18 articles from 2008
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
Last Thursday night's televised address by Sen. Barack Obama to the Democratic Convention may have drawn 30.2 million viewers, but they were divided up among the broadcast and cable networks and barely showed up in the Nielsen Media Research's top-ten list of broadcast shows. NBC held on to its lead as the most-watched network following its overwhelming domination a week earlier with its Olympics coverasge. It once again aired the highest-rated show of the week, the unflagging game show Deal or No Deal, as well as two episodes of America's Got Talent, which finished in second and third place. CBS was close behind with repeats of Two and a Half Men, 60 Minutes, and NCIS. Overall, NBC averaged a 3.8 rating and a 7 share for the week. CBS placed second with a 3.6/6. Fox took third with a 3.0/5, while ABC trailed with a 2.8/5.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. Deal Or No Deal (Monday), NBC, 7.3/12; 2. America's Got Talent (Tuesday), NBC, 6.9/11; 3. America's Got Talent (Wednesday), NBC, 6.5/11; 4. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 5.8/9; 5. 60 Minutes, CBS, 5.4/12; 6. NCIS, CBS, 5.1/8; 7. America's Toughest Jobs, NBC, 4.6/7; 7. Criminal Minds, CBS, 4.6/7; 7. House, Fox, 4.6/7; 10. Democratic National Convention (Thursday) ABC, 4.5/7.
27 August 2008 10:35 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
NBC's telecast of the Beijing Olympics last week left its competition in the dust as each day of coverage took one of the top-seven spots on Nielsen Media Research's ratings list. The "Beijing Closing Party" took an eighth. Overall, the network's primetime coverage averaged 23.3 million viewers with 27.8 million tuning in to Sunday's closing ceremonies. While the ratings of all of the other networks' primetime programs sagged under the weight of the Olympics' audience, the Fox and CBS coverage of preseason football was particularly hard hit, with each game drawing just over 4 million viewers. But the biggest loser of all may have been ABC/Disney's High School Musical: Get in the Picture, which debuted with critics' predictions of a sure-fire hit. But initial ratings for the show proved to be lackluster, and by last week fewer than 2 million viewers tuned in. Commented Washington Post TV writer Lisa de Moraes, "Since July, this show has managed to frighten off almost 50 percent of the crowd that was at least curious enough to watch the first episode."
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research: 1. Summer Olympics (Tuesday), NBC, 16.3/27; 2. Summer Olympics (Monday), NBC, 15.8/26; 3. Summer Olympics (Closing Ceremonies), NBC, 15.5/25; 4. Summer Olympics (Wednesday), NBC, 15.2/26; 5. Summer Olympics (Thursday), NBC, 13.8/23; 6. Summer Olympics: Beijing Closing Party, NBC, 12.3/21; 7. Summer Olympics (Friday), NBC, 10.7/19; 8. Summer Olympics (Saturday), NBC, 10.3/19; 9. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 5.3/8; 10. NCIS, CBS, 5.2/9.
20 August 2008 10:39 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
If a week had ten days, all of the top ten television shows last week would have been Beijing Summer Olympics telecasts. Even the other three programs that made it into the top ten attracted fewer than 25 percent of the viewers who tuned in to the Olympics telecasts. Thus far the Beijing Games are attracting more viewers than any other non-domestic Olympics telecast. Last week they averaged 28.7 million viewers, exceeded only by the Atlanta Games in 1996, when they averaged 32.1 million. Meanwhile, the three other major networks' ratings sank to record lows. Especially surprising may have been the fact that the Saturday Olympics telecasts ranked third on the list, seemingly defying the conventional industry wisdom that viewers abandon their TV sets on Saturday nights. Searching back, analysts discovered that the Saturday telecast was actually exceeded by an episode of The Golden Girls in 1990 and that the sitcom typically drew such large audiences back then. Overall, NBC averaged a 9.6 rating and a 28 share for the week. CBS followed in second place with a 1.3 rating and a 4 share. Fox placed third with a 1.2/4, edging out ABC with a 1.1/3.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. Beijing Summer Olympics (Tuesday), NBC, 19.9/34; 2. Beijing Summer Olympics (Thursday), NBC, 17.9/31; 3. Beijing Summer Olympics (Saturday), NBC, 17.8/32; 4. Beijing Summer Olympics (Monday), NBC, 17.6/29; 5. Beijing Summer Olympics (Wednesday), NBC, 16.7/28; 6. Beijing Summer Olympics (Sunday), NBC, 16/27; 7. Beijing Summer Olympics (Friday), NBC, 15.4/28; 8. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 5.3/8; 9. NCIS, CBS, 4.9/8; 10. 60 Minutes, CBS, 4.7/9.
