Friday, January 26, 2007
"Dreamgirls" #1 On Wednesday Too
That Oscar snub -- combined with eight nominations and a #1 soundtrack -- have kept "Dreamgirls" #1 at the box office for the second day in a row. This is the ONLY time the movie has been at #1 for two days in a row. (Once in midweek, it was #1 for one day and #2 the following day. Other than that, "Dreamgirls" has usually been ranked third or fourth or lower for the entire month it's been in theaters.) Despite that, the movie has had legs and looks likely to hit $100 million, something "Rent" and "The Producers" and "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Moulin Rouge" couldn't come close to doing.
The Reunion Wagon Rolls On
The BBC reports on the glut of reunions. I have to agree with Phil Collins: Sting isn't reuniting with the Police for money. If he was worried about money he wouldn't be touring with his lute, now would he? They've all got plenty of cash for the rest of their lives. Sure, the money is fun, but a solo tour makes lots of money for Sting too. By the way, the Police have found their rehearsal space in Vancouver. Oh and Crowded House aren't just touring -- they're also working on a new album.
Daniel Stern (Not That One) Is Dead
This Daniel Stern is a fine writer with quite a life: he played with Charlie Parker and symphony orchestras, worked as an ad exec and for Warner Bros. and CBS, programmed the 92nd Street Y and wrote novels and short stories. How's this for an introduction to fiction?
His only education after high school was a workshop on fiction writing that he took at what was then the New School for Social Research when he was in his 20s. He enrolled because the G.I. bill paid the $75 tuition and he could sell the books. The class broke into applause when he read his first story. He started to write every day, even as he worked at other jobs.And like Art Buchwald, Stern has managed to have the last word.
Mr. Stern’s last piece of published work was a short story in The Kenyon Review last spring. Called “The Advancer,” it tells of a dastardly scheme by an obituary writer to secretly charge people for writing positive advance obituaries about them and bad ones about their enemies.
“I can never read an obituary again with innocent eyes,” the narrator says.
Brrrrrr!
Must popsurf.... Too cold.... Keep moving keeptalkingconserveenergy.... Burn Variety for warmth.... Don't fall asleep....
Thursday, January 25, 2007
The Oscar Nominations: What Show Will They Make?
You can look at the Oscar nominations two ways. One, you can of course look for your favorite movies, see what films got snubbed, enjoy Oscar trivia (like "Dreamgirls" being the first film in decades to get the most nods without Best Picture being one of them) and so on. Two, if you're a future producer of the Academy Awards show (like myself) you look at the nominations and immediately start thinking about what kind of show you're going to have. It gets "cast," really by the nominations, just like the Grammys get cast by who gets a vote.
First off, the ratings will be in trouble. Yes, a close race brings in viewers, but big hit films do it even better. None of the five nominated films are blockbusters. Martins Scorsese's "The Departed" is a solid hit and the biggest film of his career with $121 million, not a stellar number for a movie that cost $90 million to make, but that was their fault for paying that much for a Scorsese film in the first place. "Departed" also surely played much better with men, while the Oscars is a female magnet. "Babel" is a decent indie hit with $23 million and counting. "Letters From Iwo Jima" has made $2.4 million and follows the relative flop companion piece "Flags Of Our Fathers." "The Queen" is certainly an art house hit at $35 million and counting, but most of its audience is decidedly older. (How many people under 30 have seen it? 30?) Only "Little Miss Sunshine" constitutes a crowd-pleasing favorite thanks to Steve Carell of "The Office" and a seriously leggy performance at the box office, with $60 million and a DVD release just out.
In short:
The Departed -- $120 million and few women
Babel -- $23 million
Letters From Iwo Jima -- $2.4 million and few women
Little Miss Sunshine -- $60 million
The Queen -- $35 million and no fans under 65
It's pretty simple. People watch the Oscars to see how movies they liked will do. When they haven't seen most of the nominated movies, they simply don't care. This year, many viewers will have seen at most ONE of the five best Film nominees.
But moving on, there's a pretty good mix of stars. Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg are catnip on the male side and Penelope Cruz and Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett provide glamor on the female side. Will Smith is a huge superstar and easily the biggest name around. He's also part of a wave of black, Latino and Asian actors and talent that should definitely bring in minorities that rarely bothered with the Oscars. (It could also make the show more visible worldwide.) Older folk will appreciate seeing Peter O'Toole and Judi Dench and Alan Arkin. Eddie Murphy's making a comeback. Jennifer Hudson is an "American Idol" alum and Meryl Streep is Meryl Streep. Clint Eastwood also adds some star power. Ryan Gosling as a best actor nominee brings at least a little indie cool to the show and thanks to "The Notebook" will also bring in swooning girls. It's the usual mix with some more color than is typical to make things a lot more appealing.
Finally, there are the songs, a great mix of five performers and tunes that will give the most nominated movie -- "Dreamgirls" -- the terrific spotlight it didn't get as a Best Picture nominee. Often at the Tonys, the biggest winner can be the show that delivers the best performance. "Dreamgirls" gets three chances to do that here. At the very least, it will boost CD sales.
I would start with Eddie Murphy and Anika Noni Rose dueting on "Patience." The novelty of Eddie Murphy singing should be a great tune-in factor. Then I would have Al Gore introduce Melissa Etheridge singing "I Need To Wake Up" from "An Inconvenient Truth." Those two will definitely rouse everyone. Then -- and this is a tough call and will likely depend on what Beyonce wants -- but I think I would have Jennifer Hudson belt out "Love You I Do." Oh, if only there were an excuse for her to sing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." But there isn't. Hudson will have likely won Best Supporting Actress at the top of the show, so her song will be a triumphant moment for her. It also sets up a friendly battle between her and Beyonce to see which of them can wow the audience. Next comes James Taylor with Randy Newman singing the gentle, sweet "Our Town" from "Cars." And for the musical finale, Beyonce gets to step out looking glamorous and deliver the show-stopping "Listen," easily the best new song added to the movie and a real triumph for the hottest act in the country at the moment.
It would be tragic to do a "Dreamgirls" medley. Pace out the performances, hype Eddie Murphy singing and the Hudson/Beyonce showdown and you've got some great internal drama on the show.
But there's no getting around one central fact: none of the movies nominated for Best Picture is a blockbuster. Three of them are truly small movies. And when people haven't seen the movies, they don't care about the Oscars.
