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One Stinker in the Bunch In a critical look at NBC’s new fall shows, Josh Bell of Media Life predicts that of four dramas and two comedies, there’s only one stinker in the lot.
As the fourth-ranked broadcast network, NBC has a lot less to lose in taking chances. That fearlessness is what will drive the success of the new shows, according to the article.
Heroes, debuting Monday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. is perhaps the most-hyped show of the season, with an ad campaign that includes running a 2:30 content segment of the show at National CineMedia theaters across the country and previews available on iTunes. Though it has flaws, it largely lives up to its hype, Bell writes.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip airs after Heroes on Mondays at 10 p.m., and is characterized by rapid-fire dialogue and witty banter, similar to that which could be found on creator Aaron Sorkin’s popular West Wing. Friday Night Lights debuts Oct. 3 in the Tuesday 8 p.m. timeslot, and is a “surprisingly effective adaptation of the 2004 film of the same name.”
Kidnapped, coming Sept. 20 in the Wednesday 10 p.m. slot is “far superior to Fox’s similarly themed Vanished,” but is a bit disappointing, Bell writes, and 30 Rock, debuting Oct. 11 on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. also looks promising.
Only the sitcom 20 Good Years, debuting on Oct. 11 in the Wednesday 8:30 p.m. timeslot, really fails. The comedy, starring John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor, depends upon the interaction between the two actors for its success, but the pair “can’t seem to pull it off.”
Katz Media Group has added another new client, Lincoln Financial Media, and will sell ad time on the company’s 15 stations beginning immediately.
Katz also added CBS Radio and Entercom last week, picking them off from Interep’s list.
Katz has also…
Last week, Aegis Group CEO Robert Lerwill resigned unexpectedly, sparking speculation that a takeover may be on the horizon.
Lerwill stepped down officially today (Monday), with Aegis chairman John Napier taking over his duties on an interim basis, writes MediaPost. People…
Out-of-home companies are bracing for the recession like everyone else, but they may not feel the sting as badly as other media.
Though the third quarter brought negative growth to the nation’s three largest OOH companies - Clear Channel Outdoor,…
The 82nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade pulled an average 12.6 rating/26 share on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 27, according to Nielsen.
That was 8% higher than its telecast last year, Mediaweek writes. NBC estimated that a total 44.7 million viewers…
Time magazine ousted Cosmo as the top magazine for college students in this year’s Anderson Analytics fall survey.
Time also jumped past People, which was last year’s No. 2, writes Ad Age. A Time spokesperson said the magazine did not run…
Email, news gathering and paying bills continue to be the most widely used online activities among U.S. adults, but downloading TV programs, watching videos and making web phone calls posted the biggest overall growth, according to data from Mediamark Research…
