ION Television May 2009 -- Reba Joins; RHI, Drew Carey, ER Leaves

[JulieSomoski]

Originally Posted by pavanbadal

Interesting. Have they ever aired an episode from seasons 6-9 on special occasions? I'll ask ION if they don't have rights to it.

Never. Even for the New Years Eve launch marathon it had last year, it only aired episodes from seasons 2-5. And with ION stopping at season 5 3 times now, it only makes sense that they don't have the rights to the final 4 seasons. That would also make it logical as to why they're taking it off the schedule in May.

But, if they do have rights, their logic would make no sense at all . . .

[VisualSensation]

They definitely don't have the rights for seasons 6-9. Last week they aired "A Very special drew", the last episode of season 5 during the first half hour. The second half hour went back to the pilot episode. No wonder they've never shown the last 100+ episodes. I can safely stop watching Ion now...

BTW Pavan, in your articles about Ion's ratings, you refer to their growth as "extraordinary". Is that your word or theirs? I think most people would agree that Ion's ratings would have to increase many hundreds of percentage points for them just to move beyond the category of "miniscule" for a broadcast network of their size.

[Pavan]

That is from an ION press release. Their wording. They have gone up, that is true.

[JulieSomoski]

Originally Posted by VisualSensation

They definitely don't have the rights for seasons 6-9. Last week they aired "A Very special drew", the last episode of season 5 during the first half hour. The second half hour went back to the pilot episode. No wonder they've never shown the last 100+ episodes. I can safely stop watching Ion now...

BTW Pavan, in your articles about Ion's ratings, you refer to their growth as "extraordinary". Is that your word or theirs? I think most people would agree that Ion's ratings would have to increase many hundreds of percentage points for them just to move beyond the category of "miniscule" for a broadcast network of their size.

That's what I was saying. It's very frustration for a fan of the show, because we've been watching since January, hoping to see it finish all 9 seasons. But, that obviously won't happen now. Once Drew is gone in May, I can also say my daily ION viewing will be stopped.

[clj2]

Pavan....does ION still have the Universal, Sony, and WB packages for the shows like they were using in '06-'07....that had Wonder Years, WTB, Designing Women, etc. I'm thinking Quantum Leap is from one? If they have them, any idea when they run out?

If so...do you think they'll ever see the light of day on ION again? The shows in those packages are obviously out of their programming strategy/focus now. So many good shows...such high hopes too bad Hallmark or WGN didn't get something like that.

[Pavan]

ION Television Inks Deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to Acquire a Slate of "A-List" Feature Films

Movie Package Includes Exclusive Windows for "The Departed" and "Ocean's Thirteen"

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Reinforcing an aggressive commitment to build its primetime schedule with high-profile, event-driven programming, ION Television has acquired a major new feature film package from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD) which includes exclusive windows for multiple Oscar winner "The Departed" and acclaimed hit "Ocean's Thirteen." The announcement was made today by Leslie Chesloff, Executive Vice President, Programming, ION Media Networks. The movies will air immediately beginning this month, with broadcast runs as far out as 2010.

This announcement underscores ION Television's continued positioning as a leading network destination for "A-list" feature films. This movie package expands upon ION's current roster of hit films from WBDTD, which will now boast nearly 70 titles. In addition to "The Departed" and "Ocean's Thirteen," the new WBDTD film package features a dozen hit movies, including "Heat," starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, and directed by Michael Mann; "The Matrix Reloaded," starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Ann Moss, written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers, and produced by Joel Silver; "The Perfect Storm," starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg; "Passenger 57," starring Wesley Snipes; and "Assassins," starring Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas and Julianne Moore, produced by Joel Silver and directed by Richard Donner; among others.

"We have built a strong momentum in acquiring hit films from all the major studios, with this being the fourth recent acquisition from Warner Bros.," said Chesloff. "This deal reinforces our mission to bring our viewers a prime time programming mix that combines compelling first run and top network series with major theatrical titles, including exclusive windows for features. We are confident that as viewers continue to gravitate toward ION's positively entertaining programming, we will maintain and expand the level of dramatic audience growth that has been a signature of our success since last year's re-launch."

"We are thrilled to continue our close relationship with ION, which has provided a very strong television home for our films," said WBDTD President Ken Werner. "Theatrical motion pictures continue to deliver strong ratings, providing networks with powerful programming options that come with high awareness, built-in audience and the ability to recruit new viewers."

