Friday, January 27, 2012
Remembering Robert Hegyes from Welcome Back, Kotter; Sitcom Stars On Talk Shows (Week of January 30, 2012)
We have some sad news to report. Actor Robert Hegyes, best known as high school student Juan Epstein on Welcome Back, Kotter, has died. Hegyes suffered from chest pains at his Metuchen, New Jersey home Thursday morning (January 26) and later died from an apparent heart attack at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. He had health problems in recent years, including a hip replacement and a heart attack. Mr. Hegyes was 60.
His career began with stage work in New York both on and off Broadway. In 1975, he landed the role of Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein on Welcome Back, Kotter. The show ran for 95 episodes over 4 seasons on ABC from 1975-79. He would later play undercover detective Manny Esposito on Cagney & Lacey. His other television guest appearances included The Streets of San Francisco, The Love Boat, Chico and the Man, CHiPs, Mr. Rhodes, NewsRadio, Diagnosis Murder and The Drew Carey Show. In his later years, he taught acting and screenplay writing classes at his alma mater, Rowan University. In 2011, he reunited with all of the living cast members (except for Ron Palillo who was unable to attend due to recent surgery) of Welcome, Back Kotter for the show's 35th anniversary at the TV Land Awards.
Hegyes is survived by three siblings, Mark, Stephanie and Elizabeth, two children, Cassie and Mack, and two stepchildren, Sophia and Alex. Unfortunately, there are no stations currently airing Welcome Back, Kotter. Only a single volume and the complete first season have been released on DVD. This is a show that would be great for original and new generations of fans to see more episodes available. We thank him for playing such a memorable character and bringing us many laughs. He will be deeply missed.
Our friends at Just My Show interviewed him in 2007. What are your favorite Juan Epstein moments? Discuss them on our Welcome Back, Kotter message board.
It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of January 30 - February 3, 2012, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVR's (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!
Monday, January 30, 2012
- Rob Schneider (Rob/Men Behaving Badly) - Watch Rob on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother/Doogie Howser, M.D.) - Neil appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Maya Rudolph (Up All Night) - Maya stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda is a guest on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- John Krasinksi (The Office) - John visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check listings. Big Miracle opens in theaters February 3.
- John Stamos (Full House/Jake in Progress) - John chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) - Kunal and Simon visit The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT. Simon will also be on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Jenny McCarthy (Jenny) - Jenny is a guest on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
- John Krasinksi (The Office) - Watch John on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12am on ABC.
- Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Catch Woody on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Lisa Kudrow (Friends - Lisa chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- John Stamos (Full House/Jake in Progress) - John continues to make the rounds on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Debra Messing (Will & Grace) - Watch Debra on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- John Krasinski (The Office) - John wraps up his appearances this week on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) - Melissa appears on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
ABC Family Alters Daytime Line-Up, Gilmore Girls Back In Evening; MeTV Network Dramas Strong In Jacksonville, FL
ABC Family will be making some changes to its daytime line-up beginning next week (Monday, Jan. 30). The highlight of the change is the removal of Still Standing and the addition of Gilmore Girls back into early evening. America's Funniest Home Videos returns to ABC Family as a regular series, as it usually gets preempted at 6pm. AFV will replace back-to-back episodes of Still Standing at noon ET. Then in the 1pm hour, 8 Simple Rules moves to an earlier hour replacing an hour of Grounded for Life. That sitcom remains in the 2pm hour as it replaced My Wife & Kids earlier in the month as the Damon Wayans comedy is no longer airing on ABC Family. At 3pm, the That '70s Show two-hour block will shift up an hour, so the 3pm hour is replacing 8 Simple Rules. At 4pm, That '70s Show will remain, but now the 5pm hour will be the return of Gilmore Girls in the time period. And Gilmore Girls will remain in its 11am slot as well! Double the Lorelai and Rory fun! There are no other changes, but if you missed it, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air now airs most weeknights now at 12:00am & 12:30am as of Dec. 26, replacing Whose Line Is It Anyway, which is off the schedule. The Will Smith comedy was only airing on late nights on weekends prior to it joining the weeknight line-up on Dec. 26.
That's all for now, stay with us for further updates if Still Standing returns or not. We're not sure if My Wife & Kids' contract expired or not (as it hasn't aired in 2012), but we'll try to find out.
MeTV Network affiliate WAWS, Jacksonville (DMA Rank 50) is enjoying impressive local ratings after becoming an affiliate of the MeTV Network. The Newport owned WAWS 30.2 is beating its competitors in several time periods throughout the day. On many days their 7A-1A shares tie or beat WJXX (ABC) and WCWJ (CW), according to Jim Zerwekh, Vice President and General Manager of WAWS. On January 18, MeTV on MyTVJAX ranked third in several time periods behind WAWS (FOX) and WTEV (CBS). Programming such as Daniel Boone, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and The Big Valley beat the following shows on WTLV (NBC), WJXX (ABC), WCWJ (CW), WJXT (Ind.): Anderson, Live with Kelly, Judge Mathis, The Nate Berkus Show, Excused, The Chew, Revolution, General Hospital, Dr. Drew, and The Big Bang Theory (syndication).
