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MoJoe loves game shows. MoJoe really likes "Press Your Luck."

And apparently, so do the promo-meisters at WKYT, the CBS affiliate in Lexington, Kentucky. They aired a brilliant spot right before and after Sunday's Super Bowl that used the classic CBS quiz show to tout the station's mega doppler radar.

It's quite awesome, and proof that there's plenty of talented folks toiling at stations across the country just ready to get the call to head to Hollywood or New York. CBS marketing chief George Schweitzer, take note!

And by the way, since we're doing open memos to CBS tonight: With another opening in the CBS daytime lineup coming this September, how about a revival of "Press Your Luck," Ms. Tellem?

Check out the WKYT "Luck" promo below -- as well as a spot the station also considered airing after the Big Game. It's pretty cool, too.

Published on Mon. February 08th, 2010 at 10:35PM | Link | Email | Comments (0) |
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Craig Ferguson is now on Twitter -- and he's just as cheeky online as he is on-air.

"Can I say fuck on this thing?" the CBS "Late Late Show" host tweeted Monday evening around 9:45 p.m., less than 12 hours after first signing on to the mircoblogging service.

Then, two minutes later: "Oh this is too awesome. Fuckity fuckity heck. (don't want to go too far)."

Among the early highlights of the feed from @craigyferg (whose authenticity was confirmed by a CBS pr rep):

-- "I follow no one. Except Dave I suppose. Or the local news. Or the smell of ham."
-- "Watching the who @ the superbowl made me sad. Like watching my grampa play the spoons."
-- "I'm concerned I watch too much Mythbusters. I may need geek rehab."

Craiggers isn't the first late-night host on Twitter.

NBC's Jimmy Fallon jumped on to the service even before his show premiered last year. He's now got more than 2.4 million followers and has sent out nearly 2,000 tweets since joining.

Ferguson announced his Twitter debut on his show early Tuesday morning. No surprise, his follower count started skyrocketing, jumping by 2000 in the space of a few minutes.

The always self-deprecating Ferguson summed up the importance of his Twitter bow thusly:

"The fact that I am on twitter probably means it's on the way out," he wrote.

Published on Mon. February 08th, 2010 at 10:14PM | Link | Email | Comments (1) |
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NBC has been giving its new Jerry Seinfeld - produced reality comedy "The Marriage Ref" a big - time sales offensive, even taking to movie theaters to promote the show.

It's not unusual for networks, especially those of the cable variety, to tout their wares via pre-show featurettes now common at many big multiplexes. But in most cases, the show's being super-hyped are of the scripted variety.

But "Marriage" has Seinfeld. On Thursday nights. No wonder, then, that NBC is sparing no coin in getting the word out about his series, which debuts March 4 right after the closing ceremonies of the Olympics.

Here's a version of the longform ad for "Marriage Ref" now running in theaters nationwide. It features Seinfeld and "Ref" Tom Papa attempted to ice fish in Minnesota -- because, Seinfeld notes in another video on NBC.com, the icy tundra of Duluth reminds him of the tough terrain that is marriage.

Published on Mon. February 08th, 2010 at 9:42PM | Link | Email | Comments (0) |
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NBC has started promoting its new game show "Minute to Win It," the post-Olympics competition hosted by Food Network's Guy Fieri.

Premiering Sunday, March 14 at 8 p.m., the series (originally titled "Perfect 10")  has regular folks trying to complete seemingly simple tasks involving household items. It's similar in some ways to "The Cube," a UK series being developed by CBS.

But NBC's show seems to have a much lighter, comedic and family-friendly tone to it. At least that's our take after watching an extended promo reel and the two promos below.

Look for this show to be among the many series to get a big push during NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics:
 

KEYWORDS game shows | NBC
Published on Mon. February 08th, 2010 at 9:31PM | Link | Email | Comments (0) |
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The CW will supersize "America's Next Top Model" in order to launch its new reality series "High Society" and "Fly Girls."

Both shows will roll out starting in mid-March. From the See Double. You?:

The CW has announced the premiere of two new reality series in March – the socialite-filled HIGH SOCIETY and the jet-setting FLY GIRLS.

Following a special 90-minute premiere of AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL on its new premiere date of Wednesday, March 10 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET), HIGH SOCIETY will debut in the 9:30-10:00 p.m. ET slot. The same schedule will air on Wednesday, March 17, with an additional 90-minute episode of TOP MODEL, followed by episode two of HIGH SOCIETY.

FLY GIRLS will prepare for take-off on Wednesday, March 24, when the schedule will be as follows: TOP MODEL (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET), HIGH SOCIETY (9:00-9:30 p.m. ET) and the debut of FLY GIRLS (9:30-10:00 p.m. ET).

HIGH SOCIETY follows Tinsley Mortimer, New York’s most talked-about “Park Avenue Princess,” as she and her circle of often-controversial friends circulate through New York’s most prestigious black-tie affairs, outrageous parties and fashion exclusives, with never-before-seen access from behind the velvet rope.

