Today in TV History:
Catwoman (Julie Newmar) and King Tut (Victor Buono) return to menace the Caped Crusaders on camp classic Batman in 1967 and 1968, respectively. Chita Rivera and Bob Newhart guest star on The Carol Burnett Show in 1971. And a multi-car accident keeps the doctors occupied on the 150th episode of ER in 2001. The long-running medical drama concluded on April 2, 2009 after 331 episodes.
In Today’s Issue
NETWORK
-More Midseason Changes on NBC
-Midseason Network Scorecard
-Updated DVR Rankers
CABLE
-Radio Rebel Scores on Disney Channel
-Magic Johnson to Launch ASPIRE
SCHEDULE BOX
-On the Air Tonight
TRIVIA CHALLENGE
-Small Screen Pairs
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NETWORK
Note: The metered market (overnight) ratings for Tuesday, February 21 were not available at press time. Fast affiliate results, which include total viewers and adults 18-49, will be posted at our website, www.tvmediainsights.com, by approximately 12 p.m. ET.
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More Midseason Changes on NBC
NBC has announced time periods for new comedies Bent, Best Friends Forever, and hidden camera Off Their Rockers With Betty White; plus new slots for Rock Center With Brian Williams and 30 Rock; and the return of sitcom Community.
Bent, which features Amanda Peet as a recently divorced lawyer, will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. out of Are You There, Chelsea? (and opposite Modern Family on ABC) effective on March 21. Back-to-back episodes will populate the hour for two weeks. Off Their Rockers With Betty White, which was amply sampled in its Monday, Jan. 16 preview, will inherit the Wednesday 8 p.m. half-hour on April 4, leading into Best Friends Forever at 8:30 p.m., the comedic tale of a woman (Jessica St. Clair) who moves in with her best friend (Lennon Parham) after her husband files for divorce. Off Their Rockers With Betty White and Best Friends Forever replace Whitney and Are You There, Chelsea?, which will have completed their first season runs.
Three-year-old Community will return to its former Thursday 8 p.m. time period on March 15, leading into relocated 30 Rock at 8:30 p.m., which temporarily replaces Parks and Recreation. Parks and Recreation moves into the Thursday 9:30 p.m. half-hour (out of The Office) effective on April 19 after current occupant Up All Night concludes its freshman season run. Newsmagazine Rock Center With Brian Williams, meanwhile, shifts into the Wednesday 10 p.m. time period for five weeks beginning on March 7, giving veteran Law & Order: SVU a break until April 11.
Midseason Network Scorecard
Seven weeks into midseason, here is the status of the recent crop of new primetime entries, plus what is coming up next. Unlike the quartet of fall freshman hits (ABC’s Once Upon a Time; CBS’ 2 Broke Girls and Person of Interest; Fox’s New Girl), plus a number of other potential returnees, nothing new in midseason to-date looks like it has breakout potential. But there is still hope. Hidden camera Betty White’s Off Their Rockers on NBC and Fox drama Touch have only previewed, while 11 series (ABC’s Don’t Trust the B____ in Apartment 23, GCB, Missing and Scandal; CBS’ NYC 22; NBC’s Awake, Bent, Best Friends Forever and Fashion Star; and Fox’s Hotel Hell and recently announced Q’Viva! The Chosen) have yet to air.
All times are Eastern on the following chart.
ABC
-Celebrity Wife Swap (Tues. 9 p.m.): gone and quickly forgotten
-Don’t Trust the B____ in Apartment 23 (Wed. 9:30 p.m.): debuts on April 11
-GCB (Sun. 10 p.m.): debuts on March 4
-Missing (Thurs. 8 p.m.): debuts on March 15
-The River (Tues. 9 p.m.): respectable sampling, but double-digit percent losses in week two
-Scandal (Thurs. 10 p.m.): debuts on April 5
-Work It (Tues. 8:30 p.m.): canceled after two episodes; Cougar Town stepped in on Feb. 14
CBS
-NYC 22 (Sun. 10 p.m.): debuts on April 15
-Rob! (Thurs. 8:30 p.m.): considerable erosion out of The Big Bang Theory; second season renewal 50/50
NBC
-Are You There, Chelsea? (Wed. 8:30 p.m.): not benefiting from the lack of lead-in support from relocated Whitney
-Awake (Thurs. 10 p.m.): debuts on March 1
-Bent (Wed. 9 p.m.): debuts on March 21
-Best Friends Forever (Wed. 8:30 p.m.): debuts on April 4
-Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (Wed. 8 p.m.): solid sampling on Monday, Jan. 16 preview; debuts as the Wednesday anchor on April 4
-Fashion Star (Tues. 10 p.m.): debuts on March 13 from 9-11 p.m.
-The Firm (Thurs. 10 p.m.): yanked from time period after four episodes; downgraded to Saturday at 9 p.m.
