Hot Off The Press! The Latest Television News and Info

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HOT OFF THE PRESS: QUICK REFERENCE INDEX
Scroll down to the desired post, or click to open a new window.

• Post #2 - Current Ratings
• Post #3 - What's Been Renewed and What's Been Cancelled
• Post #4 - Upcoming Premiere/Return Dates/Finales
• Post #5 - In Development
• Post #6 - Other Useful Information
• Post #7 - TV Links

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(Last update: 10:30 AM PT Sunday, April 22, 2007; Saturday night's Fast National overnight ratings added)

(From Marc Berman’s Sunday, April 22, 2007, Programming Insider blog at Mediaweek.com )
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/t...451/m/34310474
Overnight Ratings for Saturday, April 21st

Fast National Ratings (Live Plus Same Day data)

Total Viewers:
CBS: 7.20 million
Fox: 6.28
ABC: 4.16
NBC: 2.33

Adults 18-49:
Fox: 2.3 rating/9 share
CBS: 1.7/ 6
ABC: 1.4/ 5
NBC: 0.8/ 3

Yesterday’s Winners:
Nothing

Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
The night overall

Ratings Breakdown:

CBS and Fox shared leadership on this typically abysmal Saturday, with CBS first in total viewers and NASCAR 2007 on Fox No. 1 among adults 18-49. NASCAR finished second overall in total viewers, with 6.28 million, and first in the demo with an overall 2.3 rating/9 share. A repeat of NCIS opened the evening for CBS with 6.53 million viewers (#1) and a 1.3/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#2) at 8 p.m., followed by a repeat of CSI: NY (Viewers: #1, 7.34 million; A18-49: #2, 1.6/ 6) and 48 Hours Mystery (Viewers: #1, 7.73 million; A18-49: #1, 2.1/ 7) from 9-11 p.m.

A repeat of theatrical Harry Potter: Sorcerer’s Stone on ABC finished third overall, with 4.16 million viewers and a 1.4/ 5 among adults 18-49 from 8-11 p.m. Last, and very least were three repeat episodes of NBC’s Heroes at just 2.33 million viewers and a 0.8/ 3 in the demo from 8-11 p.m. All together now…what a night!

• • • • • • • • • • •
(From Marc Berman’s Saturday, April 21, 2007, Programming Insider blog at Mediaweek.com )
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/t...10374#81610374
Overnight Ratings for Friday, April 20th

Fast National Ratings (Live Plus Same Day data)

Total Viewers:
CBS: 7.55 million
NBC: 5.79
Fox: 5.36
ABC: 5.10
CW: 3.84

Adults 18-49:
ABC : : 1.9 rating/7 share
CBS: 1.9 /7
Fox: 1.6/ 6
NBC: 1.5/ 5
CW: 1.2/ 4

Friday’s Winners:
Nothing

Friday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
Identity (NBC)
Raines (NBC)

Ratings Breakdown:

It was of a night of mixed leadership on this repeat-riddled Friday, with CBS the most-watched network and ABC and CBS tied for No. 1 among adults 18-49 (with a mere 1.9 rating/7 share, mind you). A repeat of Ghost Whisperer opened the evening for the Eye net first in total viewers (6.67 million) and tied with a repeat of Fox’s House for No. 1 among adults 18-49 (1.7 rating/7 share each). The House encore was second in total viewers, with 5.60 million.

Also in the 8 p.m. hour were NBC’s Identity (Viewers: #3, 4.84 million; A18-49: #3t, 1.4/ 5), which remains a pale replacement for former occupant 1 vs. 100, a repeat of Grey’s Anatomy on ABC (Viewers: #4, 4.08 million; A18-49: #3t, 1.4/ 5), and the first hour of The CW’s perennial Friday Night Smackdown! (Viewers: #5, 3.29 million; A18-49: #5, 1.1/ 4). Overall, Smackdown! was below average with 3.84 million viewers (#5) and a 1.2/ 4 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. As for NBC’s current Friday 8 p.m. time period woes, why not renew 1 vs. 100 already?

At 9 p.m., a repeat of CBS’ Close To Home and a repeat of ABC’s Wife Swap shared the top spot as follows:

Friday 9 p.m.
Close to Home R (CBS)
Viewers: 7.95 million (#1)
A18-49: 1.8/ 6 (#2)

Wife Swap R (ABC)
Viewers: 4.72 million (#4)
A18-49: 2.1/ 7 (#1)

Also at 9 p.m. were NBC’s doomed Raines (Viewers: #2, 5.87 million; A18-49: #4t, 1.4/ 5), a repeat of Fox’s Bones (Viewers: #3, 5.12 million; A18-49: #3, 1.6/ 5), and the second hour of The CW’s aforementioned Friday Night Smackdown! (Viewers: #5, 4.40 million; A18-49: #4t, 1.4/ 5). Although Raines did managed to buld from lead-in Identity by 1.03 million viewers, keep in mind that the competition included three repeats.

A repeat of CBS’ Numb3s and ABC’s veteran 20/20 shared the No. 1 position at 10 p.m., followed by a repeat of NBC’s on the fence Law & Order. Take a look:

Friday 10:00 p.m.
Numb3rs R (CBS)
Viewers: 8.01 million (#1)
A18-49: 2.1/ 7 (#1t)

20/20 (ABC)
Viewers: 6.50 million (#3)
A18-49: 2.1/ 7 (#1t)

Law & Order R (NBC)
Viewers: 6.70 million (#2)
A18-49: 1.7/ 6 (#3)

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Note: Previous overnight ratings are available at Marc Berman’s blog:
http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/63310451

• • • • • • • • • • •
Nielsen prime-time ratings for week of April 9-15, 2007

Here are the rankings for national prime-time network television last week as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. They are based on the average number of people who watched a program from start to finish. Nielsen estimates there are 283.5 million potential viewers in the U.S. ages 2 and older. Viewership is listed in millions.

