Japan's Public Broadcasting

Some are concerned that Japan's public broadcasting outlet has made a rightward political turn.

Facebook Data

Jason Abbruzzese says Facebook is geared up to compete with Twitter in terms of sharing TV data.

News Polls

Fox News did both well and poorly in a survey of least- and most-trusted news organizations, and its faired poorly, as did CNN and MSNBC, in a study of how informative news sources are.

WGA Negotiations

The WGA and Hollywood studios will open talks next week on a new contract, and Erich Schwartzel says cable increases will be a big topic of discussion, while Dave McNary reports that studios want major rollbacks.

Gamification of Reality TV

Andrew Wallenstein sees greater digital-driven interactivity as key for the future of reality TV.

Puppy Bowl

Sean Fitz-Gerald tells us all about the Puppy Bowl.

Bubble Shows

Josef Adalian weighs the odds for renewal and cancellation of shows on the bubble.

Aereo Info

Michael D. Berg lays out the details of the Aereo -ABC case that the Supreme Court will take up. Harry A. Jessell considers what could happen if Aereo wins. Broadcasters in Utah want Aereo banned, while the service is selling out in New York City, which Dan Rayburn says is actually a sign Aereo won't be challenging pay TV anytime soon. Aereo is also tapped out in Atlanta. Update: Aereo is open again to new customers in New York.

Thursday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 11.30 million, Fox: 8.27, NBC: 4.15, ABC: 3.60, CW: 2.02
-Adults 18-49: CBS: 2.6 rating/7 share, Fox: 2.2/ 6, NBC: 1.6/ 4, ABC: 1.0/ 3, CW: 0.8/ 2
 ———-
 -Winners: The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Elementary (CBS)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): The Taste (ABC), Community (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), Rake (Fox), Reign (CW)

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

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

Good TVeets

"If Stevie Nicks sings no one will notice that this season was written by somebody snorting thumbtacks." - American Horror Story
— SEMEN DEMON (@SodomyClown) January 31, 2014

Tonight's #Community is the "See, we can do this show without Troy, we just need a million guest stars" episode.
— Andy Bobrow (@abobrow) January 30, 2014

I'm honestly surprised that I'm not covered in tattoos of Ron Swanson quotes.
— Ashley Burns (@MayorBurnsy) January 31, 2014

Taxi Episodes

Les Chappell selects ten representative episodes of the great sitcom Taxi.

Gender on Sunday Shows

Sunday's network news talk shows are still dominated by male guests compared to five years ago.

Comcast News

Comcast and NBCU will offer consumer data to advertisers to help them develop better targeting plans, and Comcast will test out a cloud DVR in Boston.

NFL Now

Todd Spangler reports on a new online development for the NFL, an online service called NFL Now that will offer original content, highlights, and NFL Films archival material.

Banshee Renewed

Cinemax wants a third season of Banshee.

Ad Break Impacts

Mark Lawson considers how ad breaks affect how TV narratives are structured.

Copyright Concerns

The WGA West is expressing concerns about possible future changes to copyright laws and DMCA actions.

Russian News Pressure

Max Seddon reports on political pressure that could shut down Russia's only independent news channel.

Looking's Representations

Daniel Hirsch describes the experience of playing a gay man as an extra on Looking. And Justin Moyer laments the lack of erection representation on Looking (and uses a lot of NSFW language).

Alicia's Sexual Power

Nichole Perkins delves into the representation of Alicia Florrick and sex on The Good Wife.

Wednesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 12.40 million, CBS: 7.50, NBC: 6.51, ABC: 5.18, CW: 2.19
 -Adults 18-49: Fox: 3.8 rating/10 share, NBC: 1.6/ 4, ABC: 1.5/ 4, CBS: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.8/ 2
 ———-
 -Winners: American Idol (Fox) -Honorable Mention: Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials (CBS)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): Revolution (NBC), The Tomorrow People (CW), Super Fun Night (ABC)

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

Analysis from Fienberg and Spotted.

Second Screen News

Yahoo has shut down its IntoNow second screen app, but Todd Spangler says this doesn't mean all such apps are doomed. Janko Roettgers disagrees and says social TV is dead and new approaches are called for. Natan Edelsburg looks at this social TV consolidation trend. Twitter execs are positive about efforts to engage TV viewers, and CNN has just announced a partnership with Twitter.

Casting Reality

Emily Yahr highlights the job of casting for reality TV.

AHS Shots

American Horror Story's cinematographer talks about how he achieved some of the series' signature shots.

Netflix's Poor Captioning

Jon Christian is critical of Netflix's poor efforts with closed captioning for deaf users.

Chipotle Series

Rebecca Greenfield looks at an upcoming web series from Chipotle on Hulu.

Sheridan Case Reinstated

Nicollette Sheridan's lawsuit about her Desperate Housewives firing is back on.

Harris-Perry Profile

Hanna Rosin profiles MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry.

BSkyB News

BSkyB's revenue is up as it increased its subscriber base. BSkyB also just picked up British exclusive rights to HBO's catalogue, as well as rights to co-funding and co-productions with HBO.

Profit Reports

Time Warner Cable's profits are up thanks to rate increases offsetting major subscriber declines, and the CEO is optimistic and pledging upgrades, while Viacom is up thanks to cable ad revenue offsetting movie business declines.

Bones Renewed

Bones will get at least one more season and will shift back to Monday later this season.

