TV Insider

Will the Writer's Guild settle by Oct.31?

Tim Kuglin — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 07:44:54 GMT

WGA talks hold little optimism

Writers keep strike an option

By DAVE MCNARY

Strike fever's about to hit Hollywood hard.

With WGA negotiations set to resume Wednesday, the saber-rattling is growing louder and the public posturing more pointed. So there's little optimism that the town's scribes will reach a deal with studios and nets by the Oct. 31 expiration of the WGA contract.

Most expect that the guild won't strike at that point but rather tell its members to keep working under terms of the expired deal in hopes of securing a better one once SAG negotiates next year prior to its June 30 expiration.

Still, the WGA's not taking the strike option off the table. It's converted the members' lounge at its headquarters into a strike HQ, and WGA West prexy Patric Verrone admits the guild could schedule a strike authorization vote by early next month.

Belligerence between the two sides has grown since two acrimonious days of bargaining in July. The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers proposal -- a revolutionary revamp of residuals in which payments would be triggered only when producers recoup basic costs -- is still reverberating two months later.

AMPTP prexy Nick Counter contends that fast-shifting showbiz economics have left the companies with no choice but to come in with their guns blazing. He cites soaring costs of film and TV, uncertainty over Internet revenues and flat DVD growth, rattling off MPAA stats showing an average deficit of $70 million per film.

"We are in a high state of deficit financing," he added. "We've made the same argument in the last two rounds of negotiations, but the difference this time is that we've put forth a formula to deal with it. The idea evolved gradually, but we are now at a crisis stage."

The guild's flatly rejected the notion of changing the residuals structure and is promising that the idea will be turned down without further discussion if it's broached at negotiations.

"It's not a serious proposal," Verrone said. "We have no interest in dignifying it as a means of paying residuals in new media or in the traditional markets."

Verrone contends that the revamp would essentially mean talent would cease to see any residuals since the companies use accounting techniques that can keep movies and TV programs permanently in deficit.

"Hollywood accounting is a fantasy designed to pay talent as little as possible," he added.

Counter bristles at such accusations. "Our accounting is transparent," he insisted. "It's a fallacious argument to say that the revenues aren't transparent because of profit participations and audits. Because of shareholders and participants, the industry's books have to be transparent."

The WGA and AMPTP have already grappled over the issue of the health of the industry. John Bowman, head of the WGA negotiating committee, has accused the companies of duplicity -- crying poverty at the bargaining table while bragging to Wall Street about the industry's prospects for growth.

Counter's also peeved by the fact that the WGA hasn't provided any kind of detailed response to its proposal.

"The view of the companies is that the WGA has not responded to our proposal; they have not bargained in good faith," Counter declared. "We're entitled to a point-by-point response, and they have not given us the courtesy of that. And we are surprised and chagrined. This is the first time in my experience that the other side has been nonresponsive."

Asked about Counter's complaints, Verrone said they're nonsense and the companies need to move on.

"If they want a detailed response to their proposal, the answer is no," he added. "And if they ask again, the answer will still be no."

Counter asserted that the companies have the right to seek a revamp in the residuals formula if they're not recouping their costs. Such a right rests in three-decade-old contract language covering pay TV, under which producers reserve the right to redefine "supplemental" markets -- such as homevideo -- as "primary" markets; in the AMPTP's view, that means the basic residuals formula can then be renegotiated so that residuals are not paid until costs have been recouped.

Verrone nevertheless remains upbeat, in part because he believes the town has come to the conclusion that the AMPTP is out of line in asking for something that the guild can't give. And he calls the WGA's proposal --seeking to spell out rates and residuals for new media and expand jurisdiction to reality TV and animation -- fair and reasonable.

"I am optimistic that the companies will see the light of day and agree to a deal by Nov. 1," he added.

Some observers don't believe the AMPTP is completely serious about the proposal.

"I interpret the AMPTP position as a negotiating ploy more than anything else," said Jonathan Handel, a partner at the Troy Gould law firm and a former WGA staff attorney. "The studios are aware that eliminating residuals is a nuclear option that would most surely trigger a strike."

Norman Samnick, an attorney with Bryan Cave who's advised in past guild negotiations, believes there's no chance that the WGA will make a deal by the deadline or go on strike. Instead, be believes the writers will wait for the DGA and SAG to make deals since both have more leverage in terms of a work stoppage.

He speculates that the DGA -- which faces a June 30 contract expiration along with SAG -- would be more likely than SAG to make a deal with the AMPTP later this year or in early 2008 given its history. That would follow what happened in 2004, when the DGA reached its current deal after the WGA contract expired.

"A WGA strike will not stop production," Samnick noted. "The WGA will figure that SAG can do the heavy lifting for them. And I don't think anyone's sure what SAG will do."

Date in print: Tue., Sep. 18, 2007, Gotham

The new fall season buzz

Tim Kuglin — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:02:42 GMT

What shows are getting the web buzz

Chatter levels are way up for the new season

By Diego Vasquez
Sep 6, 2007

There were arguably only two breakout hits on broadcast last season, NBC’s “Heroes” and ABC’s “Ugly Betty,” and online market research company BrandIntel correctly predicted both of them based on preseason online buzz. Now the company has released its buzz-tracking numbers for this fall season, and it looks like ABC is in good shape again. The network has the two most-anticipated shows, “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoff “Private Practice” and the drama “Pushing Daisies,” according to BrandIntel’s analysis of online discussions on blogs and social media sites over the past three months. BrandIntel also found that this fall’s new shows are generating much more excitement than last year's, with discussions about them up 300 percent compared with this time last year. That should prove a comfort to the broadcast networks, which saw sharp viewership declines last spring and are just now ending a disappointing summer. Michael Coristine, BrandIntel’s media analyst, talks to Media Life about why buzz is up, what shows will be the big fall hits, and why CW’s “Gossip Girl” could be among them.

You found that discussion of the fall season has jumped 300 percent over last year. What do you attribute that to?

The networks have done a great job in releasing rich content (e.g., previews) much earlier than last year.

This has allowed potential viewers to become more engaged in the major characters, as well as many unknown actors, much sooner than in past years. The end result is a much greater platform for positive word-of-mouth to spread.

Does that bode well for this fall's crop of new shows?

