Fey Comedy

NBC has greenlit a 13-episode series created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock and starring Ellie Kemper.

Twitter Game

Natan Edelsburg describes a Twitter game created for The Walking Dead.

Women & Quality TV

Lisa W. Kelly jumps into the conversation about female lead characters and quality TV.

Ratings Declines

CNN is falling back in the ratings again, and ESPN's PTI and Around the Horn are also experiencing declines.

WGN's Course

Brian Steinberg summarizes what Tribune's CEO says about WGN America's future direction toward original series.

Strong Witches

Mary McNamara notes a trend of strong women on TV presented as supernatural beings, especially witches.

Comedy Central Renewals

Comedy Central has renewed Key and Peele and Drunk History.

Plasma Exit

Panasonic will no longer manufacture plasma TV sets.

Oscars Sold Out

ABC has sold out its 2014 Academy Awards ad inventory, with costs pushing toward $2 million for 30 seconds.

Amazon Drama Test

Amazon will test a pair of drama pilots online, including one from Chris Carter.

Wednesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Winners: The 2013 World Series, Game 6: Boston vs. Detroit, Survivor: Blood vs. Water (CBS), Criminal Minds (CBS)
 -Honorable Mention: Survivor: Blood vs. Water (CBS), The Middle (ABC)
 -On the Fence for a Full Season Renewal: “Back in the Game” (ABC), “Super Fun Night” (ABC), “The Tomorrow People” (CW)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): Nothing…Facing the final game of “The 2013 World Series” gives every competing show a free pass.

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

Wheeler Confirmed

Tom Wheeler has been confirmed as the new FCC chairman, and he'll start next week. And he'll have a lot on his plate.

HIMYM Spinoff

CBS is reportedly looking to develop a How I Met Your Mother spinoff. James Poniewozik says please no don't.

TWC Losses

Brian Stelter reports on Time Warner Cable's record loss of subscribers in the last quarter, part of the fallout from the CBS retrans battle. Peter Lauria says this news makes networks very happy. Anthony Crupi also has analysis. Consolidation talk is growing.

Good TVeets

Dear Ninja Turtles, Why are you wearing masks? There are no other giant, mutated turtles. No one's gonna mistake a different turtle for you.
— Rob Fee (@robfee) October 29, 2013

It's like my mom always said: If it keeps Entourage fans off the streets for 2 hours, go ahead and make your little Entourage movie.
— Katrina Whipp (@SheBanggs) October 30, 2013

That's the funniest thing HIMYM has done in years.
— Justin Fowler (@JustinFowler) October 31, 2013

Dead Stars

LesLey Goldberg explores why the stars of The Walking Dead aren't more famous given the high ratings of the series.

Sitcom Worlds

Alyssa Rosenberg talks to showrunner Mike Schur about building proper sitcom worlds in Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Tuesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 15.21 million, NBC: 9.60, Fox: 4.76, ABC: 4.11, CW: 2.09
 -Adults 18-49 NBC: 3.0 rating/8 share, CBS: 2.5/ 7, Fox: 1.5/ 4, ABC: 1.2/ 3, CW: 1.0/ 3
 ———-
 -Winners: “NCIS” (CBS), “The Voice” (NBC), “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): “The X Factor” (Fox), “Trophy Wife” (ABC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Hitfix and Spotted.

Spoil-Watching

J. Bryan Lowder advocates for spoiling yourself before watching shows.

Cable Declines

The top cable channels are experiencing ratings declines this fall.

SNL Diversity

Jason Zinoman addresses Saturday Night Live's diversity problem.

Comcast App

Todd Spangler describes the Xfinity TV Go app, which can stream live cable channels to mobile devices.

SoA FX

Sons of Anarchy's special effects advisor reveals how they achieved some gory shots in last night's episode.

Intel Update

Peter Kafka and Arik Hesseldahl report that Intel might pass off its online TV service plans to Verizon.

CBS News Service

Peter Lauria reports that CBS News is working on a mobile and over-the-top digital video service.

Review Culture

Anne Helen Petersen laments the state of episodic reviewing and calls for change. Sam Adams adds thoughts.

Walking Dead Renewed

Finally making a move no one can question, AMC has renewed The Walking Dead for a fifth season.

Twitter Watching

Lori Rackl discusses the growth of tweeting while watching TV. And a new study looked at how Twitter is shaping viewing.

AJAM Expansion

Tim Molloy reports that Al Jazeera America is expanding its coverage and reporting.

Halloween Costumes

THR highlights the top TV-related Halloween costume searches over the past week, but TV fans will have to work hard to top this one.

Monday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 13.19 million, ABC: 12.21, NBC: 12.20, CBS: 6.61, CW: 999,000
 -Adults 18-49 NBC and Fox: 3.8 rating/10 share each, CBS: 2.1/ 5, ABC: 2.0/ 5, CW: 0.4/ 1
 ———-
 -Winners: The World Series, Game 5: Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Fox), The Voice (NBC), The Blacklist (NBC)
 -Honorable Mention: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), Castle (ABC)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): Hart of Dixie (CW), Beauty and the Beast (CW), Hostages (CBS)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

Egyptian Satirist Update

The man who has been called Egypt's Jon Stewart is back on TV and back to upsetting officials.

Decline of TV Watching

Emma Brockes says the move to watching shows on non-TV set devices is bringing about an end to television as shared culture.

Dexter & Queer Readings

Adam C. Scales considers queer readings of Dexter.

Sky Offering

John Plunkett looks at Sky's Now TV package, an offering of ten streaming channels available without a pay TV subscription and intended to challenge Netflix.

