CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

07/13/04

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

On Saturday at the Television Critics Association, NBC’s Jeff Zucker called Fox “imitators.”  Yesterday, ABC’s Stephen McPherson, President of ABC Primetime, said if you have a good idea “they [Fox] will steal it, plain and simple.”  ABC’s Wife Swap, set to debut on September 29, was announced at their upfront presentation last May, and shortly thereafter Fox announced their own version, Trading Spouses, now scheduled to hit the air July 20.  No comment yet from Fox.  Also from ABC, as the Democratic Convention kicks off in Boston on July 26, so will ABC News new 24/7 digital network offering to start, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Convention with anchor Peter Jennings.  The digital net, offered to affiliates to tap into for their digital offspring, will remain up and operating through and including the November Presidential election.  The digital feed will be available to approx 80% of the US TV viewing audience via ABC’s O&O stations’ digital nets, and more depending on the amount of coverage provided by other ABC affiliates. The Republican Convention kicks off in late August in NYC.

As far as bcst network convention coverage, look for the big three networks to offer 10-11p coverage on July 26, 28 and 29, and during the Republican Convention August 31, Sept 1 and 2.  Cable news networks will likely offer expansive coverage and commentary.

According to Hollywood Reporter, Fox is planning to launch the Fox Reality Channel utilizing content from its sizeable reality genre library combined with original, in early 2005. The net’s launch will be overseen by Tony Vinciquerra, Fox Networks Group.

Casting Updates:

• Currie Graham has joined the cast of ABC’s NYPD Blue as the 15th Precinct new head cop, for its final season.  NYPD Blue premieres September 21 on Tuesday at 10p.
• Milo Ventimiglia has been added to the cast of NBC’s American Dreams, as the new love interest and next door neighbor of Meg Pryor.

After 10 years with Entertainment Tonight, most recently as co-anchor, Bob Goen has left the show, and has been replaced at the anchor desk by Mark Steines, effective immediately. Steines has been with the show since 1995 and for the last few years has anchored the weekend edition.  Set to pick up the slack on the weekends will be former ESPNer Kevin Frazier.

According to Variety, NBC Universal is expected to file a lawsuit against Pat O’Brien, former Access Hollywood anchor and newly minted anchor for Paramount’s The Insider syndicated series.  NBC Universal says O’Brien had an exclusivity provision in his contract which basically prohibits O’Brien from chatting with competitors, let along sign up, for alternative employment. 

The Tony Danza Show (Buena Vista Television) which premieres on September 13, was center stage at a Television Critics Association session in LA yesterday, promising a lively and often unpredictable show. Said Danza: “I want to explore what interests me about people and see if it interests the audience. I’m ready for anything, and I’m willing to try anything.”

The premiere of season #8 of Sci-Fi Channel’s Stargate SG-1 averaged 3.2 million viewers on Friday night, which according to Sci Fi makes it the most viewed original episode in this series history.  In two key demos, the show performed similarly well:  1.7 A18-49 and a 2.1 A25-54.  Elsewhere at Sci Fi, the net’s series Scare Tactics (Healy Ent) will move forward with Season #3 with a new host – Stephen Baldwin will replace Shannon Doherty.  According to Variety, Doherty chose to leave the post after 8 eps for Season #2, and Baldwin was signed to do the third season’s 14 eps.

Kicking off on WE: Women’s Entertainment come August 6 at 10pm is a new weekly information series called Savvy.  The original order is for 8 episodes.  The show provides women with practical information they can use in their everyday lives – from fashion and fitness, to home repair and auto mechanics, all with the goal toward making them more self-sufficient.  The show is hosted by Tina Malave and is in conjunction with Savvy magazine.

Discovery Health Channel has picked up all 141 episodes of Chicago Hope.  The show will premiere on DHC August 1st with a 7-hour marathon event beginning at noon, and will then air in its regular time period – M-F at 7pm.

SOAPnet has started production on its first reality series, I Wanna Be A Soap Star (LMNO Cable Group).  The network has ordered six 60m eps and it’s scheduled to premiere in October.   The series will find six wannabes, all with their ultimate goal to be a soap star, and in fact the winner will get a role on ABC’s General Hospital. A panel of experts will conduct the weekly eliminations.

Tonight. Bravo. Blow Out. Finale. Be there. Aloha.

Premiering on August 3 at 9pm on UPN is that net’s newest reality series – The Player (Ureal Prods).  Set in Miami, this one centers on a model named Dawn and her two girlfriends, who are constantly being ‘impressed’ by 13 guys who all describe themselves as ‘players.’  They will whittle the group down to just one with this show’s catch phrase: “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” The last one standing will become Dawn’s ‘ultimately player’, whatever that means. 

Kate Snow has been named co-anchor of ABC News’ weekend edition of Good Morning America which is scheduled to make its Sat/Sun 7a-8a debut on September 4, 2004. Kate will co-anchor with Bill Weir, formerly of KABC.

