Monday, April 30, 2012
Bad Acting
Willa Paskin considers how TV can harbor bad actors and their "inexpressive mediocrity," with examples from Mad Men, Castle, and Friday Night Lights.
Sunday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: Once Upon a Time (ABC), Family Guy (Fox)
-Losers (excluding repeats): Dateline (NBC), NYC 22 (CBS)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 8.91 million, ABC: 7.37, NBC: 5.82, Fox: 4.05
-Adults 18-49: ABC: 2.2 rating/6 share, Fox: 1.7/ 5, CBS: 1.6/ 4, NBC; 1.4/ 4
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Coverage from Daniel Fienberg & Spotted
-Winners: Once Upon a Time (ABC), Family Guy (Fox)
-Losers (excluding repeats): Dateline (NBC), NYC 22 (CBS)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 8.91 million, ABC: 7.37, NBC: 5.82, Fox: 4.05
-Adults 18-49: ABC: 2.2 rating/6 share, Fox: 1.7/ 5, CBS: 1.6/ 4, NBC; 1.4/ 4
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Coverage from Daniel Fienberg & Spotted
Cameron Denies Claims
British Prime Minister David Cameron denies accusations that his government did any favors for News Corporation in regard to their bid for BSkyB.
Bechdel Test
Stephanie Abrahams tries out the Bechdel Test on some current TV characters like Megan Draper, Emily Thorne, and Leslie Knope.
UK vs. US Sitcoms
Jack Cooper thinks US sitcoms far outshine UK ones these days, and he suggests that the UK start a few writer's rooms.
E! Rebranding
Sam Thielman discusses changes at E!, with new programming as part of a rebranding effort. Wayne Friedman assesses the changes.
Problem With Digital Upfronts
Mike Shields says the problem with the so-called NewFronts is that advertisers still are still allied with TV and unsure about online video. But Anthony Crupi says online video outlets could play a key role at this year's TV upfronts. Will Richmond says the NewFronts point toward audience fragmentation.
Web TV Stats
NetNewsCheck says 21% of American households have a TV set or set-top device connected to the internet.
Good TVeets
Sunday night I love you. The Killing, Madmen, and a new ep of Girls waiting for me whenever.
— Judy Blume (@judyblume) April 30, 2012
Judging by my service, I assume what we call "Time Warner Cable" is, like, one drunk guy who keeps kicking a plug out of the wall.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) April 30, 2012
I think being Sally Draper is a little like living in a Kubrick film.
— Todd (@howsyrface) April 30, 2012
Some mild Mad Men spoilers in here.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Media Industry News
My latest media industry news links are up at Antenna, with news about Cannes, Nintendo, YouTube, and Apple just waiting to be clicked.
TV & Diversity
Jon Caramanica says by focusing so much just on Girls, many are glossing over the lack of diversity in other key places on TV. Maureen Ryan also addresses the problem of racism and sexism on TV. And in regard to The Bachelor lawsuit, Andrew Wallenstein notes that the show looks especially out of step given how often interracial romance is portrayed on TV. More perspectives from Cord Jefferson and Jon Caramanica.
Garry Marshall Interview
Andrew Goldman talks with Garry Marshall, who doesn't have regrets about having the Fonz jump the shark: "So I said: “Jumping’s worked well for us. Let’s jump something maybe on water skis.”"
Good TVeets
America's Next Top Model has completely redefined the words "top" and "model."
— Kasey Anderson (@KaseyAnderson) April 29, 2012
The entire cast of Modern Family is at the #WHCD (aka #nerdprom), so I guess whatever party follows it will be 10x funnier.
— Andy Daglas (@AndyDaglas) April 28, 2012
wait, the comedy awards and the war on women are two different things? #JK#IceCream
— Morgan Murphy (@morgan_murphy) April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Pitching The Pitch
Christina Warren dicsusses the marketing artwork for AMC's reality series The Pitch.
Developing TV Apps
Amy Chozik and Nick Wingfield delve into the development of TV apps and how the industry views them. Sam Byford follows up.
Good TVeets
Ryan Seacrest signed huge new deal with NBC where he will cover some news, so get ready to text in whether you want to go to war with Iran.
— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) April 28, 2012
This would not be a good time for anyone in Chris Berman's family to type his name into Twitter Search.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 28, 2012
I'm more excited about the end of the weekend than the start because of Sunday night TV. I need #TVAddictsAnonymous
— ishira kumar (@ishirakumar) April 27, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
New Flow Issue
Check out posts by Graeme Turner with How To Be a TV Star, Julia Himberg with Laughing Out Loud: Wanda Sykes and the Making of Celebrity Activism, Doyle Green with Adorno vs. Siskel & Ebert, Akira Mizuta Lippit with David Lynch’s Secret Passages II, and Randy Lewis with God is Watching, and So Am I: The Theology of Surveillance.
Media Use
Another Nielsen report on media use is out, this one looking viewing and use of devices based on demographics. Joe Flint points out the finding that viewing with a second screen around enhances the experience for many.
The Newfronts
Aymar Jean Christian covers the Newfronts, where web outlets like YouTube, Hulu, Yahoo, AOL, and Microsoft hawk their online programming for advertisers
TV Comedy Conference
The Carsey-Wolf Center at UCSB is hosting a conference called "All in the...Modern Family: Celebrating the Art and Impact of TV Comedy," with industry guests such as Lisa Kudrow, Phil Rosenthal, Steve Levitan, and Ken Levine, and academic guests such as Jane Feuer, Ethan Thompson, and Bambi Haggins. You can watch a livestream of the event or follow it via the Twitter hashtag #cwctcomedy.