Super Bowl Ads

Scott Meslow considers how YouTube changed the nature of Super Bowl commercials. Mae Anderson says the ads are more mature and sophisticated. Michael Learmouth highlights how Super Bowl ads have meant big revenue for YouTube and Google. Diego Vasquez talks to a digital strategy exec about how this year's Super Bowl ads are using social media. Brian Steinberg highlights one agency's efforts to grab Super Bowl viewers. Stuart Elliott looks at the stakes for everyone involved. Anthony Crupi highlights the biggest ad spenders.

Good TVeets

His work finally done, the American Horror Story: Coven cameraman coughs, sits down, keels over and dies.
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) January 30, 2014

"If Arrow was on cable" is the title of my fan fiction. RT @amellywood If #Arrow was on cable, I could have just said, "I totally f*cked up"
— Carina MacKenzie (@cadlymack) January 30, 2014

First comes James Franco’s teaser to his Ford Super Bowl ad, then the ad, then the art installation based on the ad.
— Steven Zeitchik (@ZeitchikLAT) January 29, 2014

TV as End Goal

Liz Shannon Miller considers the extent to which television is still an end goal for creators of digital content.

Al Jazeera Plea

More journalists are together calling for the release of five Al Jazeera journalists held without charge in Egypt. Update: There are now 20 journalists facing charges. Sheera Frenkel looks at how difficult it is to be a journalist in Egypt. One cameraman has been acquitted.

Netflix Marketing

Richard Greenfield analyzes a new Netflix ad and its strategy of marketing the more popular fare the service offers. (free registration may be required to access this)

ITV Pay Channel

The British broadcast outlet ITV is launching a pay drama channel on Sky.

Sports Tax Reform

Katy Bachman reports on efforts to remove non-profit tax-exempt status from the NFL and NHL.

Netflix Doom

The president of Turner said at NATPE that he sees Netflix dying within two years, made obsolete by TV Everywhere services. For now, a new study finds over-the-top services currently co-existing without threat from pay TV VOD services.

CBS Cross-Platform Nielsen Deal

CBS expanded another deal, this one with Nielsen on cross-platform audience measurement. David Pidgeon considers if the British TV industry is ready for such measurement.

New Pilot Season

Cynthia Littleton looks at the changes taking place in pilot season.

Love's Labor Lost

A TV Club roundtable breaks down an episode of ER that caused many viewers to break down.

Berman-Braun Breakup

Gail Berman has split from BermanBraun, the company she co-founded with Lloyd Braun.

Self-Centered Cable News

Noah Rothman accuses cable news of being mired in self-centeredness, as hosts pursue pet topics.

Netflix's European Expansion

Sam Schechner and Amol Sharma cover Netflix's European expansion plans. (Might be behind WSJ paywall) A competitor in the Netherlands has shut down.

HBO's Comedy Struggles

Lesley Goldberg looks at the trouble HBO has had lately with developing a breakout comedy hit.

Roku's Plans

Will Richmond shares what he learned from Roku's NATPE presentation.

More CBS on Amazon

CBS has extended its deal with Amazon to stream old and new shows.

Tuesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
Total Viewers – CBS 9.063 million – ABC 8.031 million – NBC 6.690 million – Fox 4.966 million – CW 1.032 million
Adults 18-49 – CBS 2.5/7 – ABC 2.1/6 – NBC 1.8/5 – Fox 1.6/4 – CW 0.3/1

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

For cable coverage of the State of the Union, Fox News led the way.

Same-Sex Couple on Disney

The Disney Channel show Good Luck Charlie! will be the first on the outlet to present a same-sex couple, though it's only for the series' final two episodes.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Progressivity

Eileen Shim praises Brooklyn Nine-Nine for being the most progressive sitcom on TV.

Sharing Spectrum

Two LA TV stations will share spectrum space to test the viability of freeing up space that way for wireless services.

Ricky & Morty Ratings

Josef Adalian notes that Dan Harmon's animated show Rick & Morty is a ratings hit for Adult Swim.

Sean Cancelled

NBC has given up on Sean Saves the World.

Pop Culture in SOTU

James Poniewozik considers the symbolism engendered by Duck Dynasty and Mad Men in the State of the Union broadcast.

Good TVeets

Tonight is about a great American tradition: millions will tune in, realize their show isn't on, and then watch the State of the Union.
— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) January 29, 2014

I don’t want the workplace policies of Mad Men, either! Unless you’re talking about day drinking, then, ok.
— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) January 29, 2014

Waiting for President Obama to appoint Leslie Knope head of the National Park Service to provide the plot for #Parks next season. #SOTU
— Alyssa Rosenberg (@AlyssaRosenberg) January 29, 2014

Boggles the mind that people used to sit through the #SOTU without being able share pics like this in real-time. pic.twitter.com/f7eSY3N8ya
— Nick Bilton (@nickbilton) January 29, 2014

DirecTV's Stand

Swanni explains four reasons why DirecTV isn't giving in to The Weather Channel.

New Flow Issue

Check out a new issue of Flow featuring:

• Omar Al-Ghazzi with The Turkish Al-Jazeera? TRT
• Viviana Rojas with Immigration advocacy from the anchor’s desk
• Kristopher Mecholsky with Also Sprach Reddington

Black Sails Best

Black Sails premiered strongly to give Starz its highest-rated series launch ever.

Haven Renewal

Syfy has renewed Haven but perhaps is trying to lessen contractual expenditures in calling it a 26-episode season, yet splitting the season across two years.

Amazon Adds Hannibal

Todd Spangler notes that Amazon Prime now has the first season of Hannibal, and NBC is hoping that will lend ratings momentum to the show's second season.

