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TruTV Hits "Panic
Button" |
Posted 4/17/13 |
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Hot off of scoring its
youngest year and youngest first quarter ever in
primetime median age, truTV is heading into Upfront
season with an arsenal of comedic reality series
designed to build on the network's remarkable success.
The network is continuing to successfully serve an
audience segment called funseekers with a production and
development slate that includes three new original
series and seven original series pilots and development
deals, along with several returning hits. In addition,
truTV will extend its success in the multi-platform
world with an aggressive strategy that includes the
launch of a brand new truTV.com, the cable industry's
first network website built with cutting-edge responsive
design architecture. "We're using truTV's growing slate of comedic reality series to target an underserved audience we call funseekers," said Marc Juris, executive vice president and chief operating officer of truTV. "We've already caught the attention of funseekers with hit shows like Impractical Jokers and Killer Karaoke. Now we're ready to target them on a bigger scale, not only by creating more comedic reality series but also by giving them innovative opportunities to connect with their truTV favorites in the digital realm." truTV has greenlit three new series, including Panic Button, in which contestants must brave a haunted house without pushing a button that will allow them to escape. truTV is also moving forward on several pilots, including Turbulence, a high-flying, globe-trotting game show set on an airplane, and Laugh Truck (working title), in which three friends compete in hilarious challenges while riding the back of a truck. And the network is in development on Mind Games (working title), a unique competition project with hypnotist Will Miner in which the participants don't even know they're playing a game. |
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"The
Chase" Is CASTING! |
Posted 4/17/13 |
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GSN and ITV Studios America
are looking for people who are highly intelligent, great
at trivia, and have fun personalities to pitch bout
against the Chaser.
Contestant searches have been announced for GSN's upcoming edition of the UK quiz phenomenon "The Chase", in which a team of four contestants try to outrun international trivia ace Mark "The Beast" Labbett in the pursuit of thousands of dollars. "The auditions are going
to be lots of fun, and we encourage people to bring
friends along, too!" reports casting producer Michelle
Frey.
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 "The Chase" is on for GSN (photo courtesy Wikipedia/ITV Studios America) |
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Tuesday: Ready for...
"The Voice" |
Posted 4/17/13 |
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NBC (6.843 million viewers,
#3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1) was the top demo draw on
Tuesday with a new installment of "The Voice" (13.782
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.5, #1) followed by
week two of "Ready for Love" (3.373 million viewers, #9;
adults 18-49: 1.3, #T7). CBS (9.814 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2) then was the most-watched network despite repeats of "NCIS" (9.230 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T7) and "NCIS: Los Angeles" (12.279 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T2) alongside a new "Golden Boy" (7.933 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #5). Next up was ABC (8.880 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3) with originals from "Splash" (5.195 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.1, #10), "Dancing with the Stars" (12.454 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T2) and "Body of Proof" (8.992 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.4, #6). Meanwhile, FOX (3.371 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3) offered up a new "Hell's Kitchen" (4.583 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #4) plus repeats of "New Girl" (2.358 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #9) and "The Mindy Project" (1.959 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #11). On cable, Chopped entered the top 15 with 1.798 million viewers, while Robot Combat League continues to struggle with 526,000 viewers for #33. |
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Shooting Stars |
Posted 4/17/13 |
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History has ordered a fifth
season of its veteran competition series "Top Shot,"
this time with an "All Stars" twist. The new cycle - due on Wednesday, May 29 at 10:00/9:00c - will see the show's four previous champions (Iain Harrison, Chris Reed, Dustin Ellermann and Chris Cheng) defend their respective titles against 12 fellow alums. The prize: $100,000 and a brand new "Top Shot" special edition Tahoe Q5i Speedboat. Colby Donaldson will return as host of the series, which once again comes from Pilgrim Studios. |
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Playing Favorites with
the Bible |
Posted 4/17/13 |
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It's time to play favorites
on THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE! GSN announced today the
launch of THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE FAN FAVORITE.
From Thursday, April 18th through Sunday, May 19th, fans
of THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE can go to gsntv.com to
vote for their favorite team who can potentially win
$10,000 for the team's charity. THE AMERICAN BIBLE
CHALLENGE airs Thursdays at 9:00pm ET/PT on GSN. The team with the most votes at the end of the voting period will receive $10,000 for their charity and earn the title of THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE FAN FAVORITE. The Fan Favorite winner will be announced on GSN during the finale of THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE on Thursday May 23rd at 9:00pm ET/PT. Voting starts on April 18th and ends at midnight (PST) on May 19th. Limit one vote per person, per day. |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/17/13 |
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A Very Atypical Monday |
Posted 4/16/13 |
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The Voice continues to prove
it’s a rising star for NBC as it launched into its
battle rounds last night. NBC (12.478 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.5, #1) towered over the competition on Monday with a new "The Voice" (14.289 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.1, #1) - a season high - and its "NBC News Special" (8.857 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.1, #2) continuing coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. ABC (12.406 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) then took home a distant second place with originals from "Dancing with the Stars" (13.405 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5) and "Castle" (10.408 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T7). Next up was CBS (7.179 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) and its mix of "How I Met Your Mother" (6.578 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3), "Rules of Engagement" (6.068 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.0, #9), "2 Broke Girls" (7.479 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.3, #4), "Mike & Molly" (7.654 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5) and "Hawaii Five-0" (7.648 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #11). Meanwhile, FOX (6.452 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #4) offered up new episodes of "Bones" (6.495 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.9, #10) and "The Following" (6.409 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T7). And finally, the return of "Oh Sit!" (1.088 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.4, #12) and "90210" (0.558 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #13) on The CW (0.822 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) rounded out the night. Compared to year-ago numbers, "Oh Sit!" was anything but sitting pretty, dropping by a third in the demo.
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Syndies: April Drizzles |
Posted 4/16/13 |
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Most syndies were stable in
the week after Easter, which ended April 7. Game shows were mixed. CTD's leader, Wheel of Fortune, slowed 4% from the prior week to a first-run leading 6.9. CTD's Jeopardy! rebounded 5% to a 6.2, after three straight weeks of declines. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud was flat at a 4.8. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire cashed in with a 4% increase to a 2.5. NBCU's newcomer, Baggage, was unchanged at a 1.1. |
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I'm Going to Disney
World! .... Final Answer? |
Posted 4/16/13 |
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One lucky "Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire" viewer will have the chance to win a Walt
Disney World(R) Resort Vacation and experience the magic
of New Fantasyland(R) during "Magical Family Getaway
Week," airing April 29 - May 3. Home viewers can enter the "Magical Family Getaway" Sweepstakes once a day by visiting http://www.millionairetv.com, beginning Monday, April 29, 2013 at 12:00 a.m., ET through Friday, May 10 at 11:59 p.m., ET. The winner will receive a four-night, five-day Walt Disney World Resort vacation for four, including hotel, airfare, 5-day Magic Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper(R) Option and a $500 Disney Gift Card. Must be at least 18 years of age and a U.S. resident to participate. Watch "Millionaire" all week and go to http://www.millionairetv.com for your chance to win! All week, Disney vacations will be attached to one question in each contestant's "Millionaire" game. If the contestant answers correctly, he or she will win the money attached to the question as well as a Walt Disney World Resort Vacation for four, where they can experience New Fantasyland, located in the heart of the Magic Kingdom(R) Park. New Fantasyland opened in 2012 and marks the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history. Visitors can journey through the Enchanted Forest, where they can enter Prince Eric's Castle and ride through Ariel's world, dine in Beast's Castle, join Belle for a retelling of the "tale as old as time" and experience Disney storytelling like never before. |
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"TUF" on the Move....
Again. |
Posted 4/16/13 |
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A new network, new day and
time, new coaches and new captivating storylines. The Ultimate Fighter(R), the Ultimate Fighting Championship's(R) (UFC(R)) signature reality series, moves to FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports' newly minted multi-sport national cable channel, when it returns in September. The series, featuring UFC(R) women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Cat Zingano as coaches, also moves to Wednesday evening at 10:00 PM ET where it anchors FS1's prime time UFC programming block. FS1 launches Saturday, Aug. 17 and season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter premieres Wednesday, Sept. 4 (10:00 PM ET). "Bringing The Ultimate Fighter to FOX Sports 1 is like adding a big bat to an exciting young lineup," said Shanks. "TUF has jump-started the careers of dozens of fighters, many who have gone on to become UFC champions. It's going to be a welcomed addition to FOX Sports 1, and the perfect anchor for our Wednesday prime time UFC block. We're absolutely thrilled to have it." "Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter just ended and it was the best season we've ever done," said UFC(R) President Dana White. "Season 18 is going to be historic and groundbreaking with the first-ever women coaches, and men and women training and living together, and we're excited to be airing it on the best new sports network in the country, FOX Sports 1." Earlier this year, UFC announced that Rousey, who defeated challenger Liz Carmouche in the UFC's first women's bout during UFC(R) 157, would serve as the first-ever woman coach on the series alongside the winner of today's Miesha Tate vs. Cat Zingano No.1 contender fight. Moments ago Cat Zingano defeated Miesha Tate by TKO (referee stoppage) in round 3 at The Ultimate Fighter Finale event in Las Vegas. Together Rousey and Zingano will mentor male and female bantamweight (135 lbs) fighters - living and training together - vying for the title of The Ultimate Fighter and a six-figure contract with the UFC. "Having the opportunity to help fighters kick off their careers - especially the women - is an amazing experience," said Rousey. "I've had the chance to be a guest on past episodes, and I felt the passion, determination and commitment these fighters bring to the sport. I can't wait to start coaching this next history-making season on this exciting new network." |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/16/13 |
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NBC Summer |
Posted 4/15/13 |
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NBC has announced premiere
dates for the high stakes adventure competition series
"Get Out Alive With Bear Grylls," and the highly
anticipated summer dramedy "Camp," while also setting
debuts for "Save Me" and "American Ninja Warrior." "Get Out Alive With Bear Grylls" will make its debut Monday, July 8 (9-10 p.m. ET). The show is co-produced by Bear Grylls Ventures and Ben Silverman's multimedia studio, Electus. Grylls, Silverman, Chris Grant, Laura Caraccioli and Doug McCallie serve as executive producers. "Get Out Alive With Bear Grylls" is a larger-than-life adventure reality competition series. Grylls, a world-renowned survivalist, leads a non-stop extreme-survival journey that tests 10 teams of two beyond their wildest imaginations as they venture into the unforgiving and dramatic landscape of New Zealand's South Island. On Monday, July 1 (8-10 p.m. ET), the summer favorite "American Ninja Warrior" returns to the NBC lineup with a two-hour special. The series, with hosts Matt Iseman and former NFL player Akbar Gbaja Biamila, will return to its regularly scheduled one-hour timeslot Monday, July 8 (8-9 p.m. ET). "American Ninja Warrior" also airs on NBCUniversal-owned Esquire Network. The action-packed one-hour competition series follows contestants as they tackle the world's most difficult obstacle courses across the country. Those that successfully complete a course in each city move on to the national finals round in Las Vegas, where they face a stunning four-stage course modeled after the famed Mt. Midoriyama in Japan. "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") along with Lake Paradise Entertainment's Holly Wofford and Viki Cacciatore. As previously announced, "America's Got Talent" - last summer's #1 series on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and total viewers - premieres its eighth season on Tuesday, June 4 (9-11 p.m. ET). For the first time, the program's live episode will be aired from Radio City Music Hall in New York. "America's Got Talent" begins its Wednesday run on July 10 (9-10 p.m. ET). "America's Got Talent" is produced by Simon Cowell's Syco Television and FremantleMedia North America. Simon Cowell, Jason Raff, Sam Donnelly, Trish Kinane and Rob Wade are the executive producers. |
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More on "Bad Girls
All-Star Battle" |
Posted 4/15/13 |
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Oxygen Media reveals 14 of
the most memorable girls in "Bad Girls Club" history,
all squaring off in a series of outrageous physical and
brain teasing challenges on "Bad Girls All Star Battle"
beginning Tuesday, May 21 at 9PM ET/PT with a supersized
90-minute premiere. Hosted by actor, musician, and
heartthrob Ray J, these fan favorites will put it all on
the line in a drama-filled hard-core competition for
$100,000 and the title of "Baddest Bad Girl of All
Time." Beginning Tuesday, May 28, the series will move
to its regular time of 8 PM ET/PT. For more information,
visit www.oxygen.com and follow us on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/OxygenPR. In the season premiere, host Ray J (@RayJ) welcomes fan-favorite bad girls from past seasons into the mansion and onto the playing field for their first individual competition. Split into two teams, these unforgettable femmes will face off in a Captains Challenge, "Back Off Bad Girl," where the girls will complete gladiator style on a floating dock armed with battle guards. The last one standing from each team will be named captain and receive protection from elimination. Later on in the first Team Challenge of the season, "Bad Girls Boot Camp," the ladies' skills at working together will be put to the test while racing through an All-Star obstacle course -- over The Weave Wall, through a swamp in the Caboodle Carry, past the Web of Lies and into a muddy Bar Crawl to the final puzzle. While the losing team nominates two players from their crew to go up for elimination, the winners of the Team Challenge will get immunity, a night out at the club, and vote on which player to boot. Will these notorious "Bad Girls" be able to work together as a team -- or will they let their egos get the best of them? Fans can access exclusive content, root for their favorite "Bad Girls" with shareable trading cards and join the conversation on the show's social accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Fans can also tweet or read about the series using #BadGirlsAllStarBattle hashtag on Twitter. |
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Gethin Jones Sells
Answers |
Posted 4/15/13 |
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Blue Peter hunk Gethin Jones
has landed his own daily quiz show, based on the
bunfight that was the old-fashioned Stock Exchange. Sell Me The Answer, the ask the audience - traders - for help when stuck. So when a player is they shout out:" Traders, Me the Answer!" Everyone in the audience then" fights it out" in scenes of mayhem, shouting why they should get picked to get up on stage with the contestant. But the snag is traders can lie. And anyone managing to bluff successfully can win a load of cash while the contestant gets zilch. The top prize is a not-to-be-sniffed-at£ 25, 000. Gethin says:" The lure of money does funny things to people. I expect that there will be fireworks in the studio." Me too... The hour-long shows kick off on Sky1 in May. |
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Ready, Set, Ogie |
Posted 4/15/13 |
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It's going to be an
action-packed Saturday starting April 20 as GMA Network
and Wyeth Nutrition have partnered to bring “Bonakid
Pre-School Ready Set Laban” that will test the strength,
energy and determination of kids. Singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid hosts the game show which features various challenges set in an exciting custom-built obstacle course. “It is my first time to host a game show for kids and it is fascinating to watch them go through the challenges we have in store for them with much confidence and determination,” said Ogie. “It’s also heartwarming to see the moms supporting and encouraging their kids all throughout the challenge.” Each episode has two teams consisting of mom and kid tandems that will compete in a qualifying game. The team that wins will get to advance to the main challenge which is the Triple Boost Maze – a growth, energy and immunity challenge rolled in one thrilling game! “We are really excited about Bonakid Pre-School Ready Set Laban as it showcases kids who are strong, determined, and always up for the challenge, or kids whom we call Batang may Laban”, says Aubrey Iñigo, senior product manager for Wyeth Nutrition. “This is in line with Bonakid Pre-School’s commitment to help moms empower their kids so that they will have the strength and confidence to conquer any challenge.” |
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Weekend: Stillborn
"Baby" |
Posted 4/15/13 |
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ABC's bet on "Bet On Your
Baby", the prediction game hosted by Melissa Peterman,
is not yielding the return it had hoped for. The
premiere of "Bet on Your Baby" (2.362 million viewers,
#7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T6), a second episode (2.269
million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T6) and a
repeat of "Body of Proof" (2.531 million viewers, #6;
adults 18-49: 0.4, #T9) closed out the night. The two
hours of "Baby" took half the audience of a year-ago
repeat of the miniseries "Titanic". FOX (5.908 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) was the top draw on Saturday with its coverage of "NASCAR: Sprint Cup Racing from Texas" (5.908 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1). A silver medal went to CBS (5.389 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) with repeats of "NCIS" (4.858 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5), "48 Hours" (4.983 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4) and a new "48 Hours" (6.327 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.2, #2). Next up was NBC (2.329 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3) with a new "Smash" (1.797 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T9) followed by encores of "The Voice" (2.255 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T6) and "Saturday Night Live" (2.934 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3). On Sunday, a playoff overrun of The Masters, which saw Australian Adam Scott win his first green jacket, helped CBS (12.408 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) to the win. The playoff (17.971 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1) followed by new episodes of "60 Minutes" (12.143 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T2), "The Amazing Race 22" (9.556 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T4) and "The Good Wife" (9.965 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T7) bolstered the Eye's numbers. The silver then went to FOX (3.465 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2) and its mix of a "Bob's Burgers" (1.724 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.7, #14) repeat followed by originals from "The Cleveland Show" (2.444 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #11), "The Simpsons" (4.074 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.8, #6), "Bob's Burgers" (3.409 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #9), "Family Guy" (4.993 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T2) and "American Dad" (4.144 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T4). Next up was NBC (4.498 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3) with an encore of "The Voice" (3.793 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T12) and a new two-hour "The Celebrity Apprentice" (5.202 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T7). And finally, ABC (3.914 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4) rounded out the evening with its second run lineup of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.845 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T12), "Once Upon a Time: The Price of Magic" (5.083 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #10), "Revenge" (2.656 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.6, #15) and "Red Widow" (2.073 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16).
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Four Houses, Two
Seasons |
Posted 4/15/13 |
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Clear your calendars - TLC
is inviting viewers to its Saturday House Party! TLC
opens its doors to a fresh line up of property shows
with a weekly programming block dedicated to unique
abodes, home improvement and no shortage of proud
homeowners. Kicking off on Saturday, April 20 at 9 PM
(ET/PT), TLC premieres the second season of the hit
series FOUR HOUSES, which features four passionate
homeowners who are invited to preview, critique and
score each other's homes for the chance to win $10,000.
Each week, FOUR HOUSES is followed by all-new premieres
of outrageously fun property specials with a twist. From
insane bathrooms and relentless realtors trying to
unload extreme listings, to hunky carpenters tackling
"honey-do" lists and design obsessed homeowners, TLC
takes how-to to a whole new level. "Inside all of us is a borderline nosy neighbor, dying to catch a glimpse into the homes and lives of those around us," said Amy Winter, general manager of TLC. "Saturday House Party goes beyond home improvement, offering programs to satisfy that curiosity, revealing the surprising commonalities - and wacky personalities - behind their front doors." |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/15/13 |
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Drawing Something in
the UK |
Posted 4/12/13 |
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Channel 4 has commissioned a
new gameshow inspired by the best-selling app Draw
Something. A TV version of the mobile game, which sees two people taking it in turns to draw images for their partner to guess correctly, will team up members of the public with celebrities. The show will be called Draw It! and will feature two teams - each with one contestant and one celebrity - going up against each other in three rounds of sketching contests, reports The Guardian. The contestant that comes out on top will then collaborate with the two celebrities for the final round to see them compete for a cash prize. Who Wants to be a Millionaire? producers Victory Television will be co-creating the program. Victoria Ashbourne, managing director of Victory, said: "There's a creative side to everyone, sometimes more obvious than others, and the show will really tap into that with a race against the clock and plenty of humor." Since its creation, Draw Something has been downloaded in excess of 50 million times. The rights for the game were purchased by game giant Zynga for $180 million..
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Thursday: Woman on Top |
Posted 4/12/13 |
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An uptick from last week is
finally giving "American Idol" something to sing about. FOX (9.772 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #1) was the top draw on Thursday thanks to a new "American Idol" (12.745 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) and the return of "Glee" (6.799 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #3) after a three week break. The talent contest went up 10 percent from last week, though its year-ago number still is a hefty decline at 26 percent. CBS (8.986 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #2) then claimed the silver despite an all-repeat lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (11.146 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2), "Two and a Half Men" (8.207 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #4), "Person of Interest" (9.978 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.8, #6) and "Elementary" (7.305 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T9). Next up was NBC (3.531 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3) and its all-original lineup of "Community" (2.963 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.2, #12), "Parks & Recreation" (3.107 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #8), "The Office" (3.772 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #5), the season finale of "Go On" (2.663 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) and week two of "Hannibal" (4.340 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.6, #7). Meanwhile, ABC (4.192 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) offered up a new "Wife Swap" (4.588 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T9) followed by repeats of "Grey's Anatomy" (4.407 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #11) and "Scandal" (3.580 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #14). |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/12/13 |
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Wednesday: Rounding the
Bend? |
Posted 4/11/13 |
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FOX (11.988 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #1) was the top draw on Wednesday
with a new two-hour "American Idol" (11.988 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #2). The number
represents a 6 percent bump from last week. CBS (10.455 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2) then claimed the silver with its mix of "Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites" (9.145 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5), "Criminal Minds" (11.288 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #3) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (10.933 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5). Next up was ABC (7.087 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) and its lineup of "The Middle" (7.424 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7), "Suburgatory" (5.555 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9), "Modern Family" (10.221 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.8, #1), "How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)" (7.311 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #4) and "Nashville" (6.005 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.8, #8). Meanwhile, NBC (4.119 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) offered up a new "Dateline NBC" (5.258 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #10) followed by repeats of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.000 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #11) and "Hannibal" (3.099 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #12). |
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More on "Race to the
Scene" |
Posted 4/11/13 |
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Everyone loves escaping to
the movies. The only thing more thrilling is being in
one. See Expendables 2 star Dolph Lundgren like never
before in Race to the Scene featuring contestants racing
to and from iconic movie locations as they compete in
stunts inspired by some of the biggest blockbusters of
modern times such as The Italian Job, Forrest Gump and
Pulp Fiction. Nothing is off limits for Lundgren as he
takes hosting to another level with crazy costumes and
epic challenges - viewers will even catch him in a
wedding dress! Race to the Scene is created and produced
by The Hochberg Ebersol Company (THE Company). The
series is executive produced by Justin W. Hochberg,
Charlie Ebersol and Reelz. As part of Reelz's strategic
initiative, Brand Absorption(TM), in collaboration with
THE Company and the series producers, Camping World is
fully integrated into all episodes of Race to the Scene,
including the prizes for the winning teams. "Race to the Scene" premieres June 6 at 9p ET on Reelz. |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/11/13 |
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King of Iron Chefs
Redux? |
Posted 4/10/13 |
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May Madness hits Food
Network this spring as Food Network pits Iron Chef vs.
Iron Chef in the first-ever Iron Chef America:
Tournament of Champions. With five episodes and a panel
of revolving judges, the tournament features
high-stakes, bracket-style battles between the best of
the best in the culinary world. The tournament begins
Sunday, May 5th at 10pm ET/PT with a face-off between
the two newest Iron Chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and
Geoffrey Zakarian. Episodes include: Episode One: Guarnaschelli vs. Zakarian Premieres Sunday, May 5th at 10pm ET/PT Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli battles Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, with the winner moving on to face Iron Chef Michael Symon. The judges are G. Garvin, Simon Majumdar and Trisha Yearwood. Episode Two: Forgione vs. Garces Premieres Sunday, May 12th at 9pm ET/PT Iron Chef Marc Forgione and Iron Chef Jose Garces go head-to-head, with the winner progressing to cook against Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Donatella Arpaia, Adam Fleischman and Simon Majumdar judge. Episode Three: Winner vs. Symon Premieres Sunday, May 19th at 9pm ET/PT Iron Chef Michael Symon cooks against the winner of the Guarnaschelli vs. Zakarian battle. The judges for this battle are Ree Drummond, Aaron Sanchez and Trisha Yearwood. Episode Four: Winner vs. Morimoto Premieres Sunday, May 26th at 9pm ET/PT Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto battles the winner of Forgione vs. Garces, in front of judges G. Garvin, Candice Kumai and Jeffrey Steingarten. Episode Five: Finale Premieres Sunday, June 2nd at 10pm ET/PT The winning Iron Chefs battle for the tournament championship. Judges Donatella Arpaia, Karine Bakhoum and Iron Chef Bobby Flay determine who will become Grand Champion. Iron Chef America is produced by LEG/Triage Entertainment. |
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Money, Money, Yeah,
Yeah |
Posted 4/10/13 |
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Quarter-million dollar
Punch-a-Bunch. Half-million dollar Plinko. And a Ferrari
to boot. Those are just some of the highlights awaiting our contestants as they prepare to play "The Price Is Right" like never before. Show host Drew Carey showed previews of the event to come on an episode of "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson". An airdate has not yet been set for the show. |
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Tuesday: Splashing Into
Hell |
Posted 4/10/13 |
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NBC (6.882 million viewers,
#3; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1) held onto the top spot on
Tuesday thanks to a new "The Voice" (12.952 million
viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.2, #1) followed by the
two-hour series premiere of "Ready for Love" (3.847
million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.6, #7). CBS (12.834 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) then was a competitive second place with originals from "NCIS" (16.671 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T2), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (13.939 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T2) and "Golden Boy" (7.893 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8). Next up was FOX (3.956 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #3) with fresh installments of "Hell's Kitchen" (4.395 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.8, #6), "New Girl" (4.218 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.2, #4) and "The Mindy Project" (2.816 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8). Meanwhile, ABC (8.681 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) offered up its mix of "Splash" (5.116 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.2, #11), "Dancing with the Stars" (11.815 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #5) and "Body of Proof" (9.063 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.4, #10). Tuesday on cable... - Chopped (10:00) - Food: 1.740 million viewers, #12; 0.831 million adults 18-49 (0.7 rating), #14 - The Ultimate Fighter (9:00) - FX: 1.090 million viewers, #21; 0.750 million adults 18-49 (0.6 rating), #18 |
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Who Wants to Be a
Muppeteer? |
Posted 4/10/13 |
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Syfy has announced its
upcoming slate of programming, rolling out a docket of
eight unscripted programs as part of its development for
the year ahead. The eight new unscripted programs include “Unbreakable,” a competition program based on an extreme endurance race held annually in Vermont; “The Jim Henson Creature Shop,” in which aspiring puppeteers and even Muppeteers can win an apprenticeship with the fabled maker of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy; “Meat Loaf Rocks the Paranormal,” starring the famous musician, his two daughters and his son-in-law, Scott Ian of Anthrax traveling to America’s most famous and haunted locales; and “Dead Famous,” a show that sets out to answer questions about celebrities who died young by collecting personal items and holding a séance. |
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A Family Quiz for
People Who Hate Family Quizzes |
Posted 4/10/13 |
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Keshet Media Group’s
international sales arm Keshet International has
licensed format rights to its new family gameshow Sure
or Insure to Banijay-owned Nordisk Film TV. Local versions of the shiny-floor trivia quizshow will be made for Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The format involves a family member receiving US$1m and attempting to hold on to it through 10 rounds of questions, relying on how well the family knows them. The twist involves the option to buy ‘safety net’ insurance after every round, which becomes more costly as more money is lost, and helps to escalate family tensions. Keshet International holds around 60 properties across a range of genres, including drama, entertainment, gameshows, factual reality and comedy. Earlier this month it sold the format rights to its crime drama Mice to Russia’s JITV. |
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Turning "Japanizi" |
Posted 4/10/13 |
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Canadian kids producer
marblemedia is turning the former ABC reality game show
I Survived a Japanese Game Show into a Japanese-style
reality game show pre-bought for Disney XD in the U.S.
