TNT Launches Two New Tuesday Series

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERTuesday, June 16, 2009 Ratings Box:What's Hot/What's Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time:An Immortal Question ___________________________________________________________________________ Note: Due to last Friday’s signal switch to digital broadcast television, the metered market results will not be available until Friday, June 19. Monday, therefore, is not included today.____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What's Hot/What's Not -Total Drama Action Off to a Winning Start on Cartoon Network:Cartoon Network’s newest animated series, Total Drama Action, premiered on Thursday, June 11 at 9 p.m. ET as the most-watched program of the day in all of television (broadcast and cable) among kids 6-11 (1.35 million), kids 9-14 (1.16 million), boys 2-11 (1.71 million), boys 6-11 (946,000) and boys 9-14 (859,000). Comparably, Total Action Drama built from the year-ago time period average by as much as 176 percent among boys 9-14. Coupled with original episodes of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and 6Teen, Total Drama Action drove the Har Har Tharsdays 81- p.m. comedy block to Cartoon Network’s most-watched performance in primetime on Thursday this year to-date. -Top Rated Conclusion to The Stanley Cup Finals:The seventh, and final, game of The Stanley Cup Finals (Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings) averaged 7.99 million viewers on Friday, June 12 -- the most-watched National Hockey League match-up in 36 years. Its performance among adults 18-49 (3.4 rating/12 share) topped the second highest rated show of the evening in the demo, Fox’s Don’t Forget the Lyrics at a 1.2/ 5, by a hefty 183 percent. -Speaking of Friday:ABC’s combination of Surviving Suburbia and animated The Goode Family were dead on arrival in the Friday 8 p.m. hour. Surviving Suburbia opened the evening with 1.77 million viewers and a 0.4/ 2 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m., while The Goode Family at 8:30 p.m. was considerably worse at 1.09 million viewers and a 0.3/ 1 in the demo. Both performances could be an historical low in the time period for ABC. Source: Nielsen Media Research data ________________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Tuesday 6/16/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. According to Jim (R) 8:30 p.m. According to Jim (R) 9:00 p.m. Scrubs (R) 9:30 p.m. Better Off Ted (R)10:00 p.m. Cupid (series finale) CBS: 8:00 p.m. NCIS (R) 9:00 p.m. The Mentalist (R)10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery NBC: 8:00 p.m. I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! 9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R)10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R) Fox: 8:00 p.m. House (R) 9:00 p.m. Mental CW: 8:00 p.m. 90210 (R) 9:00 p.m. Hitched or Ditched MNTV8:00 p.m. Street Patrol (R) 8:30 p.m. Street Patrol (R) 9:00 p.m. Jail (R) 9:30 p.m. Jail (R) Of Note on Cable:-Wedding Date (TNT): 8 p.m. ET (premiere)-Hawthorne (TNT): 9 p.m. ET (premiere)-Saving Grace (season premiere) New Program Descriptions: Wedding Day (TNT)Celebrity planner Alan Dunn and celebrity wedding producer Diann Valentine team up to give deserving couples their dream weddings. Survivor creator Mark Burnett is an executive producer. Hawthorne (TNT)Jada Pinkett Smith plays a compassionate and headstrong nurse at Richmond Trinity Hospital in this new scripted medical drama. The cast includes Suleka Mathew (Men in Trees), David Julian Hirsh (Lovebites) and former Alias star Michael Vartan. ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -A&E Cancels The Beast:After weeks of rumors, it is now official: A&E has canceled freshman Patrick Swayze drama The Beast. Talks were underway to replace ailing Swayze had the series been picked-up for a second season. -New Commercial Format for Hallmark Channel:Hallmark Channel has created a new commercial format for its on-air advertisers called Fast Break, which will feature shorter commercial pods sponsored solely by the client. Each Fast Break will begin with a 10-second bumper with the sponsor’s logo that will tell viewers the show they are watching will be back in 30 seconds. Immediately following will be the advertiser’s commercial. Mutual of Omaha will kick-off the new Fast Break pods. -Fox Fall 2009 Premiere Dates:Fox has announced the following season/series premiere dates for the 2009-10 season: Cops: Saturday, Sept. 12, 8 p.m. ET America’s Most Wanted: Saturday, Sept. 12, 9 p.m. ETSo You Think You Can Dance: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m. ETGlee: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 9 p.m. ET (new)Bones: Thursday, Sept. 17, 8 p.m. ETFringe: Thursday, Sept. 17, 9 p.m. ETBrothers: Friday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m. ET (new)‘Til Death: Friday, Sept. 18, 8:30 p.m. ETDollhouse: Friday, Sept. 18, 9 p.m. ETHouse: Monday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. ET (two hours)The Simpsons: Sunday, Sept. 27, 8 p.m. ETThe Cleveland Show: Sunday, Sept. 27, 8:30 p.m. ET (new)Family Guy: Sunday, Sept. 27, 9 p.m. ETAmerican Dad: Sunday, Sept. 27, 9:30 p.m. ETLie To Me: Monday, Sept. 28, 9 p.m. ETThe Wanda Sykes Show: Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 p.m. ET Premiering on Fox in midseason with be dramas Human Target and Past Life, sitcom Sons of Tucson, and the return of American Idol, 24 and Hell’s Kitchen. ---------- -Happy Anniversary Programming Insider:The Programming Insider, which launched on June 14, 1999, is celebrating 10 years in print. For a look back at television over these last 10 years, click here _______________________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:An Immortal Question What did Ben Richards do for a living on early 1970s drama The Immortal? actordetectivedoctorrace car driverstunt man The answer to yesterday’s question… In honor of today’s 10 year anniversary of The Programming Insider, which one of the following series debuted before the column was launched? CSIFamily GuyThird WatchThe West WingWho Wants to Be a Millionaire Is: b) Family Guy, which kicked-off on April 6, 1999. As for the others: CSI: Oct. 6, 2000Third Watch: Sept. 23, 1999The West Wing: Sept. 22, 1999Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Aug, 22, 1999 -Current kudos goes to:Gerry Bixenspan. Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Annie Courtney, Malcolm Dunlop, Phyllis Epstein, John Ferlazzo, Maureen Goldman, Ken Hommel, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Deb Kainer, Tony Naldrett, Alan Perris, Jeanne Yonkers

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TNT Launches Two New Tuesday Series

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