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TV Notebook
When the networks unveil fall lineups, it’s the opening hand in a nerve-racking game of high-stakes poker
By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle Friday, May 12, 2006
To fully appreciate what's going to happen at next week's "upfronts" in New York -- where networks unveil their fall schedules to advertisers and the press -- you need to follow the emotional journey of three disparate but entwined groups.
The people who create shows. The people who run the networks. And the people who already have a show on the air. Starting Monday in Manhattan, they're going to play musical chairs.
And there are not nearly enough chairs.
You would think that network programmers might know exactly what they were going to do to the schedule when, say, it's their turn to walk up onstage and announce the schedule. Normally they do, but there's nothing normal about the TV business, and last-second shuffling is often part of the "plan."
That makes the people with new shows and old shows awfully frightened. And for good reason. For example, NBC is going to start things off on Monday. Now, when NBC was more of a powerhouse and less of a Palace of Mediocrity, other networks would sometimes rejigger their schedule a day later based upon where NBC moved shows. It's called counter-programming. And some people in the industry believe Xanax was created for that reason.
Normally, a weakened NBC would be in no shape to set in motion a chain of events that makes other networks panic and scramble. But when the Hollywood Reporter ran a story suggesting that NBC was going to move "ER" off of Thursday nights, the erasers came out. And here's why -- all the other networks planned for "ER" to be the 10 p.m. Thursday competition. If it's gone, everything changes. More important, Thursday is the biggest money-making night on television. Advertising often runs then for movies opening the next day. If one network dominates Thursdays, it's a windfall of cash. The Hollywood Reporter suggested that Aaron Sorkin's new series, "Studio 60 on Sunset Strip," will get the "ER" slot.
"Studio 60" is probably the most anticipated pilot of the fall (which means nothing now, other than it's already picked up and the Champagne has been popped and drunk). How do you counter a buzz show created by a hit-maker? Who knows, but if you're another network, NBC has your attention.
Guess who else is interested in that news? Tina Fey, the head writer (and "Weekend Update" anchor) on "Saturday Night Live." Oh, and Lorne Michaels, creator of "SNL." Why? Because Sorkin's series spoofs a show very much like "Saturday Night Live." Which is one thing -- but Fey and Michaels happen to have an untitled project that also spoofs a show very much like "SNL." And that's quite another thing. Two parodies? Of essentially the same thing? On the same network? Oh, and Fey's show hasn't been picked up yet.
But it's not only the Big Four who are plotting last minute.
Trade magazine Broadcasting & Cable reported that the CW, which will replace the departing WB and UPN networks, had decided to eat about $20 million by canceling "Reba," a show the WB had already renewed before it imploded. Now, why would a new network (run by CBS Corp. and Warner Bros. television) in desperate need of making cash do such a thing, when everybody already had penciled in "Reba" on the new CW lineup? Because "Reba" is an older, unhip show, and the CW wants to sell ads to young, hip viewers. The people who buy those ads are in New York. At the upfronts.
Now, if you're the producers of "Reba," you're going to get paid anyway. But only once more and with no future. Even when you're safe, you're not safe.
It's a long journey to decision time for new series. Pilot season starts essentially at the end of May. Yes -- right after the upfronts. Nothing like planning ahead to have it all collapse a year later.
Scripts are written from the summer through the fall, turned into the networks by, say, November. If the script is well received, the network green-lights development (filming), and the pilot gets shot and tweaked until it's, ahem, perfect, by March or April. The networks take all the pilots, watch them, and make their decisions -- possibly in a Lincoln Town Car on the way to the upfronts.
People like Fey are not the only ones whose nerves are wrecked. Imagine the people behind CBS' lame sitcom "Out of Practice," or ABC's paranormal series "Invasion," or NBC's paranormal series "Surface." Or Fox's abnormally awful sitcom "The War at Home." All of these shows are "on the bubble." Meaning, they could live or die. And their creators honestly don't know which.
Newbie network the CW has created all kinds of panic. Who will make the cut in what essentially is a merger between UPN and WB -- with at least 10 hours of programming vanishing -- is speculation central. Is UPN's "Veronica Mars" alive? Paired with the WB's "Gilmore Girls"? Was the "Gilmore Girls" season and finale so awful it can't be fixed next season? What about UPN's African American programming -- are "Girlfriends" and "Everybody Hates Chris" compatible? Do they have to be?
Even the smallest maneuvers set in motion possible countermoves. For example, "Monday Night Football" is leaving ABC, freeing up space, but NBC got rights to NFL games for Sunday nights, which shakes things up on that network. There are rumors abounding about shifts on Sunday in response to football. Ah, but there's always a rumor.
And there is always, without fail, something that surprises. If you're making a new show or nurturing an existing show, surprises are bad. If you're a network making choices, well, you might find yourself surprised by another network when you least expect it. Like, say, less than 24 hours before you present your schedule.
These simultaneous states of fear and anticipation are just part of what will make next week so interesting.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/05/12/DDGDMIPLKN17.DTL&type=printable
CPanther95
05-12-06, 10:08 AM
Logo kicks off Fox's BCS coverage s
:D I read that and thought the first BCS game was going to be on LOGO. :D
The 2006-2007 Season
For NBC, it's all about Thursday night
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer May 12, 2006
Buyers left last year’s upfront presentations frustrated that NBC had done nothing to overhaul its sliding Thursday night.
One year later the night has been overhauled, but ratings are still dipping, and now NBC must once again radically revamp the night.
Just how it plans to do so media buyers will learn on Monday, when NBC reveals its fall schedule at the first of the broadcast upfront presentations. What the network comes up with could go a long way toward assuring media buyers that NBC is at last back on its way up.
Of all the broadcast networks, NBC will do the most radical surgery on its lineup, with changes expected for every night. But Thursday night, which it long dominated, is key. It must reverse the slide.
The question is whether to move “ER,” the medical drama heading into its 13th season, to another night. The show is down 27 percent year to year in adults 18-49, from a 7.2 to a 5.2, and network is reportedly considering the move.
Media buyers think it could be a smart one, as the show has fallen off even more steeply in recent weeks.
That would free the lucrative 10 p.m. slot for Aaron Sorkin’s new drama “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” which has received very positive early buzz from buyers. If NBC decides to keep “ER” Thursday at 10, “Strip” could air at 9 p.m., against CBS’s still-potent “CSI,” or perhaps on Monday.
“Whether it moves depends on how confident they are with their drama development. ‘ER’ has lost quite a bit of ground opposite CBS’s ‘Without a Trace,’” says one media researcher.
“If NBC is thinking of moving ‘ER,’ they should put it on Wednesday nights at 10, where it would most like air opposite ‘CSI: NY.’ That one isn't as strong as the other ‘CSIs,’ and NBC could move ‘Law and Order’ to 9 p.m. instead of 10 where it now airs.”
The network could move Thursday’s current 9 p.m. occupants, “My Name is Earl” and “The Office,” to 8 p.m. to make way for “Strip.” It could also keep its 9 and 10 hours intact and try out new comedies at 8 p.m.
NBC has picked up two new comedies, “The Singles Table,” about people seated together at a wedding, and the "Odd Couple"-esque "20 Good Years" with Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow.
The network is also eyeing Tina Fey’s untitled show about life behind the scenes at a TV variety show and “Community Service,” either of which could join Thursday's lineup.
If “Scrubs” is renewed, it may also land here, though another midseason return seems more likely, given its slumping ratings.
Every single night of NBC’s schedule will see major changes. In fact, some will have only one show returning from last year.
“An argument could be made for up to 12 hours of new programming. But no network could launch so many new shows with success,” says a development report from MediaVest. “When NBC’s schedule is announced it’s unlikely any night will come back intact unless the 2006 development roster is very poor.”
Sundays will be filled by “Sunday Night Football” in the fall. “Crossing Jordan” may return at midseason to its old Sunday 10 p.m. slot after football is done.
On Monday, the Paul Haggis drama “Black Donnellys” is one contender, along with “Strip.” NBC may also put new dramas “Friday Night Lights” or “Raines” here, shipping “Medium” off to Friday night at 10 after a season when ratings declined.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” will remain Tuesday at 10 p.m. It’s possible that “L&O: Criminal Intent,” which has been renewed but is losing its Sunday slot, could land at 9, but it could also be part of a revamped Friday schedule that will also include “Las Vegas.”
Other Tuesday possibilities include the quirky drama “Heroes,” about people with special powers, and either “Lights” or “Raines.”
Midseason game show standout “Deal or No Deal” should keep the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot followed by new drama “Kidnapped,” or, should “ER” move, “L&O,” which could also stay at 10.
“Las Vegas” and “Medium” are likely Friday shows, and Saturday will be repeats.
“The Apprentice,” with ratings in a big fade from last year, may be benched until midseason.
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_4693.asp
CPanther95
05-12-06, 10:58 AM
Fred:
Can you keep an eye on Monday's scheduling since Bush is requesting an 8pm time slot for an address on immigration (arghhhh). I think we may have a lot of Tivo juggling to do.
Isn't there a law against Presidential addresses during sweeps?
The 2006-2007 Season
This upfront, cable faces a harder sell
By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer May 12, 2006
The cable networks are losing some of their luster going into the upcoming upfront ad market. Cable television will once again do well, generating hundreds of millions of dollars more than last year and stealing some share away from the broadcast networks.
But where cable TV has been the hot medium for the past two decades, it’s now one that’s losing considerable buzz to newer outlets, including the internet but also cell phones, video-on-demand, other programming platforms like Apple’s iPod, and even product placement.
Media analysts and buyers say cable also now faces challenges that in recent years have almost exclusively affected the broadcast networks.
Penetration levels, including cable networks distributed by satellite providers, are flattening out at just over 85 percent of households, meaning cable TV can no longer rely on new subscribers to generate ratings and, by extension, advertising revenue.
More troubling, cable ratings are no longer showing great gains at the expense of the broadcast networks, as they did so predictably for so many years.
In fact, cable’s share of households in primetime in recent weeks has been slightly down from the year-earlier period, while the broadcast networks have been posting modest gains, fueled in large part by ABC’s continuing rebound. For the week of April 10, that share was actually down 1 percent, to 53.8 percent, while the Big Four broadcast networks were slightly up at 39.1 percent.
Media buyers say these factors will lead to slower growth for cable this year and potentially modest growth if not flat upfronts within the next few years.
“Will there be a further shift from network to cable? I could see a little bit,” says Ed Gentner, senior vice president and group director of video investment and activation at MediaVest. “Network is not eroding the way it was a couple of years ago. We’ve actually seen some growth in the recent past. If there is no shift and no ratings increase, there has to be incremental money coming in from somewhere.”
Gentner, like other buyers, says he has not seen significant advertiser demand in the cable scatter market, when advertisers throughout the year buy whatever inventory remains after the upfront.
“I don’t see a huge increase in demand, so I have trouble seeing where an enormous amount of dollars will come into the cable area,” he says.