These are some of the highlights of MeTV Jacksonville's success; all times are Eastern:
· Daniel Boone at 9 a.m. had a 1.7 HH rating, which beat Live with Kelly on WJXX
· Perry Mason at 10 a.m. had a 1.1 HH rating, which beat Anderson on WJXX
· Gunsmoke at 1 p.m. had a 1.9 HH rating, which beat The Chew on WJXX and Excused on WJXT
· Bonanza at 2 p.m. had a 2.1 HH rating, which beat The Revolution on WJXX, The Big Bang Theory (syndication) on WJXT and Judge Mathis on WCWJ
· The Big Valley at 3 p.m. had a 2.5 HH rating, which beat The Nate Berkus Show on WJXT, General Hospital on WJXX and Dr. Drew on WCWJ
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
NATPE 2012: Day 3 - Fall 2012 Syndication; Nick at Nite Orders Telenovela Adaptation
It's the final day at NATPE 2012 and as promised we will give you a list of the shows being offered for fall 2012 syndication. So, without further adieu, here is what is being offered (some might not be bought, so beware) for Fall 2012:
OFF-NETWORK REPEATS
Daily Half-Hour Sitcoms
Are We There Yet? (Debmar-Mercury)
Rules of Engagement (Sony Pictures Television)
Weekly Hour Dramas
Burn Notice (20th Television)
Castle (Disney/ABC)
Fringe (Warner Bros.)
Leverage (Trifecta Entertainment)
Private Practice (Disney-ABC)
FIRST-RUN SERIES
Talk Shows
Katie (Disney/ABC)
Trisha Goddard Show (NBC Universal)
Steve Harvey (NBC Universal)
Ricki Lake (20th Television)
Jeff Probst (CBS Television)
Bethenny (Warner Bros.) - six-week summer test run on Fox owned stations
Court Shows
Justice for All with Cristina Perez (Entertainment Studios)
Game Shows/Reality
Baggage (Sony Pictures Television)
News Magazine
America Now (Raycom)
Dish Nation (Twentieth Television)
The Electric Playground (PPI Releasing)
RightThisMinute (Raycom)
First-Run Weekly Airings
Bloopers (Trifecta) (NYC: WPIX)
The First Family (sitcom, Entertainment Studios)
Mr. Box Office (sitcom, Entertainment Studios)
Best Little Auction House (Telco)
Bob Vila (Telco Productions)
Children's Med Dallas (Target Vision)
Real Green (Telco Productions)
Unsealed: The Alien Files (Bellum Entertainment/Tribune)
Unsealed: The Conspiracy Files (Bellum Entertainment/Tribune)
What America Thinks with Scott Rasmussen (Telco)
Remember this is what is being offered. Some of these entries have not gotten clearances, but if and when they do, we'll let you know. Discuss this update on our message board and we will keep that thread updated all-year until the fall. So keep checking that and stay with us!
Nickelodeon, in partnership with Televisa, has ordered 80 episodes of a groundbreaking, original one-hour U.S. adaptation of the popular Mexican telenovela, Reach for a Star (Alcanzar una Estrella) for Nick at Nite. The first telenovela ever adapted for the U.S. audience, Reach for a Star is a single-camera, daily series following a teenage girl whose life changes completely when she becomes a star and wins the love of her teen idol. Reach for a Star will be produced in association with Sony Pictures Television and is set to premiere later this year on Nickelodeon's nighttime block for families--Nick at Nite. Production begins in March in Los Angeles, CA.
Reach for a Star follows Nickelodeon's success with its live-action serialized series, House of Anubis and Degrassi. Nickelodeon has also experienced tremendous success with the format in Europe and Latin America. The Reach for a Star series is an adaptation of the hit Mexican telenovela, Alcanzar una Estrella, first broadcast on Canal de las Estrellas and Univision in 1990. The success of the series led to a film and sequel telenovela starring Latin American pop sensations, Ricky Martin and Sasha Sokol. Reach for a Star is about a smart, shy and independent high school senior, Loren, who has ambitions of being a songwriter and secretly sends her song lyrics to her celebrity crush, rock superstar Eddie Wild. Loren's wildest dreams come true when she not only wins a songwriting competition sponsored by Eddie, but strikes up a friendship with her idol. Eddie sees beyond Loren's potential as a songwriter and gives her a first break as a singer, and when the truth about his less-than-faithful girlfriend Chloe is revealed, Eddie and Loren's friendship blossoms. The series will be co-executive produced by six-time Emmy Award-winner Jill Farren Phelps (General Hospital, One Life to Live) and Hisham Abed (The Hills and The City). Josh Griffith (Young and the Restless, As the World Turns) will serve as head writer.
The original series is likely going to be paired with Nick at Nite staple George Lopez, which airs every night at 9:00pm & 9:30pm. Stay with us for a premiere date for Reach for a Star and timeslot details. Remember Nick at Nite also has a pilot order for a sitcom starring Scott Baio, should that go to series. So Nick at Nite is ramping it up in originals now!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
NATPE 2012: Day 2 Has MeTV Acquiring Classic Media Series Like He-Man; Lifetime TV Pulls Reba From Schedule
MeTV Network, Memorable Entertainment Television announced from NATPE an agreement with Broadcast Partners LLC and its Classic Media Library. MeTV will be adding a weekend morning animation block featuring multi-generational favorites such as Gumby, Mr. Magoo, He-Man and She-Ra. The programming will be added to the MeTV schedule beginning in the second quarter of 2012. Me-TV affiliates will have the option of carrying additional programming including the live action classics: Timmy and Lassie Hour; and The Lone Ranger; as well as the animated series: The Archies; Ghostbusters; Casper and Friends; and Bravestarr.
