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4 articles from 2004

3 March 2004 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Despite offering the 76th annual Academy Award show and the return of Regis Philbin in a richer version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, ABC is expected to remain the fourth-place network in the February sweeps, which officially ends tonight. "We have been able to build a foundation of shows, but none is a hit," ABC Entertainment President Susan Lyne told the Associated Press Tuesday. "That's what's keeping us in fourth place right now." Nevertheless, the network did win the final full week of the sweeps by a hefty margin, averaging 14.4 million viewers, a figure pumped up significantly by the 43.5 million who watched the Oscars Sunday night.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research: 1. The 76th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 26.0/40; 2. Countdown to the Oscars 2004, ABC, 17.3/27; 3. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 17.1/25; 4. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 15.0/23; 5. Friends, NBC, 14.6/22; 6. E.R., NBC, 14.3/23; 7. CSI: Miami, CBS, 13.2/21; 8. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 12.9/20; 8. Survivor: All-Stars, CBS, 12.9/19; 10. The Apprentice, NBC, 12.5/18. »

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1 March 2004 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

The decision to advance the date of the Oscar ceremonies to February and to bring back Billy Crystal as host resulted in a 17-percent rise in the ratings Sunday night, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 76th Annual Academy Awards, carried by ABC, drew a 29.6 rating and a 43 share between 8:30 p.m. and 12:15 a.m., versus a 25.2/37 when it aired last March 23. Moreover Barbara Walters' annual pre-Oscars celebrity interview show scored a stunning victory over CBS's usually unbeatable 60 Minutes in the 7:00 hour, as it recorded a 9.4/14 versus 60 Minutes' 7.7/12. With the exception of repeats from NBC's Law & Order franchise in the 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. hours, which drew an 8.1/11 and an 8.5/12 respectively, all shows trying to compete with the Oscars telecast were left in the dust. »

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11 February 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news »

This year's Oscar nominees have been instructed to keep their speeches short on the big night, during a glitzy Los Angeles luncheon with the producer Joe Roth. The America's Sweethearts director was joined by contenders such as Diane Keaton, Charlize Theron, Sean Penn and Tim Robbins at the Beverly Hills Hotel for the traditional bash - and during the star-studded event, Roth took the opportunity to request restraint from the potential winners. He told the assembled nominees, "One of the uncomfortable realities of the awards process is that Oscar night is all about the winners, but today is all about the nominees. Enjoy the night. I think it's going to be a fast, funny, beautiful show." The 76th Academy Awards will take place on 29 February at Los Angeles' Kodak Theatre. »

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10 February 2004 | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Frank Pierson has sharply rebuked ABC Monday for its decision to impose a five-second tape delay on the Feb. 29 76th Academy Awards telecast. Although controversial remarks have been spoken by Oscar recipients in the past and a streaker broke through a security barrier and onto the stage in 1974, Pierson said that if ABC uses the delay to delete such occurrences, it would amount to censorship. "If it comes with a bleep, we are all losers," Pierson wrote in a letter to AMPAS members. "A 'live' show is either alive or not," he said. "Free speech is either free or it is not. Viewers are free to use their remote or TiVo. Parents are responsible or they are not." ABC had no immediate comment on Pierson's remarks. »

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4 articles from 2004