New In Media Res
Theme: David Milch
- Monday, April 23, 2012 - Jason Jacobs (University of Queensland) presents: Reaching out: Milch’s teaching, voice, genius.
- Tuesday, April 24, 2012 - Erika Johnson-Lewis (Florida State University) presents: It’s almost Shakespearan
- Wednesday, April 25, 2012 - Martin Zirulnik (University of California-Los Angeles) presents: David Milch’s “connecting interior doors”: Private Space and Commonplace, Beginnings and Ends
- Thursday, April 26, 2012 - Sean O’Sullivan (Ohio State University) presents: The Idea of the End of a Thing
- Friday, April 27, 2012 - David Thorburn (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) presents: David Milch’s Depraved Saints
Thursday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: American Idol (Fox), The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Person of Interest (CBS)
-Losing Steam: The Office (NBC), The Mentalist (CBS)
-Losers: Community (NBC), 30 Rock (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), The Secret Circle (CW), Awake (NBC)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 11.59 million, Fox: 10.46, ABC: 7.72, NBC: 3.10, CW: 1.71
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 2.9 rating/8 share, CBS: 2.6/ 7, ABC: 2.2/ 6, NBC: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.8/ 2
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Once again, lots of lows. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
-Winners: American Idol (Fox), The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Person of Interest (CBS)
-Losing Steam: The Office (NBC), The Mentalist (CBS)
-Losers: Community (NBC), 30 Rock (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), The Secret Circle (CW), Awake (NBC)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 11.59 million, Fox: 10.46, ABC: 7.72, NBC: 3.10, CW: 1.71
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 2.9 rating/8 share, CBS: 2.6/ 7, ABC: 2.2/ 6, NBC: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.8/ 2
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Once again, lots of lows. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
Political Posting Imposed
The FCC has issued a mandate requiring major local stations to post public files online, including political ad rate info, despite broadcaster opposition. Genachowski says to cave on the political files would have constituted censorship. Harry A. Jessell wonders what the impact could be.
Laughing at NBC
James Poniewozik and Chris Harnick review last night's 30 Rock, which offered numerous joys for TV fans, as did Community's Law & Order episode, which got a thumbs up from devoted L&O fan Noel Kirkpatrick. And the laughs continued in Parks & Rec's debate episode, which offers even more joy in an extended cut on Hulu. More on Parks & Rec from Alyssa Rosenberg.
Today Back on Top
Good Morning America's ratings victory was short-lived. ...Or not. Bill Carter reports that GMA was on top this week.
Teens Comment on Race & TV
The NYT asked teenagers to comment on if they think TV is too white. (Yes, Girls was the launching point for this. I wonder what the 2-12 demo thinks of Girls. Probably not enough ponies.) And some of the comments indicate that there's a serious need for media literacy education among teens; e.g.: "I watch TV shows that are mostly white orientated, but I don’t know why the Black population can’t enjoy those types of TV shows."
TVGuide.Com Still Out There
Still no buyer for TVGuide.com, and one former prospective buyer is now eyeing Variety.
Web Originals Impact
Jon Paul Titlow considers the impact original web series could have on TV's future. And Alyssa Rosenberg suggests them for Netflix's and Hulu's future.
Too Much Skin
Anna Holmes is tired of the nudity on Game of Thrones. Alyssa Rosenberg responds with a partial defense.
Web's Impact on TV
Daniel Frankel says we just have to look at Netflix streaming data and profiles to understand Nickelodeon's ratings declines. But Peter Kafka points out that the web can also help TV viewership, with possible increases in ratings for series on AMC and FX thanks to series catchup offerings. Viacom's CEO says the Netflix streaming deal isn't to blame.
Social NBA
Sam Laird notices the NBA taking advantage of social media more intensely as the playoffs arrive.
Good TVeets
Brian Williams only got his role on "30 Rock" because he's related to the hot actress from "Girls."
— Daniel Fienberg (@HitFixDaniel) April 27, 2012
I will not apologize for being in the 1% of Americans who saw "Zou Bisou Bisou" on two different TV shows this year.
— Robert D Sullivan (@RobertDSullivan) April 27, 2012
You guys, this has been a amazing night, i have 121 followers and I feel totally sure im going to find my car! THank you Pawnee City council
— munchmeat2015 (@munchmeat2015) April 27, 2012
I've never wanted to vote for someone as much as I do for Leslie Knope.
— Ben Hargrove (@Power_Lloyd) April 27, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Value of Reruns
As we enter the upfronts period and its focus on new programming, Wayne Friedman highlights the value of reruns.
LA Complex Ratings
The airing of The LA Complex on The CW last night was the lowest-rated network drama premiere ever, drawing only 630,000 viewers. Update: Oddly, a rerun of the show drew higher ratings.
Fringe Renewed
Fringe will return in the fall with a 13-episode final season. James Poniewozik praises Fox for the move.
Hulu Partner Out
A 10% owner of Hulu, Providence Equity, is pulling out, and Peter Kafka wonders what this means for CEO Jason Kilar. Brian Stelter & Amy Chozik have more.
Bad Apple Ad
Brain Steinberg says Apple's "celebrities use Siri" ads are a rare misstep for the company.
Netflix is OK
Daniel Frankel says that despite a lot of investor pessimism surrounding Netflix, all hope is not lost.
Sponsor Warns UFC
Anheuser-Busch is calling on UFC to curtail the homophobic and sexist comments evident during its fight broadcasts.
Ofcom Investigating BSkyB
As fallout from the News Corp. scandals. Ofcom is now investigating if BSkyB deserves to hold a broadcast license with News Corp.'s influence.
