How USA Is Spending Its Money...

[Techguy]

Excerpted from the NY Times:

A Cable Premiere Elbows In on Network Turf
By STUART ELLIOTT
Published: October 22, 2009

...executives at the channel, USA Network, are doing far more than just hoping that the series, “White Collar,” will join their roster of popular light dramas with offbeat yet lovable characters, among them “Burn Notice,” “In Plain Sight,” “Monk,” “Pysch” and “Royal Pains.” USA is spending an estimated $10 million or more on an elaborate campaign to promote “White Collar,” which will have its debut at 10 p.m. (Eastern) on Friday...

I find this part of the article especially interesting:

“We won’t greenlight a show if it doesn’t feel it belongs on USA,” said Bonnie Hammer, president at USA as well as NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions, units of the NBC Universal division of General Electric.

“What separates us from the others is that the characters have to be relatable,” she added, meaning they are “quirky, exceptional, just a little off,” without being “dysfunctional” or exuding “negativity.”,,,

[criminalist]

Offbeat yet lovable characters??Popular light dramas??" quirky, exceptional, just a little off" without being " dysfunctional" or exuding " negativity"?? And this fluff head runs a network, God help us all if this is all she wants her shows to be, not gripping, enduring, creative, exciting, memorable, etc. Everything Criminal Intent was when it joined the USA network is the total opposite of what they now want. I'm glad Vince won't be around on this clownish nonsense, he is way to good for this network and their " new criminal intent light"!

[wilmingtonfan]

Oct 24, 2009 11:18:17 GMT -5 criminalist said:

Offbeat yet lovable characters??Popular light dramas??" quirky, exceptional, just a little off" without being " dysfunctional" or exuding " negativity"?? And this fluff head runs a network, God help us all if this is all she wants her shows to be, not gripping, enduring, creative, exciting, memorable, etc. Everything Criminal Intent was when it joined the USA network is the total opposite of what they now want. I'm glad Vince won't be around on this clownish nonsense, he is way to good for this network and their " new criminal intent light"!

AMEN

[Duet]

Isn't Hammer the one who renamed SciFi to something that sounds like a cooking spray?


TV in general is damned if she is left in place for much longer....


This is a sad day.

[caitlen]

I'm glad Vince won't be around on this clownish nonsense, he is way to good for this network and their " new criminal intent light"!

Here Here!!

[DonnaJo]

Bonnie Hammer hasn't changed at all. She developed the light & quirky" USA brand years ago. Even as she tauted USA's character brand, She green lighted the acquisition of LOCI by USA network, long before Jeff Goldblum was a part of the show. She helped save LOCI from cancellation. In her mind, the show, as it was, fit the character brand. Everyone applauded her back then.

We have no way of knowing if she had anything to do with VDO, Erbe & Bogosian leaving. In many interviews she has admitted being a fan of the Goren character. So until I know more, I will continue to appreciate her efforts of keeping LOCI on the air.

[jeffan]

Excellent points Donnajo - you have just reinforced the idea that this is supposed to be the "thinking" (wo)man's crime show.

[criminalist]

From The Hollywood Reporter: " Law&Order Criminal Intent Kills One Of Its Own" : By Roger Friedman : I told you a few weeks ago that " Law&Order Criminal Intent was letting go of three main players: Vince D'onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Eric Bogosian. Now I can tell you this: one of their characters is murdered. That's the exit show for the other two as well. I am told by C.I. insiders that Erbe, especially is very unhappy with the way things have worked out over there. " She was told everything was going fine, and then they were fired". Whoever was murdered isn't too happy either. But I'm not giving that part away. The show is next turned over to Jeff Goldbloom, who will soldier on without the original cast. I hope Ausiello is wrong on this one, his last blind item was about a main character getting fired and then finding out in the script that HE gets killed. I will be steaming mad if its Vince, could care less if its Bogosian, that would leave the door open for Vince and Kate, as Vince said he had an agreement with Wolf, Goren could be asked to make return appearances. But we all know how treacherous these people are , if it pleases them they could very easily kill off the one character we have all been fighting so hard to keep. DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Patcat]

First--Regard the source. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is a trade publication, based on the West Coast. It is, however, often reliable regarding the business side of show business. But Roger Friedman, I think, is the same reporter who used to work for Fox and helped spread a lot of rumors about Mr. D'Onofrio at the time of his illness during Season Four. (If this were Ausiello, I wouldn't believe it at all).

If a character is getting killed (I stress the "if", I'd bet on Ross. All of the reliable rumors (if there is such a thing), have indicated that Mr. D'Onofrio and Ms. Erbe refused to let the other's character get killed.

Patcat

[Patcat]

Re. USA and "dark" characters.

The shows that are USA originals--MONK, BURN NOTICE, etc. are lighter in tone. But the network has also used reruns from other networks--LOCI, SVU, HOUSE, NCIS--that are much darker in tone than its originals. LOCI, as so often seems to be the case, is neither fish nor fowl for USA since it's both an orginal and not an orginal.

Patcat

[outerbankschick]

Oh yeah. Not about the fluff, huh?

OMG!

:rolling eyes yet again:

USA - a POX on you! Dopes!

Someone suggested a great idea at the USA board - putting LOCI, IPS, and a rerun of SVU all on the same night and touting it as USA's "drama night".

Too bad the network people that get the big bucks don't have the brains to think of such a plausible ratings grabber.

Can I say it again???

DOPES!