-Smash (Mon. 10 p.m.): double-digit percent losses out of bona fide hit The Voice in weeks two and three could be detrimental
Fox
-Alcatraz (Mon. 9 p.m.): respectable sampling on Jan. 16, but fading as the week’s progress
-The Finder (Thurs. 9 p.m.): too much erosion out of American Idol means a second season is unlikely
-Hotel Hell (Friday 8 p.m.): debuts on April 6
-Napoleon Dynamite (Sun. 8:30 p.m.): modest results out of The Simpsons; Bob’s Burgers returns on March 11
-Q’Viva! The Chosen (Saturday 8-10 p.m.): debuts on March 3; regularly scheduled Cops takes a breather
-Touch (Mon. 9 p.m.): previewed on Jan. 25 out of American Idol; debuts on Monday, March 19 out of House
CW
-Remodeled (Tues. 9 p.m.): colossal failure; could be The CW’s lowest rated series ever
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Updated DVR Rankers
Based on Live Plus Same Day season to-date data through February 5, there are no major changes from one week earlier. Modern Family on ABC remains firmly entrenched as the series benefiting the most from added DVR usage; CBS has the most shows ranked in the top 30 (including 6 of the top 10); and eight freshman series are in that top ranking (led by 2.88 additional viewers, on average, for Alcatraz on Fox, which is on the fence for a second season renewal). The two weekly installments of American Idol on Fox, meanwhile, have fallen out of the top 10.
The below top 30 ranking is in order of number of viewers added via DVR usage (with percent increase in parentheses):
Modern Family (ABC) – 13.13 to 17.89 million: +4.76 million (+36.3 percent)
The Mentalist (CBS) – 13.13 to 16.63 million: +3.50 million (+26.7 percent)
Hawaii Five-O (CBS) – 11.04 to 14.51 million: +3.47 million (+31.4 percent)
Two and a Half Men (CBS) – 16.41 to 19.63 million: +3.22 million (+19.6 percent)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – 10.14 to 13.28 million: +3.14 million (+31.0 percent)
NCIS (CBS) – 19.63 to 22.75 million: +3.12 million (+15.8 percent)
Criminal Minds (CBS) – 12.94 to 16.05 million: +3.11 million (+24.0 percent)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – 15.12 to 18.12 million: +3.00 million (+19.9 percent)
Bones (Fox) – 8.91 to 11.90 million: +2.99 million (+33.6 percent)
Castle (ABC) – 10.80 to 13.77 million: +2.97 million (+27.6 percent)
CSI (CBS) – 11.62 to 14.57 million: +2.95 million (+25.4 percent)
Alcatraz (Fox) – 9.39 to 12.27 million: +2.88 million (+30.7 percent)
Glee (Fox) – 7.86 to 10.72 million: +2.86 million (+36.4 percent)
Person of Interest (CBS) – 12.84 to 15.70 million: +2.86 million (+22.3 percent)
American Idol – Thursday (Fox) – 17.52 to 20.37 million: +2.85 million (+16.3 percent)
New Girl (Fox) – 7.71 to 10.51 million: +2.80 million (+36.3 percent)
House (Fox) – 7.82 to 10.58 million: +2.76 million (+35.3 percent)
American Idol – Wednesday (Fox) – 20.49 to 23.25 million: +2.76 million (+13.5 percent)
Blue Bloods (CBS) – 11.59 to 14.31 million: +2.72 million (+23.5 percent)
Body of Proof (ABC) – 8.81 to 11.51 million: +2.70 million (+36.6 percent)
Once Upon a Time (ABC) – 10.65 to 13.30 million: +2.65 million (+24.9 percent)
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) – 15.76 to 18.38 million: +2.62 million (+16.6 percent)
Unforgettable (CBS) – 11.71 to 14.27 million: +2.56 million (+21.9 percent)
Revenge (ABC) – 8.16 to 10.71 million: +2.55 million (+31.3 percent)
Terra Nova (Fox) – 7.60 to 10.08 million: +2.48 million (+32.6 percent)
The Office (NBC) – 6.01 to 8.37 million: +2.36 million (+38.3 percent)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC) – 7.56 to 9.87 million: +2.31 million (+30.6 percent)
Harry’s Law (NBC) – 7.76 to 10.06 million: +2.30 million (+29.6 percent)
Grimm (NBC) – 5.46 to 7.67 million: +2.21 million (+40.5 percent)
Private Practice (ABC) – 6.81 to 8.95 million: +2.14 million (+31.4 percent)
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Academy Awards Pick’em is Now Available at TVMI
As we countdown to The 84th Annual Academy Awards, which airs live on ABC this Sunday, now is your chance to chime in with your picks. Is The Artist the movie to beat as Best Picture? Will Viola Davis beat two-time winner (and perennial nominee) Meryl Streep for Best Actress? Will either George Clooney or Brad Pitt snag the trophy for Best Actor? Click on the following for Douglas Pucci’s Oscars Pick’em at TV Media Insights: http://bit.ly/TVMIdg.
