OPENINGS:  Even though THE DISASTER ARTIST (A24) was at just 840 theatres, its $6.4M weekend had no trouble topping its woeful newcomer competition.  That total (which may come down a bit in finals, because A24 tends to be optimistic in its Sunday estimates) translated into a $7700 per-theatre weekend average, notably better than the […]

> As has been reported, there really was an ambulance outside the Ryerson Theatre in Toronto after the midnight premiere of Alexandre Courtes’ THE INCIDENT, there to rescue at least one person who had fainted during the movie.  Of course, this may just mean that Toronto Film Festival patrons have delicate sensibilities–an idea supported by […]

Wednesday fast national ratings: FOX: American Idol still gives its network an easy win on Wednesday night (the 4.0 adult 18-49 rating doubles second-place ABC’s primetime average).  But the singing competition show just keeps dropping, down 15% from last week’s premiere episode and 28% below the comparable episode last year. ABC and NBC rebounded a […]

In the movie 42, Jackie Robinson (played by Chadwick Boseman) repeatedly asks Branch Rickey why he is breaking baseball’s unwritten whites-only rule.  Rickey (played by Harrison Ford) gives very vague, unsatisfying responses each time.  What a blown dramatic opportunity.  In Ken Burns’ nine-part documentary masterpiece “Baseball,” an aged Red Barber (the Dodgers’ radio broadcaster) describes the […]

Based on Friday’s and Saturday’s grosses, weekend #4 of 2014 now looks like $97 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, a little better than yesterday’s estimate ($94 million) and now 4% below the average for the comparable weekend the past few years. Opening at 2,753 theaters Friday, I, Frankenstein from Lionsgate/Summit grossed a tiny $2.8 million Friday […]

          NETWORK FINALS:  OLYMPICS coverage gained 0.1 in final numbers.              Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  RIO SUMMER OLYMPICS coverage was at the top of Wednesday cable as well, with NBC Sports Net’s primetime telecast at 0.68, CNBC at 0.25, USA […]

  MASTERCHEF was cooking last night. DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), the chart below displays preliminary 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 […]

  BROADCAST FINALS ABC:  DANCING WITH THE STARS rose 0.08 to 0.77.  The REAL QUEENS OF HIP-HOP special was at 0.35. CBS:  THE NEIGHBORHOOD gained 0.05 to 0.67, and BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA was steady at 0.53.  NCIS and NCIS: HAWAII were each up 0.06, respectively to 0.62/0.48. NBC:  THE VOICE fell 0.16 to 0.76, and […]