Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Today in TV History
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which became notorious for its topical satirical humor, debuted on CBS in 1967. Unlike traditional variety series at the time, the Smothers Brothers tacked subjects that were then taboo (religion, recreational drugs, sex, political unrest, etc.), and ongoing censorship battles led to its premature demise in April 1969. Also on this day: Turn-On, a half-hour sketch comedy on ABC that tried, and failed, to capitalize on the success of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In came and went in 1969 after just one episode. Tim Conway was the guest host.

In Today’s Issue

NETWORK
-Metered Market Monday Ratings
-Updated Super Bowl XLVII Ratings
-Fox to Air Celebrity Swan Special
-ABC Confirms Upcoming Splash Celebrity Participants

CABLE
-The Larry Sanders Show Heads to Reelz
-Cable Rankings – Friday 2/01/13

SYNDICATION
-Twentieth Television Cancels The Ricki Lake Show
-Wendy Williams and Kevin Hunter Form Wendy Williams Productions
-TVMI at NATPE 2013

DIGITAL
-Top 10 Most Engaging Super Bowl Commercials

RECENT NEWS
-Week of January 28

SCHEDULE BOX
-On the Air Tonight

TRIVIA CHALLENGE
-A Different “Mr. C”
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NETWORK

MONDAY 2/04/13 Metered Markets
CBS Wins; Solid Return for Rules of Engagement

Household
Rating/Share
CBS 6.9/11
ABC 5.9/ 9
Fox 5.8/ 9
NBC 3.4/ 5
CW 0.9/ 1

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening (2/06/12):
Fox: +18, ABC: – 2, CBS: – 3, CW: -25, NBC: -65

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-Winners:
How I Met Your Mother (CBS), Rules of Engagement (CBS), The Bachelor (ABC), Bones (Fox), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), Mike & Molly (CBS), The Following (Fox), Hawaii Five-O (CBS), Castle (ABC)

-Losers (excluding repeats):
The Carrie Dairies (CW), 90210 (CW), Deception (NBC)

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Ratings Breakdown:
CBS topped the Monday overnights, which should translate into a victory in both total viewers and adults 18-49. ABC was on the map care of The Bachelor. New Kevin Bacon drama The Following on Fox remained a promising entry. And both The Carrie Diaries on The CW and Deception on NBC are unlikely to last past midseason. Keep in mind, of course, that the competitive Monday scenario will change once The Voice on NBC and Dancing With the Stars on ABC return.

In season-premiere news, the sitcom that has more lives than a lucky cat, Rules of Engagement on CBS, returned with a dominant 6.2 rating/9 share in the overnights at 8:30 p.m. Comparably, Rules opened 38 percent above failed fall 2012 time period occupant Partners (4.5/ 7 on 9/24/12), with retention out of just renewed lead-in How I Met Your Mother (#1: 7.2/11 at 8 p.m.) of a solid 86 percent. Sorry, David Krumholtz!

Next on the Eye net was sophomore 2 Broke Girls, which took top-rated honors for the evening with a 7.7/12 in the overnights at 9 p.m., followed by compatible Mike & Molly (#1: 7.1/11) and Hawaii Five-O (#1: 6.5/11) from 9:30-11 p.m. Hawaii Five-0 last night was a remake of an episode from the original series.

In week three news, aforementioned The Following on Fox finished tied for No. 2 with the second half of The Bachelor on ABC, with a 5.8/ 9 in the overnights. Comparably, that bested failed year-ago occupant Alcatraz (4.6/ 7 on 2/06/12) by 26 percent, with full retention out of lead-in Bones (#2t, 5.8/ 9 at 8 p.m.) and only a loss of six percent from one week earlier (three-week overnight track: 6.7/10 – 6.3/10 – 5.9/ 9). The Following, in addition, remained a considerable improvement over failed fall time period occupant The Mob Doctor. If The Following settles in now, Fox has a new drama worth renewing.