Sean Cunningham, president and CEO of the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau, is understandably a bit more optimistic. He is projecting a dollar increase of $500 million to $750 million, or a bump of 7.7 percent to 11.5 percent growth in cable this upfront.
Cunningham tells Media Life Magazine that the shift from network to cable from the recent past will continue, while newer media this year will snag perhaps 1 percent to 2 percent of total upfront spending.
That figure will reach$20.8 billion, predicts David Joyce, a media analyst with investment firm Miller Tabak. Joyce is forecasting a 5.9 percent increase in spending on cable networks, pushing upfront expenditures to $7.2 billion. By comparison, he expects the broadcast networks to be up 2.6 percent, to just under $9.3 billion. Media analyst Jack Myers expects cable to be up 7 percent to 9 percent, while projecting a flat or slightly down upfront for the broadcast networks.
Meanwhile, media buyers and analysts almost all agree that prices in this year’s upfront will be up in low-single-digit percentages. Most expect the broadcast networks to post price increases of perhaps 3 percent while cable will fare a bit better, perhaps up an average 5 percent. One analyst says cable’s prices going forward will grow at a comparable rate to broadcast, saying that any price advantage it has historically had is fast disappearing.
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_4695.asp
Fred:
Can you keep an eye on Monday's scheduling since Bush is requesting an 8pm time slot for an address on immigration (arghhhh). I think we may have a lot of Tivo juggling to do.
Isn't there a law against Presidential addresses during sweeps?
I'll keep posting Monday scheduling updates over the weekend as they become available.
:D I read that and thought the first BCS game was going to be on LOGO. :D
Good point.
I've edited the USA Today headline to perhaps solve that problem.
The series finales scheduled for (early) Monday PM are Prison Break at 8 PM ET and How I Met Your Mother at 8:30 PM.
(If the President speaks for less than 30 minutes, I would assume each network would simply push its schedule forward by 30 minutes.)
TV Notebook
CBS, Comcast Ink General Motors Deal to Run Survivor Finale Free on VOD
By John Consoli MediaWeek.com May 12, 2006
CBS and Comcast have done a deal with General Motors which will allow next-day viewing of the May 14 Survivor Finale and Survivor Reunion show for free in selected markets on Comcast's digital cable video-on-demand service, rather than charging the usual 99 cents per show. Comcast subscribers in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia will be able to view the shows on VOD through August 31.
The VOD programs will contain three brief General Motors commercial messages, one before, one at midpoint, and one at the conclusion of each show. The commercials will direct viewers to the GM Showroom, which will be able to be accessed through Comcast's On Demand menu by selecting "Searchlight" and then choosing the "Automotive" category.
Comcast Searchlight is an advertiser-supported On Demand destination where customers can find information on a variety of products and services. The GM Showroom provides long-form videos with detailed information and demonstrations of various GM vehicles.
"Technology continues to allow us to partner with our clients in new and exciting ways," said Jo Ann Ross, president of sales, for CBS Television Network. "We are pleased that through this GM sponsorship, we are able to expand our partnership with Comcast to offer free VOD content to their subscribers in these markets."
CBS said this is the next step in its partnership with Comcast that began earlier this year, when CBS owned-and-operated TV stations began offering episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS, Survivor, and The Amazing Race on Comcast On Demand for 99 cents per title.
"Comcast is changing the way people watch TV with VOD, and now we're offering advertisers new ways to reach very targeted and engaged audiences," said Charlie Thurston, president of Comcast Spotlight.
Besty Lazar, executive director, media and advertising operations for GM, said, "GM has a long history with Survivor, and this move will strengthen our relationship with them and at the same time, provide us with a new way to encourage Survivor viewers to visit us in the GM Showcase as On Demand users."
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002501803
bphisig
05-12-06, 12:05 PM
Is the cancellation of "Conviction" on NBC pretty much inevitable at this point? Lots of talk about the Friday night schedule above with no mention of the show. It also hasn't been mentioned for any other nights. It also looks like Sunday Night Football isn't helping Conviction's cause much either.
Marcus Carr
05-12-06, 12:11 PM
Isn't there a law against Presidential addresses during sweeps?
[Censored][Censored][Censored][Censored] distraction [Censored][Censored]
[Censored][Censored][Censored] phone calls.
Thursday’s prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted at the top of Prime Time Ratings the first post in this thread.
Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Bad omen: 'Survivor' ratings flagging
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer May 12, 2006
Ratings for CBS’s “Survivor: Exile Island” have been eroding all season, and with the final episode just days away, they are not getting any better.
Last night’s penultimate episode averaged a 5.7 overnight rating among adults 18-49. While that was well ahead of the second-place finisher, NBC’s sitcoms, it was down 17 percent from the same night last year, when the second-to-last episode earned a 6.9.
In addition, it was off 0.1 rating point from the previous week. That suggests that Sunday’s season finale, which will air opposite ABC’s highly rated “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and “Desperate Housewives,” could be much lower than last year. Last year’s spring finale averaged a 7.6, but even that was down 24 percent from the previous year.
“Survivor” may simply be showing natural signs of age. The reality show is in its 10th season, and many reality programs don’t make it past three or four.
It’s possible that CBS, in anticipation of greater falloff, will move “Survivor” to a different night this fall, but that seems like a drastic move despite the show’s declines. It’s still a top program among 18-49s, and as long as the competition remains weak at 8 p.m., even a weakened “Survivor” will continue to dominate.
Meanwhile, CBS won the night among 18-49s with a 6.6 rating and 18 share. NBC was second with a 4.4/12, Fox third with a 3.6/10, ABC fourth with a 2.3/6, WB fifth with a 1.6/4, Univision sixth with a 1.5/4 and UPN seventh with a 0.9/3.
CBS finished first every hour, starting at 8 p.m. with a 5.7 for “Survivor” followed by NBC with a 3.7 for “Will & Grace” (3.4) and “Earl” (3.9). Estimates for NBC’s three shows from 8 to 10 p.m. are approximate, as they were supersized to 40 minutes each.
Fox was third with a 3.3 for “That 70s Show” (3.0) and the beginning of “That 70s Show Retrospective” (3.5). WB was fourth with a 2.0 for “Smallville,” ABC fifth with a 1.6 for “American Inventor Countdown to the Finale,” Univision sixth with a 1.5 for “La Fea Mas Bella” and UPN seventh with a 1.1 for the finale of “Everybody Hates Chris” (1.3) and “Love, Inc.” (0.8).
At 9 p.m., CBS led with an 8.2 for “CSI,” followed by NBC with a 4.0 for “My Name is Earl” (4.3) and “The Office” (3.8), and Fox with a 3.9 for “That 70s Show Retrospective.” ABC was fourth with a 2.6 for the finale of “Inventor,” Univision fifth with a 1.7 for “Barrera de Amor,” WB sixth with a 1.1 for a repeat of “Smallville” and UPN seventh with a 0.8 for “Eve” (0.8) and “Cuts” (0.8).
At 10 p.m., CBS completed its sweep with a 5.8 for “Without a Trace.” NBC was second with a 5.5 for “ER,” ABC third with a 2.8 for “Primetime,” and Univision fourth with a 1.3 for “Aqui y Ahora.”
CBS also led the night among households with a 13.2 rating and 21 share. NBC was a distant second with a 6.7/11, Fox third with a 4.8/8, ABC fourth with a 4.2/7, WB fifth with a 2.3/4, Univision sixth with a 1.9/3 and UPN seventh with a 1.5/2.
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_4722.asp
Al Shing
05-12-06, 01:05 PM
I haven't seen this posted before, but I just came across it today in IBM Systems Magazine
http://ibmsystemsmag.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&AudID=1CE1C4C1B85E4DBD88C47DD63CCCB59C&tier=3&nid=E159A0BEAE4741318929D6C61A903435
Fox Broadcasting Company and IBM Expand First Open Architecture High Definition Archive Solution
NFL, MLB, NASCAR and "American Idol" High Definition Broadcasts on FOX to Utilize IBM Open Standards-Based Technology Solution
(4/27/2006)
ARMONK, NY and LOS ANGELES, CA - 25 Apr 2006: Fox Broadcasting Company today announced that it is expanding its high definition (HD) digital archive system co-designed with IBM to include the 2006 and 2007 NFL, MLB, NASCAR and "American Idol" seasons on FOX. The solution will enable content from FOX's most valuable properties to be available on demand for re-purposing and further distribution.
The FOX digital archive solution combines traditional broadcast format and encoding standards, such as ASI and MPEG, with industry standard technology to give FOX the ability to easily and transparently transmit digitally compressed HD NFL, MLB, NASCAR and "American Idol" broadcasts straight from its live, on-site mobile facilities directly into a production archive at its Los Angeles studio headquarters. The solution will also be used for some of FOX's upcoming high-profile exclusive events including the "American Idol" finale, all NCAA Bowl Championship Series games broadcast on FOX, NFL Football, the MLB playoffs and more.
"The use of this technology with NFL content last year has already allowed FOX to better manage content in HD and give our audience a better viewing experience," said Andrew G. Setos, President of Engineering for the Fox Group. "Innovative solutions like this one with IBM will allow us to continue to deliver high-quality content, while expanding the benefits of an on-demand environment to our most high-value programs on FOX."
Building on IBM's expertise in broadcast technology and business consulting for the media and entertainment industry, FOX worked with IBM and IBM business partner Sirius Computer Solutions to design and implement a digital video storage system that allows FOX to manage, store and retrieve broadcast content faster and easier than with conventional production systems and traditional broadcast videotape infrastructure. The FOX digital archive solution is among the first to integrate with the High Definition ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface) standard, which is a Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) standard-based technology used widely in broadcasting for transporting High Definition streams.
"The FOX digital solution is a great example of the flexibility, scalability and cost advantages that can be achieved by integrating standards-based technology with traditional production systems," said Steve Canepa, vice president, IBM Media & Entertainment. "FOX continues to look for ways to leverage this new platform -- expanding the solution to work with some of their most valuable brands."
The FOX digital archive solution features IBM TotalStorage Linear Tape Open (LTO) Ultrium storage technology connected to industry standard IBM eServer xSeries systems running Linux that will allow the transfer of large volumes of data and information faster than in a traditional broadcast system. For example, a typical HD sports broadcast requires 115 GB of storage. The FOX digital solution will support 270 Mb/s ASI data stream with an aggregate payload of up to 213 Mb/s. One 400 GB IBM LTO tape solution can easily accommodate three HD NFL, MLB or NASCAR game broadcasts or 9 hours of "American Idol" of suitable quality for further editorial use. In addition, the solution includes IBM DB2 software for database and information management; IBM WebSphere middleware software and IBM Tivoli Storage Manager to help manage the archived content and information.
