming CW is solidifying its lineup with programs from both UPN and the WB. But it also has six shows in development, including the highly anticipated “Smallville” spinoff “Aquaman.” Sitcoms in the works are “The Game,” from Kelsey Grammer, executive producer of UPN’s “Girlfriends,” and “She Said/He Said,” with Jessica Simpson’s ex, Nick Lachey.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3781.asp

Can anyone tell me when Nick Lachey became a actor? Anyone. Anyone. I mean I like the guy and all, but just b/c he was the co-star of a reality show about his ex-wife does not mean that he is a actor.

One another note for CBS, re: The Amazing Race, move it back to the 8pm slot on Tuesday night. Bring NCIS on after 'Race' at 9pm and The Unit at 10pm.

AFH

03-31-06, 02:57 PM

I'm not worried about "Deal". Wasn't "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" on all the time, too? ;)

You have a point. :)

PJO1966

03-31-06, 03:02 PM

Can anyone tell me when Nick Lachey became a actor? Anyone. Anyone. I mean I like the guy and all, but just b/c he was the co-star of a reality show about his ex-wife does not mean that he is a actor.

I saw him in something recently and he wasn't as bad as I thought he would be. He was actually pretty good.

archiguy

03-31-06, 04:07 PM

And his brother Drew can dance up a storm! :p

RussTC3

03-31-06, 04:29 PM

A programming note,

Showtime's Huff premiers Season 2 Sunday, April, 2 at 10PM ET/PT.

One of my favorites. :)
Same here. Wow, what a loaded Sunday night hey?

Desperate Housewives, The Sopranos, Grey's Anatomy, Big Love and Huff.

fredfa

03-31-06, 04:49 PM

Not to mention Cold Case, L&W:CI and The West Wing.

keenan

03-31-06, 05:48 PM

Not to mention Cold Case, L&W:CI and The West Wing.
Yes, it helps having 3 different DVRs to record everything, expensive, but what the hell... of course it's nice to have the east coast feed for HBO and SHO as it puts all their shows on before the network stuff starts at 8pm, at least for us left coast folks.. :)

fredfa

03-31-06, 06:06 PM

Yes!
It is so much better to have the Sopranos recorded -- or even watch it -- before everything else starts.

AAF

03-31-06, 06:20 PM

Can anyone tell me when Nick Lachey became a actor?

When? The first time his 'wife' said something stupid and he kept a straight face. Everything after was a master's program in theater arts.

:cool:

fredfa

03-31-06, 07:19 PM

TV Notebook
Pitching pilots a rite of spring for networks

By Phil Rosenthal Chicago Tribune Media Columnist

And so it begins again.

Sure, some of the shows touted by the networks a year ago for this TV season have yet to air. No matter. The development season for next fall has begun in earnest, with the networks chatting up advertisers on the more than 100 pilots in the chase for 2006-07 schedule slots.

This annual ritual culminates in May, when the fall schedules are unveiled for the Madison Avenue crowd, and something like $9 billion changes hands in what's known as the "upfront," essentially because the networks hope to negotiate much of their ad sales upfront, before the season.

It is a tenet of the TV business that the network struggling the most tends to have the most interesting prospects. When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose, just like the song.

NBC has bumped up its development budget by about 20 percent, despite the fact its Sunday nights will be filled by pro football until January. It also has started production on pilots earlier, knowing it will need to impress ad buyers in a big way.

But what media planners are buzzing about from NBC, besides "The Black Donnellys," a long-in-gestation, already-picked-up organized-crime drama from "Crash" writer/director Paul Haggis, is the peacock network's efforts to exploit other media formats.

Having had success in using digital formats to build and sustain interest in, say, "The Office," NBC has been emboldened to push harder in that direction. Look for blogs, online mini-episodes, bits for mobile phones and the like in the offing.

ABC no longer has "Monday Night Football." It's most in need of comedies, and there's talk of moving Sunday hit "Grey's Anatomy" to Mondays or Thursdays. CBS is debating whether to dump its Sunday movie.

Fox, as usual, will be looking for male-oriented programs it can promote during post-season baseball coverage, and then other programs that can take advantage of the popularity of midseason megahit "American Idol."

It's too soon to discern the trends that will make it on the fall schedules, as only around one in four pilots goes to series. Don't be surprised, however, if conspiracies, politics and, oddly enough, weddings make the cut.

But even if they do, the development process will begin again in short order.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-0603260207mar26,0,4096782,print.column

fredfa

03-31-06, 07:23 PM

TV Notebook
Roush Dispatches

By Matt Roush TVGuide.com TV Critic March 31, 2006

On those rare occasions when the networks realize they've made a grievous mistake and fix it, it seems only right that we should acknowledge it and say thanks.

So thanks, CBS, for doing the right thing by The Amazing Race, and more important, for the show's family audience, by moving the show back to an earlier time period. As has been much discussed since the show was moved to 10 pm/ET this spring, with a season far superior than last fall's "family" edition, the new time period was simply on too late for many of its fans to watch it live. Starting next Wednesday, April 5, Race will now air Wednesdays at 8 pm/ET for (presumably) the rest of the season. (Crime-drama repeats will take over Race's slot, and struggling freshman sitcoms Out of Practice and Courting Alex will disappear until a new time slot opens up.)

And thanks, NBC, for flipping Law & Order and Heist, also starting next Wednesday, April 5. That was an even worse miscalculation, taking the durable (if fading) courtroom drama out of its longtime roost and moving it an hour to make room for the seriously annoying new caper drama Heist. Now Law & Order will be back at 10 pm/ET, duking it out with CSI: NY and probably sending ABC's mediocre The Evidence to third place in the time period, where it belongs.

And not so much a "thanks" but a "huh?" to ABC, which decided earlier this week to return Commander in Chief, after a long hiatus, to a new night and time. Though it was previously announced to be returning to Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET starting April 18, the work-in-progress Commander is now going to be seen (but by how many?) on Thursdays at 10 pm/ET starting April 13. That puts it in the line of fire against two hit dramas: CBS' dominant Without a Trace and NBC's still-popular (though downtrending) ER. It's going to have to be a self-starter, but that's going to be harder on Thursdays than it was earlier in the season on Tuesdays. If Mackenzie Allen gets another term in office, it seems it would be a long shot. (Commander's Tuesday time period will instead be filled with comedies, with episodes of Hope & Faith paired with new episodes of long-on-the-shelf Less Than Perfect starting April 18. And ABC's Primetime newsmag moves to Fridays at 9 pm/ET in mid-April, paired with 20/20.)

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

SVonhof

03-31-06, 08:08 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Hank Azaria gets his second wind on Showtime's 'Huff'

BTW, I was lucky enough to get to see Spam-a-lot when I was in New York City last year around this time, and it was an excellent show. Hank Azaria was one of the main characters along with David Hyde Pierce, Tim Curry and Sarah Ramirez.

I hear that most of those characters are not off doing their own thing, but just saw that Hank either will be back after his filming of Huff, or is already back.

Whitearrow

03-31-06, 09:52 PM

But to be honest, though "Rome" may have "started to develop a following" that contention clearly hasn't been reflected in ratings, which declined week by week and ended up barely half of the premiere's numbers.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was immensely watchable and a fun show, but, to me at least after the premiere, it wasn't appointment TV, it was Tivo'd and viewed when time permitted.

IMO, it doesn't make sense to look at the published ratings for HBO Sunday night (which is usually the ones people are talking about) and consider them the same way as, say, ABC's. HBO viewers get literally a dozen or more chances to watch a show during the week, not counting OnDemand.

Albrecht said Rome had 7 million a week in that NYT article -- if those were all Sunday night, nobody would say the ratings aren't perfectly respectable. I don't see what difference it makes that the ratings went down on Sunday -- which was certainly expected once the regular fall season kicked into gear. Starting week 5, it was in direct competition with Desperate Housewives. I'd also bet that HBO subscribers have a higher percentage of DVR use than viewers overall, which wasn't counted either when Rome aired.

And by "following" I don't only mean viewers, but critical support and award nominations.

Anyway, I don't really care if I was the only one watching it, as long as it's coming back :)

fredfa

03-31-06, 10:33 PM

fredfa

03-31-06, 10:49 PM

(note to keenan: skip over this review.)

A Critical View:
Hope shrinks for psychiatry drama

By Diane Werts Newsday Staff Writer March 31, 2006

Wow. The bonus features on the first-season DVD set of Showtime's ambitious drama series "Huff" sure make a great case for the show's brilliance. Smart interviews with its high-aspiring makers are illustrated with sharp clips from the hour's probing portrayal of Hank Azaria's earnest young title psychiatrist - a tormented do-gooder struggling to help suicidal patients, a horribly schizophrenic brother, a hard-drinking control freak of a mother, a loving yet angry wife, a confused coming-of-age son and an attorney best friend who recklessly overindulges in sex, drugs and danger.

The range. The depth. The insight.

The hooey.

"Huff" must be TV's most exasperating piece of pretentious piffle. The adult study so deftly saluted in the DVD extras is nowhere to be found in the episodes themselves, or in Showtime's two-hour second-season premiere. Despite the storylines' incessant emotional and psychological delvings, the result is an inert if not annoying muddle among unpleasantly profane people whose prospective salvation isn't worth wading toward.

If that sounds strong, it's because "Huff" asks so much of us and promises plenty in return, stringing us along through its characters' agonies with occasional flashes of smarts and wit. One of those is a three-episode guest shot starting Sunday by Sharon Stone, as a high-powered Hollywood publicist whose insatiable inappropriateness extends from martini guzzling to millions in client overbilling. And, since her new lawyer is Oliver Platt's Mr. Excess, to double trouble indeed.

Stone and Platt, both over-the-top troupers, create wonderfully wicked moments together. Yet the point to all their footsy game-playing seems to be the footsy game-playing itself. "Huff" goes close-up in inspecting its characters' psychological wounds, but the picture often seems to end there, without zooming out to flesh out the body of their lives with its larger context and crucial connective tissue. The scenes advance like a succession of random encounters, fraught with meaning that's never quite pieced together.

Sunday's show-opening sequence exemplifies that in catching viewers up to speed on the previous season's happenings. It's a 2 1/2-minute litany of horrors - patient shoots brains out, brother goes insane, wife and husband quarrel, son's teen experimenting gets out of control, friend's hedonism runs amok, mom turns lush, mother-in-law starts dying, mom sleeps with friend, shrink despairs incessantly. The incidents pile atop each other without much understanding. But even the full episodes merely magnify those incidents, and to an exasperating extent.

When Blythe Danner's live-in mother hands her underage grandson a scotch this Sunday and inexplicably confesses a particularly dreadful sin, it may not make much sense, but her dialogue sure hits home. "Whatever happened to happiness, Byrd?" she mopes. "Whatever happened to hope?"

Precisely. "Huff" doesn't exude any. Danner is superb enough to have won herself an Emmy, but her performance doesn't seem to be in service of much. Azaria, whose own four Emmys come from voicing "The Simpsons" and surviving "Tuesdays With Morrie," is out of his depth here, unable to amplify his personal pain into some grandiose saga a la Tony Soprano - the kind of epic "Huff" clearly aims to be. Not that Azaria gets much to go on from writer Bob Lowry ("Profiler," "Any Day Now"). The inexperienced creator is at sea here, too, with some goal in mind but no grounding from which to proceed, no focus along which to direct the effort.

His scripts have their moments, though, which attracts the likes of Stone, guest-to-come Anjelica Huston, and Swoosie Kurtz as Huff's ailing in-law. Her impending death seems meant to provide deep symbolism, but it mostly adds another element of unpleasantness begging to be avoided. The territory "Huff" seeks to cover is fascinating indeed - long-term marriage, grown children relating to their parents, the self-destructive impulses that play fluorescent in Platt but less overtly in other lives as well. But the pain outweighs the pleasure, like psychosis trumps perception. In the end, "Huff" is just nuts.

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-ettel4680760mar31,0,7651903,print.story?coll=ny-television-headlines

RussTC3

03-31-06, 11:01 PM

Just to be clear, I am delighted "Rome" is coming back.

To be equally clear, the ratings I am talking about were not just Sunday night numbers, but the total numbers which declined week by week.

And DVR viewership, which as you note, was not officially counted by Nielsen last fall (and still is being phased in) was estimated by (among othert methods) the 20,000 TiVo users who have been counted for a couple of years now. Their numbers are far higher -- as a percentage of DVR users -- than Nielsen's sampling as a percentage of total TV viewership.

HBO was very disappointed at the lack of buzz "Rome" seemed to generate.
I would hazard a guess that it "took too long" for the show to hit it's stride. This is nothing unusual with shows these days or in the past, the thing is because there are SO many different shows on tv, viewers tend to be less forgiving on new shows.

Weren't the ratings somewhere around 3M and below? I thought I remembered the first episode had about 3.5M viewers, but I do remember declines.

I believe it did better in the UK (it was co-developed with the BBC). I'll see if I can find any ratings (unless you have them Fred).

It might also have something to do with the fact that it cost about $100M. Kinda expensive no? lol

EDIT: It started out with about 7M viewers on BBC2 in the UK, dropped 2M viewers for it's 2nd and 3rd airings and dropped another 2M by it's 4th episode. It pretty much stayed at that point until the end of it's run.

fredfa

03-31-06, 11:32 PM

It was very expensive, but wasn't it a co-production with HBO and the BBC?

RussTC3

04-01-06, 12:26 AM

It was very expensive, but wasn't it a co-production with HBO and the BBC?
Yup.

Whitearrow

04-01-06, 02:06 AM

I'm sure it didn't help the UK ratings that the BBC completely butchered the first three episodes. Apparently those versions border on incoherent. Michael Apted -- who was nominated for a DGA award for Rome -- was quite publically ticked off.

keenan

04-01-06, 02:59 AM

(note to keenan: skip over this review.)

A Critical View:
Hope shrinks for psychiatry drama

By Diane Werts Newsday Staff Writer March 31, 2006

In the end, "Huff" is just nuts.

Yep, and for me, that's the thing that makes it good.

fredfa

04-01-06, 09:43 AM

TV Notebook
The Letters of the Law

Three Seasons In, 'NCIS' Still Spells Success
By Kathy Blumenstock Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, April 2, 2006; Y05

Mark Harmon's looks nearly lost him the lead role on "NCIS," the forensic drama with a military flair now in its third season. Series creator Donald P. Bellisario had written the main character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, as a tough-minded former Marine gunnery sergeant but had no specific actor in mind for the part.

"Someone mentioned Mark Harmon and I said, 'He's a pretty boy; I just don't see him as this character,'" Bellisario said. But the producer reversed his thinking after watching Harmon in a four-episode 2002 story arc on "The West Wing."

"I had envisioned the boyish Harmon, who was too good-looking, but I saw he now has a maturity to him," he said. Harmon was cast as Gibbs, whose investigative instincts and unblinking determination are lightly salted with extra-dry humor. His no-nonsense manner drives the team at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in the District to solve a barrage of cases -- including forensic mysteries, bomb threats and cases involving missing children -- while addressing him simply as "Boss."

"As an actor, you don't always know where a role is going, and part of the fun of playing this guy is that it changes and he continues to challenge me," Harmon said of his character, whose occasional hints of past secrets intrigue his staff -- and viewers.

"Networks and studios always want to know a character's heritage and details, but I like to let those things grow with the show," said Bellisario, who also created "Quantum Leap," "Magnum, P.I." and "Airwolf."

"You can just say, 'Gibbs was once married and lost a wife and child,' " but it's better storytelling if viewers learn that another agent knows Gibbs had a wife and child who were murdered, Bellisario said.

Since its 2003 debut, the program has been a steady performer, ranking consistently among the top 20 prime-time shows and weathering several editions of Fox's "American Idol."

"NCIS" stemmed from a two-part episode of another Bellisario show, the now-defunct "JAG," in which Gibbs and three other "NCIS" characters were introduced when they investigated a murder.

"I recognized this as a strong character piece, where there is always a caper," said Harmon, who also appreciates the small complexities of his role.

"In one episode, Gibbs goes to tell a woman about her husband's death, and you see this young boy in a half-finished treehouse. So that's symbolic; the dad's not coming home to finish it," Harmon said. "Don's instinct was that the story line needed the emotional push. But you see how Gibbs deals with kids better than adults because he is a kid in some ways."

Bellisario's initial doubts about casting Harmon are long past. "Mark is so into the role, he whitewalled his hair," Bellisario said, referring to a hairstyle in which the sides and back are shaved almost bare. "He said, 'You think I like wearing my hair like this?' But he said Gibbs would wear it that way, and that's enough for Mark."

The program's ensemble cast "makes everything look easier than it is," Harmon said. "From the beginning, this group was either going to be successful as a group or not, and we all knew that. There is collective support of each other."

The cast -- Harmon, David McCallum, Pauley Perrette, Michael Weatherly, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo and Lauren Holly -- averages long days during production.

"And we keep the hammer down. Your clock gets shorter every day, but at the same time, it is a lovely place to work," Harmon said. "I never lose perspective. You want to talk about hard work, let's talk about working in a coal mine.

"Whatever time I am spending on the set, there is someone there longer and being paid far less. I've done other shows where you're out there trying to get people to watch and you're apologizing for the show. That is why it's enjoyable that this one is working so well."

Harmon's Highlights

Born: Thomas Mark Harmon, Sept. 2, 1951, Burbank, Calif.
TV: "St. Elsewhere," "Chicago Hope"
Films: "Freaky Friday," "Chasing Liberty"
Family: Married to Pam Dawber since 1987; two children.
Other: Son of Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon. Mark played quarterback at UCLA, 1972-73. Named People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive," 1986.

The Real NCIS

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, headquartered in the District, is the primary law enforcement arm for both the Navy and the Marine Corps. With more than 2,000 employees, half of them civilian special agents, the agency operates worldwide, on land and aboard ships.

"They're very private about what they do," said Harmon, who, like all "NCIS" cast members, was matched up with a real-life NCIS role model. "They don't care who is getting the headlines; they just do this incredibly difficult job."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032801156_pf.html

fredfa

04-01-06, 02:19 PM

Friday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

04-02-06, 12:54 AM

Sports (?) On TV
After Luck With Poker, ESPN Bets on New York Dominoes

By Corey Kilgannon The New York Times April 2, 2006

The next big thing in sports programming is ... dominoes?

To the occasional domino player, it is a stretch to even call this quiet game of straight-faced strategy a sport. But anyone who has spent time in a Latino neighborhood in New York City could testify that dominoes played there — with the slammed-down tiles, the verbal sparring, the bragging and bluffing — is no parlor game.

From the opening bid, a simple sidewalk match will quickly escalate into a raucous, freewheeling spectacle: a mini-fiesta where salsa and cigars, Bacardi and brown-bagged beers have as much a role as the little colored tiles with dots.

The games almost always draw spectators, so perhaps it is no surprise that the ESPN sports network has declared dominoes the next big spectator sport and is promoting it as both a colorful cultural touchstone and a highly competitive game, complete with rankings, formal tournaments, celebrity events and sponsors.

Encouraged by the success of televised poker, the network has begun combing New York City for top players and colorful clubs for its coverage, and has been taping segments on formal tournaments and casual neighborhood games.

Hourlong domino shows now run on Tuesday nights at 10 on the network's Spanish-language sports channel ESPN Deportes. Hoping it will be popular with English-speaking viewers, network officials plan to show similar programming on ESPN2 starting in June.

"We think it will be the next cool thing," said Lino Garcia, the general manager of ESPN Deportes. "We're connecting with the best places dominoes is played, so naturally we're going to start in uptown Manhattan and the Bronx, the places where it really happens."

Mr. Garcia said he hopes to repeat the success the network has had with poker — its World Series of Poker is its highest-rated regular series. Like poker, domino games offer plenty of suspense and drama at the table, with clever decision-making and reading the strategies of other players all pivotal to winning. The network will also televise the world championships next year from the Dominican Republic.

The plan, Mr. Garcia said, is not only to present dominoes in world-class tournaments and flashy celebrity domino events the way the network showcases poker, but also to capture the excitement and charm of "the highly energetic games on street corners and small clubs in basements where guys go every day."

New York's neighborhoods are filled with characters who come together to play on Spanish Harlem sidewalks, Bronx parks and in basement and backroom clubs in Washington Heights. Older men in caps and young men in muscle-T's and gold chains go at it, slapping dominoes onto flimsy tables, speaking in Spanish in games lubricated by Presidente beer and salsa music.

This was the scene recently at a dominoes club in the Bronx called Hijos y Amigos de Altamira, which means children and friends of Altamira, a town in the Dominican Republic. Housed in rented space above a bar on Westchester Avenue, the club, which is one of those being scouted by ESPN, is a band of countrymen — almost every member is from Altamira, a small town that prides itself on its crop of baseball and domino players.

"I've been playing dominoes all my life, but I never thought I'd see it on TV," said Augusto Montan, 55, one of the club's members. "We always thought of it as a game to pass the time, but it does have all the elements people love: the competition, the trash-talking, the color, and it's old school."

The club embodies exactly what ESPN is looking for in a neighborhood domino setting. Young and old men alike sat at domino tables, shuffling a mess of face-down tiles and picking their domino hands. Members have nicknames like el Natural. Their wives, girlfriends and daughters play bingo and tend to the homemade Dominican food and serve $2 beers from a small bar. The children race around, practicing traditional Latin dance steps and gathering at tables to watch, learn and root.

The network is not paying the players, but some tournaments offer cash prizes.

"Dominoes is the national pastime of Dominican Republic: it's as simple as that," said one club member, Louis Keyser, 72. "Over there, a little kid gets a bat and ball put in his hand as soon as he can walk, and from the moment he's tall enough to see the table, he learns how to play dominoes."

The club's origins go back to 1983, when a handful of men began a regular domino game in the basement of a Bronx apartment building where one of them, Juan Martinez, was the superintendent.

There are now 42 members, mostly from the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. Dues are $10 a month, and through fund-raising events and contributions the club collects enough money to help members with needs ranging from rent or funeral costs for family members.

Dominoes, which some experts date to ancient Egypt, is played worldwide, and in New York it is popular in African-American, Chinese and Caribbean neighborhoods. But Hispanic players like to stake a claim that the game is truly theirs. Styles of dominoes vary by country — Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, for example, generally use seven tiles per player, while Cubans tend to and use nine pieces. Instead of players taking turns making moves in the usual clockwise rotation, some Latin players take turns counter-clockwise.

While the game's basic objective is simple enough — to get rid of one's tiles first by placing them next to tiles of matching dots on the table — the best players are expert at using memory counting to calculate what tiles an opponent is likely to be holding.

Luis Guzman, the well-known Puerto Rican actor, said in an interview that the domino table was an arena where the very dramas of life play out: love, hatred, revenge. Tempers can flare and lifelong relationships can begin and end around a domino game. He recalled that when he grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, it seemed that every male Latino played dominoes.

"My pops would play for hours on end; all the men did," Mr. Guzman said. "I know best friends who stopped talking to each other for years because of one game. After 10 years, one would still be saying, 'Man, why'd he play that one when he knew the other guy was holding the 6-3?' I know a guy who jumped out a second-story window and broke both legs after losing a domino game.' "

At the Altamira Club, the players had varying opinions about how old-school domino players accustomed to casual, free-flowing action would react to being analyzed and scrutinized by ESPN, which plans on installing a dozen table-level cameras, along with others overhead and around the club.

"I think being on TV would make some of our players nervous," said Mr. Montan, "but then again, I could name at least few guys right now who would eat it up."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/02/nyregion/02domino.html?pagewanted=print

CPanther95

04-02-06, 07:30 AM

The next big thing in sports programming is ... dominoes?

Perhaps a glimpse into a post-a la carte world. ;)

fredfa

04-02-06, 11:24 AM

I doubt that, CP95.
It iseems to me it is the height of the pre-a la carte world, where 90 million subs pay (more than $300 million a month) for ESPN and ESPN2 whether they want to or not.

trbarry

04-02-06, 01:36 PM

I doubt that, CP95.
It iseems to me it is the height of the pre-a la carte world, where 90 million subs pay (more than $300 million a month) for ESPN and ESPN2 whether they want to or not.

If you look at it one way it appears that Disney and others have sufficient bargaining power to make cable companies sign that they will NOT sell digital cable to anyone not willing to buy ESPN and now maybe ESPN2. That sounds like an illegal excercise of monopolistic power to me. Generally you are not supposed to cut deals to keep things off a market.

- Tom

DoubleDAZ

04-02-06, 01:38 PM

Well, IF they (ESPN) would ever stabilize their poker (and maybe even domino :) ) schedule, I wouldn't be so adverse to paying for the channel. I've tried keeping up with their poker series from time to time, but the hit or miss scheduling just became too tidious. Having to record All episodes and then watch a little of each to see if I'd seen them or not was not my idea of fun. Even trying to record New episodes was troublesome because of conflicts created by the ever-moving schedule and the lack of a New flag. I gave up about a year ago, so maybe things have changed. :(

fredfa

04-02-06, 02:22 PM

Saturday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

04-02-06, 03:25 PM

TV Notebook
10 o'clock is starting to snooze

Big Three dramas in timeslot are down vs. last year
By Rick Kissell Variety.com

"TV is King," Entertainment Weekly proclaimed last week, and who could argue with that?

On the most heavily watched nights, there's hardly an hour where there aren't two, three or more programs worthy of viewers' attention.

But on the broadcast side, other than ABC's Sunday smash "Grey's Anatomy," the 10 o'clock hour has grown a bit stale. A time period dominated by franchise crime, law and medical dramas could use some new blood to attract younger viewers.

All seven of the 10 p.m. dramas airing Monday through Thursday on the Big Three are down vs. last year in adults 18-49, with NBC's "ER" and "Medium" tumbling the most at nearly 30%, Nielsen says.

The other staples of the hour, ABC newsmags "Primetime" and "20/20," are faring OK relative to their weak averages of a year ago, but that still leaves them down 20% from two years ago.

Basic cable, meanwhile, has made its biggest inroads in recent years by targeting the 10 o'clock hour, zigging where the nets are zagging with young-skewing shows like Comedy Central's "South Park," MTV's "Real World" and Bravo's "Project Runway."

One of the reasons the 10 o'clock hour has sagged while earlier hours are hopping is Fox. The hot net programs nightly only until 10, meaning hits like "American Idol," "House" and "24" are in direct competish with other top broadcast series.

Also, the Big Three want to use their smash hits to funnel viewers into new shows, thus the skedding of "CSI," "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" at 9 o'clock.

Even though the current weeknight 10 o'clock dramas have seen their best days, shaking up the sked poses a risk for the nets, whose affils need good ratings there as a lead-in to the late local news.

Struggling NBC gambled last month by shifting fading vet "Law & Order" to 9 p.m. to make room for serialized drama "Heist" at 10.

Switch hasn't produced good ratings ("Law" ran fourth at 9 and "Heist" is doing so-so) but "Law" isn't going to grow its ratings in its 16th season, and this was the net's best shot at improving its standing at 10.

Look for NBC to try this next season as well, as it seeks timeslots for high-concept adult fare like "Kidnapped" and "The Black Donnellys."

One option to boost ratings at 10 is more reality shows. The only drawback here is that the highest-rated ones, like "American Idol" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition attract a sizable family aud that's harder to reach at 10.

CBS' "Amazing Race," which blossomed into a hit last year in the 9 o'clock hour, isn't as impressive at 10 this spring, and ABC's 10 o'clock tear-jerker "Miracle Workers" similarly feels out of place so late, and would have performed better in an earlier time period.

Not surprisingly, ABC's decidedly adult dating show "The Bachelor" is one of the few reality shows to work at 10, rallying for one of its stronger seasons this year.

ABC gets a chance to see how a pair of non-traditional dramas -- the new "What About Brian" and transplanted "Commander in Chief" -- fare at 10 when they bow this month on Monday and Thursday, respectively.

The Alphabet could sked megahit "Grey's Anatomy" at 10 on a weeknight next season, although a new 9 o'clock slot would give the net a chance to put something behind it.

CBS too, could shift Thursday's "Without a Trace" to another night to take advantage of the still-socko "CSI" at 9, which would provide a huge lead-in for a new Eye drama.

Risky moves for sure, but ones that could pay off nicely if an established show can help seed a hot newbie in a critical slot.

CPanther95

04-02-06, 05:39 PM

I doubt that, CP95.
It iseems to me it is the height of the pre-a la carte world, where 90 million subs pay (more than $300 million a month) for ESPN and ESPN2 whether they want to or not.

I'm referring to the types of sports we'll get when ESPN doesn't have direct access to 90 million bank accounts. We'll go from NFL to Dominoes. :)

fredfa

04-02-06, 11:54 PM

TV Notebook
Couric a Blink Away From Landmark Gig

'Today' Host's Move to Eye Net Puts Rival NBC in Talent Bind
By Michele Greppi TVWeek.com April 2, 2006

Katie Couric's deal to move to CBS News is completed in principle, and an announcement that she is leaving NBC might come as early as this week.

That's the quiet buzz among sources familiar with assorted moving parts connected to the deal to transform Ms. Couric from co-anchor of the No. 1 morning show "Today" to anchor of the third-place-but-growing "CBS Evening News." In taking on the CBS job, Ms. Couric would be the first female to serve as sole anchor of a network flagship newscast.

The first announcement should be that Ms. Couric is leaving the Peacock Network and the viewers who have spent their mornings with Ms. Couric for 15 years.

The official announcement of CBS's dream come true-landing Ms. Couric as its evening star- would follow, perhaps next week. Ms. Couric's personal publicist, Matthew Hiltzik of Freud Communications, declined to comment to TelevisionWeek last week, as did representatives of NBC News and CBS News.

Ms. Couric's $65 million contract, under which NBC paid her more than $15 million per year, is not up until the end of May.

Because Ms. Couric is the biggest star-and collects the biggest paycheck-in TV news, there have been months of frenzied speculation and false rumors about every angle, including whether her ambition to sleep later and become the first female anchor to solo as the top network anchor was stronger than her long friendship with Jeff Zucker, the former "Today" executive producer who now is the president of the NBC Universal Television Group.

A source close to Ms. Couric said last week that "Nothing is planned as of now."

However, both NBC and CBS need Ms. Couric's decision to be announced sooner rather than later.

Each network needs to make plans for the long-term futures of its respective news programs and for the mid-May upfront extravaganzas at which new stars and programs for the 2006-07 season are touted to kick off the preseason sales of the bulk of advertising time.

NBC arguably has more at stake than CBS in the situation.

NBC can't afford to run off viewers by making the wrong choice of successor to Ms. Couric on the cushy couch next to Matt Lauer, Ms. Couric's polished co-anchor for the last nine-plus years. Neither does it want to lose any of the in-house contenders, especially the well-regarded "Weekend Today" co-anchor Campbell Brown, who might feel their career hopes have been thwarted.

Meredith Vieira, a correspondent turned co-host of ABC's "The View" and host of Buena Vista Television's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," has become regarded in recent weeks as the dark horse to beat as Ms. Couric's replacement on "Today."

CBS may have the less complicated personnel task. Bob Schieffer ascended to the "Evening News" anchor desk 13 months ago, when Dan Rather stepped down as a casualty of a flawed story about President Bush's Vietnam-era Texas Air National Guard Service. Mr. Schieffer knew the "Evening News" assignment was temporary. Mr. Schieffer has publicly supported the quest by CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves and CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus to woo Ms. Couric to CBS News. The newscast has won 740,000 new viewers in the last year, according to Nielsen Media Research.

To be sure, much money rides on CBS's gamble that Ms. Couric can successfully make the leap from TV best friend to TV navigator of weighty news stories. But "Evening News" is not CBS News' cash cow. That distinction has been long held by "60 Minutes," the most successful prime-time newsmagazine ever on TV.

"Today," on the other hand, is NBC's cash cow and the goose that lays golden eggs for three hours every weekday morning, bringing in more than a reported $550 million in advertising revenue annually.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=9678

fredfa

04-03-06, 10:34 AM

TV Notebook
New v.p. says he'll keep his distance if Couric joins CBS

By Gail Shister Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist

We know it's hard, but don't read too much into CBS News' hiring of Katie Couric's former Today boss last week.

As vice president, morning broadcasts, Steve Friedman promises that he'll steer clear of CBS Evening News, if/when Couric is named anchor. Her NBC contract expires at the end of next month.

"I don't worry about other shows. I worry about my own show... . I used to be in the speculation business. Now I have a real job."

True fact. But Friedman, 59, executive producer of Tom Brokaw's NBC Nightly News from 1990 to '93, never has been one to hide his feelings.

Officially or unofficially, look for him to be a commanding presence in the front office. As one NBC wag put it: "Steve not only tends to his garden, he tends to yours, too."

That said, don't be surprised if Friedman keeps his distance from Couric.

There's bad blood between them dating back to Today in the early '90's, when Friedman and coanchor Bryant Gumbel, his buddy, shut out Couric from the boys' club, according to industry sources.

When asked to characterize his relationship with Couric these days, Friedman says, "I have a good relationship with people."

When asked again: "I have a good relationship with Bryant and Brokaw."

And again: "My relationship with Katie is good."

Couric or no Couric, Friedman has more immediate worries - like showing proof of life for The Early Show. (Also in his purview: The Saturday Early Show, CBS Morning News, and the overnight Up to the Minute.)

Friedman helped launch Early Show in '99, during an earlier CBS stint. Like all its predecessors at the Eye, it has failed to budge from third place in the ratings.

In the most recent (March 20-26) Nielsens, Today notched 6.2 million viewers, for its 537th consecutive weekly win. (Yes, 537th.) ABC's Good Morning America had 5.0 million, while Early Show delivered 2.9 million.

Some say the problem is that Early Show's rotating ensemble of four anchors - Harry Smith, Julie Chen, Hannah Storm and René Syler - only confuses viewers.

The most popular scenario making the rounds at CBS is that Friedman will cut the quartet to a duo - Smith and Chen.

Aside from the fact that Chen happens to be married to CBS czar Les Moonves, Friedman is a genuine fan. He helped recruit her to CBS in the late '90s, sources say.

Logic says Storm, an anchor-reporter for NBC Sports for 10 years, might move over to CBS Sports, where new CBS News president Sean McManus continues to top the flow chart. Syler could be the odd woman out, sources say.

Friedman, out of the morning game for four years, says it will be several months before he decides about any on-air changes. (Fun fact: He went after Dana Reeve for the Early Show on his first run.)

"There's nothing in the realm of possibility now. I have to see how we do things. It's not good enough to just look at what's been done. You have to look at how it gets there."

Couric tribute. Speaking of Katie Couric - and who isn't - Today is quietly putting together a video tribute for Wednesday's show to mark her 15th anniversary as coanchor.

No subtext here. Regardless of her plans, it's a Today tradition. Weatherguy Al Roker had a 10th-anniversary salute on Jan. 2, and a similar event is planned for coanchor Matt Lauer's 10th on Jan. 6.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//14248754.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

04-03-06, 12:18 PM

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

fredfa

04-03-06, 12:28 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Free fall for Fox's 'Free Ride' comedy

Drops to new low of 2.2 in 18-49s
By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Apr 3, 2006

Fox hoped to strengthen its Sunday nights by premiering the comedy “Free Ride” after a Wednesday “American Idol,” then moving it to Sunday in hopes that viewers would follow.

So far, they have not. After a huge premiere four weeks ago, “Free Ride” is sinking fast.

“Free Ride” last night posted a 2.2 overnight rating among 18-49s, a series low and down 21 percent from the 2.8 it had averaged in three Sunday episodes. The 2.2 is also down 39 percent from the 3.6 final rating “American Dad” averaged in the Sunday 9:30 p.m. slot for Fox this season.

Last night “Free Ride” lost about 33 percent of its lead-in audience, a 3.3 among 18-49s for “Family Guy.” “American Dad” had only been losing about 12 percent of “Family Guy’s” audience.

“Free Ride” premiered following “Idol” on March 1 and delivered a 6.3 overnight rating among 18-49s. Last night’s 2.2 was off some 65 percent from that “Idol”-boosted premiere.
Just why the sitcom is struggling is unclear. It got mostly good reviews, and its cynical humor is a good fit leading out of “Guy.” But perhaps viewers just don’t have room for any new shows at 9 p.m., with ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and HBO’s “Sopranos” already in that hour.

Meanwhile, ABC led Sunday night among 18-49s with a 6.6 average rating and a 16 share. Fox was second at 2.7/7, ABC third at 2.5/7, NBC fourth at 1.9/5 and WB fifth at 0.8/2.

ABC actually led each hour of the night, beginning with a 2.7 at 7 p.m. for its first hour of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” CBS was second that hour with a 2.3 for “60 Minutes,” Fox third with a 1.9 for “Malcolm in the Middle” (1.7) and “King of the Hill” (2.2), NBC fourth with a 1.4 for “Dateline” and WB fifth with a 0.8 for an hour of “Reba” repeats.

At 8 p.m. ABC finished first with a 4.9 for its second hour of “Home Edition.” Fox moved to second with a 3.5 average for “The Simpsons” (4.0) and a repeat of “The Loop” (3.0), leaving CBS third with a 2.7 for “Cold Case,” NBC fourth with a 2.0 for “The West Wing” and WB fifth with a 0.9 for a repeat of “Charmed.”

ABC led again at 9 p.m. with a 9.0 average for “Desperate Housewives.” Fox remained second with a 2.8 for its repeat of “Family Guy” (3.3) and the new “Free Ride” (2.2), with CBS third with a 2.6 for a “Cold Case” rerun, NBC fourth with a 2.0 for a repeat of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and WB fifth with a 0.8 for another “Charmed” repeat.

And at 10 p.m. ABC finished the nightly sweep with a 9.9 for “Grey’s Anatomy,” the night’s top-rated show among 18-49s. CBS was second that hour with a 2.5 for a repeat of “CSI: NY” and NBC third with a 2.2 for a “Crossing Jordan” rerun.

Among households, ABC led the night with a 10.0 average rating and a 16 share. CBS was second at 6.9/11, NBC third at 4.8/8, Fox fourth at 3.3/5 and WB fifth at 1.3/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_3877.asp

fredfa

04-03-06, 07:42 PM

The 2005-2006 TV Season
Ask Matt
(from the Ask (TV Critic) Matt (Roush) column at TVGuide.com
By Matt Roush TVGuide.com TV Critic

Question: I consider myself a fan of NBC's television series E-Ring (although I must admit to having to suspend belief when I see Dennis Hopper in the role of the division chief of the Joint Staff's J-3 Special Operations Division. I will probably always see him as Peter Fonda's sidekick, Billy, in Easy Rider). I have also seen the first two episodes of CBS' The Unit, a program whose story line is ostensibly based on the book Inside Delta Force. Having held six military assignments in the Pentagon (including senior positions on the Joint Staff and within the Office of the Secretary of Defense), and being a retired Special Forces-qualified Army colonel, I must say that I believe Ken Robinson's E-Ring is the more correct version of how things are in the special-operations community (and even more specifically, of how things are in the Pentagon itself).