Fox Baseball Coverage

Richard Sandomir looks at what Fox did wrong and right in covering the endings of two previous World Series games.

The Companion Model

Keara Goin analyzes Clara Oswald within the history of Doctor-and-companion relationships in Doctor Who.

Ratings News

Andrea Morabito explains why low-rated shows are still hanging on this season, Ed Martin says The Blacklist is bringing attention to L+7 ratings, and L+7 numbers also help make Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. the top new fall show, but Alan Sepinwall says the show could be much better.

Aereo News

Jeff John Roberts says Aereo's New York subscriber numbers represent good and bad news for the service, electricity usage will apparently also be a challenge,  Aereo was just favored by in court decision, and the service will launch in Denver soon to keep up with its 2013 goals.

Good TVeets

There's only one thing worse than an Entourage movie. And it's also an Entourage movie.
— Matt Fowler (@TheMattFowler) October 29, 2013

Next the WSJ will run a denial of income inequality penned by the General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard. (The car will get its math wrong.)
— Anil Dash (@anildash) October 29, 2013

Pretty sure my DVR records the first 2 min of 2 Broke girls to make me think HIMYM wasn’t so bad. “Let’s get some perspective,“ it insists…
— evelyn pollins (@ampersander) October 29, 2013

Tourism Boost

Sleepy Hollow is helping to boost tourism in the real Sleepy Hollow town.

CNN Comedy

CNN is reportedly developing a Daily Show competitor.

Breaking Bad Script Pages

A Reddit user snapped pictures of the final two pages of the Breaking Bad finale script. (For real, this isn't a bit.)

Smart TV Indifference

Wayne Friedman says consumers aren't taking to smart TVs.

Netflix Plans

Netflix has a deal with Showtime to stream Dexter episodes and is also trying to negotiate a House of Cards third season. Netflix also wants to stream blockbuster movies at the same time they appear in theaters, but that's not going over so well with theater owners.

Fusion's Fit

Jeanine Poggi questions where Fusion will fit in the cable landscape. Diana Marszalek checked out Fusion's first day.

Dads' Season

I clearly didn't stay away long enough, because I still saw this news; Fox has given Dads a full-season order.

Twitter Ratings

The latest Nielsen Twitter ratings are out, with Pretty Little Liars at the top. And Kate Dunham compared Twitter ratings to Nielsen ratings for new shows and found mostly discrepancies.

Sunday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 16.68 million, NBC: 12.31, CBS: 9.11, ABC: 5.55
 -Adults 18-49 Fox: 5.1 rating/13 share, NBC: 4.5/11, ABC and CBS: 1.5/ 4 each
 ———-
 -Winners: The World Series, Game 4 (Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals), Sunday Night Football: Green Bay at Minneapolis (NBC)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): Betrayal (ABC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Hitfix.

Supernatural Twitter Controversy

A Warner Bros. exec temporarily left Twitter after sending out tweets that angered Supernatural fans by shutting down questions over a character's sexual orientation.

Binge Battle

Will Richmond looks at how binge viewing is fostering a battle among TV Everywhere, video-on-demand, and over-the-top forces.

Nikke Finke v. Deadline

The Nikki Finke drama continues to get more dramatic.

NBC's Bad Choices

Matthew Gilbert looks at why NBC has fallen so far over the past decade.

AMC International Expansion

AMC is acquiring a slew of international channels to distribute content globally.

NFL Network's 10 Years

The NYT looks at how far NFL Network has come in its ten years of existence.

Demo Wrecking TV

Scott Collins says advertising's obsession with under-50 viewers is hurting television.

Blackfish Ratings For CNN

CNN drew strong ratings, especially in younger demos, when it aired the documentary Blackfish in prime time Thursday.

Ad Rate Ranking

Kate Aurthur ranks the 91 programs in Ad Age's annual ad rates survey from most to least expensive.

Good Wife Coverage

Denise Martin talks to Good Wife EPs Michelle and Robert King about last night's excellent episode, and James Poniewozik has high praise for the series. Alan Sepinwall says the network model has helped to make the show as good as it is.

Nielsen to Measure Mobile

The AP reports that Nielsen will add mobile and tablet viewing to its ratings measurements next fall.

Pay TV Eyeing Aereo

Bloomberg reports that DirecTV and Time Warner Cable are considering starting up their own versions of Aereo to circumvent retrans payments.

Good TVeets

Ethics are not always a good thing on our show. #TheGoodWife
— Good Wife Writers (@GoodWifeWriters) October 28, 2013

I know that look Alicia is giving Peter. And you know what? Here we go. Alicia: one of two women who gets more...<SIGNAL LOST> #GoodWife
— Kaydubya (@kristenwarner) October 28, 2013

What Aaron Sorkin did for the 'walk-and-talk,' Robert & Michelle King have done for the 'walk-and-not-talk.' #TheGoodWife
— ishira kumar (@ishirakumar) October 28, 2013

I would like to make out with the scenes from upcoming episodes of #TheGoodWife. I would like to go under the sweater of those scenes.
— Melissa Mann (@PhantomRat) October 28, 2013

Good TVeets

We take our wine glasses very seriously over here at #scandal, y'all.
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 25, 2013

There is already a MURDER SHE WROTE remake on television. It's called CASTLE, and its comforting patter puts old people to sleep every week.
— Dr. Frankenstrand (@ZeppoMarxist) October 24, 2013

NBC Greenlights Show For Cancellation
— ghost with a blog (@pilotbacon) October 24, 2013

Comcast HBO Offering

Janko Roettgers noticed a Comcast special offer that almost offers HBO unbundled.