About IBM
With 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate, IBM is the world's largest information technology company. Over the past 45 years, IBM has extended its business solutions into entertainment and professional sports by combining real-time scoring, digital asset management, virtualization, and autonomic computing technologies with the expertise of the world's largest IT consulting services organization. In 2005, IBM received an Emmy award for technical achievement in broadcasting. For more information on IBM, please visit: http://www.ibm.com.
About FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) is a unit of News Corporation. FOX finished the 2004-2005 season as the No. 1 network for the first time among Adult 18-49 viewers, while continuing to dominate all network competition in the more targeted Adults 18-34 and Teen demographics. FOX airs 15 hours of primetime programming a week as well as late night entertainment programming, major sports and Sunday morning news. News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) (NYSE: NWS.A) (ASX: NWS) (ASX: NWSLV) had total assets as of December 31, 2005 of approximately US$55 billion and total annual revenues of approximately US$24 billion. News Corporation is a diversified international media and entertainment company with operations in eight industry segments: filmed entertainment; television; cable network programming; direct broadcast satellite television; magazines and inserts; newspapers; book publishing; and other. The activities of News Corporation are conducted principally in the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia and the Pacific Basin.
About Sirius
Sirius is a national IBM Premier Business Partner and the largest IBM Solution Provider. Sirius provides IBM solutions to leading companies of all sizes and industries. Sirius' certified and experienced sales and technical teams work with IBM U.S. clients to design, integrate, and deliver innovative IT solutions to make businesses more competitive. For more information about Sirius, visit www.siriuscom.com.
The 2006-2007 Season
New shows get OK early
By Gary Levin, USA Today
The networks won't announce their new fall schedules until next week, but in unusually early moves, they've already committed to more than a dozen new shows.
Each year, one or two series are given an early greenlight — Fox's Prison Break got one last spring — but the pace of early series pickups this year is unprecedented.
The logic: Jumping the gun gives networks advance buzz on Madison Avenue and the ability to hire writers ahead of other shows. Fox wants an early start so new series can be ready for late-summer premieres. Emerging trends: more legal dramas, serialized action thrillers (some involving hostages) and comedies about reunited pals; fewer cop series and soaps.
ABC, responding to a falloff in Lost ratings, is likely to delay its start to reduce long stretches of repeats. Expect Grey's Anatomy and Without a Trace to find new homes — perhaps on Monday and Sunday, respectively — allowing ABC and CBS to launch new series behind them. And CBS will drop its low-rated Sunday movie.
New shows:
•NBC.
The network, up first on Monday, has confirmed three dramas: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which goes behind the scenes at a Saturday Night Live-ish show, from Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) and starring Matthew Perry; The Black Donnellys (four Irish gangster brothers); and Kidnapped (the rescue effort for the abducted son of a wealthy couple).
Other newcomers: dramas Heroes (ordinary people discover superpowers) and Raines (Jeff Goldblum as an eccentric cop); a remake of Friday Night Lights; comedies The Singles Table (strangers bond at a wedding) and 20 Good Years (John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor as an Odd Couple); and a third from SNL's Tina Fey about sketch-comedy writers, starring Alec Baldwin.
•ABC.
The network has picked up six new series, including Help Me Help You, a comedy starring Ted Danson as a shrink; Day Break, a thriller starring Taye Diggs as a cop framed for murder; In Case of Emergency, about reunited high school buddies; and Six Degrees, a soap from Lost producer J.J. Abrams about the intertwined lives of New York strangers.
The network won't confirm plans until Tuesday.
•CBS.
The similarly close-mouthed top-rated network Wednesday will almost certainly schedule The Class, a comedy from Friends co-creator David Crane about eight third-grade classmates who reconnect as adults, and is keen on a legal drama from CSI producer Carol Mendelsohn.
•Fox.
Presenting its lineup Thursday, Fox has firmed plans for 'Til Death, a comedy starring Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett, and three dramas: Vanished, a thriller about the disappearance of a senator's wife; Primary, about a hostage negotiator couple; and American Crime, a Jerry Bruckheimer series about L.A. defense lawyers, with Victor Garber.
•CW.
The new network, unveiling Thursday, is big on Runaway, a Fugitive-like series about a family on the lam after Dad is wrongly convicted of murder. But prospects for the Smallville team's Aquaman are now dicey.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-11-new-shows_x.htm
The 2005-2006 Season
Tonight’s Season Finale
Las Vegas, NBC, 9 PM ET/PT
Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Bad omen: 'Survivor' ratings flagging
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer May 12, 2006
Ratings for CBS’s “Survivor: Exile Island” have been eroding all season, and with the final episode just days away, they are not getting any better.
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/printer_4722.asp
They lost me when I purchased my HDTV. This is a show that screams to be in HD. HD production might give it a couple more seasons. But it IS tired.
The 2006-2007 Season
Next Week’s Upfront Announcements
The TV networks announce their fall prime-time schedules next week in elaborate presentations to advertisers and the press called the upfront.
I’ll be posting lots of coverage of those announcements.
There will be plenty of preview materials throughout the weekend, so even if you don’t normally check in on Saturday or Sunday, you might want to peek a couple of times.
NBC will announce its fall schedule on Monday.
ABC will announce its fall schedule on Tuesday.
CBS will announce its fall schedule on Wednesday.
Fox will announce its fall schedule on Thursday.
The new CW will also announce its fall schedule on Thursday.
What those announcements are, how they impacyt your favirte programs, and what it all might mean will be covered here extensively for the next week – or more.
Enjoy!
The Business of TV
Time Warner Buys Liberty's Stake In Court TV for $735 Million
By Matthew Karnitsching The Wall Street Journal KARNITSCHNIG May 12, 2006
Time Warner Inc. agreed to purchase the 50% of the Court TV cable channel it doesn't own from Liberty Media Corp. for $735 million.
The acquisition means that for the first time since the channel started in 1991, it will have a single owner, allowing Time Warner to puts its own stamp on the channel. The media concern plans to fold the channel into its cable network arm, Turner Broadcasting, whose other channels include TNT, TBS, CNN and Cartoon Network.
Confirmation of the long-rumored deal comes as Time Warner and Liberty are pursuing a separate transaction to swap some of Liberty's 4% stake in Time Warner for the media giant's Atlanta Braves baseball team. Liberty's stake is worth about $3 billion, much more than the team, which analysts expect to fetch up to $450 million. At the same time, however, Time Warner will also buy some of Liberty's stake back for cash as part of a broader stock buyback program underway.
Court TV reaches about 85 million viewers. The channel was started as a partnership between Time Warner, Cablevision Systems Corp. and General Electric Co.'s NBC Cable unit. Liberty bought a stake soon after launch.
Subscribers to the Wall Street Journal’s website can read the whole story here:
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB114745432580251476.html
Critic’s Notebook
Out of 'West Wing,' and into 'The Office'
With Sunday's farewell to one NBC series, viewers may find oddly related vibes in another
By Paul Brownfield Los Angeles Times TV critic May 12, 2006
A certain class of viewer, the data always showed, watched "The West Wing" in droves. They watched even after series creator Aaron Sorkin left and the show's viewership dwindled.
In wonky ratings-speak, they are adults 18 to 49 living in homes with incomes of $75,000-plus. Advertisers like them for obvious reasons. TV executives call these people "upscale," conjuring a constituency with leased Audis and Paul Smith designer belts and subscriptions to the New Yorker piling up on the Crate & Barrel sea grass rug, next to the Mission-style chair found in the La Brea boutique.
Like-minded limousine liberals, no doubt. "West Wing" was a show by, for and about the people, but also undeniably wish-fulfillment (Democrats functioning, Democrats owning the courage of their convictions) brought to you by what the right still gets mileage out of calling "the Hollywood crowd."
That "West Wing," which ends its seven-year run Sunday, did well among the upscalers helped more than it hurt, particularly as the show dropped off other radars, like Emmys and total audience and general believability.
Sorkin's departure (along with collaborator Thomas Schlamme) coincided with the fourth-season-ending cliffhanger in which President Bartlet's daughter was kidnapped by terrorists and Speaker of the House John Goodman took over as president.
"West Wing," it seemed, had gone around the bend, wandering into a Harrison Ford movie.
The production, under John Wells, seemed to have found itself again this season in an election year face-off between two mavericks, Democrat Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) and moderate Republican Arnie Vinick (Alan Alda), vying to succeed President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen). The resolution? Bipartisan wish-fulfillment, Santos asking Vinick to become his secretary of state after the live televised debate in which they — oh, come on — debated.
It's been fun to watch, but without Sorkin "West Wing" seemed doomed only ever to echo his renaissance interests and beliefs, personal peccadilloes and passions.
Sorkin's process, on the lot (all-nighters, Shakespearian aspirations) and off (palliative trip to Vegas with potpourri of controlled substances), delayed filming, caused headaches and drove up costs, but Warner Bros. and NBC were getting his unvarnished TV truth — what sounded like somebody's writing, as opposed to the usual, more streamlined process that grinds it down to nobody's writing at all.
For NBC, which used to claim something of a standing reservation among the upscale, the heir apparent to "West Wing" is not a workplace drama but a workplace comedy, "The Office." It too has trended well among people with Mission-style furniture, and it too is a left-alone show about a fictional administration — in this case, the Scranton, Pa., office of the paper company Dunder-Mifflin run by regional manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell).
"The Office" is a punch-drunk "West Wing" for these punch-drunk times, the characters, instead of walking and talking, sitting and staring at their states of nothingness. You can see why a "West Wing" lover would find psychic refuge in "The Office": Here the leader is not so much Camelot-ish and flawed as sociopathic and entitled, governing his drones with a belief in nothing so much as his own immutability as boss, no matter what reality is saying about his performance.
"Conflict Resolution" was the name of last week's episode, in which Michael resolves a simmering dispute between two employees by suggesting a cage match. "Cage matches? Yeah, they work, how could they not work?" he says to the camera. It's "The Office's" version of the Bush/Rumsfeld certainty about democracy in the Middle East: Freedom? How could freedom not work?
On "West Wing," a fantasy atmosphere of debate and inclusiveness crackled in the souls of men and in the hallways. Everybody on the show had a serious case of the smarts, from President Bartlet on down to the assistant to the deputy chief of staff; in this way, Sorkin's White House, as much as anything, was about an all-access pass to a culture of brainiac misfits who just happened to have the fate of the free world in their hands, and who compensated with gallows humor. President If Only.
"We are just a little rococo, aren't we?" Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) says to his assistant Donna (Janel Moloney) in an episode from the third season in which Donna questions the relevance of a presidential proclamation "to modify the quantitative limitations applicable to the imports of wheat gluten."
In the same episode, deputy communications director Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) walks the halls making an impassioned case for why sumo wrestlers would make good hockey goalies.
There is something at once lively and passive aggressive in this hyper-articulate approach, the you-go/now-I-go rhythmic banter, which Sorkin grafted onto his first attempt at a TV show, ABC's "Sportsnight," and which will no doubt characterize his upcoming NBC series "Studio 60," set behind the scenes of a "Saturday Night Live"-type show.
