NBC cancels "Law & Order"

The bid for Law and Order to surpass Gunsmoke as the longest-running television drama in history in the United States has fallen short. The network has pulled the plug on Dick Wolf’s crime drama after twenty seasons. Law and Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and won numerous Emmy Awards, and spun-off three series, with a fourth one coming up […]

FlashForward… to your demise – for real this time

Law & Order’s fate hanging in the balance It was a day for cancellations. In a move that does not surprise anyone, The Thursday night science-fiction series’ ratings declined significantly throughout the season in the key adults 18-49 demographic. Last Thursday’s airing of FlashForward finished in last place among adults 18-49 in its time period, even behind CW’s Vampire Diaries, […]

One in a million, you

Trifecta Entertainment and Mark Burnett Productions are teaming up to launch a one-of-a-kind weekday strip: a singing competition. Tentatively titled One in a Million, the show will feature aspiring contestants competing to win one million dollars (of course.)  While the series is targeted for daytime, Million could also wind up in prime access and late fringe time periods. The series […]

WPWR picks up "Bones" for 2nd syndication cycle

Fox’s WPWR-TV and stations owned by Tribune, Sinclair, and Local TV have picked up the second syndicated cycle of Bones from Twentieth Television. The procedural drama has been a  solid ratings performer during its weekend runs in syndication and continues to perform solidly on Fox’s Thursday night schedule, beating FlashForward and NBC’s combo of Community and Parks and Recreation.  Bones […]

Beautiful Betty tops Chicago ratings

Ugly Betty may be gone from the airwaves (did anyone notice?) but Beautiful Betty is blossoming! Betty White’s much ballyhooed hosting gig on Saturday Night Live – inspired by a Facebook campaign, won its time period with a 8.8 overnight metered-market household rating, according to Nielsen. Among adults 18-49 in the 25 Local People Meter markets, the program averaged a […]

T Dog’s Four Pack

The best and the worst in media for the week ending May 9: Winners: – Perfect. The City of Oakland and the word “perfect” often goes together as Playboy models and science-fiction conventions. But the city gets to celebrate for one day as Dallas Breaden pitched a perfect game Sunday for the hometown Athletics against the Tampa Bay Rays. Now […]

Craig Kilbourn returns to TV – sort of

Former late night talk show host and ESPN SportsCenter anchor Craig Kilbourn is making a comeback to TV – well, sort of. Twentieth Television announced it has signed Kilbourn to host a nightly prime-access strip to air this summer, which will be tested on a few Fox-owned stations, including WNYW in New York and KTTV in Los Angeles. The identity […]

T Dog’s Four Pack – Putting the biscuit in the basket

Here’s who is scoring goals – and who isn’t – it’s a hockey-themed T Dog’s Four Pack: Lighting the lamp: Family Guy. No, you don’t see this show in the winner’s circle too often, but Sunday’s night episode – despite some rather uncomfortable dialogue in the first act – was the best of the season and perhaps ever, on a […]

"Seinfeld" returns to WPIX

In a bit of a homecoming for Seinfeld, local syndicated repeats of the sitcom about “nothing” is returning to Tribune Co.-owned WPIX, after ten years at Fox-owned WNYW. WPIX was the original syndication home in the New York market, paying six figures a week for the top-rated NBC sitcom which debuted in prime access in September 1995. However, the series […]