I really don't know what to say yet about The Unit, after only two episodes, since I know that the writers are still attempting to develop the characters. But compared to the level of detail that is the hallmark of E-Ring, I think that thus far, The Unit is nowhere close. Although The Unit does attempt to show the strain that these types of missions place upon the lives of the families of special operators, I'm not sure that the show will have much staying power beyond a couple more episodes. — Richard M.

Matt Roush: Thanks for the valuable insights. But from a purely TV point of view, which is all I can speak to, getting it right is not the same as making an effective TV show. And it's already pretty clear that by the measure that matters most in this unforgiving business (the weekly ratings), The Unit has won this particular battle over E-Ring, which continues to languish in hiatus until NBC invariably makes its cancellation official in the May upfronts.

The Unit was an instant smash, a very commercial pairing with NCIS (which no one would laud for its realism, I'd think). E-Ring seemed to want to be the West Wing of the Pentagon, and even if it got its details right, it was lacking the sharp writing and characterizations a show that "inside" probably required. What seems to make The Unit such a popular success is the melding of its action-packed missions with the domestic intrigue among its heroes' family units. It probably also helps that the core setting of The Unit is a military base and not the claustrophobic halls of the Pentagon. If we were discussing documentaries here, a show like E-Ring could well come out on top. But that's not the business of prime-time entertainment.

________________________________________

Question: Is ABC just not airing the Charlton Heston version of The Ten Commandments this year? I'll give the new version a run, but this is kind of something I look forward to every year. I do understand there is a DVD, by the way. — Michael

Matt Roush: Consider this a public service: To steal from my upcoming review, the best thing I can say about the deadly dull and completely unnecessary new remake of The Ten Commandments is that ABC hasn't given up on running the 1956 classic version. My advice: Skip the new miniseries when it airs April 10 and 11, and wait until Saturday, April 15, when the Charlton Heston version airs. And yes, a 50th-anniversary edition DVD of Cecil B. DeMille's Oscar-winning spectacular has just been issued, packaged with DeMille's earlier (and by some accounts superior) 1923 silent version.

________________________________________

Question: Ever since I began watching The Shield, I have related its morality to The Sopranos. I believe both shows entice their audiences to root for the "bad guys." In rooting for the bad guys, the line between whom we consider to be good and bad is obscured, and our own morals, or society at large, is put into question. However, I am disturbed by Lemansky's death and the clichéd moral message that seems to be at the heart of it. Many observe Lemansky to be the heart and conscience of the Strike Team. Shane killing Lem seems to remove the gray area and make the Strike Team "bad guys." It equates Lem with Terry (the cop Vic murdered in the show's first episode).

I am disappointed with this turn because up until now, the Strike Team's unorthodox methods have proved successful and made other officers — like Julian, who follows all the rules — seem naive. Now the tragedy seems to tell us that bad guys never win and everyone gets their just deserts. I am curious to see how it ends, but the disbanding of the Strike Team and possible death of Shane (Vic's closest friend and partner) seem inevitable. What do you think? — Heather

Matt Roush: Seems to me there's still plenty of gray area on this show, as the various factions, from good cops (Dutch and Claudette, who aren't exactly slouches) to bad (Vic and his cohorts), are poised to deal with Lem's murder. Depending on who discovers Shane's part in this, there should be plenty of juicy moral reckoning. But I think it's unfair to shrug it off as clichéd if Vic, Shane and Ronnie ultimately face justice, or (in the case of Shane) death. The Shield has rarely been predictable, so I can't wait to see what comes next. And don't forget what happened to the Strike Team after they struck gold with the Armenian money train: Treasure of the Sierra Madre all over again, with jealousy and paranoia festering from within. These don't seem clichés to me as much as classic parables retold in a bold, contemporary, frighteningly graphic new setting.

________________________________________

Question: Hi, Matt. Love this section of TVGuide.com. There's an awful lot of great British stuff out there: MI-5, Hustle and, most recently, Doctor Who. U.S. drama gets pretty well recognized in the U.K. — while the ratings are pretty measly, they get praised nonetheless. A lot of British stuff goes unrecognized in the U.S., like Dancing with the Stars being a deal made by the BBC and ABC following the BBC's hit of Strictly Come Dancing. Now the rumor mill is churning again, saying that David E. Kelley is penning a pilot for ABC based on the BBC's latest big hit Life on Mars. Do we care about any of this? What do you think of the latest U.K. shows to be sprinkled over the U.S.? — Jonathan

Matt Roush: Most of them are fine, but I think they get plenty of respect, when deserved, in the U.S. critical press. (BBC America in particular gets glowing notices for many of its imports, from class acts like Viva Blackpool to guilty pleasures like Footballers' Wives.) AMC's Hustle and A&E's MI-5 (which the network insists will air in the "third quarter," meaning this summer) have also been greeted well, and the recent Masterpiece Theatre broadcast of Bleak House justifiably got some of the new year's best reviews. As for British shows remade into American series, the track record is spottier, and we tend to take most of them (the reality hits, anyway) at face value regardless of where the original concept came from.

American Idol and Dancing with the Stars aren't hits because of where they originated, but because they were executed just right for the American audience. I wish David E. Kelley luck with Life on Mars (which the Hollywood Reporter says isn't due until fall 2007), but it's tricky getting these things right. (Witness Coupling and, more recently, the dreadful Teachers.) The Office had some initial trouble being appreciated in some corners (including mine) because of the indelible merits of the original series. I like NBC's Office more now than before (although it's best when in the office, as in the bring-your-kids-to-work episode, not when it goes outside, as in the dreadful episode where Dwight gave a motivational speech at a convention), but even it pales compared to the original. If Kelley makes Mars a hit, I'm sure he and we will acknowledge its source. But its success will have little to do with its origins.

________________________________________

Question: Your point in your March 20 column about Lost reruns following the usual rerun pattern is well taken. However, I think we need to acknowledge that Lost is not a normal network show, so the "normal" rerun pattern is a poor fit. Lost is an intricately plotted serial, each episode built upon the last, so the dribbling out of a new episode here, followed by a rerun from last season and then a couple of reruns from this season followed by a couple of new episodes, can make the story hard to follow. I think the best way for ABC to handle reruns is to air a block of new episodes, then rerun those episodes in order, then air another block of new episodes, and so on. I think Sci Fi handled it well with Battlestar Galactica, airing the 20 new episodes in two blocks of 10, and I think Lost would work well using a similar model, maybe using four blocks of six episodes to cover the sweeps periods, as long as they reran those episodes in order. — Robyn

Matt Roush: Of all the discussions I've read regarding the Lost rerun situation, this makes the most sense. Maybe not in the specifics of the math, which are beyond me, but I do think ABC (and the other networks, should they ever be lucky enough to land a show as compelling as Lost) needs to consider a way to use the inevitable reruns to its, and to the show's, advantage. With an asset as valuable as Lost, maybe the network and the show's producers could find a way to get us through the long stretch of reruns by repackaging the episodes or by tweaking them in the manner of a DVD extra to give them some added value. Watching Lost is like playing a game, and ABC should find a way to keep the game going even during periods when the supply of new episodes dries up.

________________________________________

Question: We all know that House's Dr. Gregory House is a misanthropic, tactless, skirt-chasing genius. We also know that the only friend he has is Dr. Wilson. What are Dr. Wilson's feelings toward House? Is it purely friendship or, perhaps, something more? I don't think I could handle a change in their relationship, especially on House's part. — Jennifer

Matt Roush: Surely you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting. But no. This isn't a case of new-millennium "confirmed bachelorhood" or anything, although there are times that Wilson seems an awful lot like a nagging spouse. But now that they're playing "house," so to speak, as "roommates" since Wilson's marriage fell apart, the dynamic here is more Oscar-Felix (as in The Odd Couple) than, say, Will and Jack of Will & Grace. This is being played for laughs, not for some sort of unrequited romantic tension. This isn't "Brokeback Hospital," unless I'm missing some big signals here.

________________________________________

Question: It seems a given, in the many questions about network scheduling that you receive, that Saturday night is where TV shows go to die, so no one schedules a potential keeper on Saturday. Yet within living memory (mine, at least), CBS had a killer Saturday lineup that would put any recent "must-see" night to shame (All in the Family, M*A*S*H, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett). I know we went out on Saturday night in the '70s (and with no TiVo, or even VCRs). It can't just be due to the fracturing of cable — if the audience is really too small on Saturday, then it's too small whether your share is 15 percent or 35 percent. I've been looking back trying to find the tipping point, but I can't see when the landscape changed. What in the business has caused this change in perception? On a completely unrelated note: I have fallen in love with Slings & Arrows. Has there been, or is there going to be, a third season? I need more of New Burbage! — Rick C.

Matt Roush: First off, I'm thrilled to report that a third series of Slings & Arrows has been or is being produced. Sundance will air it sometime next year, after it's shown on Canadian TV. Can't wait. As for Saturdays: The real tipping point came when CBS gave up on the night a few seasons back. That was the last network that found significant ratings success (if not demographics success) on the night, with shows like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Walker, Texas Ranger and The District.

But these shows skewed very old, and eventually, even CBS couldn't make the economics work to be able to support first-run programming on a night when you couldn't sell ads at a premium. I remember CBS' Saturday nights in the '70s very fondly — those really were the days — and also NBC having a major hit with Golden Girls through the late '80s into the early '90s. But that ship has sailed. Now take a look at Fridays. It's slowly becoming the new Saturday. Very hard for more than one network (in this case, CBS again) to land hits on that night, though everyone keeps trying and usually fails miserably at great cost. How long before Fox gives up on the night altogether, followed, maybe, by ABC, which can throw reality and newsmags there, etc.? It would be nice to think you could use nights like these to launch and nurture quality or high-risk shows. But that just never seems to work.

________________________________________

Question: Love your column! My question is, now that NBC has shelved Four Kings (which I actually liked), what do you think about moving Scrubs to the 8:30 pm/ET time slot that Kings occupied? Maybe they could gain the audience they deserve if they were sandwiched between Will & Grace and My Name Is Earl. — Gina

Matt Roush: I think it's a great idea — just about everyone except the NBC programmers seem to agree — but I don't see it happening, not this late in the season. NBC just threw another ball of crap at Scrubs last week, pairing it with the miserably unwatchable Teachers, and I would imagine for much of the rest of what's left of the season, NBC will continue to either double-run Earl episodes on Thursdays (way to burn out a hot new show) or replay classic Will & Grace episodes as part of the countdown to the end. Or maybe they'll find a way to sneak even more editions of Deal or No Deal across the lineup. Who knows with this network? If Scrubs survives this season, it will be no thanks to NBC.

________________________________________

Question: I have to say I am surprised that Gregory Itzin isn't getting more buzz for his Emmy-worthy portrayal of the inept President Logan on 24. When he's doing something stupid or indecisive, he has me yelling at the TV at least once an episode, and he fuels more discussion between my roommate and me than Jack ever does. He does an outstanding job. So, with The Sopranos back on, and with Lost nearly guaranteed at least one acting nomination, do you think Itzin has a chance to get an Emmy nomination in the supporting category? Same thing for Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer. If Jack dies at the end of the season, does Sutherland get an Emmy for five years of amazing work? — Ryan S.

Matt Roush: Seriously, the Emmys is not the place to look for validation where 24 is concerned. Given the long list of terrific supporting performances on 24 that have gone unrecognized, from Xander Berkeley through Shohreh Aghdashloo, I would think Gregory Itzin, enjoyably maddening as he is, is a very, very long shot. (TV Guide, by the way, is planning a feature on Itzin very soon, so check out the magazine, folks.) As for Kiefer as Jack, he may well have to die to get an Emmy, but that won't be happening this year. (Personally, I'm hoping House's Hugh Laurie gets the Emmy he was robbed of last year.)

________________________________________

Question: I'm not sure if you can answer my question, but you seem to be in the know about everything, so I thought I would give it a try. I am a really big fan of the Bravo network's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I've noticed lately that Bravo is no longer showing the show in its regular time slot. I know that the show's ratings have slipped, and that it is not the phenomenon it once was, but its core fan base is still strong. And it's a disservice to the loyal fans who are still actively watching the show. Because honestly, the only reason I began to watch the Bravo network was because of Queer Eye. And I would hazard a guess that it is because of the Queer Eye phenomenon that many people began watching Bravo. I can hear the bells tolling for the finale of the show, and I will be sad, but I would hope Bravo at least does another season to wrap things up and give the true, steadfast fans a real chance to say goodbye to our favorite show. I can name any number of shows that I have loved in the past (The X-Files, Angel, Friends) for which there at least was an ending that wrapped things up nicely. Why do networks do this type of thing? Or, more specifically, do you know why Bravo is treating the show so shabbily lately? We hard-core Queer Eye fans are really interested in your answer. Thanks. — Lynell

Matt Roush: You hard-core fans need to chill. Queer Eye is between seasons, and Bravo is now airing a few new reality shows in its place, giving the show a much-needed rest. I've heard nothing to indicate that Queer Eye is near the end of its run, but when that time comes (as it inevitably must), I can't imagine Bravo wouldn't produce a retrospective tribute, a "looking back" at past makeovers, something at least to acknowledge a show that, as Lynell rightly said, helped put the new Bravo on the map. Queer Eye may not be the signature show it once was — it has been upstaged a bit lately by the even more fabulous Project Runway — but it's still very much part of Bravo's DNA. (And given the puny numbers for a worthless also-ran like Real Housewives of Orange County, I'm betting Bravo's execs are counting the days until they can get new Queer Eyes on the air.)

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

fredfa

04-03-06, 07:49 PM

If you haven't seen last night's "West Wing" and care about what happened, don't read this.
Since the vast majority of those who do care have presumably seen the show, I am not outting this post in spoilers.
Be warned.

Critic’s Notebook
''West Wing'': The Big Cheat

By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal TV blog

(Last night's) ''West Wing'' was supposed to be about election day, and about Leo dying. (We knew that from the show's promos.) I had wondered if there would be a storyline where Leo died before all the polls were closed, and the Santos campaign had to decide whether to keep his death secret until the West Coast closed. I don't know how it would have worked dramatically, but it probably would have been better than what we got tonight.

Which was basically an hour-long trailer for next week's episode, and not even a particularly good trailer. The election's end puts a lot of people in bed -- literally, though only two to a bed. The exit polls seem to favor Santos, but there's a lot of weird data in them, which shouldn't surprise all these professional politicians in ''West Wing'' world.

Sure, they live in a parallel universe so they didn't have the hard lessons about exit polling from the Kerry/Bush race. But they live in a more or less real political world, and that should be one where people ever more commonly lie to exit pollers.

As annoying as that was, it was the double cliffhanging of the episode that most irked. It ended without a clear winner in the election. It ended with Leo being found, probably dead, with his death definite ... in next week's episode.

I should know that the makers of television can get very cynical when it comes to getting you to tune in for one more week. But here's a show coming to the end of a run that was often distinguished. That is dealing with the death not only of a character, but of a beloved member of its ensemble. That is playing to an audience that, however small, cares deeply about what will happen.

And in the middle of that, ''West Wing'' pulled a rotten stunt.

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

fredfa

04-03-06, 07:51 PM

The same warning about this post, if you care about last night’s “Grey’s Anatomy”.
Critic’s Notebook
''Grey's Anatomy'': That Was Better

By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal TV blog

After my crankiness about ''West Wing,'' after waiting through an Indians-White Sox rain delay (still going at this writing), ''Grey's Anatomy'' was a nice way to wrap up the evening.

Good, funny business between the Chief and Cristina. Given how much I hate Meredith (still), I took some pleasure in the punishing description of how her father felt about his other two daughters -- and was a little disappointed that he was given a redemptive moment later in the show. Love O'Malley's new girlfriend. (Sara Ramirez is the actress. Tony Award winner for ''Spamalot.'' By far the hottest woman on ''Grey's.'')

Love Cristina and Burke, although I did suspect he was playing Cristina about Madonna -- implicitly telling her to settle down, they were supposed to be having fun.

Not sure about O'Malley's tribute to Meredith. Even less sure about the hormonal Bailey getting sentimental; at least, she's sentimental AND smart, knowing that the kid in surgery had other things to talk about than girls and sports. Didn't like Alex's getting to be right about his brutal honesty (although if any actress could sell a change of heart like that, Laurie Metcalf is the one). If any of the interns has to hit the road, he's still my pick. Well, after Meredith.

Still, overall, a strong reminder of the things I like about ''Grey's.''

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

fredfa

04-04-06, 12:11 AM

It is not often you see Bill Carter of the NY Times this far behind on a breaking news story. But, as we posted yesterday, Michelle Greppi of TV Week had this story on Sunday.

TV Notebook
A CBS Deal With Katie Couric May Be Near

By Bill Carter The New York Times April 4, 2006

CBS's long courtship of Katie Couric has moved close to a conclusion. A deal to recruit her away from NBC's "Today" show and into the nightly anchor chair at CBS News may be completed as early as this week, people close to the negotiations said yesterday.

While Ms. Couric is under contract to NBC though the end of May and, under the terms of her current deal, cannot have any formal talks with CBS or another network until the beginning of that month, NBC executives decided in recent days to permit Ms. Couric's representatives to discuss outside offers for her future services.

That decision, consistent with what representatives on both sides said had remained a completely amicable relationship between Ms. Couric and NBC, has finally speeded up CBS's effort to woo the "Today" host, which began well over a year ago with an informal approach to Ms. Couric from the chairman of the CBS Corporation, Leslie Moonves.

CBS's pursuit of Ms. Couric has been the subject of a torrent of publicity over the last several months, with near-daily updates in some publications of Ms. Couric's inclinations to stay at NBC or leave for CBS.

The speculation for at least the past three months has been that the "Today" host would accept CBS's offer to succeed Dan Rather as the permanent anchor of "The CBS Evening News." Bob Schieffer has filled in as anchor since Mr. Rather stepped down in March 2005, and has done that job with great success. Audience totals for the newscast are up significantly under Mr. Schieffer.

Ms. Couric is also expected to accept some role with the CBS newsmagazine program "60 Minutes" and perhaps have some other opportunities for producing news programs for prime time at the network.

Ms. Couric's representatives, including her spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik, declined to comment yesterday on the status of any talks with CBS. But one person who is aware of the progress of those talks said that a deal could be announced this week, though the terms are still not final.

Any such announcement will not be accompanied by a news conference at CBS, however, several people close to Ms. Couric said. Some reports this week have suggested that CBS was reserving space at its news headquarters for a formal introduction of Ms. Couric. But her associates said they believed there was no possibility that that would happen this week.

The reason, they said, is that Ms. Couric will remain at NBC News through May 31, the full duration of her contract, and will not consent to appear at a CBS event before then, out of deference to her NBC employers.

Several people close to Ms. Couric, as well as executives from NBC News, emphasized that there was no ill will on either side over the prospect of Ms. Couric's departing for the anchor job at CBS News. Ms. Couric remains personally close to many of her colleagues at the "Today" show and especially with the NBC Universal's chief executive, Jeff Zucker, who was the producer of "Today" when it established its current 10-year run of dominance in the ratings with Ms. Couric as the host.

The issue for NBC has been how losing Ms. Couric could affect "Today," the most important program the network owns because it is by far the most profitable, surpassing $250 million a year. That issue was a cause for great anxiety at NBC a year ago, when ABC's morning program "Good Morning America" closed to within several thousand viewers one week.

But since Mr. Zucker undertook an effort to restructure the program under new producers, "Today" has regained its claim to ratings dominance in the mornings. The concern over losing an established and popular host like Ms. Couric, who has been with the program for 15 years, has faded somewhat in recent months.

Several NBC executives said this week that while losing Ms. Couric is not something the network welcomes, her departure might prove to be the best time to make a change in the program's anchor lineup.

Last week, with Ms. Couric on vacation, her duties were assumed by two women considered to be front-runners to replace her, Campbell Brown and Natalie Morales. The "Today" show continued an impressive run of weeks when it eclipsed "Good Morning America" by almost a million viewers. Last Thursday, with Ms. Morales substituting, "Today" beat "Good Morning America" by 1.5 million viewers.

Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, said yesterday in an e-mail note, "The 'Today' show is the crown jewel of morning news, with an unprecedented run of 10-plus years of dominance. If the day comes that we are faced with a change, we will operate from a position of strength. We are blessed to have such a strong platform, and an exceptional group of players as possibilities."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/business/media/04cbs.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

fredfa

04-04-06, 12:15 AM

TV Review
A fetching, fairy-tale version of a TV reporter

By Paul Brownfield Los Angeles Times TV critic April 4, 2006

On the WB hourlong comedy "Pepper Dennis," (9 PM ET/PT, Tuesday The WB) Rebecca Romijn plays a Chicago TV news reporter who's part investigative ninja, part bombshell, part endearing klutz; in short, she's everything Katie Couric dreams of becoming one day.

The timing of the show is fortuitous, given that Couric may be on the verge of leaving the "Today" show for the "CBS Evening News" anchor post. If it happens, you can draw a straight line from Couric back to Walter Cronkite.

This is what Pepper Dennis, nee Patty Dinkle, wants to do; we are led to believe she starts each day with a "Good morning, Mr. Cronkite," directed at a photo of the newsman.

It would be more appropriate for her to be talking to a picture of the 18- to 49-year-old demographic, but whatever. "Pepper Dennis," at bottom, is a romantic comedy, a silly, screwball-ish one — "Sex and the City" meets "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."

He arrives in the form of Charlie Babcock (Josh Hopkins), WEIE's new self-assured, scene-stealing anchor. They meet cute in the way of "Grey's Anatomy" — by having a one-night stand before discovering that they're co-workers.

Romijn is quite fetching here, both in looks and performance.

Creators Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts leaven the dialogue with the kind of newsroom banter — "high on the hog," "what's what," "big fish" — that suggests they've been Netflix-ing too many '40s movies. "Save the airtime, Jack, I'm off to get some answers," Pepper says to her news director (Brett Cullen).We're not so much in a local TV newsroom as the Daily Planet, Pepper trying to be both Lois Lane and Superman, lurching between need and superhero.

Here the need part is represented by Pepper's sister Kathy (Brooke Burns), who moves in after leaving her husband. Soon, the show has locked itself in a once-over-lightly dramedy about relationship politics and gender-related double standards, not to mention the difficulties of newsperson-on-newsperson love.

"For you to sleep with me, it's like the anchor got himself a perky little piece of tail," Pepper tells Babcock, the moonlight shining equally on his teeth and his new billboard. "For me to sleep with you, it's like the cub reporter is trying to whore her way to the top."

It's in this gimlet-eyed way that "Pepper Dennis" is meant to resonate with women, provided you can get past the fairy tale of its milieu. For the show portrays a local news that doesn't really exist, in which reporters don't go on the air until after they dig.

She's toiling in the trenches of local graft and prostitution rings. It's an attempt to make us root for her; Pepper Dennis is akin to a Carrie Bradshaw or Meredith Grey, only without the bird arms.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-pepper4apr04,0,26065.story?coll=cl-tvent

HDTV-NUT

04-04-06, 10:46 AM

The No. 1 American show in the world

'Simpsons'? No. 'Lost'? Uh-uh. Try 'CSI: Miami'

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/04/television.csimiami.reut/story.caruso.jpg

CANNES, France (Hollywood Reporter) -- Twelve years after his ill-fated departure from "NYPD Blue," David Caruso can now claim to be one of the biggest Hollywood stars in the world.

His sun-drenched crime drama "CSI: Miami" is a ratings smash from Berlin to Bogota, from Paris to Pretoria. Outside the United States, "CSI: Miami" tops "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and even the original "CSI" to rank as the most-watched U.S. series around the world.

"In a funny way, we are more resonant in the foreign markets than we are domestically," Caruso, 50, said in an interview at the MIPTV market, where producers sell their wares to foreign TV stations. "That's why I think it is very important to come and connect with the journalists here and viewers here because our relationship with the larger landscape is here."

Indeed, "CSI: Miami" ranks No. 12 so far this season among U.S. viewers aged 18-49, according to Nielsen Media Research. ("American Idol" takes the top two spots, followed by "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy" and "CSI.") The drama is currently in its fourth season.

Germany, Europe's largest TV market, provides a typical example of how the "CSI: Miami" machine has conquered foreign lands. The show launched to record ratings on cable channel Vox in 2004 before being nabbed by Vox parent channel, and market leader, RTL. "CSI: Miami" is now the No. 1 series in Germany.

Caruso said he is no longer chasing a dream of a film career -- the reason for his sudden departure from "NYPD Blue" in 1994 -- and that he would be happy to still be doing "CSI: Miami" in five or 10 years time.

"I think I found my niche," Caruso said. "You say, well, you'll be on the show for another five years. I don't see it that way. I see it like, well, I get a chance to do my job for as long as they let me on this show: the daily pursuit of the scene. And that's what I got into this business for in the first place."

fredfa

04-04-06, 11:27 AM

TV Notebook
A fetching, fairy-tale version of a TV reporter

Katie Couric Set to Leave NBC's 'Today'
By Howard Kurtz Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, April 4, 2006; A01

NBC executives expect Katie Couric to leave the "Today" show and accept an offer from CBS to become the first woman to anchor a network evening newscast on her own, with an announcement of her departure likely as early as this week, according to well-placed sources at both networks and others familiar with the negotiations.

The tentative plan is for a two-step process in which Couric first announces her departure from NBC, which would like to give her a warm send-off after a decade in which she helped make "Today" the top-rated morning program. Meredith Vieira, co-host of ABC's "The View" and host of the syndicated "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," has been offered the job of replacing Couric and is seriously considering it, some of these sources say.

An announcement that Couric will succeed Bob Schieffer as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" will come later, in part because the final contractual details -- which will include a regular spot on "60 Minutes" -- have not been worked out, the sources say. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract talks have not been completed.

Couric's pending departure has been the focus of intense media speculation, both because of her celebrity and the historic nature of the move. Three women -- Barbara Walters at ABC, Connie Chung at CBS and Elizabeth Vargas, who was elevated in January at ABC's "World News Tonight" -- have co-anchored alongside men. But Couric would be the first woman in broadcast network history to fly solo at 6:30 p.m.

Couric's spokesman declined to comment yesterday, as did the press offices at NBC and CBS.

Couric, 49, who worked as a reporter at Washington's WRC before joining "Today" and becoming co-host in 1991, would be taking over a third-place evening newscast that has lately seen some ratings growth under Schieffer, who succeeded Dan Rather 13 months ago. Schieffer, 69, is a Couric supporter who has said he does not want to stay in the job indefinitely.

While Couric's NBC contract does not expire until early May, the network gave her permission to negotiate early with CBS in hopes of resolving the huge cloud hanging over its morning show. Both networks would like the matter settled before the May "upfront" meetings at which they make presentations to advertisers about the next season. Couric plans to work with NBC on the timing of her departure and is determined not to damage what has been a productive relationship with the network, say people familiar with her situation.

Couric is earning $15 million to $16 million a year under the contract she signed in 2001 and CBS is expected to exceed that. The domino effect of her decision will clearly impact all three networks.

Vieira, 49, who is being courted by NBC executives for Couric's seat, is a former "60 Minutes" correspondent with deep roots in network news. The other "Today" contenders are NBC insiders, White House reporter Campbell Brown, who also co-hosts "Weekend Today," and correspondent Natalie Morales.

Vieira, who has turned down other morning-show offers in the past, is said to be torn because she enjoys the two programs she hosts now and is concerned about the effect of a more demanding schedule on her husband, who suffers from multiple sclerosis.

Vieira's agent, Michael Glantz, said yesterday: "Probably no one in this business is more qualified. Meredith is certainly flattered to be the subject of all this attention and certainly would have to consider all possibilities."

Barbara Walters, who founded the morning chat show "The View" and is a former co-host of "Today," said yesterday she would support Vieira no matter what her decision. "We would miss Meredith terribly, but I would understand if she decided to pursue this new and challenging opportunity . . . As for 'The View,' it is a very strong franchise and if Meredith did decide to leave, 'The View' would, of course, continue."

ABC's anchor situation remains unsettled because Bob Woodruff, Vargas's co-anchor, was wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq in January and it is not clear when he might be able to return to the second-place broadcast. ABC plans to name a temporary co-anchor -- most likely "Good Morning America" co-host Charlie Gibson, according to sources at the network -- but that, in turn, might hurt the efforts of his colleague Diane Sawyer to overtake "Today" in the ratings.

Top-rated "NBC Nightly News" remains in the strongest position because Brian Williams, who succeeded Tom Brokaw in December 2004, was announced 2 1/2 years earlier and has clearly established himself in the job, especially with his coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

An impassioned debate has flourished about whether the skills that have made Couric such a successful morning personality would translate on a terser, more tightly scripted evening newscast. There is a faction at CBS News that questions whether she is the right choice, how much the broadcast would change to accommodate her, and why the network should switch anchors now when Schieffer has lured as many as 740,000 new viewers.

After a 15-year run at "Today" in which Couric has interviewed everyone from President Bush, Tony Blair and Colin Powell to Bill Gates, Donald Trump and O.J. Simpson, her hard-news background is hardly in doubt, despite the breakfast-show requirements of cooking and fashion segments.

"A lot of her considerable talents don't translate to the evening news because they can't, by definition," said Erik Sorenson, a former MSNBC president who once produced the "CBS Evening News." "You cannot sing a cabaret number on the evening news. They won't have her ski. They won't have her dance.

"That said, she has a ton of other skills, interviewing and presiding over news coverage. She was on the air when 9/11 happened. And she brings a huge base of the same kind of people who watch evening news."

Emily Rooney, a former ABC News producer who hosts two shows at Boston's WGBH-TV, said: "People tell me they will watch the 'CBS Evening News' because they like her. She'll have a huge curiosity factor in the beginning that should last for months." In an evening-news role, Rooney said, "we're going to see a completely different person."

Geneva Overholser, a former Des Moines Register editor and Washington Post ombudsman, said she was "amazed" at how good an interviewer Couric was when Overholser appeared on "Today."

"The criticism of her -- she doesn't sound like an anchor, she doesn't look like an uncle, she's not Walter Cronkite -- well, maybe he was the right model for that time," Overholser said. Couric, she said, is "smart and capable," as well as "pretty and outgoing and womanly."

Television analyst Andrew Tyndall said the anchor job has two parts: reading the teleprompter and "sitting behind the desk when there's a crisis." Couric, he said, "is very good at doing live television" and "competent" as a news reader, although not as good as Schieffer.

"Today" co-anchor Matt Lauer is now a big enough star in his own right and "has proved he can carry the show while they break in a replacement," Tyndall added.

Couric has been something of a lightning rod for television critics. "There's a lot of jealousy because the woman has done quite well for herself, and there's still some residual sexism in the world," Sorenson said.

CBS did make one anchor move yesterday, elevating Russ Mitchell, co-anchor of the Saturday "Early Show" and one of Schieffer's principal substitutes, to anchor of the Sunday evening news. "Russ is one of our most versatile anchors," CBS News President Sean McManus said in a statement. "He has more than earned this position, and I'm pleased to further raise Russ's profile at CBS News."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR2006040301597_pf.html

fredfa

04-04-06, 11:45 AM

TV Review
'Pepper Dennis,' one full hour too long

By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Apr 4, 2006

There's a reason networks so rarely attempt comedies that run a full hour. Here it is: “Pepper Dennis.”

To work, an hour-long sitcom has to achieve just the right mix of drama, of gravatas, if you will, a deeper story that engages viewers when they're not laughing, and comedy. This perfect mix happens rarely.

Hour-long sitcoms also call for actors who can deliver more than just punchlines. The WB’s “Gilmore Girls,” ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and NBC’s “Ed” work because they rely on deeply complex characters, played by extremely capable actors. Their quirky backdrop provides much of the humor.

“Pepper Dennis,” the new WB show that premiers tonight at 9 PM ET/PT, after “Gilmore,” can be accused of none of these qualities.

“Pepper" runs out of pepper right away. There's not enough dramatic umph to sustain even the first two episodes. With 15 minutes left in episode two, two of the show’s major storylines have already been resolved.

The audience is left to wonder: What will Pepper do now? Tap dance? Recite the Pledge of Allegiance? By episode four one fears she'll be reduced to reading the phonebook.

Which brings us to "Pepper's" other major flaw, the acting. There isn't any.

Rebecca Romijn, who plays Pepper, a Chicago TV reporter, is clearly trying very hard. She squashes herself into silly get-ups. She's tossed into dumpsters. She's doused with blue paint on one assignment gone awry.

But she can't act. She widens her eyes and pouts for the camera, but she’s never really believable. The slapstick is more awkward than endearing because the audience never develops any real connection with the character.
This TV critic is not the first to grasp these flaws. Obviously, the WB's programming minds got there first, which explains why "Pepper" is premiering so late in the season. It's clearly a burnoff, the fourth the network has rolled out in the past three weeks. Its chances of making the leap onto the CW schedule in the fall are about nil.

But back to our story. Pepper is the star reporter at WEIE and also a single gal searching for the right man. She thinks she’s found him when she spends an incredible night with Charlie Babcock, but alas the next morning she discovers that he is the new anchor at WEIE, a job she’d been dying to land.

Pepper, angry that Charlie has stolen her seat, decides she can’t date a co-worker and so resolves to avoid her would-be Romeo after that. Of course that does not work, and so the two seem destined to land in one suggestive situation after another, with Charlie alternately pursuing and running away from Pepper under a variety of thin circumstances.

“Pepper” tries to capture an element of office humor in the way that “Ally McBeal” did many years ago, with wacky cameramen, an odd boss and Pepper’s best pal, makeup artist Kimmy, all getting lots of screen time.
But with the exception of Kimmy, played by the promising actress Lindsay Price (“Coupling”), they’re all characters we’ve seen before. “Pepper” shows nothing that past comedies haven’t done, and it takes longer, a full hour, to do it in.

The show may draw some initial interest after “Gilmore,” featuring as it does a strong lead female character. And certainly Romijn herself has fans from her modeling days. But with UPN’s “Veronica Mars” now airing in the same Tuesday 9 p.m. timeslot, “Pepper” may struggle once “Mars” is back in originals next week.

“Pepper’s” only legacy will be that it was the last series introduced by the WB before it went off the air.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3881.asp

fredfa

04-04-06, 11:48 AM

TV Notebook
Horse race heats up for Fox, ABC and CBS

By Cynthia Littleton The Hollywood Reporter

Last summer, primetime pundits predicted this season would come down to a photo finish among Fox, ABC and CBS in the adults 18-49 demographic. The thoroughbreds in this race have not disappointed.

Most network number-crunchers foresee Fox pulling ahead by a nose in the final stretch next month to win by one-tenth of a rating point, or a mere 130,000 viewers in the key demo, with ABC and CBS right behind.

Braggadocio aside, the real story behind the razor-thin margins is that each of those networks generally has had a good season, albeit in different ways.

At Fox, not even the most bullish "American Idol" fans could have predicted that the show would come back in January with such force to become even more dominant than last season. In 2004-05, the Tuesday edition of "Idol" was primetime's most-watched program overall, but it had only a 700,000 viewer edge over CBS' second-ranked "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." So far this season, the Tuesday "Idol" has a 6.8 million viewer lead over third-ranked "CSI." (Wednesday's "Idol" ranks No. 2).

That "Idol" hasn't given Fox more of an advantage at this stage of the game is a testament to how much ground the network had to make up, especially from its postseason baseball coverage in the fall. There was no way Fox could re-create the magic, or the magical Nielsen numbers, of the Boston Red Sox's march to victory in 2004. The introduction of "Prison Break" and the continued heat of the dramas "House" and "24" have helped Fox's cause.

ABC is poised to end the season with the highest gains among the Big Four. As of the week ending March 26, ABC was the only network up over last season in adults 18-49 and in total viewers. The February Super Bowl telecast accounts for some but not all of that momentum.

ABC didn't have the Midas touch with its new shows this season as it did in '04-'05, but "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" have hung tough, given how high the bar was set after their first seasons. Round 2 of "Dancing With the Stars" proved to be another top 10 entry. But the real workhorse of ABC this season has been "Grey's Anatomy," the medical drama that has hit white-hot pop culture status with ratings to match.

What CBS has more than any of the others is fearsome bench strength. CBS' wide lead in total viewers is paced by a stable of solid dramas that are still on the grow: "Without a Trace," "NCIS," "CSI: NY," "Cold Case" and "Numbers," joined this season by rookies "Criminal Minds" and "The Unit."

NBC has endured the kind of season that top management mea culpa-ed for in advance last year during its upfront presentation. But there has been some joy in Burbank. "My Name Is Earl" defied naysayers and worked respectably, if not spectacularly. And the decision to hang in with "The Office" has been rewarded, thank you iTunes.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/columns/tv_reporter_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002275774

fredfa

04-04-06, 12:08 PM

Monday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

04-04-06, 12:12 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Air balls: NCAA final a big ratings dud

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Apr 4, 2006

There were signs that viewership for last night’s NCAA men’s basketball final between UCLA and Florida would be low. Ratings for Saturday’s Final Four games were down, and ticket scalpers reported very little interest in yesterday’s game.

In fact, the game may end up being the least-watched NCAA men’s basketball title game ever.

From 9 to 11 p.m. last night, CBS averaged 14.3 million total viewers for its coverage of the game, according to Nielsen fast national ratings. The game lasted past 11 p.m., but viewership was already sinking by then. Final numbers could change substantially, however, as the game did not tip off until 9:20 p.m., and fast national data measures timeslot, not actual program, data.

If viewership stays at 14.3 million when final numbers are released later today, that would be the lowest average ever for the NCAA title game. The previous low came two years ago, when 17.1 million people watched Connecticut defeat Georgia Tech.

According to metered markets, the entire game averaged an 11.6 household rating, just 0.6 ahead of 2004’s final average.

CBS didn’t fare much better among 18-49s. From 9-11 p.m. the network averaged a 5.1 rating in the demo, down 33 percent from the 7.6 it averaged over those two hours last year for North Carolina-Illinois, and down 15 percent from a 6.0 two years ago.

Certainly the teams in the game contributed to the low ratings. Very few basketball analysts expected UCLA or eventual winner Florida to make it to the title game, and neither team has the rabid fan base of say Duke or UNC.

Perhaps an exciting game might have pulled in more viewers. But Florida cruised out to a big lead early.

