Future of Commercial TV

June 30th, 2013 at 1:32:26 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: AZDuffman
On TV if you have the budget for Charlie Sheen you can skimp on plot because people will tune in for him. If you have a bunch of nobodies then you better have a good plot and good writing.


I'm not sure about network competition. In theory all the networks have similar capacity to reach people. At the same time I know that all TV watchers are not the same. A show that is very popular with old ladies, is not worth nearly as much as a show which is popular with 30 year old men.

CBS has the top 7 ranked scripted TV series. The two lowest ranked CBS scripted shows to be renewed next year are:
10.3 million = MIKE & MOLLY
9.0 million = HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

In comparison CW and Fox have no scripted shows with viewership of 10.3 million or higher. NBC has one show, "Revolution" which has a lot of family appeal, and ABC renewed four scripted shows with viewership over 10.3 million (MODERN FAMILY. CASTLE, GREY’S ANATOMY, and ONCE UPON A TIME)

In theory the networks should more or less balance out. They should all be bidding on TV shows, and once in a while the hit shows would end up on other networks. Maybe it is all budget. NBC is not interested in paying top dollar to writers since they don't think it is worth it. They spend their money on writers for USA network on cable.

Interestingly enough shows like Seinfeld used to air on NBC.

If there was any question about the power of comedy one look at Wayne Knight's wife should dispel any doubt.

June 30th, 2013 at 5:20:24 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Quote: Pacomartin
It's ridiculous to think that Angus Jones (the teenager on two and half men) should be among the highest paid actors on TV. .


Hey, Angus found religion, the 7th Day Adventists. Apparently
the actor is just as dumb as the character plays, it wasn't an act.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
June 30th, 2013 at 5:22:55 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
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Quote: Pacomartin


If there was any question about the power of comedy one look at Wayne Knight's wife should dispel any doubt.



I just want the residuals he makes from Seinfeld, let alone
the other shows he was on, like 3rd Rock. Now he's on yet
another hit show on TVland. He even gets paid every time
they show Jurassic Park on TV.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
June 30th, 2013 at 7:25:23 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Evenbob
I just want the residuals he makes from Seinfeld, let alone the other shows he was on, like 3rd Rock. Now he's on yet
another hit show on TVland. He even gets paid every time they show Jurassic Park on TV.


It seems like every actor you see today has acting or modeling credits from the age of 10-14. They are all beautiful and seemingly raised from eggs to be famous and date each other.

It's kind of refreshing to see a guy who in his 20's was credited with nondescript roles. Then when he reaches age 36 he gets the role in Seinfeld followed by the role as the detective in Basic Instinct watching Sharon Stone. It was actually the Basic Instinct role that got him the Jurassic Park role. He goes on to make a fortune and marry beautiful women.

I went to visit an old high school friend in Manhattan where he was now a dermatologist. We visited a couple of bars where he seemed to hemorrhage money on food, drinks, cocaine, etc. He said he had a girl hanging from his pull up bar naked the other night. It seemed so funny since girls hardly spoke to him in high school. He said that his 3rd year of medical school he suddenly found out that he was very handsome (even though he hadn't changed).

  • Waiter (uncredited)
  • Video Game Fanatic (uncredited)
  • Man in hospital
  • Juror (uncredited)
  • Various
June 30th, 2013 at 9:41:15 PM permalink
Evenbob
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 146
Posts: 25010
Look at Bruce Willis. He went from off-off Broadway,
to Calif and and auditioned for Moonlighting with 3000
other actors. Then came DieHard in 1988 and he's making
Die-Hard 6 next year. Other than 6th Sense, can anybody
really remember any Willis movies. Pulp Fiction, but he was
hardly the star. Fifth Element, but thats because he had a
stunning co-star.
If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose.
June 30th, 2013 at 11:00:38 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Evenbob
Look at Bruce Willis. He went from off-off Broadway, to Calif and and auditioned for Moonlighting with 3000 other actors.

