Hot Off The Press! The Latest Television News and Info [Text View] - Page 94

flint350

03-05-07, 11:14 PM

I do the best I can, Dave.

I long ago decided not to use spoiler tags (as a general rule) on the site.

I try to note which stories contain spoilers, but am not always perfect. In this case, I noted it, and if that left you unwarned, I apologize.

WOW! Sorry, but I'm with Dave on this particular spoiler theme in BSG. I had DVR'd it and I know you take a chance once something has played. But, in this case the spoiler warning was immediately next to the giveaway headline - and the giveaway headline was twice as large and in a stand-out color! You really couldn't miss it - I know I didn't and it diminished my enjoyment of the episode a lot. I don't know what else may have been in the article since I didn't read any further. But to place the big headline so prominently and say "spoiler" almost as an afterthought was a real surprise to me. At least such things could be more judiciously buried in the story and we would know not to read it - but this was a HEADLINE in COLOR about major plot details. How do you decide not to read a post until you see the headline/theme? You could not miss it even if you were trying. Well, maybe it's just me. I recognize the "once it's played" rule, like the Awards example, but I think most sentient beings can see a difference here.

Obviously, I don't set the rules and and I only blame/speak for myself. This one has clarified my future intent. Giveaways are a pet peeve of mine (like movie trailers or reviews that do the same) bcz I just don't want to know until I see it. To prevent that in the future simply requires less, more judicious viewing by me of this thread. This has little to do with the use of "spoiler tags" - the post title was the spoiler for God's sake. Giving away major plot points in a headline is not what I come here for and I suppose only I can prevent it from happening to me again.

AtogMuncher

03-05-07, 11:23 PM

Heroes has been running late (sometimes more than a minute) all the time, at first they didn't update their schedule to reflect that it was running over, at least now they do.

fredfa

03-05-07, 11:29 PM

Inundated

03-05-07, 11:40 PM

fredfa

03-05-07, 11:43 PM

Well, ESPN says all of its games (and I would presume the ABC games it produces, too) will be in HD this year. So perhaps Game Plan could have an HD component.

On the other hand the vast majority of providers simply don't have a lot of bandwidth available yet.

So perhaps there is not yet an economic imperative for ESPN to provide an HD Game Plan experience since so many viewers wouldn't be able to receive the games in HD.

Inundated

03-05-07, 11:52 PM

So perhaps there is not yet an economic imperative for ESPN to provide an HD Game Plan experience since so many viewers wouldn't be able to receive the games in HD.

And we're back to the original here - GamePlan is just a side offering. The games are meant primarily for distribution to local stations/networks. (FSN Ohio even picks up a game or two here! It's weird seeing ESPN-branded programming on FSN, but it has happened in this arrangement.)

Until the local stations/networks start being able to take syndicated programming in HD off the bird, even live sports, I don't expect to see GamePlan to follow as an HD-available offering.

I suspect we're not as far away from this as I think, tho.

rustycruiser

03-05-07, 11:57 PM

I think you are fair game 15 hours after the episode airs. Playing Devil's advocate, maybe next time leave 10-20 empty lines between the tag and the story.

Spoiler!

Like This.

That way someone can quickly scroll through the story with out inadvertently seeing anything. Although that might waste a lot of space, especially after a huge show event. Half the stories the next day are normally about it. (ie: President Palmer's assassination).

kjpjr

03-06-07, 12:05 AM

GP is basically a done deal. This fall they will not show any Big Ten, PAC 10 or Big 12 games. That is a huge base to lose. Also last year they started not showing any games that were on ESPNU, I assume that will continue. The Big Ten Network becomes a key in this deal to see all the Big Ten games I have been able to see living "down south". Also in our area ACC and SEC games are blacked out -- usually can find them on another station but it is fewer games. I have subscribed to GP for the last 6 years and probably will not this year.

I also subscribe to Extra Innings and it looks like I'll save money there too :mad:

dad1153

03-06-07, 12:16 AM

SAY HELLO TO MY (NEW) LITTLE FRIEND: http://www.olevia.com/jsp/products/detail.jsp?pid=747i :D

shuttermaker

03-06-07, 12:18 AM

SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND: http://www.olevia.com/jsp/products/detail.jsp?pid=747i :D

Congrats dad !

dad1153

03-06-07, 12:25 AM

fredfa

03-06-07, 12:43 AM

dad1153

03-06-07, 12:48 AM

Wednesday or Thursday. Time to call Time Warner for a weekend Scientific Atlantic HD DVR/cable box and to Monoprice for some affordable HDMI/VGA cables for the XBox 360 HD-DVD add-on.

fredfa

03-06-07, 12:58 AM

Lord knows I hope TWC delivers a pristine GSN signal to you! :)

fredfa

03-06-07, 01:01 AM

TV Notebook
Network Insiders Sign Deal to Supply Programs to NBC
Former Fox and ABC chiefs to come up with programming
By Bill Carter The New York Times March 6, 2007

Two former network heads of entertainment programming, Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun, signed a deal yesterday for their new company to provide programs for NBC Universal across all the company’s television channels.

Describing their company, which is called BermanBraun, as a “ministudio,” the two executives said they would begin supplying shows to NBC on what is known as a first-look basis.

That means that NBC will get the first opportunity at any idea they develop, though a show could be later picked up by another network if NBC passes. NBC would retain a financial interest in those programs.

The financial terms were not disclosed, but Marc Graboff, the president of NBC Universal Television West Coast, said NBC would be the chief backer of BermanBraun, at least until the company adds strategic partners in others areas, like programming for the Internet or a film division. Ms. Berman and Mr. Braun said they would establish those divisions in the coming months.

Ms. Berman, who left as president of Paramount Pictures in January, is chiefly known as the former president of entertainment at the Fox network, where she was highly regarded for developing hit programs like “24” and “House.”

Mr. Braun, who last led Yahoo’s media group, was previously ABC’s entertainment chief and has been widely credited with the idea for the hit show “Lost.”

In a telephone interview yesterday, the two executives said they had had talks with several potential backers but chose NBC.

“We know they have some needs,” Ms. Berman said. “It seemed like a great strategic partnership.”

Mr. Braun emphasized that the company would not focus predominately on developing shows for NBC’s prime-time lineup but instead would devote as much time to ideas for syndication, for NBC’s cable channels, as well for its daytime schedule and programs.

Mr. Braun noted that their expertise should make it easier for them to succeed. “Gail and I had these jobs,” he said. “Hopefully there will be a shorthand we bring.”

Mr. Graboff described BermanBraun as “a kind of label.” He compared the company with other production units that have deals with networks but are separate from them, like Imagine Television.

Mr. Graboff said: “Lloyd and Gail have great track records and very complementary skills. Lloyd is a big idea guy, very competitive. He’s like a heat-seeking missile. Gail is very talent friendly; she has great relationships with writers. The two of them make a killer team.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/business/media/06nbcnews.html?ref=media&pagewanted=print

fredfa

03-06-07, 01:02 AM

Good idea, rusty.

Anyone else?

I think you are fair game 15 hours after the episode airs. Playing Devil's advocate, maybe next time leave 10-20 empty lines between the tag and the story.

Spoiler!

Like This.

That way someone can quickly scroll through the story with out inadvertently seeing anything. Although that might waste a lot of space, especially after a huge show event. Half the stories the next day are normally about it. (ie: President Palmer's assassination).

dad1153

03-06-07, 01:05 AM

Yep, that's good. Not every show needs it though, just the one where spoilers could ruin it for people mindlessly surfing around the thread (like The Sopranos or Galactica). No spoilers needed for crap like... take your pick! :)

dad1153

03-06-07, 01:08 AM

Lord knows I hope TWC delivers a pristine GSN signal to you! :)

If TWC falls through I hope the Realta HQV chip inside the 747i will smooth the rough edges. As dumb as it may sound to HD nuts around this thread one of the questions that was key in deciding which HDTV I would get was "Would 'Match Game' or 'Password Plus' look good on this HDTV?" A Samsung LN-5296D and a Mitsubishi LT-46231 (both 1080p LCD's) lost to the Olevia 747i in this key factor, so your snide remark actually is more true than sarcastic Fred. :rolleyes:

fredfa

03-06-07, 01:22 AM

Trust me, it wasn't mean to be either snide or sarcastic. More like heart felt.

Though I know you will soon be going through the PBS "Smart Travels" and Discovery Channel phase we all went through. But we will survive your tales of wonder.

(Now that last comment was just a bit sarcastic -- or snide.) :)

fredfa

03-06-07, 02:18 AM

Obituary
B. Rosengarden, 82
seasoned drummer, Cavett show bandleader
By Dennis McLellan Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Bobby Rosengarden, a versatile drummer who recorded with artists as varied as Duke Ellington and Jay and the Americans, and spent many years as an NBC staff musician before moving to ABC in the late 1960s as bandleader for "The Dick Cavett Show," has died. He was 82.

Rosengarden died of kidney failure Tuesday at a hospice in Sarasota, Fla., said his son Mark.

An Army band drummer during World War II, Rosengarden played with the Henry Busse band for about a year after the war. After moving to New York City, he played with the Alvy West band and was house drummer at the Copacabana and at Bill Miller's Riviera, a top nightclub in Fort Lee, N.J.

By the early 1950s, he had become a staff musician at NBC, where, among other things, he played drums with the NBC Symphony Orchestra and in the band on the "Tonight" show with Steve Allen, "The Steve Allen Show," "The Ernie Kovacs Show," "Sing Along With Mitch" and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

During this period, Rosengarden was also a studio musician. As a percussionist, he played the triangle on the Ben E. King hit "Stand By Me" and bongos on Harry Belafonte songs. He later played conga on Jay and the Americans' "She Cried" and finger cymbals, triangle and tambourine on an Arlo Guthrie album.

He also played drums during a recording session with the Columbia Jazz Band conducted by composer Igor Stravinsky in 1965.

In 1968, Rosengarden moved to ABC as the bandleader on Cavett's daytime talk show and then, beginning in 1969, Cavett's late-night show.

Mark Rosengarden said that as a drummer, his father "always knew he was in the supporting role." But "the opportunity to be the bandleader meant he could pick the music, suggest musical guests for the show and use his sense of humor more and be the center of attention more."

And, he said, "he loved being the center of attention."

Rosengarden's band of top New York musicians played for an array of singers who appeared on the show, including Fred Astaire, who sang a medley of the tunes for which he was famous.