Program Network Viewers

1. American Idol, Wed    Fox, 28.6 million
2. American Idol, Tue    Fox, 26.8 million
3. CSI                         CBS, 22.2 million
4. House                       Fox, 21.6 million
5. Dancing With the Stars, Mon ABC, 18.8 million
6. Dancing With the Stars, Tue  ABC, 17.3 million
7. Desperate Housewives         ABC, 16.4 million
8. CSI: Miami                   CBS, 16.1 million
9. Shark                        CBS, 14.9 million
10. NCIS                        CBS, 14.4 million

• Source: Nielsen Media Research data

• • • • • • • • • • •
Last week's Network Average Ratings
Nielsen network average prime-time ratings for week of April 9-15, 2007

WEEKLY AVERAGES
Average rating, share and audience in each category

ADULTS 18-49

Fox 4.1/12, 5.4 million
CBS 3.3/10, 4.3 million
ABC 2.8/8, 3.7 million
NBC 2.3/7, 3.0 million
UNI 1.6/5, 2.1 million
CW 1.1/3, 1.5 million
TEL 0.3/1, 0.4 million

Each rating point equals 1.31 million viewers

ADULTS 25-54

Fox 4.0/11, 5.2 million
ABC 3.1/9, 4.1 million
CBS 3.1/9, 4.0 million
NBC 2.2/6, 2.9 million
UNI 1.7/5, 2.2 million
CW 1.1/3, 1.4 million
TEL 0.4/1, 0.5 million

Each rating point equals 1.31 million viewers

ADULTS 25-54

Fox 4.3/11, 5.2 million
CBS 4.0/10, 4.9 million
ABC 3.6/9, 4.4 million
NBC 2.6/7, 3.2 million
UNI 1.6/4, 2.0 million
CW 1.0/2, 1.2 million
TEL 0.4/1, 0.4 million

Each rating point equals 1.22 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS

CBS 4.0/11, 11.3 million
Fox 3.6/9, 10.3 million
ABC 3.3/9, 9.3 million
NBC 2.4/6, 6.8 million
UNI 1.3/4, 3.8 million
CW 1.0/2, 2.7 million
TEL 0.3/1, 0.9million

Each rating point equals 2.84 million viewers

SEASON TO DATE
Average rating, share and audience in each category

ADULTS 18-49

Fox 4.0/11, 5.2 million
CBS 3.8/10, 5.0 million
ABC 3.5/9, 4.5 million
NBC 3.2/9, 4.2 million
UNI 1.6/4, 2.0 million
CW 1.3/3, 1.7 million
TEL 0.4/1, 0.5 million

Each rating point equals 1.31 million viewers

ADULTS 25-54

CBS 4.8/12, 5.8 million
Fox 4.3/10, 5.2 million
ABC 4.0/10, 4.9 million
NBC 3.7/9, 4.6 million
UNI 1.5/4, 1.9 million
CW 1.2/3, 1.5 million
TEL 0.4/1, 0.4 million

Each rating point equals 1.22 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS

CBS 4.5/12, 12.7 million
Fox 3.6/9, 10.2 million
ABC 3.5/9, 9.8 million
NBC 3.2/8, 9.2 million
UNI 1.3/3, 3.6 million
CW 1.1/3, 3.2 million
TEL 0.3/1, 0.9 million

Each rating point equals 2.84 million viewers

• Source: NBC and Nielsen Media Research data

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(Most recent update: April 20th)
Prime-Time Show Status

Renewed for 2007-2008
30 Rock NBC
American Idol Fox
America's Funniest Home Videos ABC
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? Fox
The Bachelor ABC
Big Brother CBS (Summer 2007)
Bones Fox
Boston Legal ABC
Brothers & Sisters ABC
CSI CBS
CSI: Miami CBS
CSI: New York CBS
Criminal Minds CBS
Dancing With The Stars ABC
Desperate Housewives ABC
Everybody Hates Chris the CW
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ABC
Football Night In America NBC
Grey’s Anatomy ABC
House Fox
Heroes NBC
House Fox
Jimmy Kimmel Live ABC
King Of The Hill Fox
Las Vegas NBC
Law & Order: SVU NBC
Lost ABC
Men In Trees ABC
Numb3rs CBS
My Name is Earl NBC
The Office NBC
Prison Break Fox
Sunday Night Football NBC
Supernanny ABC
Survivior CBS Fall (china) and Spring (TBA) editions
Ugly Betty ABC
Wife Swap ABC

Full Season 2006-07 Pickups
30 Rock NBC
Brothers & Sisters ABC
The Class CBS
Friday Night Lights NBC
The Game CW
Heroes NBC
Jericho CBS
Men In Trees ABC
7th Heaven CW
Shark CBS
Standoff (19 episodes)
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip NBC
'Til Death Fox
Ugly Betty ABC
Veronica Mars CW (20 total episodes)
What About Brian? ABC

Cancelled
3 Lbs. CBS
Andy Barker, P.I. NBC
Armed & Famous CBS
The Black Donnellys NBC
Day Break ABC
The Great American Dream Vote ABC
Happy Hour Fox
Justice Fox
Kidnapped NBC
The Knights of ProsperityABC (Unofficial)
The Nine ABC (Unofficial)
The O.C. Fox
Reba CW
Rich List Fox
Runaway CW
Show Me The Money ABC
Six Degrees ABC
Smith CBS
The Wedding Bells Fox
Twenty Good Years NBC
Vanished Fox

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Upcoming Premieres / Returns/Finales
(Updated April 23, 2007)

