> Paranormal Activity 3 is THE story at the nation’s theaters this weekend.  An opening weekend of almost $52 million (with almost $26 million in the bank Friday), blasting past Paranormal Activity 2’s $41 million opening weekend this time last year.  And yet the weekend overall is down from last year.  Blame two incredibly lame […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Here is an updated look at the 2018 film slates by studio. The studio totals also include 2018 dollars for films released in late 2017. YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2018 to date is now +9% above last year and still +11% above the average for this point […]

Updated weekly broadcast and cable rankings:

  BROADCAST FINALS:  The day was of course dominated by the NFL PLAYOFFS, with FOX’s primetime game at 9.93 and CBS’s afternoon game at 7.90.  NBC’s SNL fell a tenth to 0.92.  CW’s WORLD’S FUNNIEST ANIMALS held at 0.04.   Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart   CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  The day’s cable sports selection couldn’t […]

>Grimm is now up to 240 promo seconds over the last week, and the return of Chuck has worked its way up to 75 seconds.  Now, NBC has to hold its breath that Texas wins tonight and ends the World Series.  Otherwise, these two shows will face an additional headwind on Friday, a Game 7.  […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Here is an updated look at the 2018 film slates by studio. The studio totals also include 2018 dollars for films released in late 2017. YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2018 to date is now +8% above last year and still +11% above the average for this point […]

  There was never any doubt that STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (Lucasfilm/Disney) was going to be huge.  The issue was almost existential:  how big was it possible for a December opening to be, when the month–which has been host to both of the biggest hits of all-time, Avatar and Titanic–had never seen a launch […]

Through the first two days of the current week, Shark Week continues to give Discovery a solid presence in the program rankings (although the network has declined each night from a 2.2 rating on Sunday to around a 1.7 Monday to a 1.3 on Tuesday).  Tonight Shark Week continues with Top 10 Sharkdown and Great White Serial Killer, […]