14 August 2008 10:24 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
Some 32 million viewers tuned in to watch Michael Phelps take his fourth and fifth gold medals in the 200-meter butterfly and the 800 freestyle relay at the Beijing Summer Olympics Tuesday night -- the best Tuesday-night audience recorded by NBC since 2002 during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The telecast's closest competitor for the night was a repeat of CBS's NCIS with 7.2 million viewers. Reporting on the results, today's (Thursday) New York Times asked in a headline, "So Who Exactly Is Watching Those Reruns of NCIS?" Well, according to Nielsen figures, the NCIS audience was down just 15 percent from its average this summer, not a particularly hard hit given the strength of what TV journalists are calling the "Olympics juggernaut."
6 August 2008 10:37 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
They may all have been reruns, but CBS's scripted shows dominated the Nielsen top ten list last week, with Two and a Half Men drawing 9.3 million viewers, followed by Criminal Minds with 8.7 million. NCIS was close behind with 8.5 million viewers, followed by CSI: Miami with 8.4 million. Nevertheless, the top-rated show of the week was the unscripted America's Got Talent, which drew 13.8 million viewers. For the week, CBS averaged a 4.2 rating and an 8 share. NBC placed second with a 3.7/7. Fox came in third with a 3.3/6, while ABC trailed with a 2.8/5.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. America's Got Talent, NBC, 8.1/13; 2. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 6.2/10; 3. CSI: Miami, CBS, 5.9/10; 4. Criminal Minds, CBS, 5.8/10; 5. NCIS, CBS, 5.7/10; 6. So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday), Fox, 5.6/9; 7. 60 Minutes, CBS, 5.5/11; 7. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, (Tie) 5.5/9; 7. So You Think You Can Dance (Thursday), Fox, (Tie) 5.5/9; 10. CSI: NY, CBS, (Tie) 5.2/9; 10. Flashpoint, CBS, (Tie) 5.2/9; 10. Primetime: The Last Lecture, ABC, (Tie) 5.2/9; 10. Wipeout, ABC, (Tie) 5.2/9.
31 July 2008 12:03 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news
NCIS star Pauley Perrette has been accused of spinning her ex-husband's life into a storyline from her TV show, by alleging he stalked and raped her friend.
The actress' ex, indie rocker Coyote Shivers, insists Perrette is seeking revenge by falsely accusing him of raping and sodomising a close friend, because she's still bitter about their 2006 divorce.
Shivers has responded to Perrette and her friend Angela Garber's claims in two sarcastic videos posted on file-sharing website YouTube.com, aimed at discrediting her accusations.
In one mocking video, the rocker says, "Hi, I'm Coyote Shivers, and I'm a racist and a kidnapper."
Shivers, 42, and Perrette, 39, married in 2000.
Since their break up, Perrette has also alleged that she was the victim of spousal abuse during their marriage.
The couple separated in 2004 before settling its divorce in February 2006.
30 July 2008 10:26 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
After being bumped off the top of the Nielsen weekly ratings list a week earlier by baseball's All-Star Game, NBC's America's Got Talent regained its leadership as America's most-watched summer show, with 13.2 million viewers. On the other hand, two new summer shows that were expected to perform strongly proved to be disappointments. Both aired on ABC. The game show Wanna Bet? and the High School Musical spinoff Get in the Picture attracted just 3.1 million viewers each. Sticking mostly with reruns, CBS nevertheless won the week with an average 4.1 rating and 7 share. Fox and NBC tied for second with a 3.5/6. ABC trailed with a 2.8/5.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. America's Got Talent, NBC, 7.9/13; 2. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 6.4/11; 3. 60 Minutes, CBS, 6.3/13; 4. NCIS, CBS, 5.9/10; 5. CSI: Miami, CBS, 5.7/10; 6. Criminal Minds, CBS, 5.6/9; 7. Wipeout, ABC, 5.4/9; 8. So You Think Can Dance (Wednesday), Fox, 5.3/9; 9. Dateline (Sunday), NBC, 5.2/9; 9. House (Monday), Fox, 5.2/9; 9. So You Think Can Dance (Thursday), Fox, 5.2/9.
