Originally posted by Justin: Is Kath & Kim a multi camera comedy with a laugh track, or are we going to see yet another unsuccessful single cam? Anybody know?
Its a single-camera comedy.
My god, what does NBC think they can get with single cam comedies!?!
Posts: 2207 | Location: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: 27 January 2007
Originally posted by Justin: Is Kath & Kim a multi camera comedy with a laugh track, or are we going to see yet another unsuccessful single cam? Anybody know?
Its a single-camera comedy.
My god, what does NBC think they can get with single cam comedies!?!
Well NBC has managed to get at least mediocre results out of these sorts of comedies. Much better luck than Cdub and ABC have had along with CBS.
I've think I've mentioned this before, but multicamera comedies dont automatically mean they'll do well either. Look at According To Jim for example, and then there's also FOX's Til' Death and Back to You (which should have been a hit).
But NBC did pick up a multicamera comedy, Man of Your Dreams, which I guess will be scheduled later on.
Originally posted by Legends: I've think I've mentioned this before, but multicamera comedies dont automatically mean they'll do well either. Look at According To Jim for example, and then there's also FOX's Til' Death and Back to You (which should have been a hit).
But NBC did pick up a multicamera comedy, Man of Your Dreams, which I guess will be scheduled later on.
Well in the case of Jim, it was successful for 5 seasons but after that the show had just run its course and ABC is now just milking it.
Originally posted by Legends: I've think I've mentioned this before, but multicamera comedies dont automatically mean they'll do well either. Look at According To Jim for example, and then there's also FOX's Til' Death and Back to You (which should have been a hit).
But NBC did pick up a multicamera comedy, Man of Your Dreams, which I guess will be scheduled later on.
According to Jim was actually successful, and popular. It used to skew about 15 million a week, without a strong lead in.
Back to You and 'Til Death are hits, and are strong, they just aren't being treated right.
Posts: 2207 | Location: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: 27 January 2007
Originally posted by Legends: I've think I've mentioned this before, but multicamera comedies dont automatically mean they'll do well either. Look at According To Jim for example, and then there's also FOX's Til' Death and Back to You (which should have been a hit).
But NBC did pick up a multicamera comedy, Man of Your Dreams, which I guess will be scheduled later on.
According to Jim was actually successful, and popular. It used to skew about 15 million a week, without a strong lead in.
Back to You and 'Til Death are hits, and are strong, they just aren't being treated right.
I know ATJ was successful, but I was just referring to now.
And how are Back to You and Til Death hits? FOX even gave them spots after American Idol and they still didnt do that amazing. The Office and My Name Is Earl are bigger hits then those shows.
Originally posted by Legends: I've think I've mentioned this before, but multicamera comedies dont automatically mean they'll do well either. Look at According To Jim for example, and then there's also FOX's Til' Death and Back to You (which should have been a hit).
But NBC did pick up a multicamera comedy, Man of Your Dreams, which I guess will be scheduled later on.
According to Jim was actually successful, and popular. It used to skew about 15 million a week, without a strong lead in.
Back to You and 'Til Death are hits, and are strong, they just aren't being treated right.
I know ATJ was successful, but I was just referring to now.
And how are Back to You and Til Death hits? FOX even gave them spots after American Idol and they still didnt do that amazing. The Office and My Name Is Earl are bigger hits then those shows.
No, The Office is just about equal with them, and My Name Is Earl is probably the same.
They are hits in the sense that they have so much potential, and are capable. But like I said, I think they are being mistreated. Next season, though, hopefully things will shape up.
Posts: 2207 | Location: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: 27 January 2007
Originally posted by Legends: I've think I've mentioned this before, but multicamera comedies dont automatically mean they'll do well either. Look at According To Jim for example, and then there's also FOX's Til' Death and Back to You (which should have been a hit).
But NBC did pick up a multicamera comedy, Man of Your Dreams, which I guess will be scheduled later on.