Wednesday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: American Idol (Fox)
-Honorable Mention: Survivor: One World (CBS), Revenge (ABC)
-Tired: Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
-Losers: BFF (NBC), Rock Center With Brian Williams (NBC), America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion (CW)
-Total Viewers: Fox: 16.48 million, CBS: 7.93, ABC: 5.64, NBC: 4.82, CW: 908,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 4.6 rating/13 share, CBS: 1.9/ 5, ABC: 1.8/ 5, NBC: 1.2/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 1
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
-Winners: American Idol (Fox)
-Honorable Mention: Survivor: One World (CBS), Revenge (ABC)
-Tired: Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
-Losers: BFF (NBC), Rock Center With Brian Williams (NBC), America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion (CW)
-Total Viewers: Fox: 16.48 million, CBS: 7.93, ABC: 5.64, NBC: 4.82, CW: 908,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 4.6 rating/13 share, CBS: 1.9/ 5, ABC: 1.8/ 5, NBC: 1.2/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 1
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
P&R Politics
Mo Ryan talks with Amy Poehler and Mike Schur about tonight's Parks & Recreation debate episode. Elsewhere, James Poniewozik explores the show's politics. And Alyssa Rosenberg explores further The Wire's influence on Parks & Rec.
Hiding the Dish
Jennifer Levitz reports that officials in various cities are concerned with satellite dishes becoming an eyesore in their communities and some are passing laws requiring them to be hidden away. The satellite industry, of course, is not pleased.
Eastbound & Down's Masculinity
Amanda Nell Edgar analyzes hegemonic masculine whiteness in Eastbound and Down.
Zimmerman Case Tests Newsrooms
Joanne Ostrow says the George Zimmerman trial could test TV newsrooms on how they cover the story.
Nice Niecy Reality
Jon Caramanica reads Niecy Nash's new reality show on TLC as part of a trend of reality TV shows "documenting the lives of midlevel black celebrities that hew to middle-class ideals of family, stability and calm."
Ad With Live Tweets
Channel 4 in Britain will air the trailer for Prometheus followed by live (but presumably moderated?) tweets about it.
Injury Ends Show
An ABC sitcom pilot set to star Delta Burke, Margo Martindale, and Doris Roberts has been halted after an injury to Burke. (Luckily, I'm sure there are plenty of other network pilots out there looking for older women to feature.)
NEA Giveth & Taketh Away
The NEA has sharply cut the money it gives to PBS in arts programming grants, affecting such stalwart programs as Great Performances, American Masters, and POV. Gaming, mobile, and web-based projects are getting NEA money for the first time, however. Alyssa Rosenberg asks of this split: "How much of the organization’s work should focus on keeping alive high culture that has wealthy patrons but trouble attracting a new generation of mass-market attendees? And how much should it focus on driving the culture of the future?" Anthony Kaufman says this could mean trouble for traditional documentaries.
Murdoch Testimony
Rupert Murdoch told a panel of inquiry there was indeed a cover-up of hacking at News of the World, but that News Corp. management wasn't aware of anything, putting himself across as not all that powerful.
Good TVeets
Newsflash: Michael Scott's plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. There were no survivors.
— Steve Carell (@SteveCarell) April 26, 2012
“In the future, everyone will link to your piece on ‘Girls’ for fifteen minutes.” —Andy Warhol, 1968
— Matt Thomas (@mattthomas) April 25, 2012
I'm waiting until David Simon has finished blogging, so I can read the whole thing at once.
— inessentials (@inessentials) April 25, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Music Video Strike
SAG-AFTRA may move to strike against music video productions if music labels don't respond to safety and benefit demands.
More on Race & TV
A NYT panel of debaters deals with race & TV from various perspectives. (You'll be surprised to hear that Girls comes up. But there's other interesting stuff in there too.)
ABC's Plunge
Jaime Weinman looks back on how ABC underwent a precipitous decline in the 1979-80 season after some disastrous decisions.
Streaming Traffic
Todd Spangler reports on a streaming traffic study finding that Netflix's share of that traffic has grown over the last six months and "drives about one-third of capacity infrastructure costs for cable and telco providers, according to the report from bandwidth-management equipment vendor Sandvine." Also, "Factoring in aggregate upstream and downstream traffic, Netflix represents 24.4% of total volume, ahead of BitTorrent at 14.2%." YouTube dominates mobile traffic.
FCC Blockage
Sen. Chuck Grassley continues to block the nominations of new FCC commissioners, while awaiting document disclosure from the FCC.
TV as Art
Matt Zoller Seitz wants to know when you knew TV could be an art form and offers his own epiphany: Hill Street Blues.
Retrans Rules
The CEOs of DirecTV and Time Warner Cable think retrans rules are outdated and detrimental to TV viewers.
What's Worth Saving?
Michael Schneider notes that complicating the usual bubble show issue this time around is low ratings across the board: "It used to be pretty clear which shows were hits and what could be deemed a flop. But this spring, primetime ratings have once again slumped to levels that shock even the most jaded of TV executives, who find themselves picking up shows that are currently barely pulling little more than a 1 rating among the adults 18-49 demographic."
Torture on TV
Amanda Marcotte is tired of torture scenes on Game of Thrones and elsewhere, and Alyssa Rosenberg follows up.
