Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Today in TV History Legendary Aaron Spelling, who had more hit series than any other producer in the history of television, was born in 1923. His company, Spelling Television, holds the record as the most prolific television writing establishment, with 218 producer and executive producer credits. He died on June 23, 2006. Also on this day was the final episode of CBS sitcom “Maude” in 1978 and the announcement by Johnny Carson in 1991 that he would retire from “The Tonight Show” the following year.

In Today’s Issue

NETWORK -Metered Market Monday Ratings -The Daytime Emmy Awards to Air on June 22 -Craig Zadan and Neil Meron Return to Produce the 2015 Oscars

TRIVIA CHALLENGE -“The Walking Dead” Week

CABLE -HBO Renews Comedies “Veep” and “Silicon Valley” -“Fargo” Debut Lifts by 68 Percent Via the DVR -truTV Announces New Programming Initiatives -A+E Network Content Launches on Apple TV -AXS TV Renews “The World’s Greatest Tribute Bands” -Sportsman Channel Offers Sarah Palin Marathon -Cable Rankings – Thursday 4/17/14 and Friday 4/18/14

DIGITAL -Pro Basketball and “Scandal” Dominate Twitter on Easter Week

SCHEDULE BOX -On the Air Tonight ________________________________________________________

NETWORK

Monday 4/21/14 Metered Markets ABC Leads; NBC Will Win Night in the Key Demos

Household

-Percent Change from Year-Ago Evening – Monday 4/22/13: CW: +33, CBS: +14, NBC: – 1, ABC: – 8, Fox: -21

-Winners: “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC), “The Voice” (NBC), “The Blacklist” (NBC)

-Fading Fast: “The Following” (Fox)

-Losers (excluding repeats): “Friends With Better Lives” (CBS), “Star-Crossed” (CW), “The Tomorrow People” (CW)

Ratings Breakdown: ABC opened the week on a winning overnight note, beating No. 2 NBC by 26 percent. But the home of “The Voice” will, no doubt, dominate the evening in all key demographics. “Dancing With the Stars” on ABC topped the night in households with a 9.5 rating/15 share from 8-10 p.m., which was on par from the 9.7/15 on the year-ago evening. And it led into a second-place 6.2/10 for “Castle” at 10 p.m., which trailed bona fide freshman hit “The Blacklist” on NBC (#1: 7.1/12) by 13 percent. Demographically, “The Blacklist” will hold a much greater advantage.

With the broadcast nets setting up the schedule blueprints for next season, here is an idea for NBC that could be the most aggressive maneuver of any network. Move “The Blacklist” from Monday at 10 p.m. (which would allow a new drama to benefit out of “The Voice”) to Thursday at 9 p.m. (into a new drama), which would give NBC a much-needed facelift on the evening. If NBC is concerned about competing with Thursday Night Football on CBS, open the sophomore season of “The Blacklist” on Monday where it is established and move it to Thursday after football. Food for thought, no doubt.

Earlier in the evening on NBC was “The Voice” at a solid 7.1/11 (#2) from 8-10 p.m., which was equal to one week earlier (and will dominate demographically).

On CBS, relocated “2 Broke Girls” finished third at 8 p.m., with a 4.8/ 8 in the household overnights. But that 4.8 was 11 percent below the 5.4 one week earlier. Next was episode three of grating “Friends With Better Lives,” which slipped by 12 percent week-to-week with a third-place 3.8/ 6 at 8:30 p.m. Comparably, retention for “Friends With Better Lives” out of “2 Broke Girls” was 79 percent. Note to CBS (and all networks): Enough with these sitcoms populated with young people whining about their love lives. Is it really that bad?

Next on the Eye net was “Mike & Molly,” which perked up to a 5.0/ 8 at 9 p.m. (#3), followed by Monday encores of “The Big Bang Theory” (#3: 4.5/ 7) and “NCIS: Los Angeles” (#3: 2.9/ 5) from 9:30-11 p.m.

Elsewhere, veteran “Bones” on Fox (#4: 4.2/ 6) led into a fourth-place 3.2/ 5 for “The Following” at 9 p.m., which dropped by 32 percent from the 4.7/ 7 on the year-ago evening. In other words: nothing unusual. And CW dramas “Star-Crossed” and relocated “The Tomorrow People” each averaged a 0.8/ 1.