Heroes Monday, April 23 9 PM ET/PT, NBC
The Real Wedding Crashers Monday, April 23 10 PM ET/PT, NBC
Veronica MarsTuesday May 1, 9 PM, ET/PT, CW
One Tree HillWednesday, May 2, 9 PM, ET/PT, CW
Grey's Anatomy: The Other Side Of Life Thursday, May 3 9-11 PM ET/PT, ABC
Traveler Thursday, May 10 10 PM ET/PT (Regular time slot begins Wednesday, May 30 10 PM ET/PT) ABC
On The Lot Tuesday, May 22, FOX
So You Think You Can Dance?Thursday, May 24, 8 PM ET/PT, FOX (Regular schedule: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8)
America's Got Talent 9 PM ET/PT Tuesday, May 29, NBC
The Next Best Thing: Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? Wednesday, May 30 8 PM ET/PT, ABC
Pirate MasterThursday, May 31 9 PM ET/PT, CBS
The 4400 10 PM ET Sunday, June 3 Sci Fi
Creature Comforts 8 PM ET Monday, June 4 CBS
Hell's Kitchen Monday, June 4, 9 PM ET/PT, FOX
On The Lot Box Office Results Show Tuesday, June 5, 8 PM ET/PT, FOX
Loop Sunday, June 10, 9:30 PM ET/PT, FOX
John From Cincinnati 10 PM ET Sunday, June 10 (moves to 9 PM June 17) HBO
Rescue MeTuesday, June 12, FX
Last Comic Standing 9 PM Wednesday, June 13 NBC
Big Love9 PM ET Sunday, June 17 HBO
Flight of the Conchords10:30 PM ET Sunday, June 17 HBO
Act Of Love 10 PM Monday, June 18 NBC
The Closer9 PM ET/PT Monday, June 18, TNTHeartland 10 PM ET/PT Monday, June 18 TNT
Monk Friday, July 13, USA
Psych Friday, July 13, USA
Saving Grace July, TNT
The Company Summer, TNT
It's Always Sunny In PhiladelphiaSummer, FX
Dexter Summer, SHO
In Treatment Fall, HBO
Tell Me You Love Me Fall, HBO
Ken Burns' "The War" Sunday, Sept. 23, 9 PM PBS
Crowned To be announced, The CW
Hidden Palms To be announced, CW
Curb Your Enthusiasm To be announced (2008), HBO

Scheduled Finales

HBO
Sunday:
The Sopranos 9:00 PM ET/PT - June 10

ABC

Monday:
Dancing with the Stars 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT - May 21

Tuesday:
The Bachelor 8 PM ET PT May 22
Dancing with the Stars (Results Show) 9 PM ET/PT - May 22
Boston Legal: 10 PM ET/PT - May 22

Wednesday:
Lost: 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT - May 23

Thursday:
Ugly Betty: 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT - May 17
Grey’s Anatomy: 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT - May 17

Friday:
America’s Funniest Home Videos: 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT - May 18

Sunday:
Extreme Makeover Home Edition: 7:00-9:00 PM ET/PT - May 20
Desperate Housewives: 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT - May 20

CBS

Monday:
The New Adventures of Old Christine May 7
How I Met Your Mother May 14
Two And A Half Men May 14
The King Of Queens (series finale) May 14
CSI: Miami May 14

Tuesday:
The Unit 9 PM ET/PT - May 8
NCIS 8 PM ET/PT - May 22

Wednesday:
Jericho 8 PM ET/PT - May 9
Criminal Minds 9 PM ET/PT - May 16
CSI: NY 10 PM ET/PT - May 16

Thursday:
Shark 10 PM ET/PT - May 3
Without A Trace (special night) May 10
CSI CSI 9 PM ET/PT - May 17

Friday:
Ghost Whisperer 8 PM ET/PT - May 11
Close To Home 9 PM ET/PT - May 11
Numb3rs 10 PM ET/PT - May 18

Sunday:
The Amazing Race 8 PM ET/PT - May 6
Cold Case 9 PM ET/PT - May 6
Suvivor: Fiji 8 PM ET/PT - May 13

Fox

Monday:
24 9 PM ET/PT - May 21

Tuesday:

Wednesday:
Bones 9 PM ET/PT - May 16
American Idol 8 PM ET/PT - May 23

Thursday:
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? 8 PM ET/PT - May 10

Friday:

Sunday:
The War At Home 9:30 PM ET/PT - April 22

NBC

Monday:
Heroes 9 PM ET/PT - May 21

Tuesday:
Law & Order: SVU 10 PM ET/PT - May 22

Wednesday:
Crossing Jordan 9 PM ET/PT - May 16
Medium 10 PM ET/PT - May 16

Thursday:
30 Rock 9 PM ET/PT - April 26
My Name I Earl 8 PM ET/PT - May 10
E R 10 PM ET/PT - May 10
The Office (one-hour finale) 8 PM ET/PT - May 17
Srcubs (one-hour finale) 9 PM ET/PT - May 17
ER May 17 10 PM ET/PT

Friday:
Raines 9 PM ET/PT - April 27

CW

Monday:
Girlfriends May 7, 9 PM ET/PT
Everybody Hates Chris 8 PM ET/PT - May 14
All Of Us 8:30 PM ET/PT - May 14
The Game 9:30 PM ET/PT - May 14

Tuesday:
Gilmore Girls 8 PM, ET/PT - May 15

Wednesday:
America's Next Top Model 8 PM ET/PT - May 16

Thursday:
Smallville 8 PM ET/PT - May 17
Supernatural 9 PM ET/PT - May 17

Sunday:
7th Heaven (series finale) 8 PM, ET/PT - May 13

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The 2007-08 TV Season
Network pilot orders shun serial dramas
2007-08 dramas lure more feature pros
By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter

Heavily serialized dramas are out, soaps and high-concept procedurals are in, "The Bionic Woman" and Philip Marlowe are back, and one-hour British imports are hotter than ever.

