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CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis

09/22/05

Good morning.  It’s Thursday, September 22, 2005, and this is your first early morning briefing.

The fall season has only just barely begun, and the first casualty has already been announced. 20th Television‘s syndicated daily series A Current Affair will come off the schedule at the end of October.  In fact, A Current Affair is not a new fall series – it actually started last March on the Fox O&O station group.  In the past six months, the show “has not resonated in large markets” as 20th would have liked, says Bob Cook, Pres/COO of 20th Television.  With A Current Affair leaving the schedule, that makes way for a new offering:  Geraldo at Large, a daily first-run live 30m topical news series.  The Fox O&Os will replace A Current Affair with Gerlado at Large in early November.

Tonight’s Finales:
Bravo:  Celebrity Poker Showdown at 8p

Tonight’s Premieres:
CBS      CSI at 9p,  Criminal Minds at 10p
NBC     Joey 8-9p, The Apprentice at 9p,  ER at 10p
UPN     Everybody Hates Chris at 8p, Love, Inc. at 830p,  Eve at 9p, Cuts at 930p

* MORE GOOD STUFF *Fine Living TV Network launches four new shows the first week in October: Any Given Latitude (debuts Oct 6 at 10p) follows host Joanne Colan who takes viewers to exotic locations including Iceland, the Grenadines and the Dominican Republic; Opening Soon: By Design (Oct 4 at 10p) showcases smart designs in the retail world; Pairings with Andrea (Oct 5 at 8p) with host Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson who makes great simple meals and pairs them with complementary wines; and Made to Order (Oct 5 at 9p) features Guy Rubino and his brother Michael Rubino revealing the secrets of the upscale restaurant business.

The season premiere of Nip/Tuck on Tuesday night delivered 5.3 million viewers.  That number gives this particular episode of Nip Tuck the honor of being the most watched episode of any series in the history of the network.

The Weather Channel will delay the launch of its new lifestyle series Weekend View by one week.  The show was originally scheduled to debut this weekend, but in light of Hurricane Rita bearing down on the Texas coast, the network decided to hold the launch for one week, now scheduled for October 1.

Fox has rescheduled the midseason launch of 24 by pushing it back by one week.  The four hour, two-night premiere has been reset for Sunday January 15 at 8p, and Monday, January 16 at 8p (also the show’s 100th episode).

Did you happen to see the live news coverage of the JetBlue airbus circling LAX on all of the cable news networks last night?  If not, here’s a quick recap – the plane takes off from Burbank bound for JFK with 140 passengers and 6 crew aboard. The pilot realizes there is a problem with his nose landing gear and in fact the gear has twisted 90 degrees – the wheels are completely sideways. For the next 3+ hours, the plane circles LAX to run off fuel. A variety of experts and pilots interviewed by the news networks explained the potential for utter disaster – most speculating the nose gear would collapse, dumping the nose of the plane on the runway, and then hoping the pilot will be able to stay on the runway and bring the plane to a safe stop.  At approx 9:15p last evening, the plane came in for its final approach at LAX with 110 firefighters and emergency crew waiting on the ground. Without a doubt, one of the most tense moments on television as we can’t help but wonder what the people on the plane are thinking/feeling. We see the plane’s rear wheels landing and slowly the nose touching down, grinding the rubber off the tires in a sea of sparks, eventually coming to stop with nothing but a steel peg left where the nose gear had been. A remarkable and completely safe landing.  No fanfare, no anchors on set, no bells and whistles, just picture of the plane flying and then landing safely.  Unbelievable TV.

IAG Research’s Top Ten Most Recalled New Ads and Top Ten Most Liked New Ads for new campaigns airing during the period of August 15 – September 11, 2005.  The list is ranked by viewers’ ability to recall the new ads (or how much they like them) and their associated products and brands. The Recall Score is the percentage of TV viewers who can recall within 24 hours the brand of an ad they were exposed to during the normal course of viewing TV.  The Likeability Score is the percentage of TV viewers who report to like “a lot” an ad they were exposed to during the normal course of viewing TV (among those recalling the brand of the ad).  For example, with a Likeability Index of 169, the top ranked AFLAC spot has proven to be 69% more liked than the average new commercial during the past four-week period. The scores are then indexed against the mean score for all ads during the time period to create the Recall Index; 100 is Average. For example, with a Recall Index of 242, the top-ranked Listerine spot was nearly two and a half times as memorable as the average new ad during the four week period.

