“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” debuts big

ABC’s new Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. came out swinging Tuesday night, as the season’s most anticipated new series lived up to the hype with a well-done pilot and a huge debut. Agents debuted with a 4.7 adults 18-49 demo rating, the highest rated premiere for any drama in five years. However, the agents went up against some pretty tough competition from […]

Analysis: “Simpsons” finally headed to cable

What this means for fans of the long-running franchise, its syndicator and the show itself In news first reported by TV Guide’s Michael Schneider Monday, the longest-running series in primetime TV history is expected to be sold by Twentieth Television to a cable network this year for airing in the fall of 2014. Possible cable contenders include Turner Broadcasting (TBS, […]

New “American Dad” episodes shift to TBS in 2014

Hold the flag high and be proud, kids: In a joint announcement made by Fox and Turner Tuesday, new episodes of American Dad are moving off broadcast television after next season and heading to TBS during the 2014-15 season. Older seasons of Dad already airs in repeats on sister network Adult Swim, and will also get the rights to new […]

TCA: Cable shows off the goods

January is yours truly favorite time of year. Why? (No, its NOT the weather.) This month is home to TCA Winter Press Tour and the National Association of Television Program Executives gatherings take place, with the latter being held later this month. Let the fun begin! This edition – the Winter portion of the tour – is taking place over […]

“Arrow” gets solid sampling

New dramas Nashville, Chicago Fire battle it out head-to-head Put a hold on The CW’s funeral, poindexter. Arrow, the new highly-anticipated drama based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, drew a 1.3 adult 18-49 demo rating, making it the highest-rated premiere on CW since The Vampire Diaries in 2009, and the highest adults 18-49 demo in two years. Arron’s […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: ReUp

Today’s Bag O’ Stuff includes new deals for Major League Baseball and Tom Skilling: – Fox and TBS have renewed their deals for Major League Baseball, but under some slightly different terms. Under the new deal, Fox retains the Saturday Game Of The Week, in addition to one League Championship Series a year (with Turner retaining the other half.) Fox […]

ESPN re-ups with Major League Baseball

(Editor’s note: the wrong draft of this article was posted earlier. This is the correct version. -T.H.) It’s been the mantra for the last couple of years now: whatever ESPN wants, ESPN gets. I guess there are some benefits to being The Worldwide Leader in B.S. ESPN announced on Tuesday a renewal deal with Major League Baseball, with the sports […]

Winning With “Anger”

Oh Oh. Charlie Sheen’s “winning” again. FX and Debmar-Mercury announced on Wednesday the ninety-episode pickup of  Sheen’s new sitcom Anger Management, with production beginning in September and new shows airing in January. With the pickup, the series is now being prepped for an off-network broadcast syndication debut for 2014. In order to get the ninety-episode pickup, Management had to meet […]

“Mike & Molly”, “2 Broke Girls” head to WCIU for off-net syndication

In a sale that could alter the power structure among which station groups purchase off-net sitcoms – and other programming in the future, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution has sold CBS Monday night comedies Mike & Molly and 2 Broke Girls to Weigel broadcasting’s WCIU in Chicago and to thirteen non-CBS affiliated stations owned by CBS Corporation for fall 2014 […]

Turner, USA unveil new projects at upfronts

Turner and USA Network unveiled their projects to advertisers during the broadcast networks’ upfront week. Usually, most cable networks hold their upfronts well in advance – BET held their upfront presentation here in Chicago last month. But Turner and USA – like ESPN, felt they have a right to sit at the table with the big boys. Here’s what each […]

The Grab Bag: Mendete returns to Philly; Khloe’s out in Dallas

Here’s what in The Grab Bag on this Friday: – One day after Merlin Media re-launched WKQX as an Alternative Rock outlet, the company launched a new news/talk station in Philadelphia Monday with former WBBM-TV and Access: Hollywood anchor Larry Mendete as the centerpiece. Billed as “IQ 106.9” (WWIQ-FM), the station is being touted as an alternative to all-news KYW-AM […]

The Grab Bag: Conan, “Archer” receive contract extensions

  – One up, one down: Archer just received a vote of confidence from FX as the cable net green-lighted the animated series for a fourth season for thirteen new episodes. Ratings for the show in the Thursday night time slot are up 32 percent in total viewers and 62 percent among adults 18-34. In addition, the show’s creators (Adam […]

Bears-Lions tackles competitors onto turf

ESPN’s Monday Night Football tilt between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions was a success for ESPN and the city of Detroit – but not for the Bears. The game on WCIU earned a 13.4 household rating and a 20 share while ESPN pulled a 18.8/27, combining for an overall 32.2/47, easily outdrawing other series in the Chicago market, including […]

“Simpsons” renewed for two more years

              The Simpsons has been renewed for two years. Let’s go to Moe’s to celebrate! That is, if he let us… In news that has dominated TV news headlines all week long, there was drama on whether The Simpsons‘ voice actors would agree to take a 45 percent pay cut – or cancel the […]