It could all make "West Wing" as exciting as a symphony, clever asides made on different points of the musical scale, from Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) to Charlie Young (Dulé Hill) to Leo McGarry (the late John Spencer).
They were all, of course, harried (the most relatable aspect of "West Wing" was feeling the pressure of the place), but the only one I'll seriously miss is C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney), mostly for the way she condescended to the White House press corps at the daily briefings known as gaggles, blithely spinning the room while winking at our knowingness, though never so much as to completely disrespect the traditional role of the media as conduit to the public's right to know.
The character was apparently based loosely on former Clinton spokesperson and "West Wing" consultant Dee Dee Myers, among those who migrated from the Hill to Burbank for a fictional do-over (Lawrence O'Donnell Jr., current executive producer, was formerly an advisor to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan).
Like everybody on the show, C.J. had a tendency to break protocol and wax eloquently — as when, just after hearing of a fire in which 17 Saudi Arabian schoolgirls perished, she's asked if she's outraged.
"Seventeen schoolgirls were forced to burn alive because they weren't wearing the proper clothing. Am I outraged? No, Steve, no Chris, no Mark. That is Saudi Arabia. Our partners in peace."
It doesn't go this way on C-SPAN, where it's usually much quieter and less revealing. "West Wing" spoke in a language both of confrontation and bitter irony about what was happening in the world and within its own halls of power.
Now NBC's "The Office" takes the 18 to 49, $75K-and-up baton, bringing its own kind of irony, this one much more downbeat, about a culture of avoidance, where mostly it's just you staring at a computer.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-westwing12may12,1,1904424,print.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews
Upfront Notebook
Surprise: 7th Heaven Returns for 11th Season on CW
By John Consoli MediaWeek.com MAY 12, 2006 -
7th Heaven, the longest-running family drama in television history, in a surprising move, will return for its 11th season on the new CW network this fall. Mediaweek has learned that a deal has been reached to bring the show back for at least 13 episodes. CW officials refused comment.
It was announced last November by then WB entertainment president David Janollari that the show would not be renewed. While no reason was given, it was believed that it was due to cost concerns. The show was thought to be too expensive to bring back. And a big send-off party was held at the conclusion of the shooting of the last episode about a month ago.
But with the merging of the WB with UPN, and an influx of corporate cash in the new partnership of CBS and Warner Brothers, a decision was made to bring back the WB's most-watched show on the new CW.
7th Heaven this season has averaged 5.2 million viewers per show. While the show drew 1.4 million viewers less than last season, it was clearly still one of the most popular shows on the network.
Historically, 7th Heaven delivered 19 of the Top 20 all-time totals in viewers for shows on the WB, and within the 18-49 demo, it produced 17 of the Top 20 show performances of all-time.
The show's stars Stephen Collins, Catharine Hicks, Beverly Mitchell, Mackenzie Rosman, David Gallagher and George Stults are all expected to return.
The CW, like all the broadcast networks, are in the process of putting together their prime-time schedules for next season, in preparation for their upfront presentations next week. The CW is expected to officially announce where on the schedule 7th Heaven will be at its upfront session on Thursay (May 18). 7th Heaven aired in the Monday at 8 p.m. time period this season, and in all likelihood will remain in that time period next season.
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002501927
Upfront Notebook
2006 UPFRONTS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
(All times are Eastern)
MONDAY, MAY 15
3:00 PM NBC Announcement
Radio City Music Hall
TUESDAY, MAY 16
9:30 AM The MyNetworkTV Upfront Presentation
The Hilton Theatre
4:00 PM ABC Announcement
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17
3:00 PM CBS Announcement
Carnegie Hall
THURSDAY, MAY 18
10:30 AM CW Announcement
The Theatre Madison Square Garden
4:00 PM Fox Announcement
26th St and Lexington Ave
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/
The 2006-2007 Season
ABC Picks Up Four More Series
Includes Calista Flockhart Drama
By Christopher Lisotta TVWeek.com May 12, 2006
Just days after giving series orders to six pilots for the 2006-07 season, ABC picked up an additional four series, including a drama that marks former "Ally McBeal" star Calista Flockhart's return to series television.
ABC picked up the Touchstone Television drama "Brothers & Sisters," which stars Ms. Flockhart, former "Six Feet Under" series regular Rachel Griffiths, Balthazar Getty ("Alias") and Patricia Wettig ("Prison Break") in a family soap that focuses on adult siblings. Ms. Wettig's husband, Ken Olin ("thirtysomething"), executive produced and directed the pilot.
The network also picked up another drama from its sister studio Touchstone: "Ugly Betty," the U.S. adaptation of the popular Latin American telenovela that follows the life of a plain but lovable woman working in the fashion industry. Reveille ("The Office," "Deal or No Deal") and Salma Hayek's Ventanarosa Productions are also producing "Betty."
Warner Bros. Television had two of its drama pilots picked up by ABC: "Men in Trees," which stars Anne Heche as a Manhattan shrink who flees big city life for Alaska; and "Traveler," a conspiracy thriller about three Ivy Leaguers who get caught up in a national security emergency.
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=9991
Happy Mother’s Day?
Sonny Dearest
By Rita Zekas The New York Post May 12, 2006 -- EXCLUSIVE
Shawn Pyfrom is a naughty, naughty, boy.
At least his character, Andrew Van De Kamp, on "Desperate Housewives" is.
When last we saw him, Andrew had been dumped in the middle of nowhere - not unlike David Lynch country, where you expect a crazed loony lurking - by his mom Bree (Marcia Cross). That was after Bree caught him in bed with her latest beau, a recovering sex addict.
The episode closed with Bree sobbing as she watched his lone figure in her rear-view mirror.
"I win," he told her before she accelerated. "When I told you I was gay, you stopped loving me."
That was harsh.
"That was my last grasp at her," explains Pyfrom (the name is Welsh) from his apartment in Los Angeles, where he is awaiting his buddies to go and work out. The show wrapped shooting last week and is on a six-week hiatus.
"Andrew always feels he can't be beat. When his mom gives up and leaves him in the middle of nowhere, she beat him. He thought it might happen; he thought she'd stop loving him. He decided to stop loving her first. This was his validation. He was hurt."
Would he describe Andrew as sullen and nasty? Don't tell us he is just misunderstood.
"I would say he is very troubled," he says. "I think he has deep-rooted issues he can't come to terms with and he takes it out mostly on his mother. He is self-indulgent and narcissistic."
Andrew was playing the gay card, but Pyfrom says it's not about his sexual orientation.
"I think he is into both sexes," Pyfrom says. "He is so narcissistic, it's all about what makes him feel great. I don't want to call him soulless. He is capable of caring, but he is very much into himself.
"Andrew is definitely a Leo. (As is Pyfrom, who turns 20 on Aug. 16) I can relate to him on a much smaller scale, that's why I can play him. It's a great character to play - a character with so many levels."
Pyfrom was born in Florida but has been living in California since he was 7. He got into the biz at the age of 4, starting off in commercials.
"My parents said I was always dressed as a clown, entertaining at birthday parties. I am a Leo, I need to be the center of attention."
His credits include "Eight Simple Rules," "Nip/Tuck," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Reba," "Touched by an Angel," "7th Heaven," "Drew Carey" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," in which he played a demon. "I turn into this huge, garish monster."
His film work includes "Shaggy Dog" and "Pay It Forward."
On hiatus, he is reading scripts (and spending time with his girlfriend of 2 1/2 years, a former actor). He would love to do more film.
"I'd love to do really great solid films, films that aren't typical teen or horror films. I'd like a career like Russell Crowe's (presumably without the phone tossing)."
If he could write his own storyline for Andrew, Pyfrom said he'd make him perhaps a little softer.
Or not.
"The fact that he's so mean makes him so interesting," he muses. "I think the writers are doing a great job."
In fact, it's all warm and fuzzy on Wisteria Lane. No catfights between the leading ladies.
"It's calm and peaceful on the set," Pyfrom insists. "It's pretty cool. There is no hair-pulling."
And what feedback does he get about Andrew?
"I play a character people love to hate. People come up to me and say, 'You need to be nicer to your mother.'"
Especially since Sunday is Mother's Day.
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/68421.htm
TV Notebook
Networks grapple with presidential speech timing
By Paul J. Gough The Hollywood Reporter May 13, 2006
NEW YORK -- At least two of the Big Four broadcast networks will carry President Bush's address to the nation on immigration Monday night.
As of late Friday, NBC and Fox said they would carry the president's speech from 8 p.m. to 8:20 p.m. EDT.
Both ABC and CBS deferred the decision on whether to carry until sometime Monday.
Some of the networks were said to be annoyed that the White House had timed the Oval Office address during the May Sweeps, that critical time in the broadcast year when the networks and their affiliates fight for ratings.
At least one show, Fox's "Prison Break," was scheduled to have its season finale at 8 p.m. Monday.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002502182
I think Melanie gets a little over excited here, but, you have been warned.
TV Notebook
Holy crap! "7th Heaven" rises from the dead for an 11th season
By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic in her TV blog
Yea, though they walked through the valley of the shadow of cancellation, the Camdens must have feared no evil. For the programming executives of The CW were with them; the series' high ratings and its staff, led by Brenda Hampton, they comforted them.
Or something to that effect.
Anyhoo, four days after what was supposed to have been "7th Heaven's" series finale, industry trades are reporting that the longest running family drama in U.S. history will join The CW in the fall. CW executives didn't confirm this, but that rumor has been floating around since the announcement that CBS Corp. and Warner Bros. Entertainment intended to merge UPN with The WB.
The news shouldn't come as that much of a surprise; "7th Heaven" is The WB's highest rated series. The only reason The WB was letting it go is because it could no longer afford it. CBS Corp. can -- so, yea! The drama will ascend to The CW, and be seated at the right (or left) hand of a show to be named at some point next week.
For those keeping track of holy miracles, that means "7th Heaven" ties Lazarus for second speediest resurrection on record; the top slot still belongs to Jesus Christ, who arose after three days.
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/archives/103462.asp
TV Notebook
Do you know where "24" is?
By Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Television Critic in the Sentinel’s TV blog
Viewer alert: President Bush’s speech to the nation at 8 PM ET Monday will rearrange the schedule on some channels. A few broadcasters hadn’t decided late Friday whether to carry the address. But PBS, Fox and NBC will make time for Bush.
So if you plan to record Fox’s "24" or the season finale of "Prison Break," realize that they will start at least 20 minutes later (at least in the Eastern and Central time zones).. As for other networks ...
If CBS and ABC decide to carry Bush, those schedules will be transformed, too. A change would be critical to fans of "Grey's Anatomy," which will offer its two-hour season finale Monday.