Top Ten Most Liked New Ads:
169 – AFLAC: Man and duck swing in hammocks, man thanks duck before duck gets flung into the neighbor’s pool
156 – KODAK: EasyShare V550 Zoom Digital Camera–woman in gallery says action instead of cheese to man in fedora
154 – US DEPT OF TRANS: Drinking & Driving–people who have been drinking and driving stop to tell police officers they can’t drive
134 – CAPITAL ONE: No-Hassle Rewards–David Spade uses voodoo doll to torture man
133 – CAMPBELL’S: Chicken Noodle–boys in karate outfit run into house, eat soup, girls laughing at table, feed stuffed animal
130- HEALTHY CHOICE: Dad does house chores, daughter says mom doesn’t do it like that, makes dinners
129 – TGI FRIDAY’S: 3-Course Menu–man asks waiter which menu he should pick, waiter asks tighty whities, wallet or man purse
128 – CINGULAR: with iTunes–woman listens to rock song as she walks through city while her reflections dance energetically
127 – WAL-MART: Employees talk about families affected by Hurricane Katrina, stores to take donations for Red Cross & Salvation
127 – PAYLESS: Buy One Get One Half Off–wedges for you, flats for him, woman realizes her date is shorter than her, decides to wear flats
Source: IAG Research ( www.iagr.net)

Top Ten Most Recalled New Ads:
242 – LISTERINE: Natural Citrus–husband and wife tell each other to try mouthwash first, son tries it, tells parents to grow up (:15)
231- PAYLESS: Buy One Get One Half Off–wedges for you, flats for him, woman realizes her date is shorter than her, decides to wear flats (:15)
229 – WAL-MART: Employees talk about families affected by Hurricane Katrina, stores to take donations for American Red Cross & Salvation Army
229 – OLD NAVY: Fresh Fall Cords–girls pick pants in a field, farmer holds up cords
227 – LISTERINE: Natural Citrus–husband and wife tell each other to try mouthwash first, son tries it, tells parents to grow up (:30)
220 – FEBREZE: School lets out, all kids run to one minivan, all breathe deep
219 – PAYLESS: Buy One Get One Half Off–wedges for you, flats for him; woman realizes her date is shorter than her; decides to wear flats (:30)
210 – BURGER KING: NFL Sunday Ticket–King receives lateral pass and runs in for touchdown, raises arms and hugs in celebration
208 – ENERGIZER: People in aerobics class gradually get tired and collapse
206 – MR. CLEAN: Magic Reach–woman in mask and gloves, carrying cleaning supplies runs into bathroom after dog doesn’t recognize her
Source: IAG Research ( www.iagr.net)

 * NEW ORDERS / CASTING / DEVELOPMENT / PRODUCTION *Rap star Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Haynes Jr., is getting his own reality series, in a deal with A. Smith & Co. Prods.  While several of the production company’s previous shows (Hell’s Kitchen, The Swan, Paradise Hotel) have aired on Fox, at this point no network has been attached to this announcement.  The show will follow Nelly has he goes through his day, and will highlight his nonprofit organization 4 Sho 4 Kids, a bone marrow registration effort.

HBO is in development with a new project called The Unsuccessful Thug starring Mike Epps.  The premise focuses on a portion of Mike Epps life back in his old neighborhood in Indianapolis when he was stealing cars, selling drugs and robbing people.  Epps characterizes himself as a good guy doing bad stuff, and back then was not considered terribly successful in his criminal career, because he was just too funny to be taken too seriously. The pilot was written by Brad Kaaya, and will be produced under Epps and Niles Kirchner’s production banner, Naptdown Prods.

Fox has ordered up a pilot for an untitled comedy from Warner Bros. TV and producers Brett Baer and David Finkel. According to Variety, the show centers on a group of 20-somethings who are all working at various jobs to earn just enough to get by while they pursue their bigger ideas.

Casting Call: BETrayed The Movie will hold a casting call in Atlanta this Saturday, September 24 at the Atlanta Airport Marriott in College Park from 9a-5p. Seeking men and women, ages 18-80, all races needed for various speaking and non-speaking roles. BETrayed is a non-union, indie behind-the-scenes drama centered on an African American-owned and operated cable network.  Football legend Jim Brown and possibly Bobby Brown will make appearances in the film and/or at the Atlanta audition. For more info, contact
.

* EXECUTIVE MOVES *Chuck Rosenzweig, VP/Legal Affairs, was recently upped by Scripps Networks to SVP. In his new role, Rosenzweig with his staff has the primary legal responsibility for HGTV and DIY Network production and talent agreements. The team also has become the primary advisors to Great American Country (GAC) and HGTVPro.com, and are active in preparing agreements in the expanding broadband and custom programming businesses.
 
Mike Russo has been promoted to SVP/Sales, Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution. The announcement was made by Eric Frankel, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution.

