CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

03/11/04

Good morning. It’s Thursday, March 11, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing. 

DISH Network subscriber?  Check your dial — all is well again in Viacom world.  Viacom and Echostar came to an agreement in the wee hours, returning the CBS O&O affiliates as well as Viacom owned cable nets MTV, Nick, VH1, Comedy Central, BET, and others, to the lineup.  With the return of these channels, also comes the promise of additional Viacom networks as of this spring include Nicktoons, TV Land, Spike TV and CMT.

Mark your calendars – The Practice will have its series finale on May 16.  Come next season, many of these David E. Kelley characters will move to another lawfirm, with a series deal already done for 22 new eps.  Which lawyers will get the boot and which will get a new job come fall, is still to be determined.

New in Development/Production/Casting:

• UPN has given a pilot presentation order for a project from Blueprint Ent/Edmonds Entertainment originally called Summer of ’77 and now known as 2 Kings, about two teenage guys in NYC, one black and one white, whose friendship develops and coincides with the inception of hip-hop. Elsewhere at UPN, plans for a spin off of its successful series One on One from Greenblatt-Janollari/Paramount has cast Shannon Elizabeth and Marques Houston in the pilot episode (which will air as an ep of One on One this season).  Beck and Call (Shephard-Robin Co./Warner Bros. TV) is set in the world of NYC Fashion and stars Christine Vidal, who will now be joined by Vanessa Williams.
• ABC‘s Blind Justice (Steve Bochco Prods/Paramount) has added Rena Sofer, Reno Wilson and Frank Grillo to the cast which already includes Ron Eldard and Marisol Nichols.  Universal’s pilot project Plan B starring Caroline Rhea, has cast Steven Eckholdt as Rhea’s romantic foil.
• WB has cast Gerald McRaney as the father in Miles to Go (Mark Burnett/Warner Bros. TV) as the father.  You’ll recall this show is the one reminiscent of Burnett’s days as a nanny in Beverly Hills.   In the Dana & Julia Show (Happy Madison/Sony) project, starring Dana Goodman and Julia Wolov, WB has added Randy Sklar and Jason Sklar to the cast list.  The untitled pilot project from Robert Schimmel and Howard Stern (Michigan J Prods) has been pushed back to midseason.NBC‘s comedy project D.O.T.S. (Pariah/NBC Studios) has cast Stephen Dunham.
• FOX‘s The Quints (Imagine/20th), a comedy that includes teenage quintuplets, has added Ryan Pinkston to the cast which already includes Andy Richter, April Matson and Rebecca Creskoff.
• In CBS‘ dramedy Cooking Lessons (Tannenbaum Co/Warner Bros. TV), Paula Marshall, Lindy Booth and Elizabeth Lackey join Constance Zimmer
• Source: BaselineFT.com, Variety, Hollywood Reporter

Coming to CBS later on this month is the return of the CBS Miniseries Jesus, only this time it will be played without the backstory — just Part Two will air on March 28.  The story picks up covering the public life of Jesus and the crucifixion.  The miniseries originally aired in 2000 and delivered upwards of 21 million viewers over two nights. 

Bravo‘s newest improve comedy series Significant Others made its primetime debut Tuesday night airing at 9pm and scaring up 703,000 total viewers, 440,000 A18-49, and 494,000 A25-54 building on its 8pm lead-in in that A25-54 demo by 30%. The 930p episode managed 689,000 viewers and held on to approx 95% of its lead-in audience.

FX‘s return of The Shield on drew 2.8 million viewers at 10pm, down a bit from the premiere eps of its first two seasons – Season One 4.8 million; Season Two 4.4 million.  With that said, 2.0 million were in the net’s target demo of A18-49.

Comcast has signed off on new carriage deals for Rainbow Media Network’s AMC as well as three Fox cable networks managed by Rainbow Media ( Fox Sports Net Florida, New England and Bay Area).

Robert Johnson, former head of Black Entertainment Television, is readying a new cable net for launch this fall — a regional sports net called Caroline Sports and Entertainment Television, or C-SET, according to Broadcasting & Cable.   In addition to general entertainment programming, the net will include coverage of local high school and college sports, as well as major franchises such as the Carolina Bobcats and WNBA Sting, both clubs owned by Johnson.  Carriage deals thus far include a spot on the digital basic tier of Time Warner which covers approx 60% of the North and South Carolina.

More information on the sudden death of 49 year old actor Robert Pastorelli.  His death is believed to be the result of a sudden and massive heart attack.  He was home when it happened, and shortly thereafter was found by his assistant who found him slumped.  Despite her efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at the scene once EMT arrived.  Drug paraphernalia in the house is attributed to doctor prescribed B-12 injections according to close friends and neighbors.  Pastorelli is survived by two small children, ages 6 and 4. 

Canada’s GVTC, The Global Village Theatre Channel, a speciality channel licensed by the CRTC, is currently in the midst of negotiating for carriage with the top 25 U.S. cable operators and the two U.S. satellite services to launch the channel concurrently in the US and Canada. both countries.  While the digital net had the option to launch three years ago, its President Andy Halmay opted to wait out the tough economic. As it turned out, during the last three years, 47 new digital nets launched in Canada and combined they lost more than $148 million.  Now with plans to move forward in both bordering countries, Halmay is projecting carriage of 10-12 million homes in the US along by year’s end.  The net’s lineup will include many Toronto based original programs including regional theatre, off Broadway plays and Canadian theatre, as well as original series and documentaries.

