What are you watching this summer?

[HURAKAN]

That's great. I always see Leno at 11:35 PM.

[Brent]

I'm not surprised, their ratings have been suffering very badly since they went into repeats, while Nightline, which is still up and running, has made major gains.

Interesting article:

Last week it looked like the writer's strike could go on forever, with both sides again sniping publicly at one another.

That all changed over the weekend. Now it's looking like the strike could be settled by January, if not sooner.

Everything is again back in play, but the action has moved beyond the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and it's being led by other cooler heads in their exasperation over the collapse of negotiations.

Key is a move, announced over the weekend, by David Letterman to strike an independent deal with the WGA to spring his writers and get his show back on the air.

Letterman's Worldwide Pants produces "Late Show with David Letterman" and also the "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," two of the late night shows most hurt by the strike. The WGA will meet with Letterman and has vowed to open negotiations with other production companies as well.

A Letterman deal could break loose a flood of similar deals. Letterman going back would open the way for Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien.

As it is, just this morning NBC announced that "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" will return to the air on Jan. 2 without writers.

But that's hardly the only force that could bring a fast resolution to the strike.

Always looming in the background were the pending talks with the Director's Guild of America, whose contract runs out in the spring. Now the latest word is that the DGA will begin talks with the studios in early January, and a quick settlement would seem likely.

That becomes a real problem for the WGA. A DGA deal would all but eliminate any hope on the part of the WGA of gaining the concessions it has been seeking from the studios regarding fees for content its member writers create for internet, a key area of contention.

Whatever deal the DGA reached with the studios would become the template for the other unions, and that deal would likely offer little if any concessions in the area of new media, which is a low priority for directors.

All of this boxes the writers, of course. If they don't get back to the negotiating table and make major concessions, they'll get frozen out. And while they had won a lot of support early on from the public and other unions, that's all grown quite thin by now, especially among the unions, whose members have now been out of work a month and a half over a beef that is not theirs.

The WGA has said its stand will not be affected by a DGA deal but few believe that.

But the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers isn't in particularly good shape either. Its member studios released a statement of unity over the weekend, a direct response to the WGA vow to negotiate with individual studios directly.

But it's not particularly convincing. If Letterman should break away, cutting his own deal, the floodgate would be open. And Letterman seems very committed to doing just that.

Letterman is hoping to reach an interim agreement this week, and that would have him back on the air in January.

Further, Letterman is a member of the guild and supportive of writers, so odds are he'll concede in the very areas of new media where the AMPTP has been most resistant. The Letterman deal would then become the template for deals between the WGA and other studios.

Which way will it go? Will the WGA get boxed out? Or will it be the AMPTP?

It almost doesn't matter.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman ... sooner.asp

[Brent]

Housewives Return Date Is Revealed! Plus, Who Died?

January 6 — that's when it will be confirmed who died in the tornado that struck Desperate Housewives' Wisteria Lane in the Dec. 2 episode. It also could be the last original episode fans see this season if the WGA strike isn't resolved soon. Luckily, it's a good one. "It's even better than the last," says a source. "It's super-gripping, it addresses so many storylines and it answers so many questions that viewers have been asking all season."

So, to be blunt, who's toast? Viewers will learn (spoiler alert) that Gaby's husband, Victor, was indeed killed by the tornado (or, more specifically, a picket through the chest). Also done-for is Sylvia, the patient who was stalking Nathan Fillion's doc. The fate of Carlos, who was left for dead on the floor of his house will be confirmed, and Housewives fans will also discover who survived the collapse of Mrs. McCluskey's home, in which Tom and Ida were taking cover. That's right — another tornado-related death could be revealed in the new episode. — Teena Hammond Gomez

[Ptarmigan]

I wouldn't be surprised to see it go well past March... I think there's a good chance next season is affected also.

You know, I think you are right. I have a feeling that this strike could go on for some time. March was a just a conservative estimate for me. Tell the truth, using the previous two WGA strike is not the best comparison. I have a feeling they will hold out for some time until one side gives in.

[lurkey]

I wouldn't be surprised to see it go well past March... I think there's a good chance next season is affected also.

You know, I think you are right. I have a feeling that this strike could go on for some time. March was a just a conservative estimate for me. Tell the truth, using the previous two WGA strike is not the best comparison. I have a feeling they will hold out for some time until one side gives in.

and don't forget that the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG)'s contract runs out on June 30, 2008. .. and they won't (unlike the Director's Guild) start early talks until the WGA strike is resolved. . .

[Brent]

Anyone watching Duel or Clash of the Choirs?

Duel is good but too slow IMO(but I'm sticking with it for now because it does have potential). I'm not watching Choirs tonight(maybe I will, but I just don't think it'll be as interesting to me as Duel). Both are head-to-head the next 4 nights wit Duel also running Friday and Sunday.

[Cyclenall]

Anyone watching Duel or Clash of the Choirs?

Duel is good but too slow IMO(but I'm sticking with it for now because it does have potential).

You know what's funny is I was thinking the exact same thing 40 minutes into watching it.

[JonathanBelles]

I'm watching Duel, and im quite interested.

[Brent]

The premise was good, it's got potential, and I liked it, but please SPEED THINGS UP. Ugh!

Choirs is mildly interesting.

[lurkey]

The Writers Guild of America has turned down requests for waivers for Oscars and the Golden Globes.

WGA West president Patric Verrone rejected the requests Monday, due to the guild’s seven-week strike against studios and networks.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had asked for permission from the WGA for use of clips during the Feb. 24 Oscar telecast. Dick Clark Prods. and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had requested a waiver to allow writers to work on the Jan. 13 awards show.