According to Jim was actually successful, and popular. It used to skew about 15 million a week, without a strong lead in.
Back to You and 'Til Death are hits, and are strong, they just aren't being treated right.
I know ATJ was successful, but I was just referring to now.
And how are Back to You and Til Death hits? FOX even gave them spots after American Idol and they still didnt do that amazing. The Office and My Name Is Earl are bigger hits then those shows.
No, The Office is just about equal with them, and My Name Is Earl is probably the same.
They are hits in the sense that they have so much potential, and are capable. But like I said, I think they are being mistreated. Next season, though, hopefully things will shape up.
Um... just because you believe a series has "potential" doesnt make them hits, or else anyone could argue that a low rated show they like are "hits." And The Office and My Name Is Earl do better then those shows in both viewers and demos. So I really dont see your logic.
This week's Mr. TV column focuses on NBC. Check it out:
Mr. Television: A Grain Of Salt by Marc Berman
Under normal circumstances, I would reserve judgment about NBC's 2008-09 prime-time lineup until I saw all the pilots. But since NBC is not necessarily in the pilot business anymore (it's all about saving money, my friends) and is often going directly from script to series order, I don't see anything wrong with offering my two cents.
Let me start with a stern warning: Do not believe for one moment that NBC—or any network, for that matter—can pull off announcing a 65-week schedule this far in advance. What you have heard is not necessarily going to happen.
I speak from experience because just four days after it announced its "perfect" fall 2007 lineup to a packed crowd at New York City's Radio City Music Hall last May, NBC changed about one-half of the schedule once the other networks unveiled their plans. If panic, no doubt, ensued during upfront week last year, why is what NBC is telling us now going to stick?
Also keep in mind that Fox also once tried to unleash a 52-week schedule when then-network head Gail Berman (no relation to me!) ran the show. But those days are long gone because it was barely able to ever keep its word. Why will NBC be any different?
Truth be known, I like a lot of what I have heard about NBC's schedule. I am excited about new scripted sitcom Kath & Kim because I have been harping for years that the networks need to travel down a more familiar, less out-there road in comedy. And this tale of a divorced woman who finds her life turned upside down when her grown daughter moves in sounds happily familiar. I think the idea of turning the recent made-for movie remake of Knight Rider makes sense because, let's be honest, every network needs a dose of mindless fluff. I am glad NBC is trying to avoid the cluttered crime-drama genre. And I think the idea of trying to program the 8 p.m. hour in a more family-friendly nature is both responsible and a good thing for advertisers.
I am also pleased to see NBC exhibit some patience with recently introduced drama Lipstick Jungle, which ended season one on a promising note, because giving a new show an extended chance to find an audience can be a virtue. A short-term live half-hour edition of SNL poking fun at the upcoming presidential elections sounds like a hoot. And, yes, I am happy to hear veteran ER is finally being discharged next season. Running 19 consecutive episodes and replacing it with another season of guilty-pleasure Celebrity Apprentice is a good maneuver. So, all in all, I think NBC has crafted a smart and sensible fall 2008 schedule.
Speaking hypothetically, though, let me pose a few questions. How can NBC commit to Knight Rider in midseason if the early rating results fall short? If Lipstick Jungle pulls an upset and jump-starts the Wednesday 10 p.m. hour, will the network really move Law & Order back into the hour as planned in midseason? And what will happen if returning drama Life is DOA in the Friday 10 p.m. hour? Can the network really tell us now that Life will remain in the time period in the winter…and beyond? I don't think so, folks.
As one poster at PIFeedback adeptly remembered, last May NBC said midseason returnee Medium would air on Sundays this season, but it ended up Mondays at 10 p.m. That said, is it fair to assume that Medium will really run Sundays at 9 p.m. out of a new drama called Merlin? I don't have to tell you the answer to that.
