CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

04/08/04

Good morning.  It’s Thursday, April 8, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing. 

New in Development/Casting/Production:

• CBS‘ comedy project The Amazing Westerbergs (Sony/CBS Prods) has added George Segal and Susan Sullivan to the cast which is headed up by Chris O’Donnell and Jay Harrington.  In the CSI: New York (Bruckheimer Films/Alliance Atlantis/CBS Prods) series set to launch next season, Hill Harper joins the cast which includes Gary Sinise and Melina Kanakaredes.

TBS has acquired the television rights to Runaway Jury (20th Century Fox) and will get first airing of it in March 2006 for both TBS and TNT.  Estimated price tag is around $5 million with a domestic box office total of $50 million. Nothing done yet on the broadcast side, but Variety reports 20th has reserved the right to license the film to CBS for a minimum of one run.

ABC will present an unscripted reality/comedy series this summer called Two-Timer from Fleiss Telepictures/Next Entertainment.  According to Variety, the 10-ep series features a 20something guy who is a dating two-timer, dating several women at the same time.  As with most two-timers through the normal course of things, you can perhaps guess how this one turns out.

Bravo, the Arts & Culture Network, so dubbed by Jeff Gaspin, President, announced its upfront plans in a presentation to press and advertisers last evening in NYC, and its plans to more than double the network’s original programming content in primetime next season.  The net has ordered up several new series including:

• Queer Eye for the Straight Girl (about time) features a new Queer Eye set of three designers. Queer Eye is set to debut early next year. 
• Pilot Season is an insider’s look at the creation of a television sitcom, with a reality twist. From exec producers Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner and Shapiro/Grodner the show follows the two potential primetime concepts as they move from idea to script to casting and through the creative process.  At the end of a the 10-week period, each will present a 15 minute sitcom on which viewers will vote.  The winner will be made into a pilot for air on NBC and/or Bravo. 
• Another reality series, Project Runway with Heidi Klum puts together in one house 10 designers and 8 models, who will try to impress 6 judges through various designing tasks (from Miramax Television).  The final three will present their collections at a fashion event during Fashion Week in February 2005 in NYC. Project Runway is looking for a November 2004 launch.
• Forty Deuce tracks the opening of a new Las Vegas nightclub (set for a fall premiere).
• Naked is a biography styled show where the celebrity is invited to watch a biography of themselves,a nd then have an opportunity to defend themselves as needed in front of a live studio audience.  Naked is looking at a 4th qtr start.

Bravo is now available in 76 million homes, up by 6 million over last year.

Comcast will add to its VOD lineup in PA, NJ and Delaware with shows from the Viacom networks including SpongeBob SquarePants, Real World, Rugrats, Radio Free Roscoe, A Walk in Your Shoes and Comic View. The expanded VOD service to customers is provided free of charge.  This content is added to the 1800 hours of VOD programs already available from BBC America, Golf Channel, Boomerang, Cartoon, Outdoor Life Comedy Central, CNN, and others. 

Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) will be the exclusive distributor of Miramax Television’s Project Runway (see above, set to air on Bravo) format to broadcasters in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.  The agreement will give BVITV distribution rights for both the format and the US series.

Universal Studios Networks has plans to launch a UK version of their crime drama channel 13th Street within 18 months.  The pay TV network already runs in Europe where it is ranked as the #1 pay TV channel in France and #2 in Spain. The announcement was made by Patrick Vien, President of Universal Studio Networks.  Universal’s previous attempt at a niche station in the UK, film channel The Studio, ran into financial problems and shuttered after just 8 months.
 
Halle Berry will return to the small screen in Their Eyes Were Watching God, a made-for-TV movie for ABC with Harpo Films.  Berry’s co-starts include Ruby Dee, Ruben Santiago-Hudson and Michael Ealy in a story adapted from the Zora Neale novel of the same name. The film is scheduled to air on ABC next season; production has already begun in LA.

Fox easily won Tuesday night with an overall 7.3/20 A18-49 rating according to Nielsen Media Research.  NBC was #2 for the night with a 3.4/9 followed by ABC 2.8/9, CBS 2.4/7, WB 1.3/4 and UPN 0.9/2.  At 8pm American Idol dominated with a 9.7/29 (11.8/35 W18-34), blowing away the competition. The closest competitor was CBS with Navy NCIS pulling a mediocre 2.4/7.  At 9pm Fox’s 24 held on for the win with a 4.9/13.  NBC delivered a 3.5/9 for Frasier/Scrubs, while ABC followed with a 3.2/8 for According to Jim/It’s All Relative.  At 10p NBC’s Law & Order: SVU led with a 4.9/13 followed by ABC’s 3.3/9 for NYPD Blue and Judging Amy on CBS pulled a 2.6/7.

MTV will honor Carson Daly at the TRL Awards on April 13 with the Lifetime Achievement Award.  What is he, about 36?  Does 40 or thereabouts mark the end of life for the MTV generation?  MTV has a history of giving Lifetime Achievements to people you’d think had a few dozen more years of contribution to go, i.e., P. Diddy was the recipient last year.  Daly began his career on MTV in 1997.

Clarification:  Dana Walden, President of 20th Century Fox Television, was named VP/The Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS). This is a voluntary position and while she assumes the duties of VP/HRTS, she remains Prez/20th Television.