"Bobby made it a lot easier for us to book people on the show who were going to perform, because he was such a terrific musician that they knew that they would be given all the support that they needed," said David Barnhizer, the Cavett show's original director.

Rosengarden also became known for providing often-amusing entrance music for Cavett's diverse guests — so-called "play-ons" for which, Barnhizer said, "he was justifiably famous or infamous, depending on how you look at it."

There was, for example, the time a sex therapist walked on stage, and the band played "I Can't Get Started."

When artist Salvador Dali appeared, the band launched into "Hello, Dolly!" Transsexual Christine Jorgensen was welcomed with "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?"

Then there was the guest who was an ant expert.

"Bobby played him on with the theme from 'Picnic' — I mean, nobody but a few people got that joke," Barnhizer said with a laugh. "Paul Shaffer of the Letterman show does witty play-ons, but Rosengarden was the king of the play-on."

One of Rosengarden's memorable moments on the show came when rocker Jimi Hendrix was a guest.

"Hendrix said he wasn't going to play, but they had an amplifier and guitar there in case he changed his mind," Mark Rosengarden said.

Hendrix did change his mind, playing a song with backup from the show's bassist, George Duvivier, and Rosengarden on drums.

Whenever he was asked what it was like to play with the legendary electric guitarist, Rosengarden had a stock answer: "I just stayed out of the way, baby."

Born April 23, 1924, in Elgin, Ill., Rosengarden began playing the drums in elementary school and later took private lessons in Chicago.

He studied music on a scholarship at the University of Michigan before entering the Army during World War II.

In the mid-1970s, after his time on the Cavett show had ended, Rosengarden had a stint as the bandleader in the Empire Room at the Waldorf-Astoria. He was also a member of the World's Greatest Jazz Band, the Soprano Summit, the New York Jazz Repertory Company and Gerry Mulligan's combo, among others.

Dividing his time between his homes in Longboat Key, Fla., and New Canaan, Conn., Rosengarden continued to perform until about 2003. One of his last gigs was playing with the New York Pops.

Both of Rosengarden's sons are musicians — Mark is a drummer, and Neil is a keyboard and trumpet player — and Mark recalled that he and his brother did three concerts with their father in the 1990s at the Jazz Club of Sarasota. He said his father enjoyed performing with his sons.

"Quite frankly, he didn't care who he played with," he said. "He just loved playing."

In addition to his sons, Rosengarden is survived by his wife, Sharon; four grandsons; and his sister, Joan Meyer.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-rosengarden4mar04,1,6064178.story?coll=la-news-obituaries

URFloorMatt

03-06-07, 03:16 AM

About ESPNews HD vs. other ESPN networks going HD:

It's the easiest to do.

They do it out of Bristol, and all they need is one HD capable TV studio in a building that's now set up to handle a bunch of 'em.

The highlights are now coming in HD, and SportsCenter - as far as I've seen - airs those highlights in HD whenever possible.

With DirecTV launching the new set of channels, it's the quickest and easiest new ESPN-branded channel they can flip on with little effort and minimal cost.

The problems with "GamePlan", etc., going HD have already been documented here.

Agreed. When you think about it, given that most of the highlight reals and archive footage are already prepared in HD for SportsCenter, ESPN is really just wasting their effort by not utilizing that HD content on ESPNEWS.

As someone pointed out in one of the ESPN threads around here, at this point, it's as easy for ESPN to produce content in HD as SD--even when we're talking about promos for events that will ultimately air in SD (i.e. the HD promos for SD AFL coverage).

I haven't seen any ESPN promos in SD lately. In fact, the new promos for ESPNEWS were pretty big evidence of an HD relaunch.

SirJW

03-06-07, 03:17 AM

Good job Dad! Welcome to the club, you wont look back...

vonzoog

03-06-07, 08:23 AM

Maybe this will help make up for your lost of Studio 60.

steverobertson

03-06-07, 08:31 AM

Congrats, dad -- your life is about to change.

First word of advice: don't worry about what anyone else has. As long as you are happy with your setup, just enjoy it.

Someone always will have something bigger or newer or more expensive.

So when is delivery?

Isn't that the truth just enjoy it and forget about every other tv out there and new technology that comes around over the next few years.

Iteki

03-06-07, 08:57 AM

Just for kicks gang, since I'm joining the HDTV bandwagon, what type of HDTV (brand, size, type of HD display, etc.) do you guys use as your primary viewing device? How old is your set, and what new HDTV are you eyeing in your near-future as an upgrade or substitute to your present HD set-up? Come on guys, humor this HD noob with some stories from the war front.

Congrats dad...some things to prepare:

1) Get HD Content provider (sounds like you are doing that)
2) Appropriate cables (if you have a A/V Receiver, see if it switches HDMI or Component, that helps simplify things)
3) Go to the Display Devices forum, they likely have an official forum for your new display. There will likely be tips on setup, settings, good/bad experiences (oops, just checked for it here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=814773) and you are already posting there) :-)

Once it arrives and you have all your components hooked up, change the factory settings to calibrate your display for your viewing room. Most TVs come in 'torch mode' (brightness on full), you'll want to change that.

I have to echo freda's thoughts, forget what anyone else has and just enjoy your display.

For the record, I have a 3 year old 50" Sony Wega, still working on it's original bulb (no idea how long that will last, I probably jinxed myself by mentioning it). I've been very happy with it, an upgrade is probably still a year or so away. At some point I'll be forced to get a display with HDMI, but for now I have a receiver that switches HD component and I'm happy with it. Clock is ticking though :-)

Have fun with your HDTV!

archiguy

03-06-07, 09:09 AM

Maybe this will help make up for your lost of Studio 60.

Yeah, it was a crappy HD picture on that show anyways. Dad's lucky he didn't have to witness that on his fancy new display; it would have made his heartbreak even worse. ;)

dad1153

03-06-07, 09:45 AM

steverobertson

03-06-07, 09:53 AM

Very funny guys. The only shows I'm really looking forward to seeing on HD are the Masters on CBS, "The Sopranos" and Boxing on HBO, "Heroes" on NBC and (if it ever returns to the air) "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"! Videogames, DVD's and Blu-ray/HD-DVD are going to take a big part of my playtime with the new thing. :D

Last year's Masters was the best I ever saw in HD and hope it is again this year.

You will end up watching more than you think once you get hooked up I know I do HD really brought me back to TV again.

fredfa

03-06-07, 10:50 AM

(Thanks to kenglish for pointing this story out to me)
The Business of Television
Money woes turn off USDTV
NexGen pulls funds; 7,000 customers scramble for service
By Greg Kratz (Salt Lake City) Deseret Morning News March 6, 2007

Draper-based USDTV's four-year attempt to offer a low-cost, family-friendly alternative to cable and satellite television has come to an end.

USDigital Inc. announced Monday that it is ceasing operations, closing down USDTV and laying off its 10 remaining employees.

The action will leave more than 3,000 USDTV subscribers along the Wasatch Front, as well as about 4,000 in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Albuquerque and Las Vegas markets, scrambling for a new TV service.

"What makes this so difficult is that ... we've been able to really launch a pioneering effort that has never existed before in the history of the American broadcasting system as we know it," Steve Lindsley, chief executive officer of USDigital, said Monday.

Formed in June 2003 and commercially launched in December 2005, USDTV leased portions of the digital spectrum from local television stations. Customers with a set-top box and antenna received about 30 channels of "off-the-air" wireless digital TV service for $19.95 monthly.

Lindsley said the decision to shut down the business came after its primary investor, Denver-based NexGen Telecom, "experienced a significant financial setback ... in a non-related business" in last year's fourth quarter.

"(NexGen) came to me during the holiday time period and said that (it) was no longer going to be able to continue to fund the company, which was really a blow for us," Lindsley said. "We had to immediately enact a reduction in force and really slow down our plans."

He said the USDTV management team tried to find a replacement financier, and he still thinks someone could have been found to bankroll the company.

"But the issue has been timing ... to bridge us until the bigger companies could do their due diligence and make a decision," Lindsley said. "Short of being able to find that bridge, unfortunately we ran out of runway, so to speak, so we've had to make the very difficult decision to close down the service and shut down the company."

USDigital said in a release that it is making arrangements with another company to convert the USDTV set-top box so subscribers can keep receiving free, over-the-air local digital and high-definition TV channels without the USDTV cable service.

The company said it also is trying to make arrangements with other TV service providers to give USDTV customers a special offer if they choose to switch. More details will be posted online at www.usdtv.com as they become available.

"We've had a very loyal customer base, and we'd like to be as helpful as we can," Lindsley said.

He said U.S. Digital Television initially was funded by a group of media companies, but it was placed in Chapter 7 bankruptcy by those companies in July 2006. The company was purchased out of bankruptcy in September 2006, and NexGen committed to "funding the company for the long haul," Lindsley said.

Because of that commitment, he said, the company rehired its management team and staffed up to a total of 50 employees. But the good news didn't last.

Lindsley said he has no immediate plans to try to offer a similar service in the future — even though he remains passionate about USDTV's goals of saving people money on family-friendly entertainment.

"We've really worked to provide a fresh alternative," he said, "and I think that's what has been the tool that has driven us all these years."

http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660200866,00.html

fredfa

03-06-07, 10:56 AM

The Business of Television
Belo, Cox Sign Eight-Station Retrans Deal
Katy Bachman MediaWeek March 6, 2007

Belo Corp. and Cox Communications announced Monday the two companies have signed a retransmission agreement covering Belo’s 8 TV stations and local cable news channels in Phoenix; Hampton-Norfolk, Va.; New Orleans, La.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Twin Falls, Idaho. The agreement includes the retransmission of both of Belo’s high-definition and analog signals and locally-produced content for video on demand. Local cable news channels included in the deal are Arizona NewsChannel in Phoenix; Local News on Cable in Hampton-Norfolk, Va.; and NewsWatch on Channel 15 in New Orleans.

About 1.4 million Cox subscribers are effected by the agreement.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but both parties said they were “pleased.”

The Belo-Cox agreement stands in stark contrast to other, more contentious retransmission negotiations. As alternatives to wired cable have increased, broadcasters have taken a tougher stand in negotiations, while cable companies have had to balance paying broadcasters and passing on the cost to subscribers

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003554108

fredfa

03-06-07, 10:59 AM

The Business of Television
WBNS To Launch HD News
By Michael Malone Broadcasting & Cable, 3/6/2007

High-definition local news is coming to Central Ohio, as WBNS-10TV launches HD news April 2. Dispatch Broadcast Group’s CBS affiliate began the HD transition late in 2006.