Tuesday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: NCIS R (CBS), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Voice (NBC)
-Honorable Mention: Private Practice (ABC)
-Losers: 90210 (CW), The L.A. Complex (CW), Fashion Star (NBC)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 9.87 million, ABC: 9.28, NBC: 6.72, Fox: 5.54, CW: 908,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 2.4 rating/7 share, NBC: 2.3/ 6, ABC: 2.0/ 6, CBS: 1.7/ 5, CW: 0.5/ 1
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
-Winners: NCIS R (CBS), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Voice (NBC)
-Honorable Mention: Private Practice (ABC)
-Losers: 90210 (CW), The L.A. Complex (CW), Fashion Star (NBC)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 9.87 million, ABC: 9.28, NBC: 6.72, Fox: 5.54, CW: 908,000
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 2.4 rating/7 share, NBC: 2.3/ 6, ABC: 2.0/ 6, CBS: 1.7/ 5, CW: 0.5/ 1
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
Simon's Blog
David Simon has started a blog, where he's followed up on the "ur watching it wrong" debate and brings in coverage of the Trayvon Martin case and a critique of the media and some other stuff too (the man has thoughts). James Poniewozik checks it out.
YouTube & TV
Mile Hale looks at how YouTube is developing new channels: "the harder they try to resemble television, the less interesting they are."
More News Corp Trouble
News Corp.'s problems are now compounding themselves, as the British government is investigating influence between News Corp. and government employees in regard to the company's bid for BSkyB, with Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt denying improprieties and resisting calls to quit, but admitting that his assistant, who has quit, had some inappropriate communications with News Corp. Hunt will now face questions at an inquiry, as will Rupert Murdoch, who is even accused of influencing Margaret Thatcher back in the 1980s. Murdoch testified today.
Must-Carry Battlelines
Doug Halonen says the fight to toss out the must-carry rules is dividing Christian broadcasters and Tea Party members.
Polone Profile
Patrick Goldstein profiles producer Gavin Polone, who also now writes a weekly post for Vulture on the industry.
Race & Reality TV
Keli Goff says it's not The Bachelor we should be worried about in terms of race; it's many other reality TV shows that do present people of color, especially women, but in problematic ways: "Black people are approximately 13% of the population and yet if you were to take a look at reality shows, or at least the coverage of them, you would think that we are responsible for the overwhelming majority of threatening behavior in social settings."
Problem of White People Problems
Noel Murray delineates what's problematic about "white people problems" designations and some complaints that shows like Girls are "too white."
Obama on Fallon
Eric Deggans covers the president's appearance on Jimmy Fallon last night. Willa Paskin explores the president's TV charm.
Good TVeets
I want to hug every actor on this show and let them know I understand none of this is their fault. #Glee
— Ryan McGee (@TVMcGee) April 25, 2012
Amazingly, the iPhone that talks in a know-it-all voice is only the 2nd-most annnoying thing in that Zooey Deschanel commercial.
— Steven Zeitchik (@ZeitchikLAT) April 25, 2012
TV 2012 will feature no scenes worse than Madeleine Stowe/James Purefoy on last week's "Revenge." Inc. "Work It."
— Daniel Fienberg (@HitFixDaniel) April 24, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
NZ Reality & Public Funding
Mark Stewart discusses an outcry in New Zealand over public broadcast funding of a few reality TV shows, such as a Jersey Shore-like program.
Comcast Responds to Bloomberg
Comcast is accusing Bloomberg of lying to the FCC about channel relocations.
Fast-Forwarding's Impact
Willa Paskin considers how the ability to fast-forward is changing the way we watch TV and the way it's made.
Set Battles
Tim Kelly and Clare Jim describe the technology battles going on between Asian manufacturers of TV sets.
ESPN & CBS Join Xbox Ads
Todd Spangler reports: "ESPN and CBS Interactive have joined Microsoft's advertising program for the Xbox 360, which lets content owners place 15- and 30-second spots in video content distributed through the game console via the Internet."
Future of TV is Broadband
Stacey Higginbotham says the future of TV is to be found on the internet, even as most TV viewing right now is still on traditional TVs.
Nikita Wins Check-Ins
A show you might not even know exists, The CW's Nikita, dominates the competition in social media check-ins.
Local TV & Social Media
Diana Marszalek explores how local stations' news operations are taking advantage of Twitter and Facebook.
Netflix's Strategy
Tim Carmody has praise for Netflix's content strategies. Nick Thompson and Felix Salmon see problems.
Conservative Spending
Conservative groups will be spending big on TV ads for Senate elections, far outspending Democrats.
Justified Character Analysis
Jamiesen Tyler Borak deconstructs Justified's Raylan Givens and a few other Harlan denizens.
Battleground is Good
Cory Barker shares a conversation about how Hulu's Battleground is worth watching.
Monday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Voice (NBC)
-Losers: Gossip Girl (CW), Hart of Dixie (CW)
-Total Viewers: ABC: 15.16 million, NBC: 8.79, Fox: 6.90, CBS: 6.32, CW: 1.11
-Adults 18-49: NBC: 3.2 rating/8 share, ABC: 2.7/ 7, Fox: 2.2/ 6, CBS: 1.7/ 5, CW: 0.5/ 1
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
-Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Voice (NBC)
-Losers: Gossip Girl (CW), Hart of Dixie (CW)
-Total Viewers: ABC: 15.16 million, NBC: 8.79, Fox: 6.90, CBS: 6.32, CW: 1.11
-Adults 18-49: NBC: 3.2 rating/8 share, ABC: 2.7/ 7, Fox: 2.2/ 6, CBS: 1.7/ 5, CW: 0.5/ 1
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
Murdoch Sticks to Story
James Murdoch continues to insist he wasn't aware of widespread phone hacking and is blaming underlings.
Bafta Noms
The Bafta Award TV nominations are out (think British Emmys), and Serena Davies expresses surprise that Sherlock didn't get a series nom.
