CYNTHIA TURNER’S
CYNOPSIS

09/01/04

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, September 1, 2004, and this is your first early morning briefing.

MTV’s Video Music Awards drew a somewhat more modest viewership than in past years – because it was in Miami?, because it was tamer than in more notorious previous airings? Who knows – but what we do know is that 10.3 million viewers tuned in to watch, down from last year’s 10.7 million, and down from the 2002 tally of 11.95 million.  Tho may be less viewers, it was still the most watched basic cable show during the month of August

Tonight’s Premieres:
FOX: Renovate My Family at 8pm
NBC:  Hawaii at 8pm

Casting / Development / Production:

• Lifetime has ordered up a pilot as a spin off of its long time popular series Strong Medicine called Strong Medicine: First Response, according to Hollywood Reporter. The story focuses on two women, adopted sisters, one white, one black, one a surgeon, one a paramedic. The pilot will be brought in though the back door as a regular episode of Strong Medicine in the upcoming season.
• Monica Potter will join the cast of ABC’s new spinoff series Boston Legal, in the role of a junior partner at the lawfirm.
• ABC’s The Days (Tollin/Robbins), the project developed and funded originally via production deal with ad agency biggie Mindshare, looks like it may well return for a second season on ABC as well as ABC’s sister cable net, ABC Family, per Hollywood Reporter. Nothing confirmed yet.
• Denise Richards has signed a development deal with UPN for a new series, or for Richards to join an existing series, next fall. According to Variety, this is Richard’s first development deal.

On a national level, only the cable news networks carried coverage of the Monday night speeches at the Republican National Convention. Per numbers from Nielsen Media Research, Fox News led the night with 3.9 million viewers, well ahead of CNN’s average total viewership that evening of 1.3 million and MSNBC’s 854,000 total viewers.  Of the three, only Fox News saw a larger viewing audience for the GOP opening night than it did for the Democratic National Convention.  DNC numbers for the three nets were Fox News 1.4 million, CNN 2.5 million and MSNBC 1.0 million.  The only broadcast net to carry the event on Monday night was PBS, who also saw its numbers from from convention to convention: GOP 1.9m; DNC 2.5m.

With the launch of syndicated product, i.e., Jane Pauley this week, herewith is my annual statement about why Cynopsis does not include premiere ratings for syndicated shows — all manner of strip series shows need to air for at least a couple of weeks to get their sea legs, for all the changing in competitive programming to be in place and for viewers to get into the new groove of what show moved to what station, new time periods, new programs competing against reruns of their favorite programs, etc.  After at least a couple of weeks, when the dust settles, then the real winners and not-so-winners begin to show their true performance trends. That’s when Cynopsis will begin talking about these shows.

Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported Network Rankings among Total Viewers for the month of August, 2004:
Primetime       (000)   Total Pgm Day   (000)
USA             2595    NICK            2184
NICK            2384    CARTOON 1443
TNT             2258    NAN*            1402
CARTOON 1868    TNT             1245
LIFETIME        1811    USA             1111
NAN             1802    LIFETIME        1097
ESPN            1585    TBS             931
FOXNEWS 1583    FOXNEWS 881
TBS             1574    ESPN            701
FX              1300    ABC FAMILY      691
Source Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research Data.
All ratings based on Total U.S. Television Universe of 108,400,000 homes
* = Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24 hour day. Primetime listing only includes those networks broadcasting more than 51% of the primetime hours (M-Su 8p-11p)

Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported Network Rankings among A18-49 for the month of August, 2004:
Primetime       (000)   Total Pgm Day   (000
USA             1144    NAN*            632
TNT             1043    TNT             613
TBS             867     TBS             545
FX                      783     USA             528
LIFETIME        764     LIFETIME        509
ESPN            755     NICK            445
DISCOVERY       651     ESPN            417
MTV             635     FX              390
COMEDY  615     CARTOON 333
SCI FI          608     COMEDY  312
Source Turner Research from Nielsen Media Research Data.
All ratings based on Total U.S. Television Universe of 108,400,000 homes.
* = Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24 hour day. Primetime listing only includes those networks broadcasting more than 51% of the primetime hours (M-Su 8p-11p)

Despite the Olympics, a handful of cable networks earned their own history making ratings for the month of August, including:

• Court TV with an average of 997,000 primetime total viewers nightly, and among viewers 18-49, averaged 437,000 viewers, up 23% over August 2003. 
• Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block (11p-2a) delivered its highest numbers among A18-34 with 490,000 viewers on average nightly, up 30%.
• HGTV also had its highest numbers ever among A25-54 with 440,000 viewer and W25-54 with 339,000 viewers. 
• AMC earned its highest primetime numbers in August with 325,000 A18-49, up 11% year to year.
• TNT set a new record in August among A25-54 with 655,000 average viewers

Coming to a Sci-Fi Network near you, Proof Positive Evidence of the Paranormal (Cosgrove Meurer Prods) makes its network debut on Wednesday, October 6 at 8pm.  Hosted by Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG-1), the show explores the lines between science and science fiction, and utilizing the science of forensics to prove paranormal encounters one way or the other. 

