Monday, October 31, 2011
Trend Pieces
Jaime Weinman expresses skepticism over claims that comedy and fantasy are popular right now because people want escapism: " There is something going on; there is a heightened audience interest in TV fantasy. But I wonder if it might be partly a sign that hits help create other hits."
DirecTV-Fox Settle
Fox and DirecTV have settled their carriage fee dispute, so no blackouts. The deal includes money for channels that weren't threatened tonight, like Fox News. Joe Flint has more details.
Mutlicasting Touted
The NAB is promoting the idea that digital multicasting can help stations better serve minority populations, with Bounce TV as an example.
OTT Field
Will Richmond gives an overview of the major over-the-top distribution players and their strategies.
Sunday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: 60 Minutes (CBS), Sunday Night Football (NBC), Once Upon a Time (ABC), The Simpsons (Fox)
-Disappointing: Allen Gregory (Fox), The Cleveland Show (Fox)
-Losers: Pan Am (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
World Series Game 7 was huge for Fox Friday night.
-Winners: 60 Minutes (CBS), Sunday Night Football (NBC), Once Upon a Time (ABC), The Simpsons (Fox)
-Disappointing: Allen Gregory (Fox), The Cleveland Show (Fox)
-Losers: Pan Am (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
World Series Game 7 was huge for Fox Friday night.
Fox Sports & Dodgers Bankruptcy
The future of a Fox Sports regional network is tied up with Frank McCourt's Dodgers mess.
Rock Center Starts
NBC's new news magazine show Rock Center starts tonight with modest ratings expectations.
Disney on Amazon
Disney is licensing a raft of non-current shows, like Lost, to Amazon's Prime streaming service.
Fee for iPlayer
The BBC may soon close the loophole that makes it ok for British viewers to watch TV on the iPlayer without paying the traditional license fee.
UK Product Placement
Viewers in Britain will see their first prime time product placement, a branded ATM during Coronation Street.
Cable Surviving
Brian Stelter reports that cable companies are still holding up well against online competition.
Taxi TV Changes
Passengers will now have more control over the TV in NYC taxis, such as with volume.
Good TVeets
The Walking Dead: After 50 min. trying to develop character
through Meaningful Stories & pop psych, ending does it through pulp.
Finally.
I miss Andy Rooney. Now episodes of "60 Minutes"
just... end. Surely Morley Safer is grumpy about something?
Someone should make an amazing documentary about Eddie Murphy's
tranny hooker before December 31 so it can win an Oscar when he hosts
Follow @GoodTVeets
PBS Ads
The PBS documentary America in Primetime, which is worth checking out but has some problems, includes 30-second ads for Dove, who helped underwrite the series.
New In Media Res
Theme: AMC
- Monday October 31, 2011 – JP Kelly (University of Nottingham) presents: Nostalgia 2.0: AMC and the Development of Original Retro Programming
- Tuesday November 1, 2011 – Rossend Sánchez Baró (Pompeu Fabra University) presents: Created by AMC
- Wednesday November 2, 2011 – Cory Barker (Bowling Green State University) presents: Quality television-by-numbers: Veena Sud and AMC’s failed products and faulty assumptions
- Thursday November 3, 2011 – Andy Daglas (Chicago Now) presents: Sunday driver: What does AMC’s scheduling say about its branding?
- Friday November 4, 2011 – David J. Loehr (Riverrun Theatre Company) presents: WWDDT: What Would Don Draper Tweet?
Jersey Shore Conference
Jon Caramanica describes the proceedings at an academic conference on Jersey Shore held at the University of Chicago.
Good Wife PSA
During tonight's episode of The Good Wife, CBS ran a PSA instructing viewers to pad their recording by an hour to account for football overruns. The ad directed viewers to a webpage, which includes comments from Good Wife fans who are clearly not happy about this issue. (Also Good Wife-related, the episode that aired tonight was the one being broken when Jace Lacob visited the writers' room.)
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Interactive Ads
Interactive ads are coming to cable, but Alex Sherman says their time may have already passed.
Bubble Watch
Robert Seidman's discussion of shows on the bubble indicates how important program ownership and syndication are to deciding which shows live and die.
Good TVeets
Halloween is the best. It's just comic-con for drunk people.
These Chevy electric car commercials make me want to punch
electric cars in the face.
Jimmy Fallon sells three sitcom scripts to NBC. It will be his
first venture into comedy.
