CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

03/30/04

Good morning.  It’s Tuesday, March 30, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing. 

Jay Leno will be kidding around for at least four more years on late night television on NBC having signed a deal valued at a reported $100 million, and Crossing Jordan has officially earned itself another season after averaging a 4.8 A18-49 ratings since its return to primetime on Sunday nights.

Nielsen Media Research came under fire again yesterday from legislators representing New York’s African American, Puerto Rican and Hispanic Legislative Caucus and the NY Puerto Rican/Hispanic Legislative Task Force.  The groups were alleging at a news conference that the Local People Meters (scheduled to begin operation in NYC April 8) greatly undercount the minority households and minority population in the #1 DMA. The group penned a letter to Nielsen that stated in part “Minority viewers have every right to be counted with equal accuracy … Nielsen has a responsibility to spare no effort to ensure that every viewer’s choice is heard and recorded.”  Jack Loftus, VP/Communications for Nielsen Media Research allows minorities were underrepresented by Nielsen for years ago but that has since been corrected, and they are no longer undercounted. 

More Programming changes from Fox: Playing it Straight comes off the schedule effective immediately (Fridays at 8p) and will replace it with two clip shows – Totally Outrageous Behavior and World’s Craziest Videos.  And what was originally a test change, will now become a permanent change – Forever Eden will go and stay on Fridays at 9p (Wonderfalls has been moved to Thursdays at 9p).  Look for Playing it Straight to return and air in its entirety later on this season or summer.

David E. Kelley is looking to jump into the comedy deep end, and he’s reportedly looking to take Camryn Manheim with him.  According to Variety, Kelley is talking with ABC to develop a comedy that will take Manheim’s The Practice character Ellenor Frutt home to her sisters (after The Practice ends this season).   Nothing officially signed off yet, but if this goes through, look for it midseason next year.

This fall NBC Enterprises has another show to their fall syndication dance card – Your Total Health, produced by NBC News Productions and hosted by NBC News correspondent Hoda Kotb.  The show will include a donut for local story insertion by the incumbent station.  For more information, contact your NBC Enterprises rep.

At a press breakfast yesterday morning, Court TV announced to the press their upfront plans for new shows for the immediate future and the upcoming season.  Maintaining their Investigation brand, the shows all fall into the investigatory genre.  Among the new offerings are House of Clues which brings two strangers into a person’s home, and after just 30m each tries to “profile” the homeowner by searching through each room in the house (debuts April 30 at 10p).  Impossible Heists recreates historical heists with two teams who are fully prepped with maps and tools, each hoping to do the impossible and pull off the heist while leaving no forensic clues behind (debuts in 4th Qtr 2004). The Chase invites two people to play ‘fugitive’ and attempt to travel 20 miles with a 2-hour head start, while being tracked by a team of crack trackers (debuts April 11). Trace Evidence: The Case Files of Dr. Henry Lee is fairly self explanatory, featuring Lee recounting key cases in his forensic career (premieres June 2).  Also Court TV will team up with Sundance Channel and will commission 30-minute movies from noteworthy filmmakers, all of which will focus on a single topic – the First Amendment.  The project has a working title of The First Amendment Project and is currently looking at a 1st qtr 2005 start. Now here’s an extra piece of information for you agency folks — the network is making the agency rounds just bustin’ with new research indicating how engaged, attentive and ultimately involved Court TV viewers are, and how many of their viewers watch through the commercial breaks. Take a good look at this stuff – very interesting.

New in Development, Casting, Production:

• ABC‘s The Furst Family (Granada/Touchstone) has cast Michael Rispoli, to a lineup that already includes French Stewart and Laurie Metcalf among several others.  For the Practice #2 series from David E. Kelley and 20th, Rhona Mitra will make the move from The Practice to the new show.  And on the net’s comedy project Earthquake (Tollin Robbins/Touchstone), the net has added Charles Duckworth, Christopher Pinnick and Rhyon Nicole Brown. ABC’s drama pilot Lost (Bad Robot/Touchstone) about a group fo people stuck on a deserted island following a plane crash, has added Daniel Day Kim.
• CBS‘ comedy project – as yet untitled – with Aisha Tyler (Is or Isn’t It Ent/Warner Bros. TV) has cast Richard Kind from Spin City.  In the Jane Krakowski sitcom pilot Taste (Regency/CBS Prods), Lombardo Boyar and Jim Parsons have been added.
• WB is ramping up its Dark Shadows (John Wells Prods/Warner Bros. TV) cast with the additions of Martin Donovan, Jessica Chastain, Matt Czuchry, and Alexander Gould.  The one role still uncast – Barnabis Collins.
• NBC‘s meter maid comedy pilot D.O.T.S. (Pariah/NBC Studios) will add Khary Payton to the lineup. In the comedy project Nevermind Nirvana (Untitled/NBC Studios, Michael Landes has been added.  In the comedy project Weekends (Spyglass/NBC Studios) with Benjamin King, Eddie Kay Thomas has been cast.
• UPN‘s drama pilot Silver Lake (Spelling Entertainment) Kerr Smith has been cast to star along side Sandra Bernhard, Hedy Burress, Stephanie Faracy and William Russ.
• Sources: Variety, Hollywood Reporter, baselineFt.com