First off, the ratings will be in trouble. Yes, a close race brings in viewers, but big hit films do it even better. None of the five nominated films are blockbusters. Martins Scorsese's "The Departed" is a solid hit and the biggest film of his career with $121 million, not a stellar number for a movie that cost $90 million to make, but that was their fault for paying that much for a Scorsese film in the first place. "Departed" also surely played much better with men, while the Oscars is a female magnet. "Babel" is a decent indie hit with $23 million and counting. "Letters From Iwo Jima" has made $2.4 million and follows the relative flop companion piece "Flags Of Our Fathers." "The Queen" is certainly an art house hit at $35 million and counting, but most of its audience is decidedly older. (How many people under 30 have seen it? 30?) Only "Little Miss Sunshine" constitutes a crowd-pleasing favorite thanks to Steve Carell of "The Office" and a seriously leggy performance at the box office, with $60 million and a DVD release just out.
In short:
The Departed -- $120 million and few women
Babel -- $23 million
Letters From Iwo Jima -- $2.4 million and few women
Little Miss Sunshine -- $60 million
The Queen -- $35 million and no fans under 65
It's pretty simple. People watch the Oscars to see how movies they liked will do. When they haven't seen most of the nominated movies, they simply don't care. This year, many viewers will have seen at most ONE of the five best Film nominees.
But moving on, there's a pretty good mix of stars. Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg are catnip on the male side and Penelope Cruz and Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett provide glamor on the female side. Will Smith is a huge superstar and easily the biggest name around. He's also part of a wave of black, Latino and Asian actors and talent that should definitely bring in minorities that rarely bothered with the Oscars. (It could also make the show more visible worldwide.) Older folk will appreciate seeing Peter O'Toole and Judi Dench and Alan Arkin. Eddie Murphy's making a comeback. Jennifer Hudson is an "American Idol" alum and Meryl Streep is Meryl Streep. Clint Eastwood also adds some star power. Ryan Gosling as a best actor nominee brings at least a little indie cool to the show and thanks to "The Notebook" will also bring in swooning girls. It's the usual mix with some more color than is typical to make things a lot more appealing.
Finally, there are the songs, a great mix of five performers and tunes that will give the most nominated movie -- "Dreamgirls" -- the terrific spotlight it didn't get as a Best Picture nominee. Often at the Tonys, the biggest winner can be the show that delivers the best performance. "Dreamgirls" gets three chances to do that here. At the very least, it will boost CD sales.
I would start with Eddie Murphy and Anika Noni Rose dueting on "Patience." The novelty of Eddie Murphy singing should be a great tune-in factor. Then I would have Al Gore introduce Melissa Etheridge singing "I Need To Wake Up" from "An Inconvenient Truth." Those two will definitely rouse everyone. Then -- and this is a tough call and will likely depend on what Beyonce wants -- but I think I would have Jennifer Hudson belt out "Love You I Do." Oh, if only there were an excuse for her to sing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." But there isn't. Hudson will have likely won Best Supporting Actress at the top of the show, so her song will be a triumphant moment for her. It also sets up a friendly battle between her and Beyonce to see which of them can wow the audience. Next comes James Taylor with Randy Newman singing the gentle, sweet "Our Town" from "Cars." And for the musical finale, Beyonce gets to step out looking glamorous and deliver the show-stopping "Listen," easily the best new song added to the movie and a real triumph for the hottest act in the country at the moment.
It would be tragic to do a "Dreamgirls" medley. Pace out the performances, hype Eddie Murphy singing and the Hudson/Beyonce showdown and you've got some great internal drama on the show.
But there's no getting around one central fact: none of the movies nominated for Best Picture is a blockbuster. Three of them are truly small movies. And when people haven't seen the movies, they don't care about the Oscars.
"Grey's Anatomy" -- Everything Will Be Fine
Robert Bianco of USA Today has a nice take on the issue, saying that ABC and the show's creator fumbled the ball at first but that actors often DON'T get along, and as long as Washington can stop being a putz and genuinely work on a professional level with the others (and last week's episode demonstrated he and Knight -- whose characters are unlikely friends on the show -- actually could), then all will be fine and they'll want to keep his character and not mess with the show creatively. That's assuming the other actors are willing to forgive him. Bianco puts it all into perspective with this closing thought:
Until then, let's look at this ugly incident's one bright side. Had word come out 20 years ago that a TV star had been called a homosexual, it's the gay actor whose career would have been over. Now, it's the bigot who's in danger. That, at least, is a healthy sign.
"Xanadu" To Broadway
It's gonna happen. And who will fill the rollerskates of Olivia Newton John from the deliriously bad movie? Jane Krakowski. Michael Riedel of the NY Post has the info.
"Idol" Thoughts
By the way, people suggesting Chris Daughtry's band Daughtry is doing well because the new season of "American Idol" has begun are wrong. Daughtry is not suddenly selling CDs because the show is airing auditions from New York and Birmingham and so on. Daughtry is selling CDs because he has a hot single with "It's not Over," which just leaped to #6. Pop stars who succeed simply because they appeared on TV would be flashes in the pan. The Idol alum are succeeding to a remarkable degree because the show has uncovered TALENT. Kelly Clarkson has a career because she's talented and smart and taking the opportunity the show gave her and running with it. The show can open doors, but only a savvy person with a good voice will last. And that's exactly why Daughtry and Fantasia and Clay Jennifer Hudson and the rest will or won't succeed, not because the show is still on the air.
Editor & Publisher Pats Itself On Back
And rightly so. Editor & Publisher was one of the few mainstream outlets that did skeptical, intelligent reporting on the buildup to the Iraq war. Their massive piece "Unanswered Questions" holds up so well, they're reprinting it today, four years later.
Mellencamp: Stephen King Is Not A Demon
Good to know. He assures Billboard: Steve is the sweetest guy you could ever meet; there's nothing weird about him or demonic or anything like that," Mellencamp says. Mellencamp -- flush off great reviews for his new CD -- has been working with King on a "play with music" for years now and hopes to make a final push this summer.
"Law & Order: SVU" Fans Can Relax
After an extremely protracted negotiation, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni have reupped with what is currently the most successful of the "L&O" franchises. Both will be paid about $330,000 per episode (about $7.2 million a year), putting them at or near the top of the TV heap. That's a far cry from Dick Wolf's glory days, when he would change stars on "L&O" the way you and I change socks. But it was the right thing to do: they've been the stars of the show since the beginning and it's a different beast than "L&O" with a lot more backstory. So what is Richard Belzer gonna get?
Bond? We Don't Need No Stinking James Bond
Pierce Brosnan speaks about life post-Bond with my friend Josh Rich of Entertainment Weekly. Josh likes the ladies but nonetheless he has a special bond with Brosnan, having spoken with him a number of times before. Who else would bring up Greek drama with the guy? "Casino Royale's" success must be very bittersweet since the producers did exactly what he begged them to do: relaunch the franchise with "Casino Royale" and make a gritty, more real Bond. They just didn't do it with him. Nonetheless, Brosnan seems at peace.
