CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

05/18/04

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 18, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing.

NBC confirmed fall schedule:
Monday:
8pm Fear Factor
9pm Las Vegas
10pm – LAX
Tuesday:
8p Average Joe (The Contender mid-season)
9p Father of the Pride (animated series)
930p Scrubs (new time period)
10p Law & Order SVU
Wednesday:
8p Hawaii
9p West Wing  (Revelations midseason)
10p Law & Order — new pairing:  Jesse Martin gets a new partner in Dennis Farina
Thursday:
8p Joey
830p Will & Grace
9p The Apprentice
10p ER
Friday:
8 Dateline
9 Third Watch (new time period)
10p Medical Investigation – team of doctors/scientists solving bizarre medical occurrences
Saturday:
8pm The Apprentice [r]
9pm NBC Saturday Movie
Sunday:
7p Dateline
8p American Dreams
9p Law & Order CSI
10p Crossing Jordan

NBC’s New Series:

• LAX (NBC Universal Television): Set in the Los Angeles airport, starring Blair Underwood and Heather Locklear both vying for the same job as head of the airport.  As you’d expect, all the commotion of an international airport is included – potential security breaches, lost children, drug busts, all the good stuff.
• The Contender (Mark Burnett Prods.): This reality series joins the schedule once Average Joe runs its course of original episodes.  16 Boxers – 16 episodes – one Million Dollar prize.  It’s a Mark Burnett project – what else do you need to know?
• Father of the Pride (DreamWorks Television) – a CGI animation series set in the quite at home life and on stage life of the white lions who perform with Siegfried & Roy. This program has everyone hopeful, though after seeing Joey, the crowd as a little cool to it.
• Hawaii (NBC Universal Television: Murder, drugs, mayhem, forensics, investigations, good guys and bad guys — all on the island of Hawaii.  Hawaii With all the earmarks of success – humor, action, drama, without being another CSI – that’s a good thing.
• Revelations (Pariah): West Wing will run with full original episodes, and spotting that drama comes another – Revelations. Put together in one 8 hour event a scientist, a nun and a small comatose child who is citing scriptures,and you get the potential for the beginning of the end – Armageddon.  The biggest obstacle of this limited series will be to draw in those viewers who may not naturally be inclined to watch a ‘spiritual’ program, and NBC knows how to market and promote.
• Joey (Warner Bros. Television): This show was presented in full – no clips, no fast editing to hide any rough spots.  And it had the crowed at Radio City laughing out loud, over and over.  In the Friends old time period, viewers are likely to give this one a real shot.
• Medical Investigation (Paramount Network Television/NBC Universal Television):  Based on real life accounts, these doctors go all over, taking on bizarre medical occurrences that have others baffled.  Fast moving, with a sense of urgency spurred on by Neil McDonough’s focused delivery.

Midseason Series:

• Law & Order: Trial by Jury (NBC Universal/Wolf Films): From the perspective of the jury
• Crazy for You (NBC Universal Television): Sitcom about two slightly offbeat New Yorkers who find each other
• The Men’s Room (NBC Universal): The intertwining of four different men, all different decades old, all different perspectives on their lives, loves and life in general.
• Medium (Paramount Network Television/Picturemaker Prods): Patricia Arquette sees dead people, and she hears them and they hang out near her
• The Office (Reveille in assoc with NBC Universal): Based on the UK series of the same name, this faster-paced Americanized version is set in a typical office with a typical group of idiosyncratic employees.

TUESDAY UPFRONTS SCHEDULED:  ABC, THE WB, TELEMUNDO, FOX SPORTS en ESPANOL.

ABC:  New Series:
Dramas:  Desperate Housewives, Blind Justice, Life as we Know It, Lost, Gray’s Anatomy, Fleet Street, Eyes
Sitcoms:  That’s My Rodney, Savages
Reality:  Wife Swap, The Benefactor

ABC: Anticipated Schedule
Monday:  The Benefactor, ABC Monday Night Football
Tuesday: My Wife & Kids, George Lopez, According to Jim, That’s Just Rodney, NYPD Blue (Blind Justice in mid-season, also from Bochco)
Wednesday:  Lost, The Bachelor, Wife Swap
Thursday: Extreme Makeover, Life as We Know It, Primetime Thursday
Friday:  8 Simple Rules, Savages, Hope & Faith, Less than Perfect, 20/20
Saturday:  Wonderful World of Disney
Sunday:  AFV, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Desperate Housewives (Alias joins mid-season), Fleet Street (aka The Practice Spinoff)

Not on the ABC Schedule:  It’s All Relative, I’m With Her, Life with Bonnie, Married to the Kellys

