CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

04/13/04

Good morning.  It’s Tuesday, April 13, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing. 

President Bush has scheduled a news conference for tonight at 830p (on the half hour?) which will be carried on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.  Check out tonight’s primetime listings below.  And for you Tivo-ers, a couple of scheduling moves you should be aware of:  Fox has moved tonight’s American Idol to tomorrow night, combining it with the 30 Results show and airing it from 8-9p.  Results will be revealed on a special Thursday night 60m ep at 8pm (vs. Survivor).  And the episode of 24 scheduled for tonight moves to Sunday at 9pm (vs Sopranos).  And NBC’s season finale of Happy Family will air next week instead.  We serve at the pleasure of the President.

ABC has given full season orders for next year to three of its newest primetime deliverers – Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Extreme Makeover and Friday night comedy Hope & Faith; as well as now veteran series My Wife & Kids, According to Jim, George Lopez and America’s Funniest Home Videos.  Also coming back next season are NYPD Blue and 8 Simple Rules.  Those still wondering if their dance card will be full next season are:  Life with bonnie, It’s All Relative, I’m With Her, The Big House and Married to the Kellys.  Also left in the ? column is Alias, though expectations are high for that one.

New in Development, Casting, Production:

• Lifetime‘s drama series Strong Medicine, returning June 13 for its fifth season,has added Tamera Mowry (Sister Sister) to the cast in the role of a medical resident

A new series on TV One premiering on Friday, April 30 at 8pm called Living It Up with Patti LaBelle (Powerhouse Prods), a behind the scenes look at the latest in lifestyle trends including food, fashion, music, travel and health.  Two back to back eps will air on April 30, with repeats scheduled for later on that evening.  Also coming to TV One is a series of specials called StarJamz (Krosslink Mgmt), with the first one scheduled for April 29 at 9p with artists Ruben Studdard and Peobo Bryson. StarJamz looks to bring together the newest generation in music with artists from other eras.  TV One launched this past January 2004.

Cable net Fuse announced its new upfront season plans for 2004-05, and in addition to renewing 18 of its current series, the cable net has two new series and one new special, beginning with:

• The Daily Download, a countdown of the internet’s most downloaded songs, offering also free downloads of each song presented. Premieres in June, airing weekdays at 6-7pm.
• Fuse Clues airs immediately following Daily Download at 7pm beginning in June and is a puzzle based show.  Watch the music video, find the hidden answers to questions, phone them in or go online to play.
• 100% is a 30m special slated for third qtr 2004, an up close and personal with a top recording artist.

You remember Viacom’s flak with Echostar and the DISH network a few weeks ago when the Viacom owned cable nets and CBS were taken off the carriage list for a couple of days, only to have the deal resolved.  Now Turner is in the hotseat with DISH and at risk are CNN, Cartoon, TCM, TBS, TNT and Headline News.  According to an AP report, there has been an extension put on the negotiation that will keep the channels in place, though nothing definite as to time frame has been offered. The cause for the lack of seeing eye-to-eye is an increase in rates which Echostar terms as ‘unreasonable.’

Spike TV‘s Joe Schmo Show (Stone Stanley Prods/Reese Warnick Prods) is returning for a second season on June 15 at 10p.  This time around, the show features Joe and Jane Schmo, both believing they are part of a reality show, only they’re the only ones who don’t know they are the only contestants on the show.

Note to self:  ESPN will air the 2004 WNBA draft on Saturday, April 17, at 12n-1p.  Love the draft, anybody’s draft.

An entire TV series based on behind the scenes footage of the Britney Spears concert tour?  That is seemingly the concept being shuffled around Hollywood, per the Hollywood Reporter.  The current series title is OnTourage and is described as “MTV’s Real World meets the documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare.”’  Spears would serve as the series narrator and Exec Prod for the series out of her company Fairy Zone in conjunction with Diamond Park Entertainment, the company owned by Spears’ manager Larry Rudolf. The series will be produced by Foxlab and Zoo Prod.  While it is just in the pitch stage, the series is rumored to carry a budget price tag of $1m per episode, sort of pricey given it isn’t a scripted narrative.

Quentin Tarantino is revisiting the Independent Film Channel as host and programming director for a personal evening with some of his favorite, hard to find Samurai films in Samurai Action-Fest Vol. 2 on Thursday, April 15th at 8 pm (ET).  Nothing like sitting down on the 15th and watching Samurai movies after paying up to Uncle Sam(urai)!  Samurai Action-Fest Vol. 1 took place in October 2003.  The night’s lineup includes Kill!, Three Outlaw Samurai and Samurai Spy.  In between the movies, IFC viewers will get a peek at the making Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol.2 (to be released on April 16th). 

CSTV: College Sports Television, is initiating CSTV U., an original program geared towards aspiring athletes.   The program is centered on 100 half-hour shows which will provide instructions, demonstrations and inspiration.  The original shows will first air on CSTV and then will be available to affiliates via video-on demand.

According to an article in AdWeek, Mitsubishi is making plans to move away from network TV advertising and concentrate more heavily on online and other alternative venues such as print and spot TV. Says Ian Beavis, the numbers haven’t been finalized but the move ‘from network TV will be dramatic” though the company will spend in the neighborhood of $260 million as they did last year.

