Hot Off The Press: The Latest TV News and Information - Page 2774

Critic's Notes
Bianculli's Best Bets
By David Bianculli, TVWorthWatching.com - Nov. 1, 2012

THE 46TH ANNUAL CMA AWARDS
ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood host for the fifth time – and Kenny Chesney is up for his fifth Entertainer of the Year Award. He’s scheduled to perform on this live show tonight, as are Kelly Clarkson, Lady Antebellum, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and many others.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE
AMC, 8:00 p.m. ET
Here’s another one of my “spider-web” movies, featuring a brilliantly funny and clever screenplay by William Goldman, adapting his own, equally clever book. Rob Reiner’s direction is flawless yet casual, and every performance in this 1987 comedy film adds something wonderful to the whole. This time, I think I’ll point out the smarmy perfection of Chris Sarandon as Prince Humperdinck – and, of course, the scene-stealing performance by Mandy Patinkin, now co-starring on Showtime’s Homeland, as Inigo Montoya.

BULLITT
TCM, 9:45 p.m. ET
This 1968 movie is not only one of Steve McQueen’s best screen performances, but it remains, to this day, perhaps the best car chase sequence ever filmed. But pay attention to the supporting actors, too: They include Robert Duvall, Robert Vaughn and Jacqueline Bissett.

ROCK CENTER WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS
NBC, 10:00 p.m. ET
Rockefeller Center, and Rock Center, is so close to the action caused by the devastation of the storm called Sandy in the city that tonight’s special should be worthwhile for both its proximity and its live, up-to-the-moment timeliness. The New Jersey shore was hit hard, but lower Manhattan and other New York sites were hit, and flooded, just as brutally.

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART
Comedy Central, 11:00 p.m. ET
Both this show and The Colbert Report took off on Tuesday night, understandably, because of the disastrous effects of the Sandy storm. Both shows returned Wednesday night, though, with episodes that, while sometimes short on production values, were long on heart, conviction and, yes, humor. Stewart’s take on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and his elevation of emergency needs above politics, was unabashedly, and impressively, supportive. He supported government action above the board, praising mayors, governors, and all manner of city and private workers and early responders. And with a little more time for his staff to put together clips, I can’t wait for tonight’s show. Or, immediately afterward, for what Stephen Colbert will do and say on The Colbert Report at 11:30 p.m. ET. Stewart’s scheduled guest is Bob Woodruff, and Colbert’s is Al Simpson.

http://www.tvworthwatching.com/
Edited by dad1153 - 11/1/12 at 8:28am

TV Notes
'Gossip Girl' Set for 2-Hour Season Finale on Dec. 17
By Tim Kenneally, TheWrap.com - Oct. 31, 2012

Get ready to shut down the rumor mill; "Gossip Girl" will officially come to an end in December.

CW's scandalicious drama will end its six-season run with a two-hour finale on Dec. 17 at 8 p.m., bringing an end to more than half a decade of gasp-inducing twists, the network said Wednesday.

"All will be revealed in the drama-filled series finale, featuring a look back at the unforgettable OMG moments of the series that made headlines, including interviews with the cast and creators themselves," the network promised in a release.

The "Gossip Girl" finale will also include a sneak peek at the CW's upcoming "Sex and the City" offshoot "The Carrie Diaries," which will chronicle sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw's early years as a young woman growing up in the 1980s.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/gossip-girl-set-2-hour-season-finale-dec-17-63116

TV Notes
Nicholas Sparks Is Working on Three New TV Shows
By Margaret Lyons, Vulture.com (NY Magazine) - Oct. 31, 2012

Nicholas Sparks, wizard of weepy romance, has three TV shows in the works, one each for ABC Family, TNT, and Lifetime, according to THR. Grab a tissue — we're about to explain what the shows are about!

He's producing a modern Romeo and Juliet adaptation for ABC Family, which is different from the R&J McG is producing for ABC. (Let's take this moment to remember the late, great 10 Things I Hate About You ABCF show. Sigh.) For Lifetime, Sparks is producing Deliverance Creek, a female-centric Civil War drama, and for TNT, he's producing a show based on his novel A Bend in the Road, about a small-town sheriff learning to love again after his wife dies.

Let's all wistfully stare at a sunset, frolic on a beach, and fight through our tears to deliver A Very Meaningful, Emotional Monologue on the Nature of Love and Stuff™.

http://www.vulture.com/2012/10/nicholas-sparks-tv.html

TV Notes
Hurricane Sandy damages '666 Park' sets
By Sandra Gonzalez, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - Oct. 31, 2012

While some New York-area television shows resumed filming today after Hurricane Sandy battered the east coast Monday, it could be a harder road to recovery for ABC’s 666 Park Avenue.

The show’s set, which is located at Cine Magic Riverfront Studios in Brooklyn, overlooking the New York City skyline, suffered severe damages after water flooded the building Monday night.

“I went to check them out on the night of the storm at 10 p.m. and they were under 6 feet of water — the entire complex,” says Peter Kapsalis, owner of Cine Magic Riverfront Studios. “It wasn’t in very good shape.”

The water, which has since receded, did varied damage to sets, he adds, but some could possibly be salvaged. “The Daylight Studio, which carried some of the smaller sets and was a little closer to the water [was] completely demolished,” Kapsalis says. “The main sets stayed in place even with the water rushing in [but] everything is extensively damaged.”

EW is told that productions for all shows made by Warner Bros., which also produces the horror drama, are up and running. However, WB could not immediately comment on new filming schedules or any reports of damages. Kapsalis, meanwhile, claimed that it could be around three weeks until shooting resumed in the studio, but options — like on-location shooting within New York City or relocation of sets to Cine Magic’s SoHo location — are currently being explored.

Above all, Kapsalis lauded the tenacity of the production team and executives at Warner Bros., saying their efforts would hopefully put the estimated 200 people who work at Cine Magic Riverfront back to work soon. “Warner Bros. has been a godsend — I don’t know how to say it. They’ve been very helpful and trying to put the show first, which as a result, is helping us a lot,” he says. “[The entertainment business is] one of the strengths of New York’s economy and for it to take a hit, it will affect New York greatly.”