If ABC doesn't take Bush, the hospital drama will run from 9 to 11 p.m. If ABC does go with Bush, "Grey's Anatomy" probably won't start before 9:20.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2006/05/do_you_know_whe.html
Critic’s Notebook
“SNL” and “Grey’s Anatomy”
By Rich Heldenfels in his Akron Beacon Journal TV blog
I've been meaning to write something based on last week's ''Saturday Night Live'' (with Tom Hanks hosting) and ''Grey's Anatomy.'' This is it:
About a week ago I wrote a column about how important writers and directors can be for actors -- how, as a recent PBS documentary pointed out, John Wayne was made better by working with John Ford. In the piece, I also noted that Patrick Dempsey, for one, experienced a career revival because Shonda Rhimes has done such a great job making ''Grey's.''
But watching those two shows over the weekend reminded me that the collaboration cuts the other way, too. That, if you're ''Grey's,'' you want to keep casting good actors, even in guest roles, to help sell the material -- so you get someone like Frances Fisher for a relatively small part because it will make the show better.
On the other hand, a not so good actor can drag you down. Dempsey did well last week, but Ellen Pompeo -- who plays Meredith -- did not make as much of the ''You don't get to call me a whore'' speech as was possible. It was especially noticeable when I watched the scene a second time; the first time, the writing carried her through.
And what does this have to do with Tom Hanks? Well, for one thing, he is a great host for ''SNL" because he is fearless in what he will do, and how silly he will be. Screaming ''Ma!'' over and over, he forces a laugh out of you because he just won't let up -- and even makes ''Ma!'' sound different from yell to yell.
At the same time, he is so good that he makes it all the more evident how lame the writing was on ''SNL'' -- because, with Hanks there, it should have been a lot funnier.
http://blogs.ohio.com/beacon_tv/
Especially for CPanther95:
TV Notebook
Fox’s Monday prime-time plans
(From a Fox news release via the Kansas City Star’s Aaron Barnhart and his tv.barn website)
“Prison Break” and ”24” will air in their entirety Monday night following live FOX News coverage of President Bush’s address to the nation (8:00-8:20 PM ET/7:00-7:20 PM CT/6:00-6:20 PM MT/5:00-5:20 PM PT) on the FOX network.
In the Eastern and Central time zones, the season finale of Prison Break and the season’s penultimate episode of 24 each will air 20 minutes later than previously announced.
There are no changes to the previously announced primetime schedule in Mountain Time and Pacific Time, since primetime in those time zones is not impacted by the President’s speech.
http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2006/05/two_reasons_to_.html#more
Especially for CPanther95 (II)
TV Notebook
NBC’s Monday prime-time plans
(NBC Press Release)
NBC-PRIMETIME-SCHEDULE
CHANGES/ADDITIONS TO THE NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY, MAY 15 2006
(ALL TIMES EASTERN)
Monday, May 15 2006
.
(X)POLITICAL PROGRAMMING --(8:00PM-8:25PM)
.
"Presidential Address, May 15".
.
(X)DEAL OR NO DEAL --(8:25PM-10:00PM) --(TV-PG)
.
"Episode No.35"
.
SPECIAL TWO-HOUR EPISODE; REGIS PHILBIN MAKES A GUEST APPEARANCE-- In a special two-hour edition, surprises include some friendly banter with Regis Philbin ("Live with Regis and Kelly") and host Howie Mandel when Miami, Florida native Lauren Potter is asked for her "final answer." In addition, contestant Renee Stokes of La Costa, California receives the surprise of a lifetime when she is connected via satellite to her husband, who is a U.S. marine stationed in Fallujah, Iraq. Also, Jim Moniz of Honolulu, Hawaii tries his Hawaiian luck when he plays for the top prize of $1 million in this high-energy match of nerves, instincts and raw intuition. The episode also features Howie surprising former contestant Sheetal Shetty at home with her $375,000 check, Erin Birch donating a portion of her $167,000 prize money to the Special Olympics, and a chance for audiences to meet some of the past $10,000 "Lucky Case Game" winners. In tonight's special episode, viewers at home can also watch and play the "Lucky Case Game" for a chance to win $20,000.
The 2006-2007 Season
CW resurrects '7th Heaven'
Unclear which cast members will return
By Michael Schneider, Josef Adalian Variety.com May 12, 2006
Turns out "7th Heaven" has nine lives, while Andy Richter is headed back to NBC.
The long-running WB family drama, which aired its series finale on Monday, has been resurrected and will return for an 11th season next year. Fledgling net the CW, where the show will migrate, declined comment - but sources said a deal was in place.
It's unlear whether the entire current cast of "7th Heaven" will return next year. "7th Heaven" was the longest-running show on the Frog, as well as the longest-running family drama in TV history.
Brenda Hampton created "7th Heaven" and exec produces with Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent. CBS Paramount Network TV declined comment on the pickup.
Meanwhile, reversing earlier buzz to the contrary, NBC has ordered six episodes of the Andy Richter laffer "Andy Barker, P.I." for midseason. Half-hour comedy comes from NBC Universal TV Studio and Conaco Prods., and stars Richter as an accountant who stumbles into a gig as a private investigator.
Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross, Jonathan Groff and David Kissinger exec produce.
RussTC3
05-12-06, 11:13 PM
The 2006-2007 Season
New shows get OK early
•ABC.
The network has picked up six new series, including Help Me Help You, a comedy starring Ted Danson as a shrink; Day Break, a thriller starring Taye Diggs as a cop framed for murder; In Case of Emergency, about reunited high school buddies; and Six Degrees, a soap from Lost producer J.J. Abrams about the intertwined lives of New York strangers.
The network won't confirm plans until Tuesday.
Man, Abrams really has a lot on his plate recently hasn't he? That show seems like it'll have a similar approach to What about Brian, so I doubt WaB will be coming back.
I wouldn't be surprised if they pair that show with Grey's and it succeeds (which is probably what would have happened if the same was done with Grey's and WaB).
Oh well. I'm still hoping, but I won't get my hopes up.
Or "Grey's" and "Karen Sisco" or "Grey's" and just about anything. :)
But I think you are right that WAB is ********.
Too bad, I thought it had some potential.
Marcus Carr
05-13-06, 04:11 AM
"The only reason The WB was letting it go is because it could no longer afford it. CBS Corp. can -- so, yea! The drama will ascend to The CW, and be seated at the right (or left) hand of a show to be named at some point next week."
Maybe they can also finally afford HD.
harley1
05-13-06, 08:26 AM
TV Notebook
Networks grapple with presidential speech timing
By Paul J. Gough The Hollywood Reporter May 13, 2006
NEW YORK -- At least two of the Big Four broadcast networks will carry President Bush's address to the nation on immigration Monday night.
As of late Friday, NBC and Fox said they would carry the president's speech from 8 p.m. to 8:20 p.m. EDT.
Both ABC and CBS deferred the decision on whether to carry until sometime Monday.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002502182
Has a major network ever not carried a speech from the President?
The 2006-2007 Season
Rites of Spring
Commentary By J. Max Robins Broadcasting & Cable 5/15/2006
Ah, spring. A time when networks set their fall prime time schedules and advertisers turn on the spigot from which billions of dollars flow into those networks' coffers. It's also the time when studio executives, producers, agents and development types pretend to understand the alchemical process that makes one show soar while another crashes and burns.
Of course, each upfront season has its own distinctive qualities, and this year looks to be about gutlessness. One thing I keep hearing is that network brass are listening to the audience feedback from pilot testing more than ever before. With budgets tighter, a producer's passion just won't cut it.
“Everybody will tell you, 'Oh, we go with our guts,'” says one senior network exec. “But don't believe them. In the end, they're listening much too closely to the research guys.”
So when you're screening pilots later this month and you find yourself scratching your head about how some abom¬ination made it on the prime time grid, you'll know why.
And don't be surprised if a pilot with a marquee name gets picked up after scoring high with test audiences, just as recent vehicles for Whoopie Goldberg, Ellen DeGeneres and Bette Midler did before they flamed out in the Nielsens.
Never mind that some of the most successful series of all time—Seinfeld and All in the Family, most famously—tested horribly and would never have made the schedule if research had been taken to heart.
The same play-it-safe ethos is to blame when you see creative- and ratings-challenged series inexplicably picked up for another season. Nothing says your development has left you wanting like keeping a lackluster veteran on the grid.
If that's not the case, chances are the network owns the series and wants to bank enough episodes to sell into syndication and squeeze out some backend cash. (Did someone say Crossing Jordan?)
This is the time of year when everyone's got a theory about what's going to be hot and what's not come fall. But when everyone starts lavishing praise on a pilot, you've got to wonder what's in it for them.
Think about the shows that got early pickup, such as Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Crash writer/director Paul Haggis' The Black Donnellys and the star-laden Kidnapped. All were picked up by NBC, which, of course, explains that it's all about quality and getting a jump on the new season.
Sure, Sorkin and Haggis are buzzworthy, but NBC's rivals suggest that the network's bullishness is thin bravado. With the 8% shrinkage of its target 18-49 audience this year, they say, NBC needs to make an early show of confidence about its new slate so as to avoid a replay of last year's upfront, when ad revenue was off $1.1 billion.
To a large degree, the networks will bluster on about quality programming this week—scripted dramas and comedies—because that's what advertisers want to hear. What you're unlikely to see touted—except, of course, for such blue-chip properties as American Idol and Survivor—are any reality shows.
“Amazingly, most advertisers still view most reality shows as slumming,” says one prominent agent. “This time of year what advertisers want to hear about is what's going to be the next hit drama or sitcom. Then, when most of that stuff tanks, midseason we roll out the next Deal or No Deal, and we save everybody's ass.”
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6334590
Commentary
A Brilliant Campaign ring
How 'The West Wing' Was Politics Unusual
By Robert J. Thompson (Special to The Washington Post) Sunday, May 14, 2006
(Robert J. Thompson is a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University.)
Stories about kings, and all the kings' men, have been around for centuries. But when it comes to our king (the president), our palace (the White House) and our modern storytelling medium (television), the record has been mostly silent. Doctors, lawyers and police officers have always outnumbered and outlasted political leaders on TV. Then came "The West Wing."
The series that showcased Jed Bartlet's presidency ends Sunday after seven seasons and two dozen Emmys, a long reign for a show about politics.
So why did "The West Wing" succeed? For one thing, entertainment TV had been timid about the subject of politics for most of its history, fearful of offending audiences. When political settings were used for a TV series, the subject matter was softened, if not neutralized. Nearly all of the series about the White House, for example, have been comedies -- including a 1992 series, "Capitol Critters," that featured talking mice -- and most of the political dramas were only slight variations of the nonpartisan movie fantasy "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." These series were stripped of what could have made them most interesting: the processes of politics.
"The West Wing" took a different ap-proach. While it certainly featured comic elements, its focus was politics, and it didn't shy away from assigning its characters to a specific political party.
"The West Wing" recognized that modern government is mostly about hot air. The essence of Washington is talk, and the essence of the series was its dialogue -- conversation as a spectator sport.