market and a slew of Disney channels internationally. The Japanizi: Going, Going, Gong! adaptation has also been sold to the Canadian kids cable channel YTV and its French language counterpart VRAK. The ABC reality show I Survived A Japanese Game Show, originally called Big in Japan, was created by David Sidebotham. marblemedia’s 40 half hour kids game show adaptation will feature four teams of two contestants moving through three elimination rounds of physical gags and over-the-top stunts to reach a final winner. The studio-based kids game show will make use of zany costumes, conveyor belts, dizzy chairs, giant fans and velcro walls. The Canadian producer licensed the format rights from Small World IFT, and will debut the English language adaptation in the U.S. on Disney XD and YTV in Fall 2013. That will be followed by the launch of Japanizi: Going, Going, Gong! in 2014 on Disney channels in Europe, Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia Pacific, including Australia, India and South East Asia territories, as part of an agreement with Distribution 360, a division of marblemedia. |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/10/13 |
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Monday: One Shining
Moment |
Posted 4/9/13 |
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First of all,
congratulations to the Louisville Cardinals. Between reality and college basketball, there was a lot of live on TV on Monday night. Running from 8 PM-10:01 PM, Dancing With The Stars (2.0/5) kicked off things on ABC. The live two-hour performance show saw some gymnastics, tears and stumbles. Up against the NCAA Tournament championship game and The Voice, it also saw a 9% drop from its April 1 show to hit a season low. That marks the the lowest performance episode ever for the 16-season show. A Castle repeat (1.3/5) followed. The NCAA title game dominated CBS’ primetime. In fast nationals, the NCAA Playoffs Pre-Game (4.4/11) was even with last year, while the game (7.5/19) was down 1% from the final numbers of the final last year and up 7% from the fast nationals for the April 2, 2012 final. Due to the nature of live sports, the numbers are approximate at best and will likely see a larger than usual adjustment in the final numbers. The matchup between winning Louisville and Michigan was up 18% in average overnight household rating/share over last year’s final. In addition to the game, CBS had a double comedy shot with repeats of 2 Broke Girls (2.7/8) and The Big Bang Theory (3.3/9). CBS won the night in total viewers and the adults 18-49 demo. On NBC, The Voice (4.9.12) entered the final week of blind auditions. Judges Adam Levine and Blake Shelton sparred over who really knows more about country music and fellow judge Usher emphasized the balance between singing and dancing on the 8-10:01 PM live two-hour show. Hitting a ratings high for Season 4, The Voice was up 4% from last week’s show. Monday’s show also ties the rating of last season’s December 18 9-11 PM finale for the highest-rated Voice since March 12, 2012. After hitting a series low last week, NBC’s post-apocalyptic Revolution (2.3/6) bopped up 5%. |
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Syndies: Spring Break |
Posted 4/9/13 |
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CBS Television
Distribution's Dr. Phil made a big comeback in the
syndie session ending March 31, growing 17% from the
prior week to 2.8 live plus same day national household
rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, marking the
largest increase of any strip in syndication. Phil also returned to the top of the talk pack in households and among women 25-54, scoring a 1.6 in daytime's key demographic, with a week of three originals and two repeats. The rest of syndication showed little movement in an otherwise slow week. Game shows all were flat to down. CTD's leader Wheel of Fortune dipped 1% to a 7.2. CTD's Jeopardy! weakened 2% to a 5.9. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud faded 2% to a 4.8. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire and NBCU's newcomer Baggage were unchanged at a 2.4 and a 1.1, respectively. |
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Here's What You May
Miss on "Glee" |
Posted 4/9/13 |
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Reports of "The Glee
Project's" demise have been greatly exaggerated. An Oxygen spokesperson tells TheWrap, “What TVLine reported was speculation. 'The Glee Project' has not been cancelled." The story has since been corrected. From what sources with knowledge of the project report, the series is simply on hold pending Fox's decision on whether "Glee" gets another season. “The Glee Project,” which is executive produced by “Glee” boss Ryan Murphy and executive producer Dante Di Loreto, became a pretty effective way to find new talent for the Fox musical series. "Glee" castmembers guest star each week to help introduce a lesson and mentor the contenders. The winners (and Season 1's runner-ups) got a multiple-episode guest arc on "Glee," including Alex Newell, Samuel Larson and Blake Jenner. The series earned itself a small, but passionate viewership. Season 1 ended with a series high of 1.24 million people. Season 2 had a harder time of it and only attracted 0.82 million viewers to its finale. How's "Glee" doing in the ratings? The most recent episode on March 21 drew a 2.0/5 in the ad-coveted 18-49 demo, which was even with the last week, and 5.9 million total viewers, which was up from the previous week. |
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Face (Re)Turn |
Posted 4/9/13 |
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The Face has been renewed
for a second season by Oxygen. The reality show, which sees three coaches battling it out to find the new face of a national brand, will return with ten new episodes. Oxygen Media's Rod Aissa said: "The Face brings a unique and authentic look into the modeling industry, along with our supermodel coaches and contestants delivering the passion, fashion, competition and drama that our audience was captivated by. "We are excited to get back on the catwalk for season two as we bring in a few new twists along the way." Oxygen has not yet confirmed whether judges Naomi Campbell, Karolina Kurkova and Coca Rocha or host Nigel Barker will return for the second season, though the network did say that Campbell will be back as an executive producer. Oxygen also revealed that season two "will up the stakes with announcements forthcoming". News of The Face's renewal comes shortly after it emerged that the show will be remade for the UK, with Campbell again appearing as one of the coaches. |
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Wheel's Millionaire
Makers |
Posted 4/9/13 |
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America’s #1 Game Show,
Wheel of Fortune, is uniting with Caesars Entertainment
to create a millionaire as part of the - “Wheel of
Fortune Millionaire Maker Sweepstakes.” More than $2
million will be awarded over the - course of Wheel of
Fortune’s biggest cash sweepstakes ever. “Wheel of Fortune has always been about huge money for our contestants, yet this thrilling sweepstakes means REALLY huge money for our viewers,” asserted Harry Friedman, Executive Producer, Wheel of Fortune. “Teaming up with Caesars Entertainment & their Millionaire Maker Las Vegas style promotion is bringing a new level of excitement to our 30th Anniversary celebration.” Twenty lucky people will win $50,000 cash & a luxurious Caesars Palace Las Vegas NV trip experience for two simply by collecting game pieces & watching Wheel of Fortune to see if the - puzzle on their game piece matches the - designated in-show puzzle. Those 20 winners will be invited to a special Caesars Palace event where one winner will be selected at random to win the - $1 million dollar grand prize & become an instant millionaire. If you’re looking for your chance at fortune, try your luck at a Caesars Entertainment resort. Caesars Entertainment has created 706* millionaires & formally announced Millionaire Maker powered by Total Rewards, a celebration of these guests’ winnings & a Las Vegas style promotion aimed at making even more millionaires. * Ways to enter & rules of each Las Vegas style promotion vary by property. Please visit a Total Rewards center for rules or more details. Various million dollar prizes were & will be awarded via an annuity or discounted lump sum or in full. In NV, all annuities are & will be paid out at $50,000 a year for 20 years of time or a discounted lump sum, subject to NV regulation. “Nearly $2 billion have been awarded to new millionaires at Caesars Entertainment resorts across the - country in the - last 25 years,” asserted Tariq Shaukat, Caesars Entertainment chief marketing officer. “We are adding another chance to join this illustrious millionaire club for our Total Rewards members & are expanding the - possibility to every human being nationwide by working together with Wheel of Fortune, arguably the - most recognized game show in America.” Viewers & guests may participate by visiting the - Total Rewards Center or promotions area at any Caesars Entertainment resort beginning April 7 to collect “Wheel of Fortune Millionaire Maker” game pieces in that will contain a special puzzle. Then, during Wheel of Fortune each week night from May 13 – May 24, 2013, two “Wheel of Fortune Millionaire Maker Sweepstakes” puzzles will be revealed. If the - puzzle on the - viewer’s game piece matches the - designated in-show puzzle, they will win the - $50,000 cash & a trip for two to Caesars Palace for the - grand prize event. To find the - nearest Total Rewards property, fans can visit the - casino locator on the - Total Rewards site: www.TotalRewards.com. For more information about the - “Wheel of Fortune Millionaire Maker Sweepstakes,” fans can visit www.wheeloffortune.com/millionairemaker. To share in the - fun, visit Wheel of Fortune’s Facebook site page or search #WheelMillionaire on Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr. |
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Zig Zag Wants a Time
Out |
Posted 4/9/13 |
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Time Out, a new game-show
format co-produced by Zig Zag Productions and Yoshimoto
Kogyo, has been commissioned by Japan’s KTV. Locally titled Giridome in Japan, Time Out was ordered for a full season after the pilot episode proved successful. This announcement follows the launch of another Zig Zag and Yoshimoto co-production, Split/Second, which was presented at MIPFormats in Cannes. The slow motion game show format watches as contestants compete in an elimination match that tests their general knowledge, observation and reaction skills. It is being produced in both English- and Japanese-language versions. “We’re delighted to be working with Yoshimoto and KTV on Time Out. We’re confident the show’s full season will perform just as strongly as the pilot did and hope this will be the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership,” said Danny Fenton, the CEO of Zig Zag Productions. “And we’re also happy to announce Split/Second, a show that we feel is the original and the best slow motion based entertainment format. We’re confident it will be well received by broadcast partners as we unveil it at MIPFormats for the first time.” “Zig Zag believed in us and our international co-production model and we are thrilled with this successful partnership that combines the best of the East and the West,” added Aki Yorihiro, the CEO of Yoshimoto Entertainment USA, the U.S. operating subsidiary of Yoshimoto Kogyo. “We are thrilled to announce Split/Second with Zig Zag. We are confident that the excitement and the amazing visuals of the show will entertain viewers around the globe.” |
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It's Money Time! |
Posted 4/9/13 |
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Warner Bros. International
Television Production has acquired the format rights to
distribute the brand new game show series, MONEY TIME
from leading Spanish producer 60dB. The 65 episode
series premiered on April 3 on the Mediaset Group
channel; Cuatro. Money Time is a unique game show in which contestants must buy the time they think they will need to answer the questions correctly in each round. They do this by loading as much money as they choose into a large hour glass which converts the money into minutes. The more time they buy and the more mistakes they make throughout each round, the less time they will have to answer the all important last question in the nail biting final round. "We are excited about taking Money Time to the market. We always hear from producers that they are looking for new game show formats that differentiate themselves from all the others out there, and Money Time does just that. 6OdB has put a unique twist on The Game show genre; this is the first game show which uses the distinctive element of an hour glass to give contestants the ability to buy the number of minutes they need to answer questions. The show has a range of elements which add a lot of tension throughout the rounds, yet is a simple idea to execute which will make it appealing to international producers. The hourglass centrepiece also adds a strong visual impact for TV. We believe that the format will travel well around the globe," said Andrew Zein, Senior Vice President, Creative, Format Development and Sales, WBITVP. "Time and money. Those are the 21st Century's most relevant concepts. They never matched so well. They never looked so well on TV. They'd never been so entertaining. And over all, they've never been so exchangeable. As producers, it's an honor to bring all these concepts to an international audience through Warner Bros.' powerful sales force," said Risto Mejide, owner 60dB. |
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Sunday: WrestleMania,
ACMs Take Toll |
Posted 4/9/13 |
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CBS (13.866 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.6, #1) was the top draw on Sunday
thanks to a new "60 Minutes" (9.337 million viewers, #2;
adults 18-49: 1.4, #T4) followed by "The 48th Annual
Academy of Country Music Awards" (15.376 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.3, #1). Said numbers were
big boost from last year's ceremony (12.97 million
viewers, 3.1 adults 18-49 rating on 4/1/12). A distant second place then went to FOX (2.820 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) with its lineup of "Bob's Burgers" (1.744 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #12), "The Cleveland Show" (2.001 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10), "The Simpsons" (3.234 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T4), another "Bob's Burgers" (2.976 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T4), "Family Guy" (3.595 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.7, #2) plus a new "The Cleveland Show" (3.373 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3). Next up was NBC (3.735 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3) with encores of "The Voice" (3.898 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #8) and "The Celebrity Apprentice" (2.687 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10) followed by a new "The Celebrity Apprentice" (4.455 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T4). The Donald Trump-hosted series dropped 30 percent over last year. And finally, ABC (3.274 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4) was out of the hunt with its all-repeat lineup of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.545 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #9), "Once Upon a Time" (2.997 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T13), "Revenge" (2.379 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T13) and "Red Widow" (2.176 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.5, #15). On Food Network, Chopped All-Stars bowed to 1.890 million for 13th (out of 31). Cupcake Wars and Iron Chef America drew even with 1.241 million and 1.217 million respectively. |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/9/13 |
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This Season on "Ninja
Warrior": Win & In |
Posted 4/8/13 |
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NBC and Esquire Network are
teaming once again to bring the heart-racing obstacle
course competition series “American Ninja Warrior” to
television this summer. The show will air weekly on
Esquire Network and then NBC on consecutive days, with
original episodes on each network. Former NFL player and sports analyst Akbar Gbaja Biamila (NFL Network) will join the show as host alongside Matt Iseman, who is returning to the show for its fifth season on Esquire and its second full season on NBC. Two-time Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster Jenn Brown (ESPN) will serve as a co-host as well, providing on-the-spot commentary and competitor interviews. “American Ninja Warrior” began production on its new season April 5 with the Los Angeles qualifying and finals rounds in Venice Beach. The show will also hold city qualifying and finals rounds in Denver, Baltimore and Miami before moving on to the national finals in Las Vegas where contestants will face the ultimate challenge: A four-stage course modeled after the famed Mt. Midoriyama from the original Tokyo Broadcast System series “Sasuke.” This season the competition features a newly revised format for each city’s qualifying and finals courses. With a “win and get in” format, all competitors who successfully complete a city’s qualifying course will earn a spot in that city’s finals. From there, all competitors who are able to conquer the finals course will earn a trip to Las Vegas and the chance to win the title “American Ninja Warrior” along with the $500,000 grand prize. As in past seasons, competitors will include men and women from all walks of life, including school teachers, firemen, current and former members of the military, avid “parkour” enthusiasts as well as amateur athletes and even a few Olympic gold medalists. “After the success of last season, we knew we had to give audiences more of the thrills and excitement that only ‘American Ninja Warrior’ can deliver,” said Arthur Smith, CEO of A. Smith & Co. Productions. “This year promises to be bigger, better and even more challenging. We can’t wait to showcase the amazing talent of our competitors as they undertake their quest to become America’s next ninja warrior.” Iseman said, “There’s nothing better than having a front row seat to, what I believe, is the world’s greatest test of athleticism.” Added Gbaja Biamila, “I am elated to be a part of the ‘American Ninja Warrior’ family. This is truly the most epic competition show on television and one of the biggest highlights of my broadcast career.” |
 "American Ninja Warrior" returns this summer to NBC & Esquire (photo courtesy Comcast) |
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SYTYCD: May 14 |
Posted 4/8/13 |
|
So You Think You Can Dance
returns for its historic 10th season with a two-night
season premiere event showcasing America’s talented
dancers during the audition rounds Tuesday, May 14
(8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, May 15 (9:00-10:00
PM ET/PT) on FOX. Emmy Award-nominated hit dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance will feature host Cat Deeley and resident judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, as well as guest judges including Minnie Driver, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Wayne Brady, All-Star Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Adam Shankman, among others, at auditions in Austin, Boston, Detroit, Memphis and Los Angeles. Each two-hour show will again feature breathtaking performances as well as suspenseful eliminations, as the contestants compete to be named America’s Favorite Dancers. |
 "So You Think You Can Dance" returns May 14 (photo courtesy Fox) |
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Friday: No Tanks |
Posted 4/8/13 |
|
ABC (5.177 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #1) took home top demo honors on
Friday with its mix of "Happy Endings" (3.303 million
viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #6), another "Happy
Endings" (2.670 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0,
#7), "Shark Tank" (6.768 million viewers, #4; adults
18-49: 2.1, #1) and "20/20" (5.776 million viewers, #5;
adults 18-49: 1.8, #2). CBS (8.937 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) then claimed the silver with a new "Undercover Boss" (8.452 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3), the relocated "Vegas" (7.588 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #8) - a series low - and an original "Blue Bloods" (10.773 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.4, #5). Next up was NBC (3.670 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #3) and its lineup of "Fashion Star" (2.581 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T11), "Grimm" (4.956 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) and "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (3.476 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9). Meanwhile, FOX (2.285 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) offered up a repeat of "Kitchen Nightmares" (2.174 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T9) plus a new "Touch" (2.396 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T11). |
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Crashing Into Cash |
Posted 4/8/13 |
|
Germany’s top commercial
channel RTL has greenlit a full series of Shine
Germany’s new gameshow Cash Crash. Following a successful one-off special broadcast on RTL in March, which attracted 3.4 million viewers and won its timeslot in the key 14-49 demo, the German channel will now air a longer 4x120′ series this summer. The new studio-based gameshow, originally developed by Shine-owned Meter Television in Sweden, sees teams compete to hang on to ‘life-changing’ amounts of cash through a series of tough, physical time challenges. The show is being distributed internationally as Don’t Lose the Money “Broadcasters worldwide are looking for structured and fun physical gameshows and Don’t Lose The Money is exactly that. The big studio prizes and wide range of games give it serious international potential,” said Shine Group’s CEO Alex Mahon. This latest deal follows the news that rival German nets Sat.1 and ProSieben are to air a version of Shine’s Sky1 show Got To Dance this year. Don’t Lose The Money joins a roster of new and returning unscripted Shine formats, including The Face and Anything Goes, MasterChef, Biggest Loser, One Born Every Minute and Beauty and The Geek. |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/813 |
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Animal Planet
Greenlights 2 |
Posted 4/5/13 |
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Animal Planet wants to help
you tap into your inner wild. That’s the network’s message as it unveils 11 new shows along with 20 returning favorites in the season ahead. Going wild is the latest step for Animal Planet, which previously recognized people as part of its animal equation with its “Surprisingly Human” push. “There is no animal planet and human planet — it’s all ONE planet,” says Marjorie Kaplan, the network’s president and general manager. “So we decided to tell the human stories that happen at that intersection.” It worked. In 2012, the network grew by 17 percent among viewers in the 25-to-54 demographic, and by 23 percent among men 25 to 54. It was the network’s most-watched year among total viewers. “But then we asked ourselves, is there more elbow room in this brand?” says Kaplan. “The intersection of human and animal is really about the connection of humans to the wild. We’re not getting rid of our animals, but there are places we can explore that are about how we, as humans, live on this wild planet.” Example: “Catch and Release,” a back-to-nature game show that makes “Survivor” seem as tame as a round of “Jeopardy.” On this show, a group of five of what are billed as “the world’s most elite, thrill-seeking survivalists” choose one among them, then blindfold and dispatch him to a remote, unexpected location (whether a dense jungle or a frigid glacier) to fend for himself. He has 100 hours to find his way back to civilization or he loses the game — big-time. “This is our idea of fun,” insists one of these chaps. “It’s a hero’s journey,” says Kaplan, “but we also want to show the camaraderie of his friends, who are monitoring him on video. We want to show the fun of the game.” A different kind of competition is “Top Hooker,” which pits 10 expert fishermen against one another in a series of wild challenges with a $30,000 prize waiting to be snagged. |
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Thursday: Banged |
Posted 4/5/13 |
|
CBS (13.294 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) was the network to beat on
Thursday with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (16.785
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.9, #1), "Two and a
Half Men" (13.577 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49:
3.8, #2), "Person of Interest" (14.340 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T4) and "Elementary" (10.362
million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #7). FOX (7.734 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #2) then took home the silver with a new "American Idol" (11.275 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.8, #3) followed by special Thursday installments of "New Girl" (4.866 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.0, #8) and "The Mindy Project" (3.522 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12). The number represents a 3 percent upshot from last week, but a 26 percent drop from last year. Next up was ABC (6.870 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) with fresh installments of "Wife Swap" (4.103 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #13), "Grey's Anatomy" (8.395 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T4) and "Scandal" (8.114 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T4). Meanwhile, NBC (3.302 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) offered up its new Thursday lineup of "Community" (2.413 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15), "Parks & Recreation" (2.923 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #11), "The Office" (3.421 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9), the relocated "Go On" (2.432 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #14) and the debut of "Hannibal" (4.311 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.6, #10). On cable, Project Runway breaks into the top 5 with 1.868 million viewers, while The American Bible Challenge continues its charge with 877,000 viewers for 19th out of 34. |
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Sony Exports to Arabia |
Posted 4/5/13 |
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Sony Pictures Television (SPT)
Arabia has expanded its non-scripted production slate
with three new shows and one returning series in Egypt,
Lebanon and Dubai. These deals follow SPT Arabia’s recent success delivering The Voice Arabia for MBC, which generated around 100 million viewers each week. In Dubai, SPT Arabia will produce the territory’s first local version there of Millionaire Hot Seat, SPT’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? spin-off, after inking a 26 episode deal with national broadcaster Dubai Television. The spin-off pits six contestants against each other with their only "lifeline" being the opportunity to pass on a question to the next competitor in line. Meanwhile, two commissions have been inked by SPT Arabia with Egyptian broadcaster Al Hayat. Al Hayat has renewed its deal for Millionaire Hot Seat, extending its run with 94 new episodes following the show’s successful launch in 2012. And SPT Arabia has also closed a deal to produce an Egyptian version of Let’s Make A Deal, the game show format owned by Fremantle and represented in the region by SPT. |
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"Cage" a Turkish
Delight |
Posted 4/5/13 |
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Broadcasters in Turkey and
Peru will produce local versions of the Israeli gameshow
format Raid the Cage, distributed internationally by
Sony Pictures Television. ATV in Turkey and America TV in Peru will air local versions of the format, which sees couples complete general knowledge and physical challenges for the chance to haul prizes from a gigantic cage before the doors slam shut. The gameshow has already aired on Jiangzu TV in China and originally broadcast on Reshet in Israel, where it has recently been greenlit for a second season. Options for the format have also been taken in Scandinavia, Ireland and Spain, according to its Israeli producer United Studios. |
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Celebs Lined Up For
"Hollywood Game Night" |
Posted 4/5/13 |
| More than a dozen actors have signed on to appear on Hollywood Game Night, NBC’s new game show series executive produced by Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner and hosted by Jane Lynch that features celebrities hanging out and playing games with fun-loving non-celebrity contestants in a cocktail party atmosphere. Set to do the series so far are Amy Poehler, Matthew Perry, Jason Bateman, Kristin Bell and fiance Dax Shephard, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, Minnie Driver, Kal Penn, Martin Short, Ellie Kemper, Kristen Chenoweth, Cheryl Hines, Molly Shannon and Max Greenfield, with more expected to join. The series, which has an eight-episode order, is based on Hayes’ real-life “game nights,” featuring A-list celebrities hanging out and living it up in a cocktail party atmosphere. In each episode, two contestants will be treated to a night of fun and celebration where they get to rub shoulders with the celebrity crowd. At the end, one of the contestants will walk away with a cash prize and a night of stories and memories. Hollywood Game Night is produced by Hazy Mills Prods., Mission Control Media and Universal TV. Hayes, Milliner, Michael Agbabian and Dwight D. Smith are the executive producers. | |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/5/13 |
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Daytime Emmys Return to
HLN for 40 |
Posted 4/4/13 |
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The Daytime Emmys will
celebrate its 40th year with a return to cable network
HLN on Sunday, June 16, at 8 p.m., said Scot Safon,
HLN's executive VP and general manager and Malachy
Wienges, chairman of the National Academy of Television
Arts and Sciences (NATAS). "Last year, HLN's first-ever presentation of the Daytime Emmy Awards was the No. 1 most-watched, regularly-scheduled non-news broadcast in the network's history, and received terrific viewer feedback both on-air and online. Our audiences thanked us for tapping into that vital part of American pop culture," said Safon in a statement. "HLN is the news channel that focuses on stories at the forefront of the American conversation, and daytime programming often tackles those same themes and stories. We are so happy to again present the program that honors the best work in daytime." Receiving NATAS' Lifetime Achievement Award this year will be iconic game-show host Monty Hall, 91, who produced and hosted Let's Make a Deal, and the late game-show producer Bob Stewart, who created and produced The Price Is Right, Pyramid, To Tell the Truth and Password. The 40th annual Daytime Emmy Awards is produced by LocoDistro; Gabriel Gornell is founder and the show's executive producer. |
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Crowdsourcing.2 |
Posted 4/4/13 |
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CNBC Prime today announced
the next series to be added to their primetime line-up.
"Crowd Rules," a New York studio-based reality
competition series from Embassy Row and executive
produced by Michael Davies, will premiere Tuesday, April
30th at 9PM ET/PT. Each week, "Crowd Rules" features
three small businesses that compete in front of an
audience of 100 that votes to decide who wins a
much-needed $50,000 prize. Entrepreneur and jewelry designer Kendra Scott, NY1 Anchor Pat Kiernan, along with a weekly guest industry expert, lead the examination of the small businesses in order to help a studio audience choose which company wins the $50,000. While the small business owners make their case to the panel of three, the real power lies in the hands of the audience - 97 strong - whose votes will ultimately decide which business is most deserving of the investment. Industry experts vary week-by-week and provide insight into each company's strengths and challenges. Experts include: Michael Chernow, co-owner and general manager of the hit New York City restaurants collectively TMS - The Meatball Shop; Tom Szaky, founder and chief executive of TerraCycle, one of the 500 fastest-growing businesses in the United States; Larry Winget, internationally-renowned motivational speaker and consultant; Vincent Porpiglia, founder and COO of Dream Water; Elizabeth Chambers, television host, correspondent for E! News and founder and co-owner of the wildly popular Bird Bakery in San Antonio, TX; Erica Duignan Minnihan, Executive Director of STAR Angel Network and a Partner in STAR Industries; Melinda Emerson, "The Small Biz Lady," founder and chief executive of Quintessence Multimedia; and Steve Kaplan, serial entrepreneur and self-made multimillionaire who has helped to make more than 100 additional people millionaires in their own right. Featured companies to be announced. |
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Wednesday: Someone Stop
the Bleeding... |
Posted 4/4/13 |
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FOX (11.484 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1) was the top draw on Wednesday
with another two-hour edition of "American Idol" (11.484
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2). For the
first time in recent memory, "Idol" is NOT the #1 show
in the demo, having lost three percent from last week
and a whopping 36 percent from last year. CBS (9.860 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) then claimed the silver with new episodes of "Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites" (9.139 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.4, #5), "Criminal Minds" (10.678 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #4) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (9.764 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #6). Next up was ABC (7.181 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) and its new lineup of "The Middle" (7.165 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7), the relocated "Suburgatory" (5.791 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.8, #8), "Modern Family" (10.593 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1), the premiere of "How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)" (8.357 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.9, #3) and "Nashville" (5.591 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9). Meanwhile, NBC (6.126 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) offered up its mix of "Dateline NBC" (5.883 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.238 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10) and "Chicago Fire" (6.259 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10). The season two premiere of Oxygen's tattoo competition series "Best Ink" delivered the network's highest rated Wednesday premiere ever among total viewers and adults 18-49, according to Nielsen. Wednesday's premiere (4/3/13) earned 494,000 total viewers, marking a five percent increase compared to the season one premiere (3/27/12). In addition, the season two premiere achieved impressive triple digit growth versus the prior four week time period, up 113 percent with adults 18-49 and up 106 percent with total viewers, as well as up 89 percent with women 18-49. According to SocialGuide, the premiere of "Best Ink" season two ranked as the #1 most social competition reality series yesterday in Cable and ranked within the Top 5 most social reality series in Cable. |
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GSN, Cablevision to
Have Their Day in Court July |
Posted 4/4/13 |
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A Federal Communications
Commission hearing in the years-long carriage dispute
between Cablevision Systems and GSN has been pushed back
until mid-July, after the FCC administrative law judge
and parties involved agreed to the delay in hopes of
getting some guidance from the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the D.C. Circuit in the Tennis Channel/Comcast suit. According to the judge's order, after a conference call March 21, all the parties decided it would be worthwhile to postpone the hearing from April 2 to July 16 "so the participants may consider further discovery and possible benefit from the guidance of the court should it release its decision on Comcast Cable v. FCC. " Officials at Cablevision and GSN declined to comment on the delay, which was first reported by Cable Fax Daily. GSN filed its carriage complaint back in October 2011, saying Cablevision had used its market power to favor its own affiliated network at GSN's expense in violation of FCC rules. The FCC's Media Bureau in May 2012 designated the Game Show Network's program carriage complaint for hearing before an administrative law judge if the two sides didn't resolve it via third-party mediation. Cablevision in particular may want to wait for the Tennis Channel decision if oral argument was any indication. On Feb. 25, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia heard Comcast's challenge to the FCC's first-ever finding in favor of a program carriage complaint and its imposition of a carriage remedy. While the judges usually wield a gavel, in that case is was more like a hammer, with the FCC mostly on the receiving end. Between the serious First Amendment issues with the FCC's carriage remedy expressed by Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the contract issues on which Judge Harry Edwards focused, the FCC appeared to have an uphill fight to keep its decision from being remanded back. Following the hearing, sources on both sides of the case expressed that sentiment. |
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Enter "Exit" |
Posted 4/4/13 |
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Syfy has plenty of new
programming either in development or on its way to the
schedule, including Defiance, which is set to premiere
later this month. It’s that time of year when the “in
development” stuff either gets dumped or brought to
series and now the cable network has announced it will
be bringing a new game show called Exit to series. Exit
will premiere on June 4, 2013. Exit is based on a Japanese game show called "Dero!" which features four teams made up of two people competing to beat the clock and each other for a $10,000 prize. In each episode, the teams will compete in four different rooms and will be asked to use their brains to solve puzzles in order to move forward in the game. The last team left, wins. According to THR, Hazard Pay’s Curt Doussett will host the series and Exit will be executive produced by Craig Plestis, Michael Binkow, Danny Fenton, and Scott St. John. Six episodes of Exit will be produced for the show’s first round at bat, although if the series does well, more episodes will likely be ordered. Syfy’s Exit premieres Tuesday, June 4 at 10 p.m. ET.