In advance of the launch, it’s producing HD graphics and remodeling the set. Coinciding with the debut, the station is rebranding its news 10TV News-HD.

“This transition to HDTV is a great fit with the leadership we strive for every day,” state News Director John Cardenas. “We think the viewers are going to be very pleased with what they see.”

Columbus-based WBNS claims to have broadcasted the country’s first live HD sporting event airing an Ohio State football game in high-def back in 1998.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6421795

fredfa

03-06-07, 11:08 AM

Bad ratings news for "The Black Donnellys" and the rest of Monday’s metered market over-night prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted just near the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

dad1153

03-06-07, 11:29 AM

Bad ratings news for "The Black Donnellys" and the rest of Monday’s metered market over-night prime-time ratings.

From Berman's analysis: Particularly alarming for The Black Donnellys was retention of just 54 percent from lead-in Heroes, and loss in the second half hour of 18 percent (5.6/ 9 to 4.6/ 8). Comparably, this is worse than recent occupant Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Looks more and more likely that "Studio 60" will be granted one more chance to come back and prove its worth (even if its just to fulfill the contractual obligations to Warner, Sorkin and the cast). Can't do any worse than "Black Donnellys" is right now, correct? :p

fredfa

03-06-07, 11:40 AM

It is hard to argue with that conclusion, dad.

Not only are the number bad, but in each airing, people seem to leave it in droves as it continues.

dad1153

03-06-07, 12:03 PM

And for the next few weeks (assuming it lasts that long) "Donnellys" won't even have the cushy build-up of a "Heroes" audience since that show is going on hiatus until the May Sweeps. Those numbers could actually worsen. :D

fredfa

03-06-07, 12:21 PM

Yesterday’s fast national over night prime-time ratings – and Media Week Analyst Marc Berman’s view of what they mean -- have been posted near the top of Ratings News the second post in this thread.

fredfa

03-06-07, 12:22 PM

fredfa

03-06-07, 12:42 PM

Overnights in the 18-49 Demo
Worrisome slide for “Black Donnellys”
Falls 14 percent in 18-49s in its second airing
By Toni Fitzgerald MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer March 6, 2007

Finding a show that can hold hit “Heroes’” lead-in on Monday nights is proving difficult for NBC. After bumping its highly touted but fading “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” from the 10 p.m. Monday slot for dark new drama “The Black Donnellys,” the latter showed declines in its second week despite a bigger “Heroes” lead-in.

“Donnellys” averaged a 3.0 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, down 14 percent from last week’s 3.5 overnight average, which did include a very small "Heroes" runover.

The show fell 18 percent, from a 3.3 to a 2.7, from its first half hour to its second, mirroring the declines that “Studio 60” registered early in its run. And it fumbled more than half its big “Heroes” lead-in of 6.6.

Last week “Donnellys” retained 55 percent of “Heroes’” 18-49 audience. This week it retained just 45 percent, despite airing against a repeat of CBS’s “CSI: Miami,” which usually dominates the timeslot.

“Donnellys” dipped below “Studio 60’s” season-to-date 3.5 average, though it’s still above what the show averaged in its last few original outings.

This may eventually prompt NBC to try another show in the 10 p.m. slot before the season ends. “Donnellys” should stay put for at least a few weeks as “Heroes” slips into reruns, and perhaps be replaced when new “Heroes” return.

Just which show could get the desirable slot is uncertain. The network also tried “Friday Night Lights” in a one-time stunt last fall, but it fared about the same as “Studio 60.”

Still, even the 10 p.m. speed bump didn’t stop NBC from winning another competitive Monday night. It took first with a 5.0 average rating and a 13 share. Fox finished second at 4.4/11, rerun-heavy CBS third at 3.9/10, ABC fourth at 3.0/8, Univision fifth at 1.7/4 and CW sixth at 0.8/2.

At 8 p.m. NBC led with a 5.4 rating for “Deal or No Deal,” followed by a 3.9 for Fox for “Prison Break.” ABC and CBS tied for third at 3.2, ABC for a repeat of “Wife Swap” and CBS for a repeat of “How I Met Your Mother” (3.2) and the finale of “The Class” (3.2, a few ticks above its season average), with Univision fifth with a 2.3 for “La Fea Mas Bella” and the CW sixth with a 0.8 for repeats of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “All of Us.”

NBC extended its lead at 9 p.m. with a 6.6 rating for “Heroes,” the night’s top-rated show among viewers 18-49. Fox was second with a 4.9 for “24,” CBS third with a 4.4 for a repeat of “Two and a Half Men” (4.5) and a new “Rules of Engagement” (4.3), and ABC third with a 3.7 for “Supernanny.” Univision remained fifth that hour with a 1.6 for “Mundo de Fieras” and CW sixth with a 0.8 for repeats of “Girlfriends” and “The Game.”

At 10 p.m. CBS took the lead with a 4.2 for a repeat of “CSI: Miami,” with NBC falling to second with a 3.0 for “Donnellys.” ABC was third that hour with a 2.2 for “What About Brian” and Univision fourth with a 1.2 for “Cristina.”

CBS finished first on a competitive night among households, averaging an 8.1 rating and 13 share to NBC’s 8.0/13. Fox was third at 6.9/10, ABC fourth at 5.1/8, Univision fifth at 2.1/3 and CW sixth at 1.3/2.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_10604.asp

fredfa

03-06-07, 01:12 PM

Last week’s complete network average prime-time results (with demographic and season-to-date averages) are now at the bottom of RATINGS NEWS the second post in this thread.

fredfa

03-06-07, 01:25 PM

Last week’s updated top 10 prime-time program ratings are now toward the bottom of RATINGS NEWS -- the second post in this thread.

fredfa

03-06-07, 01:50 PM

Highest Rated Prime-time Shows By Network
Week of February 26-March 4, 2007
(Listed by viewers in millions; overall rank is at left)

A B C
7 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC 18.31
14 EXTREME MAKEOVER:HOME ED. ABC 14.71
24 LOST ABC 12.78
27 BROTHERS & SISTERS ABC 11.60
30 GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM ABC 10.60

C B S
8 CSI: MIAMI CBS 17.42
10 TWO AND A HALF MEN CBS 16.58
11 NCIS CBS 16.16
12 CSI CBS 15.69
13 WITHOUT A TRACE CBS 14.88

Fox
1 AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX 30.65
2 AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY FOX 29.78
3 AMERICAN IDOL THU SP-3/1(S) FOX 27.39
4 SMARTER THAN 5TH TUE-2/27(S) FOX 26.48
5 SMARTER THAN 5TH GRADER FOX 23.46

N B C
9 DEAL OR NO DEAL-MON NBC 17.26
17 HEROES NBC 14.42
26 LAW AND ORDER:SVU NBC 11.73
28 DEAL OR NO DEAL-SUN NBC 11.04
35 1 VS 100 NBC 9.72

CW
80 AMERICA'S TOP MODEL-2 CW 5.36
87 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN CW 4.68
94 GILMORE GIRLS CW 4.18
113t SMALLVILLE CW 2.80
113t EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS CW 2.80

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

flint350

03-06-07, 01:52 PM

I understand your point Ray and trust me, I sympathize. I doubt that many people read more spoilers -- and have more viewing marred by them -- than I do.

If I had to do it again, I guess I would have changed the headline to something less revealing. But with "death" in quotation marks, I felt it was enough. I guess I made an error.

I am willing to take suggestions, but I ran the Mo Ryan story 15 hours after the episode ran. How long after an episode need I wait?

I certainly don't want people to be concerned visiting the thread, yet I don't want people deprived of reading news and commentary about shows.

So how long need I wait before posting items with details about an already-aired show?

I've cleared my DVR backlog, so I feel safe venturing in here for now. :D

My point wasn't about time period after showing or even providing plot details (though I personally think plot details belong in actual show threads, not in here). My point was simply that the "spoiler" was so highlighted (top position, color, size of font, etc) that you couldn't miss it. It makes it impossible to discriminate between which posts you want to read vs. those you don't want to take a chance on. A headline such as "major character may leave show", etc would provide sufficient warning not to read further. But a headline like the one in question was simply too detailed, obvious and near-unavoidable.

I'm not suggesting using tags if you don't like them - just don't post such blatant plot details as the main subject line in large font/color. That kind of treatment (font/color) could be more useful as the warning - NOT as the content. The scrolling would work almost as well as burying the details, but simply scrolling that one would still have attracted casual attention to the BIG BLUE detail line with the unwanted information highlighted. It was the highlighting, size and positioning of the unwanted details that irked me. I just couldn't miss it. I feel ungrateful posting this since I am such a fan of your work here fredfa, but this one just got me good. Sorry, but keep up the outstanding and indefatigable work.

fredfa

03-06-07, 01:54 PM

Lowest Rated Shows By Network
Week of February 26-March 4, 2007

These are the lowest-rated programs, excluding repeats, by network for last week.
(Shows are listed by overall rank and viewers in millions.)

A B C
85 ACCORDING TO JIM 9PM ABC 4.95
88 WIFE SWAP-FRI ABC 4.44
89 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ABC 4.42
95 KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY ABC 4.11
99 ABC SAT MOVIE OF THE WEEK ABC 3.79

C B S
43 GHOST WHISPERER CBS 8.96
44 CLASS, THE CBS 8.85
47 NUMB3RS CBS 8.58
48 JERICHO CBS 8.31
59 48 HOURS MYSTERY CBS 6.89

Fox
71 WINNER, THE-SUN 9:30P FOX 6.02
72 COPS FOX 5.94
92 WAR AT HOME FOX 4.26
97 38TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS(S) FOX 3.87
100 AMERICAN DAD-SUN 7P FOX 3.77

N B C
68 DATELINE SUN-7PM NBC 6.13
69 DATELINE NBC-TUE NBC 6.11
74 30 ROCK NBC 5.74
82 DATELINE-SAT NBC 5.15
83 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS NBC 5.07

CW
118 GAME, THE CW 2.47
119 GIRLFRIENDS CW 2.46
121 ALL OF US CW 2.42
122 REBA SUN CW 2.26
124 SUPERNATURAL CW 2.13

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

fredfa

03-06-07, 01:59 PM

Highest Rated Prime-time Shows in the 18-49 Demo
Week of February 26-March 4, 2007
(Listed by viewers in millions)
[code]
1 AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX 15.98
2 AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY FOX 15.55
3 SMARTER THAN 5TH TUE-2/27(S) FOX 14.59
4 AMERICAN IDOL THU SP-3/1(S) FOX 13.73
5 SMARTER THAN 5TH WED-2/28(S) FOX 12.73
6 SMARTER THAN 5TH GRADER FOX 12.22
7 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC 9.67
8 HEROES NBC 8.44
9 LOST ABC 7.41
10 CSI: MIAMI CBS 7.35

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

fredfa

03-06-07, 02:05 PM

Your point was very well made, Ray.

