Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Anger Management with Charlie Sheen to debut on June 28

The Associated Press is reporting that June 28th is D-Day for Charlie Sheen's new program, Anger Management.

It will premiere on FX.  The program is loosely based on the 2003 movie of the same name, which starred Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler.  Sandler plays a businessman wrongly sentenced to anger management classes where he meets up with Nicholson as the instructor.

In the sitcom, Sheen will play a former minor-league baseball player who becomes a "nontraditional" therapist.

On June 28th  at 9 pm, FX will air the first two of 10 episodes of this program.  It will also premier a new show with Russell Brand called Strangely Uplifting which will feature Branch rifting in front of a live audience.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

TV Ratings for Week Ending February 26, 2012


Broadcast:
Program/Network
Total Viewers
Rating
         1. ACADEMY AWARDS, ABC
39,341,000
22.6
         2. OSCAR'S RED CARPET LIVE (3), ABC
24,068,000
14.3
         3. NCIS, CBS
19,288,000
11.9
         4. OSCAR’S RED CARPET LIVE  (2), ABC
16, 625,000
10.2
         5. Big Bang Theory, CBS
16,198,000
9.7
         6. American Idol (Wed), FOX
16,104,000
9.3
         7. Voice, NBC
16,042,000
9.0
         8. American Idol (Thurs), FOX
15,644,000
9.3
         9. NCIS: Los Angeles, CBS
15,468,000
9.8
      10. Person of Interest, CBS
14,555,000
8.8

Cable:
Program/Network
Total Viewers
Rating
         1. 2012 NBA ALL STAR GAME (WEST/EAST), TNT
7,070,000
4.4
      2. Walking Dead, AMC
7,040,000
3.8
      3. NBA ALL-STAR SAT NIGHT, TNT
 6,237,000
3.6
      4. Pawn Stars, Hist
5,537,000
3.5
      5. Pawn Stars, Hist
5,294,000
3.3
      6. Jersey Shore, MTV
 5,232,000
3.4
      7. NBA Basketball (NY/Miami), TNT
5,092,000
3.2
      8. Gold Rush, Disc
5,059,000
3.1
      9. American Pickers, Hist
4,843,000
3.0
      10. Anderson Cooper 360, CNN
4,746,000
3.0

Lindsay Lohan and Matt Lauer: Excerpts

Matt Lauer sat down with actress Lindsay Lohan in an exclusive interview to air Thursday morning on NBC's "Today." Lohan talked to Lauer about her current plans and projects, what she has learned from her past experiences, and what she’s looking forward to in the future. Lohan tells Lauer that she is “clean and sober” and she wants “to continue to move forward and in the right direction.” 
The actress, who will host “Saturday Night Live” this Saturday, March 3, also told Lauer, “I still need to go through the process of proving myself.”
Excerpts from the interview follow.
MATT LAUER: There was a time when we talked last time, where I think you didn't want to talk about a lot of things. Because I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, there was a little denial going on.
LINDSAY LOHAN: Definitely. And I think it was-- it's a scary thing to have to kind of express to people. I don't think I was-- I wasn’t as comfortable with myself then. And yeah, definitely, though. I think it was a fear factor that I had about what was really going on. And, you know, I had to get that wakeup call.
MATT LAUER: Can you go to the night life? Can you go to parties? Can you go to clubs without suffering the temptation that's going to get you into trouble?
LINDSAY LOHAN: I don't. I mean, I prob-- I could, but I don't. That's not my thing anymore. I went out, actually, a few months ago with a friend. And I was so uncomfortable. Not because I felt tempted, just because it was just the same thing that it always was before. And it just wasn't fun for me. I've become more of a homebody. And I like that.
MATT LAUER:  Do you think people have gotten back, or can get back to the point where they trust you? In other words, professional people? You know, if they say to you, "Come host Saturday Night Live," that's a big commitment. And do you think the producers and directors of movies and television projects are going to get back to the part where they can go, "You know what? Yeah, we can count on Lindsay. We can bank on her?"
LINDSAY LOHAN: I think that that's gonna take-- I think that takes time. And I think that it's actions. Because people can say things all they want, but I think I still need to go through the process of proving myself, you know, with SNL, being on time, being, you know, keeping my can't say the word but stuff together.
MATT LAUER: There's some stories going around that your next project is going to be playing Elizabeth Taylor.
LINDSAY LOHAN:Yes.
MATT LAUER: Tell me about it.
LINDSAY LOHAN:  We're in the middle of casting and figuring-- we start production soon. I've been doing tons of research. But I've always kind of researched her. She's always been a fascinating woman to me. So I'm really honored. And I will not let anyone down, especially myself.
MATT LAUER:It's funny that you felt the need to say that. "I will not let anyone down."
LINDSAY LOHAN: Because people-- you know, I could see where it could be scary for people to invest in me. And I don't want people to have that reason to be scared anymore. So being able to have this opportunity with SNL and the film, I'm gonna do what I'm supposed to do, and enjoy doing it, and do it as best as I can.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Oscar Ratings Best in Two Years