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Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday Ratings
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers: Strong finish for baseball, good start for Grimm, rough start for Chuck. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
New YouTube Channels
YouTube is prepping a slew of new channels, most of which have no ties to traditional TV channels. Many will be anchored to celebrities. More from Business Insider.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: The Big Bang Theory (CBS), The World Series, Game 6 (Fox)
-Honorable Mention: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown R (ABC)
-Competitive Players: Person of Interest (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), The Mentalist (CBS)
-Fading Fast: The Office (NBC)
-Losers: Community (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), Whitney (NBC), Prime Suspect (NBC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
-Winners: The Big Bang Theory (CBS), The World Series, Game 6 (Fox)
-Honorable Mention: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown R (ABC)
-Competitive Players: Person of Interest (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), The Mentalist (CBS)
-Fading Fast: The Office (NBC)
-Losers: Community (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), Whitney (NBC), Prime Suspect (NBC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Branded Entertainment
ESPN Deportes is airing a new show with heavy brand integration: "There are scenes depicting a late-night visit to Burger King, a shopping trip to Home Depot and a phone call to American Airlines by a character who may be leaving for Miami."
Disney Channel in Russia
Russians will soon be able to watch the Disney Channel, joining the only other nationwide foreign channel, MTV.
Unions v. IMDb
SAG's Ken Howard wants IMDb to stop listing actors' birthdates on their entries, due to the prevalence of age discrimination in Hollywood (which thus would seem to be the real problem here).
Good TVeets
We call that "Chuck Luck"...
If Fox had any balls, they'd do a Sopranos ending during the
Pujols at-bat and go to black... #WorldSeries
Just remember, America: the Surgeon General strongly advises
against being exposed to Tim McCarver for more than four hours.
Follow @GoodTVeets
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Social TV Experience
A company called KIT Digital has extensively studied the spectatorial experience of watching TV while using social media, including consideration of different stages of viewing (decision making, watching, reviewing) and different program genres.
DirecTV Complains
DirecTV has complained to the FCC about Fox's ad tactics in regard to their carriage fee dispute.
The Value of NBC
Jaime Weinman notes that while we mock NBC for its ratings struggles, they're at least helping to keep some creative shows on the air, leaving future questions: "The collapse of the WB and UPN into the CW, and the lack of real estate on the Cowell-dominated Fox, could make NBC the last place for shows like Community and Parenthood – shows that would be different, and probably not as interesting, if they were on cable, but couldn’t really fit into any of the other networks at the moment."
ESPN Still Into 3D
Even though it hasn't been embraced by the public yet, ESPN is still backing 3D TV.
Showtime Turns Macho
Showtime appears to be shifting away from female-skewing shows and toward male ones in development.
Wednesday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: Survivor: South Pacific (CBS), The Middle (ABC), Suburgatory (ABC), Modern Family R (ABC), Criminal Minds R (CBS), Revenge (ABC)
-Losers (excluding repeats): America’s Next Top Model (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers: A good night for ABC.
-Winners: Survivor: South Pacific (CBS), The Middle (ABC), Suburgatory (ABC), Modern Family R (ABC), Criminal Minds R (CBS), Revenge (ABC)
-Losers (excluding repeats): America’s Next Top Model (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers: A good night for ABC.
NBC Development
NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt is spending big gobs of money to develop shows people might want to watch and thereby resurrect the network: "Rivals have quietly criticized NBC, along with ABC -- another ratings-challenged network with a relatively new chief, Paul Lee -- for jacking up prices by bidding on so much product this season, according to sources. Some of the projects attracting NBC's attention have even irked cable executives because Greenblatt is believed to be infringing on their territory."
Time Warner Losses
Time Warner Cable is losing subscribers (but denying cord cutting) and trying to make up for that by boosting its broadband service. More details from Bloomberg.
BBC4 Cuts History & Science
Due to the ongoing budget cuts, BBC4's budget for history and science programming is being stripped.
LBBT-Inclusive Viewing
Nielsen reports: "Audiences and advertisers alike are flocking to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT)-inclusive programs. Representing 24 percent of broadcast primetime scripted and reality shows last season, these series garnered 28 percent of broadcast primetime TV viewing and 22 percent of ad dollars." It includes a chart of age demographics and ad spend categories.
Showrunners Defend Fox
FX showrunners are getting behind Fox in its dispute with DirecTV, which may see FX and other Fox channels pulled on Tuesday due to a carriage fee dispute.
iPad Apps
You can now watch Bloomberg TV on an iPad, as well some DirecTV channels, if you're at home and have an HD DVR.
Good TVeets
bexmader
Follow @GoodTVeets
Best TV quote of the night, "God gave you Melons, make
Melonade #HappyEndings
Best comment at end of a US Nielsen family story: "We need
to not let 1% of the country control 100% of television. Occupy Nielsen."
