Cynopsis

05.12.09

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 12, 2009, and this is your first early morning briefing. 

Tonight’s Premieres:
Planet Green: Invention Nation at 10p
Bravo: The Real Housewives of New Jersey at 11p

Tonight’s Finales:
NBC: The Biggest Loser: Couples at 8p
FOX: Fringe at 9p
Oxygen: Pretty Wicked at 10p

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM TENNIS CHANNEL

#1 – Tennis is the fastest growing sport & more players are tuning into Tennis Channel than ever before
                *USTA/SGMA 2008 Sports & Fitness Participation Report vs. 2000
#1 – Our viewers are more engaged with Tennis Channel than any other sports network
             *OTX Research Survey of 750 Tennis Channel viewers
#1 – Tennis Channel has the most affluent audience in television
                 *Based on Median HH Income Simmons NCS Fall 2007

. .

HISTORY is embarking on a 12-part one-hour series, America The Story of Us slated for 2010, depicting historical events about the birth of America from the Jamestown settlement to the present day. The series will chronicle how America was invented as well as look at the key people, events and locations that form its history. The episodes will use CGI technology to show how our country looked, for example, when the first colonists arrived, from herds of wild buffalo on the plains to a densely tree-covered area now known as Manhattan. America The Story of Us is produced by Nutopia, a new production company founded by producer/director Jane Root, the former president of Discovery Channel.

HBO opens season two of its vampire series True Blood on June 14 at 9p. Starring Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse and Stephen Moyer as Bill, a 173-year old vampire, True Blood’s new season of twelve episodes combine romance, suspense, mystery and humor set in the backwoods town on Bon Temps, Louisiana. True Blood was created by Alan Ball and is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.

Roxana Saberi, the Iranian-American journalist who has been jailed in Iran’s Evin Prison since January 31 on charges of espionage, had her sentence reduced allowing her to leave the country immediately, according to NPR News. Last month, Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison by Iran’s Revolutionary Court. Saberi’s resume includes reporting stints from Iran on behalf of NPR, the BBC, ABC and FOX among other news organizations.

Clarification CBS: News about the pickup of the still unnamed spinoff of NCIS and legal drama The Good Wife has not been officially confirmed by CBS as additions to its fall schedule.

G4 gets its own “Soup” series as Web Soup premieres June 7 at 9p. From the producers behind popular E! series, The Soup, host and comedian Chris Hardwick serves up the best and worst web and viral videos each week in a fast-paced style. Web Soup episodes will contain various themed segments such as The Daily Upload, This Week in FAIL and Things You Can’t Un-See as well as recurring guests who dish with Hardwick on what they find on the web each week.

Sports cable network VERSUS lets fans speak out in the new weekly series Fanarchy, launching June 7 at 11p, reports Variety. Each week, seven fanatic fans will have the opportunity to share their opinions in a quick back and forth format via webcams. Host Zach Selwyn will discard two contestants each week with the five remaining allowed to return the following week and joined by two new fans. The series will be based in Los Angeles and will move eventually to Tuesday nights at 1030p.

ABC Family set the bar and launch date for its new series Make It or Break It, about the world of competitive gymnastics. The 10-episode, 60m scripted series, starring Peri Gilpin and Candace Cameron Bure among others, will premiere June 22 at 9p.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences continues to split categories for the Emmy Awards. Now, there will be separate directing and writing categories among variety, music or comedy series and specials. The presentation of awards for directors and writers of variety/music/comedy series and specials will rotate between the Creative Arts show and the Primetime Emmy telecast. The 2009 Creative Emmys will take place September 12 and air on E! September 19 while the Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast on CBS September 20.

2009 Programming Slate: BIO Channel

BIO Channel continues to expand programming into original fare for its primetime lineup. BIO is now available in 54.5 million homes, growing year-over-year by 11%, largely due to its launch on Time Warner in New York City earlier this year. By the end of 2009, BIO is expected to be in 60 million households.

New BIO series:

• Celebrity Ghost Stories – Celebrities share their real-life ghostly encounters. Featured celebrities include Joan Rivers, John Waters, Scott Baio, Carrie Fisher and Debi Mazar. Eight 60m episodes have been ordered and the series is produced by Jarrett Creative Group.

