News Shorts

Slow-building '24' wins Tuesday for Fox
Fox ranked No. 1 in the adult 18-49 demographic on Tuesday, a night heavy with repeats and devoid of reality shows. The drama “24” was behind much of Fox’s win. The show won its 9 p.m. time slot with an average 5.1 rating in the demographic and managed Tuesday’s highest rating with a 5.3 in its first half-hour. Fox split the first hour of primetime with ABC, which ranked No. 1 at 8 p.m. with an “8 Simple Rules” repeat, while Fox was the highest-rated network at 8:30 p.m. with a repeat of “That 70s Show.” Fox averaged a 4.9 adult 18-49 rating, based on preliminary Nielsen data, and had a 5.9 rating and 9 share among households.ABC had a 4 and a 6.7/11. The network briefly ranked No. 1 in the first half-hour of primetime and the last, when “NYPD Blue” beat CBS’s “Judging Amy” and NBC’s “Dateline.” NBC had a 3.8 and a 6.2/10. The network has been suffering from disastrously low ratings for “Just Shoot Me” and “In-Laws” starting at 8 p.m. CBS trailed with a 2.5 and 7/11. All of the network’s shows were reruns.

'Joe Millionaire' hits the numbers again
“Joe Millionaire” managed to push Fox to No. 1 in the adult 18-49 demographic for the second straight Monday, even with ratings that were off some from the reality show’s premiere. “Joe” had the highest rating for the night with an average 9.4 rating in the demo, with a 10 rating in its second half-hour. While the show’s overnight rating was down more than a point from last week, it also had tough competition. ABC aired the “American Music Awards,” hosted by the Osbournes, for three hours. The special was strong enough to push ABC to No. 2 in the 18-49 demographic but ranked No. 1 in only one half-hour. NBC won three half-hours including the 8 p.m. hour with “Fear Factor” and the second half of “Crossing Jordan” beat a repeat of CBS’s “CSI: Miami” at 10:30 p.m. CBS trailed most of the night with a full lineup of reruns. Fox averaged a 6.5 adult 18-49 rating, ABC had a 5.6, NBC had a 5.3 and CBS had a 4.2, based on Nielsen data. The networks had a more competitive night among households. CBS ranked No. 1 with an 8.4 rating and 13 share to ABC’s 8.4/12, Fox’s 8.3/12 and NBC’s 8.2/12.

'I'm a Celebrity'? Well, sort of. New show cast
Attention all C-list stars: There’s still one spot left on “I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!” One day after a judge cleared the show to move forward, ABC has revealed seven of its eventual eight cast members. Those who will be appearing are: “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” creator Robin Leach, E! fashion critic Melissa Rivers (both good bets to be tossed off first), Howard Stern sidekick Stuttering John, former Olympian Bruce Jenner, Rod Stewart’s ex, Alana, model Tyson Beckford and “Downtown” Julie Brown. The final participant will be named later. ABC plans to air the show for 15 consecutive nights during the February sweeps. Living a stripped-down, luxury-free existence in an Australian rain forest, the celebrities will be voted off by viewers until one is left. His or her favorite charity will get the winning money. In other ABC programming news, the network will reportedly air another new reality series, “Are You Hot?” Thursdays at 9 p.m. beginning next month.

New reality challenge: Step in the ring with Tyson
What kind of fool would volunteer for the chance to have his face rearranged on national television by pugilist and occasional cannibal Mike Tyson? We may soon find out. Triage Entertainment is reportedly negotiating with Tyson's managers in hopes of securing the boxer's participation in a proposed reality show. The limited-run series would follow a normal person's training as he prepares to fight Tyson, whose past includes rape and assault convictions and an incident in which he bit off a chunk of the then-heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield's ear. Naturally, Fox is said to be interested in the show. Tyson failed to defeat heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis last year in a pay-per-view match held in Memphis, Tenn. The bout was originally to have taken place in Las Vegas, but Tyson was denied a license to box there after attacking Lewis during a pre-fight press conference.

NBC re-ups 'West Wing' for $6M per episode
George Bush may not still be around after November 2004, but Jed Bartlet will. In a deal that should be completed by Friday, NBC has agreed to pay Warner Bros. $6 million an episode for two to three more seasons of "The West Wing." That fee marks a large increase from the $2 million an episode the network pays under the contract that will expire this season. Warner Bros. upped the price in part because it was having trouble covering production costs. Producers reportedly asked for $10 million an episode for "West Wing," which is one of the most expensive shows in primetime to produce. But now that "West Wing" regularly places second in the Nielsens after ABC reality shows like "The Bachelor," NBC was unwilling to pay the higher price tag.

CBS gets revenge with 'Bachelorette' redux
ABC is about to learn that copycatting reality shows is a two-way street. CBS, which earlier this week lost its bid to keep "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" from airing on ABC next month, has unveiled plans for a dating program with a strong resemblance to “The Bachelorette.” In “Cupid,” a single mother will conduct a series of auditions across the U.S., looking for the perfect boyfriend. The 10 finalists will journey to Hollywood, where the woman’s friends will rate their boyfriend potential. Simon Cowell, the snarky judge from Fox's “American Idol,” will executive produce, though he won’t appear on the show. Meanwhile, CBS seems to be to distancing itself from a controversial real-life “Beverly Hillbillies” project. CBS president Leslie Moonves told reporters on the winter press tour that the network had not yet approved the show, and that producers had yet to select a rural family to star in the show. He admitted that the idea, being protested by rural community groups, may be a bit insensitive. "It was not in any way, shape or form, or intent, to demean anybody," Moonves told reporters. "It wasn't our intent to offend everybody. I'm sorry if we have." The Kentucky-based Center for Rural Strategies ran several newspaper ads last week slamming the show.

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