Overall, the five networks have ordered 45 drama pilots, on par with the 47 greenlighted last year.

Dubbed as "the season of serialized dramas," 2006-07 yielded only one big hit in the genre, NBC's "Heroes," and one modest success, CBS' "Jericho." With a number of high-profile, heavily serialized new shows such as ABC's "The Nine" and "Six Degrees," NBC's "Kidnapped" and Fox's "Vanished" long gone, the networks opted for more close-ended dramas for next fall.

A record four British drama concepts have landed pilot orders: "Life on Mars" and "Football Wives" (the latter based on "Footballers' Wives") at ABC, "Viva Laughlin!" (based on "Viva Blackpool!") at CBS and a project based on "Wild at Heart" at the CW. They have attracted impressive auspices, with David E. Kelley writing and executive producing "Mars," Bryan Singer directing and executive producing "Wives" and Hugh Jackman executive producing and guest starring in and Gabriele Muccino directing and executive producing "Laughlin!"

Street cops are back in favor after disappearing from primetime following the end of ABC's "NYPD Blue." CBS ("Protect and Serve"), NBC ("Ft. Pit"), Fox ("K-Ville") and CW ("Gravity") are all on the beat with police dramas.

And then there is the high-concept element that adds a twist to many of this year's crop of drama pilots. For instance, "Mars" is about a detective who goes back in time to the 1970s; the detective at the center of Fox's "New Amsterdam" is hundreds of years old, and the private eye in CBS' "Twilight" is a vampire.

But if there is one element that dominates the drama field this development season, it's the invasion of big-name feature directors -- a trend that exploded this year.

"We hear over and over that television is the new features," says Christina Davis, vp drama development at CBS.

Added Ted Gold, Fox's senior vp drama development, "It has to do with everybody's efforts to stand out."

Feature helmers tapped for pilots include Lasse Hallstrom, Spike Lee, Brett Ratner, Guy Ritchie, Doug Liman and Barry Sonnenfeld.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...de03bda9b25741

The 2007-08 TV Season
ABC Drama Pilots
By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter

Larger-than-life characters and self-contained stories are on the drama docket for ABC this year.

The network -- which sparked the recent interest in serialized dramas with the Emmy-winning "Lost" but saw its ambitious continuous-story-line dramas "The Nine" and "Six Degrees" fizzle in the fall -- is staying away from the genre this development season.

"This year, we concentrated on close-ended shows," says senior vp drama development Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs. "We don't have any intensely serialized pieces."

It was a conscious decision made in the summer -- before most networks struggled to launch a slew of nail-biter serial dramas -- that was aimed at a better schedule balance, Patmore-Gibbs says. But at the end of the day, it all came down to "responding to the best material."

"A year ago, we had a lot of strong serialized shows," she says. "This year, there's a lot of strong character procedurals and soaps. They rose to the top because they were great stories."

Indeed, Patmore-Gibbs notes that it was a good year for soaps with heavy dollops of humor ("Cashmere Mafia") -- a genre with which ABC found success this year with "Ugly Betty" and "Brothers & Sisters" -- and character-driven procedurals ("Suspect," "Marlowe," "Judy's Got a Gun," "Women's Murder Club").

For a second consecutive year, ABC is leading the network pack with the most drama pilot orders. ABC's total of 13 greenlighted projects is down from 16 one-hours picked up last season.

Cashmere Mafia
Production Co.: Sony TV/Darren Star Prods.
Production Team: Darren Star, Gail Katz, Kevin Wade, Susie Fitzgerald
Four successful female executives, friends since college, rely on one another as they juggle the demands of career, family and high ambitions in New York

Dirty Sexy Money
Production Co.: Touchstone TV
Production Team: Craig Wright, Greg Berlanti
Idealistic young lawyer inherits the job of representing a rich, powerful and ethically flexible family after his father's unexpected death

Eli Stone
Production Co.: Touchstone TV
Production Team: Greg Berlanti, Marc Gugenheim
Thirtysomething attorney (Jonny Lee Miller) begins to have larger-than-life visions that compel him to do unusual things; Victor Garber co-stars

Untitled Jon Feldman
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV
Production Team: Jon Feldman
Revolves around four high-powered CEOs or CEOs-to-be who socialize at the same exclusive golf club; Michael Vartan stars

Football Wives
Production Co.: Touchstone TV
Production Team: Marco Pennette, Chris Brancato, Bert Salke, Bryan Singer, Maureen Chadwicke, Eileen Gallagher, Ann McManus
U.S. version of the ITV series "Footballers Wives" that focuses on wives of professional football players; Gabrielle Union co-stars

Judy's Got a Gun
Production Co.: Touchstone TV
Production Team: Michelle King, Robert King, Stu Bloomberg
Suburban woman balances being a single mother with being a detective investigating bizarre suburban crimes

Life on Mars
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: David E. Kelley, Stephen Garrett, Jane Featherstone
Detective whose girlfriend has just been kidnapped finds himself transported back to the 1970s. Based on the BBC series

Marlowe
Production Co.: Touchstone TV
Production Team: Sean Bailey, Greg Pruss, Carol Wolper, Dan Platt, Phil Clymer
Procedural crime drama centered on the Philip Marlowe character set in present-day Los Angeles

Untitled Rina Mimoun
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV
Production Team: Rina Mimoun
Revolves around a family of Southern lawyers

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Production Co.: Regency TV/Dutch Oven
Production Team: Simon Kinberg, Doug Liman, Dave Bartis
Based on the hit feature about a married couple who are spies

Pushing Daisies
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV, Jinks/Cohen Prods.
Production Team: Bryan Fuller, Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen
Detective show/romance/fairy tale about a guy who can touch the dead and bring them back to life

Suspect
Production Co.: Sony Pictures TV/25 C Prods.
Production Team: Ed Zuckerman, Guy Ritchie, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly
Stylish, fast-paced procedural drama uncovering the perpetrator by tracing the suspects

Women's Murder Club
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: Liz Craft, Sarah Fain, Brett Ratner, James Patterson, Joe Simpson, Shawn Ryan
Four girlfriends solve tough murder cases. Based on James Patterson's series of mystery books

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...5d5ef43e29eab9


The 2007-08 TV Season
CBS Drama Pilots
By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter

When CBS brass said in the fall that they are throwing out the rule book this development season, they weren't kidding.