Good TVeets
Twitter is the new water cooler, folks -- If you come to get a drink, you're gonna hear people talking about last night's TV.
— Damon Lindelof (@DamonLindelof) April 23, 2012
Just started watching tonight's Smash. Hope there's a random, extraneous, totally bizarre Bollywood dream/dance number. Unlikely I know.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) April 24, 2012
Internet Truth #34: The more you write about strong women characters, the more people find you by searching for "Skyler White tits."
— Brandon Nowalk (@bnowalk) April 23, 2012
Sometimes I find it very cathartic to shout "NINA DOBREV" for no reason.
— Genevieve Koski (@GenevieveKoski) April 24, 2012
Advertising Upfronts
Gladys Santiago has a cool collection of network upfronts advertisements running back a few years.
Like, Liking MTV
Natan Edelsburg interviews MTV's president about achieving Facebook "like" thresholds and staying relevant.
AMC's Status
Jill Goldsmith considers (behind Variety paywall) how AMC has done post-Cablevision spinoff.
Live Sports Online
Time Warner Cable is making live sports programming available online in some regions.
TV Stations Struggle
Cecilia Kang reports on how local stations are fighting to survive and stay relevant with online TV encroaching.
Middle-Aged Women Roles
Anita Singh reports British actresses' frustration that there aren't more opportunities for middle-aged women on TV.
Mad Men's Structure
In his discussion of last night's Mad Men, Myles McNutt address the show's structural conflict with AMC's ad breaks.
Most Feminist Boyfriend
I don't watch Spartacus, so I don't know what this is about, but the headline intrigues me: The Most Feminist Boyfriend in the History of TV: An Ode to Crixus
Monday, April 23, 2012
TV Criticism Survey
A group of folks looking to start a new TV blog would love for you to fill out a survey about online TV criticism. And if you love a good TV blog, surely you love a good online survey.
Community's Ambitions
Matt Zoller Seitz praises Community for its creative ambitions: "I can’t think of many shows in the history of American network TV that have managed Community’s trick of being pretty much like every sitcom you’ve ever seen and like nothing you’ve seen anywhere, in any medium. It’s at once a goofy, shenanigans-driven comedy, a self-aware commentary on pop culture, and an examination of ethical and philosophical concepts, and it demands to be viewed on all three levels simultaneously; that’s a lot to ask of people who are mainly looking to unwind on Thursday night."
Good Wife Scene
The Good Wife's showrunners talk about a certain scene from last night's episode that likely gave CBS Standards & Practices pause.
Sunday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: 60 Minutes (CBS), Once Upon a Time (ABC)
-Honorable Mention: The Amazing Race (CBS), The Good Wife (CBS)
-Losers: Fox’s 25th Anniversary Special, NYC 22 (CBS)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 9.92 million, ABC: 7.51, NBC: 6.29, Fox: 3.90
-Adults 18-49: ABC and CBS: 1.9 rating/5 share each, Fox: 1.7/ 5, NBC: 1.5/ 4
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
-Winners: 60 Minutes (CBS), Once Upon a Time (ABC)
-Honorable Mention: The Amazing Race (CBS), The Good Wife (CBS)
-Losers: Fox’s 25th Anniversary Special, NYC 22 (CBS)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 9.92 million, ABC: 7.51, NBC: 6.29, Fox: 3.90
-Adults 18-49: ABC and CBS: 1.9 rating/5 share each, Fox: 1.7/ 5, NBC: 1.5/ 4
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
Presidential Coverage
The Pew Research Center studied how the presidential candidates have been covered by the media in positive and negative terms. Obama tends to get a lot of negative press.
Watching Diversity
Alyssa Rosenberg goes beyond Shonda Rhimes and highlights ten non-white women behind the camera worth watching for, and Aymar Jean Christian names ten web series to watch if you're frustrated by the whiteness of Girls.
Netflix Growth
Netflix reports that it added many online subscribers last quarter, but investors want more.
Girls Backlash
Molly Lambert explores the backlash against Girls. Amanda Dobbins also updates the race backlash issue, and Alyssa Rosenberg frames Lesley Arfin's response.
Mogul Salaries
The Wrap covers media mogul salaries and compensation for 2011. Comcast execs took a pay cut. Netflix's CEO got a raise.
Good TVeets
So busy this morning, I have no time to pick out the best TVeets, but there's a whole ton of great ones after the jump.
WARNING: Major Mad Men spoilers, plus some for Game of Thrones.
WARNING: Major Mad Men spoilers, plus some for Game of Thrones.
Ratings Dips
Bill Carter explores what could be contributing to declining ratings, including changes in viewing habits. Cynthia B. Meyers adds thoughts.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
HBO's Emmy Package
GoldDerby reveals what episodes and actors HBO is submitting to Academy members for Emmy consideration.
Girls, Anger Management, & Biography
Ryan McGee considers the role of biography in reactions to Girls and Anger Management.
Nimble TV
Brian Stelter discusses a new streaming service called NimbleTV: "The service takes the package of television channels that a customer buys through a distributor like Dish Network, then streams the package onto the Web, allowing the customer more options for viewing than most distributors now allow. It also allows for thousands of hours of TV recording via a virtual digital video recorder." Ryan Kim also covers NimbleTV.
Correction Not Aired
David Carr notes that NBC has yet to own up on Today to the false edit of the George Zimmerman 911 call the show aired.
Good TVeets
As we say on twitter: Squee!RT @KarenGillan2 Haha! Loving #inspectorspacetime on #community brilliant.
— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) April 21, 2012
Was going to say something about Snooki having another book out but everything I typed up ended with me dead.