I'll try to be far more careful with the headlines from now on.

But some show content will inevitably creep onto the thread though I tend to try to leave many such columns and stories for those who wish to post them in the specific show threads.

I'll just try to heighten my diligence.

Thanks again for the heads up.

I've cleared my DVR backlog, so I feel safe venturing in here for now. :D

My point wasn't about time period after showing or even providing plot details (though I personally think plot details belong in actual show threads, not in here). My point was simply that the "spoiler" was so highlighted (top position, color, size of font, etc) that you couldn't miss it. It makes it impossible to discriminate between which posts you want to read vs. those you don't want to take a chance on. A headline such as "major character may leave show", etc would provide sufficient warning not to read further. But a headline like the one in question was simply too detailed, obvious and near-unavoidable.

I'm not suggesting using tags if you don't like them - just don't post such blatant plot details as the main subject line in large font/color. That kind of treatment (font/color) could be more useful as the warning - NOT as the content. The scrolling would work almost as well as burying the details, but simply scrolling that one would still have attracted casual attention to the BIG BLUE detail line with the unwanted information highlighted. It was the highlighting, size and positioning of the unwanted details that irked me. I just couldn't miss it. I feel ungrateful posting this since I am such a fan of your work here fredfa, but this one just got me good. Sorry, but keep up the outstanding and indefatigable work.

fredfa

03-06-07, 02:19 PM

Syndicated Nielsen Ratings Notebook
“Ellen Soars
By TVNewsday.com Staff

In an otherwise down week for most syndicated shows, Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres was the standout, hitting its best ratings of the season and tying its highest ratings ever.

For the week ending Feb. 25, which included the third full week of the sweep, ratings were lower or flat for every strip in first-run syndication except Ellen as milder weather in much of the country sent people outdoors and PUT (persons using television) levels tumbling from the week before by more than 2.5 million viewers on average.

In addition, many strips had to compete with the Anna Nicole Smith courtroom drama which was the week’s biggest story on cable. The cable news channels devoted an average 26% of their airtime to what became the Judge Larry Seidlin show, more than triple the time spent covering the events in Iraq.

Talk Shows

Ellen, the one talk show to improve during the week, jumped 8% in households to a new season high 2.7 and scored double-digit gains in every key female demo. On Thursday, Feb. 22, with Oprah Winfrey as a guest, Ellen’s ratings skyrocketed 43% from the prior Thursday to a 3.3, making it the highest-rated episode in the show’s four-year history. But even factoring out the Oprah show, ratings for Ellen would have been up from the week before as A-list guests and excitement over her hosting the Oscars drew viewers at record levels. Compared to last year at this time, Ellen was the only talker not to decline, holding steady at its series high 2.7.

Six of the other eight veteran talkers were lower and two were flat. The downers included the three higher rated than Ellen: CBS Television Distribution’s Oprah, which ironically had the largest week-to-week decline of any veteran talker, losing 14% to a 6.5; CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Phil, which dipped 11% to a 5.1; and Buena Vista’s Live with Regis and Kelly, which slipped 10% to a 3.5.

Court Shows

All seven veteran court shows declined from the week before, including the leader, CBS Television Distribution’s Judge Judy, which was down 4% to a 5.1; CBS Television Distribution’s Judge Joe Brown, which slid 9% to a 3.2; Warner Bros.’ People’s Court, which fell 6% to a 3.0; and Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis, which dropped 4% to a 2.7. Year to year, only two judges improved—Judy and Mathis, which grew 9% and 4%, respectively.

Magazine Shows

None of the magazines were up from the mostly season-high levels reached the week before, but all remained well above their season averages. Of course, last year at this time NBC carried the Winter Olympics which caused some shows to be preempted on its affiliates in some markets.

The highest-rated magazine, CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight, slipped 9% to a 6.0 which was still its third best week of the season, 9% above its season average and 11% better than last year. CBS Television Distribution’s Inside Edition dropped 10% to a 3.8 which was 9% above its season average and up 6% from last year. CBS Television Distribution’s The Insider backed off 9% from its series high the week before to a 2.9, but was 7% above its average. NBCU’s Access Hollywood was down 6% to a 2.9, although it was 7% above its average and up 26% from last year. Warner Bros.’ Extra held steady at a 2.5 for a third consecutive week, up 14% from its season average.

Game Shows

All four game shows were down from the prior week, however Buena Vista’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire was still up 13% from last year to a 3.6. CBS Television Distribution’s Jeopardy!was up 4% from the same week one year ago to a 7.2, but leader CBS Television Distribution’s Wheel of Fortune was down 1% from last year to an 8.7.

Off-Net Sitcoms

None of the top five off-net sitcoms were up. Leader CBS Television Distribution’s Everybody Loves Raymond slid 2% to a 5.3; Sony’s Seinfeld was unchanged at a 4.9; and Warner Bros.’ Friends was down 3% to a 3.7. Year to year, all three were down between 14% and 26%.

Weekend

CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight Weekend led first-run weekly hours, gaining 3% to a 3.3, which was up 18% from last year. NBCU’s Access Hollywood Weekend was down 6% to 1.7 and Warner Bros.’ Extra Weekend was unchanged at a 1.4, which was up 17% from last year.

Among off-net weekly hours, CBS Television Distribution’s CSI: Miami was down 10% to a 4.5; Warner Bros.’ Without a Trace, at a 2.5, saw 4% of its ratings disappear; and Tribune’s American Idol: Rewind backtracked 5% to a 2.1, its lowest rating yet.

http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/03/06/daily.6/

fredfa

03-06-07, 02:54 PM

The Business of Television
Roberts Touts Comcast's Triple Play
VOD More Important Than Adding HD
By P.J. Bednarski Broadcasting & Cable, 3/6/2007

Comcast’s “Triple Play” offering customers bundled cable, telephone and Internet high speed modem service is progressing fast enough that Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO, thinks it will stave off competition from AT&T and Verizon’s nascent cable services.

“If and when the Bells get there—really, really--we’ll have gotten there first,” Roberts said Tuesday at the Bear Stearns media conference in Palm Beach, Fla. Roberts said if anything, “We underestimated how many people wanted Triple Play and how fast they wanted it.”

He said the growth of that bundled package is proved by the numbers. Two years ago, he said, Comcast grew by 3 million “revenue generating units.” Last year it added 5 million. This year, it anticipates to add 7 million. Those units essentially represent new customers, or customers adding new services like modems or phones.

Comcast is predicting 12% revenue growth this year, and a 14% growth in cash flow.

One place cash won’t be flowing, he said, is to broadcasters seeking cash in their retransmission consent agreements. Though it appeared Roberts didn’t rule out the possibility it would pay some cash to broadcasters, he did seem to rule out all-cash deals.

“We will be happy to sit down with reasonable folk and talk about some kind of cooperative deals where comparable value gets exchanged,” he said. “We’re not interested and we will not pay cash as a flat out [part of the deal].”

He said Comcast has finished 600 retrans deals already and another one is nearly done. But he said, of the four largest retrans deals Comcast faces, the earliest come due about five years from now.

He said Comcast is willing to discuss “something other than just pay. We will help market each other’s services where it will be a win-win outcome so we won’t have to raise consumer rates to watch free TV. That line is drawn. That’s not changing. I don’t anticipate that changing.

On another matter, Roberts was bullish on video-on-demand, suggesting that it is more important at this point for Comcast to use its bandwidth to add a large package of on-demand hi-def movies than to add a cable network’s new HD version. And he said viewership is growing. He said, “We have 27 views per month” in Comcast homes that have the ability to access VOD. “That used to be 10.”

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6421943

hearth

03-06-07, 03:26 PM

TV Notebook
“Knights of Prosperity” Gone

ABC today announced the scheduled next three episodes of “The Knights of Prosperty” will be replaced be reruns of “According to Jim” and “The George Lopez Show”.

In an ominous note, the network did not say if the “Knights” episodes will ever be shown.

I think that this is the last straw with ABC and Fox. They have really screwed me this year with the quick hooks for Day Break, Knights, The Nine, Six Degrees, Justice, Vanished, and not even showing the last episode of Big Day. Fox and ABC show very little patience with new shows, and especially this year, I feel the brunt of it.

The upshot for me is, I will not be giving new shows from ABC or Fox a chance for a long while. For example, "Drive" looks very interesting to me, but I will be giving it a miss. October Road? Not a chance...

CBS and especially this year, NBC, has given shows a good chance to catch on, even when the ratings are tanking. I will reward that patience with a willingness to give their new shows a chance to grab me.

Don

fredfa

03-06-07, 03:39 PM

That makes sense to me, Don.

Another option is to DVR new shows you are concerned about until you see how the ratings are doing.

(And welcome to the thread!)

fredfa

03-06-07, 03:44 PM

Critic’s Notebook
The “Mr. Television” Column
Fox and The CW's Moving Pieces
by Marc Berman MediaWeek TV Columnist

In last week's column, you'll recall, I gave the Big Three networks some suggestions of what to think about as they start planning for next season. With programming holes aplenty on Fox and The CW, I needed a separate column devoted to getting these two networks in shape for next season. So, as an addendum to last week's write-up, here are the remaining two networks.

Given the success Fox has found by delaying the new seasons of American Idol and 24 until January, why not use that as an example and wait to premiere the lion's share of its schedule (excluding Cops and America's Most Wanted) until November after baseball season is over? Starting it in September, then having to stop for baseball playoffs, has never been beneficial. What good, after all, did it do for new dramas Vanished, Standoff and Justice—or any established shows, for that matter—when they had to take a backseat to baseball?