Also, the game received strong competition during the 9 p.m. hour from NBC’s “Deal or No Deal.” The second half of a special two-hour “Deal” averaged 19.1 million viewers and a 6.6 rating among 18-49s that hour, tops for the night in both categories and well ahead of CBS.

In fact, NBC led the night among 18-49s with a 5.3 average rating and a 13 share. CBS was second at 4.6/11, Fox third at 4.2/11, ABC fourth at 3.2/8, Univision fifth at 1.8/4, WB sixth at 1.6/4 and UPN seventh at 1.1/3.

NBC started the night in the lead with a 4.9 rating at 8 p.m. for the first half of its two-hour “Deal.” CBS was second with a 3.7 average for a repeat of “Two and a Half Men” (4.0) and a new episode of “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (3.4), Fox third with a 3.5 for “Prison Break” and ABC fourth with a 2.9 for a repeat of “Wife Swap.”

The WB was fifth that hour with a 1.8 for “7th Heaven,” Univision sixth with a 1.5 for “Barrera de Amor” and UPN seventh with a 1.1 for repeats of “One on One” and “All of Us.”

At 9 p.m. NBC led again with its 6.6 for “Deal.” That marked the highest series rating for NBC in that slot in two years. Fox was second that hour with a 5.0 for “24,” CBS third with a 4.6 for its basketball coverage and ABC fourth with a 3.8 for “Supernanny.” Univision moved to fifth that hour with a 2.2 for “Alborada,” with WB sixth with a 1.4 for “Everwood” and UPN seventh with a 1.1 for repeats of “Girlfriends” and “Half and Half.”

CBS did take the lead during the 10 p.m. hour with a 5.5 rating for basketball. NBC dropped to second with a 4.4 for “The Apprentice,” with ABC third with a 2.8 for “Miracle Workers” and Univision fourth with a 1.5 for “Cristina.”

Among households, NBC led the night with a 9.4 average rating and a 14 share. CBS was second at 8.7/13, Fox third at 6.2/9, ABC fourth at 5.4/8, WB fifth at 2.6/4, Univision sixth at 2.0/3 and UPN seventh at 1.9/3.

• Ratings courtesy Nielsen Media Research. Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change, especially in the case of live telecasts.

Carl Jones

04-04-06, 03:03 PM

[QUOTE=HDTV-NUT]The No. 1 American show in the world

'Simpsons'? No. 'Lost'? Uh-uh. Try 'CSI: Miami'

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/04/television.csimiami.reut/story.caruso.jpg

CANNES, France (Hollywood Reporter) -- Twelve years after his ill-fated departure from "NYPD Blue," David Caruso can now claim to be one of the biggest Hollywood stars in the world.

His sun-drenched crime drama "CSI: Miami" is a ratings smash from Berlin to Bogota, from Paris to Pretoria. Outside the United States, "CSI: Miami" tops "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and even the original "CSI" to rank as the most-watched U.S. series around the world.

I don't get it. For me at least, the worst actor on TV.

AFH

04-04-06, 04:26 PM

The same warning about this post, if you care about last night’s “Grey’s Anatomy”.
Critic’s Notebook
''Grey's Anatomy'': That Was Better

By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal TV blog

SNIP

Love O'Malley's new girlfriend. (Sara Ramirez is the actress. Tony Award winner for ''Spamalot.'' By far the hottest woman on ''Grey's.'')

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

I may have watched this episode last night, but I know that I didn't miss anything. As far as I know, the woman that plays McDreamy's wife is the hottest woman on Grey's followed by the former model nurse. But I've been wrong before. ;)

taz291819

04-04-06, 05:59 PM

I have a press-release in front of me stating the following stations signed carriage agreements with The CW.

WWMT (Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, MI)
WUPN (Richmond, VA)
WHDF (Huntsville, AL)
WLAJ (Lansing, MI)
KFDM (Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX)
KTVL (Medford-Klamath Falls, OR)
KTEN (Sherman, TX - Ada, Ok)

123HDTV

04-04-06, 06:53 PM

As far as I know, the woman that plays McDreamy's wife is the hottest woman on Grey's followed by the former model nurse. But I've been wrong before. ;)

Hard to think of her as Drew Carey's plus sized girlfriend after seeing her on Grey's. The red hair really works for her.

fredfa

04-04-06, 08:11 PM

You guys will probably laugh, but I think Sara Ramirez is a great addition to the cast.

fredfa

04-04-06, 08:14 PM

TV Notebook
Couric announcing her 'Today' departure Wed.

By Paul J. Gough The Hollywood Reporter

NEW YORK -- Katie Couric is set to announce her departure from "Today" on the program itself at 7:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday, multiple sources said Tuesday.

Couric will tell viewers that she will be leaving the show by May 31, when her contract runs out on NBC, sources said. That will set the stage for Couric to sign a deal worth at least $13 million a year to anchor the "CBS Evening News" and take a spot on "60 Minutes."

The announcement from CBS could come as soon as Wednesday afternoon.

The naming of Couric's successor, which could be "The View" co-host Meredith Vieira or in-house candidates Campbell Brown, Natalie Morales or Ann Curry, may happen Thursday although it isn't set in stone.

There were rumblings for 30 Rockefeller Center that NBC was close to a deal with Vieira, but it couldn't be independently confirmed.

Both NBC and CBS declined comment Tuesday.)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002277147

fredfa

04-05-06, 03:13 AM

TV Notebook
Couric to Leave NBC for CBS Anchor Post

By Matea Gold Los Angeles Times Staff Writer April 5, 2006

NEW YORK -- After 15 years on the "Today" show, Katie Couric is set to announce that she plans to leave NBC to become the anchor of the "CBS Evening News," according to sources familiar with the discussions.

With the long-anticipated move, Couric will make history as the first solo female anchor of a network evening newscast and bring instant star wattage to CBS, which is rebuilding its news division after airing a flawed report in 2004 about President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard.

Her job switch also promises to inject a note of unpredictability into the race among the three evening newscasts, which have been rattled by change in the last year.

CBS is betting that Couric will lure more of the coveted younger viewers to its third-place evening news. Her hiring represents a major coup for CBS Corp. President Leslie Moonves, who has been courting Couric for the last year and has advocated shaking up the evening news format. Despite declining ratings in recent years, the networks' evening news shows still draw millions more viewers than cable news and the nightly news anchor post remains a coveted position.

Barring any last-minute changes, Couric plans to break the news herself that she is leaving "Today" on air at 7:30 a.m. (EST), a source said.

Today marks Couric's 15th anniversary as co-anchor of the top-rated morning show, a date that will be a particularly poignant time to tell viewers of her future plans. On Tuesday, a NBC spokeswoman would confirm only that producers planned to air highlights of her tenure on today's program.

Though Couric appears resolved to make the move, a few outstanding details were still being settled Tuesday — notably, who will replace her on "Today."

NBC officials, who want to pair the news of her departure with an announcement about her successor, have been negotiating with Meredith Vieira of ABC's "The View" and were close to a deal worth $10 million a year with her, according to sources.

Meanwhile, CBS officials spent Tuesday finalizing the details of Couric's contract. She would take over for popular interim anchor Bob Schieffer and do reports for the network's venerable newsmagazine "60 Minutes." The last round of negotiations was not expected to take long.

With those pieces falling into place, NBC is prepared for Couric to announce that she is departing "Today," followed immediately by a news release from CBS announcing her new job, according to sources close to the process.

Her hiring represents a substantial investment — and some risk — for CBS, especially considering that the half-hour evening newscasts bring in substantially less revenue for the network news divisions than the morning shows, which run at least two hours.

Couric is the best-paid anchor in the country, earning close to $15 million a year under her contract at NBC.

Although she could earn more at NBC — the network offered her a deal reportedly worth more than $20 million a year to remain — CBS countered with a proposal comparable to her current annual salary, sources said.

In doing so, CBS officials are banking on their belief that Couric will draw more 25- to 54-year-old viewers, the key demographic used to determine advertising rates for the networks.

The "Today" co-anchor, who remains under contract at NBC until the end of May, probably would take over the CBS broadcast sometime after Labor Day, giving the network time to adjust the newscast to her strengths.

The program is not expected to change dramatically; rather, the broadcast probably will be adjusted to showcase Couric's personable nature, much as Schieffer has loosened the format by chatting with correspondents at the end of segments.

Though some analysts have questioned whether viewers will embrace Couric as an evening anchor, other industry experts believe that her extensive experience doing live television has prepared her well for the post.

The speculation about the 49-year-old broadcaster's next move has been the dominant discussion within the television industry for the last several months and reached a feverish buzz this week.

Although ABC's Elizabeth Vargas has anchored the evening news by herself in the last month after her co-anchor Bob Woodruff was wounded in Iraq, Couric would officially be the first solo female anchor of a network broadcast. (CBS' Connie Chung and ABC's Barbara Walters both did stints as co-anchors alongside male counterparts.)

Her ascension would represent a dramatic change for CBS, where 69-year-old Schieffer has helmed the broadcast for the last year, and comes after a time of remarkable upheaval in the television news industry. In the last year and a half, all three veteran network anchors — Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather — left their posts in quick succession.

Schieffer, who took over the evening news on a temporary basis after Rather left the anchor desk, has made it clear that he does not want the job indefinitely. On Tuesday, he called Couric "terrific" and said she would be "a great addition."

"I'm happy to offer her whatever help I can if she decides to come," he said.

For Couric, who worked as NBC's deputy Pentagon correspondent before becoming a national correspondent and then co-anchor of "Today," the move to an evening newscast would allow her to return to hard news full time, a prospect that those close to her say she finds immensely appealing.

For their part, CBS officials hope that Couric's star power will help move the newscast out of third place. Although the "CBS Evening News" has gained a substantial number of viewers under Schieffer, it averaged 7.73 million viewers last week — 370,000 behind ABC's "World News Tonight" and 1.2 million behind "NBC Nightly News," according to Nielsen Media Research.

At NBC, meanwhile, officials are optimistic that they can bring in a new "Today" co-anchor to join Matt Lauer with minimal disruption. After facing a strong challenge from ABC's "Good Morning America" last spring, the NBC show has rebounded and last week led its competition by an average of more than 1.3 million viewers.

With the 52-year-old Vieira, the network would get a seasoned broadcaster comfortable with the wide range required of morning television anchors. She spent a decade at CBS News, reporting for the now-defunct newsmagazine "West 57th" and "60 Minutes," which declined to renew her part-time contract when she became pregnant with her second child. Vieira then worked as a national correspondent and anchored the "CBS Morning News" before jumping to ABC, where she served as co-host of ABC's prime-time documentary show "Turning Point" with Peter Jennings, Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters. In 1997, she left the news division to be the moderator of the daytime talk show "The View." Five years later, she also signed up as the host of the syndicated game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

Vieira's contract on "The View" ends this summer, but her ongoing commitment to be the host of "Millionaire" for two more years has been a sticking point in negotiations for the "Today" post, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

Her willingness to consider the position at all comes as a surprise to many in the television industry. Vieira has repeatedly said she is not a "morning person" and has turned down offers to anchor morning television, largely because of the time it would take from her family — her husband, writer Richard Cohen, who has multiple sclerosis, and their three children.

In September 2002, she told The Times that the Sept. 11 attacks confirmed for her that she no longer wanted to do hard news.

"All I wanted was to get my husband and go home," she said then. "There wasn't one bone in my body that wanted to pick up a camera and a notepad and head for the towers."

In recent years, she may have had a change of heart. Vieira told the New York Times in January 2004, "I never say no to any opportunities," adding that "a part of me really misses news."

Earlier this week, her agent, Michael Glantz, declined to comment on whether she was interested in the position.

"She's obviously flattered by all the conjecture," he said. Glantz was out of the office Tuesday and unavailable for comment.

If NBC is unable to secure a deal with Vieira, "Weekend Today" co-anchor Campbell Brown, MSNBC anchor Natalie Morales and "Today" news anchor Ann Curry are considered contenders for the "Today" post.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/la-et-couric5apr05,0,2643228,print.story?coll=cl-tv-features

fredfa

04-05-06, 03:20 AM

TV Notebook
“Sleeper Cell” Renewed

According to Variety, “Showtime has greenlit a second season of terrorist drama "Sleeper Cell," starring Michael Ealy and Oded Fehr.
Pay cablercabler has ordered eight hours to air in 2007.”

keenan

04-05-06, 03:22 AM

From Broadcasting and Cable,

Breaking News

Showtime Uncovers New Sleeper Cell

By Rebecca Stropoli -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/4/2006 11:37:00 AM

Sleeper Cell is returning to Showtime as an eight-hour miniseries. Cell, which premiered with 10 episodes in December, is set to begin production again in Los Angeles this summer.

Cell centers on an Islamic terrorist cell based in Los Angeles and the Muslim FBI agent who infiltrates it. The first version received a Golden Globe nomination for best miniseries.

Creators Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris will again serve as executive producers.

The debut date for the new miniseries has yet to be announced.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321652.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP&nid=2228
Broadcasting & Cable: The Business of Television

Marcus Carr

04-05-06, 10:00 AM

Couric Heading To CBS

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/5/2006 7:29:00 AM

Today show co-anchor Katie Couric made it official Wednesday, announcing on the show that she will be leaving at the end of May to join the CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes.

She will be the first solo female anchor of a network nightly newscast.

The announcement, which Couric conceded was the worst-kept secret in the business--was prefaced with tape of her first broadcast on Today, exactly 15 years before.

Couric is the longest serving anchor in the show's history.

Couric said the decision was tough, but that it was also exciting to get out of her comfort zone. She also did not initially mention the CBS gig. When pressed by Lauer she initially said she was going to open a used book store in Montana, then conceded what everyone already knew, that she was heading to CBS. But not before what Lauer said would be a gig farewell party.

Saying it sounded corny, Couric avowed that the sense of a Today "family" was not just "a cheesy promotional device." She said she would miss the crew and co-workers. And she said of her co-host, Matt Lauer, "As Dorothy said of the Scarecrow, 'I think I am going to miss you most of all."

No announcement of a replacement, though NBC is said to be trying to get ABC's Meredith Vieira to take over Couric's Today post. Vieira host daytime talker, The View, as well as syndicated game show, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. But she is also a former correspondent with a shelf full of Emmys from her days at 60 Minutes.

Couric's departure and move to CBS has been anticipated for well over a year. B&C reported back in December 2004, when Rather was still in the saddle, that Bob Schieffer could be named an interim anchor, with CBS likely to court Couric.

NBC Universal Television Group CEO Jeff Zucker, who once worked as the executive producer on Today, said of couric's move: "When Katie and I first teamed up on the Today show 15 years ago this week, I never would have dreamed that we would be lucky enough to have her on the program as long as we have, and that she would become the longest serving co-anchor of the program in its history.

"But there comes a time for everyone, when new challenges become hard to resist, and I fully understand that."

The sentiment was echoed by NBC Universal Chairman Bob Wright. "Katie Couric has had an immensely positive impact both on this company and on the public at large," he said in a statement. "Her extraordinary work as a journalist and an advocate for critical health issues has made a difference in the lives of millions of viewers."--Allison Romano contributed to this report.

http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6322081.html?display=Breaking+News

fredfa

04-05-06, 10:46 AM

The TV Column
The Week’s Winners and Losers

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Staff Writer

CBS may have won the ratings game last week, but Howie Mandel was the biggest star, saving NBC from a fourth-place finish by single-handedly winning three hours of prime time.

Here's a look at the week's deals and no deals:

WINNERS

"Deal or No Deal." Howie Mandel, the Regis Philbin of NBC, hosted that network's only top 10 show last week -- and three of its four top 20. Monday's "Deal" ranked No. 10; Wednesday's logged NBC's biggest non-Olympics audience in its time slot in six years; and Friday's got NBC's biggest non-Olympics audience in its slot in four years. NBC promises it won't kill "Deal" with overexposure, like ABC killed Rege's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," but it already has upped the number of "Deals" each week to three, and this week Monday's edition got puffed up to two hours.

LOSERS

"Bedford Diaries." Only 2 million bit at WB's scandal/publicity stunt, in which the network, citing FCC scariness, "censored" the debut of its new sex-ed-class drama.

"Conversations With Michael Eisner." If the former Really Big Head of Disney had a conversation on his new CNBC show with Martha Stewart and Sony Chairman Howard Stringer, but only 96,000 people -- about 40,000 shy of the number of employees he could sack when he ran Disney -- in the whole world tuned in, did it really happen according to Nielsen? According to Nielsen, it did a 0 rating, so maybe the answer is no. Anyway, CBNC is happy with the performance, of course. A spokesman noted to reporters that the audience included many high-powered business movers and shakers who are not fully measured by Nielsen. Which, for reasons I cannot fully explain, makes me think of that great Disney-flick tune "When You Wish Upon a Star." Disney employs 133,000 people worldwide.

"Heist"/"Evidence." Combined, NBC's bling-snatching drama and ABC's procedural crime drama managed to attract only about 200,000 more viewers than CBS's weakest "CSI" on Wednesday night. NBC has moved "Heist" up one hour, to 9 p.m., where it will no doubt flourish against "Lost," "American Idol" and "Criminal Minds."

"Out of Practice"/"Courting Alex." Somebody forgot to tell CBS's audience that "American Idol" had moved out of the Wednesday 8 p.m. hour, because these two "promising" new sitcoms proved less potent in the hour than had "Still Standing" and "Yes, Dear." And if this means CBS changes its mind and brings back "Yes, Dear," then CBS viewers will only have gotten what they deserve.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/04/AR2006040401989_2.html

fredfa

04-05-06, 10:55 AM

TV Notebook
Couric Leaving 'Today' for CBS

By Howard Kurtz Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Saying it is "terrifying to get out of your comfort zone," Katie Couric thanked her morning-show viewers on "Today" viewers this morning and confirmed what she called "the worst-kept secret in America:" that she is leaving to anchor the "CBS Evening News."

It was "a very difficult decision," Couric said, "because of the connection I feel with you. It may sound kind of corny," she said, but "we've become friends through the years. I can't tell you how grateful I am for the support you have given me."

Couric was emotional but kept herself in check as she described her high regard for the support staff, the other anchors and co-host Matt Lauer, even while joking that "once in awhile we get on each other's nerves--well, he gets on my nerves." But, she said, "sometimes I think change is a good thing" and that it is "exciting to start a new challenge."

Couric never got around to saying what that challenge is until Lauer prodded her into saying that she would be working for CBS's nightly newscast and "60 Minutes." Lauer noted that "it's hard to imagine being here and not having you sitting next to me."

The segment began with a clip from Couric's debut, with Bryant Gumbel, in 1991, when she had a darker, upswept hairdo and was introduced as "Katherine Couric," only to say she couldn't decide which name she liked better. That, Couric observed this morning, "was 172 hairstyles ago."

Sources at both networks and people familiar with her thinking, who first confirmed Couric's plans Monday, had expected her talks with CBS to drag on a bit longer, but they said the network has wrapped up the negotiations.

Bob Schieffer, the current CBS anchor, who had made clear that he did not want to keep the job indefinitely, said yesterday: "I hope it is true. I've known Katie for many years; she's a first-rate reporter and a terrific interviewer. I love Katie and I think she'll love CBS News."

The move by Couric, who will remain at "Today" until her NBC contract expires in May, will have repercussions throughout the broadcast schedule. NBC, which is determined to maintain its morning ratings lead, has offered her job to Meredith Vieira of ABC's "The View" and the syndicated "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," who is still weighing the opportunity against family concerns. CBS is making a multimillion-dollar bet that Couric, who would be the first solo female anchor of a weekday network newscast, can boost the third-place "CBS Evening News."

Couric, who attracted enormous publicity while weighing her options, is said by those who know her to be brimming with ideas about how to adapt the evening newscast to her skills and personality.

Couric's comments about her departure had a less celebratory tone than otherwise would have been the case. Couric is close to NBC chief executive Jeff Zucker, her original producer on "Today," the sources said, and has been trying to manage her departure without hurting relationships with him and other longtime colleagues at NBC.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/05/AR2006040500453_pf.html

fredfa

04-05-06, 11:02 AM

TV Notebook
Comcast Baseball Coverage Gets Hill Hearing

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 4/5/2006

House Government Reform Committeee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) has scheduled a hearing Friday, April 7, "Why Most Nats Fans Can't See their Team on TV," on TV coverage, or lack of it, of Washington Nationals Baseball games.

Reportedly, Orioles owner Peter Angelos has been called to testify.

Areas of the Washington suburbs served by Comcast can only see a handful of games because the cable company will not carry the Mid Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).

Comcast had bid on the rights to the Nationals -- the relocated Montreal Expos -- but lost out to MASN.

Comcast has, in turn, refused to carry the network on cable systems serving nearly two million subscribers in the network's territory. Cox has recently struck a deal to carry the games in Fairfax, another big suburb.

The Baltimore Orioles, which own MASN, turned to the FCC for help and want to make the dispute an issue in regulators' review of Comcast's planned purchase of parts of Adelphia Communications, which the FCC is still reviewing.

MASN is also moving the Orioles games off of Comcast's own regional sports network to MASN starting next year.

The issue of access to cable programming, particularly access to regional sports networks, has also come up in debate over a new national video franchising bill being marked up Wednesday in the House Telecommunications Subcommittee.

fredfa

04-05-06, 11:05 AM

TV Notebook
Bye-bye Katie: Musing on NBC's boneheadedness

By Maureen Ryan from the Chicago Tribune TV blog April 05, 2006

Katie Couric's departure from the "Today" show, which she announced Wednesday, is one of those occasions -- and we do get plenty -- when one wonders just what NBC is thinking.

"Today" is an unbelievably profitable cash cow for the network, which isn’t exactly thriving thanks to killer competition from CBS, ABC and Fox. Why let Couric, one of the network’s few true stars, go?

Ever since rumors began swirling months ago about CBS' courting of Couric, you had to wonder -- why didn’t NBC lock up her services for the next few millennia, stick untold millions in her pay envelope, and send her a fruit basket or 20? Maybe even a muffin basket? Better yet, a muffin factory?

Let’s face it, it’s not as though NBC has many franchise players. Which is why it’s mystifying that the network would let Couric even think about leaving.

But it’s not as if this boneheaded decision occurred in a vacuum. Let’s review: Why did "Joey" fail? Why have most of NBC’s new shows for the past couple of seasons been wretched? Why does the network rely on cheap, soon-to-burn-out game shows such as "Deal or No Deal" and aging, grating reality shows such as "The Apprentice"? Why is the network wasting "The West Wing’s" last season by burying it on Sundays? Why did the network even air "The Book of Daniel" if it had no belief in it? Why has the network treated one of its stellar gems, the deliriously great "Scrubs," like donkey poop?

And why has the network been running something called "Most Outrageous Moments" on Tuesdays? Shouldn’t that be a Fox summer filler show? If running that program during the regular season is not a humiliating admission of boneheadedness, I don’t know what is.

Let’s not forget, this is the network that overloaded the Olympics with way too many commercials, and favored us this season with gems such as "Conviction," "Heist," "Surface" and "E-Ring," and moved the steady if unspectacular performer "Las Vegas" into a Friday death slot.

All of NBC’s decisions (and those are just a few off the top of my head) boggle the mind, the decision to let Couric go is just the latest in a long line of mystifying, if not to say masochistic, corporate moves.

Jeff Zucker, CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group, once used to run "Today." Really, NBC should give him his old job back. He helped that show become a powerhouse -- and didn’t run it into the ground, humiliating the once-proud peacock in the process.

You had to wonder if Zucker or his lackeys talked Couric into making this statement on "Today" on Wednesday morning: "This is an institution that will continue to grow and thrive because of all the extraordinarily dedicated people who work here and care about this show as passionately as I do."

Sounds like whistling past the graveyard to me.

Thank goodness for the network's few remaining stars. The Thursday pairing of "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" is inspired (thank you, NBC entertainment president Kevin Reilly), and one of the few bright spots on the network’s schedule.

So the question arises, do you think Steve Carell would want to anchor NBC's evening news?

http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

jim tressler

04-05-06, 11:21 AM

damn.. I knew she was familier to me.. thats were I have seen her before!!

Hard to think of her as Drew Carey's plus sized girlfriend after seeing her on Grey's. The red hair really works for her.

123HDTV

04-05-06, 12:21 PM

You guys will probably laugh, but I think Sara Ramirez is a great addition to the cast.

No sir I agree she's a cutie.

Oh and she acts pretty well also ;)

fredfa

04-05-06, 01:39 PM

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

fredfa

04-05-06, 01:53 PM

(From Marc Berman’s Wednesday, April 5, 2006, Programming Insider column at Mediaweek.com )
Weekly National Ratings in Primetime

Week of March 27-April 2, 2006

CBS and Fox remained in the winner’s circle for the week of March 27, with the Eye net first in households, total viewers and adults 25-54; and the home of American Idol No. 1 among key adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. CBS finished the week close to year-ago levels, while Fox increased by margins of 13 to 17 percent.

Although three weekly editions of Deal or No Deal (Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 p.m.) managed to dominate each time period, it wasn’t enough to pull NBC out of fourth place demographically, or result in year-to-year increases for the network. ABC dipped to No. 4 in households and total viewers, while finishing second in adults 18-34 and third elsewhere despite airing original episodes of the Big 3 – Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Lost. Notice how top-rated Grey’s Anatomy is now listed first.

UPN closed the week in the No. 5 spot, while a consistent the WB ranked sixth.

In series-premiere news, the WB’s non-scripted Survival of the Richest was left at the Friday 8 p.m. starting gate, with a miniscule 2.06 million viewers (#117 overall) and a 0.9/ 3 among adults 18-49 (#114t). NBC sitcom Teachers (which outdelivered ABC’s competing Sons & Daughters) opened at a modest 6.71 million viewers (#65) and a 3.3/ 8 among adults 18-49 (#41t) Tuesday at 9:30 p.m.

Also lagging in the recently introduced series department were two episodes of ABC’s Sons & Daughters (Viewers: avg. 4.76 million; A18-49: avg. 2.0/ 5 in the Tuesday 9 p.m. hour); ABC’s In Justice (Viewers: #80, 5.52 million; A18-49: #89t, 1.7/ 5 – Fri. 9 p.m.); NBC’s Heist (Viewers: #60, 7.33 million, A18-49: #58t, 2.5/ 7 – Wed. 10 p.m.), which moves to Wednesday at 9 p.m. this week; Fox sitcoms The Loop (Viewers: #92, 4.03 million; A18-49: #78t, 2.0/ 5 – Thurs. 8:30 p.m.) and Free Ride (Viewers: #91, 4.13 million; A18-49: #72t, 2.2/ 5 – Sun. 9:30 p.m.); and WB dud Modern Men (Viewers: #116, 2.13; A18-49: #114t, 0.9/ 3 – Fri. 9:30 p.m.).

On the flipside, CBS Tuesday 9 p.m. military drama The Unit continues to thrive (despite airing out of a repeat of NCIS this week) with16.08 million viewers (#13) and a 4.6/11 among adults 18-49 (#18t). Airing out of a repeat of Two and a Half Men, week three (and episode four) of CBS’ The New Adventures of Old Christine dipped to a still respectable 11.96 million viewers (#29) and a 3.8/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#31t).

Over at ABC, American Inventor remained relatively tall despite facing CBS’ CSI for the first time with 9.29 million viewers (#42) and a 3.7/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#34t) Thursday at 9 p.m. Also of the alphabet net was the non-scripted Miracle Workers at 8.76 million viewers (#46) and a 3.4/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#38t) Monday at 10 p.m.

Here are the final national ratings for the week of March 27, 2006 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago period in parentheses).

Households:
CBS: 8.3/14 (- 2)
Fox: 6.3/10 (+13)
NBC: 6.0/10 (- 5)
ABC: 5.7/ 9 (- 8)
UPN: 2.0/ 3 (-17)
WB: 1.8/ 3 (no change)

Total Viewers:
CBS: 12.91 million (- 4)
Fox: 10.44 (+15)
NBC: 9.22 (- 1)
ABC: 8.92 (- 7)
UPN: 2.86 (-17)
WB: 2.77 (+ 4)

Adults 18-49:
Fox: 4.4/12 (+16)
CBS: 3.9/11 (- 9)
ABC: 3.4/ 9 (- 6)
NBC: 3.1/ 8 (no change)
UPN: 1.2/ 3 (-14)
WB: 1.1/ 3 (no change)

Adults 25-54:
CBS: 4.9/12 (- 4)
Fox: 4.7/11 (+15)
ABC: 3.9/10 (- 7)
NBC: 3.7/ 9 (- 3)
UPN: 1.2/ 3 (- 8)
WB: 1.1/ 3 (no change)

Adults 18-34:
Fox: 4.1/13 (+17)
ABC: 2.8/ 9 (- 3)
CBS: 2.7/ 8 (-18)
NBC: 2.6/ 8 (no change)
UPN: 1.4/ 4 (no change)
WB: 1.2/ 4 (+ 9)

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

fredfa

04-05-06, 01:58 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Yawner of a debut for 'Pepper Dennis'

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Apr 5, 2006

The WB heavily promoted its new hour-long Rebecca Romijn comedy “Pepper Dennis” in hopes that it would do well enough to perhaps move to the new CW network next fall. Judging by its first outing, the show will be going off the air along with the WB.

The “Dennis” premiere last night posted a 1.3 overnight rating among viewers 18-34 in the 9 p.m. timeslot, down 28 percent from the 1.8 “Supernatural” had averaged in that slot through February.

“Dennis” lost 38 percent of its lead-in audience, a 2.1 among 18-34s for a new episode of “Gilmore Girls.” Though “Dennis” almost matched the network’s 1.4 season average in 18-34s, the WB would hope that a strong lead-in would result in stronger ratings.

“Dennis” did improve its timeslot 63 percent over the 0.8 the WB had averaged Tuesdays at 9 p.m. the past four weeks, but that’s not so impressive considering what the network aired: two reruns of “Gilmore Girls” and two “Supernatural” repeats.

The disappointing premiere is due in part to a competitive timeslot, where “Dennis” finished fifth among 18-34s last night. Fox’s “House” led the slot in the demo with an 8.2 rating, and followed by a 2.9 for NBC’s “Scrubs” and “Teachers,” a 2.8 for CBS’s “The Unit” and a 2.1 for “Alborada” on Univision.

“Pepper” received mixed reviews, with some finding the comedy about Rebecca Romijn as a gung-ho TV reporter charming and others calling it dull.

Among 18-49s, Fox took the night with a 10.2 average rating and a 27 share. CBS was second at 3.6/10, NBC third at 3.1/8, ABC, Univision and WB tied for fourth at 1.5/4 and UPN seventh at 0.7/2.

At 8 p.m., as usual, Fox’s “American Idol” led with an 11.2 overnight rating among 18-49s. CBS was second that hour with a 3.5 for “NCIS,” WB third with a 1.8 for “Gilmore Girls,” and ABC and NBC tied for fourth at 1.5, ABC for a repeat of “According to Jim” (1.6) and a new “Hope & Faith” (1.3) and NBC for “Outrageous Moments” (1.4) and a repeat of “Scrubs” (1.6). Univision was sixth with a 1.3 for “Barrera de Amor” and UPN seventh with a 0.9 for a repeat of “America’s Next Top Model.”

Fox led again at 9 p.m. with a 9.2 for “House.” CBS remained second with a 4.3 for “The Unit,” with NBC third with a 2.7 average for “Scrubs” (2.9) and “Teachers” (2.5) and Univision fourth with a 1.9 for “Alborada.” ABC and WB tied for fifth that hour at 1.2, ABC for an hour of “Sons & Daughters” and WB for “Dennis,” with UPN seventh with a 0.6 for a “Veronica Mars” rerun.

NBC took over at 10 p.m. with a 5.2 for a new episode of “Law & Order: SVU.” CBS was second with a 3.2 for a repeat of “CSI: Miami,” ABC third with a 1.8 for a “Boston Legal” rerun and Univision fourth with a 1.3 for “Ver para Creer.”

Fox also led the night comfortably among households, averaging a 14.8 rating and a 23 share. CBS was second at 8.7/14, NBC third at 5.4/8, ABC fourth at 3.3/5, WB fifth at 2.5/4, Univision sixth at 2.0/3 and UPN seventh at 1.3/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3912.asp

RussTC3

04-05-06, 02:14 PM

Sucks to see Sons & Daughters doing so poorly. It's really a great show. Very funny and has a great feel to it, kinda like Arrested Development.

AFH

04-05-06, 03:39 PM

You guys will probably laugh, but I think Sara Ramirez is a great addition to the cast.

I agree completely. The cast needed a spark. She brings that spark. I would like to see her in more scenes. But I need my redhead fix. ;)

AFH

04-05-06, 03:53 PM

TV Notebook
Couric announcing her 'Today' departure Wed.

By Paul J. Gough The Hollywood Reporter

NEW YORK --

Snip

The naming of Couric's successor, which could be "The View" co-host Meredith Vieira or in-house candidates Campbell Brown, Natalie Morales or Ann Curry, may happen Thursday although it isn't set in stone.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002277147

I'm sure some of may have been in a organization at some point in our lives where there was a opportunity for you to move up into a higher level position that you were qualified for b/c the position came open.

And I'm sure that if you didn't get the position you probably thought to yourself, WTF b/c the powers that be decided to bring in a "outsider" for the position. You were qualified based on your experience and you had a good rapport with most people in the organization.

Having said that, I'm sure that what Campbell Brown has to be thinking at this moment. I'm thinking that for her. Why would NBC go out and bring Vieira in when they have good in-house talent in Brown? She has been hosting Weekend Today for about a year or more, the people at NBC have worked with her, and she is young enough that she could fill the role for as long as Couric did. Not to mention that she isn't bad on the eyes and she appears to have a good personality.

Now, maybe NBC management thinks that Brown isn't ready, she's to inexperienced, they don't like her, whatever! All of that could be true and a reason why she wouldn't be promoted to fill Couric's spot. I'm not sure and I'm not saying that those things are true b/c I doubt that they are. But if those things aren't true, why would they even want one of their prominent employees to have WTF moment? Just my never to be humble opinion, but she should be moved up. If you have the talent in-house, why not promote from within. Unless it's personnel in some sort of manner.

Who knows!

fredfa

04-05-06, 05:06 PM

The Digital Revolution
House Panel Takes Up Telco Video Bill

By Todd Shields MediaWeek.com APRIL 05, 2006 -

A House panel on Wednesday considered legislation to make it easier for telephone companies to launch video services offering hundreds of TV channels.

The session marked an initial step on a lengthy legislative road for the measure, which would trim localities’ power and boost a potentially potent competitor to established cable operators.

AT&T and Verizon have complained their rollout of TV service is slowed by the need to obtain approval from thousands of localities. Under the bill being considered on Wednesday, the companies could move into localities quickly after receiving federal permission.

In voting on the measure, the House telecommunications subcommittee rejected Democratic-led attempts to require phone companies to offer their new services throughout local communities.

Democrats argued that without such a measure, poor residents would be left unserved. Republicans said buildout requirements would discourage telephone companies from entering communities with their new services.

The panel rejected attempts to strengthen so-called net neutrality provisions that aim to prevent unfair discrimination against content from rivals or from services that cannot afford a fee. Some lawmakers fear, for instance, that a phone or cable company could slow the display of video provided by a competing service.

Cable operators and the phone companies generally oppose net neutrality provisions as an intrusion on their business.

Google, Amazon, and other large Internet companies on Wednesday reiterated their call for stronger net neutrality language, saying innovation would otherwise suffer.

To become law the measure must succeed in further votes before at least one committee and the full House. It also needs passage in the Senate, which has yet to begin crafting its bill.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002312699

fredfa

04-05-06, 05:54 PM

TV Sports
NFL, NBC and ''Flexible Scheduling''

By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal TV blog

Back when NBC made a deal for Sunday night NFL games, I noted that it received the all-important ''flexible scheduling'' option. That meant the network wasn't stuck with one game that, as the season progressed, could prove to be a dog (the way ABC's ''Monday Night Football'' had to operate.) Instead, it will have some flexibility, so it could air a game involving playoff-contending teams and increase viewer interest.

How's flexible scheduling going to work. What follows are explanatory notes sent out by the NFL. It shows that NBC has options, but that CBS and Fox can still protect some games. Here's the text from the NFL:

The NFL this season will implement for the first time in its history a primetime “flexible scheduling” element on Sundays in Weeks 10-15 and in Week 17.

Flexible scheduling will ensure quality matchups on Sunday night in those weeks and give surprise teams a chance to play their way onto primetime.

The 2006 NFL schedule will list start times for all Sunday games during the “flex” weeks as 1:00 PM ET, except for games played in the Mountain or Pacific Time zones, which will be listed at 4:05 PM ET or 4:15 PM ET.

The NBC Sunday night time slot for “flex” weeks will list teams as “TBD.”

Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights.

Just as the six major college football conferences have done for many years, the NFL now will have additional flexibility to move the start times of games on Sundays, using a 12-day notice format.

For example, a game scheduled for Sunday, November 26 could move from a 1:00 PM ET kickoff to an 8:15 PM start, but the change would be made and announced no later than Tuesday, November 14.

The NFL has commonly moved games between 1:00 PM ET and 4:15 PM ET (eight times last season) on Sunday afternoons. The new practice allows the NFL to employ flexible scheduling to include one of its primetime package of games – on Sunday evenings.

Sunday afternoon games, as in the past, can still be moved between 1:00 and 4:05 or 4:15 ET.

In Week 17, in order to ensure a Sunday night game with playoff implications, the decision to move the start time may be made on six days notice.

CBS and FOX will each be able to protect a total of five games in the seven weeks of flexible scheduling, but not more than one game in any week.

During the 2005 regular season, the NFL conducted a study with mock flexible scheduling. An eight-person task force consisting of team executives, one from each division, was consulted on a weekly basis. In addition, television network partners and the NFL’s broadcasting department participated weekly in the process.

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

fredfa

04-05-06, 05:59 PM

TV Sports
NFL and ''Flexible Scheduling''

Process of game-time decisions will eliminate TV duds, create chaos

By Michael Hiestand USA TODAY

The NFL this season will debut what look to be the biggest changes the league has ever made in how it presents itself to TV viewers.

In prime time, Monday games will move to ESPN, Sunday games will migrate to NBC and eight late-season games on Thursday or Saturday will pop up on the league's NFL Network — allowing viewers to see three new production styles. But the fundamental change will come in so-called flexible scheduling, meant to let hot teams play themselves into better TV time slots.

"We're not sure we nailed everything," says Howard Katz, an NFL senior vice president overseeing league media operations and a former president of ABC Sports. "This will evolve. But it's a terribly complicated process, and we hope to avoid unintended consequences."

