The fall TV season traditionally kicks off with the EMMY AWARDS, and since CBS airs them this year on Sunday September 22, it’s naturally using the telecast to jump-start its fall schedule.  Today the network announced its fall start dates, all but one following the Emmys: Wednesday September 18 8PM:          SURVIVOR Monday September 23 […]

  FRIDAY STARZ:  The pay-TV network had plenty of announcements at its TCA press tour session, including a renewal for its pirate series Black Sails before the show has even aired, but there wasn’t a word of comfort for MAGIC CITY, which is just 2 weeks from its Season 2 conclusion.  The show has been […]

  As is traditional, the box office for all movies aimed at young people or families slumped on Thanksgiving Day.  That kept THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART I (Lionsgate) easily on top, down 24% from Wednesday to $11.1M.  That represented a better hold than the 28% Thanksgiving drop for Catching Fire, although in actual numbers […]

        NETWORK FINALS: SURVIVOR and SWAT gained 0.1 in final numbers, while ALMOST FAMILY and SEAL TEAM lost the same.         Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  The MLB PLAYOFFS were again at the top of Wednesday cable, with both games on TBS:  Dodgers vs. Nationals at […]

  There’s a reason CBS is as successful as it is.  PERSON OF INTEREST is just a procedural–albeit one with an unusually complicated premise–but it mixes solid plotting, well-paced action and just enough character backstory to give it a little substance, and the result is an hour of television that works.   Person starts with […]

  After a string of disappointments at the box office, this weekend’s franchise centerpiece looks like it will deliver.  Preliminary numbers at Deadline have the opening day for HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD (DreamWorks Animation/Universal) at $17.3M (including $3M from Thursday night and $2.5M from earlier paid previews), better than the $12.1M […]

  Lots of reruns. DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), the chart below displays preliminary live+same day key advertiser demographics (adult 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 ratings), audience skews (women 18-49, men 18-49 and adults 50+ shares) and total viewership (thousands of people over the age of 2). Ratings analysis and comparisons follow the […]

>With eight nights of ratings in for the May Sweep (official ratings for April 26-May 2 and fast national ratings for May 3), here’s an early look at the final major ratings sweep period of the broadcast season, when ratings are measured locally in each of the 214 television markets across the country.  The numbers […]