Hulu Mobile

Steve Smith notes Hulu's improvement of its mobile app, but Sarah Perez highlights the limitations.

Fusion Wooing Youth

Brian Steinberg looks at how Fusion will try to attract millennial viewers to the new Hispanic-targeting channel.

Hispanic Study

The FCC will undertake a study of Hispanic viewership, programming, and station ownership.

Release Date Myopia

Linda Holmes considers how movie release windows and TV time-shifting pose a challenge to a review culture based on the brand-new.

SoA & Trans Equality

Alyssa Rosenberg praises Sons of Anarchy for its development of a transgender character this season.

Strong Black Woman

Nichole Perkins prefers the image of black women in Scandal and Sleepy Hollow to the typical unemotional stereotype.

NBCU Shake-Up

Ramin Setoodeh and Brian Steinberg report that people at NBCU are unsettled by all the exec shuffling Steve Burke is instituting.

Room Tweets

Twitter's blog chronicles the friendly Twitter battle between the Elementary and Sleepy Hollow writers' room feeds, with a few others joining in.

Lesbian Characters

Willa Paskin notes a surge in lesbian characters in romantic storylines, but questions why we don't see nearly as much gay romance.

Walking Dead History

Mental Floss presents a video history of The Walking Dead comic books and TV series.

Wednesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 13.73 million, CBS: 10.37, ABC: 6.95, NBC: 4.82, CW: 2.17
 -Adults 18-49 Fox: 4.1 rating/11 share, CBS: 2.4/ 7, ABC: 2.2/ 6, NBC: 1.2/ 3, CW: 0.8/ 2
 ———-
 -Winners: 2013 World Series, Game One (Fox), “Survivor” (CBS), “Modern Family” (ABC), “Criminal Minds” (CBS), “CSI” (CBS) -Honorable Mention: “The Middle” (ABC)
 -Disappointing: “Back in the Game” (ABC)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): “Super Fun Night” (ABC), “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC), “The Tomorrow People” (CW), “Ironside” (NBC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

Portable iPlayer

Mobile devices and tablets have overtaken computers in terms of BBC iPlayer access. The mobile app has reached 20 million downloads.

Transgender Pioneer

Paul Flynn profiles a historic transgender character on Coronation Street, who is now exiting the series.

Court Efforts

Fox is appealing a Hopper decision, and Aereo is fighting to keep operating in Utah.

Social Media Scandal

The Wrap believes they've outed a prominent Scandal tweeter as an ABC employee.

Fighting at NBC

Alyssa Rosenberg praises Parks and Recreation for persevering through difficult times at NBC, while Sean Hayes is blaming NBC for his sitcom's poor ratings performance.

Engineering Emmys

The Emmys handed out Engineering Awards last night.

TWC Picks Up AJAM

Brian Stelter reports on Time Warner Cable's agreement to carry Al Jazeera America, despite its very low ratings.

Good TVeets

THIS CLUB HAS EVERYTHING #AHSCoven #Stefon
— katie (@katetocci) October 24, 2013

If I wasn't medication, I'd start a drinking game on how many "Has #AHSCoven gone too far?" articles will be published by this weekend.
— Mark O. Estes (@theanticritic) October 24, 2013

"Little Mermaid Released From Vault After 16 Years" sounds like an AMAZING episode of Dateline.
— Rob Kutner (@ApocalypseHow) October 23, 2013

Netflix Disruptions

Janko Roettgers points to five areas that Netflix wants to disrupt next.

Bypassing Pilots

Lacey Rose and Lesley Goldberg report that networks seem to be changing the pilot process and are ordering more shows direct-to-series.

Female Taboo

Monica Nickelsburg says Reign cutting a masturbation scene illustrate that the taboo in TV isn't female sex, it's female pleasure.

Shooting Coverage

ThinkProgress is critical of cable news for covering the new iPad announcement more than a deadly school shooting.

State of Ad Buys

Nielsen says global TV ad spending is maintaining its dominance, but Robert Hof reports that brands are turning increasingly to online video.

PBS Premiere Dates

PBS has announced its airdates for Sherlock (though the BBC still hasn't), as well as Downton Abbey and other shows.

Cancellation Bear Objections

Myles McNutt explains why he sees TV By the Numbers' Cancellation Bear as problematic for ratings discussion culture.

Tuesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 15.46 million, NBC: 9.02, ABC: 5.07, Fox: 3.50, CW: 2.22
 -Adults 18-49 NBC: 2.7 rating/8 share, CBS: 2.6/ 7, ABC: 1.7/ 5, Fox: 1.5/ 4, CW: 1.0/ 3
 ———-
 -Winners: “NCIS” (CBS), “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (ABC), “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS), “The Voice” (NBC), “Person of Interest” (CBS)
 -Honorable Mention: “The Biggest Loser” (NBC), “Chicago Fire” (NBC)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): “The Mindy Project” (Fox), Trophy Wife (ABC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Hitfix and Spotted.

Silverman's Pilot

Sarah Silverman posted a failed NBC pilot of hers on YouTube, and Jon Weisman has analysis.

Chinese Spelling Bee Hit

Isabella Steger highlights a popular Chinese spelling bee show aimed at reinvigorating youth enthusiasm for the Chinese language.

State of Local TV

TVNewsCheck launches a new monthly series on local media with a post from Terry Heaton on the troubles in local television.

Aging Audience

Gary Levin notes that the median viewer age for new network series continues to rise. Dorothy Pomerantz also reports.

NBA Local Streaming

SBJ reports that the NBA is close to a deal that will allow games to be streamed locally.

MasterChef Junior Praise

Willa Paskin says MasterChef Junior is the best competition reality show on TV.