Since we all know that baseball in fourth quarter is both a blessing and a curse (a blessing because of the often-solid ratings; a curse because it can thwart the early momentum of any new regularly scheduled series), waiting to launch original scripted programming will A) extend the promotional platform, B) give the new shows a better chance to find a long-term audience in a less competitive environment and C) guarantee an abundance of original options through the end of the May sweeps. Saving enough original programming to air during the weeks when the competing networks normally run repeats could be extremely beneficial.

Although we know that American Idol and, to a lesser degree, 24 will change the network from bland to grand come January, imagine the benefit of peppering the first and second quarters with the original programming wasted during baseball season.

As to the ongoing rumor that Fox is considering moving House to Thursdays next season, that could very well be the programming move of the 2007-08 season. But put it on at 8 p.m., away from Grey's Anatomy and CSI. Although the medical drama is healthy enough to stand up to the killer duo, opening with it could solidify the entire evening. But keep the expectations low at 9 p.m. because a good half of the House audience is likely to head elsewhere. While Fox is making changes, I suggest moving Trading Spouses into the Friday 8 p.m. anchor spot and putting comedies 'Til Death and The War at Home out of their misery.

The CW, unfortunately, got off on the wrong foot by launching with too many on-the-fence performers, which sent the message that the new programming platform was nothing more than the combined efforts of two failed networks. So, what it needs to do is clean house, spend money on development and aggressively promote a slate chock-full of new programming. Ongoing declines for All of Us and Girlfriends and the failure of The Game to generate much interest means that the network should open the week with no fewer than two new comedies on Monday. An early renewal for the fading Everybody Hates Chris was admirable, but the show is no longer capable of anchoring an evening. Nor is the fading Gilmore Girls on Tuesday, which should be allowed to exit with some dignity.

The CW does not have the luxury to cancel everything that really needs to go—that's more than half of its schedule, after all. But the time has come to give up on Veronica Mars. After three years, it's safe to say the critically acclaimed amateur sleuth will never achieve critical mass. While even fading performances for Smallville and Supernatural on Thursday are still worthy of renewal, veteran 7th Heaven needs to also call it quits while there is still a Camden kid left on the series. And I don't see any reason to renew both Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill, so take your pick.

What this all means, of course, is that The CW is looking at a preliminary fall 2007 schedule with potential changes on five of its six nights. (Friday Night Smackdown! is the one exception.) But since the idea this season was to introduce viewers to the network via existing product, the goal in 2007-08 must be to introduce a schedule populated with five to seven new series. And before the network starts pumping out new shows, I would rethink those bright green promotional colors, which look better on Batman villain The Riddler than on a network that wants to be taken seriously. They should go with a vibrant blue. It will make them look more grown up.

http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/98010991/m/83010473

archiguy

03-06-07, 03:58 PM

ICBS and especially this year, NBC, has given shows a good chance to catch on, even when the ratings are tanking. I will reward that patience with a willingness to give their new shows a chance to grab me.

Don

Huh? You must have forgotten 'Kidnapped'. That was a ridiculously quick yank of an NBC show that, naturally, I had committed to. Then they rubbed salt into the wound by moving it to Saturday to, supposedly, finish its run. That lasted one week. Then, they moved it to their website where they left each episode up only a week (that made no sense whatsoever; what, are they short of bandwidth? :rolleyes: ). Once I missed the first one, that was the end of that. No, NBC deserves no kudos for their behavior this season. They're just an another part of the problem.

fredfa

03-06-07, 04:30 PM

TV Notebook
Realistic Portrayals Win 'Brothers' Praise
By Lisa D. Horowitz Television Week March 6, 2007

Monday's salute to ABC's freshman series "Brothers and Sisters" took a serious turn as several audience members praised the family drama for its sensitive, realistic portrayal of gay characters.

Creator Jon Robin Baitz said, "We have come far enough in certain aspects of the culture -- Ann Coulter's epithets notwithstanding -- and Touchstone Television and ABC have been wildly encouraging. They never said, 'Less men kissing,' or anything of the sort."

At the event, part of the Museum of TV & Radio's 24th annual William S. Paley Festival, series star Matthew Rhys said that frankness was part of what drew him to the part of gay lawyer Kevin. "I loved the fact that his sexuality wasn't the defining characteristic of who he was."

Mr. Rhys also joked that he took the part because "I was about to be deported back to Wales," surprising many in the audience with his natural accent.

Complimented by moderator Pat Mitchell on how American he sounds on the show, Mr. Rhys demurred. "We were shooting the last episode, and Ken [Olin] shouted cut and said, 'Can you not sound like you're from Middle-earth?'"

Sally Field said Mr. Baitz won her over by saying he wanted to tell a story about a matriarchal family, and "to explore how women age." Mr. Baitz said Peter Coyote "is visiting us" as a love interest for Ms. Field's character.

Mr. Baitz also, in answer to an audience question, said Tom Skerritt would continue to return in flashbacks as the patriarch of the Walker family to explore his relationship with his children.

Getty family scion Balthazar Getty(“Tommy”) won laughs with his reason for taking the part: "The money."

And when Dave Annable (“Justin”) was asked if his character interested him because of how he allows the show to deal with the Iraq war, he said, "Yeah, that's one of the reasons, besides getting to meet Harrison Ford...," drawing the mock ire of co-star Calista Flockhart as well as the audience's laughter.

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11659

fredfa

03-06-07, 04:34 PM

Huh? You must have forgotten 'Kidnapped'. That was a ridiculously quick yank of an NBC show that, naturally, I had committed to. Then they rubbed salt into the wound by moving it to Saturday to, supposedly, finish its run. That lasted one week. Then, they moved it to their website where they left each episode up only a week (that made no sense whatsoever; what, are they short of bandwidth? :rolleyes: ). Once I missed the first one, that was the end of that. No, NBC deserves no kudos for their behavior this season. They're just an another part of the problem.

I certainly understand your frustration. "Kidnapped" was not handled well at all, although it must be noted that the ratings went downward in a hurry.

Nonetheless over the past few years with shows such as "The Office", "American Dreams" and "My Name Is Earl" along with this year's "30 Rock", "Studio 60" and "Friday Night Lights" the network seems to have done its best to give shows it believes in a chance.

I'd say Fox is the worst, ABC next, followed by NBC and then CBS. Which doesn't mean to say they all haven't had instances where they pulled shows too quickly.

fredfa

03-06-07, 04:43 PM

Nielsen Notebook
In their TV tastes, the rich are different
Many of their favorite shows earn modest ratings
By Kevin Downey MediaLifeMagazine.com staff writer

The very rich are quite different from the rest of us in many ways, and one of them is what they watch on television. They like shows that most others don’t.

Programs enjoyed by the very rich include ABC’s “Saturday Night Football” and “What About Brian” as well as NBC’s “Friday Night” and “30 Rock.”

All four rank in the top 15 among affluent viewers measured on median income, but none ranks higher than 80th among the general household population.

That’s according to a report from Magna Global, using analysis of Nielsen Media Research ratings to rank programs according to their median household income among adults 25-54.

While a couple of the shows matched with the general viewing public’s favorites, like No. 1 “Desperate Housewives,” most were quite different.

That skew in preferences is also seen in the networks favored by rich viewers. Though NBC has slid from first to fourth place in 18-49s over the past few years, it ranks No. 2 in median household income behind only ABC, and it has seven of the top 20 shows in median income.

“Affluent programs are important to advertisers because [their viewers] have more money to spend,” says Steve Sternberg, executive vice president of audience analysis at Magna. “But obviously, they are more important to some advertisers than others.”

ABC’s audience has a median income of $64,000, based on adults 25-54 in fourth quarter, compared to NBC’s $60,000, CBS’s $59,000, Fox’s $53,000 and the CW’s $45,000.

Among middling performers with affluent viewers propping up NBC is “The Office,” a comedy that so far this season ranks only No. 28 among all shows in the 18-49 demographic. But it is tied with ABC’s “Housewives” at No. 1 in affluence, with its viewers having a median income of $70,000.

More telling, “Scrubs” ranks only No. 51 among 18-49s but No. 6 in affluence with a median of $68,000, tied with ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Lost” and NBC’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” which is partly why it is remarkably in its sixth season despite never having been more than a modest performer for NBC.

It has consistently had a high median income in the regular reports issued by Magna over the years.

Shows like “Scrubs” probably give the creators of a few first-season shows on NBC and other networks some hope of survival.

NBC Thursday sitcom “Rock,” for instance, is far from a sure bet for renewal. For the season it’s tied at No. 85 in the 18-49 demographic, but its viewers have a median income of $65,000, enough to be tied at No. 11 in affluence with several other shows.

Also doing well in affluence but not necessarily overall ratings is ABC’s “Brian,” a weak drama stuck at No. 82 in the ratings so far this season but, like “30 Rock,” tied at No. 11 in affluence.

Of course, many factors go into whether or not a show makes it another season, notably its overall rating and its ability to retain viewers from lead-in programs. Recent shows with affluent viewers like Fox’s “The O.C.,” ABC’s “Six Degrees” and CBS’s “The Class” are either already gone or in their final throes.

Sternberg says programs like “Studio 60” aren’t likely to see a second season despite their viewers’ affluence.

“If [‘Studio 60’] had held onto its initial audience, I would say yes,” he says. “But since it has been declining I have to say it’s borderline at best.”

TOP 20 SHOWS BY PRIMETIME MEDIAN INCOME
Fourth quarter 2006
Rank PROGRAM NET (Median HH income among 25-54s)
1 Desperate Housewives ABC 70,000
1 The Office NBC 70,000
3 Brothers & Sisters ABC 69,000
4 Grey’s Anatomy ABC 68,000
4 Lost ABC 68,000
4 Scrubs NBC 68,000
4 Studio 60/Sunset Strip NBC 68,000
8 Sat Night Football ABC 67,000
8 Amazing Race 10 CBS 67,000
10 60 Minutes CBS 66,000
11 Bachelor: Rome ABC 65,000
11 Boston Legal ABC 65,000
11 Dancing with the Stars ABC 65,000
11 Six Degrees ABC 65,000
11 What About Brian ABC 65,000
11 Two and a Half Men CBS 65,000
11 30 Rock NBC 65,000
11 Biggest Loser 3 NBC 65,000
11 Friday Night Lights NBC 65,000
11 Sunday NFL Pre-Kick NBC 65,000
• Source: Magna Global

dad1153

03-06-07, 04:51 PM

Happy to see "Studio 60" high up on a list that doesn't have the words "Disappointing" or "Underperformer" in the title. Hooray for the TV tastes of the upwardly mobile! :)

fredfa

03-06-07, 05:12 PM

And thanks for reminding me about that medialifemagazine story, dad. :)

fredfa

03-06-07, 07:33 PM

OK, even in my new ever more spoiler conscious state, I couldn't pass up this piece. It had me laughing so hard I had to stop everything for a few minutes.