In other new midseason series news, episode four of Sex and the City prequel The Carrie Diaries on The CW cannot compete with a very distant last-place 1.2/ 2 in the overnights at 8 p.m. Comparably, that was equal to one week earlier (which translated into just 1.38 million viewers and a 0.5 rating/ 1 share among adults 18-49, based on the Live Plus Same Day data from Nielsen). And it is not an improvement from year-ago occupant Gossip Girl. Note to The CW (and everyone else): prequels just do not work.

Next on The CW was relocated 90210 at an embarrassing 0.7/ 1 at 9 p.m. (#5). Time to sharpen the axe, CW.

Over at NBC, episode five of drama Deception was a major sore spot with a very last-place 2.4/ 4 at 10 p.m. Comparatively, this was a loss of a hefty 69 percent from the debut of former time period occupant Smash on the year-ago evening (7.8/13 on 2/06/12). And former (and returning) time period occupant Revolution is a much stronger option (out of The Voice, of course).

In the 8-10 p.m. battle of goofy The Bachelor on ABC (5.8/ 9) versus inspirational The Biggest Loser on NBC (3.9/ 6), it was no contest with The Bachelor at a 49 percent overnight advantage. But the margin among adults 18-49 will be considerably smaller, with The Biggest Loser always an option as well in the key demo.

At 10 p.m., older skewing Castle on ABC finished second with a competitive 6.2/11 in the overnights, which was seven percent above the 9:30 p.m. portion of The Bachelor (5.8/ 9).

In late night, The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS led the 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. daypart with a 3.0/ 8 in the overnights (which was up by three percent from the year-ago telecast). Next was The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC (2.5/ 7), which slid by 29 percent from one year earlier, followed by relocated Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC (2.3/ 6). The first half of Kimmel (2.7/ 7) trailed year-ago occupant Nightline (3.2/ 8 on 2/06/12) by 16 percent in the overnights, but Kimmel continues to vastly improve the time period in the young adult demos. And competing Leno on NBC continues to lose steam. Smart move moving Kimmel up one half-hour, ABC.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS led the 12:30-1:30 p.m. block, with a 1.5/ 5 in the overnights (+25), followed by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC at a 1.4/ 4 (-26 percent from the year-ago repeat). Nightline on ABC scored a 1.4/ 5 in the 12:30 a.m. half-hour, while Last Call with Carson Daly was at a diluted 0.8/ 3 in the overnights on NBC at 1:30 a.m.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

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OTHER NETWORK ITEMS

Updated Super Bowl XLVII Ratings
It is not a record. But the Baltimore Ravens at the San Francisco 49ers on Super Bowl XLVII on CBS drew an average 108.4 million viewers (from 6:32-8:41 p.m. and 9:11-10:47 p.m. ET), which was three percent below last year’s record (111.3 million for the New York Giants vs. the New England Patriots on Super Bowl XLVI). Comparably, this is now the third most-watched program in television history (No. 2 is 111.0 million for Super Bowl XLV – Green Bay vs. Pittsburgh – in 2011).

Despite the late 11:11 p.m. ET start, the Sunday post-Super Bowl airing of freshman drama Elementary delivered 20.8 million viewers, a 7.8 rating in adults 18-49, an 8.3 in adults 25-54 and a 7.4 in adults 18-34. Comparably, this is now the highest-rated entertainment broadcast of the year on television in the three demos (tied with The Big Bang Theory among adults 25-54). But will this added exposure have a positive impact on Elementary out of Person of Interest this week in its regularly scheduled Thursday 10 p.m. ET time period? Chances are the answer will be no, unfortunately.

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Fox to Air Celebrity Swan Special
Remember controversial makeover series The Swan, which aired on Fox in 2004 and featured ordinary women transformed into “swans”? The network will test the waters with a two-hour special slated later in the year called Celebrity Swan, which will feature a pair of “celebrities” in search of a complete transformation. Two potential candidates said to be in consideration are former Happy Days star Erin Moran, who has fallen on hard times in recent years; and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Interest (or lack of) in the upcoming special will determine if Celebrity Swan potentially continues as a regularly scheduled series.

