Posted: Mon., Dec. 15, 2003, 10:00pm PT
TV Land, Nick ramp up
Cablers kickoff slates designed to mesh with reruns
By DENISE MARTIN
Rather than simply buying up more repeats, classic television nets TV Land and Nick at Nite are hoping to create some reruns of their own.
Viacom cablers have unveiled an agressive development slate of original scripted and unscripted series and specials. First-ever development roster -- shephered by Nick at Nite/TV Land topper Larry Jones and development and production chief Sal Maniaci -- boasts efforts from Bill Cosby, Kelsey Grammer, Henry Winkler, Peter Bonerz, Gay Rosenthal and David Steinberg.
Evolution into original development has been bubbling for both nets for more than a year, when Nick at Nite announced it was developing "Fatherhood," the animated comedy based on Bill Cosby's children's book (Daily Variety, July 13, 2001). Both cablers have the same goal of launching a block of fresh programming by next year, though each will focus on different kinds of fare.
For Nick at Nite, originals mandate involves developing adult programming that kids can watch in order to cash in on the channel's strong Nickelodeon lead-in. Maniaci said the cabler's programming is "informed by the four F's: family-friendly, funny and familiar."
Meanwhile, programming for TV-philes is in the pipeline for TV Land. That means a slate of originals centered on all things TV -- including documentaries, mockumentaries, list shows (which have put sister net VH1 back on the map), reality/reunion specs and sitcoms.
Acquired programs will remain both channels' bread-and-butter biz. The originals strategy is designed to take advantage of the large audience watching Nick at Nite, and to give auds a new reason to watch TV Land.
"We're in the rerun business. It's our future, our five-year-plan and our 10-year plan," Jones said. "What we're attempting to do is to give people a new way to look at their favorite shows.... (And) we want to get people talking and thinking about, and tuning in, to (both channels)."
As for Nick at Nite, November Nielsen numbers show the cabler is up 13% in its core adult 18-49 demo year-to-year. Net ranks first among basic cablers in the demo during its Sunday-Thursday 9 p.m.-6 a.m., Friday-Saturday 10 p.m.-6 a.m. programming block.
Cabler will shoot for an hour of original programming from 9-10 p.m. for 2004, and eventually expand to the same hour on different nights.
"It's such a huge audience (Nick has at 8:30 p.m.) that in some ways, it's a huge no-brainer," Jones said.
The long-gestating "Fatherhood" is first up, with the skein set to debut in June. Several companion candidates are in development to air with the skein.
Pilot orders include:
* "Exploding Baloney," a half hour hidden camera show show that lets parents and teachers pull pranks on kids. Exec producer is Joe Boyd.
* "Alf's Hit Talk Show," a entertainment talker hosted by TV's famous furry alien. Exec producers are Paul Fusco ("Alf") and Burt Dubrow ("The Tom Green Show").
Net also has scripts commitments for:
* "Zen & Buster," from Kelsey Grammer's Grammnet Productions, animated half-hour revolves around the lives of Hollywood pets. Grammer will perform voiceover for the show.
* "Kids Say the Darndest Things," armed with a new host, the latest edition of Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby's format of the same name. Linkletter, Eddie Krtizer and Irvin Atkins produce.
Scripted series on the slate include:
* "Return Engagement," a sitcom revolving around retired thesps living in a "Melrose Place"-type complex. Project comes from actor-director Peter Bonerz ("Just Shoot Me.")
* "Take 2" chronicles the life of a classic TV star-turned-psychologist who is unable to escape the shadow of his former fame. Series was created by Dan Schneider ("Big Fat Liar.")
* "My Man Marty," about a long-lost laffer given new life on a network's schedule, from exec producers Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert ("Stripperella.")
* "The Tommy Lynch Project," a la "The Larry Sanders show," series is a behind-the-scenes comedy about a hidden camera dating skein. Tommy Lynch (Nickeldeon's "Romeo") produces.