Described by vp drama development Robert Zotnowski as "eclectic," the network's drama pilot roster of nine projects, two fewer than last year, includes a murder mystery musical ("Viva Laughlin!") and projects about couple-swapping ("Swingtown"), exorcism ("Demons"), resurrection ("Babylon Fields") and a blood-sucking private eye ("Twilight").

"We feel with these unique shows we will appeal to our core viewers as well as bring in new eyeballs," says vp drama development Christina Davis, who oversees CBS' drama slate with Zotnowski.

Last development season, CBS took risks with the serialized postapocalyptic drama

"Jericho," which worked, and with the intense, dark caper "Smith," which didn't.

With the safety net of having the strongest overall drama lineup on television, CBS decided to go for an even riskier high-wire act this time around, going for "inventive," "unconventional," "out-of-the-box" projects, Davis and Zotnowski note.

"Each has an attention-grabbing element, but at its center, there is an emotionally complicated story (and) highly relatable storytelling," Zotnowski says.

Babylon Fields
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: Michael Atkinson, Gerald Cuesta, Michael Cuesta
Sardonic, apocalyptic comedic drama in which the dead are resurrected and try to resume their former lives. As a result, lives are regained, families restored and old wounds are reopened

Demons
Production Co.: CBS Paramount Network TV
Production Team: Barbara Hall, Joe Roth, Nina Lederman
Ex-Jesuit priest/psychlogist performs exorcisms, fighting the demons in his life and the lives of others

Los Duques
Production Co.: CBS Paramount Network TV
Production Team: Cynthia Cidre, Jonathan Prince, Polly Anthony, Jimmy Iovine
Follows the lives of three generations of a powerful Latin American family in South Florida who work in the rum business

Protect and Serve
Production Co.: NBC Universal TV Studio
Production Team: Gary Scott Thompson, Mark Gibson, Philip Halprin
Follows the lives of street cops in suburban Los Angeles as they deal with the trials and tribulations of police life on and off the job

Untitled Barry Schindel (presentation)
Production Co.: CBS Paramount Network TV/Scott Free Prods.
Production Team: Barry Schindel, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, David Zucker
Follows the private lives and cases of a team of dedicated public defenders; Janeane Garofalo, Rachel Carpani co-star

Skip Tracer
Production Co.: CBS Paramount Network TV
Production Team: Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green, Tucker Tooley, Stephen Dorff
Centers on a so-called skip tracer -- a guy who finds people who have tried to disappear -- who works in Los Angeles; Dorff stars

Swingtown
Production Co.: CBS Paramount Network TV
Production Team: Mike Kelley, Alan Poul
Revolves around married couples in 1970s suburbia who explore partner-swapping and open marriages

Twilight (presentation)
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV
Production Team: Trevor Munson, Ron Koslow, Joel Silver, Gerard Bocaccio
Private investigator/vampire struggles with the repercussions of immortality, vampire adversaries and his love for a mortal

Viva Laughlin!
Production Co.: SPT/BBC Worldwide Prods./CBS Par TV/Seed Prods.
Production Team: Bob Lowry, Hugh Jackman, John Palermo, Paul Telegdy, Peter Bowker, Gabriele Muccino
Musical about a family man who dreams of opening a casino in Laughlin, Nev. Based on BBC's "Viva Blackpool!"

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...ae8d3b0a1fd676


The 2007-08 TV Season
Fox Drama Pilots
By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter

Leveraging Fox's biggest assets, "American Idol" and "House," with "bold, sometimes challenging, quality, take-notice offerings" is how senior vp drama development Ted Gold sums up the network's development strategy this season.

After a weak start to the season, in which Fox's new dramas "Vanished," "Justice" and "Standoff" failed to gain traction with viewers, the network is taking big swings with its 2007-08 development.

The network's 10 drama pilots -- the same number as last year -- include the big-budget "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," a follow-up to the "Terminator" movies. The thriller, directed and executive produced by David Nutter, is shaping up "to be one of the biggest action pieces out there," Gold says.

On the sci-fi front, Fox also is bringing a whole new dimension to the term "sleeper cell" with its adaptation of the graphic novel "Them." Executive produced and directed by "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" helmer Jonathan Mostow, it revolves around extraterrestrials infiltrating our world.

The high-concept "New Amsterdam," about a New York detective who is immortal, lured Oscar-nominated director Lasse Hallstrom to television. Gold says he knows why.

"It's one of the best scripts I've ever read," Gold says. "It has a core procedural to it, and underneath, there is romanticism."

With most networks opting for lighter, more escapist fare this development season, Fox isn't shying away from darker, more challenging concepts like "K-Ville," a cop drama set in post-Katrina New Orleans.

"It's a hot-button place, and the show has relevant issues for viewers," Gold says.