Meanwhile, over at Steiner Studios, home to CW’s upcoming teen drama The Carrie Diaries, Douglas C. Steiner tells EW in a statement: “We made it through the hurricane unscathed. We have all power, were not flooded and will be re-opened for our productions tomorrow.”

Silvercup Studios in Long Island City also escaped with no damage, according to Stuart Suna, who co-owns the studio with brother Alan.

30 Rock, Elementary, Person of Interest, and Zero Hour all had cast and/or crew on set today, Suna said, as did Gossip Girl, which has wrapped filming and is in the process of wrapping production.

“I always thought that the industry — and the New York attitude — [was] very resilient,” says Suna, who says he feels “very fortunate” to have been unaffected. “We come back whether it’s a hurricane, blizzards, or, sadly, 9/11. Gov. Cuomo said it best that New Yorkers are a tough breed and that they come together in times of crisis and rebuild New York bigger and stronger.”

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/10/31/hurricane-sandy-damages-666-park-sets/

I didn't expect this to last as soon as I watched the pilot. It was unexceptional in every way.

TV Notes
NBC Plans Live Hurricane Sandy Telethon For Friday; Matt Lauer To Host, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel To Perform
By Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline.com - Nov. 1, 2012

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2012 — In response to the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the networks of NBCUniversal — including NBC, Bravo, CNBC, E!, G4, MSNBC, Style, Syfy and USA – will join forces to air a one-hour live benefit telethon, “Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together,” on Friday, November 2 (8-9 pm ET).

Hosted by NBC “Today” anchor Matt Lauer, the telethon will be broadcast from the New York studios of NBC at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It will air live across the East Coast and tape-delayed on the West. Additional networks could join the broadcast of the telethon prior to airtime.

Money collected will be donated to the American Red Cross relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy.

The telethon also will be live-streamed on NBC.com.

The event will feature performances by artists including Christina Aguilera (NBC’s “The Voice”), Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Sting, and appearances by Jimmy Fallon (NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”) and NBC News’ Brian Williams.

The American Red Cross response to Sandy is very large and will be very costly, affecting a massive area spanning much of the eastern half of the country. Financial donations help the American Red Cross provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by disasters like Hurricane Sandy. To donate, people can visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/nbc-live-hurricane-sandy-telethon-friday-matt-lauer-host-bruce-springsteen-billy-joel-sting-christina-aguilera/

TV Notes
Why the Sitcom Spinoff Isn’t Coming Back
By Josef Adalian, Vulture.com - Nov. 1, 2012

The news that NBC has opted against moving forward with The Farm, the Dwight-centric spinoff of The Office, marks the latest bit of bad news for what was once one of TV's most common genres. Ever since 1960, when CBS enlisted M*A*S*H's future Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan) to move his December Bride character of Pete Porter to a new show called Pete and Gladys, networks have been exploiting their most successful sitcoms by creating new shows engineered from the DNA of those hits. But while the practice is still fairly common with TV dramas, sitcom spinoffs have become increasingly rare: The last major-network comedy to transplant a regular character into a new show was Fox's Family Guy, which begat The Cleveland Show in 2009. TV's comedy drought of the aughts, which saw some networks struggling to put together even a single night of sitcoms, helps explain why the spinoff went dormant. But with comedy presence ascendant again — six are currently battling each other Tuesdays from 9-10 p.m. — there's once again plenty of raw material from which to create Schmidt Happens or Being Barney. However, the changing nature of TV comedy, as well as the never-ending fragmentation of the small-screen audience, might make a new golden age of spinoffs unlikely.

Comedy spinoffs used to be omnipresent across the dial (back when all of the networks could fit on a single dial). While few remember Pete and Gladys, one of the most successful sitcoms in TV history — The Andy Griffith Show — began life as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show. The form probably reached its apex during the seventies, when comedy titans such as Norman Lear and Garry Marshall perfected the art. Lear's All in the Family led to Maude and The Jeffersons, which both eventually got their own spinoffs for their respective family's maids, Florida (Good Times) and Florence (Checking In). Yes, spinoffs of spinoffs! Marshall was even more successful at the art. He used a segment of his sixties anthology series Love, American Style to showcase what would ultimately become Happy Days. And once Happy Days was a hit unto itself on ABC, Marshall began cranking out offshoots: Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Joanie Loves Chachi, Out of the Blue, Blanksy's Beauties. James L. Brooks was also a prolific spinoffer. His Mary Tyler Moore Show led to the well-received Rhoda and Lou Grant (a drama, but still a spinoff of a comedy), as well as the less-successful (but not awful) Phyllis (it lasted 48 episodes). He also took the animated interstitial characters from his Fox sketch series The Tracey Ullman Show and gave them The Simpsons.

It's important to note that there are two kind of spinoffs. Planted spinoffs are vehicles by which producers introduce a character (Maude Findlay; Out of the Blue's guardian angel, who protected Chachi from the devil) into an existing series with the planned intention of launching a new show built around him or her. And so the producers of All in the Family constructed an episode introducing the world to Archie's heretofore unseen liberal cousin who would then move to Maude; Garry Marshall had Chachi visited by a guardian angel named Random, the same character who'd star in Out of the Blue; and the brain trust at Married with Children constructed an episode that introduced to the world two guys named Charlie (Joseph Bologna) and Vinnie (a pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc), all to make way for the short-lived Top of the Heap. Meanwhile, the character-based spinoff takes a recurring or regular figure from a show (Louise Jefferson, Joanie Cunningham, Flo from Alice, Sheriff Lobo from B.J. and the Bear) and puts them in a new situation. While we haven't run the numbers, the latter type of spinoff is probably the most dominant in TV history and most likely to yield a hit. Character-based spinoffs are also more successful because audiences have already formed a bond with the characters moving into a different world (or, A Different World). Of course, oftentimes the character being spun off isn't particularly integral to the parent series: Family Matters was based on a small recurring character from Perfect Strangers, elevator operator Harriette Winslow (Jo Marie Peyton). Likewise, Carla Tortelli's annoying ex-husband Nick was only a sporadic presence on Cheers before NBC ordered up the ill-fated The Tortellis.