WB: New Series:
Drama:  The Mountain, Jack & Bobby,
Comedy:  Shacking Up, Blue Collar, Green Screen, Commando Nanny,
Reality:  Studio 7

WB: Anticipated Schedule
Monday: 7th Heaven, Everwood
Tuesday: Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill
Wednesday:  Smallville, Blue Collar TV, Green Screen
Thursday: The Mountain, Studio 7
Friday: What I Like About You, Commando Nanny, Reba, Grounded for Life
Sunday:  Steve Harvey’s Big Time (1hr),  Charmed, Jack & Bobby

Not on the WB Schedule: Jamie Kennedy Experiment

CBS isn’t scheduled until tomorrow afternoon, but the buzz at this point is about six new series: Dr. Vegas (Rob Lowe, Joe Pantoliano), CSI: NY (did you see the back door pilot last night with Gary Sinese?); Center of the Universe sitcom (John Goodman), Clubhouse (bat boy for the NY Yankees), untitled Jason Alexander sitcom re: sports columnist Tony Kornheiser, Amazing Westerbergs (two brothers who think they can do anything). 

In anticipation of its 12-month season announcements on Thursday, Fox has ordered second seasons for Tru Calling and Arrested Development, both dark horses for the upcoming season.  Also expected among their new series for the upcoming year: The Jury (premiere 6/8), North Shore (premiere /14), The Casino (6/14), Quints (6/16), The Simple Life 2 (6/16), Method & Red (6/16), Still Life, The Complex, The Ortegas, Johnny Zero (stars Franky G as ex-con trying for a new start), The Inside (undercover cops in high school), Related by Family (blended family comedy), House (medical mystery drama), Next Great Champ (Fox’s search for best boxer series) .

Among the additional announcements at the ABC Upfront today, expected is the naming of News Anchor Elizabeth Vargas to join John Stossel on the desk at 20/20 in September when Barbara Walters steps down.

Moving off the programming for a moment and to the business of TV – forecasters are pegging the upfront market to be up in several areas compared to the 2003-04 upfront season.  Broadcasters are looking at a 3%-5% this year for the broadcast networks (anywhere from $9.6 to $9.8 billion).  Pretty remarkable given last year was up 15% over the previous year.  Syndication is also expected to show year to year increases, with forecasts looking for a 10% increase (approx $2.5 billion total). Cable television will also be looking at an up year though forecasts fluctuate pretty wildly – anywhere from 12% to 18%. And Spanish-language television, with its plethora of new nets and broadening horizons, is looking to break $1 billion this year ($700 million a year ago).

ABC won the night on Sunday night with an overall 3.5/10 A18-49 according to Nielsen Media Research.  It was a very competitive night for eyeballs – CBS was just a tenth of a rating point behind ABC with a 3.4/10, and a tenth behind CBS was Fox’s 3.3/10, followed by NBC 3.2/9 and WB 1.6/5.  At 7pm ABC’s trusty America’s Funniest Videos led with a 2.6/9, with Fox quickly on its tail posting a 2.1/8. At 8pm, ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition again led with a 4.3/12, and again  Fox’s Simpsons/That 70’s Show pair was closet at hand with a 4.0/11. NBC won the 9pm hour with L&O: CI’s 4.3/11 and this time CBS was #2 with a 4.1/10 for the second hour of its movie, Helter Skelter.  AT 10p the final hour of Helter Skelter on CBS won with a 4.6/12 (the entire movie, 8-11p, delivered a 4.4/10), followed by Crossing Jordan’s 4.3/11.

New York’s CBS station plans to preempt some of its regularly scheduled programming on Tuesday, May 18 and Wednesday, May 19 for live coverage of the 9/11 Commission hearings.  The two-day hearing will examine the response of local and federal emergency response departments on September 11, 2001 and explore the state of the emergency preparedness and response today.   The Commission will hear from current and former top-level officials, including Secretary of Homeland Security Thomas J. Ridge, former Commissioner Bernard Kerik, New York City Mayor Bloomberg, and former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. On Tuesday, May 18, CBS 2 will begin coverage at 8:30 AM and will continue through the end of the hearing.   During a one-hour lunch break from 1:00 PM-2:00 PM, CBS 2 will air “Dr Phil.” On Wednesday, May 18, CBS 2 will broadcast live coverage beginning at 8:00 AM and continue through the end of the hearing.

Univision Communications Inc. has upped Ivelisse R. Estrada to SVP/Corporate and Community Relations, effective immediately.  Ivelisse will be responsible for the overall development and coordination of community relations strategies for Univision Communications.  She will also continue to coordinate philanthropic contributions and serve as a liaison between Univision and community organizations, which involves planning, directing and supervising the execution of the Company?s national initiatives. Based in LA, she reports to Robert V. Cahill, Vice Chairman and Corporate Vice President, Univision Communications.

Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. named Jack Carey as TV Guide Television Group?s SVP/Operations, a newly created position.  He will oversee internal operations and IT and manage facilities.   Jack previously worked for 7 years at E! Entertainment as SVP/Technology and Operations.  He will be based in LA and report to Ian Aaron, TV Guide Television Group?s president.
 
Tom Gove was upped to Division VP/National Division for Starz Encore Group LLC.  He will oversee affiliate relations with cable operators in addition to keeping the National Cable Television Cooperative, hospitality and several other accounts he held in his previous position as Senior Director/New Media.  Denver, Chicago, Atlanta and Hoboken, NJ employees will report to him.  He will be based in Denver.
 
Louis M. Occhicone was upped to SVP/Operations at CABLEready.  He previously held the position of VP/Program Operations.  He will be responsible for the company?s sales service employees. 

 ABC Cable Networks Group announced two new appointments.  Donna Ebbs was named as VP/Original Movies.  She will oversee Disney Channel?s and ABC Family?s original movies? development and production.  Donna will report to Michael Healy, VP/Original Movies for Disney Channel and ABC Family.  Judy Taylor was named as VP/Casting.  She will oversee the casting process and concerns for ABC Family and Disney Channel original movie and series productions. Judy will report to Gary Marsh, EVP/Original Programming and Production. 

Sunday, May 16, 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

NBC     7.5/13  Dateline 6.0/11, Law & Order: CI 8.9/14; Crossing Jordan 9.0/15

CBS     6.5/11  60 Minutes 7.1/14, Helter Skelter  6.3/10

ABC     6.4/11  AFV 4.6/9; Extreme Makeover Home Edition 6.3/11, Super Millionaire 7.3/12, The Practice 7.5/12

FOX     4.1/7   King of the Hill 2.5/5, King of the Hill 3.3/6,Simpsons 5.0/9, That 70’s Show 4.7/8, Malcolm 4.6/7, The Simpsons 4.3/7

WB      2.3/4   Smallville 1.3/3, Charmed  2.8/5

A18-49  ABC 3.5/10, CBS 3.4/10, Fox 3.3/10, NBC 3.2/9, WB 1.6/5

A MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
1898 – In Plessy v. Ferguson, the U.S. Supreme Court delivers a landmark victory for supporters of racial segregation when it finds that “equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races” is constitutional. The court reversed this ruler fifty-six years later in Brown v. Board of Education.

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question: Can you name any of the staff at Blair General Hospital?  DR. KILDARE, DR. GILLESPIE, and others.  Kudos to:  Mary Moonen-WFSB/Hartford; Cindy Loguda-ABC Family/NY; Joyce Winnick-IGTCS/NY; Joan Rappaport-Lifetime/NY; Laurel Simmer-WCIU/Chicago; Bart Sciarabba-NCC/Chicago; Dave Harding-Termite Art Prods/LA; Susan Goldberg-Beverly Park Prods/LA, Sam Linsky-TNT/LA.

A MESSAGE FROM WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT

Real life.  Real singles.

We’ve checked out the dating scenes from Manhattan to Vegas, and this year we’re taking our hip reality series Single In … to new cities for even more dating adventures. It’s real. It’s relevant. And it’s exactly where you want to be.

SINGLE IN THE HAMPTONS  |  MONDAYS AT 10 PM (ET)
For more information, visit www.sales.we.tv.

Today’s Trivia Question: You know where Little Joe and Hoss lived,and you know where JR lived.  But do you know where Big John Cannon and his brother Buck Cannon lived?  (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
05/18/04
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WHAT’S ON TONIGHT: TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2004

COURT TV:       The I-Zone, Forensic Files, The Investigators
ABC             8 Simple Rules [finale, Part 1 & 2], According to Jim, Less Than Perfect, Super Millionaire
CBS             Navy NCIS, 60 Minutes: Salute to Don Hewitt, Judging Amy
FOX             American Idol, 24
NBC             NBC Special: The Most Outrageous Game Show Moments 2, L&O SVU, L&O: SVU [finale]
PAX             AFV, AFV, Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder
UPN             One on One, All of Us, Rock me Baby, Rock me Baby
WB              Gilmore Girls [season finale], The WB’s Superstar USA
TELE            Prisonera, El Alma Herida, Mujeres Apasionadas
UNIV            Mariana de la Noche, Bajo la Misma Piel, Al Filo de la ley