This new style of fictional TV politics was the vision of Aaron Sorkin. He created "The West Wing" and presided over the first four -- and many say best -- of its seven seasons. He also wrote or co-wrote all but three of the 88 episodes he produced. Besides winning a record-breaking nine Emmy Awards in its first year, "The West Wing" took the Emmy for Best Drama for all four years of Sorkin's tenure.
The weapons of choice most often on display in Sorkin's White House were rhetoric, oratory and a general running-off-at-the-mouth by people who obviously had done very well on the verbal portion of their SATs. The rapid fire of syllables proved more exciting than that of missiles. The show's words spoke louder than its actions and, though meticulously directed, this is one of the few dramatic programs on television that actually could have worked on radio.
As a writer, Sorkin is a man of many words: many, many words. "West Wing" screenplays ran up to 20 pages longer than other hour-long dramas on television.
"Growing up in my house," Sorkin said recently, "anybody who used one word when they could have used 10 just wasn't trying." His New York childhood included frequent trips to the theater: He saw plays by the likes of Edward Albee, Shakespeare and David Mamet before he was a teenager.
"I had no idea at all what was going on up there," he said, "but I loved the sound of the dialogue, and I wanted to write dialogue that sounded like what I'd heard."
Not since "Moonlighting," or until "Deadwood," had any new series paid such careful attention to language. Two books of selected scripts from the show have been published, a distinction earned so far by only a handful of TV series.
In the end, however, "The West Wing" was not very realistic. For that, we'd do better with HBO's short-lived "Tanner '88" or "K Street."
If only people on both sides of Washington's political spectrum acted with the soaring vision and spoke in the baroque linguistic fugues heard on "The West Wing." But that, alas, is as much a fantasy as the talking White House rodents on "Capitol Critters."
THE WEST WING: Retrospective Sunday at 7 PM ET/PT on NBC; series finale at 8 PM.
Best of the 'West'
Robert J. Thompson picks some "West Wing" episodes that stand out because of substance or style. All are available on DVD.
• Pilot (Season 1): The show's maiden voyage featured comedy (Sam accidentally dates a prostitute), politics (Josh gets in trouble with the religious right) and a rousing final-act entrance by the president.
• Let Bartlet Be Bartlet (Season 1): A model episode that touched on gays in the military, campaign finance reform and sagging presidential approval ratings.
• The Midterms (Season 2): This episode about the three months leading up to midterm elections aired just weeks before the real, and highly contested, presidential election of 2000.
• In This White House (Season 2): Ainsley Hayes proved that Republicans can talk as well -- and as fast -- as Democrats.
• Two Cathedrals (Season 2): As a freak storm raged through the nation's capital, the president saw visions of his childhood, had a conversation with a ghost and talked to God. The striking directing of Thomas Schlamme, the visual soul of the series, was in evidence here.
• Isaac and Ishmael (Season 3): A stand-alone episode made as a response to the terrorist attacks. It aired less than four weeks after Sept. 11, 2001.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/09/AR2006050901256.html
Critic’s Notebook
On TV: Moldy old sitcoms finally get tossed
By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Saturday, May 13, 2006
Not all consumables have expiration dates printed on them, not even the fresh ones. Instead, there's the understanding that we should be able to tell when something goes bad, and when it does, discard it for something bold and new.
But that doesn't always happen. Take the three veteran comedies ending their runs next week as an example: Once upon a time, "Malcolm in the Middle," "That '70s Show" and "Will & Grace" provided cool, satisfying prime-time refreshment, week in and week out.
Sadly, they stuck around long past their expiration dates, and now they're cottage cheese in a carton that has "whole milk" printed on it.
Granted, many viewers have turned their backs on them, perhaps hoping they'd transform, like some refrigerator science experiment, into ambulatory slime and quietly go away. But enough of us kept right on chewing, so they remained on our schedules long past their sell-by dates.
Due to their unnatural longevity, we're not compelled to celebrate their loss. However, each used to be good enough that they deserve one last examination, albeit at arm's length, with noses pinched.
MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE
Finale: 8:30 PM ET/PT, Sunday, Fox
When this family comedy premiered in 2000, it signaled a different direction for Fox. Before Malcolm, Reese, Dewey, Francis, Lois and Hal Last Name Unknown came around, the closest the network had gotten to an all-ages family-friendly comedy was "The Simpsons." Here it gave us a boy genius saddled with an explosive, demanding mother, a feckless dad and barbaric siblings, living in a disaster of a house with a perpetually dead lawn. OK, so maybe that does sound a lot like "The Simpsons," but, hey, Malcolm's family wasn't animated.
Why it was fresh: Creator Linwood Boomer proved that family comedy doesn't have to be cloying or simple. At times, Malcolm's family life took some dark twists, usually smoothed over with slapstick humor. Because of this, many a parent could relate to poor Lois, the family general (beautifully played by Jane Kaczmarek) who, along with Hal (Bryan Cranston), was the target of her sons' myriad schemes.
Best if used by: The point at which the darling kids were no longer darling, nor kids. Frankie Muniz, aka Malcolm, got engaged last year, for heaven's sake. Little Dewey's (Erik Per Sullivan) voice is changing, and he sounds like the producers make him inhale helium before he says each line.
One last spoonful? In the first 10 minutes of the finale, it doesn't look like it, but Lois saves the day when she delivers a wonderful outburst explaining why she has ridden Malcolm so hard all these years. In that moment, Kaczmarek gives us both a genuinely touching demonstration of maternal love and a somewhat pointed political statement.
THAT '70S SHOW
Finale: 8 PM ET/PT, Thursday, Fox
Already a syndication staple, "That '70s Show" is a workhorse comedy, one of those good times people don't appreciate enough. Nothing fancy about it, and certainly very little in the way of intellectual cleverness, but you can rely on those old episodes for a good laugh.
Why it was fresh: Although this comedy is pegged to one decade, the cast's easy chemistry and the show's lighthearted glimpse into the aimlessness of high school life made it timeless. (It also gave us The Circle, a cheeky spinning of camera angles that acknowledges its characters are smoking pot without actually showing them doing the deed.) And, admit it, even if you sniffed at the sheer stupidity of life in Point Place, Wis., teens current and former probably recognize something of themselves or their friends in Forman, Kelso, Hyde, Donna, Jackie and Fez, and see their parents in Kitty and Red Forman. That goes double for those of us who experienced a Midwestern adolescence.
Best if used by: For a hefty slice of America, "That '70s Show" never should have left the shelf. But even those of us who watched it from time to time, we noticed the series deflate when Ashton Kutcher started taking himself too seriously and turned Kelso from a fun-loving himbo into a sleepwalker. Once he and Topher Grace (who played Eric Forman) announced they were leaving, the series should have ended.
One last spoonful? If you must see how it all turns out, OK. But it's not crucial, unless you're dying to see A) Kutcher reprise his role; B) who Jackie (Mila Kunis) ends up with; C) whether they ever reveal Fez's (Wilmer Valderrama) last name and country of origin; or D) another surprise appearance that isn't really that much of a surprise if you really think about it. After that, count on seeing Grace in movies, Kutcher in tabloids and Valderrama on MTV, where he hosts "Yo Momma."
WILL & GRACE
Finale: 9 p.m. Thursday, PM ET/PT, NBC, (a 60-minute episode preceded by a 60-minute retrospective at 8)
While not the first comedy with a gay lead -- that would be "Ellen" -- it was out from the start.
Why it was fresh: For a time, "Will & Grace" was the most wicked, funny half-hour on television, owing its best laughs to the better half of the ensemble: Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes) and Karen Walker (Megan Mullally). Where Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing) gave the series emotional warmth by putting their friendship's growing pains on display, Jack and Karen kept it light with their unapologetic displays of hedonism and by ragging on Will and Grace's bond, which Jack accurately referred to as a sexless marriage.
Best if used by: The exit of "Friends" meant "Will & Grace" lost the tent pole holding up its ratings. Those who witnessed the show's slow but steady decline from the third season on might opine that the series went soft long before that point. Take your pick of its miseries. It became "The Jack and Karen Show," and Jack and Karen became greater caricatures than they already were. Will and Grace's annoying co-dependence kept other romances at bay. Will didn't get to kiss anyone -- seriously -- until this season. Grace moved out and moved back one too many times. Celebrity guest stars piled on in a blatant attempt to mask the flat jokes, topped by Thursday's pointless promotional appearance by rising beefcake Josh Lucas, who showed up to banter with Jack and boost his latest movie, "Poseidon."
One last spoonful? If you're dying to see whether Will ends up raising Grace's baby with her or to finally meet Karen's Stan, perhaps. Maybe Kevin Bacon will dance again. That's worth it, no? No. Oh, well, we'll always have reruns.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/270024_tv13.html
The 2006-2007 Season
Nikki Finke: "Invasion" Cancelled
LA Weekly columnist Nikki Finke reports on her deadlinehollywooddaily.com site that ABC has cancelled "Invasion".
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/
The 2006-2007 Season
WEEKEND UPDATE! Primetime Pilot Panic:
By Nikki Finke deadlinehollywooddaily.com
ABC/12, NBC/9, Fox/6, CBS/0, CW/0
Below is latest info network by network as of 10 PM Pacific Time Friday night. Will be updated...
Fox just picked up The Wedding Album, deciding between The Winner and Big Handsome Guy, and renewed The OC...
ABC today has picked up Men in Trees, Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, Traveler, A Day in the Life, Untitled Burnett/Beckerman, cancelled Invasion, renewed According to Jim and George Lopez...
NBC wants Tina Fey show pending finalization of Alex Baldwin deal...
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/
PJO1966
05-13-06, 10:52 AM
The 2006-2007 Season
Nikki Finke: "Invasion" Cancelled
LA Weekly columnist Nikki Finke reports on her deadlinehollywooddaily.com site that ABC has cancelled "Invasion".
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/
Let's hope CW steps up to the plate.
The 2006-2007 Season
Up in the air
It’s high drama and camp in New York as the networks set fall schedule
By Aaron Barnhart Kansas City Star May 13, 2006
Next week the five leading television networks will each put on a show unlike any you’ll see on TV.
It combines the pageantry of a mandatory corporate retreat with the excitement of a PowerPoint presentation. With a few celebrity cameos thrown in.
It’s upfronts week in New York City, where NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and the new network amalgam known as “the CW” will present their fall schedules to advertisers in advance of selling them billions of dollars of commercial time for the 2006-07 TV season.
And if I appear to exaggerate the boredom level of these spectacles — somewhat — let me add that at some point during the four-day marathon, something invariably breaks through the monotony and makes the whole heavily scripted charade worth seeing in person.
I started attending upfronts in my third year at The Star, in 1999, so I wasn’t on hand when Johnny Carson stepped to the stage of Carnegie Hall in 1991 and announced that he would be leaving the “Tonight Show” in one year — bombshell news that left everyone, including NBC executives, shaken. (Almost as shaken as you are, realizing that TV has been Carson-free for 14 years now.)
