NETWORK UPDATE:  THE BIG BANG THEORY only gained back 0.1 of the giant 0.8 it had tumbled this morning, while THE MILLERS lost the corresponding 0.1.  All of ABC’s shows went up, GREY’S ANATOMY by 0.2 and BLACK BOX (and the 8PM GREY’S rerun) by 0.1.  THURSDAY CABLE:  As expected, the NFL DRAFT dominated […]

> A lot can happen between the creation of a TV pilot in the spring and production of episodes for the regular season:  a writing/producing team is hired, audience focus groups weigh in, networks and studios (which may have had their own turnover in the off-season) give plenty of notes, both helpful and otherwise, and […]

> Disclaimer:  Network pilots now in circulation are not necessarily in the form that will air in the Fall.  Pilots are often reedited and rescored, and in some cases even recast or reshot.  So these critiques shouldn’t be taken as full reviews, but rather as a guide to the general style and content of the […]

  NETWORK UPDATE:  After adjustment for the NCAA TOURNAMENT runover, 60 MINUTES fell by 0.5 to 2.3, MADAM SECRETARY by 0.3 to 1.4, and THE GOOD WIFE by 0.1 to 1.0.  The other networks were unchanged from preliminary numbers. Ratings in key demos for the Top 25 original cable telecasts (plus a few other lower-rated […]

  The night belonged to country music.   CBS:  With virtually no competition on any other network, the ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS romped to a 4.3, easily winning the night and up from 3.1 last year.  However, without last week’s NCAA overrun bump, 60 MINUTES was down 1.1 from last week to 1.4. NBC:  […]

> Fox is adopted a very interesting strategy on its upcoming Cameron Crowe/Matt Damon/Scarlett Johansson drama WE BOUGHT A ZOO.  The movie doesn’t open until December 23, but the studio will hold national “sneak” previews on November 26, in the teeth of Thanksgiving weekend.  (Reportedly screenings will also include a Q&A with Crowe and as […]

The 32nd weekend of 2012 is looking like a halfway decent $138 million for the Top 12 films Friday-Sunday — despite being down a moderate 4% from the same weekend last year, this weekend is actually up 8% from this comparable weekend over several years.             The Bourne Legacy from Universal […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, weekend #33 of 2014 looks like a modest $124 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, below our forecast ($140 million) and 7% above the norm for this weekend ($116 million). Playing at 3,094 theaters, Let’s Be Cops from Fox grossed $5.6 million Friday and is on track for a $17.1 million opening […]