But there are some spoilers in the piece, so I have gone against my usual policy and added them here. Enjoy.

Critic’s Notebook
"24": "How could that happen?
Cut the crap! Pilotless drones!"
By Tim Goodman San Francisco Chronicle in his TV blog “The Bastard Machine” March 6, 2007

Damn this show! It is going to simultaneously eat through my brain and destroy every shredded muscle fiber and nerve ending in my screwed-up-from-work hands. I can not condone this. And yet, "24" is insanely stupid. And addictive. It's less like crack and more like...like...I don't know, some totally low-budget meth-like brain melt constructed by felons and shut-ins wearing trucker hats and living in the Delta mud. I'm sure that drug exists. And they are sending it through the Burbank airport (smile) right to the nitwits who construct the "drama" on "24.

Where to begin? How about with this statement: Although I personally and The Bastard Machine as my technological instrument of destruction never EVER use that stupid cliche about shows jumping a certain water animal, if you are prone to needing that for proof that a show - even a lousy but funny one which is what "24" has become - is past the point of saving, then know this: "24" leapt over an ocean's worth of predators and dorsal fins last night. The whole thing where Rob Lowe's brother was convinced that the Buscuit - WHO TRIED TO STOP THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON THE PRESIDENT AND WAS ABOUT TO BE KILLED HIMSELF - would somehow brush it all off like two 13-year old boys who bump shoulders in the hallway at school and then, after a crowd gathers around looking for blood, let cooler heads prevail, was asinine. It was - stay with me here, because this statement is a doozy - the single most ridiculous moment in the history of "24." I mean, cougar traps, wild leaps of logic, etc. - they are far less offensive than watching a writer unable to get out of the lame corner he/she just wrote into. Why not have the Buscuit step out of a shower to find it was all a dream. Or why not have that other goof from "Ally McBeal" walk in the door and shrug, "Bygones!"

There is stupidity and there is unacceptable stupidity. And it all got made even more heinous by the fact we had to endure, minutes later, THE WORST ACTING BY A FAKE RUSSIAN IN THE HISTORY OF BAD TELEVISION AND CINEMA. I spent 10 minutes crinkling up my nose and snarling like some Cold War era caricature just to amuse myself. Even that couldn't shake the vision of ineptitude. If the Russians have learned to love us, then we're about to undo all of that in a two week span (since, apparently, Ricky Schroeder shoots the bejesus out of their sovereign building next week). Don't enough countries hate us already? Why export entertainment that's going to make it even worse? Let's resurrect Col. Klink next week!

Alright already. The acting here was bad. Only President Logan had a presence. And now the First Lady of Percocet returns next week. She and her stash are about 8 episode too late, Travis. There was more expository rambling than any five episode arc of "Murder, She Wrote." Hey guys: Show, don't tell. I'm not sure that having Cy Tolliver run the country is going to make me any happier. But Heroic (and Not Bloody) Aaron also returns and appears to be shagging the First Lady of Percocet.

Nice. That might help. About the only thing keeping me watching is the humor. And even that is shifting to anger.

But I should spill a big secret now: We've got plans to do a time-shifted podcast critique of "24" on the TV Talk Machine just to see how it works. The idea is you tape it on Monday, perhaps I'll do a short angry blog that references last year's blog in a way that makes no sense to newbies, then on Wednesday or Thursday (hey, they're backed up in the pod cave) you can drag out your laptop or iPod and sync up your TiVo of "24" with me screaming stuff at the top of my lungs. "Don't open the FRONT DOOR of the Russian ambassador's office, Jack! And don't leave those Cubans sitting in that box! Share the smokes!" I don't know. I'm sure there will be yelling and outrage and red wine. I have no idea how to do it, technically, but our people apparently do. Lastly, I will leave you with one final thought. When the worst Russian actor EVER giggled about unmanned pilotless drones being used to drop the nukes, well, correct me if I'm wrong but I immediately laughed out loud and thought of this http://cdn.sfgate.com/blogs/sounds/sfgate/chroncast/2007/01/23/CorrectMe-001-2.mp3 (it's under two minutes and if you haven't listened to it, this is probably how my TV Talk Machine does "24" will sound.) Then, in a natural progression, I had to go watch this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-4I-KFqgiA which is brilliant and way better than "24" right now (also under two minutes).

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/indexn?blogid=24

biggiE48

03-06-07, 07:42 PM

Saw an eBay deal too good to pass (from a seller with a perfect record) that also included insured FedEx shipping to my door. This is my first HDTV so I'm nervous as s*** thinking about the million and one things that could go wrong.

Just for kicks gang, since I'm joining the HDTV bandwagon, what type of HDTV (brand, size, type of HD display, etc.) do you guys use as your primary viewing device? How old is your set, and what new HDTV are you eyeing in your near-future as an upgrade or substitute to your present HD set-up? Come on guys, humor this HD noob with some stories from the war front.
Two years since I got my Sammy,and one for the Olevia in the bedroom. But it will be a long time before I buy another one. Only thing I may purchase is a HD/DVD once the price drops in the $100/200 range. Until then I want upgrade until content of HD programming and channels is greatly increase.. I use Direct TV and have to pay $9.95 extra for just 11 HD channel, and other than the big 4 and ESPNHD/HD2 the choice are slim and programs are repetitive
Equipment:
Samsung HLP5663W 56" DLP
Syntax Olevia LT37HVS 37" LCD TV
Yamaha RX-V1500
Samsung HD-841 DVD (w/SACD/DVD-A)
Atlantic Technolgy System 2200 with Sub
Velodyne SPL800R Sub Woofer
D* HR10-250 HD/DVR
D* HR20-700 HD/DVR

Maestro J

03-06-07, 08:04 PM

I'm not going to direct quote reply to the post above where the idiot trashed 24 but all that needs to be said is....that's San Fran for ya.

keenan

03-06-07, 08:06 PM

VisionOn

03-06-07, 08:13 PM

I'm a still trying to figure out why they don't have security cameras in an essential maintenance area like the boiler room.

URFloorMatt

03-06-07, 08:18 PM

Goodman is hilarious, and as usual, right on the mark. His comments echo my sentiments exactly about last night's episode, so much of this episode was among some of the worst TV writing I have ever seen, so bad that it straddles the line between so bad it's funny, and so bad that it makes you angry that the writers would try and push this crap past their audience.

I still watch the show, it can definitely be exciting, but boy oh boy, the writing is tanking badly.

The writing tanked well over a year ago. Last season was absurd from minute one. If anything, they were rebounding until last night.

Maestro J

03-06-07, 08:43 PM

I love how people trash the writing of 24 like its supposed to be well written. It is the first show in modern history that attempts "real time" storylines. Remember that it is on the air to entertain us. What will entertain us for 24 epsiodes (which constitutes 24 consecutive hours in a day)? To see Jack Bauer stop for a value meal at McDonalds or high tail it into the mens room at CTU for his daily dump? No. To entertain us is to show car chases, torture scenes, backstabs...all the twist and turns that an action series can muster. Suspension of disbelief.
If I wanted to watch a well written show, I would join the 10 other people that watched Studio 60 (sorry Dad - had to throw a jab there).
So, whatever, flame away. I'm still entertained.

fredfa

03-06-07, 08:57 PM

keenan

03-06-07, 09:00 PM

Whether the writing is good or bad is relative to the particular program and it's premise. With "24" we have what is supposed to the country's uber super agent in Jack Bauer, who you would expect not to do some of the ridiculous things that have been written for his character, such as walking out that door. There's a certain degree of expectancy that the audience gets used to, and when something completely out of character happens, it's a sign of weak writing, for example they have written themselves into a hole and have no other way to write around it given all the factors involved, shooting schedule, etc.

TommyK

03-06-07, 09:04 PM

Huh? You must have forgotten 'Kidnapped'. That was a ridiculously quick yank of an NBC show that, naturally, I had committed to. Then they rubbed salt into the wound by moving it to Saturday to, supposedly, finish its run. That lasted one week. Then, they moved it to their website where they left each episode up only a week (that made no sense whatsoever; what, are they short of bandwidth? :rolleyes: ). Once I missed the first one, that was the end of that. No, NBC deserves no kudos for their behavior this season. They're just an another part of the problem.I agree. There's plenty of blame to go around. Along with NBC nixing Kidnapped, another example is CBS showing no patience with Love Monkey last season. On the other hand, there are examples of networks showing great patience with shows, rare as this may be. Arrested Development on Fox comes to mind.

fredfa

03-06-07, 09:07 PM

TV Review
“The Wedding Bells”
Not much rings true, or new, on Kelley's latest show
By Melanie McFarland Seattle Post-Intelligencer TV Critic Tuesday, March 6, 2007

During "The Wedding Bells" premiere, a mother of the bride played by Delta Burke introduces herself like so: "Hi, I'm Stella Pontell, mother of the bride? I'm an acquired taste."

That's the perfect way to sum up the series, with silver package and satin bow. "The Wedding Bells" 9 PM ET/PT Wednesday, regular time slot is 9 Friday, Fox) isn't for everyone. Once it makes the jump from Wednesday to Friday nights, we may find out that it isn't for anyone. Think about it -- showing up for real-life weddings takes enough of a commitment, and the hosts reward those efforts with cake and an open bar. How we're expected to get through 13 episodes of David E. Kelley's wedding-business dramedy with no free champagne is beyond comprehension.

But it is interesting to see Kelley's fascination with female brittleness and fragility rear its curly little head once again.

Kelley has a trunk full of female archetypes he enjoys hauling out now and again. There is the foal-legged, stumbling ingénue personified in the titular character on "Ally McBeal"; the siren, demonstrated in Rhona Mitra's Tara Wilson on "Boston Legal"; the iron lady, in the mold of "The Practice's" Ellenor Frutt; or some loopy combination of all these -- i.e., those special guest appearances by Betty White, playing a senior with a mean streak.