But I was there in 2004 when thousands of ad buyers, media and ABC station executives were treated to the riveting preview of a new adventure series called “Lost.” We weren’t sure what the heck it was about — some of us still aren’t — but we all made sure to tune in.
I was there a few years earlier, when Mandy Patinkin, having shown up to promote what was billed as the “new and improved” relaunch of his failing hospital drama “Chicago Hope,” dropped his trousers on stage, then spoke for four minutes in his boxers while CBS president Leslie Moonves, unsmiling, looked on. It was clear Moonves wished a trap door would open under Patinkin’s feet.
And I was eyewitness to last year’s show-stopping performance by Marc Cherry, the man responsible for “Desperate Housewives,” at Lincoln Center.
Decked out in tux, tails and top hat, Cherry belted out the Sondheim standard “Beautiful Girls” before a chorus line. At the end of the number the “Housewives” joined him on stage as the crowd cheered.
The upfronts, in short, serve as a milepost for every show on network television. For some, it is the beginning of the journey to fame and fortune; for others, it is a final farewell to the audience that keeps the money rolling in. For still others, it is a chance to celebrate stellar Nielsen ratings and urge sponsors to keep the love coming.
All of which makes the week much more than an industry event. It forms part of the narrative of show business that Americans seem to grow more interested in every year, whether they are going online to play the new “Lost” computer game, listening to commentary tracks on the “Arrested Development” DVDs or searching for the latest gossip about the “West Wing” retrospective that was supposed to air Sunday (it was cancelled, according to Variety, because the cast wanted too much money).
Bill Carter, who covers television for the New York Times, has been attending upfronts for the last quarter-century. He wrote the best-seller The Late Shift in 1993, about the Jay Leno-David Letterman battle to succeed Carson on NBC.
His new book, a page-turner called Desperate Networks, tells the fascinating backstories of TV’s biggest hits, like “American Idol,” as they barely scraped their way onto the prime-time schedule.
Both of Carter’s books open at a network upfront: The Late Shift at Carson’s dramatic walk-on in 1991, Desperate Networks at Cherry’s triumphant song-and-dance last year.
Carter says that the upfronts are inherently dramatic because they are “a new start for each television network, where they (have to) present themselves with their best foot forward. They’ve gotta get these advertisers to cough up money to buy shows even when they’re not doing well. There’s a begging aspect to it that’s interesting to watch.”
The upfronts are also the time of reckoning for a handful of shows.
As I write this, for example, programs like ABC’s “Invasion,” NBC’s “Surface,” CBS’ “The King of Queens,” and UPN’s “Veronica Mars” have been neither canceled nor renewed, officially. No news will be bad news for these shows when the network schedules are revealed.
For other series like WB’s “Reba,” ABC’s “Commander in Chief” and Fox’s “Bernie Mac Show,” I’ll spare you the suspense: They’re history. But what will take their place? We’ll find that out next week, too.
Critics will get a first glimpse at the new shows that have survived the gauntlet known as development season, when hundreds of prospective scripts are whittled down to a few dozen pilots, of which only a half-dozen or so are picked up by each network and put on the fall schedule.
We’ll see previews of each pilot, for an early sense of what next seasons’ breakout hits will be. Last year, “Commander in Chief” and NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” wowed the upfronts. They would ride that hype into the fall and draw large crowds for their debuts. Twelve months later, though, only “Earl” is still standing, and on somewhat wobbly legs at that.
The week will begin, as it always does, at NBC’s upfront presentation, scheduled this year for Radio City Music Hall, next to the network’s offices at Rockefeller Center.
There’s little suspense left at the fourth-place network. NBC has already announced it will be adding NFL football to Sunday nights, and three new series including “Studio 60,” a new effort from Aaron Sorkin, creator of “The West Wing,” based loosely on the early years of “Saturday Night Live” and starring Matthew Perry.
ABC will take the stage Tuesday at Lincoln Center. Carter says third-place ABC will have the most to prove to advertisers, because “not one of its scripted shows” this season made a dent in the ratings — quite a turnabout considering that ABC put on TV’s three hottest shows the previous season in “Lost,” “Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Moonves will hold court at Carnegie on Wednesday for CBS (ranked second among young viewers coveted by advertisers) and again at Madison Square Garden on Thursday morning as he introduces the new CW network, which will cherry-pick some shows from the soon-to-be-defunct WB and UPN networks.
Upfronts week will wrap up that afternoon when the top-rated Fox network takes over the New York Armory with a presentation that is likely to feature a performance (via satellite from L.A.) by the two “American Idol” finalists, who will have been determined the night before.
Look for my reports every day from upfronts in FYI and more news on my blog at TVBarn.com.
http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2006/05/the_town_so_nic.html#more
Attention RussTC3: (Note final paragraph)
The 2006-2007 Season
More ABC orders; '7th Heaven' saved
The Hollywood Reporter May 13, 2006
Despite all the talk of farewells and finales this week, the long-running WB drama "7th Heaven" is now expected to make the move to the new CW network for an 11th season this fall, industry sources said late Friday.
Meanwhile, ABC continued to hand out series orders Friday, to family soap "Brothers & Sisters," telenovela-inspired "Ugly Betty," thriller "Traveler" and Anne Heche drama "Men in Trees."
On the comedy side, ABC picked up "Big Day," formerly known as "A Day in the Life," about a couple's wedding day seen from various participants' points of view and the untitled Burnett/Beckermen heist comedy starring Donal Logue and Mick Jagger.
The network also gave a vote of confidence to its month-old midseason drama "What About Brian" with a renewal for next season. Those pickups join six other new series that earned a green light from ABC on Thursday.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002502400
Friday’s network prime-time ratings are now at the top of Prime Time Ratings (the first post in this thread).
The Business of TV
Cable taking control of Street
Momentum shift from satellite in Q1
By Lora Kolodny and Georg Szalai The Hollywood Reporter May 13, 2006
NEW YORK -- Stronger-than-expected basic-subscriber additions for cable operators and weaker customer growth for satellite TV providers were a key theme during this first-quarter earnings season, leading Wall Street observers to discuss a possible turning point in competitive momentum among U.S. video distributors.
To be sure, satellite TV continues to win more users than basic cable. However, with the satellite business maturing, new competitors have begun to enter the video market in the form of wireless and regional phone companies along with such new cable offers as triple play, high definition and video-on-demand programming, which are more competitive as well. Cable firms believe they will finally see sustainable growth along with continued basic customer gains.
When News Corp.-controlled DirecTV Group reported weaker-than-thought first-quarter net subscriber additions this month, management revised its guidance, saying the satellite operator might add fewer than 1 million subscribers this year rather than slightly more. Wall Street took note.
"DirecTV is on the verge of seeing slowing subscriber growth as a result of cable becoming more effective due to increased availability of triple-play bundled offers, video-on-demand and digital-video recorders," Credit Suisse analyst Bryan Kraft wrote. "In addition, we believe that (telecom) entry into video will put further pressure on satellite churn and gross additions."
EchoStar Communications' report last week included net subscriber additions that also underwhelmed many on Wall Street, serving as a confirmation of the trend.
"We would not be surprised if DirecTV pulls back as well on the concern that EchoStar's mixed results were further evidence that satellite TV's competitive challenges have increased," Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Thomas Eagan said.
Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck said reasons for EchoStar's higher-than-expected churn, or customer turnover, in the latest quarter were not just trend-based, but company specific.
"Increased competition, channel takedowns due to disputes and higher-than-expected disconnects following the February 2006 (monthly) price hike" all were on his list.
EchoStar's Dish Network added 225,000 net subscribers in the quarter. That lagged DirecTV's numbers -- the U.S. satellite competitor added 255,000. Both satellite firms' net additions outpaced basic video subscriber gains at Comcast, Charter, Mediacom and Time Warner Cable. But a look at cable operators' gains in digital-video subscribers told a story favoring land-based cable.
Comcast added 340,000, Time Warner Cable 241,000, Charter 69,800 and even Mediacom (which lost 39,000 basic subscribers) added 67,000 digital-video subscribers in the period ending March 31.
Of course, some caution that investors will have to see subscriber growth numbers for several quarters into the future to know if the trend of strengthening cable and weakening satellite user gains will stick.
Cable executives have all but asserted their dominance over the once-threatening satellite providers. TWC chief operating officer Landel Hobbs said last week that features "satellite just can't offer" -- namely Internet high-speed data and VOD products -- now drive his firm's growth.
"Our sustained growth depends on our ability to innovate when and where it counts," he added.
Analysts and investors will keep close tabs on subscriber momentum for the rest of the year. They might ask industry veterans for advice as one investor did with cable pioneer and Liberty Media chairman John Malone on the sidelines of his firm's annual investor meeting Thursday.
Said Malone about the current competitive situation between cable and satellite TV: "I still think cable has an awfully strong hand in the U.S.," especially given the recent success of bundled services.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002502409
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: Will the intellectual drama die? Last week's episode of The West Wing (the C.J.-centric "Institutional Memory") was not just a testimony to the quality of what was, but, more importantly, what could be. I find those "suck in your breath" moments on these recent episodes of West Wing to be a testimony to the brilliance of these final hours. It also makes me question if I see life for this series. I have to admit that I thought this series was dead, but the brilliance they are bringing to this close has me questioning whether this should be the end, since I could continue to watch this series in its current form for a long time. — John
Matt Roush: As we approach the final curtain of The West Wing this Sunday, I figured I'd lead with the positive, since there's so much negative to come. While I also have liked these last episodes a great deal, let's get some perspective here. This final season has been so memorable because the election and the transition are momentous events. If the show had continued, I wonder if once the dust settled and the new administration got itself situated, whether the series could sustain its recent heights. I tend to doubt it, which is why I continue to subscribe to my notion that we should be glad the show is going out on such a high. The fact that it's leaving anyone wanting more is actually something of a triumph, a bit of positive spin in light of the show's dismaying ratings of late.
Naturally, most of the West Wing mail I got this week (a ton of it) expressed anger over NBC scrapping a retrospective tribute in order to replay the series pilot as the finale's lead-in. A typical rant went like this, from Lauren: "What the hell is NBC thinking? Who thought it would be a good idea to show the pilot of The West Wing instead of a retrospective? Are there people who will be confused without a back-to-the-beginning? I don't think so. This is just yet another slap in the face in a long line of sucker punches handed out by NBC. Have you ever seen a series finale preceded by the pilot? No! You need/want memories, retrospection, discussion of what it meant to the actors, viewers, TV environment. I know you are a fan of the show and appreciate the way it is going out 'on top' creatively. But you cannot think this is a smart or even decent thing to do to a show that has done nothing but try to stay afloat while the network does its best to drown it. Please don't let NBC and TPTB keep this schedule change. Or at the absolute least, they should explain themselves. It is absurd and downright ignorant. They already moved it to Sundays after never giving it a lead-in and rarely promoting it the last several years. Utterly despicable. Help send one of my favorite shows out with some dignity! Multiple Emmy-winning show, in case they forgot. Will & Grace gets the praise. Doesn't West Wing deserve at least equal treatment for going out stronger and in a far more troubling time slot? Your thoughts and help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!"