However, while character-based spinoffs had better odds, they were hardly infallible. Sure, Frasier went on to become almost as successful as Cheers, and The Facts of Life may actually be more iconic now than the show from which it originated, Diff'rent Strokes. But the eighties also saw many failed spinoffs, some of which didn't even get past the pilot stage. NBC really wanted to give Scott Valentine a show based on his Family Ties character of Nick Moore (Mallory's boyfriend), but the Bruce Helford–produced The Art of Being Nick never got off the ground (despite such an amazing title!). After M*A*S*H, unfortunately, did get off the ground, but it crashed almost from the start, since, amazingly, nobody wanted to see Father Mulcahy fight alcoholism or Klinger not wearing a dress. (Thankfully, CBS wisely opted not to order a series version of another M*A*S*H spinoff, the unbelievably titled Radar-centric W*A*L*T*E*R).

But over the past decade, we've seen very few spinoffs. As a shorthand explanation, some cite the failure of Friends continuation Joey back in 2004 as killing any remaining momentum for the form. But that's too simplistic of a fall guy. As mentioned earlier, the fact that TV comedies became something of an endangered species at the start of the 21st century has to be considered a prime suspect in any investigation of what killed the sitcom spinoff. After all, other genres of TV show that have expanded in the last decade rather than constricted have led to many spinoffs. Law & Order and CSI yielded so many iterations that they're no longer called "spinoffs" but "brand extensions" that are part of a "franchise." There've been plenty of other drama spinoffs in recent years, from NCIS: Cool J and the Grey's Anatomy–birthed Private Practice to the short-lived Bones offshoot, The Finder. And reality TV producers are now so craven with spinning shows off that Garry Marshall would likely blush at their efforts: The Bachelor begat The Bachelorette, Jersey Shore has multiplied into several other shows, the Kardashians keep breeding, and Toddlers & Tiaras resulted in the even more popular Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo.

But the last two seasons have demonstrated that TV comedy is no longer an ailing genre. What's preventing a rush of spinoffs now may simply be this: While there are now a decent number of half-hour comedies on the air, very few are broad enough or boast high enough ratings to merit new extensions. From Community and Parks and Recreation to Happy Endings and Raising Hope, network schedules are filled with half-hours that exist simply because networks know they probably could do even worse in the ratings, and not because the shows are mass hits. And what of those shows that do have relatively big audiences? Well, two regimes at NBC clearly thought The Office might be able to support a continuation. Ben Silverman (a producer of The Office even before he took over NBC Entertainment) worked with Greg Daniels to birth a spinoff all the way back in 2008, but the project never moved forward and ultimately morphed into what became Parks and Recreation. More recently, Bob Greenblatt gave the go-ahead for The Farm, but seemed to realize that he'd waited too long; his support for the idea seemed to wane almost simultaneously with the ratings decline of The Office. The project was originally meant to be a stand-alone pilot, industry insiders have told Vulture. But by last spring, producer Paul Lieberstein told us the plan had changed and that the spinoff would now be shot as an episode of The Office, thus saving NBC money: The network could then sell ads on the "pilot" and reap syndication profit from the additional half-hour of the show. We haven't seen the finished product for The Farm, but it doesn't seem completely coincidental that news of NBC's passing came just days after the show aired its least-watched original episode yet (4 million in same-day eyeballs).

And that leaves us with the handful of hit comedies that would, in different times, appear to be ready to spawn spinoffs. ABC's Modern Family remains the most logical candidate for an offshoot. Indeed, a veteran from the glory days of spinoffs — Fred Silverman, who ran ABC, NBC, and CBS at different times in his career — told Variety two years ago that he could already imagine what said sequel would be: "Mitchell and Cam." "They probably could take the gay couple and move 'em into an adjacent time period and have crossovers and basically have an hour show," Silverman told the trade. "I'm sure they've thought of it." But doing so might also very easily screw up the chemistry of Modern Family, tinkering with a formula that's given ABC its first comedy hit in years and producer 20th Century Fox TV a syndication powerhouse. In past decades, networks and studios might not have been as concerned about taking a gamble on a spinoff since the stakes were a little lower: There was less competition for eyeballs, and hits seemed to be more common. And when a spinoff failed, you could just, say, bring Joanie, Chachi, and their love back to Happy Days with no harm done. But in today's more delicate and tenuous ratings world, what network wants to risk ruining a rare comedy hit by greedily spinning it off? Even CBS, which boasts more comedy hits than any other broadcast network, has been cautious with spinoffs: It's so far avoided the seemingly obvious Neil Patrick Harris series or Big Bang Theory spinoff focused on Mayim Bialik's character.

TV Land recently aired a planted spinoff of its hit Hot in Cleveland, Cedric the Entertainer's The Soul Man. TV Land's determination to live in yestercentury's sitcom world makes it hard to take this as any kind of evidence of today's reality (also: Soul Man totally bombed in the ratings). And yet, as CBS's hits move closer to the end of their runs (particularly HIMYM, which has, at most, one more season left), we wouldn't be surprised if the idea of a spinoff gets some serious consideration. After all, these shows may end up being the last in a generation of mass-appeal comedy hits: Newer success stories such as New Girl and 2 Broke Girls are actually losing viewers in their second season and probably won't end up anywhere near as popular as their predecessors, even in key demo groups. With Comedy Central, Adult Swim, FX, and Internet channels allowing for a greater niche-ification of comedy — Tosh.0 and South Park draw more young men than most network comedies — it might actually make sense for programmers to start trying to find a way to extend the lifespans of their last remaining Big Comedy Hits, before they completely go away. Start jockeying CBS executives, Angus T. Jones: It may not be too late to pitch Half Man.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/nbc-live-hurricane-sandy-telethon-friday-matt-lauer-host-bruce-springsteen-billy-joel-sting-christina-aguilera/

TV Notes
The ‘CMA Awards,’ a little bit country
One of sweeps' big nights is increasingly featuring crossover acts
By Louisa Ada Seltzer, Media Life Magazine Staff - Nov. 1, 2012

The “Country Music Association Awards” are annually one of the biggest sweeps stunts in November, and that should hold true again this year.

Last year’s “CMAs” averaged a 4.8 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen, lifting ABC to its highest-rated night of sweeps.

This year the “CMAs,” airing tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC and hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, once again feature some of the top acts in music.