#WorldSeries postponed,
so to get effect of listening to Tim McCarver, I'm banging my head against my
coffee table
Follow @GoodTVeets
Traditional & Digital
CBS's president of Local Digital Media says it's important for media companies to integrate broadcasting with online and mobile technologies. He said CBS's success on TV was boosting it online too.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
NBC Wins!
Something went right for NBC: the network beat out the other three major networks for a hot new single-cam. (Also, The Wrap needs to teach its writers what "notoriety" means.)
New Flow Issue
Check out new Flow pieces from Michael Kackman with Waking People Up! Conspiracy Radio and the Contemporary Public Sphere, Melinda Barlow with Who Was That Masked Woman? Rediscovering the Hidden Mother, Herman Gray with Representation, Politics and Publics, Sasha Torres with Watching While Depressed, and Nicole Starosieleski with Underwater Flow.
Factual Types
Peter Hamilton charts out a spectrum of factual programming channels from earnest and content-driven (like PBS) to comedic and entertainment-driven (like TruTV) and notes the increasing flow toward the latter and male-driven targeting.
Cable Challenge
Toni Fitzgerald highlights how cable is no longer trying just in summer to battle the networks; now they're pitting shows directly against the nets' top fall shows.
PEG Challenges
A new report details the challenges facing Public, Educational and Government (PEG) channels.
YouTube Rivals Cable
Janko Roetters reports that the number of people watching YouTube's top five channels rivals the volume of daily viewers for the top five cable channels. Will Richmond has more on YouTube's efforts.
Tuesday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: NCIS (CBS), The X Factor (Fox), Last Man Standing (ABC), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
-Losers: The Biggest Loser (NBC), Man Up (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. The X Factor is maybe catching on. NBC is maybe not. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
-Winners: NCIS (CBS), The X Factor (Fox), Last Man Standing (ABC), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
-Losers: The Biggest Loser (NBC), Man Up (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. The X Factor is maybe catching on. NBC is maybe not. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Studio 60's Problems
In his ongoing look at flops, Nathan Rabin takes on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
Telemundo Language
Fighting to catch up to Univision in ratings, Telemundo will now incorporate some English language dialogue and subtitles to attract a bilingual audience, which tends to be more affluent than the Spanish-speaking audience.
Good TVeets
tvoti
Follow @GoodTVeets
This is far more Paula Abdul
than I've been prescribed.
In order to make it more
bombastic, loud and flashy than ordinary episodes, the X FACTOR finale will be
held on the sun.
Writing's tough. I should have tried harder on the
Amazing Race. I should have dragged my dad's body through the rice paddies of
China.
Follow @GoodTVeets
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Twitter & TV Synergy
Brian Stelter looks at how Twitter and TV are trying to help each other out, with The X Factor as an example. More from John Paul Titlow.
Sports By Race
ESPN broke down a survey of sports fans by race: "The National Football League is the most popular sport among Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites, but the National Basketball Association is king of the court for African-Americans, according to a recent ESPN sports poll."
Netflix Challenges
David Kaplan outlines the challenges ahead for Netflix, while the company is having to slow down global expansion as it struggles with challenges now.
Facebook Time
Facebook is increasingly rivaling TV in terms of time spent using it. More from Cory Bergman.
China Limits TV
The Chinese government is ordering cutbacks in TV entertainment in favor of "morality-building programming." The state orders include: "For every satellite TV station, no more than two entertainment programs can be aired during prime time from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every night," with the other time slots featuring shows that "promote harmony, health and mainstream culture."
More Episodes
There will be a third season of The Walking Dead and full seasons of Unforgettable and Person of Interest.
TV Relationships
Amanda Ann Klein addresses how couples can live together and watch TV together happily: "Yes, differences in TV preferences are a part of any couple’s life. They cannot be avoided. But there are ways to keep your TV relationship as stable and functional as possible. This is important because, as the old saying goes, the family that gazes together, stay-zes together. To that end, here are some tips for promoting the longterm health of your TV relationship."
Web Service & Cord Cutting
In what Michael Learmonth says could be a glimpse of the future of web TV, a new service called RadixTV offers live streaming of four cable news channels to business users. Learmouth follows up with more on these specialty packages, which could encourage cord cutting.
Advertiser Predictions
Ed at Spotted analyzes AdAge's ad rates chart in a very intriguing way, by comparing what they're paying for new shows to speculated demo ratings, which gives a rough approximation of how advertisers predicted the shows would do. Exceeding expectations? The multi-cams and New Girl. Underachievers? The X Factor & CW shows.
