Believe it or not, many series STILL on the bubble With the upfronts less than 48 hours away, the networks are finalizing their decisions on “bubble” shows. In a bit of a surprise, NBC announced Saturday the reversal on a decision they made earlier in the week regarding sci-fi drama Timeless: NBC said it would bring the series back for a second […]
Pickups, renewals take place before upfront week. As has been the case the last few years, the major networks are clearing the deadwood and making last-minute renewals on many shows the week before upfront presentations take place in New York. From the looks of things, Fox is likely to overhaul its lineup: five shows so far have gotten the ax: Rosewood, […]
Look for more consolidation as FCC gifts media conglomerates by relaxing media ownership rules In all my years of following the television industry, I’ve never seen an outright scam perpetrated onto the public by a government agency. But that’s what we have as the Federal Communications Commission announced Thursday the restoration of the UHF discount abolished a few months ago in […]
Reflects the world we live in these days in the Trump era (WARNING: Contains spoilers.) (Editor’s Note: This post has been edited due to the video in this story being removed from YouTube.) If you’ve read this blog for the last decade, I’ve often called out Survivor for their failure to deal with social issues such as racism. Wednesday night, […]
Chicago is a Simpsons town; NCIS, Duck Dynasty not so much Viewing patterns are racially segregated as the city is Two weeks ago, the Metropolitan Planning Council and the Urban Institute proclaimed in a study (another in a very long line) something we’ve known for decades: the Chicago metropolitan area is one of the most racially segregated areas in the country. And to a […]
Deal with CBS takes sitcom to 2019; becomes longest-running sitcom in network’s history…and two cast members get a significant raise More Bazinga ahead: CBS has renewed The Big Bang Theory for two more seasons at 24 episodes each, through the end of the 2018-19 season. This brings the episode count to 279 over twelve seasons. Big Bang now joins an […]
In what technically is the first prime-time cancellation of the season (in February no less), CBS has pulled the plug on Doubt after just two episodes. The court drama starred Katherine Heigl and Laverne Cox, who became the first transgender individual to star in a prime-time show. But the audience didn’t respond: the series’ premiere drew 5.3 million in its […]
First test for new show heading to CBS’ premium service When CBS’ new All-Access service was wheeled out in 2014, many thought the first original series to be rolled out and marketed as a flagship brand for the service would be the new Star Trek series – a well-known brand name to draw in viewers. Unfortunately, the new Star Trek […]
Discussion on Chicago violence draws over a million viewers; also, news on CBS, The Bulls, and Big Bang As gun violence continues to plague Chicago, the national spotlight on the city isn’t dimming anytime soon with MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes the latest television program to come here to discuss the issue. Despite a last-minute scheduling change (originally scheduled […]
New England Patriots come from behind and beat the Atlanta Falcons History was made in Super Bowl LI – but not in the ratings. Tom Brady led the New England Patriots from behind to beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-28 in the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. Airing on Fox, Super Bowl LI was epic in many ways: not only […]
The latest news and um…notes: Todd Cavanah, sticking to….stuff not related to politics, a lackluster MTM tribute, and correction to make and more Todd Cavanah takes over programming duties at US99 WBBM-FM and WJMK-FM program director Todd Cavanah is adding another new position in his arsenal – program director of sister station WUSN-FM, according to Robert Feder. He succeeds Jeff […]
Also: Eric and Kathy reup; Blackhawks continue to slide in ratings; CW changes stations in San Diego…again; This is Us renewed two years; Esquire Network closes In good news for Chicago baseball fans, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Major League Baseball Thursday announced a live streaming deal for Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games beginning with the 2017 season, […]
“Jessica Jones” tops odd year in media – and life When you look back at 2016, there isn’t much to rave about – way too many celebrity and industry deaths (Prince, Garry Shandling, Carrie Fisher, Grant Tinker, Doug Banks, Herb Kent, etc.), the election of Donald Trump, the rise (again) of Rahm Emanuel, continuing media consolidation, and other awful things. But […]
Also: CBS/Viacom merger dead; Hairspray Live! earns decent reviews and ratings; Alan Thicke dies Remember the message Jonathon Brandmeier put up on his website back two months ago when he said ” [We’ll] continue on the air until it’s officially over – or until they literally pull the plug?” Well, they just did. Cumulus and Westwood One abruptly pulled the plug on Brandmeier’s […]
The television world is remembering Grant Tinker and the legacy he left as he passed away at the age of 90 on November 28 in his Los Angeles home. While network executives were known for meddling into the creative process, Grant Tinker would be best known for his hands-off approach – which made sense given he headed one of the most […]
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