A lot at stake for the sitcom, as a Young Sheldon sequel makes its debut Once the goldmine, the sitcom has fallen on hard times, like the rest of linear TV. For decades, the format pioneered by I Love Lucy would successfully run in primetime, then reruns would go to off-network syndication and earn unparalleled riches. Since entering syndication in […]
Stand-up comedian known for his phone props, starred in five network comedies Bob Newhart left his mark on television in many ways as a stand-up comedian and later as a sitcom star. His resume included an underrated (and unappreciated) sitcom set in Chicago and another TV show where the premise of running a Vermont inn for eight years was revealed […]
Also: The Drive reclaims the top spot in Chicago radio ratings; Young Sheldon redeems himself [Editor’s Note: The second item of this piece was updated on May 21.] Wrapping up the upfronts: ABC released its fall schedule last week as part of a Disney upfront presentation that hardly mentioned the network. And little wonder – there isn’t much to talk […]
A year dominated by labor strife, awful Chicago sports teams, and – oh yeah, Elon If you watched the WWE, you remember Vince McMahon playing himself as an arrogant CEO and billionaire, ruling over anything and everything – the ultimate heel. It’s a real-life trend we’re seeing as we close 2023. Led by billionaire Elon Musk, CEOs – whether […]
…or not, as reruns, court shows dominate local schedules As linear TV viewership continues to tumble, fall schedules for local television stations across the country certainly reflect the trend. Unlike last year when Sherri Shepard and Jennifer Hudson debuted with new syndicated talk shows, there is no such new programming being offered – especially with an ongoing work stoppage in […]
Subsidiary Dembar-Mercury to handle domestic sales Also: Big Bang Theory reruns shift to WGN next month [Editor’s Note: This post was updated August 22. See below.] If you forgotten about ABC’s The Conners, well…it’s still around – long enough for it to now enter off-network syndication. Lionsgate announced Wednesday it has acquired the rights to past and future episodes of […]
CBS-owned station was one of only two Big 3 network affiliates in the 50 largest markets without a local news operation After nearly twenty years without local news, WWJ-TV is back in the business, launching a new hyper-local effort in late summer/early fall of 2022 with the operation being branded as CBS News Detroit. Reflecting the sign of the times, […]
What’s happening to the cherished genre these days isn’t funny as it could be reduced to nothing Seven weeks ago, CNN launched The History Of The Sitcom – an unnecessary eight-part documentary on a subject covered to death through books, PBS, and other media celebrating the form stretching from the days of I Love Lucy on your black-and-white mono […]
Also: Young Sheldon adds TBS home; Rick Dees becomes voice of RewindTV; Dish and Sinclair avoid blackouts – for now Veteran meteorologist Andy Avalos announced his retirement on Friday after 33 years on Chicago television. Starting on August 30, fellow NBC 5 (WMAQ) meteorologist Alicia Roman is taking over Avalos’ spot on the morning newscast from 4-7 a.m. She’s been […]
Even through the 2010s were less impactful than the previous decade was (i.e. no iPod-like devices were invented), the period did provide some historic moments. Hearkening back to an era where T Dog Media was a little more looser than it is now, I present to you The Fridge Pack: The Twelve Items That Made The Decade and its impact […]
Led by Kelly Clarkson and Tamron Hall, new shows aim for time slots With the 57th National Association of Television Programming Executive convention set to start this coming Tuesday from the Fontianebleau Hotel in Miami, there is actually something to talk about regarding syndication in 2019, in vast contrast to previous years. That’s because syndicators are actually offering new […]
The 95-year old pop culture icon created iconic characters leading to TV and movie success Stan Lee was responsible for creating a pop-culture franchise with unforgettable iconic characters. On Monday, Lee died at the age of 95 in a Los Angeles hospital. The cause of death has yet to be determined. Born in the New York borough of Manhattan in […]
Tim Allen’s move to Fox a successful one (Note: All ratings are adults 18-49, unless noted.) In 2017, ABC canceled Last Man Standing mainly due to financial issues as Twentieth Television produced the show for the Disney-owned network. In a vertical integration play, Fox (whose shares the same corporate parent with Twentieth) acquired the Tim Allen vehicle a year after […]
Kavanaugh-Ford hearings draw 20 million viewers in daytime; cable news networks benefit The big ratings story yesterday didn’t take place in primetime. Live coverage of The Kavanaugh hearings at the Senate Judiciary Committee drew an average of 20.4 million viewers across six networks Thursday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. according to Nielsen. The cable news networks drew the biggest […]
Big Bang, Young Sheldon erode from last year’s premieres (Note: All numbers are in the adult 18-49 demo, unless noted.) The 2018-19 television season began in earnest yesterday and for the major broadcast networks, provided a mixed bag of results. The surprise of the night came from NBC’s new drama Manifest, who premiered with a 2.2 rating/9 share, and drew […]