Dick Clark Prods. released a statement indicating that it will try another route to keep its show from being picketed by making negotiating an agreement as an indie producer.

“The Golden Globe Awards, which has a long and friendly relationship with the Writers Guild of America, is obviously disappointed that the WGA denied its request for a waiver,” it said. “However, we are encouraged by the fact that the WGA has announced that it plans to negotiate agreements with independent production companies. Therefore, we will attempt to reach some type of agreement with them on behalf of the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards, which will recognize and honor outstanding achievements in both movies and television programming made before the strike.”

[Brent]

Ratings: When Duel Clashed with Choirs....
Monday's numbers, at a glance:

• A House repeat won the 8 o'clock hour with a hair under eight million total viewers, besting fresh reality (oxymoron?) fare from both ABC (Duel) and NBC (Clash of the Choirs). Clash averaged 7.93 mil over its two-hour run, while the 90-minute Duel delivered 7.68 mil.

• K-Ville (5.34 mil, +230K), Underbelly (4.99 mil, +430K) and October Road (5.68 mil, +480K) all enjoyed week-to-week increases.

• CSI: Miami dominated the night with 13.95 mil, a 150 thou dip. Journeyman (4.36 mil) was down 21 percent in what may be its penultimate outing.

[lurkey]

NBC OFFERS LARGER PLATFORM FOR USA NETWORK'S 'MONK' AND 'PSYCH' AS CABLE HITS MOVE TO BROADCAST NETWORK ON SUNDAY NIGHTS IN MARCH 2008
Released by NBC
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NBC OFFERS LARGER PLATFORM FOR USA NETWORK'S 'MONK' AND 'PSYCH' AS CABLE HITS MOVE TO BROADCAST NETWORK ON SUNDAY NIGHTS IN MARCH 2008

BURBANK - December 18, 2007 - NBC will provide USA Network hits "Monk" and "Psych" -- two of basic cable television's most successful and popular series -- with a broad new platform from which to expand their loyal audiences when it repurposes both series starting with upcoming new episodes to be shown first on USA in January 2008 and then again on Sunday nights on NBC beginning in March 2008, it was announced today by Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, Marc Graboff, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios and Bonnie Hammer, President, USA Network and SCI FI Channel.

[CajunMama]

Wasn't Monk originally on one of the big 3 networks and then moved to USA?

[Brent]

Wasn't Monk originally on one of the big 3 networks and then moved to USA?

ABC ordered it to pilot(and still produces the show) but passed it off to USA(before NBC bought them). ABC aired repeats of the USA airings for a few weeks during the summer of the first season.

What happened to ABC last night? These numbers are HORRIBLE.

DUEL 4.3/7 2.1/6 6,720,000
NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY 2.2/3 1.2/3 3,187,000
OCTOBER ROAD 2.8/5 1.5/4 4,061,000

!

Huge drop from the fast nationals.

[JonathanBelles]

We have a Duel Game going on in Chat right now, and for the rest of the week.

[lurkey]

NBC to Use Cable, International Shows
By REBECCA DANA
December 19, 2007; Page B4

With the Hollywood writers strike cutting off traditional supply lines for new scripted television shows, NBC executives said yesterday that they will fill out the network's prime-time schedule with reruns from sibling cable network USA and with shows that are being produced outside the U.S., with staffs of "international writers" independent of the Writers Guild of America.

Coupled with the return of NBC late-night hosts Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien on Jan. 2, these moves should do much to help insulate the network from the effects of a protracted strike, the executives said. NBC is a unit of General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, which also owns a string of cable channels, including USA, Bravo and Sci-Fi.


NBC will air reruns of "Monk," from sister network USA, to help fill its prime-time slots.
Executives at other broadcast networks are contemplating similar moves, including working with overseas production studios and using nonunion writers if the strike drags on much longer, according to people involved in these discussions. Hopes that the strike, already six weeks old, would end soon have faded since the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, walked out of the last round of negotiations on Dec. 7.


more here . .

Also, Kimmel will be back on late nite starting Jan 2.

[Brent]

PREMIERE DATE OF NBC'S 'THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE' MOVES BACK ONE WEEK TO JANUARY 10

NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice," which was previously scheduled to premiere on Thursday, January 3 (9-10 p.m. ET), will now debut one week later on Thursday, January 10 (9-10 p.m. ET). For its seventh season, the series returns to New York City as Donald Trump welcomes an all-star celebrity lineup of candidates who will work to raise over $1 million for various charities

Edit, and due to this, ABC has made changes on the 3rd:

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2008
8:00 - 9:00 PM UGLY BETTY repeat - "Grin and Bear It" (R-OAD: 10/18/07)
10:02 - 11:00 PM DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES repeat - "Something's Coming" (R-OAD: 12/02/07)
(As of now, GREY'S ANATOMY is still slated to have a new episode at 9PM on this night. The new episode of UGLY BETTY originally slated for the night will be moved to Jan. 10.)

NEW DAY FOR "CASHMERE MAFIA" SPECIAL PREMIERE

Series To Premiere Sunday, January 6 at 10 after an all-new DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, Followed By Its Regular Time Period Premiere Which Remains On Wednesday, January 9 at 10
(The new episode of BROTHERS & SISTERS originally slated for the night will be moved to Jan. 13. B&S is likely all-new on Jan. 13, 20 and 27.)

[JonathanBelles]

S2k Duel game starts in 2 minutes

[Cyclenall]

Duel is going much faster now then the other two episodes.

[JonathanBelles]

its faster but there are more commercials.