Smart TV Problems

Andriana Lee says apps for smart TVs are running into a problem of too many incompatible platforms being developed. Ellen Hammett also investigates if second screen apps are hurting smart TVs.

CNN's Mobile Moves

Justin Ellis looks at how CNN is trying to satisfy growing mobile audiences.

Super Bowl Pressures

Brian Steinberg considers which advertisers and media entities are under the most pressure at the year's Super Bowl. And Eric Fisher explains why alternate angles won't be available on Fox Sports' online live stream of the Super Bowl. Jeff Baumgartner looks into streaming efforts. Also, Super Bowl ads now have their own ads.

Price Plans

Derek Thompson examines the psychology behind Netflix's new price plans.

Blaming Erin Andrews

Gwen Knapp laments how Erin Andrews often gets targeted for blame in regard to beauty expectations for women in sports media.

Zucker Comments

Jeff Zucker gave a keynote address and discussed Leno rumors, Bieber coverage, and cable news programming.

Watching Fox News

A liberal describes his experience of watching Fox News for a month.

Twitter & Ad Rates

Twitter executives insist that Twitter ratings will soon have an impact on ad rates.

GetGlue is Now TVtag

Janko Roettgers reports on GetGlue's transformation into TVtag, which "takes some elements of the original and combines them with a more curated effort towards second screen interaction." Simon Dumenco interviews the CEO of i.TV, the company behind GetGlue's transformation.

Comcast News

Comcast's CEO is pleased at how NBC is getting back on track, and he is excited about the Olympics, which will feature ambitious streaming options. NBC is planning to launch local, live TV Everywhere mobile options in spring. Comcast added subscribers in Q4 and income is up, and it might license some cloud technology to Cox.

Downton Ratings Record

+7 viewing helped boost Downton Abbey to PBS's best episode ratings ever.

Monday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
Total Viewers – CBS 9.063 million – ABC 8.031 million – NBC 6.690 million – Fox 4.966 million – CW 1.032 million
 Adults 18-49 – CBS 2.5/7 – ABC 2.1/6 – NBC 1.8/5 – Fox 1.6/4 – CW 0.3/1

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

Analysis from Spotted and Fienberg.

Flat Grammys

Peter Kafka reports that the Grammys broadcast was flat both in ratings and on Twitter.

Leno Interviews

Jay Leno talked to 60 Minutes about leaving the Tonight Show, and James Poniewozik highlights one key quote. Leno also talked in-depth with Lacey Rose about the late night world and his possible future plans.

Josef Adalian digs into what's behind Leno's comments in these interviews.

Good TVeets

This is a real scene from actual life in 2014 pic.twitter.com/J1PeQ8P0wa
— ARCTICLiNT (@CLINT) January 27, 2014

This is literally the worst way imaginable to find a spouse, including building one out of pipe cleaners and yarn. #thebachelor
— Linda Holmes (@nprmonkeysee) January 28, 2014

I’m starting to think the producers of #HIMYM don’t know what the word “met” actually means.
— Jason Mittell (@jmittell) January 28, 2014

Addressable Political Ads

Jon Lafayette reports on DirecTV and Dish Network teaming up to offer addressable advertising to political campaigns.

New Doctor Who Costume

A picture of the new costume design for Peter Capaldi's Doctor has been released.

Showtime on Super Bowl Sunday

Showtime will be one of the few outlets to put new episodes up against the Super Bowl.

The Writers Room

Kev Levine describes the writers room as a place that doesn't welcome to outsiders.

Imagine Renews 20th Deal

Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox TV have signed a new two-year deal, with more 24 and Arrested Development possible as a result.

Sky on YouTube

Sky in the UK will post some episodes of its original series to YouTube in order to entice new subscribers.

New In Media Res

Theme: Internet Hoaxes

• Monday, January 27, 2014 - Laurel Ahnert (Georgia State University) presents: The Media Hoax Phenomenon 
•  Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - Dustin Zemel (Louisiana State University) presents: The Operational Role of the Online Video Hoax 
•  Wednesday, January 29, 2014 - Charlotte Howell (University of Texas-Austin) presents: The Dead Can Twitter: Tragedy, Comedy, and False Celebrity Death Reports 
•  Thursday, January 30, 2014 - Chris Tokuhama (University of Southern California) presents: Life. Unscripted? 
•  Friday, January 31, 2014 - Elizabeth Lenaghan (Northwestern University) presents: Of Catfish and Cod

Super Bowl Declines

Mike Ozanian says advertisers' Super Bowl dollars don't go as far as they used to, given audience-per-ad-dollar declines over the years.

MSCL's Legacy

Todd VanDerWerff considers how the short-lived My So-Called Life influenced all teen shows that followed.

MSNBC Daytime Overhaul

MSNBC is overhauling its daytime scheduling following the Olympics.

Rhimes on Diversity

Shonda Rhimes criticized the lack of diversity in the industry while accepting a DGA diversity award. The DGA also gave directing awards to Breaking Bad, 30 Rock, SNL, and Behind the Candelabra.

SundanceTV

Sundance Channel is changing its name to SundanceTV.

AJAM's Good Move

Al Jazeera America is getting a better channel slot on Time Warner Cable's New York lineup.

Sunday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
Total Viewers – CBS 25.867 million – NBC 9.266 million – ABC 5.630 million – Fox 3.037 million
Adults 18-49 – CBS 8.1/20 – NBC 3.1/8 – Fox 1.3/3 – ABC 1.3/3

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

Netflix News

Ryan Bushey says Amazon Prime is more of a competitive target for Netflix than HBO. And Ken Auletta digs into Netflix in this week's New Yorker. (only a few paragraphs are free online)

Watch ESPN

The WSJ looks at ESPN's online video strategy to gain internet viewers but not lose pay TV customers. (article behind paywall)

Weather Channel-DirecTV Fight Continues

Brian Stelter doesn't see a Weather Channel-DirecTV resolution coming anytime soon.

