stephen.battaglio

The Biz: The Battle for the Big Interviews

TV news divisions are giving their all for the next big "get." After seeing the courtroom sagas of Casey Anthony and Amanda Knox play out over the last two years, the networks sense a huge audience will tune in to see what they have to say. Also high on the interview wish list are Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician on trial for the involuntary manslaughter of pop legend Michael Jackson, and incarcerated Ponzi scheme artist Bernie Madoff. So who will they talk to?

Tue, Nov 1, 2011

The Biz: The Battle for the Big Interviews

The Biz: Conan O'Brien Looks Back on His Big Year

This month will mark one year since Conan O'Brien moved his sofa, desk and bone-dry sidekick, Andy Richter, to TBS and launched Conan. He's back in New York this week to tape four shows at the Beacon Theater (Monday — Thursday, 11/10c, TBS). We celebrated his homecoming with a chat about the past, present and future of late night.

Mon, Oct 31, 2011

The Biz: Conan O'Brien Looks Back on His Big Year

The Biz: Secrets of MTV

Before The Real World, The Hills and Snooki, the M in MTV stood for music.

Fri, Oct 28, 2011

The Biz: Fox News' Bret Baier on the Network's Big Anniversary

On October 7, 1996, the "on" switch was thrown at the Fox News Channel — and the TV news universe hasn't been the same since. A one-hour special, Fox News Channel — 15 Years — Fair and Balanced (Friday, 10pm/ET; Saturday, 10pm/ET; and Sunday, 3pm/ET), will reflect on the rise of the cable news ratings leader. Among the Fox News veterans looking back is Special Report anchor Bret Baier, who opened the channel's Atlanta bureau in his apartment with just a fax machine and a cell phone in FNC's early days. The Biz recently talked with Baier, who became anchor of Special Report in 2009, about the anniversary, the channel's critics and his emergence as the face of Fox News in the Beltway.

Fri, Oct 7, 2011

The Biz: Fox News' Bret Baier on the Network's Big Anniversary

The Biz: FX Doesn't Fear American Horror Story

Cable network FX has built a name for itself with daring drama series such as The Shield and Nip/Tuck. But American Horror Story — Glee cocreator Ryan Murphy's new "psychosexual" (his word) drama kicks it up more than a few notches. Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton play a couple whose marriage is already in trouble when they move into a house with a history of mayhem and find themselves involved with sexually provocative ghosts (think rubber suits and French-maid outfits) and a basement decorated in wall-to-wall carnage. We talked with FX Network president John Landgraf about the challenge of bringing such a bold project to ad-supported TV. TV Guide Magazine: You're breaking some new ground with this show in terms of graphic content. Are viewers ready for this?Landgraf: I actually disagree with that

Tue, Oct 4, 2011

The Biz: FX Doesn't Fear American Horror Story

Fox Airs Hurricane-Themed Crossover With Family Guy, Cleveland Show, Dad

Remember the hurricane that was supposed to sweep through three of the Fox's animated comedies last May? They were pulled at the last minute after deadly tornadoes hit the southeastern U.S. just days before the episodes of The Cleveland Show, Family Guy and American Dad were set to air.

Fri, Sep 30, 2011

Fox Airs Hurricane-Themed Crossover With Family Guy, Cleveland Show, Dad

The Biz: NBC's Newsmag Gamble

Constructing the new multimillion-dollar studio for NBC's upcoming newsmagazine show Rock Center With Brian Williams has been a TV version of an archaeological dig. "We've found a piece of the set from the soap opera The Doctors," says Williams. "And an old applause sign from when they did live TV there." Uncovering remnants of the past in the Rockefeller Center location seems fitting, as Williams' newsmagazine sounds like a bit of a throwback as well. Rock Center (expected to be the first replacement on the schedule when one of NBC's new fall shows falters) will have two or three ambitious, deeply reported stories each hour, following the model of 60 Minutes. NBC News even enlisted former 60 Minutes producer Rome Hartman to put together a team that shares that show's sensibility. "He's assembled an army," says Williams, who will anchor the live program while remaining at NBC Nightly News. "In the world of producers and correspondents, this is going to be Cooperstown."

Tue, Sep 20, 2011

5 Things You Didn't Know About Mrs. Brady

Florence Henderson looks back at her enduring and seemingly sunshiny showbiz career in Life Is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond, out September 20. The self-proclaimed "Mother of the Mullet" from The Brady Bunch also gives up some tawdry secrets about her personal life. Here are a few juicy nuggets.

Thu, Sep 15, 2011

5 Things You Didn't Know About Mrs. Brady

I Love Lucy Goes Live!

After decades in rerun heaven, I Love Lucy has been renewed. "I Love Lucy Live on Stage," a performance of two episodes of the classic sitcom, opens October 1 for a three-month run at the Greenway Court Theatre in L.A. There are also plans for a national tour, and if the show takes off, it could be Babalu-ing its way into casinos, theaters, state fairs and...

