Idiot Box Updates: February 5
Comcast apologizes for porn, Kyle XY is axed and Bob Saget returns to TV.
Here's a list of the top 20 prime-time shows by viewership numbers, compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Jan. 26-Feb.1:
1. (X) Super Bowl XLIII: Arizona vs. Pittsburgh, NBC, 95.4 million viewers.
2. (X) Super Bowl postgame show, NBC, 57.4 million viewers.
3. (1) "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 27.36 million viewers.
4. (2) "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 25.54 million viewers.
5. (X) "American Idol" (Thursday), Fox, 24.61 million viewers.
6. (X) "The Office" (Sunday), NBC, 22.91 million viewers.
7. (4) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 20.15 million viewers.
8. (5) "NCIS," CBS, 19.2 million viewers.
9. (21) "House," Fox, 15.69 million viewers.
10. (8) "The Mentalist," CBS, 15.23 million viewers.
11. (19) "Without a Trace," CBS, 13 million viewers.
12. (12) "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 12.78 million viewers.
13. (22) "Eleventh Hour," CBS, 12.74 million viewers.
14. (17) "24," Fox, 12.22 million viewers.
15. (18) "Lie to Me," Fox, 12.2 million viewers.
16. (44) "Fringe," Fox, 11.62 million viewers.
17. (22) "Lost," ABC, 11.23 million viewers.
18. (28) "Biggest Loser," NBC, 11.08 million viewers.
19. (26) "Hell's Kitchen," Fox, 10.86 million viewers.
20. (36) "The Bachelor," ABC, 10.57 million viewers.
Here's a list of the Top 10 Cable Network Shows, compiled by Nielsen Media Research:
1. "The Closer" (Monday, 9 p.m.), TNT, 4.63 million homes, 6.24 million viewers.
2. "Burn Notice" (Thursday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.86 million homes, 5.37 million viewers.
3. "Monk" (Friday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.72 million homes, 5.39 million viewers.
4. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.69 million homes, 5.31 million viewers.
5. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.46 million homes, 5.02 million viewers.
6. "NCIS" (Monday, 7 p.m.), USA, 3.31 million homes, 4.19 million viewers.
7. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 7 p.m.), USA, 3.22 million homes, 4.28 million viewers.
8. "NCIS" (Thursday, 7 p.m.), USA, 3.219 million homes, 4.15 million viewers.
9. "NCIS" (Tuesday, 7 p.m.), USA, 3.213 million homes, 4.21 million viewers.
10. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 3.16 million homes, 4.43 million viewers.
CBS has ordered three additional pilots for its upcoming lineup shift, including two dramas and a teen comedy:
"A Marriage," a relationship drama from "thirtysomething" creators Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, described as the dissection of a marriage. Zwick will direct.
"House Rules," a political drama from "Grey's Anatomy" executive producer Mark Gordon, follows congressional rookies as they kick off their careers in Washington.
"The Fish Tank," a single-camera comedy from Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith (former executive producers/showrunners on "The King of Queens"), is about a teenager who gets the ultimate dream: his parents leave, giving him the house to himself five days a week.
Cable television provider Comcast apologized Monday to Tucson-area customers who got an unexpected treat during Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast: a 30-second porn clip.
"Our initial investigation suggests this was an isolated malicious act," Jennifer Khoury, Comcast's vice president for corporate communications, said.
The cable company said it was conducting a thorough investigation "and will aggressively pursue all leads until we come to resolution." In separate statements, the company said it was "mortified" and "appalled" by the interruption.
The company said only customers in the Tucson area with standard definition feed were affected, which is estimated to amount to 55,000 viewers. They decided to offer any Tucson customer who gets the standard definition service a $10 credit to "show their level of commitment" to resolving the issue. Sounds about right, no?
While the world economy is in all-out freefall, NBC Sports wasn't feeling any strain on Super Bowl Sunday, as the network scored a major victory with a record $206 million in ad revenue from the Big Game.
The network brought in $261 million for the full day, including the pre- and postgame shows, which is another record.