In late night, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” led the 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. block, with a 3.0/ 8, which bested competing Jimmy Kimmel on ABC (2.2/ 6) and David Letterman on CBS (2.0/ 5) by 36 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Lead-out “Late Night With Seth Meyers” also dominated on NBC, with a 1.4/ 5 from 12:30-1:30 a.m. Comparably, that was 27 percent above competing Craig Ferguson on CBS (1.1/ 4). “Nightline” on ABC scored a 1.2/ 4 at 12:30 a.m., which was down by 20 percent year-to-year. And “Last Call With Carson Daly” on NBC closed the night with a 0.9/ 4 at 1:30 a.m.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

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OTHER NETWORK NEWS

The Daytime Emmy Awards to Air on June 22 The 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be telecast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 22. HLN, which has aired the festivities for the last two years, is expected to do so again this year. The Creative Arts portion of the Daytime Emmys will be handed out two days early — June 20 – at the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron Return to Produce the 2015 Oscars Producing team Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (“Chicago,” “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Smash,” Drop Dead Diva” and countless other projects) are returning to produce “The Oscars” on ABC for the third consecutive year. The 87th annual event will air live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and will be televised in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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TRIVIA CHALLENGE “The Walking Dead Week”

What was the name of the flower Daryl gave to Carol in season two?

a) Bird of Paradise b) Cherokee Rose c) Chrysanthemums d) Rose Spray e) Snapdragon

Note: The answer to the questions this week and the list of the kudos recipients will be published on Friday afternoon in conjunction with announcing the two winners of “The Walking Dead”-themed merchandise. Good luck!

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CABLE

HBO Renews Comedies “Veep” and “Silicon Valley” HBO has issued renewals to sitcoms “Veep” with Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus and “Silicon Valley” from Mike Judge. “Veep,” which features the former “Seinfeld” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine” star as the fictional vice president, heads into season four. And “Silicon Valley,” which premiered on April 6 (with an initial order for eight episodes) and centers on six programmers who are living together and trying to make it big in Silicon Valley, will go into season two. The cast members on “Silicon Valley” includes Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Josh Brener, Amanda Crew and the late Christopher Evan Welch.

There is no confirmation on the number of new episodes for both, but the expectation is 8-10 for each half-hour.

“Fargo” Debut Lifts by 68 Percent Via the DVR The debut of FX drama “Fargo,” which is based on the 1996 movie of the same name, rose from 2.65 million viewers for its primary telecast from 10-11:37 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15 to 4.46 million, based Live+Same Day to Live+3 data. The gross audience for the three-episode opener (primary telecast plus two repeats) increased from 4.15 to 6.38 million. Comparably, this was the largest initial gain for time-shifted viewing for any drama/miniseries premiere in FX history. The percentage lift for the “Fargo” premiere is notably higher than the previous Live+3 percentage gains for recent FX drama entries “The Bridge” (+53 percent) and “The Americans” (+44 percent).

truTV Announces New Programming Initiatives Designed to appeal to a younger, dual-gender audience referred to as “funseekers,” truTV has ordered six new series and has renewed “Impractical Jokers” for a fourth season (with an order for 26 new episodes). The cable net, in addition, has picked-up a spin-off show from “Impractical Jokers” called “Joker’s Wild!,” featuring new skits, new bits and new guests, and has ordered 13 additional episodes of “The Carbonaro Effect,” featuring comic magician Michael Carbonaro, prior to debuting (on Thursday, May 15 at 10 p.m. ET).

The new series on truTV include pop-culture themed talent competition “Fake-Of;” reality western “Way Out West,” the tale of three rival outfitter families in the Idaho backcountry; “How to Be a Grown Up,” which offers a comedic take on the trials and tribulations of true adulthood; “Local News” (working title), which looks at the playful rivalry of two small town stations; and ambush game show “Hair Jacked.” Previously announced is 10 episodes of “Motor City Masters,” which goes in search of America’s next great car designer. It debuts in June and is hosted by Brooke Burns.

A+E Network Content Launches on Apple TV A+E Networks has announced the launch of A&E, History and Lifetime content on Apple TV. Programming now available on the entertainment device includes “Bates Motel,” “Storage Wars,” “Project Runway,” “Devious Maids” and “Pawn Stars.” A+E Network subscribers (through participating television providers) will have access to additional content including previous seasons from various series on the three cable nets.

AXS TV Renews “The World’s Greatest Tribute Bands” AXS TV, the destination for live music events, has renewed concert series “The World’s Greatest Tribute Bands” for a fourth season. The weekly show, hosted by Katie Daryl and featuring bands playing hour-long concert tributes to iconic musical acts, will return in the fall. The third season concluded yesterday, and AXS TV will feature a live-90 minute special featuring Beatles tribute band “Britain’s Finest” on Wednesday, April 30 at 10 p.m. PT.

Sportsman Channel Offers Sarah Palin Marathon Sportsman Channel will feature reality series “Amazing America with Sarah Palin” in the 7 p.m. hour beginning on today through Friday, April 25. Described as an anthology, “Amazing America with Sarah Palin” explores the people, places and pastimes connected to America’s outdoor lifestyle – everyday people to business leaders and celebrities in cities, suburbs and towns who exemplify what makes America amazing. For more on Sportsman Channel, visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com.

