“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek dies

Iconic game show host dies at 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer for the last 20 months Fans are mourning the loss of beloved game show icon Alex Trebek, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer Sunday morning at the age of 80. Trebek was host of long-running Jeopardy!, which has received a surge of buzz in recent years, […]

Fall syndication preview: It’s all Drew

Drew Barrymore show set to debut Monday – on TWO local stations [Editor’s Note: An earlier draft listed incomplete time period information for Law & Crime Daily and The First 48. This post was updated on September 19.]  With Nick Cannon’s new syndicated talk show on the shelf for another year, it’s just Drew Barrymore as the lone new syndicated […]

Coronavirus fears forces “Wendy Williams”, others to pull live studio audiences

Syndicated, network daytime shows latest to pull audiences due to coronavirus After Sony’s decision to close tapings of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune to the public as of Monday night due to coronavirus concerns, more shows have followed suit as expected. Tuesday night, Debmar-Mercury and Wendy Williams announced they would not host audiences for their show for now: https://twitter.com/WendyWilliams/status/1237512070100209664 Wendy […]

Coronavirus sacks “Jeopardy”, “Wheel” live studio audiences

Decision made after epidemic spreads across globe; Chicago film studio also affected Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 4 p.m. on March 10.  The coronavirus epidemic has affected sporting events, large gatherings, canceled trade shows (including four at McCormick Place) and other places around the world. Now, it is affecting tapings of television shows. Late Monday evening, the producers […]

“Millionaire” returns to ABC to celebrate (belated) 20th anniversary

Jimmy Kimmel takes over with new format Well, that didn’t take long. Just mere months after airing its final episode in syndication, ABC announced Wednesday at the Winter TCA Tour it is bringing back Who Wants To Be A Millionaire as a series of prime-time specials starting April 8, the same night Modern Family is airing its final episode. Handling […]

Broadcasters, cable news networks prepare for impeachment hearings

Viewers, syndicators prepare for regular daytime TV schedules to be disrupted (Editor’s Note: This post will be continuously updated with any information on who is carrying the impeachment hearings. – T.H.)  If you are a fan of daytime TV, get ready for a serious reality check. Beginning Wednesday, the major broadcast networks and cable news channels will begin carrying impeachment […]

Disney, DirecTV the latest to battle over retransmission consent

Companies upping ante in retrans dispute; ABC 7 could be off DirecTV by Saturday  The latest entity to go toe-to-toe with a satellite and cable provider is the biggest name in cable: ESPN. And it could take Chicago’s most-watched TV station down with it. In a carefully orchestrated move, ESPN on its bottom score ticker alerted viewers about the potential […]

Reunification: CBS and Viacom get back together

Split in 2005, both companies re-merge in order to compete with other entertainment giants In news that was expected for several months, it is now official: CBS Corporation and Viacom, Inc. are re-merging after nearly fifteen years apart. The company will be known as ViacomCBS. The reunification returns several well-known properties to one roof: CBS, with its top-rated broadcast network, […]

“Press Your Luck” , “Card Sharks” make grand return to TV

ABC expands summer game show slate as game shows regain traction in popular culture Over the last few weeks, Jeopardy was dominating the headlines with James Holzhauer’s amazing winning streak earning over $2 million over his run, helping earn the show’s highest ratings in years. And though Jeopardy never really went away, the game show genre has had its ups […]

Media Notepad: WTTW exec exits after long run

And… James Holzhauer’s final Jeopardy scores in ratings; Gov. Pritzker honors Rockford local show; Viewers skip Red Line. The man who helmed the Window To The World has called it a career. As first reported by Robert Feder, Dan Soles is stepping down from powerhouse public television station WTTW after 24 years on the job. His most recent position was […]

It’s over: James Holzhauer’s “Jeopardy” winning streak ends

Impressive streak ends at 32 games, falls short of Ken Jennings’ winnings record (An earlier draft of this story appeared on T Dog Media’s Facebook page Monday afternoon.) James Holzhauer’s Jeopardy winning streak abruptly ended Monday ending at 32 games after he was beaten by a Chicago contestant, no less. The former Naperville resident-turned-Las Vegas gambler entered the day only […]

‘Family Feud’s” Canadian expansion

Classic game show to get Canadian version. But I have news about James Holzhauer! (keep reading below; does contains spoilers.) Question: What American game show in getting its own version in another country? Show me Canada! Good answer. Fremantle Media and the CBC announced Wednesday it is launching a new prime-time version of Family Feud north of the border this […]

“Jeopardy!”: A case of a successful game show

  A: This show has been a successful story for 35 years – even before Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer came on the scene. Q: What is Jeopardy? In 1983, King World was looking to pair something with its already red-hot Wheel of Fortune, an NBC daytime game show debuted in evening syndication and became a smash hit. So they […]