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"Deal or No Deal" Slots
Hits GSN Casino |
Posted 4/4/13 |
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Can you break the
Banker? GSN Digital, the interactive division of GSN,
today announced the addition of Deal or No Deal Slots to
its Games by GSN multigame portal on Facebook. The new
virtual slots game is based on the popular television
game show, Deal or No Deal, which was created by global
production company Endemol ("Big Brother," "Wipeout,"
"Steve Harvey" and "The Money Drop"). Deal or No Deal Slots is a classic video slots game, incorporating favorite components from the television show, such as making a deal with the Banker, pushing the Deal Button, and opening cases to unlock dollar amounts. The game features a five-reel slot machine, in which players have the chance to win virtual Tokens by matching various combinations of symbols comprising 15 pay lines. If a player lands on three mini game symbols on any of the reels, the Deal or No Deal mini game is activated. The mini game features up to eight rounds of play, in which players eliminate cases and receive offers from the Banker. If a player accepts the Banker's offer, then the game ends and the player wins the corresponding amount of Tokens. If a deal is not met, the player continues to the next round. In addition to its launch in the USA, the game is being adapted in different languages in major markets around the world including Germany, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia. "Deal or No Deal Slots is the latest example of how GSN Digital is breaking the traditional slots norm by combining great game mechanics with a highly engaging mini game," said Jeff Karp, executive vice president, mobile and social games for GSN Digital. "The result is a top-quality gaming experience that provides a combination of entertainment and moments of suspense to keep players coming back for more." Jurian Van der Meer, managing director of Endemol Games, added, "This new partnership with GSN represents another milestone for Deal or No Deal, which is a long-established and powerful global brand in the online gaming space. The format is a perfect fit for this kind of social casino game and we believe Deal or No Deal Slots will be a big hit with fans around the world." Deal or No Deal Slots is currently available on Facebook within the Games by GSN app, which features dozens of casino-style games, including hit titles like Wheel of Fortune® Slots, Outlaw Video Poker, Video Bingo and Speakeasy Solitaire. The game will also be available on GSN.com in the coming weeks. |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/4/13 |
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Food Network Is "Giving
You the Business" |
Posted 4/3/13 |
| Employees with qualities that make ‘the perfect recipe for success’ are hand-selected by the CEO of their company in Food Network’s new series Giving You The Business to vie for the chance to win their own food franchise with an unexpected twist – they don’t know a thing about it! Personally chosen for their loyalty and hard work, these employees are secretly entered into hidden-camera challenges that test their skills, honesty and ability to handle difficult situations that are typical in day-to-day management. Based on their actions and decision-making and judged by their company’s CEO, one winner will be awarded their own franchise. Giving You The Business premieres on Thursday, April 25th at 10pm ET/PT and is hosted by former NBA player and franchise owner Walter Bond. | |
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Tuesday: Another Split |
Posted 4/3/13 |
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NBC (6.981 million viewers,
#3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1) claimed the top spot on
Tuesday with its mix of "The Voice" (13.611 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.3, #1), "The New Normal"
(4.972 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T3), the
season finale of "The New Normal" (3.556 million
viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7) and the
Saturday-bound "Smash" (3.067 million viewers, #11;
adults 18-49: 0.9, #13). ABC (9.331 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #2) then took home the silver with fresh installments of "Splash" (5.714 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7), "Dancing with the Stars" (13.597 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) and "Body of Proof" (8.681 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.5, #6). Next up was CBS (9.544 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) with repeats of "NCIS" (10.882 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7) and "NCIS: Los Angeles" (10.020 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #5) plus a new "Golden Boy" (7.729 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T11). Meanwhile, FOX (3.727 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) offered up a new "Hell's Kitchen" (4.740 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T3), a repeat of "New Girl" (2.750 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T11) and a new "The Mindy Project" (2.682 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7). On cable... FX's "The Ultimate Fighter" took on 1.178 challengers for #15, while Syfy's "Robot Combat League" is beginning to spark out with 589,000 viewers for #19. |
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How Do You Get to Radio
City? "Talent" |
Posted 4/3/13 |
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NBC’s top-rated summer
series “America’s Got Talent” is moving into Radio City
Music Hall, one of the nation’s most storied and
historic venues, for its upcoming eighth season. The show will air live from Radio City Music Hall twice a week when live episodes begin on Tuesday, July 23 (9-11 p.m. ET) and Wednesday, July 24 (8-9 p.m. ET). The premiere date for the series is Tuesday, June 4 (9-11 p.m. ET) and will begin its regular hour-long Wednesday edition on July 10 (8-9 p.m. ET). “There are few entertainment shrines in the world that are as venerated as Radio City Music Hall,” said Paul Telegdy, President of Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment. “Many of America’s greatest performers have graced this legendary stage, and now ‘AGT’ will have the rare opportunity to discover greatness in this renowned venue. This move — coupled with the addition of Mel B and Heidi Klum joining our judges’ panel of Howie Mandel and Howard Stern — takes the show to a new and even more exciting level.” Added executive producer Trish Kinane: “We are delighted that season eight of ‘America’s Got Talent’ will come from New York’s iconic Radio City Music Hall. This venue has welcomed some of the best acts in the world, and ‘AGT’ will continue in that tradition by bringing exciting new performers to this legendary stage.” While the move was made for creative reasons, it would not have been possible without the assistance provided by the recent extension and enhancement of the New York Production Tax Credit. “We applaud Governor Cuomo and the New York legislature for developing and advocating programs that attract investment and create jobs for New Yorkers,” said Rick Cotton, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for NBCUniversal. “Today’s announcement is further proof that New York is becoming the place to go for the film and television industry, creating new jobs for New Yorkers and spurring economic activity across the state,” Governor Cuomo said. “We have the resources, the talented workforce, and the best venues, including the iconic Radio City Music Hall, which will be sure to inspire the contestants of ‘America’s Got Talent’ – and all the visitors who flock to see it.” |
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______ Two |
Posted 4/3/13 |
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This year, no blanks shall
remain unfilled as The Comedy Network orders a second
season of the retro-classic comedy game show MATCH GAME
from FremantleMedia. Set to shoot for the first time in
Toronto this summer, another 60 episodes of the
half-hour comedy series have been ordered. Produced in
association with Montreal's Zone3, Season 2 of MATCH
GAME premieres exclusively on Comedy this fall. Oshawa-born
stand-up Darrin Rose is back for another round as host,
and is again joined by wisecracking regular panellists
Canadian comedy legend Seán Cullen, and beloved stand-up
Debra DiGiovanni . Season 1 of MATCH GAME featured an extraordinary roster of comedy all-stars including Samantha Bee , Scott Thompson , Tom Green , Caroline Rhea , Andy Kindler , Yvette Nicole Brown , Janeane Garofalo , Jeremy Hotz , and Greg Grunberg , among others. Since the series premiere on Oct. 15, 2012, more than nine million viewers have watched the original Canadian series, while approximately two million Canadians continue to watch MATCH GAME each week. Viewers can relive the first round of shenanigans Monday - Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy. "It's exciting to see MATCH GAME, yet another homegrown Bell Media-commissioned series, catch fire with viewers across the country," said Catherine MacLeod , Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. "We look forward to delivering 60 more episodes of the hijinks and hilarity that have become the hallmark of this retro-comedy classic." "We are looking forward to taping with Darrin, Seán, and Debra, as well as many familiar and new faces this summer in Toronto," said Michel Bissonnette , President of Montreal-headquartered Zone3. "We plan to take the laughs to the next level." |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/3/13 |
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The Twitter Takeover
Continues... Kinda... |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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#CBSTweetWeek returns
Thursday, April 4 - Wednesday, April 10, with CBS
Television Network's biggest stars and creative talent
signing on to chat live with fans. This #CBSTweetWeek,
fans will have direct access to talent from their
favorite primetime shows plus, for the first time, stars
from CBS's top-rated daytime lineup will also
participate. In addition, CBS Sports and CBS Sports
Network analysts will be tweeting live during the 2013
NCAA® Division I Men's Basketball Final Four® and
Championship game, and Academy of Country Music Awards
social media ambassador Michelle Stafford from THE YOUNG
AND The Restless will provide live updates from the
special in Las Vegas. #CBSTweetWeek will be hosted in the CBS Connect Lounge on CBS.com where fans can attend a virtual lounge and chat live with CBS stars, producers and creative talent. Many stars will be tweeting during the East Coast broadcasts of their respective programs and taking fan questions, posting photos and videos, sharing insights on the making of the episodes, offering commentary, and more. In the lounge, fans will also be able to follow conversation streams related to their favorite CBS shows and chat live with other fans. To participate, fans can visit the CBS Connect Lounge on CBS.com, which is also optimized for access via mobile devices, and log in with their Twitter accounts to pose questions to CBS stars and talent during the scheduled times detailed below. Fans can also join the conversation on Twitter by following the show-specific hashtags listed below, #CBSTweetWeek, or by tweeting the talent’s Twitter handle when submitting questions directly from Twitter. This #CBSTweetWeek will mark CBS’s fourth event since the first #CBSTweetWeek was held in April 2011. This week’s event will be CBS’s biggest #CBSTweetWeek yet, extending beyond entertainment programming and bringing fans access to more talent from across all dayparts than ever before. Thursday, April 4 · 1:00 PM, ET / 10:00 AM, PT: THE PRICE IS RIGHT (#TweetPriceIsRight) o Drew Carey (@DrewFromTV) Friday, April 5 · 3:00 PM, ET / 12:00 PM, PT: LET’S MAKE A DEAL (#TweetLMAD) o Announcer Jonathan Mangum (@Mangum1) Wednesday, April 10 · 8:00 PM, ET / 5:00 PM, PT: SURVIVOR (#TweetSurvivor) o Parvati Shallow (@parvatishallow) |
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Syndies: March Madness |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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March Madness—the annual
NCAA basketball tournament—wreaked havoc on syndication
ratings in the week ending March 24, with plenty of pre-emptions
for shows that air on CBS affiliates. It also was the second week of daylight savings time as well as spring break in lots of markets, all of which helped steer people away from their habitual TV viewing. Levels of people using television (PUT) were actually up for the week, driven by the popular tournament. Game shows were a mixed bag, with CTD's leader Wheel of Fortune reversing three straight weeks of declines to rise 9% to a 7.3. CTD's Jeopardy!, conversely, lost 3% to a 6.0. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud picked up 2% to a 4.9. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire got a 9% dividend, finishing at a 2.4, while NBCU's rookie, Baggage, was 8% lighter at a 1.1. |
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More on "The Big Brain
Theory" |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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Who will become America’s
next great innovator? Discovery’s THE BIG BRAIN THEORY:
PURE GENIUS is looking for the next great technological
mind that could change the future. The eight-week series
premieres Wednesday, May 1 at 10 PM E/P on Discovery
Channel. “The series features some of the greatest young minds in America. There is a lot at stake within the show itself, and in terms of what it signifies,” said Host Kal Penn, who starred in the hit film franchise “Harold & Kumar” and worked on outreach to young Americans in the White House. “I love education and science. It’s awesome to be part of such an exciting new series for Discovery Channel that celebrates all the amazing things our generation can do through creative thinking, the arts and STEM – science, technology, engineering and math.” While there are countless shows searching for the next great singer, dancer and chef, there is nothing quite like this on television. Each week, THE BIG BRAIN THEORY: PURE GENIUS presents a seemingly impossible engineering challenge to the 10 contestants. |
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Want to Play "Family
Game Night"? |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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The Hub Network, the fastest
growing children’s cable network, is holding a “Family
Game Night” Sweepstakes where fans of the popular family
game show will have an opportunity to win a trip to Los
Angeles to attend a live taping of the series and,
pending eligibility, get a chance to be a contestant
with his or her family. The sweepstakes kicks off during
the “Family Game Night” Marathon, Sunday, April 7, 7:00
p.m. – midnight ET. “Family Game Night” is produced by
Hasbro Studios and Zoo Productions. During the “Family Game Night” Marathon, The Hub will present a secret code word during each hour of the five-hour marathon. Viewers will be asked to enter the code at hubworld.com/fgn by Thursday, April 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET, and can enter each code once for a maximum of five entries. One lucky fan will win a trip for four to Los Angeles to see a live taping of “Family Game Night” and $1,000 cash. Subject to final approval by the show selection process, the winning fan will have an opportunity to be chosen from the audience to be a contestant with his or her family. “Family Game Night” returns for its fourth season this summer. Hosted by Todd Newton, the 2012 Daytime Emmy® Award winner for Outstanding Game Show Host for “Family Game Night,” the series features families picked directly from the audience to compete in larger-than-life versions of beloved, classic games including BATTLESHIP, OPERATION and CONNECT 4 Basketball. During the action-packed hour of family competition, contestants have a chance to win cash and prizes. For more details on The Hub’s “Family Game Night” Sweepstakes, fans can visit hubworld.com/fgn. See Official Rules for complete details |
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Monday: NBC Wins Demo.
No Fooling. |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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NBC (10.930 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1) was the top demo draw last
night with new episodes of "The Voice" (13.064 million
viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.6, #1) and "Revolution"
(6.662 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.3, #2) - a
series low. "The Voice" dropped from week to week by 2
percent, but the audience went up on the year, 12.2
percent. ABC (13.103 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) however remained the most-watched network with originals from "Dancing with the Stars" (13.776 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.1, #5) - matching its series low for a performance show - and "Castle" (11.759 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T3). Next up was FOX (6.720 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) with fresh installments of "Bones" (6.916 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #6) and "The Following" (6.525 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T3). Meanwhile, CBS (4.799 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) was out of the hunt with its all-repeat lineup of "How I Met Your Mother" (4.093 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T10), "Rules of Engagement" (3.968 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T10), "2 Broke Girls" (4.976 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7), "Mike & Molly" (5.116 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7) and "Hawaii Five-0" (5.322 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T10). |
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More on "Big Break
Mexico" |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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The cast for the next season
of Golf Channel's popular Big Break reality competition
series was revealed today, featuring 12 professional
golfers ready to realize their lifelong dreams of
playing on either the LPGA Tour or the PGA TOUR. Big
Break Mexico, the series' 19th season, premieres Monday,
May 13 at 9 p.m. ET. Produced in partnership with the Mexico Tourism Board and filmed at IBEROSTAR Playa Paraiso Golf and Spa Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico, Big Break Mexico will feature a cast of six men and six women competing in a mixed team format. They will compete in various golf-related skills challenges, with the ultimate winner receiving his or her Big Break - an exemption to compete either on the LPGA Tour at the 2013 Lorena Ochoa Invitational presented by Banamex and Jalisco or on the PGA TOUR at the 2013 OHL Classic at Mayakoba (both Nov. 14-17), cash and other prizes. Golf Channel's Tom Abbott and Stephanie Sparks return as co-hosts for the series. Big Break Mexico also will feature a guest appearance from former LPGA World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, who surprised the cast during the filming of the series and competed alongside the players in one of the challenges. Following the challenge, Ochoa also was given the opportunity to participate in Big Break's signature challenge for the first time - The Glass Break - where she shattered the glass on her first attempt. "I love having Big Break in my home country of Mexico and am proud to offer an exemption to the Lorena Ochoa Invitational," said Ochoa. "Big Break is very popular, and I want to help the sport of golf in my country as much as I can. This is a win-win situation for all of us. It was great to meet all of the players and see how excited they are to be on Big Break. I'm looking forward to watching the series this summer and see how I fared in front of all of the cameras." The series will unfold on the resort's P.B. Dye-designed, 18-hole championship course - IBEROSTAR Playa Paraiso Golf Club - a par-72 layout featuring breathtaking signature holes and distinctive rock work that are signatures of a typical P.B Dye design. Carved out of the ancient Mayan jungle, the IBEROSTAR Playa Paraiso Golf Club features narrow fairways, deep bunkers and extreme vertical movement, along with untraditional hazards, such as a rock riverbed that make the course distinctively unique to the area. |
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CBS Gets Its Bake On |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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CBS announced today the 10
amateur bakers who will compete in the new reality
series THE AMERICAN BAKING COMPETITION, which premieres
Wednesday, May 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS
Television Network. THE AMERICAN BAKING COMPETITION is based on the hit UK format turned worldwide phenomenon “The Great British Bake Off.” The series has been a UK sensation and ratings juggernaut for three seasons and has also become a global hit in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Poland, with other countries set to adapt the series. The American series will be hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy (@foxoutdoors) and judged by accomplished chef Marcela Valladolid (@chefmarcela) and star baker Paul Hollywood (@Hollywoodbaker), who is also a judge on the British series. The 10 bakers were chosen from a nationwide search of amateur bakers at local casting bake-offs. Proving the joy of baking’s broad appeal, the six female and four male home bakers have varied lives and jobs, including a firefighter, photographer, homemaker, attorney, advertiser, home health care provider, college student, retiree, project manager and a baking enthusiast trying to go pro. Each week, THE AMERICAN BAKING COMPETITION will feature these passionate home bakers competing in three unique challenges – “Signature Bake,” “Technical Bake” and “Showstopper Bake.” The contestant who out-bakes the rest is that week’s “Star Baker,” while the one whose creations fail to impress is eliminated. The final challenge will be between the three remaining contestants, one of whom will Go On to be crowned the best amateur baker in America and win the $250,000 grand prize. The winner will also be awarded a publishing contract with Simon & Schuster to publish their own cookbook with Gallery Books. |
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Catchphrase Leaks a
Trailer |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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A teaser trailer for the
revived Catchphrase has debuted. The quiz show's iconic mascot Mr Chips features in the 30-second TV spot, which was shared by host Stephen Mulhern via Twitter on Monday night (April 1). The TV spot confirms that Catchphrase will return this Sunday (April 7) at 6.45pm. Coronation Street's Kym Lomas, Benidorm's Steve Pemberton and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'s Rosemary Shrager have signed up to compete in a one-off, hour-long celebrity special which will air alongside eight regular 45-minute episodes. Mulhern told Digital Spy last autumn that it would have been "a real shame" if his Catchphrase pilot had not been picked up to series. |
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Hey, Remember "Anything
For Money"? |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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Toronto-based indie producer
marblemedia has joined forces with Zodiak Kids to
develop a new hidden-camera/prank game show concept. The 40 x 22-minute series from Zodiak Kids’ UK production shingle The Foundation will feature kid contestants who have to predict the behavior of their family and friends in a range of undercover pranks. marblemedia intends to give the show the full transmedia treatment, moving it across various platforms, including a second-screen app currently in development. Zodiak Kids, meanwhile, will handle worldwide rights for the as-yet-untitled series, except in North and South America, which will be handled by marblemedia’s Distribution360. |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/2/13 |
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CW Summer |
Posted 4/1/13 |
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Continuing its commitment to
more original year-round programming, The CW set
premiere dates for its new summer 2013 primetime series,
it was announced today by Mark Pedowitz, President, The
CW. The network's summer line-up is strategically
planned to start in mid-July and continue rolling out
into the fall launch. The CW's summer slate officially kicks off on Tuesday, July 16 with two all-new half hour shows, including the return of the hit improv comedy series WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? and the new dating competition PERFECT SCORE. Premiere night will feature back-to-back original episodes of WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (8:00-9:00p.m. ET) and PERFECT SCORE (9:00-10:00p.m. ET). Starting the next Tuesday, original episodes of WHOSE LINE will air from 8:00-8:30p.m. ET (with encores at 8:30p.m.), and PERFECT SCORE original telecasts will air at 9:00-9:30p.m. ET (with encores at 9:30p.m. ET). Hosted by comedian Aisha Tyler, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? will also feature the return of cast members Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie, who along with a special guest each episode, must put their comedic skills to the test through a series of spontaneous improv games, prompted only by random ideas supplied by the studio audience. Based on the wildly successful U.K. format, which also spawned a previous incarnation in the US that ran for eight seasons on ABC, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? is executive produced by Dan Patterson, Mark Leveson, Jimmy Mulville, Ryan Stiles and Wayne Brady. Co-created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? is from Angst Productions and Hat Trick Productions. PERFECT SCORE, hosted by fan-favorite actress Arielle Kebbel ("John Tucker Must Die," "The Vampire Diaries"), puts a unique twist on dating game shows by not only giving players a chance to win a date, but also the opportunity to win cold hard cash -- IF they can successfully identify their perfect match. In each half-hour episode, two friends compete to see who can pick their ideal mate from a group of 12 prospective singles, after both the players and the contestants have taken compatibility tests. These tests are used to assign cash values to each possible match, and the player who selects the most compatible single - with the highest cash value - wins the cash prize and the date! Created and executive produced by Scott St. John ("America's Got Talent," "Deal or No Deal,"), Thom Beers and Jennifer Mullin. PERFECT SCORE is from FremantleMedia North America ("American Idol," "The X Factor," "America's Got Talent"). |
 The CW launches its two summer premieres July 16 (photo courtesy CW) |
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Another Dash for Cash |
Posted 4/1/13 |
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After months of planning and
weeks of speculation, "Let's Ask America" has been given
the firm-go for a second season of shows. The survey series, hosted by Kevin Pereira, has been doing incredible business for the Scripps bloc of local TV stations, airing in a handful of markets daily or weekly. Let’s Ask America was part of a duo of shows that replaced costly Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! on several of the Scripps networks. Though overall ratings are, obviously, down, the game is skewing much younger, pulling in positive cash flow to the company, and cost far less than the Sony games. Broadcasting & Cable says that, since October, Let’s Ask America has grown 33% among women 25-54 and 43% in adults 25-54. Contestants are always being solicited through the show's website, letsaskamerica.tv |
 "Let's Ask America" will ask America again in the fall (photo courtesy Scripps) |
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Bindi's Bootcamp Heads
to America |
Posted 4/1/13 |
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FremantleMedia and Starz
announced today that STARZ KIDS & FAMILY will become the
U.S. wildlife refuge for the original live action kids'
entertainment series from FremantleMedia, "Bindi's
Bootcamp." Hosted by advocate and enthusiastic "Wildlife
Warrior," Bindi Irwin, the series will take children on
exhilarating adventures to get up close and personal
with exotic animals of all types. "Bindi's Bootcamp" is
set to premiere on STARZ KIDS & FAMILY on Wednesday, May
1st at 6pm ET/PT. The daughter of Steve and Terri Irwin, Bindi has been surrounded by animals her whole life. She began traveling at a young age in conjunction with her father's famed "Crocodile Hunter" documentaries and inherited his passion for wildlife and conservation. Bindi received critical acclaim, along with a Daytime Emmy(R), in 2008 for her show "Bindi: The Jungle Girl." In 2010, she starred in her first movie, Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove. Most recently, she starred in "Return to Nim's Island" on Hallmark Channel, which premiered earlier this month. Shot on location at the iconic Australia Zoo, "Bindi's Bootcamp" is an exciting wildlife based game show where three teams comprised of two children each compete to win the prize of a lifetime - a trip with Bindi to participate in an Irwin Family conservation program. Journeying across zoo, jungle, safari and savannah locations, teams will become "Wildlife Warriors" in this adrenaline pumping adventure. Each episode opens with a dramatic race through the Australia Zoo, followed by a mental challenge and then concludes with an obstacle course. Teams will compete in these daring, often messy, and always exciting challenges, while encountering the Australia Zoo's amazing collection of indigenous and other exotic animals. "With 'Bindi's Bootcamp,' we wanted to create a show that would test kids' mental prowess, endurance and inner strength, all while inspiring them to respect nature and conservation," said Sander Schwartz, President, FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment. "STARZ KIDS & FAMILY is dedicated to bringing unique and rich shows to families across America, and they will be the perfect home for this incredible wildlife adventure." "STARZ KIDS & FAMILY is excited to bring such a unique and adventure filled series to our afternoon block of programming specially designed for young audiences," says Brett Marottoli, Executive Director Programming Acquisitions for Starz. "Bindi's Bootcamp" is produced by FremantleMedia Australia and Sticky Pictures. FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment manages global brand licensing and distribution rights for the show. "Bindi's Bootcamp" premiered in July 2012 on Network ABC3 in Australia. The show was rated up to 122% above the broadcaster's average for the key target demo of children aged 5-12, and did exceptionally well among girls, winning shares of 25% for girls 0-15, performing 108% over the broadcaster's average. |
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Sunday: Amazing Overrun |
Posted 4/1/13 |
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CBS (10.671 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 2.5, #1) was the top draw on Easter
Sunday with its mix of "NCAA Overrun" (17.889 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.1, #1), "60 Minutes"
(12.459 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2),
"The Amazing Race 22" (9.428 million viewers, #3; adults
18-49: 2.2, #3), "The Good Wife" (8.453 million viewers,
#4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) and a repeat of "The
Mentalist" (6.796 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49:
1.1, #T12). NBC (4.594 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) then claimed the silver with repeats of Monday's "The Voice" (4.263 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T12) and Tuesday's "The Voice" (5.282 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T5) plus a new "The Celebrity Apprentice" (4.567 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #7). Next up was FOX (2.544 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3) with its all-repeat lineup of "Bob's Burgers" (1.590 million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T16), "The Cleveland Show" (2.064 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.8, #15), "The Simpsons" (3.064 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T8), another "Bob's Burgers" (2.553 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.2, #11), "Family Guy" (3.010 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T8) and "American Dad" (2.981 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T8). And finally, encores of "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown/Charlie Brown All Stars!" (2.530 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T16) and "Once Upon a Time" (2.503 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T16) led into new episodes of "Revenge" (5.422 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T5) and "Red Widow" (4.118 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #14) on ABC (3.643 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4). |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 4/1/13 |
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Weekend Lightspeed Round |
Posted 3/29/13 |
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Happy Friday Lightspeed Round |
Posted 3/29/13 |
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MIPTV Preview: Electus |
Posted 3/28/13 |
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Multimedia entertainment
studio Electus, an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq:
IACI), today announced that its global distribution arm,
Electus International unveiled highlights of its
unscripted television programming slate. These include
the priority titles from a growing slate that will be
brought to market at MIPTV in Cannes, France, which
begins on April 8th. This new block of television
programming includes original series concepts developed
by Electus and its creative partners, as well as
successful third party series that Electus has acquired