ABC Confirms Upcoming Splash Celebrity Participants
Just when you thought you heard it all, along comes an upcoming ABC reality/competition that will feature celebrities training and competing in regulation platform and springboard diving in front of a weekly poolside audience. The name of the show is Splash (formerly titled Celebrity Diving) and the participants (in alphabetical order) are comedian Louie Anderson; Drake Bell; extreme skier Rory Bushfield; Chelsea Lately’s Chuy Bravo; Nicole Eggert; basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; former Cosby kid Keshia Knight Pulliam; football great Ndamukong Suh; model Katherine Webb; and reality star Kendra Wilkinson. Splash, from Eyeworks USA and based on Dutch format Celebrity Splash premieres on ABC on Tuesday, March 19 at 8 p.m. ET.

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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

The Larry Sanders Show Heads to Reelz
Former HBO satirical sitcom The Larry Sanders Show, which aired from 1992-98 and followed life behind the scenes at a fictional late night talk show, will air in off-network on ReelzChannel beginning on Monday, March 4 at 1 p.m. ET. The TV About Movies-themed cable net will air back-to-back episodes Monday through Thursday in both the 1 p.m. and 2 a.m. ET hours.

The Larry Sanders Show features comedian Garry Shandling as host Larry Sanders, future Arrested Development star Jeffrey Tambor as his sidekick Hank, Janeane Garofalo as booker Paula and Emmy winner Rip Torn as the show’s producer, Artie. Featured guests over the course of the 89 half-hour episodes includes Jennifer Aniston, Alec Baldwin, Roseanne Barr, Carol Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres, Larry King, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Rosie O’Donnell, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Brooke Shields and shock-jock Howard Stern.

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Cable Rankings – Friday 2/01/13
What follows are the 20 most watched shows for Friday, February 1:

Gold Rush (Discovery, 9 p.m.): 4.70 million, Jessie (Disney Channel, 8:30 p.m.): 3.84, Phineas and Ferb (Disney Channel, 9 p.m.): 3.76, A.N.T. Farm (Disney Channel, 8 p.m.): 3.31, Fish Hooks (Disney Channel, 9:15 p.m.): 3.04, WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Syfy, 8 p.m.): 2.97, Bering Sea Gold (Discovery, 10:06 p.m.): 2.57, Gravity Falls (Disney Channel, 9:30 p.m.: 2.57), Dog With a Blog (Disney Channel, 10 p.m.): 2.52, Law & Order: SVU (USA, 10 p.m.): 2.43, Good Luck Charlie (Disney Channel, 10:30 p.m.): 2.38, Law & Order: SVU (USA, 8 p.m.): 2.33, Law & Order: SVU (USA, 10 p.m.): 2.23, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (Nick, 8 p.m.): 2.14, American Pickers (History, 9 p.m.): 2.12, NBA Regular Season (ESPN, 9:38 p.m.) and American Pickers (History, 10 p.m.): 2.03 each, The O’Reilly Factor (Fox News Channel, 8 p.m.): 1.98, American Dad (Adult Swim, 10:30 p.m.): 1.94, God Rush (Discovery, 8 p.m.): 1.91
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SYNDICATION

Twentieth Television Cancels The Ricki Lake Show
It was a young female-driven daytime talk show staple in its initial run in first-run syndication from 1993-2004. But the second time around was not the “charm” for the Ricki Lake Show, which will not be renewed by Twentieth Television for the 2013-14 season. Original episodes will continue through the end of the season.

Ricki is the first of the five freshman talkers to receive its walking papers. Disney-ABC’s Katie, hosted by Katie Couric, and NBCUniversal hours hosted by Steve Harvey and Trisha Goddard will be returning. The Jeff Probst Show from CBS Television Distribution, meanwhile, is waiting to be voted off at station tribal council. The morale of the story: Don’t make a attempted comeback unless there is a reason to…um…come back.