More turnover at Lifetime – exiting the network are two top level executives: Kelly Good, SVP/Original Series, and Bill Brand, SVP/Alternative Programming. A spokesman for Lifetime said, “We thank Kelly and Bill for their service to Lifetime and wish them well.” * RATINGS *Tuesday — A18-49 Analysis: NBC led on Tuesday night according to final numbers from Nielsen media Research, posting an 8p-11p average of 4.8/12 among A18-49.  Fox was #2 with a 4.0/10, followed by CBS 3.6/9, ABC 2.7/7, WB 2.4/6, UPN 1.7/5.  The premiere of NCIS at 8p led the hour with a 3.8/11, quickly followed by The Biggest Loser on NBC with a 3.4/10. The second week of Bones (Fox) earned a 3.0/9. ABC’s premiere of According to Jim delivered an 8 share, and the premiere of Gilmore Girls on WB earned a 7 share.  At 9p, everyone knew where to find My Name is Earl and he delivered for NBC an incredible 6.6/16.  The Office followed at 930p and dropped precipitously to a 4.3/10. The second week of House earned a 4.9/12 ahead of Big Brother finale on CBS with an 8 share.  The finale of RU the Girl on UPN earned a 5 share, tied with WB’s Supernatural week #2. Dancing with the Stars 90m special delivered a modest 2.8/7.  At 10p, the premiere of Law & Order SVU delivered a strong 5.5/14, while the finale of Rock Star INXS found a 3.8/10.

FINAL HOUSEHOLD RATINGS:  Tuesday, September 20, 2005, for all Networks – program averages. Source: Nielsen Media Research. 

NBC     8.0/12   The Biggest Loser 5.3/8, My Name is Earl [p] 9.4/14, The Office [p] 5.7/8, L&O: SVU [p] 11.1/18

CBS     6.7/10   NCIS [p] 9.7/15, Big Brother [f] 5.4/8, Rock Star: INXS [f] 5.0/8

FOX     6.6/10   Bones 4.7/7, House 8.5/13

ABC     6.4/10   According to Jim [p] 5.5/9, Dancing with the Stars: Dance-Off 7.6/11, Wife Swap 3.9/8

WB      3.5/5    Gilmore Girls 3.8/6, Supernatural  3.1/5

UPN     2.4/4    America’s Next Top Model Special: Return to the Runway 2.2/3, RU The Girl [f] 2.6/4

A18-49            NBC 4.8/12, Fox 4.0/10, CBS 3.6/9, ABC 2.7/7, WB 2.4/6, UPN 1.7/5

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
 1784-Russian fur trappers establish a settlement on Alaska’s Kodiak Island, the first permanent Eurasian settlement in Alaska since the original migrants crossed the Bering Land Bridge roughly 10,000 years earlier.
 
Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question: Jane Austen’s novel Emma was made into two movies: one set in the 1800s and starring Gwenyth Paltrow. The other, a much more popular version of the story, was set in current day.  What is the name of the current day movie?   CLUELESS     Kudos to: Dick Cox-DCA TV/Stratford CT;  Karen Feigenbaum-Logo/NY: Rachael King-Continental/Atlanta; Marieclaire Odell-Discovery Communications/Silver Spring MD; Jessica Marzinelli-Fox Sports Net/Chicago; Eric Litt-WGN/Chicago; Kent Y’Blood/Denver; Adam Leston-WDJT/Milwaukee; Allison Hastings-BNC/LA; Angela Bowers-The Comedy Festival /Las Vegas; Adam Rodman-Hoot Owl Productions/LA; Evan Weinstein-The Amazing Race/LA; Lynn Valiquette-Ellis Releasing/Toronto; Cynthia Kennedy- A & E TV/London

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

Today is the first day of A u t u mn.
But it’s still hot in Hollywood.
And it looks like it’s going to get even hotter…

The l e a v e s are changing.  The kids are back in school. 
And the F a l l T V S e a s o n is officially in full swing. 

For the latest news and gossip, viewers turn to
HOLLYWOOD HEAT. 

Thursdays at 11pm E/P. 
Only on Court TV. Seriously Entertaining.

Today’s Trivia Question:  In the film Dirty Dancing, what was Baby’s real name? (click here with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. 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
09.22.05 – 5:13a
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If you’d rather listen than read, you can sign up for the Cynopsis: In Your Ear podcast available for download each morning by 630a at www.cynopsis.com or via iTunes 4.9 listed in the podcast directory under “News.”

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Copyright Cynthia Turner 2005

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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT: Thursday, September 22, 2005

ABC              Dancing with the Stars: Dance Off [r], Dancing with     the Stars: Results Show, Primetime
CBS              Survivor: Guatemala , CSI [p] , Criminal Minds [p]
FOX              The O.C., Reunion
NBC              Joey [1-hr p], The Apprentice [p],  ER [p]
PAX              Gospel Angels Benefit Concert, Gaither Homecoming
UPN              Everybody Hates Chris [p], Love, Inc. [p],  Eve [p], Cuts [p]
WB               Smallville [r], Twins
TELE             El Cuerpo del Deseo, Los Plateados, El Principe Azul
UNIV             Contra Viento y Marea, La Esposa Virgen,  Cristina