Susan Zirinsky by John Paul Filo/CBS
Most network newsmagazines have had to reinvent themselves to survive in recent years and none have done it as successfully as CBS's 48 Hours Mystery. Entering its fifth year in its true crime format, executive producer Susan Zirinsky has made the program appointment viewing for fans of the genre. The Biz caught up with Zirinsky before the show's Saturday, Sept. 27, season premiere (at 10 pm ET).
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Question: I am curious about the fate of the once-popular newsmagazine. I remember a time when every network had multiple newsmagazines on the air. CBS had 48 Hours and two versions of 60 Minutes at one time, and NBC used to play Dateline four times a week. Now we only have 20/20, 60 Minutes and the occasional "To Catch a Predator." What happened? Was it simply a shift in people's tastes? Did networks run these shows into the ground? Do you think a prolonged strike will see the reintroduction of shows like Prime Time? Also, if networks get really desperate during the strike, do you think they may resort to evening airings of their morning news shows? Just imagine the Today show, GMA or The Early Show re-airing at 9 or 10 pm.
Answer: You hit on most of the likely reasons for why the glut of prime-time newsmags in prime time has faded. Overexposure and changing tastes had a lot to do with it, to be sure, but also the upsurge of reality series as a new form of counterprogramming. When you
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Question: I realize that Pirate Master was not the greatest show in the world, but I liked it, and, according to the message boards, so did other people. Personalities were coming out, twists were being added, and there were only five episodes left when CBS decided to pull it. Are they really generating more money by airing repeats of 48 Hours? They already invested the time and money in filming, editing, etc, so why pull it? The announcement included a line about the final shows being streamed on the website at 3 in the morning. Oh gee, thanks, CBS, I'm so freakin' grateful. The networks wonder why people are turning to cable channels: Well, one answer is the cablers' loyalty to their viewers. CBS doesn't have that much to offer as it is, so maybe it should quit ticking off its viewers.
Answer: In another summer, I'd probably agree. But this summer, things are so competitive and so crowded on network and cable that I'm not really surprised when a network pulls a flop off the air, even
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The big news (and the worst kept secret in the TV biz) is that Without a Trace is headed to Sunday night. The complete release is below.CBS ANNOUNCES 2006-2007 PRIMETIME SCHEDULECBS announced today the addition of four new series to its 2006-2007 primetime line-up, enhancing a line-up that will return 18 shows from last year's schedule, including six from last season's freshman class. The line-up, which includes three new dramas and one new comedy, was unveiled this morning by CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler. The four new shows feature a roster of award-winning actors and executive producers and a unique mix of concepts and genres. The freshman series include a young and sexy ensemble comedy, THE CLASS, from "Friends" co-creator David Crane; SMITH, a high octane heist thriller from "ER's" John Wells starring Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen; the apocalyptic drama JERICHO, from the producer of "National Treasure," Jon Turteltaub, starring Skeet Ulrich ("Scream"); and SHARK, a ...
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Brad Garrett, 'Til Death
After attending the networks' upfront presentations all week, the Biz has this analysis of the coming season. (Click here for next fall's grid and new-show descriptions.)
CWYou've got to wonder what went wrong in CW's new-series development process if the network had to bring back 7th Heaven — even though the show lost a reported $16 million for WB this past season.
But the decision to have CW's inaugural schedule made up of established shows from WB and UPN may end up being a blessing. Many of the shows have small but rabid followings, and promoting new shows on a new network will be tough. The fans of shows like One Tree Hill and Veronica Mars will track them down on their own. Viewers in the 18-to-34-year-old demographic that CW targets don't watch networks, they watch shows. (According to recent survey, only one in four 1
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Crime is paying for 48 Hours Mystery.
After fighting each year for a spot on the prime-time schedule, the long-running newsmagazine is looking more secure since it's been turned into what could be called CSI: CBS News.
The show still has its single-topic format, but gone are the long-winded intros by a CBS anchor, so viewers now get right into the story.
The changes have resulted in decent ratings and a different kind of show for CBS News. While 60 Minutes wouldn't touch the Laci Peterson murder case — which has offered up endless fodder for lurid supermarket tabloid covers — 48 Hours Mystery dove right in.
But the show is at its best when it takes a Law & Order-esque look at less high-profile whodunits drawn from real life, such as the murder of a Williamsport, Penn., woman by her surgeon husband.
This week's episode (Saturday at 10 pm/ET on CBS) features the grisly tale of an una
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