Upcoming at Twentieth will be a test run of Kris, hosted by Kardashian Mama Kris Kardashian, this summer on select Fox owned-and-operated stations.

Wendy Williams and Kevin Hunter Form Wendy Williams Productions
Talk show host Wendy Williams and her manager/husband Kevin Hunter have formed non-fiction programming company, Wendy Williams Productions (WWP), which will focus on the development and production of potential reality, game and talk shows for the cable and broadcast markets. Williams, who many have an on-camera role, will serve as executive producer of the projects, while veteran producer Lisa Knapp has been named SVP of Development. Knapp, the former head of production house 44 Blue, will oversee all development and production for WWP, as well as the strategic development and growth of the company. She will be based in the Los Angeles offices of Debmar-Mercury, which will also be a partner in the new company as well as the ongoing producer/producer of The Wendy Williams Show.

TVMI at NATPE 2013
Click on the following for our conversations at the recently concluded National Association of Television Programming Executives Conference (NATPE) at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach:

-Arsenio Hall: http://tinyurl.com/b9wolph
-Leeza Gibbons: http://tinyurl.com/a2b4a24
-Danny Lipford: http://tinyurl.com/b2z9v5v
-Jordan Levin: http://tinyurl.com/a4pxxnd
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DIGITAL

Top 10 Most Engaging Super Bowl Commercials
TiVo Research and Analytics, Inc. (TRA) has released this year’s 10 most engaging Super Bowl XLVII commercials and moments. Tops among the commercials this year were Taco Bell’s “Viva Young” spot, followed by Doritos “Goat for Sale” and Hyundai Santa Fe “Pick Your Team.” Doritos, which also made the cut courtesy of “Fashionista Daddy” at No. 4 overall, has ranked into the Top 5 during the Super Bowl for the seventh consecutive years. All top 10 commercials, which are ranked by clicking on the following, aired in the first half: http://tinyurl.com/bheejr5.

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RECENT NEWS
Week of January 28

-Roseanne Signs Deal with NBC: http://tinyurl.com/aqoxecl
-Lifetime Picks Up Drama Witches of East End: http://tinyurl.com/badv5ne
-GSN Revives Minute to Win It: http://tinyurl.com/awvm363
-Positive Debut for The Americans on FX: http://tinyurl.com/atba726
-Jimmy Kimmel Live Continues to Benefit One Hour Earlier: http://tinyurl.com/bxxlolu
-TBS Announces Two April Premiere Dates: http://tinyurl.com/a66ub57
-How I Met Your Mother Renewed for Final Season: http://tinyurl.com/b4famb2
-Pretty Little Liars on ABC Family is a Mammoth Social Hit: http://tinyurl.com/auy6xuu
-Katie Renewed for Season Two: http://tinyurl.com/bzam2sg
-TLC Orders Pilot Featuring Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss: http://tinyurl.com/al8ftf9
-TV Media Insights Super Bowl XLVII Game: http://tinyurl.com/agqb66x
-Barbra Streisand to Perform at the Oscars: http://tinyurl.com/b6sgv87
-Entourage Movie to Move Forward: http://tinyurl.com/bf9opxn
-ABC Names David Muir Co-Anchor of 20/20: http://tinyurl.com/a9ly44q
-CBS Renews Entire Daytime Line-Up: http://tinyurl.com/atokbcy
-Dallas Series Opener Drops to a Series Low on TNT: http://tinyurl.com/acnyo5x
-Updated Clearances for Upcoming The Test from CTD: http://tinyurl.com/ar9g85x
-Criss Angel Heads to Spike TV: http://tinyurl.com/a7oc4yh
-Showtime Renews Three: http://tinyurl.com/b6qvmpz
-Split Weekly Leadership: http://tinyurl.com/bgqo3bg
-National Hockey League Ratings in 2013: http://tinyurl.com/a4a4m4l
-Me-TV and Nielsen Announce Agreement for National Ratings Measurement: http://tinyurl.com/a9n758d
-Telemundo Announces Content Agreement with TVN: http://tinyurl.com/a3lk65a
-NBC Extends Episode Order for Chicago Hope: http://tinyurl.com/aepe4bt
-30 Rock The Ice Cream Flavor: http://tinyurl.com/alyz3uo
-ReelzChannel Beefs Up Miniseries Slate: http://tinyurl.com/ayagszo
-E! to Introduce Burning Love: http://tinyurl.com/bg44xmz
-Marc Cuban at NATPE 2013: http://tinyurl.com/b9p4q4s
-Kris Jenner Talker to Test Run This Summer: http://tinyurl.com/azhupsb
-CBS Announces Updated Clearances for Hot in Cleveland in Off-Net: http://tinyurl.com/a2dqgfp
-Dish Nation Renewed for 2013-14: http://tinyurl.com/af3qbcu
-19th Annual SAG Award Winners: http://tinyurl.com/alf495b