Neal Sabin, President of Content and Networks for Weigel Broadcasting Company, says He-Man is celebrating its 30th anniversary this summer. MeTV is now seen in more than 73% of the country.
Elsewhere at NATPE, in only four months, Katie Couric's highly anticipated nationally syndicated talk show, Katie, has already been cleared in 93% of the country. Katie will premiere on leading stations across the country in September 2012. Disney-ABC Domestic Television has secured outstanding station clearances and key early fringe time periods for the LIVE one-hour daily daytime talk show. Sales to date include 95 of the top 100 markets. In addition to the ABC Owned station group, Katie has also been sold to leading stations from broadcast groups including Allbritton Communications, Belo Corporation, Cox Media Group, Gannett Broadcasting, Granite, Griffin, Hearst Television, LIN Broadcasting, McGraw-Hill, Media General, Meredith, Raycom, Scripps Howard Broadcasting, Sinclair and Young Broadcasting, among others.
We'll have more from NATPE tomorrow with our annual look on what is being offered in first-run syndication and new off-network series.
Lifetime TV has made a last minute schedule change that will start next week (Monday, Jan. 30). It is a minor schedule change, but they will remove Reba from its weekday mornings at 8:00am & 8:30am timeslots. Instead, they will add another hour of Will & Grace, which already airs from 9am-11am. No word on when Reba will return, but it has been pulled before but it returned quickly after. No other schedule changes are being made at Lifetime TV, so expect Old Christine from 11am-1pm, Desperate Housewives at 1pm, Grey's Anatomy at 2pm & 3pm and an hour of How I Met Your Mother at 4pm to continue in daytime. From 5pm-4am will be a mix of original series encores and actual original series in primetime, like Dance Mom, America's Most Wanted and Project Runway. Lifetime also airs Wife Swap on some nights.
In other Lifetime news, in its world premiere Saturday night, the Lifetime Original Movie Drew Peterson: Untouchable, starring Golden Globe(R) and Emmy(R) Award nominee Rob Lowe (Parks & Recreation, Brothers & Sisters) and Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory, 8 Simple Rules), generated record viewership, averaging 5.8 million Total Viewers, making it cable's most watched original movie in the demo in two years since Lifetime's The Pregnancy Pact on January 23, 2010. Additionally, the 5.8 million Total Viewers represent a 241% jump versus Lifetime's original movie premiere average in 2011. Based on a true story about police officer Drew Peterson's (Lowe) fall from grace after the mysterious disappearance of his fourth wife (Cuoco), the movie posted Lifetime's best numbers for an original movie premiere among the key demos since the January 3, 2011, debut of The Craigslist Killer, including 2.5 million Adults 25-54 viewers (+233% vs. the network's original movie premiere average in 2011), 2.2 million Adults 18-49 viewers (+210%), 1.8 million Women 25-54 viewers (+215%) and 1.5 million Women 18-49 viewers (+178%), according to Nielsen Research. Drew Peterson: Untouchable also generated a 4.25 Household rating (+223%).
It was a really good movie and Rob Lowe did a great job with perhaps an Emmy nomination coming? Anyway, we'll have more on Lifetime should anything change, so stay with us!
Monday, January 23, 2012
NATPE 2012: Day 1 Has WKRP in Cincinnati Coming to Antenna TV; Retired at 35 Bumped Off of March 7 on TV Land
Baby, if you've ever wondered that if WKRP in Cincinnati would be back on TV, now no need to wonder if that will happen! Why? Because digital simulcast network Antenna TV has announced at the annual National Association of Television Program Executive (NATPE) conference that the hit '70s sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati is coming in April 2012! The sitcom is about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. Among the stars on the series are Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Gordon Jump, Loni Anderson, Jan Smithers and Tim Reid. The series last aired regularly on television on Tribune's WGN America in 2008-09, but that was on cable and Antenna TV is a digital broadcast network. Prior to WGN America airing, it was on AmericanLife TV in 2007. When WGN America aired it, all of the music seemed to be intact and I think that will be the case on Tribune's Antenna TV as well.
Antenna TV will air all 90 episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati starting in April and will air it on Sunday nights during a two-hour block following NewsRadio to create a three-hour dysfunctional radio block in primetime! WKRP in Cincinnati will be replacing Married...with Children, which will be resting for a bit. Following WKRP in Cincinnati will still be the addicting '70s sitcom Soap, so WKRP in Cincinnati and Soap air back-to-back as well. Loni Anderson and Diana Canova back-to-back! We'll have exact timings coming soon, but expect this order starting in primetime.
We will have more on Antenna TV's new spring schedule that will start in April in the coming weeks, But we're not expecting any series to be removed from the schedule except Married...with Children, which is just resting anyway. Will more shows come to Antenna TV in the spring and will we see some timeslot changes for some shows? (I'm hoping the underrated Too Close for Comfort finally goes to weekdays) We will let you know as soon as we can announce that. But for now let's remember, "I'm at WKRP in Cincinnati..."
