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Fox outperformed mostly repeats on the other networks to win the 18-49 demo on Wednesday. The network either tied for No. 1 or won each half-hour outright with sitcoms like “Grounded for Life” and “Titus.” And an original episode of its animated series “Family Guy” tied for second place as the highest-rated program for the night. Fox averaged a 2.8, adult 18-49, rating and was followed by CBS and NBC, both of which had a 2.7; and ABC, which placed a distant fourth place with a 2.1. ABC was hurt by two of its original summer series. The game show “You Don’t Know Jack” came in third place in its time slot and lost 16 percent of its “Drew Carey” lead-in rating. The drama “The Beast,” at 10 p.m., was the lowest-rated program on Wednesday with a 1.35. That was less than half the rating generated by CBS and NBC. Meanwhile, CBS far outperformed the competition in household ratings with “60 Minutes II” and the 1999 movie “Murder at 75 Birch.” CBS averaged an 8.1 household rating and 14 share, based on preliminary Nielsen data. NBC had a 5.6/10, Fox had a 3.9/7, and ABC had a 3.4/6.
'Most Wanted' actors arrested on sex charges
Apparently, life does imitate art—even when the "art" in question is a sleazy reality show. Two actors from Fox’s true-crime show "America’s Most Wanted" have been arrested after having sex with a sexually-abused teen while on location for the show, according to the Los Angeles Times. Cristian Saliadarre, 28, and Anthony Alvarez, 27, were acting in a dramatic re-creation of a crime that was being filmed in an alley in Van Nuys, Calif., in January. Adjacent to the set was Children of the Night, a shelter for teenage prostitutes and sexually abused children. One of the men allegedly climbed in through a 14-year-old girl’s dormitory window and had sex with her, and she subsequently crawled out through the window and had sex with the other man. Alvarez was arrested earlier this summer, and Saliadarre surrendered to the police two weeks later. Both men plan to plead innocent to charges of sodomy and oral sex with a person under 16, claiming that the girl had lied about her age.
Nasty Shannen disses Alyssa in Details
Shannen Doherty is gone for good from "Charmed," but she doesn’t seem able to leave her famous feud with co-star Alyssa Milano behind her. Primetime’s most famous spoiled brat takes a few more parting shots at Milano and at producer Aaron Spelling in an interview in the August issue of Details. Doherty denies rumors that she tried to strong-arm Paramount executives into tossing Milano off the show. "I would never wish another actor out of a job. I think it’s terrible karma." But without naming names, she suggests that it was Milano’s attitude problem that was the source of the on-set tension. "I mean, what do we do? Say a few lines, sit in our trailers and get paid a fortune. And yet, there was a person there that bitched about her job, day in, day out." As for her own attitude, Doherty says, "I think my passion for my work was too overwhelming." She tries to put a brave face on her ouster, saying, "I bet I’ll be thanking Aaron Spelling very soon for this ‘mutual’ decision of ours." Still, the bitterness lies close to the surface for Doherty, who was also fired from the Spelling-produced "Beverly Hills 90210": "The lack of appreciation he’s showing for me as a human being and as an actor is overwhelming."
Fox hedges its bets on avant-garde '24'
In"24," Fox executives have made a bold programming move, creating the first series in which the action unfolds in real time, or close to it. But not so bold as one might think: Though the thriller's premise gives a counterterrorist agent played by Kiefer Sutherland 24 hours to foil an assassination attempt, the network has so far ordered only the standard 13 episodes of the show. The series' creators, Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, say they will wrap up the show by episode 13 if need be, writing episodes just weeks before they air. And anyway, the real-time concept is limited by the need to air commercials, which eat up 17 minutes of every hour. To help along its investment, Fox will be showing reruns of the show during its run on its cable network FX, in addition to offering affiliates the chance to air it outside of primetime.
'Survivor' pig killing breeds animal welfare law
"Survivor 2" contestant Michael Skupin probably didn't have animal rights on his mind when he slaughtered a wild pig and smeared its blood on his face, but his actions have inspired the Australian state of Queensland to adopt a new animal welfare code. The new legislation protects animal film and television stars in the tropical state and threatens offenders with a fine of up to $11,475 and one year in jail. Following the airing of the episode, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals launched an investigation into the killing, demanding that "Survivor" producers turn over the unedited footage of the hunt. Here in the U.S., animal rights groups were flooded with complaints, and an angry activist took justice into his own hands, attacking Skupin with pepper spray. The reality show had an earlier brush with the law when contestant Colby Donaldson was filmed selflessly distributing coral to his teammates after removing it from the protected and ecologically fragile Great Barrier Reef.
'Temp Island' creator: No gays for now, thanks
Just about anything goes on Fox's "Temptation Island," where "committed couples" are encouraged to cheat and tell. Anything, that is, except the love that dare not speak its name. Chris Cowan, creator and executive producer of the series, says he doesn't think there's a place for gays on the island, at least not as long as he's in charge. "I'm not steeped in the culture enough to understand what those relationships are like," Cowan tells TV Guide Online. "So, for me, it's about trying to produce, as honestly as I can, what I know. I don't know how to produce out of that culture." He also nixes the idea of doing "Temptation Island" with celebrities, whom he describes as too taxing on the set. "God love 'em, and I understand why people like 'em--I'm drawn to them too--but they are just not the easiest people to deal with," he says. "That level of nurturing I don't think I could provide."
July 20, 2001 © 2001 Media Life
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