Body of Proof Back?

ABC may resurrect Body of Proof.

Netflix Problems

Peter Lauria highlights a challenge for Netflix in terms of content spending limiting profits, and Charles Sizemore doesn't recommend Netflix as a stock buy.

Twitter + BBC News

Twitter's latest partnership is with BBC Global News for sponsored video clips within paid tweets. Kaylee Hultgren summarizes Twitter's most recent such deals. Some network execs aren't thrilled with Twitter's NFL deal.

Good TVeets

http://t.co/cFUXks5KzW should at least have cool error pages like "The Lannisters send their regards" and blood drips down screen.
— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) October 22, 2013

PBS: Why After Several Seasons Is Oscar Still Homeless? What Are You Doing With Our Donations?
— Toddler Council (@ToddlerCouncil) October 22, 2013

"Why don't you where ur hat anymore?" Cuz muhfuhkuhs be hatin' on Twitter! If I see 1 more Lose The Hat, Carl meme! #TheWalkingDead
— Retta (@unfoRETTAble) October 23, 2013

HBO Promotions

HBO has promoted a pair of execs in the wake of Sue Naegle's exit.

Showtime Renewals

Showtime wants more Homeland and Masters of Sex.

Colorized Lucy

CBS will air episodes of I Love Lucy near Christmastime that "have been colorized with a vintage look."

Revolt Begins

The music channel Revolt launched today.

Telemundo Everywhere

Telemundo Media has announced a TV Everywhere app.

CrazySexyCool Ratings

VH1's TLC biopic CrazySexyCool did big ratings, becoming the highest-rated TV movie of 2013.

Bake Off Comparisons

The Telegragh compares format elements of international versions of The Great British Bake Off.

Twitter Expansion

Twitter is moving into digital TV in India and has a deal with BSkyB to show Champions League clips.

Media Consolidation Criticism

Free Press, the media watchdog group, is critical of the FCC for not being more proactive in regard to media consolidation. Free Press's broadcasting consolidation map visually makes their case.

Olympics Marketing

David Tanklefsky looks at NBC's plan to launch a marketing blitz leading up to the Winter Olympics.

Fox Reality Head

Fox has picked Simon Andreae to replace Mike Darnell as head of reality TV at Fox.

Top Showrunners

THR has named the top 50 showrunners in comedy and drama, with additional showrunner-focused pieces linked at the entry page.

Scandal v. Homeland

Alyssa Rosenberg explains why she's come to appreciate Scandal more than Homeland. James Poniewozik also considers Homeland's twist problems. David Chute defends Homeland.

Almost Human Delayed

Fox is delaying the premiere of Almost Human by two weeks, reportedly to take advantage of a football lead-in.

Season of DVR

Toni Fitzgerald looks at the big impact of DVRs thus far  this season.

Amazon Originals

Todd Spangler profiles Amazon's big move into original programming.

FX App

Andrew Wallenstein looks at the FXNow app as a competitor to Netflix.

The Middle Appreciation

Brandon Nowalk explains how The Middle is a great family sitcom and is better than Modern Family.

Monday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: NBC: 12.54 million, ABC: 12.29, CBS: 7.29, Fox: 5.43, CW: 1.55
- Adults 18-49 NBC: 3.8 rating/10 share, CBS: 2.2/ 6, ABC: 1.9/ 5, Fox: 1.6/ 4, CW: 0.6/ 2 Note: The CW is inflated because the Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants football aired instead of Hart of Dixie and Beauty and the Beast.
 ———-
- Winners: Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Voice (NBC), The Blacklist (NBC), Castle (ABC)
- Honorable Mention: How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), Bones (Fox), The Big Bang Theory R (CBS), Mom (CBS)
- Losers (excluding repeats): Hart of Dixie (CW), Beauty and the Beast (CW), Hostages (CBS)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spottted and Hitfix.

More on Netflix

Brian Stelter covers the Netflix news from yesterday, and Todd Spangler looks at Netflix's plans to expand original programming. Derek Thompson questions how long Netflix's run can last. Michael Schneider sees a battle coming between networks and Netflix, as does Max Follmer, Andrew Wallenstein similarly sees a battle forming around video-on-demand and binge viewing. Orange is the New Black is Netflix's most-watched original series, and Melissa Click and Brandon Miller consider what that says about content innovation and diversity. Alyssa Rosenberg says Netflix's future is in TV, not movies. Todd Spangler says some think Netflix is being over-valued, while Carl Icahn says it is under-valued but is cashing in already.

Good TVeets

Key network demos as I see them- FOX: younger, edgier crowd ABC: Families CBS: Ages 55-90 NBC: Dogs left home who like background noise
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) October 21, 2013

"Parks and Rec" getting poor ratings is a black eye for America. Going forward, we need to strive to be better as a people.
— Chris Wilson (@realchriswilson) October 21, 2013

This leaked script for the HIMYM finale where the kids turn out to be grotesque dolls made from skin isn't the way I would have gone.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) October 22, 2013

Walking Dead Ratings

The Walking Dead continues to draw big ratings in week two.

Netflix News

Netflix has released its quarterly letter to shareholders, and its Q3 figures are strong. Peter Kafka has analysis, and Andrew Wallenstein considers Netflix's forthcoming strategies. Janko Roettgers looks at Netflix's plans for international expansion.

New Sports Show

Brian Steinberg profiles Unguarded, CNN's new sports show that hopes to appeal to casual fans.

Maker Strategy

Andrew Wallenstein profiles Maker Studios' strategy overhaul, making it more like cable.