Monday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), The World Series, Game 5 (Fox), Two and a Half Men (CBS), Mike & Molly (CBS), Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
-Losers: The Sing-Off (NBC), Gossip Girl (CW)
Network numbers from Hitfix: CBS and ABC split. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
On Starz, Boss is off to a slow start.
-Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), The World Series, Game 5 (Fox), Two and a Half Men (CBS), Mike & Molly (CBS), Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
-Losers: The Sing-Off (NBC), Gossip Girl (CW)
Network numbers from Hitfix: CBS and ABC split. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
On Starz, Boss is off to a slow start.
DVR Research
Media Life talks with a research analyst about his study of DVR use, including "misconceptions concerning DVRs, their growth timeline, and how they have impacted traditional TV viewing."
UK Teen Survey
An Ofcom survey finds that young teens say they care more about their mobile phones and the internet than TV, though they're watching more TV than ever before (presumably on their phones and the internet). Kids age 5-7 still care most about TV.
Depicting Politics
Alyssa Rosenberg judges how accurately certain shows tackle politics. And Jaime Weinman discusses shows that are evasive about characters' political party affiliation, with Boss as a new example.
Network Drama Advice
Sarah Hughes thinks the broadcast networks should quit trying to compete with cable when it comes to edgy dramas.
Authentication Platform
A cable organization called the National Cable Television Cooperative "launched a plan to create a centralized authentication platform for multi-screen services like HBO Go or those planned around the the 2012 Summer Olympics in London."
Value of Local
The public television outlet in Nashville gains major benefits from local programming.
Kids' Screen Time
A study says children are spending more time in front of screens than ever: "The report also documents for the first time an emerging “app gap” in which affluent children are likely to use mobile educational games while those in low-income families are the most likely to have televisions in their bedrooms."
Good TVeets
EricStangel
Follow @GoodTVeets
NCIS: LA visits 5-0 HAWAII and the universe ticks 60 minutes
closer to the end of all existence.
Watching cable news because you want to be
informed is like going to Olive Garden because you want to live in Italy.
Follow @GoodTVeets
Monday, October 24, 2011
Good TVeets: #StratfordonHellmouth
Sometimes crazy things just happen on Twitter. When they do, GoodTVeets is there to pick it all up. Tonight, for all the Whedonites and Shakespeareites out there, this one's for you.
@AndyDaglas: We now live in a
world where, at any given moment, Joss & Co. could be off making a secret
Shakespeare movie somewhere.
@RowanKaiser: Nathan Fillion as
Macbeth! Jewel Staite as Cordelia! Anthony Stewart Head as King Lear!
Afghanistan War
Brian Stelter previews a new G4 show on an explosives disarming platoon in Afghanistan, part of small trend of depicting the war in Afghanistan on TV.
News Corp Vote
A majority of News Corporation shareholders apparently support Rupert Murdoch but not his two sons.
Netflix Dip
As expected, Netflix has lost stock value and subscribers. Brian Stelter and Nick Wingfield look at how Netflix has lost its mojo.
State of NBC
In part one of a look at how the networks are doing this fall, Josef Adalian assesses NBC.
More Ad Spending
Jon Lafayette reports that marketers say they intend to increase television ad budgets.
Occupy Real World
MTV is looking for Occupy Wall Street participants to be on The Real World and will air a True Life special about the protests.
Teen Remakes
Aymar Jean Christian warns us that American TV is going to ruin Misfits and other youth-oriented British shows being remade, due to industrial and cultural differences.
Backing Rock Center
Brian Steinberg explores why NBC is excited about Brian Williams' upcoming news show, Rock Center.
Nielsen Problems
Aymar Jean Christian delves into the challenge Nielsen and the TV industry have with incorporating web and mobile viewing into ratings measurement.
Comedy Analysis II
Ryan McGee and Myles McNutt offer part two of their discussion of television criticism and comedy.
Sunday Ratings
Marc Berman's overnights summary:
-Winners: The OT (Fox), The World Series, Game 4 (Fox), 60 Minutes (CBS), Once Upon a Time (ABC)
-Honorable Mention: Sunday Night Football (NBC)
-Fading Fast: Desperate Housewives (ABC)
-Losers: Pan Am (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. We finally found something that could slow down football ratings: the Indianapolis Colts. Once Upon a Time started strong. Cable ratings.
-Winners: The OT (Fox), The World Series, Game 4 (Fox), 60 Minutes (CBS), Once Upon a Time (ABC)
-Honorable Mention: Sunday Night Football (NBC)
-Fading Fast: Desperate Housewives (ABC)
-Losers: Pan Am (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. We finally found something that could slow down football ratings: the Indianapolis Colts. Once Upon a Time started strong. Cable ratings.