Former ABC News Correspondent Jack Smith died yesterday at the age of 58 following complications from cancer.  Jack Smith began as an ABC News correspondent in 1976, and served as a Washington correspondent from 1980 until he left the network in 2001. For nine years he was the principal correspondent for This Week with David Brinkley. Before coming to Washington, he was ABC News’ Paris correspondent, where he reported on a variety of international stories. He also reported from West Beirut during the Israeli siege of that city, covered the 1982 Canadian ascent of Mt. Everest — the first network correspondent to report from the mountain itself — and covered the White House and the State Department for Good Morning America.  ABC News President David Westin: “Jack knew how to communicate as few others do, and did it with eloquence, wit and grace. He made an invaluable contribution to ABC News and we mourn his loss.”

Pappas Telecasting Cos. has upped Fernando Acosta to VP/Azteca America Group Manager, reporting to Howard H. Shrier, Sr. EVP/COO of Pappas Telecasting’s TV Stations Group.   Fernando will oversee the Azteca America station group as well as KAZA/LA where he was GM.

Christian Drobnyk was upped to VP/Programming at TLC.  Christian will oversee all network programming and scheduling.  He will report to Roger Marmet, TLC’s General Manager.

Paxson Communications Corporation has upped Richard Garcia to CFO.  Richard will report to Paxson’s Chairman and CEO, Lowell W. Paxson.

Tuesday, April 6, 2004. Fast Affiliate Household Ratings for all Networks. Fast affiliate numbers which reflect time period data, not program data, and can change slightly once the finals come in, particularly for LIVE programming (i.e. Football). Source Nielsen Media Research. Time Period Averages Only. [p] = Premiere; [o] = Original; [r] = Repeat

FOX     10.0/16 American Idol 13.3/22, 24  6.7/11

CBS     7.0/11  Navy NCIS 7.0/12, The Guardian 6.6/10, Judging Amy 7.4/12

NBC     6.3/10  Whoopi 4.0/7, Happy Family 3.7/6, Frasier 7.0/11, Scrubs 5.6/9, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 8.8/14

ABC     5.0/8   8 Simple Rules 4.3/7, I’m with Her 3.6/6, According to Jim 5.3/8, It’s All Relative 4.6/7, NYPD Blue 6.0/10

WB      2.1./3  Gilmore Girls [r] 1.7/3, One Tree Hill 2.4/4

UPN     1.5/2   One on One 1.6/3, All of Us [r] 1.7/3, Rock Me Baby 1.4/2, Half & Half [r] 1.3/2

A18-49  FOX 7.3/20, NBC 3.4/9, ABC 2.8/8, CBS 2.4/7, WB 1.3/4, UPN 0.9/2

Source: NTI Explorer, 9/22/03-3/3/04. Drama growth based on Feb 04 (2/5/04-3/3/04) vs. Oct 03 (10/2/03-10/29/03) ratings. Distribution percentage based on US ratings.

The History Channel presents This Day in History: 
1971 – Off-Track Betting, or OTB, opens in New York City. The first bet is placed by a retired postal worker from Brooklyn, who places two dollars on Adora’s Nicki in the first at Roosevelt Raceway.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question:  This dance craze was first introduced at a cocktail party at Harlow’s, an “in” discotheque in New York City.  It has several distinguishing characteristics, including moving ‘v’ shaped fingers over the eyes and outward away from the face.  What was the name of this dance craze? THE BATUSI, performed by Batman on the premiere episode, dancing with Molly, The Riddler’s henchwoman, played by Jill St. John. If you don’t recall Batman doing the Batusi, you probably recall John Travolta doing it in the movie Pulp Fiction.  Kudos to:  Jason Lewis-WTAT/Charleston; Mike DeAngelis-Universal Television Ad Sales/NY; Audrey Guttman-Turner Bcsting/NY; Katherine Mitchell-Fox Station Sales/NY; Chuck Loomis-Starz/Englewood; Dan Whitford-RPA/Chicago; Eric Merrill-GSD&M/Austin; John Kukla-KDFW/Dallas; Frank Hagan-Termite Art/LA;  Darlene Lieblich-Fox Cable Nets/LA; Patrick Clark-G4/LA.

A MESSAGE FROM WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT

Your weekly guide to
fashion’s hottest tips and latest styles.

Look fabulous every day with the WE original series, Full Frontal Fashion.
We’ve got the inside scoop. We’ve got the audience. You’ve got the opportunity. 

FULL FRONTAL FASHION  |  WEDNESDAYS AT 10 PM (ET)
For more information, visit www.sales.we.tv

Today’s Trivia Question:  If you’re looking for the big picture, this is the vehicle for you. It moves along at 35 mph, and has been around since 1925.   It’s been seen by literally billions of people on TV over the years, and is always fun to see in person, though a little high-falutin’ for my taste.  What vehicle is this?  (click here to respond to the trivia question and please be sure to include with your answer your name, company, city and time zone. Only the second four correct responses from each time zone will be listed in tomorrow’s kudo list.)

Later — Cyn

Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis
04/08/04
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  Thursday, APRIL 8,  2004

COURT TV:       Body of Evidence, Forensic Files, Body of Evidence, The Investigators
ABC             Extreme Makeover: Home Edition [r], Kingdom Hospital, Primetime Thursday
CBS             Survivor: All Stars, CSI [r], Without a Trace [r]
FOX             Tru Calling, Swan [r]
NBC             Friends, Will & Grace, The Apprentice, ER
PAX             Story Behind the Gospel of John, MGM Night at the Movies: A Green Journey
UPN             WWE Smackdown
WB              Steve Harvey’s Big Time [r], Like Family, JKE, JKE [r]
TELE            Prisonera, El Alma Herida, Mujeres Apasionadas
UNIV            Mariana de la Noche, Bajo la Misma Piel, Aqui y Ahora