or


[04/14/03 - 12:00 AM]
ABC Greenlights 'Kingdom,' Sets Fall 2003 Foundation
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- ABC will indeed go forward with its long in the works Stephen King drama "Kingdom Hospital" as the Alphabet has given the series a firm midseason 2004 order. That's just one of several announcements ABC executives made late last week concerning May sweeps, fall 2003 and beyond:

-- "Kingdom" will join the previously ordered "Lines of Duty" as the initial members of ABC's 2003-04 season freshman class. Insiders expect "Kingdom" to get a Monday slot once "Monday Night Football" wraps. The Alphabet network initially ordered a two-hour pilot movie and 13 additional episodes back in July of 2001 however production did not go forward. No reason for the delay was given.

-- Speaking of Stephen King, ABC also announced its will bow its "Rose Red" prequel "The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer" on Monday, May 12 at 9:00/8:00c.

-- "Alias" and "The Practice" will both wrap their seasons with two-hour finales on May 4 and May 5 respectively (both starting at 9:00/8:00c).

Comedies important but dramas 'vital' to ABC schedule

"We lost our way, we made mistakes -- it was a mess," Lloyd Braun, ABC Entertainment Group chairman admitted to the advertising community in the network's pre-upfront meetings. "Our goal this season was to plant seedlings that would develop into a new comedy foundation. And the operative theme for our schedule next year is comedy, comedy, comedy, comedy and more comedy. We won't have branding like this year's 'Happy Hour' drive the schedule. We'll set up the schedule first, then see if there is a smart way to brand it."

Susan Lyne, ABC Entertainment president added, "We looked into our past to learn about the future, and what we saw were family comedies and relationship-driven dramas. Since we went into scheduling this season with very few shows to work with -- My Wife and Kids, According to Jim, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Alias, that was it -- we limited our focus to Tuesday and Wednesday, and the 8 p.m. hour. Next year we'll make a concerted effort to introduce new dramas from 9 to 11 p.m."

To that end, ABC expects to have 12 comedies on its schedule however don't expect a return of the reality addiction. "In hindsight, we made a mistake putting on as many reality shows when we did," said Braun. "You won't see a lot of it next season. The Bachelor will be back, and we're considering another edition of I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" That's it however as Braun confirmed both "Are You Hot?" and "All American Girl" will not return next season. "The Family" however will get a second chance this summer as ABC will air the remaining episodes.

ABC executives then went into a night by night breakdown of its schedule and the possibilities it is considering:

Mondays: "As much as football is a blessing, it's also a curse; and starting from scratch in first quarter is always a challenge," said Braun. "Although we were hoping to successfully launch two new dramas on Monday around The Practice, the results have not been satisfying. Veritas: The Quest and Miracles have been canceled, and the future of The Practice is uncertain." Braun also added that it's extremely unlikely for "The Practice" to return to its old Sunday home next season: "With so much drama development, Sunday at 10 p.m. is a real opportunity [to launch new series]."

Tuesdays: "Eight Simple Rules," "According to Jim" and "N.Y.P.D. Blue" will more than likely stay in their current tentpole slots of 8:00/7:00c, 9:00/8:00c and 10:00/9:00c respectively. Braun was especially enthusiastic about "Jim" taking on "Frasier": "Jim beat Frasier by seven-tenths of a rating point among adults 18-49 in their first head-to-head battle. Who would have ever thought this little comedy could beat a show like Frasier? We are absolutely thrilled, and we think According to Jim is one of our key building blocks for the future." As for the 8:30/7:30c and 9:30/8:30c slots, "Life With Bonnie" was mentioned as likely to relocate to a different night while "Less Than Perfect" seems more apt to stay put in its current home. With the numbers for new midseason comedy "Lost at Home" less than stellar, a solid finish when "Perfect" returns on April 29 will ensure it stays put.