Keep it right here for news from NATPE, which is from Jan. 23-25. And stay with is in the coming days and we will give you a list of the shows being offered for fall 2012 syndication, like we do every year, including the off-network sitcoms.
TV Land announced that the second season of the network's hit original sitcom, Happily Divorced (which began production on January 17, 2012 at CBS Radford Studios) will now premiere at 10:30pm on March 7, rather than 10:00pm. The twelve new episodes of Happily Divorced will premiere on Wednesday, March 7 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, so this means the second season of Retired at 35 will not premiere until later in the year. There is no word on when because TV Land also has the Hot in Cleveland spin-off series Have Faith premieres June 6. Encores of Hot in Cleveland will air at 10:00pm leading into Happily Divorced starting March 7, as Cleveland's mid-season finale is on Feb. 15 before it returns June 6 at 10pm with its second half.
Retired at 35 follows a successful businessman (Jonathan McClain) who decides to chuck the New York City rat race... and retires to Florida, three decades ahead of time and moves into his parents' (played by George Segal and Jessica Walter) Florida condo in a brand new world of sunshine and fun, from slow-moving softball games to really early dinners. And of course, Happily Divorced is based on Fran Drescher's real life as Los Angeles florist Fran (Drescher) as she deals with dating after finding out her realtor husband of 18 years (John Michael Higgins) is gay. The show focuses on how she juggles her new relationships and her ex-husband post-divorce while still living under the same roof.
Stay with us for more information and also stay with us soon for some schedule changes at TV Land.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Week 18 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did
2011-12 Week 18 TV Ratings (first four nights, Mon-Thu):
Households: #1. Fox 7.4 rating/11.1 share; #2. CBS 7.2/11.2; #3. ABC 4.9/7.6; #4. NBC 4.3/6.3; #5. The CW 0.9/1.3
Total Viewers: #1. Fox 12.76 million; #2. CBS 11.66 million; #3. ABC 7.6 million; #4. NBC 6.7 million; #5. The CW 1.3 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox 4.4 rating/11.0 share; #2. CBS 2.9/7.5; #3. ABC 2.5/6.3; #4. NBC 1.9/4.8, #5. The CW 0.6/1.5
Week 18 (Jan. 16-22) Analysis: Week 18 had the return of American Idol on Fox and even though both airings were down about 25% each, it was still enough for a first place finish so far. The first four night network averages has Fox on top in all categories over CBS. ABC follows in third everywhere. And then NBC is back in fourth place, where it deserves to be. When the week is over with, Fox will win the week as they have also most of the NFL NFC Championship Game in primetime tonight. I'm not sure if Idol itself would have carried Fox to number one, but it probably would have. It's just that the NFC game will make them do it for sure. CBS should be in a comfortable second place, even with no NFL for them in primetime this week. ABC and NBC will likely remain as is in third and fourth place. More on the prediction of week 18 below. As for last week, week 17, CBS won the week in all key categories thanks to the primetime NFL Divisional Playoff Game on Saturday. Fox was in second everywhere as the overrun on Sunday night for the NFL Divisional Playoff game certainly boosted them big time. ABC was third in all categories, while NBC was fourth across the board with no NFL to help them at all. Even the Golden Globes couldn't get them out of 4th.
On Monday, it was a CBS victory with new episodes. First, on ABC, The Bachelor started it off from 8-10pm with 7.43 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, up some from previous week's series low. I think it will likely go higher and higher now. At 10pm, Castle was all-new and did a solid 9.41 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, down a tenth from its previous week. For CBS, How I Met Your Mother was new doing 10.08 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating, which is great and up from its last outing a few weeks back. Then a new episode of the breakout hit 2 Broke Girls followed doing a better 11.4 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, with nice builds from the lead-in like usual. At 9pm, a new Two and a Half Men did 13.02 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, which is great but down from normal and couldn't build from the lead-in like it always does. A new Mike & Molly followed and did 11.09 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, its usual showing. A new Hawaii Five-0 was next doing 10.73 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating. Fox premiered new drama Alcatraz with a two-hour premiere, as House will return tomorrow, and did 10.05 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating. That's solid and similar to the Terra Nova launch, but can this series do better than that show in subsequent weeks? NBC preempted its 8-10pm block of Who's Still Standing? and Fear Factor for an old staple, Betty White! And guess what? She delivered. The special Betty White's 90th Birthday Celebration did 13.86 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, skewing a bit old but it improved the timeslot in 18-49. A preview episode of upcoming hidden camera series Betty White's Off Their Rockers got sampled with 12.26 million and as 2.6 18-49 rating. Perhaps the 90th birthday should have been two-hours and the hidden camera series preview in the 10pm hour? Why? Because at 10pm, NBC aired a new episode of Rock Center with Brian Williams and it did just 5.57 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, up from previous week's series low but still so low. The CW was half all-new, at 8pm a new Gossip Girl did 1.29 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, which is not good. At 9pm a repeat of Hart of Dixie did 790,000 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating.