As for TV Land, the net, while down 19% in its target adults 25-54 demo from the previous November, is celebrating its most-watched year ever in the same demo and total viewers.
Net has greenlit the six-seg series "TV Land Moguls," which exemplifies the strategy of targeting tubeaholics. Hosted by Merv Griffin, series--from CBS News Prods.--- profiles TV's pioneering producers over the decades including Norman Lear, Aaron Spelling, Steven Bochco, Dick Wolf, David E. Kelley and Jerry Bruckheimer.
"The goal is to talk about TV overall and contemporize the TV expertise we have to talk about television in today's marketplace as well," said Maniaci.
Also back for a second year will be the "TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV," which notched 15 million overall viewers on both TV Land and Nick at Nite. The behind-the-scenes spec "All Access Pass: The TV Land Awards" is set to preem Jan. 28.
In the development pipeline are:
* The reality pilot "Living in TV Land," a slice of life look at a day in the life of classic TV thesps such as Dick Van Patten, Jack Klugman, Alan Thicke, Tim Conway and Bernie Kopell. Craig Nevius ("The Black Scorpian") produces.
* "TV Land Real Characters," a half-hour mock biography series profiling classic TV icons -- not actors who played them.
* "Table Read," from Gay Rosenthal Prods. ("Behind the Music"), reunites former television casts for a re-reading of a memorable episode.
* "David Steinberg Project," a talk show parody a la "Fernwood 2Nite" aimed at Hollywood.
* "Hello Out There," behind-the-scenes laffer about running a classic TV network.
* "TV Land Collectibles," a TV memorabilia take on "Antiques Road Show."
Move into original development seems something for risk for a channel with a proven track record in repeats.
"It's not a safe bet," Jones concedes. "We're not naive about that. But to pass up this huge audience that's delivered to our doorstep seems like a missed opportunity."
What's more, "There will be value (in originals) when we talk to our advertisers and our cable affiliates."
© Copyright 2003, Reed Business Information,
a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. © 2003 Variety, Inc.
Home
, 10:00pm PT
TV Land, Nick ramp up
Cablers kickoff slates designed to mesh with reruns
By DENISE MARTIN
Rather than simply buying up more repeats, classic television nets TV Land and Nick at Nite are hoping to create some reruns of their own.
Viacom cablers have unveiled an agressive development slate of original scripted and unscripted series and specials. First-ever development roster -- shephered by Nick at Nite/TV Land topper Larry Jones and development and production chief Sal Maniaci -- boasts efforts from Bill Cosby, Kelsey Grammer, Henry Winkler, Peter Bonerz, Gay Rosenthal and David Steinberg.
Evolution into original development has been bubbling for both nets for more than a year, when Nick at Nite announced it was developing "Fatherhood," the animated comedy based on Bill Cosby's children's book (Daily Variety, July 13, 2001). Both cablers have the same goal of launching a block of fresh programming by next year, though each will focus on different kinds of fare.
For Nick at Nite, originals mandate involves developing adult programming that kids can watch in order to cash in on the channel's strong Nickelodeon lead-in. Maniaci said the cabler's programming is "informed by the four F's: family-friendly, funny and familiar."
Meanwhile, programming for TV-philes is in the pipeline for TV Land. That means a slate of originals centered on all things TV -- including documentaries, mockumentaries, list shows (which have put sister net VH1 back on the map), reality/reunion specs and sitcoms.
Acquired programs will remain both channels' bread-and-butter biz. The originals strategy is designed to take advantage of the large audience watching Nick at Nite, and to give auds a new reason to watch TV Land.
"We're in the rerun business. It's our future, our five-year-plan and our 10-year plan," Jones said. "What we're attempting to do is to give people a new way to look at their favorite shows.... (And) we want to get people talking and thinking about, and tuning in, to (both channels)."
As for Nick at Nite, November Nielsen numbers show the cabler is up 13% in its core adult 18-49 demo year-to-year. Net ranks first among basic cablers in the demo during its Sunday-Thursday 9 p.m.-6 a.m., Friday-Saturday 10 p.m.-6 a.m. programming block.