A Glimpse At The New Coney Island
Here are some artist renderings of what the $250 million revamp of Coney Island will look like, complete with a roller coaster that dips under the boardwalk. To me, it just sounds like a zillion other Six Flags and other amusement parks. Nothing New York-ish about it, nothing that nods to the heyday of Coney Island, nothing enjoyable retro. Pretty disappointing.
Every Band That Has Ever Existed Is Reuniting
That headline seemed easier than going through the list of bands that are getting back together for personal, professional or artistic reasons.
Van Halen is touring with David Lee Roth because it's no fun feuding with Sammy Hagar anymore.
The Jesus and Mary Chain are performing at Coachella in April because they believed they never really fully explored the usage of feedback.
As I mentioned before, Crowded House are going on a world tour.
And Wu-Tang Clan is FINALLY working on a new album. Atypically, they're NOT doing it for the money, as RZA explained to Billboard: "Let's just say a Wu-Tang Clan album is worth a couple million dollars. Once 10 guys get on it, it's still worth a couple hundred grand. Some guys' lifestyles require them to make five or six hundred thousand dollars a year regardless. Maybe doing Wu-Tang will make you that much money, but doing it by yourself could you make you a million, because there aren't so many hands involved. But for the legacy, I think we should be willing to make that sacrifice and get it cracking."
In the future, I will only report on bands that are NOT reuniting. First up: the Beatles.
Van Halen is touring with David Lee Roth because it's no fun feuding with Sammy Hagar anymore.
The Jesus and Mary Chain are performing at Coachella in April because they believed they never really fully explored the usage of feedback.
As I mentioned before, Crowded House are going on a world tour.
And Wu-Tang Clan is FINALLY working on a new album. Atypically, they're NOT doing it for the money, as RZA explained to Billboard: "Let's just say a Wu-Tang Clan album is worth a couple million dollars. Once 10 guys get on it, it's still worth a couple hundred grand. Some guys' lifestyles require them to make five or six hundred thousand dollars a year regardless. Maybe doing Wu-Tang will make you that much money, but doing it by yourself could you make you a million, because there aren't so many hands involved. But for the legacy, I think we should be willing to make that sacrifice and get it cracking."
In the future, I will only report on bands that are NOT reuniting. First up: the Beatles.
"Dreamgirls" Snub Leads To Box Office Increase
So "Dreamgirls" gets snubbed by the Oscars -- it garners eight Oscar noms but fails to get the expected Best Picture or Best Director nod. So what do audiences do on Tuesday? Go to see "Dreamgirls," as the film jumps from its perennial #3 (or #4) slot on Monday to top "Night At The Museum" and "Stomp The Yard" at the box office. Go figure.
Billboard's Top 10 Singles -- Fall Out Boy Debut At #2
Fall Out Boy debut at #2 with their new single "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race." And "Idol" continues to steamroll. Chris Daughtry's band Daughtry jumps from #21 to #6 with their hit "It's Not Over." And just out of the Top 10, Disney Channel star Corbin Bleu debuts at #14 with "Push It To The Limit," thanks mostly to digital sales. Beyonce can take some comfort after "Dreamgirls" failed to get a Best Picture nod: her song "Irreplaceable" remains at #1 for the eighth week. The Top 10 per Billboard:
1. "Irreplaceable" -- Beyonce
2. "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" -- Fall Out Boy
3. "Say It Right" -- Nelly Furtado
4. "I Wanna Love You" -- Akon featuring Snoop Dogg
5. "We Fly High" -- Jim Jones
6. "It's Not Over" -- Daughtry
7. "Fergalicious" -- Fergie
8. "Smack That" -- Akon featuring Eminem
9. "How To Save A Life" -- The Fray
10. "Welcome To The Black Parade" -- My Chemical Romance
1. "Irreplaceable" -- Beyonce
2. "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" -- Fall Out Boy
3. "Say It Right" -- Nelly Furtado
4. "I Wanna Love You" -- Akon featuring Snoop Dogg
5. "We Fly High" -- Jim Jones
6. "It's Not Over" -- Daughtry
7. "Fergalicious" -- Fergie
8. "Smack That" -- Akon featuring Eminem
9. "How To Save A Life" -- The Fray
10. "Welcome To The Black Parade" -- My Chemical Romance
"American Idol" -- New York, New York
You would think the talent pool in NYC would be tremendous and in fact some 35 people got tickets to Hollywood. I'm not sure how that compares to other cities, but it seems like a lot. Now I hate to be dramatic, but "Idol" encourges that sort of thing. One of the things I respect most about the show is its production -- the editing and crafting of stories. And surely last night's opener was the stupidest, most misguided one in the entire history of the series. They began the night with a talentless, unfunny waste of time who already gate-crashed "Dancing With The Stars" and did the same thing here. Simon once said they always tried to weed out the people who only showed up to get airtime. So why bother us with this guy? In contrast, the tone-deaf girl who ranged from oddly sincere to manic meltdown (Sarah Goldberg) was genuinely odd and intriguing. The whole night felt a little story-heavy to me.
Sarah Burgess -- the girl who just wanted acceptance from her daddy, felt more like a therapy session than an audition and continued the trend of seeming to get a golden ticket because of her sob story rather than her talent. (She did an okay version of "Call Me."
The same thing with the two Paris Hilton wannabes from Jersey -- the first BFF sang "Crazy" and was pretty awful. The second girl was much, much better but of course both of them got put through because it will make for a better storyline when the second girl goes farther and the first girl is cut.
But as always, what mattered most to me were the contestants who showed actual promise. Rachel, the opera singer, is an interesting wild card with interesting potential. Chris Richardson, who sang Leon Russell's A Song For You in the style of Donny Hathaway, was very solid. Porcelana, the "soldier" who got in shape but danced like a stripper wasn't bad -- but I couldn't believe the judges didn't bother offering the advice that she was supposed to look like the next "Idol," and not a whore. Nicholas, the guy who quit in Hollywood after melting down, seemed improved though still not stellar. (It's interesting how many people have auditioned numerous times or been to Hollywood more than once.)
The only truly mean section was when Simon said the guy with a girl's voice should be performing in a dress. Otherwise, as usual, they often tried to bluntly convince people that singing wasn't for them. But sincerity should be this show's watchword. And it was lacking in two places: Ryan continues to be more of a smart-aleck in the waiting room. His new habit of letting people dangle on-camera is especially mean-spirited and unfair. And when Ashanti went into a thoughtful, heartfelt plea, playing piano music over it was unnecessary and mocking. Plenty of people make fool sof themselves -- "Idol" doesn't need to scukerpunch anyone.