Ad Prices
AdAge is back with its awesome annual chart of what advertisers (roughly) pay for primetime ad slots during particular shows: "The results continue to bolster the notion that the shows most in demand are those viewers tend to watch live, rather than play back days later with a DVR or via video-on-demand. When millions of viewers tune in live, marketers pay a premium." Some analysis from Ed at Spotted.
NBC Sports Moving
NBC Sports is relocating from New York to Connecticut for tax breaks and cheaper rent.
Grass-Roots Newscast
Brian Stelter profiles Democracy Now!, a public radio news show: "The newscast distinguishes itself by documenting social movements, struggles for justice and the effects of American foreign policy, along with the rest of the day’s developments."
New In Media Res
Theme: Mediating Baseball
- Monday October 24, 2011 – Elizabeth Rawitsch (University of East Anglia) presents: Melting Pot or Multiculturalism? Mediating Ethnicity in Baseball
- Tuesday October 25, 2011 – Pellom McDaniels III (University of Missouri-Kansas City) presents: “I is Unruffable”: Rereading African American Sports Performances as Unique Expressions of Dissent
- Wednesday October 26, 2011 – Annie Dell’Aria (City University of New York) presents: Tagging Fans, Tweeting Beards: Major League Baseball, social media, and the body
- Thursday October 27, 2011 – Nicholas David Bowman (West Virginia University) presents: Major League Brouhaha: Boosting ratings with bad blood?
- Friday October 28, 2011 – Jeremy Groskopf (Georgia State University) presents: “I Found Kong”: Naturalizing the National in Baseball Fiction
Closed Captioning Waivers
Scott R. Flick explains how the FCC is making it more difficult for program producers to be granted closed captioning waivers, which could heavily affect local stations and cable systems.
Fox Gets FIFA
Fox has won the bidding rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, which is apparently a stunner, because ESPN was widely expected to keep airing them. Telemundo will have Spanish-language rights. Anthony Crupi discusses how this deals a blow to ESPN and Univision.
Good TVeets
hellresidentNY
Follow @GoodTVeets
AMC: Hating the women married to the
protagonists on all of our shows matters here. #MadMen #BreakingBad #TheWalkingDead
NBC: "You will Goddamn watch Prime Suspect
if it has to be the only thing we broadcast, Goddammit."
How has NBC not preempted this Colts-Saints game with another
Prime Suspect yet?
Follow @GoodTVeets
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Apple TV Info
There is apparently revealing info about the future plans for Apple TV in Steve Jobs's authorized biography, including a TV set version. James Poniewozik has more. The lead designer of iTunes will reportedly guide the Apple TV efforts.
Social Amplification
MTV/VH1 digital exec Kristen Frank discusses how social media can amplify TV programming: "Social media platforms are providing TV networks with new screens to program to drive even greater engagement and advertiser benefit. MTV and VH1 were two of the first brands that locked arms with social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and as a result, we’ve seen the tremendous additive value that social media can provide in turning casual viewers into passionate superfan ambassadors for our shows and brands."
NBC Gets Worse
If you haven't yet tired of reading articles about how NBC is failing, this one by Sam Schechner and Lauren A.E. Schuker might engage you.
Sitcom Comeback
If you haven't yet tired of reading articles about how the sitcom is back, this one by Bill Carter might engage you. Related: Think I missed this one when it came out: Josef Adalian predicts such zeitgeist readings.
Stale Jokes
Ken Levine says the problem with the multi-cam is it relies too much on stale jokes, the likes of which he explicates.
Downton Abbey Costuming
The Telegraph looks at how Downton Abbey's costumes function as period dress.
Family Appeal Rarer
Greg Braxton laments the decline in family-friendly TV shows, pinpointing Terra Nova and The Middle as among the few that stand out.
Drama Online
A Guardian article discusses how critically-acclaimed dramas (or "cinematic TV dramas," as the headline puts it) are sparking more online viewing.
Fri & Sat Ratings
Friday network ratings: Only CBS & ABC had much to notice. Saturday network ratings: baseball beat football.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Lost & Games
Jason Mittell has posted a conference paper entitled "Playing for Plot in the Lost and Portal Franchises": "Television has used transmedia extensions to embrace a playful mode of engagement drawn from (and often directly through) videogames, while games have employed transmedia to extend their storyworlds by expanding character depth, backstory, and world-building. Yet scholars typically treat such media as separate realms, with game studies and television studies isolated in distinct academic silos, despite the increasing blur between the media themselves. In this presentation, I attempt to traverse this scholarly divide, examining how gameplay and storytelling co-mingle in two very different franchises with both cult and mainstream appeal: the television series Lost and the game series Portal."