Cabler will shoot for an hour of original programming from 9-10 p.m. for 2004, and eventually expand to the same hour on different nights.
"It's such a huge audience (Nick has at 8:30 p.m.) that in some ways, it's a huge no-brainer," Jones said.
The long-gestating "Fatherhood" is first up, with the skein set to debut in June. Several companion candidates are in development to air with the skein.
Pilot orders include:
* "Exploding Baloney," a half hour hidden camera show show that lets parents and teachers pull pranks on kids. Exec producer is Joe Boyd.
* "Alf's Hit Talk Show," a entertainment talker hosted by TV's famous furry alien. Exec producers are Paul Fusco ("Alf") and Burt Dubrow ("The Tom Green Show").
Net also has scripts commitments for:
* "Zen & Buster," from Kelsey Grammer's Grammnet Productions, animated half-hour revolves around the lives of Hollywood pets. Grammer will perform voiceover for the show.
* "Kids Say the Darndest Things," armed with a new host, the latest edition of Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby's format of the same name. Linkletter, Eddie Krtizer and Irvin Atkins produce.
Scripted series on the slate include:
* "Return Engagement," a sitcom revolving around retired thesps living in a "Melrose Place"-type complex. Project comes from actor-director Peter Bonerz ("Just Shoot Me.")
* "Take 2" chronicles the life of a classic TV star-turned-psychologist who is unable to escape the shadow of his former fame. Series was created by Dan Schneider ("Big Fat Liar.")
* "My Man Marty," about a long-lost laffer given new life on a network's schedule, from exec producers Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert ("Stripperella.")
* "The Tommy Lynch Project," a la "The Larry Sanders show," series is a behind-the-scenes comedy about a hidden camera dating skein. Tommy Lynch (Nickeldeon's "Romeo") produces.
As for TV Land, the net, while down 19% in its target adults 25-54 demo from the previous November, is celebrating its most-watched year ever in the same demo and total viewers.
Net has greenlit the six-seg series "TV Land Moguls," which exemplifies the strategy of targeting tubeaholics. Hosted by Merv Griffin, series--from CBS News Prods.--- profiles TV's pioneering producers over the decades including Norman Lear, Aaron Spelling, Steven Bochco, Dick Wolf, David E. Kelley and Jerry Bruckheimer.
"The goal is to talk about TV overall and contemporize the TV expertise we have to talk about television in today's marketplace as well," said Maniaci.
Also back for a second year will be the "TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV," which notched 15 million overall viewers on both TV Land and Nick at Nite. The behind-the-scenes spec "All Access Pass: The TV Land Awards" is set to preem Jan. 28.
In the development pipeline are:
* The reality pilot "Living in TV Land," a slice of life look at a day in the life of classic TV thesps such as Dick Van Patten, Jack Klugman, Alan Thicke, Tim Conway and Bernie Kopell. Craig Nevius ("The Black Scorpian") produces.
* "TV Land Real Characters," a half-hour mock biography series profiling classic TV icons -- not actors who played them.
* "Table Read," from Gay Rosenthal Prods. ("Behind the Music"), reunites former television casts for a re-reading of a memorable episode.
* "David Steinberg Project," a talk show parody a la "Fernwood 2Nite" aimed at Hollywood.
* "Hello Out There," behind-the-scenes laffer about running a classic TV network.
* "TV Land Collectibles," a TV memorabilia take on "Antiques Road Show."
Move into original development seems something for risk for a channel with a proven track record in repeats.
"It's not a safe bet," Jones concedes. "We're not naive about that. But to pass up this huge audience that's delivered to our doorstep seems like a missed opportunity."
What's more, "There will be value (in originals) when we talk to our advertisers and our cable affiliates."
© Copyright 2003, Reed Business Information,
a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. © 2003 Variety, Inc.