By far the best singer was Celine Dion-lookalike Jory Steinberg, who nailed a Tina Arena song "Chains" with refreshing restraint. And then there was Jenry Bejarano, the strappingly handsome kid who was adopted, has a great bond with his mom, sang a pretty good "I'd Give Anything To Fall In Love" and has the looks to work a runway starting tomorrow. This guy is 16? If nothing else, he's clearly got the poise for a career as an actor or mannequin and his looks alone should keep him in Hollywood for a few days. Of all the contestants, surely he'll be swarmed by the most agents...and the most fans.
Sarah Burgess -- the girl who just wanted acceptance from her daddy, felt more like a therapy session than an audition and continued the trend of seeming to get a golden ticket because of her sob story rather than her talent. (She did an okay version of "Call Me."
The same thing with the two Paris Hilton wannabes from Jersey -- the first BFF sang "Crazy" and was pretty awful. The second girl was much, much better but of course both of them got put through because it will make for a better storyline when the second girl goes farther and the first girl is cut.
But as always, what mattered most to me were the contestants who showed actual promise. Rachel, the opera singer, is an interesting wild card with interesting potential. Chris Richardson, who sang Leon Russell's A Song For You in the style of Donny Hathaway, was very solid. Porcelana, the "soldier" who got in shape but danced like a stripper wasn't bad -- but I couldn't believe the judges didn't bother offering the advice that she was supposed to look like the next "Idol," and not a whore. Nicholas, the guy who quit in Hollywood after melting down, seemed improved though still not stellar. (It's interesting how many people have auditioned numerous times or been to Hollywood more than once.)
The only truly mean section was when Simon said the guy with a girl's voice should be performing in a dress. Otherwise, as usual, they often tried to bluntly convince people that singing wasn't for them. But sincerity should be this show's watchword. And it was lacking in two places: Ryan continues to be more of a smart-aleck in the waiting room. His new habit of letting people dangle on-camera is especially mean-spirited and unfair. And when Ashanti went into a thoughtful, heartfelt plea, playing piano music over it was unnecessary and mocking. Plenty of people make fool sof themselves -- "Idol" doesn't need to scukerpunch anyone.
By far the best singer was Celine Dion-lookalike Jory Steinberg, who nailed a Tina Arena song "Chains" with refreshing restraint. And then there was Jenry Bejarano, the strappingly handsome kid who was adopted, has a great bond with his mom, sang a pretty good "I'd Give Anything To Fall In Love" and has the looks to work a runway starting tomorrow. This guy is 16? If nothing else, he's clearly got the poise for a career as an actor or mannequin and his looks alone should keep him in Hollywood for a few days. Of all the contestants, surely he'll be swarmed by the most agents...and the most fans.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sirius, XM Merger Still Possible
I missed this, but apparently one day after the FCC head so there was no way in hell they would ever approve a merger between the Sirius and XM satellite radio companies (even though they have tons of competition from terrestrial and cable radio and the internet), he turned around and said, "Well, the rules could always be changed to allow it." He was wrong before (there is no antitrust issue, unless you foolishly consider one form of sending radio to people inherently different and noncompetitive with terrestrial and cable radio). He's probably wrong now to think rules need to be changed. But in any case it's only a matter of time.
"Grey's Anatomy" Bigot May Be Fired
E Online is reporting that ABC is considering firing Isaiah Washington from "Grey's Anatomy" immediately. Under the terms of his contract and corporate policy, they would be able to do so without any recourse on Washington's path -- apparently, ABC doesn't think it's good business to have actors on their hit shows insulting and berating their co-stars with bigoted comments. Surely if anyone on "Grey's Anatomy" had called Washington a derogatory term that person would have ALREADY been fired. They could apologize and make amends publicly, but would they keep their job? Nope. If ABC does fire Washington, it won't be because of any public outcry but because the people working on the show demanded it and the producers believed his continued presence would be too disruptive. Why should Knight and Dempsey and the other stars (who are far more important to the show's success than Washington) have to work with a jerk. It's a shame in one sense since Washington was portraying a positive imager for blacks on one of the biggest hits in the country. In a further attempt to make amends, Washington has entered a "treatment facility." They have rehab for dicks? Seriously, what sort of treatment facility do you enter when you're a bigot?
Billboard's Top 10 CDs -- Corrine Bailey Rae Jumps High
Never underestimate the power of Oprah. Corinne Bailey Rae made an appearance on Oprah's show and her debut CD (one of my favorites of the year) immediately jumped back into the Top 5. I couldn't be happier. Meanwhile, you should never underestimate the power of "American Idol." the new season has begun and the rock band Daughtry hits #1 for the first time. Sure, sales are slow, but it's still #1. And he has a genuine hit single with "It's Not Over," which I already pointed out should have a long shelf life as a favorite tune for sports shows. Daughtry beat out the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack total by only 130 CDs, the smallest margin since SoundScan came online in 1991. And never count out adult CD buyers either: Diana Ross debuted at #32, Frank Sinatra has a compilation at #36, Al Grren has a greatest hits CD at #46 and America returns at #52. The Top 10 per Billboard.
1. Daughtry -- "Daughtry"
2. "Dreamgirls" soundtrack
3. "Jump In! soundtrack
4. Corinne Bailey Rae -- "Corinne Bailey Rae"
5. Akon -- "Konvicted"
6. Justin Timberlake -- "FutureSex/LoveSound"
7. Various -- "Now 23"
8. Nickelback -- "All The Right Reasons"
9. Carrie Underwood -- "Some Hearts"
10. Beyonce -- "B'Day"
1. Daughtry -- "Daughtry"
2. "Dreamgirls" soundtrack
3. "Jump In! soundtrack
4. Corinne Bailey Rae -- "Corinne Bailey Rae"
5. Akon -- "Konvicted"
6. Justin Timberlake -- "FutureSex/LoveSound"
7. Various -- "Now 23"
8. Nickelback -- "All The Right Reasons"
9. Carrie Underwood -- "Some Hearts"
10. Beyonce -- "B'Day"
La Binoche, Etc.
How about a little me time? Here's my profile of the smart, interesting Juliette Binoche for the NY Daily News. I wished we could have talked much longer, since she's an interesting, thoughtful woman. And here's where I blather on about some current musical acts with new CDs or shows scheduled for the city. I discuss Norah Jones, M Ward, Jamie Foxx, the Shins and Harry Connick Jr.