Good TVeets
BorowitzReport
Follow @GoodTVeets
Iraq is like LOST: it's
ending, but no one knows what the f--k it was all about.
I'd like it if in The
Walking Dead it turned out there were no zombies after all and it was all a big
misunderstanding.
Jerry Springer trending
every day is just another distressing sign of how large our unemployment
problem is.
Follow @GoodTVeets
Friday, October 21, 2011
Execs Ranked
The Hollywood Temp website has surveyed its members and offers its ranking of best- and least-liked Hollywood executives.
WGA Protests ITV
The Writers Guild East is picketing outside ITV's New York offices to demand rights comparable to ones the company's British employees get.
Thursday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: The Big Bang Theory (CBS), The World Series, Game 2 (Fox), Rules of Engagement (CBS)
-Honorable Mention: Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Person of Interest (CBS), The Mentalist (CBS)
-Losers: Charlie’s Angels (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
-Winners: The Big Bang Theory (CBS), The World Series, Game 2 (Fox), Rules of Engagement (CBS)
-Honorable Mention: Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Person of Interest (CBS), The Mentalist (CBS)
-Losers: Charlie’s Angels (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Ofcom Ownership Review
British regulator Ofcom is launching a review of ownership and plurality in UK media, which was prompted by News Corp.'s failed BSkyB takeover bid.
Good TVeets
Guys. GUYS. The Vampire Diaries. Why did no one
tell me?! #everyonetoldme #Ididnotlisten
Looks like Dan Humphrey is taking his talents to
the big screen. RT@THR Anonymous'
Write to Pen Bryan Singer's 'Battlestar Galactica'
I for one am glad to see so many others have
changed their avatars to purple in support of Marie Schrader Day. #BreakingBad
Follow @GoodTVeets
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Rethinking Ratings
Michael Schneider reports that with timeshifting starting to have a major impact on viewing, networks are rethinking ways to measure ratings.
TV Sabermetrics
Cory Barker channeled his inner Bill James and developed a sabermetrics system to rank the value of fall shows.
Wednesday Ratings
Marc Berman's overnights summary:
-Winners: The World Series, Game 1 (Fox), Survivor: South Pacific (CBS), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS)
-Honorable Mention: The Middle (ABC), Suburgatory (ABC), Harry’s Law (NBC), Revenge (ABC), CSI (CBS)
-Losers: Happy Endings (ABC), America’s Next Top Model (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers: Fox took 18-49, with CBS and ABC neck-and-neck for second. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
-Winners: The World Series, Game 1 (Fox), Survivor: South Pacific (CBS), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS)
-Honorable Mention: The Middle (ABC), Suburgatory (ABC), Harry’s Law (NBC), Revenge (ABC), CSI (CBS)
-Losers: Happy Endings (ABC), America’s Next Top Model (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers: Fox took 18-49, with CBS and ABC neck-and-neck for second. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Procedural Problems
June Thomas pinpoints where the current crop of procedurals are going wrong. Alyssa Rosenberg adds thoughts about why we keep watching procedurals.
X Factor's Slow Start
The X Factor hasn't been the ratings winner its hype indicated it would be; advertisers are even being offered make-goods because of less than predicted ratings.
Cross-Platform Viewing
Nielsen has released a study into cross-platform viewing, which includes local media behaviors (cool map/chart!), which finds that half of Americans are watching streaming video, though 90% of all viewing is still on a TV set, and 90% of households have a pay TV service, though cable's proportion of that has declined. Another study says cord cutting is accelerating.
Baseball & Local Ratings
Nielsen analyzed local ratings for MLB teams and found the Phillies at the top.
Local Ratings
David Goetzl reports that C3 ratings are not likely to be used for local measurement. Phil Napoli says there likely is less time-shifting of local programming anyway.
Good TVeets
A good group to make fun
of on your TV show would be the Amish. Their internet campaign would suck.
Your baseball tweets are
to me what my tweets about The CW must be like to all of you.
*checks TiVo for
all-Timothy Olyphant network listing* *sees none* *turns off TV* *walks away*
Follow @GoodTVeets
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
SOA Gear App
FX and 20th are launching a Sons of Anarchy app that lets users by Sons merchandise while watching the show.
NFL Dominates
The NFL is touting that 13 of the top 15 most-watched shows this fall are NFL football games. The other two slots were taken by Two and a Half Men.
