’44 Minutes’ shoots down FX records
LOS ANGELES – On its ninth anniversary, FX celebrated by scoring record ratings for the original movie “44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shootout.” The telefilm averaged a 4.8 household rating and delivered 6.1 million viewers in its first airing on Sunday.
Based on the true story of the longest gun battle in modern urban law enforcement, “44 Minutes” stars Ron Livingston, Michael Madsen and Mario Van Peebles. The Yves Simoneau-directed effort topped FX’s previous most-watched program, a Winston Cup race which drew 5.9 million NASCAR fans last year.
For the week, “44 Minutes” was the most watched show on basic cable both overall and in the important demographic of adults 18-49, where it attracted 3.4 million viewers.
In other basic cable news, Lifetime’s “The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Memories” earned a 3.7 household rating, making it the network’s highest rated special.
CBS won’t bid
on Olympics
LOS ANGELES – CBS has withdrawn from bidding on the TV rights to the 2010 and 2012 Olympics, leaving three U.S. networks in the running.
Rights for the winter and summer games in those two years are expected to fetch about $2 billion, money CBS decided would be better spent elsewhere.
“With all of the uncertainties surrounding two events that don’t conclude for another nine years, committing significant rights and production expenses to the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games is not the best use for our resources,” the network says in a statement.
The network says it considers itself the “best positioned … in terms of overall programming and sports lineup,” which would indicate that it plans to stick with its current sports offerings. CBS airs NFL and college football games and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, along with golf and other sports.
CBS’ withdrawal from the process means only ABC, Fox and current rights-holder NBC will make bids to the International Olympic Committee later this week in Luasanne, Switzerland.
NBC pays big
for more ‘Days’
LOS ANGELES – “Days of Our Lives,” daytime television’s top rated program among women 18-34, has renewed its agreement with NBC for five more years. The new extension, reportedly for just under $500 million, will carry the drama through 2009. At that point the show will have been on for 44 years.
Premiering as a half-hour drama in 1965, “Days” expanded to its current hour-long format 10 years later.
The show was co-created by Betty and Ted Corday and their son Ken Corday remains around as an executive producer.
In addition to the new deal, NBC also announced that James Reilly would return to the show as head writer. Reilly occupied that position from 1992-1997 before leaving to create and run “Passions.” He’ll oversee both shows next season.
“‘Days of our Lives’ has entertained millions of loyal fans for over 37 years, all of them on NBC,” says Sheraton Kalouria, the network’s senior v.p. of daytime programming. “We’re delighted to continue the partnership with Corday Productions and Sony Pictures Television for another five years.”
While its ratings in core demographics have softened in recent years, “Days of Our Lives” still averaged 4.2 million viewers this season.
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FOUR NEW SHOWS HAVE FAMILY FRIENDLY FUNDING
LOS ANGELES – Three comedies on The WB and one NBC midseason entry arrive next season with an assist from The Family Friendly Programming Forum Script Development Initiative, an advertiser-driven program to increase the number of programs that families can watch together.
“Steve Harvey’s Big Time,” “Like Family” and “All About the Andersons” are The WB efforts that received funds from the Family Friendly Programming Forum in the early stages of their development. NBC’s “The Tracy Morgan Show” also had heavy sponsorship.
The Forum contributed money to 20 new shows this spring, with these four making network schedules.
“These new shows are funny and entertaining, and provide families with a host of new viewing options that they will be able to enjoy together,” says Forum Co-Chair and founder, Andrea Alstrup. “We applaud the networks for taking the lead in greenlighting new shows that will make television friendlier to viewers and advertisers.”
Alstrup is also an advertising v.p. at Johnson & Johnson.
The Script Development Initiative was funded by the esteemed likes of FedEx Corporation, Ford Motor Company, The J.M. Smucker Co., IBM Corporation, Kellogg Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer Inc, The Procter & Gamble Company, Sears, Roebuck & Company, Sprint Communications, Tyson Foods, Inc., Verizon Communications, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Wendy’s International, Inc..
The first show to bear the Family Friendly label was The WB’s “Gilmore Girls.”
