|
|
The "NBA All Star Game" tanked for NBC last night, finishing last in its time period in both households and adults 18-49. The game averaged only a 7 household share during its two hours, two shares behind NBC’s XFL game on Saturday. ABC won in both households and adults 18-49 by featuring the Eddie Murphy movie "Dr. Doolittle," a celebrity edition of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," and a new episode of "The Practice." Fox placed second among adults 18-49, while CBS placed second in households. The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Sunday night were: ABC 11.7/18 and 7.1, CBS 10.5/16 and 3.4, Fox 7.1/11 and 6.2, and NBC 5.2/8 and 3.6. Over the weekend, NBC cruised to another easy win on Friday night, now that CBS’s "C.S.I." is no longer competition on that night. NBC’s lineup of "Providence," "Dateline," and "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" won every time period in both households and adults 18-49, except for one. ABC’s "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" took the lone win in households for the first half of the 9 p.m. hour. CBS finished third in households and fourth among adults 18-49. On Saturday, ABC scored with the remake of "The Parent Trap," averaging a 13 household share. Nielsen numbers were not yet available NBC’s XFL broadcast; the nightly primetime average does not factor in the live broadcast of that game. The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Friday night were: NBC 10.4/18 and 5.3, ABC 8.2/14 and 3.8, CBS 6.6/12 and 3.0 and Fox 4.8/8 and 3.7. For Saturday: ABC 7.1/13 and 3.5, CBS 7.0/12 and 2.9, Fox 5.4/10 and 3.7, and NBC 4.4/8 and 2.9.
GLAAD mad about Eminem-Elton Grammy duet
Singer Elton John has come under fire from gay rights activists after promising to perform at next week's Grammy Awards with hate-spouting rapper Eminem. The announcement from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences capped weeks of speculation about whether Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, would perform at all. The pairing with John is more than a little odd: John, a homosexual, is an outspoken defender of gay rights, while Eminem has been lambasted for rapping about violence against gays and women. At the Grammys, which will be broadcast on CBS on February 21st, the two performers will team up for a rendition of the Eminem single "Stan," a song about a fan who kills his pregnant girlfriend and himself. Despite a statement from the Recording Academy calling the duet "an opportunity to help tear down some of the unfortunate walls of division that Eminem's lyrics have built," the folks at The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) are not happy about John’s decision to perform with the rapper. "GLAAD is appalled that John would share a stage with Eminem, whose words and actions promote hate and violence against gays and lesbians," the organization stated in a press release this weekend. The group, which honored John last year with an award for outstanding contributions to combating homophobia, now charges that John's decision to perform with Eminem violates the spirit of the award.
'Survivor's' Richard: I fixed Stacey's wagon
Their million-dollar drama is long over, but the backstabbing has begun afresh for the contestants on last summer’s original "Survivor" series. In the most recent jab, winner Richard Hatch has dismissed whistle-blower Stacey Stillman as a liar, denying her charges that the "tribal council" voting was manipulated by the show’s producers. "Stacey pissed me off and you can print that," Hatch told the Boston Herald, insisting that it was he, not the producers, who convinced two fellow tribe members to spare Rudy Boesch and eject Stillman instead. "I alone was responsible for booting her. Now she’s trying to steal my thunder!" Stillman says Hatch’s intercession in the case is just another attempt on his part to get his name in the papers, according to Zap2It.com. "He’s such a schmuck," she said.
Producer Burnett taps Rudy for yet more reality
In other "Survivor" news, it seems producer Mark Burnett just can’t get enough of Rudy Boesch. Burnett has enlisted the 72-year-old retired Navy SEAL to star in a new reality series for USA Networks. The series, "Combat Missions," will challenge teams of veterans of the military’s special forces units, which include the SEAL, Green Berets and Delta Force, to complete simulated commando missions. Boesch will serve as "camp commander" on the show. Besides his stint on "Survivor," Boesch has also appeared on "Eco-Challenge," another Burnett-produced game show. His ties to Burnett lent weight to the recent allegations that "Survivor’s" producers meddled with the show’s outcome.
Trump ups the ante with 'Billionaire'
Leave it to Donald Trump to take a pop-cultural phenomenon to its grossest possible extreme. The real estate mogul, who last year at this time was mulling a bid for the presidency, is shopping around a reality game show of his own devising. "Billionaire" will challenge three contestants to see who can spend the most money in a half hour. Players will wield the "Trump Card," a credit card with a million dollar ceiling. No phones will be allowed and the cap for any single item will be set at $200,000. The winner will pocket $1 million and a portion of his/her purchases. Executive producer David Russo reportedly has scheduled meetings to pitch the series to executives at CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox early this week, with plans calling for a summer or fall release. The inspiration for "Billionaire" seemingly comes from the 1985 film "Brewster's Millions", in which a character played by Richard Pryor must spend $30 million to inherit a fortune.
Send to a
Friend| Printer-Friendly Version
Cover Page | Contact
Us
© 2001 Media Life