for international distribution. "We are proud to bring to market a diverse set of programming that demonstrates our Company's unending commitment to creating premium content that resonates with global audiences," said John Pollak , President of Electus International. "These unique and incredibly original titles are part of an ever-growing Electus International slate that continues to bring to our partners the absolute best content in the distribution business." Bet On Your Baby: Bet On Your Baby is a game show in which parents predict their child's next move in the hope of earning prize money towards their college fund. Each family will play a self-contained, individual challenge against the house-meaning they're only competing against themselves, and not against other babies. Bet On Your Baby was created by 5x5 Media's Craig Armstrong , Rick Ringbakk , Charles Wachter and Electus' Ben Silverman and Jimmy Fox . The series is executive produced by Electus ( Ben Silverman , Chris Grant , Jimmy Fox ) and 5x5 Media ( Craig Armstrong and Rick Ringbakk ). Bet On Your Baby will premiere on ABC on April 13th. Fashion Star (Season 2): Thirteen unknown designers compete in a series of weekly fashion and business challenges that will end with one of them being crowned the next Fashion Star and winning a multi-million dollar contract to launch their own line in three of America's largest retail stores. The Fashion Star format was developed by Ben Silverman of Electus, Rick Ringbakk of Emmy Award-winning 5x5 Media and E.J. Johnston and James Deutch of EJD Productions. The show is executive-produced by Elle Macpherson , Ben Silverman of Electus, Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth of The Magical Elves, Rick Ringbakk of 5x5 Media and EJ Johnston and James Deutch of EJD Productions. Fashion Star was originally broadcast on NBC and is currently airing season two. Food Fighters: Six amateur cooks square off against six professional chefs to see if their home cooked specialties can stand up against the experts. Electus' Ben Silverman , Chris Grant , Jimmy Fox and Tim Puntillo are the executive producers of the series. Food Fighters will premiere on NBC in the coming months. Get Out Alive: World-renowned adventurer Bear Grylls leads teams of two beyond their most extreme imaginations in the wild in an adventure reality-competition series. Electus co-produces the series with Bear Grylls Ventures. Get Out Alive is set to air on NBC this July. King of the Nerds: Competitors spanning the full nerd spectrum to come together to face challenges that will test their intellect, ingenuity, skills and pop-culture prowess. The nerds will first compete as teams before moving on to individual challenges, all with the goal of being named the quintessential master of all things nerdy. King of the Nerds is executive produced by Ben Silverman and Jimmy Fox of Electus, Rick Ringbakk and Craig Armstrong of 5X5 Media, as well as Carradine and Armstrong. The series originally premiered on TBS and has been renewed for a second season. The Hero: This epic new competition series headlined by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson brings nine ordinary people together to complete various missions that will test their brains, their brawn and even their morality. The show will challenge the competitors to prove they've got what it takes to be heroes, pushing them to the limits to see what they are willing (and able) to overcome, undergo or sacrifice for the sake of their fellow contestants. The Hero is created by Craig Armstrong and Rick Ringbakk of 5x5 Media, Charles Wachter and Electus' Ben Silverman . The series is executive-produced by Ben Silverman, Jimmy Fox and Chris Grant of Electus, Rick Ringbakk and Craig Armstrong of 5x5 Media, Charles Wachter , Dwayne Johnson , and Dany Garcia . The Hero is set to premiere on June 6th on TNT this June. |
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Official: Demi Lovato
to Return to "X Factor" |
Posted 3/28/13 |
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She may have been the first
X Factor mentor knocked out of the competition last
year, but that little hiccup won’t stop Demi Lovato from
returning to the show’s panel for Season 3, Fox
announced today. “I am so excited to return as a judge and mentor on The X Factor,” said Lovato in a press release. “Last season was an unbelievable experience and I really enjoyed developing personal relationships with the contestants and the panel. I look forward to taking my previous experience and applying it to make this season even better.” Lovato made her X Factor debut in Season 2, taking charge of the “Young Adults” category that included CeCe Frey, Paige Thomas, Jennel Garcia and Willie Jones. Lovato’s fellow mentors Britney Spears and L.A. Reid will not return for Season 3, leaving her and Simon Cowell as the only veterans behind the X Factor table. The show went through a similar shakeup after Season 1, when Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger exited to make way for Lovato and Spears. “I couldn’t be happier that Demi wants to come back this year,” said Cowell, who serves as both mentor and executive producer. “She’s a superstar in her own right and was a fantastic mentor last year. Even though she can be really, really annoying – I truly enjoyed working with her and so did the artists. I’m especially pleased she’s back even during her world tour!” |
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Wednesday: Still
Leaking |
Posted 3/28/13 |
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FOX (12.029 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) was still the network to beat
on Wednesday with a new two-hour "American Idol" (12.029
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #2). As dominant
as that was, the number represents an 11 percent drop in
the predominant voting demo from last week, and a 38
percent drop last year. ABC (6.164 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #2) then claimed the silver with a new "The Middle" (6.810 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T5), the season finale of "The Neighbors" (5.513 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8) and originals from "Modern Family" (8.966 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.2, #1), "Suburgatory" (5.412 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #4) and "Nashville" (5.141 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8). Next up was CBS (7.269 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) with a new "Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites" (9.157 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #3) followed by repeats from "Criminal Minds" (5.730 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T10) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (6.919 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T10). Meanwhile, NBC (5.510 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) offered up a new "Whitney" (3.108 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T13), the season finale of "Whitney" (3.090 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.1, #12) and fresh installments of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.530 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.7, #7) and "Chicago Fire" (6.901 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T5). |
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Selling a Legacy |
Posted 3/28/13 |
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Dot Productions has chosen
Global Agency to internationally distribute The Legacy,
a successful game-show format. As part of the deal, Global Agency will use MIPTV to start selling The Legacy into Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, the Ukraine, Israel, Scandinavia, South East Asia, the Middle East, India, Greece and Turkey. The title has already been picked up by broadcasters in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Other programs in Global Agency's MIPTV catalogue include entertainment formats such as Don't Say It, Bring It! and Rivals in Law. Andrew Sime, Global Agency's head of acquisitions, commented: "We're thrilled to be representing such a successful gameshow, and look forward to working with Dot Productions to roll it out around the world." |
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Tuesday: A Spinoff? |
Posted 3/28/13 |
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CBS (13.488 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1) was the still the network to
beat on Tuesday with new episodes of "NCIS" (18.063
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #2), "NCIS: Los
Angeles" (14.322 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6,
#3) and "Golden Boy" (8.079 million viewers, #6; adults
18-49: 1.4, #T11). NBC (6.580 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) then was a close second place with night two of "The Voice" (12.017 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1) followed by new episodes of "Go On" (5.642 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #6), "The New Normal" (3.584 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T11) and "Smash" (3.111 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #13). Next up was ABC (9.774 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T3) with originals from "Splash" (6.666 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #9), "Dancing with the Stars" (13.074 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #4) and "Body of Proof" (9.583 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #8). Comparatively, "Splash" was down almost 40 percent. Meanwhile, FOX (4.053 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T3) offered up new episodes of "Hell's Kitchen" (4.570 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.9, #7), "New Girl" (4.264 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.2, #5) and "The Mindy Project" (2.810 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #10). The cable offerings placed thusly: - Face Off season finale (9:00) - Syfy 1.767 million viewers, #9; 0.976 million adults 18-49 (0.8 rating), #12 - The Ultimate Fighter (9:00) - FX 1.091 million viewers, #18; 0.711 million adults 18-49 (0.6 rating), #16 - Robot Combat League (10:00) - Syfy 0.622 million viewers, #23; 0.306 million adults 18-49 (0.2 rating), #25 - The Face season finale (9:00) - Oxygen 0.554 million viewers, #25; 0.323 million adults 18-49 (0.3 rating), #24 |
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Talpa Taps Into
American Talent |
Posted 3/28/13 |
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Talpa Media USA has hired a
quartet of executives and is producing a new
studio-based gameshow pilot for Fox. Production veteran Monica Stock (The Bachelor, The Bachelorette) has joined as VP of production, having recently overseen production on season three of Fox’s MasterChef. Meanwhile, Leslie Garvin joins Talpa as an executive producer to work on development and programming. She has over 18 years of broadcast experience, having previously worked on shows such as Secret Millionaire, Shark Tank and The Mole. Elsewhere, former One Three Media exec Sadoux Kim joins as senior VP of business development and digital, while Ira Chartoff has been appointed as the company’s chief financial officer, having worked at Endemol USA since 2000. These appointments follow the exits of Stefanie Gélinas, former MD of Talpa Content USA, Vincent Dijkema, former senior programme format consultant and former CFO Mark Ramaker, who all left earlier this year. Amongst the news shows in development at Talpa are Challenge Me America, a gameshow pilot, and an as-yet unnamed dating show, both of which are being produced for Fox. These shows sit alongside other recent commissions in the US such as The Winner Is, for NBC, and La Voz Kids, a spin-off from The Voice being made for US Hispanic network Telemundo Media. Challenge Me, which just filmed a pilot, is a studio-based game show in which contestants who have unusual individual skills are pushed to the limit for a cash prize. |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/28/13 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/27/13 |
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... Yeah, Monday's
April 1, Isn't It? |
Posted 3/26/13 |
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CBS Daytime celebrates April
Fool’s Day on April 1 with special themed episodes of
THE PRICE IS RIGHT and, for the first time, LET’S MAKE A
DEAL. The joke’s on Drew Carey and George Gray this April Fool’s Day on daytime television’s most-watched program when THE PRICE IS RIGHT models flip the script on the unsuspecting host and announcer, Monday, April 1 (11:00 AM-12:00 Noon, ET; 10:00-11:00 AM, PT). For the first time ever, Drew and George will learn firsthand how challenging modeling can be when they’re forced to make rapid costume changes and present such prizes as a trampoline, a hot tub, jet skis and, of course, a new car. Meanwhile, the models – Manuela Arbelaez, Amber Lancaster, Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith and Rob Wilson – will be the ones to tell the contestants to “come on down,” welcome them to Contestants Row, guide them through the pricing games and introduce the fabulous prizes. LET’S MAKE A DEAL celebrates April Fool’s Day for the first time with the first-ever “Zonk Redemption Show” on April 1 (check local listings on the CBS Television Network). The audience will be filled with previously Zonked Traders from the last four seasons who get a second chance to compete for cash and prizes. Also, host Wayne Brady will play an April Fool’s Day joke on the entire audience of Traders when he challenges them to a special deal with a group prize, if they choose correctly. |
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Monday: Happy Days (for
NBC) Are Here Again |
Posted 3/26/13 |
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NBC's "The Voice" premiered
to stronger numbers than it did in the fall, but its
follow-up, the drama "Revolution," was down from its
fall debut and its seasonal average. That was good news and bad news for NBC, which hopes the returning shows can help propel it from third place. "The Voice" and "Revolution" helped NBC claim first place in the coveted 18-49 demographic this fall, before the network slipped this winter. The network can breathe a sigh of relief that viewers' interest in the singing show -- with two new judges -- was up from the fall. But it is no doubt disappointed in the downturn for "Revolution," which is so far the biggest new broadcast network show of the season. "The Voice" fell hard Monday from last year's midseason Monday premiere, but that was to be expected: Last year's episode aired the day after a post-Super Bowl episode that started the show off with a massive audience. Airing at 8 p.m., Monday's "Voice" drew a 4.7 rating/12 share in the 18-49 demo -- up 12 percent from its premiere in September -- and grabbed 13.4 million total viewers. That was enough to easily put the show at the top of the ratings heap, though it came in second in total viewers to ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." "Revolution" at 10 posted a 2.7/7 -- a 13 percent decline from its average last season, and a 34 percent drop from its September premiere. It drew 7.2 million total viewers. Overall, NBC grabbed first place in the demo with a 4.0/11 and second in total viewers with 11.3 million. |
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Syndies: Longer Days,
Shorter Numbers |
Posted 3/26/13 |
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The return of longer days
sent syndie ratings further down in the week ending
March 17. Levels of people using television plummeted by
more than 2.8 million viewers on average from the prior
week. Syndies also suffered massive preemptions during
the week due to the election of Pope Francis I on March
13. Game shows weren't having much fun. CTD's Wheel of Fortune skidded 11% to a 6.7, still good enough to be the first-run leader. CTD's Jeopardy! also dropped 11% to settle at a 6.2, and for the second week in a row was within half a point of Wheel, the closest the two strips have been all season. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud faded 8% to a 4.8, falling below the 5.0 mark. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which will be betting on new host Cedric the Entertainer next season, eroded 8% to a 2.2, while NBCU's Baggage bucked the downtrend to climb 9% to a 1.2. |
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"Talkabout" a Turnabout |
Posted 3/26/13 |
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You have 20 seconds... "Talkabout"
a game show reboot. DLT/Raydar Rights, a prime player in international licensing of TV properties (and one of the first companies worldwide to specialize in it), is bringing the early '90s syndicated entry back into play at MIPTV in Cannes. Created by Mark Maxwell-Smith for Comedia & the CBC, "Talkabout's" fast-paced word association format allows the audience at home to join in the fun as contestants race against the clock to figure out the hidden key topic and win prizes. As soon as the timer starts, the wildness begins as the game show participants breathlessly shout out the answers in a frantic attempt to get them all before their opponents have a chance. Talkabout has inspired many local versions. Two seasons of production in North America followed by three series in the U.K. on the ITV Network; RTE in Ireland has picked up a third season; and TV4 in Sweden is in production for 80-plus episodes as is VTM in Belgium. |
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One REALLY Good Minute
for a Let's Ask America Champion |
Posted 3/26/13 |
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"Let's Ask America," the new
TV game show where contestants can win up to $50K from
home via Skype, is celebrating its first marriage
proposal. Boston Campaign Manager, David Luea, became
the first “Let’s Ask America” contestant to take home
the full $50K prize, when his episode aired in late
November. This March, Luea made another “Let’s Ask
America” first, becoming the first contestant to use his
winnings to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Lisa
Frausto. Before his big milestone November win, Luea said that the first thing he would do with $50K would be getting something really special for his girlfriend, helping to pay for a ring and a wedding. Luea then went all in to answer this foreshadowing final question: A. Video Game Marathons B. Belching C. 5-Second Rule D. Drink Milk From Carton Which bachelor habit did engaged women say they most want their fiancé to give up? Luea answered Video Game Marathons correctly, playing the first perfect game, taking home the full $50,000. And Luea made true on his promise this March, when he proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lisa, shocking her with his romantic surprise at a downtown Boston hotel, and she accepted! |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/26/13 |
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UNO! |
Posted 3/25/13 |
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The card game UNO has been
turned into a game show where contestants match colors
and numbers to win a cash prize, in UNO: The Game Show. Produced by The Gurin Company, in association with Mattel, the game show will be available as both a 30-minute daily game show with a US$100,000 jackpot, and an hour-long primetime version with a $1 million cash prize. The Gurin Company has secured worldwide television rights to the game and will be debuting the format at MIPTV. UNO: The Game Show was created by Caleb Nelson and Tim Sheridan and developed by The Gurin Company’s president and CEO Phil Gurin. “UNO: The Game Show builds on the traditional card game and combines the potential for big money with a fast-paced elimination competition, cool prizes, fun Q&A and, of course, strategy and comedy,” said Gurin. “The show will also feature state-of-the-art technology to bring this simple game to viewers around the world.” “We are looking forward to creating a highly entertaining and engaging show that incorporates competition and prizing anchored in our UNO mantra of ‘fast fun for everyone,’” added Stephanie Cota, Mattel’s SVP of global marketing and games. |
 Uno is getting the game show treatment (photo courtesy Mattel) |
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"Millionaire" Checks
Into "General Hospital" |
Posted 3/25/13 |
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"Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire" with host Meredith Vieira will help to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of ABC's hit drama
"General Hospital," featuring Finola Hughes ("Anna
Devane") and Jason Thompson ("Dr. Patrick Drake") as
contestants on Monday, April 1 and Tuesday, April 2. The
"Millionaire" episodes will coincide with "General
Hospital's" 50th anniversary on April 1 (2pm on ABC). "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" airs weekdays. Check local listings for time and channel of or go to http://www.millionairetv.com. Hughes and Thompson brought the drama of Port Charles to the set of "Millionaire" and filmed a soap-inspired scene with Vieira. The scene will be broadcast in its entirety on Monday, April 1 on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." Tune in to see Meredith Vieira show off her acting chops in a playful scene that involves negligees and martinis and ends with a dramatic slap across the face! "General Hospital" superfans were able to sit in the studio audience for the "Millionaire" tapings and were treated to a surprise set visit by another "General Hospital" fan favorite. Tune in on Monday, April 1 to find out who dropped in to wish Finola Hughes and Jason Thompson good luck on the show! Hughes and Thompson will play "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" as a two-person team and will donate their winnings to The Art of Elysium (http://www.theartofelysium.org/), a non-profit organization that works closely with actors, artists and musicians, encouraging them to volunteer their time and talent to children battling serious medical conditions. |
 Stars of "General Hospital" visit "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" next week (photo courtesy Disney/ABC) |
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Sunday: Come On and
Watch Some Basketball... |
Posted 3/25/13 |
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CBS (10.137 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1) claimed the top spot on
Sunday thanks to its mix of "NCAA Overrun" (13.113
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1), "60
Minutes" (10.557 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7,
#2), "The Amazing Race 22" (9.769 million viewers, #3;
adults 18-49: 2.3, #T4), "The Good Wife" (9.254 million
viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T7) and "The Mentalist"
(8.827 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T11). The silver then went to FOX (3.586 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #2) with repeats of "Bob's Burgers" (2.161 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T16), "The Cleveland Show" (2.297 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T16) and "The Simpsons" (3.719 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.6, #10) plus originals from "Bob's Burgers" (3.746 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9), "Family Guy" (5.136 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) and "American Dad" (4.456 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T4). Next up was ABC (6.196 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) with fresh installments of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.851 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #13), "Once Upon a Time" (7.297 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.1, #6), "Revenge" (6.132 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T7) and "Red Widow" (4.503 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14). And finally, two-hour editions of "Dateline NBC" (6.100 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #15) and "The Celebrity Apprentice" (5.129 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T11) on NBC (5.614 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) closed out the evening. |
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More on "Knife Fight" |
Posted 3/25/13 |
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KNIFE FIGHT, a gritty new
cooking competition show hosted by Top Chef Season 2
winner Ilan Hall, premieres Tuesday, April 23 at 9P E/P
on the new Esquire Network. The 10-episode series
features underground, after-hours cooking bouts between
Los Angeles' most exciting chefs at The Gorbals, Hall's
downtown restaurant. "It's real chefs cooking in a real kitchen in front of real people," says Hall. "What started as one chef talking smack to another has grown organically into a full-on competition. At the end, it's not about winning and there's no huge prize. These chefs are just pouring their hearts into what goes onto their plates out of a genuine love of food." Each hour-long episode of KNIFE FIGHT features an undercard and a title bout. For each battle, two chefs go head-to-head, making at least two dishes in one hour, from a combination of two to three secret ingredients. As the chefs face off in The Gorbals' kitchen, they feel the heat as they're cheered and heckled by a rowdy crowd - including friends, neighbors and an eclectic group of celebrities, food professionals and die-hard foodies that serve as judges and timekeepers for each bout. Among them: Drew Barrymore (who also serves as Executive Producer), Elijah Wood, Jason Lee, Bijou Phillips and Erika Christensen, food writers Jeanne Kelly and Evan Kleiman, and Hall's Top Chef friends like Elia Aboumrad and Michael Voltaggio. World-renowned skateboarding photographer Giovanni Reda acts as master of ceremonies for the series. With new contestants each week, this season features exciting and acclaimed chefs, including James Beard nominees, Food & Wine "Best New Chefs," Top Chef competitors, chefs who've worked at Michelin-starred restaurants, and more. In the April 23 premiere episode, rising stars Kevin Meehan (Kali Dining) and Felix G. Barron IV (KITCHN 105) compete in the undercard bout, while Brendan Collins (Waterloo & City) and David Feau (most recently executive chef of The Royce at The Langham), battle for the title. Actor and comedian Eric Wareheim (Tim and Eric Awesome Show) and award-winning food writer/author Jeanne Kelley join Hall on the panel of judges. |
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Jack Black Plays "Hide
& Seek" |
Posted 3/25/13 |
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Jack Black's Electronic
Dynamite shingle has signed on to co-produce the U.S.
version of Japanese game show Hide and Seek, an extreme
version of the popular kids' game. Reality TV producers T Group -- whose credits include Tru TV's Storage Hunters and Container Wars -- picked up remake rights to the original Japanese series from Eccho Rights, the distribution arm of Scandinavian-Asian format group Sparks Eccho, and will co-produce the U.S. version. The Japanese show is billed as the ultimate game of Hide and Seek. A family -- helped by a team of professionals who design false walls, camouflage costumes and booby traps -- hides in their own home from a celebrity seeker. If the celebrity fails to find them in time, the family wins a cash prize. Hide and Seek does not yet have a U.S. broadcaster on board. |
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"Koh-Lanta" Gets
Snuffed |
Posted 3/25/13 |
| The death of a participant on TF1 reality series Koh-Lanta, the French version of Survivor, has resulted in the cancellation of the show’s 16th season. Gérald Babin suffered a heart attack and died on Friday during the first day of shooting in Cambodia following a “shipwreck” challenge. He was 25. Production ceased immediately and the other contestants were being flown back to Paris today. Over the weekend, a spokesperson for France’s leading commercial broadcaster TF1 said, “The show will not take place in 2013.” Koh-Lanta, produced by Zodiak Media subsidiary Adventure Line Productions, started airing in 2001 and has consistently won its timeslot, drawing an average of 7.4M viewers. The 16th season was expected to air next fall. TF1 and ALP said in a joint statement: “The teams from ALP, TF1 and (host) Denis Brogniart are devastated and join in the profound sadness of Gérald’s family. All of their thoughts are with his parents, his sister, his girlfriend and all those close to him.” | |
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"Banzuke" to Return |
Posted 3/25/13 |
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The brave and
outrageous come to your TV screens in the unconquerable
game show where every obstacle, barrier, and misfortune
nearly guarantees a challenger’s failure, except for the
very few who beat the odds and make it to the list of
champions or Banzuke. Japan’s iconic sports
entertainment show, Unbeatable Banzuke, premieres on Myx
TV on March 28 and airs Thursdays at 9/8c. The 30-minute show packs the crazy and comedic attempts of contenders whose reckless audacity for adventure are both bizarre and appealing. Strange physical challenges abound from going through obstacle courses on handstands to jumping off trampolines and trying to land on the most narrow of foam boards via unicycles, pogo sticks, and skateboards. In this impossible attempt to the goal, ramps, sandbags, broken bridges, water, and human exhaustion stand between challengers and 2 million yen and bragging rights of superhuman capacity belonging only to few. “We're thrilled to bring Unbeatable Banzuke to Myx TV, where the physical challenges are both incredibly entertaining and intense,” said Joy Bovatsek, Head of Programming for Myx TV. |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/25/13 |
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"Baby" Gets Moved |
Posted 3/22/13 |
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ABC has bumped the premiere
of its new game show "Bet on Your Baby" back a week to
Saturday, April 13. Originally set to launch on April 6, the Alphabet will instead serve up repeats of "The Middle" and "How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)" on said date. "Baby" then will roll out on Saturday, April 13 with back-to-back episodes starting at 8:00/7:00c. |
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Thursday: Dropping
Players |
Posted 3/22/13 |
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When American Idol season 12
premiered lower in the ratings than last year, that was
to be expected — returning weaker has been the show’s
trend for several years. When Idol numbers dipped after the show moved from auditions to the Hollywood rounds, that was also to be expected too — the reality veteran’s ratings tend to sag during the middle portion of its run every year. But Idol is dropping nearly every week and last night was down 50 percent from its Thursday night premiere this season … and that’s scary. Thursday’s Idol fell another 7 percent down to 11.7 million viewers and a 2.8 rating among adults 18-49. Again: a 2.8 rating. For the first time ever, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy topped Idol in these early numbers. Hell, Scandal nearly tied Idol! Here’s Idol‘s Wednesday night track in the demo since its debut this season: 6.0, 5.5, 5.5, 4.6, 4.3, 4.1, 3.9, 3.8, 3.8, 3.6. While Thursday’s trend has been: 5.6, 5.2, 4.5, 4.1, 3.7, 3.9, 3.8, 3.6, 3.1 and then last night’s preliminary 2.8, down 33 percent from last year’s airing this week. The only time the show’s ratings have gone up this season was the week after Valentine’s Day (which is a traditionally soft night for TV viewing). Two news of note on cable: - Project Runway hit the runway as the 5th most popular show on cable Thursday with 2.192 million viewers (800,000 adults 18-49). - GSN's 2012 success story, The American Bible Challenge, picked up where it left off with 1.152 million viewers (262,000 in the demo). |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/22/13 |
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"America" Upwards |
Posted 3/21/13 |
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Last September the E.W.
Scripps Company dropped syndicated dinosaurs “Wheel of
Fortune” and “Jeopardy” at some of its owned stations
and replaced them with its own programming. The station group developed two shows, “Let’s Ask America” a game show using Skype which it developed in conjunction Warner Bros. Telepictures and pop culture show “The List.” It then programmed seven of its owned stations with “Let’s Ask America” and six with “The List.” TVSpy checked in with Scripps to see how the shows were doing. “We are very happy with the performance of both shows,” Robert Sullivan, vice president of content for Scripps told TVSpy. “Both have grown book to book in key demos since their launch last fall.” According to numbers provided by Scripps, both shows have seen a steady increase in viewership since the first ratings period in October 2012. “The List” has gone from a 2.5 to a 3.3 in household ratings and has seen a 50 percent ratings increase in Adults 18-49 and a 57 percent ratings increase in women 18-49 when it airs between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. “Let’s Ask America” has brought in more women 25-54 than “Jeopardy” and beat “ET” in women 25-54 during the February book at WFTS in Tampa. “We have to remember, these shows are only 6 months old and play in a highly competitive time period,” added Sullivan. “Having said that, their early performance is very encouraging.” Scripps has plans to expand viewership of the shows in September 2013 by adding both “Let’s Ask America” and “The List” to its owned station WPTV in West Palm Beach and adding “Let’s Ask America” to its station in Detroit, WXYZ, where it will replace “Entertainment Tonight.” “Let’s Ask America” now airs in 14 markets while “The List” still airs on the original six stations, airing in access on five of those stations and at 4:30 on KNXV in Phoenix. |
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Wednesday: The Loser
Wins |
Posted 3/21/13 |
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FOX (12.668 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1) was still the network to beat
with a new two-hour "American Idol" (12.668 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1). Ratings represent a
2 percent drop from last week and a 28 percent drop from
last year. CBS (10.474 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2) then claimed the silver with its mix of "Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites" (9.589 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3), "Criminal Minds" (11.462 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (10.371 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #4). Next up was NBC (4.881 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3) with a new "Whitney" (3.183 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #11) followed by a repeat of "Whitney" (2.555 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T12) and fresh installments of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (5.449 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T7) and "Chicago Fire" (6.327 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T5). Meanwhile, ABC (4.019 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) offered up a repeat "The Middle" (4.826 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #10), an original "The Neighbors" (4.667 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.4, #9), a repeat "Modern Family" (5.380 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T5), a new "Suburgatory" (4.206 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T7) and a repeat "Nashville" (2.516 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.7, #15). |
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Who Wants to Be...
Cedric the Entertainer |
Posted 3/21/13 |
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Cedric the Entertainer has
been named the new host of Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire. The comedian will ask for "final answers" starting this fall, when he'll replace Meredith Vieira, who has presided over the daytime version of the game show since it began airing in syndication in 2002. Regis Philbin presided over the original series, which was a monster hit for ABC starting in 1999 and ushered in a wave of reality TV. "I'm truly looking forward to hosting Millionaire,'" Cedric said in a statement. "The show is a modern day game show giant, and the team at Disney-ABC has been great at putting the right elements together over 11 seasons. I'm excited to entertain all those who watch and play as season 12 launches ... It's going to be a good time every day!" Millionaire has not held up as well as some of its counterparts: The show is averaging 3.2 million viewers this season, down 10% from last year, and has less than half the audience of the rebounding Family Feud, hosted by Steve Harvey. But Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! remain game-show kings, drawing 11 million and 9.6 million viewers, respectively, in their mostly early-evening time slots.