Fox Writing Program
Fox is advertising a program to train new, diverse writers: "The Fox Writer's Intensive ("FWI") is a highly selective writer's initiative, held at the Fox Studios in Los Angeles, CA, from February 2012 through May 2012. The Intensive is designed to introduce experienced writers with unique voices, backgrounds, life and professional experiences that reflect the diverse perspectives of the audiences we create for to a wide range of Fox staff writers, showrunners, directors, screenwriters and creative executives. "
Drama Future
With sitcoms as the fall ratings success story, Michael Schneider asks network reps where dramas stand. Jaime Weinman adds thoughts: "I think TV drama is entering into a different era, or at least that when some of the defining shows of the era are gone..drama will look different. Maybe it’ll still be mostly about cops and criminals, or maybe it’ll find new subjects. Maybe the next “template” hit is still to come along, or maybe it’s already here and the imitators haven’t arrived yet."
CBC Defense
The CBC is defending its government funding against attacks by a Canadian media company.
Kurt's Appeal
Reacting to the "I Am Unicorn" episode, Allison McCracken argues that Glee doesn't seem to recognize the broad erotic appeal of Chris Colfer.
Networks Needn't Worry
Gavin Polone says TV networks shouldn't lose sleep over Netflix and Hulu's attempts at original programming.
Tuesday Ratings
Marc Berman's overnights summary:
-Winners: NCIS (CBS), Last Man Standing (ABC), The X Factor (Fox), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
-Honorable Mention: Unfortgettable (CBS)
-Fading Fast: The Biggest Loser (NBC)
-Disappointing: Body of Proof (ABC)
-Losers: 90210 (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Ratings for the Republican debate on CNN were solid.
-Winners: NCIS (CBS), Last Man Standing (ABC), The X Factor (Fox), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
-Honorable Mention: Unfortgettable (CBS)
-Fading Fast: The Biggest Loser (NBC)
-Disappointing: Body of Proof (ABC)
-Losers: 90210 (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Ratings for the Republican debate on CNN were solid.
US, Europe Internet TV
Thanks to Hulu and Netflix availability on gaming consoles, twice as many Americans view web-based TV content on TV sets compared to Europeans (20% to 10%).
Luther & Race
Alyssa Rosenberg talks with Luther producer Phillipa Giles about the show's depiction of race and casting.
BSkyB Profits
BSkyB's subscriber rate has slowed considerably, but profits are up thanks to sales of related broadband and telephony products.
US Misfits
A US version of the fantastic E4 show Misfits in in the works, under the direction of Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwatrz.
Post-Oprah News
Local newscasts appearing to be surviving the post-Oprah era with ratings largely intact.
FBN Admonished
The EVP of Fox Business Network is concerned the channel focuses too much on politics and not enough on business and economics.
TV & Toddlers
Farhad Manjoo investigates the suggestions that toddlers shouldn't watch TV. More on TV limits for toddlers from the NYT. And James Poniewozik chimes in about letting his kids watch TV.
Good TVeets
Mitt Romney and Rick
Perry hate each other so much they could be co-hosts on 'The Talk.' #tweetthepress
I'm sensing "X
Factor" just skipped straight to ridiculous without an earlier stop at
sublime.
I feel like channeling
Rick Pitino in regards to tonight's #Ringer: "Logan Echolls is not walking
through that door."
Follow @GoodTVeets
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Social MTV
Ryan Lawler talks with MTV's EVP of Digital Media about the channel's social media efforts.
Fall Social Report
Lost Remote details how the networks are fairing in social media: "CBS is struggling with creating a unique identity for each of their programming, and their dramas have the lowest volume of conversation out of all the new dramas...NBC has some aces with the first “diamond in the rough” (the Maria Bello-driven Prime Suspect) and the strongest comedy in social conversations across all the networks (Up All Night)."
Green Screens
Brian Palmer tries to determine if its greener to use cable, satellite, or the internet to access TV.
Walking Dead Comparisons
Josef Adalian puts The Walking Dead ratings in context in various ways: "Among adults 18 to 34, Dead averaged a 4.2 rating Sunday, making it the No. 1 drama and No. 4 entertainment series on all of television, behind only Jersey Shore (5.6), Modern Family (5.3), and Two and a Half Men (4.8)."
Anti-AllVid
Media companies are united against a plan for universal government-issued set-top box called AllVid.
Monday Ratings
Marc Berman's overnights summary:
-Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), Two and a Half Men (CBS), Mike & Molly (CBS)
-Losers: The Sing-Off (NBC), Gossip Girl (CW), Hart of Dixie (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Last week's Broadcast Top 25. Cable Top 25. Top DVR shows of the season.
-Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), Two and a Half Men (CBS), Mike & Molly (CBS)
-Losers: The Sing-Off (NBC), Gossip Girl (CW), Hart of Dixie (CW)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Last week's Broadcast Top 25. Cable Top 25. Top DVR shows of the season.