— Mark Hale (@ChaosMonkey) April 22, 2012
Masturbating to that new HBO show "Girls" is more challenging than I thought.
— mileskahn (@mileskahn) April 22, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: Nothing
-Losers: Nikita (CW), Primetime: What Would You Do? (ABC), Fringe (Fox), Supernatural (CW), 20/20 (ABC)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 5.42 million, NBC: 4.82, ABC: 4.52, Fox: 3.65, CW: 1.49
-Adults 18-49: ABC and NBC: 1.2 rating/4 share each, Fox: 1.1/ 4, CBS: 0.9/ 3, CW: 0.5/ 2
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers.
-Winners: Nothing
-Losers: Nikita (CW), Primetime: What Would You Do? (ABC), Fringe (Fox), Supernatural (CW), 20/20 (ABC)
-Total Viewers: CBS: 5.42 million, NBC: 4.82, ABC: 4.52, Fox: 3.65, CW: 1.49
-Adults 18-49: ABC and NBC: 1.2 rating/4 share each, Fox: 1.1/ 4, CBS: 0.9/ 3, CW: 0.5/ 2
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers.
Efron's Evolution
Linda Holmes surveys Zac Efron's evolution as an actor and star image from High School Musical to The Lucky One, and has great insights on eyebrows ("A funny thing happened in Hairspray: his eyebrows came of age, cinematically speaking") and star appeal shifting by age ("In truth, sex-wise, you sell boys to girls by promising they won't try anything. But you sell men to women by promising they will try anything").
Network TV Ad Value
Research analyst Brian Wieser explains why advertisers are still favoring TV, even network TV, in tough times for viewership: "For as long as there is growth in products which differentiate themselves vs. their competition on the basis of brand-attribute awareness, and as long as TV is viewed as the primary driver of brand awareness, TV will grow its revenue base."
Scandinavian TV Golden Age
Nick Edwards provides some reasons why Scandinavian TV is on a roll, especially in crime drama.
CBS Sues Rerun Outlet
CBS has sued FamilyNet owner ComScore for ceasing payment on licensing fees for reruns of Happy Days and other shows.
Watching While Thinking
The social media service Miso has a blog post on their studies into how people watch TV and potentially use second screens: "It confirmed our belief that there is ample opportunity to provide content to users while they watch television because their brains are exploding with all kinds of thoughts and questions."
Online Video & Minorities
Hayley Tsukayama explores how online video has become a key outlet for minority personalities.
Strong Upfronts Predicted
Bill Cromwell reports that media buyers are predicting a strong network upfronts.
Frozen Planet & Climate Change
Brian Stelter discusses how Discovery's Frozen Planet series largely avoids addressing global warming issues.
Good TVeets
I believe what will ultimately tear our country apart is our inability as a people to agree about the HBO show "Girls."
— Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) April 20, 2012
No one say "amazeballs" near me, please. I'm an adult woman.
— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) April 21, 2012
Nancy Grace's voice makes us die faster.
— kelly oxford (@kellyoxford) April 20, 2012
Fox at 25
Alan Sepinwall marks Fox's 25th anniversary with a slideshow of the networks ten best shows. More on Fox's 25th anniversary from Reuters and Mike Hale.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Women of Color in TV
Continuing her focus on diversity in TV, Alyssa Rosenberg shares some eye-opening stats about the number of women of color in TV production.
Disney Chairman Walks
Disney Studio Chairman Rich Ross didn't have the same success with films as he did with TV shows in his previous post at Disney Channel, and he's now stepping down.
Justified Walkthrough
Graham Yost takes AV Club readers through the third season of Justified, part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.
Thursday Ratings
Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: American Idol (Fox), The Big Bang Theory R (CBS)
-Disappointing: Touch (Fox)
-Fading Fast: The Office (NBC)
-Losers: Community (NBC), 30 Rock (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), The Secret Circle (CW), Awake (NBC)
-Total Viewers: Fox: 10.97 million, CBS: 8.44, ABC: 8.03, NBC: 3.23, CW: 1.65
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 3.0 rating/9 share, ABC: 2.2/ 6, CBS: 1.8/ 5, NBC: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.7/ 2
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Yet more series lows. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
-Winners: American Idol (Fox), The Big Bang Theory R (CBS)
-Disappointing: Touch (Fox)
-Fading Fast: The Office (NBC)
-Losers: Community (NBC), 30 Rock (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), The Secret Circle (CW), Awake (NBC)
-Total Viewers: Fox: 10.97 million, CBS: 8.44, ABC: 8.03, NBC: 3.23, CW: 1.65
-Adults 18-49: Fox: 3.0 rating/9 share, ABC: 2.2/ 6, CBS: 1.8/ 5, NBC: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.7/ 2
Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Yet more series lows. Final ratings. Cable ratings.
Daniel Fienberg's coverage.
TVD Issues
Last night's Vampire Diaries contained a scene that left fans and critics like TV Club's Carrie Raisler groaning, and Karen Petruska further explores the issue through the scope of fandom, shipping, and showrunning.
Analyzing One Direction
Jennifer Margaret Smith explores the homoerotic masculinity of the boy band One Direction, and awhile back, Myles McNutt analyzed the group's appearance on SNL.