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 Cedric the Entertainer will host "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" this fall (photo courtesy comedycouch) |
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America's Biggest
Bargain Sale Returns |
Posted 3/21/13 |
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GSN announced today a host
of new acquisitions of classic game shows and episodes,
including the GSN premiere of SALE OF THE CENTURY,
featuring 65 episodes that originally aired on NBC in
1988-89 with host Jim Perry. In addition, the network
will debut 57 new-to-GSN episodes of PRESS YOUR LUCK
from 1983-84 with host Peter Tomarken. SALE OF THE
CENTURY and the new episodes of PRESS YOUR LUCK will
premiere on GSN on April 1, 2013. New episodes of PRESS
YOUR LUCK will premiere at 9:00am ET and SALE OF THE
CENTURY will premiere at 9:30am ET. GSN is also refreshing its episode selection on SUPER PASSWORD and PASSWORD PLUS, reintroducing classic episodes that have not aired in three years: 150 episodes of SUPER PASSWORD from 1986-87 featuring host Bert Convy and 66 episodes of PASSWORD PLUS from 1981-82 with host Tom Kennedy. And MATCH GAME fans will be excited to rediscover episodes from 1975-77 featuring legendary host Gene Rayburn and the show's inimitable celebrity panel. On SALE OF THE CENTURY, contestants start with $20 and earn more money with each correct answer to general trivia questions. Throughout the game, the play is stopped for an "Instant Bargain," when a contestant has the opportunity to use their money to buy a great prize at a heavily discounted price. During the "Fame Game" round, Perry offers clues to the identity of a famous person; the first contestant with the right answer wins a shot at the Fame Game board, behind which are hidden prizes or Money Cards. Champions also play an end game for escalating cash prizes, with continuing winners playing for a total payoff of more than $100,000. |
 GSN will air "$ale of the Century" April (photo courtesy FremantleMedia) |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/20/13 |
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Four-Man "Family" |
Posted 3/20/13 |
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The Hub Network today
announced a slate of new programming for the 2013-'14
television season that includes four new series, two Hub
Original Family Movies, and nine returning series. Set
to debut starting this summer, the lineup continues the
network's strategy of building a schedule with programs
based on well-known brands featuring popular and
respected names in the entertainment space. The
announcement was made today by Margaret Loesch,
President and CEO of The Hub, the fastest growing
children's cable network. "The Hub is in a tremendous growth stage with triple-digit ratings increases, a major bump in distribution, and quality programming that appeals to both children and their parents," said Ms. Loesch. "This slate of new and returning programs will capitalize on and sustain that momentum as we head into next season and continue to exponentially grow our presence in the kids space." "Family Game Night", hosted by Emmy-winner Todd Newton, will launch Season four this summer from Hasbro Studios and Zoo Productions. |
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Tuesday: ABC Makes a
"Splash" |
Posted 3/20/13 |
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The premiere of celebrity
diving show Splash gave ABC a ratings springboard on
Tuesday night. The network’s “Diving With the Stars” delivered 8.8 million viewers and a healthy 2.6 rating among adults 18-49. Splash came in second place at 8 p.m., beating the second week of Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen and was topped only in the hour by CBS’ NCIS. The numbers were big enough to make Splash the top unscripted series debut on broadcast TV since Fox’s The X Factor first premiered in 2011. It also doubles the rating of Fox’s quickie version of the same concept (Stars in Danger: The High Dive) that was hustled out in January before Splash could hit the air. After Fox’s diving show belly flopped in the ratings, we had modest expectations for ABC’s take, but Splash is arguably a better fit for the network that airs Dancing With the Stars. At the same time, these premiere ratings might not mean much — ABC has successfully delivered strong sampling for the premieres of short-lived cooking competition The Taste and the return of Celebrity Wife Swap earlier this season, only to see both shows drop sharply. At least Splash ratings climbed from its first half hour to its second, which is a positive sign. Here’s what else is interesting in last night’s numbers: Justin Timberlake’s CW special rated about the same as a modestly rated CW show. CBS’ Golden Boy went up 13 percent from last week (but that’s almost certainly because lead-in NCIS: LA aired an original episode instead of a repeat). ABC’s Dancing special was up slightly from last year’s similar special. Hell’s Kitchen dropped a tenth from its premiere. NBC’s Go On and New Normal both had their lowest-rated episodes to date. The cable postings posted thusly... - Face Off (9:00) - Syfy 1.675 million viewers, #9; 0.976 million adults 18-49 (0.8 rating), #9 - Chopped (10:00) - Food 1.502 million viewers, #11; 0.669 million adults 18-49 (0.5 rating), #17 - The Ultimate Fighter (9:00) - FX 1.303 million viewers, #15; 0.845 million adults 18-49 (0.7 rating), #13 - Robot Combat League (10:00) - Syfy 0.716 million viewers, #25; 0.350 million adults 18-49 (0.3 rating), #26 - The Face (9:00) - Oxygen 0.515 million viewers, #29; 0.287 million adults 18-49 (0.2 rating), #28 And a show on GSN that aired at the 8p hour lost half of its audience.
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"Belleza" En Vivo |
Posted 3/20/13 |
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The excitement level is
about to go off the charts on Univision’s hit
reality/beauty competition “Nuestra Belleza Latina” (Our
Latin Beauty) as 24 talented young Latinas are put to
the test in a glamorous pageant setting during the first
live gala of Season 7. After two emotion-packed episodes, three international challenges and six contestants already eliminated, the 24 remaining candidates will now showcase their talent and beauty for the first time on stage before the celebrity judges and a live studio audience. And with three experienced beauty queens among the contenders this season – Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Colombia World and Miss Puerto Rico – the competition promises to be more intense than ever before. Adding to the excitement, the always electric international reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee will perform his hit single, “Limbo,” in a television world premiere. Six additional contestants will be eliminated during the March 24 broadcast, and the remaining 18 will Go On to the next phase of the competition, in which only 12 hopefuls will be left standing. For the first time ever in “Nuestra Belleza Latina” history, the Season 7 candidates have been divided into three separate groups led by the show’s celebrity judges: renowned beauty pageant coach Osmel Sousa, former Miss Universe Lupita Jones, and novela heartthrob Julián Gil. Once the 12 finalists have been determined, each group of four –strictly supervised by its corresponding judge– will be separated from the others and undergo rigorous training sessions reflecting each judge’s vision of what a true beauty queen embodies. At this point, the program’s entertainment factor will be kicked up a notch as Sousa, Jones, and Gil engage in an all-out battle to be the mentor of this year’s winner. Viewers will be able to engage with and support the judges on social by Tweeting with their respective hashtags, #NBLOsmel, #NBLLupita, and #NBLJulian. “Nuestra Belleza Latina” airs Sunday, March 24, 2013 at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central). |
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Four-Part Harmony |
Posted 3/20/13 |
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NBC has picked up the
popular a cappella competition show "The Sing-Off" for a
new series commitment as a holiday strip over several
nights later this year, it was announced today by Paul
Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night
Programming, NBC. "To all of the loyal fans of 'The Sing-Off' who asked us to bring the show back - we heard you loud and clear! No other singing competition so genuinely showcases the unique talents and creative camaraderie of the best a cappella singers in the country, putting 'The Sing Off' into a class of its own. The distinctive sounds and boundless spirit of these groups make the perfect soundtrack for the holidays," said Telegdy. "The Sing-Off" originally premiered in December 2009 as a five-night event and became a weekly series in 2011. "'The Sing-Off' showcases great talent and a musical form I love," says executive producer Mark Burnett of One Three Media, which will be producing the series this year. "It's very special, and we're excited to be involved."
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/20/13 |
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"Talent": June |
Posted 3/19/13 |
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NBC's "America's Got Talent"
- America's top-rated summer series - will return for
its eighth season when it premieres on Tuesday, June 4
(9-11 p.m. ET) and will begin its regular hour-long
Wednesday edition on July 10 (8-9 p.m. ET). This season
will feature new judges Mel B and Heidi Klum who will
join returning judges Howard Stern and Howie Mandel --
marking the first time that the series has showcased
four judges on the panel. Live episodes will begin on Tuesday, July 23 (9-11 p.m. ET) and Wednesday, July 24 (8-9 p.m. ET). The 2012 edition of "America's Got Talent" ranked as the #1 summer series on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and total viewers, marking the seventh-straight year the show finished as the #1 summer series in total viewers. "Talent" ranked #1 among non-sports primetime telecasts on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in total viewers for 12 of its last 14 weeks on the air last summer. The Monday edition of "Talent" averaged a 3.4 rating, 10 share in adults 18-49 and 11.1 million viewers overall, the Tuesday telecast earned a 3.4/10 in 18-49 and 11.7 million viewers and the Wednesday edition delivered a 2.9/8 in 18-49 and 10.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. "America's Got Talent," NBC's top-rated summer series from producers Simon Cowell's SYCO Television and FremantleMedia North America, returns this summer with the hottest performers from across the country ready to compete in the blockbuster reality show's new season. The live shows again will originate from the New York Tri-State area. This year, Klum joins the recently announced, high-octane entertainer and former Spice Girl Mel B as the newest judges who take their seats on the experienced and talented judge panel along with the outspoken, unedited radio personality, television host and author Stern and comedian, TV host and producer Mandel. Actor, producer and comedian Nick Cannon returns as host. With the talent search open to acts of all ages, "America's Got Talent" has brought the variety format back to the forefront of American culture by showcasing performers from across the country. The series is a true celebration of the American spirit, featuring a colorful array of hopeful stars, including singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, jugglers, magicians and ventriloquists, all vying for their chance to strut and perform on stage hoping to win America's hearts -- and the $1 million prize.
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Syndies: Women Are
Crazy.... For Steve Harvey |
Posted 3/19/13 |
|
Debmar-Mercury’s Steve
Harvey-hosted “Family Feud,” produced by FremantleMedia
North America, beat the top-rated game show, “Wheel of
Fortune,” for the first time ever in women 25-54 (2.9 to
2.8) during the week ended March 10. This marked a new
all-time high for Feud in the key demo . This is a
significant achievement for any syndicated game show. Game shows were relatively unaffected by the post-sweep slump. CTD's Wheel of Fortune softened 1% from the prior frame to a 7.5, still good enough to tie Big Bang for syndication's overall lead. On the other hand, CTD's Jeopardy! improved 3% to a 7.0, coming within a half a ratings point of Wheel. That's the closest the two shows have been all season. Feud also comes in second place in first-run syndication in that key demo, behind only Judge Judy. (Big Bang is syndication's overall demo leader at a 5.4.) Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire faded 4% to a 2.4, while NBCU's rookie Baggage weighed in at an unchanged 1.1. |
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Monday: Dancing Your
Butt Off |
Posted 3/19/13 |
|
One reality competition
veteran began its season last night as another ended its
latest one. ABC’s Dancing With The Stars (3.1/8)
returned for Season 16 with a two-hour debut Monday as
The Biggest Loser (2.6/7) wrapped up its 14th cycle.
Coming off record lows and double-digit declines a
season ago, DWTS is hoping to pull out all the stops to
find its footing. (One such attempt was the addition of
The Bachelor star Sean Lowe last week to this year’s
celeb contestants.) DWTS also didn’t have to face NBC’s
The Voice like it did for last spring’s season premiere.
The dance series’ season debut last night was up 24%
over its Season 15 premiere on September 24, making it
the highest-rated show of the night among adults 18-49
and the most-watched show overall with 16.76 million
viewers. However, head-to-head with Biggest Loser and
CBS’ comedy lineup, DWTS was down 11% from last year’s
Season 14 premiere on March 19, marking the lowest
spring debut ever for the long-running series. And the
landscape will change even more next week when ratings
heavyweight The Voice and the J.J. Abrams-produced
Revolution return to NBC. Having been one of the few shows to top a 2.0 rating this year for in network’s faltering primetime, Biggest Loser ended this season strong. Coming off last week’s season low, the weight loss series was up 30% from its March 11 show. Loser also rose 18% from last season’s finale May 1. Following Loser, Deception (1.3/3) also wrapped its season to make room for the return of Revolution next week. The freshman soap drama was up 18% over last week’s show. ABC won the night in total viewers and among 18-49s. |
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"90210" Alum Has
"Perfect Score" |
Posted 3/19/13 |
|
Those looking to score with
Arielle Kebbel are about to get one step closer. The 90210 beauty will host Perfect Score, a dating-game series set to premiere on The CW this summer, TVLine has learned. In each half-hour episode of Score, two friends compete to see who can pick their ideal mate from a group of 12 singletons. The twist: Everyone takes compatibility tests beforehand, and each possible match is assigned a cash value. So the player who selects the most compatible single — whose dollar amount is, naturally, the highest — nabs both the date and the money. Perfect Score is created and executive-produced by Scott St. John (America’s Got Talent) and produced by Freemantle Media (American Idol, The X Factor). In addition to roles on 90210 and The Vampire Diaries, Kebbel has hosted TVD‘s digital recap series Rehash and has served as a correspondent for E! Countdown to the Oscars. |
 Arielle Kebbel goes from one CW series to another as host of "Perfect Score" (photo courtesy Starpulse) |
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ABC to CBS... Oh YEAH?! |
Posted 3/19/13 |
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The Walt Disney Company,
while sorting out the future of the online video Web
site Hulu, has an app in the works that may render Hulu
passé for some people. The app will live stream ABC programming to the phones and tablets of cable and satellite subscribers, allowing those subscribers to watch “Dancing with the Stars” on a tablet while standing in line at Starbucks, for instance, or watch “Wipeout” on a smartphone while riding a bus home from work. The app could become available to some subscribers this year, according to people briefed on the project, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly. With the app, ABC, a subsidiary of Disney, will become the first of the American broadcasters to provide a live Internet stream of national and local programming to people who pay for cable or satellite. The subscriber-only arrangement, sometimes called TV Everywhere in industry circles, preserves the cable business model that is crucial to the bottom lines of broadcasters, while giving subscribers more of what they seem to want — mobile access to TV shows. The arrangement could extend the reach of ads that appear on ABC as well. |
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What Could You Possibly
Get from a Title Like "Tractor Monkeys"? |
Posted 3/19/13 |
|
Described as a comedy,
pop-culture quiz show and test of your Merrick Watts
tolerance, trivia show Tractor Monkeys celebrates its
series premiere on ABC1 tomorrow night with the launch
of an innovative new interactive component said to
revolutionize the way people cheat at pub trivia. The show, hosted by Watts with a revolving cast of players and regular team captains in comedian Dave O’Neil and radio announcer Monty Dimond, has launched an adjoining free iPad app enabling viewers to play along at home and compete in a nation-wide game of pub trivia, upping the show's audience participation/competition levels with the year end winner taking home the inaugural Tractor Monkey Quiz King mantle represented by "a very special unique trophy". “Viewers playing at home will be asked the same questions on their IPad that panelist are being asked on the TV and will compete to answer the questions," ABC TV Multiplatform Controller Arul Baskaran said. "Forget the Pub Trivia, this is Interactivity Quiz show heaven!” "This TV experience is so much more richer and interactive. It is exciting as viewers become more engaged with the content," added Senior producer for ABC TV Multiplaform Gary Hayes. "They become part of the conversation via social networking and over the eight-week season, they can hopefully increase their score and either move up or down the Tractor Monkey scoreboard.” |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/19/13 |
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The Network with Five "Face"s |
Posted 3/18/13 |
| Syfy is bringing Face Off back for a fifth season this summer, the network announced today. The competition/elimination series explores the world of special-effects make-up artists and the imagination that allows them to create works of living art. “Face Off continues to prove itself as a ratings hit, earning critical and viewer accolades alike, and we are proud to bring the series back for another stunning season,” said Mark Stern, President of Original Content, Syfy, and Co-Head of Original Content, Universal Cable Productions, in a statement Monday. Production on Season 5 will start next month with a summer 2013 premiere planned. In its fourth season, Face Off is averaging 1.6 million viewers 18-19 and 2.7 million total viewers in Live+7. The show’s Season 4 finale is scheduled to air March 26. Face Off is a production of Mission Control Media with Dwight D. Smith, Michael Agbabian and Derek Atherton serving as executive producers. | |
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Everyone Out of the
Pool... |
Posted 3/18/13 |
|
Mike Fleiss, the creator and
producer of The Bachelor and all of its offshoots, said
Bachelor Pad will not be airing on ABC this summer. In response to a question from a fan on Twitter about when the next installment would air, Fleiss said: "Not happening this summer." Bachelor Pad features contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, who live together and compete for a prize of $250,000. ABC has not given word on when or even if "Bachelor Pad" will return. |
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And That's Not All... |
Posted 3/18/13 |
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ABC has pulled the plug on
its proposed military singing competition show "Troupe
Stars," network sources have confirmed to the Futon
Critic. Originally slated to premiere on Saturday, June 15 at 8:00/7:00c, the eight-episode series - acquired from 5 Streams Global Entertainment - was to feature current and former soldiers as they showed off their performance skills. No reason was given for the decision. "Troupe Stars" would have joined such previously announced summer entries as "The Bachelorette," "Mistresses" and "Wipeout." ABC's full summer lineup has yet to be announced. |
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Sunday: CBS #1 Seed |
Posted 3/18/13 |
|
CBS (9.410 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) squeezed out the top spot on
Sunday with its mix of "60 Minutes" (10.069 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8), "The Amazing Race
22" (8.767 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T2),
"The Good Wife" (9.019 million viewers, #3; adults
18-49: 1.5, #11) and "The Mentalist" (9.786 million
viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8). "Amazing Race"
drops 4.3 percent on the week, 15.38% on the year. ABC (6.061 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T2) then claimed the silver with a repeat of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.188 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12) followed by originals from "Once Upon a Time" (7.226 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T2), "Revenge" (6.451 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T5) and "Red Widow" (4.380 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #15). Next up was FOX (3.652 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T2) with its combination of a "Bob's Burgers" (1.842 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.7, #16) repeat plus new episodes of "The Cleveland Show" (2.843 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14), "The Simpsons" (4.840 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.1, #4), another "The Cleveland Show" (3.988 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T5), "Family Guy" (4.884 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1) and "Bob's Burgers" (3.516 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8). And finally, two-hour editions of "Dateline NBC" (5.543 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #13) and "The Celebrity Apprentice" (5.457 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T5) on NBC (5.500 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) closed out the evening. "Apprentice" rose 5.88 percent on the week, |
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"The Voice" Throws
Down. Again. |
Posted 3/18/13 |
| NBC‘s The Voice will once again face a Fox singing competition rival. The spring cycle of the NBC reality series will feature an one-hour episode on Wednesday, May 8, when the top 12 contestants will be announced. NBC’s decision last fall to pit a Wednesday episode of The Voice against the season premiere of The X Factor drew the wrath of Simon Cowell. This time Voice will face Fox’s American Idol. Additionally, The Voice will expand two Tuesday episodes, on April 30 and May 7, to two hours. Any expansion of The Voice should be welcome news for ratings-challenged NBC, which is looking to rebound after a abysmal start to 2013. | |
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Eye-Phone |
Posted 3/18/13 |
|
Now you can watch "The Price
Is Right" and "Let's Make a Deal" anytime, anywhere. Anticipating that Nielsen will further relax its audience-measurement rules to include delayed viewing up to seven days after a program initially airs, CBS on Thursday launched a new app for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch that will allow users to access many of its shows between 24 hours and 8 days after they are broadcast. "We have been methodically and strategically finding new ways to satiate the appetite for our content on new platforms, while tapping into the tremendous revenue provided by doing so," CBS chief Leslie Moonves said in a statement. "Our announcement today achieves both of these objectives, while protecting our very healthy current ecosystem." Moonves said that a version of the app for Android and Windows 8 is in the works. "By making our shows available on all the leading mobile devices out there, we are confident we will bring a whole new set of viewers to the CBS Television Network and build upon our standing as the No. 1 network in the business." |
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Have the Alex Trebek
Sweepstakes Begun? |
Posted 3/18/13 |
|
Sony Pictures TV is casting
a wide net in its search for a successor to Alex Trebek
as host of one of the studio’s top properties, veteran
game show Jeopardy!. Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is
reporting that NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams
and NBC Sports personality Dan Patrick are among those
approached by the studio, along with embattled Today
show co-host Matt Lauer and CNN’s Anderson Cooper. "I
hear all four have had exploratory conversations with
Sony TV, though the studio is not actively pursuing
anyone at the moment," writes Andreeva. Sony TV’s succession plan for Jeopardy! became a hot topic today after the NY Post reported on Lauer and Cooper being in the mix for the job. With the exception of Patrick, who has presented at the Super Bowl and during the Summer Olympics, Jeopardy! would mark a step up in the ratings department for any of the candidates. Yesterday, Jeopardy! was the No. 1 program on any network among households in the nation’s top market, New York, where Williams, Lauer and Cooper are based. Jeopardy! averaged a 10.0 household rating, edging CBS’ primetime blockbuster The Big Bang Theory (9.1). Lauer’s Today drew less that a third of that, a 2.9 rating. Of course, hosting a syndicated game show, which often films a whole season worth of episodes in a stretch of a couple of months, could be a second job for a top anchor as proven by Meredith Vieira, who juggled hosting Who Wants To Be A Millionaire with her duties on The View and then Today. Sony TV is not expected to move to serious discussions with potential new Jeopardy! hosts until given an indication by Trebek that he is ready to step down — the studio had made it clear to him that he will be the host for as long as he wants to. But Trebek, who has been emceeing Jeopardy! since its current version launched in 1984, is 72, and last summer suffered a second heart attack. His current contract expires in 2016, and with the show being such a ratings powerhouse, Sony wants to ensure a smooth transition for whenever Trebek gives his final clue.
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 Who will be the next host of "Jeopardy!"? (photo courtesy Sony Pictures TV) |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/18/13 |
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Wild Rover Divides &
Conquers |
Posted 3/15/13 |
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Wild Rover Productions has
been commissioned by Channel 4 to produce a new daytime
quiz show pilot. Divide & Conquer, created by Wild Rover's Paddy McKenna, is a list-based quiz show, which sees teams compete for a chance of winning up to £10,000 ($15,000). Olly Nash is producing the pilot and Wild Rover’s head of development Sean Doyle and managing director Phil Morrow are executive producers. Wild Rover is also currently co-producing the second series of Dara O Briain: School of Hard Sums for Dave with Fuji TV, and is piloting a new Saturday night quiz show for BBC One with STV.
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Thursday: Down a Peg |
Posted 3/15/13 |
|
CBS (13.371 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) was the top draw on Thursday
thanks to new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" (15.709
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.5, #1) - tying its
season low, "Two and a Half Men" (12.396 million
viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.3, #2) - its series low,
"Person of Interest" (14.572 million viewers, #2; adults
18-49: 2.9, #4) and "Elementary" (11.489 million
viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.4, #6). FOX (8.544 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) then took home the silver with originals from "American Idol" (11.628 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #3) and "Glee" (5.460 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7). Next up was ABC (5.632 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) as repeats of "Shark Tank" (4.605 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #10) and "Scandal" (4.277 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #11) bookended a new "Grey's Anatomy" (8.015 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #5), which fell to its series low. Meanwhile, NBC (3.150 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) was out of the hunt despite new episodes of "Community" (2.607 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T13) - its series low, "Parks & Recreation" (3.010 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.6, #9), "The Office" (3.551 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.9, #8) - tying its series low - and "1600 Penn" (2.290 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T13) plus a repeat of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.722 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15). |
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The Price Was Right,
The Directions, Not So Much... |
Posted 3/15/13 |
|
A Los Angeles Superior Court
judge has granted a motion for a new trial on Tuesday
over discrimination claims made by The Price Is Right
model Brandi Cochran. Last November, Cochran scored a big win in her battle against producers FremantleMedia North America and The Price Is Right Productions. A jury awarded her more than $7.7 million after she successfully convinced them that she was discriminated against after becoming pregnant. But thanks to bad jury instructions, the case is now going back to trial. In the lawsuit, Cochran says she was fired from the game show after eight years as a model to hosts Bob Barker and Drew Carey. After she got pregnant in 2007, she said she didn't tell her co-workers at first because she was concerned with the ramifications. Eventually, she couldn't hide it, and says that the producers then treated her differently, gave her less work and that the stress caused health issues for her and her child. Producers wanted the judge to toss the $7.7 million and enter a verdict in their favor because Cochran allegedly had failed to prove they knew of her pregnancy-related depression and couldn't have discriminated against her. They also said that there was no substantial evidence that pregnancy was the reason they didn't rehire her. The judge rejects all this, saying "the evidence established that Defendants discriminated against Plaintiff, terminating her on the grounds of her prior pregnancy and complications ... the evidence is sufficient to support the verdict." But the producers make an escape from the verdict thanks to what L.A. Superior Court Judge Kevin Brazile said to the jury before they deliberated. After Cochran won her trial, the California Supreme Court made a decision about jury instructions in a mixed motive discrimination case. Judges need to instruct the jury that discrimination is not just a "motivating factor/reason" for termination but a "substantial motivation factor/reason." In the Cochran case, the judge failed to issue this "substantial" guidance despite a request from the defendants. "The instruction error cannot be considered harmless," writes Judge Brazile in Tuesday's ruling. "Of central importance to the case was the weight given to discriminatory intent and whether that intent need only be of a mere motivating factor or a substantial factor. Given this central dispute, the failure to give the proper instruction regarding substantial factor cannot be considered harmless, and a new trial must be granted." Cochran's attorney, Carney Shegerian, said Wednesday that Brazile's ruling was proper and he expects the damages to go higher in the case. "I think on re-trial I'll get triple or quadruple that," he said. Brazile determined he should have instructed the jury to decide whether pregnancy discrimination was a substantial factor in the producers' decision to keep Cochran from rejoining the cast after her child was born. He cited the divided verdict as a factor warranting a new trial, which will likely occur later this year. FremantleMedia North America has released the following statement: "We are pleased that the judge vacated the improper verdict in the Cochran trial. We look forward to fully vindicating our position in this case." The new trial is set for March 22. |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/14/13 |
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Apolo Ohno Has "Minute
to Win It" |
Posted 3/14/13 |
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GSN announced today that
Apolo Anton Ohno, one of the most decorated American
athletes of all time and DANCING WITH THE STARS
champion, will be the host of GSN's new series MINUTE TO
WIN IT. GSN's production of 40 new original episodes
marks the first time the series has been developed by a
U.S. cable network. The episodes are to be produced by
Shine America - based on the format owned by Shine's
sister company Friday TV. MINUTE TO WIN IT begins
production in March and is slated to premiere in summer
2013. "All my life I have welcomed unique challenges and now, for the first time, I have the opportunity to tackle a new one by hosting MINUTE TO WIN IT," said Ohno. "From speed skating to dancing, it's only fitting that I selected a show with wild and creative challenges for my inaugural hosting role. Bring it!" Short-track speed skater Ohno holds eight Olympic medals - two gold, two silver and four bronze - from the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Winter games, more than any other American Winter Olympian in history. In addition, he earned eight gold, seven silver and six bronze medals in seven World Championship competitions. Ohno's speed skates from the 2002 Winter Olympics are housed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Recently the athlete, actor, bestselling author and philanthropist has been bringing light to the subject of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), a breathing disorder that handicapped Ohno before it was successfully diagnosed and treated in 2000. In each one-hour episode of MINUTE TO WIN IT, competitors face 10 challenges that escalate in level of difficulty using everyday household items. Each game has a one-minute time limit and failure to finish the task on time will eliminate the contestant. At various points throughout the game, the competitor can walk away with the money earned up to that point - but it'll take nerves of steel to complete all 10 tasks to win $250,000.
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 Apolo Ohno will pick up where Guy Fieri left off on "Minute to Win It" for GSN (photo courtesy AP) |
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Wednesday: Season High,
Season Low |
Posted 3/14/13 |
|
FOX (13.084 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.6, #1) breezed past its mostly
repeat competition on Wednesday with a new two-hour
"American Idol" (13.084 million viewers, #1; adults
18-49: 3.6, #1), which nevertheless fell to a season low
on the night. "Idol" dropped 25 percent of its audience
from last year to achieve a season low. CBS (8.223 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) then claimed the silver with an original "Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites" (9.548 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) followed by repeats of "Criminal Minds" (7.281 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T3) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (7.840 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #5). "Survivor" rose to a season high in total viewers. Next up was ABC (3.946 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3) and its mix of "The Middle" (4.687 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T7), a new "The Neighbors" (4.727 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.4, #6), "Modern Family" (5.134 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T3), "Suburgatory" (3.592 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T7) and "Nashville" (2.768 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.7, #13). Meanwhile, NBC (3.812 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) offered up a new "Whitney" (3.434 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T9) plus repeats of "Whitney" (2.529 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.612 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T9) and "Chicago Fire" (3.844 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #11). |
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|
Another Week, Another
CBS Daytime Win |
Posted 3/14/13 |
|
THE PRICE IS RIGHT, LET'S
MAKE A DEAL and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL posted
impressive year-to-year growth in viewers, women 25-54
and women 18-49 versus the same week last year,
according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the
week ending March 10. - Let's Make a Deal 3/5/12 - 2.52 million 3/4/13 - 3.12 million Gain: 24% - The Price Is Right 3/5/12 - 4.67 million 3/4/13 - 5.19 million Gain; 11% |
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Tuesday: Hell to Pay |
Posted 3/14/13 |
|
FOX (5.439 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #1) lead the demo charge on
Tuesday with the return of "Hell's Kitchen" (5.140
million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) followed by
a second hour of "Hell's Kitchen" (5.739 million
viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1). CBS (11.151 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.8, #2) however was still the most-watched network despite repeats of "NCIS" (13.004 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T3) and "NCIS: Los Angeles" (11.922 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T3) plus a new "Golden Boy" (8.528 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T5). Next up was ABC (4.916 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #3) with a new "Celebrity Wife Swap" (5.000 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T5), the season finale of "The Taste" (3.364 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #8) and a new "Body of Proof" (6.384 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #7). Meanwhile, NBC (3.030 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4) offered up repeats of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (3.877 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10), another "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (3.747 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0, #9), "Go On" (2.591 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12) and "The New Normal" (2.184 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #13) alongside a new "Smash" (2.891 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10). Cable offerings on Tuesday placed thusly... - Face Off (9:00) - Syfy: 1.657 million viewers, #9; 0.911 million adults 18-49 (0.7 rating), #9 - Chopped (10:00) - Food: 1.590 million viewers, #11; 0.798 million adults 18-49 (0.6 rating), #12 - The Ultimate Fighter (9:00) - FX: 1.122 million viewers, #18; 0.766 million adults 18-49 (0.6 rating), #13 - Robot Combat League (10:00) - Syfy: 0.681 million viewers, #23; 0.342 million adults 18-49 (0.3 rating), #22 - The Face (9:00) - Oxygen: 0.458 million viewers, #25; 0.226 million adults 18-49 (0.2 rating), #25 And if you're interested, GSN's new entry "Family Trade" averaged 403,000 viewers over the hour. |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/14/13 |
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Bad Girls Need Money,
Too... |
Posted 3/13/13 |
|
Oxygen has greenlighted Bad
Girls All Star Battle, a hourlong series hosted by
musician Ray J. It will pit 14 of the most popular names
in Bad Girls Club history under one roof to compete for
$100,000 and title of “Baddest Bad Girl of All Time.”