NBC Thursday Football

Anthony Crupi reports that NBC has the inside track on getting the NFL's Thursday night package, with the bid likely reaching $800 million.

TWC Deal Near

Bloomberg reports that a Charter and Time Warner Cable deal is close, which will also involve Comcast getting some of TWC's East Coast assets. Susan Crawford says the result for consumers will be rising cable bills.

Good TVeets

I can't believe Beyonce wore white to all those people's weddings.
— Johanna Barr (@JohannaBarr) January 27, 2014

I would never stop telling people Beyonce and Jay-Z were at my wedding. #GRAMMYs
— Casey Dolan (@CaseySez) January 27, 2014

"Now come the Salon Macklemore think pieces," says Roy Batty, checking the watch on his necrotic arm as his body shuts down. "Time to die."
— Clifford Vickrey (@cliffordvickrey) January 27, 2014

SEEiT in Action

On today's Reliable Sources, Brain Stelter checked out Comcast's SEEiT system to connect Twitter and TV.

Paying for Porn

A new site called Skweez wants to become the Netflix of pornography in hopes of saving the industry.

Saturday Ratings

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers.

Mad Men Boost

A video on Slate highlights that products featured in Mad Men, such as Lucky Strike cigarettes and Canadian Club whisky, are enjoying a sales boost from the show.

Hopper Win

Dish's Hopper DVR got another court victory, though the lawsuits continue.

Hola App

Aaron Gell describes how the Hola app enables international viewing of geo-restricted content.

News Catchup

What Are You Missing? continues at Antenna with news about net neutrality, a federal antitrust suit against AMC Theaters, and blogging and the First Amendment.

Good TVeets

I used to think smart ppl watched smart tv shows. Now I know they watch the same crap we all do then bitch about it on twitter.
— ben schwartz (@benschwartzy) January 26, 2014

Dear My Kids' Future Teachers: anything you teach them about the Revolutionary War will require some unlearning from #SleepyHollow.
— Amanda Bower (@heyprofbow) January 25, 2014

I'm one Red Lobster visit away from being the classiest person that watches everything on Oxygen.
— Vanessa Ramos (@thatRamosgirl) January 26, 2014

Friday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 8.04 million, ABC: 7.17, NBC: 5.41, Fox: 5.11, CW: 772,000
 -Adults 18-49: ABC: 1.7 rating/5 share, Fox: 1.4/ 4, NBC: 1.3/ 4, CBS: 1.1/ 3, CW: 0.3/ 1
 ———-
 -Winners: Bones (Fox), Shark Tank (ABC), 20/20 (ABC)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): The Neighbors (ABC), The Carrie Diaries (CW), Enlisted (Fox), Raising Hope (Fox), Dracula (NBC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers.

Analysis from Spotted.

TWC-Roku App

Andrew Wallenstein ends up unimpressed by the Time Warner Cable-Roku app.

WWE & TV's Future

Sam Ford talks to Henry Jenkins IV about what WWE's moves indicate about the future of TV: Part One, Part Two.

Sesame Street & Incarceration

David J. Leonard finds social value in a Sesame Street character whose father is in jail.

Bieber Ratings

Michael O'Connell checks out the ratings earned by Justin Bieber coverage.

Fox Grabs More YES

21st Century Fox is boosting its share of the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network to 80%.

Casting Sexism

Victoria Frings points out how casting descriptions can perpetuate sexism, including the trope of highly attractive TV wives paired with more ordinary-looking husbands.

Good TVeets

Could we just combine the Grammy Awards and the State of the Union into one night where overpaid people clap through gritted teeth?
— Rebecca Keegan (@ThatRebecca) January 25, 2014

If we're ever attacked in an alley, I hope my boyfriend defends me like he defends Battlestar Galactica. God forbid those muggers doze off.
— Megan Ganz (@meganganz) January 25, 2014

Well, just cried so hard I involuntarily screamed "Fuck you, show!" so that's where I'm at with #Parenthood right now.
— Carrie Raisler (@TVandDinners) January 25, 2014

Showrunners on Twitter

Alison Willmore recommends fifteen showrunners you should follow on Twitter.

Sherlock & Fandom

Devon Maloney assesses the fan-producer relationship via Sherlock.

Spoiler Alert History

Ariane Lange tries to identify when "spoiler alert!" started to be a thing. (Sixth Sense spoiler alert!)

Thursday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 9.58 million, CBS: 8.88, ABC: 3.93, NBC: 3.22, CW: 2.22
 -Adults 18-49: Fox: 2.5 rating/7 share, CBS: 1.9/ 5, ABC: 1.1/ 3, NBC: 1.0/ 3, CW: 0.9/ 2
 ———-
 -Winners: The Big Bang Theory R (CBS), American Idol (Fox)
 -Losers: The Taste (ABC), Community (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC), Sean Saves the World (NBC), Rake (Fox), Reign (CW)

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

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

CBBC & Gender

Radhika Sanghani raises concerns about tropes tied to gender on CBBC children's shows and in the outlet's commissioning principles.

Connected TV Model

Stacey Higginbotham says a new study indicates that internet-connected TVs could alter business models.

Branding Pepsi

E.J. Schultz says Pepsi opting for just one Super Bowl commercial this year, while sponsoring the halftime show, is about branding, rather than a product.