With 1.4 million more viewers than last year and the best ratings in three of the last four years, ABC’s Academy Awards broadcast drew its second largest audience since 2007.

The show, with host Billy Crystal, attracted an average audience of 39.3 million total viewers and posted an 11.7 rating among Adults 18-49.  In addition, visits to Oscar.com jumped 42% and the Oscar app was downloaded 370,000 times, an increase of 1154% over 2011.  On Oscar Sunday alone, four million people visited Oscar.com or used an Oscar App.

The 2012 Oscars stand as ABC’s most-watched telecast in two years – since March 7, 2010, which shows you how bad things have been for ABC lately.  

With the Oscar’s Red Carpet Live pre-show, the actual awards telecast and Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Academy Awards, ABC’s Oscar programming on Sunday reached an estimated 76 million unique television viewers across the U.S. – unduplicated viewers 2+ watching six minutes or more during the broadcast.

Across TV and digital platforms, audiences consumed more than 8.5 billion minutes of ABC’s Academy Awards-themed programming Sunday.

Source: The Nielsen Company (Live + Same Day, Fast National Program Ratings) – 2/27/12.  Online Source: Adobe SiteCatalyst

FOX Shakes Up Schedule for Spring

Mondays and Thursdays will change for FOX viewers shortly.

Touch, the new Kiefer Sutherland show, will premiere on Thursday, March 22 at 9 pm following American Idol.  (If you're thinking Touch, already premiered, you're right, but FOX is calling the episode that aired earlier a "preview" which will be repeated on Thursday, March 15th.)

Meanwhile, on Monday, April 2 at 8 pm, Bones returns on a new night.  Now back from her real-life baby's birth, Emily Deschanel as Brennan and David Boreanaz as Booth are at odds over plans for the upcoming birth of their daughter.  And, a neighborhood is on edge when remains are found in the sewer, clogging up local plumbing lines. 
Following Bones, House returns at 9 pm with all-new episodes leading up to the series finale on May 21. A retrospective special looking back at the last eight years of the seminal series will precede that show.  FOX says it will announce details.  I guess viewers are wondering if old series regulars, like Cuddy, will be back.  We'll see.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Oscars 2012: A Review


The Oscars Web site was a winner with live cameras at
multiple backstage locations.
What a stroke of luck that Eddie Murphy dropped out as host and Billy Crystal had to fill in at the figurative last minute.  Having Crystal back with his trademark opening movie sequence, monologue and song was a breath of fresh air.  He is truly funny and Hollywood loves him.  What other man could get George Clooney to lean over and kiss him?

Crystal’s take on everything is terrific.  He zeroes in on the aspects of the movies we may be contemplating only subconsciously – that Martin Scorsese can’t make a film without mobsters, that Justin Bieber was needed, if only for a few seconds, to lure in the younger demographic, and that you could use the Mr. Ed theme song to mock a cinematic masterpiece like War Horse.  And who else would segue from The Help to Bridesmaids, finding the lone scatological elements of each.

The Artist and Hugo dominated the awards. They won the most awards as The Descendants and The Help fell behind, which was a disappointment to me and not what I expected.

Who and what else were good and bad?

