CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis

02/10/05

Good morning. It’s Thursday, February 10, 2005, and this is your first early morning briefing.

Fox‘s American Idol continues to dominate in the final ratings analysis and on Tuesday night helped the network draw a 9.0/22 A18-49 overall according to Nielsen Media Research.  American Idol aired at 8pm, and averaged a 12.0/30 A18-49 rating, more than 4 x the share of its closest competitors – CBS’ Navy NCIS 2.8/7, and Gilmore Girls 2.8/7.  Fox’s House, while it did drop off by 50%, still blew away the competition with a stunning 5.9/14.  In fact, Fox has now ordered four more episodes of the doctor drama, bringing it to a full season complement of 22 eps. Amazing Race was its closest competitor with a 5.2/13 average for its 9-11p time period. Law & Order SVU ended the evening on a high with a 5.2/14.

Casting / Development / Production:

• E! Entertainment Television, in a joint effort with BSkyB, has cast Edward Moss to portray Michael Jackson on the channel’s nightly re-enactment of the day’s courtroom events.  E! will use courtroom transcripts to accurately depict the day’s events, and they will also provide expert commentary and legal analysis.  The Michael Jackson Trial is scheduled to air on E! M-F at 730p with a weekend wrap up show on Saturdays.
• CBS has ordered two additional seasons of The Amazing Race to air during hte 2005-06 seasons.  Amazing Race #7 begins on March 1.  Amazing Race #8 will be an all-family edition, with teams expanded from two members to four, all exclusively family members. Applications are currently available at CBS.com – everyone has to be over 12.
• Also at CBS, a handful of new comedy pilots were ordered: 
  • Old Christine (Warner Bros. TV) has rec’d a cast-contingent order. Christine is a middle aged single mom, who’s age and singleness seems to be a point of contention among her son’s peers’ uppity parents. 
  • Everything I Know About Men (Touchstone TV) is about a woman with several guys on the string, based on the BBC series According to Bex.
  • An untitled project from 20th TV and Rich Appel about two couples, now divorced, still all friends, and their lives together in this ensemble comedy.
  • How I Met Your Mother (20th TV) takes a look at pre-marriage and then marriage 20 years down the road, from the p.o.v. of the husband.
• Food Network begins production next week on its new reality series, The Next Food Network Star (CBS News Prods).  After a nation-wide serach to find cooks who wnat their own series on Food Network, seven finalists were chosen by the folks at Food Network, and the eighth and final contestant was chosen from a field of 10 semi-finalists on the Food Network website, www.foodnetwork.com. Marc Summers will host, and the show is scheduled to kick off in June 2005.
• NBC has cast Lake Bell in its upcoming drama pilot Fathom (NBC Universal Television) about a marine biologist who discovers a new deep sea species.  Also at NBC, Peri Gilpin has joined the cast of Uncommon Sense (NBC Universal/Sony Pictures TV) starring Larry Miller as a columnist, Gilpin as his wife.  NBC has a first look deal for this project.
• Fox has cast Sean Faris and Alexa Davalos in its drama pilot Reunion (Warner Bros. TV/Class IV Prods) which follows 20 years post graduation, one year per ep. Also at Fox, Josh Brolin will lead the cast of Murder Book (20th), a cop drama.
• ABC has cast Matthew Davis in its pilot What About Brian? (Touchstone TV/Bad Robot), about a guy, Brian, who is the only one still single among his 30-something friends.  Davis plays one of Brian’s married friends. Also at ABC, its drama/soap Westside has added Ashley Scott to its cast.
• Sci Fi has ordered a second season of its Friday night remake, Battlestar Gallactica.  For its most recent outing last Friday, part two of a two part season cliff hanger, the show delivered 3.2 million total viewers, and in key demos also delivered season highs: 2.0 million A18-49, 2.3 million A25054.

MSNBC will launch a new series called Connected: Coast to Coast on Tuesday, February 15, scheduled to air at 12n and again at 5pm.  With hosts Ron Reagan in Washington and Monica Crowley from MSNBC headquarters in New Jersey, the show will include topical debates on a variety of topics, and reaching out to the online community. While the hosts are not on geographically opposite coasts, Reagan and Crowley are on opposite political coasts. The first daily edition will look at news of the day as it is developing, while the 5p show will incorporate viewers question and comments.  The noon hour replaces an hour of live news; while the 5p hour cuts into Lester Holt Live time, reducing that show from 2 hours to 1.