30 July 2008 12:30 AM, PDT | From NYPost.com | See recent New York Post news
'Hi I'm Coyote Shivers, and I'm a rapist and a kidnapper."
That's how the indie rocker is responding in two videos posted on YouTube to his TV star ex-wife's allegations that he stalked and raped her friend.
The sarcastic response is aimed to discredit "NCIS" star Pauley Perrette's accusations. He says Perrette, who plays the funky goth forensic examiner, is out to ruin his life because he didn't play by her rules when they got divorced.
Perrette's friend, Angela Garber, claims that Shivers raped and sodomized her. Shivers, who
(more)
By DON KAPLAN
23 July 2008 10:27 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
Some 14.5 million people were singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" last week, making Fox's coverage of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game the most-watched telecast of the week. (The figure represented only the primetime segment of the telecast, which stretched past 1:00 a.m. as the game went into extra innings. From 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., it averaged 11 million viewers, more than the number that watched any other show in primetime during the week.) The game also helped Fox win the week, making it a rare win for the network during the summer months. Its Wednesday edition of So You Think You Can Dance also made it into Nielsen's top ten. Fox averaged a 4.5 rating and an 8 share for the week. CBS placed second with a 4.3/8. NBC took third place with a 3.6/7, while ABC trailed with a 2.9/5.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Fox, 9.3/16; 2. America's Got Talent, NBC, 7.9/13; 3. MLB All-Star Game Pregame Show, Fox, 6.8/13; 4. Criminal Minds, CBS, 6.2/11; 5. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 6/10; 6. CSI: NY, CBS, 5.7/10; 7. 60 Minutes, CBS, 5.6/11; 7. So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday), Fox, 5.6/10; 9. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 5.5/9; 10. Dateline (Sunday), NBC, 5.3/9; 10. (tie) NCIS, CBS, 5.3/10.
16 July 2008 10:29 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
NBC's America's Got Talent remained the top show of the summer season last week, drawing 12.7 million viewers, the most to tune in to any network program since the season began in late May, according to Nielsen Media Research. ABC's new Wipeout finished in second place with 10.6 million. Among other new shows, CBS's Greatest American Dog barked up the right tree for 9.5 million viewers to take fifth place. Among adults 18-49, the group courted most avidly by advertisers, Fox's Hell's Kitchen came in first. For the week, CBS once again took overall honors, averaging a 4.6 rating and a 6 share. Fox and ABC tied for second with a 3.7/7, edging out NBC with a 3.6/6.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. America's Got Talent, NBC, 7.9/13; 2. The Bachelorette (Monday, 8:00 p.m.), ABC, 7.0/12; 3. The Bachelorette (Monday, 10:00 p.m.), ABC, 6.7/11; 4. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 6.6/11; 5. Greatest American Dog, CBS, 6.2/12; 6. Wipeout, ABC, 6.0/11; 7. CSI: NY, CBS, 5.9/10; 7. NCIS, CBS, 5.9/10; 7. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 5.9/10; 10. 60 Minutes, CBS, 5.7/12; 10. CSI: Miami, CBS, 5.7/10.