Fox was on fire with American Idol and the premiere of Cracking Up on Tuesday night, leaving the other networks in the proverbial dust.  Fox delivered a 9.3/24 A18-49 rating for the night according to Nielsen Media Research, the remaining nets followed as such – NBC 3.3/9, ABC 3.0/8, CBS 2.1/6, UPN 1.9/5, WB 1.2/3.   The 90m American Idol earned a whopping 10.7/28; Cracking Up premiered with a 5.2/13, and while the time period was more competitive than the previous 90 minutes, it was still dominated by Fox.  At 930p ABC,NBC and UPN were all tied with an 8 share, though only ABC had an original episode airing.  CBS had a 6 share for the final 30m of The Guardian, and WB’s final 30m of a 2-hour Gilmore Girls [r] earned a 3 share.  At 10p with Fox out of the way, NBC jumped ahead with a 3.8/10 for L&O: SVU, followed closely by an original NYPD Blue on ABC (3.5/9); CBS’ Judging Amy [r] earned a  2.1/6.

Michele Phillips has joined Piranha Productions, LLC as VP/Client Accounts in Seattle.  Michele is responsible for servicing and developing Piranha’s client accounts, identifying and implementing new business strategies and providing creative solutions and full production services to companies worldwide.  She reports to Wade Brewer, CEO/Managing Partner/Nicest Man on the Planet.        

Nationalgeographic.com, the National Geographic Society’s website, has hired Ted Ryan as VP/Advertising Sales. Ted will be based in Washington and report to Chris McAndrews, SVP and General Manager.

Warren Siddall has been named VP/Sales Development and Marketing for the ABC Television Network.  He will report to Dan Longest, SVP/Integrated Marketing and Promotion.  Warren will be based in Manhattan.

Jerry Maglio was named EVP/Marketing for Starz Encore Group LLC (Starz).  He will report to Starz President of Sales and Marketing Robert B. Clasen.   Jerry will be responsible for all consumer and affiliate marketing and research.

Univision Radio hired Brian Reed as VP, Director/Sales for its Los Angeles Radio cluster (KLVE, KSCA, KRCD/KRCV KTNQ).   Univision Radio is the leading Spanish-language radio company in the U.S.. Brian will be responsible for sales for all LA Univision Radio stations.  He will be based in LA.

Tuesday, March 9, 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     12.6/20 American Idol 14.5/22, Cracking Up [p] 7.1/11

CBS     6.6/11  Navy NCIS [r] 6.7/11, The Guardian 6.8/10, Judging Amy [r] 6.3/11

ABC     5.7/9   8 Simple Rules [r] 4.8/8, I’m with Her [r] 4.1/6, According to Jim 5.6/8, Less than Perfect 5.6/9, NYPD Blue 7.2/12

NBC     5.2/8   Friends [r] 5.1/8, Friends [r] 4.7/7,Scrubs [r] 3.9/6, Scrubs [r] 4.6/7, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit [r] 6.5/11

UPN     3.0/5   One on One [r] 2.1/3, All of Us [r] 2.2/3, America’s Next Top Model 3.9/6

WB      2.2/3   Gilmore Girls [r] 12.6/20

A18-49  Fox 9.3/24, NBC 3.3/9, ABC 3.0/8, CBS 2.1/6, UPN 1.9/5, WB 1.2/3

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Source: NHI Explorer, 3/1/04-3/7/04. Sun, 8-10:30PM.  Movie rank ties The Temptations w/HH & A25-54. Ad-supported cable only.  HH Cvg Rtg.

The History Channel presents This Day in History: 
1955 – The doctor who discovered penicillin, Alexander Fleming, dies at age 73. His discovery had come in 1929, the result of experiments he began after World War One, when he saw many soldiers die of infections.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question:  On what former primetime drama series will you find a pigeon named Luther the Bird? ST. ELSEWHERE, owned by Luther the Orderly.  Kudos to:  Diana Leddy-NCC/NY; Amy Honig-Mediacom/NY; David Doan-J. Mitchell Mgmt/NY; Tracy Pruzan-CNBC/NY; Kathy Carlson-Cuneo Adv/Minneapolis; Marge Pistulka-Empower MediaMarketing/Naperville; Tim Rank-KDNL/St. Louis; Robert Ray-HDNet/Dallas; Aaron Lug-Court TV/LA; Walter Wilkomm-KTLA/LA; Cary Miller-Verance/LA; Brett Colbert-Warner Bros./Burbank.

Today’s Trivia Question:  I was named after the hospital on whose steps I was abandoned as a baby.  I have some physical oddities as well as being surprisingly swift of foot with great strength.  When I get angry and holler, it’s more than a little frightening; and yet I’m surprisingly gentle and sensitive person.  Who a I?   (
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
03/11/04  4:14am
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2004

COURT TV:       The System, Forensic Files, Body of Evidence, The System
ABC             Extreme Makeover: Home Edition [r], Extreme Makeover, Primetime Thursday
CBS             Survivor:  All Stars, CSI, Without a Trace
FOX             Fox Special: The 35th NAACP Image Awards
NBC             Friends, Will & Grace,The Apprentice, NBC Special: Princess Diana; The Secret Tapes; Part II
PAX             AFV,  Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder
UPN             WWE Smackdown
WB              The JK Experiment, The JK Experiment [r], The JK Experiment [r], The Help [r]
TELE            Amor Descardo, El Alma Herida, Mujeres Apasionadas
UNIV            Mariana de la Noche, Bajo la Misma Piel, Aqui y Ahora

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