Bruce Willis also got a late start into TV and films being almost age 30. But he was initially cast as the handsome love interest in a major TV series. I was just saying that Wayne Knight has never played anything but an geeky dweeb or malevolent thief, and despite his late start has managed to accrue a small fortune and marry a beautiful woman.

I am sorry to say that I have seen about half of Bruce Willis's 56 movies, and there were some real turkeys. But I really liked 12 Monkeys and Looper.

In order of popularity in the USA:

The Sixth Sense
Armageddon
Look Who's Talking
Die Hard 2: Die Harder
Pulp Fiction
Over the Hedge
Die Hard: With A Vengeance
Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard
Unbreakable
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
The Last Boy Scout
Death Becomes Her
The Fifth Element
Disney's The Kid
12 Monkeys
The Jackal
Sin City
Look Who's Talking Too
Red
The Expendables 2
The Whole Nine Yards
Blind Date
Nobody's Fool
The Siege
Looper
A Good Day to Die Hard
Bandits
Tears of the Sun
Mercury Rising
Striking Distance
Moonrise Kingdom
Cop Out
16 Blocks
Hostage
The Story of Us
Surrogates
Color of Night
Mortal Thoughts
Last Man Standing
Hudson Hawk
The Bonfire of the Vanities
Billy Bathgate
Perfect Stranger
Lucky Number Slevin
Hart's War
The Whole Ten Yards
Alpha Dog
North
Sunset
Four Rooms
In Country
The Cold Light of Day
What Just Happened?
Breakfast of Champions
Lay the Favorite
July 1st, 2013 at 5:31:23 AM permalink
1nickelmiracle
Member since: Mar 5, 2013
Threads: 24
Posts: 623
Quote: Pacomartin
It seems like every actor you see today has acting or modeling credits from the age of 10-14. They are all beautiful and seemingly raised from eggs to be famous and date each other.

I know that makes me sick, but some of them are good. Old shows and movies maybe didn't have the best looking people act, but there were a lot of characters. I don't know if it was just the times where people didn't base looks on their career chances as much, or our society has become homogenized in attitudes and beliefs all reflecting what we see on TV and movies and other media. If were missing the characters old, ugly, weird or strange or unique, where are they and what are they doing?
July 1st, 2013 at 6:44:01 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569

I suppose that many entertainers in the past started performing as children. Certainly they were a staple of vaudeville. But there was a greater mix of ordinary looking people, like the Schnozzola, who were just extremely talented.

Jovavich started modelling at the age of 11, and was playing highly sexual characters in movies by age 16.

July 2nd, 2013 at 4:58:10 AM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
Much of Hollywood now is publicity agent run "dates" between "stars" that started out as late as 16 years old in various "acting" careers. OC county had young stars that branched off to The Hills or something ...

Danny Aiello spent most of his life lugging suitcases in the port authority bus terminal and then had to go on welfare... to supplement that he worked security at nightclubs. He knew who owned the nightclubs... one of the NY mafiosi sent him to Hollywood for a screen test. Seems teh exception to the rule though.

Now its all 14 inch waists or sports figures as hubbies.
July 2nd, 2013 at 6:49:31 AM permalink
AZDuffman
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 135
Posts: 18136
Quote: 1nickelmiracle
I know that makes me sick, but some of them are good. Old shows and movies maybe didn't have the best looking people act, but there were a lot of characters. I don't know if it was just the times where people didn't base looks on their career chances as much, or our society has become homogenized in attitudes and beliefs all reflecting what we see on TV and movies and other media. If were missing the characters old, ugly, weird or strange or unique, where are they and what are they doing?


I have heard Norman Lear said he did not want "beautiful people" on "All in the Family" and it looks like the rest of his shows went mostly the same way. To me, this is what makes indie films and shows better than so much of what is on TV. As well, do you see Danny DeVito getting a role today? Yet Louie DePalma is one of the best characters of all time.
The President is a fink.