"The Departed" earned four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Film Editing. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga and Alec Baldwin. The screenplay is by William Monahan, and the producers are Brad Pitt, Brad Grey and Graham King.

"Ocean's Thirteen" reunites stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison and Shaobo Qin with Carl Reiner and Elliott Gould. Al Pacino joins the cast as Willy Bank, with Ellen Barkin starring as his right-hand woman, Abigail Sponder. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Brian Koppelman & David Levien, produced by Jerry Weintraub, and has grossed over $300 million worldwide to date.

[Pavan]

ION primetime ratings (8-11pm) for May sweeps (so far):

Thursday, April 23, 2009
8:00PM MASH 0.4/1
8:30PM MASH 0.5/1
9:00PM ION Movie: Deep Blue Sea 0.3/0

Friday, April 24, 2009
8:00PM MASH 0.3/1
8:30PM MASH 0.4/1
9:00PM ION Movie: Deep Blue Sea 0.4/1

Saturday, April 25, 2009
8:00PM MASH 0.4/1
8:30PM ION Movie: The Negotiator 0.4/1

Sunday, April 26, 2009
7:00PM MASH 0.4/1
7:30PM MASH 0.4/1
8:00PM MASH 0.5/1
8:30PM Sunday Night Movie: The Negotiator 0.4/1

Monday, April 27, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/0
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM NCIS 1.0/1
10:00PM NCIS 0.9/1

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
8:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/0
9:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/0
10:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/1

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.4/1
8:30PM ION Movie: The American President 0.5/1

Thursday, April 30, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/1
8:30PM ION Movie: The American President 0.4/1

Friday, May 1, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/1
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM ION Movie: Rocky IV 0.3/1

Saturday, May 2, 2009
7:00PM ION Movie: The Last Templar 0.4/1

Sunday, May 3, 2009
7:00PM MASH 0.3/1
7:30PM MASH 0.4/1
8:00PM MASH 0.5/1
8:30PM MASH 0.6/1
9:00PM MASH 0.5/1
9:30PM MASH 0.6/1
10:00PM MASH 0.4/1
10:30PM MASH 0.3/1

Monday, May 4, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.2/0
8:30PM Reba 0.2/0
9:00PM NCIS 0.8/1
10:00PM NCIS 0.6/1

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
8:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/0
9:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/1
10:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/1

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
8:00PM ION Movie: Octopussy 0.3/0

Thursday, May 7, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/0
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM Movie: Lethal Weapon 0.3/0

Friday, May 8, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.2/0
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM ION Movie: Lethal Weapon 3 0.3/1

Saturday, May 9, 2009
8:30PM ION Movie: Lethal Weapon 3 0.5/1

Sunday, May 10, 2009
7:00PM MASH 0.3/1
7:30PM MASH 0.4/1
8:00PM MASH 0.6/1
8:30PM MASH 0.5/1
9:00PM MASH 0.4/1
9:30PM MASH 0.5/1
10:00PM MASH 0.5/1
10:30PM MASH 0.4/1

Monday, May 11, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/0
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM NCIS 0.9/1
10:00PM NCIS 0.8/1

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
8:00PM Boston Legal 0.2/0
9:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/0
10:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/1

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/1
8:30PM ION Movie: Presumed Innocent 0.3/0

[JulieSomoski]

Yeah, NCIS is what's holding this network together. Boston Legal doesn't seem to be doing well, and both Reba and the movies don't seem to be, either.

[Pavan]

Don't understand how NCIS does well. Nielsen is so strange (they lean towards certain shows). They need to change the sampling to get a better taste of who is watching what.

[Jude The Obscure]

MASH is doing pretty decent for an old show on ION. Those Sunday marathons are doing well.

Boston Legal would seem to be a goner by fall, since Criminal Minds is heading to ION.

[Pavan]

Boston Legal has fallen in recent weeks. Before it was doing close to NCIS ratings.

[Jude The Obscure]

Has NCIS improved or has it been doing these ratings all along?

[JulieSomoski]

Originally Posted by pavanbadal

Don't understand how NCIS does well. Nielsen is so strange (they lean towards certain shows). They need to change the sampling to get a better taste of who is watching what.

Couldn't agree more with that. NCIS is 3 or 4 steps above everything else on the network. I bet Boston Legal will either be gone or moved somewhere else once the fall shows premiere daily, though. It's really being overplayed.