Anytime viewers have more time to become emotionally invested in characters, as well as storylines, their engagement in a given show is significantly higher. More time to build engagement among potential viewers can only help the new fall offerings.

Two ABC shows, "Pushing Daisies" and "Private Practice," are the two most-anticipated programs. What's the buzz on these two shows, and why are they getting so much attention?

“Private Practice” is getting buzz mostly due to its “Grey's Anatomy” association and cast, although there are some nervous rumblings, based on the reshoots and rumored unsatisfactory pilot among many potential viewers. Bottom line, the show should have a lot of people sampling it out of curiosity, but there are many skeptics who might quickly bail on the show if it disappoints.

“Pushing” is popular based on the quirky charm/feel of the show, its vibrant previews and the underrated cast of unknowns who have resonated well from previews. While many are optimistic, some fear that it may be too high-concept, but a healthy amount of viewers should be giving it a chance.

By contrast, NBC's "Bionic Woman" is also receiving lots of buzz but not all of it is positive. What is driving the buzz, and what does it mean for the show?

Guest star Isaiah Washington, who was fired from “Grey’s Anatomy” for using a gay slur, was driving a lot of the word-of-mouth, but this doesn't necessarily help or hurt the show. Awareness does not equal intent to view.

“Bionic Woman” has a lot of curious viewers, but the overall feeling is that it could go either way at this point.

Why has ABC’s sitcom "Cavemen" plunged so far in discussion volume?

There was a novelty associated with the strong awareness from the Geico commercials. However, intent to view was always low, based on the previews, which many viewed as not being funny.

It is as simple as that. The show has not made people laugh so far, and it is running out of time to reverse the negative word of mouth.

You found that comedies in general are not generating as much consumer discussion as in the past. Do you attribute this to the small number of new sitcoms, or the low quality of the ones being introduced?

Definitely the low number of sitcoms. Most of the sitcoms, especially “Back to You” and “Samantha Who,” are scoring well in sentiment.

Based on these data, which show do you see as fall's breakout hit? And which one do you think could really surprise people?

In addition to “Practice,” CBS’s “Cane,” Fox’s “Back to You,” ABC’s “Big Shots,” “Daisies” and NBC’s “Chuck.”

ABC’s “Dirty Sexy Money” should be a big hit, based on the healthy balance of demographic discussion and its high sentiment across the board. (The cast and recent previews have been well-received.)

CW’s “Gossip Girl” could surprise. What may have been perceived as a niche show for females aged 14-24 has also been generating strong word-of-mouth from females aged 25-34 and males under 34.

If it can capitalize on its unopposed premiere on Sept. 19 at 9 p.m., it has a chance to build out its audience before having to deal with “Practice” and “Bionic” on the 26th.

Network Premiers on the web

Tim Kuglin — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:51:20 GMT

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Just how smart are
online premieres?

Increasingly, networks are making new shows available

By Diego Vasquez
Aug 27, 2007

The idea of “premiere week” has long since disappeared, with new shows debuting as early as August and as late as November in recent years. Now premiere week is becoming even more passé with the migration of some premiere episodes online and elsewhere. Fox said last week that it is making “K-Ville” available for download before its Sept. 17 premiere, while NBC will put the pilot episodes of new dramas “Chuck,” “Bionic Woman,” “Journeyman” and “Life” on video-on-demand via cable and satellite carriers. That comes a year after NBC distributed copies of the “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” pilot through Netflix weeks before its debut. Response to early premieres has been mixed. While some media people think it’s a smart way to build buzz, others say it could become a buzz killer. If a pilot doesn’t live up to expectations, viewers may write off the show entirely before it’s even premiered. Or worse, they may like the pilot but not watch the program in its usual slot, because they forgot it had begun or got sick of waiting for new episodes. Heather Kruse, group media director at Fallon in Minneapolis, talks to Media Life about the wisdom of online premieres, why they may be ubiquitous in five years, and why they’re different for cable and broadcast.

Fox is debuting “K-Ville” online before its Sept. 17 debut, joining a number of others that were available. Do you think this is a smart strategy and why or why not?

I think it says something about the viewers they expect. They might be younger, and a little bit more engaged if they’re going to take the time out to watch the premiere online.

It’s still a new thing to go to the computer to watch TV, and debuting a show there gets the right people to talk about it. It can go a long way, but only if it gets the viewership in the end.

Do you think debuting pilots online in advance of their TV debuts is a smart strategy in general? Why?

In three years, when everybody’ doing it, it won’t be unique.

More and more networks will realize where their target audience will view the premiere episode. Some will be on TV, some will be online, others will be on-demand, etc.

What would be more interesting would be if they aired the pilot buyers see in February and gave consumers the opportunity to react and see what they like before the shows go into development.

That’s one thing which no one has really done yet.

Is it different for broadcast and cable?

Broadcast would have to work harder to get people to go online and view a new program, because broadcast networks have programs for a wide variety of people.

Viewers align more with cable networks, but not quite as much with broadcast networks. To get a certain audience to go online and watch “K-Ville” is a different thing than a cable network that already has loyal viewers.

Do you think we'll get to a point where all the pilots will be available online before they officially premiere? Why or why not?

Potentially.

It’s not necessarily that it’s online, but available where and when the consumer wants to watch it. We could definitely get to that point. It could be on-demand, or pay-per-view, or online. But you won’t have to wait until, say, Tuesday at 8 p.m. to watch it. But then the challenge for the networks is to maintain that event status, that premiere-episode status.

How can the networks then ensure that people will stay interested in and excited about the coming season if they've already seen the pilots?

I think they just have to build up the pilots differently. Maybe it’s a preview online, or it only premieres online. They have to build the hype differently and consumers will stay interested, especially if they can watch it when they want to watch it.

What are other ways the networks have used their sites well to hype fall shows, if at all?

I haven’t seen a whole lot about the fall season. I can’t think of a program right now that seems to be promoted heavily online. People talk about things like that, and I haven’t heard much. If anything, they’re letting consumers control and find out what their new season is.

ABC.com has a countdown on its site, but other than that they seem to be letting consumers find out about the shows on their own. If anything, they are just providing more information about their shows than they used to.

I liked Anchorwoman, but nobody watched it.