I’d put the following in the good column:

·      Sandra Bullock for having class, for looking good (read age appropriate) and for being funny at the same time.

·      The faux focus group that pointed out with sarcasm that focus groups are for panderers and studios lacking the creativity to make a movie without them.

·      Chris Rock for his inside joke about Eddie Murphy playing a donkey.

·      Ellen DeGeneres commercial for JC Penny, er JCP.

·      The Oscar Web site with live behind-the-scenes cameras in a number of different places – the pressroom, backstage, the winners walk, the control booth and the host camera.  There was also a map and Twitter board, so viewers could keep up with all aspects while remaining on the page.  Very cool.

Bad:

·      J-Lo for having a horrible dress and for catering to the least common denominator – appalled conservatives and teenage boys who actually want to see her nipples.

·      Cirque du Soleil at the movies.  No reason needed.  It wasn’t Rob Lowe as Prince Charming, but it was close.

·      Emma Stone’s big red dress.

·      The fact that “Man or Muppet” won for best Original Song.

·      Meryl Streep’s dress.  She is, as Billy Crystal described her, the best actress of our time, but taste? Nope.

·      Woody Allen for not showing up to accept his Best Original Screenplay award.

·      Clips of movie stars explaining why they like movies.


And, for those who didn’t see the show, here are the winners:

Best Picture -The Artist

Best Actor – Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Actress – Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Actor in a Supporting Role – Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Actress in a Supporting Role – Octavia Spencer, The Help

Animated Feature Film, Rango, Gore Verbinski

Cinamatography – Hugo, Robert Richardson

Art Direction – Hugo

Costume Design – The Artist

Directing – Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Documentary Feature – Undefeated

Documentary Short – Saving Face

Film Editing – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Foreign Language Film – Iran, “A Separation”

Makeup – The Iron Lady

Music (Original Score) – The Artist

Music (Original Song) – “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets

Short Film (Animated) – The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Short Film (Live Action) – The Shore

Sound Editing – Hugo

Sound Mixing – Hugo
Visual Effects – Hugo

Writing (Adapted Screenplay) – The Descendants

Writing (Original Screenplay) – Midnight in Paris

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Ratings for The Revolution Down Again; The Chew Holds Its Own


The Revolution is not doing any better in the ratings since last week, but it’s not doing worse, according Nielsen ratings for the week of February 13, 2012.  The program had 1.53 million viewers in each of the last two weeks. It’s drawing 820,000 fewer viewers than One Life to Live, a 35% difference in the soap’s favor.  One Life to Live, during the week of February 14, 2011 had 2.35 million people watching.

Among women, the difference is even greater – -42% for women 35-54, -44% for women 18-49 and -40% for women 18-34.

I know, from the hundreds of comments we’ve received on this blog only, that viewers aren’t happy.  But what about the advertisers?  Why aren’t they raising a stink?

I applaud the many readers who have told us they are boycotting ABC altogether, which will eventually be a message received by advertisers.  Many are still watching General Hospital, though its numbers are at an all-time low, probably because no one is watching its lead-ins.

Soap Ratings for last week:

Total Viewers
1. Young & Restless 4,744,000 (-11,000/+100,000)
2. Bold & Beautiful 3,285,000 (-65,000/+494,000)
3. Days of Our Lives 2,468,000 (+7,000/-89,000)
4. General Hospital 2,162,000 (-31,000/-346,000) (all-time low)

Over at The Chew, the news (unfortunately for our readers) is not as bad.  That banal and personality-challenged show had 2.30 million viewers last week, compared to 2.38 million the previous week.  The numbers are dwindling, but not by much.  By comparison, All My Children, was only doing 2% better at this time last year with 2.35 million total viewers.

ABC executives have to be getting worried at this point.  Their new shows are not doing well, even compared to The Talk on CBS, which had 2.35 million.  It’s only real daytime winner is The View with 3.78 million viewers.

ABC, during primetime, rarely even has a program in the top ten.  It’s time the network starts making changes that will please viewers.

Friday, February 24, 2012

American Idol Finalists Announced

The AMERICAN IDOL auditions ended last night as the judges’ remaining picks for the semi-finalists were revealed. Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler chose their top contestants and will turn the reins over to viewers when live shows and voting begin next week.

