The audience is shrinking, yet the networks persist in reaching into the past for recycled entertainment options. Here’s a brilliant idea: Let “Knight Rider” lead the way!
The simply awful talking-car drama, cloned from the 1980s hit, got a full season pickup by NBC this week, setting the tone for rehashes to come.
NBC is also talking about remaking “The Partridge Family.” Fox is hoping to revamp “Absolutely Fabulous.” CBS would like to rework “The Streets of San Francisco” and “Hawaii Five-O.” ABC may redo the 1983 miniseries about the lizard-people invaders, “V.” The CW may try “The Graysons,” extending the Batman franchise to the story of young Dick Grayson before he became Robin.
Some of these projects may not make it to the pilot stage, let alone the TV screen. But the trend is worrisome.
Apparently the industry’s most hopeful idea in a bleak economy is to save on production costs and rely on brand recognition.
The thinking is, the talking car you know is better than the devil you don’t.
Schaffer vs. Udall
Republican Bob Schaffer and Democrat Mark Udall — you know, the guys in the obnoxious ads you’ve heard ad nauseam — make their cases on Colorado Public Radio today and next week.
KCFR’s “Colorado Matters” today launches a series on the Colorado Senate race, one of the hottest in the country. The opener is a full hour, continuing as half-hours Monday through Wednesday, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at 90.1 FM. Producer Dan Meyers says the series gives listeners the chance to hear the candidates at length in “good conversations,” unlike other debate formats.
Election mix channel
It works for sports; why not for election-night politics?
Satellite TV provider DirecTV will introduce “The Election Mix” on Nov. 4, at 5 p.m. locally, a roundup of ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox plus the cable news channels CNN, Fox News Channel, MSBNC and alternating feeds of Comedy Central (when it’s doing live election coverage) and BBC America — all on one screen.
DirecTV’s Eric Shanks said, “The interactive Mix channels have proven value for fans of our sports-subscription services, and we believe the Election Mix will serve the same purpose here, helping viewers navigate the mosaic of news coverage, analysis and commentary of the shifting drama.”
The plan is to stay with the election news until 4 a.m., or later if events warrant.
Nielsen people meters
The Nielsen Co. will launch its new local people meter technology in the Denver market on Wednesday.
Denver becomes the 18th market to switch to the new, all-electronic technology (as opposed to the old diaries). It’s expected to shake up the local ratings.
A key advantage of the people meters is the ability to pinpoint what particular audiences are watching by ethnicity, race, age, gender. Once the data start flowing, we’ll have demographic information overnight, not just during the sweeps months.
The goal is “to ensure an accurate representation of all Denver-area residents,” Niel sen says. To that end, it’s reaching out to Latinos in particular.
With people meters, each person in the home is programmed in, so Nielsen knows exactly which shows each of them is watching. Everyone age 2 and older gets a button on the box.
“If a significant proportion of the market is a particular minority, and a network has particular ethnic cast, the ratings will go up,” according to a Nielsen spokeswoman.
With 1.5 million households, 229,960 of them Latino, Denver is the 15th largest Latino TV market in the country. Get ready for a ratings bump, KDVR-Channel 31. Fox is cited as the favorite in national surveys of young Latino media consumers.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