Tim Kuglin — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:29:40 GMT

Fox's 'Anchorwoman'
sinks like a rock

New reality series debuts with a 1.0 in adults 18-49

By Toni Fitzgerald
Aug. 23, 2007

It looks as though “Anchorwoman” Lauren Jones was just as unpopular with viewers as with her new colleagues at KYTX.

Last night’s premiere of the new Fox reality show, about a beauty queen who sends a newsroom into upheaval when she’s hired to help raise the broadcast’s ratings, posted dismal numbers.

“Anchorwoman” averaged a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49, according to Nielsen overnights, tying for fifth place in the 8 p.m. timeslot with the CW and ranking among the worst debuts this summer on broadcast.

The show finished behind even Univision, which has been struggling at 8 p.m. since “La Fea Mas Bella” ended its run earlier this summer.

“Anchorwoman” didn’t help lead-out “Bones” at 9 p.m., which averaged a 1.1 and Fox, which has led every week this summer among 18-49s, pulled just a 1.0 on the night.

Many reviewers trashed “Anchorwoman,” though Media Life TV critic Andrew Lyons called it a fun, frothy reality romp.

The question now is whether “Anchorwoman” will be yanked by Fox, which is in the midst of a 28-week winning streak among 18-49s, the longest such streak in 11 years.

Meanwhile NBC led the night among 18-49s with a 2.4 average overnight rating and a 7 share. CBS was second at 2.2/7, Univision third at 1.6/5, ABC fourth at 1.5/4, and Fox and CW tied for fifth at 1.0/3.

CBS started the night in the lead with a 2.2 rating at 8 p.m. for “Power of 10,” followed closely by NBC with a 2.1 for a repeat of “Most Outrageous Moments.” ABC was third with a 1.7 for an hour of “According to Jim” reruns, Univision fourth with a 1.2 for “Amar sin Limites,” and Fox and CW tied for fifth at 1.0, Fox for “Anchorwoman” and CW for a repeat of “America’s Next Top Model.”

NBC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a season-high 3.1 for “Last Comic Standing,” with CBS and Univision tied for second at 2.1, CBS for a repeat of “Criminal Minds” and Univision for “Destilando Amor.” That left ABC fourth with a 1.4 for “NASCAR in Primetime,” Fox fifth with a 1.1 for a repeat of “Bones” and CW sixth with a 1.0 for another “Top Model” rerun.

At 10 p.m. CBS regained the lead with a 2.4 for a repeat of “CSI: NY,” while NBC dropped back to second with a 2.1 for “Dateline.” Univision was third with a 1.5 for “Don Francisco Presenta” and ABC fourth with a 1.2 for “Primetime.”

Among households, CBS led the night with a 5.6 average overnight rating and a 10 share. NBC was second at 4.3/7, ABC third at 2.6/4, Fox fourth at 2.3/4, Univision fifth at 1.9/3 and CW sixth at 1.5/3.

Strike one, Strike two, Strike three...

Tim Kuglin — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:59:42 GMT

Hollywood in strike zone

The biz starts to stockpile

By DAVE MCNARY

Not that there was any doubt, but the latest statistics for filming in L.A. confirm what everybody already knows: The studios and networks have revved up production, stockpiling projects as strike fever engulfs Los Angeles.

Amid fears of a work stoppage by the Hollywood guilds next year, studios have been greenlighting more active projects than they were at the same time last year. The goal is to start production no later than March 1, so shooting can be completed by next July, when actors and directors could launch strikes.

Network brass also have been quietly planning for alternative lineups heavy on reality, sports and gameshows -- i.e., fare that doesn't require guild talent.

Although the WGA's contract expires on Oct. 31, few expect a deal to emerge by then. In that case, it's likely the WGA will tell members to keep working under terms of the expired pact in hopes that the guild can achieve an improved deal after the DGA and SAG negotiate.

A report from the Film L.A. permitting agency, scheduled to be released today shows that off-lot feature filming in the Los Angeles region surged 29%, and TV work 19%, in the second quarter to 2,514 and 5,387 days, respectively.

It was the busiest spring quarter for off-lot feature activity since 2001, when a pre-strike production frenzy saw a total of 3,613 days.

"The second-quarter surge is consistent with activity we have tracked in other periods preceding contract negotiations," said Film L.A. president Steve MacDonald. "We may be seeing a repeat of what happened in 2001, when production rose prior to labor negotiations, and then dropped significantly after the negotiations concluded."

In 2001, local production of features rose 45% and 38%, respectively, in the two quarters prior to the SAG contract expiration, then plunged by 37%, 54% and 58% in the next three quarters.

The 2007 production increases occurred during an acrimonious run-up to negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. Two days of negotiations in mid-July yielded mostly recriminations and finger-pointing, with no new talks set.

Recently greenlit movies include Warner Independent's "The Rum Diary," with Johnny Depp; New Line's "Four Christmases," with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn; Fox's "Wolverine," with Hugh Jackman; Yari Group's "Nothing but the Truth," with Rod Lurie directing; DreamWorks' "Eagle Eye," with Shia LaBeouf; and Warner's "Yes Man," with Jim Carrey.

A strike hanging over next year will wreak havoc with pilots for the 2008-09 TV season. Net and studio execs will be loath to have a slew of pilots set to begin production in February-March without certainty of where things will go.

The Writers Guild has been unimpressed by the stockpiling, asserting that it's a scare tactic with no impact on negotiations.

"Stockpiling is an unecessary disruption by studios of the production economy," said WGA West assistant exec director Charles Slocum. "It's never altered the course of negotiations. We remain ready to seek a reasonable deal at the bargaining table."

Slocum also said he was somewhat skeptical of the usefulness of the Film L.A. figures, asserting that the numbers represent only about a third of the total production in the region.

MacDonald admits that the rise in film production is a surprise, since it had declined in the four previous quarters -- partly due to producers opting for extensive incentives offered by as many as 30 states outside California.

Film production on public property in Los Angeles still remains well below the levels of a decade ago. Activity for the entire year hit a record of 13,980 days in 1996, then declined for seven consecutive years before rising 19% in 2004 and 9% in 2005 and then falling 7% last year.

For TV work, the second quarter represented the third-busiest on record, reflecting an ongoing surge in TV production in Hollywood over the past decade thanks to reality TV and the growth of cable.