The details of the flexible-scheduling process, which will be formally announced Wednesday:

•Always on a Sunday. Flex-scheduling applies only to Sunday games and, normally, to games only in the season's last seven weeks. This season it occurs in seven of the last eight weeks. The reason for the anomaly: Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, and the NFL doesn't play Christmas Eve night games. So NBC — whose Sunday games are at the heart of flexing — gets a Christmas Day game instead, followed by ESPN's regular Monday night game.

•TBD The NFL's regular-season schedule, to be unveiled on the NFL Network on Thursday (2 p.m. ET), will list all Sunday games in flex-scheduling weeks, except those played in the Pacific or Mountain time zones, as having 1 p.m. ET kickoffs. The NFL will have a tentative slate in mind for NBC's games during the flex-scheduling weeks. But those matchups will be listed as to-be-determined, meaning no teams will be publicly humiliated by being dumped from prime time.

•12-day deadline. The fun comes 12 days before flex Sundays, since that's the league's deadline for moving a game to NBC's prime-time slot or to 4 p.m. slots, which generally draw more viewers than the earlier games. (If teams have no hope of moving, the league will let them know earlier.)

That means the NFL this season likely will move start times for two dozen games, including moving some to prime time. That's up from moving just eight start times last year, when none moved to prime time.

•Who gets what. CBS and Fox each get to reserve five games — but no more than one per Sunday — over the seven flex-scheduling weeks. That, like coaches handling timeouts, should produce gamesmanship.

Katz says the NFL still gets to make the selection of NBC's games. The idea will be to dump dud matchups, as well as to give teams that aren't on the NFL's radar now a chance to play themselves into primetime. Katz says last season's Cincinnati Bengals, who did surprisingly well but weren't scheduled in prime time, "are the poster child for flexible scheduling."

But don't expect NBC to get automatic upgrades. Games between two 8-6 teams would probably stay on Sunday nights, says Katz, and even a game between two 4-5 teams might stay in prime time if one team "was on a streak."

•Prime-time limits. Last season teams could play in prime time four times — and no more than three games on any one network. This year three teams could appear in prime time as many as six times.

Teams are still limited to four games total on Sunday or Monday nights but could play a fifth game on the NFL Network. Three teams would be eligible to play a sixth prime-time game, but only if it was on NBC. Says Katz: "We'd never hear the end of it if there was a terrific game out there and we couldn't move it to NBC because one of the teams was out of appearances."

•Six-day scramble. The season's last Sunday could be scheduled six days in advance, says Katz, to give each network a game with playoff implications.

Katz suggests ESPN, paying an average of $1.1 billion annually for Monday night games while NBC pays just $600 million for Sunday, shouldn't feel bad about being left out of flex scheduling. "It might end up with good Monday night games where they're thankful they're not part of the flex pool," Katz says.

And don't assume, says Katz, the NFL Network will get any special favors: "The (game) package will be consistent with what we wanted to do before we knew it would go to the NFL Network."

Ultimately, he says, the league's self-interest is what keeps it from playing favorites with networks: "Our job is to generate the most eyeballs without advantaging or disadvantaging anybody."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2006-04-05-nfl-scheduling_x.htm

fredfa

04-05-06, 06:02 PM

TV Notebook
65th Annual Peabody Awards Winners Announced

By Aaron Barnhart Kansas City Star in his blog “TV Barn”
WWL-TV may have lost a transmitter but it gained a worldwide audience, when its coverage of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath was streamed to the whole world. Today WWL was one of four broadcasters honored with Peabody Awards. Among the many other winners were "The Shield," "House," "Boston Le" -- yes, "Boston Legal," "South Park" (take that, Isaac and Tom), "The Wire" -- no, not the HBO series but a CBC documentary -- several local TV stations, and my choice as the best program of 2005, Sundance's "The Staircase."

(Peabody Press Release)

Jon Stewart to host Awards Ceremony on June 5 at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

ATHENS, Georgia - The winners of the 65th Annual Peabody Awards were announced today by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Thirty-two winners, chosen by the Peabody board as the best in electronic media for 2005, were named in a ceremony in the Peabody Gallery on the University of Georgia Campus.

The Peabody recipients - from three continents and in seven languages - reflect the international scope of the competition. They range from television stations in Biloxi, Miss., and New Orleans, La., that provided heroic coverage of Hurricane Katrina's devastating landfall and aftermath, to "Yesterday," a South African film that personalized the continent's AIDS crisis. They include a Spanish documentary about China, the dramatic serials "Battlestar Galactica" and "Bleak House," Martin Scorsese’s "No Direction Home - Bob Dylan," and WNYC's Radio Rookies Project, which enables young people to find voices on radio. Multiple citations were awarded to HBO, the BBC and WGBH-Boston.

The awards will be presented June 5 at a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Jon Stewart, anchor of Comedy Central's two-time Peabody Award winner, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” will be the master of ceremonies.

"As is the case every year, submissions for consideration by the Peabody Board provide insight into the astonishing array of electronic media productions," said Horace Newcomb, Director of the Peabody Awards. "These are the works self-selected by creators and producers as their very best work from the previous calendar year. This year's Peabody Award recipients stand as hallmarks of excellence in news, documentary, comedy, drama, education and public service."

"Battlestar Galactica," a drama about a war-ravaged, homeless civilization attempting to begin anew, gave SCI FI Channel its first Peabody victory. Also new to the winners' circle were two other basic-cable channels. FX Networks won for the intense police serial "The Shield" and Sundance Channel for presenting "The Staircase," French filmmaker Jean Xavier de Lestrade's eight-part documentary about a North Carolina murder case.

In addition to "The Shield" and "Battlestar," three other entertainment series with devout followings got nods from the Peabody judges. They were "House," a FOX medical drama about a brilliant, misanthropic diagnostician; ABC's "Boston Legal," a David E. Kelley dramedy that uses a blue-chip Beantown law firm's civil cases as springboards to comment about issues from the death penalty to credit-card companies' predatory practices to morning-after contraceptives; and "South Park," Comedy Central's notoriously rude, undeniably fearless lampoon of all that is self-important and hypocritical in American life, regardless of race, creed, color or celebrity status.

International winners also included CBC/Radio-Canada for "What If Winter Never Comes? (Et si l'hiver ne venait plus?),” a report on how global warming is affecting the Arctic and the Inuit people who live there; Madrid's TVE, for "China: A Million Steps Ahead," which dealt with that country's staggering rural-to-urban shift; and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for its ear-opening, eight-part radio documentary "The Wire: The Impact of Electricity on Music."

Various arms of the British Broadcast Corporation received Peabodys. The BBC won for "This World BBC: Bad Medicine," a brave investigation of international trafficking in fake drugs, and as co-producer with WGBH of an exemplary dramatization of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House." The BBC Factual and Learning department, in partnership with the Drama division, were honored for "BBC DoNation Season: Life on the List," a multi-media campaign to encourage organ donations. BBC America's winner was "Viva Blackpool," a musical drama both grittily and giddily creative.

HBO's versatility was similarly demonstrated by its wins for the South African-produced film "Yesterday"; a documentary, "Children of Beslan," about the aftermath of terrorists' taking a Russian elementary school hostage in September 2004; and its "Classical Baby," an inventive, whimsical marriage of animation to classical music.

For the second consecutive year Showtime received an award for an original movie. "Edge of America," based on real incidents, illuminated two minority cultures with its story of an African-American teacher-coach taking a job at an American Indian-reservation school in Utah.

Local TV stations scored four 2005 Peabodys. WWL and WLOX, the broadcasters in New Orleans and Biloxi, respectively, were cited for their comprehensive Hurricane Katrina coverage. KNBC-TV in Burbank, Calif., won for "Burning Questions," its investigative series about an apartment development built on a toxic and potentially flammable site. And KCNC-TV in Denver won for "How Far Will the Army Go?," an unusual expose that incorporated a teen journalist's hidden-camera footage of desperate Army recruiters explaining how to forge a diploma and beat a drug test. Peabody judges called it "funny and frightening at the same time."

The challenge of covering Katrina also brought out the best in two national news organizations. "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" and CNN both were awarded Peabodys for their multifaceted efforts.

The array of worthy documentaries was again diverse and impressive. The "American Experience" installment, "Two Days in October," juxtaposed pivotal, parallel incidents in Vietnam and Wisconsin in 1967. "P.O.V.: Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed" recalled the campaign of Shirley Chisholm, our first female presidential contender. "Save Our History: Voices of Civil Rights," a simple, moving History Channel special, collected ordinary Americans' memories of the struggle. "The Queen of Trees," a magnificent nature film, profiled an African sycamore fig, an eco-system in and of itself.

Other nonfiction winners included "A Room Nearby," an ITVS-financed meditation on loneliness that turned soul-baring interviews into animated shorts, and "15% of the United States," a public-service investigation by KMEX Univision 34 in Los Angeles that reminded viewers of Latinos' diverse roles in and contributions to the United States. WNYC-New York's "Radio Rookies" demonstrated that there's no better way to understand how teenagers see the world than to go directly to the source and hand them tape recorders. "A Place of Our Own," from KCET in Los Angeles, was a unique bi-lingual effort to help parents and childcare workers better understand how kids develop emotionally and socially. It included outreach workshops, web sites and 120 instructional telecasts, 60 in Spanish, 60 in English.

No documentary was more entertaining than Thirteen/WNET’s "No Direction Home - Bob Dylan," a four-hour, two-part "American Masters" fashioned by award-winning movie director Martin Scorsese from a trove of archival interviews, home-movie footage and concert film provided by the chameleon-like singer-songwriter himself. Even Peabody board members who confessed they'd never "got" Dylan said that Scorsese opened their eyes and/or ears.

The Peabody Board is a 16-member group, comprised of television critics, broadcast and cable industry executives and experts in culture and the arts, that judges the entries. Selection is made by the board following review by special screening committees of UGA faculty, students and staff.

The Peabody Awards, the oldest honor in electronic media, do not recognize categories nor is there a set number of awards given each year. Today the Peabody recognizes distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals.

All entries become a permanent part of the Peabody Archive in the University of Georgia Libraries. The collection is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most respected moving-image archives. For more information about the Peabody Archive or the Peabody Awards, visit www.peabody.uga.edu.
WINNERS
Hurricane Katrina WLOX-TV, Biloxi, MS
Hurricane Katrina ripped the roof off WLOX’s newsroom, toppled one of its transmitting towers and destroyed two of its bureaus, yet courageous employees of the station broadcast 12 consecutive days of life-saving news and information to its storm-shocked Gulf Coast viewers. WLOX-TV.

Preparation and Coverage of Hurricane Katrina WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA
From pre-storm advisories to investigative reports on why the levees failed, WWL’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina began two days before the storm battered and swamped New Orleans and continued, unbroken, thanks to careful pre-planning and dedicated personnel, 99 percent of whom stayed on the job. WWL-TV.

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams: After the Storm: The Long Road Back NBC
NBC’s stated goal was to cover the aftermath of Katrina “with as many resources and as much time and intensity” as it had devoted to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This commitment on the part of a broadcast network resulted in extraordinary coverage and analysis. NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

CNN Coverage of Hurricane Katrina and Aftermath CNN
No other national, 24-hour news service provided more essential, up-to-the-minute information for viewers, listeners and online users. CNN’s continuous live coverage became a go-to channel for the most current news about Katrina and its effects. CNN.

China: A Million Steps Ahead TVE, Madrid, Spain
More than 100 million Chinese have moved from the countryside to cities in the past 10 years. The documentary gets both the big picture and smaller, personal stories of miraculous, historically unprecedented cultural and economic shifts. TVE.

American Experience: Two Days in October PBS
This extraordinary installment of WGBH Educational Foundation’s “American Experience” juxtaposed concurrent 1967 events – the ambush of an American battalion by Viet Cong and a student protest in Wisconsin – to illuminate a turning point in the Vietnam War. Robert Kenner Films, WGBH Educational Foundation, Wisconsin Public Television, Playtone, BBC.

This World BBC: Bad Medicine BBC 2
Resourceful, physical risk-taking reporting about a Nigerian doctor’s crusade against counterfeit drugs illuminates an international scourge that extends to industrialized nations as well as the Third World. BBC.

P.O.V.: Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed PBS
Not just a lively remembrance of Shirley Chisholm, the United States’ first female presidential candidate, this documentary is also a thoughtful analysis of the viability of third-party candidates. P.O.V./American Documentary Inc., Independent Television Service, Realside Productions.

Boston Legal ABC
David E. Kelley’s series about a blue-chip Boston law firm somersaults from comedy to drama to stinging political commentary with acrobatic assurance and undisguised glee. David E. Kelley Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Organization.

House FOX
An unorthodox lead character – a misanthropic diagnostician fond of saying humanity is “overrated” – and cases fit for a medical Sherlock Holmes have helped make “House” the most distinctive new doctor drama in a decade. Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions, Bad Hat Harry Productions, NBC Universal Television Studio.

Edge of America Showtime
Inspired by the true story of an African-American teacher-coach at a Native American reservation in Utah, “Edge of America” mines an atypical culture clash for insight into two marginalized minorities. Showtime, Red House Entertainment.

South Park Comedy Central
Primitive animation is part of the charm of TV’s boldest, most politically incorrect satirical series. Its simple style also makes possible the show’s unmatched topicality. Comedy Central.

American Masters: No Direction Home -- Bob Dylan PBS
Pulling together never-before-seen archival footage and interviews, director Martin Scorsese creates an artful and intimate portrait of the poet, jester and raspy voice of his generation as we’re ever likely to see or hear. Don’t think twice, it’s all right. Thirteen/WNET New York, Grey Water Park Productions, Spitfire Pictures, Cappa/DeFina Productions in co-production with Vulcan Productions, BBC/Arena, and NHK.

The Wire: The Impact of Electricity on Music Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Audio dynamite, this consistently surprising eight-part radio series explores how electricity changed – and continues to change – how we hear music, how we play it, even what we think it is or can be. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

BBC DoNation Season: Life on the List BBC
Public service campaigns rarely combine the potential and power of electronic media – TV, radio, online, interactive – in ways as effective as this concerted appeal for organ donors. British Broadcasting Corporation – Factual and Learning and Drama.

Classical Baby HBO
This whimsical, charming, deceptively simple marriage of animation to the music of Tchaikovsky, Bach and Ellington becomes an interactive treat for young children and parents alike. HBO Family.

A Room Nearby PBS
Five people’s tales of their lonely lives become the soundtracks for idiosyncratic animated vignettes. Peabody board members called it “a beautiful gift.” Independent Television Service.

Burning Questions KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA
KNBC-TV’s four-part investigative series confirmed health and safety concerns about a multi-acre commercial-residential development built on a site that includes a leaking subterranean gas reservoir. KNBC-TV.

How Far Will the Army Go? KCNC-TV, Denver, CO
An enterprising high-school journalist and KCNC-TV teamed up to document U.S. Army recruiters helping a prospective recruit to forge a diploma and beat a drug test. KCNC-TV.

A Place of Our Own (Los Ninon en Su Casa) KCET-TV, Los Angeles, CA
This public-service project, designed to provide parents and child-care providers with information about helping kindergarteners develop social, emotional and cognitive skills, included daily TV programs and web sites in Spanish and English and more than 200 bi-lingual outreach workshops. KCET/Los Angeles in association with Sesame Workshop and 44 Blue Productions Inc.

Radio Rookies Project WNYC Radio, New York
Teenaged reporters pick up microphones and let down their guards in this series of remarkably immediate and illuminating first-person dispatches. WNYC Radio/Radio Rookies.

15% of the United States KMEX-Univision 34, Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by the book “La Nueva California, Latinos in the Golden State,” KMEX-Univision 34’s 19-part series examined the past, present and future of the Latino community, revealing diversity and contributions far beyond the usual television depictions. KMEX-Univision 34.

Save Our History: Voices of Civil Rights The History Channel
Not a professor or celebrity in sight. Just men and women, white as well as black, recalling their personal experience of “the movement.” The History Channel special was eloquent, moving, invaluable. Documania Films, Sierra Tango Productions, The History Channel.

What If Winter Never Comes? (Et si l’hiver ne venait plus?) CBC/Radio-Canada
From the frontlines of global warming, the Arctic, this report brought listeners voices of native people, the Inuit, whose way of life is literally melting away. Deftly employed ambient sound enhanced the piece’s power. La Premiere Chaine (French Radio Network) – CBC/Radio-Canada.

Viva Blackpool BBC America
What would have been at minimum an engrossing tale of ambition, greed and corruption in a depressed seaside city looking to gambling for salvation becomes, with the addition of a song score of pop-music classics and ingeniously staged production numbers, a riveting, at times jaw-dropping entertainment event. BBC America, BBC.

The Staircase Sundance Channel
A controversial murder case in Durham, N.C., is merely the backdrop for the intimate, grippingly constructed eight-chapter documentary in which director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade explores a complex defendant, his divided family and his spare-no-expense defense. Maha Films.

Yesterday HBO
This starkly beautiful, heart-breaking movie from South Africa about a young mother who is diagnosed with AIDS put an indelible face on a continent’s massive crisis. A Distant Horizon/Videovision Entertainment Production in association with Anant Singh, The Nelson Mandela Foundation, M-Net Exciting Films and Video Foundation of South Africa in association with HBO Films.

The Queen of Trees BBC 2
Impeccable, creative cinematography aside, the wondrous thing about this study of a single sycamore fig, Africa’s queen tree, is that it’s a microcosm of the eco-complexity of the Earth at large. Deeble and Stone Productions, NHK, Thirteen/WNET New York, Granada International, BBC, ZDF.

Children of Beslan HBO
Terrorists’ September 2004 siege of a Russian elementary school recalled in the words of children ages 6 to 12 who survived it. The simplest and most direct of several documentaries on the subject, and the most shattering. BBC in association with HBO Documentary Films.

Bleak House BBC
“Absolutely compulsive viewing” said the Peabody board of this masterful, faithful-yet-modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’ serial about a never-ending London law suit. A BBC, WGBH-Boston co-production in association with Deep Indigo.

The Shield FX
Riveting, densely layered adult entertainment – and more. No cop series has posed harder questions than “The Shield” about how far we’re willing to let law-enforcement officers go to keep us safe. Fox Television Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Battlestar Galactica SCI FI CHANNEL
A belated, brilliantly re-imagined revival of a so-so 1970s outer-space saga, the series about imperiled survivors of a besieged planet has revitalized sci-fi television with its parallax considerations of politics, religion, sex, even what it means to be “human.” NBC Universal Television Studio.

http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2006/04/katrina_vic_mac.html#more

fredfa

04-05-06, 06:06 PM

HDTV Sports
HDNet goes High-def With NASCAR

By Glen Dickson Broadcasting & Cable 4/5/2006 2

NASCAR and HDNet announced Wednesday the 2006 broadcast schedule for the network’s third season of live coverage of the NASCAR Grand National Division, a tier of NASCAR’s Regional Racing Series, featuring the Busch East Series and AutoZone West Series. Live coverage begins with the AutoZone West Series race on Thursday, April 20 at 11pm ET from Phoenix International Raceway.

“NASCAR in high-definition brings all of the intensity of a race right into the viewer’s living room, and we are excited to bring our fans a third season of the NASCAR Grand National Division on HDNet,” said Dick Glover, VP of Broadcasting & New Media, NASCAR Digital Entertainment.

“The premium production quality HDNet provides for the series is unrivaled, and we are thrilled for its drivers, teams and tracks to receive live television coverage throughout the season.”

The HDNet broadcast team of Mike Hogewood, Pat Patterson, Dave Burns, Dan Pardus and Kandace Krueger will announce the action, which will be produced and telecast in 1080-line interlace (1080i) HDTV. SPEED TV will also re-air each of the HDNet-produced NASCAR Grand National Division races in standard-definition.

For the schedule and more details, see Ken H's thread here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=664260

archiguy

04-05-06, 06:27 PM

Battlestar Galactica SCI FI CHANNEL
A belated, brilliantly re-imagined revival of a so-so 1970s outer-space saga, the series about imperiled survivors of a besieged planet has revitalized sci-fi television with its parallax considerations of politics, religion, sex, even what it means to be “human.” NBC Universal Television Studio.

And well deserved, too! Maybe a few more of these awards drawing attention to it, and this outstanding show may be able to draw more than 2 million viewers per episode (and American Idol draws 30 million. Go figure. :rolleyes: ). No "best dramatic series" emmy nod for this show was criminal.

fredfa

04-05-06, 06:47 PM

Sometimes the Peabodys do draw help draw more viewers -- but, sadly, they get far less press attention than the Emmys.

fredfa

04-05-06, 07:13 PM

TV Notebook
Senators Seek Adelphia Conditions

By Ted Hearn Multichannel.com 4/5/2006

Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) asked the Federal Communications Commission to consider imposing programming conditions on the sale of Adelphia Communications Corp. to Time Warner Inc. and Comcast Corp., informed sources said Wednesday.

In an April 4 letter to the FCC co-signed by Sen. Bryon Dorgan (D-N.D.), Stevens took the side of DirecTV Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp. that Comcast and Time Warner would have the market power to control access to and the price of widely popular regional sports networks, perhaps giving the MSOs too much leverage over pay TV competitors.

“We are greatly concerned about a merger of such scope and believe you should act carefully before approving such a merger,” the lawmakers said.

Stevens is a powerful lawmaker with direct oversight of the FCC. He is preparing a sweeping telecommunications bill that is expected to expedite phone-company entry into cable markets and to address the kinds of financial relationships cable operators may build with Internet-content providers.

Dorgan is an outspoken foe of media consolidation.

A copy of the entire letter was not immediately made available by Stevens and Dorgan aides. But an industry source who had the letter agreed to describe its contents and furnish one quotation.

Time Warner and Comcast have agreed to pay $16.7 billion to acquire bankrupt Adelphia’s 5 million subscribers. Although the Federal Trade Commission approved the deal in February without conditions, the FCC has had it under review for 305 days. It is expected that the FCC won’t act on the Adelphia merger until Robert McDowell has been confirmed to give Republicans a 3-2 majority.

In their letter, Stevens and Dorgan voiced concern that Comcast and Time Warner might migrate programming services to terrestrial-distribution formats in order to withhold the programming from competitors in a manner consistent with federal program-access rules. Those rules require MSOs to sell just satellite-delivered programming that they own.

The lawmakers also said they were concerned that Comcast and Time Warner would control large regional clusters with a high percentage of pay TV subscribers, and that they would use that clout to obtain unaffiliated programming on an exclusive basis, an informed source said.

Stevens and Dorgan also suggested that Comcast and Time Warner might make programming available to satellite on discriminatory terms by offering a license-fee structure designed to ensure that satellite providers pay more than cable for the same programming, an informed source said.

“Competitors can distinguish themselves with certain exclusive content, as DirecTV does with ‘NFL Sunday Ticket,’” Comcast said in a prepared statement.

“Complaints about our decision not to license our Philadelphia sports network to satellite providers have been repeatedly rejected by the FCC and the courts,” the MSO added. “We have again addressed this issue in the FCC's review of the Adelphia transaction, even though it is not relevant.”

Comcast continued, “These transactions do, however, promise great benefits for consumers, including accelerating the deployment of advanced entertainment and communications services and lifting the Adelphia systems out of bankruptcy and placing them on solid financial footing. Approval of this transaction should not be delayed because of this issue.”

fredfa

04-05-06, 07:58 PM

TV Notebook
NBC remains tight-lipped about 'Today'

By Paul J. Gough The Hollywood Reporter April 06, 2006

NEW YORK -- Now that Katie Couric has made her intentions clear, NBC is faced with a big decision of its own: how to chart the future of "Today."

Despite reports that a deal with "The View" co-host (and former CBS Newser) Meredith Vieira was imminent, NBC News execs stressed that they weren't going to make an announcement about a co-host Wednesday. Nor would they talk about the future of "Today" publicly, preferring instead to let the Couric news settle in before unveiling their plans.

Whether that's Vieira, "Today" show news reader Ann Curry or substitutes Campbell Brown or Natalie Morales -- or someone else not yet mentioned -- it wasn't entirely clear Wednesday. But what is clear is that NBC Universal is taking this as seriously as the possible loss of Couric and wants to find a co-host that will help keep the ratings (and morning-news money) flowing at "Today."

Talk around the Radio-TV Correspondents Assn. Annual Dinner in Washington, D.C., last week was that not only was Couric's leaving a fait accompli but that NBC News already had a plan in place. NBC demurred but others conceded long ago that it was likely that Couric would leave and that Vieira, Curry, Brown and Morales were in the running.

Co-host Matt Lauer's stock, already high at NBC, has risen in recent years, and he has scored a number of exclusive interviews, including last week's with West Virginia mine disaster survivor Randall McCloy. Lauer will take a leading role no matter what, observers say.

"It's hard to imagine being here and not having you sit next to us," Lauer told Couric on "Today." "We're thrilled for the fact that you are taking on a new challenge."

The stakes are incredibly high, even if "Today" has in the past year beaten off a challenge from ABC's "Good Morning America," which was 40,000 viewers away from catching "Today" when then-executive producer Tom Touchet was fired. Under executive producer Jim Bell, "Today" regained its momentum and is now a million viewers from "GMA."

"Matt's awfully good at the moment, and any flaws that they had in terms of getting stale, they've ironed that out with the new executive producer," notes network-news analyst Andrew Tyndall. Tyndall doesn't think there's much of a challenge from "GMA," which he said has made its charge and had reached a sort of ceiling.

"If they were going to get more they were going to get it by now," Tyndall said.

Tyndall is surprised by the talk of Vieira as a front-runner, saying that it would be "entirely out of character" for NBC Universal to hire her.

"They have always been very careful to groom replacements in-house, teach them the house style and basically have them fit into the ongoing mechanism that exists already," Tyndall said. "They got so badly burned with the Deborah Norville-Jane Pauley situation, they swore this would never happen again."

Matthew Felling, media director of the Center for Media and Public Affairs in Washington, D.C., thinks "Today" will take a hit from losing what he calls "the Michael Jordan of morning news." While he recognizes the argument that "Today" won in the ratings last week with Couric on vacation, he said "there's a difference between having somebody on vacation and having somebody flat-out gone. The 'Today' show is appointment viewing for a large constituency ... for at least the promise of Katie Couric to come."

Couric's departure may indirectly help CBS' "The Early Show," which has been mired in third place since it began in the late 1990s. "Today" veteran Steve Friedman was recently hired to boost the show's fortunes, working with senior executive producer Michael Bass. That is seen as a signal that CBS intends to not only compete at 6:30 but also in the morning, which has never been a strong suit for the network.

Tyndall said that no matter who is chosen, Lauer will be much more highlighted than he ever has before.

"Matt has really blossomed. He's come into his own," Tyndall said. "I think Matt can carry the show while they break in a new co-host."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002312737

fredfa

04-05-06, 08:33 PM

TV Notebook
Katie Couric: (The Voice of) God Is Not Dead

By James Poniewozik Time Magazine television critic

The least surprising surprise announcement in all of television finally came this morning, as Katie Couric told NBC's Today viewers she is leaving the show after 15 years to anchor the CBS Evening News. (Well, her phrase--delivered after a quaveringly emotional goodbye speech -- was that she was leaving to "work on" the CBS newscast and 60 Minutes, but one presumes she won't be fetching coffee.)

Couric's departure has already launched all kinds of questions: Will it be good for Katie? for CBS? for NBC? for women? for journalism? But before we launch into an orgy of media analyzing the media, it's worth asking one more question: Is it really that big a deal?

For months, we've been hearing how Couric's heading to CBS would be a sea change for the news business. True, a woman has never headed an network evening newscast, though that probably says more about the glacial pace of change at newscasts than any change in society. It will get big headlines. But bringing Couric to CBS is really the exact opposite of the kind of radical change CBS chief Les Moonves has promised to bring to the newscast. It is, in a way, the most conservative pick he could make.

Think about it: Moonves was famously quoted as saying he wanted to do away with the authoritarian, "voice of God" format of the news. Sure, Couric is known for being more populist and warm. But what better way to make an anchor into a Godlike central figure than by publicly courting her for months and offering her a reported $15 mil a year? You'd better get God for your money, if you're laying out that kind of Mammon.

Hiring Couric, in fact, is a big vote for the antiquated, three-network-era notion of the celebrity anchor. In the cable news era, as CNN famously averred, "the news is the star," or, at least, opinion hosts like Bill O'Reilly are. On cable, where more viewers now get news in the aggregate, straight-news anchors tend to be interchangeable (like cable leader Fox's) or niche stars (like Anderson Cooper). Sure, the network newscasts still get bigger individual audiences, but it's less clear that stars matter there anymore. Brian Williams leads the news race on sheer inoffensive stability and the momentum of Tom Brokaw; Bob Schieffer is hardly a boldface name, but he's actually raised CBS's ratings as interim anchor. Spending a ton of money to land a big-name anchor? That's a bold, fresh move--in, like, 1977.

Couric will definitely shake things up briefly. People under 70, with little use for evening newscasts--me, for instance--will tune in out of curiosity, when she debuts. But good luck making it last. Frankly, there's probably nothing Moonves can do to sweep back the demographic tide: there are generations now who neither have the habit nor the schedules to plop in front of the news at 6:30 every night. Couric may be the multimillion-dollar attraction that gets new viewers in the door, but to keep them, it will be more important to change the format, style and tone of the show around her. (Jon Stewart's agent should stay close to the phone.)

Couric's hire will be big celebrity news. But is it big news-news? Not if you actually do believe that the newscasts need to change, radically, if they have any goal other than keeping their current audience until it dies. Katie might make a fine anchor. And her courtship shows that, in fact, God is not at all dead on the evening news. But will anyone watch Her?

http://time.blogs.com/tuned_in/

fredfa

04-05-06, 08:33 PM

TV Notebook
The West Wing Comes Down to the Wire. Is Anyone Watching?

By James Poniewozik Time Magazine television critic

Having started life as an overrated, hugely popular show, The West Wing is ending its existence as an underrated, widely forgotten show. Last night's episode took a ripped-from-the-headlines election scenario (an election turns out to be much closer than the sketchy exit polls suggested) and upped the drama through the unfortunate necessity of writing off the late John Spencer (his character, vice presidential candidate Leo McGarry, dies on election day, raising the prospect of a crisis of succession). But the show pulled in barely over 7 million viewers, putting it in fourth place among viewers 18 to 49.

It's sad to say it, but Spencer's death has enabled the writers to pull off a tough feat: writing a finish to an election even more exciting than the ones reality has provided the last couple go-rounds. It also offers them a reasonable excuse to do the conventional TV thing, but for unconventional reasons: to let the show's Democrat central characters end the winners, because it would provide the more dramatic scenario, namely, what do you do when the vice-president-elect dies while being elected? (The writers have already done the conventional audience-pleasing thing by finally getting Donna and Josh in bed after seven years, so clearly they're inclined to give their base--those few viewers left--what it wants.)

That's not to say that's where the show is going for sure. It's only early April, and a long drawn-out legal battle would not only be precedented but dramatically irresistable, especially with the VP vacancy. The preview of next week's episode left that as a possibility, showing Matt Santos and Arnold Vinick with just over 200 electoral votes each in the night's tally, raising the possibility that it could all come down to a photo finish, possibly decided by California, Republican Vinick's home state but usually a Democratic bastion. (It was thrown in contention by an accident at a nuclear-power plant Vinick had supported, for the millions of you West Wing exiles.)

California actually becoming the crucial swing state in a close election? Now that's a political fantasy everyone in Hollywood can get behind.

http://time.blogs.com/tuned_in/

keenan

04-05-06, 09:07 PM

TV Notebook
The West Wing Comes Down to the Wire. Is Anyone Watching?

Hell yes!! Some of the best TV programming to come down the pipe. I'll definitely miss it, especially considering the other dreck that NBC puts on the air.

keenan

04-05-06, 09:12 PM

From Digital Spy, a UK site...thanks to AVS member Whitearrow for supplying the link in the Lost thread.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds31236.html
Digital Spy - Cult - 'Lost' producers lobby for scheduling change

'Lost' producers lobby for scheduling change

Tuesday, April 4 2006, 20:50 BST - by Neil Wilkes

The producers of Lost are seeking a new scheduling model for the show in the US to curb the frequency of repeats.

Most US series, including Lost, typically air 22 new episodes each season over a period of 36 weeks, meaning that new episodes are often punctuated with repeats of old episodes.

US Lost fans have complained that having to wait many weeks for a new episode has ruined their enjoyment of the show.

24 has successfully avoided the problem by delaying its return from September to January each year before airing its full season without interruption.

Although Lost's broadcaster, ABC, is unwilling to adopt a similar strategy, show producers have come up with a compromise solution.

"We're lobbying ABC for when the show is on, it's on, and when it's off, it's off," exec producer Damon Lindelof told E! Online. "So, we want to air it in three acts next year. You know, blocks of seven, seven and eight. But in order to do that, we have to roll the show out in October instead of September, and hopefully that will work out."

adash66

04-06-06, 01:28 AM

TV Sports:

NFL.com and NFL Network to unveil regular-season schedule .

(April 4, 2006) -- For the third straight season, the National Football League's release of the regular-season playing schedule will be made into a two-hour television show on NFL Network's signature show, NFL Total Access. The show will air this Thursday, April 6, at 2 p.m. ET.

It will also be posted simultaneously on NFL.com, broken down by date, by team and by broadcast network.

The NFL Total Access Schedule Show Presented by GMC will be hosted by Rich Eisen, alongside guest analyst Steve Mariucci.

NFL Total Access will announce the 2006 regular-season playing schedule on a week-by-week basis, highlighting the new changes taking place this season, including flexible scheduling, the addition of NBC and NFL Network as broadcasters, plus all the compelling matchups.

In addition to highlighting the key games of the 2006 season, the special will also feature interviews with current players, including John Lynch of the Denver Broncos, coaches, including Herm Edwards of the Chiefs and Sean Payton of the Saints, plus broadcasters, including FOX's Troy Aikman, to gauge their reactions to the schedule as it comes out.

The two-hour special will re-air the same day as its original air at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

In addition to the NFL Total Access Schedule Show Presented by GMC, NFL Network features live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of Day 1 of the 2006 NFL Draft, as well as exclusive live coverage of NFL Europe games this April

Marcus Carr

04-06-06, 08:40 AM

Sens. Seek Adelphia Conditions

By Ted Hearn 4/5/2006 8:23:00 PM

Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) asked the Federal Communications Commission to consider imposing programming conditions on the sale of Adelphia Communications Corp. to Time Warner Inc. and Comcast Corp., informed sources said Wednesday.

In an April 4 letter to the FCC co-signed by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Stevens took the side of DirecTV Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp. that Comcast and Time Warner would have the market power to control access to and the price of widely popular regional sports networks, perhaps giving the MSOs too much leverage over pay TV competitors.

“We are greatly concerned about a merger of such scope and believe you should act carefully before approving such a merger,” the lawmakers said.

Stevens is a powerful lawmaker with direct oversight of the FCC. He is preparing a sweeping telecommunications bill that is expected to expedite phone-company entry into cable markets and to address the kinds of financial relationships cable operators may build with Internet-content providers.

Dorgan is an outspoken foe of media consolidation.

A copy of the entire letter was not immediately made available by Stevens and Dorgan aides. But an industry source who had the letter agreed to describe its contents and furnish one quotation.

Time Warner and Comcast have agreed to pay $16.7 billion to acquire bankrupt Adelphia’s 5 million subscribers. Although the Federal Trade Commission approved the deal in February without conditions, the FCC has had it under review for 305 days. It is expected that the FCC won’t act on the Adelphia merger until Robert McDowell has been confirmed to give Republicans a 3-2 majority.

In their letter, Stevens and Dorgan voiced concern that Comcast and Time Warner might migrate programming services to terrestrial-distribution formats in order to withhold the programming from competitors in a manner consistent with federal program-access rules. Those rules require MSOs to sell just satellite-delivered programming that they own.

The lawmakers also said they were concerned that Comcast and Time Warner would control large regional clusters with a high percentage of pay TV subscribers, and that they would use that clout to obtain unaffiliated programming on an exclusive basis, an informed source said.

Stevens and Dorgan also suggested that Comcast and Time Warner might make programming available to satellite on discriminatory terms by offering a license-fee structure designed to ensure that satellite providers pay more than cable for the same programming, an informed source said.

“Competitors can distinguish themselves with certain exclusive content, as DirecTV does with ‘NFL Sunday Ticket,’” Comcast said in a prepared statement.

“Complaints about our decision not to license our Philadelphia sports network to satellite providers have been repeatedly rejected by the FCC and the courts,” the MSO added. “We have again addressed this issue in the FCC's review of the Adelphia transaction, even though it is not relevant.”

Comcast continued, “These transactions do, however, promise great benefits for consumers, including accelerating the deployment of advanced entertainment and communications services and lifting the Adelphia systems out of bankruptcy and placing them on solid financial footing. Approval of this transaction should not be delayed because of this issue.”

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6322524.html?display=Breaking+News

Marcus Carr

04-06-06, 08:55 AM

Vieira Believed To Have Made NBC Deal

By Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/5/2006 9:51:00 PM

Meredith Vieira is believed to have agreed to a deal in principle to replace Katie Couric on NBC's Today show, and an announcement is expected as soon as Thursday, according to network sources.

The multi-year pact would put Vieira alongside Matt Lauer after her contract with ABC’s The View expires July 31. The sides could, however, reach an agreement that would allow Vieira to join Today earlier; Katie Couric is leaving for CBS at the end of May.

Whether Vieira jumps to Today in June or NBC uses a series of fill-ins until August, NBC will have the asset of selling the new Lauer-Vieira partnership as its crown jewel in the upfront market.

The other remaining issue is Vieira’s role as host of the syndicated game show strip Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. NBC is said to have cleared her to continue on the Buena Vista Television show, but Vieira may pursue a release from her contract, which has two seasons remaining.

Should she remain on Millionaire while taking over on Today, expect NBC to deflect any criticism with reminders that Hugh Downs hosted both Today and game show Concentration concurrently in the 1960s.

http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6322541.html?display=Breaking+News

Marcus Carr

04-06-06, 08:59 AM

House Subcommittee Clears Franchise Bill

By Ted Hearn 4/5/2006 8:20:00 PM

A House subcommittee passed a bipartisan bill Wednesday that allows AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. to offer cable-television service anywhere in the United States within 30 days under a new national-franchising scheme.

"The bipartisan effort today by the House subcommittee moves consumers one step closer to true choice for video services, and we look forward to quick action by the full committee,” AT&T executive vice president of federal relations Tim McKone said in a prepared statement.

The bill would allow a cable company to opt out of a local franchise if a phone company with a national franchise has entered the same local franchise area.

