It was high time for ABC to make decisions about its new sitcoms, and now it has.  Both THE GOLDBERGS and TROPHY WIFE have received full 9-episode back orders, and SUPER FUN NIGHT a more half-hearted order of 4 additional episodes, while BACK IN THE GAME will not extend beyond its 13-episode initial order […]

  It’s never good news for the networks when the calendar brings typically low-rated Halloween–lots of parents and others with other plans–into November sweeps. ABC:  By 8PM most kiddies were back from treat or treating, so the nine zillionth run of IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN doubled last week’s Once Upon A Time In Wonderland number with 2.2, which […]

  The other networks are glad to see the last of the World Series. FOX:  Per Mitch Metcalf:  with a 5.4 preliminary number, WORLD SERIES GAME 6 might end up around a 6.0 adult 18-49 rating in the official nationals, just below the low-end of the three recent Game 6 ratings (6.2 in 2008 for Philadelphia-Tampa Bay, 6.5 […]

The 44th weekend of the year is looking like $114 million for the top 12 films, better than last weekend but 4-8% below comparable weekends the past few years.   Opening at over 3,350 theaters Friday (slightly above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), Ender’s Game from Lionsgate/Summit should average $8,600 per […]

  The big news this week in Oscarland was the confirmation that Martin Scorsese’s WOLF OF WALL STREET (Paramount), starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill and many more, which wasn’t finished in time for its scheduled November 15 opening, will arrive on Christmas Day, just in time for the potential Oscar equivalent of an election’s […]

  An atypical night yielded some unusual results. NBC:  Adding a second hour of THE VOICE inevitably boosted the night for NBC, which took Tuesday by half a rating point, a wider margin than last week.  But that Voice episode was down 0.6 from last week to a season-low 3.5, and THE BIGGEST LOSER started […]

  AMC:  In the single least-surprising development of the season (perhaps the century), THE WALKING DEAD has just been renewed for a 5th season.  Slightly more surprisingly, it appears as though Scott M. Gimple, with survival skills his predecessors lacked, will return as showrunner.  On Sunday, Walking Dead was down a slight 0.3 airing against […]

  The World Series had surprisingly little meaningful effect on the other networks. FOX:  WORLD SERIES GAME 5 had a preliminary 3.8, which probably won’t go much beyond a 4 in final numbers.  There hasn’t been a 5th World Series game in a couple of years, but this looks to be around even with the […]