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Thursday: Another Big Hit |
Posted 1/27/12 |
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FOX (12.75 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1) held onto the top spot on
Thursday with new episodes of "American Idol" (16.99
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.4, #T1) and "The
Finder" (8.51 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.9,
#4), which hit a series high. CBS (11.27 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then claimed the silver with fresh installments of "The Big Bang Theory" (15.96 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.4, #T1) and "Rob" (11.58 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.5, #3) followed by repeats of "Person of Interest" (10.48 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #5) and "The Mentalist" (9.56 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T6). Next up was NBC (3.65 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3) with its mix of "30 Rock" (3.84 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.6, #9), "Parks & Recreation" (3.48 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.7, #8), a second "30 Rock" (4.00 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T6), "Up All Night" (3.03 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #11) and "The Firm" (3.77 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #13). Meanwhile, ABC (3.88 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) offered up encores of "Winter Wipeout" (4.86 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.5, #10), "Grey's Anatomy" (3.99 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.3, #12) and "Private Practice" (2.79 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #14). And finally, the feature "The Covenant" (1.31 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.5, #15) on The CW (1.31 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), the film delivered a 0.5 rating. |
 An "American Idol" propelled Fox wins Wednesday in demo (photo courtesy Fox/FremantleMedia) |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/27/12 |
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Wednesday: Good News Bad
News |
Posted 1/26/12 |
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FOX (15.69 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 5.2, #1) cruised to victory on
Wednesday with a new "American Idol" (19.51 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.4, #1) followed by the
series preview of "Touch" (11.87 million viewers, #4;
adults 18-49: 3.9, #2). Said numbers marked this
season's second highest rated drama opening ("Once Upon
a Time") not to mention was FOX's highest-rated drama
opening in three years ("Lie to Me") and the highest
retention for a drama opening after "Idol" ever. The bad
news... if you can call it that... "Idol" dropped 11.11
percent from last week and 34 percent from last year. CBS (11.88 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2) then claimed the silver with a repeat of "Criminal Minds" (7.91 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T6) followed by new episodes of "Criminal Minds" (13.70 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.6, #3) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (14.03 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.3, #4). Next up was ABC (4.37 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3) with its all-repeat lineup of "The Middle" (5.26 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.5, #8), "Suburgatory" (4.21 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T9), "Modern Family" (6.49 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.5, #5), "Happy Endings" (4.02 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T6) and "Revenge" (3.12 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #14). Meanwhile, NBC (3.99 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) offered up new episodes of "Whitney" (4.50 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T9) and "Are You There, Chelsea?" (3.90 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T9) as well as repeats of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.75 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.2, #13) and another "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.01 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T9). "Minute to Win It" performed better in the 8p slot by a 12.5 percent margin last year. And finally, a new "One Tree Hill" (1.47 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #15) led into an encore of "Remodeled" (0.66 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.3, #16) on The CW (1.06 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Hill" delivered a 1.5 rating while "Remodeled" posted a 0.4 rating. |
An "American Idol" propelled Fox wins Wednesday in demo (photo courtesy Fox/FremantleMedia) |
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My Family Renewed in
Russia |
Posted 1/26/12 |
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Russian broadcaster CTC has
launched a second season of gameshow format My Family vs
The Nation, from Paris production company French TV. Following good results for the first season this summer, the Russian channel has scheduled the show for eight weeks in its Sunday 17.00 strand. The format is also currently under option with Studio ATA in Greece and at Peppermind in Latin America. Two other options for French TV formats were signed in Spain recently. Four Luck Banana has picked up factual entertainment format Restyle Your Parents, while Vamos Aver Television has taken the company’s flagship gameshow Duel. The latter sale was achieved via France Télévisions Distribution (FTD), with whom the prodco now has a non-exclusive distribution arrangement. FTD was already involved in the development of My Family Vs The Nation. French TV’s first-look agreement with Endemol came to an end on December 31 and won’t be renewed. French TV will again handle international distribution of its new projects, with only Stuck in a Gameshow remaining at Endemol. |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/26/12 |
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The 20th Race Is Set |
Posted 1/25/12 |
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They’re baaaaaaaaaack!
That’s right, Big Brother repeat offenders Rachel Reilly
and Brendon Villegas have become the latest pair of CBS
reality stars to try their hand at sprinting across the
globe for a million dollars when season 20 of The
Amazing Race kicks off on Feb. 19 at 8pm. The engaged
couple will be following in the frequent flier footsteps
of Big Brother’s Jeff Schroeder and Jordan Lloyd,
Survivor’s Boston Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich (who
played twice), Survivor’s Ethan John and Jenna Morasca,
as well as Big Brother’s Alison Irwin (and her out of
house boyfriend Donny Patrick). Rachel and Brendon will be competing against 10 other teams, including married clowns, federal agents, border patrol agents, dating divorcees, and, naturally, twins. Along the way, players will be forced to skydive, train with Masai warriors in Tanzania, and visit the German castle that served as the inspiration for the one in Sleeping Beauty. The show will also be traveling for the first time ever to Paraguay and Azerbaijan. The 11 teams competing on season 20 of The Amazing Race: - Dave Brown Jr. & Rachel Brown: 33/30; Madison, WI; US Army/project manager; married - William "Bopper" Minton & Mark Jackson: 41/45; Manchester, KY; motorcycle mechanic/former state inspector; best friends - Nary Ebeid & Jamie Graetz: 32/33; Los Angeles; federal agents - Brendon Villegas & Rachel Reilly: 31/27; Westwood, CA; PhD student/event hostess; engaged - Joey "Fitness" Lasalla & Danny Horal: 29/27; Whitestone/Holbrook, NY; trainer/nightclub promoter; friends - Misa & Maiya Tanaka: 27/25; San Diego; car buyer/pro golfer; sisters - Dave & Cherie Gregg: 44; New Port Richey, FL; "Ambassadors of Laughter"; married clowns - Elliot & Andrew Weber: 28; Scottsdale, AZ; musician/pro soccer player; twins - Kerri Paul & Stacy Bowers: 30; Gulfport, MS; program coordinator/"basketball wife"; cousins - Vanessa Macias & Ralph Kelley: 31/36; San Antonio; writer/bar owner; dating divorcees - Art Velez & JJ Carrell: 43/42; Temecula/Carlsbad, CA; border patrol agents |
 "The Amazing Race" returns February 19 (photo courtesy CBS) |
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Tuesday: The State of the
Union Is Strong... But Enough About That |
Posted 1/25/12 |
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FOX (6.99 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1) held onto the demo crown with
a repeat of "American Idol" (9.51 million viewers, #2;
adults 18-49: 3.3, #1) and the "FOX News Special" (5.30
million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.7, #5). NBC (6.55 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #2) then snagged the silver with a new "The Biggest Loser 13" (6.32 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) followed by its "NBC News Special" (7.13 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T3) and a half-hour of "State of the Union Analysis" (5.26 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #10). The erosion for "Loser" continues with a 30 percent drop from last year in the demo and an eight percent drop from last week. Next up was CBS (8.39 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) with an encore of "NCIS" (12.37 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T3), its "CBS News Special" (7.11 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #6) and a repeat of "The Big Bang Theory" (4.29 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T11). Meanwhile, ABC (5.40 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) offered up repeats of "Last Man Standing" (5.53 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7) and "Last Man Standing" (5.23 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7) alongside its "ABC News Special" (5.96 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7) and a repeat of "Modern Family" (3.77 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T11). |
An "American Idol" propelled Fox wins Tuesday in demo (photo courtesy Fox/FremantleMedia) |
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Syndies: Wheel Owns You
For Free |
Posted 1/25/12 |
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Judge Judy (CTD), Dr. Phil (CTD)
and Anderson (WBDTD) were the daytime syndication
standouts in the session ending Jan. 15. Among game shows, Wheel of Fortune (CTD) inched up 3% from the previous session to a new season high 7.8, topping the list of all syndicated shows for the week. Jeopardy (CTD) upticked 2% to a 6.3; while Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) were unchanged at 3.2 and 2.6, respectively. |
 "Family Feud" will continue on to the 16th season (photo courtesy FremantleMedia) |
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DICK
TUFELD: 1926-2012 |
Posted 1/25/12 |
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Dick Tufeld, a longtime
radio and TV announcer who intoned "Danger, Will
Robinson!" as the voice of the Robot in the 1960s
science-fiction TV series "Lost in Space," has died. He
was 85. Tufeld died Sunday at his home in Studio City while watching the NFL playoffs, his family said. He had heart disease and had been in declining health since sustaining a fall last year. In "Lost in Space," producer Irwin Allen's futuristic retelling of the "Swiss Family Robinson" story that aired on CBS from 1965 to 1968, actor Bob May wore the Robot costume and Tufeld provided the voice. Besides warning young Will Robinson of impending danger, Tufeld's Robot uttered other lines that became catchphrases for faithful viewers — including "That does not compute" — and needled the antagonistic Dr. Zachary Smith with barbs like "Dr. Smith is a bubble-headed booby." Tufeld was the announcer for Allen's other TV shows, including "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and "The Time Tunnel," and his narration and other voice-over work could be heard on an array of TV programs. He introduced many Walt Disney productions, notably the 1950s TV series "Zorro" and Disney's long-running prime-time anthology series. His other TV credits from the '50s through the '90s included "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends," "The Fantastic Four," "The Gallant Men," "Surfside 6," "Annie Oakley" and variety shows starring Judy Garland and Julie Andrews. In the game show realm, Tufeld announced Celebrity Sweepstakes, Don Adams' Screen Test, and People Are Funny. GSNN's Chris Tufts contributed to this story. |
 Dick Tufeld (photo courtesy TV Rage) |
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Veja a Seguir! |
Posted 1/25/12 |
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Brazilian broadcaster
Bandeirantes has ordered a local remake of Still
Standing, the Israeli gameshow, following the debut of
the US version on NBC recently. The Bandeirantes Communications Group network will launch its own version later this year, with a local producer being lined up to create the show. The trivia format, originally developed by July-August Production for Israel’s Channel 10, sees one main competitor and 10 challengers compete for a US$1m jackpot, with losers evicted from the game through trap doors under their feet. The commission comes after Still Standing completed its second season on Israel’s Channel 10, where it scored strong ratings. A third season has been ordered for spring this year. US broadcaster NBC launched its version, Who’s Still Standing?, in December and is currently running the show weekly. Spain’s Antena 3 and Hungary’s M1 have both aired local versions with success and 10 others are in development in territories such as France and Germany. “We were looking for a funny and exciting game to bring back this genre to Bandeirantes and we think Still Standing has all the elements to be as big a hit in Brazil as it is in Spain,” said the Brazilian channel’s research and acquisitions manager Goyo Garcia. NBCUniversal International has Latin American and Asian format rights to the gameshow. Armoza Formats, which brought it to NBC, has format rights in all other territories. |
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Simon Cowell, Will & Jada
Pinkett Smith Looking for DJs |
Posted 1/25/12 |
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Simon Cowell's Syco
Entertainment partner with Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will
Smith's Overbrook Entertainment on the development and
launch of a live, new international TV format to find
the world's greatest DJs. This new format has already been developed and will be co-produced by Syco and Overbrook. The show will capture the incredible rise of the DJ phenomena. It has been in development for over a year and Syco, OE and Sony Pictures Television will soon announce their broadcast partners in both the US and the UK. Simon Cowell said: "We have been working on this show for over a year and we wanted to partner with the right people. As soon as I met Jada and Miguel from Overbrook, I knew they would be our ideal partners. DJ's are the new rock stars, it feels like the right time to make this show." "This show will comb the world to find a new breed of talent," said Jada Pinkett-Smith, "I am happy to be creating it alongside Simon Cowell, the Sony team, and my partner Miguel Melendez, on behalf of the Overbrook family. "We are thrilled to be working with Simon Cowell and our partners at Overbrook on what we know will be a tremendously successful global format," said Andrea Wong, President of International Production for Sony Pictures Television. |
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JAMES FARENTINO: 1938-2012 |
Posted 1/25/12 |
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James Farentino, a stage,
film and television actor who starred in "The Bold Ones:
The Lawyers" TV series, died Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center in Los Angeles after a lengthy illness,
family spokesman Bob Palmer said. He was 73. Farentino made his Broadway debut in a 1961 production of "Night of the Iguana" and played Stanley Kowalski in a 1973 revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire." His movie roles include "The Pad and How to Use It" (1966). In 1994 Farentino pleaded no contest to stalking his ex-girlfriend, Tina Sinatra. Farentino is survived by his fourth wife, Stella, and two sons, David and Saverio. In the game show realm, Farentino appeared as a panelist on, among others, The Match Game, What's My Line?, Celebrity Bowling, Name Droppers, The Movie Game, Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Hollywood Squares GSNN's Chris Tufts contributed to this story. |
 James Farentino (photo courtesy Los Angeles Times) |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/25/12 |
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Batter Up! |
Posted 1/24/12 |
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MLB Network tonight debuts
“Baseball IQ,” its first original game show, in which
representatives from each MLB team go head-to-head in a
battle royale of baseball trivia. The series was taped
last week -- at a brisk pace of four sessions of filming
per day -- and two episodes will air back-to-back
tonight from 9:00-10:00pm ET.