Wednesdays: The makeup for Wednesday will also likely remain intact with only the 10:00/9:00c hour a question mark. "We didn't have a suitable show to put on after The Bachelor this season because we spent too much time focusing on 8 p.m." ABC hopes to use "The Bachelor's" strong lead-in to launch a new drama in the hour.

Thursdays: "We are not going to be afraid of putting scripted programming on Thursday," Braun told reporters however specific plans were not discussed. Braun added however, "I have every expectation that you will continue to see Primetime and 20/20 on the schedule." That leaves the opening two-hour block a mystery.

Fridays: Fridays are also set to remain intact as the network seeks to find a companion for "America's Funniest Home Videos" and "20/20." As for "The Drew Carey Show," Lyne admitted, "Yes, the show did not work for us this year. We tried it in three different time periods, and nothing clicked. If the audience rediscovers the show this summer, we'll figure out a way to get it back on the schedule at some point next season."

Saturdays: The network confirmed once again that movies and specials will dominate its Saturday schedule but left the possibility for scripted programming open in the future: "Maybe we'll do scripted programming on Saturday as we get further in the season, but right now there are plenty of other time periods we need to concentrate on first in midweek," Lyne said.

Sundays: ABC executives also confirmed "The Wonderful World of Disney" will return (along with "Alias") however advertisers admitted they wished ABC would try them on different nights. "As much as the critics love Alias, few people watch it, and neither show is attracting much of an audience on Sunday," said Mediaedge's Lyle Schwartz. "If ABC can fix the 7-9 p.m. block, 9-11 p.m. could be a launching pad for new dramas. As it stands now, Alias is not much of a lead-in." As for "Dragnet," Lyne said if the series does return (she gives it a 50/50 shot) expect some creative changes: "Although the story-telling on Dragnet has been great, the mistake we made was underpopulating the show and not putting any female characters into it. If it comes back, you can expect to see some new characters, females in particular."

New series: Three dramas - "Alaska," "Karen Sisco" and "The Street Lawyer" - continue to be the only three of the 11 piloted by ABC routinely mentioned by executives and advertisers. ABC likes the pre-built audience quality of the latter two while "Alaska" presents a fairly easy to digest premise. With the network set to order 4-6 comedies, two out of the three at the very least seem poised to make the fall schedule.

ABC announces its fall 2003 schedule on May 13 in New York City.





  [april 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· 20/20 (ABC)
· ACCORDING TO JIM (ABC)
· ALASKA (2003) (ABC)
· ALIAS (ABC)
· ALL AMERICAN GIRL (ABC)
· AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (ABC)
· ARE YOU HOT: THE SEARCH FOR AMERICA'S SEXIEST PEOPLE (ABC)
· BACHELOR, THE (ABC)
· DIARY OF ELLEN RIMBAUER, THE (ABC)
· DREW CAREY SHOW, THE (ABC)
· EIGHT SIMPLE RULES (ABC)
· FAMILY, THE (ABC)
· FRASIER (NBC)
· GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW, THE (ABC)
· I'M A CELEBRITY, GET ME OUT OF HERE! (NBC)
· KAREN SISCO (ABC)
· LA DRAGNET (ABC)
· LESS THAN PERFECT (ABC)
· LIFE WITH BONNIE (ABC)
· LOST AT HOME (ABC)
· MIRACLES (ABC)
· MY WIFE & KIDS (ABC)
· NYPD BLUE (ABC)
· PRACTICE, THE (ABC)
· STEPHEN KING'S KINGDOM HOSPITAL (ABC)
· STEPHEN KING'S ROSE RED (ABC)
· STREET LAWYER, THE (ABC)
· VERITAS: THE QUEST (ABC)
· WHAT WOULD YOU DO? (ABC)
· WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY, THE (ABC)





[02/10/25 - 04:18 PM]
126 Million Viewers - Projected Average Audience for Super Bowl LIX Across FOX, FOX Deportes, Tubi, Telemundo and NFL Digital Properties
The peak audience is projected to be 135.7 million viewers from 8:00-8:15 PM ET in the second quarter.