Reality TV continued to dominate with a 12% gain to 2,485 days, while TV drama activity rose 5% to 1,188. Sitcoms posted the biggest gain, jumping 71% to 507 days; pilots declined 21% to 306 days.

Film L.A. said 82 pilots had been produced in Los Angeles during the February-May pilot season, up one from the 2006 season. Local production share rose to 82% from 67.5% as the number of pilots filmed outside Los Angeles slid to 18 from 39.

Sometimes the "pilot" ...isn't.

Tim Kuglin — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:00:23 GMT

Series try to fly like their pilots

Future segs deal with cutbacks, cast changes

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

As TV pilots increasingly look and feel more like movies, producers are finding it tough to make the leap to the second episode -- after the big-name pilot director has gone back to features, the budget has been sliced in half and the production budget has been reduced to one week.

Thanks to TV's increasing box office mentality, the pressure among pilots to stand out has grown immensely as the nets look for "event-style" shows that can be easily marketed and will open big.

Hence the move toward larger pilot budgets ($7.5 million for "Bionic Woman," for example); longer shoots (15 days is the norm); and marquee directors like Spike Lee (who helmed "Shark's" pilot). The goal: Get this project on the primetime schedule, and worry about how to sustain it later.

"There's a feature appetite in place with the people writing pilots and those brought in to direct them," says producer Michael Robin ("Nip/Tuck," "The Closer"). "And there's less of a desire on the studio and network's part to say no. They want that big sales tool."

But the move to bigger and louder pilots makes it more difficult to live up to the promise of the first episode.

"We set a certain expectation for viewers that the pilot episode is what a regular episode of our show will look like," says 20th Century Fox TV prexy Dana Walden. "It's challenging."

For example, there has been a recent flurry of cast changes on frosh skeins such as "The Bionic Woman" and "Life Is Wild."

And ABC opted to pull back from the pilot to "Cavemen," which the net felt jumped too far into the show's exposition without proper character development. Now, the pilot episode will be reworked into the show's fifth or sixth seg, and its second episode will air as the show's first.

"In essence, we're shooting a whole new pilot," ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson says.

In New Orleans, helmer Brad Turner is helping rework Fox's post-Hurricane Katrina drama "K-Ville" for its second episode.

The pilot was shot like a film, with a very specific plot point and a dark look at 2007 New Orleans. But to make it work as a skein producers hope will go to 100 episodes or beyond, honchos (including exec producers Jonathan Lisco and Craig Silverstein) had to reshape the show into a slightly lighter, more procedural-driven look at two cops (one with a secret, which is hinted at in the pilot).

"(That hint) spins us into a series in a very natural way," Turner says. "To spin into a series, you need some ongoing issues between your lead characters. (The pilot) was a movie, I told them. I need to create longevity for them."

Turner was tapped to handle the "K-Ville" assignment (he spends most of his year on "24") partly because he's become one of 20th Century Fox TV's go-to guys when it comes to second episodes.

It's a unique niche that Turner says he relishes. Last year, Turner helmed the second episode of "Standoff"; the year before that, it was "Prison Break."

"In a way, it's equal to the pressure that's put on you when you direct a pilot," Turner says. "You've got a lot of people relying on you -- the studio, the network, the showrunners, the writers, the actors -- who want to spend the next five years doing this."

Shooting the first regular episode is most nerve-wracking for the lead cast (especially if there has been a casting change), he adds.

"There's a lot of tension on that first day of shooting," Turner says. "There's that feeling of, 'Now that we're picked up, we have to fight the ratings war.' "

Unlike entering a well-oiled series machine, Turner and other second-episode directors must spend time figuring out how to carry out the writers' champagne wishes on a Budweiser budget. And they don't get any extra time to plan it out (beyond the standard week prior to shooting).

"The toughest is bridging the gap between creative and production," Turner says. "Production wants to adapt the regular series feel as soon as possible, while creative wants to keep the movie-like nature of the pilot."

But if they pull it off, that second episode will likely be the template that remains in place on the show.

"It's been proven to us by these talented directors that you don't have to compromise episodically because of the budget," Walden says. "You need someone who's really smart and talented to come in and establish that eight days is enough time to produce a quality TV show. You don't get all the bells and whistles of the pilot, you sacrifice rehearsal time, some time to light scenes."

Sometimes it takes more than one episode to get the series in full swing. Walden says "Prison Break" took a few episodes to hit its stride, partly because "their pilot set the bar so high," she adds.

For other shows, the pilot ultimately worked better as a stand-alone mini-movie than part of a series.

In the case of "Standoff," it was the unusual tone between dramatic action and a romantic comedy that probably required longer shoots and more time in post-production to hit the scenes just right, Walden says -- time that could be afforded a pilot, but not a series.

Of course, some second-episode stresses could be avoided if producers attempted to keep their pilot episodes under check.

"Some of my teachers were people like ('NYPD Blue' alums) Greg Hoblit and Steven Bochco," says Robin. "They wanted to make sure when they were doing their pilot it was an accurate representation of what to expect on the series level. Otherwise, episode two has to be a big step down, and you have to re-educate the audience on what they should expect on the series level. That's a tall task."

It's all in the Producer's, Director's and Editor's vision....

Tim Kuglin — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 07:24:00 GMT

Those of us in TV know first hand that the show is always how "we" want it to look. Sometimes the curtain is pulled off the great wizard.

'Man vs. Wild,' perhaps not as much wild after all
In recent weeks, there has been a lot of controversy in Britain about truthfulness in factual TV programming. Now that debate is spilling over into the U.S. This time the talk is about a Discovery Channel show called “Man vs. Wild.” The program features survival expert Bear Grylls surviving on his wits alone after being stranded out in the wilderness. It is also shown in Britain on Channel 4 under the name “Born Survivor.” But Bear may not be as tough as he appears. A member of Grylls’ team told Britain’s Sunday Times that the host sometimes spends the night in hotels when it would appear he has bedded down in the great outdoors. Furthermore, the source said, a raft that Grylls seemingly created in the wild had been made earlier by a production team and then disassembled for Grylls to put together during the show. There was also the issue of some wild horses that were actually not so wild. The Discovery Channel has said that it will make the show more transparent going forward.