How lucky for us that "The Wedding Bells" includes a little bit of all of it in one snippy, high-strung pilot -- all this, and Delta Burke, too!

Beware Kelley when he's on his woman time, and yes, this is said with full awareness of its condescending connotations. To get the full meaning in this context, stick around after "American Idol" on Wednesday.

Rarely will you come across a premiere so steeped in irrational mood swings and pointless highs and lows, where every character is exactly the kind of person you'd expect him to come up with. This is the skin of a David E. Kelley show with none of the usual muscle, brains, spirit or cheek behind it. It is television's equivalent of those dancing inflatables that wave you into cheeseball car dealerships, only this sister-act premise has the Bell sisters (couldn't you just die at the cleverness?) take over their parents' business, The Wedding Palace, after Mom and Dad divorce.

"The Wedding Bells' " script also overflows with a synthesis of "if-then" clichés that telegraph every emotional tick. Example: If their management of the family wedding business grew out of a divorce, then the main characters are going to have commitment baggage.

If this is a series about weddings, then it must poke fun at the conventions of the ceremony without making people stuck at home on Saturday night feel a little sick to their stomach at the whole concept.

And, if a flaming dessert wheels into a room full of people, then someone, preferably an unpleasant person, must catch on fire. There's a touch of mystery to that last bit because of the outstanding array of characters that are tough to bear.

Let's start with the Bells, each unique and flawed that typical Kelley way. Jane Bell (Teri Polo), the goody-two-shoes eldest, has a stable marriage to an unbuttered toast slice of a human being, Russell (Benjamin King). He's wholesome and good for her. He's an accountant.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen is a Greek chef with an Italian accent who pulls Jane in close and has her taste his puttanesca sauce, which he calls by its English translation, "my little whore."

Middle sister Annie (KaDee Strickland) is uptight and closed off from the signals beaming her way from David, the in-house wedding photographer (Michael Landes), whom she used to date. We find out that Annie has commitment issues because her parents had a bad marriage

David is a sensitive rogue with perfectly maintained five o'clock shadow and paired with the sexually uninhibited youngest Bell, Sammy (Sarah Jones). Their characters are the series' salt and pepper shakers.

There's a smooth wedding singer named Ralph Snow (Chris Williams), a runaway bride, a high-maintenance client and a pair of peroxide blond bimbo twins who profess a deep fear of black people when they encounter the Bells' plus-size assistant. As one expects, said assistant is chock-full o' sass.

Without a doubt, enough people are going to read this list and, having seen the masterly montage of funniest moments on commercials, think it's enough to give "The Wedding Bells" a shot, and why not? Kelley has a following fond of his sense of humor and snappiness, and a share of his most devoted fans will probably find plenty to like here.

Then again, it's on Fridays at 9, in the Fox death slot. Other channels have managed to find and hold audiences on that night, and the viewership tends to be female skewing. A meringue-coated confection such as this, with all its imperfections, just might fly.

In the same way a wedding is not a marriage, a workable concept for a pilot does not a watchable series make. The first hour of "The Wedding Bells" makes that mighty clear.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer2/index.asp?ploc=t&refer=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/306145_tv06.html

Maestro J

03-06-07, 10:05 PM

I thought the first season, maybe two, was pretty well written.

But hey, I post Goodman for pure entertainment value, and disagree with him a good part of the time.

To me he is just a fun read.

I certainly am not looking to piss off "24" fans -- if I could get them all to check in here at the thread a few times a day I'd be a very happy camper. :)

(and MaestroJ -- if you want to watch a really well written show, try "Friday Night Lights"!)

No problem Fred. It was amusing...that's about all Goodman's good for, IMO.
Funny thing about FNL. My wife was sure that I was going to watch that series when it started last fall and she was shocked that I passed. At the time, my thinking was how original - taking a book which turned into a movie and now has turned into a tv series? Nah, not wasting my time.
Months later, I hate myself for not catching this show. Everybody who watches it loves it. Needless to say, I'm buying the DVD of the first season when it comes out later in the year.

URFloorMatt

03-06-07, 10:10 PM

I love how people trash the writing of 24 like its supposed to be well written.

Well, I thought the first season was very solid, especially the first 12 episodes, and the second season was great most of the time. It's been a fairly steady decline into mediocrity since.

I'm not upset that people criticize the writing because it is absolutely horrible at times. I'm just upset that 24 got the praise poured on so thick last season when the show was horrible television. Now, this year, all these clowns with their media publications and their blogs are hopping on the "Oh, look at this show fail after it gets praise" train. That's what annoys me. It just shows how all these critics have faked their way into a completely meaningless profession.

Sometimes when I talk about 24 I feel like I've slipped into the Twilight Zone.

fredfa

03-07-07, 12:27 AM

(The first numbers I have seen for the Discovery Channel presentation of “The Lost Tomb of Jesus” are in this story. They are somewhat lower than I expected, to be honest.)
Nielsen Notebook
'5th Grader' is promoted
By Gary Levin USA TODAY

•Head of the class. Tuesday's premiere of Fox's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? scored an A-plus. With 26.5 million viewers, the game show marked Fox's biggest premiere ever and the best on any network since NBC's Jesse in September 1998. Two more editions on Wednesday and Thursday, which also followed American Idol, drew more than 23 million viewers apiece.

•Lesser lights. Monday's premiere of NBC drama Black Donnellys (7.9 million) proved weak behind Heroes, falling below Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip's average in the same time slot. Sunday's two-pronged premiere of Fox's The Winner (7.1 million and 6 million) also failed to impress but did OK with Fox's young male audience.

•Top tops. The eighth-season premiere of CW's America's Next Top Model marked the top opener yet, with 5.4 million viewers, but fell far short of overall series highs.

•Tomb raider. Discovery Channel's controversial special The Lost Tomb of Jesus claimed 4.2 million viewers Sunday, the channel's biggest audience since The Flight That Fought Back in September 2005.

•Improved image. Fox's NAACP Image Awards Friday (3.9 million) outdrew last year's record-low telecast (3.1 million) but still marked the show's third-worst performance.

•ABC specials. The alphabet network improved its lot with two specials, as Oprah Winfrey's Building a Dream (8.8 million Monday) and Bob Woodruff's To Iraq and Back (10.1 million Tuesday) easily improved on prior averages in their 10 p.m. ET/PT time slots. Monday combo Wife Swap and Supernanny also hit season highs.

•USA finale. s USA's season-enders for Monk (5.7 million) and Psych (4.5 million) marked season highs Friday, while Thursday's fourth-season sendoff of Nashville Star (3 million) matched last year's finale.

•No dice. The latest comeback attempt for comedian Andrew Dice Clay fell flat on VH1 Sunday, as Dice Undisputed snared a mere 684,000 viewers. Monday's season finale of the channel's White Rapper Show drew 1.7 million.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-03-06-nielsens-analysis_N.htm

fredfa

03-07-07, 12:32 AM

TV Review
“The Wedding Bells”
Love, creepy humor tie the knot; David E. Kelley's new series is anything but domestic bliss.
By Paul Brownfield Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 7, 2007

Do you, David Edward Kelley, take this pilot, "The Wedding Bells," to be your lawfully wedded show, to have and to hold, through sickness and in health, good lines and bad, for as long as you both shall live and/or two to six weeks, whichever comes first?

I now pronounce you executive producer and stale show on Fox.

"The Wedding Bells" honeymoons tonight after "American Idol" before taking up residence in a shabby fixer of a time slot, Friday nights at 9.

The show returns Kelley, the creator of "The Practice," "Ally McBeal" and "Boston Legal," to his network TV fiefdom but not to the subject matter he does best. The law is his comfort zone, the firm his template; it's via poking holes in the attorney-client relationship and sending up judges that Kelley has excelled as a network dramatist, exploring the various paradoxes of his onetime profession, making fun of its hams and dreaming of how the larger world might enter in.

Is Kelley done with the legal show, as he has a right to be, or are we? Apparently he's adapting the BBC series "Life on Mars" next, and he came up with "The Wedding Bells" after Fox pulled another of its wedding-themed pilots.

Like the comedy "Big Day" on ABC, it's about the fresh hell of trying to segment-produce marriages among the neurotic entitled class. The schadenfreude is an easy hook, and confident of this, "The Wedding Bells" lurches between outright farce and outright sentiment.

The Bell girls — Jane (Teri Polo), Annie (KaDee Strickland) and Sammy (Sarah Jones) — have taken over their divorced parents' wedding-planner business, a mansion on a hill called the Wedding Palace. They're a plucky bunch of secret agents trying to pull off the ultimate bloodless coup — getting two people to pledge undying love to each other when that concept only negligibly exists.

It takes a total team effort — including the willingness of the wedding singer (Chris Williams) to belt "I Will Survive."

The pilot opens with a runaway bride, the sisters giving chase. The bride-to-be is a miserable stuck-up cradling her pug. The Bell girls flutter about her like courtiers in the Emma Thompson mold, though as characters there's deceptively little to them. Jane's rational, in a sex-starved marriage; Annie's emotionally closed off; and Sammy's open for business 24-7.

"By a show of hands, how many of you wanna sleep with me?" Sammy asks a conga line of groomsmen.

This is Kelley's brand of comedy — the primal instinct given articulation, in otherwise inappropriate settings (i.e. the courtroom).

Kelley shoehorns in love stories — as well as patented class and ethnic commentating, as when the mother of the bride (played by Delta Burke) offers Sammy $500 for two mentions of Jesus in the ceremony. "My little baby's marrying a Jew," she says. "I have no problem with this, they're very nice people.... The $500 is for you to get the mail-order minister to slip in Jesus twice."

Mom has defective tear ducts — metaphor alert! I'm not sure why, exactly, but Kelley's humor — here and on hits such as "Ally" and "Boston Legal" — creeps me out a little.

In the first hour of "The Wedding Bells," an old guy shows Sammy his false teeth, the flower girls marvel at the presence of a black woman ("Do you have a record?" one asks), and Jane cautions the chef that the Wedding Palace is already the subject of a complaint to the Anti-Defamation League. The Epsteins, apparently, reported unauthorized shrimp in the marinara as a hate crime. Lawyers.

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-wedding7mar07,0,3271869.story?coll=cl-tv-top-right

RussTC3

03-07-07, 01:28 AM

I have no idea what to think of The Wedding Bells. I might check it out, but the premise really turns me off.