In addition, the network announced Season 11 of Bad Girls Club will return to Miami for a Summer 2013 premiere. The hit series’ current 10th season premiered in January to more that 2 million total viewers in Live+7. Bad Girls Club All Star Battle is produced by Bunim/Murray Prods with Jonathan Murray, Gil Goldschein and Rick DeOliveria serving as executive producers and Sam Berns and Zach Kozeck as co-executive producers. |
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Food... for Fight |
Posted 3/13/13 |
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It's the perfect recipe for
the ultimate food battle when the best amateur cooks in
America put their signature dishes to the test against
six professional chefs in "Food Fighters," a high-stakes
culinary game coming to NBC. Television personality,
author and food enthusiast Adam Richman hosts the series
that takes culinary sparring to an exciting new level.
The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, President,
Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC. "'Food Fighters' combines compelling competition and game show fun with a delicious twist - giving every day home cooks a once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete with world class chefs," said Telegdy. "Every true home cook has at least one 'signature dish,' -- the peach cobbler, the lasagna, that appetizer that friends beg you to bring to parties. This is a show that puts those recipes to the ultimate test and rewards the passion Americans bring to their home kitchens every day. We're excited to have the dynamic Adam Richman, one of the world's greatest food enthusiasts, on board as host - and can't wait for viewers to root on these contenders in the ultimate culinary showdown!" In a series of compelling, tension-filled showdowns, a top-notch amateur home cook will face off one by one against six professional chefs from every corner of the world. Armed only with recipes for their best signature dishes, and three culinary "lifelines" afforded each cook, they'll square off against an expert chef who will have to cook the same dish. The completed dishes will then be sampled in a blind taste test by an esteemed panel of culinary judges known as "The Dinner Party." After the two competing dishes are tested, the verdict determining the winner is given to the host. If the home cook wins, they earn a cash prize and get to face off again against another culinary expert, climbing a money ladder with increasing cash prizes for every professional chef they knock out. If the professional chef wins, their kitchen battle is over. It's the ultimate food fight, pitting amateur cooks against the most formidable culinary pros in America to see if they have what it takes to beat the very best. "We are very proud to partner with NBC on the first show that Electus has taken to market with Tim Puntillo. We look forward to bringing audiences and food enthusiasts a unique series that breathes new life into the culinary competition genre," said Ben Silverman, Chairman and Founder of Electus. 'Food Fighters' is an incredible new format with broad franchise appeal. Everyone who eats will love this show!" "I'm beyond excited to be working with NBC and to be part of a show that gives the unsung heroes of culinary arts - the everyday home cooks - their chance to shine on the national stage, and have a chance at winning some serious, life-changing money," said Richman. "I've always loved traveling and meeting great, passionate, every day, food-loving people and sampling their creations. To have the opportunity to put them on equal footing with the pros and to give them their recognition and a shot at glory is literally the icing on the cake. This show is about celebrating ordinary people with extraordinary talent. I can't wait!"
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/13/13 |
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Syndies: The Real Wheel
Deal |
Posted 3/12/13 |
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This year's February sweeps
weren't so fabulous for most of syndication, with
ratings depressed by storms, power outages and coverage
of breaking news, especially the manhunt for rogue cop
Christopher Dorner who was on the run in Southern
California. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud, hosted by Harvey, had syndication's hottest February. The Nielsen survey said Feud was up 66%, by far syndication's largest jump, to a 5.3 over last February. The game leader, CTD's Wheel of Fortune, inched up 1% for the year to a 7.6, and second place in overall syndication. CTD's Jeopardy! jumped 8% to a 6.8. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire managed a 2.6 final answer for the sweep, down 4% from last year. NBCU's newbie Baggage checked in with a 1.1 for its first February, even with its September premiere. |
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Monday: When One
Journey Ends... |
Posted 3/12/13 |
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As announced this morning
exclusively on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” newly
engaged Sean Lowe (“The Bachelor”) is to join the cast
of “Dancing with the Stars.” The popular show twirls its
way back onto American television screens to kick off
Season 16, live MONDAY, MARCH 18 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET)
with a thrilling two-hour season premiere. The season
premiere of “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
airs TUESDAY, MARCH 26 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). Watched by 9.99 million viewers as Lowe picked his bride-to-be, the two-hour Season 17 finale of ABC’s The Bachelor (3.3/9) last night was up 14% from last year’s season ender. (It is worth noting that The Bachelor Season 16 finale went head to head with NBC’s The Voice last March.) Last night’s finale was up 18% from The Bachelor’s two-hour March 4 show. The Bachelor: After The Final Rose (3.8/10) was also up double digits. With 11.01 million total viewers, the post-series special rose 13% from last year. After debuting on January 7 with its lowest-rated season premiere to date, the reality series ended up having a solid season this year, up in viewership and all key demographics. The Bachelor last night actually went from 8-10:07 PM, with After The Final Rose running from 10:07-11 PM, so expect greater than usual adjustment in the final numbers later today. Hitting its highest-rated Monday since September 19, 2011, ABC won the night in total viewers and the adults 18-49 demographic. NBC aired a two-hour episode of The Biggest Loser (1.9/5) on Tuesday, with the show falling 14% from last week a season low. It wasn’t all downer news for the network: Following Loser was Deception (1.2/3), and the freshman soap drama bopped up 9% from its March 4 show.
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... Another Journey
Begins |
Posted 3/12/13 |
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Desiree Hartsock and The
Bachelor Nation faithful thought she would happily end
up with America’s favorite Bachelor, Sean Lowe. Their
relationship started off incredibly strong, but
somewhere along the way Desiree lost her confidence.
After struggling to regain what they once had, Sean and
Desiree seemed to be on the right track – until the
hometown dates. Millions watched, stunned, as Sean sent
Desiree home, and they fell even more in love with her
as she struggled to tell him he was making a big
mistake. Now it’s time for Desiree to call the shots
when she gets her second chance to find love, starring
in the ninth edition of ABC’s hit romance reality
series, “The Bachelorette,” which will premiere MONDAY,
MAY 20 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television
Network. The identity of the new Bachelorette was
revealed tonight on ABC’s live telecast of “The
Bachelor: After the Final Rose.” Please note: “The Bachelorette” will move to its regularly scheduled timeslot, Mondays from 8:00-10:01 p.m., ET on May 27. Desiree, 26, moved numerous times with her family as a youth and eventually settled in Colorado. After her high school graduation, she moved to California where she attended Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FITM) in Los Angeles. Although her family was of modest means, they were rich in love. Their values helped guide Desiree to become an industrious, passionate and creative woman who loves living in California and working hard to make her dreams come true. She is currently an operations manager at a bridal salon and a bridal stylist, but that hasn’t stopped her for shooting for the stars. She is confident that in the future she will be a bridal gown designer who owns her own boutique. But more than anything, Desiree’s ultimate dream is to find a love like the one her parents share. Married for 35 years, but together for 40, they’ve always supported and appreciated one another. It’s that cherished model of marriage that led Desiree to be on “The Bachelor,” where she fell in love with Sean. This spunky, athletic and artistic woman is eagerly looking for a life filled with spontaneity, love and laughter. She hopes someday to travel the world with that special someone whom she’ll run home to see every day. And she is positive, after falling in love on “The Bachelor,” that she can find her soul mate on “The Bachelorette.” |
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Talk About a "No
Brainer" |
Posted 3/11/13 |
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No Brainer, an innovative
quiz show co-developed by TV Asahi (Headquartered in
Japan) and Warner Bros. International Television
Production (Headquartered in the U.K) will make its
debut at MIPTV this April with its pilot filmed in
London, UK last week. TV Asahi and Warner Bros. International Television Production signed a partnership deal in 2012 to co-develop TV formats which have been produced and aired on TV Asahi. The co-production team has now co-developed the exciting quiz format based on TV Asahi's hit show "Speed King". A pilot for international sales promotion was filmed at the London Studios on February 22nd. It is the first time TV Asahi has recorded a pilot at a studio abroad. The rules and game play in "No Brainer" have been re-developed for audiences in Europe and U.S. The pilot has been produced by U.K. Production Company Wall to Wall (a Shed Media company) using British contestants and staff at the London Studios to give the format a fully international flavor. Senior Vice President, Creative, Format Development and Sales, Warner Bros. International Television Production, Andrew Zein comments on the occasion; "When we first looked at TV Asahi's vast selection of entertainment shows, SPEED King was one which stood out and we were immediately interested in developing it for an international audience. The pilot for No Brainer showcases this positive game show brilliantly - with its simple structure and potential for the underdog to save the day. We are excited about the potential of No Brainer - international audiences will enjoy watching the teams work together to win the big cash prize". Leanne Klein, Creative Director, Wall to Wall adds: "We are delighted to be making this pilot. It has unique premise, which is very entertaining to watch. With the format tweaks we've brought to it, we think it has the potential to travel to many territories". The producer of TV Asahi's original format "Speed King", Masahiro Katano, who consulted on the UK pilot comments: "'The underdog of the team becomes the hero savior of the team' is the key concept of the original show and "No Brainer" gives a clearer output of the concept boosting the show up into the top gear. It also has additional sequences and I can feel its excitement and fun surpassing the original Japanese version. The quiz show is very simple to follow and yet The Players cannot help expressing roller-coasting emotional changes, which make the show so exciting and keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. I am so much looking forward to having the show aired around the world to be enjoyed by everyone." As well as the pilot for "No Brainer", there is also another new format underway based on "The Factory", another quiz show produced and aired by TV Asahi in 2011. By making the best of the powerful international distribution network of Warner Bros. International Television Production and the innovative ideas of TV Asahi, the partnership will continue to bring the excitement of TV Asahi entertainment shows from Japan into the world to offer their unique joy and excitement to everyone in the world. In No Brainer, four friends have taken a General Knowledge test and have been ranked in order of intelligence. The least knowledgeable is worth the most cash for the team. The most knowledgeable, who in theory should have the best chance of getting an answer right, is worth five times less! With a cash value on each of their heads, will our players live up to expectations? Will the 'Brainbox' choke under the spot light? Will the 'No Brainer' be a total liability as they repeatedly answer incorrectly? To win big, the WHOLE TEAM will have to pull together...Use your players and your knowledge well and you could leave with the big cash prize! |
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BBC Stands By Its
"Egghead" |
Posted 3/11/13 |
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The BBC has defended
Eggheads star Barry Simmons over his appearance on a
Radio 4 quiz. Simmons is a regular 'Egghead' on the BBC Two gameshow, but has also reached the final of Brain of Britain. The broadcaster has received five complaints from viewers about Simmons's appearance in the radio program's semi-final, reports The Sunday Telegraph. A BBC statement said: "There is no rule banning Eggheads from appearing on Brain of Britain - the only rule is that former champions are not allowed to return. "Brain of Britain is a very unpredictable quiz and it is quite possible a well-known quizzer like Barry could be beaten." Simmons has previously won £64,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and has also reached the semi-final of Mastermind and the 2009 Brain of Britain final. Jeremy Vine and Dermot Murnaghan host Eggheads, which sees a team of five contestants taking on a team made up of quiz show champions. Brain of Britain is a general knowledge contest featuring 48 listeners from the UK. The 2007 champion Kevin Ashman is another Eggheads regular. Simmons said of the row on Twitter: "My appearances on Brain of Britain appear to have caused a minor stir. Let me remind everyone the program (sic) is called Brain of Britain!" |
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Sunday: A Split for
CBS, Fox |
Posted 3/11/13 |
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CBS (9.770 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T1) was the most-watched network
on Sunday thanks to new episodes of "60 Minutes" (11.352
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T9), "The
Amazing Race 22" (9.230 million viewers, #3; adults
18-49: 2.3, #2), "The Good Wife" (9.077 million viewers,
#4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #12) and "The Mentalist" (9.422
million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T9). FOX (3.911 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T1) however shared the demo crown was its mix of a "Bob's Burgers" (2.141 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15) repeat followed by originals from "American Dad" (3.291 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T9), "The Simpsons" (4.874 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T3), "The Cleveland Show" (4.056 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T6), "Family Guy" (5.245 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) and "Bob's Burgers" (3.861 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T6). Next up was ABC (6.477 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) with fresh installments of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.311 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #13), "Once Upon a Time" (7.449 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T3), "Revenge" (6.833 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.0, #5) and "Red Widow" (5.315 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #14). And finally, an encore of "The Celebrity Apprentice" (2.540 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #16) and a new "The Celebrity Apprentice" (4.970 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.7, #8) closed out the night on NBC (3.755 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4). |
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A Family Secret... |
Posted 3/11/13 |
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This just in from the Santa
Clarita Film Office! Santa Clarita Families have the
opportunity to be a part of an up and coming family game
show! The Game show is currently untitled but is looking for a local family to join in on the fun. A normal looking family is going to be introduced to our contestants. But, this is just not any ordinary family. This family has something to hide! One of them is not a member of the family at all. There is a POSER in the midst. Contestants are going to try and figure out which of the “family” members is trying to pull the wool over their eyes. Undoubtedly, the family and their poser must put on an award winning performance to walk away with the prize money or lose it to the contestant that can see through their ruse. For 48 hours, it will be a battle of wills as our contestants and families try to find a way outwit one another. |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/11/13 |
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Czech Your "Upgrade" |
Posted 3/8/13 |
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Upgrade, a popular reality
game show from Armoza Formats, is scheduled to begin
airing on Barrandov TV in the Czech Republic, marking
the first time a title from the company is premiering in
the territory. Upgrade watches as celebrity hosts help families upgrade items in their homes. The first season of the 20x30-minute local version will be produced by RealTV. Locally titled What's in Your House—Counts, it is set to begin airing daily in the spring of this year. The original Israeli format was created by Saar Brodsky and Gilli Golan. It has already been picked up by broadcasters in Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Romania, India and Turkey. A fifth season was recently ordered by Peretz in Russia. Avi Armoza, the CEO of Armoza Formats, remarked: "The continued success of Upgrade is strongly connected with the fact that the format fulfills a basic human wish: the desire to upgrade ones belongings. With Upgrade's unique out-of-studio format and sponsorship opportunities, it's a win-win for channels looking for a cost-effective game show with proven ratings success." |
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Thursday: It All
Started With a Big Bang.
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Posted 3/8/13 |
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FOX (10.557 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) slipped into the top spot on
Thursday with a special 90-minute "American Idol"
(12.892 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.5, #3) and
a new "Glee" (7.053 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49:
2.5, #5). CBS (12.868 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2) then had to settle for second place despite originals from "The Big Bang Theory" (17.432 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.4, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (13.556 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.9, #2), "Person of Interest" (14.393 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #4) and a repeat of "Elementary" (8.717 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.6, #6). Next up was ABC (3.932 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3) and its all-repeat lineup of "Shark Tank" (4.397 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.2, #8), "Grey's Anatomy" (3.702 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T9) and "Scandal" (3.698 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T11). Meanwhile, NBC (3.009 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T3) offered up a new "Community" (3.362 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.5, #7), repeats of "Parks & Recreation" (2.344 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T11) and "The Office" (2.420 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T9) plus an original "1600 Penn" (2.181 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #14) and a rebroadcast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.872 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T11). On cable, the season finale of TBS' "King of the Nerds" attracted 1.544 million for TBS at 10p. The top-5 placing in the demo (0.8) gives it its renewal stripes. An hour prior, "Project Runway" took sixth in the demo (0.8), but placed fourth in the total with 2.294 million. |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/8/13 |
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More on "Bet On Your
Baby" |
Posted 3/7/13 |
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How many toys can your
spouse get your toddler to clean up in a minute? How
many cookies can your wife get your child to stack while
time runs out? Which snack will your two-year-old choose
to eat? -- And would you bet money on it?
Actress/comedienne and working mom Melissa Peterman,
star of ABC Family’s “Baby Daddy” and “Dancing Fools,”
hosts ABC’s newest addition to the network lineup, the
adorable, hilarious and surprisingly suspenseful game
show, “Bet On Your Baby,” which debuts SATURDAY, APRIL 6
(8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network with
episode “101.” All parents think they know their baby well, but are they willing to bet on it? “Bet On Your Baby” will reveal the answer to that question each week in an hour-long program featuring five memorable families with toddlers between the ages of two to three-and-a-half years old, who will play to see how well they can guess their child’s next move in the hopes of earning money towards their college fund. On “Bet on Your Baby,” the parents will be playing The Game and the children will just be playing. The Game takes place on two stages – on one, a shiny game show studio with a cheering audience, one parent places a bet, while on the other, the parent takes the child to a play room called “The Babydome” where the child determines the outcome of The Game completely unaware of the stakes that are on the line. Each family plays a self-contained, individual challenge against the house -- meaning that they’re only competing against themselves, not against other families. Later on, the five families return to play for the chance to advance to the final round – “Smash for Cash” – in which parents of one toddler will have 5 tries to hammer open piggy banks, one of which contains a $50,000 college fund. Co-creator and executive producer Craig Armstrong says: “’Bet On Your Baby’ is an amazing way for parents to celebrate their babies and have a chance to win real money for their kids’ college fund. It’s the happiest show on television. ABC has ordered eight episodes of the series, which is produced by some of the talents behind such hits as “Supernanny,” “Survivor,” “The Biggest Loser” and “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.” “Bet on Your Baby” was created by 5x5 Media’s Craig Armstrong, Rick Ringbakk, Charles Wachter and Electus’ Ben Silverman and Jimmy Fox. The series is executive-produced by Electus (Ben Silverman, Chris Grant, Jimmy Fox) and 5x5 Media (Craig Armstrong and Rick Ringbakk). Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, will distribute the series universally. |
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Doing the Podcast
"Shuffle" |
Posted 3/7/13 |
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Pacdude Games is looking for
contestants who love popular music to compete in a brand
new podcast game show, where clever contestants could
win a $25 iTunes™ or Amazon™ MP3 gift card. Shuffle is a brand-new game show podcast from the creative minds at Pacdude Games. Shuffle puts 2 contestants against each other in a set of different song-identifying challenges. Can contestants name a song playing in a loud, crowded bar? How about a jazzy cover of a popular song played in an elevator? Can they identify songs played backwards? Players who are successful through three rounds will make their way to the Golden Playlist, where memorization and knowledge can earn them the grand prize: a $25 iTunes™ or Amazon™ MP3 gift card. Shuffle has a great play-along factor, and is accessible to anyone, not just those who are in love with music. Shuffle is the first original game show podcast for Pacdude Games. Shuffle is distributed via YouTube and SoundCloud, and will soon appear on the iTunes Podcast directory. For those interested to listen, learn more or apply to be a contestant, Shuffleʼs website is at http://shuffle.pacdudegames.com. |
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Wednesday: All AI, All
Day |
Posted 3/7/13 |
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FOX (12.706 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.7, #1) cruised to victory on
Wednesday with a new two-hour "American Idol" (12.706
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.7, #1). The silver then went to CBS (7.914 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #2) with a new "Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites" (9.364 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) followed by repeats of "Criminal Minds" (7.267 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T4) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (7.111 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #8). Next up was ABC (4.758 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3) and its mix of a "The Middle" (5.934 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.6, #7) repeat, a new "The Neighbors" (5.609 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T4), a repeat "Modern Family" (6.103 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3), a new "Suburgatory" (4.624 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T4) and a repeat of "Nashville" (3.138 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #13). Meanwhile, NBC (3.849 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) offered up an original "Whitney" (3.845 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #9) followed by repeats of "Whitney" (2.856 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T11), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.247 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #10) and "Chicago Fire" (3.949 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T11). |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/7/13 |
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ABC Keeps It in the
Family for "Splash" Hosts |
Posted 3/6/13 |
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ABC announces Joey Lawrence
(ABC Family's "Melissa & Joey") and Charissa Thompson
(ESPN's "SportsNation") as hosts of the new diving
competition series, "Splash," where ten celebrity
contestants will face their fears as they flip, twist
and spin into the depths of the pool below, premiering
TUESDAY, MARCH 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC
Television Network. "Splash" marks the first time ten celebrities will train and compete in regulation platform and springboard diving at dizzying heights in front of a weekly poolside audience. After training with professional divers and being mentored by the world's most decorated and medaled diving legend, Greg Louganis, their dives will be critiqued by two judges, London Olympic U.S. Gold medalist David Boudia and Australian Olympic athlete and USA Dive Team director Steve Foley. |
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Tuesday: Younguns Like
"Idol", Everyone Else... NCIS. |
Posted 3/6/13 |
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FOX (11.493 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1) was the network to beat on
Tuesday with a special two-hour "American Idol" (11.493
million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1). CBS (15.187 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2) however was the still the most-watched telecaster with new episodes of "NCIS" (20.346 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #2), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (15.946 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #3) and "Golden Boy" (9.271 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4). Next up was ABC (4.582 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #3) with originals from "Celebrity Wife Swap" (4.074 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #5), "The Taste" (3.170 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T6) and "Body of Proof" (6.503 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T6). Meanwhile, NBC (2.993 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4) offered up repeats of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (3.638 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.0, #10) and another "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (3.613 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T8) followed by new episodes of "Go On" (3.036 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T8), "The New Normal" (2.443 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #11) and "Smash" (2.614 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #12). |
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B_NG_! |
Posted 3/6/13 |
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GSN Digital, the interactive
division of GSN, today announced the launch of Wheel of
Fortune BINGO on GSN.com. The new game combines classic
Bingo gameplay with the familiar imagery and gameplay of
television's Wheel of Fortune, satisfying fans of
America's #1 game show and Bingo fanatics alike. Wheel of Fortune BINGO lets players earn virtual tokens as they strive for a Bingo and attempt to solve Wheel of Fortune puzzles. The new game is the latest Wheel of Fortune title from GSN Digital. Other popular cross-platform titles include Wheel of Fortune and Wheel of Fortune Slots, which have consistently been among GSN's most popular games. More than 17 million players collectively have played Wheel of Fortune Slots on GSN.com, the GSN Casino mobile app and Games by GSN Facebook app. "Our millions of Wheel of Fortunes Slots fans have taken over 38 billion spins, proving that Wheel of Fortune content is in high demand," said Jeff Karp, executive vice president, mobile and social games for GSN Digital. "Wheel of Fortune BINGO is our answer to player demand for new Wheel of Fortune content as well as new game offerings. We're excited to engage players by layering familiar Wheel of Fortune game show experiences with the popularity of Bingo." Wheel of Fortune BINGO players first pick the number of Bingo cards they would like to play and the number of tokens they'd like to play per card. Once the game starts, the Letter Board appears along with a one-of-a-kind Bingo hopper featuring the iconic Wheel. With each spin of the wheel, one ball is dropped. Yellow balls contain Bingo numbers, which players match to their Bingo cards, pink balls are Wild, allowing players to daub any spot on their card, and blue Prize Balls credit the user a bonus of tokens. Rare orange Puzzle Balls allow players to select a letter on the Letter Board and make progress towards solving the puzzle. Each correct letter adds tokens to the Puzzle Bank. Successfully solving the puzzle earns the player the value of the Puzzle Bank. If a player achieves Bingo, they spin the wheel to see how many tokens they have won. Any progress the player has made in filling out the letters of the puzzle is carried over to the next game. Wheel of Fortune BINGO is currently available on www.gsn.com and will launch in the Games by GSN app on Facebook in the coming weeks. |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/6/13 |
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Jeff Foxworthy Gets
"Baking" |
Posted 3/5/13 |
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CBS has tapped comedian Jeff
Foxworthy to host its upcoming summer baking reality
series, which now has a title, The American Baking
Competition. The network also has locked in judges for
the reality competition series, based on the UK hit The
Great British Bake Off, which premieres Wednesday, May
29. Paul Hollywood, the star UK baker and judge of the British series, will reprise his role on the US version, joined by chef Marcela Valladolid. The American Baking Competition features skilled amateurs competing in baking challenges with one ultimately being crowned the winner. Foxworthy hosts GSN’s The American Bible Challenge. He previously emceed game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader and has the upcoming animated show Bounty Hunters set to debut this summer. The American Baking Competition is executive produced by Richard McKerrow and Jay Bienstock and produced by Love Prods.