While we're talking records, the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals drew 95.4 million U.S. television viewers, which amounts to nearly half of all American homes with televisions.
Those numbers are down just a hair from 2008's game, which pulled 97.5 million viewers, but it's still the second-most watched National Football League championship ever - and as usual, the game was the most watched single telecast of the year by far, which is precisely why advertisers this year paid as much as $3 million for a 30-second commercial spot during the game.
More TV shows and their players will be going for the gold at this fall's Emmy Awards ceremony. The TV academy's board of governors voted to expand the number of nominees from five to six in 10 major prime-time Emmy categories, including best comedy and drama series, as well as lead actor and actress in a comedy and drama.
Why the changeup? Do they just think that everybody deserves a gold star/statuette? Well... kind of. The change is intended to accommodate what the academy called "an abundance of outstanding programs and performances" and follows a review of voting patterns. The academy review found that an assortment of ties over the past three years had already produced plenty of six-nominee categories.
Funnyman/actor Steve Zahn (Rescue Dawn, Daddy Day Care) is in negotiations to star in his first series commitment: "Treme," a new pilot for HBO from David Simon, creator of "The Wire." Kim Dickens is set to co-star
"Treme" is a post-Katrina-themed drama (the show takes its title from an area in New Orleans) that chronicles the rebuilding of the city through the eyes of local musicians. The role will showcase Zahn's talents as a singer-guitarist as he plays the music-immersed Davis Rogan, a street dancer, local radio DJ, band member and proud New Orleans native. The catch? He's got some serious anger issues.
Dickens would play a no-nonsense chef who opens her own restaurant and has a complicated romantic entanglement with Rogan.
Fox has ordered a batch of pilots to test out in the coming months: four comedies and three dramas (two of which are of the sci-fi genre). They brought McG in to co-executive produce "Human Target," based on the DC Comics title about a Pretender-type man whose job is to assume the role of people who find themselves in dangerous or life-threatening situations. John Steinberg will write the scripts and is executive producing, alongside McG.
Another project, which is still untitled at publishing time, focuses on past-life investigators using the concept of reincarnation to solve present day crimes. Far-fetched and not likely to do well, but an interesting concept nontheless.
ABC has picked up the Bob Saget comedy "Surviving Suburbia," about a couple who have been married for 20 years and have two children and the standard cookie-cutter suburban life. Saget's character will naturally be the comic foil as he maintains a cynical point of view.
Now scheduled the series to run after "Dancing With the Stars" in April, "Suburbia" originally was planned as a midseason addition to the CW's Sunday night block. When the CW pulled the low-rated block from its lineup, producers decided to keep shooting in hopes of attracting another buyer.
ABC stepped in and snatched up the show, a move that brings Bob Saget back to the network after playing a suburban dad for nearly a decade on "Full House" (1987-95).
Remember when Vivica Fox used to be hot? I do, and that makes this all the more depressing: TV Land has signed the actress to host its upcoming reality show "The Cougar," an eight-episode series that centers on an older woman's search for love among a group of younger bachelors. The show is scheduled to premiere April 15.
"I'm so excited to be the guide for 'The Cougar's' quest for love," said Fox, who has a recurring role on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." "This show will prove to be empowering and enlightening for women everywhere. Plus, 20 hot guys gathered under one roof doesn't hurt." Empowerment my ass.
According to ET Online, not only is George Clooney returning for a reprisal of his role of Doug Ross on "E.R.," but Julianna Margulies is doing the same by stepping back into her role as Hathaway on the final season of E.R. on NBC.
Rumors are also circulating that Susan Sarandon will be appearing in the same episode with Clooney.
ABC's sci fi-mystery drama "Kyle XY" has been cancelled, according to a representative for ABC Family. The show's third season just began on Jan. 12. Filling that time slot are three new shows that were announced Monday (Feb. 2). "Ruby and the Rockits," "10 Things I Hate About You" and "Perfect 10" each received 10-episode orders and will join the previously announced "Roommates" and "Sophie" as ABC Family's new original programming roster.