New In Media Res
Theme: Italian Television & Media Convergence
- Monday, April 16, 2012 - Massimo Scaglioni (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) and Ira Wagman (Carleton University) present: Italian TV (and Politics): A System in Transition
- Tuesday, April 17, 2012 - Luca Barra (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) presents: Tutti pazzi per amore: Contemporary Fiction and Spreadable Music
- Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - Cecilia Penati (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) presents: I Cesaroni: The Innovation of Family Comedy in the Convergent Scenario
- Thursday, April 19, 2012 - Adriano D’Aloia (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) presents: Spaghetti TV Crime Fiction
- Friday, April 20, 2012 - Stefania Carini (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) presents: Between Reality, Soap and Talk Show: Maria de Filippi’s Uomini e donne
Hispanic Media Use
Nielsen has a study on media usage, especially mobile and social activities, by Hispanics in the US.
Assessing CNN
Alex Sherman weighs the pros and cons CNN's all-news strategy, rather than the opinion and personality approach more prevalent at Fox News and MSNBC: "It’s a strategy that works well when news breaks: CNN’s 25- to 54-year-old prime-time audience (the most coveted by advertisers) topped Fox’s and MSNBC’s when music stars Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson unexpectedly died and when Osama bin Laden was tracked down. When the big news stories subside, however, CNN slumps back down to third place in the ratings."
Pilot Recasting
Nellie Andreeva investigates why there's been an unusually high number of pilot recastings this season.
New Complex TV Chapter
Jason Mittell has posted another chapter of his book online: Orienting Paratexts.
The CW Online Impact
Sam Schechner and Christopher S. Stewart report that The CW's push to encourage online viewing of its shows is rankling many broadcasters and, as Georg Salazai also explores, possibly encouraging cord cutting.
Tim Goodman's TV Show Draft
This thread from Tim Goodman deserved its own post.
I think broadcast network television would be immensely improved if they had an NFL draft type situation for pilots.So much more fun, too.
— Tim Goodman (@BastardMachine) April 19, 2012
The draft would take place instead of the upfronts. I'd now be compiling my first mock draft. Also, theoretically, NBC wouldn't suck so bad.
— Tim Goodman (@BastardMachine) April 19, 2012
"With the first pick in the 2012-13 Broadcast draft, NBC selects "The Untitled Damon Lindelof Project"
— Tim Goodman (@BastardMachine) April 19, 2012
Good TVeets
Been waiting for the right episode to get your mom into #Community? Tonight's the night!
— Chris McKenna (@cpmckenna) April 20, 2012
Lena Dunham. This has been an automatic generated tweet after the term "Lena Dunham" had not appeared in @arrabin56's feed for 20 minutes.
— Andrew Rabin (@arrabin56) April 19, 2012
Is there anything worse than watching Idol on West Coast time? No, I am pretty sure that is the worst thing on Earth, objectively.
— Emily Yoshida (@emilyyoshida) April 20, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
TDS Boycott
The Catholic League is trying mobilize a boycott of The Daily Show if Jon Stewart doesn't apologize for a recent segment that the group considers hate speech.
Watching With Comments
Kamaila Sanders describes a website that lets you watch TV shows with pop-up comments from other viewers on the screen.
Prime Time Home Prices
Vanity Fair has a slide show of TV show homes past and present and their estimated prices. (Downton Abbey worth $240 million!)
Hannibal Plan
Bryan Fuller has big ambitions for his Hannibal series, envisioning a seven-series arc, though there will be cable-style 13-episode seasons.
Sunday DVR Slam
Brian Stelter discusses the challenge of programming a DVR for Sunday nights. Andrew Wallenstein has more (behind Variety paywall). More thoughts from Rebecca Greenfield and Alexander Abad-Santos.
NAB Talk
Ryan Lawler says his impression of this year's NAB gathering is that multi-platform delivery is a major focus and actual broadcasting is on the outs.
Using Second Screens
John Paul Titlow explores the questions of how is using second screen TV apps and how.
Appreciating Green Acres
Noel Murray delves into the underappreciated Green Acres. Jaime Weinman adds thoughts.
Girls & Race
The discussion of race in Girls is heating up, thanks in part to an insanely stupid tweet by a Girls writer. Kendra James has a thoughtful response to the tweet and the show, one that considers how diversity in media studies education could potentially help mitigate such issues. More responses from Jorge Rivas, Latoya Peterson, Dodai Stewart, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Elspeth Reeve, and Max Read.
TV Everywhere Benefit
David Goetzl says programmers should encourage development of TV Everywhere viewing on tablets and computers so viewers can't skip past ads like they can on DVRs.
SAG Stays
The newly merged actors union will stay with the name Screen Actors Guild for now, thanks to a judge's ruling.
White GOP Men Dominate Sunday
A survey of Sunday political talk shows finds conservative guests outnumber liberals, men far outnumber women, and whites far outnumber members of other races.
Dramas Draw Best
A Nielsen study finds that drama is the biggest draw for primetime viewership, time shifting, and ad spend.
Good TVeets
Every generation gets the Dick Clark they deserve. And we got Ryan Seacrest.
— Ryan McGee (@TVMcGee) April 18, 2012
If it wasn't for Twitter I wouldn't know Dick Clark had died with the immediacy usually necessary for members of my immediate family.
— Ken Pisani (@kpsmartypants) April 18, 2012
The "dead person as a hologram" joke is so dead it can now be resurrected as its own hologram.
— Sean O'Neal (@seanoneal) April 18, 2012
What if over the last decade Mel Gibson was just telling a really really really long version of The Aristocrats joke?
— Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Defining TV
Steve Pond says the Emmy Awards are looking at some potential confusion when it comes to defining TV these days.
Hannity & O'Reilly Renewing
Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity are reportedly signing new deals to stay at Fox News. Brian Stelter has more.
BET's Competition
Jeanine Poggi considers how BET might deal with the new competition arriving in the arena of African-American targeted TV channels.
