Almost 20 new shows being offered to stations for next fall, but few are sure things right now. Three are a firm go: Meredith Vieira, The Real and TMZ Live. Pickups of the others will depend in large part on which current shows don't return and open up coveted time slots. Here's a look at the hopefuls.
TVNEWSCHECK FOCUS ON SYNDICATION
Syndicators Scramble For Fall 2014 Slots
Syndicators are shopping more than a dozen first-run shows and seven off-network shows to stations for fall 2014 and right now only three are assured spots on crowded schedules.
Those fortunate three are NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution’s Meredith Vieira, and Warner Bros.’ The Real and TMZ Live.
The New York-based Meredith will be a multi-topic talk show with celebrity guests and a regular sidekick for Vieira. It’s already cleared in 70% of TV homes with the NBC Owned Television Stations supplying clearances in the top markets.
The Real is a View-style panel talk show with five co-hosts, including comedian Loni Love, which Fox TV Stations tested successfully over the summer. TMZ Live, a spinoff of entertainment newsmagazine TMZ, has been slowly rolling out since 2012, initially on Fox stations.
The odds for any of the other wannabes improve as stations opt to not renew current shows and open up those time slots. Among those on the bubble: Disney-ABC’s Katie, Warner Bros.’ Bethenny, CBS Television Distribution’s (CTD’s) The Test and Trifecta’s OK! TV.
Katie’s fate rests mostly with the ABC Owned Television Stations, Disney’s in-house station group. If the O&Os don’t want a third season or can’t get it for the terms they want, there will not be a third season. A decision is said to be imminent.
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Meanwhile, ratings for Bethenny have recently ticked up. In fact, among women 25-54 and women 18-49, it outperformed Sony Pictures Television’s rookie Queen Latifah the week of Oct. 21. Week to week, it was up 33% and 20%, respectively.
Trifecta’s freshman entertainment newsmagazine OK! TV is among the lowest rated syndicated shows on TV, as is CBS Television Distribution’s conflict show The Test. However, Test is performing on par with NBCUniversal’s conflict-talk show Trisha, which is snagging third season renewals on major station groups.
Among those vying for time slots are talk shows, games shows, courts shows and the newest genre — panel shows.
Debmar-Mercury and station group Scripps are developing a View-style panel show with a legal twist. Its chief panelist is former View co-host and celebrity attorney Star Jones. An announcement that the show will go forward is expected soon.
Debmar-Mercury, which has seen its Family Feud surpass Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy as the No. 1 game show among adults 18-49, is likely to secure clearances for its Craig Ferguson-hosted game show Celebrity Name Game.
Hot Bench comes from CTD and Judy Sheindlin, host of CTD’s No. 1 court show Judge Judy. With three judges deciding cases, CTD is expected to announce a launch group soon.
“I would be very surprised if CBS doesn’t get Hot Bench launched and I’d be very surprised if Debmar doesn’t get their game show launched,” says Bill Carroll, VP-director of programming at Katz Television Group.
CTD and Tribune Broadcasting are partnering on the talk show Serch with rapper MC Serch. It’s slotted for a January test on Tribune stations with an eye toward a fall 2014 national rollout.
MGM Domestic Television Distribution is handling the national rollout for the Scripps game show Let’s Ask America, which is currently in its second season on 13 Scripps stations.
“With the success of Family Feud, there is clearly an appetite for game shows right now,” says John Bryan, president of domestic television distribution at MGM.
Tribune is also developing a companion show for conflict-talk show Bill Cunningham, which got its start on Tribune stations but now airs on CW in daytime. That show has been renewed by the network for a fourth season to begin in 2014.
PPI is offering The Social, a Canadian View-style show with a focus on gossip and entertainment news. And Telco Productions, which produces and distributes mostly E/I shows, is shopping The Balancing Act, in which the three co-hosts provide lifestyle tips.
Associated Television International is pitching stations on the Marie Osmond show, Marie, which is looking for new outlets after being dropped by cable’s Hallmark Channel.
Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios is selling first-run court show Justice with Judge Mablean, its fifth court show, with former Divorce Court judge Mablean Ephriam.
TeshMedia Group is offering Intelligence For Your Life, a news-companion show with one-time Entertainment Tonight co-host John Tesh, his wife Connie Sellecca and their son Gib Gerard.
“Our approach to syndicating IFYL is with the same differentiate-or-die strategy we used to build our network of 300 radio affiliates,” Tesh says. “We are providing full integration with newscasts and morning and afternoon news programs.”
CTD is also out there with the documentary crime strip Crimesider from CBS News’ 48 Hours.
Syndicators are also offering some off-net options.
Debmar-Mercury’s off-cable sitcom Anger Management with Charlie Sheen is cleared in more than 70% of TV homes, including on launch group Fox TV Stations.
CTD last year sold the off-cable sitcom Hot in Cleveland for fall 2014 to launch group CBS Television Stations. That show is now cleared in most of the country.
Warner Bros. has sold the off-network sitcom Mike & Molly to CBS Television Stations and a slew of other groups.
Disney-ABC is selling off-cable show Cougar Town with Courteney Cox and Twentieth Television is shopping the sitcom Raising Hope.
Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios is selling off-cable sitcoms Mr. Box Office and First Family, now airing weekly in broadcast syndication, as Monday-Friday strips.
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