On Tuesday, with CBS in repeats, it was Fox with the win in young adults. CBS had a repeat of NCIS do 13.23 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, its usual repeat style ratings. Then a repeat of NCIS: Los Angeles did 9.4 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, a below normal repeat performance. And at 10pm, a repeat of Unforgettable did 7.45 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. This show has done OK, but I think CBS can do better. ABC started with new comedy Last Man Standing with Tim Allen leading the night off doing a solid 8.59 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating for a new showing, which was up from previous week's low when the New Hampshire primary results were before it for a few minutes (some market preemptions also). At 8:30pm a repeat followed, as Work It has been canned, doing 6.52 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating. Then at 9pm, ABC aired a new Celebrity Wife Swap and did 5.84 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, on par with previous week again and solid. This is reality filler until the new drama The River launches on Feb. 7. Body of Proof was next at 10pm and was also new doing 7.94 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which was on par with previous week but up a million in total viewers. Fox aired a new Glee and did only 7.5 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, solid but this show is no longer a top hit. How quickly the downfall happened. Then the comedies took the 9pm hour with a new showing of New Girl doing 6.97 million and a 3.4 18-49 rating, solid and its usual build out of the lead-in. Then at 9:30pm a new Raising Hope did 5.03 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which could be better. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser from 8-10pm doing 6.66 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, which is down a tenth only from the previous week. At 10pm, NBC aired a new Parenthood and did just 4.97 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, which is on par with previous week but below normal again. The CW started it off with a new 90210 and did 1.25 million and a 0.6 18-49 rating, not good. Then at 9pm, Ringer was preempted for the premiere of new reality series Remodeled and did only 670,000 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating. Not good at all!
Wednesday it was Fox with the win even though Idol returned with 25% lower numbers than last season's premiere. First, CBS started the night off with a repeat of NCIS doing 9.0 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. Then fat 9pm, a new Criminal Minds did 13.0 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, below normal. And at 10pm a new CSI did 12.02 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, perhaps a bit above normal thanks to the penultimate episode of Marg Helgenberger. ABC was all-new for its Laugh On comedy block with The Middle doing 8.08 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, which is solid but down week-to-week thanks to Idol. It just isn't that bad of a drop, which is good news. Suburgatory followed at 8:30pm with 7.05 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, down from previous week and the drop isn't that bad either. The mega hit Modern Family was next at 9pm and it did 11.89 million and 5.1 18-49 rating for a new episode, on par with from previous week even with the Idol premiere airing. At 9:30pm, Happy Endings was new and did 6.05 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, solid and down just a tenth from previous week. At 10pm a new episode of the addicting Revenge did 7.67 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. ABC Wednesday returns with new episodes on Feb. 8, as the next two weeks are repeats. As mentioned, Fox aired the two-hour season premiere of American Idol doing 21.93 million and a 7.4 18-49 rating, down nearly 25% from last season. It will likely drop a point or so this Wednesday, so while still a big hit, other shows are competing decently now. NBC opened the night with a new episode of the terrible series Whitney doing 4.15 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, for a series low. Week two of Are You There, Chelsea followed with only 4.21 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, down from its premiere. Not good for both sitcoms. At 9pm, Harry's Law was all-new doing 6.41 million and only a 1.1 18-49 rating, down a tenth week-to-week. And at 10pm, Law & Order: SVU was new too and did 6.42 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, down some from previous week. The CW had a new One Tree Hill at 8pm doing 1.53 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, down some from previous week, but better 18-49 rating than the Mon and Tues series at 8pm, yet this show is ending this season. Then at 9pm a repeat of Remodeled did only 560,000 viewers and a 0.3 18-49 rating.
Thursday it was Fox just barely over CBS. Starting with ABC, they opened the night with a new Winter Wipeout doing 5.85 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, but down from previous week as it got affected by Idol. At 9pm, a new Grey's Anatomy aired doing 9.42 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, down some from the previous week but still won its time period. At 10pm, Private Practice was next and did a solid 6.0 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, which was down some from previous week and could be better. CBS opened with a new The Big Bang Theory at 15.83 million and a 5.3 18-49 rating, great and the same as previous week even with Idol airing. In fact, it beat that show in its first half-hour! Wow. Then week two of Rob was next doing 11.41 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, down from the premiere obviously. Still decent, but will it stay in this range? If it does, CBS will bring this show back for sure. A new Person of Interest benefited from the stronger lead-in and did 14.4 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. A new The Mentalist followed and did 14.22 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, up from previous week. Fox aired the Thursday premiere of American Idol at 8pm doing 18.02 million and a 5.7 18-49 rating, great but also down big from last season's premiere. Can it stay in this area or will it drop this week? Then a new episode of The Finder at 9pm totally squandered the lead-in and did just 6.58 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, but up from its premiere. Still not good. NBC was all-new with a new 30 Rock up first doing just 4.05 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, for a series low and look on par with Community maybe. Then Parks and Recreation was next doing 4.25 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, on par with previous week. The Office was next at 9pm doing 6.02 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, up a tenth from previous week. At 9:30pm Up All Night was new and did just 3.98 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week and no better than Whitney. Face it, NBC doesn't have any scripted hits. At 10pm, a new episode of new drama The Firm did only 3.42 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating, which is down some from previous week and maybe lower than. Prime Suspect style. Total mismatch out of these comedies. The CW's big gun Vampire Diaries was all-new and did 2.71 million and a 1.1 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week. Why so low? At 9pm, new drama The Secret Circle was new and did 1.63 million and a 0.7 18-49 rating, also down a tenth from previous week.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but ABC won Friday night with CBS dramas in repeats. ABC was #1 at 8pm with the season premiere of Shark Tank which had its highest total viewers ever and won the hour with a prelim 1.7 18-49 rating and besting usual timeslot leader Kitchen Nightmares on Fox. The return of What Would You Do? was solid and 20/20 won the night at 10pm. NBC's Chuck was new but of course low at 8pm, while Grimm won 9pm, edging ABC. Fox had Fringe do terrible at 9pm and it doesn't look like another season is coming.
