Runaway Suffers Latest Cancellation
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, UPN, WB, Cancellations, Ratings,
The axe just keeps falling—the latest casualty is the CW’s drama Runaway. With only four episodes aired, this new series barely got off the ground to provide itself. This is the one about a family on the run, when dad (Donnie Wahlberg) is accused of murder. Of course, it’s all just a misunderstanding, as he is really innocent. The series aired Mondays at 9:00 p.m., then CW moved Runaway to Sunday, but the move didn’t make any impact on ratings. CW will fill the slot with repeats until another replacement is announced. As you recall, CW came about when UPN and WB combined. Runaway was only one of two series from the newborn network. The other was the comedy The Game.
Read More 
| CNN
Gallery: Runaway Suffers Latest Cancellation
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Flavor of Love 2 Big Ratings Winner for VH1
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Reality, Cable, Ratings,
I actually had to read the article twice about Flavor of Love 2—as in, did I just read that Flavor Flav’s finale show has earned the biggest audience ever for VH1? It’s true. Unbelievably true. I’m not sure if anyone reading this has ever seen this show, but to me, it’s just terrible. Maybe the ratings come from that “can’t take my eyes off of this trainwreck” feeling. I can only imagine that’s what it is. I can tolerate a lot of reality shows, but this one is unbearable to me. I’ve flipped past it a couple of times and lingered for about two minutes, including last night’s finale where he made his ultimate choice. Wow. I don’t want to offend anyone, but I can actually feel IQ points dropping when I watch it. So I watched about five minutes of it last night and those are five minutes of my life that I can never get back. But enough about me.
Flavor of Love 2 had 7.5 million viewers. I know… it’s not a typo. That makes it the most watched program ever on VH1 and the number one cable show for the evening. Among the 18-49 set, Flavor of Love was the top-rated non-sports show on cable for 2006. Seems Flav has found his niche—after appearing on The Surreal Life, Strange Love (with Brigitte Nielsen) and two runs of Flavor of Love—he is the darling of VH1. Go figure.
Oh, and by the way, he picked “Deelishis” in the final episode.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Flavor of Love 2 Big Ratings Winner for VH1
Happy Hour and ‘Til Death—Still Kickin’?
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, FOX, Cancellations, Ratings,
In a surprise move, Fox has requested additional scripts of Happy Hour and ‘Til Death—two new sitcoms seemingly perched on the edge of cancellation. The ratings indicate that both of these freshman series are in jeopardy of the axe, but the network is willing to give them some more opportunities to make ‘em laugh. Media reports are saying that Fox wants three more scripts from each—and we’ll see where things go from there. Both shows air Thursday nights, with ‘Til Death averaging about 6.9 million viewers. Happy Hour averaged under 5.6 million viewers in its three airings. Both went on hiatus because of baseball games on Fox, while ‘Til Death took additional time off when Brad Garrett put the brakes on production because of the quality of the scripts.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Happy Hour and ‘Til Death—Still Kickin’?
Brothers & Sisters Signed on for Full Season
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Desperate Housewives, Ratings,
More good news for another freshman series—Brothers & Sisters has been given a full season order. ABC made the announcement today, citing the pairing with Desperate Housewives as a reason to keep the show going. According to Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment, “Brothers & Sisters is a great addition to our Sunday night lineup and has given us a strong complement to Desperate Housewives.” I have to agree. With Housewives seeming to be on the upswing this season in terms of storylines and Brothers & Sisters providing an interesting character drama, Sunday is a great night for chick TV. If you haven’t seen this drama, it stars Calista Flockhart, Sally Field, Ron Rifkin, Rachel Griffiths and a large cast of characters. The story is about the Walker family, the differences among the siblings, and the company they must hold together following the death of the family patriarch. As the story unfolds, more is being discovered about the mess that their father left behind, adding to the drama among the family members. There is a lot to follow, but the storylines are interesting and for the most part, it’s very well done and believable. I’m just glad that another show I’ve devoted my time and attention to has been given a full season ride.
Read More | Access Hollywood
Gallery: Brothers & Sisters Signed on for Full Season
Salma Hayek Brings Her Beauty to Ugly Betty
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Ratings,
It was only a matter of time, I suppose, before Salma Hayek would step front and center on the show she executive produces, Ugly Betty. Until now, she’s had some fleeting moments on the show in a background soap opera. Her role will encompass multiple episodes, according to an ABC announcement today. Look for Hayek in her first guest star gig on the November 2nd episode—she will appear on three more episodes during November. Hayek will play Sofia Reyes, “a newcomer to the Mode scene who will leave a lasting impression on Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius) and Betty Suarez (America Ferrera).” This announcement comes on the heels of the news that ABC ordered a full season of the popular freshman show. It’s not too late to jump on the bandwagon—this is a fun show, and as I reported earlier, America Ferrera brings so much heart to the Betty character.