Talks start to thwart off a writer's strike in October

Tim Kuglin — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:33:00 GMT

Reality TV's Big Break
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Top Of The News: The Show Will Go On

Top Of The News: Strike Threatens Tinseltown

Forbes Faces: March 2, 2001

Hollywood Braces For Strike--Or Change

All of Hollywood is dreading a writers strike. Except maybe one group: producers of reality television.

While a potential work stoppage is still months away--the Writers Guild contract with the Hollywood studios expires in October--negotiations are set to begin Monday, and both sides are starting out far apart.

The central issue: how writers should be compensated when their work appears on the Web. Neither side is budging. On Wednesday, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers called on the Writers Guild to extend the current deal, allowing them time to revamp the now-outdated compensation system, particularly as it pertains to the residuals structure. The way the AMPTP sees it, a much-needed overhaul would require a study, which could not be completed by an October deadline.

The guild response was predictable. "We don't need a study, we need a fair share for writers of the revenue our work generates," said John Bowman, chair of the guild's negotiating committee, in a statement. "Our members can't rely on Hollywood accounting." The guild is also looking to make up for ground it lost in an unfavorable deal struck in the 1980s regarding ancillary revenue such as home-video sales.

To be sure, this kind of saber-rattling happens every time the Guild's contract comes up for renegotiation. But even if there is no strike, the reality genre still stands to come away a winner. Despite efforts by the Guild, most reality shows aren't covered under the current contracts, making them attractive programming options and providing networks leverage at the bargaining table.

"If you've got a concept that could be mounted very quickly, then the networks may have to listen more intently than they might otherwise have," says Bill Carroll, vice president and director of programming with Katz Television Group, a New York-based media buying and consulting firm.

In other words, "more work, more money [and] more opportunities," says Dan Cutforth, who with Jane Lipsitz runs Magical Elves, the production company behind reality hits like Top Chef, Project Runway and Project Greenlight.

The last time the entertainment industry experienced a major strike was in 1988, when a bitter five-month work stoppage not only delayed the television season but also crippled the industry. This time around the stakes are even greater.

One reason: shrinking audiences. The networks can't afford to lose any more viewers, the likely outcome of a strike, says Carolyn Finger, vice president of TVtracker.com, a Web-based resource and consulting service to the TV industry. Networks have seen that when viewer's favorite shows go off the air for an extended period of time--think the Walt Disney Co. (nyse: DIS - news - people )-owned ABC's Lost and CBS's (nyse: CBS - news - people ) Jericho--it's hard to get those viewers back.

So networks are preparing for the worst. That means shooting schedules on scripted shows like General Electric (nyse: GE - news - people )-owned NBC's Las Vegas are getting pushed up, and more reality fare is on order. It's a big opportunity for reality producers. But there are pitfalls.

Steven Katleman, a lawyer with the Greenberg Traurig firm, which represents a number of television actors, writers and producers, says the major worry should be oversaturation. "At some point, audiences are going to get sick of watching reality all of the time," he says. "And it could hurt the whole genre."

Cutforth agrees, citing audience burnout as one of his firm's biggest fears. "If the bulk of shows on TV are reality it will be even harder to deliver fresh, original programming and to find a loyal audience," he says, "which is what you need to be successful in the long run."

Who Wants to be a Millionaire is the genre's oft-cited cautionary tale. Though it remains on the daytime airwaves, the once-hot and frequently aired quiz show was pulled from prime time once viewers had had enough and stopped tuning in.

And part of the reason a show like News Corp. (nyse: NWS - news - people )-owned Fox's American Idol works is because it happens once a year. Reality programs that are events tend to be the most successful.

In its sixth season, Idol drew 30 million viewers on average each week, making it the year's most-watched series, according to Nielsen Media Research. Among the other solid performers: ABC's Dancing With the Stars and Fox's Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? and So You Think You Can Dance.

According to TVtracker.com, this past season saw 65 unscripted series across all of the broadcast networks, up from 51 the year before. If reality TV handles the strike right, count on that number to grow.

"The possibility of a strike has really just reinforced what the networks already have as a programming mandate," says Finger. "That is, they are in an ongoing quest to find programming that is unique and can be produced inexpensively." Seven nights of Survivor, anyone?

What the critics have to say about the Soprano's finale.

Tim Kuglin — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 10:37:00 GMT

'The Sopranos' ends,
not with a bang

David Chase delivers a finale without an end

By Toni Fitzgerald
Jun 11, 2007

In hindsight, it would have been foolish to expect anything else.

Last night’s much-hyped series finale of “The Sopranos” delivered no shocking twists, no moral lessons and no big death scene for Tony Soprano, the mob boss who went into hiding in the penultimate episode after a rival Mafioso put out a hit on him.

Instead, the HBO series ended simply, with a scene of Tony and his family gathering for dinner at a local diner. The closing of the much-anticipated finale has left some critics irate and yet other praising the show's creators.

We see Tony as he arrives at the diner early, and we watch nervously as every new customer enters, with just minutes to go in the finale.

Is he going to be hit, as so many had been speculating since before the sixth and final season even started?

Or is this simply a family dinner with the four characters who made up the show’s core since its 1999 debut?

The tension is building, and it continues to build as the family members arrive.
We see daughter Meadow struggling to park her car out front.

A man near the counter gets up and moves toward the restroom. Tony, his wife and son are talking, seemingly oblivious. We hear the tinkle of the diner's front door bell as someone enters.

Then the screen goes black. It's over. The series ends.

What happened? Was it Meadow coming through the door, or a hitman? Did the sinister man in the restroom take out a gun?

We will never know. Creator David Chase left that to the audience’s imagination, refusing to tie up almost any loose ends in the finale.

But we are left with the sense that life for the Sopranos will go on anyhow, and that may be the point.

Malcontent A.J. lands what seems like a dream job on a new movie but remains whiny as ever. Mobster Paulie is still alive, despite speculation that he too would be whacked, and he's agreed to stay with Tony despite his desire to get out.

New York rival Phil Leotardo, who put the hit out on Tony, did get whacked, in typically grisly “Sopranos” fashion. Tony’s lieutenant Silvio remains in a coma, and Tony himself learned he would most likely be indicted after years of dodging the feds.

But in New Jersey, in that world, that's life as it's lived every day. And for a show that was praised for its true-to-life presentation, that was perhaps the most honest way to end the story.

