Going for the ratings gold

Chicago ranks 25th in Olympic ratings When it comes to the Summer Olympics, Chicagoans haven’t really been too excited about the games (perhaps we still have a hangover from losing the 2016 Olympics bid to Rio?) The games of the XXX Olympiad from across the pond in London has drawn an average of 32.8 million viewers in primetime for the […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: RIP Sherman Hemsley, Chad Everett

There is other media news besides the Olympics and the Television Critics Association Press Tour – including a new morning show for the new i101 and the return of a bad Scooby-Doo reboot. And we once again mourn the loss of a television great – in fact two of them. – Sherman Hemsley, who is best known as George Jefferson […]

NBCUniversal at TCA: We’re Number 3! We’re Number 3!

NBCUniversal held its TCA presentations for its broadcast and cable platforms on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here are the highlights: – NBC executive session: On Tuesday, NBC chief Robert Greenblatt addressed the media and touted the upcoming Summer Olympics, which opened in London on Friday – not to mention the brand new series he gets to peddle during the Games. The […]

Canada-USA Gold Medal game scores in Chicago – and everywhere else

What’s the best part of the Winter Olympics? Seeing one of the best hockey tournaments in the world. And this Olympics proved no different. The Gold Medal Game in Men’s Hockey between the United States and Canada drew the largest audience for any hockey game in 30 years on this side of the border and the largest audience ever for […]

T Dog’s Four Pack – A long time coming

Been awhile since a T Dog’s Four pack was published… so, let’s create one. Now! What’s Hot: The New Orleans Saints. …and in fact, the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Their recent Super Bowl win was their first in the team’s 42-year history, giving a huge lift to an area devastated by Hurricane Katrina only […]

WMAQ cleans up on Olympics

NBC-owned WMAQ-TV is having a blast this month, thanks to the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Ratings for the games have more than tripled its nearest competitors in prime-time – none of which have come even close, proving the games are a big draw in Chicagoland. For example on Saturday, the Olympics drew a 15.2 rating (share not available) on Saturday night […]

Meet your new ruler of Earth: "American Idol"

Not even the mighty Winter Olympics could slow down American Idol, which is now the undisputed ruler of the Nielsen Kingdom (with the expection of the Super Bowl, of course.) Tuesday night’s ratings showdown featured Idol, the Olympics, and a new episode of Lost. Idol won the 7-9 p.m. time slot with a 9.1/22 rating/share among adults 18-49 (and 24 […]

NBC, CTV score big with Winter Olympics Opener

A week ago, a 27- year record fell when Super Bowl XLIV between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts drew more than 106 million viewers, marking it as the most-watched television event ever in the United States. Now its Canada’s turn. Friday’s Opening Ceremonies for the Winter Olympics drew the largest audience ever for a television event in Canada. […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: Chicago’s lament

WARNING: This Think Tank contains material not suitable for more sensible readers (but of course, so has every item on this blog for the last three years!) Reader discretion is advised. This piece is rated B – for brutal. On Friday, the International Olympic Committee told Chicago to get lost as the organization picked Rio as the site of the […]

We lose

 No, it didn’t. Even though yours truly provided lukewarm support for the Chicago 2016 effort, I am just as shocked and stunned as everyone else in our inability to land the Olympic games. It kind of reminds me of a rather laugh-free Simpsons episode where Bart did an offensive stand-up routine at Springfield’s Olympic Presentation where International Olympic Committee  members […]

Who’s in your four, Edition 4 (plus a tribute to Bill Melendez)

This is in my four for edition four of Who’s in Your Four this week. Fore! – 90210. Scored the highest ratings in the history of the two-year old network. – Raising the Bar, indeed. Now Turner’s cable networks can actually air a promo with a claim that’s actually true: Despite lukewarm reviews, TNT’s new legal drama Raising the Bar […]

Who’s in your four, Edition II

The week’s winners and losers: T Dog’s Fab Four – Michael Phelps. The best Olympian. Ever. – NBC and the Summer Olympics. The numbers posted by the event are on the pace to be the most watched Olympics. Ever. – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. A slight revamp and an upgrade to early fringe (5 p.m.) at WGN-TV in […]

Who’s in your four?

It’s been dreary around here lately, so let’s lighten the mood a little bit with a new feature: Introducing T Dog’s “Who’s in your four?” T Dog’s Fab Four – The Olympics ratings. Friday’s opening ceremonies rocked, scoring higher ratings than any other non-U.S. opening ceremony. The games are dominating prime-time, with high numbers for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday – […]

T Dog’s Groovy Grab Bag

Another installment of T Dog’s Groovy Grab Bag: – Fox has decided to replace Moment of Truth on Thursday nights this fall with Hole in the Wall, a Japanese-like game show which debuts on Sept. 11. Let’s hope it doesn’t turn out like a similar show ABC aired this summer. For the record, the last time Fox aired something close […]

TCA: NBC, Part 3

Final items from the TCA Press Tour in Hollywood: MSNBC – MSNBC had a panel at the tour, and it was lively as expected – with Keith Olbermann taking a shot at Fox News and Chris Wallace and Karl Rove. about himself anchoring election coverage at the network. He took a swipe at archrival Bill O’ Reilly as well, when […]