Tonight Tech TV launches a new computer application designed to be used in conjunction with the network’s late night programming called TechTV Hyperactive.  The net invites viewers to play along in the fast paced synchronized game on their home computer while they watch late night tv on TechTV.  Coming on as sponsors are Nokia and Microsoft Windows Media Center. According to EVP/Programming and production Greg Brannon, “Sixty percent of techtv.com users report simultaneous viewing of our network programming, so Hyperactive really was a way of playing to an audience that’s already used to being online while watching TV.  It’s what they want, it gets them involved so they watch for longer periods of time and it rewards them for watching.”  

MTV News‘ special Choose or Lose: Twenty Million Questions for John Kerry, airing tonight at 10:30p includes an interview with Democratic presidential hopeful Senator John Kerry, conducted following Gov. Howard Dean endorsement of Kerry late last week.  In an interview with MTV News’ Gideon Yago, Kerry answers videotaped questions from undecided young voters from across the country on topics including marriage rights, rap music, who can young voters look to for inspiration, the vote to go to war in Iraq etc.  The special is part of MTV’s Choose or Lose: 20 Million Loud campaign created to inform young adults (18-30) about the political process and the issues at hand, get them registered to vote in the 2004 presidential election and encourage them to express their opinions. 

Zone Vision’s Reality TV has picked up the international cable and satellite rights to the reality dating series Matchmaker, distributed by Tricon Films & Television.  Reality TV will have 169 30m eps as well as two 60m specials which it will air in primetime beginning May 3 in the UK and in January 2005 in the US (Dish Network satellite platform), Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

History International, a sister network to History Channel, and currently available in 30 million cable and satellite homes, ha announced a regularly scheduled programming block devoted to military history.  The block will be on Saturday and Sunday nights from 8p-12m ET and is scheduled to launch this April.  Programs included in the block will be Arms in Action, Century of Warfare, Great Spy Stories and Foot Soldiers on Saturday nights; and Sworn to Secrecy, Clash of Warriors, Military Blunders and various 60m specials will fill Sunday nights.

NATPE is staying in Las Vegas at least for the next two years.  It will make a move to the Mandalay Bay for both years, with next year’s date booked for January 25-27, 2005.   For the following year, the week of January 23, 2006, has been booked.

Down the road program note – the previously announced CNBC John McEnroe primetime talk show, titled just McEnroe, has been scheduled to premiere on July 17, airing weeknights at 10p (original eps M-Th, encores on Fridays).

TNT and Dodge have entered into a multimedia, integrated marketing partnership for TNT’s upcoming new limited series The Grid.  The partnership includes promotional category exclusivity for the Dodge Magnum and cross promotion in TNT’s 2004 NBA Playoffs coverage.  The package will also include on-air billboards, promotional tune-in spots, on-air advertising, customized vignettes, a consumer sweepstakes and online integration, as well as off-channel print advertising and billboards.   The Grid, a series from TNT and the BBC, explores both sides of the war on terror.  It is being produced with Fox Television Studios and Carnival Films. 

Mike Hall will be ESPN‘s newest SportsCenter anchor as the winner of the network’s Dream Job show.  The University of Missouri senior was the last contestant standing after viewers voted to cut Aaron Levine in the show’s 2 hour finale. Mike earned a 1 year SportsCenter anchor contract valued at $95,000 and keys to a brand new Mazda 3.

NBC and Fox tied on Sunday night, each posting a moderate 3.8/10 A18-49 according to fast affiliate ratings from Nielsen Media Research.  ABC followed with a 3.6/9, then CBS 3.4/9 and WB 1.1/3.  At 7pm CBS had a clear advantage with NCAA Basketball running over into the hour by approx 18 minutes, thereby delivering a 4.9/16 for the hour. Fox was #2 at 7p with a 2.7/9, followed by a tie with ABC and NBC each posting a 7 share.  At 8pm Fox was in front with a double run of The Simpsons (5.2/13) with ABC a close #2 for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (a new favorite in the Turner household) with a 4.6/12, and finally CBS with a 3.8/10 for a combo of 60 Minutes and Cold Case. At 9p it was NBC’s turn out in front with a 4.8/11 for Law & Order CI.  ABC was right behind with a 3.9/9 for Alias.  At 10p it was NBC again with a 5.4/14 for Crossing Jordan.

ABC, Inc. named two new VPs to head up the company’s new strategic initiative, HR Business Partners, to deliver HR services and support to a range of ABC, Inc. businesses. Louis Gutierrez and Andrew T. Martin were named VP/Human Resources.  Both Louis and Andrew will be responsible for “HR Business Partners”‘s services and support to the ABC Television Network, the ABC Owned Television Stations, Buena Vista Television, Buena Vista Productions and Buena Vista International. They will be based in Burbank and report to Jeffrey Rosen, SVP/Human Resources.