The 27-4 vote to approve the bill came after lawmakers spent seven-and-a-half hours on amendments without taking a lunch break. Late in the afternoon, the panel recessed for about 45 minutes to cast votes on the House floor.

Before final passage, the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet rejected a number of amendments, including one that that would have forced the phone companies to build out entire communities under a timetable that would have kicked in after five years.

An amendment by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) designed to empower greatly the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to ban discriminatory conduct by broadband-access providers was rejected, 23-8.

In a win for the cable industry, the panel approved an amendment that provides cable operators with certain regulatory guarantees in voice communications, including assurances that phone calls initiated on cable systems can reach customers of traditional phone companies.

“We are very pleased with the new interconnection language that gives facilities-based Internet-voice providers the same rights that other voice competitors were granted in the 1996 Telecommunications Act. This is a significant step forward for voice competition in the United States, and it will enable cable and other Internet phone providers to finally break the Bell companies' tight grip on this marketplace,” National Cable & Telecommunications Association president Kyle McSlarrow said in a statement.

The full Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to debate the bill the week of April 24, chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) said.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6322537.html?display=Breaking+News

fredfa

04-06-06, 10:02 AM

The TV Column
Ins and Outs of a Sweetheart's Deal

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Thursday, April 6, 2006; C01

America's Sweetheart Katie Couric is packing up her toothy smile, her of-course-it's-about-me attitude and her stilettos and moving from NBC's "Today" to replace Dan Rather as permanent anchor of the "CBS Evening News" and become a correspondent on "60 Minutes."

Here's a look at this development's winners and losers:

WINNERS

"CBS Evening News." Suddenly, the perennial "oh yeah, and them, too" newscast has momentum, while NBC's Brian Williams-cast has peaked and ABC's evening newscast has been rocked by the serious injury of one anchor and the preggers condition of the other -- plus the fact that having a female co- anchor just became so Ozzie and Harriet, what with Couric about to become the first woman ever to be allowed to fly solo on a Big Three evening newscast.

Matt Lauer . "It's hard to imagine being here and not having you sitting next to us," the "Today" co-anchor told Couric yesterday. Which -- just as when Simon Cowell told newly scruffy/newly Teri Hatcher-boy-toy Ryan Seacrest to "lose the beard" -- can be taken two ways. And while we didn't actually see his feet tapping out a happy dance during the well-scripted We're So Gonna Miss You segment, Lauer's gotta be pleased that now he might actually get some of the credit for the show's No. 1 status. Unless ratings tank when Couric leaves in May. Then, not so much.

Diane Sawyer. Now, at last, Diane "I Am Big, It's the Newscasts That Got Small" Sawyer is the biggest star in the morning infotainment firmament. Yesterday, on ABC's "Good Morning America," she gushed, in re Couric's departure, "We're really colleagues, all of us who are on the dawn patrol out there."

Bob Schieffer. During his year-and-change as temp anchor of "CBS Evening News," Schieffer was the only anchor to grow his audience, by giving them what they wanted: a laid-back, not-about-me style, emphasizing correspondents. Naturally, CBS suits went out and got the next best thing: a gam-flashing center-of-the-universe bleached blonde.

Katie Couric. Sure, Couric started off as a "real" journalist. But eventually reporters will notice that when they write that she "has undeniable hard news credentials -- she's interviewed presidents and world leaders in addition to George Clooney," they could also be describing Dr. Phil. And even Couric knows you can put on a SpongeBob SquarePants costume only so often before you need to go out and get a job on a serious news show.

Viewers. Sure, "Eye on Katie" may be a train wreck journalistically, but won't it be fun to see how the newscast evolves so as to get Katie's legs out from behind the desk? And you know someone's gonna get hurt the first time she says on air of "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney, as she said of Lauer yesterday, "Once in a while we get on each other's nerves -- well, he gets on my nerves."

LOSERS

Katie Couric. Also a potential loser, Couric may be joining the pantheon of NBC superstars, including David Letterman, Bryant Gumbel, Bill Cosby and Ted Danson, who jumped to CBS only to flame out.

Charlie Gibson. Rumors that Gibson might become the ABC evening newscast fill-in for injured Bob Woodruff went from big news to "who cares" just like that.

ABC. Not only does its co-anchored newscast now look so last week, but the network also may lose Meredith Vieira -- the maypole around which the women of "The View" do their daily loondance -- if she takes Couric's gig on "Today."

Andy Rooney. On the day of CBS News's big announcement, the "60 Minutes" commentator told Don Imus he was not enthusiastic about it, adding, "I don't know anybody at CBS News who is pleased that she's coming here." Perhaps not the best career move.

CBS correspondents. Under Schieffer's tenure, the CBS evening newscast has emphasized the news operations' correspondents instead of anchor-as-star. Good luck with that under new evening-news managing editor Couric; nobody puts Katie in a corner.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mandisa, the most talented singer since Kelly Clarkson to compete on "American Idol," got booted from the competition last night after receiving the fewest viewer votes?

And Elliott Yamin, the second-best singer in this round of competition, also was one of this week's bottom-three vote-getters?

It's a world gone mad!

Oh wait -- we already knew that, having been told that very morning that Katie Couric is the new CBS evening news anchor.

You just knew it was going to be one of those nights when "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest divided the nine remaining contestants into three groups of three on stage -- one of which included the three low vote-getters.

The producers have Seacrest put the singers through this routine only on result-show nights in which the evictee is a shocker. They should fix that.

Kellie Pickler, Taylor Hicks and Chris Daughtry were declared safe first. Taylor and Chris had the good sense to look relieved; country bumpkin Kellie seemed confused by the whole three-groups-of-three thing and so had looked cool throughout.

Bucky Covington, Katharine McPhee and Ace Young were next declared safe, even though Katharine and Ace previously had been bottom-dwellers, and Bucky is talentless. But ha! We knew that was coming.

That left Mandisa, Elliott and Paris Bennett.

"Remember, this is what you decided," Seacrest chided viewers as the three stood onstage.

He announced that the person with the lowest number of votes was Mandisa, after which the studio audience sat silent for what seemed a very long minute.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/05/AR2006040502580_pf.html

fredfa

04-06-06, 10:10 AM

Hell yes!! Some of the best TV programming to come down the pipe. I'll definitely miss it, especially considering the other dreck that NBC puts on the air.

Well, it is off a bit from its Aaron Sorkin/Robe Lowe days.
And the loss of John Spencer is deeply felt.
But I agree, it is going to be greatly missed.

fredfa

04-06-06, 12:32 PM

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

fredfa

04-06-06, 01:01 PM

TV Notebook
Vieira to replace Couric at 'Today'

'View,' 'Millionaire' host to join this September

By Michael Learmonth Variety.com

NEW YORK — NBC named Meredith Vieira to replace Katie Couric as co-anchor of "Today," Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC Universal Television Group, announced on Thursday.

Vieira, who is host of ABC's "The View" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," will join "Today's" Matt Lauer, Ann Curry and Al Roker this September.

Announcement concludes weeks of talks with Vieira, who NBC hoped to sign for the show in time for the "upfront" ad selling period in May.

"Meredith's vast experience as an award-winning journalist as well as talk show host make her the ideal candidate for this job," Zucker said.

Vieira has been moderator of ABC's "The View" since its inception in 1997. She has been host of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" since 2002.

Vieira spent more than a decade at CBS News, where she garnered five Emmy Awards for her work as a correspondent on the top-ranking news magazines "60 Minutes" and "West 57th." From 1989 to 1991 she was a co-editor of "60 Minutes."

She started at ABC in 1993 when she joined their news division as chief correspondent of "Turning Point," which debuted in March 1994.

fredfa

04-06-06, 01:39 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Amazing flop: CBS's 'Race' collapses

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Apr 6, 2006

CBS has moved “The Amazing Race” around its schedule twice this season, and the second move looks to have been even more damaging than the first.

“Race” last night posted a 3.0 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 in its new Wednesday 8 p.m. timeslot, down 23 percent from the 3.9 it had averaged through five Tuesday 10 p.m. episodes (the two-hour season premiere did begin at 9 p.m.).

That 3.9 was already down 9 percent from the 4.3 rating “Race” averaged last fall in its old Tuesday 9 p.m. slot.

“Race” did accomplish one of CBS’s goals last night, improving the timeslot over what comedies “Out of Practice” and “Courting Alex” averaged there over the previous two weeks. “Race’s” 3.0 was up 67 percent versus the past two weeks, but that’s not saying much because the two rookie comedies averaged only a 1.8.

It raises real questions about the future of “Race,” which over the past two years has become a valuable reality franchise. Last spring “Race” helped CBS to a strong May sweeps finish in 18-49s, and several editions of the show ranked among the top 30 for the season.

Last fall “Race” switched to a family edition that was unpopular with viewers. And moving the show to the later 10 p.m. slot this spring seemed unwise, as “Race” is show that families watch together.

It’s questionable whether “Race” can rebound in the coming weeks. CBS advertised the move aggressively, and there’s not much timeslot competition beyond Fox’s so-so “Bones” and NBC’s “Deal or No Deal.”

In other night timeslot-changing news last night, NBC’s “Law & Order” returned to its regular 10 p.m. slot after spending two weeks at 9 p.m. to make way for the new drama “Heist.” “L&O” posted a 3.5 last night, up 30 percent from the 2.7 it averaged in two weeks at 9 p.m. and close to its 3.6 season-to-date rating.

That came at the expense of “Heist,” however, which moved to 9 p.m. against Fox’s “American Idol” and ABC’s “Lost” and posted a 2.0, down 29 percent from the 2.8 it averaged at 10 p.m. over its first two weeks.

Fox was first for the night among 18-49s with a 5.9 average rating and a 16 share. ABC was second at 4.1/11, NBC third at 3.2/9, CBS fourth at 3.1/8, UPN fifth at 1.8/5, Univision sixth at 1.4/4 and WB seventh at 1.0/3.

NBC began the night in the lead with a 4.2 rating at 8 p.m. for “Deal or No Deal.” Fox was second with a 3.6 for “Bones,” CBS third with its 3.0 for “Race” and UPN fourth with a 2.4 for “America’s Next Top Model.”

ABC finished fifth with a 2.2 for “George Lopez” (2.1) and “Freddie” (2.4), WB sixth with a 1.3 for “One Tree Hill” and Univision seventh with a 1.2 for “Barrera de Amor.”

Fox took the lead at 9 p.m. with an 8.3 average for an “American Idol” results show (10.5) and “Unan1mous” (6.1). ABC moved to second with a 6.6 for “Lost,” with CBS third with a 2.8 for a repeat of “Criminal Minds,” NBC fourth with its 2.0 for “Heist” and Univision fifth with a 1.8 for “Alborada.” UPN was sixth with a 1.2 for “Veronica Mars” and WB seventh with a 0.7 for “Bedford Diaries.”

ABC, NBC and CBS tied for first with a 3.5 rating at 10 p.m., ABC for “The Evidence,” NBC for “L&O” and CBS for a repeat of “CSI: NY.” Univision was fourth with a 1.1 for “Don Francisco Presenta.”

Fox also led the night among households with a 9.3 average rating and a 15 share. NBC was second at 6.8/11, ABC third at 6.4/10, CBS fourth at 6.3/10, UPN fifth at 2.6/4, Univision sixth at 1.9/3 and WB seventh at 1.6/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3943.asp

SnakeEyes

04-06-06, 03:01 PM

OK what does the Franchise bill mean for us consumers?

fredfa

04-06-06, 03:05 PM

TV Notebook
“The West Wing”: Decision Day

By Adam Buckman The New York Post

April 6, 2006 -- We have a winner.

And his name is ...

Well, you didn't think I was going to spoil it, did you?

That wouldn't be fair to those of you who are still watching "The West Wing" as its final season draws to an end.

You are a dwindling but lucky few, for you have been rewarded with a show that refuses to throw in the towel, despite drawing the lowest average audiences in its history.

In case you are not one of those who have been watching, the show has been embroiled in a season-long election campaign to decide who will succeed President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen).

The battle between two well-matched foes - Sen. Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda), Republican of California, and Rep. Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits), Democrat of Texas - comes to a conclusion Sunday night (8 p.m. on NBC/4).

The episode, titled "Election Day II," continues where last Sunday's episode left off, with White House media consultant Annabeth Schott (Kristin Chenoweth) finding former White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry unconscious on the floor of his hotel room.

This Sunday, with only 90 minutes left until the polls close in the nation's westernmost time zones, Rep. Santos and his campaign team receive the sad news: Leo, longtime friend of President Bartlet and at that moment the Democratic candidate for vice president, has died.

His sudden death threatens to throw Election Day into turmoil, just as the real-life death last Dec. 16 of beloved cast member John Spencer, who played Leo, might have derailed "The West Wing" smack in the middle of its last hurrah.

But it didn't. And "The West Wing" has chugged right along with episodes that have been among the strongest in its history.

In its seventh and final season, "The West Wing" is ranked 83rd with just under 8 million viewers an episode - a far cry from its peak in the 2001-02 season, when it was ranked 10th with a weekly audience of more than 17 million.

Still, the show's shrinking audience has apparently done nothing to diminish the enthusiasm of this show's cast and crew, who evidently plan on going out in a well-deserved blaze of glory.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/66575.htm

fredfa

04-06-06, 03:46 PM

TV Notebook
Will NBC Lead Mornings Without Couric?

By Marc Berman MediaWeek.com

As Katie Couric leaves NBC's The Today Show in September for an anchor role at CBS Evening News, a big concern for NBC, of course, is its still sizeable morning news advantage. Will the audience remain intact without Katie Couric?

Considering The Today Show is not The Katie Couric Show and instead led by an ensemble, there is no real reason to believe that viewers en masse will jump ship, thanks to the continued anchor support of Matt Lauer, Ann Curry and Al Roker. If the rumored Meredith Vieira joins the NBC team, that can potentially fuel even more interest.

Right now, all three morning-news franchises are performing close to year-ago levels, according to Nielsen Media Research data.

What follows are the season to-date ratings (Sept. 19, 2005 - March 24, 2006 versus the comparable year-ago period) for NBC's The Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America and CBS' The Early Show.

Households:
NBC: 4.7 rating/16 share (- 4)
ABC: 4.1/14 (- 2)
CBS: 2.3/ 8 (- 4)

Total Viewers:
NBC: 6.03 million (no change)
ABC: 5.19 (- 3)
CBS: 2.91 (- 2)

Women 25-54:
NBC: 3.2/18 (no change)
ABC: 2.7/16 (no change)
CBS: 1.2/ 7 (-14)

Adults 25-54:
NBC: 2.4/17 (- 4)
ABC: 2.0/14 (- 4)
CBS: 1.0/ 7 (- 9)

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002312637

fredfa

04-06-06, 03:48 PM

OK what does the Franchise bill mean for us consumers?

Let's wait until we see what kind of bill actually passes the House and Senate before trying to figure out what it will mean.

There are many, many miles (not to mention rewrites and amendments) to go before ahnything gets to the President's desk.

keenan

04-06-06, 04:44 PM

BREAKING NEWS FROM MEDIAWEEK ONLINE

Two leading U.S. senators say they want to keep cable companies from withholding regional sports programming from competitors, a
practice that critics contend unfairly impedes competition, Todd Shields reports.

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chair of the Commerce Committee and Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), whom Stevens calls co-chair, told reporters Thursday
that sports programming is of such importance to communities that it should be considered to be public, not private.

“There ought to be access by the public to sports programming, particularly in their area,” said Stevens. The senators spoke after delivering remarks
at a luncheon in Washington.

Their remarks carry extra weight now because the Commerce Committee is preparing to draft its version of a communications bill. The measure will
enjoy a high priority on the legislative calendar.

In a Tuesday letter to the Federal Communications Commission, Stevens and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) wrote that they were “concerned that the
potential for exclusive contracts for regional sports programming may unfairly impede competition.”

The letter mentioned complaints that Comcast-affiliated sports networks are withheld from satellite competitors in Philadelphia, where Comcast has
deals with the 76ers, Phillies and Flyers.

Last month Verizon asked the FCC to ensure it could secure programming from Rainbow Media Holdings, a Cablevision subsidiary that holds rights to
games of the Knicks, Rangers and Islanders in New York as well as the New Jersey Devils.

Stevens and Dorgan in their letter to the FCC asked the agency to consider imposing conditions on the joint bid by Comcast and Time Warner to acquire
the customers of the bankrupt Adelphia.

fredfa

04-06-06, 07:56 PM

I wonder if Comcast will actually want to go through with the Adelphia deal if it has to share its RSNs. It will be fun to watch.

Ken H

04-06-06, 08:45 PM

Ratings for Cable Networks
By The Associated Press

Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of March 27-April 2. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses.

1. "The Sopranos" (Sunday, 9:02 p.m.), HBO, 5.62 million homes, 8.83 million viewers.

fredfa

04-06-06, 10:50 PM

Washington Notebook
Stevens Pushes for Sports Access

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 4/6/2006

A staffer for Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) confirms that the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee feels that viewers should have access to regional sports network coverage of their home teams, and wants the FCC and/or Congress to do something about it.

Stevens and Comerce Committee member Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) have sent a letter to the FCC suggesting that conditions be put on the deal divvying up Adelphia between Comcast and Time Warner to insure access to regional sports.

"I really do think that the FCC has to address the question of the ability of entities to take away from local people or from people who don’t choose to use one particular type of provider the opportunity to participate in the sports world," Stevens said at a Quello Communication Policy & Law symposium in Washington Friday. "That is one of the key issues of our Committee today, is how to ensure that sports are properly treated," he said.

"We’re going to create a bunch of rights and one of the rights ought to be access by the public to sports programming, particularly those in their area," said Stevens.

"You take people here, as I was telling [former FCC Chairman] Jim Quello, those people who are infirm in and can’t go the stadium, why shouldn’t they be able to watch the games here?

"This idea that someone can contract and get an exclusive right and shut them out, to me means, well, maybe they shouldn’t have any rights at all to be in the broadcasting business, or program business. We cannot allow that to happen. It has got to be available."

The regional sports issue also came up at a markup of the House Commerce version of telecom bill rewrite--a national video franchise bill--but the program access issue did not make it onto that bill, which passed out of the Telecommunicatios Subcommittee Wednesday.

Elsewhere, House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) has scheduled a hearing Friday, April 7, "Why Most Nats Fans Can't See their Team on TV," on TV coverage, or lack of it, of Washington Nationals Baseball games.

Areas of the Washington suburbs served by Comcast can only see a handful of games because the cable company will not carry the Mid Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).

Comcast had bid on the rights to the Nationals -- the relocated Montreal Expos -- but lost out to MASN.

Comcast has, in turn, refused to carry the network on cable systems serving nearly 2 million subscribers in the network's territory. Cox has recently struck a deal to carry the games in Fairfax, another big Washington suburb.

The Baltimore Orioles, which own MASN, turned to the FCC for help and want to make the dispute an issue in regulators' review of Comcast's planned purchase of parts of Adelphia Communications, which the FCC is still reviewing.

MASN is also moving the Orioles games off of Comcast's own regional sports network to MASN starting next year.

Verizon has filed a program-access complaint with the FCC to try and force Cablevision to negotiate a carriage agreement so that Verizon's FiOS TV multichannel video service can carry what it says are various Cablevision-controlled sports channels in New York and New England.

Another element of the issue is the so-called "terrestrial loophole." Because cable operators are only required by law to make satellite-delivered programming available to competitors, regional cable operator-owned sports networks--like those of Comcast in Philadelphia, that are 1) delivered by landline and 2) increasingly have rights to pro teams don't have to make that programming available to satellite or telcos.

An amendment to the House bill that would have closed the loophole was defeated Wednesday in the Telecommunications Subcommittee.

Most of those games were once readily available on broadcast TV, but as with Monday Night Football and, increasingly, baseball, those games are moving to cable.

keenan

04-06-06, 10:54 PM

I wonder if Comcast will actually want to go through with the Adelphia deal if it has to share its RSNs. It will be fun to watch.
It sure will, from DirecTV below,

http://phoenix.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=840113&highlight=
DIRECTV News Release

DIRECTV Lauds Chairman Stevens and Senator Dorgan for Letter to the FCC Urging Cautious Review of Adelphia Transaction; Letter Cites Concerns Over Potential for Anti-Competitive Behavior

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2006--DIRECTV (NYSE: DTV), the nation's leading digital television service provider, said today it is pleased that Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), in their letter to the FCC, recognize the potential negative impact of the proposed Comcast/Time Warner acquisition of Adelphia Cable on fair competition in the marketplace.

"Chairman Stevens, Sens. Dorgan and Daniel Inouye recognize that regional sports is must-have programming, and by denying their competitors access to regional sports networks, cable monopolies are depriving fans of the right to root for their home team," said Susan Eid, vice president, Government Affairs, DIRECTV, Inc.

fredfa

04-06-06, 10:55 PM

Washington Notebook
Stevens Fears Cable Sports Monopoly

By Ted Hearn Multichannel.com 4/6/2006

Washington -- Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said Thursday that he’s concerned that Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable could “monopolize” local sports after the two MSOs buy Adelphia Communications Corp.’s 5 million subscribers.

“I think my main concern [is] the problem of entities trying to monopolize sports. And, having those entities merge, I really do think that the [Federal Communications Commission] has to address the question of the ability of entities to take away from local people or from people who don’t choose to use one particular type of provider the opportunity to participate in the sports world,” Stevens told reporters.

On Tuesday, Stevens sent FCC chairman Kevin Martin a letter asking for a careful review of the Adelphia deal out of concern that Comcast and Time Warner would have the market clout to secure regional sports programming that would not be available to satellite competitors DirecTV Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp.

“This idea that someone can contract and get an exclusive right and shut [satellite] out, to me, means, well, maybe they shouldn’t have any rights at all to be in the broadcasting business or program business. We cannot allow that to happen. It has got to be available,” Stevens said.

He indicated that he might address local sports rights in his pending telecommunications bill.

“That is one of the key issues of our committee today: how to ensure that sports are properly treated,” he added. “It is not private, and it ought to be one of those new rights. We’re going to create a bunch of rights, and one of the rights ought to be access by the public to sports programming, particularly those in their area.”

Stevens spoke to reporters accompanied by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), who also voiced concern about the public access to local sports.

“If there is such a thing as an American way of life, sports is part of that,” said Inouye, the most senior Democrat on the committee.

Marcus Carr

04-07-06, 02:26 AM

Comcast, MASN negotiate

By Tim Lemke
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
April 7, 2006

Comcast and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network yesterday traded offers in an attempt to resolve a dispute over rights to broadcast Washington Nationals games on the eve of testifying before a congressional committee on the issue.

Comcast, which has refused to offer MASN to its subscribers, said yesterday it would begin showing Nationals games immediately if MLB commissioner Bud Selig agreed to a new broadcast arrangement allowing networks to compete for exclusive rights for the team.

Under the proposal, an existing compensation agreement between Major League Baseball and Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos for the Nationals' move to the region would be scrapped, and the Nationals then would be permitted to sell their television rights to the partner of their choice, including Comcast SportsNet. Comcast said if MLB agreed to this provision, it would begin carrying Nationals games immediately.

Comcast, with more than 1.3?million subscribers, is the region's largest cable provider, and its refusal to carry the network has left many fans unable to watch Nationals games. Comcast sued the Orioles last year on the grounds MLB should not have awarded MASN the rights to broadcast Orioles games without allowing Comcast SportsNet to match the offer.

MASN was created in 2004 as part of a package to compensate Angelos for the Nationals' move to the region. The network is largely owned by the Orioles, with the Nationals owning a minority stake. The network shows only Nationals games now, but Orioles games will begin broadcasting on MASN in 2007 after the team's current contract with Comcast SportsNet expires.

"This will ensure that the Nationals -- like every team in MLB -- is in control of its own local television rights and that the team receives a market share for those rights," Comcast president Stephen Burke wrote to Selig.

Under Comcast's new proposal, the cable company would pay the Nationals a rights fee equal to the one being paid by the Orioles to the Nationals. That fee is about $21 million.

Angelos, MLB president Bob Dupuy, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams and Comcast executives are scheduled to testify before the House Committee on Government Affairs today.

MASN said Comcast was simply holding out to gain an ownership stake in the network --a charge Comcast vehemently denied last night. MASN yesterday delivered its fifth offer letter to Comcast, with terms identical to those offered to distributors who now carry the network.

MASN is available on DirecTV, Cox Cable in Fairfax County and Fredericksburg, Verizon's FiOS service, RCN Cable and Charter Cable.

Comcast's proposal likely would require MLB to come up with a new way to compensate Angelos for the Nationals move to the region. MLB spokesman Rich Levin said Selig was aware of Comcast's proposal but had not seen it and declined to comment.

http://washingtontimes.com/sports/20060407-120643-5918r.htm

fredfa

04-07-06, 03:09 AM

Comcast seems to be feeling the Congressional pressure.

fredfa

04-07-06, 03:14 AM

Sports On TV
NFL National Television Schedule

Date Game (Network)
Thur., Sept. 7 Miami at Pittsburgh (8:30 ET, NBC)

Sun., Sept. 10: Dallas at Jacksonville (4:15 ET, FOX)
Indianapolis at N.Y. Giants (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Sept. 11: Minnesota at Washington (7 ET, ESPN)
San Diego at Oakland (10:15 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Sept. 17: Kansas City at Denver (4:15 ET, CBS)
Washington at Dallas (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Sept. 18: Pittsburgh at Jacksonville (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Sept. 24: N.Y. Giants at Seattle (4:15 ET, FOX)
Denver at New England (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Sept. 25: Atlanta at New Orleans (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Oct. 1: New England at Cincinnati (4:15 ET, CBS)
Seattle at Chicago (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Oct. 2: Green Bay at Philadelphia (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Oct. 8: Dallas at Philadelphia (4:15 ET, FOX)
Pittsburgh at San Diego (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Oct. 9: Baltimore at Denver (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Oct. 15: Kansas City at Pittsburgh (4:15 ET, CBS)
Oakland at Denver (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Oct. 16: Chicago at Arizona (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Oct. 22: Washington at Indianapolis (4:15 ET, FOX)

Mon., Oct. 23: N.Y. Giants at Dallas (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Oct. 29: Indianapolis at Denver (4:15 ET, CBS)
Dallas at Carolina (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Oct. 30: New England at Minnesota (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Nov. 5: Denver at Pittsburgh (4:15 ET, CBS)
Indianapolis at New England (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Nov. 6: Oakland at Seattle (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Nov. 12: Dallas at Arizona (4:15 ET, FOX)
To be determined (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Nov. 13: Tampa Bay at Carolina (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Sun., Nov. 19: San Diego at Denver (4:15 ET, CBS)
To be determined (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Nov. 20: N.Y. Giants at Jacksonville (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Thur., Nov. 23: Miami at Detroit (12:30 ET, CBS)
Tampa Bay at Dallas (4:15 ET, FOX)
Denver at Kansas City (8 ET, NFL Network)

Sun., Nov. 26: To be determined (4:15 ET, FOX)
To be determined (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Nov. 27: Green Bay at Seattle (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Thur., Nov. 30: Baltimore at Cincinnati (8 ET, NFL Network)

Sun., Dec. 3: Seattle at Denver (4:15 ET, FOX)
To be determined (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Dec. 4: Carolina at Philadelphia (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Thur., Dec. 7: Cleveland at Pittsburgh (8 ET, NFL Network)

Sun., Dec. 10: Denver at San Diego (4:15 ET, CBS)
To be determined (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Dec. 11: Chicago at St. Louis (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Thur., Dec. 14: San Francisco at Seattle (8 ET, NFL Network)

Sat., Dec. 16: Dallas at Atlanta (8 ET, NFL Network)

Sun., Dec. 17: St. Louis at Oakland (4:15 ET, FOX)
To be determined (8:15 ET, NBC)

Mon., Dec. 18: Cincinnati at Indianapolis (8:30 ET, ESPN)

Thur., Dec. 21: Minnesota at Green Bay (8 ET, NFL Network)

Sat., Dec. 23: Kansas City at Oakland (8 ET, NFL Network)

Sun., Dec. 24: San Diego at Seattle (4:15 ET, CBS)

Mon., Dec. 25: Philadelphia at Dallas (5 ET, TBD)
N.Y. Jets at Miami (8:30 ET, TBD)

Sat., Dec. 30: N.Y. Giants at Washington (8 ET, NFL Network)

Sun., Dec. 31: To be determined (4:15 ET, CBS)
Arizona at San Diego (4:15 ET, FOX)
To be determined (8:15 ET, NBC)

fredfa

04-07-06, 09:37 AM

The Digital Revolution
California Pay-TV Rules Change Sought

Phone firms back a bill to give the state control.
Local governments and cable industry oppose it.

By James S. Granelli and Marc Lifsher Los Angeles Times Staff Writers April 7, 2006

SACRAMENTO — As they plan to roll out television service rivaling cable, California's two largest phone companies are pushing to change the rules on pay TV — taking control away from cities and counties and giving it to state officials.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) on Thursday amended a bill backed by AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Corp. to create a statewide franchise for pay TV.

Nuñez's bill is the latest legislative effort nationwide championed by the two phone giants to make it easier for them to compete against cable.

Nuñez said his legislation would boost competition, lower bills and create "billions of dollars of infrastructure upgrades and more jobs to California." He said local franchise agreements, designed for an era when cable TV was the exclusive provider, have "certainly outlived their usefulness."

But the legislation drew the wrath of local governments and the cable TV industry.

Both said the bill lacked assurances that phone companies would build out entire cities, not just affluent areas, and created a new formula for deciding what revenue could be taxed. Many municipalities depend on the taxes they collect from cable operators, and local franchise agreements ensure that even poor neighborhoods are served.

"AT&T can't have its way all the time, all the way," said P. Anthony Thomas, a lobbyist for the League of California Cities.

California is the biggest market to consider new rules that would strip cities and counties of their ability to negotiate and oversee pay-TV franchises. Last year, Texas became the first state to adopt statewide franchise rules.

In Congress, a bill aimed primarily at giving phone firms a nationwide franchise passed a House subcommittee this week and heads to the full Energy and Commerce Committee. California legislators want a state law in place so it would remain valid under a new federal law.

The phone companies raised horror stories about how some cities have dragged their feet for a year or more on granting approvals and even have used blackmail. Verizon said one city, which it wouldn't name, required parking for city employees in a Verizon lot as a condition for getting a franchise approved.

AT&T and Verizon also don't believe they have to serve every community — or even every household in a community.

Timothy McCallion, Verizon's California president, likened it to rivals, including cable TV, entering the telephone market. Phone service competitors, he said, aren't held to the same rules that incumbents such as Verizon and SBC have to follow, including a mandate to serve everyone.

"New competition requires new rules," McCallion said.

Nuñez's bill also would change the formula for determining gross revenue by excluding a list of items. Lower revenue would mean less money for cities and counties because local governments receive 5% of gross revenues from cable TV providers.

Los Angeles is reviewing Nuñez's measure to determine what effect it might have on city finances, said Joe Ramallo, spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

State Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Whittier), chair of the Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, said she shared the speaker's "desire to bring more competition to cable customers," but she didn't endorse his legislation.

She said any bill that passed the Legislature should contain principles that include a level playing field "to ensure that competition is fair" and a requirement for building out new networks "so that all communities have access to broadband and competitive video service."

The bill "must not allow cherry-picking and must narrow the digital divide" between affluent and low-income neighborhoods, Escutia said.

Acknowledging that his bill didn't provide much assurance, Nuñez stressed that it would guarantee local government revenues and access to the best technology for all users, regardless of neighborhood or income.

"California laws restricting choice in television service have been on the books since 1963," Nuñez said at a news conference.

Kenneth McNeely, AT&T's California president, said the state "is taking the first step … to bring video choice to consumers. This legislation is designed to bring new investment and job growth to the state."

The cable industry has insisted on a level playing field.

"California's consumers will only benefit if telephone companies are held to the same public access, build-out and fee structure regulations that existing cable providers have been under for more than a decade," said Dennis Mangers, president of the California Cable & Telecommunications Assn.
________________________________________
(Granelli reported from Orange County and Lifsher from Sacramento.)

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-fi-video7apr07,0,7687142,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

fredfa

04-07-06, 09:43 AM

The 2006 NFL TV Schedule
Broncos Buck a Trend to Become America's Team

By Mike Penner Los Angeles Times Staff Writer April 7, 2006

The 2006 NFL television schedule was released Thursday, and the most popular, on-demand and watchable team in the land is … the Denver Broncos?

Leading the league with 11 nationally televised games this coming season? The Broncos.

Tied for the league lead with four prime-time telecasts? The Broncos.

Helping to kick off the NFL Network's new package of live televised games, the debut coming on Thanksgiving evening? The Broncos.

Did we miss something in the off-season?

Did John Elway announce he was coming back?

Are Bronco games required viewing for the Jake Plummer Beard Club for Men?

Imagine if the Broncos had done more than just talked about signing Terrell Owens. Owens went instead to the Dallas Cowboys, which is why they rank second to the Broncos with nine nationally televised games.

With 11 national games, the Broncos have nearly three times as many as the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who have four.

That AFC championship game final score again: Steelers 34, Broncos 17.

The Steelers and the Broncos share the lead in prime-time telecasts, four, with the Seattle Seahawks (they went to the Super Bowl), the New York Giants (they have Eli Manning) and the Oakland Raiders (they have a new coach).

The Broncos will help break in the NFL Network's regular-season coverage by playing at Kansas City on Thanksgiving night, thus contributing to more Turkey Day bloat as the third leg of the league's Thanksgiving triple-header. Other games that day will be Miami at Detroit on CBS and Tampa Bay at Dallas on Fox.

The NFL Network's eight-game package — five games on Thursday, three on Saturday — includes a Dec. 21 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers, one of three prime-time games for the Packers.

The NFL Network's news release touts the game as "Brett Favre's Home Finale," indicating the NFL Network obviously knows something we don't know, so why haven't they reported Favre's coming back yet?

(Then again, a little white-out and that news release can easily read: "Big Game For Aaron Rodgers.")

NBC is back in the NFL game, swooping in to scoop up the league's Sunday night package when ABC lateraled Monday nights to ESPN. And what did $650 million buy NBC this season?

The Manning Brothers Bowl (Indianapolis at the Giants, Sept. 10), the T.O.-Keyshawn Johnson Shout-Off (Dallas at Carolina, Oct. 29), Adam Vinatieri's return to Foxborough (Indianapolis at New England, Nov. 6) and seven appearances by To Be Determined.

That last bit is a byproduct of the league's new season-ending flexible TV schedule. Fox on Nov. 26 and CBS on Dec. 31 also have national telecasts to be determined, depending on the late-season appeal of available matchups.

In all, 30 teams will be featured at least once on national television.

The only teams not making the cut are the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans. Evidently, a few networks forgot that the Texans are a matter of days away from drafting a running back named Reggie Bush.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-tvcol7apr07,1,2543617.column?coll=la-headlines-pe-sports

Marcus Carr

04-07-06, 09:52 AM

Comcast sems to be feeling the Congressional pressure.

And maybe a little pressure from Verizon (although they would never admit it), which has MASN and Comcast SportsNet.

HDTV-NUT

04-07-06, 11:36 AM

biker19

04-07-06, 12:45 PM

I hope this means a downfall for reality shows. All it does is take up space with garbage content IMO.
But for some drama, "Race" is a good lesson in geography and culture. One of the only "family" reality shows.

CPanther95

04-07-06, 01:02 PM

But for some drama, "Race" is a good lesson in geography and culture. One of the only "family" reality shows.

Agreed - Amazing Race isn't the typical "reality" show, at least not in the sense of how they are portrayed on this forum.

Marcus Carr

04-07-06, 01:53 PM

Satellite in the Slow Lane?

Some media analysts believe DirecTV's and EchoStar's growth will stabilize, but it's up to cable to prove to Wall Street that it can capitalize on the trend and add basic subscribers.

By Simon Applebaum

The era of direct broadcast satellite companies landing body blows to cable TV penetration year after year may soon be over. Competition between the two delivery platforms will be characterized by the slower subscriber growth of EchoStar and DirecTV, coupled with a revitalized charge by cable operators and their triple, or quad, plays, some analysts say.

"You can see clouds for the DBS guys gathering on the horizon regarding their long-term competitiveness," says Craig Moffett, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.'s senior analyst on U.S. cable and DBS developments. Moffett believes 2006 will be the year DBS growth hits the skids.

"Cable spent money to get a more competitive position, the result of which is that operators like Comcast and Cablevision are starting to win back subscribers," says UBS' Aryeh Bourkoff.
So far this year, the pace of new basic subscriber growth at DirecTV and EchoStar's Dish Network is "slower than in recent years," says Aryeh Bourkoff, cable, satellite & entertainment analyst with UBS and grandmaster of the company's annual "Media Week" conference in New York. More worrisome for satellite, monthly subscriber churn has inched up from 1.3% per month at the start of 2005 to 1.8% per month by December for both major DBS ventures combined, according to Bourkoff. EchoStar's churn rate ran as high as 2% last year, UBS estimates.

Bourkoff credits cable with the apparent slowdown in DBS' sub acquisitions, specifically, the enhancement by cable operators of their video output with video on demand, high-definition channels and digital video recorders, and its successful marketing of video, voice and high-speed Internet bundles. "Cable spent money to get a more competitive position...the result of which is that operators like Comcast and Cablevision Systems are starting to win back subscribers," Bourkoff says. "Now satellite is trying to prepare for the coming competitive environment, which will be more intensified, by securing a bundle offering to compete with both cable and the telco overbuilds."

Oppenheimer cable analyst Thomas Eagan says one of the reasons for DBS' higher churn rate is bad-debt customers. "[Satellite] grew by too much and now it's hurting them with higher churn," Eagan says, adding that DirecTV and EchoStar will be marketing less aggressively in some markets to avoid adding more bad-debt customers.

A BUNDLE AT RISK

For Moffett, the fact that DBS had to turn to telephone companies such as Verizon, AT&T/SBC and BellSouth to add high-speed access components to their packages isn't good news on several counts. "True high-speed, as in 5 megabits or better, is increasingly becoming a necessary utility in American households," Moffett explains. "Telco plants won't be able to deliver that kind of bandwidth in most of America in the next seven to 10 years. Where telcos can deliver that bandwidth, they will be trying to acquire customers for their own video or bundle platform. Effectively, DBS is saddled with a partner that will offer inadequate service in 60% of the country, and would rather be a direct competitor [to cable] for their base in the other 40%."