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And Then... There Were
Four. |
Posted 3/5/13 |
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NBC announced that
supermodel/designer/executive producer/TV host Heidi
Klum ("Project Runway") has been added as a new judge on
"America's Got Talent" - marking the first time that the
top-rated summer series has added a fourth judge. Klum
will join fellow incoming judge Mel B as well as
returning judges Howie Mandel and Howard Stern beginning
this summer. The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC. "Heidi has an amazing career across multiple media platforms, and has built a brand that is a force in the entertainment business," said Telegdy. "She has achieved superstardom while balancing being a businesswoman and hard-working mom, bringing a huge amount of experience, discernment and taste to the panel. As we look to develop an act that will get the world's attention, we and the contestants will benefit from Heidi's international sensibility and understanding of what works in today's global entertainment industry." "Heidi Klum brings huge experience to 'America's Got Talent' from her background as a model, designer, actress, TV host, producer, and successful businesswoman. She knows what it takes to be a successful entertainer," said executive producer Trish Kinane. "We warmly welcome her to Season 8 alongside Howie, Howard and Mel B." Rob Wade, Head of U.S. Television, Syco Entertainment, said: "We are delighted to welcome Heidi Klum onto the team and look forward to her providing an exciting new dynamic to the panel this season. We hope she has as much fun making this show as we do and look forward to a great season." "America's Got some serious Talent! I'm really excited to join the panel of AGT to see it all -- from the ridiculous to the fantastic!" said Klum. "I love the surprise element of the show and not knowing what we'll see next and who will wow us. I'm also looking forward to spending time with my fellow judges - Howard Stern, Howie Mandel and Mel B!" |
 Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B & Howie Mandel on the "America's Got Talent" set (photo courtesy Heidi Klum) |
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Syndies: A Millionaire
Moment |
Posted 3/5/13 |
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Syndies came on strong in
the third full week of the February sweep, the week
ending Feb. 24. This year's February sweeps period
kicked off on Jan. 31 and came to a close on Feb. 27. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire scored game's biggest gain, adding 13% for the week to a new season-high 2.7. CTD's leader, Wheel of Fortune, picked up 5% from the prior session to a 7.7, scoring second place on syndication's overall leaderboard. CTD's Jeopardy! rose 5% to a 6.9 as the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions came to a head. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud finished 4% higher at a new season record 5.4, while NBCU's rookie, Baggage, lost 8% to a 1.1. |
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Bringing Ilan Hall to a
"Knife Fight" |
Posted 3/5/13 |
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Top Chef season two winner
Ilan Hall, of The Gorbals, in Los Angeles, is returning
to the airwaves this April in the premiere of his show
Knife Fight, debuting on the newly christened Esquire
network (formerly G4). Hall has been spending the last season splitting his time between the show and the restaurant (not to mention his 2-year-old son), but of course, we had to ask if he has any other plans ahead. He'll be staying put in Los Angeles for another year or so, Hall says, but "we’re planning on moving back to New York; I want to open a restaurant there," Hall told The Daily Meal. "I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’ve always wanted to; it’s my home. I’ll do it a little different [from The Gorbals] with similar ideals." Unfortunately for us East Coasters, there aren't any definite plans, but "we’re going to do it at some point, hopefully sooner than later," Hall said. "I have full plans of keeping The Gorbals, I just need to figure out how to do it all." |
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Trips for Tips |
Posted 3/5/13 |
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Following the success of the
first two seasons of Tipping Point, ITV has commissioned
a third - 70 more episodes - of the 60 minute program
from RDF Television. A game of knowledge, skill and tactics, Tipping Point is centered around an extraordinary machine filled with counters worth thousands of pounds. Players must answer questions to win turns on the machine. Get a question wrong and the machine won’t pay out resulting in the player with the least amount of money at the end getting eliminated. The last player standing goes head to head with the Tipping Point machine and they’ll be focused on just one counter – the golden jackpot disc. Again, answering questions for the right to play the machine, they’ll win a big cash sum if they can make it release the jackpot counter. Tipping Point is an RDF Television commission for ITV1. It was commissioned by ITV Commissioning Editor for Factual and Daytime, Diana Howie. The Executive Producers for RDF are Jim Allen, Peter Usher, and Hugh Rycroft. Commissioning Editor for ITV Factual and Daytime, Diana Howie said: “We are delighted with the continued success of Tipping Point and very much looking forward to further building its status as a key ITV Daytime quiz show alongside the huge success of The Chase” RDF Television is a Zodiak Media Company. Zodiak Rights own worldwide rights to Tipping Point. |
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Monday: Biggest
Loser... Is. |
Posted 3/5/13 |
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FOX (8.445 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 2.5, #1) pulled in front on Monday
thanks to new episodes of "Bones" (8.205 million
viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T3) and "The Following"
(8.685 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.8, #1). ABC (7.871 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #2) then had to settle for second place with a new "The Bachelor" (8.427 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #2) and a repeat of "Castle" (6.761 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T5). Next up was NBC (5.044 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #3) with originals from "The Biggest Loser" (5.934 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T5) and "Deception" (3.266 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #11). The bump in "Loser's" numbers adds up to about 300,000 more viewers, all of them not in the demo. Meanwhile, CBS (6.088 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up its lineup of a "How I Met Your Mother" (5.438 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.6, #9) repeat, a new "Rules of Engagement" (6.860 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T3) and repeats of "2 Broke Girls" (6.355 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T7), "Mike & Molly" (6.662 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T7) and "Hawaii Five-0" (5.606 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.3, #10). |
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Sunday: America So Over
"All-Star" Seasons? |
Posted 3/5/13 |
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CBS (9.774 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T1) was the most-watched network
on Sunday with its lineup of "60 Minutes" (11.945
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T6), "The
Amazing Race 22" (9.117 million viewers, #2; adults
18-49: 2.4, #1), "The Good Wife" (8.941 million viewers,
#4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8) and "The Mentalist" (9.096
million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T11). FOX (3.782 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T1) however shared the demo crown thanks to its combination of "The Simpsons" (3.114 million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T15), "The Cleveland Show" (3.267 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T11), "The Simpsons" (4.762 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.3, #2), another "The Cleveland Show" (3.799 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T4), "Family Guy" (4.113 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T4) and "Bob's Burgers" (3.638 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T6). Next up was ABC (6.899 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) with fresh installments of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.530 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8) and "Once Upon a Time" (7.221 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) followed by the premiere of "Red Widow" (7.062 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T11) and a second episdoes of "Red Widow" (6.783 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #14). And finally, encores of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (3.556 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T17) and a second "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (3.318 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T17) led into a new "Dateline NBC" (6.090 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T15) and the return of "The Celebrity Apprentice" (5.085 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T8) on NBC (4.924 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4). Apprentice returned Sunday night to its lowest-rated premiere ever for a celebrity edition of the reality franchise. Only 5.1 million viewers tuned in to watch the show, which had a 1.6 rating among adults 18-49. That’s down 38 percent from last year’s premiere. On Food Network, the night's offerings places thusly: - 8p: Cupcake Wars: 1.271 million viewers, #16; 0.535 million adults 18-49 (0.4 rating), #19 - 9p: Worst Cooks in America: 1.827 million viewers, #8; 0.793 million adults 18-49 (0.6 rating), #11 - 10p: Iron Chef America: 1.337 million viewers, #12; 0.495 million adults 18-49 (0.4 rating), #21 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/5/13 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/4/13 |
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Posted 3/3/13 |
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The CW is going for laughs
this summer by ordering a new take on the hit
improvisational comedy series, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?,
hosted by comedian Aisha Tyler ("The Talk"), it was
announced today by Mark Pedowitz, President, The CW.
Premiere information will be announced at a later time. The CW's WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? features the return of Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie, who along with a special guest each episode, must put their comedic skills to the test through a series of spontaneous improv games. Prompted only by random ideas supplied by the studio audience and host Aisha Tyler, our four performers must use the little information they have and their wild imaginations to depict different characters and an array of scenes, as well as perform songs. After each round of improvisation, Aisha will dole out points to our four performers and declare a winner at the end of every episode. Based on the wildly successful U.K. format, which also spawned a previous incarnation in the US that ran for eight seasons on ABC, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? is executive produced by Dan Patterson, Mark Leveson, Jimmy Mulville, Ryan Stiles and Wayne Brady. Co-created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? is from Angst Productions and Hat Trick Productions.
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 "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" will be revived for CW this summer (photo courtesy ABC/Warner Bros. TV) |
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Friday: TGIF on ABC |
Posted 3/3/13 |
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ABC (6.171 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #1) was the network to beat on
Friday thanks to new episodes of "Last Man Standing"
(7.069 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2),
"Malibu Country" (6.138 million viewers, #4; adults
18-49: 1.4, #4), "Shark Tank" (6.572 million viewers,
#3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #1) and "20/20" (5.338 million
viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3). NBC (5.345 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #2) then took home the silver with a two-hour "Dateline NBC" (5.894 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T5) and a new "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (4.247 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T8). Next up was FOX (3.099 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3) with originals from "Kitchen Nightmares" (3.287 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T5) and "Touch" (2.913 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10). Meanwhile, CBS (6.122 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4) fell behind with its all-repeat lineup of "Undercover Boss" (5.588 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.1, #7), "Blue Bloods" (5.786 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10) and a second "Blue Bloods" (6.994 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T8). |
 ABC takes Friday night (photo courtesy ABC) |
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Weekend Lightning Round |
Posted 3/3/13 |
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Hasbro Gets Out Of The
Game... Sort Of. |
Posted 3/1/13 |
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Hasbro Studios today laid
off the three staffers in its Game & Reality Show
Production & Development department under VP Kevin
Belinkoff. Belinkoff will continue to oversee the studio’s game show efforts, including current series Family Game Night for sibling HUB network as Hasbro remains committed to the genre. But its game show/reality projects will be handled on a consultant basis. That is the model Hasbro Studios uses on the animation side, where it has produced 850 half-hours with an in-house senior executive working with outside creative consultants. |
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Thursday: Idol Wins,
BUT... |
Posted 3/1/13 |
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FOX (12.467 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.8, #1) overshadowed its mostly
repeat competition on Thursday with a new two-hour
"American Idol" (12.467 million viewers, #1; adults
18-49: 3.8, #1). The number represents a 2 percent drop
from last week and a 23 percent drop from last year. CBS (8.918 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) then claimed a distant second place with its all-repeat lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (10.693 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2), "Two and a Half Men" (8.364 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3), "Person of Interest" (9.503 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.9, #4) and "Elementary" (7.723 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.6, #5). Next up was ABC (3.709 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3) with a new "Zero Hour" (5.025 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7) followed by encores of "Scandal" (3.342 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9) and "Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars" (2.761 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #13). Meanwhile, NBC (2.834 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3) offered up an original "Community" (2.742 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #6), repeats of "Parks & Recreation" (2.162 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9) and "The Office" (2.259 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7) plus a new "1600 Penn" (2.234 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9) and a repeat of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.803 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9). |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
Posted 3/1/13 |
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He's Baaaaaaaaaack! |
Posted 2/28/13 |
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It's been 50 years since
Monty Hall first started asking people if they wanted
what was behind Door No. 1, Door No. 2 or Door No. 3. The Canadian-born host returns to "Let's Make a Deal" Friday to celebrate the incredible TV milestone. Hall recently taped his scenes at CBS Television City studios, sharing the stage with current host Wayne Brady, now in his fourth season. "What was extra nice about it was that I had on the show with me a few of the original people who worked on my staff,” Hall said this week from his home in California. Among those featured Friday will be Carol Merrill, the model who stood next to the prizes during the original run of the series from 1963 to 1977. "We've kept in touch over the years, she came all the way in from Hawaii," says Hall. The game show host remains a creative consultant on the series he helped create back in 1963. Hall, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and a proud Order of Canada recipient, says making a deal for "Let's Make a Deal" was no easy task. "First of all, there were only three networks," Hall points out. In those days, CBS did not air game shows, "so you were left with two customers." Hall and business partner Stefan Hatos had been testing the concept at local functions and always got a great response. "We took it to a knitting club in the valley once at eight in the morning," recalls Hall, who, at 91, still retains the patter and energy of a carnival huckster. "We took it to anybody we could get our hands on." There were no real prizes at these early tests, just envelopes with words like "refrigerator" written on them. They used a rubber chicken as the booby prize or "zonk." No matter where their game show idea played, "people went crazy over it." Finally the duo pitched it to an ABC executive. The studio audience went wild. The executive passed. "Sure, it's a good show today," he said, "but what are you going to do tomorrow?" Another test was made at NBC, and another broadcast executive turned it down. Fortunately, the man's assistant loved the idea and commissioned a pilot, shot in April 1963. Hall and Hatos waited. Finally, a daytime time slot no one else wanted was offered. The series premiered on Jan. 2, 1964 and is now into its sixth decade. Hall calculates he hosted 4,700 of the nearly 7,000 total episodes. Former "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" comedian Brady just passed the 700 episode mark. |
 Jonathan Mangum, Monty Hall, Wayne Brady, Carol Merrill, Tiffany Coyne & Cat Gray will celebrate "Let's Make a Deal's" 50th anniversary March 1 (photo courtesy CBS) |
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Fox Summer |
Posted 2/28/13 |
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FOX is announcing season
finale dates and premiere dates for its summer programs,
including new unscripted series DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GO,
the Season 10 premiere of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE,
the premiere of family comedy THE GOODWIN GAMES and the
return of MASTERCHEF. New unscripted workplace experiment DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GO clocks in with a special preview Wednesday, May 15 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), following the first night of the two-night season finale of AMERICAN IDOL (8:00-9:00 ET live/PT tape-delayed). In the series, which makes its time period premiere Thursday, May 23 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), the boardroom doors get blown wide open when employees are given the power to make some tough decisions. Frustrated bosses will hand over the reins of their companies to the employees, offering their respective staffs a chance to make changes in the workplace - even if it means letting co-workers go. Each participating office will have its own set of issues, which will force them to take a hard look at what's plaguing their workplace and answer the toughest question of all: DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GO? Returning for its landmark 10th season, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE waltzes into a new season Tuesday, May 14 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. The Emmy Award-nominated hit dance competition series will feature host Cat Deeley and resident judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, as well as guest judges including actress Minnie Driver, actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, comedian Wayne Brady, All-Star Stephen "tWitch" Boss and Adam Shankman, among others, at auditions in Austin, Boston, Detroit, Memphis and Los Angeles. Each two-hour show will again feature breathtaking performances as well as suspenseful eliminations, as the contestants compete to be named America's Favorite Dancers. MASTERCHEF debuts its fourth season with a two-hour season premiere on Wednesday, May 22 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). After a nationwide search, the best home cooks in America arrive in Los Angeles to present their signature dishes to judges Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot. The hopefuls whose dishes impress the judges the most will earn a coveted white apron and move onto the next round. Throughout the season, the judges will challenge the newest batch of contestants through a series of grueling challenges and elimination rounds to determine which home cook has the skill, drive and passion to make a mark in the culinary world and win a life-changing grand prize. |
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Wednesday: We're Number...
Two? |
Posted 2/28/13 |
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FOX (13.148 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 3.8, #1) remained the top draw on
Wednesday with a new two-hour "American Idol" (13.148
million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.8, #2). The number
represents a 7 percent drop from last week, a 22 percent
drop from last year, and the lowest Wednesday rating
since the show first debuted in 2002. The silver then went to CBS (9.764 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) with originals from "Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites" (9.430 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T3), "Criminal Minds" (10.589 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T3) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (9.275 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.8, #8). Next up was ABC (6.875 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) and its mix of "The Middle" (7.961 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.1, #6), "The Neighbors" (6.122 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9), "Modern Family" (10.594 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1), "Suburgatory" (6.302 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.3, #5) and "Nashville" (5.135 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10). Meanwhile, NBC (5.157 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up a new "Whitney" (3.547 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.2, #12), the season finale of "Guys With Kids" (3.148 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) and fresh installments of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (5.581 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T10) and "Chicago Fire" (6.542 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.9, #7). In other sweeps-closing news... - Top Chef: Seattle closes the season on 1.853 million viewers, the fourth most popular show on cable. - With the Super Bowl, the Grammy Awards and the strongest regular lineup in television all on its schedule this month, it should be no surprise that CBS will be the big winner when the official February sweep rating period closes Wednesday night.
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Prime Time Players |
Posted 2/28/13 |
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Amazon.com, Inc. today
announced a content licensing agreement with Scripps
Networks Interactive, Inc. (NYSE: SNI) that will make
Prime Instant Video a subscription home to hundreds of
episodes from past seasons of hit TV shows from the
Scripps family of brands: HGTV, DIY Network, Food
Network, Cooking Channel and Travel Channel. Starting today, Prime members will be able to instantly view hundreds of episodes of original programming, including Rachael Ray's Week in a Day; Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations; Cupcake Wars; Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives; House Hunters and House Hunters International; Iron Chef America; Man v. Food; Selling New York and Selling LA; Throwdown With Bobby Flay; Chopped; Ghost Adventures; and Yard Crashers, among other popular shows across the networks. Many of the popular lifestyle programs from Scripps will also be available for purchase and download from Amazon Instant Video. "The Scripps family of networks - including HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Travel Channel - airs some of the highest-quality and most popular unscripted lifestyle programming on TV today," said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon. "We are excited to be the exclusive online-only subscription home for Scripps content and know our customers are going to love getting these great shows as part of Prime." This is the first online-only subscription distribution deal for Scripps Networks Interactive. "One of the guiding principles at Scripps Networks Interactive is to make our valued lifestyle content accessible to consumers wherever and whenever they want," said Henry Ahn, Executive Vice President of Content Distribution and Marketing for Scripps Networks Interactive. "Licensing content from our extensive library to Amazon provides our millions of avid fans with yet another opportunity to engage with our entertaining and informative content. And the Amazon platform is a great complement to our branded products such as books, cookware, furniture and accessories, lighting and more." |
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Wheel Good Friends |
Posted 2/28/13 |
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Compete against friends and
family anytime, anywhere with the new multiplayer mode
for the Wheel of Fortune mobile game. The new Spin
Together mode brings America's Game Show to life by
providing interactive turn-based gameplay via email
log-in or your social networks. For even more fun,
players can dress their avatar in new Wheel of Fortune
themed clothing. Wheel of Fortune is now the #1 paid app
for iPad. Wheel of Fortune is celebrating its 30th Anniversary as the most successful game show in syndication. Be a Wheel Watcher, and a Wheel Player in a variety of gameplay modes with more than 1,000 puzzles from show's producers. Available worldwide on the Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore for Android and now Google Play |
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Next Stop... YouTube. |
Posted 2/28/13 |
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Simon Cowell has taken over
television screens and radio airwaves around the world.
Now he’s taking aim at the Internet. Cowell’s Syco Entertainment empire and YouTube announced Thursday that they are launching “You Generation,” a global online talent contest that is seeking entries from people with “unconventional and original talents” - from musicians and photographers to makeup artists, magicians and chefs. Syco says the contest, which starts next month and is due to run for a year, will seek auditions in a different category of talent every two weeks. Entrants can upload their pieces on a dedicated YouTube channel, to be viewed by the public and judged by professionals associated with Syco. There will be prizes - exactly what they are has yet be announced - every fortnight and a grand prize at the end of the year. Syco calls the initiative an experiment aimed at discovering new talent. It’s the company’s bid to tap the power of social media, which has launched millions of wannabe celebrities - and some genuine stars, including Justin Bieber. You Generation will be available in 15 languages and 26 countries around the world. |
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While We're on Camping... |
Posted 2/28/13 |
| USA Network has given an eight-episode order to reality series Summer Camp for a premiere this summer. Summer Camp, from Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan’s Fly on the Wall Entertainment and Sony Pictures TV, features 16 adults from all walks of life who go camping at an idyllic lakeside retreat where they take part in over-to-top competitions inspired by classic camp games. At the end of the summer, the remaining competitors face off in the “Campathalon,” an Olympic style event. “This series marries a fun, energizing and nostalgic concept with quirky characters, who will captivate our viewers, as they attempt to reclaim – or perhaps reinvent – their youth,” said Heather Olander, SVP, Alternative Programming for USA. This is the second summer camp-themed series for this summer, joining 10-episode scripted dramedy Camp ordered by USA sibling NBC. Summer Camp is USA’s fourth reality series under the network’s current push into unscripted TV. It follows The Moment, which premieres April 11, The Choir and Partners In Crime. Additionally, USA recently shot pilot Bride Or Best Man, and is in production on pilot All In. | |
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Tuesday: Rock'em Sock'em,
Robots |
Posted 2/27/13 |
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Last night's 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
premiere of Syfy's new competition series, Robot Combat
League, geared up more than 1.3 million total viewers
and 748,000 Adults 18-49 for a season of non-stop
mechanical carnage. This marks Syfy's best unscripted
series premiere in over two years among viewers 18-49.
The episode also had an additional 200,000 views
pre-premiere on multiple platforms including Syfy.com,
VOD, Xbox 360, Roku and Hulu. The premiere, in which 24 contestants and 12 state-of-the-art robots were introduced and ranked for the season's fight tournament, also scored for Syfy.com as the site's best unscripted series premiere ever across all key traffic metrics and as Syfy's best unscripted series premiere day ever for Twitter activity. |
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Syndies: Rough Week |
Posted 2/27/13 |
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Syndies took a hit in the
second week of the February sweep as viewers were
distracted by President Obama's State of the Union
address and the manhunt for rogue former cop Christopher
Dorner in Southern California. In addition, levels of
people using television were down by more than one
million viewers on average. The week was similarly rough on the game shows. CTD's Wheel of Fortune weakened 5% from the prior week to a still-strong 7.3, and good enough for third place in overall syndication. CTD's Jeopardy! fell 4% to a 6.6. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud was flat at a 5.2. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire depreciated 8% to a 2.4, while NBCU's rookie Baggage claimed a 9% increase to a 1.2. |
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"Hell's Kitchen" Bumps It
to 20 |
Posted 2/27/13 |
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Winner to Receive a Head
Chef Position at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars
Palace in Las Vegas Award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay welcomes 20 new competitors on the 11th season premiere of HELL'S KITCHEN airing Tuesday, March 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. These aspiring restaurateurs will endure an intense culinary academy, including a series of grueling team challenges and dinner services to prove to Chef Ramsay that they have the perfect blend of skill, poise and determination to win a life-changing grand prize: a head chef position working under Executive Chef Jeremy Berlin at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace. For the first time in HELL'S KITCHEN history, the newest batch of 20 aspiring restaurateurs will head to Las Vegas to present their signature dishes before a live audience. The contestants will split into two teams - the red team (women) and blue team (men) - to show Chef Ramsay and the live audience that they have what it takes to make their mark in the restaurant world. The winning team with the most impressive dishes will earn a VIP night on the town and attend a special concert, while the losing team will take a long, sweltering eight-hour journey back to Los Angeles on a school bus. This season, the chefs will compete in an obstacle course involving lobsters and prepare a meal for hungry runners and world-renowned athletes as they vie for a chance to win lavish rewards, including a luxury spa day on a yacht and a trip to wine country on a private jet. Meanwhile, the losing teams will scale hundreds of pounds of fish or scrub down HELL'S KITCHEN in preparation for dinner service. Throughout the competition, the teams will be winnowed down until two chefs are left standing to compete for the ultimate prize. The Red Team (Women) includes: - Gina Aloise (49; Bronx, NY; line cook) - Jacqueline Baldassari (27; Florence, NJ; roundsman) - Danielle Boom (33; Atlanta; executive chef) - Amanda Giblin (28; Orange County, NY; executive chef) - Nedra Harris (24; Detroit; kitchen manager) - Susan Heaton (29; Whittier, CA; culinary student) - Jessica Lewis (26; New York City; chef tournant) - Mary Poehnelt (26; Belchertown, MA; butcher) - Cyndi Stanimirov (25; Queens, NY; head chef) - Ja'Nel Witt (31; Houston; executive chef) The Blue Team (Men) includes: - Ray Alongi (51; Boston; executive chef) - Barret Beyer (25; Long Island, NY; head chef) - Michael Langdon (33; Plains, PA; executive chef) - Jeremy Madden (22; Los Angeles; lead cook) - Anthony Rodriguez (27; New Orleans; line chef) - Christian Rosati (38; Boston; line cook/sandwich maker) - Sebastian Royo (32; Brooklyn; sous chef) - Dan Ryan (27; Westchester, NY; head cook) - Jon Scallion (27; York, PA; chef de cuisine) - Zach Womack (34; Philadelphia; head line cook) |
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ABC Has a Date with "The
Bachelorette" |
Posted 2/27/13 |
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"The Bachelorette," now in
its ninth season, will premiere MONDAY, MAY 20
(9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network,
before moving to its regular time slot of 8:00-10:00
p.m., ET the following week. The identity of the latest
Bachelorette will be revealed during "The Bachelor:
After the Final Rose," airing LIVE on MONDAY, MARCH 11
(10:01-11:00 p.m., ET). This season the hit romance reality series will feature its ninth edition with the lucky new Bachelorette getting to know 25 fortunate men via a series of social gatherings and exotic, romantic dates - some in groups, some individually. She will introduce some of the men to her family and will visit their hometowns for a slice of their lives in an effort to determine the man with whom she is most compatible. At the end of the journey, filled with drama and surprises against the backdrop of spectacular international settings and featuring innovative twists and special guest stars, the Bachelorette may quite possibly have found true love. But the big question is: After all of this, will she hand out her final rose? And if she does, will the final bachelor accept it and propose? |
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Prepared for Life... and
This Game Show |
Posted 2/27/13 |
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The Boy Scouts live and
breathe their motto: Prepared. For Life.® They are
strong, resourceful and self-reliant. Honest, helpful
and brave. They are downright tough. Would you be able
to reach into a bag of snakes, shimmy across a rope
stretched over river rapids, canoe across a lake without
a paddle and rescue an injured hiker? From Emmy award–winning Original Productions (Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers) comes National Geographic Channel's new series Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? Premiering Monday, March 4, at 8 PM ET/PT, and hosted by ex-Army Ranger Charles Ingram , adult "civilians" battle it out with scrappy Scouts in a series of challenges — all based on the Boy Scouts' 100-year-old handbook — designed to test their physical and mental stamina to determine if these adults have what it takes to earn their own "merit badge." For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/boyscouts and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NGC_PR. Each week, an elite team of Scouts from across the country, ranging from Webelos Scouts to Eagle Scouts, gathers in the Sequoia National Forest to take on three new (and brave) adults in a battle of brains and brawn. From a software engineer with no Scouting experience, to a real estate agent who was kicked out of the Scouts at age 7, to an entrepreneur with two sons — these adults are from all walks of life, with all levels of experience. Along the way, they'll be taught some tough lessons and sometimes pushed beyond their mental and physical limits. But, in the end, these men will know the answer to the question, Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? Before the adults can go up against the Scouts on their own, they must prove their worth through a series of grueling, merit badge–based challenges. Whether crossing a gorge on a commando line, finding their way alone in the woods during an orienting challenge, administering first aid to an injured hiker or feeding breakfast to a group of hungry Cub Scouts, each challenge reinforces valuable Scouting skills. But for these adults, the rigorous competition can be a hard-hitting reality check. Tough days and even tougher nights mean that they must constantly be ready for the unexpected. And the grown-ups are left to question: how much do they really know about surviving in the wilderness? How far can their life experience really get them? As the Scouts evaluate each adult's physical endurance, strength, agility and smarts, the adults are gradually eliminated until only one man is left standing. The worthy opponent will go on to challenge the Scouts in one final test to finally learn if he is truly Tougher Than a Boy Scout. |
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"Catchphrase" on the
Air... Literally. |
Posted 2/27/13 |
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Aframe announced that STV
Productions is using Aframe’s cloud video production
platform to expedite collaboration and lower production
costs for “Catchphrase,” a remake of the classic game
show airing this March on ITV. In a relaunch where
snazzy graphics make all the difference, Aframe’s
platform allowed STV’s production team to develop over
300 rich animation collections and store them securely
in the cloud – then shave a full-week off of a demanding
7-week production cycle by cutting upload and download
times as well as allowing anywhere, anytime review by a
distributed team of animators and producers. “We’re delighted to be a part of STV’s smashing relaunch of this much loved show.” Co-produced by London-based teams for STV and its international production unit DRG, with a series creator based in the US, the new “Catchphrase” updates the format that aired for 16 years with juicer 3D graphics but retains popular elements such as a playful animated robot Mr. Chips who prompts contestants to “say what you see.” Contestants are presented with one of over 300 animations of phrases that are shown on a large screen and must be the first to correctly guess what each animation depicts. Over 1TB was needed to store and access animation graphics alone for the 9-episode package of shows – storage that would have wreaked havoc on the computing budget. The multiple iterations of these rich graphics also would have slowed collaboration, since team members would either need to drive a memory stick with a new iteration across town, overnight ship it, or send large files on the internal network where downloads would drag down network response times. “Aframe saved us a ridiculous amount of time and enabled an immediate, almost live collaboration between producers in different offices that you could never get if we used a traditional on-premises computing network,” said Ed Egan, executive producer for Catchphrase. “We took one look at the size and volume of the animation sequences and knew they would cost us a fortune for the storage that we wouldn’t need once production ends. Aframe took what was a very time-consuming and cumbersome process of collaborating between offices across town and made it super easy.” Using Aframe’s private cloud, each day’s animation content was uploaded once into Aframe, then sent as a link to authorized users, who could review an H264 proxy copy of the content, and comment from anywhere in the world, at any time they had a free moment – even from their mobile phone or tablet. Aframe users do not need to install special software or hardware, or enter cumbersome commands. Users simply log on to Aframe’s web-based platform and start working with video instantly. The immediacy of the collaboration shaved at least 5 hours of time off of each week’s work – at least an hour or two a day - allowing more time to be spent on creating juicier graphics and less on working out how to get the latest review copy. “Security can be a concern with a cloud solution,” executive producer Ed Egan continued, “but with Aframe, only those we designate can review content – and no one can view our animations – even Aframe.” “Production teams are no longer chained to an office – they’re global and on the move, and it’s high time technology worked the way production works,” said David Peto, CEO of Aframe. “We’re delighted to be a part of STV’s smashing relaunch of this much loved show.” |
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Jane Lynch is Hosting a
"Game Night" And You're Invited |
Posted 2/27/13 |
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Jane Lynch is hosting the
new NBC game show "Hollywood Game Night," which will pit
A-list contestants against mere mortals in a
cocktail-party atmosphere. NBC has ordered eight episodes of the series, from Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner. "With Jane Lynch on board as our host, we now have a key component in place that will further enliven the sheer fun of a raucous Hollywood party that will include real everyday people,” said NBC president of alternative and late night programming Paul Telegdy. “Her exuberant wit and ability to think quickly will be the perfect match for our show which will give viewers a fresh look inside the off-set lives of their favorite celebrities -- and allow them a chance to win money as well." Added the Emmy winner: "I'm so thrilled to let the world in on the fun with Sean at 'Game Night'! The format is sure to provide a lot of unexpected results that will keep everyone off-balance and entertained." The show promises a loose, festive atmosphere with flowing drinks, passed hors d'oeuvres and a live house band. One of two non-celebrity contestants will win a cash prize. The series is produced by Hazy Mills Productions (“Grimm,” “Hot in Cleveland, “Soul Man”), Mission Control Media (Syfy's "Face Off"), and Universal Television. Hayes, Milliner, Michael Agbabian and Dwight D. Smith are the executive producers.