New BIO pilots include:

• My Rescue (wt) – One-hour pilot features real footage depicting just-in-time rescues of people attached by a shark, lost in a forest, swept out to sea among other amazing stories. Produced by Intuitive Entertainment.
• Primetime Confidential (wt) – One-hour pilot revealing minute details about favorite TV classics with first-hand interviews with cast, crew, executives and more. From Sharp Entertainment.
• My Ghost Story: Hauntings Revealed – One-hour pilot chronicling persons who have caught their paranormal encounters on film. Produced by Mark Phillips Philms & Telephision.
• Celebrity Close Calls – One-hour pilot about traumatic personal events in the lives of celebrities using recreations of the dramatic moment and archival footage. From Jarrett Creative Group.

BIO returning series:

• Shatner’s Raw Nerve – Season two order with 13 new 30m episodes where William Shatner probes his guests to uncover their “raw nerve.” Produced by Scott Sternberg Productions.
• I Survived … – Season three order with 10 new 60m episodes examining first-person tales of survival. Produced by NHNZ for BIO.
• Mobsters – Season two order with six 60m episodes exploring the lives of infamous underground criminals. From Tower Productions.
• Biography – Signature documentary series returns with 50 new 60m profiles of extraordinary people. This season details the lives of George Clooney, Sean Penn, Bruce Springsteen and David Letterman among others.
• Psychic Kids – Season two order with eight new 60m episodes about children with paranormal abilities and the doctors and professional who help the parents deal with their child’s amazing gifts. Produced by Picture Shack Entertainment, Inc. for A&E.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM A&E NETWORK

Entertainment Studios, an independent producer and distributor of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations, will have six new hi-def channels join Verizon’s FiOS TV service with all launching this week. The six Entertainment Studios channels include:

• Comedy.TV – featuring today’s comedians presented in live concert performances, talk and variety shows, sitcoms and movies.
• Recipe.TV – a showcase of famous chefs, recipes and food from around the world.
• ES.TV – focuses on entertainment news, variety shows, and celebrity profiles.
• MyDestination.TV – travel channel featuring must-see destinations worldwide.
• Cars.TV – features automobile collectors, designers, innovators and car enthusiasts.
• Pets.TV – dedicated to pet loves with news, pet care and information on pet health.

ABC is taking the makeover reality genre to a new level as the network signed British chef Jamie Oliver and Ryan Seacrest for a new unscripted series that offers healthy makeovers to a whole city, cites THR. The series is based loosely on Oliver’s highly praised school lunch project in the UK where his efforts to upgrade nutrition offerings within schools was documented in the 2005 series Jamie’s School Dinners. Seacrest heard about Oliver’s program and his desire to do something similar in the US and thus the concept was created. In the ABC version, Oliver will visit unhealthy places in America, perhaps those cities on the “fattest cities” list, and work to improve local eating habits, not only in the schools but in workplaces and other venues. ABC ordered six hours from Ryan Seacrest Productions and the untitled show should roll out sometime in 2010.

Casting Call: HGTV is casting homeowners in the Los Angeles area for its Over Your Head series. If you have attempted a do-it-yourself home project and now are in “over your head” and need help, Eric Stromer, host of the series and his professional crew will come finish the job. To apply, visit www.overyourhead.tv or call LMNO Productions at (818) 380-8019.

CYNOPSIS DIGITAL – TODAY’S TOP STORY:  The M&A market is not unlike the real estate market; the credit crunch has made it a fabulous time to buy. Cash-rich, credit worthy Microsoft began selling bonds to investors for the first time, touching off speculation that it is set to hit the acquisition warpath. The company sold $3.75 million in 5-year, 10-year and 30-year bonds, also to help fund a stock repurchase program while its diminished stock price is cheap, per Bloomberg. Redmond also moved up the clock on its planned release of its new Windows 7 OS, promising that it will be ready in time for the holidays.   Full edition: CYN DIGITAL. 