Corus Entertainment‘s Nelvana is expanding its international sales team by naming Martha Van Gelder as SVP/Sales and Distribution.  Martha will be responsible for the sales of Nelvana’s current series and library programming to major broadcast television and cable networks in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific.  She will be based in LA and report to Doug Murphy, EVP/Business Development.

Clark Bunting has been upped to EVP of Discovery Networks, U.S., overseeing 10 of the division’s networks. Jane Root was named and will replace Clark as EVP, General Manager of the Discovery Channel in the U.S.  Clark will oversee the general managers of Animal Planet, the Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, The Science Channel, Discovery Wings Channel, Discovery Home Channel, Discovery en Español, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel and FitTV.  Discovery Networks, U.S. President Billy Campbell will name a new EVP/New Technologies and Network Services in the coming months.  Both Clark and Jane will be based in Silver Spring, MD and report to Billy Campbell.

The Metropolitan Television Alliance (MTVA) has named Paul Bissonette as President of a New York City coalition of broadcast TV stations working to replace the TV tower that once stood atop the World Trade Center.  MTVA signed a May 2003 memorandum of understanding with the WTC’s developer, Larry Silverstein, to build a TV tower as part of the Freedom Tower’s construction.

Sunday, March 28, 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     8.5/14  NCAA Tournament 12.2/22, 60 Minutes 11.0/18, Cold Case 9.1/14,  Movie: Jesus, Part II 5.3/9
                Due to the nature of live sports, the CBS ratings are approximate.

NBC     7.7/13  Dateline 5.9/10, American Dreams 5.7/9, Law & Order: Criminal Intent 9.5/14, Crossing Jordan 9.8/17

ABC     5.9/10  America’s Funniest Home Videos 5.0/9, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 6.6/10, Alias 5.3/8, The Practice 6.7/11

FOX     4.7/8   King of the Hill [r] 2.9/5, King of the Hill 3.7/6, The Simpsons 5.8/9, The Simpsons [r] 6.4/10, Malcolm in the Middle 5.4/8, Arrested Development 4.1/6

WB      1.6/3   Smallville [r] 1.3/2, Charmed [r] 1.9/3, High School Reunion 1.7/3

A18-49  NBC 3.8/10, FOX 3.8/10, ABC 3.6/9, CBS 3.4/9, WB 1.1/3  

The History Channel presents This Day in History: 
1981 – President Ronald Reagan is shot by 25-year-old John Hinckley, who attempted the assassination in order to impress the actress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed. Quickly arrested, Hinckley was later found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question:  Who am I?  I am a real person.  I was a stage manager during the Golden Age of television, and I have lived in screen legend Harold Lloyd’s beach house.  You may know me as either an author, a reporter or perhaps from my hosting duties on a primetime television show that investigates the crimes of the rich and famous. Who am I?  DOMINICK DUNNE, author of such notables as The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, reporter for Vanity Fair, and host of Dominick Dunne’s Power, Privilege & Justice on Court TV.  Funny how many people guessed Robin Leach, including Henry Schlieff, Chairman/CEO of Court TV. Henry, how are you going to live that down?  Kudos to: Dick Cox-DCA Television/CT; David deKadt-havocTV/NY; Dan Greenblatt-Bad Golfer Inc./Boca Raton; Jim Byrne-WBDC/Washington DC; Donna James-KDAF/Dallas; Karen Shiffman-WFLD & WPWR/Chicago; Trin Dailey-Towers Prods/Chicago; Elizabeth Mauldin-ADV Films/Houston; Stephanie Hope-Unlimited Hope/Studio City; Joannie Stern-Charles H. Stern Agency/LA; Lynn Gutstadt-TechTV/San Francisco; Cary Miller-Verance/LA; Deborah Rubinger-Portfolio Ent/Toronto; and Carol Howes-London.

Today’s Trivia Question: This was an NBC primetime soap with a name synonymous with a perfume (at least in the show it was).  What was it?    (
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
03/30/04  4:05am
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT:  Tuesday, March 30, 2004

COURT TV:       The I-Zone, Forensic Files, The Investigators
ABC             8 Simple Rules, I’m with Her, According to Jim, It’s All Relative (UFN), NYPD Blue
CBS             Navy NCIS [r], Century City, Judging Amy [r]
FOX             American Idol, 24
NBC             Whoopi, Happy Family, Frasier, Scrubs, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
PAX             AFV, AFV, Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder
UPN             One on One, All of Us, Rock Me Baby, Rock Me Baby
WB              Gilmore Girls [r], High School Reunion [r]
TELE            Prisonera, El Alma Herida, Mujeres Apasionadas
UNIV            Mariana de la Noche, Bajo la Misma Piel, Casos de la Vida Real: Edicion Especial

A MESSAGE FROM HISTORY CHANNEL