American Horror Story: Abjection

Anne Helen Petersen analyzes American Horror Story: Coven "to see if we can get to why American Horror Story treads the knife-edge between feminism and misogyny — and why so many of us can’t stop watching it."

Program Praise

Jace Lacob praises The Good Wife for hitting an incredible stride, and Sarah D. Bunting is happy that Revenge is back on track.

Parks & Rec Scheduling

Josef Adalian reports that NBC is shelving Parks and Recreation for three weeks, then will bring it back for two episodes, then will rest it again until January, with particular hopes of boosting Sean Saves the World.

Doctor Who 50th Trailer

The trailer for the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who was released Saturday, and io9 has an Easter Egg guide to it.

Revenue Predictions

Wayne Friedman reports on projections about what percentages of media company revenue will come from advertising compared to retrans/carriage fees and other sources over the next few years.

NBCU Everywhere

A market research report says NBCU leads the way in TV Everywhere with more channels available than any other group.

ANTM Renewed

America's Next Top Model will carry on for the 21st time.

Upscale Parks & Rec

Parks and Recreation's audience is small but young and wealthy.

MTV Sitcoms

MTV has picked up two sitcoms as it continues to bolster scripted offerings.

Sunday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: NBC: 21.45 million, CBS: 12.72, ABC: 5.58, Fox: 2.69
 -Adults 18-49 NBC: 7.8 rating/20 share, CBS: 2.7/ 7, ABC: 1.4/ 4, Fox: 1.1/ 3
 ———-
 -Winners: Sunday Night Football: Denver at Indianapolis (NBC), 60 Minutes (CBS)
 -Fading: The Amazing Race (CBS)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC), Revenge (ABC), Betrayal (ABC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

Smart TV Potential

Phillip Hunter reports on a survey finding that smart TVs will be more crucial to future industry revenue than tablets.

UK Imports

Kristen Schweizer looks at what's behind the growth in UK imports on US outlets.

OLTL History

A new oral history of One Life to Live explores the soap opera's importance.

Economics of Breaking Bad

Jon Nathanson details the economics behind a hit show like Breaking Bad: "in a business where only a few hits stand out any given year, lavish spending is the cost of staying relevant." Breaking Bad has really helped AMC's ad revenues.

Attracting Millennials

Neda Ulaby explores how new cable channels like Pivot are trying to lure millennials to TV sets.

Sinclair Growth

Some are questioning how Sinclair is working around ownership limits as it continues to buy up stations.

Fusion Launch

ABC and Univision's Fusion venture will launch soon.

Canada's A La Carte

Mandalit Del Barco says we shouldn't expect what's going on in Canada with cable unbundling to happen in the US.

Public Broadcasting & Current Affairs

Political scientist Stuart Soroka offers a report on whether public broadcasting outlets such as the BBC can increase current affairs knowledge better than private outlets.

Tough Time Slots

Anthony Crupi highlights troubled time slots for the networks, like NBC Thursday at 10pm.

Ad Spending

Jeanine Poggi reports on the cable upfronts take, and she also reports on AdAge's annual ad rate overview.

Boardwalk Buzz

Alex Pappademas laments the lack of buzz around Boardwalk Empire and offers a rather radical suggestion to fix this.

Horror TV

Matt Zoller Seitz praises American Horror Story, The Returned, and Dracula for doing horror TV right. Phil Maciak also writes of recent horror TV.

Murdoch Holds On

Despite some shareholder opposition, Rupert Murdoch has been re-elected as chairman of 21st Century Fox. A new book is forthcoming about Murdoch and the UK hacking scandals. That book also tells of Fox News PR staffers creating fake accounts so as to surreptitiously post favorable comments about the outlet online.

New In Media Res

Theme: Everyday Archives

• Monday, October 21, 2013 - Chad Pollock (University of Arkansas School of Law) presents: Everyday Archives and Open Government
•  Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - Zack Lischer-Katz (Rutgers University) presents: Archiving Until the End of the Republic 
•  Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - Siobhan Senier (University of New Hampshire) presents: Subaltern Digital Archives: Collecting and Curating Native American Literature on the Web 
• Thursday, October 24, 2013 - Daniel Griffin and Anne Peterson (Tulane University) presents: Will Bit Rot be Beautiful? 
•  Friday, October 25, 213 - Bettina Soller (Georg-August-University Göttingen) presents: Fan Fiction Archives as Sites of Cultural Practices

Netflix News

Netflix is will soon pass HBO in number of subscribers, while Netflix's DVD business continues its inevitable decline.

Showrunners Talk

THR talked to a big group of showrunners about their jobs. Showrunners are also offering advice to Vince Gilligan about moving on, and Gilligan says the Breaking Bad finale was not a dream sequence, plus piracy helped the series. Alex Gansa discusses last night's Homeland twist, and Scott Gimple talks The Walking Dead.

Good TVeets

The Good Wife Season 5 just looked at Homeland Season 3, dropped the mic, and walked into the TVhistory books.
— ishira kumar (@ishirakumar) October 21, 2013

Diane Lockhart would make a killer ninja. #TheGoodWife
— Tim Stack (@EWTimStack) October 21, 2013

Mike & Molly & Will & Grace & Rizzoli & Isles & Hart & Hart & Franklin & Bash & Cagney & Lacey & Starsky & Hutch & Mork & Mindy VS Superman
— Jason Gore (@sonicdork) October 21, 2013

Saving Hulu

Andrew Wallenstein sees five ways Hulu's new CEO can save the company.

Beard Values

Jarret Ruminski sees the Duck Dynasty stars' beards as tied to traditional conservative images of masculinity.