Host Matt Vasgersian said each round of competition features “two players facing off, alternating listing correct answers within a category.” Vasgersian noted because of baseball’s wealth of history and statistics, it was difficult for the players to really prepare. “You kind of have to come here with your knowledge base,” Vasgersian said. “If you try to open up a baseball almanac before you got here, you’d be flooded with stuff that would probably muddy the waters for you.” Despite the difficulty in preparation, Vasgersian said he was impressed with more contestants “than I thought I would be.” He said, “Some of the categories that have been built, they haven’t gone nearly as deep into as we expected, and then others, they’ve come close to listing every answer correctly, which has surprised us.” He added, “After guys come on the show once, one thing I’ve taken their temperature on is whether or not they play Sporcle. Sporcle is a website, it’s the ultimate time-killer. It’s just thousands and thousands of quizzes. ... It gets you used to working with a clock, and makes you think on more of a time constraint. It’s the only way I think you could humanly prepare for something like this.” Vasgersian also noted
that the show’s staff, in the interest of fair play,
specifically avoided certain categories or questions
based on the contestants participating in a particular
round. He said, “Everybody that comes on here has a
specialty. So if it’s a guy from the Mets playing
against a guy from the Phillies, we’re not going to flip
him softballs about the career of Tug McGraw.” |
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Monday: "Standing" Up |
Posted 1/24/12 |
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FOX (8.84 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1) moved to the top spot on
Monday with the return of "House" (8.72 million viewers,
#4; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) and week two of "Alcatraz"
(8.95 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2).
"Alcatraz" is one of only three new dramas this season
to post a 3.0 rating or more in its second week ("Terra
Nova," "Once Upon a Time"). ABC (8.83 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) then claimed the silver with fresh installments of "The Bachelor" (8.22 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #4) and "Castle" (10.06 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.1, #8). "Bachelor" finally showed up with 12.50 percent more of an audience from last week, but the result still posts a 3.57 percent loss from last year. Next up was CBS (7.74 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) with encores of "How I Met Your Mother" (6.97 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.3, #7), "2 Broke Girls" (7.80 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.6, #5), "Two and a Half Men" (9.77 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #3), "Mike & Molly" (8.32 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.4, #6) and "Hawaii Five-0" (6.79 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10). Meanwhile, NBC (6.89 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) offered up the penultimate week of "Who's Still Standing?" (6.45 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9) and a two-hour debate edition of "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (7.11 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10). An upshot of 6 percent for the series gives it a new high, but a downshot of 15 percent from last year gives NBC cause for concern. And finally, a new "Gossip Girl" (1.57 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T12) led into the return of "Hart of Dixie" (1.63 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T12) on The CW (1.60 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Gossip Girl" delivered a 1.3 rating while "Dixie" posted a 1.2 rating. |
 Ben Bailey hosts "Who's Still Standing" on NBC (photo courtesy Discovery) |
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American "Ninja": Stage 4 |
Posted 1/24/12 |
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G4 and NBC to air “American
Ninja Warrior,” the heart-racing obstacle course
competition series, this summer with a nationwide search
to find the ultimate athlete who will be crowned the
first, true “American Ninja Warrior.” The networks
collaborated with the original Japanese broadcaster,
Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS), to bring the
course and diabolical designs of each leg of the
competition over to the U.S., which is being held
entirely on U.S. soil for the first time. Following NBC’s highly rated special airing of the “American Ninja Warrior” finale last summer, G4 and NBC have expanded their collaboration this year to take the worldwide phenomenon to the next level with G4 airing the preliminary rounds while NBC will air the preliminary finals, as well as the grand finale. Six regional qualifying competitions throughout the country will determine the finalists who will ultimately have a shot at a $500,000 cash prize and the chance to win the coveted “American Ninja Warrior” title in the national finals in Las Vegas. Last year’s dramatic competition saw four finalists reach the third stage of the grueling challenge, only to be turned away by the arduous course. All aspiring ninjas are encouraged to visit G4’s official casting website (http://www.G4TV.COM/ANWTryouts) to apply for a slot to be one of contestants selected to face the extreme trials and tribulations of the series. G4 will kick off the regional competitions in Southern California, the original home of the previous tryouts, and then shift to Dallas and Miami. The critically acclaimed series has been a tremendous ratings success for G4, including the season three debut in Summer 2011, which scored the network’s most-watched original season premiere to date. Season three also broke additional records, producing G4’s most-watched telecast and total day performance among men 18-34 and men 18-49 during a special stack that fed into NBC’s airing of the “American Ninja Warrior 3” finale. That conclusive episode on NBC generated nearly four million total viewers and won the 10-11 p.m. (ET) time slot in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic. A. Smith & Co. Productions returns to produce the fourth season of “American Ninja Warrior.” “American Ninja Warrior” is executive-produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions’ founders Arthur Smith and Kent Weed ("Hell's Kitchen," “I Survived a Japanese Game Show,” "Pros vs. Joes"). All potential competitors are encouraged to submit an application by visiting http://www.G4TV.COM/ANWTryouts. |
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Official: Emily Maynard
New "Bachelorette" |
Posted 1/24/12 |
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Start filling out your
applications, boys! Emily Maynard, a fan favorite from
Brad Womack's season of " The Bachelor," will be the
next " Bachelorette," ABC officially announced today on
" Good Morning America." "I think she's America's sweetheart and I think it will be a home run," host Chris Harrison said on "GMA." Maynard, a single mom from Charlotte, N.C. who ended her tumultuous relationship with Womack, 38, last summer, has signed on to star in the eighth installment of hit reality show, which will premiere this spring. She will be the first single mom to star in the series. "Emily feels incredibly grateful to have found her first love when she was very young, and despite not having dated a lot, knows what it's like to be truly in love," ABC said in a press release today. "In the past seven years, she has been looking for someone with the same spark she has for life, and she believes that she will find her soul mate on 'The Bachelorette.'" Twenty-five-year-old Marynard quickly won over Womack and fans of the show with her southern charm, and emotional back story. Maynard lost her fiancé NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick in a 2004 plane crash, just before she learned that she was pregnant. Their daughter Ricki, now 6, was born in October 2005 and is the "apple of Emily's eye." |
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HGTV Announces Three |
Posted 1/24/12 |
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HGTV will roll out more than
a dozen new original series and 20 specials in 2012,
including a new season of the hugely popular HGTV Design
Star, the new design series White Room Challenge and
Selling London - a spin-off of the hit HGTV real estate
series Selling NY. HGTV's programming will offer an
exciting and entertaining lineup that features returning
fan favorites, fresh new designers and several famous
faces - either sharing their passion for design with
viewers or receiving the HGTV treatment themselves. Price this Place Airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT Are you an HGTV junky? Do you always guess right on House Hunters? Think you know your stuff? Now's your chance to win some cash! We are traveling the country looking for folks just like you to answer some simple questions. The more you guess right, the more money in your pocket. HGTV Design Star Premieres Tuesday, May 29, at 9 p.m. ET/PT HGTV Design Star, with host and mentor David Bromstad, is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity for an aspiring designer to catapult into the big time by winning their own primetime show on HGTV. During season seven of the series, 12 new designer finalists will be put through creative and clever challenges that are unexpected, suspenseful and highly dramatic. In the end of the final winner will be chosen by the design panel headed by Vern Yip, Genevieve Gorder and surprise celebrity guests. White Room Challenge Premieres Tuesday, April 24, at 9 p.m. ET/PT Inspired by everyone's favorite episode of HGTV Design Star, it's now a series all its own. Each week David Bromstad hosts four up-and-coming designers who compete to create the most original, eccentric and outrageous rooms using a variety of unusual materials. HGTV's Jamie Durie heads the expert judging panel which will award the grand prize of $10,000 cash. |
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"Singing Bee" Picks 4 |
Posted 1/24/12 |
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CMT has picked up one of its
highest-rated series, The Singing Bee, for a fourth
season on the cable network and fifth overall as the
game show started off on NBC before moving to CMT.
The karaoke singing competition, from Juma Entertainment and the Gurin Co., is hosted by Melissa Peterman. Local versions of The Singing Bee have been produced in 30 countries, with the Gurin Co. shopping the format to additional buyers at NATPE this coming week. |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/24/12 |
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Changes Afoot at "Food
Network Star" |
Posted 1/23/12 |
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As Food Network's "Food
Network Star" heads into production for its eighth
season, premiering May 13, it has made plans for changes
both onscreen and off. The reality competition skein will shift the choice of the season champion from the judges to a fan vote that will be held before the season finale. The grand prize remains a show on Food Network, but this time around, it will be produced by the winner's mentor. In addition, Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis will shed their judging duties and, along with first-time series regular Alton Brown, will each select a team of finalists to mentor through the competition. "Bobby, Giada and Alton are the best of the best in food television," said Food Network g.m. and SVP of programming and production Bob Tuschman. "Combined, they've produced hundreds of hours of award-winning programming. With their skills and instincts, they are the perfect people to help us find, develop and produce our next 'Food Network Star.' " Tuschman and Food Network senior veep of marketing, creative and brand strategy Susie Fogelson will return to handle judging duties, aided by a series of guest judges. Tuschman said the intent of the changes is to "dial up the competition and the excitement." CBS Eye Too Prods. produces "Food Network Star." Principal filming is moving back to New York, the show's original home, after several seasons based in Los Angeles. |
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Sunday: Giants. Patriots.