CYNOPSIS KIDS – TODAY’S TOP STORY: Dr. Seuss‘s The Cat in the Hat is headed to PBS Kids in the new animated preschool series, The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! (40×30).  Currently in production and slated to premiere in fall 2010, the new series, the very first Cat in the Hat animated TV series, is the result of an agreement between Random House Children’s Entertainment, in association with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and producers Portfolio Entertainment and Collingwood O’Hare Productions, with PBS Kids.  Martin Short will lend his voice to The Cat in the Hat for the series.  The series will also air in Canada on Treehouse, premiering concurrently with PBS.  Developed for TV by Portfolio and Collingwood O’Hare, the animated series is based on Random House’s Beginner Book franchise, The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library.  A series-based website aimed at kid and featuring activities will exist on PBSKids.org, while parent and teacher resources will be available at PBSParents.org and PBSTeachers.org.  Additionally, Random House Children’s Books will publish a full line of original books to support the TV series launch.  Random House Children’s Entertainment will oversee all licensing and merchandising.   Full edition: CYN KIDS. 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM GSN

Friday – A18-49 Analysis: CBS remained on top Friday night among A18-49 with a 2.0/7, according to final national ratings from Nielsen Media Research. Beginning with Ghost Whisperer at 8p, CBS posted a winning 2.2/8 followed by UNIV’s Cuidado con el Angel at 1.3/5. During 9p, UNIV made it to #1 with Manana es para Siempre at 1.9/6, just a smidge ahead of CBS’ Flashpoint at 1.8/6. CBS won again at 10p with Numb3rs and a 2.0/7 with NBC’s Dateline in second place with 1.7/6.

Live + Same Day Household Ratings: Friday, May 8, 2009 (May Sweep Day 16) time period averages. Source: NTI Galaxy, as dated. Live+SD

CBS 5.8/11      Ghost Whisperer 6.0/12, Flashpoint 5.5/10, Numb3rs 6.0/11

ABC 3.1/6         ABC Friday Movie of the Week: Happy Feet 3.1/6, 20/20 3.3/6

NBC 3.0/6         Howie Do It 1.8/4, Howie Do It 1.5/3, Dateline 3.7/7

MNT 1.9/4         WWE Friday Night Smackdown 1.9/4

UNIV 1.9/4        Cuidado con el Angel 1.9/4, Manana es para Siempre 2.3/4, La Rosa de Guadalupe 1.6/3

FOX 1.8/3         Prison Break 1.9/4, Dollhouse 1.7/3

CW 1.0/2           Everybody Hates Chris 1.0/2, The Game 1.1/2, America’s Next Top Model [r] 0.8/2

TELE 0.6/1        Dona Barbara 0.6/1, El Rostro de Analia 0.6/1, Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso 0.6/1, El Cartel 0.6/1

ION 0.3/1         Reba 0.2/0, Reba 0.3/1, Friday 9PM Movie: Lethal Weapon 3 0.3/1

A18-49:  CBS 2.0/7, UNIV 1.5/5, ABC 1.3/4, NBC 1.2/4, FOX 1.0/4, MNT 1.0/4, CW 0.6/2, TELE 0.5/2, ION 0.1/0

Daniel Kellison, co-creator and former executive producer of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live as well as executive producer of Rosie O’Donnell will become Executive Producer of the syndicated The Bonnie Hunt Show for its second season distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake and Jim Paratore will all continue to be executive producers on the show, while executive producer/showrunner, David Perler is leaving. The Bonnie Hunt Show is produced by Telepictures Productions, Bob & Alice Productions and paraMedia inc.

Katz Marketing Solutions hired three senior executives to its marketing group:

• Chris Hamer becomes SVP/Business Development based in New York, joining from OakView Strategic Advisors where he served as Managing Director.
• Brian McElroy joins as VP/Research, coming from MediaVest where he was assigned as Research Director on the Wal-Mart account.
• Heidi Schulthess is the new VP/Sales based in Chicago. Previously, she was the Midwest Business Development Director at National Cable Communications.

Chance Patterson was named VP/International Communications with Discovery Networks International based at Discovery Communications’ headquarters in Silver Springs. Chance is charged with the development and execution of all communications strategies for Discovery Networks International consisting of 19 brands in more than 170 countries globally.

Toronto-based Temple Street Productions Inc., a television, film and distribution company, hired Kerry Appleyard as Head/Development, Drama. She will report to Tecca Crosby, VP/Drama.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

This day in History:    1888 – Charles Sherrill of the Yale track team became the first runner to use the crouching start for a fast break in a foot race.