Saturday numbers have ABC and NBC tied on a low rated night, but Betty White encores saved NBC again from last place as it tied ABC's movie Over the Hedge. Fox and CBS were close behind, with Cops the highest rated program of the night.
Tonight ABC's regular Sunday of AFV, Once Upon a Time, Desperate Housewives and Pan Am is all-new again! Look for some below normal ratings opposite the NFC Championship Game, but Once Upon a Time should still do solid. NBC has no NFL anymore on Sundays (except the Super Bowl) until next fall, so they will be dead last tonight with Dateline & two Prime Suspect burn-off episodes. CBS has an all-new 60 Minutes at 7pm followed by a new Undercover Boss, but then repeats of The Good Wife and CSI: Miami. CBS will likely be third place behind Fox and ABC. Fox has the NFC Championship Game that will easily win the night of course. Giants or 49ers? NBC is hoping for the Giants to face the Patriots in the Super Bowl, I'm sure.
As for the week (week 18), it should be Fox with the win easily thanks to NFC Championship Game and Idol. CBS will be second, followed by ABC, then NBC fourth for the week. As for the coming week (week 19), Fox returns House to Mondays at 8pm, but that show is almost dead anyway. The state of the Union is on Tuesday and lots of repeats the rest of the week as we wait for February sweeps to start on Feb. 2. Fox will have a preview episode of the new drama Touch on Wednesday at 9pm, as that will air regularly starting in March on Monday nights. Seems weird to air it right now, though. Pick of the week: Shark Tank on ABC Friday. So addicting!
Week 18 How the Sitcoms Did
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for Week 17 -- Jan. 9-15)
- The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode did 11.48 million and a 5.4 18-49 rating as it aired directly after the NFL Divisional Playoff Game in the east and central zones. So of course it is inflated as the previous week only did a 2.3 18-49 rating.
- Napoleon Dynamite (Fox) 2 airings - The series premiere was sampled thanks to the NFL jump starting the night for Fox. The premiere at 8:30pm did 8.74 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating. A second episode at 9:30pm did 6.88 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating. Both good, but it won't be this much when it airs again, which is next week as it is preempted tonight for the NFL NFC Championship Game.
- The Cleveland Show (Fox) - preempted.
- Bob's Burgers (Fox) - preempted.
- Family Guy (Fox) - A new showing did 8.31 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating, its best ratings in a long time and it can thank the NFL for that. Previous week was a 3.1 18-49 rating, so expect something similar to that next week.
- American Dad! (Fox) - preempted.
Monday Sitcoms
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A new episode did 10.08 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating, which is up nicely from its previous new episode a few weeks ago. A resurgent season.
- 2 Broke Girls (CBS) - A new episode did 11.4 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating, which is great and like usual built on its lead-in.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.02 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating for a new showing is great but below average for this show and it seems to be headed south now. Pretty soon 2 Broke Girls will have a higher 18-49 rating maybe for new episodes.
- Mike & Molly (CBS) - A new episode did 11.09 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, solid but the weak link of this block now. I think if it were moved elsewhere it wouldn't do as well, but it is a solid performer.
Tuesday Sitcoms
- Last Man Standing (ABC) 2 airings - A new episode in its 8pm half-hour did 8.59 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, up sharply from previous week which was messed up because of some preemptions for New Hampshire primary and all markets started it a few minutes late. A repeat at 8:30pm did solid for a repeat doing 6.52 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, beating Work It's previous episode.
- Cougar Town (ABC) - Returns Feb. 14 at 8:30/7:30c! Tune in and spread the word. Penny Can!
- New Girl (Fox) - A new episode did 6.97 million and a 3.4 18-49 rating, which is now its normal number after a huge start in the fall.
- Raising Hope (Fox) - A new episode did 5.03 million and 2.3 18-49 rating. It is just not a hit that Fox wants it to be. Perhaps a family comedy lead-in and an earlier timeslot would be better.
- The Middle (ABC) - A new showing did 8.08 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, its solid against Idol.
- Suburgatory (ABC) - A new episode did 7.05 million and a 2.5 18-49 rating, which is also solid but down from previous week.
- Whitney (NBC) - A new episode did just 4.15 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, which is actually down from previous week as thought.
- Are You There, Chelsea? (NBC) - Week two did only 4.21 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, down from its premiere and in trouble it looks like. Not good.
- Modern Family (ABC) - A new episode did 11.89 million and a 5.1 18-49 rating, on par with previous week even with Idol's premiere airing.