While the Olympic Games may have ended, the fall schedule premiere games have truly begun.  NBC led Monday night with two season premieres, Fear Factor and Last Comic Standing, pulling in an overall 4.1/11 A18-49 according to Nielsen Media Research. Fear Factor, a 90m premiere, averaged a 4.1/13, winning each of its three half hours. Last Comic Standing, airing from 930-11pm, averaged a 3.8/10, either tying for the win or ranking second in each its three half hours. At 930pm, NBC tied with CBS, each posting a 10 share.  At 10p, all of the Big 3 nets averaged a 10 share among A18-49.  ABC’s overall rating for preseason football was a 3.7/10 A18-49, pulling in higher numbers among key male adults – 6.3/17 M25-54, 5.6/17 M18-49 and 4.6/15 M18-34.  Also premiering on Monday evening was Fox’s new fix-it-up makeover game show The Complex: Malibu, averaging a 1.7/5 for the 2-hour premiere. Among key female demos, the show picked up slightly: 2.1/5 W18-49, and 2.2/6 W18-34.

Charles Tremayne has been upped to EVP/Granada America. The announcement was made by Paul Jackson, CEO and Stephen Davis, President, Granada America. It was also announced that Patrice Andrews has been named VP/Production and Operations, making the move from A&E; and Jon Wolf has been appointed VP/Finance for Granada America New York.

Russell Maitland has been named VP/Ad Sales, Eastern Region for GSN, effective September 7, based in the New York office. The announcement was made by Michael Sakin, SVP/Ad Sales, GSN, to whom he will report. Russell will work in conjunction with Sakin and the ad sales team to service the existing accounts, and develop opportunities for other notable brands that fit within GSN’s objectives.

Monday, August 30, 2004. Fast National 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

ABC     7.0/11  NFL Preseason Football: Tennessee vs. Dallas  7.0/11

CBS     6.6/11  Still Standing 5.3/9, Yes Dear 5.4/9, Raymond  6.9/11, 2-1/2 Men 7.4/11, CSI Miami 7.3/12

NBC     5.6/9   Fear Factor [p] 6.4/11, Last Comic Standing [p] 4.9/8

FOX     2.4/4   The Complex: Malibu [p] 2.4/4

WB      1.9/3   7th Heaven [r]2.2/4, Everwood [r] 1.5/2

UPN     1.7/3   One on One [r]  1.8/3, Half and Half [r] 1.7/3, Girlfriends [r] 1.7/3, Girlfriends [r] 1.6/3

A18-49  NBC 4.1/11, ABC 3.7/10, CBS 3.3/9, Fox 1.7/5, UPN 1.1/3, WB 1.0/3

A MESSAGE FROM WARNER BROS. DOMESTIC CABLE DISTRIBUTION

Source: NHTI Explorer, 9/22/04-5/26/04.  ABC rank based on A18-34 and A18-49.  5+ telecasts. Rating.

The History Channel presents This Day in History:
1807:  Former Vice President and noted duelist Aaron Burr is acquitted on charges of treason.  Burr was found guilty of organizing a bizarre and grandiose plot to found an independent republic in what was then Louisiana Territory and parts of Spanish Mexico.  Since he had not taken any overt steps toward this goal, he was not guilty of treason, however.  This was the final act in a political career that began with promising service in the Continental Army and the New York legislature and largely ended when Burr shot his longtime political rival Alexander Hamilton to death in an 1804 duel in New Jersey.  Outrage over the duel had not died down by the time of Burr’s treason trial, and despite his acquittal Burr was forced to live overseas for a brief period.

Answer to Monday Trivia Question: On what primetime sitcom where these movies included:  A Day in the Life of a Button; Hooter Vacation [made under a pseudonym]; The Fastest Tailor in New York; Slumlords; The 70th Anniversary of Yankee Stadium; and New York at Night, among numerous others?  MAD ABOUT YOU’s Paul Buchman produced all of these films.  Kudos to:  Gail Gleeson-BBC Technology/Atlanta; Ed Flowers-WUPA/Atlanta; Ann Carrigan-WAWS, WTEV/Jacksonville; Andrea Bautista-Nielsen Media Research/NY; Brett Calvert-KSAT/San Antonio; Sarah Stafford-Turner Ent. Sales/Chicago; David Ferber-KTTC,KWBR/Rochester MN; Maria Schafer-WBUW/Madison WI; Carole Kane-CAM Systems/Saratoga; Kimberly King-Burns-convergenz/solutions-LA; Deborah Arakelian-Axium Ent/Burbank.

A MESSAGE FROM COMCAST SPOTLIGHT

Comcast Spotlight works with our cable network partners to develop unique promotions for advertisers that leverage cable?s powerful brands. Through network associations or tune-in sponsorships, advertisers get customized, branded promotions that build upon viewer affinity for their favorite cable networks. Comcast Spotlight – Spot cable finally delivers. For more information click here.

Today’s Trivia Question:  In the first season of The Mod Squad, you remember them – “one black, one white, one blonde” –  the crew drove a1950 Mercury station wagon, which sadly went off a cliff during the second season.  What as the nickname of this heap? (click
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.)

A MESSAGE FROM COURT TV

Later — Cyn

Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis
09/01/04  5:22am
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A MESSAGE FROM CYNOPSIS AD SALES

WHAT’S ON TONIGHT: SEPTEMBER 1, 2004:

ABC             My Wife & Kids, My Wife & Kids, Drew Carey, Drew Carey, Republican National Convention
CBS             5th Annual Latin Grammy Awards (OTO), Republican National Convention
FOX             Renovate My Family [p]
NBC             Hawaii [p], Dateline News Special, Republican National Convention
PAX             On the Cover, Balderdash, Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder
UPN             Amish in the City, The Player
WB              Smallville, Smallville
TELE            Prisonera, Gitanas, Zapata
UNIV            Mariana de la Noche, Amarte es mi Pecado, Don Francisco Presenta