But are they really country? That’s the gripe being heard this year, with an increasing number of crossover artists, or just plain non-country folk, up for awards.

Pop princess Kelly Clarkson, for instance, is competing for female vocalist of the year for a country-tinged remixed of her hit song “Mr. Know It All.”

The Civil Wars, a folk group, has been nominated two times. Even Snoop Dogg is up for an award.

Those non-traditional country acts may not win, but they highlight the increasingly blurred line between country and other genres.

Country artists have long been crossing over into pop, seeking a wider audience. This goes back to the earliest days of country radio and stars like Hank Williams.

But is has become a lot more common in recent years.

Taylor Swift’s latest hit, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” has little twang in it. And country artists such as Lady Antebellum and Luke Bryan are frequently played on pop stations.

The reason may be that it’s harder than ever, in an iTunes-driven world, to come up with an album that appeals to everyone. By throwing in a few singles that appeal to fans of other genres, at least you’re guaranteeing strong singles sales.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/the-cma-awards-a-little-bit-country/

People did say that it was never ever getting released but then it was released on dvd, albeit non anamorphic, but it was released so you can never say never.

Never say never sounds like a 007 movie.

Whats a dvd ?

Week 9 NFL maps are up.

http://www.the506.com/nflmaps/2012/wk9.html

Critic's Notes
The week the lights went out in Jersey
Catching up on a strange week in TV in the wake of Hurricane Sandy
By Alan Sepinwall, HitFix.com - Nov. 1, 2012

How's everybody doing? We came through the storm just fine (we were much luckier than many of our neighbors, whose houses were struck by falling trees), but like most everyone in New Jersey, our house has been blacked out for days. I've found at least a temporary place to work that has electricity and internet, but it's been a strange few days, both inside and outside the storm's path.

The blackout hasn't exactly been like on "Revolution." Sandy didn't rewrite the laws of physics, which means anything gas- or battery-powered still works. But there's a definite information shortage inside the area, even if you have a charged smartphone, because the cell networks also took a beating. For much of the time, my only access to info was via texting and whatever the one news radio station we could pick up was broadcasting.

And the storm also led to a lot of rescheduling. At the last minute, for instance, CBS replaced its Monday shows with repeats(*), NBC randomly inserted a new "30 Rock" last night in place of what was supposed to be the final "Animal Practice," and "The Voice" will be running tonight in place of the usual sitcom lineup.(**) NBC is also going to air a telethon tomorrow night at 8 across most of the NBC/Universal/Comcast channels, and I wouldn't be surprised to see other networks join in on the act like they did after 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, etc.

(*) I wonder how this will affect DVRs when the episodes air this coming Monday. Last season, NBC mistakenly gave the same listing to two different "30 Rock" episodes, and when the second one aired, most DVRs didn't record it because they interpreted it as a repeat. I've asked CBS if they have a specific plan to avoid this.

(**) And, of course, one of the three advance reviews I had time to write before Sandy knocked out our power was for what was supposed to be this week's "Parks and Recreation." Oh, well. One less thing to do next week. (And it's a good episode.)

Among the TV stories I missed while I was out:

* NBC announced a mid-season schedule that finally includes a "Community" premiere date in February (and, despite every attempt to move the show elsewhere, it'll once again be on Thursdays at 8), the return of "Smash" to Tuesdays (along with the inevitable wave of "Smash: The Smash Williams Story" jokes) and an odd mid-season hiatus for the fall's biggest new hit, "Revolution." As Dan noted in the comments to his story on the schedule, both "The Event" and "FlashForward" had these big hiatuses, but those were two shows that had to do some creative retooling and were already starting to slide in the ratings, whereas "Revolution" has been doing just fine in the Nielsens and isn't undergoing any kind of behind-the-scenes shifts. (I'm a few episodes behind, so I can't speak to recent creative quality.) This becomes one of those issues the broadcast networks wrestle with with serialized dramas, where it can be more trouble than it's worth to air in the usual pattern, with repeats mixed in with original episodes. Ultimately, though, the "24" solution (wait until January and air 'em all) seems to be the only one that makes sense. Assuming the show's ratings aren't crippled by the long break and it returns for a second season, will NBC try that next year?

* There were several shows not on NBC's mid-season schedule that will get timeslots later, like Anne Heche's "Save Me," and one show that's not going forward at all: NBC passed on "The Office" spin-off about Dwight. Given that this was a show no one but people who would have been employed by it seemed to be looking forward to — and not just because Mose wouldn't have been a regular character — this seems a wise course of action.

* ABC gave full-season orders to both "The Neighbors" and "Scandal."

* FX finally closed the deal for a third season of "Wilfred," and showrunner David Zuckerman will voluntarily step down from that job (but stay with the show). Given that his successors are being promoted from within, I doubt you'll see much tonal change to the show, but we'll see.

* Oh, and this isn't a TV story — at least not yet — but Disney bought LucasFilm and will start making new "Star Wars" movies. Craziness.

So I'm online for a while now. Goal for this morning is to watch some of last night's sitcoms for a write-up and go from there. It's good to be back. For those of you were in the storm's path, I hope you're doing okay right now.

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/the-week-the-lights-went-out-in-jersey

Gotta give props to taylor she just sold 1.2 million week 1 copies of her latest cd which is the most sold in a week since eminem in 2002....way to got t-sizzle !!

WEDNESDAY's fast affiliate overnight prime-time ratings -and what they mean- have been posted on Analyst Marc Berman's Media Insight's Blog

While we enjoyed Common Law we'll live without it. My concern about this article is the last piece, that USA "has several unscripted shows slated for 2013 launches" One thing you can depend on with USA is light escapist dramadys. We don't need another network full of cruddy non-scripted (reality) TV.

Nielsen Overnights
Soft 'X Factor' Wins Wednesday for Fox, Tying 'Charlie Brown' Special
By Michael O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter's 'Live Feed' Blog - Nov. 1, 2012

The X Factor returned to live telecasts last night. With TV seeing its annual Halloween usage drop (down seven percent in adults 18-49 for all of primetime compared to last Wednesday) and an eleventh hour decision to move the episode from Thursday, the series pulled a 2.7 rating with adults 18-49 and 7.4 million viewers in time-zone adjusted numbers. That's a bump from last week's special telecast, but a 22 percent drop from the last Wednesday episode (3.5 rating with adults 18-49 on Oct. 11).