State of NBC
Jonathan Storm gives an overview of NBC right now: poor ratings, niche targeting of young men, midseason hope.
Spinoffs Within Shows
James Poniewozik highlights an intriguing narrative trope, what he calls spinoffs within a show (i.e. Eli Gold's PR activities on The Good Wife).
Community Timelines
Check out this video with all seven of the "Remedial Chaos Theory" timelines running simultaneously:
Worst Ads
The Consumerist surveyed readers to determine the worst TV ad, and a Luvs ad about pooping won. You can also see who won Most Grating Performance by a Human and Creepiest Ad of the Year.
Good TVeets
more Michael B. Jordan,
less everyone else.
#TerraNova Writer's Room: "How can we write twists than even
people who have hit their head see in Act 1?"
Follow @GoodTVeets
Monday, October 17, 2011
Zombies Everywhere
In addition to its great ratings, The Walking Dead is also making a mark in social media. And now, more zombies may be on the way, as a TV version of Zombieland is in the works.
NFL Value
News that the NFL is sure to send to TWC: NFL football is one of the most valuable performers on TV, as ratings are high, viewers are diverse, and there is little time-shifting of games.
NFL & TWC End Talks
No deal is likely happen this year to get NFL Network on Time Warner Cable systems.
Mobile Watching
Forbes explores how mobile phones and tablets have affected TV viewing. In news that fits under that category, the check-in service and guide app Miso is now available through AT&T U-verse.
Film in Television
Jaime Weinman discusses the rise of digital video and decline of film in TV production.
New In Media Res
Theme: Chasing the Audience
- Monday October 17, 2011 – Darcey West Morris (Georgia State University) presents: ‘Technology is a Glittering Lure’ - Audiences in the Convergence Era
- Tuesday October 18, 2011 – CarrieLynn D. Reinhard (Dominican University) presents: The Interactive Audience
- Wednesday October 19, 2011 – Catherine Johnson (University of Nottingham) presents: Being Followed by the Fades: Chasing the Youth Audience
- Thursday October 20, 2011 – Brooke Erin Duffy (Temple University) presents: From Cover Lines to Keywords: Women’s Magazines, Advertisers, and the Digital Challenges of Chasing the Audience
- Friday October 21, 2011 – Vincent Filak (University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh) presents: Chasing Audiences with a 3-D Turbocharged, Hyperfast Rocket
Sunday Ratings
Marc Berman's overnights summary:
-Winners: Sunday Night Football: Minnesota at Chicago (NBC), The OT (Fox)
-Fading Fast: Desperate Housewives (ABC)
-Losers: Pan Am (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. The Walking Dead's premiere was huge, setting an 18-49 basic cable record. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Week 2 Live+7 DVR numbers.
-Winners: Sunday Night Football: Minnesota at Chicago (NBC), The OT (Fox)
-Fading Fast: Desperate Housewives (ABC)
-Losers: Pan Am (ABC)
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. The Walking Dead's premiere was huge, setting an 18-49 basic cable record. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Week 2 Live+7 DVR numbers.
UK Time-shifting
British viewers are time-shifting about 10% of their viewing, and that figure jumps to 16% for the 16-34 demo.
Negative Obama Coverage
The results of a Pew study into news coverage of the presidential race counter the claim that the press gives President Obama favorable treatment.
PBS on BSkyB
PBS will be available on the BSkyB satellite service in Britain starting next month, and Channel 4 will handle the channel's ad sales.
TV Everywhere Debate
Todd Spangler outlines the industry pros and cons of TV Everywhere as it stands now.
Talk Ratings
Michael Starr points out that the bar is set quite low for daytime talk show ratings these days.
Out Stars
Matthew Gilbert highlights the increasing number of TV actors and personalities coming out of the closet.
McDonald's TV
McDonald's is launching an in-store TV channel called, reflecting the high level of creativity McDonald's is known for, McTV.
Walking Dead Improvements
The Walking Dead returned last night; Matt Zoller Seitz says TV helped to improve the storytelling over the comic book version, and Aaron Barnhart thinks the show can help AMC through a rough patch.
Basic Reality
Yvonna Villarreal looks at how basic cable channels like AMC, TNT, and USA are getting into reality TV development.
Good TVeets
AMC's slogan should just
be, "if you're in an RV, some major shit has gone down in your life." #BreakingBad #WalkingDead
I hope the Party Down
movie will be about them catering the Arrested Development film set.
Fred Durst is developing
a TV comedy project. It couldn't possibly be funnier than the previous
sentence.
Follow @GoodTVeets
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Marijuana Ads
Scott R. Flick considers the legality of local stations running ads for medical marijuana.
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