Saturday Ratings and More

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers:
Fox: 8.56 million, ABC: 5.87, CBS: 3.33, NBC: 3.01
 -Adults 18-49
Fox: 2.1 rating/7 share, ABC: 2.0/ 6, CBS and NBC: 0.7/ 2 each
 ———-
 -Winners:
MLB, American League Championship Series, Game 6 (Fox)
 -Losers (excluding repeats):
College Football: USC at Notre Dame (NBC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers.
Daniel Fienberg has ratings analysis from earlier in the week. The latest L+7 figures are also out, with The Blacklist showing impressive gains.

Walter White Outfits

Huffington Post has a gallery of everything Walter White wore across the series. Also, a funeral for Walter White was held in Albuquerque yesterday and raised both money and controversy.

Hong Kong Protests

Thousands in Hong Kong are protesting the government's control over television and the limited choice and competition.

State of Finke

Connor Simpson covers the latest in Nikke Finke drama.

Government Coverage

David Bauder looks at how cable news benefitted from government shutdown coverage, while Eric Stern caught Fox News's Sean Hannity offering appalling misleading coverage of the Affordable Care Act.

Good TVeets

I think Bill Murray just threw a spear into a crowd of live college students.
— edsbs (@edsbs) October 19, 2013

The race to GIF Prince Fielder could be a reality show right now
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) October 20, 2013

Kristina Braverman: Wrong about the Downtown Loft Project. Wrong for America.
— Daniel Walters (@danieltwalters) October 19, 2013

20th Success

Variety explains why 20th Century Fox TV's Dana Walden and Gary Newman are Showmen of the Year.

Simpsons Complaints

An FOIA activist group has obtained complaints submitted to the FCC about The Simpsons.

Friday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 9.42 million, ABC: 5.46, NBC: 4.66, Fox: 3.18, CW: 1.11
 -Adults 18-49 CBS: 1.5 rating/5 share, ABC: 1.4/ 5, NBC: 1.1/ 4, Fox: 1.0/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 1
 ———-
 -Winners: Undercover Boss (CBS), Shark Tank (ABC), Blue Bloods (CBS)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): The Neighbors (ABC), America’s Next Top Model (CW), 20/20 (ABC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers.

Analysis from Hitfix.

Twitter Strategy

Hulu exec Travis Winkler questions Twitter's strategy in emphasizing its value to live TV when viewers are increasingly time-shifting. Mathew Ingram also considers this argument.

Retrans Boosts CBS Stock

Jon Lafayette reports that CBS's favorable retrans deal with Time Warner Cable brought a $7 boost to its stock value.

Good TVeets

"Replacing 'Ironside' on Wednesdays well be... oh, whatever the [bleep] we can stick in there." - NBC release translated.
— Daniel Fienberg (@HitFixDaniel) October 18, 2013

Glad to see the full 22 for Brooklyn 9-9. Here's to it being the next comedy we champion for the first 3-4 years and then backlash against.
— Christopher Dole (@chrisdole86) October 18, 2013

Lifetime renewed NBC's canceled 'Betty White's Off Their Rockers' after the show failed to indicate its "do not resuscitate" status.
— Ben Siemon (@BenjaminJS) October 19, 2013

Shutdown Ratings

Michael O'Connell checks out how the end of the government shutdown did in cable ratings.

Cruz Blocks FCC

Ted Cruz is not done blocking things; the FCC chairman is next.

Netflix & Amazon Approaches

Todd Spangler looks at how Amazon is adopting a different model than Netflix.

Netflix Courting Cable

Derek Thompson considers why Netflix wants to shift from cable competitor to cable partner. Will Richmond's podcast covers this issue. Joe Flint considers the sticking points.

Disney & O & Os

Disney is reportedly thinking of selling the broadcast stations it owns, but some question this move.

Piracy Helped Breaking Bad

Vince Gilligan reportedly believes piracy helped Breaking Bad's ratings.

SNL Diversity

Erik Voss finds deep roots in Saturday Night Live's diversity problem. Carolyn Edgar also reports.

Dish Retrans Deals

Dish Network and Gray Television have agreed on a retransmission deal. But a Dish battle with Media General deepens.

Top Ad Buys

Brian Steinberg reports on ad rate estimates and finds the The Walking Dead ruling above all (not counting sports).

Murdoch Pressure

AdAge covers the shareholder effort to strip the 21st Century Fox chairmanship from Rupert Murdoch. while keeping him on as CEO, and replace him with an independent chairman. Update: Never mind. That didn't happen.

Thursday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 10.71 million, Fox: 8.39, ABC: 7.52, NBC: 3.41, CW: 2.42
 -Adults 18-49 CBS: 2.6 rating/8 share, ABC and Fox: 2.4/ 7 each, NBC: 1.2/ 3, CW: 1.0/ 3
 ———-
 -Winners: “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS), “The Millers” (CBS), “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC), “The Crazy Ones” (CBS), “Scandal” (ABC)
 -Honorable Mention: MLB: American League Championship Series, Game 5 (Fox)
 -Losers: “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” (ABC). “Parks and Recreation” (NBC), “Welcome to the Family” (NBC), “Sean Saves the World” (NBC), “The Michael J. Fox Show” (NBC), “Reign” (CW), “Parenthood” (NBC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

Orders & Cancellations & Renewals

I've been on the road all day, and I've apparently missed a lot. CBS has given full-season orders to The Millers, Mom, and The Crazy Ones. NBC has announced that Community will be back in January, while Ironside and Welcome to the Family can show themselves out. And Fox has given Brooklyn Nine-Nine a full-season order and a post-Super Bowl slot, along with New Girl. Also, The CW has renewed America's Next Top Model. Betty White's Off Their Rockers is being revived at Lifetime.

