CBS’ news division is getting lambasted in some circles for mixing news with entertainment, specifically mingling “The Early Show” and “Survivor.”
But it isn’t anything that other self-respecting news shops around the country haven’t done.
“The Early Show” has seen a bump in its ratings because it airs interviews with “Survivor” castoffs a day after their fellow castaways dump them.
Next week comes “Big Brother,” CBS’ new reality series in which 10 people will be locked inside a house full of cameras allowing viewers to see the participants’ every move.
“Big Brother,” which gets a special preview next Wednesday at 8 p.m. on WBBM-Ch. 2, is to air five days a week at 7 p.m. The Monday, Tuesday and Friday episodes will be half-hour recaps of the previous 24 hours. The Thursday show will be a live one-hour broadcast, during which housemates nominate two of their own to be removed. (The viewing public will then vote by phone as to which one will be ejected.) The one-hour Saturday edition recaps events from the whole week, including Friday’s activities.
On-line users can see what’s going on in the house 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on America Online.
The last participant left in the house is to win $500,000.
It’s “Early Show” newsreader Julie Chen’s participation that is creating the noise. She’ll talk to participants during Thursday’s “Big Brother” broadcasts, the same day one of their number is booted out of the house. “Early” will also do post-booting interviews on Mondays.
And on July 11, “The Early Show” starts “The Big Apple Survivor Contest,” a four-day scavenger hunt that will send three competing teams out in search of treasures unique to New York.
No less a voice than “60 Minutes” curmudgeon Andy Rooney has chimed in on the piggybacking of “The Early Show” with “Big Brother,” saying Chen’s participation would represent a “deterioration of news standards.”
But what’s the difference between this practice and the way every network and local station hawks its own network programming?
Nationally, we’ve seen stars from various series appearing on their network’s morning shows to discuss one or another special series episode, or some heartwrenching TV movie they’re starring in.
The practice seems to be more prevalent locally. Sometimes the morning and evening newscasts will present on-set visits by series stars. Other times they will make on-location visits to the set of particular show, or air “special reports” on program episodes we’ve seen only hours before, or take a behind-the-scene look at the real story that inspired whatever tawdry TV movie is on that particular night.
And although it’s slightly different, hasn’t a certain CBS newsmagazine done celebrity profiles timed to the release of those celebrities’ projects?
Dueling releases: The USA Network and Warner Bros. Television are responding to fans of “La Femme Nikita” on why the popular spy series that Warner produces and USA airs won’t be around anymore.
USA: We “did seek to continue production of this show, but we were unable to conclude a new agreement with the supplier of the show, Warner Bros. As a result, Warner Bros. has declined to continue producing the show. Claims by Warner Bros. spokespeople that, as distributors, they cannot do anything about this loss are as misleading as their claims that we canceled the show….
“Our four-year contract with Warner Bros. has expired and in spite of our efforts to extend our contract and even expand the `La Femme Nikita’ franchise into event movies of the week, Warner Bros. has declined to continue. . . . “
Warner Bros.: “We at Warner Bros. Television share your disappointment that `La Femme Nikita’ will not be returning next season. Please be assured that considerable efforts were made by Warner Bros. Television to continue making new episodes of the show. Upon expiration of the series’ four-year contract, and after extensive negotiations, USA Network declined our offer to produce another season.”
Who do you believe?
Ratings tell the story: WTTW-Ch. 11’s ratings for its reality series “The 1900 House” have been great, a station spokeswoman says. The show in its first two weeks registered a 6.0 and a 5.9, respectively. Each point represents 30,000 viewers for the local public TV station.
It’s a different tale for “Falcone.” Reruns of the CBS crime drama have been aired on Saturdays at 9 p.m. (on WBBM-Ch. 2). Any ratings uptick could have encouraged the making of new episodes. But for three weeks, a national average of only 6 million viewers — quite low — have tuned in.
Love hurts: Did the 12 of you who tuned in to watch Fox’ “Time of Your Life” Wednesday wonder why Jennifer Love Hewitt’s soapy drama wasn’t anywhere in sight? Wonder no more: It’s gone. The network pulled the series after only two, ratings-poor, airings.
Emmys angst: ABC named Garry Shandling host of the 52nd Emmy Awards show, which is set for Sept. 10.
The self-deprecating comic and star of “The Larry Sanders Show” (who somehow never won an Emmy for best acting) joked that he is “really looking forward to the Emmys this year, because there is nothing I can lose except my dignity.”
Friends to the end: “Friends” executive producers and creators Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane have signed a two-year agreement to remain with the NBC comedy. But after that pact, they’re all moving on to separate projects.