The Apostles
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: Chuck Pratt
Cop drama with soapy elements that follows officers in Simi Valley, Calif., in their off-duty time with their families

Canterbury's Law
Production Co.: Sony Pictures TV/Apostle
Production Team: Dave Erickson, Denis Leary, Jim Serpico
Rebellious female defense attorney pushes the boundaries of the law to protect innocent clients

The Cure
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV/Weed Road Pictures
Production Team: Patrick Massett, John Zinman, Akiva Goldsman, Stephanie Koff, Brittany Lovett, Danny Cannon
Group cuts through the red tape of medical bureaucracy -- often at their own peril -- to get care to those who need it most

K-Ville
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: Jonathan Lisco
Cops in post-Katrina New Orleans face the challenges of enforcing the law in a city whose infrastructure has been completely upended

New Amsterdam
Production Co.: Regency TV/Scarlet Fire/Sarabande/Laha
Production Team: Allan Loeb, Christian Taylor, Steven Pearl, David Manson, Lasse Hallstrom, Leslie Holleran
Man (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) cursed with immortality works as a New York homicide detective

NSA Innocent
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV/Realtime Prods.
Production Team: Bob Cochran, David Ehrman, Jon Cassar, Joel Surnow, Howard Gordon
Family man winds up recruited by the NSA as a spy within the defense contracting company he works for

Philadelphia General
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: Samantha Goodman, Andrew Stern, Barry Josephson, Eileen Gallagher, Ann McManus, P.J. Hogan
Comedic drama about the lives and loves of a team of nurses in a big-city hospital

Sarah Connor Chronicles
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV/C-2 Pictures
Production Team: Josh Friedman, David Nutter, James Middleton, Mario Kassar, Andrew Vajna, Joel Michaels
Based on the characters from the "Terminator" franchise, it follows Connor (Lena Headey) and her son John (Thomas Dekker) in present-day Los Angeles as they fight attackers from the future in a battle for survival of the human race

Supreme Courtships
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV/Adelstein Prods.
Production Team: Gary Tieche, Marty Adelstein, Michael Thorn
Soapy comedic drama about the personal and professional lives of six Supreme Court clerks and the judges they work for

Them
Production Co.: CBS Par TV/Circle of Confusion Prods.
Production Team: Jonathan Mostow, David Eick, John McNamara, David Engel, David Alpert, Lawrence Mattis
Centers on an extraterrestrial sleeper cell that has infiltrated the human race. The cell's mission is compromised when its members begin to express human emotions. Based on the graphic novel

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...9226429b563e66

The 2007-08 TV Season
NBC Drama Pilots
By Nellie Andreeva The Hollywood Reporter

NBC's hourlong development is across the board this year, and that's just fine with Katie O'Connell, the network's senior vp drama development, who is overseeing her first development slate since taking the top drama post in May.

"We try to pick up the best scripts and the ones we feel we can execute," O'Connell says. "We pick up shows that we think would find a place on the schedule."

Speaking of NBC's schedule, O'Connell says she and her team aren't necessarily trying to find a companion piece for the network's breakout hit "Heroes," though the "re-imagination" of "The Bionic Woman" for contemporary times would seem like a good fit.

Also on NBC's menu this season are the "Sex and the City"-esque "Lipstick Jungle"; a hard-boiled City Hall piece ("M.O.N.Y.," directed by Spike Lee); a few offbeat dramas ("Chuck," the David Semel-directed "Life"); and "Ft. Pit," from Denis Leary and Peter Tolan, which sounds like it falls somewhere between "Rescue Me" and "The Job."

"One thing we set out to do is to have a little bit more of a female focus than (NBC has had) in the past and to go for lighter crime procedurals," O'Connell notes, pointing to the untitled show centering on a female cop from David Shore, creator and executive producer of Fox's "House."

Overall, NBC's eight pilots are on par with the eight one-hours the network greenlighted last season.

The Bionic Woman
Production Co.: NBC Universal TV Studio
Production Team: David Eick, Laeta Kalogridis, Bruno Heller, Michael Dinner
Re-imagination of the 1970s series with focus on women's place in the world today

Chuck
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV
Production Team: Josh Schwartz, Chris Fedak, McG, Peter Johnson
Unlikely hero undertakes missions every week while still working at the "Geek Squad"; a comedic Jason Bourne

Ft. Pit
Production Co.: Sony Pictures TV/Apostle
Production Team: Peter Tolan, Michael Chernuchin, Denis Leary, Jim Serpico
Drama with comedic elements set at one of the worst police precincts in Brooklyn with rampant crime where bad cops are sent to live out their careers and rookie cops with no connections are stationed; James Badge Dale, Michael Rispoli co-star

Journeyman
Production Co.: 20th Century Fox TV
Production Team: Kevin Falls, Alex Graves
Epic fantasy about a man who travels back in time to alter and fix the lives of people in trouble, but by recalibrating the past, he sometimes alters the future

Life
Production Co.: NBC Universal TV Studio
Production Team: Rand Ravich, Farr Shariat, David Semel
Offbeat drama about an ex-cop (Damian Lewis) who rejoins the force after being wrongly imprisoned for years

Lipstick Jungle
Production Co.: NBC Universal TV Studio
Production Team: DeAnn Heline, Eileen Heisler, Candace Bushnell
Trio of power-hungry, rich professional women will do anything in their power to maintain their status in New York. Based on Bushnell's novel.

M.O.N.Y.
Production Co.: NBC Uni TV Studio/Fatima Prods./Airwaves Entertainment
Production Team: Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson
Surprising and unlikely everyman becomes mayor of New York. He shoots from the gut, makes mistakes and hopefully wins the hearts of the city's residents

Untitled Shore/Blake
Production Co.: NBC Universal TV Studio
Production Team: David Shore, Peter Blake
Light ensemble drama with procedural elements that centers on a female cop played by Famke Janssen, surrounded by an ensemble cast

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...0d815354fc5967


The 2007-08 TV Season
The CW Drama Pilots
By Kimberly Nordyke The Hollywood Reporter

The young-adult demo always was top of mind for the CW drama development executives this year -- even if it meant passing on some appealing projects.

"We had to eliminate certain projects that were not right for us but would have been great for other broadcast networks that go after 18-49," says Thom Sherman, executive vp drama development at the CW, which targets adults 18-34. "We were always cognizant of the demo."