9 July 2008 10:31 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
The major television networks recorded their lowest ratings of the year last week, as CBS came out on top with an average 4.2 rating and an 8 share, representing 6.3 million viewers. NBC came in second with just a 3.7/7. Fox placed third with a 3.4/7, and ABC trailed with a 3.0/6. Researchers were scouring the record books to find a lower-rated week. (Viewership traditionally declines during the Independence Day week.) For the second week in a row, NBC's America's Got Talent was the only show to attract more than 10 million viewers. It placed first with 12.04 million. The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. America's Got Talent, NBC, 7.5/13; 2. Criminal Minds, CBS, 6.0/10; 3. CSI: NY, CBS, 5.7/10; 4. 48 Hours Mystery (Tuesday), CBS, 5.5/9; 4. (Tie) 60 Minutes, CBS, 5.5/11; 4. (Tie) CSI: Miami, CBS, 5.5/10; 4. (Tie) NCIS, CBS, 5.5/10; 8. The Bachelorette, ABC, 5.4/9; 8. (Tie) Two and a Half Men, CBS, 5.4/9; 10. So You Think Can Dance (Wednesday), Fox, 5.3/10; 10. (Tie) Wipeout, ABC, 5.3/10.
3 July 2008 8:46 AM, PDT | From iconsoffright.com | See recent Icons of Fright news
Glass Eye Pix and MonsterPants Movies are proud to announce that principal photography was completed in New York City on Tuesday for Satan Hates You, written and directed by James Felix McKenney.
The film's cast is led by Don Wood (TV's Colonial House, In A Fix) and Christine Spencer (Automatons) and also includes Angus Scrimm (Phantasm, TV's Alias), Reggie Bannister (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-tep), Michael Berryman (One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest, The Hills Have Eyes), Debbie Rochon (Tromeo And Juliet, Terror Firmer) and Producer Larry Fessenden (Habit, The Brave One) with appearances by Pauley Perrette (TV's NCIS, Almost Famous) and author Max Brooks (World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide).
The film is inspired by Christian "scare" cinema of the 1950's - 70's and tells the story of two troubled individuals (Wood and Spencer) who find themselves on the fast track to losing their immortal souls.
"This film is significantly
(more)Permalink | Report a problem
18 June 2008 10:35 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
The NBA Finals closer between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics -- a game that must have been painful for Lakers' fans to watch (the L.A. team was brutally trounced 131-92), drew strong ratings despite the blowout. The ABC telecast averaged a 7.3 rating and a 12 share during the primetime period from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., edging out the return of America's Got Talent on NBC, which posted a 7.1/12. (At its primetime peak at 10:30 p.m. the game drew 13.61 million viewers.) Basketball was also the name of the game last week as three televised games wound up as the most-watched television shows of the week. Nevertheless, CBS prevailed again among overall households, averaging a 4.9 rating and a 9 share. ABC and Fox tied with a 4.3/8, while NBC trailed with a 3.8/7. The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. NBA Finals - Game 5, ABC, 10.2/19; 2. NBA Finals - Game 3, ABC, 9.2/16; 3. NBA Finals - Game 4, ABC, 8.7/16; 4. NCIS, CBS, 6.9/12; 4. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 6.9/11; 6. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 6.6/11; 7. 48 Hours Mystery (Tuesday), CBS, 6.5/11; 8. Million Dollar Password, CBS, 6.3/12; 9. CSI: Ny, CBS, 6.1/11; 10. CSI: Miami, CBS, 5.9/10.
16 June 2008 6:41 PM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news
Latest: A missing woman who sparked a search led by NCIS star Pauley Perrette has been found.
The actress launched a public appeal to help find her missing pal Lami Nicole Powlesland over the weekend.
Powlesland vanished last week (ends11Jun08) and officials were contacted when her belongings were found on a popular hiking trail.
A relieved Perrette has since revealed her friend is alive and well.
She tells U.S. news show Entertainment Tonight, "Thankfully, this one has a happy ending. I was with the missing girl's parents at my church when we got the call that she was found."
Perrette, who plays a criminologist on TV, admits she's grateful to all the police who took part in an extensive search over the weekend.
She adds, "They were amazing in their late-night search."
12 June 2008 10:36 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
Game 3 of the NBA Finals Tuesday night averaged 14.5 million viewers during primetime, 55 percent more than the 9.0 million who tuned in for Game 3 a year ago, according to Nielsen Media Research. The ABC telecast, which saw the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics in a low-scoring (87-81) contest, averaged a 6.9 rating and a 12 share. Ratings for the contest appear to have rebounded from last year's Cleveland vs. San Antonio series, with all three games up an average of 55 percent. Tonight's (Thursday) Game 4, which will see the Lakers try to even out the series is expected to draw an even larger audience. Earlier, a Jimmy Kimmel Live show and the NBA pregame show averaged a 5.4/10. They were beaten by a repeat of the CBS drama NCIS, which scored a 6.8/12.