FLY GIRLS follows five beautiful Virgin America flight attendants as they jet from one glamorous location to the next, including Las Vegas, South Beach and New York City, while pursuing good times, great parties, adventure and love.

Following is The CW’s revised Wednesday night schedule, beginning March 10:

Wednesday, March 10
8:00-9:30 p.m. “AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL” (Cycle 14 Premiere)
9:30-10:00 p.m. “HIGH SOCIETY” (Series Premiere)

Wednesday, March 17
8:00-9:30 p.m. “AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL” (Episode 2)
9:30-10:00 p.m. “HIGH SOCIETY” (Episode 2)

Wednesday, March 24
8:00-9:00 p.m. “AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL”
9:00-9:30 p.m. “HIGH SOCIETY”
9:30-10:00 p.m. “FLY GIRLS” (Series Premiere)

KEYWORDS CW | project | reality TV
Published on Mon. February 08th, 2010 at 1:53PM | Link | Email | Comments (2) |
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Leslie Moonves is definitely not having a case of the Mondays.

"This is pretty terrific," the CBS chief executive officer told TheWrap this afternoon. He's referring, of course, to the record-breaking numbers of Sunday's Super Bowl and the post-game performance of new reality series "Undercover Boss."

Moonves, who was at Sunday's game in Miami, said viewers responded to the emotional backstory of Super Bowl XLIV.

"This was a special Super Bowl," Moonves said, noting the inclusion of the New Orleans Saints. "I've been to many Super Bowls, and I've never seen the field like it was after the game. It was sort of like a national triumph...after Katrina. It became bigger than the game."

The resulting powerhouse ratings show that the "model is still working," despite rivals who've insisted broadcast is broken. Moonves never misses an opportunity to play cheerleader for network TV, and Monday he had plenty of reason to shout.

"There's nothing like broadcasting. It's the big tent, and people are still looking for those communal events to share," he said.

"Advertisers got what they wanted. Viewers got what they wanted," Moonves added.

The CBS chief also noted the double-digit gains for last month's Grammy Awards, saying that broadcast's stellar performance had him thinking the Big Game would be particularly Big this year.

One possible downside to the great football numbers could become evident in coming years, when it comes time for the networks to renegotiate their license fee deals with the NFL. Some industry analysts have talked openly about sports leagues needing to get real about rights costs in an era of diminished ad revenue.

But Moonves doesn't see any problems, at least not with the NFL.

"The NFL has always been fair," he said. "We just did a two-year extensions where everybody felt (the financials were equitable). These ratings are a good thing for their brand and a good thing for our brand."

Another big boost for CBS Corp. came via the tons of exposure the company got for its various units -- mostly CBS Television, but also CBS Films. In addition to the much buzzed-about Letterman-Leno-Oprah ad, CBS impressed with funny spots for "NCIS" and "How I Met Your Mother."

"Ron Scalera and George Schweitzer did a great job," Moonves said, adding that the network had "a great mix" of spots in the game.

As for the Letterman spot, Moonves confirmed that he signed off on it in advance.

"I loved it. I thought it was brilliant," he said.

Published on Mon. February 08th, 2010 at 1:34PM | Link | Email | Comments (0) |
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Lost in all the hoopla surrounding the record-setting (sort of) performance for Sunday's Super Bowl is the fact that CBS' decision to slot "Undercover Boss" after the game paid off. Handsomely. 

The premiere of the reality show brought in 38.6 million viewers, scored a 16.2 rating in adults 18-49, and set the following records, per Nielsen and CBS:

 

-- Largest audience ever for a new series following the Super Bowl since the advent of people meters in 1987.

 

-- Largest audience ever to watch the premiere episode of a reality series.

 

-- Most-watched new series premiere overall on television since "The Dolly Show" on Sept. 27, 1987 (39.47m).

 

-- Third-largest post-Super Bowl audience behind "Friends" on Jan. 28, 1996, and CBS' "Survivor 2" on Jan 28, 2001.

 

  -- Largest audience for an entertainment program this season as well as the best ratings in households, adults 25-54, adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. 

 

There had been some head-scratching over CBS' decision to launch a new show after the Big Game. In recent years, networks have stuck with tried-and-true fare, since post-Bowl bows haven't always translated into long-term success.

 

"We cannot fathom why CBS is going with 'Undercover Boss,' which looks like a terrible show," website Zap2It.com wrote over the weekend.

 

Now we know why CBS made the call.

 

Still, there's no guarantee "Boss" will end up being a hit. It could be the next "The Wonder Years" (post-Bowl, 1988) -- but history suggests it might end up the next "Davis Rules" (1991).

 

KEYWORDS CBS | ratings | reality TV | Super Bowl
Published on Mon. February 08th, 2010 at 12:41PM | Link | Email | Comments (1) |
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 Fox is out with another promo for Tuesday's debut of Ellen DeGeneres on "American Idol."

Watch til the end to see DeGeneres joke about Hollywood. We would've put this up sooner, but Fox's e-mail alert got caught in our spam filter. 

Published on Mon. February 08th, 2010 at 11:19AM | Link | Email | Comments (0) |
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