Now let's talk about the proposed spinoff of The Office. NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman seems oddly unsure of what the concept is. While fans of The Office are jumping for joy at the idea of morphing something from it, The Office is not a mass-appeal hit and never will be. I give the show credit for delivering a competitive adult 18-49 performance opposite heavy hitters CSI on CBS and Grey's Anatomy on ABC, but from a ratings standpoint I do not see the need for an offshoot.
You have to give NBC credit for trying to scoop the competition, but again, don't be fooled. Announcing this early via a packed press conference could save the network money on a big, splashy presentation at Radio City next month. You can be sure that once the competitors unveil their plans, plenty of programming changes will ensue.
Had NBC unveiled this fall schedule the way it normally does, and stuck to its word, I would have been impressed. At this early point, however, I'm just not buying it. Nor should you.
I actually think Lipstick Jungle will do really well when it returns; I think DOND will help it a lot and the series did have nice retention rates out of The Apprentice (unlike Eli Stone out of Lost). It'll be great counter programming against any CBS crime procedural while it'll probably have some audience overlap with whatever airs on ABC.
But I think Life might be DOA, it'll also have DOND as a lead in, but who knows... NBC Fridays can really go either way. But yeah, NBC's schedule is definitely going to change before it airs (I'm thinking we'll see changes on either Wednesday or Friday).
And I disagree on The Office though. It doesnt have mass appeal and its spinoff probably wont be as successful, but since both shows are airing after the Superbowl this season, I think that could really help in making The Office an actual "hit."
Originally posted by Marc Berman: This week's Mr. TV column focuses on NBC. Check it out:
Mr. Television: A Grain Of Salt by Marc Berman
Under normal circumstances, I would reserve judgment about NBC's 2008-09 prime-time lineup until I saw all the pilots. But since NBC is not necessarily in the pilot business anymore (it's all about saving money, my friends) and is often going directly from script to series order, I don't see anything wrong with offering my two cents.
Let me start with a stern warning: Do not believe for one moment that NBC—or any network, for that matter—can pull off announcing a 65-week schedule this far in advance. What you have heard is not necessarily going to happen.
I speak from experience because just four days after it announced its "perfect" fall 2007 lineup to a packed crowd at New York City's Radio City Music Hall last May, NBC changed about one-half of the schedule once the other networks unveiled their plans. If panic, no doubt, ensued during upfront week last year, why is what NBC is telling us now going to stick?
Also keep in mind that Fox also once tried to unleash a 52-week schedule when then-network head Gail Berman (no relation to me!) ran the show. But those days are long gone because it was barely able to ever keep its word. Why will NBC be any different?
Truth be known, I like a lot of what I have heard about NBC's schedule. I am excited about new scripted sitcom Kath & Kim because I have been harping for years that the networks need to travel down a more familiar, less out-there road in comedy. And this tale of a divorced woman who finds her life turned upside down when her grown daughter moves in sounds happily familiar. I think the idea of turning the recent made-for movie remake of Knight Rider makes sense because, let's be honest, every network needs a dose of mindless fluff. I am glad NBC is trying to avoid the cluttered crime-drama genre. And I think the idea of trying to program the 8 p.m. hour in a more family-friendly nature is both responsible and a good thing for advertisers.
I am also pleased to see NBC exhibit some patience with recently introduced drama Lipstick Jungle, which ended season one on a promising note, because giving a new show an extended chance to find an audience can be a virtue. A short-term live half-hour edition of SNL poking fun at the upcoming presidential elections sounds like a hoot. And, yes, I am happy to hear veteran ER is finally being discharged next season. Running 19 consecutive episodes and replacing it with another season of guilty-pleasure Celebrity Apprentice is a good maneuver. So, all in all, I think NBC has crafted a smart and sensible fall 2008 schedule.
Speaking hypothetically, though, let me pose a few questions. How can NBC commit to Knight Rider in midseason if the early rating results fall short? If Lipstick Jungle pulls an upset and jump-starts the Wednesday 10 p.m. hour, will the network really move Law & Order back into the hour as planned in midseason? And what will happen if returning drama Life is DOA in the Friday 10 p.m. hour? Can the network really tell us now that Life will remain in the time period in the winter…and beyond? I don't think so, folks.