Idol. All Winners. |
Posted 1/23/12 |
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FOX (50.05 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 18.7, #1) overshadowed the competition
on Sunday with its coverage of the "NFC Championship:
New York at San Francisco" (50.05 million viewers, #1;
adults 18-49: 18.7, #1). "American Idol" (19.75 million
viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 7.9, #2) followed at 10:57pm
in Time Zone Adjusted Fast Nationals. A distant silver then went to ABC (6.45 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) with new episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.19 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #9), "Once Upon a Time" (9.30 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.2, #3), "Desperate Housewives" (7.46 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4) and "Pan Am" (3.86 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #8). Next up was CBS (7.23 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) with original installments of "60 Minutes" (7.90 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.5, #6) and "Undercover Boss" (9.17 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #5) followed by repeats of "The Good Wife" (5.61 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T10) and "CSI: Miami" (6.23 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #7). And finally, a two-hour repeat of "Dateline NBC" (5.12 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T10) led into a new "Prime Suspect" (4.26 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12) and the finale of "Prime Suspect" (3.64 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #13) on NBC (4.56 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4). |
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More on "Glee Project" |
Posted 1/23/12 |
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Lea Michele will join
Oxygen's critically acclaimed series "The Glee Project"
as the guest mentor for its premiere episode. In a tweet
sent Saturday to her over 1.5 million followers on
Twitter, Michele wrote, "So excited to announce that
I'll be guest mentoring on the season 2 premiere of 'The
Glee Project!'" The second season of the series began
filming earlier this week in Los Angeles, and Michele is
the first guest mentor to be revealed. As announced
earlier this week, Oxygen picked up a second season of
"The Glee Project" to return summer 2012. Michele has played Rachel Berry on "Glee" for all three of its seasons and was honored with both an Emmy(R) nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series" and two Golden Globe(R) nominations for "Best Television Actress - Comedy or Musical" along with a 2010 Teen Choice Award for "Choice TV Actress - Comedy" and a 2009 nomination for "Choice TV: Breakout Star Female" Category. |
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Bad Times at GSN |
Posted 1/23/12 |
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The Game Show Network laid
off about 5% of its workforce today (about 12 people) as
part of a restructuring at the cable network jointly
owned by DirecTV and Sony Pictures Television. GSN is
under a new programming chief, Amy Introcaso-Davis, who
joined the channel in October, reporting to the
network’s president and CEO David Goldhill. “GSN did undertake some reorganization today. We do not comment on specifics regarding the number or identity of positions impacted,” a GSN spokesperson said. |
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Will You Accept This
Canadian Rose? |
Posted 1/23/12 |
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Instead of roses, will the
lucky young ladies get pucks? The Bachelor Canada - an
all-Canadian version of The Bachelor - will debut on
Citytv this fall. The announcement was made early Monday on Citytv’s Breakfast Television by guest Chris Harrison, host of the U.S. version of The Bachelor. “It’s about time,” Harrison said. “And the good news is, it won’t take our show (the U.S. version) away. It’s a double-dose, it’s all good, it’s a win-win for Canada. Our show will still be on in the winter, but The Bachelor Canada will be on this fall.” Details on who will be hosting The Bachelor Canada, as well as who the first bachelor will be, are still to come. But casting for the first group of competing Canadian bachelorettes begins immediately, with details available at Citytv.com/BachelorCanada. Those that apply must have a passport that has at least a year left before its expiration date. Even though Canadians have been allowed on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in the past, The Bachelor Canada will be seeking an all-Canadian cast. The first season will consist of nine episodes. Lately Citytv has been taking the branch-plant route for reality competition to count as its Canadian programming. In that vein, Canada’s Got Talent, with Martin Short as one of the judges, debuts this March. GSNN's Jason Huhn contributed to this report. |
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Weekend Lightning Round |
Posted 1/23/12 |
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Friday:
SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARK! |
Posted 1/22/12 |
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ABC (6.42 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) moved to the top spot on
Friday with the return of "Shark Tank" (6.23 million
viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) and "Primetime: What
Would You Do?" (5.83 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49:
1.6, #4) alongside a new "20/20" (7.20 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T1). "Shark Tank" built upon its
audience by 54.55 percent over the last year. Second place then went to NBC (5.07 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #2) with the penultimate week of "Chuck" (3.85 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T8) followed by new episodes of "Grimm" (5.90 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T1) and "Dateline NBC" (5.47 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #6). Next up was FOX (3.53 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #3) with new episodes of "Kitchen Nightmares" (3.85 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #5) and "Fringe" (3.18 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T8). Meanwhile, CBS (7.51 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) was tops in viewers but fourth in demos with its lineup of "A Gifted Man" (6.94 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #11), "CSI: NY" (7.10 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T8) and "Blue Bloods" (8.48 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.3, #7) repeats. And finally, encores of "Remodeled" (0.78 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T12) and "Supernatural" (0.91 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T12) on The CW (0.84 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) closed out the evening. |
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More on "Are You Normal,
America" |
Posted 1/22/12 |
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From Zoo Productions:
If you’re the kind of person
that has an opinion about EVERYTHING and never shuts up,
WE WANT YOU! |
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It's Team vs. Team This
March... "Unchained Reaction" |
Posted 1/22/12 |
| Discovery Channel has greenlighted Unchained Reaction, a new series executive produced by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, hosts/executive producers of the channel’s Emmy-nominated Mythbusters. The duo also serve as judges on the six-part series, which pits two teams of varying backgrounds — artists, rocket scientists, animatronic specialists, engineers and even your average Joes — against each other to build an elaborate chain reaction contraption on a massive scale. The teams are provided with identical sets of tools and materials and given five days to complete a series of mechanisms based on a specific theme. Per the network, “refined mechanical movements, pyrotechnics and large-scale destruction are encouraged.” At the end of the the five days, Savage and Hyneman are joined by a new guest judge to review the installations and pick a winner. “We wanted to craft a show that puts the process of problem solving and ingenuity front and center, and we’ve done exactly that with Unchained Reaction,” Savage said. Added Hyneman, “The innovative solutions and boundless energy demonstrated by the contestants surprised us every single time.” Unchained Reaction, produced by Discovery Studios and Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun’s BermanBraun, is set to premiere in March, with Savage and Hyneman executive producing. “The spirit of Unchained Reaction is at the intersection of art and engineering, and Adam and Jamie are the masters at celebrating teamwork and gee-whiz wonder at how the world works,” said Eileen O’Neill, Group President, Discovery Channel and TLC. | |
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Weekend Lightning Round |
Posted 1/22/12 |
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Thursday: A Deep Drop...
Unless You're a Procedural |
Posted 1/20/12 |
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FOX (12.26 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1) was the demo king on Thursday
thanks to night two of the "American Idol" (17.74
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.6, #1) season
premiere and a new "The Finder" (6.78 million viewers,
#7; adults 18-49: 2.2, #8). "Idol" dropped 28.21 percent
from the first Thursday last year. CBS (14.02 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #2) then was the most-watched network with new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" (15.71 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.2, #2), "Rob" (11.73 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.6, #3), "Person of Interest" (14.34 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.3, #5) and "The Mentalist" (14.02 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T6). Next up was ABC (7.10 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) with original installments of "Winter Wipeout" (5.87 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12), "Grey's Anatomy" (9.32 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.4, #4) and "Private Practice" (6.10 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #9). "Wipeout" dropped 18.18 percent from last week, 30.77 from last year. Meanwhile, NBC (4.20 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #4) served up its mix of "30 Rock" (4.08 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #13), "Parks & Recreation" (4.31 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.0, #10), "The Office" (5.98 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.9, #T6), "Up All Night" (4.03 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.9, #11) and "The Firm" (3.41 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15). And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.72 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.1, #14) and "The Secret Circle" (1.66 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.7, #16) on The CW (2.19 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5) rounded out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 1.5 rating while "Circle" delivered a 0.9 rating. |
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The Job Is On... Again |
Posted 1/20/12 |
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The UK’s Channel 4 has
recommissioned Remarkable Television gameshow The Bank
Job, which Remarkable’s parent Endemol is billing among
its highlights for MipTV in the spring. The series, which is set in a bank vault filled with real money, is the latest high-stakes cash-prize format from the company behind The Money Drop. The only way contestants make it on-air is by trying their skills with a preliminary online game. 200,000 people did so for the first series, racking up over 4.6 million plays, according to the producers. The show itself averaged just over 1.2 million viewers (a 5.3% share) across its run. The new season, again hosted by George Lamb, will get underway on C4 next month, extended from six to 10 episodes. Endemol, which yesterday secured support from two-thirds of shareholders on a debt restructuring, will be taking The Bank Job to Cannes in April, hoping to replicate the success Remarkable has enjoyed with The Money Drop. Executive producers of The Bank Job are Remarkable’s David Flynn and Tom Blakeson. It was commissioned by C4 commissioning editor Madeleine Knight. |
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A Pointless Renewal |
Posted 1/20/12 |
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BBC One has commissioned two
more series of Remarkable Television’s quiz show
Pointless, including a new Saturday night show,
Pointless Celebrities. The deal will see Remarkable, part of Endemol, produce 158 brand new episodes, which will include 18 editions of Pointless Celebrities. Eight of these special episodes will run in a prime time spot. Hosted by Alexander Armstrong and assisted by Richard Osman, Pointless moved to BBC One in July of last year. The highest rating episode aired on Friday 23rd December, with a peak audience of 5.14 million and a 27.9% share. The show has been commissioned by Liam Keelan, controller of BBC Daytime and the executive producer for the BBC is Pam Cavannagh. The executive producers for Pointless are David Flynn, Tom Blakeson, Michelle Woods and Richard Hague at Remarkable. The series producer is Ed de Burgh. David Flynn, managing director of Remarkable Television says; “There's not enough Pointless Celebrities on Saturday night television so it's great to bring our show to this new slot. We can't wait for more people to enjoy the warm, fun atmosphere that has made Pointless such a ratings success during the week on BBC One.” In Pointless, contestants test the depths of their knowledge as they attempt to find the little known or forgotten answers that no-one else could think of. Every question on Pointless has been asked to a panel of 100 people before the show – to find out the most obvious and the most obscure answers. Pairs of contestants compete for a cash prize by finding the least obvious answers – and scoring the fewest points. The Holy Grail is a pointless answer – an answer that none of the 100 people thought of. |
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GSN Makes Lovelies with
U-Verse |
Posted 1/20/12 |
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Game Show Network announced
Thursday it has inked a long-term extension of its
affiliation agreement with AT&T U-Verse TV. GSN will continue to be available on AT&T U-Verse customers under this deal. "GSN's games-related programming and vast digital games offering creates a high level of engagement with U-verse TV customers," said Dan York, president of content for AT&T. |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/20/12 |
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The Teachers Are Coming...
AGAIN... |
Posted 1/19/12 |
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A teacher from Appleton is
one of 15 to compete in the “Jeopardy Teachers’
Tournament.” Elissa Hoffman of Appleton East High School will appear with Alex Trebek on the nationally-syndicated game show next month. She’ll head off to Hollywood next week, when the competition will be taped. You can see how Hoffman does when the tournament is broadcast between February 15th and 28th. The “Teachers Tournament” was introduced last year, to highlight the nation’s brightest kindergarten through 12th grade instructors. The winner gets $100,000, plus a spot in Jeopardy’s annual “Tournament of Champions.” |
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Wednesday: Stop Us If
You've Heard This One Before... |
Posted 1/19/12 |
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The return of "American
Idol" (21.61 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.2, #1)
surged FOX (21.61 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49:
7.2, #1) to the top spot on Wednesday. "Idol" have was
down nearly 26% from last year's launch among adults
18-49. A silver medal then went to ABC (8.06 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) with new episodes of "The Middle" (8.15 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #6), "Suburgatory" (7.02 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T7), "Modern Family" (11.81 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 5.0, #2), "Happy Endings" (6.22 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.9, #4) and "Revenge" (7.58 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T7). Next up was CBS (11.24 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) with a repeat of "NCIS" (9.09 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.5, #12) followed by the return of "Criminal Minds" (12.83 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.2, #3) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (11.81 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #5). Meanwhile, NBC (5.70 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) offered up its lineup of "Whitney" (4.30 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #11), "Are You There, Chelsea?" (4.27 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T9), "Harry's Law" (6.41 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.41 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T9). And finally, week two of "One Tree Hill" (1.52 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.7, #14) led into a repeat of "Remodeled" (0.61 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #15) on The CW (1.06 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Hill" delivered a 1.4 rating while "Remodeled" posted a 0.4 rating.
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Syndies: New Year, Same
Leaders |
Posted 1/19/12 |
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It was Dr. Oz's turn to be
on top in the week ending Jan. 8, the first week of the
New Year and primetime for the good doctor as viewers
tune in for help with their health and fitness
resolutions. CTD's late-night dating show, Excused, aired repeats and dipped 14% to a 0.6. Sticking with access, game shows also were strong. CTD's Wheel of Fortune gained for the first week since Dec. 4, adding 12% to a 7.6 and the syndication lead. CTD's Jeopardy! also rebounded, tacking on 9% to a 6.2. Debmar Mercury's Family Feud and Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire each were flat at a 3.2 and 2.6, respectively, with both airing rerun weeks. |
"Family Feud" will continue on to the 16th season (photo courtesy FremantleMedia) |
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Irish Trivia Quiz, No
Conferring... |
Posted 1/19/12 |
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Derek Mooney will present
the new RTÉ gameshow show Who Knows Ireland Best? which
begins this Friday on RTÉ One. Viewers can try out the game themselves by downloading RTÉ's first gameshow App, which is available free for iphone and android on www.rte.ie/tv/whoknowsirelandbest. The show's producers, Big Mountain Productions, commissioned MillwardBrown Lansdowne to conduct a survey of 1,000 people nationwide to ask them 100 probing questions about everything from their hopes, dreams, views and expectations, post Celtic Tiger. Who Knows Ireland Best? sets two teams against each other to see who has their finger on the pulse and points are awarded for being in agreement with the majority of the country. |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/19/12 |
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Come Together, It's a
Revolution, It's "One World" |
Posted 1/18/12 |
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CBS announced today the 18
castaways who will compete against each other on
SURVIVOR: ONE WORLD when the Emmy Award-winning series
returns for its 24th season, Wednesday, Feb. 15
(8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. SURVIVOR: ONE WORLD pushes the game to its limits, forcing the two competing tribes to share one beach. The castaways must fight the elements, adapt to their new surroundings and vie against each other to stay in the game or be voted out by their peers, all while living together on the same beach. Tribes, separated by men versus women, will have to decide whether to share their resources with each other or leave the opposing tribe to fend for themselves. This ultimate social game becomes even more difficult to navigate because alliances could be formed between members of different tribes much earlier, adding yet another layer of intrigue to this competitive game. The 18 castaways will be divided into two Tribes of nine: the Salani Tribe and the Manono Tribe, named after islands in Samoa. Divided by men versus women, the tribes are comprised of individuals from all different backgrounds with the same ultimate goal: to outwit, outplay and outlast and ultimately be crowned Sole Survivor. Castaways competing on SURVIVOR: ONE WORLD (in alphabetical order):
SALANI: MANONO: |
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Tuesday: Loser Keeps
Losing |
Posted 1/18/12 |
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FOX (6.75 million viewers,
#3; adults 18-49: 2.9, #1) was the network to beat among
adults 18-49 thanks to the return of "Glee" (7.47
million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2), "New Girl"
(6.92 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) and
"Raising Hope" (5.13 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49:
2.3, #T4). NBC (6.06 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) then snagged the silver with fresh installments of "The Biggest Loser 13" (6.63 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T4) and "Parenthood" (4.92 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T9). "Loser" dropped 4.17 percent from last week and 17.86 percent from last year. |
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"Best Ink" Moves to March |
Posted 1/18/12 |
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Oxygen moves the season
premiere of "Best Ink," a new competition reality series
to Tuesday, March 27 at 10 PM ET/PT from its previously
announced debut of Monday, January 30 10 PM ET/PT. "Best Ink" pits ten of the best male and female tattoo artists from around the country against one another in this all-new competition. With nothing but their needles, ink, and passion, these artists compete for $100,000 and a cover story in Tattoo magazine. The contestants are guided through the competition by host and recording artist Kimberly Caldwell ("American Idol"). After each challenge, the artists are critiqued by head judge and world-renowned tattoo artist Joe Capobianco, international pinup model and tattoo shop owner Sabina Kelley and a guest judge from a rotating roster. Then one contestant is sent home. In every episode, the tattoo artists compete in two challenges: the "Flash Challenge," which tests their overall artistic and creative skills, and the "Ink Challenge," in which they produce bona fide masterpieces on skin - a permanence rarely seen in the reality competition world. The indelible body art will be created for and on real people in a variety of challenges designed to showcase the artists' talents. Challenges include an "Emotional Life Passage Challenge," in which the artists are tasked with designing a tattoo commemorating a personal story or life-changing moment, and a "Tribute Tattoo Challenge," in which the artists must design tribute tattoos for fans of a well-known musical icon. As the stakes get higher and the challenges become more difficult, only one artist will get the ultimate bragging rights to call their work "Best Ink." |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/18/12 |
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Happy 90th Birthday, Betty
White! |
Posted 1/17/12 |
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On first glance, you could
have confused Betty White‘s birthday special with the
Golden Globes, given the amount of star-power in the
room! Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Hugh Jackman, Seth Myers,
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore,
Jay Leno, Ed Asner, Zachary Levi and even President
Barack Obama paid tribute to the Golden Girl! In addition to a lot of sincere well-wishes, there was no shortage of jokes about Betty’s age and her promiscuous ways.Mary Tyler Moore accused her of stealing all the best roles in Hollywood. Chuck star, Zachary Levi, made his way to Betty’s table, asked for her hand in marriage and presented a ring, to which Betty responded with a long kiss on the lips! She’s 90, but she’s still got it! President Obama taped a message to Betty from the Oval office where he joked that “he would like to see a copy of her birth certificate.” He then put the Golden Girls theme song on his iPod and jokingly positioned a framed photo of Betty next to his family on his desk! Jay Leno also taped a message to Betty, wishing her a happy birthday and applauding her work with animals, but that rescuing and giving him an alpaca had gone too far! After a standing ovation, Betty ended the night on a high note . “Talk about milking it!” Betty quipped to the crowd. “To be able to spend a lifetime in the business you love with the people you love — and get away with it — is marvelous! NBC (10.82 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #4) offered up its "Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl" (13.86 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #8) special, a preview of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (12.23 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.6, #9) and a new "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (5.57 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #12).
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Take It From the Top...
Again... |
Posted 1/17/12 |
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Oxygen this morning
announced that it has picked up a second season of The
Glee Project for a summer premiere. The cable network
began casting for Season 2 of the Glee spinoff
competition series in September but at the time it
stopped short of announcing an official second season
renewal of the reality series because its prize is a
guest role on Glee and at the time Fox had not picked up
the high school dramedy for a fourth season. Five months
later, Fox still has not renewed Glee but the network’s
entertainment president Kevin Reilly recently spoke
enthusiastically about a “cool” next season planned by
the show’s creators. A Season 4 pickup for Glee is now
considered a formality unless some major ratings
calamity happens this spring. Glee executive producers Ryan Murphy and Dante Di Loreto are returning as executive producers of The Glee Project along with Michael Davies and Shauna Minoprio of Embassy Row. Casting for The Glee Project‘s second season has wrapped up. It will feature 14 contenders, two more than Season 1, as well as additional themes and all new music. Murphy will once again join casting director Robert Ulrich, choreographer and Glee co-producer Zach Woodlee and vocal coach Nikki Anders in the final deliberations of each episode. After a slow start, The Glee Project grew steadily throughout its first season, averaging 1.2 million viewers. Winners Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen each landed seven-episode arcs on Glee, with two more finalists, Lindsay Pearce and Alex Newell getting two-episode stints on the current season of the Fox dramedy. “The Glee Project is a special show that has tapped into a desire in our culture to watch people go for and achieve their dreams,” said Jason Klarman, President, Oxygen Media. |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/17/12 |
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What "R" Is Challenge
Going to Do to "Blockbusters"? |
Posted 1/16/12 |
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Classic TV game show
Blockbusters is set to return to UK screens after more
than a decade off air, being revived by digital channel
Challenge. Blockbusters will begin a new 40-episode run later this year, but will now be pitched at an adult audience rather than the show's traditional teenage viewers. A host has not yet been announced for the revamped program, but word of the new series comes just weeks after the program’s most iconic host, Bob Holness, died at the age of 83. The show’s format involved contestants competing two against one by answering general knowledge questions in an attempt to complete a path across a board of hexagons and advance to the fabled Gold Run section of the show. Program maker talkbackTHAMES has begun advertising for contestants, asking for over-18s “with good general knowledge and bags of enthusiasm" to take part. Created by puzzle-smith Steve Ryan for Goodson-Todman in 1980, Blockbusters was originally broadcast with Bill Cullen at the helm from 1980 to 1982. A year later, it was brought to the UK, where ITV tapped Holness to host for ten years, between 1983 and 1993, on ITV, and for one final season on Sky1 in 1994. It later transferred to BBC2 under the watch of Michael Aspel, before reappearing on Sky1 with Liza Tarbuck as its host in 2000. None of these subsequent versions of the program managed to match the popularity of the original. The new run of Blockbusters will be filmed in February. GSNN's Chico Alexander contributed to this report.
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 Original "Blockbusters" UK host Bob Holness (photo courtesy Huffington Post) |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/16/12 |
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CW Sits on a Game Show
(And It's a Good Thing) |
Posted 1/13/12 |
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The CW has ordered ten
episodes of the action-packed game show OH SIT! to
premiere later this season. OH SIT! is a fun, high-stakes, high-octane musical chairs competition, in which 20 thrill-seeking daredevils race head to head through five physically demanding, obstacle course-style eliminations as they each compete to claim a chair, to the sounds of a live band. At the end of the hour, only one contestant will be left sitting triumphant to seize the cash prize. A host and premiere date for OH SIT!, as well as more details, will be announced at a later date. OH SIT! is created and executive produced by Phil Gurin ("The Singing Bee," "Shark Tank," "The Weakest Link"), Richard Joel and Deena Dill. The series is from The Gurin Company and 405 Productions.