Wed, Sep 14, 2011

The Biz: Jackie Kennedy In Her Own Words

Generations of Americans have seen thousands of pictures of Jacqueline Kennedy, but they seldom heard her voice after her time as first lady. "She gave very few interviews, so we had very little insight into what she was really thinking behind those incredible photographs," says ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer. On September 13, in the two-hour special Jacqueline Kennedy: In Her Own Words, Sawyer unveils recorded conversations between the iconic and often mysterious former first lady and historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

Fri, Sep 9, 2011

The Biz: Jackie Kennedy In Her Own Words

Who Earns What: TV's Biggest Salaries

A lot of people think TV is better than movies these days. For many actors, it certainly pays better. Unless you're able to play a superhero, it's tough to get super-rich from big-screen work, so more actors are moving to series TV. The expanded talent pool has given networks and studios extra leverage in negotiating salaries. "There are so few gigantic stars in features and the rest are not making any money," says one industry executive familiar with this year's deal-making. "That's helpful." The general rule across the TV business is to keep lead performers on new network prime-time series to $125,000 an episode. (Cable networks are going as high as $150,000.) That's not Charlie Sheen money, but it's not bad. "Times that by 22, [and] you can maintain a pretty good lifestyle based on what you were making in features but now you're not," the executive says. There are always exceptions

Tue, Aug 9, 2011

The Biz: Harry Smith Heading to NBC News

CBS News long-timer Harry Smith is heading to NBC News, TV Guide Magazine has learned. A source inside CBS said Smith is joining NBC to be part of a new prime time newsmagazine with NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. The network plans to launch the new program during the 2011-12 season.

Fri, Jul 8, 2011

The Biz: Harry Smith Heading to NBC News

The Biz: CNN Chief Ken Jautz on the Network's Big Shake-Up

Eliot Spitzer is out and CNN is doubling down on hard news and Anderson Cooper. The cable news network announced July 6 that it will reshuffle its prime time lineup (again), making Anderson Cooper 360 its flagship program with a move to 8 pm/ET (plus a second airing at its current 10 pm/ET time slot), starting August 8.

Wed, Jul 6, 2011

The Biz: CNN Chief Ken Jautz on the Network's Big Shake-Up

The Biz: Retro TV For Free

TV classics are being dusted off for the digital age, and you don't need cable or the Internet to watch them. Hits from the '70s (Three's Company), '60s (The Monkees) and even the '50s (Burns and Allen) make up the core of Antenna TV, a nostalgia-based network launched in January on over-the-air digital channels in about half the country. Antenna TV joins the throwback party started by Me-TV (Memorable Entertainment), the free TV home of...

Wed, Jul 6, 2011

The Biz: Katie Couric's Back!

Katie Couric's new syndicated daytime talk show doesn't premiere until September 2012, but she's already got her head in the game. When asked to describe what her program would have looked like had it been up and running the day cyber-cheating congressman Anthony Weiner admitted to his online indiscretions, she only takes a moment to come up with a provocative topic. "I would have done an hour on why powerful men engage in...

Tue, Jun 14, 2011

The Season: What Popped and Flopped

Despite suffering through a lethargic fall, the networks had reason to be upbeat as the TV season came to a close on May 25. Reality veterans American Idol and Dancing With the Stars staged healthy comebacks, while plenty of scripted series still showed some legs. Here's a roundup of prime time's hits and misses from 2010-2011. WINNERS American Idol Some thought TV's No. 1 show would be doomed without its signature judge Simon Cowell, but that turned out to be wishful thinking on the part of Fox's competitors. Idol was up 5 percent for the season, with an average of 25 million viewers. The producers delivered on a promise of younger and more authentic contestants. Another big help: two finalists who performed country music, which does well...

Wed, Jun 1, 2011

The Biz: Ann Curry's New Today Role

Today news anchor Ann Curry's passport has been given a workout in recent years as she's traveled the world to report on the genocide in Darfur, the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti (where, with a Tweet, she helped get clearance for the landing of a plane carrying medical assistance) and, most recently, Pakistan during the days that followed the killing of Osama bin Laden. On June 9, the intrepid Curry will settle in behind the big desk of NBC's top-rated morning show, where she'll succeed Meredith Vieira as Matt Lauer's coanchor. We talked with her about her upcoming new role.TV Guide Magazine: What are you looking forward to most in your new job?Curry: I concentrate so hard on the news of the world and constantly looking for illumination ...

Mon, May 16, 2011

Special Report: TV's Top Innovators

Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy KimmelHosts, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!Late Night With Jimmy Fallon viewers were in for a treat last November when Bruce Springsteen stepped on stage, dressed as he looked in 1975, to duet with Neil Young (OK, it was Fallon doing a spot-on impression) on an acoustic cover of Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair." By the next morning, the clip had gone viral — just the latest overnight sensation for...

Tue, May 10, 2011

The Biz: Rock-Solid Pelley Anchors CBS

CBS Evening News could not get out of third place in the ratings with the star power of Katie Couric. So the network is going the homegrown route with its new anchor, Scott Pelley, a 22-year veteran of the news division whose tireless reporting has helped make 60 Minutes the most-watched news program on television. We asked the Texas native to share his thoughts on becoming ...

Mon, May 9, 2011

The Biz: CBS Pulls Couric Talk Show Offer

And then there was one?CBS no longer has an offer out to Katie Couric for a syndicated talk show, according to people familiar with the discussions. That would put ABC in line for the services of the departing CBS Evening News anchor.CBS was interested in keeping Couric in the family with a daytime syndicated program, but the negotiations have bogged down over the issue ...

Wed, May 4, 2011

The Biz: CBS Pulls Couric Talk Show Offer

The Biz: The Onion's TV Appeal

There's a secret to how Onion News Network anchor Brooke Alvarez keeps a straight face delivering stories like "Hundreds of Miners Still Trapped in Mining Jobs" or reports on a congressman having an affair with a horse. "We keep her in an isolation chamber where she's cut off from the world so she thinks these stories are real," says Will Graham, exec producer of ONN, IFC's news satire show...

Wed, Apr 27, 2011

CBS Thinks ABC Will Get Katie Couric

Exiting CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric now appears headed for a deal at ABC, according to sources familiar with the talks.There is still an offer on the table for Couric to stay at CBS with a syndicated talk show and a ...

Tue, Apr 26, 2011