Cable Rankings – Thursday 4/17/14 What follows are the top 20 most-watched shows on basic cable for Thursday, April 17:

“Pawn Stars” (History, 9:30 p.m. ET): 3.51 million, “Pawn Stars” (History, 9 p.m.): 3.03, “Vikings” (History, 10 p.m.): 2.91, “Secret of the Wings” (Disney Channel, 8 p.m.): 2.66, “The O’Reilly Factor” (Fox News Channel, 8 p.m.): 2.63, “The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 10 p.m.): 2.28, “Law & Order: SVU” (USA, 8 p.m.): 2.27, The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 9:30 p.m.): 2.22, “American Dad!” (Adult Swim, 10:30 p.m.): 2.15, “Law & Order: SVU” (USA, 9 p.m.): 2.11, The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 10:30 p.m.): 2.06, “The Kelly File” (Fox News Channel, 9 p.m.) and “Pawn Stars” (History, 8:30 p.m.): 1.99 each, “American Dad!” (Adult Swim, 10 p.m.): 1.92, “Austin & Ally” (Disney Channel, 9:30 p.m.): 1.90, “Castle” (TNT, 8 p.m.): 1.86, “Pawn Stars” (History, 8 p.m.): 1.85, ESPN Original Documentary (ESPN. 8 p.m.): 1.83, The Big Bang Theory” (TBS, 9 p.m.): 1.80, “Castle” (TNT, 9:01 p.m.): 1.75

Cable Rankings – Friday 4/18/14 What follows are the top 20 most-watched shows on basic cable for Thursday, April 17:

Movie: “You Story” (Disney Channel, 8 p.m.): 2.86 million, “WWE Friday Night Smackdown!” (Syfy, 8 p.m.): 2.76, “Austin & Ally” (Disney Channel, 10 p.m.): 2.04, “American Dad” (Adult Swim, 10:30 p.m.): 2.00, “American Pickers” (History, 9 p.m.): 1.85, “The O’Reilly Factor” (Fox News Channel, 8 p.m.): 1.78, “American Pickers” (History, 10 p.m.): 1.76, “The Kelly File” (Fox News Channel, 9 p.m.): 1.72, “American Dad!” (Adult Swim, 10 p.m.): 1.67, “Win Lose or Draw” (Disney Channel, 10:30 p.m.): 1.65, “Sam & Cat” (Nick, 8:30 p.m.)” 1.54, “Full House” (Nick at Nite, 10:30 p.m.): 1.50, “Full House” (Nick at Nite, 10 p.m.): 1.45, “Modern Family” (USA, 10:30 p.m.): 1.38, “Sons of Guns” (Discovery, 9 p.m.): 1.37, “Modern Family” (USA, 9 p.m.): 1.32, “The Cleveland Family” (Adult Swim, 9:30 p.m.): 1.29, “Modern Family” (USA, 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.): 1.27 each

Source: Nielsen Media Research ____________________________________________________________________

DIGITAL

Pro Basketball and “Scandal” Dominate Twitter on Easter Week Almost anything basketball-related was being heavily discussed on Twitter for the week of April 14. For the very first time, a sports documentary has topped the weekly Nielsen Twitter charts among series and specials. The honor goes to ESPN on April 17 for “30 for 30: Bad Boys,” which drew the most Twitter audience (3.4 million). A total of 125,000 tweets were generated from this program, according to Nielsen. The WNBA Draft on ESPN2 (2.30 million accounts/51,000 tweets/7.49 million impressions) topped all programs and ranked fifth for the week overall. For more, click on the following: http://tinyurl.com/l6h4chl

SCHEDULE BOX

Tuesday 4/22/14

ABC 8:00 p.m. “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” 9:00 p.m. “The Goldbergs” (R) 9:30 p.m. “Trophy Wife” (R) 10:00 p.m. “Celebrity Wife Swap” (Robin Leach/Eric Roberts)

CBS 8:00 p.m. “NCIS” (R) 9:00 p.m. “NCIS: Los Angeles” (R) 10:00 p.m. “Person of Interest” (R)

NBC 8:00 p.m. “The Voice” 9:00 p.m. “About a Boy” 9:30 p.m. “Growing Up Fisher” 10:00 p.m. “Chicago Fire” (R)

Fox 8:00 p.m. “Glee” 9:00 p.m. “New Girl” (R) 9:30 p.m. “The Mindy Project” (R)

CW 8:00 p.m. “The Originals” 9:00 p.m. “Supernatural”

PBS 8:00 p.m. “Pioneers of Television” (Doctors and Nurses) 9:00 p.m. “American Masters” 10:00 p.m. “Frontline”

Of Note on Cable: -“Chow Matsers” (Travel, 9 p.m. ET): series premiere -“Face Off” (Syfy, 9 p.m. ET): season finale -“Chrisley Knows Best” (USA, 10 p.m. ET): season finale -“True Tori” (Lifetime, 10 p.m. ET): series premiere -“Faking It” (MTV, 10 p.m. ET): series premiere -“Container Wars” (truTV, 10:30 p.m. ET): season finale