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Syndies: Happy New Year! |
Posted 1/13/12 |
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Headed into the New Year,
viewers seemed to be seeking some straight talk, with
every syndicated court show steady or up for the week
ending Jan. 1, 2012, and Judge Judy turning in its
highest-rated week of 2011. CBS Television Distribution's Judge Judy, which has led the court category for 15 years, hit a season-high 7.6 live plus same day national household rating, up 6% for the week. That was also syndication's highest rating for the week. Among the rookies, Warner Bros.' Anderson held steady at a 1.3, Debmar-Mercury's Jeremy Kyle jumped 17% to a new season-high 0.7, and Entertainment Studios' We the People was flat at a 0.5. CTD's Excused, a late-night dating show, slipped 13% from its season high the prior week to a 0.7, after going into a week of all repeats. In access, CTD's Wheel of Fortune skidded 4% from the prior week to a 6.8. CTD's Jeopardy! declined 3% to a 5.7. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud spiked 7% to a 3.2. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire climbed 4% to a 2.6. |
"Family Feud" will continue on to the 16th season (photo courtesy FremantleMedia) |
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Thursday: Taking a
Tumble... |
Posted 1/13/12 |
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CBS (14.28 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1) snagged the top spot on
Thursday with a new "The Big Bang Theory" (15.93 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.2, #1), the premiere of
"Rob" (13.48 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.1, #2)
and fresh installments of "Person of Interest" (14.73
million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.2, #4) and "The
Mentalist" (13.40 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49:
2.7, #6). Second place then went to ABC (8.14 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) with new episodes of "Winter Wipeout" (7.13 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.2, #9), "Grey's Anatomy" (10.59 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.8, #3) and "Private Practice" (6.70 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T7). "Wipeout" dropped 21.43 percent from last week and 38.89 from last year. Next up was FOX (7.04 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3) with the winter finale of "Bones" (8.63 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T7) and the debut of "The Finder" (5.45 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.7, #13). Meanwhile, NBC (4.55 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #4) offered up its new lineup of "30 Rock" (4.57 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.8, #12), "Parks & Recreation" (4.10 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.9, #11), "The Office" (5.87 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.9, #5), "Up All Night" (4.28 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.0, #10) and "The Firm" (4.24 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15). And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.81 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14) and "The Secret Circle" (2.06 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.8, #16) on The CW (2.43 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 1.6 rating while "Circle" delivered a 1.2 rating. |
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OWN Gets Normal |
Posted 1/13/12 |
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OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
announced today three new original series joining the
network lineup in 2012 - "Lovetown, USA," "Lives on
Fire" and "Are You Normal, America?" "Each of our new shows is right on brand and aligned with Oprah's intention to bring our audience meaningful, entertaining programming," said Sheri Salata, president, OWN. Added Erik Logan, president, OWN, "We feel really good about the direction the network is heading in 2012 and we're just getting started." Humans are strange beings, but at the same time, we're all taunted by the universal question, "Am I Normal?" From Harpo Studios comes "Are You Normal, America?" --- the new game show that will help viewers figure out how normal (or not) they are! Have you ever peeked at your boyfriend's emails? Or done your household chores naked? Do you and your spouse sleep in separate bedrooms? In addition to ourselves, we also wonder about the people around us: boyfriends, girlfriends, co-workers and neighbors. This lively game show will answer our most burning questions by using a highly scientific and deeply revealing poll, in addition to a "jury" of real Americans, man-on-the-street polling, real life situations shot in the field and in-studio demonstrations. Each episode will feature contestants who will win big money in their quest to learn if they're normal or not. Along the way, audiences will be entertained, enlightened and ultimately comforted by the fact that we're all pretty abnormal... but that's what makes life fun. "Are Your Normal, America?" is produced by Harpo Studios with Zoo Productions. Executive producers are Jill Van Lokeren and Jon Sinclair from Harpo, as well as Barry Poznick and John Stevens from Zoo Productions (producers of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"). |
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NatGeo Gets Tough |
Posted 1/13/12 |
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National Geographic Channel
is betting on tuna and boy scouts to boost ratings. "Wicked Tuna," a new series from the cable network -- which is part of a joint venture between Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and the National Geographic Society -- will debut this spring. It follows the lives of commercial tuna fishermen in Gloucester, Mass. Shows about people with unusual or difficult jobs can be ratings gold for cable channels. Discovery found success with "Deadliest Catch," about Alaskan crabbing boats, and the History channel has a big hit with its series "Ice Road Truckers." National Geographic Channel also plans to launch "Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?" -- a competition show between adults and Boy Scouts. In addition, the network has acquired the rights to Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly's book "Killing Lincoln" and has signed directors Ridley and Tony Scott's Scott Free Productions to turn it into a two-hour documentary, complete with re-enactments. The two new series are the first since the arrival of Howard Owens, who joined the network last fall as its president after leaving the production company Reveille. The original programming push is part of Owens' mandate to make the 11-year-old National Geographic Channel more competitive with History, TLC and Discovery in the ratings. The channel, which in the past has relied more on specials and documentaries, wants to beef up its series programming. |
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"Face Off" Sets a Record |
Posted 1/13/12 |
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Maintaining the momentum of
its most watched year ever, Syfy kicked off 2012 with
robust ratings for the new season returns of the hit
series Face Off - shattering series records - and Ghost
Hunters. At 10PM (ET/PT), Face Off's second season premiere broke its own records by transforming 2.0 million total viewers, 1.2 million Adults 18-49, 1.0 million Adults 25-54 and a 1.3 household rating. Compared to the first season premiere in January 2011, Face Off rose 37 percent in total viewers, 35 percent in Adults 18-49, 30 percent in household ratings and 16 percent in Adults 25-54. Face Off also drew 639,000 Adults 18-34, another series high and the best performance for any Syfy original series since November '09. Leading off at 9PM (ET/PT), the season eight premiere of Ghost Hunters terrified 2.0 million total viewers, 1.1 million Adults 25-54 and 1.0 million Adults 18-49, while averaging a 1.4 household rating. The iconic paranormal series was up 16 percent in total viewers and 10 percent in Adults 25-54 versus the Season 7 premiere (February 2011). The one-two programming punch propelled Syfy to the #4 cable entertainment network in Adults 18-34 and Adults 18-49, #6 in total viewers and #7 in Adults 25-54 in Wednesday prime (8-11PM), while Syfy.com posted its best day in video streams since July 2011. |
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Disney XD Returns to the
Fort |
Posted 1/13/12 |
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Disney XD will premiere a
new cycle of "Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge," the
reality adventure series where 24 teens from the United
States and the United Kingdom compete as teams in a
series of challenges designed to test their brainpower,
courage and teamwork. Hosted by Geno Segers (Disney XD's
"Pair of Kings") and popular British television
presenter Laura Hamilton ("Dancing On Ice"), the second
installment of "Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge" will
debut MONDAY, JANUARY 16 (7:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney
XD, with new episodes airing every weekday for two weeks
(all at 7:00 p.m., ET/PT), concluding on FRIDAY, JANUARY
27 with one team being named the new "conquerors of Fort
Boyard." In the premiere episode, team members from the White Falcons and Blue Sharks compete to find out which team has what it takes to move on to become the conquerors of the fort. Additional teams include Red Vipers, Yellow Scorpions, Green Jaguars and Silver Dragons. This marks the second installment of the kids' version of the popular game show, which originally premiered on Disney XD in October 2011. "Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge" was filmed on location at a 19th century sea fort off the coast of France and is produced by Zodiak Media Group's production companies The Foundation and Adventure Line Productions, who created the concept for the original "Fort Boyard" and have been producing the series for 22 years. |
 "Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge" returns for another two-week tournament January 16 (photo courtesy DisneyXD) |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/13/12 |
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Play Ball! |
Posted 1/12/12 |
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Baseball trivia is an
institution within an institution, played forever by
generations of grownups at bars and offices and
ballparks themselves. You probably can rattle off gems
like the number of years Hal Newhouser led the American
League in wins (four), know that Scott McGregor threw
the shutout that clinched Baltimore's last World Series
championship in 1983, and have an occasional penchant
for reciting every Fall Classic winner in, yes, reverse-chron. If that's you, then you are going to especially love MLB Network's first-ever game show. "Baseball IQ" premieres at 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 24. Hosted by Matt Vasgersian, the recall-based trivia show gives participants a chance to win $45,000 for charity. It will be a 32-person bracket with one participant representing MLB.com, each of the 30 clubs and the National Baseball Hall of Fame -- featuring everyone from front-office personnel to equipment managers to scoreboard operators and museum curators. "Baseball fans are passionate about the sport's statistics, and launching 'Baseball IQ' is a way for us to expand our offseason programming lineup to let viewers test their baseball knowledge," said MLB Network president Tony Petitti. "The premise of 'Baseball IQ' is a natural extension of how fans talk about baseball at home or during a game by putting a current story, player or moment into historical context." What they all have in common is that often-unbelievable, sometimes-insufferable ability to dominate in baseball trivia. Yeah, you know the ones we're talking about. "Knowing all there is to know about baseball may be about as useful and lucrative as being the best whittler in Punkinville," said Thorn, the official historian of MLB. "So why do we bother to collect baseball facts and compete to see who knows more or more obscure ones? Because it's fun. "A baseball trivia game can be as challenging as a spelling bee was to us once upon a time, or a Ph. D. oral exam may be tomorrow. The trivia game is real life upside down, an inversion by which the important is replaced by the unimportant while retaining all the trappings of exams, tests, trials -- contests in which the stakes are genuinely high." As for these stakes, the winning player of each episode will earn $5,000 to be donated to their organization's designated charity. The championship episode will award $25,000 for the winner's charity and $15,000 to the runner-up's charity. Questions will cover all things baseball, from current players and managers to World Series champions, MVP and Cy Young Award winners, Hall of Famers, milestones and more. |
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LMAD, B&B to Cross Over |
Posted 1/12/12 |
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Jack Wagner is to appear on
the U.S. game show "Let's Make a Deal" to give away a
walk-on role on his soap opera "The Bold and the
Beautiful," CBS said. "Let's Make a Deal" model Tiffany Coyne will play herself on "The Bold and the Beautiful" Tuesday. Wagner and his co-star Alley Mills will then appear as "Let's Make a Deal" contestants dressed as a lobster and angler, respectively, on the soap Wednesday. "Deal" host Wayne Brady is to play himself in the episode. Wagner will appear on "Deal" for real Jan. 20 to give away the "B&B" walk-on role, CBS said. The daytime drama icon will then stay to assist Brady, Coyne and announcer Jonathan Mangum with deals at the end of the show. |
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Ex-Men (and Women) |
Posted 1/12/12 |
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Contestants face off in what
promises to be the most difficult and Awkward challenge
of all-time as MTV reunites ex-lovers on “The Challenge:
Battle of the Exes,” premiering on Wednesday, January 25
at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Adding a complex new layer to this
season, emotions run high as all logic and strategy go
out the window when former flames and flings are paired
up in the most thrilling Challenge yet when “Battle of
the Exes” takes the competition to new heights. Each
team is comprised of former lovers – many of whom cannot
stand to be in the same room with one another. The
premiere kicks off with a challenge that leaves the exes
in a “sticky” situation, and one couple is sent packing
with no chance of rekindling their romance. Will
romantic feelings emerge for some as the action gets hot
or will the feelings of betrayal and resentment return
stronger than ever for others as these exes battle it
out for the grand prize of $300,000? Let the drama
begin! This season, with TJ Lavin as host, “The Challenge: Battle of the Exes,” brings together 13 pairs of former lovers in the exotic Dominican Republic, as they come together to compete for $300,000 in cash prizes. This Challenge is unlike any other yet, as these former lovers will have to get beyond their past issues and the added emotional pressure that comes along with being in close proximity with your ex, to work together for the ultimate prize. Will CT and Diem, who have a long standing history, reignite their flame? Will Sarah and Vinny, who had a one night stand, take their relationship to the next level? Or will Jasmine and Tyrie, who can’t stand the sight of each other, be able to last the entire competition? Watch as these exes try to put the past behind them. |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/12/12 |