[02/10/25 - 01:56 PM]
Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley to Make First Late-Night TV Appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"
Eagles teammates Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Mekhi Becton and Lane Johnson will also make a cameo.

[02/10/25 - 11:00 AM]
Video: AMC/AMC+ Unveil Exhilarating Opening Minutes of Season 3 of the Hit Noir Thriller "Dark Winds," Starring Zahn McClarnon
"Dark Winds" returns with all-new episodes exclusively on AMC and AMC+ on Sunday, March 9 at 9pm ET/PT, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays.

[02/10/25 - 09:01 AM]
More Stars Added for "SNL50: The Anniversary Special," Live Feb. 16 at 8 P.M. ET/5 P.M. PT
The special will include appearances by Adam Sandler, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Chevy Chase, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Fred Armisen, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Jason Sudeikis, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig, Laraine Newman, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell, Will Forte and more.

[02/10/25 - 08:00 AM]
"Euphoria" Season 3 Is in Production
HBO confirmed the news on social media this morning.

[02/10/25 - 07:54 AM]
AXS TV Salutes National Guitar Day with a Special All-Day Event on Tuesday, February 11 Starting at 8A ET
The event is anchored by the network television debut of the Gibson TV series "The Collection," featured throughout the day.

[02/10/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: The 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Official Teaser - Netflix
Kristen Bell hosts as the biggest names in film and TV light up the stage for the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

[02/09/25 - 04:01 PM]
Dive Into the 1960s and 80s Korean Music Scene with Upcoming Series "Show Business" (wt)
Set against the backdrop of the gritty and intense 1960s and 80s Korean entertainment industry, the series follows the journey of individuals who, despite having little, dreamed of glimmering success and gave it their all.

[02/09/25 - 10:10 AM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: New-Look Los Angeles Lakers Host Utah Jazz on February 10 in Luka Doncic's Expected Lakers Debut
On Monday, February 10, the Utah Jazz and Lauri Markkanen will visit the Los Angeles Lakers and newly-acquired star Luka Doncic in his expected Lakers debut at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+.

[02/07/25 - 11:06 PM]
Development Update: Week of February 3-7
Updates include: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" revival nears pilot order at Hulu; Rhys Ifans, Anna Maxwell Martin to star Apple's "For All Mankind" spin-off; and "How to Die Alone," "Hysteria!" and "The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh" among the latest cancellations.

[02/07/25 - 01:13 PM]
ABC Claims Top 5 Shows Among Adults 18-49 in Cross-Platform Broadcast Series Rankings
Driven by stellar streaming viewership on Hulu and Disney+, three ABC titles more than triple their seven-day linear averages, including "High Potential" (+297%), "Abbott Elementary" (+270%) and "Shifting Gears" (+242%).

[02/07/25 - 01:01 PM]
NBC Celebrates the Legacy of "Saturday Night Live" on Feb. 15 with the First-Ever "SNL" Telecast Airing at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT
Plus: an encore of the critically acclaimed documentary "Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music" will start the night at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

[02/07/25 - 01:00 PM]
Video: "Between Walls" - Official Trailer - Hulu
Marga (Aislinn Derbez) and Martín (Christian Vazquez) happen to meet on a dating app, unaware they are neighbors.

[02/07/25 - 12:01 PM]
NFL Slimetime Presents Nickelodeon's Game Changers: Brand-New Special for Kids & Families Debuts Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 8:00 P.M. (ET/PT) in Honor of Black History Month
Leading into the special, Nickelodeon will premiere a brand-new episode of Tyler Perry's Young Dylan titled "Red Tails," at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

[02/07/25 - 10:08 AM]
CBS Wins Thursday Night with Top 4 Programs of the Night, Up from Its Thursday Season Average
"Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" (8:00-8:30 PM) was the #1 program of the night delivering 6.54 million viewers.