11 June 2008 10:36 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
The first two games of the NBA finals produced the best initial ratings for the championship series in four years. Sunday's telecast, which drew 13.5 million viewers, attracted an audience that was 60 percent larger than the comparable game a year ago. Although it did not land in the top ten (largely because three shows tied for ninth place) the new CBS drama Swingtown got off to a solid start with 9 million viewers. Washington Post TV writer Lisa de Moraes said that the show received "a promo shot in the arm" from the Parents Television Council, which urged CBS stations to drop it because of its allegedly salacious content. The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. NBA Finals - Game 1, ABC, 8.7/16; 2. NBA Finals - Game 2, ABC, 8.5/15; 3. 60 Minutes, CBS, 6.5/13; 3. (Tie) Csi: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 6.5/11; 5. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 6.4/10; 6. Million Dollar Password, CBS, 6.3/11; 7. Csi: Ny, CBS, 6.2/11; 8. Csi: Miami, CBS, 6.1/10; 9. House (Monday), Fox, 6.0/9; 9. (Tie) Ncis, CBS, 6.0/10; 9. (Tie) So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday), Fox, 6.0/10.
29 May 2008 10:04 AM, PDT | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
After much hand wringing over the erosion of ratings for American Idol during its latest season, the two final episodes last week -- Tuesday's performance show and Wednesday's results show -- wound up capturing bigger ratings than the comparable finale a year ago. Tuesday's telecast drew 27 million viewers; Wednesday's, 32 million. Together they gave Fox an easy win for the final official week of the 2007-08 season with an average 7.3 rating and a 13 share. CBS and ABC tied for second with a 5.6/10, while NBC continued to trail with a 3.5/6. Meanwhile, Fox reality shows that produced solid ratings for the network when they followed American Idol continued to lead their rivals on their own this week, the first week of the summer season -- although their numbers were down from the previous week. Hell's Kitchen and Moment of Truth likely benefited from the fact that the competition was a slew of network reruns. On Wednesday, the two-hour return of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance led the field, with the first hour recording a 5.3/9 and the second, a 6.3/10.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research: 1. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 17.7/28; 2. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 15.1/24; 3. Dancing With the Stars (Tuesday), ABC, 12.9/20; 4. Dancing With The Stars (Monday), ABC, 12.4/20; 5. Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 11.8/19; 6. CSI: Miami, CBS, 10.4/17; 7. NCIS, CBS, 10.3/16; 8. House (Monday), Fox, 10.0/15; 9. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 9.0/14; 10. Criminal Minds, CBS, 8.3/13.
24 January 2008 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
Fox had its best week in history last week -- except for the weeks when it aired the Super Bowl -- as it took the top-five positions in the Nielsen ratings list and posted a 13.4 average rating and a 21 share for the week -- more than twice the rating of any other network. Final figures indicated that the NFC Championship, in which the New York Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers, drew 53.94 million viewers, a number unlikely to be beaten by any other program this year save for the Super Bowl. American Idol, which also overwhelmed, was less overwhelming than in previous years as the first night of the season drew 33.4 million -- down 11 percent from the premiere a year ago. CBS was the second-ranked network for the week, averaging a 6.3/10. NBC finished third with a 5.1/8, while Fox trailed with a 4.1/7. The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research: 1. NFC Championship: Giants at Green Bay, Fox, 29.0/43; 2. NFC Championship (Post-Game), Fox, 21.6/33; 3. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 17.7/26; 4. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 16.7/25; 5. Fox NFC Championship (Post-Game), Fox, 13.1/21; 6. NCIS, CBS, 9.9/15; 7. CSI: Miami, CBS, 9.7/16; 8. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 9.1/14; 9. Deal Or No Deal (Monday), NBC, 9.0/14; 10. Without a Trace, CBS, 8.8/15.
18 articles from 2008