CBS earned a second place finish with a 2.5 adults rating and 10.9 million viewers for the night. Survivor was down 14 percent to a 2.4 rating in the demo. Criminal Minds pulled a 2.9 rating with adults 18-49, down six percent, and CSI dropped four percent to a 2.3 in the demo.

PHOTOS: The Odds on Which Fall Shows Will Survive

The annual special broadcast of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown grew by 17 percent from last year. The half-hour cartoon earned a 2.7 rating among adults 18-49, while the rest of the ABC block saw losses from last Wednesday. The Neighbors (1.8 adults rating) was down 10 percent, Modern Family (4.1 adults rating) fell 16 percent, Suburgatory (2.4 adults rating) dropped 11 percent and Nashville (1.8 adults rating) was down 10 percent. ABC averaged a 2.4 rating with 18-49-ers and 7 million viewers.

A displaced 30 Rock was steady on NBC with a 1.2 adults rating. Guys With Kids (1.4 adults rating) was also steady, while Law & Order: SVU (1.7 adults rating) and Chicago Fire (1.5 adults rating) were both down -- 11 and 17 percent, respectively. The network pulled a 1.5 demo rating for the night and 5.1 million viewers.

Arrow dropped a tenth of a point from last week to a 1.0 rating with adults 18-49 on The CW, while Supernatural (0.9 adults rating) rose two tenths of a point. The network averaged a 1.0 rating in the demo and 2.7 million viewers.

Univision brought in a 1.4 rating in the demo.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-soft-x-factor-385232

TV Notes
'Suits,' 'White Collar,' 'Necessary Roughness' Get January Return Dates
By Tim Molloy, TheWrap.com

USA has announced that its sunny dramas "Suits," "Necessary Roughness" and "White Collar" will return within days of each other in the dead of winter.

The top-rated cable network will bring back "Suits" for the second half of its second season on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 10/9c. Six episodes remain in the seaon.

"White Collar" will be back for the second half ot its fourth season on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 10/9 c. It will also air six episodes.

"Necesary Roughness" will wrap its second season with five episodes beginning Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 10/9c.

http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/suits-white-collar-necessary-roughness-get-january-return-dates-62956

Most of today's comedies aren't worthy of a spinoff.

Even AMC has reality shows. After Mad Men and Breaking Bad are concluded I don't have faith in AMC.

Nielsen Overnights
Letterman Visit Gives ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ Most-Watched Wednesday Ever
By Dominic Patten, Deadline.com - Nov. 1, 2012

David Letterman’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night delivered the ABC late-night show its biggest Wednesday audience since its 2003 debut. A total of 2.35 million viewers watched Letterman’s first visit to Kimmel. The second-best Wednesday for Kimmel came on January 4, 2006, just after ABC’s broadcast of the Rose Bowl, when 2.305 million viewers tuned in.

Broadcasting from Brooklyn, Kimmel also marked its best Wednesday rating in the adults 18-49 demographic since October 24, 2007, with 985,000 tuning in. That was the best the show has done on any night in the demo since June 19, 2012, during the NBA Finals. Although scheduled to broadcast from NYC all week, Kimmel shut down Monday due to Hurricane Sandy. The show resumed Tuesday.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/letterman-visit-gives-kimmel-most-watched-wednesday-ever/

TV Notes
'Revolution' showrunner teases blackout mystery solution
By James Hibberd, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - Nov. 1, 2012

Revolution showrunner Eric Kripke doesn’t want to hold onto the NBC drama’s central mystery — What caused the blackout? — too much longer. And he’s giving some hints about what the answer might entail.

“We’re talking very seriously about revealing [what caused the blackout] before end of this season,” Kripke tells EW. The answer is something that’s passed muster from a physicist consulted by the producers. So expect what caused the blackout to be at least somewhat scientifically plausible.

“The sweet spot is to find an answer that’s actually scarier than what you were thinking,” Kripke says. “Like, ‘Oh wait, this is not even just about electricity.’ And that’s what we’re designing. I don’t see any reason to withhold it much longer.”

Billy Burke, who plays Miles on the breakout drama, says Kripke’s blackout answer has managed to assure the actors, who have had many of the same questions about why certain technologies no longer function as fans. “We’re asking those questions on a daily basis,” Burke says. “We have conversations on set all the time — ‘What about this? What about that? Wouldn’t that work?’ There always seem to be a technologically sound answer for the questions.”

One fan question about the epic power loss that’s been asked since the pilot — Wouldn’t steam engines work? — was answered in a recent episode that showed a steam train. Another recent episode featuring a thunderstorm resulted in a debate in the writers room over whether lightning would still work (it does).

A giant Revolution revelation makes creative sense. Fans of the show don’t tune in each week for nuggets about the blackout mystery, so it’s really unlikely answering that question will result in a ratings drain. Whereas holding onto mysteries too long sometimes annoys viewers. The show’s characters, frankly, have bigger things to worry about. Noting that the blackout occurred 15 years before the show’s main storyline, Kripke asks, “How much are you sweating what happened in 1997?”

For more scoop on Revolution, check out this week’s issue of EntertainmentWeekly for a feature story on the show.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/11/01/revolution-blackout-answer/

If you go by "family tree spinoffs" then all in the family has the record for the most with 7:

archie bunkers place
gloria
the jeffersons
maude
good times
704 houser
checking in

Translation:

"NBC is concerned people might not come back after the show is off for 4 months, so they want to throw a teaser out there to wet the appetites of the viewers in hopes they can't resist coming back after the layoff."

It's a strategy that worked great for "The Event".

It's also kind of like the actors on "Dollhouse" saying "it gets better in episode 6". Perhaps it should have been better in episode 1...



What annoys me is taking 1/3 of the season for characters just getting Philadelphia - and more than that to follow them. It felt like Star Trek Voyager where they spend season one stopping off at every little planet to make friends while trying to travel 70 million light years back home.

The biggest problem other than the blackout for the characters seems to be all that walking.