As one poster at PIFeedback adeptly remembered, last May NBC said midseason returnee Medium would air on Sundays this season, but it ended up Mondays at 10 p.m. That said, is it fair to assume that Medium will really run Sundays at 9 p.m. out of a new drama called Merlin? I don't have to tell you the answer to that.
Now let's talk about the proposed spinoff of The Office. NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman seems oddly unsure of what the concept is. While fans of The Office are jumping for joy at the idea of morphing something from it, The Office is not a mass-appeal hit and never will be. I give the show credit for delivering a competitive adult 18-49 performance opposite heavy hitters CSI on CBS and Grey's Anatomy on ABC, but from a ratings standpoint I do not see the need for an offshoot.
You have to give NBC credit for trying to scoop the competition, but again, don't be fooled. Announcing this early via a packed press conference could save the network money on a big, splashy presentation at Radio City next month. You can be sure that once the competitors unveil their plans, plenty of programming changes will ensue.
Had NBC unveiled this fall schedule the way it normally does, and stuck to its word, I would have been impressed. At this early point, however, I'm just not buying it. Nor should you.
Obviously NBC knows that all of the schedule they announced will not stick because of failed shows. But isn't this the case with all of the networks every year? Yes, NBC's schedule says that LIFE will be on in the fall and in the winter. But when CBS announced their schedule last May didn't it have Viva Laughlin on it for fall and winter? Did it last? The only difference is that NBC has announced separate schedules for fall and winter. But with CBS the expectation from them is that the fall and winter schedules will remain mostly the same. You really are grasping at needles in a haystack here...
I'm pretty biased because I love the show, but I think Life may be set up to do decent business on Friday. It's definitely more the Friday show "type" than FNL, and its final episode showed that the Deal lead-in could give it a considerable uptick - probably more crossover there than there was between FNL/Deal. Expectations and competition will also be lower (yeah yeah, and HUT).
I do think they held Medium and L&O back because they can pretty much be subbed in anywhere, but I'd be surprised to see Medium come off the bench early, especially as long as there are two newbies on that Sunday night. The rearranging of Medium this year was largely a strike thing.
Originally posted by spotupj: I'm pretty biased because I love the show, but I think Life may be set up to do decent business on Friday. It's definitely more the Friday show "type" than FNL, and its final episode showed that the Deal lead-in could give it a considerable uptick - probably more crossover there than there was between FNL/Deal. Expectations and competition will also be lower (yeah yeah, and HUT).
I do think they held Medium and L&O back because they can pretty much be subbed in anywhere, but I'd be surprised to see Medium come off the bench early, especially as long as there are two newbies on that Sunday night. The rearranging of Medium this year was largely a strike thing.
Yes, I don't know why LIFE became the presumptive failure out of the gate next year.
On MEDIUM, to further set the facts straight, this is actually the 3rd year it was set for sunday, coming off the bench in 06-07 from a scheduled 10pm sunday to clean up for KIDNAPPED.
As far as this coming season, this may actually be the year it DOES stay on Sunday because they have two dramas planned for the Mon 10pm slot, Tuesday and Thursday are set, Wed would go first to L&O, and friday looks like a waste of the show at least for this coming season.
What was not pointed out was what happens if, for example, MY OWN WORST ENEMY clicks out of HEROES? Not saying it will, but would they then proceed with the "platoon" of the next show? The schedule actually reveals a certain lack of confidence in that respect.
Posts: 1589 | Location: Western Pennsylvania | Registered: 13 December 2006
I'm not impressed by this. I think NBC should have paired Medium with Heroes and paired Life up with one of the Law & Orders. Honestly, pairing it with Friday Night Lights repeats is almost guaranteeing it a terrible lead in. Didn't this season prove that FNL didn't have an audience on Fridays?