Glee to End

Ryan Murphy says next season will be the last one for Glee. Studio and network sources say nothing has been decided yet. James Poniewozik has ending suggestions.

Exec Roundtable

THR sat down with Showtime's David Nevins, Netflix's Ted Sarandos, FX's John Landgraf, and Fox's Kevin Reilly to talk about the state of TV and competition for programming.

Absence of Women

Helen Wood explores the dearth of women on British comedy banter panel shows.

BBC Worldwide Plan

BBC Worldwide's CEO has announced "a new vision" for the company, which includes positioning itself to better compete with streaming outlets like Netflix and Amazon.

Esquire & Men

Carles checks out Esquire Network and how it frames "modern man."

Reign Cuts

The CW has cut out a masturbation scene from Reign, and James Poniewozik questions the cultural taboo around masturbation. Kate Aurthur reports on more details.

Ending & Renewal

What Not To Wear ends tonight, while Franklin & Bash will be back.

Good TVeets

Olivia’s been hanging around too many white people. She saw people running & walked towards the situation.Girl, you suppose to RUN. #scandal
— Psycho-Delicate (@ez_there) October 18, 2013

Olivia went to bed with no scarf on and got in the shower with no cap, and yall are shocked that she went toward the danger #Scandal
— Brittany. (@acarolinagrl) October 18, 2013

Troubled by sudden realization that Ron Swanson might have supported the government shutdown.
— emilynussbaum (@emilynussbaum) October 18, 2013

Hulu CEO

A Fox exec is reportedly the choice for Hulu's new CEO. Update: The news was made official today.

Wednesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 10.09 million, Fox: 8.06, ABC: 7.48, NBC: 5.89, CW: 2.59 -
Adults 18-49 ABC, CBS and Fox: 2.4 rating/7 share each, NBC: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.9/ 3
 ———-
 -Winners: Toy Story of Terror (ABC), Survivor: Blood vs. Water (CBS), MLB American League Championship Series, Game 4 (Fox), Arrow (CW), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS) 
-Honorable Mention: CSI (CBS)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): Back in the Game (ABC), Super Fun Night (ABC), Nashville (ABC), Ironside (NBC)


Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

American Horror Story: Coven dropped in its second week.

Glover's Notes

Donald Glover posted some cryptic (or poetic) Instagram notes about leaving Community. He explained himself today.

Fans & Adventure Time's Depth

Eric Kohn wonders if Adventure Time's "obsessive fans" are missing the depth of meaning offered by the series.

Theatrical Influence

Jonathan Mandell lists the ways in which TV is influencing theater.

Netflix Extras

Netflix is planning to try out DVD-like extra features for its original shows.

Ovation Returning to TWC

Time Warner Cable will carry Ovation again, as the channel has committed to bolstering its original arts programming offerings.

Good TVeets

Where are you @DamonLindelof? It's cold out here without you.
— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV) October 17, 2013

The hardest working man on the floor of Congress is the CSPAN sound man.
— Crutnacker (@Crutnacker) October 17, 2013

This Survivor has a jaw-dropping bug-bite montage, so the ball's in your court, Ryan Murphy.
— Blitzen Noelk (@bnowalk) October 17, 2013

Digital Rentals & Piracy

Joe Mullin reports on research into the relationship between digital availability of movies and TV shows and piracy.

Upscale Ratings

ABC leads the networks in ratings among upscale viewers, and Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory,  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Blacklist, and Grey's Anatomy lead among shows.

Good Bros of Fox

Phil Maciak looks at how Fox's Tuesday night comedy block has shifted from "Ladies Night" to "Good Bro Night."

Lindelof Exits Twitter

Damon Lindelof has removed his Twitter account, and Alyssa Rosenberg considers the role of social media for visible showrunners, such as Lindelof and Kurt Sutter. Myles McNutt also has analysis, as does James Poniewozik.

Gilligan's Future

Lacey Rose talks to Vince Gilligan about the Breaking Bad spin-off and what's next for him.

South Park Delay

South Park won't air a new episode tonight because a power outage delayed completion of the episode.

AMC's Future

Andy Greenwald looks at what lies ahead for AMC. That future will include a third season of Small-Town Secruity and development of an arm-wrestling docu series.

Skewed Diaries

A new research project found a significant margin of error in Nielsen diaries. Nielsen vaguely says they're working on it. Anna Li reports that minorities and young people are significantly underrepresented.

Tuesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 15.17 million, NBC: 9.31, ABC: 5.01, Fox: 3.28, CW: 2.26
 -Adults 18-49 NBC: 2.8 rating/8 share, CBS: 2.6/ 7, ABC: 1.6/ 5, Fox: 1.5/ 4, CW: 1.1/ 3
 ———-
 -Winners: NCIS (CBS), Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC), The Voice (NBC), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), Person of Interest (CBS)
 -Honorable Mention: The Biggest Loser (NBC), The Originals (CW), Supernatural (CW), Chicago Fire (NBC)
 -Losers: The Goldbergs (ABC), Trophy Wife (ABC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

AMC's Canadian Dispute

AMC is in a carriage fee dispute with Canadian telecom company Telus. Myles McNutt has analysis.

BBC Head of VOD

Georg Szalai reports on the BBC's plans to establish its iPlayer VOD service as a fifth BBC outlet with its own controller.

UK Cross-Platform Measurement

Today Nielsen launches in the UK the Nielsen Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings, which will measure exposure to an advertiser's TV and online ads.

NFL Thursday Expansion

The WSJ reports that the NFL is looking to add a second game on Thursday nights on an outlet other than NFL Network. That outlet could be an online one.