But what the network was able to secure in its first full development season, Sherman says, was a strong roster of talent, including "high-quality writers" and "young, fresh voices." Among the five projects on the slate -- one more than last year -- are "Gossip Girl," from "The O.C.'s" Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, about a secretive tell-all blogger, and untitled Tom Wheeler, described as being in the spirit of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Animal House."

This season, the CW struck out with its first new drama offering, the short-lived "Runaway." (Its second new drama, "Hidden Palms," premieres this year.) But Sherman, who joined the network in June, says the projects on the slate for 2007-08 were selected because they will draw the attention of the network's target viewership.

"All of these projects have something conceptual that we can really promote: They will be noisy," he says.

Gossip Girl
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV/Alloy
Production Team: Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Bob Levy, Leslie ******stein
Based on the best-selling book series about the lives of rich youngsters and their parents in New York City

Gravity (presentation)
Production Co.: CBS Paramount Network TV/DreamWorks TV
Production Team: Caleb Kane, Charles Segars, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey
Follows in cinema verite style a sexy ensemble of rookie cops and their training officers in Los Angeles beginning with the rookies' first day

Reaper
Production Co.: Touchstone TV/Mark Gordon Co.
Production Team: Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters, Mark Gordon, Deborah Spera
Comedic drama about a 21-year-old slacker who becomes the devil's bounty hunter, retrieving souls escaped from hell

Untitled South Africa
Production Co.: CBS Paramount Network TV/Company Pictures
Production Team: Michael Rauch, Charlie Pattinson, George Faber
New York veterinarian moves his second wife and their two sets of children to a South African game reserve run by his father-in-law. Based on the ITV series "Wild at Heart"

Untitled Tom Wheeler (presentation)
Production Co.: Warner Bros. TV/Class IV
Production Team: Tom Wheeler, Steve Pearlman, Andrew Plotkin
Comedic drama about two cheeky graduate students who use their skills to help solve crimes

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...f7cd9c6b61173d

[fredfa]

Last updated at 11:35 PM PT Saturday, March 3rd, 2007

USEFUL INFORMATION

What I Watch
Try as I might to be impartial about TV programming, of course my personal prejudices can influence what I post.
So, in the interest of full disclosure, here are the shows (in order of preference by network) currently set on my HD DVRs and HD TiVos:
NBC: (4 hours) Friday Night Lights, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: CI
ABC: (4 hours) Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Men In Trees
CBS: (4 hours) Shark, CSI: NY, NCIS, 60 Minutes
Fox: (2 hours) Bones, House
Sports: MLB EI, college hoops, college football (Game Plan) and NFL ST.
News: Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNN.
• • • • • • • • • • •
What’s on in HD
A complete and continually updated guide from Ken H:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=164671
• • • • • • • • • • •
Local Market HD threads
Have questions about reception, HD providers, antennas, general problems or anything else in your local area? Find your local market’s HD thread here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=453241
• • • • • • • • • • •
Sports HD Schedules
If you want to know if your favorite team -- in any sport -- will be playing in HD , check this invaluable website, which is updated continually:
http://www.hdsportsguide.com/
• • • • • • • • • • •
NFL Weekly Coverage Maps
Current Week available usually by Wednesday:
http://www.gribblenation.net/nflmaps/
• • • • • • • • • • •
AC Nielsen 210 Market DMA Rankings for the 2006-2007 TV Season
Find out where every U.S. TV market ranks here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post8270847
• • • • • • • • • • •
Digital TV Info for all 210 Nielsen DMAs
The people at HDTV Magazine have supplied this link. It tells who in each market is broadcasting digitally, from where and with how much power:
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/programming/broadcast.php
• • • • • • • • • • •
Maps of all 210 Nielsen DMAs
If you wonder what counties are nestled in each DMA, you can find the maps here:
http://www.truckads.com/licensed_affiliates1.asp
• • • • • • • • • • •
Cable/Satellite Penetration By Nielsen DMA Market as of November, 2006
How many people have cable or satellite in each market? Check here:
http://www.tvb.org/rcentral/markettr...ion_by_DMA.asp
• • • • • • • • • • •
Updated DirecTV HD Locals Availability:
http://www.dbstalk.com/hr20/html/DTV_HDLIL_DMA.html
• • • • • • • • • • •
DirecTV Customer Retention Direct #
800-824-9081
• • • • • • • • • • •
DirecTV Level 2 Technical Support #
888-713-7772
• • • • • • • • • • •
FCC's Digital TV Info Resources
http://www.dtv.gov/
• • • • • • • • • • •
FCC SHVERA Fact Sheet
Now that DirecTV has cancelled bi-coastal HD Distant Network Station reception, here is the FCC fact sheet which may answer some of your questions about SHVERA and how it effects what we are -- or are not -- allowed to purchase.

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/policy/shvera.doc

[fredfa]

Some Favorite Links
Updated February 20, 2007

Aside from the very helpful general links listed in the post above this one, here are some of the TV writers, columnists and bloggers I feel are especially worth the time to keep up with.

(Those needing a subscription are marked.) Some other require registration. I would suggest you register at the Aaron Barnhart, Marc Berman and Maureen Ryan sites at a bare minimum.

But almost all allow basic scrolling through much -- if not all -- of their content.

