> Holiday weekends present a unique opportunity for increases in box office as normal working and leisure schedules are disrupted.  The most common weekend format changes come in the form of four-day weekends.  A perfect example of this is Memorial Day weekend, when Monday becomes the final day of the weekend.  But the patterns are […]

>American Idol continue to flounder.  Just when we thought the Wednesday edition could hold the line at a 6 rating, it now appears that a 5 rating could be the benchmark.  Idol is no longer hearing the footsteps of The Voice; it is watching Adam, Cee Lo, Blake and Christina definitely leaping ahead.  But before […]

  ABC’s game shows should probably have stuck with reruns against the Olympics. 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 […]

  We’re just days away from the launch of the summer movie season, the most important part of the year for all of the major studios.  Literally billions of dollars will be on the line over the next several months, with almost every weekend bringing a high-stakes bet to the table from one or more […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Here is an updated look at the 2017 film slates by studio, including early 2018 dollars for films released later in 2017. We will start tracking the 2018 studio slates in a few weeks. YEAR TO DATE BOX OFFICE. Looking at North American box office, 2018 to date is now +7% above last […]

> 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 […]

  BROADCAST FINALS: ABC:  THE GOLDBERGS dropped 0.15 to 0.55, THE WONDER YEARS similarly fell 0.17 to 0.50, THE CONNERS lost 0.14 to 0.51, and HOME ECONOMICS was down 0.05 to 0.36.  A MILLION LITTLE THINGS reversed the trend, up 0.02 to 0.31. CBS:  SURVIVOR dipped 0.06 to 1.00, and the season finale of BIG […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  Both EMPIRE and LETHAL WEAPON gained 0.1 in final numbers, as did CRIMINAL MINDS, BLINDSPOT and SVU.  Both CW reruns of PENN & TELLER: FOOL US and WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY dropped 0.1.         Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  TV […]