Hallmark & Good Wife

Hallmark Channel is apparently having trouble making the scheduling of Good Wife reruns work.

Children & Screens

KJ Dell'Antonia reports on a new survey finding that the older children get, the less educational their parents assume screen activities for them are.

Good TVeets

I dont give a shit about Justin Bieber. Call me when Allison Janney is arrested for robbing a bank or something.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) January 23, 2014

"tonight's episode of #ParksAndRec at 8:30 is one of my faves!!!!!!!" - Jim jarmusch maybe????
— Megan Amram (@meganamram) January 24, 2014

Now that Net Neutrality's ended, some people will pay more for the Internet. So if you're reading this tweet, please send me $1.50.
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) January 24, 2014

Law & Order Screenshots

An artist who watched every episode of Law & Order has cataloged every appearance of computer technology in the series to create a database that displays technological evolution. Rebecca J. Rosen reflects on what's learned from this.

Abortion on TV

Shonda Rhimes thinks television shows should tackle abortion in more complex ways.

The New Weather Channel

Eric Holthaus talked to Weather Channel CEO David Kenny about the channel's recent programming changes, especially its moves into reality TV, and its battle with DirecTV.

Finding Flow

Taylor Cole Miller says television "flow" is more alive than some think, and he particularly finds it active in places other than network prime time.

Hulu App Boost

Janko Roettgers reports that a revamp of Hulu Plus's TV apps led to a 30% boost in viewing time.

More Web Content

Todd Spangler notes that big studios are now frequently partnering with smaller companies to develop original web content.

Bieber Coverage

Brian Lowry laments the cable news frenzy over Justin Bieber news.

Network Chief Comments

THR presents comments on a variety of topics from a range of network and cable channel heads.

HBO Moves

HBO has cancelled Hello Ladies and Family Tree and is looking to renew Getting On.

TV Everywhere's Problem

Joe Marchese finds problems in the TV Everywhere concept as currently enacted.

Virtual MVPDs

Verizon has purchased Intel's online TV service, which Janko Roettgers says is all about Verizon trying to take on Comcast. Will Richmond says net neutrality issues also come into play here. Brian Stelter says this starts a new era of competition. Amazon is also reportedly considering a pay TV service, but Amazon is denying the report. Zachary M. Seward outlines the possible virtual MVPD players. Colin Dixon says it doesn't make sense for Amazon to start a virtual MVPD.

Shared Service Break

Doug Halonen reports that FCC chief Tom Wheeler wants more time to consider station sales oriented around shared service arrangements and is putting on hold pending agreements to enable more study.

Weather Channel Complaints

Julain Hattem reports that Weather Channel viewers are pressuring Congress to step into the carriage dispute with DirecTV.

TV Focus

Paul Bond reports on a new TiVo study finding that most people prefer to just focus TV shows rather than multitask while TV viewing.

Gannett Split

Bloomberg reports that Gannett could be the next to split its publishing holdings from its TV properties.

Albrecht at Starz

Cynthia Littleton profiles Christ Albrecht's attempts to reinvent Starz.

TiVo Business

According to one report, TiVo has fired a bunch of hardware engineering staff members as it transitions to cloud services, but TiVo contends that's not a fair characterization of its business.

Olympics Ad Benefits

Anthony Crupi reports that NBCU is raking in ad revenue for the Winter Olympics. Plus, the Olympics offer great promotional value to NBCU's properties.

Fan Service Problem

Kelly Lawler is critical of Sherlock and Community sacrificing story for fan service.

ABC Renewals

ABC has renewed Wipeout, and General Hospital's renewal keeps intact the four daily soaps.

Net Neutrality in Europe

David Meyer reports on a boost for net neutrality in Europe.

Wednesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 13.23 million, CBS: 8.00, ABC: 6.51, NBC: 6.07, CW: 1.93
- Adults 18-49: Fox: 4.0 rating/11 share, ABC: 2.0/ 5, NBC: 1.7/ 5, CBS: 1.6/ 4, CW: 0.7/ 2
 ———-
- Winners: American Idol (Fox), The Middle (ABC), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS) 
- Losers: Super Fun Night (ABC), The Tomorrow People (CW)

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

Analysis from Spotted.

Netflix Info

Netflix has released its quarterly letter to shareholders, which includes news of significant streaming subscriber gains, upcoming pricing tiers, and net neutrality thoughts. Peter Lauria says the subscriber figures affirm what a great 2013 Netflix had. Will Richmond has analysis. In the subsequent earnings call, Reed Hastings worked in a dig at HBO Go.

More Netflix coverage: Swanni with five things we learned from the quarterly report, Andrew Wallenstein on Netflix's awards bump, Todd Spangler on Netflix's European expansion. Christopher Rick talked with Hastings.

Good TVeets

Step 1: get Michael J Fox back on NBC Step 2: get Cosby back on NBC Step 3: Replace Fallon w CGI-animated Johnny Carson
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) January 22, 2014

I hope Lena Dunham writes a think piece about think pieces so I can laugh at all the think pieces about her think piece think piece.
— Richard West (@RichieOnTV) January 22, 2014

A single-camera family sitcom about a serial killer seems like the current network ideal.
— Jaime J. Weinman (@weinmanj) January 23, 2014

Weather Channel Advice

The Weather Channel tells DirecTV it shouldn't penalize subscribers who drop the service because of the channel's absence.

NBC Latino Dropped

Adrian Carrasquillo questions why the NBC Latino website has been shut down.

