Archive for November, 2009

Two lingering television series received their expected doses of bad news this week, as pessimistic news was delivered to “Three Rivers” and “Raising the Bar.” In the case of “Raising the Bar,” TNT’s legal drama, the news was an all-out cancellation. “Everyone at TNT had a great experience working on ‘Raising the Bar’ with Steven Bochco... »

Another Sunday meant another ratings victory for live NFL action Sunday; the sport’s ratings prowess was evidenced by strong performance from two networks this week. For starters, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” led the pack with a strong 6.6/16 adults 18-49 rating. The game, a tight contest between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers,... »

– The Miz, who made headlines for his Tweets about evading a ticket this weekend, was the subject of additional Twitter buzz for confirming he had lost his voice. WWE Diva Eve and Superstar Hornswoggle jokingly expressed glee at the fact that the chatty Mizanin would be voice-less for their “Tribute to the... »

WWE filmed the 12/4 edition of SmackDown! this Sunday, with the show culminating in another bit of buildup to the Undertaker vs. Batista match at WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. Who got the last laugh on this week’s edition of SmackDown? What’s the latest on a top WWE name putting off his... »

Spokespersons for actress Reese Witherspoon and actor Jake Gyllenhaal refute reports that the couple has called it quits. “They are still together,” Nanci Ryder and Carrie Byalick, who represent the actors, respectively, told People. People had been the first to report the breakup rumors, citing a source close to the actress. Witherspoon’s representative additionally confirmed... »

WWE has officially confirmed four matches–all title bouts–for the upcoming Tables, Ladders, Chairs pay-per-view. One interesting note concerns Undertaker vs. Batista, the World Championship main event on the SmackDown! side. There has been some back-and-forth regarding the stipulation for the match, but as of press time, WWE.com does claim the bout will... »

Reports from Saturday’s SmackDown! brand house show confirmed that Rey Mysterio wrestled in the main event. The appearance, made more intriguing by the fact that Mysterio did not sell or reference the storyline injuries he suffered at the WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, contradicted reports that Mysterio planned to take several months off to... »

The final three days of the Thanksgiving weekend narrowly belonged to “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” as the mega sequel added $42.5 million to its domestic gross. Now at $230.6 million cumulative, the film is sixth on the all-time gross list for the first ten days of release. Elsewhere, the feel-good story of the... »

– The MSN TV Preview for Monday’s edition of WWE RAW: “Guest Host: The one and only Mini-Me, Verne Troyer. Also starring, WWE Champion John Cena and DX.” – Regarding the confirmed “Little People’s Court” segment involving DX being tried for crimes against Hornswoggle, WWE will reportedly be filming the case at a courtroom in... »

WWE Superstar and well-known Twitter user Mike “The Miz” Mizanin confirmed Saturday night that he was pulled over by a police officer. “Just got pulled over. This always happens to me. Let’s see if I can get just a warning. Prob not though never that lucky,” said Miz regarding the encounter, presumably related to a... »

A drop of 75% from its opening Friday tally could not stop “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” from reclaiming the box office crown in yesterday’s outing. The film got back in front of “The Blind Side” with $17.9 million for its second Friday. Sandra Bullock-starrer “The Blind Side,” however, continued its outstanding performance with... »

Though its gross was annihilated by that of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” when the films made their respective debuts last weekend, sleeper standout “The Blind Side” pulled out a box office victory on Thanksgiving Day this week. The Sandra Bullock football film grossed $9.5 million Thursday, topping the $9.2 million for “New Moon.” ... »

A TMZ update from the Hulkamania tour features the one graphic aspect of legacy many Ric Flair fans likely hope will not prove everlasting The story, a brief, photo-centric update, features images of a bloodied Hulk Hogan pulling Ric Flair’s tights down during one of their matches. Censored, in part, with a red line... »

It turns out that Wednesday–the eve of Thanksgiving–was not an opportunistic scheduling night for broadcast networks. Freshman standouts like “Modern Family,” “Glee” and “Cougar Town” saw their ratings hit bottoms as viewers neglected the comedies, at least in large part due to preparation for the American holiday. ABC’s “Family,” for instance, dropped a staggering... »

In a very interesting tidbit from RAW this week, the word is that the announcers–notably Jerry Lawler and Jesse Ventura–received graphical “cheat sheets” to help call matches on the show. Reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the motivation behind the “cheat sheets” is as simple as it seems–Lawler and Ventura were not one hundred percent... »

Unlikely “Britain’s Got Talent” breakout Susan Boyle is making her presence felt in America, as early album sales projections from Hits Daily Double have Boyle’s “I Dreamed a Dream” debuting to first week sales of at least 600,000. The projections, an extension of Hits Daily Double’s sales reports from Tuesday, could even prove low if... »

The subject of an intriguing programming strategy at ABC, “V” ended its four-episode introductory run Tuesday; new episodes are not due until next year. As such a scheduling strategy risks killing any momentum the sci-fi drama accumulated over the past few weeks, it seemed imperative that “V” show some ratings stability for its... »

Multiple sources have reported that recently-signed WWE Diva Lauren Mayhew has left the company. Mayhew, who had been serving as the ring announcer for ECW, made her WWE debut under the auspices of a short-term contract. That contract has since expired, and a deal could not be reached to keep her around for the... »

Though the numbers clearly reveal that the average “Seinfeld” viewer did not see the reunion arc on the seventh “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as a substitute for the beloved 1990s sitcom, they do indicate that Jerry Seinfeld and company produced additional interest in the HBO series’ season finale. Sunday’s “Curb” airing garnered 2 million viewers over... »

The combination of rave reviews for last week’s “Playbook” episode and high hopes for Monday’s sequel to 2007’s classic “Slapsgiving” special drove “How I Met Your Mother” to a season ratings high. With 8.8 million viewers and a 3.7/10 adults 18-49 rating, the numbers, though not spectacular, brought “How I Met” to a season high... »