Smash Musical

A version of "Hit List" from Smash will actually be presented.

Pilot Lure

Alex Ben Block reports on the LA City Council's vote to waive the usual fees to shoot a pilot in the city, in hopes of boosting pilot production there.

Thompson on SNL

SNL cast member Kenan Thompson stirred reaction with his comments about the lack of black female comedians on the show. Alyssa Rosenberg covers the casting angle, and Emmanuel Akitobi turns it back on Thompson.

Good TVeets

Aaron Paul, trying to get as excited as he used to, only watching a Subway Sandwich Artist make his sub
— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) October 16, 2013

Marcel has chemistry with everything. Rebekah, Cami, the floor, that glass of whiskey. Everything. #TheOriginals
— Carrie Raisler (@TVandDinners) October 16, 2013

Sunday night TV and Thursday night TV are the coolest kids in school and Tuesday night TV eats lunch with the librarian.
— Richard West (@RichieOnTV) October 15, 2013

FilmOn Contempt

FilmOn is flirting with a contempt of court ruling for continuing on in Boston.

Return of Adventure

Charlotte Howell points to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Sleepy Hollow as signs that the good old-fashioned genre adventure show, if not the purely episodic sort, seems to be making a return to TV.

C3 Up

Jon Lafayette reports that the network ratings that really do count, C3 advertising ratings, were up 2% over last year's premiere week, and media buyers are encouraged.

Digital Shift

Alex Kantrowitz says the TV ad market is finally starting to shift to digital, particularly with data-driven targeting.

The Hour & The Newsroom

Aatif Rashid prefers The Hour over The Newsroom as a utopian news program.

Real Husbands of Hollywood Visibility

Craig D. Lindsay questions why The Real Husbands of Hollywood doesn't get more attention as cable's highest-rated 18-49 sitcom.

Sleepy Hollow Costuming

Fashionista talked to Sleepy Hollow's costume designer about why Ichabod Crane is staying dressed in his old duds. James Hibberd highlights other characters who don't often change clothes.

Simpsons Merchandise

Narc Graser reports on how much money Simpsons merchandise generates for 20th in the wake of newly concerted efforts. (Spoiler: It's a lot.)

Multiple Doctors

Matt Hills explains the appeal of Doctor Who stories that feature multiple Doctors.

Sarandon to TV

NBC is developing a sitcom starring Susan Sarandon.

ESPN on League of Denial

ESPN's ombudsman has chimed in about the Frontline "League of Denial" conflict. Travis Vogan also offers analysis.

Comcast v. NBCU

Shalini Ramachandran says Aereo's legal defense may be pitting NBCU against Comcast.

NBCU Ad Overhaul

Brian Steinberg details how NBCUniversal is overhauling its ad sales operations by focusing on demographic categories rather than different outlets.

Highest-Paid Actors

Forbes has its latest highest-paid actors list out.

Globes Hosting

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will helm the next two Golden Globes ceremonies.

Monday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: NBC: 13.00 million, ABC: 12.22, Fox: 7.32, CBS: 7.02, CW: 997,000
 -Adults 18-49 NBC” 4.0 rating/11 share, Fox: 2.3/ 6, ABC: 2.1/ 6, CBS: 2.0/ 5, CW: 0.4/ 1
 ———-
 -Winners: “The Voice” (NBC), “Sleepy Hollow” (Fox), “The Blacklist” (NBC), “Castle” (ABC) 
-Honorable Mention: “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS), “Bones” (Fox)
 -Losers: “Hart of Dixie” (CW), “Beauty and the Beast” (CW), “Hostages” (CBS)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Final ratings. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

TiVo Likes Netflix

Bloomberg reports that TiVo is open to adding Netflix to its set-top box, as Netflix seeks distribution expansions. Will Richmond sees risk for cable operators here.

Kids' Theme Park

The BBC is building a theme park for kids to tie in with its CBeebies channel.

Bake Off Move

The Great British Bake Off will move to BBC One for its next series due to its high ratings, and Stuart Heritage thinks that's appropriate.

Doomed Cable Model

Amadou Diallo argues that cable's pricey bundling model is unsustainable.

Marvel Development

Nellie Andreeva reports that Marvel is preparing four dramas and a miniseries for possible VOD/cable distribution.

Good TVeets

WALKING DEAD ratings are so high by now we must seriously consider the possibility people are rising from the grave to watch it.
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) October 14, 2013

Given the DNA similarities, wouldn't there be zombie monkeys in the world of The Walking Dead? And excuse me but THERE'S YOUR SHOW.
— John Moe (@johnmoe) October 15, 2013

next week's 2 broke girls is about cronuts and oops i just shot myself before i could even make a joke about white people
— HuffPostPunk (@pilotbacon) October 15, 2013

Lost Episodes Matter

Mac Rogers explains why the recently found Doctor Who episodes are so important to fans.

Election Coverage Analysis

The authors of a new book on media coverage of the 2012 presidential election found intriguing trends, including balanced coverage of both candidates.

Sitcom Manchild

Janet Yu says Brooklyn Nine-Nine represents the latest trend in the infantile male sitcom lead.

Eat the Winner

TNT is developing a Mark Burnett-produced cooking competition show, wherein the winning dish will be on restaurant menus the next day.

Baldwin Ratings

Alec Baldwin's new MSNBC show experienced mixed results in the ratings, and Lloyd Grove says the debut episode was boring. James Poniewozik at least sees some potential.

New Netflix Drama

Netflix has a new drama in the works from the creators of Damages. Liz Shannon Miller sees this as a good fit.