It was also announced that one of four contestants – Jermaine Jones, Johnny Keyser, Richie Law and David Leathers – will get a second chance and join the male semi-finalists next week on a special night, Tuesday, Feb. 28 (8:00-10:00 PM ET). The male semi-finalists – DeAndre Brackensick, Adam Brock, Colton Dixon, Creighton Fraker, Eben Franckewitz, Reed Grimm, Heejun Han, Joshua Ledet, Chase Likens, Aaron Marcellus, Phil Phillips and Jeremy Rosado, plus one more lucky contestant – will perform LIVE for the first time on AMERICAN IDOL. 

On Wednesday, Feb. 29 (8:00-10:00 PM ET), the female semi-finalists –  Baylie Brown, Hollie Cavanagh, Hallie Day, Jennifer Hirsh, Haley Johnsen, Skylar Laine, Shannon Magrane, Jessica Sanchez, Chelsea Sorrell, Elise Testone, Erika Van Pelt and Brielle Von Hugel –  will perform live. 

The season's first results show is Thursday, March 1 (8:00-10:00 PM ET) on FOX.

Top 13 male semi-finalists scheduled to perform Tuesday, Feb. 28 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live /PT tape-delayed) include:

DeAndre Brackensick             
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Age: 17

Keep up with Deandre at:

Adam Brock
Hometown: Washington, PA
Age: 27

Keep up with Adam at:


Colton Dixon
Hometown: Murfreesboro, TN
Age: 20

Keep up with Colton at:


Creighton Fraker
Hometown: Queens, NY
Age: 28

Keep up with Creighton at:


Eben Franckewitz
Hometown: Loveland, OH
Age: 15

Keep up with Eben at:

Reed Grimm
Hometown: Ellsworth, WI
Age: 26

Keep up with Reed at:


Heejun Han
Hometown: Flushing, NY
Age: 22

Keep up with Heejun at:


Joshua Ledet
Hometown: Westlake, LA
Age: 19

Keep up with Joshua at:

Chase Likens
Hometown: Point Pleasant, WV
Age: 21

Keep up with Chase at:

Aaron Marcellus
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Age: 27

Keep up with Aaron at:



Phil Phillips
Hometown: Leesburg, GA
Age: 21

Keep up with Phillip at:


Jeremy Rosado
Hometown: Valrico, FL
Age: 19

Keep up with Jeremy at:

One of these contestants – Jermaine Jones, Johnny Keyser, Richie Law or David Leathers – will join the male semi-finalists.

[Editor’s note: Photos of Jermaine Jones, Johnny Keyser, Richie Law and David Leathers are available on www.foxflash.com]

Top 12 female semi-finalists scheduled to perform Wednesday, Feb. 29 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live /PT tape-delayed) include:

Baylie Brown
Hometown: Krum, TX
Age: 22

Keep up with Baylie at:


Hollie Cavanagh
Hometown: McKinney, TX
Age: 18

Keep up with Hollie at:

  Hallie Day
  Hometown: Baltimore, MD
  Age: 24

  Keep up with Hallie at:


Jennifer Hirsh
Hometown: Agoura Hills, CA
Age: 25

Keep up with Jen at:


Haley Johnsen
Hometown: Beaverton, OR
Age: 23

Keep up with Haley at:




  Skylar Laine
  Hometown: Brandon, MS
  Age: 18

  Keep up with Skylar at:

  Shannon Magrane
  Hometown: Tampa, FL
  Age: 16

  Keep up with Shannon at:


Jessica Sanchez
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Age: 16

Keep up with Jessica at:


Chelsea Sorrell
Hometown: Stokesdale, NC
Age: 23

Keep up with Chelsea at:


Elise Testone
 Hometown: Charleston, SC
Age: 28

Keep up with Elise at:

Erika Van Pelt
 Hometown: South Kingstown, RI
Age: 26

Keep up with Erika at:


Brielle Von Hugel
 Hometown: Staten Island, NY
 Age: 17

Keep up with Brielle at: