BRIEFS
BRAVO: ON WITH THE SHOWS
NBC darling Bravo has commissioned I Love You But, a new reality series about how couples (straight and gay) drive each other crazy, from U.K. production house Wall to Wall (which produced a similar show titled 5 Things I Hate About You for BBC2 earlier this year). Now casting in the New York area, it will join other Bravo shows in the pipeline: Celebrity Poker Showdown, hosted by Kevin Pollak, TV Revolution and all 13 episodes of Keen Eddie, which was canceled mid-season by Fox.
…AND ON WITH THE SHO
Showtime Networks this week introduces Sho Exposure, a new monthly documentary block. The category kicks off Oct. 14 with Orson Welles: The One Man Band, to be followed by a mix of acquisitions such as James Ellroy’s Feasts of Death, original productions and theatricals including Bowling for Columbine, Standing in the Shadows of Motown, Step Into Liquid and the critically acclaimed Mayor of the Sunset Strip.
CNN GOES TO THE DOC
CNN Presents has also lined up a stellar group of documentaries for Sunday nights. Paula Zahn nabbed an exclusive interview with the 41st president for the original documentary A Flyboy’s Story: George Bush in World War II (Oct. 19 with an Oct. 25 replay), tying into the James Bradley book Flyboys. Other docs in the lineup include President Kennedy Has Been Shot! (Nov. 16), reliving JFK’s assassination 40 years later.
ESPN HITS IT OUT OF THE PARK
The first week of the fourth quarter was ESPN and ESPN2’s most-viewed week ever thanks to the return of the MLB division series. ESPN’s total day rating was up 95% for the week from last year while ESPN2 was up 148% in total day. Accounting for the four most-viewed telecasts in ESPN2 history, the current division series is also the most-viewed in cable history.
STANDARDS ON DEMAND
PSVratings Inc. today launches a new ratings system using the universally recognized traffic-light symbol to identify levels of profanity, sex and violence in entertainment content. Currently rating more than 2,500 home video and DVD movie titles, the company is touting its methodology as a value add to a video-on-demand or broadband offering.
NEW IN OCTOBER
CNBC begins telecasting today from its new, all-digital global HQ in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. ESPN2 is gearing up for new morning show Cold Pizza on Oct. 20, featuring live, location and interactive elements (including a studio kitchen) to entertain viewers and guests alike. Victory Sports One, the Minneapolis Twins’ regional net, is due to launch Oct. 31.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Access Intelligence, LLC
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
