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Fox’s heavy promotion paid off big for “Joe Millionaire,” Monday’s highest-rated show in the adult 18-49 demographic. The reality show centering on an available bachelor and misinformation about his wealth averaged a 10.1 rating in the demographic. The show improved in its second half-hour by 20 percent, to an 11 rating, the best performance of any show on primetime by some four points. “Joe” easily beat the competition at 9 p.m., like CBS’s “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and pushed Fox to No. 1 for the night. Fox averaged a 7 adult 18-49 rating, based on Nielsen overnights. CBS had a 5.8 with its sitcom lineup and “CSI: Miami.” NBC had a 5.3, largely on the strength of “Fear Factor,” which won its 8 p.m. time slot. ABC had a 2.7 with the movie “Any Given Sunday.” CBS was the top network among households with a 10.8 rating and 16 share. Fox had an 8.7/13, NBC had an 8/12 and ABC had a 4.5/7.
Pigskin playoffs propel Fox to the top
Fox trounced the competition on Sunday with a football overrun that pushed it to No. 1 in the adult 18-49 and household demographics. Ratings for the NFC wildcard playoffs averaged an 11.9 adult 18-49 rating in the first hour of primetime, giving Fox a 70 percent advantage over the combined ratings of ABC, CBS and NBC. Fox continued at No. 1 for most of primetime with "The Simpsons" ranking as the highest-rated regularly scheduled program. Fox had a dip in ratings from 8:30 p.m. with "King of the Hill" through 9:30 p.m., when "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" lost 24 percent of "Malcolm in the Middle's" lead-in rating and pulled Fox into third place. All Fox shows reflect a 20-minute delay because of football. Fox averaged an 8.4 adult 18-49 rating and an 11.2 household rating and 17 shared, based on preliminary Nielsen ratings. NBC had a 3.9 and a 7.4/11. The network did best with "American Dreams" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." ABC had a 3.4 and a 5/8 with "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "Alias" and "The Practice." CBS struggled with a 2.9 and a 7.4/12. The movie "The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth about Enron" ranked last in its two hour run.
Report: Feds are back on Martha's case
It looks like Martha Stewart’s not in the clear just yet. Investigators from Manhattan U.S. Attorney James Comey’s office have been re-questioning a number of witnesses in the case, according to the New York Daily News. Among those to be called back in were former Merrill Lynch assistant Douglas Faneuil, who is believed to have pointed the finger at Stewart in a guilty plea made last fall. Comey’s actions suggest that he may be preparing to file criminal charges, possibly without waiting for the Securities and Exchange Commission to move ahead with a civil suit. Stewart received still more bad news this week when Chrysler announced that it will not renew its multimillion dollar, cross-platform advertising deal with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. The automaker has signed singer Celine Dion to star in a new ad campaign that will debut during this month’s Golden Globe Awards.
Coming to Fox: Beautiful bitches and more
If you thought "Joe Millionaire" was the weirdest thing Fox was going to throw at you this year, well, you're wrong. The network is preparing three new reality specials including a beauty pageant for dogs and a medical gross-out titled "101 Things Removed from the Human Body." If the three shows, two of which will feature animals in a prominent role, become popular, Fox may option them as series. The “Miss American Dog Pageant” is being described as “Best in Show,” the cheeky independent film, crossed with the "Miss America" pageant. “Man vs. Beast” will showcase humans and animals vying against each other in a series of athletic competitions. And “101 Things Removed from the Human Body” is exactly what it sounds like, telling the Ripley’s-esque true stories of things people have ingested or impaled themselves upon.
BBC hoping to cozy up
to ABC with alliance
The ABC-CNN merger may have
stalled, but that doesn't mean the end to gigantic news conglomerations.
The BBC, which already shares news material and video footage with ABC, is
considering approaching ABC about a more broad-based alliance, including
co-branding and shared news bulletins, reports the Financial Times. The
deal, which would probably fall short of a true merger, would give the BBC
an avenue for distribution of its news programming on the ABC network. The
BBC has not approached Walt Disney, which owns ABC, but has expressed a
desire to do so if the CNN talks come to nothing. A CNN-ABC merger could
endanger BBC's current alliance with ABC, in place since 1993. An ABC
spokesperson says that the network foresees no dramatic changes to its
arrangement with the BBC in the near future.
Pssst! Want the secret to skipping ads
with TiVo?
While they’re not generally advertised that way, digital video recorders
are highly valued by consumers for their ability to skip
commercials. Of course, DVR producers don’t want to alienate
broadcasters dependent on ad income, so only one major brand (Sonicblue’s Replay series) includes instructions for a 30-second skip
button. But as it turns out, DVR’s most recognizable brand, TiVo, has
one, too. The same type of word-of-mouth and web-posting campaign that
spreads video game secrets has lifted the lid on TiVo's ad-skipping
powers. To turn the advance button into a 30-second skip, users must hit three particular keys on the TiVo remote five times in
the prescribed order .
TiVo has refused media inquiries on the subject, but it’s not uncommon
for remote controls to have “hidden” usages. Most are installed so
that technicians can reprogram devices.
January 7, 2003© 2003 Media Life
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