Meanwhile, major cable operators lost fewer basic customers in 2005 than 2004--about 180,000 customers in 2005 compared to more than 500,000 in 2004, Oppenheimer estimates. And for the first time in three years, operators added more digital customers than the year before; they added 3.2 million new digital customers in 2005, compared to 2.8 million in 2004 and 3.2 million in 2003. National digital cable penetration increased from 34% in 2004 to 39% in 2005, and high-speed broadband penetration over the period went from 27.5% to 34%, according to Oppenheimer.

"One thing that's incredibly frustrating is that operators like Comcast continue to maintain that winning or losing a few basic subscribers doesn't matter [compared to landing digital, high-speed or phone customers]," says Craig Moffett of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.
"It was VOD and DVRs coming into the digital package, and more high-speed promotion, that led the way to this result," Eagan says.

CABLE'S BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer service has also played a role, and Moffett, Bourkoff and Eagan agree that cable has closed the gap with DBS in that department. "Getting into the digital phone business has sharpened the service initiative," Bourkoff believes. "People have less tolerance for phone disruption compared to video disruption, and given that cable customers are entrusting their providers to do more besides video, that has forced operators to make the service relationship better."

"The people you see at MSOs--installers as well as front-office customer service reps--are better trained than they used to be," Eagan acknowledges. "The level of knowledge and performance is much higher."

BASIC NECESSITY

The expected slowdown in DBS sub growth and its higher churn rate could help cable's case on Wall Street, where the most important currency is basic cable subscribers. Unless operators can win back satellite customers, the perception of MSOs as underperformers will persist, Moffett argues.

"One thing that's incredibly frustrating is that operators like Comcast continue to maintain that winning or losing a few basic subscribers doesn't matter [compared to landing digital, high-speed or phone customers]," Moffett says. "To Wall Street, that's like saying the objective is to just rack up passing yards when you're out to score touchdowns and win the game. Win the game! That isn't complicated. If you have a better product, play to win. The consensus is that cable has a better overall product than DBS, and there's frustration that this advantage isn't manifested in new basic subs yet. You get the impression Cablevision is the only operator right now playing to win, instead of playing not to lose."

"Verizon is mostly a Northeast-based company, which is not prime DBS territory for the most part. So FiOS could have more impact on cable than on DBS," says Oppenheimer's Thomas Eagan.
In Cablevision's latest quarterly financials, it recorded an increase of 63,993 basic customers in 2005, up 2.2% from 2004, with 17,930 basic customers signing on the last three months of 2005.

Moffett brought his "win the game" message to Horowitz Associates' annual multicultural forum in New York last month, adding that operators would gain more basic subs by introducing more local channels and target VOD programming at people of color. His comments augmented the message behind Horowitz's "State of Urban Broadband" study, which says that cable could gain an upper hand on DBS by pushing a greater variety of bilingual ethnic services.

BUT DBS IS NOT DEAD

DBS can regain momentum by focusing on its areas of strength. While cable may have the edge in high-speed, DBS could match or beat cable in delivery of HDTV service, interactive TV and mobile products. To keep cable at bay, satellite will need to roll out products like EchoStar's PocketDish, a portable DVR expected this fall, Bourkoff says.

DBS will also be able to exploit its expanding all-digital capacity for HD services, especially local broadcast TV signals, where cable currently has an edge. "Satellite will catch up to cable on local in the next few years," Bourkoff says. "Then cable will have to [add] interactive content to gain a differentiation advantage, as well as expand original VOD product and mobile access of content. The medium some customers will ally with may be the medium best able to take its programming effortlessly into different mobile devices."

Our three media financial pundits are clear on which DBS player is set up best for long-term success: DirecTV, which benefits from the backing of parent News Corp., led by Rupert Murdoch. "They are focusing more on cash flow margin growth than on sub growth," Eagan believes. "They are creating more original programming to drive that growth [such as music performance series CD-USA, which launched two months ago]."

DirecTV "is also making strides to cut down on low-quality, bad-debt customers," adds Bourkoff.

EchoStar faces a bigger long-term challenge. The company "has a larger presence than DirecTV in rural markets, particularly in the Southeast," Eagan says. "Charter is getting its act together in those areas and starting to show basic sub growth along with increased digital, high-speed and phone sales. And they will be more impacted than DirecTV by the Adelphia systems being acquired by Comcast or Time Warner."

But EchoStar's competitive fire and a feisty leader like Charlie Ergen can't be dismissed, Moffett warns, pointing to the way it handled its rate increase dispute with Lifetime. "The upshot is that Lifetime lost distribution [on some EchoStar tiers] and didn't get anywhere near the kind of rate increase they were looking for," he says.

"EchoStar is a tough negotiator and will put [programmers] to the test of how relevant their programming is to a DBS audience," Bourkoff adds.

VERIZON ON THE HORIZON

Verizon's FiOS overbuilds around the country are targeting both DBS and cable's customers, with AT&T's Project Lightspeed approaching the launch pad. The impact telco overbuilds will make on DBS will be minimal in the short run, because Verizon and AT&T must prove themselves first. "DBS and cable are incumbents now, and the telcos will have to spend more to differentiate themselves from both of them," Bourkoff says. "It will take a few years to get the picture."

"Remember that Verizon is mostly a Northeast-based company, which is not prime DBS territory for the most part," adds Eagan. "So FiOS could have more impact on cable than on DBS."

http://www.cableworld.com/cgi/cw/show_mag.cgi?pub=cw&mon=041006&file=satelliteinthe.htm

fredfa

04-07-06, 02:26 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
A weakening 'CSI' on a tougher night

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Apr 7, 2006

ABC’s “American Inventor” may have fallen off now that it’s airing head-to-head against CBS’s “CSI,” but it certainly looks as though it’s also stealing a few viewers from TV’s No. 1 crime drama.

“CSI” has lost a bit of its considerable steam in a suddenly very competitive 9 p.m. timeslot that has added five new shows since January.

Last night an original “CSI” averaged a 7.3 Nielsen overnight rating among viewers 18-49, down 14 percent from the 8.5 final rating it has averaged in the demo this season. That was also down 17 percent from the 8.8 overnight rating it earned on March 9, the last time it didn’t face “Inventor.” The show was off two weeks in that span for NCAA basketball.

The Las Vegas procedural dropped 8 percent from a 7.9 overnight 18-49 rating last week.

And last night’s episode wasn’t only down among 18-49s. The show posted a 14.5 overnight household rating last night, down 8 percent from its 15.7 season average, and averaged 22.9 million total viewers, down 9 percent from the 25.3 million it has averaged season-to-date.

Of course those numbers are still excellent, but there were times earlier this season when “CSI” clocked close to 30 million viewers per episode. Last night’s episode didn’t even make it to 23 million.

Blame the new timeslot competition. Besides ABC’s “Inventor,” which has improved ABC’s timeslot average considerably, NBC’s sitcoms “My Name is Earl” and “The Office” joined the Thursday schedule in January, and the WB’s “Supernatural” recently moved there as well. Teen soap “The O.C.” on Fox also bumped to 9 p.m. from 8 p.m. this year.

But you can also blame a weaker lead-in for “CSI.” Last night “Survivor: Exile Island” averaged a 5.6 rating, down 14 percent from the 6.5 that “Survivor: Guatemala” averaged last fall at 8 p.m. on CBS.

CBS finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 5.8 average rating and a 16 share. NBC was second at 3.6/10, ABC third at 2.9/8, Fox fourth at 2.1/6, Univision fifth at 1.6/5, WB sixth at 1.6/4 and UPN seventh at 0.9/3.

At 8 p.m. CBS led with a 5.6 for “Survivor,” followed by a 3.2 average for NBC for “Will & Grace” (3.1) and a repeat of “My Name is Earl” (3.2). ABC was third with a 2.2 for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition—After the Storm,” and Fox and the WB tied for fourth at 1.8, Fox for a repeat of “That ‘70s Show” (1.9) and a new “The Loop” (1.7) and WB for “Smallville.” Univision was sixth with a 1.3 for “Barrera de Amor” and UPN seventh with a 1.1 for repeats of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Love, Inc.”

CBS led again at 9 p.m. with its 7.3 for “CSI.” NBC was second with a 4.1 average for “Earl” (4.7) and a repeat of “Teachers” (3.5), ABC third with its 3.6 for “Inventor” and Fox fourth with a 2.4 for “The O.C.” That left Univision fifth with a 2.1 for “Alborada,” WB sixth with a 1.4 for “Supernatural” and UPN seventh with a 0.7 for “Eve” and “Cuts.”

At 10 p.m. CBS completed the nightly sweep with a 4.6 for a repeat of “Without a Trace.” NBC was second with a 3.7 for a repeat of “ER,” ABC third with a 3.1 for “Primetime” and Univision fourth with a 1.6 for “Aqui y Ahora.”

CBS also led the night among households with an 11.5 average rating and a 19 share. NBC was second at 5.8/9, ABC third at 5.4/9, Fox fourth at 3.0/5, WB fifth at 2.4/4, Univision sixth at 2.1/3 and UPN seventh at 1.5/2.
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_3971.asp

fredfa

04-07-06, 02:33 PM

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

Whitearrow

04-07-06, 03:58 PM

Agreed - Amazing Race isn't the typical "reality" show, at least not in the sense of how they are portrayed on this forum.

Yeah, I agree. It's the class act among the reality/competition genre.

I think it's still suffering from the misguided family edition, and from two really bad casting decisions in the previous 2 races (Rob/Amber and the Jonathan/Victoria debacle). This current field is the best group they've had in a long time. But getting bounced around time slots isn't helping, nor did starting the season at 10 pm. A lot of people don't want to jump into the show mid-season, and an extended "previously on" doesn't really cut it.

I also wonder if CBS wouldn't be wise to schedule TAR like it before it became so popular -- in the summer. It's much easier to stand out from the crowd then, and it's a light, easy to watch show that just seems to fit.

Or if they do show it during the regular season, alternate it with Survivor so the two aren't on at the same time.

keenan

04-07-06, 04:03 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
A weakening 'CSI' on a tougher night

Last night an original “CSI”
POS Comcast DVR had this as a repeat so it didn't record it... probably the first one I've missed in years... :(

slocko

04-07-06, 04:07 PM

i liked the rob/amber AMZ. it was one of the better ones and it even had a happy fairy tale ending. it was such a perfect ending that you almost felt it was fixed.

now the family edition was a failure. couldn't connect at all.

AFH

04-07-06, 04:16 PM

Agreed - Amazing Race isn't the typical "reality" show, at least not in the sense of how they are portrayed on this forum.

Exactly. Love race and the dynamics between the teams. The geography lesson isn't bad either.

fredfa

04-07-06, 04:16 PM

POS Comcast DVR had this as a repeat so it didn't record it... probably the first one I've missed in years... :(
Keep an eye out for it, jim. CBS repeats the CSIs fairly regularly - often on Saturday night.

keenan

04-07-06, 04:17 PM

Yes, that's what I'm going to do. :)

fredfa

04-07-06, 04:21 PM

Congress Watch
Congress Wants Its Nationals

By John Eggerton Broadcasting & Cable 4/7/06

Gently rattling its own saber--Major League Baseball's antitrust exemption, for one--a House committee Friday urged Comcast and Major League Baseball to solve the dispute that is limiting the cable coverage of Washington Nationals games.

The House Goverment Reform committee got an agreement from the parties--Comcast, Orioles owner Peter Angelos, and Major League Baseball--to sit down at the table (thought talks were already planned), with a promise to report back to Congress in three weeks.

The Friday hearing was called because the majority of Washington Nationals baseball games are not available to over a million Washington area Comcast cable customers and legislators have apparently gotten an earful from constituents.

In a large nutshell the contentious and complicated fight boils down to this. In order to get Angelos to agree to allow a baseball team in Washington that could siphon fans from his nearby team, he was allowed to buy the Nationals TV rights and created a regional sports network, Mid Atlantic Sports Network, to carry them.

But he also decided to move the Orioles off Comcast's sports network in 2007 to MASN. Comcast doesn't want to lose the Orioles, says the move violates its contractural right to first refusal, and is suing over the issue.

Friday, legislators generally were less interested in that flap than in finding some way, in the short term, to get games to fans while the parties continue to fight it out.

Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) and other committee menbers pointed out that in addition to baseballs antirturst exemption, there is a telecom bill in the works and a Comcast deal to buy part of Adelphia under review. While he said it wasn't a threat, it sounded a little like one.

Comcast took heat for not putting the games on, though David Cohen, executive VP, of Comcast, said the stand was one of principle, calling an "original sin" MLB's granting of the Nationals TV games to Angelos which translated to passing along to fans--via higher cable bills--MLB's obligation to compensate Angelos for moving a team into his back yard.

"Our unwillingness to do a deal is keeping the spotlight on this original sin," said Cohen. Virginia Democrat James Moran disagreed, saying Comcast bore some culpability and suggesting the issue was money, not principle.

Gary McCollum, VP and regional manager, for Cox, which has just signed a deal to carry the National games after not doing so last year, said the deal he signed was "onerous" and would indeed result in higher cable bills. He said the only reason Cox did the deal was the fans' growing hunger for the games. He also took the opporutnity to decry the general rise in sports rights fees.

Angelos countered that the reason Cox had finally done the deal was that telco Verizon had gotten a Fairfax franchise and had struck a deal to carry the games.

A Maryland Democratic Senator with the turn-of-the-century baseball-sounding name of Dutch Ruppersburger, said that the airwaves are owned by the public--though the issue is primarily one of cable wires, not airwaves--threatening that the FCC could be brought into the dispute. "Let's get it together," he said, summing up the views of the anxious lawmakers.

fredfa

04-07-06, 04:29 PM

Critic’s Notebook
Dignified 'West Wing' gives Leo a proper send-off amid political brouhaha

By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Friday, April 7, 2006

In "The West Wing's" early years, NBC invited us to believe in an idealized presidency and elections as fair sport, an institution and process that in reality has let us down time and again, and we showed up eagerly, happily.

That was a long time ago, wasn't it? Now we're left not only with a lame duck, but a shadow of a gold-standard drama limping -- with dignity, but still, dragging along -- to its May 14 finale. Hard to imagine what's worse, our political reality or the state of NBC's fictional one.

Having acknowledged that, those who have lost their faith in the Bartlet presidency should know they might find some comfort in Sunday's episode, airing at 8 p.m. on KING/5.

To the series' hard-core fans, the ones who never abandoned it, the idea that anyone would leave it is unfathomable. Even now, they love the show for its intellectual subject matter and its great storytelling. The rest of us packed it in when the caliber of the writing tumbled a few seasons ago.

By the time "The West Wing" regained its creative footing last year, most of the show's constituents had bitterly moved on. Full of hope, they checked out Geena Davis' Madam President ... and kept on driving.

But the election battle brewing between Rep. Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Sen. Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) has been interesting to monitor, even from a distance.

There was a lot to admire in their respective campaigns, from the national conventions (where candidates actually fight for delegates and party nominations) to their free-form debate -- aired as a live episode on each coast -- in which the candidates tossed out the rules and waged a battle of platforms.

A little less than 8 million viewers on average have tuned in to see it all happen. So honestly, we can't expect many of the folks who were there in the glory days to tune in, for old time's sake, to find out how the writers handle Leo McGarry's official exit, forced by actor John Spencer's sudden death on Dec. 16.

As if it's not enough that the election is a nail-biter in the spirit of 2000's race, Leo's death forces conversations on how the news will or won't be used to either camp's advantage, and it becomes a tool to allow for each candidate to reveal his humanity in the midst of the most cutthroat night in American politics.

Then again, it's a handy way to put a bow on what the producers have been working toward all season, which is to make either a Vinick or a Santos presidency acceptable to viewers of every political stripe. They gave us a Democrat who is young, determined and eager to do what's right for the American people, and a moderate, sensible Republican contender as opposed to the mustache-twirling villain any hack can slap into a script. (Oh, and that reminds me, Davis' "Commander in Chief" returns April 13 at 10 p.m. Mark your calendars.)

It's worth a look, if only for the sake of mourning. Somebody's going to lose Sunday, at long last. Watching how it unfolds, however, may remind you of what this series lost some time ago.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/265817_tv07.html

fredfa

04-07-06, 04:33 PM

TV Notebook
ABC's Woodruff making strides, 'laughing' again

By Jose Martinez The New York Daily News Friday, April 7th, 2006

Two months after being severely wounded by a bomb blast in Iraq, ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff is home again and reading bedtime stories to his kids.

In a note to his colleagues, Woodruff acknowledged he faces "a long road ahead" from injuries suffered in an explosion that nearly killed him and seriously injured cameraman Doug Vogt.

"It's nice to be feeling more like myself again - laughing with family, reading bedtime stories and reminding my kids to do their homework," Woodruff wrote.

Woodruff has been rehabbing at a New York area facility and still faces months of recuperation as an outpatient. His skull was fractured and shoulder blade broken when a bomb was detonated as he rode in an Iraqi tank.

"I have been moved beyond words by the letters, the cards and the genuine good wishes I have received from our viewers," he wrote. "They are a source of strength and a constant reminder of why I am putting all my effort toward getting back to work with you."

Woodruff was injured Jan. 29, not long after being installed as the co-anchor of "ABC World News Tonight."

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/v-pfriendly/story/406744p-344362c.html

keenan

04-07-06, 05:08 PM

Congress Watch
Congress Wants Its Nationals

"Our unwillingness to do a deal is keeping the spotlight on this original sin," said Cohen. Virginia Democrat James Moran disagreed, saying Comcast bore some culpability and suggesting the issue was money, not principle.

Ya think..? :rolleyes: :p

fredfa

04-07-06, 05:34 PM

I enjoy how Comcast always brings up the DirecTV Sunday Ticket deal (which its chief said was "too expensive for us" before the last extension) as an excuse for keeping its RSNs exclusive.
There seems to me that there is a differnce between bidding for something and winning it, or owning something and refusing to allow others to purchase it.
And Comcast was one of the leading opponents of the NewsCorp/DirecTV deal saying it would allow Murdoch to keep his programming away from providers.
And in this case, bidding for something losing the deal and refusing to carry it at all.
I suspect in this case, Comcat's greedy shortsightedness will end up costing it its exclusive RSNs.
Which would be a good thing, in my mind.

harley1

04-07-06, 05:57 PM

Interesting that MASN and Comcast are agreeing to talk.

Comcast is suing MLB and MASN.The case goes before the Court of Appeals this summer.

Final briefs are due June 19th.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12033478/

Inundated

04-07-06, 07:25 PM

I also wonder if CBS wouldn't be wise to schedule TAR like it before it became so popular -- in the summer. It's much easier to stand out from the crowd then, and it's a light, easy to watch show that just seems to fit.

Or if they do show it during the regular season, alternate it with Survivor so the two aren't on at the same time.

What they SHOULD have done is schedule a regular edition (like this season) instead of Family Edition. Period. And this season, they shouldn't have moved it to 10 PM.

Without that, we'd be watching a successful show. CBS is darn near killing this thing.

I do understand that they can't go back to Tuesday at 9 due to the success of that new show, but moving time slots in mid-season for an ongoing show like TAR...well, it's difficult. And the crap that was TAR8 doesn't help in winning back viewers.

fredfa

04-08-06, 10:55 AM

I will be away most of the day.
If someone could please check zap2it and post Friday's ratings when they become available, I would appreciate it.
Sorry for any inconvenience.

keenan

04-08-06, 08:16 PM

Friday's ratings from Zap2it,

Easy Win for CBS Friday
Eye improves each hour in sweeping night

April 8 2006

Fast National ratings for Friday, April 7, 2006

With "Deal or No Deal" getting the night off at NBC, no one seriously challenged CBS for ratings supremacy on Friday.

CBS averaged a 7.7 rating/14 share for the night, easily surpassing No. 2 ABC's 5.2/9. NBC was not far behind in third at 4.9/9. UPN's 2.7/5 edged FOX's 2.6/5 for fourth, and The WB trailed with a 1.5/3.

The story was much the same in the adults 18-49 demographic, where CBS led with a 3.2 rating. ABC was second in the ad-friendly demo at 2.6, followed by NBC, 2.1, and FOX, 1.7. UPN averaged 1.4 and The WB 0.8.

"Ghost Whisperer" put CBS on top at 8 p.m. with a 6.9/13. A repeat of "America's Funniest Home Videos" was second for ABC, topping the NBC special "Tim McGraw: Reflected," 4.7/9. The first hour of "Friday Night Smackdown!" posted a 2.4/4 for UPN, narrowly beating the 2.3/4 average for two episodes of "The Bernie Mac Show" on FOX. The WB's "Survival of the Richest" brought up the rear.

CBS improved to 7.4/13 at 9 p.m. with "Close to Home." NBC moved up to second with "Las Vegas," 5.5/9, which dropped a second hour of "Home Videos," 5.1/9, on ABC to third. The second half of "Smackdown!" tied for fourth with FOX's "Trading Spouses," though UPN had an advantage in total viewers. The WB went with a "Reba" rerun, 2.0/3, and "Modern Men," 1.2/2.

At 10 p.m., "Numb3rs" scored an 8.8/15, the night's best rating, for CBS. ABC's "20/20" averaged 5.5/10, beating the 4.7/8 for NBC's "Conviction."

# Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.

http://www.zap2it.com/tv/ratings/zap-ratings040706,0,1663624.story?coll=zap-tv-ratings-headlines
Easy Win for CBS Friday - Eye improves each hour in sweeping night - Zap2it

fredfa

04-08-06, 10:46 PM

The 2005-2006 TV Season
Ask Matt

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

Question: I am a longtime reader of yours, and I recall that you were one of the first reviewers to say that Six Feet Under was overrated. I believe you said in your review that you didn't think people would love it so much if it weren't on HBO. It took about four years, but then a lot of people agreed with you that SFU was overrated, and not consistently entertaining. My [Question: Is Big Love your new Six Feet Under? It has gotten really good reviews and only you (of the reviews I have read) gave it a mixed review. And if you believe Big Love will follow the same path as SFU, how long do you think it will take for people to come around to the Roush doctrine this time? Love the column. Thanks. — Brian

Matt Roush: In other words, you're asking me: How's the weather out on that limb? (I'm not entirely alone. My buddy and colleague Robert Bianco of USA Today was even less enchanted with Big Love than I was.) I actually like Big Love a bit more than Six Feet Under, because it seems less forced and phony and self-impressed, despite the extremity of this polygamy situation. This Sunday's episode (April 9), in which Bill begins cheating with one of his wives and we're asked to consider if it's possible to be unfaithful when you have more than one wife in the first place, is my favorite to date. Like almost every HBO show, Big Love is extremely well acted and produced. I totally get what many critics like about it.

My problem is that I just don't see it as an open-ended series that I would ever care to return to week after week, season after season. The characters don't particularly fascinate me, and the particulars of their life frustrate me. I don't find it provocative; it's more of a shrug, actually. I liked this Sunday's episode because it felt more like a movie, and underscored my initial reaction to the show, which was to scream at Bill: Pick one! (Basically, Big Love flunks my five-year test, as in: Imagine this show five seasons from now. I can't.) Whether other critics or viewers agree or disagree with me in the short or long haul is immaterial. I just call 'em as I see 'em, even when they do air on HBO.

________________________________________

Question: It seems like you always respond to really long questions, but mine is just short and simple. What do you think of NBC's new comedy Teachers? — Cindy

Matt Roush: Hate it. Didn't laugh once. Gets an F. Is that short and simple enough? (It's like NBC going in reverse to its darkest days of trite, formula noncomedy. A waste of time. Can't tell if it's a waste of talent — there's no chance here for anyone to shine.)

________________________________________

Question: So, normally, this column deals with the shows, not the commercials, but this is a nice combo of the two. How brilliant were the mock "The More You Know" PSAs starring the cast of The Office? I applaud NBC for giving some props to this growing sitcom. I wake up happy Thursday mornings knowing I get to watch My Name Is Earl and The Office that night. Is there any chance NBC will do this with any other show? Who wouldn't love to see what Earl's Joy would have to say? Or the janitor from Scrubs? They've been mistreating Scrubs for so long, maybe they ought to give them a little something. I think this is a clever way to promote their programs and show off the original type of humor they all bring to the table. Love it! I hope they let it go past April Fools'! — Melissa M.

Matt Roush: Those PSAs were fabulous, and what a great idea if the joke had extended to characters from NBC's other best sitcoms (really, there are only two: Earl and Scrubs). My understanding is that these aired as an April Fools' treat (if they're still airing, I haven't seen them, watching so little NBC these days), so I wouldn't grow attached. (I think you can watch and/or download them from NBC's website.) I enjoyed the promos much more than I did that night's episode, to be perfectly honest. (Favorite scene: Jim and Pam shopping together.)

________________________________________

Question: So many of the Ask Matt questions are so negative that after I read your column, I often feel that I'm the only person who actually loves watching TV! In this vein, I'm going to ask you a positive TV-related question. How much did you love Locke's recent episode of Lost (March 29)? It was chock-full of mysteries, answers and, of course, more questions. The discovery of the balloon, Henry's vow to help push the button, the ultimate revelation of Henry Gale's true identity, Jack and Sawyer's game to prove their manliness, Locke's tragic life history, and, finally, that darn blacklit map on the wall! What is the map? Who drew it? Why did they draw it? Even if these questions aren't answered for years to come, you can bet that no one will forget that image, even if it was only shown for a few seconds. — Marcus

Matt Roush: Which is why I love Lost. That episode was another home run in every regard, and I'm thrilled to publish the occasional comment showering love on a great show. When Locke's legs were pinned under the metal panel, potentially crippling him, I thought I might pass out.

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Question: Do you think UPN is hurting the ratings and fracturing the audience for Veronica Mars by airing new episodes three times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and the weekend repeat that affiliates are allowed to air)? And will this attempt on UPN's part to plug the holes in its schedule with VM likely be taken into consideration when they decide whether or not to renew it for a third season? — Greg

Matt Roush: At this point in the show's and the network's life, I'm not sure it really matters. Extra exposure for Veronica Mars has got to be seen as a positive, all things considered. And because the top programmer at UPN is also the programming chief for the new CW, I'm sure none of this will be a mystery to anyone who's going to make the call for renewal. I'm still cautiously optimistic it will make the cut. But who really knows? This is uncharted territory.

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Question: Hi, Matt! I just read that Out of Practice is going on hiatus again and may even be canceled. Please say it ain't so! I adore this show. The script is so tight. The characters and the actors who portray them are brilliant, and the show has me crying with laughter whenever I watch it. Why, oh, why won't they move it back with Two and a Half Men, where it was rating fairly well and was safe? — Alysha

Matt Roush: It is true that with The Amazing Race now airing Wednesdays at 8 pm/ET, Out of Practice and the much worse Courting Alex are for now in limbo again. It's a fact that every comedy on CBS wants that time period following Two and a Half Men, but it looks like The New Adventures of Old Christine has it tied up for the rest of the season. And if the numbers (and the quality) hold, it may well inherit that slot again in the fall. Of all the shows that tried out that spot this season, Christine is my favorite, but I'd like to see CBS give Out of Practice a second chance, if only because I believe in this cast and the writers' way with a farcical situation (you can tell they graduated from the Frasier school of comedy). I'd certainly rather see it be renewed than Yes, Dear or Still Standing. Traditionally, CBS tends to try to launch an hour block of comedy somewhere other than Mondays during the season, although with Race now on Wednesdays, that's one less option. There may yet be room for Out of Practice next season, but I bet it will be a squeaker of a decision.

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Question: Hi, Matt! Love the column! I was wondering if there is any confirmed news, or even reliable speculation, about which current shows will be on CW in September. I've never been a fan of UPN, so personally, I'm more concerned with the current WB shows. Also, do you think that a possible reason for these individual networks' financial downfall is the money lost on mid-season replacement shows that are eventually canceled?

As I said, I don't watch UPN, so I don't know if they have mid-season replacements, but it seems to me that if they just sucked it up and aired repeats instead of producing new shows to run for a couple months, viewers wouldn't lose interest in shows that go on a three-month hiatus (Everwood) and money wouldn't be lost on mid-season replacements that are just going to be canceled anyway. I did like Related, which aired in Everwood's time slot, and it was nice to see something new instead of repeats, but I'd rather have seen repeats if it meant I wouldn't have to be concerned about losing some other shows I love. Thanks! — Beth

Matt Roush: Nothing confirmed on the CW schedule that I'm aware of, although it seems a slam dunk that Gilmore Girls, Smallville, Supernatural, Beauty and the Geek and possibly Reba will carry over from WB, and from UPN: wrestling, America's Next Top Model, Everybody Hates Chris, Veronica Mars and another comedy or two (Girlfriends and/or its spin-off) will likely convey. The rest of the current shows, unless I'm missing something, are on the bubble or worse. We'll just have to wait and see. Plus there are brand-new shows from WB's and UPN's development in contention (including the Aquaman series), so it's going to be tight. Whatever ends up on the fall lineup, there will be backup shows ordered, some of which will end up running as mid-season tryouts.

That's how the network-TV biz works, at least for now. And some serialized shows like Everwood are unlikely to repeat in any circumstance, because their repeats score so low. (But it doesn't deserve to disappear for months on end. That's just wrong.) And for all those wondering why the CW doesn't expand to a three-hour-a-night schedule, that's not going to happen. It's a matter of economics and resources. Besides, look how much trouble Fox has filling its limited lineup for much of the year.

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Question: I've been waiting for the show Reunion to return. I thought it was supposed to return sometime in February, but nothing yet, and it's already April. I was wondering if you knew if and when it's returning. Sincerely, a faithful fan. — Sue

Matt Roush: I vowed never to utter this show's name again, but because I keep getting questions, especially during this period of mid-season churn, one last time: Reunion is dead. It's not coming back. Fox canceled it before it got to the end of its story, and there's no point in airing any unseen episodes without a resolution. Fox execs have said that one scenario for the solution of the whodunit was that Samantha was murdered by the daughter she gave up for adoption. But they obviously never got to produce the episodes leading up to this reveal. So it's history.

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Question: Is it just me, or did we witness a small shift in Carmela this past week on The Sopranos? Having stayed far away from Tony's business dealings in the past, this week she seemed right in the middle of them. When she commented to Tony that the envelope seemed "a little light" and that he should keep his eye on his staff (I forget whom she singled out), it really took me by surprise. Are we going to see her get more actively involved, or do you think this was a one-time thing? — John T.

Matt Roush: Seems to me one of the arcs of this season (at least up to this point — I'm now caught up with everyone else, and haven't yet seen episodes beyond last week's) is that Carmela is no longer in denial about her life as a mobster's wife. Tony's injury was a real wake-up call, and there's no going back. Her scene with Dr. Melfi was so revealing, and this exchange with Tony even more so. She's no longer a pushover for anyone, and that includes Tony's greedy goombahs.

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Question: Hey, Matt, what was up with that worthless, homophobic B-story on Las Vegas on March 31, with Mike and Danny posing for a calendar they later are horrified to find out is popular with gay men? Is that a little Brokeback-lash? It really put me off the show, which I tape in favor of watching Close to Home. I'm not sure I'll be taping it anymore. Do you have any insight? — Garrick, St. Louis, Mo.

Matt Roush: I have no great insight, because I'm not watching Vegas these days. (Not a judgement call. It was just never part of my weekly menu, and now that it's on Fridays, like most everything else on that night, it's out of sight, out of mind for me.) But this hardly surprises me. Gay jokes like this are still very easy punch lines, especially among macho characters like these. Which brings me to this sour reaction to my own recent attempt to make light of a male-bonding situation.

Sonia writes: "Matt, I am disappointed in your answer to the question about the relationship between House and Wilson on April 3. No, the relationship may not be a sexual one between them but they love each other nonetheless. Straight-male paranoia about deep friendships between men has become the hot thing since the release of Brokeback Mountain. It shows a lack of maturity and insight to believe that the only way two people can express their feelings for each other is through sex. I'm also disappointed in you personally. It's a real shame that a respected critic such as yourself has to stoop to such grade-school comments as 'Brokeback Hospital' to prove a point."

OK, deep breath. To be honest, my first impulse was to write back, "Lighten up." I had attempted to respond to what I felt was a tongue-in-cheek question about the House-Wilson Odd Couple-like living situation in a similar manner. I certainly didn't mean to offend. In which case, I'm sorry. And I also agree that Brokeback jokes are too easy and ubiquitous, so I'll probably declare a moratorium instantly. On the bigger issue: If you've ever read me, you'll know I wouldn't cringe from a gay subplot on any show, especially one as terrific as House. But there's nothing remotely homoerotic about this friendship, though even they may joke about it from time to time. And as for the broader implications of what Garrick refers to as "Brokeback-lash," it's true that homophobia is still unfortunately alive and well (if "well" is the word), but not so much on prime-time TV, thankfully. So seriously: Lighten up, and have a good weekend.

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

fredfa

04-08-06, 10:53 PM

Critic’s Notebook
''The West Wing'': The Long Goodbye

By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal TV blog

I have reservations about Sunday's episode of ''The West Wing.'' I'm not saying you should not watch it, because I would have even if I did not receive an advance copy. While I see the numbers saying that the ''West Wing'' audience is a fraction of what it was, there's still something -- maybe sheer stubbornness -- that will keep me watching to the end of the series.

Still, I have issues. For one thing, this show has had one long election day and night, with the outcome kept in doubt through most of this episode, which continues from last week's. (I am not revealing the winner here.) And, although Leo is officially dead relatively early in Sunday's episode, it just begins the other characters' farewells to him. The following week's telecast will be built around Leo's funeral.

In fact, only one character gets a really extended reaction to Leo's passing in Sunday's episode. It's Josh. Part of that is for dramatic tension, since Josh is also central to the election-night drama, so he's going back and forth between two different emotional roller-coasters. But I also think that, besides Bartlet, Josh deserves the most time saying goodbye to Leo.

(Although, again, I wish that we weren't getting such a stretched-out story. Juxtaposing Leo's death with the election means that the story has to fight for time with how Santos is feeling, how Vinick is feeling, how the results are going. There are some good things in there, notably when each candidate has to think about how to consider if a close finish merits bringing in the lawyers. It's still stuff taking us away from Leo, teasing us for one more week.)

Anyway, to understand why Josh's reaction to Leo matters, look past Josh's getting Leo to run for vice president. Go back instead to the second-season opener, ''In the Shadow of Two Gunmen.'' That's the two-parter using an assassination attempt on Bartlet as the basis for flashbacks revealing how the Bartlet team came together.

The episode tells us a lot about the Bartlet-Leo relationship, how crucial Leo was to getting Bartlet elected, how he was the guy who could give Bartlet bad news (and tough love). But it's also where we see that Leo did not merely bring Josh into the campaign. (And then Josh brought Sam, while Toby -- saved by Leo -- brought in C.J., so it really all came back to Leo.)

Although he and Josh did not know each other well -- Josh speaks very formally to Leo at first -- Leo was a friend of Josh's father. And when Josh's father dies in ''Shadow,'' we can see how Leo became a father figure for Josh. Bartlet stepped partly into that role, too, in the airport scene. But even there, Leo was close by Bartlet.

I'm going over some of this old ''WW'' history because it informs what happens Sunday night. It also reminds me that, as hard as ''WW'' has tried to be great again -- and as much as I have liked some the presidential-campaign arc -- it still isn't quite what ''WW'' used to be.

''Shadow'' suffers from excess ambition, from trying to do too many things at once and from what I still consider a continuity flaw (CJ's having worked in Hollywood, when an earlier episode indicated she knew nothing about the entertainment business). It still has moments of real greatness. Sunday's episode also tries to do too much, only its best moments are merely good, not great.

Put it another way: Parts of Sunday's episode stirred me some. Parts of ''Shadow'' tore at my heart, even all these years after I first saw it.

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

fredfa

04-08-06, 11:04 PM

Thanks, keenan, for posting the overnights!

fredfa

04-09-06, 12:08 PM

Critic’s Notebook
'West Wing' slowly fading away, & that's too bad

By Ellen Gray Philadelphia Daily News

It’s eot easy when the water-cooler chat dries up for a once-popular show.

Especially if you're one of the people who's still thirsty.

For months now, I've been dying to talk to someone - anyone - about what's up with Janeane Garofalo's eyebrows on NBC's "The West Wing," where it appears she's using a black marker to channel Groucho Marx.

Barbecuing accident?

Obscure political statement?

Just trying to figure out if anyone out here is still watching?

I'm going for Door No. 3, since the already declining ratings for "The West Wing" pretty much dropped off a cliff after NBC moved it to 8 p.m. Sundays. It's averaging 7.87 million viewers for the season so far, and as we head into the home stretch of "Wing's" final season, those numbers haven't exactly been skyrocketing.

And that, Garofalo's eyebrows aside, is a shame.

Because this season, with its focus on the dueling campaigns of Democrat Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Republican Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda), has kept faith with "The West Wing" in at least this way: showing how the sausage gets made while giving an occasional, tantalizing glimpse of how it might be made a bit better.

And it's done that without deifying or demonizing either candidate (though I'll admit that Alda at times has played the kind of Republican only a Democrat could love, at least in this century).

It even produced a not-unwatchable live debate.

But since the unexpected death Dec. 16 of actor John Spencer, who played former White House chief of staff - and Santos' running mate - Leo McGarry, the cast and crew have also faced the challenge of working Leo's death into the last few episodes of what turns out to be the show's final season.

Thanks to a hiatus of several weeks, the wait to see how they'd deal with the loss of Leo, a beloved character played by an actor who seems to have been no less beloved, has been excruciating.

Especially for those of us who didn't immediately grasp the obvious: that Leo would have to die on Election Night.

And on a two-episode Election Night, at that.

Spencer himself might not have minded as much as I minded for him, but this week's episode, in which Leo is found offscreen at the very end, apparently already dead, was a frustrating one, as the writers used the backdrop of the Santos campaign's wait for the polls to close to, among other things, finally put Josh (Bradley Whitford) and Donna (Janel Moloney) in bed together.

Even Santos himself got lucky that day.

This Sunday's episode finds the candidate and his staff fully clothed again (and if there's hanky-panky at Vinick headquarters, we won't be seeing it), but the news about Leo once again gets a little lost amid the returns from Texas, California and Ohio.

Leo himself might have wanted it that way, but knowing that whoever wins the election won't be holding office next season - though you will know his identity by 9 p.m. Sunday - it was hard to care as much about the outcome as it was about Leo.

Sometime between now and the May 14 finale, I'm sure "The West Wing" will craft a fitting farewell for itself and for the character who was, as so many have said, the heart and soul of the show.

I just hope when that time comes there'll be more than a handful of us waving goodbye.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/television//14275299.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

04-09-06, 12:17 PM

The Business of TV
Bring on the Telcos

Comcast chief vows to grow business despite intense competition

By John M. Higgins Broadcasting & Cable 4/10/2006

As the cable industry gathers in Atlanta for the annual National Cable Show this week, executives will be looking to Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts for his take on a host of pressing issues, from telco entry into video to new video-on-demand services.