Well, there's not much I can do, except empathize. The call has been made, and it seems to be as much about money as anything. According to trade and other reports, the actors balked at participating in a tribute show without proper compensation. Which prompted rants like this from Michael W.: "I just read that many of the stars of The West Wing would not participate in a retrospective of their award-winning series unless NBC paid them! How selfish and greedy can these people be? Most have won Emmys and great acclaim from this show. Let's face it: Who except Martin Sheen and Rob Lowe even had careers seven years ago, and theirs weren't all that great. And shouldn't the cast be receiving syndication money for many years to come? I think it is incredibly sad that longtime fans of this show won't have a look back this Sunday because of such overwhelming greed."
Again, I empathize, but having sat through many of these self-congratulatory, pandering tribute specials in the past (I'm personally dreading the Will & Grace send-off), I'm not entirely bereft at the thought of letting the final episode speak for itself. I'm sure budget had a lot to do with this decision, and also the fact that the ratings have been so pathetic on Sundays that the network and studio couldn't justify the expense of an extra low-rated hour to send off a lame-duck show (in everything but quality) that most everyone had already said goodbye to. I'm not saying I agree with the call, but I pragmatically accept it. TV is an ugly business, and as we noted at the beginning of this long segment, I prefer to be thankful that West Wing loyalists are at least mostly satisfied with the show itself these days.
________________________________________
Question: I love that 24's Jack Bauer is smarter than I am and knows a million things that I couldn't even hope to imagine. (who knew you could steer a plane from some cables in the cargo hold?) So why, after retrieving a recording that led to the murder of several friends and the near-fatal shooting of his lover, and that necessitated the hijacking and crash-landing of a freakin' plane, did he not tell CTU to make a copy of the darn thing? It seemed like such the obvious move to make and yet it never occurred to him — or anyone else — to do it? This is the first time I can remember that I felt like I was seeing the plot instead of the story — as if the only reason they didn't copy the tape was so Miles could betray Karen, keep the president from taking the cowardly way out and give Paul McCrane some more creepy scenes to play. It just didn't feel — and I can't believe that I'm about to use this word in the context of 24 — real. I usually love to sit back (well, on the edge of my seat) and enjoy the wild ride of 24, but I think this might have been stretching the suspension of disbelief a little too far. What do you think? — Hilary
Matt Roush: As I've long established, I'm not one for nitpicking shows like this to death, but I've had this very same conversation with friends and fans since this week's episode aired, so I'll reluctantly agree. This snafu with the tape was so clearly a twist added just to keep the story going a little longer. It was such a "d'oh" Homer moment. But I've got stretch marks from suspending disbelief while watching this show, so I'll forgive it. Besides, how freaking fabulous was that whole plane incident? Better than a movie.
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Question: You may not publish this since it is more of a vent than a question. The question is pretty much pointless since you would have to be a moronic network executive with no discernable brain cells to answer it (which you're not), but hey, what the heck. Why in god's name is ABC opting to run the finale of Grey's Anatomy on a Monday? Hello? The show has aired on Sundays for a season and a half. It's hugely popular. I love Grey's, but I watch 24 and Medium on Mondays, and I don't want to tape things because something that doesn't belong on that night suddenly thinks it should air its biggest episode of the season on the wrong day! I will, of course, but what gives? Why do networks insist on pulling this crap? If it is just a matter of allowing both Grey's and Desperate Housewives to have finale "events," I'd rather have Grey's take a week off. Am I the only one continually outraged by this kind of thing? — Kristen
Matt Roush: I'm not crazy about this either, but that's what happens during a bloodthirsty-for-ratings month like the May sweeps. Many analysts see Grey's Monday finale as a way to test the waters for either this show or Desperate Housewives to take the leap to Mondays next season. (Without Monday Night Football, ABC has to put something hot on this competitive night.) But also, this two-night finale was forced to an extent by the fact that ABC is making so many of its finales two-hour "events." (Doing the math, Grey's could have aired one fewer repeat last month, and presented the three-hour finale over two Sundays, finishing this week, leaving the last Sunday of the season, May 21, for the two-hour finales of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Housewives.) But I know for a fact you're not the only one freaked out about having to make room for the Grey's finale this Monday. (And during network-upfront week, no less. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.)
________________________________________
Question: Bear with me while I badly paraphrase Jason Bateman. He said in an interview a few months ago that he wanted critics to stop saying that Arrested Development was for smart, cool people in the know, because it was off-putting for potential viewers and made AD seem like homework, or something like that. I feel like the same could apply to your adulation of The Sopranos, and I love The Sopranos, but if other people don't like the more existential, less action-packed season, that's OK. It doesn't mean they aren't intelligent enough to understand what's going on, or that they need you to explain it to them. It just means that they don't like this particular season. Fair enough, yes? — Sarah
Matt Roush: Fair enough, but maybe I've just read a few too many commentaries bitching about the show this season, especially in recent weeks, so I feel compelled to keep articulating why I find this particular season to be so special, even remarkable. The strengths of The Sopranos are peculiar to this show. It doesn't unfold like a regular TV series, and the fact that what I find engrossing seems to bore many others is worth continuing to explore. I don't mean to belittle those who dismiss this season, but when Dr. Melfi asked Tony if he was bored in last Sunday's episode, I couldn't help but think of all those disgruntled fans who want The Sopranos to be something it isn't. When I think of these last few Sundays, moving from Sopranos to Grey's Anatomy and finding such pleasure in both, it's like savoring a piece of great literature, then wallowing in the best beach read ever. Nothing wrong with either.
________________________________________
Question: OK, please tell me what the new CW is thinking. I just read in the news section that the CW announced they will not be picking up Reba for next season. Yet when they first announced the merger, they listed Reba as an asset. Do they really have enough quality comedies in the works that they can afford to dump WB's No. 1 comedy? Is there any hope of Reba being picked up by another network? I am a huge Reba McEntire fan (both of her acting and singing). How can they treat this wonderful woman like yesterday's garbage? — Matthew
Matt Roush: All I can say is that CW must really not want this show on its schedule, because according to what the trades say, the network may have to pay a steep penalty to cancel Reba, which still had a year to go on its current WB contract (although in the long run, it may be cheaper not to produce a full season of episodes — don't ask me). To be honest, I was always puzzled about why Reba was on WB instead of on a more mainstream network like CBS, where she would be an amazing fit. Reba is at least as good as — and much better than, actually — run-of-the-mill CBS fare like Still Standing or Yes, Dear (to resurrect a couple of reliable punching bags). But I could never reconcile Reba with the rest of WB's youth-oriented programming. Which may explain why CW is apparently dropping it. The network is going to have enough of an identity crisis merging the various preexisting elements of the WB and UPN lineups as it is. Reba would again be an odd bird out, although as Matthew says, it's hard to imagine CW having many comedies that are much more promising. But will any other network pick it up? As usual, the answer is: Highly, almost certainly, doubtful.
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Question: As the finale of Bravo's Top Chef draws nearer, I've gotten to thinking about how it hasn't received much attention. I've enjoyed it, even though it's a bit harder to experience than Project Runway, since you can't taste the final dishes, whereas you can see the final designs. I heard that Top Chef has gotten a Season 2 pickup, so why is there nothing in the media about this show? — Diana
Matt Roush: Top Chef has the disadvantage of airing at a time of the season when the focus is almost 100 percent on network, not cable. I've been converted to Top Chef on the strengths of its personalities and the variety of the challenges (really liked them finally getting to cook real food for real chefs on the outing to Napa), but it does pale next to Project Runway, because as Diana noted, it is easier to judge fashion on TV than food you can neither taste nor smell. I find Top Chef a relaxing, guilty-pleasure respite from the intense march-to-the-season-finales I'm getting on just about every other front. But recapping or extolling it just doesn't make sense, when there's so much else to write about. It's not a reflection on the show's quality or lack thereof. It's simply news judgment.
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Question: I know that by now you're sick and tired of hearing and reading negative comments about how this season of the Gilmore Girls absolutely stank. Unfortunately, I just watched the season-finale episode, and seeing how the show went down when Lorelai pushed Luke into eloping with her, Luke fought that ultimatum by wanting to wait to get married, and Lorelai just walked away and ended up in bed with her ex-boyfriend/Rory's father. I just felt very jilted and very sick to my stomach. Why would Lorelai do a stupid thing like that just because she felt too impatient and wanted to pressure Luke into eloping with her? Couldn't she have just waited until the day after she went to her parents' house to ask Luke to elope with her, and to talk through their problems before going to elope to the Hamptons? Then the show could have ended on a good note, with them before they went to the Hamptons and took the plunge. It's just a shame that this season had to go out on a sour note, with a pathetic cliff-hanger that will probably cause it to be even worse next season than this season. Do you think that there is no hope for Luke and Lorelai to live happily ever after now that Lorelai has just sabotaged her relationship? What's your take on this whole situation, Matt? — Chris
Matt Roush: I weighed in on my Roush Dispatches blog, so check that out. But basically, I agree with the overall feeling of dismay where this season finale was concerned, which was reflected in most of my mail that came immediately after. I'm still reasonably hopeful that there will be reconciliation and a happy ending for Luke and Lorelai, but honestly, I'd like Lorelai to have a Dallas moment and wake up, having had this all be nothing but a bad, sour dream.
But taking an alternative view, there's this from Janna: "I wrote a few months back to complain about the appearance of April on Gilmore Girls. I feared that it was going to drive a wedge between Luke and Lorelai. After the last few episodes of the season, however, I feel otherwise: It's Luke I'm angry at. He has been making things hard, pushing Lorelai out of his life. After last night's speech, he didn't even try to follow her! I, for one, am glad she wound up with Christopher. My question is this: Do you think that, although it may have been the Palladinos' idea to have L&L wind up together and live happily ever after in Stars Hollow, maybe that isn't the best destiny for our favorite TV mom?"
My take: I honestly cannot imagine that the endgame of this series is for Lorelai and nice but bland Christopher to end up together. I just don't see the fireworks.
And finally (for now) on the Gilmore front, this provocative question from Jackie: "How can I say this without making everyone out there mad at me? Will it really make that big of a difference without the Sherman-Palladino writing team on Gilmore Girls? Honestly! How many of our favorite shows over the years have switched writers, producers and directors without us knowing, but yet we all go on enjoying them without batting an eye? If it wasn't for the Internet, entertainment shows, etc., we would not know the difference, and we'd all tune in next season and enjoy ourselves nonetheless. Now ever