Author Archive
 

 

BEHIND THE WEEKEND BOX OFFICE – 12/15/13

  OPENINGS:  THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (Warners/MGM) had a better Saturday hold than last year’s An Unexpected Journey (-22% vs. -25%), suggesting that positive word of mouth is kicking in, and no doubt ea...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED Season Finale Review: “Witches of East End”

  In this new era of serialized television drama, plot–and the skill with which it’s doled out–is more important than ever.  An overall clumsiness with the handling of its storylines is what’s held...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED Fall Finale Review: “Revenge”

  Improved isn’t the same as good, and the first half of REVENGE‘s third season has languished in the gulf between those two.  Under new showrunner Sunil Nayar (who replaced series creator Mike Kelley), Reveng...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED Fall Finale Review: “Once Upon A Time”

  It seems that for many viewers, ONCE UPON A TIME has become too conceptual for its own good.  The ratings, so robust just 2 seasons ago, have continued to sink (down another full ratings point this season), and while On...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED Season Finale Review: “Masters of Sex”

  Michelle Ashford’s series MASTERS OF SEX has been the extraordinary surprise of the fall television season.  It seemed, on its face, to be dauntingly unpromising.  In telling the story of sex researchers William ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED Season Finale Review: “Homeland”

  After three seasons on the air, it seems fair to say that–paraphrasing Star Wars—Homeland isn’t the show we were looking for.  That doesn’t make it a bad series, or an unentertaining one.  But i...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED NETWORK SCORECARD – 12/15/13

  On a night dotted with football (adjusted up below to anticipated final numbers), it didn’t pay to be the odd network out. ABC:  The fall finale of ONCE UPON A TIME didn’t go the way ABC had hoped, dropping 0.2 ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

THE SKED: Homeland & Masters of Sex Finale Ratings

  Preliminary numbers from last night’s season finale have HOMELAND setting a new series record with 2.4M total viewers for its initial airing (an additional 500K tuned in for the re-broadcast later in the evening).�...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

OSCARLAND: The Critics Choice Nominations

  The Broadcast Film Critics Association and their “Critics Choice” awards seem on the whole way too eager to please, desperate to have as many movies and stars in their tent (and on their CW awards telecast) a...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

UPDATED: THE SKED CABLE/NETWORK SCORECARD – 12/16/13

  AFTERNOON UPDATE:  The only ratings adjustments were due to local football coverage in Detroit and Cincinnati.  On NBC, THE VOICE held onto its 3.3, but THE SING-OFF dropped 0.2 to 2.0, while at ABC, THE GREAT CHRISTMAS LI...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

THE SKED Sunday Cable Ratings Scorecard – 12/15/13

  SHOWTIME:  The season finale of HOMELAND climbed by 300K total viewers and 0.1 in the 18-49 demo to 2.4M/0.9.   The MASTERS OF SEX finale was more subdued, holding even at 1.2M total viewers but declining 0.4 in the ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Film Review: “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”

  ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES:  Watch It At Home – Fun But Overextended Silliness ANCHORMAN 2:  THE LEGEND CONTINUES runs 119 minutes, which is rather too much of a not-bad thing (the original Anchorman, in 2...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

UPDATED: THE SKED CABLE/NETWORK SCORECARD – 12/17/13

  AFTERNOON UPDATE:  Little excitement in the final numbers.  THE VOICE gained 0.1 for a 4.0 total, still substantially below last year’s fall finale.  On CBS, NCIS and PERSON OF INTEREST also both added 0.1, and a co...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

TUESDAY NIGHT BOX OFFICE: “Anchorman 2″” Starts Strong

  In shows that started at 9PM last night, Will Ferrell and his ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (Paramount) crew pulled in $2.3M.  That’s ahead of the $2.2M earned by This Is the End and $1.7M for We’re the ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Film Review: “The Wolf of Wall Street”

  THE WOLF OF WALL STREET:  Buy A Ticket – Scorsese’s Boisterous Epic of Bottomless Greed The key sequence in Martin Scorsese’s THE WOLF OF WALL STREET arrives about 2 hours into its 3-hour length.  (No...
by Mitch Salem