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:  What was the name of the musical group who sang the theme song on the show Square Pegs?  THE WAITRESSES  Kudos to:  Adam Bain-Scollon Productions Inc./Columbia SC; Dick Cox-DCA TV/Stratford; Cheryl Lightfoot-WT05/Toledo; Rachel Maurer/Brooklyn; Sherrie Brooks-TBS, Inc/Atlanta; Larry Glazer-WTTW/Chicago; Steve Weinshel-Loica/Chicago; Bill Goodfriend-Charter Media/St. Louis; John Novotny-Assignment Desk/Chicago; Lori Nakama-Hallmark Channel/Studio City; Alan Perris-The Television Academy/North Hollywood; Jeff Meier-OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network/LA; Andy Kirk-TVN Entertainment/Sherman Oaks; Warren Campbell-Lavin Agency/Toronto; Marisa Fusaro-Mountain Road Productions/Ottawa

Today’s Trivia Question:  Finish this tag line:  “”All of my men wear ________________, or they wear nothing at all!” (Email
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.)

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Later — Cyn
05.12.09

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JOB OPENING: DIR CASTING/DISNEY ABC/LA: Identify new tal, mng mult proj from producer casting session phase thru ntwk test & tal neg phase. Degree, min 5yrs cstg & min 3yrs mng cstg projects. Visit www.disneyabcjobs.com Req 196315 (5/19)

JOB OPENING: EXEC ASSISTANT, CONTENT DEVELOPMENT/MTV/NYC: 2+yrs exp. Exec Assist, Strg org/detail skills, Superior Cust. Service, Strng comm/comp skills, Able to prioritize/Meet deadlines EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (5/19)

JOB OPENING: SR MANAGER, INTEGRATED MARKETING/Nickelodeon/NYC: 5+yrs mrktng/sales exp. in mrktng/ad agency in Ent/Media, Strng Acct Mgmt exp, Stng Project Mgmt/Negotiating/Time Mgmt skills EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (5/19)

JOB OPENING: SHOW PRODUCTION DESIGNER/QVC/WEST CHESTER PA:Conceptualizes/designs/creates overall look & feel of show.Related degree,5+ yrs design exp in b’cast environ, AutoCad. Apply: www.qvc.com/careers (5/15)

JOB OPENING: MGR ONLINE AD SALES OPS/Lifetime TV: Dvlp, evaluate & approve deals to max profit generated by online inv. Demonstrated exp online media ind. BS req’d. Strong MS Excel & analytical skills. 
www.mylifetime.com/about-us/lifetime-networks-internship-program (5/14)

JOB OPENING: NEW MEDIA ASSET COORD/Hallmark Channel/Studio City: Support New Media assets thru online &offline tools. Exp. working w/photo images. Must have Photoshop/CS2/Bridge. See full posting & apply @ www.hallmarkchannel.com (5/14)

JOB OPENING: AE /BBC/LA: Motion Gallery, stock footage & clips. Grow biz w/advrtsng & corp clients who req moving imagery for commercials & corp videos. Biz dev cold calls, acct mngmnt. 2+yrs exp Res: www.bbcamerica.com/employment.jsp (5/14)

JOB OPENING: AD SALES PLAN’R/BBC/NY: sell ad space on BBC.com. Biz dev, lead gen, strong org & rsrch skills, dev spprt mat’ ls, prep sales mat’l, presentations & team for pitches Res: www.bbcamerica.com/employment.jsp (5/14)

JOB OPENING: DIR AUD DEV/BBC/NYC: Grow BBC.com news offering in US. Drive traffic, consumer mktg, prtnrshp mngmnt, 3rd party site outreach. Analyze traffic & usage. Mng all mktg & aud dev strat. Res: www.bbcamerica.com/employment.jsp (5/14)

JOB OPENING: SALES DIR/BBC/NYC: Mng sls team, media licensing exp pref. 5+ yrs mngng sls team, able to coach & direct sell. Implement sales strat, mng projected sales/rev, grow biz. Res: www.bbcamerica.com/employment.jsp (5/14)

J OB OPENING: FREELANCER, AUD RSRCH/MTVNETWORKS/LA: TV rsrch analyst/mgr w/strong skills. Media Math & Nielsen/Star Media sftwr sys skills req’d. Proficiency-synd rsrch (esp. MRI) pref’d. 2+ yrs. exp. TV rsrch.
(5/14)

JOB OPENING: MGR CONSUMER ADV/A&E TV: Mng consumer directed comm in support of tune-in & branding goals for A&E, Bio & CI HD. 5+yrs mktg and/or promotions exp in tv/cable or brdcst. Please apply via www.aetn.com/careers/html (5/13)

INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. These ads are always posted for free , and students work for school credit only. For more information on the specs for posting an Internship ad, email Trish at
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SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: PROGRAMMING DEVELOPMENT INTERN/Los Angeles: a television production company is looking for summer interns to help with several projects; be creative, organized and eager to learn. Email resume:
(5/19)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDIT ONLY:  WEB INTERN/NJ: Assist w/ video streaming of TV news on company website. Open to Comm. majors. Must know HTML, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, FrontPage, Flash. Email resume: 
  (5/16)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDIT ONLY:  TV RESEARCH/Warner Bros.TV/Burbank:  Monitor Nielsen broadcast schedules, Prog. test scores; Attend focus groups, prep questionnaires/PC/Resumes:
include “NENT/112425BR” in subject    (5/16)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDIT ONLY: MKTG INTERN/ATL: Assist w/ Consumer & Affiliate Mktg initiatives for The Weather Channel. Must have a basic understanding of Marketing; be creative & eager to learn. Please send resume to:
(5/15)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDIT ONLY:  AD TRAFFIC Intern/The Hotel Networks, NY: Commercial data entry, updating show titles, copy/logs. Majors: Media/Comm, Mktg, Adv, Bus/Fin– Analytical, PC, Detailed, Customer Service. Resumes:
(5/14)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDIT ONLY:  FLYP, a new media magazine, seeks a MARKETING & EDITORIAL intern in New York City to assist editors with all our marketing initiatives and do research for feature stories. Resume:
  (5/14)

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED …  There is no charge for placing your Situation Wanted ad … for more information contact Trish Pihonak at

SITUATION WANTED: LINE PRODUCER/POST SUPERVISOR/NYC: Fluent in all platform prod/biz affairs deliverables; draft budgets, schedules, crew hire & post workflow, multiple net credits, very strong w/ clients.
(5/19)

SITUATION WANTED: PASSIONATE WELL-ROUNDED MKTG PRO seeking an opportunity to grow audience and revenue for the right company. Exp in agency, entertainment brands & general entertainment. E-mail
for a resume (5/19)

SITUATION WANTED:  WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER  Exceptional and fast writer, client friendly, EPK’s and DVD bonus features, internet pods, video games for Disney, Universal, New Line etc. In LA. Contact Lisa at
  (5/15)

SITUATION WANTED: MARKETING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT 10+ years film/TV experience, extensive production/post production contacts.
  (5/15)

SITUATION WANTED: RESEARCH DIRECTOR 20+ yrs Media, Nielsen, Hispanic, & Sales experience. National and Local. Email:
(5/15)

SITUATION WANTED: SHOOTER/EDITOR (LA): HDV and ENG cameras. 2 years News Photog experience. Own Final Cut Pro Suite. Also versed in Avid. Self starter, work on own batteries.
(5/13)

SITUATION WANTED: REALITY PRODUCER/WRITER/DIR : NBC, TLC, CMT, CNN, E!, Discovery, pilots, sales tapes, internet; I’ll write your reality show treatment and develop your ideas. LA Based; travels well;
(5/13)

SITUATION WANTED: 5 PRIME TIME EMMYS/ DOC. PROD, DIR., WRITER in L.A. Credits: National Geo, PBS, Discovery, History CH, TLC and MSNBC. Contact email:
(5/13)

SITUATION WANTED: 8+ years experience in TVB-cast & Cable Buying & Supervising (General, DR, and PP). Also, some experience in print, radio, and online.Will move for the right opportunity.
(5/13)

SITUATION WANTED: TONY NOM. B’WAY PROD/THEATRE CONSULT/ACQUIS. & DEV./NYC 30+ yrs exp. in theatre. Superb theatre/film/TV contacts seeks FT or Consulting Position w/Studio/Prod Co. looking for properties. Contact:
(5/13)

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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT –  TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2009

ABC: According to Jim, According to Jim, Dancing with the Stars, Cupid
AZTECA: Los Que Callamos Las Mujeres Edicion Especial, Los 25 Mas, Al Extremo
CBS: NCIS, The Mentalist, Without a Trace
CW: Reaper, 90210
FOX: American Idol, Fringe [f ]
ION: Boston Legal, Boston Legal, Boston Legal
MNT: Street Patrol, Street Patrol, Jail, Jail [r]
NBC: Biggest Loser: Couples [f ]
PBS: Nova, Frontline, Independent Lens
TELE: Dona Barbara, El Rostro de Analia, Sin Senos No Hay Paraiso, El Cartel
UNIV: Cuidado con el Angel, Manana es para Siempre, Aqui y Ahora

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