New Series Promise More Sex, Same City

Broadcasters say 'overexposed' prez wastes valuable time

(NEWSER) - Networks are not happy about the primetime hour that President Obama's July 22 news conference took up, reports Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post. Rahm Emanuel called the top brass at all three networks to ensure they carried the event. The networks both resent the pressure and complain that they’re not getting their money’s worth. “There was nothing” newsworthy, says one CBS VP. “There hardly ever is these days.” More»

(NEWSER) - ABC is exploring the idea of moving Jimmy Kimmel's show to 11:35 later this year, in place of Nightline, so he can compete directly with Conan O'Brien, the New York Times reports. ABC denies it, and the speculation all comes from anonymous sources. But those sources say that ABC is trying to figure out how to better compete with NBC once the Leno-O'Brien time-slot changes kick in. Kimmel now starts at 12:05. More»

The golden age of TV may have died this year

(NEWSER) - Today's golden age of TV lost a little shine this year, Heather Havrilesky writes on Salon. Twelve quick months gobbled up all of the momentum and promise from years past, leaving “a haze of crappy, unoriginal new programming, lackluster sophomore shows, flaccid sitcoms and pointless cable comedies.” Old standbys like Heroes and Weeds wilted, while rookies like My Own Worst Enemy and Easy Money collapsed. More»

NBC aims to snag viewers in prime-time experiment

(NEWSER) - Jay Leno isn't losing any sleep over his upcoming exit from the late-night world, he tells the New York Times. The announcement by the Tonight Show host that he's moving to the 10 pm spot at NBC stunned many who expected him to switch to ABC. Leno's excited about the move, though is still working on the format for the program, which represents a big gamble for NBC officials hoping to snag late-night viewers earlier. More»

Comedian may be getting the boot, but tomorrow's looking pretty bright

(NEWSER) - Jay Leno might be losing his beloved "Tonight Show," writes the Hollywood Reporter, but the host still has a ratings punch and an enviable set of options (in decreasing order of probability):

1. Take ABC’s 11:30pm-12:30am slot, displacing Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel Live and competing with Letterman and O’Brien.
2. Launch a show on Fox at 11 or 11:30pm—Fox doesn’t currently run late-night shows, but could use Leno’s brand to push into the new territory.
3. Sony Pictures TV puts Leno’s Tonight Show into syndication, which could eventually lead to another late-night gig.