Reality TV: Racism Exists
Reality TV is knee-deep in racism in the UK. Like the US furor over off-screen comments by Isaiah Washington calling fellow actor TR Knight a faggot, the British media is agog over comments on reality TV. On "Big Brother" (a MUCH bigger show in the UK than here), an absolutely gorgeous Indian woman has been slagged by several fellow female contestants. Now on "Shipwrecked," 18 year old idiot Lucy Buchanan says slavery was just fine, black people are bad, and lesbians are sinister. Frankly, I don't understand the audience complaints. Showing a racist idiot is hardly endorsing their views, any more thanshowing Tony Soprano means you think it's fine to be a gangtster and kill people to get money. In both cases, other contestants call the racists on their comments and excoriate them. So what exactly are audiences objecting to? The fact that these shows are demonstrating that racism exists at all? Similarly, Opus Dei is upset that a British crime show "Waking The Dead" showed Opus Dei members embroiled in a gruesome murder. It's a CRIME show. Everyone they depict is involved in horrible murders. Yes, it's difficult if your particular group or minority is always depicted in a negative light. But exposing racists is not an example of that. Neither is it realistic to expect a positive portrayal of anyone on shows like CSI.
Mellencamp -- Happy Old Fart
A nice profile of John Mellencamp by Jim Farber at the NY Daily News, in which he talks about his new album, defends putting his song in an ad and generally comes across as enjoyably ornery. My favorite quotes:
Last summer, when he saw that Tom Petty put out a good single and CD that radio snubbed, Mellencamp realized, "If they're not going to play [Petty's] song, they're not going to play mine."And this on how he sees America:
The star isn't fazed by the subsequent cries of "sellout." "The minute you sign with a record company, you've sold out," he asserts. Moreover, he says that "Chevy has been a much better record company for me than [my last label] Columbia Records ever was."
"The Americans" appears to tout the open-minded character of U.S. citizens. But Mellencamp - who was born in Indiana and still lives near Bloomington - says it's actually about "how we see ourselves, not how we are. I think that's an image that should be strived toward. If I had written about how we really are, it would have been negative. If [I was writing about] the Midwest, it would be, 'I'm narrow-minded and don't give a f- about other cultures.'"
Overnight TV Ratings: "Idol" Huge, Bush Not So Much
Another huge night for "American Idol," of course. "Gilmore Girls" is weakened (I still haven't watched the episode; I'm trying to catch up with "24" and "Heroes" and "GG" after my trip but felt I had to start with the State of the Union and of course Idol. "Veronica Mars" had no competition from the other major networks and did okay but still couldn't really get a strong sampling from anyone.
I agree with richboy that the Democratic response from Senator Jim Webb was very good -- forceful, strong and direct. As for Bush's speech, I thought he started out pretty good but then once he began stumbling over words it just got worse and worse. He seemed less desperate without the White House library as a backdrop and his opening remarks about Pelosi were obvious and appropriate of course but still gracious -- especially when he repeated it and emphasized it again and then at the end (where it looked like he unintentionally copped a feel as well). I can't ever remember a State of the Union speech getting such tepid response on applause lines -- even from the President's own party. And I'm really tired of those inspirationalk guests they trot out -- Reagan started it and back in the 80s it was a clever, interesting move. Now it just feels pro forma and like an Oprah episode. Enough, already. I watched ABC's coverage, which like all the networks focused on style rather than substance. They suggested it was a bold move to feature Bush's line that the state of the union is strong at the end of the speech rather than at the beginning. Frankly, it's hard to think of anything more cosmetic and less important than that, don't you think? But kudos to ABC for rightly sticking with analysis of the speech and interviews with Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, John McCain and the like. (Why did all of them get to nodding their heads and almost bowing?) Their coverage beat the sitcom reruns the other networks threw onto the air and more power to them. What, NBC and CBS couldn't think of anything to say about a President's speech in a time of war? Shameful. Go to MediaWeek's Mark Berman for the complete ratings rundown.
8 p.m.
1. American Idol -- 31.17 million viewers
2. NCIS -- 14.33 million
3. Dateline -- 6.17 million
4. America's Funniest Home Videos -- 5.15 million
5. Gilmore Girls -- 3.65 million
9 p.m.
State of the Union on all channels except CW
1. Veronica Mars -- 3.29 million
10:30 p.m.
1. State Of The Union analysis on ABC -- 5.51 million
2. Two and a Half Men (rerun) -- 5.12 million
3. The Office (rerun) -- 5.05 million
I agree with richboy that the Democratic response from Senator Jim Webb was very good -- forceful, strong and direct. As for Bush's speech, I thought he started out pretty good but then once he began stumbling over words it just got worse and worse. He seemed less desperate without the White House library as a backdrop and his opening remarks about Pelosi were obvious and appropriate of course but still gracious -- especially when he repeated it and emphasized it again and then at the end (where it looked like he unintentionally copped a feel as well). I can't ever remember a State of the Union speech getting such tepid response on applause lines -- even from the President's own party. And I'm really tired of those inspirationalk guests they trot out -- Reagan started it and back in the 80s it was a clever, interesting move. Now it just feels pro forma and like an Oprah episode. Enough, already. I watched ABC's coverage, which like all the networks focused on style rather than substance. They suggested it was a bold move to feature Bush's line that the state of the union is strong at the end of the speech rather than at the beginning. Frankly, it's hard to think of anything more cosmetic and less important than that, don't you think? But kudos to ABC for rightly sticking with analysis of the speech and interviews with Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, John McCain and the like. (Why did all of them get to nodding their heads and almost bowing?) Their coverage beat the sitcom reruns the other networks threw onto the air and more power to them. What, NBC and CBS couldn't think of anything to say about a President's speech in a time of war? Shameful. Go to MediaWeek's Mark Berman for the complete ratings rundown.
8 p.m.
1. American Idol -- 31.17 million viewers
2. NCIS -- 14.33 million
3. Dateline -- 6.17 million
4. America's Funniest Home Videos -- 5.15 million
5. Gilmore Girls -- 3.65 million
9 p.m.
State of the Union on all channels except CW
1. Veronica Mars -- 3.29 million
10:30 p.m.
1. State Of The Union analysis on ABC -- 5.51 million
2. Two and a Half Men (rerun) -- 5.12 million
3. The Office (rerun) -- 5.05 million
"American Idol" Gets Nicer
The judges were notably nicer last night on "Idol" -- or, more to the point, the edited excerpts we saw were nicer. Not a single shot of someone leaving the room and haplessly tugging on the wrong door. Very little to no comments about the contestants' appearances.