Some investors on Wall Street see cable as on the defensive; Roberts contends that he's playing offense. As chief of one of the nation's largest cable operators, he believes he can take more phone customers from telcos than the telcos can take away in video customers from cable. He shares some of his views with B&C's John M. Higgins.

What are you thinking about the industry right now? What are your top priorities?

We are at the beginning of a fantastic period. Comcast Digital Voice, our phone service, is now really beginning to pick up pace. Couple that with having high-speed data with faster speeds, with Comcast On Demand being up to 6,000 shows, with DVRs, and with high-def getting close to 15-20 channels in all of our major markets, and we have a great complement of services that are clearly, clearly the best. So you're going to see wonderful success. We've really hit a rhythm. We're going to have, I hope, a fabulous year. And with first quarter just ended, it feels like we're off to a great start.

Outside the business, you would think cable is in the middle of a terrible storm, rocked by competition from telcos and satellite TV (DBS).

That's the hard part, to close your ears to that. I said at the beginning of the year, we're going tonot focus on the stock, and I mean it. The company has really picked up speed in a great way. We can have a record year and set the stage for even better years ahead. You can look at the results of Cablevision Systems and see incredible phone results; you can see really exciting results at Time Warner and Cox. Comcast is going to soar with new-product sales that are going to hopefully really be better than anyone could be realistically anticipating if you were just judging us based on the stock.

You haven't designed video-on-demand (VOD) to be a big moneymaker. Is it giving you what needed from it?

That and more. We had nearly a billion and a half orders last year. Now we have broadcast content from NBC and CBS. The IFC Films deal gives us theatrical movies on the same day and date as movie theaters, let alone with DVD retailers. I expect to start trying to get the theatrical window narrowed almost completely in some experiments. There is almost no content that isn't available on-demand now. We have music and karaoke and dating and real estate. And we also have 500 free movies, NFL football games and news. We felt it was really important to clearly distinguish ourselves as the premier video provider to a consumer who has a digital box.

Will VOD ever become a significant revenue source for this company, or is it just primarily glue to keep your customers from defecting to DBS?

It will be primarily a value proposition—you can call it glue—that allows us to make our products the best.

Right now, you have prime time shows from broadcast networks on-demand but only in a few cities. How long will it take to get that in more markets?

I don't know. What's happened since the iPod announcement with Desperate Housewives is, the floodgates are now open and the content companies are over that initial quandary of, “Do I change the business relationship with the consumer through the traditional windows of television programming that we've lived with for 30 years or longer?” Now they are doing it. And you're going to see a variety of implementations.

You said your “competitors” can't readily do this, but that's just DBS. I guess the inference there is that telcos are not competitors yet.

It's clear the Bells have made their intentions known, and they are aggressively seeking law changes and lobbying and doing all the things that they are doing.

People outside the industry seem to think the telcos are going to steamroll over the cable guys and take half the market and that they're going to be gigantic video players. I've lived through this a couple of times, so I'm less confident of that.

There's no point talking a lot about it. It's more important that our company execute well, and the rest will take care of itself. We're not planning to sell the company; we are focused on consumer experience. We're finished with the integration of AT&T Broadband, we're finished with a lot of the technical work to be ready. Now we're in the exciting part.

This is the fun of communicating to the consumer why you want to partner with Comcast, why you want to trust us to be the center of your home entertainment and your communication system. And we've got to really focus on service and execution to make sure that our network is the most reliable and to make sure that the experience we deliver is better than what we advertise.

The telcos want to get around the city-by-city franchising, either getting national or at least statewide franchises. You're not opposed?

So long as it's a level playing field and doesn't create new regulations on our industry—either intended or unintended—I don't see why this industry doesn't take the view that we're ready for more competition. And so long as the relationship with the cities remains fair to the cities who have had a significant voice in what does and doesn't come in and out of their community. There's a legitimate question about build-out, that there shouldn't be any discriminatory behavior in which neighborhoods do and do not get the new services.

In the local franchise in Philadelphia, it says we must build every single home. If there was going to be a new entrant and they only wanted to build certain areas and they were targeted based on demographics, is that okay or not? That should be a public-policy discussion. We can have a point of view, but in the end, I think it's up to somebody else to make that decision.

Some people want regulators to mandate Net neutrality, keeping the Internet widely open to content companies. Should they?

No, we feel very strongly that there's no reason to regulate the Internet. It's the growth engine of America. There is plenty of competition. There's been no behavior that has troubled anybody. It's a theoretical question, and do you need to pass laws and regulations with unintended potential consequences to innovation? No. We feel that very strongly.

Net neutrality would be very tough for you in the way you operate your phone system, where you prioritize a lot of data packets.

I haven't heard anybody suggest anything that would try to slow down our phone business. But your point is that there might be unintended consequences that haven't been discussed or thought through.

[NCTA President] Kyle McSlarrow is the best person to be leading this industry at this time that I could possibly imagine. He is knowledgeable, thoughtful and the quickest study I think anybody has ever met in terms of really understanding the history of how the industry evolved and why the issues are relevant and what we need for the future. He has drawn us together well, and I think all we've asked is that we have a meaningful seat in the dialogue as they talk about rewriting some of the telecom laws.

How are the negotiations with Disney and ESPN?

I've never commented on any discussions in progress. But [Disney's] Bob Iger's doing a great job of trying to rethink the windowing of the business models. He has an openness to innovate that we would like to find ways to work with. I'm hopeful.

Because that was a major reason that you made a bid for Disney two years ago, you didn't think that you'd get good windows for theatrical movies or ABC product the way that you're doing now.

The world has changed light years in the last 24 months. It has very much been heading toward a viewer-controlled world. Our vision has expanded as an industry. Our Sprint wireless relationship is a really exciting platform. We have VOD, DVRs and perhaps network DVRs. Imagine the world five years from now.

Cable companies are in the best position to make that transition for the consumer, and the content companies are really excited. And whereas maybe there was initial skepticism, the operators see it as a value-added business.

Same with the Internet. There is a great opportunity for video over the Net. And maybe initially everyone was concerned with what might it mean to our primary business, but it's pretty clear it's going to be a growth opportunity both for companies who deliver broadband and for content companies. How can we work together to deliver that experience in a way that protects the content and the copyright holders and is great for the consumer?

Although, ultimately, Yahoo and Google could be packaging the same cable network that you have.

We are going to have more competition, but that doesn't mean we're not going to have a great growth period. And in the end, it's about a customer wanting to pick somebody who can deliver them the best products, make it simple and make it work. I'm not sure anybody can package it as well as cable can. There will be some new forms of competition. But net to net, this is going to expand the pie. Cable has the best value and the best products; what a great position to be in.

What are your own programming ambitions? You've been in small networks for the most part, building them up. Do you want to buy something big? Hallmark? Univision?

We're pretty much focused on growing and building with what we've got. We're excited about on-demand as a platform, actually. We are announcing at the show that we're launching sci-fi as a genre for on-demand, principally with no analog or digital network attached.

You can go down the line—E!, Golf Channel—and there is an energy and a desire to invest. We're not milking these networks; we are taking a lot of money and trying to re-energize and grow the networks.

Can you give me your first impression of some people? News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch.

Fantastic entrepreneur and tough competitor, tenacious.

Time Warner's Dick Parsons.

Honorable, class act.

CBS' Leslie Moonves.

I didn't know Leslie very well, and we had one meeting. He's really energized to make a change. We said, “How about these shows, trying them out on-demand?” He said, “Let's do it. I'd like to do it in 40 days.” He's driven to revitalize an industry that most people think maybe is kind of a tough challenge.

Verizon's Ivan Seidenberg.

Ivan is smart. I don't know Ivan extremely well. Very likable and determined.

But in almost the same position as Moonves, coping with a tough industry.

I don't believe business at this level is personal. We each have different strengths and weaknesses. They're all talented people that you've just mentioned.

You inherited leadership of this company from your father, Ralph. How do you keep it going for the next decade, two decades? Or do you just sell to Verizon?

One of the most challenging—and ultimately the most satisfying—parts of my job is addressed by that question. I think about that a lot. We have great people here, and we bring in new ones. They're turned on by the Comcast history, the culture. If I can deliver that somehow by keeping that slightly different culture and that family feeling, those smart people will figure out all the answers to these questions you've been asking.

So how do we keep that chemistry going, how to not recruit or how to recruit the best and yet have a professionalism as we go forward that maybe an entrepreneurial startup company doesn't have, and yet at the same time not become bureaucratic? And getting that right, that's the secret sauce.

fredfa

04-09-06, 12:24 PM

Saturday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of RATINGS NEWS (the first post in this thread).

fredfa

04-09-06, 01:54 PM

The Business of TV
If You Broadcast in HD, Fans Will Come

Stations begin to offer sports in high-definition
By Ken Kerschbaumer Broadcasting & Cable

Baseball and broadcasting seem as American as apple pie. So for Cleveland Indians fans, something seemed wrong three years ago when all of the team's games shifted over to a regional Fox cable network.

This year, baseball is back on the Cleveland airwaves. WKYC, the Gannett-owned NBC affiliate, will broadcast 20 Indians games over the air—this time in high-definition.

“I think it's huge,” says General Manager Brooke Spectorsky. “One of the problems with cable exclusives is, they don't let the casual fan tune in or find the game because it's in a higher cable tier. But we're an NBC affiliate with very high viewership, and we'll be able to promote the games and reach new fans.”

WKYC is also providing the production facilities for SportsTime Ohio, the new regional cable sports network run by the Indians that will show most of the team's 162 games.

Sports is considered the ultimate driver wooing consumers to HD. The push has been ferocious this year, including NBC's 302 hours of high-definition coverage of the Winter Olympics. But there are only a few million HD-equipped sets, and so stations are just starting to experiment with the new format.

WKYC isn't the only local broadcaster with HD baseball. WCIU Chicago will broadcast 13 White Sox games and five Cubs games in HD this year. WGN, Tribune's Chicago powerhouse co-owned with the Cubs, produces the games for WCIU and has been broadcasting Cubs, White Sox and Bulls games in HD since 2004. “Viewers were asking us why our games weren't in HD like the WGN telecasts,” says Neal Sabin, executive VP of WCIU owner Weigel Broadcasting. This year, they will be.

Another newcomer to HD broadcasts is Tribune-owned KPLR St. Louis. The station will broadcast about 10 Cardinals games in HD (another 20 games will be in HD on Fox Sports Net Midwest).

Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies will enjoy their second season of HD broadcasts. “We were getting e-mails the season before asking us to go HD,” says Perry Casciato, program director for WPSG, the CBS-owned UPN station. The station will air 24 home games in HD this season.

In a reverse of the WKYC/SportsTime Ohio relationship, Comcast SportsNet will handle all the production duties for the WPSG telecasts. “This really helps us serve the viewer because it's a very strong product,” says Casciato.

There was another benefit as well: WPSG is channel 57 on the UHF dial, but because of its Phillies HD deal, Casciato says, Comcast gave it a better position on its systems.

In Cleveland, WKYC was scheduled at press time to celebrate the return of Indians games to the airwaves with a 90-minute HD pre-game show April 7; the network will continue to offer 30 minutes of HD pre-game coverage before each game it airs.

Because WKYC has a long history in sports production, the station put together a proposal to dedicate one of its HD control rooms and a studio to the network. Assistant Director of Baseball Operations Steve Warren says the room's Sony MVS8000 HD production switcher, EVS server-based replay gear, and Chyron Duet graphics equipment replicates the typical production-truck environment. Twelve HD cameras at Jacobs Field, the Indians' home ballpark, are connected via fiber cable to send the signals back to the station.

Fans will also have a chance to see road games in HD on WKYC. Most regional cable networks don't broadcast road games in high-def because of the additional costs and technical challenges. WKYC, which will rent a production truck from Lyon Video in Columbus, Ohio, believes the investment is worth it.

The station sees its comparatively early push to HD as a way to drive the technology. “We are really wound up about this,” says Spectorsky. “We've been able to do four Cleveland Browns pre-season games, but to be involved with 158 games has the station energized and excited.”

That energy should come in very handy just about now. On April 7, the station was scheduled to flip the switch on a full HD conversion. All local news and talk-show content will be shot, produced and delivered in high-definition.

fredfa

04-09-06, 01:55 PM

The Business of TV
High-Def Isn't Just for Guys

HGTV wants to prove HD is for women, too

By Joel Brown Broadcasting & Cable

The sales staff at Best Buy waits for the big games to bring in the big crowds of men; sporting events look great in high-definition. Now, HGTV is hoping high-def pictures of a renovated kitchen or a newly landscaped yard hold the same kind of allure for women.

This week at the NCTA show, Scripps Networks launches HGTV-HD and will announce both cable and satellite distribution deals. Scripps' Food Network-HD is set to launch in June.

“All of our content is very, very suited to high-def,” says Judy Girard, HGTV president, promising to “bring a female audience to the technology.”

About 70% of HGTV's audience is female, Girard says. High-def, meanwhile, has a case of male-pattern viewing.

“I think men are early adopters of almost any technology on almost any platform that has ever been introduced, and HD is no different,” Girard says. “Usually, technology is driven by sports and action movies and so forth, but females will come in. I think we have good female appeal, and obviously that appeals to the operators.”

Kagan Research associate analyst Patrick Johnson agrees. “Sports and movies in particular tend to be big draws” for HD service, he says, but HGTV and Food Network could find they have an HD audience.

“In general, everything I see is geared toward men. It's consumer electronics, and the bigger the better,” says Johnson. “However, I've seen surveys that say women are playing a bigger role in the decision-making and the purchasing of HD sets. It's because it goes to the aesthetics of the interior of the home and they're flat panels and they're kind of cool looking.”

In other words, you could see as many or more women buying HD sets to improve their décor than sitting down and watching HGTV-HD shows about … improving their décor.

Johnson says there are currently about 5.5 million HD subscribers in the U.S. between cable and satellite services, a number that is expected to nearly double this year alone. Girard won't specify how many homes HGTV-HD will reach initially, and with more deals expected after the launch, she says, the real distribution picture won't be clear until the end of the year. Many cable systems just don't have the room to add a lot of bandwidth-eating HD channels, but they will in time.

Girard is betting that HD offers particular benefits for the HGTV viewer. “It's anything you want to see in more detail, clarity and depth,” she says. “There aren't many shows on our network that won't pop in high-def. It's a richer experience.”

Adds Sarah Cronan, HGTV senior VP, “When you talk about painting, for instance, you do see the richness of the color. When you go into landscape shows, you can see the pattern and texture of the plants.”

HGTV-HD will have a schedule that's distinct from HGTV's standard channel. Although many series will mirror their time slots on the standard channel, different episodes will be shown in HD.

“Some of the feedback that we got from operators was that they want these [HD] channels to be different,” Girard says, “so that people will both purchase and watch them and think of them as a new offering, not an upgraded technical offering of an existing service.”

Programs from Scripps' other networks, DIY and Fine Living, will appear on HGTV-HD, but there are no immediate HD plans for those two networks.

Scripps has been producing shows in HD for more than two years, piling up 750 hours of programming. While Scripps had to replace much of its equipment for the 1080-line interlace HD standard, 90% of its programming is produced by outside firms. Initial decisions about which shows were shot in HD were sometimes driven by which producers were HD-capable, Girard says.

Fittingly, production changes required for HD production include some very décor-centric issues, says Duke Hartman, COO of High Noon Entertainment, which produces many shows for Scripps.

“Lighting, which is always crucial, becomes even more important, [as does] attention to detail about what's in the background on the set,” Hartman says. “Standard-definition is pretty forgiving about things like scuff marks on the set.”

jim tressler

04-09-06, 09:34 PM

here is a nice follow up on this story

http://www.wkyc.com/sports/sports_article.aspx?storyid=50533

glad to see it.. now only if I could get wkyc down in cincinnati :)

The Business of TV
If You Broadcast in HD, Fans Will Come

Stations begin to offer sports in high-definition
By Ken Kerschbaumer Broadcasting & Cable

Baseball and broadcasting seem as American as apple pie. So for Cleveland Indians fans, something seemed wrong three years ago when all of the team's games shifted over to a regional Fox cable network.

This year, baseball is back on the Cleveland airwaves. WKYC, the Gannett-owned NBC affiliate, will broadcast 20 Indians games over the air—this time in high-definition.

“I think it's huge,” says General Manager Brooke Spectorsky. “One of the problems with cable exclusives is, they don't let the casual fan tune in or find the game because it's in a higher cable tier. But we're an NBC affiliate with very high viewership, and we'll be able to promote the games and reach new fans.”

WKYC is also providing the production facilities for SportsTime Ohio, the new regional cable sports network run by the Indians that will show most of the team's 162 games.

Sports is considered the ultimate driver wooing consumers to HD. The push has been ferocious this year, including NBC's 302 hours of high-definition coverage of the Winter Olympics. But there are only a few million HD-equipped sets, and so stations are just starting to experiment with the new format.

WKYC isn't the only local broadcaster with HD baseball. WCIU Chicago will broadcast 13 White Sox games and five Cubs games in HD this year. WGN, Tribune's Chicago powerhouse co-owned with the Cubs, produces the games for WCIU and has been broadcasting Cubs, White Sox and Bulls games in HD since 2004. “Viewers were asking us why our games weren't in HD like the WGN telecasts,” says Neal Sabin, executive VP of WCIU owner Weigel Broadcasting. This year, they will be.

Another newcomer to HD broadcasts is Tribune-owned KPLR St. Louis. The station will broadcast about 10 Cardinals games in HD (another 20 games will be in HD on Fox Sports Net Midwest).

Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies will enjoy their second season of HD broadcasts. “We were getting e-mails the season before asking us to go HD,” says Perry Casciato, program director for WPSG, the CBS-owned UPN station. The station will air 24 home games in HD this season.

In a reverse of the WKYC/SportsTime Ohio relationship, Comcast SportsNet will handle all the production duties for the WPSG telecasts. “This really helps us serve the viewer because it's a very strong product,” says Casciato.

There was another benefit as well: WPSG is channel 57 on the UHF dial, but because of its Phillies HD deal, Casciato says, Comcast gave it a better position on its systems.

In Cleveland, WKYC was scheduled at press time to celebrate the return of Indians games to the airwaves with a 90-minute HD pre-game show April 7; the network will continue to offer 30 minutes of HD pre-game coverage before each game it airs.

Because WKYC has a long history in sports production, the station put together a proposal to dedicate one of its HD control rooms and a studio to the network. Assistant Director of Baseball Operations Steve Warren says the room's Sony MVS8000 HD production switcher, EVS server-based replay gear, and Chyron Duet graphics equipment replicates the typical production-truck environment. Twelve HD cameras at Jacobs Field, the Indians' home ballpark, are connected via fiber cable to send the signals back to the station.

Fans will also have a chance to see road games in HD on WKYC. Most regional cable networks don't broadcast road games in high-def because of the additional costs and technical challenges. WKYC, which will rent a production truck from Lyon Video in Columbus, Ohio, believes the investment is worth it.

The station sees its comparatively early push to HD as a way to drive the technology. “We are really wound up about this,” says Spectorsky. “We've been able to do four Cleveland Browns pre-season games, but to be involved with 158 games has the station energized and excited.”

That energy should come in very handy just about now. On April 7, the station was scheduled to flip the switch on a full HD conversion. All local news and talk-show content will be shot, produced and delivered in high-definition.

fredfa

04-10-06, 03:55 AM

Note: If you haven’t yet seen last night’s episode of “The West Wing” you should skip this post.

TV Notebook
'West Wing' Writers' Novel Way of Picking the President

By Jacques Steinberg The New York Times April 10, 2006

Like many political campaigns, the presidential election depicted last night on "The West Wing" on NBC would have had a different ending had it been held four months ago.

But the reversal of fortune for Matt Santos — the Democratic nominee, played by Jimmy Smits, who was the victor — had nothing to do with any shift in opinion among voters.

Instead, Lawrence O'Donnell, an executive producer of the show, said he and his fellow writers had declared Santos the winner only after the death, in mid-December, of John Spencer, who portrayed Santos's running mate, Leo McGarry. At the time of Mr. Spencer's death, the plot for last night's episode had been set: the election was to be won by Alan Alda's Arnold Vinick, a maverick Republican (modeled a bit on Senator John McCain), whom many Democrats (including the Democrats who write the show) could learn to love.

But after Mr. Spencer died, Mr. O'Donnell said in a recent interview, he and his colleagues began to confront a creative dilemma: would viewers be saddened to see Mr. Smits's character lose both his running mate and the election? The writers decided that such an outcome would prove too lopsided, in terms of taxing viewers' emotions, so a script with the new, bittersweet ending — including the election-night death of Mr. Spencer's character — was undertaken by John Wells, executive producer of "The West Wing" and "E.R."

The loss of Mr. Spencer, who had been on "The West Wing" since its inception seven years ago, imposed a layer of grief on the sadness and nostalgia the cast would feel in the weeks leading to the final day of production. NBC announced in January that primarily because of falling ratings, it was not renewing the series for next season.

The final episode of "The West Wing" is not be broadcast until May 14, but the show effectively ended for Martin Sheen, who plays President Bartlet, and for his fellow cast members on March 31, when they filmed their last scene together. Appropriately, it shows the president striding around the White House for final goodbyes to the applause of his staff members, in a scene filmed on the Warner Brothers lot in Burbank, Calif.

An impromptu cast party followed shortly thereafter in and around the trailer of Allison Janney, who plays Bartlet's chief of staff, C. J. Cregg, said Bradley Whitford, who portrays Josh Lyman, most recently manager of the Santos campaign.

"This show is probably the first line in my obituary," Mr. Whitford said. "Everyone knows they got lucky with this one."

For a series that sought to provide a backstage glimpse of White House politics, however stylized and idealized, it seems appropriate to assess its legacy, political and otherwise, as its conclusion nears.

On that score, Mr. Sheen was offered an opportunity to see how his character's appeal would play in a real-life campaign. Not long ago, he said, he was approached by Democratic Party representatives from his native state, Ohio, to see if he would be interested in running for the United States Senate after he left the show. Though he would have had little trouble drafting a campaign platform — he is a fierce opponent of nuclear power and the war in Iraq, and a champion of human rights — he turned them down.

"I'm just not qualified," he said. "You're mistaking celebrity for credibility."

Nonetheless, Mr. O'Donnell, a onetime adviser to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York, said he was especially proud of the show's response to the increasingly shrill political debate in the real world, particularly on cable news. As it became tougher to learn much of any substance from programs like "Crossfire" on CNN, now defunct, "The West Wing" seemed to delve deeper into real issues like health care and education, as exemplified by the raw, one-hour live debate last fall between Matt Santos and Arnold Vinick.

"Political talk on TV has degenerated so much," said Mr. O'Donnell, who is also a political analyst on MSNBC. "You can say something complex on 'The West Wing' and you will not suffer a screaming interruption by three other panelists."

It may not come as any surprise to viewers, given that President Bartlet was a Democrat, but there were no registered Republicans in the most recent incarnation of the "West Wing" writers' room, which included Eli Attie, a former speechwriter for Al Gore. Though the show began at the end of the Clinton administration, it soon found its creative niche by evoking a parallel reality, one that imagined how the White House might have been different if George W. Bush had not been elected to two terms.

As the war in Iraq escalated, Mr. Sheen said he came to liken the show's role to that of good, escapist fiction.

"In order to sometimes get a different perspective on what's going down in the world, to reach back to your humanity, you read novels," Mr. Sheen said. "We're like the reading of a novel."

Which is not to say that President Bartlet escaped making some of the hard decisions that President Bush faced in real life. This year, Bartlet was shown agonizing over whether to commit 10,000 American troops to an escalating, fictional conflict on the border shared by Russia, Kazakhstan and China.

In deciding to put flesh on a Republican like Mr. Alda's Arnold Vinick and committing, at least initially, to having him win, Mr. O'Donnell said he and the other writers had delighted in playing against type. And then Mr. Spencer died.

Other than a coming episode that will linger at the funeral for Mr. Spencer's character — and include, as mourners, a parade of former cast members, including Rob Lowe — the show's final episodes will be devoted to the transition from the Bartlet administration to that of President-elect Santos.

The actors and producers are embarking on a similar transition.

Mr. Whitford has signed on to star in "Studio 60," a one-hour drama expected to be on the NBC schedule next fall, about life backstage at a live variety show. It was created by Aaron Sorkin, who created "The West Wing."

Mr. O'Donnell has deliberately put off finding his next project, to savor the last days of editing "The West Wing," though he can currently be seen in a rare acting role, as a lawyer for the polygamist main character on the HBO drama "Big Love."

And Mr. Sheen?

At 65, he has decided to make good on a promise he made to himself long ago: to enroll, for the first time, in college. A graduate, though just barely, of Chaminade High School in Dayton, Ohio, nearly five decades ago, he will began taking classes next fall — in English literature, philosophy and, he hopes, oceanography — at National University of Ireland in Galway, in the country where his mother was born.

In describing how much he relished retreating to an ivory tower, Mr. Sheen sounded a lot like a former president after two terms in office, even if he was a former president whose biggest challenge was commuting to a fictional White House.

"I'd be up at 4 in the morning, and out of the house by 5 to get on the freeway, all so we could start at 7 o'clock," he said. "That's a lot of wear and tear on your body."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/10/arts/television/10wing.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

fredfa

04-10-06, 03:59 AM

TV Notebook
Will show's viewers still hail the `Chief'?

From the Hartford Courant April 10, 2006

President Mackenzie Allen is on the defensive after a compromising picture appears of her husband with an intern when the first new episode of "Commander in Chief" since late January airs at 10 p.m. Thursday on ABC.

Just as the first female presidency may be on the ropes, so is the show itself.

With Geena Davis in the lead role, "Commander in Chief" was the first breakout hit of the fall season, attracting more than 16 million viewers in its first weeks on the air. But it stumbled when creator Rod Lurie was removed as show-runner and nearly fell when Steven Bochco, fresh off the failure of "Over There" on FX, took over. More adept at shows like "NYPD Blue" that involve cops and guns, Bochco left in early March.

It didn't help that the Tuesday night drama had run into the Fox juggernaut known as "American Idol," which generates more votes for singers than most real-life candidates get for office. Viewership for "Commander in Chief" had fallen below 11 million by late January.

Network officials hoped that keeping the show off for nearly three months would increase demand. That didn't work when the WB's "Everwood" came back after a long hiatus, but at least "Commander in Chief" returns with a more protected time slot — away from "Idol" and immediately after the Simon Cowell-produced and "Idol"-formatted "American Inventor," whose 12 finalists will be announced this week.

Running "Chief" now is executive producer Dee Johnson, who has been with the show since the start; she co-wrote Thursday's episode with Alison Cross.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-weektv10apr10,0,1882104,print.story?coll=cl-tvent

fredfa

04-10-06, 09:58 AM

The Digital Revolution
Disney Will Offer Many TV Shows Free on the Web

ABC's Prime-Time Hits And Zap-Proof Commercials Are Pillars of Bold Strategy
By Brooks Barnes The Wall Street Journal April 10, 2006; Page A1

Walt Disney Co. plans to make much of its newest and most popular programming on ABC and other channels available free anytime on the Web, in a move that could speed the transformation of television viewing habits and help revive the struggling TV advertising business.

On April 30, ABC will unveil a revamped Web site that will include a "theater" where people with broadband connections can watch free episodes of "Desperate Housewives," "Lost" and other hit shows on their computers. Episodes will be available the morning after they air and will be archived so people can eventually view a whole season. A Disney Channel version with five shows will start in June, and an ABC Family version is also planned. Disney's Soapnet cable channel will start offering programs free on its Web site, Soapnetic, on April 17.

Episodes of the ABC shows -- which can be paused, rewound and fast-forwarded -- will contain commercial breaks that viewers can't skip, making Disney hopeful it has figured out a way to turn the delivery of programs over the Web into a profit-generating business. Ten advertisers, including Ford Motor Co., Procter & Gamble, Universal Pictures and Unilever, already have signed up.

More at the WSJ website here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114463202813921449.html?mod=home_whats_news_us

fredfa

04-10-06, 10:30 AM

TV Notebook
Sutherland boosts pact at 20th TV

By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter April 10, 2006

"24" star Kiefer Sutherland has inked a multifaceted deal with 20th Century Fox Television.

The rich pact, which is set to begin in June, calls for the actor to continue on the hit Fox drama for three more years and includes a two-year development deal for Sutherland's soon-to-be-launched production banner.

Details on the deal were sketchy Friday, but sources pegged the acting portion alone at more than $40 million for the three seasons, which could make Sutherland the highest paid actor in drama series.

While the deal with Sutherland locks him in for three additional years beyond the current fifth season of "24", the 20th TV/Imagine TV-produced show so far has been picked up for one additional season.

Under the pact, Sutherland also will be elevated from a co-executive producer to executive producer on "24" next season alongside Joel Surnow, Robert Cochran, Howard Gordon and Evan Katz.

The development portion of the deal is said to include overhead and a development fund for Sutherland's company. Sutherland will hire a development executive and will begin to develop and executive produce projects for television as well the Internet and wireless devices.

"Working with Kiefer Sutherland over the past five seasons of '24' has been one of the great pleasures of my professional career," 20th TV president Dana Walden said. "He is an extraordinary actor with amazing instincts, he's fiercely intelligent, and he has fantastic taste in material."

Added 20th TV president Gary Newman, "In his years on '24,' Kiefer has demonstrated an incredible understanding of what makes for a compelling story or character, and he brings a passion to the process of making television that extends well beyond his own performance. We believe he could become every bit as accomplished a producer as he is a performer."

Sutherland called his past five years on the show "one of the most creative and rewarding experiences in my career."

He added: "The extraordinary support that we have received from Dana Walden, Gary Newman and everyone at Twentieth has made a difficult show like '24' succeed on all levels, and for that I'm truly grateful. I am thrilled to extend my commitment to all my friends and colleagues at '24,' and I'm looking forward to this expanded relationship with 20th Century Fox."

In its fifth season, "24" is enjoying some of its best ratings and critical notices. The show, which introduced the now-hot serialized thriller genre, also has become a DVD best-seller and has spawned a mobile phone series.

Sutherland's performance on "24" has earned him a Golden Globe award and four Emmy nominations.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002314440

fredfa

04-10-06, 10:43 AM

TV Review
'The Ten Commandments': Exodus Comes to ABC

By Tom Shales The Washington Post TV Critic Monday, April 10, 2006; C01

Blurrier and blurrier grow the lines that used to separate genres, formats and territories in television. ABC's dreadful, doleful remake of Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 classic "The Ten Commandments" (DeMille's own remake of a version he made in 1923) looks like the kind of cheapie that used to be produced for small-time cable TV, not for a big-time commercial broadcast network.

ABC originally had its two-part film scheduled for the February sweeps but, perhaps suffering a sudden attack of embarrassment, moved it to a theoretically quiet night in April. Most of the time, networks hope viewers will be drawn eagerly to special events, but in the case of "The Ten Commandments," (9-11 PM ET/PT Monday and Tuesday nights) ABC executives must be hoping no one will notice -- and that future airings will be confined to the basic cable networks where this clunker belongs.

The producers -- Robert Halmi Sr. and Jr., who ransacked Greek and Roman mythology for previous films -- could maintain that their version of "The Ten Commandments" is not a remake of DeMille's film but is an original work that just happens to have been inspired (ha!) by the same biblical history. But DeMille's movie is an adored classic that ABC used to air annually near Easter and or Passover, still getting healthy ratings after three decades on the air. Some people love it for its classically campy mock-eloquence ("His God -- is God"), others may find it genuinely inspiring, and some may giggle throughout yet still feel, when it's all over, that they've had as close to a spiritual experience as Hollywood could muster.

When, in DeMille's version, Pharaoh and his chariots race madly out of Egypt in pursuit of the Israelites, the troops roared between two long rows of gigantic Sphinx-like statues. In the new scaled-down version, they roar -- tippy-toe, really -- past what look like shrunken kiddie-toy versions of those same icons. Similarly, the Israelites appear to have decreased in number from the hundreds of thousands in DeMille's film to hundreds of hundreds in the Halmis'. When the Red Sea parts, it looks as though surfer footage of big waves has been spliced in, and it's disappointing to find the sea bed obscured by weird, gnarled, gnarly vegetation.

The thunderous scoring by Elmer Bernstein that made the amazing sights all the more miraculous in the 1956 version has been replaced with ricky-ticky percussive fluff that is presumably meant to sound authentically regional. You might think that, considering the technical progress made in the past five decades, at least the special effects in the new version would be good. Oh you would be so wrong.

Dougray Scott, who plays Moses, is determined to find the psychological complexities within the man, and so we get not a towering hero but a sullen mope. When he faces the specter of the Burning Bush and hears no less than the voice of God calling him to liberate his people, this new angsty Moses complains, "I can't do this! I can't do this!" Out on the trail in Part 2, Moses suffers what amounts to one long breakdown, growling, "I don't want to be the chosen one!" Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.

Moses at times comes across as a mean-spirited ethnic stereotype. For that reason, and because the second half of the film makes such a big deal about the Israelites committing adultery while Moses goes up the mountain, and bickering ceaselessly about the smallest hardship, the film seems not just joyless but offensive. Maybe the Halmis couldn't peddle it successfully in international markets if the Jews were depicted in too positive a light. Meanwhile the Pharaoh is less a vindictive tyrant than a man tortured with doubt -- in a sense, Moses' equal.

Come, now. If this is not a story of good (slaves who endured 400 years in bondage) vs. evil (the slave-owning oppressors), what is it? And what's the point of telling it again? As a film, the Halmi version shows less cinematic finesse than the JibJab productions that play on the Web (and at least are fun). Director Robert Dornhelm has some of his players going wildly over the top, including a soothsayer who can't say a single sooth without twirling himself into a tantrum and having to be carted off by guards. But others mutter and whisper so softly that viewers will be reaching for the remote control so they can boost the volume.

It's quite incredible, really, that Moses can address a vast crowd and be clearly heard by all of them even while speaking no more loudly than someone asking to pass the syrup at the breakfast table.

The meetings between Moses and Pharaoh are not exactly rhetorical spectaculars, either. "I am Pharaoh," says Pharaoh. "I am Moses," says Moses. Later Pharaoh spears an adviser merely for suggesting that the Israelites be freed. "I am a god," Pharaoh explains. "I stand firm. I will not be moved." Yeah, but he sings another tune when he wakes up one morning to find his bedroom filled with frogs, hippity-hopping all over the bed and floor (one of the plagues that DeMille, perhaps wisely, omitted, since it's darn difficult to make frogs horrifying, except maybe in biology class).

This "Ten Commandments" is so drearily devoid of ideas that the mind is bound to wander -- even early on, when Moses unconvincingly says he was tortured by a nightmare and you want him to sing, "I had a dream, a dream about you, baby!" -- like Ethel Merman in "Gypsy." When he's addressing throngs in his barely audible mutter, you may long for one of the extras to shout, "Speak up, willya? We can't hear a word you're saying!"

And when the Lord begins a chat with Moses by saying "Moses? You know my voice?" those of us old enough to remember will probably recall Bill Cosby's classic routine as Noah having a very unexpected chat with the Supreme Being: "Who is this really?"

Wherever your mind wanders, it's likely to end up at a better place than this summer-stock, dinner-theater production of "The Ten Commandments" would try to take it. A bit of sound advice: Don't go there.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/09/AR2006040901298_pf.html

fredfa

04-10-06, 10:49 AM

The 2005-2006 TV Season
Ask Matt

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

Question: So, is President Logan really bad, or have any sane 24 writers just been kidnapped and replaced by Cylons? I think that's the real question. When Prison Break comes off as normal and reasonable next to the "let's throw darts blindfolded at the writer's wall" approach that 24 is taking, it's rough. I have never seen a group of television writers make up more as they go along. This "President Logan has really been bad all along thing' just tops off the Kim Bauer/mountain lion sequence as the dumbest and most bizarre plot twist ever, and that is saying a lot for this show. I don't see how I can devote more time to 24 next season. They have hit new levels of low. The good news? At least no other characters we liked actually died this week. I keep sitting there waiting for them to kill off anyone else we like with some random stray bullet. Seriously, the ultimate 24 plot twist is that President Logan has been replaced by a Cylon! — Alex R.

Matt Roush: Well, as expected, the knives came out after 24's latest wacky twist. I'm not sure how I feel about it, nearly a week later. Making the petulant wimp a cunning weasel negates so much of what we thought we saw before. And it's so distracting, because now we can't help but sweat the details on a show that is so much more fun if you don't. As Tim puts it in my favorite response to date: "You know what's really something? If the writers would stick with just the suspense and drama, and eliminate all those unnecessary, over-the-top twists, the show would still be the best thing on television and an addictive can't-miss program. The twists were great the first and even second time. But by continuing to shock us week after week, it has cheapened this once great and now just good TV show."

For the record, I still think 24 is great, but it has suddenly become a lot more difficult to defend. I find myself kind of agreeing with Adam, who wrote: "The only way they can pull this off in my opinion is to somehow show that Logan is merely "misguided" and still a complete idiot. To totally vilify him and make him some evil genius, I can't suspend my disbelief for that. We'll see how they wrap this up, but this development has me worried." Me too.

And then there were those who were jazzed by the twist. Here's a very detailed response from Mike T., which I've attempted to edit for length (though you may not believe me as you read on).

"I would like to go on the record as being very excited about the President Logan revelation from last week's episode of 24. I am especially happy about the way it unfolded. I was completely in the dark, angry that there was no surprise in the perpetrator in the government. Seriously, why else would you bring in the vice president and have him declare martial law in Los Angeles and manipulate the president if he wasn't going to be the mole? Dull and drab in my mind. Until about halfway through the last episode when the tumblers in my brain finally clicked into order and I let out an excited "oh my God!" to the group of people watching with me, and I explained to them the brilliance of what was really going on, how we were being snowed by the producers this entire season, and why Logan was not only behind everything happening today, but perhaps the most brilliant choice ever of ringleader for this nefarious scheme, even before the big reveal in the final seconds.

