> NEW SHOWS in CAPS.  New Time Periods in Italics. WHAT WE LIKE.  As stated in the network press release about the new 2011/12 schedule, NBC is attempting a nice blend of stability (Tuesday, Sunday, and parts of Wednesday and Thursday) and aggressive risk-taking (Monday, early Wednesday, and Friday).  NBC does not have a lot […]

>Deadline is reporting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is opening to an eye-popping $90-100 million Friday.  This estimate from Warner Brothers includes the incredible $43.5 from midnight showings.  This destroys the single-day record of $72.7 million by Twilight Saga: New Moon on Friday, November 20, 2009.  Even adjusted for inflation, this is […]

  Behaving much like recent high-profile sequels Spectre and Mockingjay Part 2, RIDE ALONG 2 (Universal) appears to be heading for an opening weekend around 20% below its predecessor.  According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, Ride 2 had a $11.8M Friday, compared to $14.4M for the original Ride Along.  That suggests a 4-day holiday weekend […]

> Based on Friday’s numbers, Hop is blowing past the ShowbuzzDaily Forecast, according to preliminary weekend estimates.  While not quite the $56 million opening for Despicable Me and certainly not the shocking opening of Fast & Furious, the sighs of relief and muted cheers can be heard from Universal City.  Source Code is coming in a tick below Forecast, while Insidous […]

>As expected, Game 6 of the World Series went up substantially in the official nationals to a 6.5 Adult 18-49 rating.  Not quite the 6.9 forecast but close.  The news was also good for The Big Bang Theory (4.6), The Office (2.9), Person of Interest (2.7) and Vampire Diaries (1.5), all adjusted up a tenth […]

Preliminary broadcast ratings for Saturday.

  THE AMERICANS rebounded a bit in the ratings last night, rising to a 0.8 after 2 weeks of declines, but even if it had just held steady, FX would probably have awarded it a Season 2 renewal any time now.  As it is, the announcement was made today, since at 0.8 it was a […]

  SUNDAY UPDATE:  In final FINAL numbers, THE ACADEMY AWARDS gained an extra 0.2 to 13.1, which although tiny as a percentage of total rating, was gratifying to the Academy and ABC, because it pushed the telecast 0.1 above last year’s Seth MacFarlane-hosted show in 18-49s (it was already comfortably up in older-skewing total viewers).  […]