Isabel Sanford (Wheezie Jefferson on The Jeffersons) died on Friday at the age of 86 of natural causes.  Sanford was nominated for 7 Emmy awards, winning for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Louise Jefferson in 1981.  In winning this award, Sanford was the first African American to win in the best actress or actor category in since the Emmy’s began.  Born and raised in NYC, Sanford’s acting career included participating in the original Apollo Theatre amateur competition at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre and acted in shows at The American Negro Theatre and The Harlem Y, making her Broadway debut in The Amen Corner, written by James Baldwin.  Sanford moved to LA in the 1960s, where she earned the role of Tillie the house maid in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which was the launch pad for the rest of her career.
City Lights Media Group has announced Steven Menkin has been named to the post of VP/Production.  In that role, Steven will be charged with managing film production and bringing talent and projects to the fast growing production company, based in Manhattan.
 
VH1 has upped Eric Sherman to SVP/GM of VH1 Classic and VH1 Digital Television.  Eric was formerly VP/GM of the channel and will continue to be responsible for all programming, production, marketing and finance aspects of VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Megahits and VH1 Country.  He will also manage VH1 Classic’s entry into the ad sales arena this year. 

Touchstone Television has named Morgan Wandell SVP/Drama Series, where he will be responsible for the development of new drama programming, as well as overseeing all current drama series for the studio. Alex Weinberger, currently VP/Comedy Series, will now be responsible for the development of new comedy programming, as well as overseeing all current comedy series for the studio. She will remain a V.P. Both will report directly to Julie Franz, EVP/Creative affairs.

Chandra Years has been upped to VP/European Marketing, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD).  The announcement was made by Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution. Chandra will relocate to London, where she will oversee WBITD’s marketing, publicity and servicing executives and staffs throughout Europe, as well as work with WBITD’s European sales executives on the marketing campaigns and support of programs distributed by the Company to broadcasters throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  She will continue to report to Lisa Gregorian, SVP/Warner Bros. Television Creative Services.

Sunday, July 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     6.7/12  60 Minutes 7.8/16, Cold Case 7.2/13, Movie: Catch a Falling Star 5.9/10

NBC     4.9/9   Olympic Trials: Track & Field 3.8/8, Olympic Trials: Swimming 4.4/8, Law & Order: CI 5.8/10, Las Vegas 5.6/10

ABC     3.3/6   AFV 3.7/8, Extreme Makeover Home edition 3.4/6, Great Domestic Showdown 3.0/5

FOX     2.7/5   King of the Hill 2.2/5, Malcolm 2.4/5, Simpsons 3.4/7, Arrested Development 2.4/4, Simple Life 3.1/5, Quintuplets 2.6/4

WB      1.1/2   Steve Harvey’s Big Time 0.9/2, Charmed 1.1/2, Charmed  1.2/2

A18-49  NBC 2.5/8, CBS 2.2/7, Fox 2.1/7, ABC 2.0/6, WB 0.8/2

A MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
1836 – John Ruggles of Thomaston, Maine receives patent #1 from the U.S. Patent Office, for a traction wheel used in locomotive steam engines.  Ruggles, a U.S. senator from Maine, was the author of the 1836 Patent Act, which, among other things, began numbering US patents.  Prior to this date, 9,957 non-numbered patents had been issued.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question:   She lives on Easts 46th Street in NYC, and works for a secret organization located a block away from the United Nations.  Her new partner is Mark Slate, who made a move over from the London office.  Who is she? Not that this will help you any, but I really wanted to be her (more so than any Angel of Charlie’s) when I was growing up.  APRIL DANCER, aka GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E.  Kudos to:  Tony Fasola-Entertainment Studios/Atlanta; Gary Stein-Good Morning America/NY; Gary Lico-CABLEready/Stamford; Anne Elliot-Nielsen Media Research/NY; John Kukla-KDFW/Dallas; Dan Whitford-RPA/Chicago; Kenny Mueller-NCC/Dallas; Marge Pistulka-Empower MediaMarketing/Naperville; Andrew Wainrib-KCW Prods/LA; Alan Perris-Perris Hubert Prods/LA; Francine DiChiara-Jerry Bruckheimer Films/Santa Monica; Paula Hinkel-TNS/LA; and Ian Dickerson-The Saint Club/London.

Today’s Trivia Question:  What was the name of the private investigation office on Switch?  Remember, no fair looking this stuff up!  (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
07/13/04  5:32am
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2004

COURT TV:       The I-Zone, Forensic Files, The Investigators
ABC             8 Simple Rules [r], I’m With Her [r], According to Jim [r], Less than Perfect [r] , NYPD 24/7
CBS             Navy NCIS [r], Big Brother, Amazing Race
FOX             MLB: All Star Game 2004
NBC             Last Comic Standing [r], Last Comic Standing, Law & Order: SVU
PAX             AFV, Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder
UPN             All of Us [r], Eve [r], America’s Next Top Model [r]
WB              Gilmore Girls [r], Summerland
TELE            Prisonera, El Alma Herida, Protagonistas VIP
UNIV            Copa America: Mexico vs. Ecuador (6:15-8:25pm) Mariana de la Noche (8:25-9p) ,
                Amarte es mi Pecado (9-10p), Al Filo de la Ley (10-11p)