You like Army Wives. You really like it.
Isn’t it interesting how in the days of waning network ratings year after year we keep getting reports of basic cable shows setting new ratings records. This time, Army Wives second season premiere set a new series high with 4.5 million viewers. I’ll give kudos to Lifetime for really knowing how to support a season premiere; major networks take notes. The day before the premiere, which was this past Sunday, they marathoned the last ten episodes of the first season. They’ve also made the entire season available online, with ad support.
Is it because more and more of us have these channels than ever before? Or maybe we’re just spreading out across the dial more than ever before? At the same time, though, there’s more freedom off the network channels to show more edgy fare. Shows like The Shield and Mad Men are a bit too strong in content for the likes of ABC, and sometimes the sheer intensity and quality of the storytelling eclipses much of free TV fare. Or maybe it’s just because Catherine Bell is so freaking hot … sometimes. Seriously, sometimes she looks like that up there, and other times she looks like a boy who’s been lost in the woods for a few weeks. Still, at even a 50/50 shot I think it’d be worth the chance.
Joss Whedon talks more Dollhouse
Scifiwire has an interesting interview with Joss Whedon about the network decision to air fewer commercial breaks during the initial broadcast of both his show Dollhouse and J.J. Abram’s show Fringe. This is part of Fox television’s Remote-Free TV experiment. Joss explained that usually he has to do cuts anyway for the repeat airings of any show he works on. He also usually runs long, the episode he works on anyway, to give a little extra for the DVD release.
The most interesting revelation from the interview is that Eliza Dushku is getting a producer credit for Dollhouse. Apparently this was part of her initial contract deal with Fox. Whedon also said to Dushku regarding her producer’s credit “I’m going to make you earn it. I’m going to want your input. I’m going to want ideas. I’m going to want you to help me work out certain problems. This is our show.”
Fox trims commercials on Fringe and Dollhouse
Writing this post had me pondering how I feel about commercials. In short, they really don’t bother me.
Since I write about TV and movies, I have a work-related TV in my office, and I use those few minutes here and there to slam through some work or get caught up on whatever show I’m recapping. In fact, while watching commercial-free shows on HBO and Showtime, I actually miss those little interludes.
But, apparently, Fox hasn’t been peering through my window, because at their upfront presentation yesterday morning, they announced their “Remote-Free TV” idea. Two new dramas, J.J. Abrams’ Fringe and Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse, will air with reduced network commercial breaks — just five minutes per hour, or about half the usual.
“It’s a simple concept and potentially revolutionary,” said Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori. “We’re going to have less commercials, less promotional time, and less reason for viewers to use the remote. We’re going to redefine the viewing experience.”
You might be wondering how they’re going to pay for those pricey sci-fi shows, especially in light of the fact that without commercials, the episodes will be longer. The answer: Charge advertisers a premium.
Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly acknowledged that reducing commercials is risky business, but said there needs to be a “paradigm shift” in network TV.
Ad buyers were generally upbeat about the idea. “We’re always clamoring for an uncluttered environment,” said Carat Media’s Andy Donchin, but said he’ll hold final judgment until he sees how much the premium will be.
Fringe and Dollhouse are the highlights of Fox’s six new shows — the most any broadcaster presented at the upfronts.
What do you think? Is this a big deal? Or, like me, are you underwhelmed with the news?
EchoStar offering “free” digital TV converters
Echostar, the company behind the Dish Network and the Slingbox, is offering digital TV converters for $39.99. With the $40 coupon the government is offering for those with older sets that still use rabbit ears, the converters would end up being free.
Originally, the converter boxes were going to be offered between $50 and $70. Echostar is offering the converters at a discount in the interest of obtaining new customers and spreading their brand name.
Obviously, it’s a good idea. I can’t think of a single person who would pay $50 for something they could get for $40. It is a free-market situation that would warm the heart of most libertarians.
Of course, it’s not like Echostar is offering this out of the kindness of their heart. If they slap a “Dish Network” sticker on each unit, that’s a lot of publicity.