Offering Diversity
Also launching from Girls as a starting point, Alyssa Rosenberg considers possible goals for representational diversity in TV.
German Hulu
A plan by a pair of German broadcasters to start a Hulu-like service might not be able survive regulatory objections, which could open a window for the US Hulu to jump in.
Wheel of Fortune & Money
Willa Paskin explores the meanings and messages in Wheel of Fortune. Jaime Weinman chimes in.
New Current Hire
Current TV is hiring California's lieutenant governor as a talk show host. Tim Molloy has more. Alyssa Rosenberg doesn't like the hire.
RIP Dick Clark
Dick Clark has died. Stelter and Carter have reactions, Ken Tucker has an appreciation, as does Matt Zoller Seitz.
Thinking of Characters
Jumping into but also moving beyond the Girls fray, James Poniewozik asks: "what does it mean for a TV show to “want” us to feel certain ways about its characters, and how do we decipher a show’s attitudes toward them?"
Ratings Drops
With another mediocre Tuesday night, Bill Carter considers reasons why ratings are down all over, and Josef Adalian considers reasons why Glee is down.
Hulu's Growth
Amy Chozik and Brian Stelter assess Hulu's growth, as it moves now into original programming and Hulu Plus reaches 2 million subscribers. More on the latter from Ryan Kim. Morgan Spurlock talks about producing for Hulu. Daniel Frankel adds analysis. John Moe also considers the future of Hulu.
Testing Sheen
EW reports that Charlie Sheen's Anger Management has tested well in an early focus group screening.
Internet Upfronts
Jake Coyle discusses how internet video companies are starting their own upfronts, called Digital Content NewFronts.
Hulu Ad Policies
David Goetzl reports on changes to Hulu's ad policies: "the company will begin charging advertisers only for spots that run in their entirety. If a viewer does the equivalent of using a DVR online and skips a portion of an ad, the marketer will not have to pay." Wayne Friedman adds thoughts.
Good TVeets
Great. So now my insurance company tells me it WON'T cover "GIRLS Backlash."
— Rob Kutner (@ApocalypseHow) April 18, 2012
IKEA is selling a new TV.It will only show TV series that start solid and then totally fall apart by the second year.
— Andy Borowitz (@BorowitzReport) April 17, 2012
"anyone hear about this new ipad?" [jay leno pauses] "anyone hear anything at all?" [jay wanders the desolate cities. even the wind is gone]
— bandit (@UtilityLimb) April 17, 2012
Netflix's Original Future
Ryan Lawler sees original programming as the future of Netflix. More from Austin Carr.
Biggest Loser Mutiny
You may have heard a few months ago about Biggest Loser contestants walking off the show; it was depicted in the episode that aired tonight, and Andy Dehnart offers a defense of the quitters: "I haven’t watched the show in years, but I still feel comfortable saying that their protest gave the NBC series its best episode ever, and offered a great illustration of why it’s okay to quit a reality TV competition."
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
AD 2.0
Josef Adalian reports on Mitch Hurwitz talking about the upcoming new incarnation of Arrested Development.
Streaming Olympics
NBC intends to live stream every event at the 2012 Olympics, though it won't archive some until after they've aired on the network in prime time.
The Bachelor Suit
The Bachelor franchise is being sued for racial discrimination. Willa Paskin explores the charge, as does James Poniewozik, and Eric Deggans.
Identity TV
Aymar Jean Christian says TV is moving out of a post-identity era and toward one where cultural difference and identity matter.
Diller Explaining Aereo to Senate
Barry Diller is going to talk to a Senate Commerce Committee about Aereo and how the future of video is online. And so he did.
Mad Men Writers Chime In
A pair of writers for Mad Men add their thoughts to Slate's ongoing discussion of the show.
TNT Stunt Ad
TNT has created quite an ad for itself on a Belgian street. Update: This is now the second-most shared ad of all time.
Paying for Online Viewing
John Eggerton reports: "A just-released study from Accenture about online video consumers in eight countries found that a majority are willing to pay for the privilege, but most also still want to view full-length content on a TV set rather than a computer."
Top Shows Geographically
Ad Age mapped out data from a survey of viewers in every US county who reported what their top show of the previous week was. Turns out that Utah loves Chuck. The methodology here seems questionable, but the map is fun.
Discussing Sexposition
A group of critics, including the one who coined the term, discuss what sexposition is.
Girls Coverage
Because Monday is my busiest day, I missed all the mountains of Girls coverage, but I'll try to catch up with some of it here (and I stress some; I can't think of any premiere episode that's generated as much discussion as this one): the premiere did modestly in the ratings but there was plenty of social buzz. Reviews and reactions from Alyssa Rosenberg, Rebecca Traister, the Ryan & Ryan podcast, Alan Sepinwall, Meredith Blake & Todd VanDerWerff, Emma Straub, Amanda Ann Klein, Kristen Warner, Ken Tucker, Jenna Wortham, John Cook, Myles McNutt, Noel Kirkpatrick & Nick Campbell, Willa Paskin, Jace Lacob, Richard Lawson, Nona Willis Aronowitz, Price Peterson, Nikki Stafford, Renee Martin, Jaime Weinman, a group of media studies academics, Emily Nussbaum, Asawin Suebaeng, Liel Liebowitz, Meghan O'Keefe, Film Crit Hulk, Old Man Cooter. Amanda Dobbins traced some of the backlash online, more on the backlash from Kia Makarechi and Jason Mittell writes of the jump to judge shows. And Ali Pechman has a pop quiz: Girls review or Edith Wharton?
If I'm missing anything you'd like to see added to the list, let me know.
If I'm missing anything you'd like to see added to the list, let me know.
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