- Happy Endings (ABC) - A new episode did 6.05 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, solid and only down a tenth from previous week against the highest rated half-hour of Idol. Hilarious episode, too! "Black Ass."
Thursday Sitcoms
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A new episode did 15.83 million and a 5.3 18-49 rating, great and it beat Idol head-to-head. On par with previous week and it will be the highest rated scripted series for the week.
- Rob (CBS) - Week two did 11.41 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating, which is solid against Idol. Down from the premiere, but if it can stay right here, we'll see more of Rob Schneider next season.
- 30 Rock (NBC) - A new episode did just 4.05 million and a 1.6 18-49 rating, for a series low. This just isn't a 8pm comedy or a self-starter.
- Parks and Recreation (NBC) - A new episode followed with only 4.25 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, on par with previous week but still low. No one cares about NBC's comedies, because they are so niche and not broad.
- The Office (NBC) - A new airing at 9pm did 6.02 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, by far the best of the block for NBC and up a tenth from previous week.
- Up All Night (NBC) - A new airing did 3.98 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, down a tenth from previous week and still Whitney style. Not good. Time to bring back Christina Applegate's Samantha Who instead.
Friday Sitcoms
- None.
Saturday Sitcoms
- None.
Airing tonight (Sunday) are no comedies, as Fox's animated comedies are preempted for the NFL NFC Championship Game from 6:30pm-10pm.
Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Mike & Molly, New Girl, Rob, Happy Endings, Last Man Standing were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Office, The Middle) or just plain old terrible (such as Whitney, 30 Rock).
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Digital Digest: Mannix - The Sixth Season DVD Review
It just wouldn't be Saturday if there wasn't a Digital Digest, and this week is no exception... so welcome to Digital Digest! This week, we've got all of our regular weekly features, of course, and we have a review of CBS Home Entertainment's upcoming release of Mannix - The Sixth Season. Let's get going!
We all know that Mill Creek licensed several Carsey-Werner series not too long ago, and that they have started releasing many of these series. Among those series, we heard of That '70s Show - Season One (Blu-ray) debuting on Blu-ray, but there had been some delays along the way. Now, it seems that Mill Creek is ready to get this set rolling, with a scheduled release date of March 20 for the set. The four-disc set (yes, that is one more disc than the DVD release from Mill Creek contained, which is unusual given that Blu-ray Disc sets typically contain less discs) will contain the entire first season, along with the original special features, a new green screen feature, and even some episodes from the second season, in high-definition format. As a side note, this marks the very first time that a sitcom from the '90s will appear on Blu-ray. In fact, unless we are forgetting a series (speaking strictly of sitcoms; The Twilight Zone obviously is not a sitcom), this will also be the oldest sitcom to make it to the format so far.
This week, TVShowsOnDVD.com brought some new information to light about a DVD set that has been "in the works" for almost a year now that finally appears to be coming to light. Bob's Burgers - Season One is finally making it in to the "ready to be announced" phase of DVD production, rather than just being mentioned as a "Coming Soon" released in several Fox DVD releases. In other words, the studio finally officially announced it, and set a release date of April 17. You can read more about this release, and the bonus features to be included on the set, by visiting TVShowsOnDVD.com.
UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW
Tuesday (January 24) is a good day if you are a fan of crime dramas, with the release of another season of a classic crime drama and a collection of movies from another classic crime drama. From CBS Home Entertainment comes Mannix - The Sixth Season, a six-disc set containing every episode of the 1972-1973 season of the series. We have a review of this DVD set in today's Digital Digest. Additionally, Shout! Factory is releasing Kojak - The Complete Movie Collection, an excellent collection of eight (the original pilot and seven post-series) movies featuring the iconic detective. We reviewed this set last weekend in Digital Digest. Finally, there is one sitcom release for Tuesday, with Lionsgate's Meet the Browns - Season 4. You can read our review of this set here.
BLOG FEATURE REVIEW
Blog DVD Review: Mannix - The Sixth Season (CBS DVD, $49.99)
by skees53
One of America's classic private eyes from the '70s returns to DVD once again with Mannix - The Sixth Season. The six disc set contains all 24 episodes from the 1972-1973 of the action-packed, crime-solving series starring Mike Conners as Joe Mannix, and Gail Fisher as his secretary Peggy Fair, in a six-disc set.
The sixth season begins with "The Open Web," where Mannix leads the manhunt for a gang leader after he escapes from police custody. Mannix is out to investigate who killed an attorney's high-profile client in "The Crimson Halo." A pilot doesn't live to see the presentation of an experimental plane in "Portrait of a Hero." In "To Kill a Memory," an amnesiac soldier believed to be dead suddenly returns. A child's prize winning stamp collection could be motivation for murder in "The Upside Down Penny." In "One Step to Midnight," the granddaughter of an exiled mob boss is being stalked by one of her grandfather's dangerous friends. Crop dusters are missing in "Harvest of Death." Mannix investigates the death of a fellow private eye in "A Puzzle for One," and ends up taking on one of his cases in the meantime.