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE AT TV MEDIA INSIGHTS
Contact Joel Spicola at joel@tvmediainsights.com or 720/323-4055 for more information.
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CABLE
Radio Rebel Scores on Disney Channel
Original Disney Channel movie Radio Rebel finished Friday, February 17 as the top-rated telecast overall for the evening among kids 2-11 (2.4 million), kids 6-11 (2.0 million) and tweens 9-14 (1.8), and cable’s No.1 scripted telecast in the 8-10 p.m. block in total viewers (4.3 million). Combined with regularly scheduled Austin & Ally, So Random!, Good Luck Charlie and A.N.T. Farm, Disney Channel held Friday’s Top 6 telecasts in kids 2-11, the Top 10 in kids 6-11, and the Top 8 in tweens 9-14. Posting significant double-digit percent gains start to finish, Radio Rebel grew by 26 percent in total viewers (3.8 million to 4.8 million) and as much as 33 percent in tweens 9-14 (1.5 million to 2.0 million).
Magic Johnson to Launch ASPIRE
Basketball legend and entrepreneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson has announced the launch of ASPIRE, a new African-American network focused on entertainment, education and inspiration. ASPIRE is one of the four upcoming minority-owned independent networks to be distributed on Comcast cable systems.
Partnered with feel-good GMC TV, Atlanta-based ASPIRE promises a slate of original and acquired programming in the categories of movies, documentaries, short films, comedy, music, variety and faith and uplifting programs.
“We are excited to be adding ASPIRE to our rich line-up of programming and look forward to its dynamic content designed to entertain and educate viewers,” said David Jensen, Vice President of Content Acquisition at Comcast. “Magic Johnson and GMC TV have brought together their impressive set of skills to create a network with an enduring focus on delivering quality programming that positively resonates with ethnically diverse communities.”
ASPIRE, which has not confirmed any new programming titles yet, is scheduled to go live in June. The other three networks debuting in 2012 on Comcast are music-themed REVOLT from Diddy Combs; El Rey, which will be an action-packed general entertainment network targeted to Latino audiences; and BabyFirst Americas, which is designed for infants, young children and their parents with a focus on early development.
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
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SCHEDULE BOX
On the Air Tonight
Wednesday, February 22
ABC
8:00 p.m. The Middle
8:30 p.m. Suburgatory
9:00 p.m. Modern Family
9:30 p.m. Happy Endings
10:00 p.m. 20/20: Before They Were Famous
CBS
8:00 p.m. Survivor One World
9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds
10:00 p.m. CSI
NBC
8:00 p.m. Whitney
8:30 p.m. Are You There, Chelsea?
9:00 p.m. Rock Center with Brian Williams
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU
Fox
8:00 p.m. American Idol (two hours)
CW
8:00 p.m. One Tree Hill
9:00 p.m. Remodeled
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TRIVIA CHALLENGE
Small Screen Pairs
Which one of the following choices was not the title of an actual TV series?
a) Hope & Gloria
b) Joe & Valerie
c) Mr. T and Sabrina
d) Ned and Stacey
e) Walter and Emily
The answer to yesterday’s question…
Who hosted the remake of classic Groucho Marx game show You Bet Your Life in 1992?
a) Bill Cosby
b) Howie Mandel
c) Wink Martindale
d) Regis Philbin
e) Rosie O’Donnell
Is: a) Bill Cosby, who probably does not include this fiasco on his resume. This was actually the third incarnation of You Bet Your Life. In 1980 there was a short-lived version hosted by comedian Buddy Hackett.
Todays Trivia All-Stars:
Danny Aguilar, Steve Albright, Mark Amato, David Ballarotto, Mary Bancroft, Barbara Beach, Jodi Berman, Gerry Bixenspan, Kimay Bloch, John Brooker, Lillian Buchman, Mitch Burg, Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Harold Cooper, Mark Cosenza, Audrey Davis, Ric Dittman Bob Eisenstaedt, Steve Ellis, Phyllis Epstein, Maureen Goldman, Robert Gori, Linda Grillo, Deidre Hanssen, Mary Ann Harkness, Michael Hoffman, Michael Holland, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Ken Jobe, Tom Joyce, Rosemarie Kelly, Synda Kollman, Ally Lattman, Marie LeFevre, Rick Locke, Kathy McClung, Jody McIntyre, Lee McMichael, Jeff Meier, Michael Murphy, Barbara Oates, Aaron Paquette, Alan Perris, Sheldon Perry, Alex Petrilli, Jr., Greg Phelan, Gary Press, Roger Price, David Primuth, Gordon Purcell, Connie Rigg, Patti Rodriguez, Lisa Tatum-Roehrig, Colleen Roth, Joe Rubi, Anthony Salerno, David Schwartz, David Shearer, Lindy Sieker, Mark Maxwell-Smith, Michelle Stanton, Bruce Starin, Ken Stowe, Joe Swaney, Carol Teichman, Ralph Tobias, Linda Weeks, Randy West, Abbott Wool, Todd York