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 Jane Lynch trades her orange tracksuit for an emcee's chair when she hosts "Hollywood Game Night" for NBC (photo courtesy IMDB) |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 2/2713 |
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PHILLIP LEISHMAN: 1951-2013 |
Posted 2/26/13 |
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Veteran broadcaster Phillip
Leishman has died surrounded by his family after
battling an aggressive form of cancer. Leishman, 61, was operated on for a a brain tumor in March 2012. The operation was a success but the cancer recently returned. Leishman, once host of Wheel of Fortune, but most recently seen appearing on popular television production the HSBC Golf Club, first appeared on Dunedin regional station DNTV2 in the 1970s. From there he moved to the nightly network bulletin as a sports news presenter, covering Olympic and Commonwealth Games between 1976 and 1998. He worked on Turf Talk with Glynn Tucker in the mid to late 1970s, and hosted 1250 episodes of quiz show Wheel of Fortune alongside Lana Coc-Kroft in the early and mid 1990s. In 1997 he joined up with journalist Phil Smith to form company Uplink, now Sportinc, to produce the golf program which he has described as probably his most satisfying role. In 2011 he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting and the community. Leishman said in an interview late last year that he wanted to be remembered as a "natural broadcaster" who loved his job. |
 Phillip Leishman (photo courtesy Stuff.co.nz |
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"Dancing's" Sweet Sixteen |
Posted 2/26/13 |
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This season's dynamic lineup
of stars -- including a country music legend, a figure
skating champion, a boxing dynamo, an Olympic Gold
medalist and the youngest contestant to ever compete on
the show - will perform for the first time on live
national television with their professional partners
during the two-hour season premiere of "Dancing with the
Stars," MONDAY, MARCH 18 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the
ABC Television Network. As announced this morning on ABC's "Good Morning America" by "Dancing with the Stars" hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet, the 11 celebrities, with their professional partners, heading to the dance floor this season (in alphabetical order) are: - Singer/actress Zendaya Coleman ("Shake It Up") and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy - Comedian/actor Andy Dick ("NewsRadio") and his first-time partner Sharna Burgess - Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill and her partner Tristan MacManus - Comedian/actor DL Hughley ("Weekends at the DL") and his partner Cheryl Burke - Super Bowl champion Jacoby Jones (Baltimore Ravens) and his partner Karina Smirnoff - Country singer/author Wynonna Judd and her partner Tony Dovolani - Boxer "Vicious" Victor Ortiz and his first-time partner Lindsay Arnold - Country singer Kellie Pickler ("American Idol") and her partner Derek Hough - Soap opera star Ingo Rademacher ("General Hospital") and his partner Kym Johnson - Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and her partner Mark Ballas - TV personality Lisa Vanderpump ("The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills") and her first-time partner Gleb Savchenko
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"Chopped" Goes All-Star
April 7 |
Posted 2/26/13 |
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Season 3 of Food Network's
top-rated series Chopped All-Stars returns Sunday, April
7th at 9pm ET/PT, as sixteen culinary competitors battle
it out for the title of All-Star champion and a $50,000
prize for the winner's charity. The five-part
competition series, hosted by Ted Allen, includes four
chefs going head-to-head each week in themed episodes
featuring Food Network chefs vs. Cooking Channel chefs,
an all-out battle of the Mega Chefs, the much
anticipated battle of the Chopped judges, and a can't
miss culinary showdown as four celebrities with a shared
love of cooking compete against each other in the
Chopped kitchen. Judged by arotating roster of Chopped
regulars who decide who gets "chopped" each week,
including Maneet Chauhan, Marcus Samuelsson, Aarón
Sánchez, Chris Santos and Geoffrey Zakarian, the
competitors are challenged to create delectable courses
in a limited amount of time from the ingredients in the
renowned Chopped mystery basket. The winner of each
episode will compete for the grand prize on Sunday, May
5th at 9pm ET/PT. "Chopped All-Stars raises the stakes of our popular franchise by pitting fiercely competitive food stars, and for the first time, celebrities, against each other," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President Programming, Food Network. "These stars use their culinary prowess to battle it out for their charities and bragging rights for winning this all-star competition." |
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Monday: Roses For Everyone |
Posted 2/26/13 |
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ABC (9.643 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #1) pulled into the top spot on
Monday with new episodes of "The Bachelor" (9.118
million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.9, #3) and "Castle"
(10.693 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T7). FOX (8.556 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T2) then claimed the silver with originals from "Bones" (8.670 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T7) and "The Following" (8.442 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T4). Sharing second place was CBS (8.208 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T2) with its mix of "How I Met Your Mother" (8.599 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.4, #1), "Rules of Engagement" (7.796 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.6, #6), "2 Broke Girls" (10.194 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.2, #2), "Mike & Molly" (9.756 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T4) and a repeat of "Hawaii Five-0" (6.451 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.4, #10). Meanwhile, NBC (4.881 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #4) offered up fresh installments of "The Biggest Loser" (5.698 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.1, #9) and "Deception" (3.248 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.2, #11). |
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Sunday: All Oscar, All Day |
Posted 2/26/13 |
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ABC (32.434 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 10.1, #1) was of course the top draw
on Sunday with its coverage of "The 85th Annual Academy
Awards" (36.967 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 12.1,
#1). Leading into said coverage were the specials "The
Oscars Red Carpet Live, Part 1" (19.343 million viewers,
#4; adults 18-49: 5.0, #4), "The Oscars Red Carpet Live,
Part 2" (23.833 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 6.7,
#3) and "The Oscars Red Carpet Live, Part 3" (31.462
million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 9.2, #2). FOX (2.872 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) then topped the leftovers with repeats of "Bob's Burgers" (2.345 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 1.0, #12), "The Cleveland Show" (2.606 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.1, #11), "The Simpsons" (3.506 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.6, #6), another "The Cleveland Show" (2.934 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.4, #8), "Family Guy" (3.133 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #7) and "American Dad" (2.705 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9). Next up was CBS (5.694 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3) with its mix of "60 Minutes" (8.270 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9), "The Amazing Race 22" (6.774 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.8, #5), "The Mentalist" (4.438 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.7, #17) and "The Good Wife" (3.293 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.6, #18). And finally, NBC (2.798 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4) offered up encores of "Dateline NBC" (4.085 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T13), "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (3.450 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T13), "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (2.967 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T13) and "Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time and Again" (1.949 million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T13) to close out the night. On Food Network, it went thusly...
- 8p: Chopped - 1.602
million viewers, #10; 0.714 million adults 18-49 (0.6
rating), #12 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 2/26/13 |
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Revenge of the Nerds |
Posted 2/25/13 |
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TBS has renewed its nerd
competition series King of the Nerds for a second
season, slated for eight episodes to air next year. The show premiered to two million total viewers on Jan. 17 and 1.2 million adults 18-49 and 586,000 adults 18-34. In Live +7 the first three episodes of King of the Nerds averaged 2.1 million viewers, with 1.3 million adults 18-49 and 670,000 adults 18-34. The show ends its first season March 7. "King of the Nerds has really clicked with TBS viewers, introducing such concepts as cosplay, quadcopter gaming and nerdcore rap to the uninitiated," said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TBS, TNT and TCM, in a statement. "We look forward to another round of hilarious competition when a new contingent of nerds sets out to win the crown." |
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Another Indian
"Millionaire" Returns |
Posted 2/25/13 |
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Asianet is launching the
second season of its popular game show 'Ningalkkum Aakam
Kodeeswaran' on 1 March. To be anchored by Suresh Gopi, the Malayalam version of the British quiz show format 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' will give a person an opportunity to win up to Rs 10 million. Jointly produced by Asianet and Big Synergy Media, the show will air every Monday to Thursday at 8 pm. The game show has been adapted by different regions in India in different languages, the most popular being 'Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) in Hindi'. |
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Youtoo for Best Ink 2 Link |
Posted 2/25/13 |
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Oxygen Media, in association
with Youtoo Technologies, announced today a unique
user-generated video series, “Best Ink: Skin Stories,”
which brings the stories behind fans’ favorite tattoos
to life, in anticipation of the network’s tattoo
competition series “Best Ink,” premiering its second
season on Wednesday, April 3, at 10 PM ET/PT. Viewers
can visit http://best-ink.oxygen.com/skin-stories or
https://www.facebook.com/bestinkoxygen to record a
30-second video testimonial that tells the story behind
their favorite ink. Fans can then share their videos
with friends on social networks, as well as watch other
video submissions. Each week one video will be featured
as the “Skin of the Week” on Oxygen.com. In addition,
“Best Ink” host and Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz,
along with the show’s judges, Joe Capobianco, Sabina
Kelley, and Hannah Aitchison, will vote on their
favorite story to determine which video will be shown
on-air during the show's season finale on Oxygen. In
order to be considered, video submissions must be
received by Monday, June 3, 6 PM ET/PT. “We are excited to be the first network to integrate YouToo's interactive technology across episodes of multiple franchises,” said Harleen Kahlon, Senior Vice President of Digital Media for Oxygen. “With our ‘Best Ink’ initiative YouToo enables us to give viewers a unique opportunity to show off their ink and share their tattoo stories with one another on Oxygen.com and on-air.” YouToo’s ground breaking technology powers live social TV experiences via second screen devices. Fans can participate in quizzes and polls, social conversations, and UGC video campaigns – and the resulting results, commentary, and video are displayed live on air. “We are thrilled Oxygen Media has chosen Youtoo Technologies to provide complete viewer interaction for such a compelling show,” said Chris Wyatt, Chief Executive Officer of Youtoo Technologies. Oxygen is also bringing “Best Ink: Skin Stories” to the streets with an on-the-ground activation at various tattoo conventions and events across the United States. Fans can record their personal tattoo stories in a video booth for inclusion in the “Best Ink: Skin Stories” and then show off their favorite tattoos in a photo booth where they will receive a shareable animated GIF and a branded personal photo to take home. |
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Weekend Lightspeed Round |
Posted 2/24/13 |
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Thursday: Instant Split,
Just Add Another Hour of "Idol" |
Posted 2/22/13 |
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FOX (13.504 million viewers,
#2; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1) pulled into the top spot on
Thursday with a special two-hour "American Idol" (13.504
million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.9, #T2). CBS (13.522 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.3, #2) then had to settle for second place despite originals from "The Big Bang Theory" (17.337 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.4, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (13.442 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.9, #T2), "Person of Interest" (14.129 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.9, #5) and "Elementary" (11.046 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.3, #7). Next up was ABC (7.161 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) with week two of "Zero Hour" (5.322 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T11) followed by new episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" (8.543 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.0, #4) and "Scandal" (7.617 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.7, #6). Meanwhile, NBC (3.173 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) offered up its mix of "Community" (3.078 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T11), "Parks & Recreation" (3.029 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9), a second "Parks & Recreation" (2.910 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.4, #8), "1600 Penn" (2.303 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.0, #14) and a repeat of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.859 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T11). On cable, "Project Runway" drew 1.617 million viewers for Lifetime, while "King of the Nerds" crowned 1.045 million for TBS. |
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Bring On the Men |
Posted 2/21/13 |
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Cycle 20 of AMERICA'S NEXT
TOP MODEL hosted by Tyra Banks, returns with new prizes
and new competition - men! The first-ever "Guys and
Girls" edition will begin airing Summer 2013. Eight men and eight women will live under one roof and battle it out to earn the prestigious title of AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL. This cycle will explore the similarities and differences that male and female models face in the pursuit of their careers, bringing on experts and celebrities to mentor and challenge them each week. There will be more than a little opportunity for rivalry, flirtation and romance. The model hopefuls will compete for a career-launching prize package that includes new prize suppliers Next Model Management and GUESS, as well as NYLON magazine. The winner will receive prizes including: $100,000 national ad campaign with GUESS, whose advertising campaigns have launched many modeling careers; a fashion feature in NYLON magazine, as well as a modeling contract with Next Model Management. In addition to the panel of judges, which includes Banks, fashion public relations maven Kelly Cutrone and former boxer and international male supermodel Rob Evans, the public will again be able to have a say in who stays and who goes in the competition. Famed stylist Johnny Wujek returns as photo shoot creative consultant and top fashion blogger Bryanboy will return as the social media correspondent, mentoring the models and highlighting the scores, comments and video messages from the viewers that will be revealed in the show during judging. Fans will again have numerous opportunities each week to vote online and via mobile at http://cwtv.com/thecw/antmvoting to choose their favorite contestants based on photo shoots taken during production. Voting begins TODAY, Thursday, February 21, and continues with the following voting dates: February 24, February 28, March 3, March 7, March 10, March 14, March 17, March 23, March 26, March 29 and April 3. Some of the guys and girls who have already been eliminated will have the opportunity to return to the competition via votes on their photo shoot pictures, which will allow the audience the chance to save their favorite model. This cycle, fans will also have the opportunity to automatically enter a contest when they leave video comments, during the voting, for a chance to win* prizes from some of the AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL partners. |
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Wednesday: Migration |
Posted 2/21/13 |
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FOX (14.239 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1) as usual was the network to
beat on Wednesday with a new two-hour "American Idol"
(14.239 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1). CBS (10.242 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) then snagged the silver with its mix of "Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites" (9.448 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.5, #4), "Criminal Minds" (10.741 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (10.537 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #5). An interesting thing to note for people who like interesting things: Survivor gained 4 percent from the week prior, while "Idol" LOST 4 percent. Next up was ABC (6.813 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) and its original lineup of "The Middle" (8.170 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.2, #6), "The Neighbors" (6.294 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T8), "Modern Family" (10.567 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.9, #2), "Suburgatory" (5.886 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #7) and a special "20/20" (4.981 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #11). Meanwhile, NBC (5.079 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4) offered up new episodes of "Whitney" (3.255 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T12), "Guys With Kids" (2.962 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T12), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (5.707 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.7, #10) and "Chicago Fire" (6.423 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T8). "Top Chef" was the fourth-most popular show on cable, with 1.739 million viewers. |
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Thanks for the "Memory",
Joe |
Posted 2/21/13 |
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Baseball player, TV host and
sports announcer Joe Garagiola announced today that he
is retiring after an astonishing 58-year career in
broadcasting. His baseball career only lasted from 1946
to 1954 on the field but Joe was a presence (both on the
field and in the broadcasting booth) for nearly six
decades. Besides his acclaimed sports announcing career (he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the 1991 Ford Frick winner), Joe’s exuberant personality lent itself to a myriad of personal appearances. He even guest hosted for Johnny Carson several times on the Tonight Show. He was a longtime member of the Today Show from 1967 to 1973. For many years Joe was the “color commentator” at the Westminster Kennel Club dog shows. But what is really surprising is the contribution Joe made to the television game show world. Among the shows he hosted were He Said, She Said, The Memory Game, Sale of the Century and others. He was quick witted and scored favorably with the daytime television audiences. Even President Gerald Ford called Joe “one of my dearest friends” and even invited Joe to join the Ford family at the White House several times. |
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India Joins "Quiz League" |
Posted 2/21/13 |
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National Geographic
Channel is all set to launch its new quiz show, ‘Indian
Quiz League’ with Gaurav Kapoor. Premiering on the channel this February, Indian Quiz League (IQL) will put the self-proclaimed smarties to the ultimate task of proving their intelligence against the average India. Based on the knowledge pillar of National Geographic, IQL will test contestants in relation to how the nation fares in answering them. With IQL, Nat Geo will challenge individuals to showcase their intelligence not only against their contenders, but also the collective nation. The show will be telecast Monday to Friday at 8PM. Speaking on the launch of the new show, Debarpita Banerjee, Vice President- Marketing at National Geographic and Fox International Channels said, “The novelty of Nat Geo’s IQL is that it will be a battle of wits between an individual contestant and an entire nation. We are very excited about IQL because this unique quiz show will challenge our overestimated perceptions of self-intelligence.” Gaurav Kapoor’s quick wit and smooth charms is all set to add to the cool quotient of Nat Geo IQL. Excited about his association with National Geographic, Kapoor said, “I am extremely thrilled and am looking forward to working with National Geographic Channel as it will be an ideal mix of knowledge and fun. In my new role as a quizmaster I will endeavor to ensure that participants are at ease and have as much fun playing the game as I will have hosting it.” |
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Mel B's "Got Talent" |
Posted 2/21/13 |
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America’s Got Talent has
found its new judge. The NBC summer reality hit has signed Spice Girl Mel B (aka Melanie Brown) to join the judging panel. She’ll take a seat beside Howard Stern and Howie Mandel critiquing the show’s wild variety of performers. The pop singer has live competition show experience having served as a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor and guest hosted on the UK version. Scary Spice will replace the show’s longtime judge Sharon Osbourne, who announced she was quitting last year. Osbourne later said she was angry at the network for declining to cast her son Jack on the physically demanding NBC reality effort Stars Earn Stripes after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
Posted 2/21/13 |
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Nerds Bowling. Awesome. |
Posted 2/20/13 |
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AMC has signed a development
deal for Chris Hardwick's Nerdist YouTube show All Star
Celebrity Bowling, which AMC will develop as a potential
series for the network. Hardwick commented, "It has always been one of our main goals with Nerdist to grow content in the digital garden of the Internet which we could then evolve onto other platforms. AMC has been incredibly forward-thinking with us through this process. In addition to allowing us to distribute bonus segments of Talking Dead on the Nerdist YouTube Channel, we are excited to work with them to potentially bring All Star Bowling to television. PLATFORMS UNITE!" Joel Stillerman, AMC’s executive VP of original programming, production and digital content, added, “Nerdist has built a great following by producing incredibly smart, compelling, and entertaining content. This is a great way for us to expand our relationship with Chris and Nerdist, and we love the multiplatform synergy on a project like this.” Malik Ducard, the director of entertainment content partnerships at YouTube, stated, "Nerdist is the latest in a line of YouTube creators harnessing the combined attributes of TV and the web to build scaled, engaged audiences." |
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Syndies: A Quiet Week |
Posted 2/20/13 |
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The first full week of the
February sweep was marked by a huge blizzard on the East
Coast, causing preemptions and power outages in many
markets. In spite of that, many shows were up or steady as they rolled out their all-original sweep episodes in the week ended Feb. 10. Game shows were quiet with CTD's Wheel of Fortune dipping 1% from the prior week to a 7.7, nabbing second place in overall syndication. CTD's Jeopardy! remained at a 6.9. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud fell 2% to a 5.2, while Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which is expected to add Cedric the Entertainer as host next year, and NBCU's rookie Baggage each were unchanged at a 2.6 and 1.1, respectively. |
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Tuesday: An Uptick for
Taste |
Posted 2/20/13 |
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CBS (15.648 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) bested the competition on
Tuesday with originals from "NCIS" (20.934 million
viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1), "NCIS: Los Angeles"
(16.339 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #2) and
"Vegas" (9.673 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5,
#T7), which matched its series low. ABC (6.564 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #2) then claimed the silver with its mix of "The Taste" (4.887 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T5), "The Bachelor: Sean Tells All" (8.144 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) and the return of "Body of Proof" (6.662 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #12), which tied its series low. "Taste" was up 5 percent from last week, but down 17 from last year. Next up was FOX (3.477 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) with a new "Raising Hope" (3.700 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T7), a repeat of "New Girl" (2.817 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T10) plus new episodes of "New Girl" (4.356 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.2, #4) and "The Mindy Project" (3.036 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T5). Meanwhile, NBC (3.677 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) offers up its combination of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (4.650 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T10), another "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (4.693 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #9), "Go On" (3.322 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13), "The New Normal" (2.826 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.0, #14) and "Smash" (3.286 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15) - all of which were series lows in adults 18-49. |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
Posted 2/20/13 |
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I, Robot Fighter |
Posted 2/19/13 |
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The next generation of arena
combat is upon us. The series premiere of Syfy's
hotly-anticipated new competition show, Robot Combat
League, is now available for on demand viewing on a
variety of platforms. Today through February 26, the first ever episode of Robot Combat League, titled "Rise of the Machines," can be streamed - for free - on the following platforms one week before it makes its televised premiere: · The Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft through the Syfy app on Xbox LIVE(R)* · Roku through the Syfy channel in the Roku Channel Store · Hulu on the Syfy page at hulu.com/robot-combat-league · Syfy.com at syfy.com/robotcombatleague · VOD (Video on Demand) from your cable provider Each week Robot Combat League, hosted by Chris Jericho, the wildly popular WWE superstar, features tournament-style battles between eight-foot tall humanoid robots controlled by a human fighter ("robo-jockey") and an engineer ("robo-tech"). The robots were designed and created by robotics expert, Mark Setrakian (Hellboy, Men in Black), a leader in the sport of robotic combat. In the premiere episode of Robot Combat League, the contestants are paired into 12 teams, comprised of a robo-jockey and a robo-tech. Each team is then introduced to its own unique robot, which they will control using a high-tech exo-suit that translates their exact movements to their robot. The contestants take control of the robots for the first time in a timed challenge to earn their rankings for the fight tournament. The top-ranked team and the bottom-ranked team then fight for their life in three rounds of non-stop mechanical carnage. Robot Combat League is produced by Smart Dog Media, with Craig Plestis serving as executive producer. Robot Combat League will make its televised premiere on Syfy Tuesday, February 26 at 10PM ET/PT. |
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Monday: Splitsville |
Posted 2/19/13 |
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ABC (9.376 million viewers,
#1; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T1) was the most-watched network
on Monday with new episodes of "The Bachelor" (9.231
million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #4) and "Castle"
(9.667 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #7). Sharing the demo crown however was CBS (9.234 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T1) with its mix of "How I Met Your Mother" (8.846 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.4, #T1), "Rules of Engagement" (8.137 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T5), "2 Broke Girls" (10.108 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #T1), "Mike & Molly" (10.327 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #3) and "Hawaii Five-0" (8.994 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #10). Next up was FOX (8.312 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) with originals from "Bones" (8.316 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8) and "The Following" (8.308 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T5). Meanwhile, NBC (4.774 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #4) offered up new episodes of "The Biggest Loser" (5.561 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8) and "Deception" (3.199 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.2, #11). |
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"Big Break": Mexican for
Golf |
Posted 2/19/13 |
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Golf Channel's popular Big
Break reality competition series has chosen Mexico as
the next competition grounds for its 19th season,
premiering Monday, May 13. The luxurious, all-inclusive
IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Paraiso and the accompanying Playa
Paraiso Golf Club in Riviera Maya will serve as the
backdrop for Big Break Mexico,providing the opportunity
for the ultimate winner to compete alongside the game's
best on the LPGA Tour or the PGA TOUR. "Big Break is a cornerstone of our original series franchises, and it has proven to be a launching pad for many professional golfers looking to break through to the world's top tours, including the likes of PGA TOUR pros Tommy Gainey and Matt Every and Solheim Cup veterans Ryann O'Toole and Kristy McPherson," said Golf Channel Executive Producer Molly Solomon. "Our ultimate goal with Big Break Mexico is to place our competitors in pressure situations on a world-class golf course, and we achieved this from the picturesque IBEROSTAR Playa Paraiso Resort & Spa in Riviera Maya, Mexico." Big Break Mexico, produced in partnership with the Mexico Tourism Board, will feature a cast of six men and six women competing in a mixed team format in an attempt to make their lifelong dreams of playing alongside the world's top golfers come true. This season's Big Break champion will receive an exemption to compete either on the LPGA Tour at the 2013 Lorena Ochoa Invitational presented by Banamex and Jalisco or on the PGA TOUR at the 2013 OHL Classic at Mayakoba (both Nov. 14-17). "Mexico Tourism is excited to bring Golf Channel's Big Break series to Mexico for the first time and showcasing everything Mexico has to offer as an ideal vacation destination," said Gerardo Llanes, Chief Marketing Officer for Mexico Tourism Board. "We look forward to working with Golf Channel in featuring Mexico's beautiful tourism experiences and vacation resorts, magnificent golf courses and also touting our signature professional golf tournaments on the LPGA and PGA TOUR." Big Break Mexico also will feature a guest appearance from former LPGA World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, who surprised the cast during the filming of the series and competed alongside the players in one of the challenges. Following the challenge, Ochoa also was given the opportunity to participate in Big Break's signature challenge for the first time - The Glass Break - where she shattered the glass on her first attempt. "I love having Big Break in my home country of Mexico and am proud to offer an exemption to the Lorena Ochoa Invitational," said Ochoa. "Big Break is very popular, and I want to help the sport of golf in my country as much as I can. This is a win-win situation for all of us. It was great to meet all of the players and see how excited they are to be on Big Break. I'm looking forward to watching the series this summer and see how I fared in front of all of the cameras." |
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DEREK
BATEY: 1928-2013 |
Posted 2/19/13 |
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Derek Batey has died at the
age of 84. The broadcaster was best known as the host of Mr. and Mrs. between 1964 and 1980. He died in Blackpool's Trinity Hospice last night (February 17) after recently becoming ill on holiday in the US. "Derek was a people person, who was never happier than when he was talking to either a prince or a pauper," ex-ITV producer and director Harry King told News & Star. "He would do interviews with prime ministers and he could also talk comfortably to the lady next door. It was a great skill which he had." Batey worked as a consultant and wrote some of the questions on the 2008 reboot of the show fronted by Fern Britton and Phillip Schofield. The assistant controller of programs for Border Television also hosted chat show Look Who's Talking between 1973 and 1985. |
 Derek Batey (photo courtesy ITV) |
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Report: ... and Also
Jobless? |
Posted 2/19/13 |
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One day after the New York
Post reported that Khloe Kardashian was fired from "The
X Factor", sister Kim had something to say: Not so fast.
Kim told TMZ, "A lot of
people say a lot of incorrect things on the daily." |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
Posted 2/19/13 |
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Let's Make A Deal at 50 |
Posted 2/18/13 |
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"In a two-week stretch,
contestants have the chance to win over $500,000 in cash
and prizes starting February 18 #LetsMakeaDeal http://bit.ly/12pM45B"
And with that tweet, "Let's Make a Deal" kicked off its two-week 50th anniversary celebration. "Deal", with host Wayne
Brady, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with two
weeks of the “Super Deal,” beginning Monday, Feb. 18,
which gives traders who win “The Big Deal of the Day”
the opportunity to risk everything they have won and
choose one of three envelopes – Ruby, Sapphire or
Emerald with cash amounts of $1,000, $2,000 or $50,000.
If the trader chooses the $50,000 envelope, they walk
away with the cash plus their “Big Deal of the Day.” |
Jonathan Mangum, Monty Hall, Wayne Brady, Carol Merrill, Tiffany Coyne & Cat Gray will celebrate "Let's Make a Deal's" 50th anniversary March 1 (photo courtesy CBS) |
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Jobless |
Posted 2/18/13 |
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CBS has benched its
midseason entry "The Job" after two episodes. The series delivered a modest 3.37 million viewers and 0.7 rating among adults 18-49 this past Friday, down from its already weak debut (4.12 million viewers, 0.9 adults 18-49 rating). Said numbers were also below the equally short-lived "Made in Jersey," which posted 6.77 million viewers and a 0.8 adults 18-49 rating in its second - and final - airing in the Friday, 8:00/7:00c slot. Today's bookings indicate previous occupant "Undercover Boss" will return to the time period effective immediately. It's not clear when - or if - the six remaining episodes of "The Job" will air. |
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Endemol Finds "Common
Denominator" |
Posted 2/18/13 |
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Endemol has acquired
international rights to gameshow format The Common
Denominator and is set to produce local versions around
the world. A 40x30′ series of The Common Denominator makes its debut on UK broadcaster Channel 4 today, produced by Endemol UK. The format was originally devised by Roy Even-Tov and Omri Even-Tov, in partnership with Armoza Formats, and was sold to C4 by the Israeli format company last year. Grant Ross, global head of format acquisitions at Endemol said it is “a fresh new format that can be easily translated for broadcasters in any territory.” |
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Sunday: It's "Race" Day
Again |
Posted 2/18/13 |
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FOX (3.750 million viewers,
#4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) inched out a demo victory on
Sunday with its mix of a repeat of "The Simpsons" (2.202
million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T16) followed
by originals from "The Cleveland Show" (2.641 million
viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13), "The Simpsons"
(4.605 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.0, #4),
"Bob's Burgers" (4.063 million viewers, #14; adults
18-49: 1.9, #T5), "Family Guy" (4.850 million viewers,
#9; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T1) and "American Dad" (4.143
million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T5). CBS (9.174 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T2) then was the top draw with its mix of "60 Minutes" (9.495 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #12), the premiere of "The Amazing Race 22" (9.541 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T1), "The Good Wife" (8.477 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T10) and "The Mentalist" (9.183 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8). The Race dipped 7.62 percent from the year-before. Next up was ABC (5.862 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T2) and its lineup of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.905 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T8), "Once Upon a Time" (7.503 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3), "Revenge" (5.988 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.8, #7) and a repeat of "Zero Hour" (3.054 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T16). And finally, NBC (4.410 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) closed out the evening with its mix of "Dateline NBC" (5.394 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T14), "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (4.166 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T16), another "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (4.326 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T14) and "Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation" (3.999 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T10). |
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Monday Lightning Round |
Posted 2/18/13 |
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"Whose
Line?" to Return