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Two midseason premieres failed to light it up for ABC last night, as the critical favorite "The Job" dropped 15 percent from its "Drew Carey" lead-in, though it came in second in the half-hour to NBC's "The West Wing" with a 3.8 in adults 18-49. ABC's "20/20 Downtown" dropped 34 percent from "The Job" and averaged only a 2.6 among 18-49s for the 10 p.m. hour. One bright spot for ABC was its win with "My Wife and Kids" and "According to Jim" in the 8 p.m. hour. The two recently renewed family comedies combined for a 4.6, adult 18-49 rating. NBC easily won the night in the demo with a 6.6 due to strong showings from "The West Wing" and "Law & Order." Fox garnered a 4.1, ABC a 3.8 and CBS a 2.6, based on preliminary Nielsen ratings. CBS's special, "Muhammad Ali's 60th Birthday Celebration," at 9 p.m. failed to draw interest, coming in last with a 2.6 in 18-49s. The household rating and share for Wednesday night were: NBC 11.4/18, CBS 6.7/11, ABC 6.0/10, Fox 5.2/8. On Tuesday night, two nights after Fox beat it to the punch with "The Chamber," ABC unveiled "The Chair" to similarly promising results. The John McEnroe-hosted reality entry tied CBS's "JAG" for the win in 18-49s with a 5.0 for the 8 p.m. hour on Tuesday night. It also jumped 22 percent from its first half-hour, always a good sign. CBS's "First Monday" wasn't so lucky as it stayed put at a 3.9 among adults 18-49 for the admittedly difficult 9 p.m. hour, though it beat out Fox's "24," which struggled with a 3.8. NBC easily took the hour with "Frasier" and "Scrubs" combining for a 6.1. ABC's "NYPD Blue" posted a 5.2 for its hour in 18-49s, helping the network win in the demo for the night with a 4.7. CBS and NBC tied for second at 4.4 and Fox came in last at 4.0, based on preliminary Nielsen ratings. NBC's "Imagine That" continued its dismal performance, drawing a mere 2.6, about half the 4.9 a rerun of Fox's "That '70s Show" brought in among 18-49s. The household rating and share for Tuesday night were: CBS 10.7/17, ABC 7.5/12, NBC 6.9/11 and Fox 4.8/7.
It's official: Schultz retiring from Initiative
Initiative Media’s Lou Schultz is retiring from his post as worldwide chairman and CEO, according to a statement yesterday by Initiative parent Interpublic Group of Companies. No replacement has been named. IPG says Schultz's role will be assumed by a new Office of the CEO headed by Marie-José Forissier, president and chief operating officer of Initiative Media Worldwide, and Carolyn Bivens, president and chief operating officer of Initiative Media North America. Schultz will become a consultant to IPG chairman and CEO John Dooner. Schultz’s departure from Initiative, which he joined in 1999, had been the subject of wide speculation following the giant media service company’s loss of the media account of Disney, which jumped to Starcom, reportedly over its dissatisfaction with the attention it was getting from Initiative.
Case closed for Fox's 'The X-Files'
The truth may still be out there, but you'll just have to find it for yourself now that "The X-Files" is signing off after nine seasons on Fox. Even diehard fans won't be too surprised at the decision to pull the plug on the series about two FBI agents who investigate paranormal phenomena. Ratings have been depressed this season, and Gillian Anderson has indicated her intent to join her original co-star, and David Duchovny, in leaving the show. X-pect to see lots of mysteries X-plained by the time of the season finale in late May.
Financial Times' U.S. chief shuffled out
The president of American operations for the Financial Times is out, apparently pressed by his bosses to resign. Stuart Arnold ended his four-and-a-half-year run as the paper's managing director for the Americas on Friday, according to the New York Post's Keith Kelly. Arnold told Kelly he was aiming to do "something different," but a company official’s remarks indicated dissatisfaction with his performance, especially in the area of ad sales. His success on the circulation front is undeniable: The FT’s U.S. circulation has quadrupled, from 35,000 to 140,000 over the past four years.
WB reups 'Smallville,' 'Gilmore Girls,' 'Reba'
Proving yet again the eternal appeal of The Man of Steel, the WB has renewed "Smallville" for next season. The freshman series broke a boatload of records for the WB when it premiered in the fall and has recently been breathing down the back of Fox's "24" in the highly-competitive Tuesday 9 p.m. time slot. The network has also renewed "Gilmore Girls" and "Reba," both of which have become solid hits on their respective Tuesday and Friday nights. Sophomore drama "Gilmore Girls" could reach a new level of acclaim if star Lauren Graham parlays her Best Actress nomination into a win at the upcoming Golden Globes. Over at another AOL Time Warner network, HBO has given a second season order to "The Mind of the Married Man." The first 10-episode order was completed in November. New episodes will air later this year. HBO has also given a 13-episode order to the new police drama "The Wire," which will debut in summer or fall.
Paul McCartney will sing at the Super Bowl
Paul McCartney will add his name to the list of musicians performing at the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Feb. 3. McCartney, one of two remaining Beatles now that George Harrison has passed away, will perform a song called "Freedom," written to commemorate the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. The aging rocker was in a plane on the runway at JFK airport when two airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Accompanied by a choir of 500 people from 180 countries, McCartney will sing "Freedom" just prior to kickoff. Scheduled to perform during halftime are U2, Mariah Carey, Marc Anthony and Mary J. Blige.
Poll: Americans like to stay in nights
Rather spend the evening curled up in front of a warm TV than out at some restaurant or bar? Twenty-six percent of Americans are with you, according to a new Gallup survey of 1,002 adults ages 18 and up. More than two-thirds of respondents said that they prefer to stay at home at night, watching TV, reading a book, or spending time with family or friends. Adults 50 and over are the most likely to watch television or a video, while 18- to 29-year-olds are more likely than their elders to spend an evening in the company of friends. TV viewing, including movies, has actually dwindled significantly since 1974, when about half of Americans said they preferred to spend the evening in front of the tube.
January 17, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
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