Here’s what critics are saying about last night’s finale.

Nikki Finke, Deadline Hollywood
The line to cancel HBO starts here. What a ridiculously disappointing end lacking in creativity to The Sopranos saga. But if you're one of those who found it perversely interesting, then don't bother to read on.

Even if David Chase, who wrote and directed the final episode, was demonstrating the existential and endless loop of Tony's life or the moments before the hit that causes his death, it still robbed the audience of visual closure. And if it were done to segue into a motion picture sequel, then that kind of crass commercialism shouldn't be tolerated.

There's even buzz that the real ending will only be available on the series' final DVD. Either way, it was terrible.

Tom Shales, Washington Post
It may have been the greatest double-take -- by the audience -- in the history of American television.

Millions of viewers who might have thought something had gone wrong with their TV sets or cable systems last night were mistaken. When the picture vanished at the end, the very end, of "The Sopranos" and the screen went black, that was producer David Chase's unorthodox and arguably ingenious way of ending the series and dispatching the Soprano family to eternity.

Robert Bianco, USA Today
Mother of mercy, was that the end of Tony?

After eight years and six seasons, HBO's landmark Mob saga The Sopranos didn't so much end as stop. When last we see Tony, he is alive and well — sitting with Carmela and AJ in a diner and waiting for Meadow to finish a fraught-with-meaning parking job and join them. Then the door opens, and the screen goes blank.

And among Sopranos fans everywhere, no doubt the debate began.
Always one to tell his story his own way, creator David Chase chose to wrap up his show with an episode that felt more like one from the center of the run than at its culmination.

David Bianculli, New York Daily News
There wasn't much closure in what was one of the most hotly anticipated series finales in television history. Sunday's episode cut abruptly to black as Tony, Carmela, A.J. and Meadow sat down for a family dinner at Holsten's and some menacing -- or maybe completely harmless -- people hovered nearby. Did they enjoy dinner together? Or were they wiped out in a hail of bullets? The answer is unclear. …

[At] the restaurant, as Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" played on Tony's tabletop jukebox, we heard the lyrics "Don't stop" repeated over and over.

But by shifting jarringly to black and going totally silent, "The Sopranos" stopped anyway.

Paul Brownfield, Los Angeles Times
It was an ending that, if nothing else, had millions on their feet. In what may be the first case of finalus interruptus, David Chase, faced with deciding between a bang and a whimper, chose neither. Instead the creator of “The Sopranos” decided to fool millions of Americans into believing their cable had gone out for possibly the most important moment in the history of televised drama. ...

For several agonizing moments, America was united ... in uttering every profanity known to man as millions of hands reached for millions of remotes, while partners and friends yelled, “No, no, don’t touch it!”

Then, silently, the credits began to roll and somewhere Chase was, no doubt, having a pretty good laugh.

Linda Stasi, New York Post
In a finale that was spectacularly disappointing, creator David Chase delivered just one hit.

After making us think for the last five minutes that Tony was about to get killed . . . nothing. Dead air. Chase will have to live with what he did last night.

Barry Garron, Hollywood Reporter
The integrity of "The Sopranos," from its first episode in 1999, made it impossible for Tony to simply flee the country or go into witness protection. For guys like Tony, there's only one way out. Still, by stopping short of what appeared to be an imminent bloodbath, Chase neither dodges reality nor dashes our hope that somehow, some way, Tony survives, that he merely uses up one his nine lives, much like the cat he befriends in the finale.

Will HDNet be airing a new Pro Football league?

Tim Kuglin — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 07:55:00 GMT

Coming, a second
pro football league

Plans call for play to begin in the fall of 2008

By Toni Fitzgerald
Jun 4, 2007

Who could ever forget the XFL?

Tim Armstrong, Bill Hambrecht and Mark Cuban, to name three.

The three men are involved in creating a second professional football league with plans to begin playing games by fall 2008.

Word of the UFL's plans broke last week. It’s being formed by Google senior executive vice president Armstrong and WR Hambrecht + Company founder Hambrecht.

Though they haven’t released many details about the league, such as how many games it will play per season, they’ve recruited Dallas Mavericks owner Cuban, one of the most aggressive and popular owners in all of sports, to own their first of eight planned franchises.

Armstrong and Hambrecht have hired two people with mainstream pro sports experience, former NBA executives Bill Daugherty and Jon Brod, as chief executive and chief operating officer, instead of relying on entertainment types with little sports background to run things.

As TV ratings show, Americans have an insatiable appetite for football, and the new league, called the United Football League, would play games alongside the National Football League in the fall.

This would set it apart from the other pro football leagues like Arena Football and of course the ill-fated XFL, which have played in the spring.

The UFL plans to court top players and pay them top dollar, unlike other pro football leagues, which subsist on NFL Europe leftovers and guys who never made the NFL.

By pursuing deep-pocketed owners like Cuban, the billionaire behind HDNet and Broadcast.com, who will front $30 million for his franchise, the UFL sets itself up as a competitor to the NFL, not just a complement.

It will need serious investors to do so.

“Is it crazy to try to compete with the NFL? I don’t think so,” writes Cuban on his blog, Blogmaverick.com. “There is obviously demand for top-level professional football, [and] the NFL wants and needs competition.”

The UFL is targeting cities without NFL teams initially, such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as Mexico City. The NFL has scheduled games in Mexico before to great success, and branching out in this way would create a new and potentially loyal audience for football in general.

Of course many people are still skeptical of any NFL competitor after the XFL debacle six years ago. When NBC and the Worldwide Wrestling Federation teamed to launch the league in 2001, there were big expectations.

But after huge ratings for its first weekend, the XFL bombed. It was doomed by over-the-top stunting, such as crude trash talking by the players and dizzying camera angles, and placement on a night, Saturday, where TV viewership had been declining for years.

Worst of all, the football on display was just plain awful.

Columnists immediately cautioned that the UFL should learn from the XFL's mistakes by scheduling games on Tuesday through Friday, to avoid competing directly for eyeballs with the NFL, which airs Sunday and Monday, and college football, which dominates Saturday.

And the UFL needs to draw marquee names to give it some immediate legitimacy and ensure that the quality of football will be high. Otherwise, there’s no reason for viewers to tune in.