NBCSN Niche

Jeanine Poggi highlights how NBC Sports Network is trying to succeed by attracting the niche, loyalist sports fan.

Discovery Controls Eurosport

David Gelles reports on Discovery taking a controlling interest in the sports media group Eurosport, which hopes to become Europe's ESPN.

Animal Planet Investigation

Mother Jones found evidence of animal abuse in the production of a popular Animal Planet show, Call of the Wildman.

Venezuelan Concern

Venezuela's president is concerned that telenovelas are having a negative influence on the country's society and need to be more socially responsible.

Brand & TV Tweets

A new study claims that people who tweet about TV are also likely to tweet about brands, suggesting a valuable overlap for advertisers.

Goodbye, Bachelor

Sara Schaefer eloquently and charmingly explains why she's done with The Bachelor.

Pivot's Crowdsourcing

Jordan Chariton looks at how Pivot is using crowdsourcing with shows like HitRecord on TV.

Days Renewal

NBC has renewed Days of Our Lives through 2016.

Viacom Ad Unit

Viacom has started a unit to produce creative content for advertisers and help develop new ideas.

Internet Pay TV

Brian Fung covers Verizon's virtual MVPD plan and its challenge to cable, and Joan E. Solsman considers the impact virtual MVPD's could have. Ashlee Vance considers where Intel went wrong.

Sherlock Ratings

Sherlock gave the BBC its best ratings for a drama since 2001.

TWC News

Comcast is now getting advice from Barclay's as it considers a Time Warner Cable deal. Charter and TWC are sniping right now, as Charter warns TWC is value is dropping. In other TWC news, well ahead of the start of baseball season, Time Warner Cable is already lobbying for carriage of SportsNetLA, which will carry Dodgers' games.

Cosby to NBC

NBC has a sitcom starring Bill Cosby in development. James Poniewozik has analysis, as does Willa Paskin and Josef Adalian.

Piracy Deterrent

TorrentFreak reports on research claiming that "three strikes" warnings don't seem to deter those who pirate content.

UTA Acquires Bienstock

United Talent Agency has acquired N.S. Bienstock, which reps a lot of TV news personalities.

Pilot Season Analysis

Lacey Rose considers the chances of other networks following Fox's pilot season changes.

Tuesday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: CBS: 10.54 million, NBC: 6.76, ABC: 3.79, Fox: 3.80, CW: 2.53
 -Adults 18-49: NBC: 1.9 rating/5 share, Fox: 1.7/ 4, CBS: 1.5/ 4, CW: 1.1/ 3, ABC: 0.9/ 3
 ———-
 -Winners: NCIS R (CBS) -Honorable Mention: The Biggest Loser (NBC), The Originals (CW), The Goldbergs (ABC), NCIS: Los Angeles R (CBS), Supernatural (CW), Chicago Fire (NBC)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): Trophy Wife (ABC), Killer Women (ABC)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted.

Good TVeets

Be the outcome you wish to see from the BuzzFeed quiz on Facebook.
— Paige (@PeachCoffin) January 22, 2014

The time has come for a robust national discussion regarding the feasibility of Daryl Crowe Jr.'s accent. #JustifiedFX
— Holly Anderson (@HollyAnderson) January 22, 2014

"Please tell me about the dead Muppets..." I feel this may be the best out of context quote from a TCA member this tour. #TCA14
— Will Harris (@NonStopPop) January 22, 2014

Online Service Gains

A new report shows that streaming service subscriptions are rising as premium channel subscriptions are falling. But Swanni questions the validity of the claims. And now pay TV outlets are saying the study is outright wrong.

And now the report has been pulled and the group behind admits it was wrong.

Thinkpieces

I don't know that these deserve to be lumped together in one post, but because I'm tired and would rather do one post than eight right now, I will do so: Dear Television has a number of pieces on Girls, Anne Helen Petersen considers how Matthew McConaughey's star image got to True Detective, and Sherrly Vint looks at the vision of the near-future in shows like Helix and S.H.I.E.L.D.  Elsewhere, Anne Helen Peterson complicates the idea of Downton Abbey as fantasy, and Daniel D'Daddario insists the show has a right-wing worldview. And finally, Alyssa Rosenberg says The Bachelor star's controversial comments should make us reflect on the show and reality TV's heteronormativity.

Syfy Looking for Sci-Fi

Sam Thielman looks at Syfy's development efforts to find a scripted science fiction hit.

Charter v. TWC

Charter and Time Warner Cable are having a presentation war over what TWC is worth.

Ratings News

Flowers in the Attic did great for Lifetime, and Klondike did well for Discovery. Also, Jeanine Poggi reports that Fox Sports 1 is doing well in the ratings at its six-month mark.

Talk TV in China

Episodes of Ellen Degeneres's talk show will air online in China. Also, Valentina Luo highlights a Chinese TV show has copied elements of The Colbert Report, including the opening, and looks at the state of satire shows in the country.

Scheduling News

Fox is swapping Raising Hope and Enlisted on the Friday schedule with hopes of giving life to the latter. Also, HBO will get Girls and Looking out of the way of the Super Bowl by temporarily moving them to Saturday that weekend.

Monday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
- Total Viewers – ABC 8.166 million – CBS 7.623 million – Fox 6.932 million – NBC 5.873 million – CW 1.056 million
- Adults 18-49 – Fox 2.3/6 – ABC 2.2/6 – CBS 2.0/5 – NBC 1.7/4 – CW 0.4/1

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Cable ratings.

Analysis from Spotted.

CBS News Events

Brian Steinberg looks at CBS News' development of theatrical events oriented around showing archival news footage, such as a celebration of the Beatles' first appearance on Ed Sullivan, which will be live-streamed on CBSNews.com.