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Tuesday: Loser Wins... and
Loses |
Posted 1/11/12 |
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CBS (16.30 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #1) was the network to beat on
Tuesday with fresh installments of "NCIS" (20.87 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1), "NCIS: Los Angeles"
(16.77 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #2) and
"Unforgettable" (11.25 million viewers, #3; adults
18-49: 2.2, #T4). Claiming the silver is NBC (6.04 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) with its mix of "The Biggest Loser 13" (6.64 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #3) and "Parenthood" (4.84 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.8, #7). "Loser" was up 4.35 percent from last week, but down a quarter from last year. Next up was ABC (6.22 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #3) with originals of "Last Man Standing" (7.91 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T4), "Work It" (5.10 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8), "Celebrity Wife Swap" (5.24 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.1, #6) and "Body of Proof" (6.92 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8). Meanwhile, FOX (3.11 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) offered up an all-repeat lineup of "Glee" (3.13 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #11), "New Girl" (3.33 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #10) and "Raising Hope" (2.83 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #12). And finally, the feature "Table for Three" (0.67 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #13) on The CW (0.67 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), the film posted a 0.3 rating. |
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More on "No Kitchen
Required" |
Posted 1/11/12 |
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Survivor meets Top Chef by
way of The Amazing Race in BBC America's brand new (and
quite honestly, awesome-sounding) series, No Kitchen
Required, premiering Tuesday, March 20 at 10/9c. The 10-episode series takes three chefs — New York eatery maven Michael Psilakis, New Zealand's Kayne Raymond, and Chopped Grand Champion's Madison Cowan — and drops them into wild, around-the-world locales without so much as a pepper mill, to compete against one another by collecting, catching or just plain killing indigenous ingredients and preparing a dish to be judged by the locals. Among the areas set for the first season are spots in Thailand, Fiji, the Louisiana Bayou and Belize. |
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BBC1 Unlocks Third
"Fortune" |
Posted 1/11/12 |
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UK pubcaster the BBC has
commissioned an extended third series of primetime
Saturday night quiz show Secret Fortune. The program, a National Lottery format, which is produced for BBC1 by Northern Irish indie Wild Rover Productions, will run to 12×50’ episodes this year – up from eight. Wild Rover MD and Secret Fortune executive producer Phil Morrow said the BBC’s commitment to re-commission the show for several millions of pounds was a sign of the broadcaster’s faith in Wild Rover. “When the BBC picked up Secret Fortune, we had never done a big primetime gameshow, so it was always going to be a gamble. To get to a third series indicates a huge show of faith in both the series and our production company.” Morrow said the show was able to attract more than 3.5 million viewers against the X Factor over on ITV1, thanks to the BBC’s support. “Our commissioning editor at the BBC – Alan Tyler has been incredibly supportive from the beginning – he comes to every recording, and has helped to develop the show at every step.” The format has recently been piloted with Donny Osmond for CBS in the US and has also been optioned in 16 other world- wide territories. Morrow said: “CBS were very pleased with the pilot, now we’re waiting for them to find a slot in their schedule. The show has the potential to be an absolutely huge hit in America and I think other countries will start to realise its potential.” Secret Fortune will be series produced by Matthew Worthy, directed by Nigel Saunders and filmed at the BBC’s Pacific Quay studios in Glasgow. |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/11/12 |
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RICHARD
HOPKINS: 1964-2012 |
Posted 1/10/12 |
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Richard Hopkins, a TV
executive who developed, pitched and produced Strictly
Come Dancing, has died from cancer at the age of 47. Hopkins also helped to sell Strictly to the US and was executive producer on season one of Dancing With The Stars. His other credits included series producer for the first Big Brother. David Mortimer, who co-founded production company Fever Media with Hopkins, paid tribute to "one of the greatest producers of his generation". Hopkins worked on Strictly while he was creative head of format entertainment at the BBC, a role he held between 2003-2006. The format was eventually sold to more than 35 different countries. During his time in the role, he oversaw and worked as an executive producer on shows including Mastermind, The Weakest Link and A Question of Sport. He also worked as an executive producer on shows including the BBC's Fame Academy and Sky One's Fear Factor and was series producer of Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show which helped to launch the careers of Ricky Gervais and Sacha Baron Cohen. At Fever Media, set up in 2006, he was executive producer on shows including The People's Quiz on BBC One, and BBC Three's Move Like Michael Jackson. His joint managing director at Fever Media, David Mortimer, said: "Television is, by its nature, an ephemeral business, so very few of us can hope to have any lasting legacy. "Richard was a glorious exception to this rule and, as one of the greatest producers of his generation, he quite literally got the world dancing." BBC entertainment commissioning controller Mark Linsey also hailed Hopkins as "one of the leading entertainment producers of his generation". "His drive, energy and passion was an example to us all and whatever the size of the project, regardless of the broadcaster, he gave it the same professionalism and dynamic approach." He added: "People who had the pleasure of working with Richard will always remember him as a joy to work with and someone absolutely dedicated to his profession." Hopkins, who died on Saturday, is survived by his wife Katy and his three daughters. |
 Richard Hopkins (photo courtesy Fever Media) |
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DENISE
DARCEL: 1924-2011 |
Posted 1/10/12 |
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Denise Darcel, the
French-born actress who starred opposite Burt Lancaster
and Gary Cooper in 1954 movie Vera Cruz, has died aged
87. Her son Craig said she died on 23 December in a Los Angeles hospital following complications from emergency surgery to repair a ruptured aneurysm. Darcel moved to the US in 1947 and made her film debut in 1948 as a bar singer in To The Victor. She is also survived by another son, Chris. Darcel, who was born in Paris, went on to star in 1950s films such as Young Man With Ideas with Glenn Ford and Thunder in the Pines. She also appeared in Battleground with Van Johnson, Tarzan and the Slave Girl with Lex Barker and Westward the Women with Robert Taylor. Her last credited appearance was in 1963 television series Combat! In the game show world, she hosted the 1954 entry "Gamble on Love" and made appearances on "Chance of a Lifetime", "Who Said That?", "20 Questions", "Pantomime Quiz", "Missing Links", "I'll Bet", "The Name's the Same", "What's My Line?", and "I've Got a Secret". GSNN's Chris Tufts contributed to this report. |
 Denise Darcel (photo courtesy Allstarpics) |
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Fourth Shot |
Posted 1/10/12 |
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If a $100,000 prize package
and bragging rights as "Top Shot" aren't enough to
tickle a marksman's trigger finger, consider this: one
sharp shooter will also walk away from the new season of
TOP SHOT with a professional contract with Bass Pro
Shops. The hit competition series will be fully loaded
with more twists and history-inspired challenges than
ever before when it returns for a 4th season on Tuesday,
February 14 at 10pm ET on HISTORY. The 18 competitors vying for the Top Shot title represent the broadest range of shooting backgrounds ever featured on the series. From a 21-year-old world champion pistol shooter to a hard working high school custodian who makes his own ammunition and spends his spare time at the range - these marksmen and markswomen are out to prove they're the best. Some of the finest self-taught shooters in the country are coming out to prove themselves this season - there's an IT specialist from California, a knife maker from Georgia, a chemist from Massachusetts, and a grass-fed cattle farmer from upstate New York. Ranging in age from 21 to 50, contestants were carefully chosen from among thousands of applicants to compete in TOP SHOT. Season four begins with the biggest twist in TOP SHOT history: two competitors are sent packing immediately after a surprise shoot-off in the opening minutes of the first episode. To claim the TOP SHOT crown, $100,000 prize and a Bass Pros Shops professional shooting contract, the remaining competitors will have to conquer punishing challenges based on real-life battle scenarios: from navigating back alleys to rappelling down buildings to hitting moving targets from a speeding WWII style motorcycle sidecar. They will also attempt to hit a target from 1,500-yards - the longest distance in TOP SHOT history. Along with enduring physically grueling tests, the shooters will have to demonstrate mastery of weapons from all eras of human history. Highlighting this year's arsenal are an M32A1 grenade launcher, a massive 1898 cannon from the Spanish/American War, a semi-automatic FS2000 bullpup rifle, and a 1919 vehicle-mounted Browning machine gun. High-speed HD cameras capture the skillful execution of each trial in extreme slow-motion. Colby Donaldson returns as host of HISTORY's fourth season of the elimination series. |
 Colby Donaldson will return to host "Top Shot" on History February 14 (photo courtesy Reuters) |
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Monday: Standing Up,
Bachelor Down |
Posted 1/10/12 |
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ABC (8.08 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 2.2, #1) edged out the competition on
Monday with new episodes of "The Bachelor" (7.24 million
viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5) and "Castle" (9.75
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T2). The former
marked its lowest original rating ever, down 8.33
percent from last week and 21.43 percent from last year. CBS (7.01 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) then took home the silver with its all-repeat lineup of "How I Met Your Mother" (6.52 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5), "2 Broke Girls" (7.22 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (8.33 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T2), "Mike & Molly" (7.80 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T2) and "Hawaii Five-0" (6.10 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8). Next up was NBC (4.91 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3) with original installments of "Who's Still Standing?" (6.17 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8), "Fear Factor" (5.47 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5) and "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (3.10 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12). "Standing" rose from last week by 6.67 percent and doubled its score from last year. "Factor" dropped 8.33 percent from last week, but rose 120 percent from last year. Meanwhile, FOX (3.27 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) offered up repeats of "House" (3.26 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #11) and another "House" (3.28 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #10). And finally, repeats of "Gossip Girl" (0.74 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.3, #14) and "Hart of Dixie" (0.85 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #13) on The CW (0.79 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Gossip Girl" delivered a 0.3 rating while "Dixie" posted a 0.5 rating. |
Ben Bailey hosts "Who's Still Standing" on NBC (photo courtesy Discovery) |
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Fremantle Promotes Rob
Clark |
Posted 1/10/12 |
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Global entertainment
producer FremantleMedia has promoted Rob Clark to the
newly created position of director of global
entertainment development, giving him oversight of
Fremantle’s efforts to boost its format catalog. Trish Kinane, who has been acting president, worldwide entertainment, will now take on the post of president, worldwide entertainment, reporting to Gary Carter, COO, FremantleMedia. The appointments are based in London. Clark, who was previously FremantleMedia’s President of Worldwide Entertainment, will now drive efforts to create and acquire international entertainment formats and work with Fremantle’s territory executives to be responsible for format developments. Clark joined FremantleMedia’s Worldwide Entertainment division in 2003 and has managed a number of the company’s most successful global rollouts including Got Talent, The X Factor, The Farmer Wants a Wife, The Apprentice, Hole in the Wall, Let’s Dance, and Take Me Out as well as the Idol franchise. Clark has also helped in the re-launch of the Goodson back catalog of game shows including Family Feud, Password and Price is Right. "Rob has been vital to our company’s success in developing, producing and rolling out hit entertainment programming worldwide as well as collaborating with partners to acquire and produce top quality formats,” said FremantleMedia CEO Tony Cohen. |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/10/12 |
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TCA: Fox in 2012 |
Posted 1/9/12 |
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"We've done a good job of
avoiding these big decisions," FOX Entertainment
President Kevin Reilly joked during the network's
executive session of the TCA Winter Press Tour. Such was
the case for many of the hot topics of the day: -- "I expect 'Idol' will be down this season, but mostly due to the fact it's going to be an 11 year old show." Reilly indicated. "It's going to be a natural life cycle for that show." Meanwhile, the rest of Team Idol had some shots to put in. “It’s a compliment to Idol that other shows want to use our superstars,” Darnell said. “I mean, we’re not hiring a lot of people from The Voice to be on our show. … Our show is the gold standard. We can’t concern ourselves with that they do.” Also brought up were comments made by Voice coaches and executive producer Mark Burnett on NBC’s Friday panel that, unlike others, The Voice takes the high road and doesn’t ridicule contestants with little talent. The new season begins
with a two-night premiere January 18 & 19. -- Reilly says, viewers
can expect to see a few changes to the show next season
-- possibly including some of the on-screen personnel.