“The success of the Forum’s projects proves the value of this initiative to both the networks and its advertisers,” says Brad Simmons, a Forum co-chair. “However, the real winners here are American families who enjoy watching TV together.”
Simmons is also a media services v.p. at Unilever.
The real winner here is actually the Forum, which posted its most successful placement year with the major networks. The group had a hand in supporting two minor family success stories last season, NBC’s “American Dreams” and ABC’s “8 Simple Rules.” Both shows will return next season, giving this advertiser-run organization an increasing amount of control over the primetime schedule. If the group has its way, it will be harder and harder to find sex and violence in the Family Hour.
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TNT GIVES JOHNSON “WORD OF HONOR’
LOS ANGELES – Don Johnson will star in and co-executive produce “World of Honor,” a TNT original film.
Based on the novel by Nelson DeMille (“The General’s Daughter”), “Word of Honor” focuses on a corporate executive and family man whose life is turned upside down when he is accused of war atrocities dating back to his tour of duty in Vietnam decades earlier.
“‘Word of Honor’ is a perfect fit for TNT’s Drama positioning,” says Michael Wright, senior vice president of movies and miniseries at the cable network. “It has a first-rate script, based on a best-seller from an author who readers love for his smart writing and unique style. We are thrilled to have Don Johnson toplining the cast, a talented actor who appeals to a wide television audience.”
The telefilm was adapted by Jacob Epstein (“Without a Trace”), Leslie Greif and Tom Topor (“Perfect Murder,” “Perfect Town”). Robert Markowitz (“The Tuskegee Airmen”) will direct.
Johnson won an Emmy in 1986 for his performance as Det. Sonny Crockett on “Miami Vice.” Disappointing, the actor received fewer awards for his turn as Nash Bridges in the seminal 1990s series “Nash Bridges.” Johnson’s somewhat spotty big screen track record includes “Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man,” 1993’s “Born Yesterday” remake and “Guilty As Sin.”
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“CSI’ PRODUCTION COMPANY EXPECTS BONUSES
LOS ANGELES – Crime is finally beginning to pay for Alliance Atlantis, a Toronto-based production company. Actually, crime investigation is beginning to pay. More specifically, crime scene investigation. The company behind CBS’ two-headed forensic monster “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “CSI: Miami” announced on Monday that a system of bonus payments will kick in over the next several seasons depending on the performance of “CSI.”
Most of those incentives would appear to be safely within reach for a show which ranked as television’s most popular, averaging a 16.3 rating/25 share, this past season.
The most easily attainable bonus comes if “CSI” ranks in the Nielsen Top 30 next year. Barring an impressive collapse in its fourth season, all production costs from the fifth season on will be assumed by CBS and CBS Productions. Alliance Atlantis will also receive a payment of between $100,000 and $600,000 for each episode from the fifth season on, depending on the show’s placement in the Nielsen ratings.
Those bonus payments relate to production deficits from the show’s first four seasons. Should “CSI” remain in the Top 10 next season, all of its production deficits from the first four seasons will be repaid by CBS.
Beyond the success of the “CSI” programs, Alliance Atlantis intends to shift from production to broadcasting.
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OXYGEN GETS DEGENERES’ TALK SHOW
LOS ANGELES – Oxygen, already the cable home of Oprah Winfrey, will get second runs of comic Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show when it premieres in the fall.
The cable network will air “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” at 10 p.m. EDT weekdays starting Sept. 15. The show is scheduled to debut in syndication a week prior to that; episodes will repeat on Oxygen about a week after their initial airing.
“Ellen DeGeneres’ unique comedic voice hits Oxygen’s sensibility right on the nose,” says Debby Beece, Oxygen’s president of programming. “Adding Ellen to our slate of dynamic celebrity personalities is a big win for our audience.”
DeGeneres’ show will feature the usual mix of celebrity guests and comedy bits. The show will likely focus on pop culture and people who make news within that realm.
Oxygen, which is available in about 47 million households, was co-founded by Winfrey. “Oprah After the Show,” an unscripted half-hour showing Winfrey and her audience after taping her talk show.
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AP-NY-06-04-03 1625EDT
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