“Each team has to have half a dozen big-name players to make it work,” Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for players such as Dallas Cowboys star Terrell Owens, tells SportsBusiness Journal.

The UFL’s success may ultimately rest on one key dynamic, however.

“There are a lot of smart people involved in the UFL,” points out Cuban on his blog.

He himself has gotten in on the ground of two nascent trends that took off, broadband and high-definition television, while Armstrong was a pioneer with Google.

Broadcast Networks are becoming Narrow Cast Networks

Tim Kuglin — Wed, 23 May 2007 07:37:00 GMT

By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/21/2007 10:45:00 AM

During a standup routine at the ABC upfront presentation last week at New York City's Lincoln Center, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel fired a barb at rival NBC Universal in the wake of its decision to move Law & Order: Criminal Intent to USA Network.

“Law & Order is moving to cable,” Kimmel deadpanned, “And NBC itself may be moving to cable.”

If the upfront presentations were any indication, NBC is not the only broadcast network moving to cable, or at least looking a lot like a cable network.

In broadcast TV, a network's collective stable of shows defines its current brand, whereas in the cable world, networks are narrowly defined by their genre or audience profile.

But more so this year than ever, the broadcast networks are beginning to take on personalities—fitting nicely into niches. It is the inadvertent result of executives' chasing development similar to their current hits.

Not only do producers start to pitch more like-minded shows to those networks hoping to capitalize on their current successes, but the networks themselves often want similar fare as companion pieces to anything that works.

But networks have to tread carefully, as economic models demand that they command the mass audiences on which advertisers still want to bet $9 billion during the upfront spending season.

“Yes, the networks have narrowed and become more niche,” says John Rash, senior VP/director of media negotiations for media buyer Campbell Mithun. “But economically, it is imperative the broadcasters remain broad.”

Despite that warning, the nation's broadcasters are getting increasingly narrow.

With another pack of estrogen-heavy shows on the way, resurgent ABC is strengthening its increasing role as the Lifetime Television of broadcast TV.

After building its turnaround on female-targeted dramas like Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy, ABC is smartly staying in its sweet spot with development like Cashmere Mafia from the creator of Sex and the City and Grey's spinoff Private Practice.

The network is trying one male-centric drama in the form of Big Shots, a Thursday-night ensemble about four CEOs. But Entourage it is not—no surprise given ABC's current feel. “Even [Big Shots] looked like men as described by women,” says one ad buyer, noting that it may to be tough to promote a male-targeted show on ABC's female-heavy schedule.

Struggling NBC says it is betting on quality to dig itself out of the primetime doldrums, with many of entertainment chief Kevin Reilly's shows looking like they would play well on his former employer and home to some of cable's best-made shows, FX.

But while highly acclaimed shows watched by just a few million viewers may work for FX, NBC execs know they need to find another mass-audience hit like Heroes to turn things around.

Poor choices, like the recent airing of low-brow reality show Real Wedding Crashers on Mondays at 10 after Heroes, betrayed NBC's desired image of quality, new fare like dramas Bionic Woman and Chuck were well-received by advertisers.

The CW wants to be what MTV used to be, a trend-defining place for America's youth to meet. At its first upfront, in 2006, advertisers credited the fledgling CW with one of the better presentations, a short and acutely targeted message about chasing the hip and tech-savvy 18-34 demographic. But with a thrown-together hodge-podge of aging shows from two failed networks, such as 7th Heaven and Reba, the network simply didn't have the assets to back up or build that brand last year.

This year's presentation was again on target, and with its first full development season producing scripted shows like Gossip Girl and the Web-audience-targeted Online Nation, the network may finally start to live up to its brand.

Seldom is even a cable network built around a single show, and Fox is gradually adding assets to be more than the American Idol network. And those shows continue to have the irreverent and edgy feel that, with Idol, won the adult 18-49 ratings race yet again this year.

What used to be called the “Fox attitude” is still going strong with veterans like House and this year's rookie Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? fitting the bill. Now the network is adding more edgy fare like post-Katrina New Orleans drama K-Ville and Terminator spinoff Sarah Connor Chronicles.

CBS may be the exception to the rule, desperately trying to add some buzz to its crime-heavy brand, which still consistently leads the networks in viewership.

With atypical CBS fare like musical Viva Laughlin and couple-swapping drama Swingtown, the network aims to get edgier, and younger. But with a bunch of crime shows, some aging but successful reality assets, the new diverse dramas and the highest-rated comedy lineup, CBS is getting harder to paint with one brush stroke.

Sitcoms are dwindling away in favor of cheaper reality typw shows

Tim Kuglin — Tue, 22 May 2007 08:03:00 GMT

Coming season is no laughing matter

Networks are rolling out just six new sitcoms

By Toni Fitzgerald
May 22, 2007

People have been talking about the death of the sitcom for years. This season, it may actually happen.

At last week’s upfronts, the five broadcast networks introduced the lowest number of new fall sitcoms, six, in at least five years and perhaps longer.

NBC, the network most closely associated with great comedies over the past 15 years with shows like “Seinfeld,” “Cheers” and “Friends,” doesn’t have a new fall comedy for the first time in its history.

The dearth of sitcoms was the most noticeable programming trend among several that emerged from last week’s fall schedule announcements. Others include dramas that focus on fantasy, programs about hip young career women, and a rebirth of reality shows.

There doesn’t appear to be one reason behind the decline in sitcoms. Rather, it’s a number of factors, such as low ratings for existing comedies and poor development, that finally converged.

It comes after a season in which there was not one standout hit comedy. “Of the new comedies, none of them this year was very good at all or delivered many viewers,” says one media researcher.

The biggest problem is the networks' inability to develop comedies that people want to watch, in what's become a yearly struggle with no apparent end in sight.

Just five new comedies from the more than a dozen that premiered last fall were renewed. The only new comedy to average better than a 3.0 rating among 18-49s was CBS’s “Rules of Engagement,” and even that was beginning to slip in its final few outings.

Media people say the fact that low-rated shows like ABC’s “Notes from the Underbelly,” Fox’s “’Til Death” and NBC’s “30 Rock” were renewed at all is the truest indicator of just how poorly the networks are faring in developing new sitcoms.