Aaron Barnhart of The Kansas City Star writes a lot and also links to numerous podcasts each week which are fun listens. He is also a favorite because he long ago mentioned this thread as “indispensable” (and is a great college basketball companion -- although I suspect I wouldn't be happy sitting next to him at a UCLA-Kansas game).
http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/

Marc Berman is MediaWeek’s “Mr. Television”. His knowledge about ratings and TV in general is amazing. Even more amazing is how his one-man blog posts daily ratings every day. (Nothing else on the web matches it.) Holidays, weekends, it doesn’t matter, somehow he gets it done. And that is far more than you can say for any other reputable online source (even those with far larger staffs) I know of.
http://pifeedback.com/eve/?cdra=Y&s=32410241

One of the nation’s best TV writers, Rich Heldenfels of the Akron Beacon Journal, had his job description (and duties) drastically changed last year in a newsroom cost-cutting move. Now he also has to cover and review movies and all of pop culture. But he loves TV and his blog often contains gems – though sadly not as often as before the change:
http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/heldenfiles/

Try TV Guide's Matt Roush for reasoned commentary, reviews and twice-a-week Q&A along with Michael Ausiello for often fun and sometimes over-the-top commentary and news.
http://tvguide.com/

Maureen Ryan’s blog for the Chicago Tribune TV critic is always a good and stimulating read. And if you post an embarrassing and/or nonsensical comment (and get back to her quickly enough!) she’ll good-naturedly make sure no one ever reads it.
http://tempo.typepad.com/entertainment_tv/

The Chicago Tribune’s TV page:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/

Television Week is home of James Hibberd, the best HD reporter in the business. The weekly HD newsletter is posted Thursday afternoon Pacific Time. Sadly, (and I suspect because it doesn't seem all that internet savvy yet) TV week tends to lag behind in posting many TV stories – it is sometimes a full day late. But Hibberd’s HD coverage more than makes up for that deficiency. The link (and you should definitely bookmark this one) to Hibberd’s HD newsletter is:
http://www.tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=183
The Television Week site is here:
http://www.tvweek.com/

For thought-provoking daily ratings number crunching there is frequent contributor RussTC3’s detailed and fascinating blog:
http://wordpress.com/tag/broadcast-tv-ratings/

Tim Goodman’s “The Bastard Machine” blog allows the acerbic San Francisco Chronicle television critic to vent – and inform us. He is always a fun read:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/...dexn?blogid=24

The San Francisco Chronicle’s TV page is here:
http://www.sfgate.com/tvradio/

The Washington Post’s TV page is where you’ll find the tart writing of Lisa de Moraes and the Pulitzer Prize winning critic Tom Shales:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...sion/?nav=left

Rob Owen TV Editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, has his “Tuned In Journal” blog. (Rob is also president of the Television Critics Association.) You can read him here:
http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/tunedin/

The Television Critics Association provides helpful links to dozens of its members. (Aaron Barnhart keeps it updated.) Find the TCA site here:
http://tvcritics.org/

Perhaps the most respected inside-the-TV-business writer is Bill Carter of The New York Times. (subscription needed)
http://query.nytimes.com/search/quer...&submit=Search

If you want lots of information, including episode lists, cast and crew members of almost any TV show past or present, try the tv.com online reference libary:
http://www.tv.com/

The legendary trade publication Variety is a great source of information – and pay careful attention to the in-depth stories posted on Sunday mornings. The show biz slang can be fun – although a bit puzzling to newbies.
http://www.variety.com/index.asp?lay...t_main&dept=TV

The Hollywood Reporter is good for inside TV -- and especially production -- news
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...sion/index.jsp

Trade publication Broadcasting&Cable is a good source of news. John Eggerton is one of the best reporters around:
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/

And the Broadcasting&Cable blog “BCBeat” can be provocative:
http://broadcastingcable.com/blog/1380000138.html

MultiChannelNews reports industry news with a decided cable-centric slant, but is on top of almost every major item of interest to the industry. Its coverage of Washington regulatory news and the FCC is first rate.
http://www.multichannel.com/

Media Life Magazine is written for ad agency people, and concentrates on the (for them) key 18-49 demograpphics. But it is sprightly and well written with some very good insight into which and why shows are in trouble – or not. Negative: The site operates -- and ratings are posted -- just Monday through Friday. But the insights of Toni Fitzgerald are worth the wait and especially worth your time.
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/

Amy Amatangelo, “Zap2It's TV Gal”, who writes frequently for many newspapers including the Washington Post and Boston Globe, keeps a sharp (and usually very amusing) viewer’s eye on TV happenings. She is at
http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-t...43.storygallery

The general zap2it site can be hit and miss, but sometimes has items of interest. It slows to a crawl on weekend and holidays.
http://www.zap2it.com/

I'd give it higher marks, but the veteran website The Futon Critic basically shuts down on weekends. During the week it is best to check for press releases, especially from cable networks. Its daily ratings do not feature viewer numbers, just ratings/share figures…the kind for which you need an eye-shade to truly understand. Or at least pretend to understand.
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/home.aspx

[fredfa]

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[f44]

"TV Guide Online has learned that the Eye Network has again postponed the new season of The Amazing Race — this time until late October. 'We want to give a little more space between the finale of Race 5 and the premiere of Race 6,' says the rep. 'We think the audience likes the breather."

Also, it's PrimeTime Live, not Prime Time Live.

[f44]

fredfa, I appreciate the compliements but I just see the news when i go to places like www.thefutoncritic.com . Could you undo the bolding of f44?

thanks.

[f44]

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- In the latest update to the broadcast networks' fall rollout schedule, ABC has announced it was moved up the premiere of its new reality series "Wife Swap."

The series will now kick off on Sunday, September 26 at 10:00/9:00c following the two-hour season premiere of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." "Swap" will then settle into its regular Wednesday, 10:00/9:00c slot on September 29.

[f44]

Steve Harvey's Big Time had its premiere today, 9/12.

[fredfa]

updated

[Rakesh.S]

hey gang..some sad news regarding tru calling..made a separate post for it so everyone sees it but here's the link

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=445900

[f44]

Rakesh, Zap2it reports the show is still in production though...

[fredfa]

Rakesh.S:
The Tru Calling info was updated on the master premiere list this morning.

[Red Angel]

When does Curb Your Enthusiasm start up again? Anybody catch the Larry David cameo on Entourage this week?