The House Commerce Committee yesterday voted unanimously to up the fines of indecency violations from $32,500 to $500,000 for television stations, per incident; and $11,000 to $500,000 for performers and artists (with no warning following the first incident) in the Broadcast Indecency Enforcement Act of 2005.  The non-monetary points of the bill also bring into play a station’s license and encourages a voluntary Code of Conduct, as well as reinstituting a Family Hour of programming.  The bill passed on a vote of 46-2, the only dissenters being Janice Schakowsky (D-Illinois) and Henry Waxman (D-California).  Schakowsky voted no the last time; and Waxman changed his vote to no this time, because of what he sees as broadcasters self-censoring out of fear or concern of being fined (i.e., Saving Private Ryan).  Schakowsky voted no the first time and stayed with that this time, out of her concern that the bill will limit artistic expression.  What’s next?  They have their eye on cable and satellite services.  Amendments to this bill to include cable and satellite were apparently put aside for the moment in hopes of pushing the bill through the process as quickly as possible. 

LIN TV Corp. will acquire two stations from Viacom – WWHO/Columbus Ohio, and WNDY/Indianapolis, both UPN affiliates. The price tag is$85 million, all cash. The acquisition gives LIN a duopoly in Indianapolis with WISH, a CBS affiliate.  LIN also owns a Univision station in Indianapolis, WIIH-CA.

If you’ve been wondering about product placement in television and in the movies, and you’ve figured it’s a pretty new marketing technique …. wrong.  It’s been around since the beginning of TV and the beginning of film.  To that point, on Friday nights in March on Turner Classic Movies, the net will show 11 films, each with very specific product placement deals. And these aren’t new films (hence the network name) – one of the oldest is Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) in which the Bell Telephone’s new “French Phone” was used; and Father of the Bride (1950) in which Spencer Tracy offers his guests a Coca Cola.  Product placement a new phenomena?  Pshaw.

The Military Channel will launch its newest series Size It Up on March 11 at 8p.  The series showcases military tools of all sizes and shapes, each designed for a specific job – like little tiny tanks up to huge destructers.

Correction : Fox Sunday lineup was incorrectly stated here yesterday.  American Dad begins on May 1 airing at 830p, and it will be followed by Family Guy and 9p and then for the first three weeks a new episode of Simpsons at 930.

A&E Network made a handful of uppings and new hires:  Nancy Dubuc to SVP/Non-Fiction and Alternative Programming; Rob Sharenow promoted to VP/Non-Fiction and Alternative Programming reporting to Dubuc; Neil A. Cohen joins A&E as VP/Non-Fiction and Alternative Programming, also reporting to Dubuc.  Nancy oversees the documentary unit as well as overseeing several ongoing series; Rob is currently serving as executive producer on several real life series, and is also spearheading production on several new series. Neil will oversee production on several current series and development on new.

Univision Communications Inc. announced the promotion of Ray Rodriguez to President/COO of the Company, effective immediately.  He will continue reporting to A. Jerrold Perenchio, Chairman/CEO of the Company. All of Univision’s businesses will now report to Mr. Rodriguez.

Todd Green has been named SVP/Affiliate Marketing for Rainbow Network Sales; and Judi Lopez to SVP/Rainbow Network Sales’ Eastern Region, both newly created positions that are part of the reorganization in sales/marketing announced in December 2004.  Todd will oversee the strategic direction and implementation of affiliate marketing and local ad sales activities, enhancing brand loyalty for each of the Rainbow services among key distribution partners.  Judi will be responsible for leading affiliate efforts throughout the eastern region of the United States with a particular focus on building the brand image of various Rainbow networks among local distribution executives.  The two executives will report to Gregg Hill, President/Rainbow Network Sales.