At the end of the day, Phil Mickelson won the Masters and CBS was down in national HH ratings from last year. Phil Mickelson is destined to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the PGA.  Last year’s winner was Mike Weir – no Tiger Woods in viewer appeal, but certainly a very nice golfer.  He earned a 9.3 HH Rtg.  You’d think Mickelson never having won a major tournament in all his years of golfing would increase the viewer interest, and yet Sunday’s coverage earned a 7.3.  Now when Ernie Els was finishing up along with Mickelson between 530 and 6pm, the ratings were at its highest on Sunday with a 10.1 …. though subpar to last year’s 12.4 during the one hole playoff.  You could argue the low HH rating had something to do with the Easter holiday, though when Mark O’Meara played his final 18 on Easter Sunday in 1998, he earned a 10.2 HH rtg.  Of course, O’Meara is Tiger’s best friend, so viewership by association? Hmm. (Okay okay, you say he’s wonderful, and I say potato.)  Two day coverage this year averaged  a 6.7 HH rtg, down from last year’s 6.9. 

ABC took the night on Sunday  thanks in large part to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Nick & Jessica’s Variety Show. For the night ABC averaged a 3.9/11 A18-49 according to Nielsen Media Research, followed by CBS 2.8/8, FOX 2.7/8, NBC 2.5/7, WB 1.0/3.  At 7pm ABC began the night on a strong note with America’s Funniest Videos pulling a 2.5/9 (Bergeron does a good job with this show, don’tcha think?).  Fox and CBS tied at 7p each pulling a 7 share.  At 8p ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition averaged a healthy 4.5/12; it’s closest competitor being Fox’s double run of Simpsons averaging a 3.2/9 (both repeats). At 9p, Nick & Jessica delivered a 4.7/11 for reasons I don’t understand but have been given to understand that their followers are oddly obsessed with whatever this pair does.  Fox, NBC and CBS all delivered a softer 7 share for the 9p hour.  At 10p ABC and CBS tied, each posting a 3.8/10 for ABC’s Alias, and CBS’ final hour of the Mel Gibson film The Patriot.  NBC’s 9-11p movie Homeland Security found a mild 3.1/8 audience.

Gillian Rose was named Director/Acquisitions, Co-Productions and Sales for WLIW New York.  Gillian oversees TV program acquisitions for local and national broadcast/distribution, builds partnerships and supervises sales activities and opportunities. 

Jennifer Geisser was named SVP/Corporate Communications at Court TV.  She will report to the network’s President, Art Bell and be based at their NYC headquarters.  Jennifer will oversee all strategic media communication efforts, including trade and consumer PR, and represent Court TV on different political and PR issues.  She will work closely with other departments to further the network’s brand identity.

Sunday, April 11, 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

CBS     6.5/11  60 Minutes 6.9/14, Movie: The Patriot 6.4/11

ABC     5.8/10  America’s Funniest Home Videos 4.7/9, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 6.5/11, Nick & Jessica Variety Show 6.7/11, Alias 5.3/9

NBC     5.5/10  Dateline 4.4/9, Law & Order: CI [r] 6.0/10, Homeland Security 5.8/9

FOX     3.7/6   King of the King [r] 2.4/5, King of the Hill [r] 2.9/6, Simpsons [r] 4.0/7, Simpsons [r] 4.7/8, Simpsons [r] 4.7/7, Arrested Development 3.3/5

WB      1.7/3   High School Reunion [encore] 1.5/3, Charmed [r] 1.7/3, High School Reunion 1.9/3

A18-49  ABC 3.9/11, CBS 2.8/8, FOX 2.7/8, NBC 2.5/7, WB 1.0/3

The History Channel presents This Day in History: 
1964 – Sidney Poitier becomes the first African American to win the best actor Oscar. He wins it for his performance in Lilies of the Field.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question:  Who’s mother other wrote a cook book which included such notable recipes as Ham Loaf, Coca-Cola Cake, Sauerkraut Balls, and Uncle Earls’ Creamed Chipped Beef on Tater Tots?  That would be DOROTHY LETTERMAN, DAVE’S MOM.  Kudos to:  Alex Bruskin-Sprocket Films/NY; Tom Casola-KB Enterprises/Mt. Arlington; Tracy Pruzan-CNBC/NY; Scott Richmond-NCC/Atlanta; John Kukla-KDFW/Dallas; Tim Rank-KDNL/St. Louis; Jennifer Walker-Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford/Mobile; Joanie Kinzler-Blair/Chicago; Stan Justice-Litton Entertainment/Manhattan Beach; Susan Goldberg-Beverly Park Prods/LA; Cary Miller-Verance/LA.

Today’s Trivia Question:  This character’s nickname was used far more in the book and film than in the primetime series.  Nonetheless, who was Dago Red? (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
04/13/04   5:16am
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  TUESDAY, APRIL 13,  2004

COURT TV:       The I-Zone, Psychic Detectives
ABC             8 Simple Rules, Presidential Press Conference, According to Jim [r], NYPD Blue
CBS             Still Standing [r], Presidential Press Conference, King of Queens [r], Judging Amy
FOX             That’ 70’s Show, Fox News Special: Presidential Press Conference, That 70’s Show
NBC             Whoopi, Presidential Press Conference, Frasier [r], Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
PAX             AFV, AFV, Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder
UPN             One on One, All of Us [r], Rock Me Baby, Half & Half [r]
WB              Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill
TELE            Prisonera, El Alma Herida, Mujeres Apasionadas
UNIV            Mariana de la Noche, Bajo la Misma Piel, Casos de la Vida Real: Edicion Especial