Sleepy Hollow Finale

Sleepy Hollow's EP talks about the writers' finale decisions.

Directing Baseball

Devra Maza launches a new series focusing on the decisions directors make in shooting baseball games with a post on Mariano Rivera's last game for the Yankees.

Sherlock Scheduling

PBS's Buffalo outlet, which also serves southern Ontario, decided to schedule the new series of Sherlock on Thursdays in February, rather than Sunday.

Good TVeets

"Stop looking directly at the camera when you say 'I love you.'" -most common note The Bachelor director has to give contestants
— Aaron Fullerton (@AaronFullerton) January 21, 2014

So TV is basically just gay people and people who hate gay people?
— Morgan Murphy (@morgan_murphy) January 21, 2014

That is how you end your first season. If you are evil. #SleepyHollow
— Sunfire (@Sunfire2109) January 21, 2014

PBS at TCA

PBS finishes out TCA today and tomorrow. Todd VanDerWerff covers the exec session with Paula Kerger, where she touted Downton Abbey's ratings, including an additional one million digital streams, as evidence that the delay from the UK airing is not a problem. Downton plus Sherlock and Mr. Selfridge are keeping Masterpiece funded. Myles McNutt covers the Sherlock panel. Ken Burns has a lot in the pipeline. Ed Martin has TCA PBS coverage.

New Flow Issue

Flow has another issue focused on the future of TV:

• The Future of Television is...Comics? by Alisa Perren 
• How Can We Tell the Future? by Jonathan Gray
• Three Evasions of the Future of Television by Jason Mittell
• HBO and Netflix -- Getting Back to the Future by Thomas Schatz

Get Smart's Inventiveness

Todd VanDerWerff looks at the development of Get Smart's pioneering sitcom formula.

TWC Deal

Time Warner Cable's CEO has named the price he thinks Charter should be offering. Diane Bartz notes even if the deal goes through, there will be regulatory scrutiny, especially if Comcast is involved.

TV Violence

Henry Hanks proposes that TV is more violent than ever before.

Netflix in a Box

Janko Roettgers says Netflix is launching an app on a cable box in Sweden and hopes to do so someday soon in the US.

Sherlock Ratings

Sherlock drew about 4 million viewers to PBS last night, up over the previous series, if not to Downton Abbey levels.

Amazon Gets Barbarella

Amazon has picked up the pilot for Barbarella for its Prime service.

Halpern on TCA

TV writer Justin Halpern gives his view of the TCA press tour, which includes great lines like this: "I’ve seen Ted Talks about the future of cancer prevention that took themselves less seriously than panels for shows about two roommates that make jokes about boners."

Voice Wages

Mexican voiceover artists for English-language imports are demanding higher pay.

Klondike Interview

Lesley Goldberg talks to the producers of Klondike about bringing a new scripted series to Discovery.

Aereo's Plans

Leslie Kaufman looks at what Aereo is up to.

MSNBC v. Christie

Michael Barbaro and Bill Carter look at the fracturing of the relationship between MSNBC and Chris Christie, as the channel relentlessly reports on the governor's current predicament.

Sherlock Links

Zack Handlen argues that Elementary may be a better show than Sherlock, while more global iterations of Sherlock Holmes are on the way, thanks to the character now being in the public domain. Emily Nussbaum considers the role of fandom in Sherlock.

NFL Bids

Bids are coming in for NFL Thursday night games, with Fox, Turner, NBC, ESPN, and CBS offering up potential deals. Steve Lepore says the NFL is likely too good for any network to turn them down. Joe Flint says this raises questions about NFL Network. Harry A. Jessell says ABC needs it.

Sunday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 36.85 million, CBS: 5.72, ABC: 4.25, NBC: 3.48
 -Adults 18-49: Fox: 12.8 rating/32 share, ABC, CBS and NBC: 0.9/ 2
 ———-
 -Winners: NFC Championship: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (Fox)
 -Losers: The Bachelor: Bachelor Love Stories (ABC), Revenge (ABC), Movie: Bridesmaids (NBC), Betrayal (ABC)

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

Analysis from Hitfix and Spotted.

The Following benefited from a big football lead-in, as both football games were highly watched.

Good TVeets

Richard Sherman needs to understand that I signed up to watch a bunch of people get brutally injured, not yell at each other.
— Pablo S. Torre (@PabloTorre) January 20, 2014

"Gravity" is George Bluth's most elaborate life lesson: "And that's why you never go out into space."
— Anne T. Donahue (@annetdonahue) January 20, 2014

The survival of #ParksAndRec on NBC basically proves the show's own thesis about the power of Leslie Knope's optimism. #TCA14
— Alyssa Rosenberg (@AlyssaRosenberg) January 19, 2014

NBC at TCA

Today was NBC day at TCA. There was an exec session featuring Bob Greenblatt,  where he said Parks & Rec would get renewed, which Ryan McGee questions, and Peter Pan is the next live musical; Myles McNutt's summarizes NBC's exec presentation, there were panels on Hannibal, About a Boy, Jimmy Fallon, Chicago PD, and Believe. Amy Poehler signed a development deal with NBC. Tim Goodman says NBC is on the upswing.

Saturday Ratings

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers. Cable ratings.

JGL Series

Joseph Gordon-Levitt talks about his new series HITRECORD ON TV, which airs on Pivot and was adapted from a website.

Bachelor Comments

The star of this season's Bachelor made anti-gay statements and has now apologized. But his clarification is also problematic.