Two things happened: one, they built up Seattle as so godawful (and it probably was) that the show emphasized the bad ones more than ever. Two, the producers jumped on tonight's episode and tweaked it a little to avoid almost any meanness. They also told us the judges come out and speak to each room of contestants, telling everyone that some of them will get judged harshly and if they don't want to deal with that, they should leave. No one ever leaves. Some contestants complained one or more of the judges didn't even look at them. In fact, the judges often look down or away when someone is singing, either to hear the voice without being distracted by someone's appearance or to be polite and avoid snickering. And why does no one ever complain about the contestants -- who mouth off, curse, and shoot birds at the camera on national TV? How come their behavior is never criticized?
As Simon told one contestant, they get a lot of people who show up with tons of confidence and attitude who can't sing a lick. Further, it's a nice reality check for a culture that assumes everyone has a right to be famous. (Though of course the irony is that some people are so bad they become famous for that. The guy with bug eyes has an agent? Whatever for?) Finally, the judges are infinitely nicer than people at a real audition. Time and again we hear the judges patiently telling people, sorry, singing's not for you. In real life, the hopefuls would have sung for about five seconds before hearing "Next!" and being pushed off the stage.
But none of this matters. In two weeks, we'll be at the Hollywood section and everyone will have forgotten about the auditions (like the girl last night who could barely open her mouth to get words out but was astonished she wasn't going to win it all). What 90% of the show is about are the singers, the undiscovered talent who blossom in front of us, get cheered on and do well or stumble. Last night featured two people I assume will be in the final 12. Hearing them sing for the first time is exactly why I watch the show.
First was Sundance Head, the son of several hit wonder Roy Head. (The family history is a tad glorified. Head never had a #1 song and it wasn't knocked out of the top spot by the Beatles' "Yesterday." His big song "Treat Her Right" stayed at #2 for two weeks and was kept OUT of the #1 slot by "Yesterday." Hey, don't feel bad Roy -- "Yesterday" is only the most covered song of all time. Head had one other Top 40 hit and six other tunes that nudged onto the Hot 100.) Sundance is fat (have you noticed Simon hasn't been shown saying much of anything about people's weight this season?) and has a crazy beard I'd love to see him shave. Most importantly, he has a terrific blues-y voice. The blues is definitely the new genre to get spotlighted this season. We've seen people shine in pop, country, gospel, soul and rock. Now this season a number of people look like they're drawing on the blues.
Then came Melinda Doolittle, the backup singer who performed the Stevie Wonder song "For Once In My Life" and gave a polished, marvelous performance that was one of the best auditions ever. As richboy said, it's hard to believe she hasn't been discovered before. A real sweetheart, Melinda was genuinely shy and reserved without ever seeming tentative or weak. She was quietly happy when they said they liked the song she'd chosen and then seemed delightfully surprised when they praised her to high heaven. If I could sing like her, you'd never hear me shut up and I'd be wondering where the limo was and get me my record deal NOW. Her face lit up with pleasure but it didn't look like she suddenly thought SHE was wonderful, but rather that she was happy they liked the performance or the voice, almost as if it were a gift and separate from her. Clearly, she's gonna shine and grow as the competition goes on and only some bizarre action would keep her out of the Top 12 (and the Top 6...and the finals! Nothing like premature hype....) I can't wait to see her and Sunshine sing again. And that's what "Idol" is all about.
Two things happened: one, they built up Seattle as so godawful (and it probably was) that the show emphasized the bad ones more than ever. Two, the producers jumped on tonight's episode and tweaked it a little to avoid almost any meanness. They also told us the judges come out and speak to each room of contestants, telling everyone that some of them will get judged harshly and if they don't want to deal with that, they should leave. No one ever leaves. Some contestants complained one or more of the judges didn't even look at them. In fact, the judges often look down or away when someone is singing, either to hear the voice without being distracted by someone's appearance or to be polite and avoid snickering. And why does no one ever complain about the contestants -- who mouth off, curse, and shoot birds at the camera on national TV? How come their behavior is never criticized?
As Simon told one contestant, they get a lot of people who show up with tons of confidence and attitude who can't sing a lick. Further, it's a nice reality check for a culture that assumes everyone has a right to be famous. (Though of course the irony is that some people are so bad they become famous for that. The guy with bug eyes has an agent? Whatever for?) Finally, the judges are infinitely nicer than people at a real audition. Time and again we hear the judges patiently telling people, sorry, singing's not for you. In real life, the hopefuls would have sung for about five seconds before hearing "Next!" and being pushed off the stage.
But none of this matters. In two weeks, we'll be at the Hollywood section and everyone will have forgotten about the auditions (like the girl last night who could barely open her mouth to get words out but was astonished she wasn't going to win it all). What 90% of the show is about are the singers, the undiscovered talent who blossom in front of us, get cheered on and do well or stumble. Last night featured two people I assume will be in the final 12. Hearing them sing for the first time is exactly why I watch the show.
First was Sundance Head, the son of several hit wonder Roy Head. (The family history is a tad glorified. Head never had a #1 song and it wasn't knocked out of the top spot by the Beatles' "Yesterday." His big song "Treat Her Right" stayed at #2 for two weeks and was kept OUT of the #1 slot by "Yesterday." Hey, don't feel bad Roy -- "Yesterday" is only the most covered song of all time. Head had one other Top 40 hit and six other tunes that nudged onto the Hot 100.) Sundance is fat (have you noticed Simon hasn't been shown saying much of anything about people's weight this season?) and has a crazy beard I'd love to see him shave. Most importantly, he has a terrific blues-y voice. The blues is definitely the new genre to get spotlighted this season. We've seen people shine in pop, country, gospel, soul and rock. Now this season a number of people look like they're drawing on the blues.
Then came Melinda Doolittle, the backup singer who performed the Stevie Wonder song "For Once In My Life" and gave a polished, marvelous performance that was one of the best auditions ever. As richboy said, it's hard to believe she hasn't been discovered before. A real sweetheart, Melinda was genuinely shy and reserved without ever seeming tentative or weak. She was quietly happy when they said they liked the song she'd chosen and then seemed delightfully surprised when they praised her to high heaven. If I could sing like her, you'd never hear me shut up and I'd be wondering where the limo was and get me my record deal NOW. Her face lit up with pleasure but it didn't look like she suddenly thought SHE was wonderful, but rather that she was happy they liked the performance or the voice, almost as if it were a gift and separate from her. Clearly, she's gonna shine and grow as the competition goes on and only some bizarre action would keep her out of the Top 12 (and the Top 6...and the finals! Nothing like premature hype....) I can't wait to see her and Sunshine sing again. And that's what "Idol" is all about.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Overnight TV Ratings -- "Heroes" Tops "24"
First, I just got a press release about the Sunday ratings for "Battlestar: Galactica" and new SciFi series "The Dresden Files." It looks okay. On the most watched night of the week, "The Dresden Files" drew 1.7 million viewers and at 10 p.m. "BG" drew 1.8 million viewers. Of course, this is a big improvement in the night for SciFi because all they ever aired previously were reruns and old movies. Both shows had a 1.4 rating, well done for "BG" from its 2.0 rating of Season Two. But for a beachhead on a new night, this could be fine if the audience stays around. "BG" definitely needs good news or a fourth season and that straight to DVD movie (which seems like a waste to me) might be in danger. I'd say make a "cheap" feature film with a stand-alone story a la "Firefly" if you call it a day on the series.
