January 19, 2012
History is placing a big wager on the Super Bowl, plunking down millions for a 30-second spot in the NFL’s showcase game.
The high-flying cable network will air a promo for the unscripted series Swamp People, which returns for a third season on Thursday, Feb. 9. Per Nielsen live-plus-seven-day ratings data, Season 2 of Swamp People averaged 4.95 million...
October 26, 2011
Watching Tuesday night's X Factor reminded me of the scene in The Wizard in Oz where Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal that the great and powerful Oz is just a doddery old man.
Simon Cowell, your feet of clay are showing.
Not only did the multi-millionaire record producer and TV mogul continue to insist that Simone Battle and Tiah Tolliver were deserving of their spots in his top five girls -- despite ample...
September 21, 2011
The juggernaut of adorableness that is Zooey Deschanel steamrolled over its competition and attracted 10.1 million Americans Tuesday night, thanks to the premiere of the actress’ Fox comedy, New Girl.
Despite leading out of a slackening Glee, New Girl put up huge demo numbers at 9 p.m., winning the night with a 4.7 rating and a 12 share among the 18-49 demo. (For the...
August 11, 2011
Had I been part of a Canada Sings workplace glee club, the last team I would have wanted to compete against would be the Toronto firefighters.
All a firefighter has to do is...
July 1, 2011
In Today's Issue
Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings:
CBS Leads; Respectable Week 2 of Expedition Impossible on ABC
Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not
On the Air This Weekend:
Prime-Time Programming Options
TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest
TV Trivia Time:...
April 3, 2011
Since it's April, it's probably time for the spring reality TV show debut schedule. Like March, April is packed with debuts, particularly on cable, while the broadcast shows are mostly continuing with shows that span the entire spring.
Below is a frequently-updated list of officially announced debut dates for new and returning reality series (feel free to send updates, additions, and corrections, which are always welcome...
March 31, 2011
I will admit it, I was holding my breath a little on Thursday night, right up until American Idol host Ryan Seacrest told Casey Abrams that he was safe.
It seemed unlikely that Casey would go home just a week after a dramatic judges' save and a pleasing Wednesday performance of Elton John's "Your Song." But you just never know how these things will turn out.
It did seem likely there would be at least one surprise in the bottom...
February 7, 2011
Fox's fall singing competition The X Factor will award its winner a $5 million record deal with Simon Cowell and Sony Music's Syco, a prize Fox calls "the largest guaranteed prize in television history."
NBC's Treasure Hunters gave away $3 million, but it was $1 million per person and also given as an annuity, which is how America's Got Talent...
Let me start by saying I love D'Angelo and Amanda!
Seeing those two tango on last Wednesday's Live to Dance finals (which I didn't get a chance to watch till Sunday) put the biggest smile on my face. The pre-performance dialogue alone was worth the price of admission.
Here's D'Angelo,who's 9, commenting on if they win the $500,000 grand prize: "I should get a little more because I actually have to lift her and she doesn't know...
February 6, 2011
Former American Idol judge Simon Cowell has been absent from TV for less than a year, but in this Super Bowl ad that aired during the third quarter, he gets reassembled to the tune of "O Fortuna."
A lot of the pieces that fly through the air in the ad are Xs, because this is a commercial for the fall debut of The X Factor, but I'm not sure what the metaphor is. Maybe that Fox is a mess without Simon, who is a super-human Terminator-like being who can...