"I will tell you, there are things Simon is going to
do," Reilly said Sunday (Jan. 8) at the TV critics'
winter press tour. "If it did twice the rating, he would
still change it. He's relentless in that way." |
 Fox details its plans for the rest of the season (photo courtesy Fox) |
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TCA: NBC in 2012 |
Posted 1/9/12 |
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A recap of NBC's various
announcements not covered in the flood of press releases
today: -- "The Voice" and "Smash" will both air 15 weeks of originals. Executive producer Mark Burnett says they'll also add a results show for the talent competition on Tuesday nights in the spring, presumably shrinking "The Biggest Loser" to an hour. -- Other locked in/reaffirmed orders include "Fear Factor (10 hours, meaning a few will be left for later this year) and "Fashion Star" (10 episodes, via Jane Lipsitz). |
 NBC details its plans for the rest of the season (photo courtesy NBC) |
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Countdown: The Nick Hewer
Era Begins |
Posted 1/9/12 |
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Nick Hewer's first Countdown
as host saw a more relaxed Apprentice aide at the helm
of the Channel 4 show, bar his fury at the existence of
the word 'netizens'. Not satisfied with unearthing the country's top businessmen and women, Hewer has begun his search for a quiet, basement type with a talent for rearranging randomly chosen letters, as he takes over from Countdown host Jeff Stelling. Despite reports that he has been spontaneously shouting 'conifers' in rehearsals, Nick's first episode passed uncontroversially as he quickly settled into the host's chair, at times reclining to dangerously relaxed levels. A softer Hewer than the sour-faced aide to business pit-bull Lord Sugar we are used to seeing on The Apprentice was on display here, and you almost longed for someone to spell out a naughty word so that Nick could give them a slap on the wrist and tell them to jolly well pull their socks up – an event plucky contestant Jack skated dangerously close to with his spelling of 'TRANNIES' for eight points. Fans of the show will be pleased to hear that the show's format was untouched under Hewer's charge and there were no other new faces, with 90s magician-cum-dictionary page turner Paul Zenon returning to Dictionary Corner. |
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IFC Gets Into Improv Game |
Posted 1/9/12 |
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On the heels of a
star-studded premiere for the second season of hit
Portlandia last night, IFC plans to add two new original
programs to the its prime-time slate in 2012, according
to multiple sources with knowledge of the programming. IFC declined to comment on the record about the two shows, but multiple sources said the network had planned to announce them at the Television Critics Association conference in Los Angeles at the end of next week. Sources close to the matter said both shows would occupy a one hour, back-to-back, prime-time block in 2012, although the day and time have not been decided yet. The first program is a new comedy game show tentatively titled "Bunk". It'll be hosted by comedian Kurt Braunohler and is being described by sources close to the program as a cross between the old ABC improv program Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Remote Control, the old MTV game show. Contestants—mostly improv comics from across the country—will compete in absurd contests for prizes such as "dental work" or "their father's love." For example, in the show's pilot, which sources said might or might not air, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart correspondent Kristen Schaal competes with comedian Kumail Nanjiani in a segment called "Fix This Animal." They're shown a picture of an animal and asked how they would "improve" it (Nanjiani opts to upgrade a squirrel with WiFi). Sources said the program, which is being produced by Avalon Television, was discovered at the New York Television Festival last year. According to sources close to the program, it will be the first comedy project from that festival to be make it to a national TV network. |
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"Sweet Home _____" |
Posted 1/9/12 |
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There's a new bachelorette
moving into SWEET HOME ALABAMA when CMT's popular dating
reality series returns for an all-new, ten episode
season beginning Friday, January 13 at 9:00 p.m., ET/PT,
with a special two-hour premiere. This time, suitors
from big cities and small towns are vying for the
affections of southern beauty Paige Duke, the former
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ambassador from South Carolina,
who was a fan favorite in the series' second season.
There are more tears and more romance, as the drama
explodes when bachelors from across the country head to
the Deep South to compete for the heart of this southern
belle. In each one-hour episode, set in charming
Fairhope, Ala., Paige must say goodbye to more suitors
in her search for true love. Paige Duke, from Lancaster, S.C., is a Clemson University graduate that now works as a national representative for an outdoors retailer in Minnesota. Paige is also a part time model and veterinary technician. In her free time, she loves to spend time on the lake or at the beach and enjoys rodeos, hunting, fishing and watching sports. Paige owns two dogs that she adores and is hoping to find the perfect man to add to the mix. |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/9/12 |
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BOB
HOLNESS: 1928-2012 |
Posted 1/6/12 |
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Bob Holness, former host of
daytime quiz show Blockbusters, has died at 83. In a statement, his family said he had "died peacefully in his sleep" early on Friday morning. Holness, who had suffered a series of strokes, had been in a nursing home. He is survived by his wife Mary, three children and seven grandchildren. Holness "was also an accomplished theatre actor and his radio broadcasting career spanned over six decades", the family statement added. South African-born Holness joined the BBC in the 1960s and hosted Late Night Extra on Radio 1 and Radio 2, alongside presenters including Terry Wogan. The show continued to air on Radio 2's AM frequency only until 1975, before Holness moved to commercial station LBC, co-hosting the morning show with Douglas Cameron. Early in his broadcasting career, he also became the second actor to portray James Bond, starring in a radio adaptation of Moonraker in 1956. In 2008, he told the BBC that the opportunity "just came up through a hole in the floor". "I was doing lots of radio plays at the time but I wanted to do something a bit different, so when James Bond came up I ventured in and said yes." He said he had never heard of the character but that it "became an amazing part to play and the response from listeners was terrific". However he remains best known for hosting the ITV adaptation of Goodson-Todman's Blockbusters, from 1983 to 1993, complete with its hexagonal board, gold runs and the classic double entendre contestant request: "Can I have a P please, Bob?" "People say 'Don't you ever get fed up with it?' but I didn't," he once said. "I loved everything to do with the show so it always got a very positive reception from me, however many times I heard it." He continued to appear on the airwaves, hosting shows including a Tuesday night broadcast on Radio 2, presenting the BBC Radio Orchestra's selection of the best in popular music. He also presented the BBC World Service request show Anything Goes - a show purported to be a favourite of Aung San Suu Kyi while under house arrest - bringing him a new legion of international fans. From 1996 until 2002, he hosted the BBC's long-running panel game Call My Bluff on television. But his health began to deteriorate in the 1990s after he suffered a mini-stroke; a more severe attack in 2002 led to temporary paralysis. Those who have paid tribute to Holness include Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan who said he was "a talented and much-loved presenter who will be sadly missed".
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Bob Holness (photo courtesy Huffington Post) |
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TNT Escapes with Rich
Eisen |
Posted 1/6/12 |
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TNT has given the greenlight
to the network's first-ever reality competition series,
The Great Escape. The action-packed series comes to TNT
from Fox Television Studios, Imagine Entertainment, The
Hochberg Ebersol Company and Profiles Television
Productions, with Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind),Brian
Grazer (24), Francie Calfo (Scoundrels), Elise Doganieri
(The Amazing Race), Bertram van Munster (The Amazing
Race), Justin Hochberg and Charlie Ebersol serving as
executive producers. TNT has ordered 10 episodes of The
Great Escape, which is slated to join the network's
lineup in summer 2012. Hosted by Rich Eisen (NFL Total Access), The Great Escape drops teams of ordinary people into the middle of their own epic action/adventure movie. Each week, three pairs of players will compete for a cash prize by escaping from such locations as a seven-story castle, a deserted island, a sinking ship or a maximum security prison. Players must use their wits, skills and whatever tools they can find to overcome obstacles, evade pursuers and make their way to freedom. "The Great Escape is a fast-paced series with all the heart-pounding excitement and nail-biting suspense of a summer popcorn movie," said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "This is exactly the kind of fun, smart, unscripted competition show we've been looking for to complement TNT's entertaining lineup of scripted dramas." |
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New Season... New Mentors |
Posted 1/6/12 |
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NBC's "The Voice" coaches
have enlisted multi-platinum singer-songwriters Kelly
Clarkson, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds," Jewel, Miranda
Lambert, Alanis Morissette, Ne-Yo, Lionel Richie and
Robin Thicke to lend their knowledge and skills as
advisers to six separate artists on Teams Adam (Levine),
Blake (Shelton), Cee Lo (Green) and Christina
(Aguilera), respectively, during the "battle rounds"
phase of competition on the upcoming season. "The Voice" premieres on a special night and time, Sunday, February 5, (10-11 p.m. ET; time approximate) following Super Bowl XLVI on NBC before settling into its regular time slot of Mondays (8-10 p.m. ET) beginning Monday, February 6. The adviser and team pairings are as follows: Team Adam: Alanis Morissette (@morissette) and Robin Thicke (@robinthicke) Team Blake: Kelly Clarkson (@Kelly_Clarkson) and Miranda Lambert (@Miranda_Lambert) Team Cee Lo: Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds (@KennyEdmonds) and Ne-Yo (@NeYoCompound) Team Christina: Jewel (@jeweljk) and Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) The announcement was made today by Paul Telegdy, President, Late Night and Alternative Programming, NBC. "These renowned musicians will bring their unique and recognizable musical styles to the teams," said Telegdy. "They are well-respected singers whose invaluable experience will be a tremendous asset to Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton's artists." The battle rounds will pit two artists from each team against each other to sing a duet. At the end of each battle round performance, the artists' respective coach will decide who among their team will move on to the live shows, and who will be eliminated from the competition. |
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Thursday: Wipeout Does
Anything But |
Posted 1/6/12 |
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ABC (9.46 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #1) was the network to beat on
Thursday with the return of "Winter Wipeout" (8.54
million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T3), "Grey's
Anatomy" (12.04 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.5,
#1) and "Private Practice" (7.82 million viewers, #7;
adults 18-49: 2.8, #T3). Though it dropped 24.32 percent
from last year this time, but it raised 47.37 percent
from the preview last December. CBS (9.34 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #2) then claimed the silver with its all-repeat lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (11.61 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.5, #2), "Rules of Engagement" (8.69 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.6, #5), "Person of Interest" (8.71 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T6) and "The Mentalist" (9.16 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T6). Next up was FOX (4.56 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3) with encores of "Bones" (4.83 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #9) and another "Bones" (4.30 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T10). Meanwhile, The CW (2.63 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3) offered up fresh installments of "The Vampire Diaries" (3.20 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.4, #8) and "The Secret Circle" (2.06 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T14). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 2.3 rating while "Circle" delivered a 1.1 rating. And finally, repeats of "Community" (2.64 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T14), "Parks & Recreation" (2.36 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T12), "The Office" (2.61 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T10), "Whitney" (2.25 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T12), another "The Office" (1.83 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T16) and "Up All Night" (1.86 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T16) on NBC (2.26 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5) closed out the evening. |
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Game Shows for
(Engineering) Dummies |
Posted 1/6/12 |
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Here is a competition show
whose contestants will probably have the highest IQ in
all of reality television. Discovery and top unscripted
series producer Craig Piligian are introducing a new
reality genre: an engineering competition show.