“NBC stubbornly keeps renewing and promoting ‘Scrubs’ as though it was actually a hit. It’s not. ‘Scrubs’’ renewal, along with no non-Thursday comedies, is not a positive statement about the NBC’s comedy development,” notes a Magna Global analysis of the new NBC schedule released last week.

Other media people note that reality is increasingly filling the comedy role on the networks’ schedules. The “American Idol” audition episodes, “Dancing with the Stars” and “Survivor” often provide more laughs than any sitcom on television.

Comedic elements are also popping up in soapy hour-long dramas, such as CW’s now-canceled “Gilmore Girls,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives” and NBC’s “Heroes.”

Meanwhile, another upfront trend was the huge boom in fantasy dramas, coming as NBC’s fantasy-based “Heroes” finishes its first season as the top-ranked new program.

Every network has at least one fantasy-based program about raising the dead, vampires or other supernatural elements. NBC has several, including “Bionic Woman” and “Journeyman.”

There were also several shows about career-oriented yet stylish women on the schedule, some three years after “Sex and the City” left the air. NBC’s “Lipstick Jungle,” about three New York executives, is getting the best buzz. There’s also ABC’s “Cashmere Mafia” and “Sam I Am,” as well as the network’s “SATC”-with-guys, “Big Shots.”

And there was a big return to reality, after two years in which unscripted shows were mainly used during the summer and midseason. There are seven airing this fall, including three on Fox. The CW has ordered two for fall and three for midseason.

CBS may have the reality show with the biggest buzz. “Kid Nation” lets 40 kids loose for 40 days to build a new community in a show that’s a bit like “Survivor” without the bugs.

Broadcast TV Schedule

Tim Kuglin — Fri, 18 May 2007 08:50:00 GMT

Network schedules for 2007 -2008

Complete listings of next year's offerings

By VARIETY STAFF

Primetime schedule for 2007-2008
	7:00	7:30	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00	10:30
Mon.			Dancing with the Stars			Sam I Am	The Bachelor
Mon.	(after Dancing with the Stars)		Wife Swap		Sam I Am	Notes from the Underbelly	October Road*
Tue.			Cavemen	Carpoolers	Dancing with the Stars: The Results Show		Boston Legal
Tue.	(after Dancing with the Stars)				Cashmere Mafia
Wed.			Pushing Daisies		Private Practice		Dirty Sexy Money
Thur.			Ugly Betty		Grey’s Anatomy		Big Shots
Fri.			Men in Trees*		Women’s Murder Club		20/20
Sat.			Saturday Night College Football
Sun.	America’s Funniest Home Videos		Extreme Makeover: Home Edition		Desperate Housewives		Brothers & Sisters
On the Bench: Eli Stone; Miss/Guided; Oprah's Big Give; Lost, Supernanny
* indicates time period change Bold denotes new show

Primetime schedule for 2007-2008
	7:00	7:30	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00	10:30
Mon.			How I Met Your Mother	Big Bang Theory	Two and a Half Men	Rules of Engagement	CSI: Miami
Tue.			NCIS		The Unit		Cane
Wed.			Kid Nation		Criminal Minds		CSI: NY
Thur.			Survivor		CSI		Without a Trace*
Fri.			Ghost Whisperer		Moonlight		Numbers
Sat.			Drama repeats				48 Hours Mystery
Sun.	60 Minutes		Viva Laughlin		Cold Case		Shark*
On the Bench: Swingtown; New Adventures of Old Christine; The Amazing Race; Power of 10
* indicates time period change Bold denotes new show

Primetime schedule for 2007-2008
	7:00	7:30	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00	10:30
Mon.			Everybody Hates Chris	Aliens in America	Girlfriends	The Game
Tue.			Beauty and the Geek*		Reaper
Wed.			America’s Next Top Model		Gossip Girl
Thur.			Smallville		Supernatural
Fri.			Friday Night Smackdown
Sat.
Sun.	CW Now!	Online Nation	Life is Wild		America's Next Top Model repeats
On the Bench: One Tree Hill; Pussycat Dolls Present; Farmer Wants a Wife; Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants
* indicates time period change Bold denotes new show

Primetime schedule for 2007-2008
	7:00	7:30	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00	10:30
Mon.			Deal or No Deal		Heroes/Heroes: Origins		Journeyman
Tue.			The Biggest Loser*		Chuck		Law & Order: SVU
Wed.			Deal or No Deal*		Bionic Woman		Life
Thur.			My Name is Earl	30 Rock	The Office*	Scrubs*	ER
Fri.			1 vs. 100/Singing Bee Rotating reality block		Las Vegas		Friday Night Lights
Sat.			Dateline NBC		Drama repeats
Sun.	Football Night in America		NBC Sunday Night Football
Sun.	Dateline NBC (post NFL schedule)		Law & Order*		Medium*		Lipstick Jungle
On the Bench: The IT Crowd; World Moves
* indicates time period change Bold denotes new show

Primetime schedule for fall 2007-2008
	7:00	7:30	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00	10:30
Mon.			Prison Break		K-Ville
Tue.			New Amersterdam		House
Wed.			Back to You	'Til Death	Bones
Thur.			Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?		Kitchen Nightmares
Fri.			The Search for the Next Great American Band (working title)		Nashville (working title)
Sat.			Cops	Cops	America's Most Wanted: American Fights Back
Sun.	The OT		The Simpsons	King of the Hill	Family Guy	American Dad
Off the Chart: Saturday: 11:00 pm - midight: MadTV; Midnight - 12:30 am: Talk Show with Spike Ferestein
* indicates time period change Bold denotes new show

Primetime schedule for spring 2007-2008
	7:00	7:30	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00	10:30
Mon.			K-Ville (Jan.) / Prison Break (spring)		24
Tue.			American Idol		House
Wed.	(January)		Back to You	'Til Death	American Idol
Wed.	(spring)			The Return of Jezebel James (working title)	American Idol results show	'Til Death
Thur.			Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?		Canterbury's Law
Fri.			Bones		New Amersterdam
Sat.			Cops	Cops	America's Most Wanted: American Fights Back
Sun.	King of the Hill	American Dad	The Simpsons	Family Guy	The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Off the Chart: Saturday: 11:00 pm - midight: MadTV; Midnight - 12:30 am: Talk Show with Spike Ferestein
* indicates time period change Bold denotes new show