Now on to Mondays. Yep, "Heroes" BEAT "24" head to head and they were both BEAT by the sitcom "Two and a Half Men" and all three of them were well within 400,000 viewers of each other on the hour. But no one lost. "24" got the same ratings it got last season at this time. So "Heroes" didn't hurt "24;" it brought new viewers to the table. And I'm sure both would jump mightily once you factored in the DVR+ 7 day ratings, since so many people like me tape both of them and watch one or the other later. The bad news is for "Studio 6" -- it dropped exactly 50%, which just isn't acceptable. Go to MediaWeek's Marc Berman for the complete ratings.
8 p.m.
1. Deal Or No Deal -- 17.56 million viewers
2. Prison Break -- 9.90 million
3. How I Met Your Mother -- 9.55 million/The Class -- 8.99 million
4. Wife Swap -- 8.84 million
5. Everybody Hates Chris -- 2.85 million/All Of Us -- 2.45 million
9 p.m.
1. Heroes -- 14.84 million
2. Two and a Half Men -- 16.06 million /Old Christine -- 13.01 million
3. 24 -- 14.44 million
4. Supernanny -- 9.08 million
5. Girlfriends -- 2.23 million/The Game -- 2.24 million
10 p.m.
1. CSI: Miami -- 18.67 million
2. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip -- 7.41 million
3. What About Brian -- 5.4 million
Now on to Mondays. Yep, "Heroes" BEAT "24" head to head and they were both BEAT by the sitcom "Two and a Half Men" and all three of them were well within 400,000 viewers of each other on the hour. But no one lost. "24" got the same ratings it got last season at this time. So "Heroes" didn't hurt "24;" it brought new viewers to the table. And I'm sure both would jump mightily once you factored in the DVR+ 7 day ratings, since so many people like me tape both of them and watch one or the other later. The bad news is for "Studio 6" -- it dropped exactly 50%, which just isn't acceptable. Go to MediaWeek's Marc Berman for the complete ratings.
8 p.m.
1. Deal Or No Deal -- 17.56 million viewers
2. Prison Break -- 9.90 million
3. How I Met Your Mother -- 9.55 million/The Class -- 8.99 million
4. Wife Swap -- 8.84 million
5. Everybody Hates Chris -- 2.85 million/All Of Us -- 2.45 million
9 p.m.
1. Heroes -- 14.84 million
2. Two and a Half Men -- 16.06 million /Old Christine -- 13.01 million
3. 24 -- 14.44 million
4. Supernanny -- 9.08 million
5. Girlfriends -- 2.23 million/The Game -- 2.24 million
10 p.m.
1. CSI: Miami -- 18.67 million
2. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip -- 7.41 million
3. What About Brian -- 5.4 million
Crowded House Tour In The Works
No surprise, since the Finn brothers joined the Split Enz tour in 2005. And it's a bit sad since their drummer committed suicide that same year. Nonetheless, Crowded House is on of those bands with a much bigger reputation in the UK and Australia than here and it'll be great to hear those plaintive, minor key pop gems again.
"Idol" Winners Continue To Shine
Both "American Idol" and "Pop Idol" got very lucky with their first winners. Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson gave Idol tremendous legitimacy. And the very first Idol winner of all -- the UK's Will Young -- proved Idols could have genuine careers, with at least three best-selling albums under his belt. Young has also appeared in film and now gets a very strong review from the Evening Standard for his performance on stage in Noel Coward's "The Vortex." If I'm lucky, it'll come to London and I can check it out.
Record Labels ReThinking Digital Music Restrictions
The major record labels are reportedly planning to put their music online in digital MP3 files without bothering with all the ridiculous restrictions that make it difficult if not impossible for people to buy songs and then use them on different players, move them from their computer to their phone or their music player or their stereo and so on. This is LONG overdue. Record companies (and movie studios and book sellers) need to realize that all these stupid technical roadblocks just make life miserable for the average consumer and don't stop the real thieves and bootleggers for a minute. Besides, I strongly believe these restrictions -- which often don't allow people to perfectly legal things with their music (like make a copy for their car or boat) -- are illegal anyway. Make it all easy to use. Didn't iTunes prove that if you make music or movies or TV shows or audio books or whatever available easily at a reasonable price that people won't WANT to deal with bootlegs. Who needs viruses and all that junk when you can buy the song you want for 99 cents?
"Grey's Anatomy" Honored By GLAAD
The irony builds as "Grey's Anatomy" -- a show currently famous for the anti-gay slur of one of its stars directed at another of the show's stars both behind the scenes and at the Golden Globes -- yes, that very same show is nominated for GLAAD awards. Americablog pointed me on Friday to a silly item by Perez Hilton that claimed the Isaiah Washington controversy (he called costar TR Knight a faggot, prompting Knight to come out; then Washington denied saying it at the Globes and now he's apologized and is meeting with GLSEN to make amends and the network has officially chastized him). Hilton claimed the show is being hurt in the ratings and that before this the show "dominated" its timeslot. Hardly. "Grey's Anatomy" was going head-to-head with "CSI" and the fact that it's been beating "CSI" this season has astonished everyone -- ABC was hoping for a solid second and to chip away at "CSI's lead. But by no means has "Grey's Anatomy" dominated the timeslot.