Discovery Channel has ordered eight episodes from the
untitled series. It will be set at WET (Water
Entertainment Technologies), the renowned Los
Angeles-based water/fire feature design and engineering
firm that is behind some 200+ installations, including
such technological landmarks as Fountains of Bellagio at
the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and The Dubai Fountain,
the world’s biggest fountain. The show, which will be
produced by Piligian’s Pilgrim Studios, will have design
engineers competing against each other in extreme
challenges that push the boundaries of technology,
creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship. “Scientific
exploration and experimentation is at the core of
Discovery Channel’s DNA,” said Nancy Daniels, EVP,
Discovery Channel Production and Development. “With its
competition format, this new series will shine a
spotlight on the exciting world of science and
engineering in a completely new way.” The new series expands Piligian’s relationship with Discovery Channel, where he is behind such long-running hits as Dirty Jobs and American Chopper. “Pilgrim is always searching for the most compelling stories and characters, and for ways to expose exceptional skill sets, innovation and competition,” Piligian said. “This show could only be set at WET, which has moved the needle on the confluence of art and technology.” Added WET CEO Mark Fuller, who is executive producing the show with Piligian, “We’re thrilled to be working with Pilgrim and Discovery to bring to viewers this unique show that reflects the wonder and inspiration of engineering.” WET’s installations also include the fountains at Columbus Circle in New York and The Grove in Los Angeles as well as The Mirage Volcano in Las Vegas. |
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Happy Friday Lightning
Round |
Posted 1/6/12 |
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More on "Total Blackout" |
Posted 1/5/12 |
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Syfy will bring the
international hit TOTAL BLACKOUT, a half-hour game show
which places contestants in complete darkness to compete
in challenges - to its primetime schedule in Spring
2012. The show will be hosted by Jaleel White ("Family
Matters," "Grown Ups"). The series is an extreme game show in which contestants battle each other and their fears in a series of challenges. However, there is a twist -- all the challenges are played in complete darkness. There are no lights, no blindfolds and it’s no-holds barred as the players face their fears and unexpected surprises in a series of nerve-wracking games. From smell, touch and taste to even controlling their own motor movements, all the contestants’ senses will be pushed to the ultimate test. The show is produced by Fremantle Media and was created by Henrik Nielsen ("Can You Duet?," Danish versions of "The X Factor," "Got Talent" and "Pop Idol"). Nielsen and Jeff Apploff ("Million Dollar Money Drop," "Don’t Forget the Lyrics") serve as executive producers. Jack Martin ("Who’s Still Standing," "Deal or No Deal") is co-executive producer. "Total Blackout" joins Syfy’s growing stable of hit reality series such as "Face Off," "Ghost Hunters," "Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files," "Hollywood Treasure," "Haunted Collector" and "Paranormal Witness" as well as the upcoming "Monster Man" and "Dream Machines." |
 Jaleel White will host "Total Blackout" on Syfy this spring (photo courtesy Google) |
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Syndies: The Gifts That
Keep on Giving |
Posted 12/28/11 |
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Judge Judy (CTD) celebrated
the holiday week ending with Christmas Day (Dec. 25) by
reestablishing itself as the highest-rated show of any
type in syndication. Among newcomers to syndication, Excused (CTD), the new latenight dating had the biggest increase, scoring a new series high with a 14% surge from the previous week to a 0.8. Among game shows, Wheel of Fortune (CTD) remained stalled at 7.1; Jeopardy! (CTD) - which saw the beginning of the Jason Keller run - inched up 2% to a 5.9; Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury) fell 6% to a 3.0; and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) rose 4% to a 2.5. |
"Family Feud" will continue on to the 16th season (photo courtesy FremantleMedia) |
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"Rachael vs. Guy" Tops
Sunday Cablers |
Posted 1/5/12 |
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Food Network's three
competition series placed in the top seven of all
original cable programming for Sunday night, January 1.
The premiere of "Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off" drew 3.524 million viewers to take top trumps in the night, but was bested by "Kourtney & Kim Take New York" and "Mob Wives" in the 18-49 demo. Earlier in the night, "Cupcake Wars" took sixth place with 2.132 million viewers, but ended up in a dead heat for fifth with the long-running "Iron Chef America" in the demo, a 0.7. "Iron Chef" took a total of 2.120 million for seventh. |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/5/12 |
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"Apprentices" Announced...
Officially |
Posted 1/4/12 |
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Donald Trump, executive
producer and star of "Celebrity Apprentice," announced
today the newest and largest-ever lineup of famous faces
appearing on the fifth installment of the series,
premiering Sunday, February 12 at 9pm EST/PST on NBC. The men are: late-night legend Arsenio Hall, pop star Clay Aiken, radio host Adam Carolla, the "Incredible Hulk" Lou Ferrigno, magician/comedian Penn Jillette, rock star Dee Snider, actor George Takei, IndyCar legend Michael Andretti, and star of "American Chopper," Paul Teutul, Sr. The women are: supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, pop star Debbie Gibson, actress and multi-Grammy winner Tia Carrere, author and reality star Victoria Gotti, comedienne Lisa Lampanelli, former Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, singer and actress Aubrey O'Day, actress and model Patricia Velásquez, and star of "Real Housewives of New Jersey," Teresa Giudice. "This season of 'Celebrity Apprentice' will be the most exciting yet. The show will be great, with a record number of contestants and 15 episodes. We are thrilled to bring 18 new and talented celebrities who will help me make 'The Celebrity Apprentice' one of the hottest shows on television this spring. This will be season 12 -- Amazing!" said Mr. Trump. All 18 business-savvy celebrity contestants will compete with the goal of raising money and awareness for their charity of choice. The last person standing will be chosen as the Celebrity Apprentice and have the honor of delivering a $250,000 bonus check to their designated charity, following in the footsteps of previous winners Piers Morgan, Joan Rivers, Bret Michaels and John Rich. The celebrities will be subject to long hours, grueling deadlines, intellectual challenges, personality clashes, and intense scrutiny under the careful watch of Donald Trump and his advisors, Don Jr., Ivanka, and Eric Trump. Last season, "Celebrity Apprentice" raised a record amount for the contestants' charities, donating over $3.1 million to charity. "We've never seen such a smart and funny group as this year's lineup of celebrities," said executive producer Mark Burnett. "'Celebrity Apprentice' is better than ever, and it's all for a great purpose - raising millions for charity." "Celebrity Apprentice" airs Sundays at 9:00p.m. ET/PT on NBC |
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Tuesday: Losing It |
Posted 1/4/12 |
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CBS (16.24 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) overshadowed the competition
with new episodes of "NCIS" (20.02 million viewers, #1;
adults 18-49: 4.2, #1), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (17.07
million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.5, #2) and
"Unforgettable" (11.62 million viewers, #3; adults
18-49: 2.5, #3) on Tuesday. NBC (5.96 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) then took home the silver with the 2012 premieres of "The Biggest Loser 13" (6.46 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.3, #5) and "Parenthood" (4.95 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #8). "The Biggest Loser" lost 14.81 percent from the season finale in December, while dropping 30.30 percent in the demo. Next up was ABC (6.66 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3) with a new "Last Man Standing" (7.87 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.4, #4), the premiere of "Work It" (6.14 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7), the time period premiere of "Celebrity Wife Swap" (6.00 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.2, #6) and a new "Body of Proof" (6.97 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.5, #9). Meanwhile, FOX (2.58 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) offered up repeats of "Glee" (2.49 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T11), "New Girl" (3.06 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #10) and "Raising Hope" (2.26 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T11). And finally, repeats of "The Secret Circle" (1.00 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13) and another "The Secret Circle" (0.72 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.3, #14) on The CW (0.86 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Circle" posted a 0.4 rating at 8:00/7:00c and a 0.3 rating at 9:00/8:00c. |
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"Bank Job" Makes Bank
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Posted 1/4/12 |
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Channel 4′s new gameshow The
Bank Job was watched by 1.2 million viewers on Monday
evening when Darragh Morgan won a place in Saturday’s
grand final and added £92,000 to the final prize fund. The show, presented by George Lamb, saw an increase to 1.3 million viewers, a 6.1% share, on Tuesday evening when Oonagh became the second grand finalist, adding a further £85,000 to Saturday’s final. The Bank Job is a week-long TV event giving contestants the chance to pull off the ultimate heist and walk away with a life changing sum of money. Across six nights, four contestants are taken to a real bank in London and enter a bank vault filled with hundreds of thousands of pounds of cash. They play a high jeopardy, competitive game of knowledge, judgement and luck. By the end of the night one victor will be leaving with a briefcase full of money – the other three will be going home empty-handed.
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Kerry
McGregor: 1974-2012 |
Posted 1/4/12 |
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Former X Factor contestant
Kerry McGregor has died at the age of 37 after a battle
with bladder cancer. Kerry was a finalist in the third series of The X Factor in 2006 and was mentored by Sharon Osbourne. She was eliminated in week three after losing the judges vote to fellow contestant Ashley McKenzie. Kerry’s management said: “It is with deep sadness we announce that Kerry passed away at home, earlier today following a battle with cancer. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. Further details will be released in due course.” The Scottish singer-songwriter and actress began her career performing with bands including Nexus and QFX before appearing on the BBC television show to select the UK´s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. Former X Factor mentor Sharon Osbourne tweeted: “So sad about Kerry McGregor’s passing. Much love and respect to her and her family.” |
 Kerry McGregor (photo courtesy Digital Spy) |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 1/4/12 |
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