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SCHEDULE BOX

Tuesday, February 5

ABC
8:00 p.m. The Taste
9:00 p.m. The Bachelor (two hours)

CBS
8:00 p.m. NCIS
9:00 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00 p.m. Vegas

NBC
8:00 p.m. Betty White’s 2nd Annual 90th Birthday Special
9:00 p.m. Smash (season premiere, two hours)

Fox
8:00 p.m. Raising Hope
8:30 p.m. Ben and Kate
9:00 p.m. New Girl
9:30 p.m. The Mindy Project

CW
8:00 p.m. Hart of Dixie
9:00 p.m. Emily Owens, M.D. (series finale)

Of Note on Cable:
-Pioneers of Television (PBS, 8 p.m. ET): season finale
-Tosh.O (Comedy Central, 10 p.m. ET): season premiere
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TRIVIA CHALLENGE
A Different “Mr. C”

Tom Bosley is fondly remembered, of course, as Howard Cunningham on long-running ABC sitcom Happy Days. But which one of the following five actors was offered the role first?

a) Bill Bixby
b) David Doyle
c) John Forsythe
d) Harold Gould
e) Merlin Olsen

The answer to yesterday’s question…

Which one of the following TV characters referred to his or her father as “Big Daddy”?

a) Blanche Devereaux
b) Matt Dillon
c) Luke Duke
d) James “Sawyer” Ford
e) Suzanne Sugarbaker

…Is: a) Blanche Devereaux from classic NBC sitcom The Golden Girls, who was played, of course, by the late and great Rue McClanahan.

Today’s All Stars:
Dave Aiken, Mark Amato, Michelle Amundson, John Beadle, Lauren Bergman, Barbara Berman, Gerry Bixenspan, Barbara Bloomfield, Matt Bradley, Susan Brandes, Bess Browing, Cory Chapman, Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Mark Cosenza, Jamie Czarnezki, Audrey Davis, Dee Davis, Andy Ehlen, Steve Ellis, Phyllis Epstein, Jim Forkan, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg, Maureen Goldman, Ed Griffis, Jacqueline Hague, Deidre Hanssen, Glen Held, Heidi Hoffmeister, Julie Hurwitz, Bob Ingersoll, Cara Jacobs, Tom Joyce, Tom Kilgallon, Irene Kirschner, Synda Kollman, Clifford Kroeter, Kathy Martin, Lee McMichael, Tom Moore, Anne Moynihan, Jennifer OMalley, Jody McIntyre, Terrence Moss, Richard Naldrett, Aaron Paquette, Ellen Paulson, Jodi Perris, Greg Phelan, Mary Politano, David Primuth, Francine Purcell, Gordon Purcell, Michael Ratliffe, Liza Reich, Joye Riddle, Maureen Ruane, Joe Rubi, Colleen Roth, Anthony Salerno, Maxine Shulman (2x), Mark Simmons, Barry Singer, Danika Stagemeyer, Michelle Stanton, Ken Stowe, Kristen Strauss, Joe Swaney, Ronnie Tallant, Kurt Weil, Myndi Weinraub, Tammy Wiard, Ted Zavales