Here are the ratings this fall:
9/29 (season premiere)
Grey's Anatomy -- 23.31 million
CSI -- 23.49 million
10/5
Grey's Anatomy -- 22.46 million
CSI -- 21.22 million
10/12
Grey's Anatomy -- 22.82 million
CSI -- 21.58 million
10/19
Grey's Anatomy -- 21.93 million
CSI -- 20.2 million
10/26
Grey's Anatomy (rerun)-- 12.21 million
CSI (rerun) -- 16.63 million
11/2
Grey's Anatomy -- 20.96 million
CSI -- 20.53 million
11/9
Grey's Anatomy -- 20.57 million
CSI -- 20.47 million
11/16
Grey's Anatomy -- 20.96 million
CSI -- 23.83 million
11/23
Grey's Anatomy -- 18.46 million
CSI -- 17.13 million
11/30
Grey's Anatomy -- 24.27 million
CSI (rerun) -- 15.88 million
12/7
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 10.5 million
CSI -- 23.72 million
12/14
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 10.04 million
CSI (rerun) -- 15.08 million
12/21
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 9.97 million
CSI (rerun) -- 13.16 million
12/28
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 5.8 rating (viewer totals not available)
CSI (rerun) -- 8.9 rating
1/4
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 10.24 million
CSI -- 25.91 million
1/11
Grey's Anatomy -- 22.94 million
CSI (rerun) -- 11.87
1/18
Grey's Anatomy -- 21.89 million
CSI -- 21.28 million
In short, it's clearly a tightly fought race between two massive hits. "Grey's Anatomy" is a much younger show that is still growing, "CSI" is a mainstay that repeats much better because it features self-contained mysteries rather than being a serialized drama. In head to head with new episodes, "Grey's Anatomy" won 7 times and CSI won twice. But CSI has fewer repeats and if you count every week of the season (even when one or both of the shows is a rerun), "Grey's has won 9 weeks and CSI has won eight; that's what I call a horse race. The margin of victory for the winner has often been razor-thin. On January 4, CSI had the single highest rated episode, 25.91 million viewers opposite a "GA" rerun. "Grey's" highest rated episode was 11/30 opposite a rerun when it hit 24.27 million. You cna slice and dice these numbers any way you want, but the truth is that "Grey's Anatomy" has done remarkably well and has been beating "CSI" head to head most of the season. (It used to air on Sunday nights.) But its margin of victory has often been very thin indeed, and the ratings on 1/18 were not telling in the least of any trend or fallout.
Besides, why would there be a fallout? Isaiah Washington is way down the list in importance in the ensemble cast. Patrick Dempsey (McDreamy) and Ellen Pompeo (the title character Dr. Meredith Grey) and central. TR Knight (the actor who came out) was the heart of the show a la Noah Wylie on "ER." Sandra Oh (who dates Washington's character) is right up there with the no-nonsense Chandra Wilson. Both of them have been nominated for Emmys and Oh won. And then in order of importance you have Washington and Justin Chambers and Kate Walsh and James Pickens Jr. all bunched together. The idea that a stupid, offensive comment by a secondary character would turn people off to a show that has been demonstrably gay friendly in its storylines is just silly. If anyone DID turn the show off because of it, they would surely be balanced by the people who tuned IN to check out TR Knight. Personally, I loved the suggestion online that Washington's character should come out and he be forced to play a gay man for the rest of the series. It makes no sense given his character but it would be deliciously appropriate punishment.
But again, Hilton's claim that CSI is suddenly closing in on Grey because of all this? That just isn't true. CSI is basically where it's been all season long.
Here are the ratings this fall:
9/29 (season premiere)
Grey's Anatomy -- 23.31 million
CSI -- 23.49 million
10/5
Grey's Anatomy -- 22.46 million
CSI -- 21.22 million
10/12
Grey's Anatomy -- 22.82 million
CSI -- 21.58 million
10/19
Grey's Anatomy -- 21.93 million
CSI -- 20.2 million
10/26
Grey's Anatomy (rerun)-- 12.21 million
CSI (rerun) -- 16.63 million
11/2
Grey's Anatomy -- 20.96 million
CSI -- 20.53 million
11/9
Grey's Anatomy -- 20.57 million
CSI -- 20.47 million
11/16
Grey's Anatomy -- 20.96 million
CSI -- 23.83 million
11/23
Grey's Anatomy -- 18.46 million
CSI -- 17.13 million
11/30
Grey's Anatomy -- 24.27 million
CSI (rerun) -- 15.88 million
12/7
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 10.5 million
CSI -- 23.72 million
12/14
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 10.04 million
CSI (rerun) -- 15.08 million
12/21
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 9.97 million
CSI (rerun) -- 13.16 million
12/28
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 5.8 rating (viewer totals not available)
CSI (rerun) -- 8.9 rating
1/4
Grey's Anatomy (rerun) -- 10.24 million
CSI -- 25.91 million
1/11
Grey's Anatomy -- 22.94 million
CSI (rerun) -- 11.87
1/18
Grey's Anatomy -- 21.89 million
CSI -- 21.28 million
In short, it's clearly a tightly fought race between two massive hits. "Grey's Anatomy" is a much younger show that is still growing, "CSI" is a mainstay that repeats much better because it features self-contained mysteries rather than being a serialized drama. In head to head with new episodes, "Grey's Anatomy" won 7 times and CSI won twice. But CSI has fewer repeats and if you count every week of the season (even when one or both of the shows is a rerun), "Grey's has won 9 weeks and CSI has won eight; that's what I call a horse race. The margin of victory for the winner has often been razor-thin. On January 4, CSI had the single highest rated episode, 25.91 million viewers opposite a "GA" rerun. "Grey's" highest rated episode was 11/30 opposite a rerun when it hit 24.27 million. You cna slice and dice these numbers any way you want, but the truth is that "Grey's Anatomy" has done remarkably well and has been beating "CSI" head to head most of the season. (It used to air on Sunday nights.) But its margin of victory has often been very thin indeed, and the ratings on 1/18 were not telling in the least of any trend or fallout.
Besides, why would there be a fallout? Isaiah Washington is way down the list in importance in the ensemble cast. Patrick Dempsey (McDreamy) and Ellen Pompeo (the title character Dr. Meredith Grey) and central. TR Knight (the actor who came out) was the heart of the show a la Noah Wylie on "ER." Sandra Oh (who dates Washington's character) is right up there with the no-nonsense Chandra Wilson. Both of them have been nominated for Emmys and Oh won. And then in order of importance you have Washington and Justin Chambers and Kate Walsh and James Pickens Jr. all bunched together. The idea that a stupid, offensive comment by a secondary character would turn people off to a show that has been demonstrably gay friendly in its storylines is just silly. If anyone DID turn the show off because of it, they would surely be balanced by the people who tuned IN to check out TR Knight. Personally, I loved the suggestion online that Washington's character should come out and he be forced to play a gay man for the rest of the series. It makes no sense given his character but it would be deliciously appropriate punishment.
But again, Hilton's claim that CSI is suddenly closing in on Grey because of all this? That just isn't true. CSI is basically where it's been all season long.
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