Read More | Access Hollywood
Gallery: Salma Hayek Brings Her Beauty to Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty Gets a Full Ride
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, News, Ratings,
ABC announced on Friday that Ugly Betty would get the full season order. That makes it the third new series to get the go-ahead, behind Heroes and Jericho. Great news for star America Ferrera and executive producer Salma Hayek. Ugly Betty took several years to make it to the small screen, with several producers, writers and networks trying to adapt the Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea to an American audience. When it finally made it to air, it surprised many by gaining solid viewership against the heavy-hitters in the 8:00 PM Thursday time slot (Survivor, My Name is Earl and The Office). While Ugly Betty continues to come in second to Survivor, it does maintain an average of 15 million viewers per episode. According to ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson, “The show has proven to be competitive in a very strong time period, and we’re thrilled with Ugly Betty‘s performance.”
If you haven’t caught this new series yet, give it a try. It’s different than anything that’s on right now and Ferrera brings so much heart to the role. She really brings across the beauty that lies beneath the ugly facade, and her subtle comedic moments are so sweet. America Ferrera’s first film role was Real Women Have Curves (2002) and I highly recommend it. If you enjoy her performance on Betty, you’ll find her role in this film endearing as well.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Ugly Betty Gets a Full Ride
Watch Out Ugly Betty, Prada is in the Works
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Prime Time, ABC, FOX, Ratings,
If it works for Betty, why not give Prada a try? Fox is planning to develop The Devil Wears Prada into a half hour sitcom. The Devil Wears Prada was recently a hit movie starring Meryl Streep, based on the bestselling book of the same name. Given Ugly Betty‘s success, Prada has a good chance of making it. While the stories are not exactly the same, there are parallels between the two. Namely, the non-fashion-sensible woman thrown into a world of self-absorbed fashionistas at a magazine. Beyond that, the stories have few other similarities. Fox TV Studios acquired the TV rights, with Robin Schiff (Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion) on board as writer and executive producer of the single-camera comedy. Fox TV Studios president, Angela Shapiro-Mathes will include elements of the hit movie, but is “not looking to directly translate the movie into a TV show.” Hey, if there’s room for two shows about a behind-the-scenes-look at a fictional sketch comedy show, then there should be room for two shows about the world of a fashion magazine.
Read More | Comingsoon.net
Gallery: Watch Out Ugly Betty, Prada is in the Works
CBS Orders Full Season of Jericho
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, CBS, Ratings,
Seems morbid show premises do actually bring in the viewers. While the concept of Jericho didn’t appeal to me—it’s about the aftermath of a nuclear explosion in a small Kansas town—it has gained steady viewership and hasn’t been impacted by baseball on Fox. Given the solid numbers, CBS has ordered the final nine episodes of the drama, for a full 22 eps. Jericho stars Skeet Ulrich (the poor-man’s Johnny Depp) and Gerald McRaney (remember him from Major Dad?) and airs Wednesdays at 8:00 PM. Ratings for the show average 11.3 million viewers, with a boost to viewership of 48 percent compared to that timeslot last year. So, it’s not all doom and gloom news when it comes to this freshman show—other newbies, however, are hanging on for dear life.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: CBS Orders Full Season of Jericho
Midseason Show ‘3 Lbs’ Gets a Bump
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, CBS, Cancellations, Ratings,
With the recent gap left by the cancellation of Smith, CBS has made the decision to bring midseason medical drama, 3 Lbs. on air sooner than anticipated. The Hollywood Reporter reports that CBS has ordered four scripts of 3 Lbs.—this is a good indicator that it may premiere in November, rather than midseason. The original pilot had Dylan McDermott starring, but the show was re-worked and McDermott was replaced by Stanley Tucci. Tucci plays a mentor to a young brain surgeon, played by Mark Feurstein. The show is currently in production, so CBS can determine whether or not to add it to the lineup based on the early episodes. The series would replace Smith‘s time slot of Tuesday at 10:00.
For now, a variety of crime show repeats will air through the end of October in place of Smith.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Midseason Show ‘3 Lbs’ Gets a Bump
CBS Drama ‘Smith’ Canceled
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, CBS, Cancellations, Ratings,
Now that the fall schedule is in full swing, one thing is certain—there will be casualties. Smith, the much-hyped CBS drama with big headliners Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen, is the first show to be officially canceled. The show, which aired on Tuesday nights, followed Liotta as the leader of a bunch of thieves. CBS said on Friday that the show is now off the schedule and will be replaced by reruns of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Criminal Minds. The word ‘cancel’ never was uttered, but the show’s producers give no guarantee that the show will come back. The viewership was so-so, with Nielsen Media Research reporting only 8.4 million viewers. The competition was tough too—up against Law & Order: SVU and Boston Legal.
Read More | Yahoo! News
Gallery: CBS Drama ‘Smith’ Canceled
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