TV Notes
Could the Disney-Lucas Deal Mean the Return of Muppet Babies?
By Gwynne Watkins, Vulture.com (New York Magazine) - Nov. 1, 2012

When we heard the news about Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, we manically considered all of the angles: Who would direct the new Star Wars movie? Would it continue the same story line? How do the fans feel about this? But suddenly we realized one possible major ramification of the deal that nobody is talking about: Does this mean Muppet Babies could finally come out on DVD and streaming? A generation of Skeeter fans just called for their smelling salts.

Before we explain the dominoes that George Lucas’s handover could cause to fall that would lead to this long-awaited rerelease, some background on a show that’s theme song you can probably still sing by heart if you're a child of the eighties. The animated series, which ran for eight seasons from 1984 to 1991, followed the adventures of preschool-age Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Animal, Rowlf, Scooter, and new addition Skeeter, as they played together in a nursery overseen by a benevolent-but-faceless caretaker named Nanny (voiced by Leave It to Beaver’s Barbara Billingsley). The premise doesn't really hold up to scrutiny: It was based on a flashback segment from The Muppets Take Manhattan and completely contradicted the origin story of the first Muppet Movie, and why were all the Muppets being raised together in the first place, anyway? Were they all secretly related? Was the "nursery" an orphanage for wayward puppets? Logic aside, Muppet Babies was very much in the spirit of The Muppet Show, with catchy songs, corny jokes, and vivid characters. It was quality programming that paved the way for countless shows about the power of childrens' imagination, from Rugrats to Phineas and Ferb. And after ending a syndicated run in 2000, it was never seen again.

What has prevented Muppet Babies, a hit show with endless merchandising tie-ins, from moving onto DVD, Blu-ray, or the Hub? Though a spokesperson for the Walt Disney Company declined to comment, the dominant fan theory has to do with copyright issues. One of the show's most inventive gimmicks — placing the animated Muppets into live-action film sequences as the characters "imagined" them — may have doomed its immortality. A lot of those scenes used stock footage, but there were also plenty of recognizable clips from film and TV; the opening credits alone utilized the boulder scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark and an X-wing fight from Star Wars. Ghostbusters, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Three Stooges, and The African Queen all made appearances during the series. (We also seem to recall an episode that used footage from Fritz Lang's Metropolis, but maybe we just fell asleep during a college film course.) Basically, it's a rights nightmare.

Except … a lot of that footage is owned by Lucasfilm, which is now owned by Disney, which acquired the Muppets in 2004. Furthermore, Muppet Babies was produced by Marvel Productions, a subsidiary of the Marvel Entertainment Group, which Disney acquired in 2009. It's like every move Disney has made has been part of the enormous, top-secret master plan of releasing Muppet Babies on Blu-ray!

[CLICK LINK TO SEE YOUTUBE CLIPS OF "MUPPET BABIES"]

http://www.vulture.com/2012/11/muppet-babies-disney-lucas-merger.html

TV Notes
'Fairly Legal' cancelled
By Sandra Gonzalez, EW.com's 'Inside TV' Blog - Nov. 1, 2012

The gang on Fairly Legal has fought their last case.

After two seasons, the USA legal drama starring Sarah Shahi has been cancelled, USA confirms to EW.

“Sarah Shahi is undoubtedly a star and we’re thrilled she’ll be joining our sister network NBC on Chicago Fire,” USA said in a statement. “We are proud of Fairly Legal and thank the very talented cast and crew for two fantastic seasons.”

Shahi, who is said to have a multi-episode arc as a love interest for Taylor Kinney’s Lt. Kelly Severide on Fire, isn’t the only cast member keeping busy these days. Michael Trucco has been appearing steadily on the current season of How I Met Your Mother as Robin’s boyfriend, Nick.

Just yesterday, USA lowered the ax on another drama — freshman buddy-cop show Common Law.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/11/01/fairly-legal-cancelled/

TV Notes
'Hell on Wheels' on Hold as AMC Searches for New Showrunner
By Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter's 'Live Feed' Blog - Nov. 1, 2012

AMC's third-season renewal for Hell on Wheels is on hold.

Mere days after the Western starring Anson Mount and Common was picked up for a 10-episode third season with John Shiban at its helm, the new showrunner has departed the series, citing personal reasons.

"John Shiban has informed AMC, Entertainment One and Endemol that while he was fully on board when the network informed him about their intent to pick-up Hell on Wheels, he has since made the personal decision that he will be unable to return as showrunner," AMC said in a statement on behalf of co-producers Endemol and Entertainment One. "He has asked the production partners to seek a replacement showrunner. Like all of our shows, network pick-ups are always conditioned on an approved showrunner. We are confident that eOne and Endemol will satisfy that obligation in the near future."

Shiban (Breaking Bad, The X-Files), who has been with the series since its first season, was set to take over for creators/showrunners Joe and Tony Gayton, who exited the drama after their contract was not picked up. The brothers will continue to consult on the series when and if a new showrunner is found.

"I'm very proud of our work on Hell on Wheels and was thrilled to hear the show would have a season three. I have since made the difficult decision that the time has come for me to leave," Shiban said in a statement. "I care deeply about the series and will do whatever I can to aid in the transition to ensure the continued success of the show. I truly value all the time I have spent with this wonderful group of very talented people."

AMC renewed the series, from Endemol, Entertainment One and Nomadic Pictures, on Monday. The period drama's second season was down 2 million total viewers after losing ratings juggernaut The Walking Dead as a lead-in. Season two's 2.4 million viewers are down considerably from the 3 million the series averaged during its freshman run. Season two concluded its run Oct. 7.

For AMC, the move marks the latest in a string of behind-the-scenes showrunner drama among its original fare. The network fired Frank Darabont from The Walking Dead ahead of its second season, and Rubicon creator/EP Jason Horwitch exited during its lone season.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/hell-wheels-on-hold-showrunner-385382

TV Notes
HBO Picks Up To Series ‘Hello Ladies’ Comedy Pilot From Stephen Merchant, Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky
By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline.com - Nov. 1, 2012

EXCLUSIVE: HBO has given an eight-episode series order to Hello Ladies, its comedy pilot co-written, directed by and starring Stephen Merchant. The project, which The Office co-creator co-wrote with former Office writer-producers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, stars the 6 foot-7 Merchant as a gawky Englishman searching for the woman of his dreams in Los Angeles. Half as charming as he thinks he is — and twice as desperate — he’s obsessed with infiltrating the glamorous world of beautiful people. Unfortunately the beautiful people won’t let him in. Merchant, who also explored the theme in his Hello Ladies standup show last year, Eisenberg and Stupnitsky executive produce the series, which HBO is producing in association with ABC Studios. Eisenberg and Stupnitsky are under an overall deal at ABC Studios, which blessed their involvement in the project, including its sale to HBO. The Hello Ladies pilot co-starred Christine Woods, Nate Torrence and Kevin Weisman.

On the feature side, Eisenberg and Stupnitsky, repped by WME and Mosaic, co-wrote box-office hit Bad Teacher. The duo has had a great run in TV the last few months with Hello Ladies, another pilot order at ABC with Trophy Wife, written and executive produced by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins and starring Malin Ackerman, an adaptation of the British series Pulling for ABC which they are writing/executive producing, and a Bad Teacher half-hour adaptation at CBS penned by Hilary Winston.

Writer-actor-standup comedian Merchant is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais. The duo co-created The Office, Extras and Life’s Too Short, the last two co-produced and airing in the U.S. on HBO. Additionally, WME-repped Merchant co-starred opposite Gervais on Extras. In addition to Hello Ladies, HBO recently gave a straight-to-series order to Christopher Guest’s Family Tree starring Chris O’Dowd. The network’s pilots also include comedy Getting On and dramas Criminal Justice starring James Gandolfini and Charles Randolph’s Cold War spy drama pilot.

http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/hbo-picks-up-to-series-hello-ladies-comedy-pilot-from-stephen-merchant-lee-eisenberg-gene-stupnitsky/

Nielsen Overnights (18-49)
Peppier ‘Pumpkin’ for ABC on Wednesday
'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' draws a 2.7 in 18-49s
By Toni Fitzgerald, Media Life Magazine - Nov. 1, 2012

Airing on Halloween seemed to give ABC’s annual kids’ special “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” a lift on a night when overall TV usage levels were down as kids and parents went trick or treating.

“Pumpkin” averaged a 2.7 adults 18-49 rating at 8 p.m. last night, according to Nielsen overnights, up 17 percent from a 2.3 last year and its best rating in three years.

The show drew a 2.5 among kids 2-11, easily the top-rated program of the night in the demo and ABC's best rating in the timeslot in the demo in two years.

But many others did not fare as well. Primetime TV viewing levels were down 7 percent versus last week, according to Nielsen, and they were off even more sharply, 9 percent, from 8 to 10 p.m., while kids were still out getting their treats.

Some of that was also probably due to the millions of households without power because of Hurricane Sandy.

A number of shows saw week-to-week declines, including ABC’s “Modern Family,” the night’s top program with a season-low 4.1 at 9 p.m. It was down 16 percent from last week.

At 8 p.m., CBS’s “Survivor” slid 14 percent to a season-low 2.4.

NBC’s “30 Rock,” airing on a special night with an election-related episode, and NBC’s “Guys with Kids” were two of the few shows to remain flat to last week’s timeslot performance, though still with low ratings, a 1.2 and a 1.4, respectively.

Fox’s “The X Factor” grew 13 percent from last week’s episode, its lowest-rated of the season, which aired on a Tuesday night rather than the usual Wednesday because of baseball. “Factor” averaged a 2.6.

Fox led the night among 18-49s with a 2.6 average overnight rating and an 8 share. CBS was second at 2.5/8, ABC third at 2.4/7, NBC fourth at 1.5/4, Univision fifth at 1.4/4, CW sixth at 1.0/3 and Telemundo seventh at 0.5/2.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback, which includes shows replayed before 3 a.m. the night before. Seven-day DVR data won't be available for several weeks. Forty-six percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

At 8 p.m. Fox and CBS tied for first at 2.4, Fox for "Factor" and CBS for "Survivor," with ABC third with a 2.3 for "Pumpkin" (2.7) and "The Neighbors" (1.8). NBC and Univision tied for fourth at 1.3, NBC for "Rock" (1.2) and "Kids" (1.4) and Univision for "Por Ella Soy Eva." CW was sixth with a 1.0 for "Arrow" and Telemundo seventh with a 0.4 for "Rosa Diamante."

ABC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 3.3 for "Family" (4.1) and "Suburgatory" (2.4), while CBS took second with a 2.9 for "Criminal Minds." Fox was third with a 2.8 for more "Factor," NBC fourth with a 1.7 for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Univision fifth with a 1.5 for "Abismo de Pasion," CW sixth with a 0.9 for "Supernatural" and Telemundo seventh with a 0.5 for "Corazon Valiente."

At 10 p.m. CBS moved to first with a 2.3 for "CSI," with ABC second with a 1.8 for "Nashville." NBC was third with a 1.5 for "Chicago Fire," Univision fourth with a 1.3 for "Amor Bravio" and Telemundo fifth with a 0.6 for "Pablo Escobar: El Patron del Mal" (0.7) and "El Rostro de la Venganza" (0.5).

CBS was first for the night among households with a 6.8 average overnight rating and an 11 share. Fox was second at 4.5/7, ABC third at 4.3/7, NBC fourth at 3.4/6, Univision fifth at 1.9/3, CW sixth at 1.7/3 and Telemundo seventh at 0.7/1.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/peppier-pumpkin-for-abc-on-wednesday/

TV Sports
CBS announcer Gary Danielson takes shot at Notre Dame
By Michael Hiestand, USA Today - Nov. 1, 2012

If the four undefeated teams atop college football's polls all finish undefeated, CBS' Gary Danielson says Notre Dame is the last team he'd put in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

"My personal tiebreaker is that a conference championship game has to stand for something," says Danielson, who'll call CBS' Alabama-LSU on Saturday (8 p.m. ET). "I would penalize Notre Dame for not playing in a conference championship. So after Alabama, my first nod would be to Oregon, since its conference has earned respect, then Kansas State and only then Notre Dame."

Actually, says Danielson, even if Alabama had one loss he might put the Crimson Tide in the BCS title game over undefeated teams: "You'd have to put them in the discussion, because they've earned it given what the conference has accomplished."

But Joey Harrington, studio analyst for Fox, which airs No. 2 Oregon at No. 17 USC Saturday (7 p.m. ET), couldn't disagree more about any team with a loss -- even Alabama -- being allowed to bypass unbeaten teams: "No, not even a chance. The SEC historically has been the best conference and probably is this year. ... But Alabama's schedule this year does not make them deserving if they have a loss."

Harrington, an ex-Oregon quarterback, also has an explanation for how the Ducks have gone from so-so to a perennial national title contender: "It was a combination of the (flashy Nike) uniforms, which gets them in the door with recruits, and coach Chip Kelly, that got them to the top."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/11/01/gary-danielson-takes-shot-at-notre-dame/1675805/

"Luther" gets third season pick-up by BBC UK. No news yet of when/if this third season will show up in the States.

Technology/Business Notes
Japan’s Electronics Behemoths Speak of Dire Times Ahead
By Hiroko Tabuchi, The New York Times - Nov. 2, 2012

TOKYO — After years of bets gone wrong and lost opportunities, three of Japan’s consumer electronics giants are showing some signs of faltering.

In the most dire warning, Sharp forecast on Thursday a 450 billion yen ($5.6 billion) full-year loss and warned that it had “material doubts” about its ability to survive.

On the same day, Panasonic’s shares lost a fifth of their value in Tokyo after the company forecast a 765 billion yen ($9.6 billion) annual net loss from write-downs in its solar-power, battery and mobile handset businesses.

And Sony, perhaps the best positioned of the companies, posted a net loss of 15.5 billion yen ($194 million) for the quarter on Thursday and warned of falling sales in almost every product it sells.

“We have a lot of great technology which we want to tap to revive and generate profit, but the company does not have that vitality,” Takashi Okuda, Sharp’s chief executive, told reporters after the company posted a net loss of 249 billion yen ($3.1 billion) for the three months to September. The loss was far larger than expected.

In a statement, the company said it had a “serious negative operating cash flow” which raised “serious doubts” about its ability to continue as a going concern, and said it was taking steps, including pay cuts, voluntary redundancies and asset sales, to generate cash flow.

While Sharp is in the most serious trouble, the three companies’ woes are similar at the core.

All three make good quality, even cutting-edge products — but so do their overseas competitors, usually at lower prices. None of the three have managed to generate the brand pizazz of Apple, or the marketing muscle of Samsung Electronics. In addition, a stubbornly strong yen continues to sap their competitiveness, while Japan’s territorial dispute with China has hurt sales there.

The scale of the losses is the result of specific missteps, from huge investments in the wrong technologies to a reluctance to exit loss-making businesses. A manufacturing bubble here in the mid-2000s — fed partly by an unusually weak currency and Americans flush with cash from rising home prices — masked continued weaknesses in their business models and spurred the companies to take big bets that backfired.

When the global financial crisis brought that boom to an end in 2008, the three were saddled with excess capacity, bloated work forces and investments that they could hardly hope to recoup. And their refusal to make a big enough departure from the ways of their glory years is now making a comeback difficult.

“Many investors are longing for reforms that will let all of the pus out,” Yuji Fujimori, technology analyst at Barclays Capital in Tokyo, said in a recent note to clients.

Sharp’s stumble, in many ways, has been the most humbling. It was the biggest beneficiary of the manufacturing bubble: from 2000 to 2007, its profits jumped 150 percent. Sharp’s high-end Aquos liquid-crystal display televisions — which it manufactured at state-of-the-art factories in Kameyama, in western Japan — were a runaway hit in the nascent flat-panel market. The spinoff Aquos cellphone topped Japanese sales rankings. Sharp’s solar batteries also sold briskly, helped by a bubble in green technologies.

The company’s success during this period seemed to validate Japan’s penchant for manufacturing their most important products in-house. In advertisements, Sharp showed off its cutting-edge factories.

But even before the financial crisis, analysts were warning of an impending crash in prices of flat-panel televisions, which were fast becoming commodities that cheap upstarts could emulate. In 2008, the iPhone made its debut in Japan, the end of an era for Japanese-style cellphones. Chinese upstarts were starting to flood global markets with cheap solar panels and batteries. In consumer electronics, outsourced manufacturing became the norm.

Still, Sharp did not change course. It built a new factory in Sakai, Japan, which could make 6 million large LCD panels a year — more than the size of the global market at the time. Sharp missed the smartphone wave, and its cellphone sales in Japan halved from 2007 to 2012. And in late 2011, the solar bubble burst, driving many solar power companies into bankruptcy and Sharp’s solar batteries business into the red. The unit has not turned a profit since.

Now, the Kameyama factories no longer make televisions but panels for Apple’s iPhones and iPads.

Panasonic, for its part, also bet heavily on plasma televisions in 2003, pouring some 600 billion yen into a series of factories in Amagasaki, not far from Sharp’s own plant. It also bet on solar panels and rechargeable batteries, buying Sanyo in 2009.

But with plasma now a fading technology and solar power struggling, Panasonic is saddled with major losses. Last year, it announced that a factory in Amagasaki was closing, less than two years after it opened.

Kazuhiro Tsuga, who took the helm at Panasonic this year, was blunt in describing his company’s predicament. “We are among the losers in consumer electronics," he told a news conference on Wednesday. He now promises to shift the company away from money-losing televisions and gadgets.

Of the three, Sony now seems the most prescient. Its executives have preached the power of networks and content since the 1990s, building up a vast catalog of music and movies to lure users to their devices. Sony has also moved to slash costs and jobs and sell off some unprofitable businesses, refocusing the company on digital cameras and imaging technology, video games and mobile devices. This quarter, the sale of its chemical products business, which made materials for LCDs and optical discs, helped alleviate losses. Sony is now making a push into the medical field with an investment in the endoscope maker Olympus.

Internal squabbling has quashed its efforts to marry its hardware and software, however, and it refuses to abandon one of its biggest money-losers, its television business, which has bled red ink for eight consecutive years.

“We intend to hunker down and build a profitable business,” Masaru Kato, Sony’s chief financial officer, told a news conference Thursday. “And where we can, we will chase new markets.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/business/global/sony-sharp-and-panasonic-report-significant-losses.html?ref=technology&_r=0