News Briefe

The Nelson Ratings: March 31, 2008 Nelson Branco's weekly column featuring last week’s soap reviews, this week’s viewing cheat sheet, and top-rated actors! Nickelodeon preps 'Spectacular' musical with Y&R actress 1 Watch out Disney: Nickelodeon is sharpening its notes to create its own high school musical. The Viacom-owned kids network is prepping to shoot the telefilm "Spectacular!" a music-themed comedy set in high school. Robert Iscove ("She's All That") is directing the film, which stars a cast of relative unknowns, including Tammin Sursok from THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, Nolan Funk, Victoria Justice and Simon Curtis. Shooting begins April 21. Young Artist Award winners announced Mick Hazen of AS THE WORLD TURNS lost out in the "Recurring Younger Actor" in a TV series category to Connor Price of THE DEAD ZONE. Meanwhile, Jamie Johnston from DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION won as best "Leading Young Actor" in a TV series. DAYS Hogestyn does a car show Thousands of auto enthusiasts crowded into the Winnipeg Convention Centre over the weekend to take in some high-performance sights and sounds. World of Wheels publicist Shelley Ostrove said more than 30,000 people were expected to attend the 34th annual event over the weekend. Along with a wide selection of drag racers, 4x4s, custom motorcycles and vintage cars, the show also featured a number of celebrities, including the likes of Drake Hogestyn from DAYS OF OUR LIVES. ATWT's psycho nanny does Vaudeville When was the last time you experienced Vaudeville? Written and directed by award winning playwright, Eugene H. Butler, "The All Female 1929 Skidoo Revue" is knocking audiences off their seats with laughter and nostalgic memories of an almost forgotten Vaudevillian era. Marian Tomas Griffin, who played Mary Mennihan (Psycho Nanny) on CBS's "As the World Turns", adds a special touch to the cast. As a singer, Marian is a major presence in the Irish Music scene. She delights audiences with a song written by Eugene H. Butler, as the Skidoo girls join in. GH tries new things to stay relevant after 45 years 1 The number of viewers now averages under 3 million, less than a third of the 11.8 million who typically tuned in during the year of Luke and Laura's wedding. In an effort to stay relevant, the daytime soap opera has begun using computer-generated imagery. Kelly Monaco's character, Sam McCall, was recently seen dangling on the edge of an unfinished bridge hundreds of fake feet above a fake raging river after being kidnapped by the Text Message Killer, a mysterious murderer who'd been stalking Port Charles residents for months. 1 "I think we're walking a fine line," Phelps said. "I'm very proud of all of the stuff GENERAL HOSPITAL is doing, especially the CGI. It's very cutting edge. We're trying to give a new look to this medium but without putting off our audience and making them wonder, 'What have you done to my show?' " Like other soaps, GENERAL HOSPITAL has also turned elsewhere for eyeballs. The popular HIV-positive character Dr. Robin Scorpio, played by Kimberly McCullough, keeps a blog and co-starred in NIGHT SHIFT, a 13-episode SOAPnet spinoff that debuted last year and is now available on DVD. Scorpio will soon give birth -- a first for an HIV-positive daytime TV character. "I'm always looking to see how to get more people to watch our soaps," ABC daytime President Brian Frons told the AP. "As part of that, later this year, 'General Hospital' will finally premiere in France. For us, it's not just about viewers on the broadcast network, it's about viewers around the world." Canceled soaps, such as NBC's ANOTHER WORLD and PASSIONS, haven't been replaced with new shows. The same thing could be said for the genre's ever-eroding viewership. So what's the prognosis? "Maybe it'll be animated in 45 years," Frons said. Sid Owen happy to be back on EASTENDERS Soap favorite Sid Owen has spoken of his delight in advance of his on-screen return to EASTENDERS. The actor, who plays Ricky Butcher, will reappear on the show on Monday night. He said he was looking forward to working again with Patsy Palmer, who plays his bolshy ex Bianca in the BBC1 soap. "Any time working with Patsy is great fun and that is important," he told GMTV. Soap ownership is key to success in down market At a time when shaky ratings have led some to question the soap genre, Disney-ABC's daytime division is quietly pitching advertisers this upfront season that soaps are here to stay. Daytime ratings were down about 10% last year—not good news for the $1.2 billion business. And ABC's soaps have faced ratings drops like the others. But the network differs from its competitors in its ability to weather ratings woes, making them less of a drain on the bottom line. The difference is, since Disney-ABC owns its three soaps, it can quickly and creatively integrate advertisers' products into shows. Plus, the company monetizes daytime content by putting it onto sister cable network Soapnet—currently undergoing a makeover of its own to encompass all soapy fare and not just traditional dramas—and selling it abroad through sister studio Buena Vista Productions. “I want to look at our business as a studio business,” says Disney-ABC Daytime President Brian Frons, who oversees the daytime shows, Soapnet and the Buena Vista studio. The division produces some 1,000 hours of original programming per year, including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Ebert & Roeper. “Our job is to get as many people watching us as possible—daytime, Soapnet, international. It's a more holistic revenue-driven model and gives people the confidence to know we're sticking around. Advertisers do like having this platform to reach women on an efficient basis, so they need to know that.” Efficient is right. In meetings with advertisers currently going on, the division is pointing out to clients that while soaps' overall ratings may be down, their viewer base is highly devoted and, according to research, more likely to remain watching through the commercials. On average, among women 18-49, daytime has a higher C3 percent retention than prime—103% to 98%, according to Nielsen Media Research. Because ABC owns its shows, it can more easily and quickly facilitate product integration deals. Last year, Campbell's worked its “Go Red” campaign to promote heart health into all three ABC soaps as well as THE VIEW, and the network is pitching similar synergies this year. 1 In addition to bolstering daytime with such ad deals, the company is broadening its plan for Soapnet, moving it from being a home for soap opera reruns to one for original content, as well as more acquired primetime soaps and movie dramas. The network has bought a packet of small to midsize movies to add to its Sunday night movie franchise. Soapnet is also moving forward with RELATIVE MADNESS, six hour-long specials this summer on the most over-the-top TV and celebrity families, with commentary from talent including comedian Joy Behar, dancer Chris Judd, and mother/daughter socialites Lisa and Britney Gastineau. “We wanted to recognize the fact that we live in a soap nation—primetime soaps, daytime soaps, Britney Spears soaps,” says Frons. Soapnet currently programs 40 hours of original programming a week, and Frons says he would like to double that number over the next two years. “America has been getting their soap fix in a lot of different ways other than or in addition to the daily soaps, and so we're reflecting that on the channel, all with a soapy filter—otherwise it's just another women's network.”

Episode #8 of HORRIBLE PEOPLE

It's the mysterious French couple's turn to dance as Mother gambles the family jewels on a scheme to kill Billy!