Sherlock in China

Sherlock is now taking China by storm. The AP also covers this.

Good TVeets

Traditional marriage is not between a man and another man, it’s between a man and a dozen women he systematically eliminates for ratings.
— John Anthony (@chocobohomo) January 18, 2014

This is the fourth stint in rehab for Dennis Rodman "if you count Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." Um, why wouldn't I, CNN?
— Brenna Williams (@brennawilliams) January 19, 2014

"Actorizing is hard. We're lucky. Booze for everyone." - the whole show #SAGAwards
— Matt Fowler (@TheMattFowler) January 19, 2014

Hulu Departures

Peter Kafka notes that there's been a recent stream of employees leaving Hulu.

Friday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 15.00 million, CBS: 8.65, ABC: 6.09, NBC: 5.30, CW: 2.04
 -Adults 18-49: Fox: 4.6 rating/13 share, CBS: 1.9/ 5, ABC: 1.8/ 5, NBC: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.8/ 2
 ———-
 -Winners: American Idol (Fox), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI (CBS)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): Revolution (NBC), The Tomorrow People (CW)

Network numbers from TV By the Numbers.

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

Good TVeets

What if Jason Katims is a demon who's here to collect our tears?
— Eric Goldman (@EricIGN) January 18, 2014

Ah the plane to Sundance. If one of these bad boys go down it's gonna be a looooong memorial package at the oscars.
— Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) January 17, 2014

#Enlisted made me laugh out loud then it got me kind of emotional. And it had amazing hair. This show is my ideal boyfriend. #dyingalone
— Melissa Mann (@PhantomRat) January 18, 2014

Kohan Interview

The WGA has an interview with Orange is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan.

Weather Channel Poll

The Weather Channel commissioned a poll whose results contend that 70% of DirecTV subscribers would stick with the service even if Weather Channel doesn't return, while 8% say say they would switch providers and 22% would strongly consider switching.

Betamax Rights

Joe Mullin looks back on the Betamax case, whose ruling was handed down 30 years ago and which still impacts our Fair Use rights to record today.

UltraHD Info

Erik Sofge summarizes key info to know about UltraHD and 4K TV sets.

Favorite Personalities

Ellen DeGeneres and Mark Harmon led a Harris Poll of favorite TV personalities.

Piracy After Authentication

Lauren Hockenson reports the correlation (if not necessarily causation) that in the wake of ABC's decision to restrict next-day access to episodes online to pay TV and Hulu Plus subscribers, torrenting of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. shot way up.

CBS's Strength

Tim Goodman highlights CBS's stability, stressed at TCA, and Andy Dehnart covers Nina Tassler's satisfaction with Survivor and reactions to Big Brother.

ABC at TCA

Today was ABC day at TCA: there was an exec session with Paul Lee, news about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and panels on Suburgatory, Mixology, Kyle Killen's Mind Games, and Resurrection. Lesley Goldberg draws lessons from ABC's presentations. Tim Goodman questions Paul Lee's description of ABC as rebuilding, and Lee said he expects only a gradual move away from pilot season.

Thursday Ratings

Marc Berman's summary:
-Total Viewers: Fox: 13.18 million, CBS: 7.22, ABC: 3.35, NBC: 3.14, CW: 1.95
 -Adults 18-49: Fox: 3.8 rating/11 share, CBS: 1.5/ 5, ABC and NBC: 1.0/ 3 each, CW: 0.4/ 1
 ———-
 -Winners: American Idol (Fox), The Big Bang Theory R (CBS)
 -Losers (excluding repeats): The Taste (ABC), Community (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), Sean Saves the World (NBC), The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC)

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

Analysis from Spotted and Hitfix.

HBO Go on Playstation

Playstation 3 owners will soon be able to access an HBO Go app, authentication still required, of course.

Big Bang Theory in China

Liz Carter explains why The Big Bang Theory is so popular in China.

SNL News

Simone Shepherd talks about her Saturday Night Live audition, as the show searched for a black female comedian, and Dan Rayburn says Yahoo doesn't seem to be effectively monetizing the SNL archive it laid out big money for.

Cable at TCA

Ed Martin says cable has had a strong presence at TCA.

Super Bowl Ads on YT

You can already starting watching Super Bowl commercials on YouTube.

Good TVeets

I should probably go to bed but I have 4.5 more seasons of Friday Night Lights to watch tonight.
— Michelle Wolf (@michelleisawolf) January 17, 2014

I have clear eyes, a full heart, but I still lose. @GOP Tell us your top issues
— aboleyn (@aboleyn) January 16, 2014

not enough people watched enlisted. you should be all over that shit, dudes! RT @GOP Tell us your top issues. Let’s win big in 2014.
— elena (@ElenaIsAwesome) January 17, 2014

HBO Go Password-Sharing

HBO's CEO told Buzzfeed that the company is fine with people sharing HGO Go passwords: "It’s not that we’re unmindful of it, it just has no impact on the business...We’re in the business of creating addicts."

RIPs

Russell Johnson, who played The Professor on Gilligan's Island has died, as has Dave Madden, who played Reuben Kincaid on The Partridge Family.

CBS Signs With Retrak

CBS has become the first broadcast network to sign with Retrak for ratings data.

Digital Boost

Mike Snider reports that increased consumer spending on digital video delivery has helped offset DVD losses in home entertainment.

VOD v. DVR

Brian Steinberg says big media companies are pushing for video-on-demand to usurp DVRs and enforce more ad viewing.

Olympics on Facebook

NBCU will stream Olympics video on Facebook to drive more multi-platform viewership.