Mannix has to clear the name of the son of one of Peggy's friends after clues lead to him being the perpetrator of a fatal mugging in "See No Evil." In "A Game of Shadows," Mannix searches for a wanted killer with no identity. A hit-and-run leads to murder accusations for a man in "A Matter of Principle." Peggy goes undercover as a hooker to break up a drug ring in "Out of the Night." In "The Faces of Murder," Mannix must sift through a family of lies after a brother and sister confess to the same crime. A bum's patchwork coat makes him a murder target in "To Quote a Dead Man." The season concludes with "The Danford File," where political blackmail takes an eerie turn when all clues point to the blackmailer being dead.
The episodes appear to be unedited, with runtimes as follows:
Disc 1:
1. "The Open Web" (50:44)
2. "Cry Silence" (50:45)
3. "The Crimson Halo" (50:46)
4. "Broken Mirror" (50:43)
Disc 2:
5. "Portrait of a Hero" (50:45)
6. "The Inside Man" (50:44)
7. "To Kill a Memory" (50:43)
8. "The Upside Down Penny" (50:44)
Disc 3:
9. "One Step to Midnight" (50:42)
10. "Harvest of Death" (50:42)
11. "A Puzzle For One" (50:44)
12. "Lost Sunday" (50:42)
Disc 4:
13. "See No Evil" (50:46)
14. "Light and Shadow" (50:44)
15. "A Game of Shadows" (50:41)
16. "The Man Who Wasn't There" (50:18)
Disc 5:
17. "A Matter of Principle" (50:30)
18. "Out of the Night" (50:32)
19. "Carol Lockwood, Past Tense" (50:25)
20. "The Faces of Murder" (50:25)
Disc 6:
21. "Search for a Whisper" (50:21)
22. "To Quote a Dead Man" (50:25)
23. "A Problem of Innocence" (50:27)
24. "The Danford File" (50:25)
The packaging for this set is just like the previous releases, employing the usual Viva-case. On the cover, we have a large photo of Joe Mannix, along with the set title, and like the previous sets, there are six "bullets" shown on the cover to indicate the sixth season. On the back, there are several episode snapshots, along with a very generic description of the series. Inside, you'll find the six discs, all of which have gray artwork with the series logo on them. Each disc contains exactly four episodes. Also, inside the case, you'll find a listing of all of the episodes, along with descriptions and original airdates.
As has been the case in the previous releases, the menus on this set are actually very nicely done. The main menu on each disc begins with a video sequence similar to the opening credits, while the theme song plays in the background. After a few seconds, you get to the menu, which lists the episodes, along with Play All and Subtitles, on the bottom of the screen, and plays video clips from the episodes on the top of the screen. Once you select an episode, it plays right away. Chapters are placed throughout each episode at all of the appropriate places.
The video and audio quality on this set is excellent. Like most other CBS DVD releases, considerable effort was taken to remaster the episodes to bring them up to current standards as best as possible. There really don't seem to be any major defects in the video or audio, and even grain and debris seems to be kept to a minimum. The black levels on the video seem to be a tiny bit off, but it isn't too bad. The audio is presented in mono, and is mostly loud and clear. Every episode on the set contains English subtitles.
There are no special features on this set at all. It would have been nice to have seen some original promos or something along those lines. Apparently, there is an on-going legal dispute between Mike Connors and CBS regarding royalties on these sets, so I wouldn't expect to see him taking part in any new special features on these sets.
Despite being a barebones set, this is still another great set for the series. I have a feeling that we will certainly see the final two seasons in the upcoming year or so, but they'll likely be barebones sets, just as this one and most of the previous ones have been. It is really too bad, considering that this series is a fan favorite. But it is really nice to see that this series has been coming along rather nicely on DVD. Fans of the series will definitely want to own this release, and if you've never seen the series, you may enjoy it if you are a fan of '70s crime drama. This series is definitely one of the "classics" and has rightfully earned that spot.
(4/5 stars)To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com
Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com DVD Reviews Page
Mannix on TV.com
CLICK OF THE WEEK
Retroality.tv (www.retroality.tv) - Like last week, we're going more into pop-culture territory again this week than we normally do for our Click of the Week, but it is for a good pop-culture television website. Retroality.tv will certainly appear at first glance to be another blog, just from the perspective of a different person. However, the "different person" who runs this particular blog is Chris Mann, a name that many of our blog readers know. And if you don't know who he is, we'll just tell you who he says he is, described in his own word: "A TV tell-all author and producer, Chris has covered celebrities, controversy, pop culture and health as a freelance writer for the LA Times, TV Guide, emmy, Radar and lifestyle magazines." In other words, he is no bedroom blogger, but he goes out to get the stories, interviews, and covers the celebrities--the good, the bad, and the ugly--as a career. Given that, it should be no surprise what this website is all about.
For the most part, you'll find most of Mann's recent articles from various publications on this website, and a lot of them are about the television stars that we all know and love. You'll also find some original pieces on this website, complete with Mann's ability to uncover parts of the story that we haven't heard before. And just this past October, one of the newest features of the website debuted, the "Retroality.TV Presents Reimagine That! with Chris Mann" podcast, which makes appearances with new episodes roughly once a month. You'll find many interviews and scoops here, and considering that it is still a relatively new feature, there are still a lot of possibilities for the feature as time goes on. So we'd like to suggest that you head on over to Retroality.TV, our Click of the Week.
That's all for this week. Until next time, keep it digital!
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