Not the subject matter, just the idea. I mean, how long can the show last? It seems to be trend these days in television. Fox has another show that also makes we wonder what they were thinking: Drive.

Is it really such a good idea to make a show that seems to have no future? ABC was guilty of it this year as well in Big Day and The Knights of Prosperity (which was abysmally promoted).

dad1153

03-07-07, 01:29 AM

A couple of days old but an interesting read given the industry's obsession with attracting young demographics.

Network News Notebook
The Evening News Report: The News At Six (Months)
By Brian Montopoli, CBS' "Public Eye" Blog - March 5, 2007

Yesterday, The "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric" turned six. Six months, that is. The show, which is in third place in the ratings behind the nightly newscasts on ABC and NBC, has been something of an experiment since Couric came on board. The "FreeSpeech" segment, which was fairly radical by nightly news standards, has apparently disappeared; correspondents have come and gone; and Couric has tried to inject more personality into the show, something that has proven difficult within the confines of a 22-minute broadcast.

"I think in some ways we owed it to the industry to try new things," CBS News President Sean McManus told Eric Deggans. "But we found at 6:30 with only 22 minutes of programming time, people basically want you to tell them what happened in the world that day . . . That's probably the biggest lesson we learned."

The broadcast, as Deggans points out, today "looks a lot more like [Couric's] competitors' broadcasts - though with more feature stories, more health stories and more stories with the lead anchor as reporter, according to data on analyst Andrew Tyndall's Web site."

CBS brass have maintained from the beginning that they did not expect the show to jump to #1 immediately, and they continue to say that they are giving it time to develop. "We don't like being No. 3 at all, but I still firmly believe if we keep putting on a better and better show, we're going to see some growth in the ratings," McManus told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm very patient, Katie's patient, my boss is patient."

But no one is patient forever, and there is clearly pressure on all involved to increase ratings.

I talked last week about how the show faces something of an identity crisis: Should it try to reach out to new, relatively young viewers, the 25-54 year olds who bring in higher ad revenue? Or should it pursue the older viewers who now make up a large chunk of the audience? Lately, the "Evening News" has shown signs that the primary focus is now the latter.

The presence of feel-good features like The American Spirit and Assignment America, along with the preponderance of health stories on the broadcast, seems to signal a movement away from experimentation and towards the kind of broadcast likely to appeal to the existing audience. For the past few weeks, the "Evening News" has seemed to be trying to build the audience it has, even if it means giving up, to some degree, on the one it wants.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/03/05/publiceye/entry2537497.shtml

fredfa

03-07-07, 02:29 AM

Obituary
Composer Robert Prince, 78
Emmy nominee scored dozens of TV series
Variety Staff March 6. 2007

Emmy-nommed composer Robert Prince died March 4 in Los Angeles after a brief illness. He was 78.

Prince scored dozens of TV series from the 1960s to the 1980s and shared an Emmy nom for "The Name of the Game" in 1971.

Born in New York, he graduated Juillard School and became a producer, composer and arranger collaborating with Aram Avakian at Decca and Columbia Records. He worked on recordings for Johnny Mathis and Paul Desmond, and composed the score for Jerome Robbin's Ballet USA show "Opus Jazz."

Moving to Los Angeles, he composed scores for features including Francis Ford Coppola's "You're a Big Boy Now," "Claws" and "Squirm." He was known for capturing the musicians' personalities and styles in his scores, and had a lifelong appreciation for bass players.

Prince's extensive TV composing career started with "Mannix" and "Ironside," and continued with "McCloud," "Night Gallery," 'Mission Impossible," "The Streets of San Francisco" and "Wonder Woman." He also composed scores for numerous telepics such as "A Cry in the Wilderness," "Where Have All the People Gone?" and "The Chinese Prime Minister."

He continued working in the theater with commissions by the Center Theater Group at the Ahmanson Theater.

He is survived by his wife, Arline; a daughter; a son; three grandchildren and a great-grandson.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117960646&categoryid=14

fredfa

03-07-07, 02:38 AM

The TV Column
The Week’s Winners and Losers
Precocious '5th Grader' Disses 'Housewives'
By Lisa de Moraes Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Actual family members, sitting around watching TV together, took over the airwaves last week. Three editions of Fox's "American Idol" and three editions of new game show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" controlled the top six slots in the ratings heap, leaving closest competitor "Desperate Housewives," on ABC, limping behind by a whopping 5 million viewers.

Here's a look at the week's Ozzies and Ozzys:

WINNERS

"Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" Nearly 27 million viewers stuck around after the guys sang on "American Idol" Tuesday to check out the unveiling of the Fox game show. That's the network's biggest audience ever for a series premiere and the biggest opening haul for a new show on any network in more than eight years. (That would be since lame sitcom "Jesse" logged 27 million viewers in its premiere in the late '90s, when NBC could throw pretty much any old thing on its Thursday lineup and cop a great number. Good times.) More than 23 million came back to "5th Grader" after "Idol" the next two nights.

"The Lost Tomb of Jesus." More than 4 million viewers checked out Discovery Channel's Sunday "documentary" on the find of a tomb in which Jesus's remains were purportedly buried. And while that's a smaller crowd than watched such cable shows as, say, "WWE," "Monk," "Psych" and "Hannah Montana" last week, it's still Discovery's biggest crowd since bagging 7 million viewers on Sept. 11, 2005, with the debut of "The Flight That Fought Back," in which the cable network "re-created" the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93. "Jesus" also fell short of the 5 million who watched the debut of Discovery's "Supervolcano," in which thousands of people visiting Yellowstone National Park had to run for their lives when the volcano under their feet blew its lid. "This is a true story: It just hasn't happened yet," Discovery said of that "docudrama."

Following "Jesus," Ted Koppel moderated a chat between Smugly the Investigative Journalist-Filmmaker and skeptical archaeologists and theologians. It drew 2.6 million viewers.

"America's Next Top Model." Tyra's back and 5.4 million watched -- the reality show's best launch yet.

LOSERS

"The Winner." Fox's new sitcom, about a 30-year-old virgin whose best friend is the child of the woman he had a crush on in school (ick), finished third in its debut Sunday at 8:30 p.m. A second episode, at 9:30, ranked fourth in that slot. Fox noted the show did well with men 18 to 34, which we think is sad.

" The Black Donnellys." About 8 million people watched the Monday debut of NBC's replacement for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." That's not a great retention of its "Heroes" lead-in of 14.4 million viewers. Nor does it stand up to the "Studio 60" premiere audience of 13.4 million in September. And in conclusion, "Black Donnellys" bagged more than 9 million viewers in its first half-hour, but fewer than 7 million stuck around to watch the second half-hour.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/06/AR2007030602359_pf.html

HDTVFanAtic

03-07-07, 05:08 AM

HDTVFanAtic

03-07-07, 05:11 AM

Network News Notebook
The Evening News Report: The News At Six (Months)
By Brian Montopoli, CBS' "Public Eye" Blog - March 5, 2007

Yesterday, The "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric" turned six. Six months, that is. The show, which is in third place in the ratings behind the nightly newscasts on ABC and NBC, has been something of an experiment since Couric came on board.

CBS News President Sean McManus told Eric Deggans. "But we found at 6:30 with only 22 minutes of programming time, people basically want you to tell them what happened in the world that day . . . That's probably the biggest lesson we learned."

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/03/05/publiceye/entry2537497.shtml

Gosh, how did you get out of Minot without knowing that :rolleyes:

HDTVFanAtic

03-07-07, 05:13 AM

nmajdan

03-07-07, 09:30 AM

So I'm hearing that Zach Braff may be paid $350K an episode for season 7 of Scrubs. Thats a nice payday for a show that gets the ratings Scrubs does.

fredfa

03-07-07, 10:07 AM

That's the deal, according to the trade papers, if the show gets renewed.

(And welcome to the thread!)

fredfa

03-07-07, 10:15 AM

TV Review
“The Wedding Bells”
Through Tulle and Tears, Perfecting That Special Day
By Alessandra Stanley The New York Times March 7, 2007

Her wedding is supposed to be a woman’s happiest moment, yet no event is more apt to make her look ridiculous.

The expense, fuss, tears, tantrums and inflated expectations are to modern brides what chastity, veils and vows of obedience were to earlier generations: symbols of subjugation. Any man can feel superior at a bridal shower; too much talk of trellises and tulle can turn even the most tenderhearted woman to stone.

So a series about three sisters who run a wedding business is bound to have a satirical edge. In the hands of David E. Kelley, the creator of “Ally McBeal” and “Boston Legal,” the conceit teeters on the edge of misogyny.

“The Wedding Bells,” on Fox tonight, is Mr. Kelley’s knockoff of the sex-and-romance drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” But that hit ABC show about young surgeons in heat was written by a woman for women, and despite all its absurd excesses, there is no doubting the sincerity and intense partisanship of its creator, Shonda Rhimes. Mr. Kelley’s offering is wittier, but it comes with an ill-disguised sneer — a man’s take on women who are engrossed in the one occupation that men really can’t take.

For a television writer who created so many smart, original female characters in serious dramas like “Chicago Hope” and “The Practice,” Mr. Kelley has shown a surprisingly mean-spirited edge when it comes to comedy. The change was evident even before his disastrous and short-lived series in 2002 about kittenish young lawyers, “Girls Club.” Ally McBeal, for all her insecurities and irritating tics, was the heroine of that series.

By the time Mr. Kelley got around to “Boston Legal,” the leads were aging, lecherous lawyers leering at the secondary characters: young, beautiful women who constantly used their sexuality — and short skirts — to succeed in business. Eventually, the locker room grew so rank that Mr. Kelley had to open a window and let in Candice Bergen. But even now, too many of his women are vixens who abuse the privileges of their sex at the expense of men.

It’s almost as if, having ridden the wave of feminism early in his career as a writer on “L.A. Law,” Mr. Kelley has fallen into a reactionary sulk. (It probably didn’t help that his last series, about three middle-aged brothers in New Hampshire, was a flop.)

Mr. Kelley, a lawyer who made his mark with courtroom dramas, is an unlikely executive producer of this kind of fluffy, feminine show; it’s a little like asking Vera Wang to design combat fatigues for the Marine Corps. But weaving a romantic drama around the wedding planning business is, like some marriages, a calculation: an attempt to carry the train of the cultural mainstream, at least the distaff side.

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