Makes aggressive changes; brings comedies back to Friday nights ABC released its 2018-19 schedule Tuesday morning in advance of its upfront presentation on Tuesday, and there are some numerous changes. For one, long-running series Once Upon A Time, Scandal and The Middle have retired and Agents of SHIELD was picked up at the last-minute only to get burned off next […]
Renewal of low-rated ABC action drama would not be possible if the network’s parent company didn’t own the show – and it may be a harbinger for things to come regarding network television On the surface, the weak ratings for ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD should have earned the series its cancellation stripes – but didn’t. Why? A few weeks ago, […]
Ratings don’t seem to matter much as ad buyers remained committed to primetime TV This season, the television business has had its share of negative headlines: notably declining ratings for many shows, especially in the key 18-49 demo. But this isn’t deterring buyers from investing their advertising in primetime TV. And nowhere more this was evident than last week as […]
Fourteen new series on tap; many scheduling moves ABC announced its 2017-18 schedule in front of ad buyers during its annual upfront presentation on Tuesday – fourteen new series on tap, including many midseason entries. But the big news (other than the acquisition of American Idol) is the return of Roseanne to the schedule for the first time in nearly […]
Sad sack Bears, lackluster ABC and Fox lineups dampen night Note: numbers are 18-49 preliminary unless otherwise noted. And you thought Friday night television was bad. Sunday is fast becoming Tune-Out Night In America. And the lackluster Bears (and two of their oldest animated sitcoms who are like Steve Dahl and Jonathan Brandmeier – past-their-prime acts who won’t get off the […]
They’re no fools, ABC retools; ten new shows highlight 2016-17 schedule As expected, ABC has overhauled its schedule for 2016-17, the first under new ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey. Unlike NBC and Fox, who are introducing just three new shows onto their fall schedules and saving the rest for midseason, ABC is going full throttle, adding five new shows to their […]
Channing Dungey becomes ABC Entertainment president; First African-American woman to run a major network When it comes to CBS, you always hear the tagline “We’re America’s Most Watched Network”. When it comes to ABC, it’s always “We’re always in third or fourth place”. And it’s the sinking fortunes that led to ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee’s departure. The alphabet network and the phrase […]
Attendees were still jackin’ it in San Diego as the 2015 Comic-Con extravaganza continued with more costumes, more cosplay (whatever that is), and more panels of your favorite TV shows, movies, and comics. More highlights: – Even though Marvel Studios’ film studios sat out Comic-Con, its television division held plenty of panels – including Marvel Television Presents on Friday, with […]
Muppetmania reigns supreme as the revival is already being talked about to death ABC unveiled its 2015-16 season schedule on Tuesday, and much of it looked like last season’s: much of the lineup is unchanged, with four new comedies and six new dramas joining the lineup. Five of those shows debut this fall. Of note is Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s lineups remains […]
Wallenda’s stunt over Chicago skyline draws viewers Biggest draw for Discovery since 2010 – or is it? As far as we know, there was no trickery involved in Nik Wallenda’s wire-walking stunt, which he successfully walked from Marina City to the Leo Burnett Building and between the Marina City towers themselves, high above the air with no net or no […]
It was ABC day Tuesday at the 2014 TCA Summer Press Tour, with the network bringing out the casts of several new shows to meet the hordes of TV critics. – Executive session: ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee met with the press and talked about a wide variety of subjects from the cancellation of Trophy Wife (let it go, already!) […]
Thursday night actually saw some high drama – and I’m not talking about the NFL draft. ABC decided to announce the programs it picked up and renew existing shows – creating a little bit of drama of their own on Texas A&M QB Johnny Manizel’s big night. Fans of several shows – notably Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD – were forced […]
ABC continues to lag others thanks to lackluster lineup – but Paul Lee is standing pat You’d think ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee has been hanging around and taking advice from Cubs GM Theo Epstein – twiddling their thumbs while waiting for something to hit. Keep twiddling. ABC – in fourth place with perhaps the worst programs on any schedule, […]
Forget the major networks, Sunday night belonged to Walter White. The series finale of AMC’s Emmy-winning drama Breaking Bad after eight seasons was the most watched entertainment show of the evening, drawing 10.3 million viewers and a 5.3 rating among adults 18-49, translating to about 6.7 million viewers. Bad finished only behind the finales of HBO’s Sopranos (11.9 million in […]
The Fox presentation during TCA was quite feisty as Entertainment President Kevin Reilly touched on a number of subjects from the death of Glee’s Corey Montieth to audience measurement: – Reilly – like other network chiefs – was frustrated about how little respect broadcast network shows get compared to their cable counterparts. He pointed out The Mindy Project was the […]