Let's look at the evidence that was cleverly hidden in subtext and masked by other happenings that we were focused on this past season. We knew at the end of last season that although he is weak and noncommittal, Logan has a dark and manipulative streak in him. How quickly we have all forgotten that it was Logan who sanctioned Walt Cummings' assassination plot against Jack in last season's finale in order to protect the presidency he was attempting to build, but which had become jeopardized with scandal after the botched Chinese Consulate operation. Even we the viewers see Logan as an indecisive, unqualified boob; can you imagine what the public opinion of the country in the show is? Let's also look at the fact that Logan's administration is only in power because President Keeler was attacked last season. Keeler's administration is only in place because Palmer pulled out of the presidential race in Season 3, a race he in all reality had a fantastic chance of winning. Palmer was widely considered to be a great president by all those in the government and the country. Can you imagine the stress of following in the footsteps of a man heralded as 'one of the best to hold the office'? We know from the first four to eight hours of this season that Logan wants to leave a legacy with his administration, what with the anti-terrorism treaty with Russia. So how hard is it to become a memorable president on the heels of Palmer who was 'one of the greatest men to hold the office.' Tie into that the fact that at some point during the hiatus between seasons, Walt Cummings found out that Jack Bauer is not dead, but alive. So why wouldn't the president know? The president wanted him dead in the first place, so wouldn't he be given the intelligence that the man who can expose a political bombshell is alive?

Basically we have a weak man who is suffering on the altar of public opinion because he is nowhere near the man that David Palmer was. So now President Logan needs to distinguish himself and get out from under Palmer's shadow (remember Palmer was the one who really pulled the strings during last season's crisis, which probably bruised poor Logan's ego and showed him how he will always pale in comparison), and show the nation that he deserves to be in office and set himself up for reelection. And how angry would you be if a man who could threaten your presidency and your reputation, a man whom you thought you had assassinated, turned out to be alive? So what better way to kill all these birds flying in the air since last season with one shot?

You plan a terrorist attack under your control, secretly manipulate and task Russian separatists to steal nerve gas that you developed through defense contractors (Henderson) and have them attack a foreign power. Then you assassinate your rival and the man whose shadow you live under, and frame Jack, the man who has information that jeopardizes your administration from a botched military action on a sovereign nation's soil. Then you sign a treaty with the major nation you plan to attack to make yourself look good, and then when you attack him with your own nerve gas under the guise of terrorist militia, you become the biggest hero in a world that is fixated by terrorism because you then bring down the 'terrorist cell' that you yourself created, coming to the aid of your new ally. How great does President Logan look then? How much of a hero does he become?

Too bad the separatists hijacked the nerve gas and the whole plan went south, right about hour five this season. And then we have Logan trying to hide his sins and his sanctioned assassination of David Palmer and the framing of Jack Bauer, and save his country from a devastating terrorist attack instead of his scapegoat Russian friends. That's how I see this situation, and I think we underestimated Logan's abilities as a manipulative politician. Truly brilliant in my book. How exciting is it that this entire season seems more planned out from beginning to end than any other in the past?"

Whew. And oy. This is a plan? This is why I keep saying that dwelling on the so-called substance rather than the thrilling experience of 24 is often a no-win situation.

________________________________________

Question: Well, Matt, it looks like the honchos at CBS have heard your call and are moving Amazing Race to Wednesdays at 7 pm/MT (let the other time zones eat it for once). This puts it mainly up against Bones in my viewing habits, but do you think having it against America's Next Top Model and Deal or No Deal will hurt its ratings? Well, any more than having it at 9 pm/MT on Tuesday? — Matt

Matt Roush: It's a little early to crunch the numbers definitively, but it looks like moving The Amazing Race to an earlier time period paid off with an uptick in viewership, which at the very least was an improvement on the comedies that previously aired there. But going up against two reality contenders, a brand-new phenom like Deal or No Deal and a demographic hit like Model, did seem to depress Race's numbers more than I'd like to see. I think you'd have to say that CBS' programmers, who are usually among the sharpest in the biz, bungled Race this time around. The show's much better now than the "family" edition earlier this season, but there's no momentum, at least in the ratings, just yet.

________________________________________

Question: So what is your take on the April 3 Prison Break? Personally, I thought it was horrible, and the first bad episode in the series. I'm not crying "jump the shark" or anything like that, and I look forward to next week's episode of my favorite new series from this season. But I was saddened a little to see the show, in my eyes, water itself down into easier-to-swallow stereotypes. It was as if they couldn't allow Sucre, for example, to be a convict who was still a good guy at heart; he had to be the guy who did it all for love. And Sarah couldn't just want to make a difference; she had to be the recovering addict. Don't even get me started on T-Bag's story. Not to mention that 90 percent of the content of Michael and Lincoln's flashback had already been covered in earlier episodes and was pretty much filler. Hopefully this isn't a totally new direction for the show and starting next week I can pretend like this episode never happened. — Mike

Matt Roush: What this episode proved without a doubt is that it's no Lost. I wouldn't count on flashbacks becoming an integral part of the show. Another thing this episode demonstrated to me is that while the show's melodrama can be entertaining, the characters themselves simply aren't that compelling, with the arguable exception of Michael and maybe Lincoln. When they break out of prison, everyone's going to need to step up their game in the second season to produce a show that's going to be worth caring about. (Airing side-by-side with 24 has also revealed the show's structural and dramatic weaknesses. It really doesn't compare. At least not to me.)

________________________________________

Question: Do you think that there is any chance networks will learn to not milk a show for more seasons when the stories have run their course? It seems unfair to the audience to keep a show around seasons past its prime. None of the X-Files fans I know, for instance, think the final few seasons of that show were anywhere near as good as the earlier seasons. It's especially bad when the original creator of the show leaves or is fired because he/she wants the story to end as it should and the network won't let it die, which is, if I'm not mistaken, what happened to The West Wing. Even Alias should have either been allowed to die two seasons ago or been given the freedom to really be what it was back in the first two seasons. Now I'm concerned for shows like Lost and Prison Break, which seem like perfect candidates for runs of three seasons or so. Their stories had a very specific beginning, and structurally, they clearly are heading for very specific ends, even if we don't know what exactly those ends are yet. Do you think there's any way that networks like ABC or Fox could be convinced to let a show be finished after three seasons, even if it were still successful, rather than drawing it out and bleeding it dry, as has happened to shows like Alias, West Wing, and The X-Files? I realize that networks are all about the money, but I can't help but wish they'd respect the stories and characters that let them make all that money. — Liz

Matt Roush: A good question, although Aaron Sorkin wasn't taken off The West Wing because he wanted to kill it. More like he was killing himself and it wasn't doing the show any good. But yes, one of the most aggravating aspects of the American TV business is a network's and studio's reluctance to let a cash cow die a natural death when it can be milked (to strain the metaphor) for more profits down the road: in syndication primarily, but nowadays in DVD sales, too. Success on TV inevitably breeds excess, and that includes allowing a show to continue long after it has peaked creatively. I'm not particularly worried about Lost, which has a myriad of characters and mysteries to explore over time, but I do think Prison Break is going to be tough to sustain over the long haul. If it had been a one (or maybe two) season miniseries, I'd be much more hopeful.

________________________________________

Question: I watched the premiere of Pepper Dennis on the WB and have to admit (with guilt, I suppose), I enjoyed it. It stumbled around a bit, literally, but I think it has promise. With WB morphing into CW, is this show dead on arrival, or could we possibly see more? — Karen

Matt Roush: Again, a little early after just one week. But the first night's results weren't particularly positive. I'm sure WB would have liked Pepper to hold on to more of the Gilmore Girls lead-in, but Tuesdays are very tough. Pepper Dennis is at best a guilty pleasure, forgettable and harmless, cotton-candy eye candy. If it doesn't show any growth over the next month, I'd be surprised if it conveys to the CW. But if it picks up at all, it seems to me to be very commercial and promotable, and as such, a potentially fresh asset on a lineup that looks for now to be heavy on shows that are closer to the end of their run than the beginning.

________________________________________

Question: I noticed that you have mentioned quite a few times in your column that Hugh Laurie should win an Emmy. I think no one deserves it more than Ian McShane for his mesmerizing portrayal on Deadwood. Can you believe he wasn't even nominated for the first season? As much as I like Laurie (even though I don't watch House), McShane should win it hands down. — Shayan J.

Matt Roush: There is no question that the lead dramatic actor category is the toughest Emmy to handicap, because there are so many amazing contenders. On the heels of this letter came this from Alex: "Just read your thoughts on how you thought Hugh Laurie was robbed of an Emmy last year. Unless you are only looking at the nominated contenders, how can you forget Denis Leary? I hope that the voters finally take his performance to heart this year, because he was the one who was truly robbed of an Emmy last year. Hopefully this new Emmy voting system will work to his benefit. His performance last year was the best out of any show, even Hugh's. Kiefer Sutherland will get his due one of these years and, yes, more than likely when he is killed off the show. Also, when is Rescue Me returning for its new season? I can't wait!"

Rescue Me will return Tuesday, May 30, strategically just in time to put the show back in the spotlight as Emmy ballots go out. I agree that Ian McShane and Denis Leary are just as viable choices as Hugh Laurie, Kiefer Sutherland and, this season, the inevitable return of James Gandolfini. With all of that to choose from, the Emmy had better not to go James Spader for a third consecutive year. Enough already.

________________________________________

Question: Please help! Where has Medium been the last few weeks? I know it was a top-rated show so I can't believe it was canceled. But other than on cable, I can't find any info on when it will air again. It's my favorite show and the only one I will stay up past 10 to watch. Maybe they're finding an earlier slot for it — could it be? Please, please? — Sheri

Matt Roush: Medium has not been canceled, but to be perfectly honest, I don't know what the heck NBC is doing with the show and its Monday time period. First it was pre-empted so NBC could replay the pilot of the dismal Heist. A big mistake. Then it was pre-empted for The Apprentice, and it's off the schedule again this week. What's happening here is some midseason stunting during a time when Medium would likely be in repeat mode anyway. But this is no way to treat one of the network's few growing assets. I am at a loss to explain it, and I certainly wouldn't try to justify it. But the complaints and questions keep pouring in, so I'm hoping NBC will take notice and get Medium back on the air promptly. (Moving it to an earlier time period, though, seems unlikely. It has done well on Mondays, holding its own against CSI: Miami, so I'm not sure why they'd change that unless they have a better contender, which they don't this season.)

________________________________________

Question: I've read that ABC will most definitely pick up Scrubs if NBC passes on it this year. While this is great news considering ABC could actually advertise the show and give it a good time slot, what are the prospects that it gets paired with ABC's only other good comedy, Sons & Daughters? That show improves episode to episode and deserves a shot to not be on an island by itself up against a two-hour-long American Idol. Even if it doesn't get paired with Scrubs, does it have a shot to come back next year? None of ABC's other comedies are any good, and I'm sure they don't have enough good comedies in pilot production to fill the void. — Greg

Matt Roush: Sadly, I think last week's episodes were probably the last we'll see of Sons & Daughters, unless there's a miracle. The numbers were very low and got worse week to week — not surprising for a challenging, unconventional comedy that many weeks took such dramatic and poignant twists it had me near tears, even as I laughed. Airing episodes back-to-back was a terrible miscalculation. Even popular, commercial comedies rarely work programmed that way. So if Scrubs does move to ABC, it probably won't have a companion piece this distinguished, unless it's very very lucky. Which brings me to this question from Leonard:

"You've discussed repeatedly your disgust for NBC's horrible mistreatment of Scrubs, which is actually enjoying its best season yet creatively. You've also mentioned how there is a good chance that ABC would pick it up if NBC were low enough to cancel it. USA Today is reporting the same thing. I've always hoped that NBC would renew it and that that would not be an issue, but I've now shifted my thinking and started to hope that it will move to ABC. What's your thinking, Matt? If this happens, will ABC welcome its corporate brother with open arms, and (more importantly) treat it with the respect, visibility, and plum time period it deserves?"

If ABC does get Scrubs (which, given all of the media discussion about this possible move, makes me worry that NBC will renew it out of spite and keep killing it with benign neglect), I'm sure it will enjoy great promotion and be as protected as possible. But ABC does not have a great bench of comedy with which to surround Scrubs, so it may still struggle despite ABC's best efforts. Because these days, ABC's best efforts at comedy just aren't good enough (or, in the case of Sons & Daughters, popular enough). Which is why it's probably good news that ABC is shaking up its comedy executive ranks.

________________________________________

Question: This year The West Wing is more exciting than ever, with well written and acted plots. Anything fans can do to encourage one more year? I'm enjoying it more than the last few years combined. — Toby

Matt Roush: True fans should encourage the show to bow out on a creative high. If the show is more exciting this year, it's because there has been new energy in the campaign. The idea of watching a new adminstration take over from the Bartlet team is not the West Wing I or almost anyone else wants to see. And given the numbers for the show this season (thanks to NBC's stubborn insistence on keeping it hidden on Sundays), there's zero chance of getting NBC to change its mind. So embrace reality and just be glad that West Wing picked up its game toward the end, and was able to remind us of its past glories from time to time.

________________________________________

Question: It was said that Less Than Perfect was returning. Is it, or has it been dropped? — Jon L.

Matt Roush: After a nearly season-long hiatus, ABC is bringing the show back on Tuesdays starting April 18 (airing at 9:30 pm/ET in Commander in Chief's old time period, now that that has shifted to Thursdays). It's going to get creamed there, with little support and fanfare on a ludicrously overcrowded night, so don't get too attached. I think this is finally the end of that show's road. (I just got a preview tape with three new episodes, so if I watch them before the premiere date and am favorably impressed, I'll weigh in.)

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

CPanther95

04-10-06, 10:51 AM

One word for that "Ten Commandments" review........OUCH.

fredfa

04-10-06, 10:53 AM

LOL.
Shales is not often described as subtle.

keenan

04-10-06, 12:18 PM

The 2005-2006 TV Season
Ask Matt

Matt Roush: Medium has not been canceled, but to be perfectly honest, I don't know what the heck NBC is doing with the show and its Monday time period. First it was pre-empted so NBC could replay the pilot of the dismal Heist. A big mi
This is just typical NBC bungling, Medium has a Emmy winning actress to anchor the show, one of the nets few bright spots, so what do they do? They put a bunch of other crap in the timespot instead of airing re-runs, which I bet would have done better in the ratings than the junk they did use.

Agree on the Denis Leary/Emmy comments as well, his performances on Rescue Me definitely deserve the Emmy nod at least once, especially with Spader's character not being anywhere as good this season has he has been in the past. Tough category as Laurie should get the nod as well.

fredfa

04-10-06, 12:18 PM

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

fredfa

04-10-06, 12:26 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
An election-eve surge for 'West Wing'

Aging NBC show up 20 percent as Santos wins

By Diego Vasquez MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer Apr 10, 2006
Matt Santos won the fake election last night, and he also delivered a victory of sorts for NBC’s once-mighty “West Wing,” which over recent weeks has sagged into one of the least-watched shows on the Big Four networks among adults 18-49.

The show, which also dramatized the death of Santos vice presidential candidate Leo McGarry, played by the late John Spencer, averaged a 2.4 Nielsen overnight rating last night.

That was up 20 percent over the 2.0 the show has averaged since the Winter Olympics ended in February. It’s the show’s highest-rated episode since November, even though it still placed fourth in its 8 p.m. timeslot and is well down from last year’s 3.3 season average.

That signals that there still could be some life in the seventh-year show leading up to May 14’s series finale. Though NBC said in January that this would be “Wing’s” last year, because of sinking ratings and high production costs, it was once one of the network’s highest-rated programs and was always a favorite of awards show voters such as the Emmys.

Critics, too, had commended the show in recent months for the compelling election storyline, in which Republican Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) and Democrat Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) battled to succeed two-termer Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen).

Writers said over the weekend that they’d originally intended to make Vinick the winner. But after Spencer’s unexpected passing, they felt it would be too sad to make Santos lose both the election and his running mate.

Coming episodes will deal with the White House transition and Santos finding a new VP. Next week’s episode may also see a bump in ratings, as former series stars Emily Procter and Rob Lowe return for McGarry’s funeral.

Last night’s episode grew 13 percent from its first half hour to its second, when it averaged a 2.6.

ABC led the night among 18-49s with a 4.8 average rating and a 13 share. CBS was second at 3.0/8, Fox third at 2.9/8, NBC fourth at 2.5/7, Univision fifth at 1.8/5 and WB sixth at 0.9/2.

At 7 p.m. CBS led with a 3.8 for golf overrun and the first part of “60 Minutes.” ABC was second that hour with a 2.5 for “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” Fox third with a 1.8 average for “Malcolm in the Middle” (1.5) and “King of the Hill” (2.1), NBC fourth with a 1.7 for “Dateline,” Univision fifth with a 1.0 for “Hora Pico” and WB sixth with a 0.8 for an hour of “Reba” repeats.

ABC took the lead at 8 p.m. with a 4.4 for the first of two hours of “Home Edition,” followed by a 3.6 average for Fox for “The Simpsons” (4.1) and “The War at Home” (3.1). CBS was third with a 3.3 for the end of “60 Minutes” and the start of “Cold Case,” NBC fourth with a 2.4 for “West Wing,” Univision fifth with a 1.8 for the first hour of “Bailando por un Sueño” and WB sixth with a 1.0 for a repeat of “Charmed.”

At 9 p.m. ABC led again with a 6.2 for the second hour of “Home Edition,” followed by a 3.3 for Fox for “Family Guy” (4.1) and “Free Ride” (2.5). CBS was third with a 2.8 average for the end of “Cold Case” and the start of its Sunday night movie, NBC fourth with a 2.6 for “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” Univision fifth with a 2.2 for the second hour of “Bailando” and WB sixth with a 0.7 for a repeat of “Pepper Dennis.”

ABC finished the night in the lead with a 5.9 average at 10 p.m. for a repeat of “Grey’s Anatomy.” NBC was second with a 3.3 for “Crossing Jordan,” Univision third with a 2.2 for “Bailando” and CBS fourth with a 2.1 for its movie.

Among households, CBS led the night with an 8.0 average rating and a 13 share. ABC was second at 7.3/12, NBC third at 6.1/10, Fox fourth at 3.6/6, Univision fifth at 2.0/3 and WB sixth at 1.5/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_4031.asp

fredfa

04-10-06, 12:32 PM

The Digital Revolution
ABC to Stream Lost, Housewives in May, June

By Mike Shields MediaWeek.com APRIL 10, 2006 -

ABC will begin streaming full-length episodes of four of its top shows, including Lost and Desperate Housewives, on ABC.com during May and June as part what the network is referring to as an experiment.

Beginning next month, current episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives and Commander In Chief, as well as the entire current season of Alias, will be available for streaming online, along with these show's corresponding broadcast advertisements.

Interestingly, ABC's experiment bumps up against its deal with Apple to sell episodes of its shows, including Lost and Desperate Housewives, through the iTunes Music Store. Though in this case, users will only be able to view episodes of these shows, rather then own them outright.

"None of us can live in a world of just one business model," said Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney-ABC Television Group, while speaking during a panel session loaded with industry heavyweights at The National Cable Television Association show in Atlanta.

"This allows us to learn a different model. And it allows us to take our broadcast advertisers into the space and allows them to experiment."
The show's advertisers, which include AT&T, Cingular, Ford, Procter & Gamble, Toyota , Unilever's Suave, Universal Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures, plan to experiment with offering users who elect to stream these shows online the ability to click on their ads and receive more information, and possibly long form ads, according to Sweeney.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002314525

fredfa

04-10-06, 12:49 PM

TV Notebook
NBC's calling off 'Heist'

Peacock plucking new drama

By Michael Schneider Variety.com

"Heist" is about to get yanked.

NBC plans to air one more episode of the caper series, but hasn't committed to keeping the show on the schedule beyond this week.

Peacock had already shifted the new drama's timeslot after a disappointing launch (Daily Variety, April 3).

Having originally aired on Wednesdays at 10 p.m., the show's weak start convinced NBC execs to move it down to 9 p.m.

"Heist" has aired just three times so far, but its averages have dropped consistently week-to-week.

Show debuted with a 3.0 rating/0 share in the adult 18-49 demo, which sunk to a 1.8/4 by week three.

"Heist" stars Dougray Scott as a professional thief who assembles a criminal dream team to rob several Beverly Hills jewelry stores during Oscar week. Things get complicated when he and the head of the LAPD robbery/homicide division (Michele Hicks) fall in love.

fredfa

04-10-06, 02:03 PM

TV Notebook
Important issues given short shrift in coverage of Katie Couric story

By Charlie McCollum San Jose Mercury News Apr. 10, 2006

There was enough newsprint and airtime expended last week on the anchoring of Katie Couric and the naming of Meredith Vieira as her ``Today'' replacement that you would have thought the network shuffle ranked right up there with news of the immigration legislation and Scooter Libby's testimony.

Not to pick on one newspaper in particular -- just about everyone jumped on this bandwagon, including us -- but on just one day, the New York Times devoted almost two full pages to the Couric-Vieira story. In fairness, it amounted to a hometown story for the Times -- ``The CBS Evening News'' and ``The Today Show'' are produced in Manhattan -- but the coverage still seemed a bit excessive.

What got lost in all the teary farewells (Couric's ``I'm going to miss you most of all, Tin Man'' to Matt Lauer was pretty sweet) was a real sense of precisely what the changes meant for network news, immediately and in the long run.

Perhaps that's only fair, because we won't really know how well Couric and Vieira will do in their new roles until they settle into them come September. But the lack of real assessment was fairly glaring.

There's no question that CBS's decision to have Couric take over a job held by just four people over a half century is the much bigger risk. (NBC probably will do just fine on ``Today'' with Vieira, who comes with a built-in fan base and substantial credentials.)

Since Dan Rather exited the anchor desk (or was pushed out) more than a year ago, CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves -- a very smart man with total confidence in his own instincts and a track record that, largely if not completely, backs that up -- has seen Couric as the solution to the slumping viewership for the ``Evening News.'' There really has been no fallback for Moonves as he pursued Couric for the job.

But there are more than a few people, admittedly traditionalists about TV news, who see Couric as lacking the weight to carry the lead news role. Robert Zelnick, a former ABC journalist who now heads Boston University's journalism department, says the shift ``reminds me of the move Barbara Walters made from `The Today Show' -- where she was fabulously successful -- to anchoring the evening news on ABC with Harry Reasoner, which turned out to be a less than successful move for ABC.''

The flip side is expressed most often by female journalists, who see many of the criticisms of Couric as sexist. Asked recently whether Couric has the ``gravitas'' to handle the anchor job, Connie Chung, who co-anchored the ``Evening News'' with Rather briefly in the 1980s, replied, ``That's essentially a chauvinistic word.''

Couric also has received the very public backing of Bob Schieffer and Walter Cronkite, two of the four men to have held the position of sole anchor at CBS. Cronkite, in particular, hasn't been shy since his retirement in his assessment of the current state of TV news, so his endorsement carries considerable weight.

My impression of Couric is that she has a superior TV skill set. She connects with most viewers most of the time, as the very best anchors have done. Some may disagree, but she can be a first-rate interviewer. (There's a reason why the legendary Don Hewitt, the longtime executive producer of ``60 Minutes,'' repeatedly tried to hire her for that show.)

But in a news world where image means a lot, it's hard to see Couric taking significant viewership away from Brian Williams, whose ``NBC Nightly News'' is the clear ratings front-runner at this point. Fair or not, she is saddled with ``perky'' as a middle name, and when big breaking news happens -- a Sept. 11 or an election night -- perky don't cut it with viewers.

Again, this is all horribly unfair, because Couric hasn't had her shot yet.

It's even more unfair because she's coming to the job at a time when news at all the networks -- not just CBS -- is in a state of turmoil. While the evening news shows still draw a large audience every night, that viewership is being drained away by cable and by the Internet. Changes have to be made, and they will have to be more fundamental than simply changing anchors.

Gary Carr, a senior vice president and director of national broadcast with TargetCast, a New York-based media buying firm, offered one of the more insightful comments last week when he suggested that ``hiring Couric will create a lot of publicity and noise and maybe initially people will turn on CBS to see her.''

``But I don't see how this is the answer to the overall problem that network TV has, which is that it is not where people get their news anymore.''

Remote controls

• This week, ABC has its annual Easter showing of Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 epic ``The Ten Commandments'' (7 PM ET/PT Saturday, ABC), an overly ripe piece of cheese if there ever was one. (The movie arguably has more bad acting by normally good actors than any other film in Hollywood history.) But as pungent as the odors emanating from DeMille's flick may be, it's got nothing on ABC's made-for-TV remake (9 tonight and Tuesday, Ch. 7). It's long, it's boring, and it's got the dreary Dougray Scott as Moses. If you must have your dose of biblical kitsch, wait until Saturday.

• VH1 brings back the charming ``Love Monkey'' at 7 p.m. PT Tuesday, starting with the three episodes of the Tom Cavanagh comedy-drama that CBS aired before canceling the series. Five additional hours will be shown at 9 p.m. PT Tuesdays starting next week.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/columnists/charlie_mccollum/14307297.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

fredfa

04-10-06, 09:42 PM

TV Notebook
Body snatchers stifle post-'Lost' 'Invasion'

By Andrew Wallenstein The Hollywood Reporter April 10, 2006

Add one more to the list of mysteries amassing like moss on the island of "Lost."

Forget for a second the true identity of Henry Gale, the black smoke that peered into the eyes of Mr. Eko or the map that appeared to Locke on the hatch door. Here's what's truly puzzling: Why can't ABC move the massive audience that tunes in Wednesday at 9 p.m. to the 10 p.m. slot?

Perhaps it's apropos that a show about people stranded on an island has a viewership that is an island unto itself. "Lost" has little problem drawing a top 10 audience each week, but too few of them manage to stick around to see what's on next.

In recent weeks, those viewers are only demonstrating good taste. ABC gave a midseason trial to a ho-hum procedural crime drama titled "The Evidence." Perhaps The Hollywood Reporter TV critic Barry Garron said it best when he described its unconventional storytelling technique as nothing more than "a case of pouring old crime into new bottles."

But what to make of the series that has occupied the 10 p.m. slot for most of the season: "Invasion," from writer/executive producer Shaun Cassidy and Warner Bros. Television. It's a terrifically creepy serialized saga that chronicles the extraterrestrial infestation of a Florida town.

Its otherworldly trappings and mystery-filled story lines would suggest that "Invasion" is tailor made as a "Lost" companion piece. And yet the Nielsen ratings suggest otherwise. In the 13 instances an original episode of "Lost" has led into an original episode of "Invasion," the latter program retained a lackluster 50% of the former's audience in the 18-49 demographic.

Last season, "Lost's" first, the series occupied the 8 p.m. slot and led in to "Alias," which didn't get much of a boost, either.

Now "Invasion" finds itself on the bubble, that precarious midseason purgatory where its fate might hinge less on its own merit than what ABC has in development for the 2006-07 season. With a development slate chock-full of serialized dramas, ABC may be eyeing new post-"Lost" material. That's sound strategy, no question.

But it's difficult to understand why the pairing of "Lost" and "Invasion" didn't work. Anyone who has sat glued to their couch between 9-11 p.m. on Wednesday has to marvel at how similar in sensibility these shows are, from their eerie tone to the plot puzzles that are carefully strewn like a breadcrumb trail leading viewers from episode to episode.

You would think all "Lost" fans would love "Invasion," but that's the black magic of primetime scheduling for you. The practice of maintaining audience flow is equal parts art and science -- always unpredictable, even when it seems a textbook example of how to develop and schedule around hit lead-ins.

Perhaps the problem is that "Invasion" is a lot like its story's alien clones -- the show is a bit too much like "Lost." That's how tricky scheduling can get; on the one hand, you want a show to exhibit the same traits that appeal to the lead-in audience but, on the other hand, provide enough twists to the formula that make it feel fresh and distinctive.

ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson has suggested that the viewing experience of "Lost" is so sui generis that its audience is going to stick around for just any show. He may be right, but ABC can't give up on spreading the wealth to another time slot.

"Invasion" returns to the schedule April 19; ABC's cable cousin ABC Family is treating the series to a 10-hour marathon Saturday to get the uninitiated up to speed.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/columns/tv_reporter_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002314274

RussTC3

04-10-06, 11:09 PM

The Digital Revolution
ABC to Stream Lost, Housewives in May, June
Damn! Why no Grey's Anatomy?

fredfa

04-11-06, 01:40 AM

I can't imagine that Grey's won't be added to the list sooner rather than later, Russ.

fredfa

04-11-06, 10:45 AM

Critic’s Notebook
What ails NBC's 'L&O: Criminal Intent'

By Jae-Ha Kim MediaLifeMagazine.com Apr 11, 2006

Just a couple of years ago, back before NBC took its tumble, before ABC invaded Sunday night with "Desperate Housewives," Sunday at 9 belonged to "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and its quirky lead detective, Robert Goren.

But that was then. In the time since, "Criminal Intent" has slid, and it now places a distant third in its timeslot. But while it would be easy to blame "Housewives," which quickly shoved its way to No. 1, the fault lies much more with happenstance and with the character of Detective Goren, played by Vincent D'Onofrio. The babes of Wisteria Lane had nothing to do with it.

As it turns out, what made "Criminal Intent" successful for so many years is the very thing that led to its demise. Unlike the other "L&Os," and for that matter the typical Dick Wolf drama, “Criminal Intent" is driven less by action than character, chiefly the character of Goren and his interactions with partner Alexandra Eames, played by Kathryn Erbe. With his hinky mannerisms and slightly off portrayal of a genius detective, D'Onofrio also differentiates the show from the slew of whodunits crawling around on every other network.

D'Onofrio built the character of Goren, and in time the show grew around him. Goren's a know-it-all with the goods to back it up. He's a genius who speaks German and understands the nuances of classical music as well as graduate-level mathematics. Unfortunately, he's also as neurotic as most of the criminals they catch.

Unlike, say, Adrian Monk, Tony Shaloub's character on "Monk," Goren's not afraid to get his suit dirty during an undercover assignment. Tall and almost lumbering, he can be a menacing figure to be reckoned with and the bad guys seem to sense that he's just a couple steps away from being a psych case himself.

It was this character that pushed up ratings. Then, two years ago, in 2004, D'Onofrio was hospitalized not once but twice for exhaustion. Suddenly, Wolf had a problem.

In a classic cop saga, characters are swapped in and out, the story, the setting and the pacing being the thing, not the particular characters.

But with "Criminal Intent," Wolf realized he didn't have that flexibility. D'Onofrio's character was too unique. So, wary of outright replacing him, the creator opted for an unusual solution. He lessened D'Onofrio's workload and brought in Chris Noth, who had starred in the original "Law & Order" series in the early 1990s.

The plan: Viewers would see D'Onofrio and Erbe one week, but on the next episode their characters would be on a looooong doughnut run somewhere while Noth and Annabella Sciorra took over as Detectives Mike Logan and Carolyn Barek.

On the face of it, it was a good plan. Noth and Sciorra are fine actors and extremely attractive eye candy. Keep them on the show long enough and the sexual tension between their characters surely will be the driving force behind at least a few will-they, won't-they? episodes.

That, of course, was not the case with Goren and Eames. Indeed, what set "CI" apart, among all the other qualities that set it apart, was knowing there was never, ever going to be any hookups between these two. Wolf knew that if they ever did fool around, it would a sure sign that the show had jumped the shark. Viewers would never forgive the show.

It's not that Goren and Eames are a physically unattractive couple. But emotionally, Eames is too normal for her partner.

And therein lies the problem with "Criminal Intent." It's really two cops shows, with two sets of detectives, but an ill-matched set. Logan and Barek are traditional action cops and thus out of place on the set of "CI," seeming uninvited guests when the real cops are off somewhere. It all seems inauthentic, a work-around, so to speak, which of course is exactly the case.

Viewers saw the conflict, and many fled. In the past two years, viewers 18-49 fell more than 20 percent, while household ratings slid nearly 15 percent.

Can "Criminal Intent" be fixed? It would be nice to think so, perhaps with another pair of detectives closer in style to Goren and Eames. But the reality is that the juggling to make it work simply might not be worth it. It may be one of those shows that simply fades with its dignity intact.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_4035.asp

fredfa

04-11-06, 10:54 AM

The TV Column
'24' and Holding: Sutherland's Sweet Deal
By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, April 11, 2006; C07

One of prime time's most rewarding drinking games is guaranteed to continue at least long enough to get this year's crop of college freshmen through their senior year, with the signing of Kiefer Sutherland to star in Fox's "24" through the 2008-09 season.

Sutherland could become the highest-paid actor in a drama series under terms of the deal, according to the trade papers, citing "sources" -- which, on these kinds of stories, is often a euphemism for "the actor's talent agency" or "the studio that's going to put out the news release nationwide the next day."

Anyway, these sources said that in addition to an acting salary, Sutherland will be promoted from co-executive producer to exec producer on the series.

Naturally, executive producers make more money.

Ka-ching!

Plus, 20th Century Fox Television, the News Corp. division that produces "24" for the News Corp.-owned Fox broadcast network, will pay the overhead of Sutherland's brand-new TV production company as part of a two-year "development deal."

Ka-ching!

At his new production company, Sutherland will develop series for Fox, other networks, the Internet, wireless devices and pretty much anyone else who'll take a meeting with Sutherland's soon-to-be-named TV series development chief.

These outfits are called vanity production companies. In Hollywood, you can't swing a dead purse-dog without hitting a star of a prime-time TV hit who has a vanity production company.

Then, 20th Century Fox TV is going to pay Sutherland's shingle a "development fund" to help the new operation realize his vision.

Ka-ching!

Meanwhile, Fox has a deal for only one more season of the hit serialized drama, in which is played out, over the course of 24 episodes, one day -- one really bad day -- in the life of Counter Terrorism Unit special agent Jack Bauer.

Mr. "The Only Reason That You're Conscious Right Now Is Because I Don't Want to Carry You." Mr. "When I'm Finished With You, You're Gonna Wish You Felt This Good Again."

And yet, in this season's really lousy day, macho Jack so far has been unable to thwart the assassination of President of the United States David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), or the deaths of Edgar Stiles (Louis Lombardi), Walt Cummings (John Allen Nelson), Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth) and, last and least, Lynn McGill (Sean Astin).

Not that the days chronicled in Seasons 1, 2, 3 or 4 went much better for our hero.

Is it any wonder Jack shouts "Damn it!" so often each episode (as in "Damn it, Chloe!")?

Hence the popular drinking game.

In yesterday's announcement, 20th Century Fox TV President Dana Walden called Sutherland "fiercely intelligent," while 20th Century Fox TV's other president, Gary Newman, said he bet Sutherland "could become every bit as accomplished a producer as he is a performer."

And Sutherland said he was "thrilled" to "extend my commitment to all my friend and colleagues at '24.' "

A pool of colleagues that, what with so many of the show's old-timers getting killed off this season, has shrunk considerably. Which, in one of those happy coincidences that make covering the TV industry so satisfying, has probably helped keep the talent costs down, freeing up some coin to pay Sutherland his hefty salary increase.

In its fifth season, the audience for "24" is up noticeably, to more than 14 million from last year's season-to-date average of 12.3 million.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/10/AR2006041001489_pf.html

fredfa

04-11-06, 11:03 AM

Critic’s Notebook
What ails NBC's 'L&O: Criminal Intent'

Critic’s Notebook
Spring in TV land -- uprooting time

By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Tuesday, April 11, 2006

April's arrival brings with it indicators of renewal -- plants reappearing, birds returning. The world of television would kill for such lovely signs. But every April, although many series and the fans who watch them have renewal on the brain too, the accompanying emotion isn't hope. It's anxiety. In a month and a half, the 2006-2007 fall TV schedules will be announced, and a number of series on the air right now won't be.

"Cancellation" has already been scrawled on the wall in some cases; as for others, we can only wager an educated guess or two. Here's how things stand:

N B C

Donald Trump is yesterday's news. Right now, NBC's most important star is Howie Mandel.

Contemplate that for a moment. After dominating for a decade with "Law & Order" and "must-see TV," the Peacock now clings to ... "Deal or No Deal."

Why, America? Why?

In the larger scheme of things, Mandel's ability to goad schmoes into opening suitcases isn't NBC's most lucrative bet. That would be its contract with the NFL, which moves football to Sundays and gives NBC a chance against ABC.

But Sunday is but one night -- five more still need saving. "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" have been renewed, but the yet-to-be-officially canceled "Joey's" cast members Paulo Costanzo and Andrea Anders have moved to other series.

"Teachers" and "Four Kings," as well as the hello-and-goodbye "Heist," are all headed down the tubes, and "Conviction" is on the fence. A small, faithful number will be very upset if NBC takes "Scrubs" off life support, which could happen.

Fox

Every year Fox makes us wait hungrily until January for "Idol" and "24." Viewers reward this tactic with rapt devotion and ever-increasing ratings. We imagine from here on out "Prison Break" will hold until the winter as well, but a smarter move would be to leave "Bones" and "House," both coming back next year, to reap what ratings victories they can in the fall.

Beyond these certainties and its animated block on Sundays, Fox faces the same problem every other network is facing: the lack of successful comedies. Odds are against "The Bernie Mac Show," although it could survive because few intelligent, marvelously executed family-friendly network comedies exist.

C B S

Perhaps the only network that hasn't had a rough April in several seasons, CBS doesn't feel the need to break new drama ground. Besides, it tried to do something new with "Threshold" and "Love Monkey," and look how far they got.

In their wake came "The Unit" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine," both conventional CBS series, both undeniable successes. All the programmers have to do is slap a seal of approval on next season.

"Out of Practice" and "Courting Alex" are on the ropes, as is "King of Queens." Depending on which celebrity CBS wants to continue working with, we'll bet Jenna Elfman's "Courting Alex" gets a reprieve, where Kevin James' "King of Queens" does not. James' work is funnier, but fewer viewers want to sleep with him.

A B C

The Alphabet remains a stronger contender than it has been. Beyond Seattle Grace and Wisteria Lane, though, you'll encounter the deathtrap known as Sitcom Alley. Topping midseason's list of the deceased is "Emily's Reasons Why Not" and "Jake in Progress." Forget about "Sons & Daughters."

It hasn't been all flowers and sunshine for the dramas, either; "In Justice" is gone, "The Evidence" hasn't exactly been blowing up the Nielsens, and "Commander in Chief" could be a one-season wonder.

What's left isn't all that promising. "According to Jim," "Rodney" and "Hope & Faith" all need to be put out of their misery, leaving "George Lopez" and "Freddie," which air their season finales Wednesday at 8 and 8:30 on KOMO/4. Those two have a good shot at next season. (They're ending early to make way for "Alias," which begins its run April 19 at 8.)

The CW

Two big questions here: One, is the network resulting from combining The WB and UPN really going to keep that awful name? Two, what will survive the transition? The future is uncertain for The WB's "Everwood" and UPN's "Veronica Mars," although a little less so for the girl detective, who is said to have a fan in Dawn Ostroff, the new network's entertainment president.

Still, it doesn't hurt to get those petitions ready.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/266173_tv11.html