Dan Smith has been upped to VP/Production for Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc.  The announcement was made by James Griffiths, President. Dan’s experience as a production executive includes positions with The Samuel Goldwyn Company as Vice President, TV Development & Production, and ABC Family Channel as Vice President, Development & Production. 

Elizabeth Biley Andrion has joined the Fox Television Stations, Inc. legal department as VP/Legal Affairs.   She makes the move from having served as a special advisor to FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin, acting as the Commissioner’s principal legal and policy advisor on media issues. 

Revolution Media, an innovative Los Angeles-based media buying agency, has hired media buyer Yvonne Lacey, formerly of the FOX Broadcasting Company, as Broadcast Supervisor.
 
Michelle Moorehead has been appointed VP/Global Strategic Planning, Nike, Inc. Moorehead fills the position, effective immediately, formerly held by Curt Roberts, who became the VP/GM, Nike Vision, Timing and Tech Ventures in May 2004.  She will report to Mark Parker and Charlie Denson, Co-Presidents, Nike.  Moorehead most recently served as VP/Transition Operations, Target Corporation.  Previously Moorehead was an Associate Principal with McKinsey & Company, Dallas, where she co-led the North American e-tail practice.

Tuesday, February 8, 2005. FINAL Ratings for all Networks – program averages.  Source: Nielsen Media Research.  [p] = Premiere; [r] = Repeat

FOX     13.0/20  American Idol 16.4/25, House 9.5/14

CBS     8.0/12   NCIS 8.6/13, The Amazing Race (9-11p) 7.7/12

NBC     6.0/9    Most Outrageous TV Moments #1 & #2  4.1/6, Scrubs 4.4/7, Committed 4.0/6, Law & Order: SVU 9.6/16

ABC     5.5/9    My Wife & Kids 4.1/6, George Lopez 3.9/6, According to Jim 6.2/9, Rodney 5.7/9, NYPD Blue 6.6/11

WB      3.5/5    Gilmore Girls 4.0/6, One Tree Hill 3.0/5

UPN     1.9/3    All of Us 1.7/3, Eve 1.7/3, Veronica Mars 2.0/3

A18-49  Fox 9.0/22, CBS 4.4/11, NBC 3.3/8, ABC 2.9/7, WB 2.4/6, UPN 1.0/3

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
1962 – The Soviet Union frees captured U.S. spy plane pilot Gary Powers.
 
Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:  Who’s award acceptance speech was this:  “But most of all, I wanna take this moment to thank the real, true TV viewers…People like me.  People that are too lazy to read a book. Too tired to go out. Don’t care what they’re watching as long as their TVs on. The shut ins. The unemployed. People in prison. This is for you.”  DREW CAREY at the 1999 TV Guide Awards.  Kudos to: Larry Epstein-Drexel Univ/Philadelphia; Anthony Salerno-Intermark Media/Syosset; Andrew Lazzaro-The Bowsprit Group/NY; Evan Kutner-WNBC/NY; Bart Sciarabba-NCC/Chicago; Aaron Paquette-OTX: Online Testing Exchange/Hollywood; Andrea Archer-Valley Village; Cheryl Rizzo-Martin Stein/LA; and Joe Feldman-Effective Media Services/LA.

A MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

Today’s Trivia Question: The late Johnny Carson & Frankie Crocker made history by becoming the first television and radio hosts to have their names mentioned in a song that became rap’s first smash hit.  Name the Group, the Song and provide the Lyric. (click here with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone with your answer. Unofficial rules: Only the second four correct answers from each time zone will be mentioned; and once you’ve been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.)

Later — Cyn
02.10.05  5:06am

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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT: FEBRUARY 10, 2005:  February sweep 2/3/05 – 3/2/05

ABC              Extreme Makeover, Primetime Live
CBS              CSI, CSI, Without a Trace
FOX              The O.C., Point Pleasant
NBC              Joey, Will & Grace, The Apprentice, ER
PAX              AFV, AFV, Diagnosis Murder, Diagnosis Murder
UPN              WWE Smackdown
WB               WB Movie: Sugar & Spice
TELE             La Mujer en el Espejo, Gitanas, Te Voy a Ensenar a Querer
UNIV             Rubi, Amor Real, Aqui y Ahora