Believe it or not but the Super Bowl wasn’t always the major media event that it is today.
Before network executives fully understood Americans’ passion for football, the NFL’s championship game received no special treatment. In fact, NBC and CBS didn’t even bother to save their broadcasts of Super Bowl I, recording over the tapes with soap operas. One of the most consequential sporting events in North American history could have become lost media if it weren’t for a handful of fans who made their own bootleg copies.
By now, however, everyone is keenly aware that the most widely-viewed American TV broadcast every year will inevitably be the Super Bowl. Last year’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles was the most-watched telecast ever with an average of 115.1 million viewers tuning in across all platforms. There’s every reason to believe that...
Before network executives fully understood Americans’ passion for football, the NFL’s championship game received no special treatment. In fact, NBC and CBS didn’t even bother to save their broadcasts of Super Bowl I, recording over the tapes with soap operas. One of the most consequential sporting events in North American history could have become lost media if it weren’t for a handful of fans who made their own bootleg copies.
By now, however, everyone is keenly aware that the most widely-viewed American TV broadcast every year will inevitably be the Super Bowl. Last year’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles was the most-watched telecast ever with an average of 115.1 million viewers tuning in across all platforms. There’s every reason to believe that...
- 2/11/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Until the 1980s, the networks didn’t give much thought about what they aired after the Super Bowl — it was sometimes golf, “Lassie,” or nothing at all. But then, in 1983, NBC aired the second episode of new action hour “The A-Team,” turning it into an immediate hit. The next year, “Airwolf” launched behind the Super Bowl, and in 1988, ABC found success debuting “The Wonder Years” after the game, solidifying the strategy of premiering brand new shows — at least temporarily.
The gambit wound becoming a bust by the 1990s, as post-Super Bowl shows turned into quick failures: “Grand Slam,” “Davis Rules,” “The Good Life” and “Extreme.” NBC came up with a new strategy in 1996, running an episode of its biggest show there — “Friends” — which allowed it to charge hefty ad rates for what was assuredly a big event.
Read More:‘The Alienist’: Luke Evans Sheds Light on His Character’s...
The gambit wound becoming a bust by the 1990s, as post-Super Bowl shows turned into quick failures: “Grand Slam,” “Davis Rules,” “The Good Life” and “Extreme.” NBC came up with a new strategy in 1996, running an episode of its biggest show there — “Friends” — which allowed it to charge hefty ad rates for what was assuredly a big event.
Read More:‘The Alienist’: Luke Evans Sheds Light on His Character’s...
- 1/30/2018
- by Steve Greene, Hanh Nguyen, Ben Travers, Liz Shannon Miller and Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
25 years ago today, one of the best films about video games hit theaters -- and made Everyone want a Power Glove.Yep, we're talking about "The Wizard."The film is about a mute kid (Luke Edwards) who travels with his brother (Fred Savage) and a runaway (Jenny Lewis) across the country to compete in a video game competition. While the 1989 movie wasn't exactly a smash hit, it became a cult classic -- and popularized both "Super Mario Bros. 3" and the aforementioned glove.In the flick, video game pro Lucas Barton (Jackey Vinson) wields the special controller while saying the movie's most infamous line: "I love the Power Glove, it's so bad."You really just have to watch him do it:But what happened to the film's stars in the last 25 years?Savage would continue starring on "The Wonder Years" until it went off the air in 1993. While he continued to act,...
- 12/15/2014
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
Jonathan Winters, who was considered one of the top comedians of the 60s, 70s and 80s, has passed away of natural causes on Thursday at his home in Montecito, California. He was 87 years old. The actor has appeared on such shows as "The Carol Burnett Show," "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," "The Jonathan Winters Show," "Mork and Mindy," and "The Twilight Zone." He also starred in such movies as "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," "Smurfs" and the upcoming "Smurfs 2." Over the years, Winters received countless award nominations. He won a Grammy for his comedy albums and an Emmy for his supporting role in the "Davis Rules" sitcom. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."...
- 4/12/2013
- WorstPreviews.com
Los Angeles – Jonathan Winters, one of the most influential comedians of the past two generations, has died of natural causes on April 11th at his home in Montecito, California. His characteristic schizophrenic comic style inspired modern funnymen like Robin Williams, George Carlin and Jim Carrey. He was 87 years old.
The career of Jonathan Winters spanned from 1948 to the present, during which his freaky, energetic expression of humor had its own unique form. A fixture on such legendary television shows such as “The Tonight Show” (with both Jack Paar and Johnny Carson), “The Dean Martin Show” and “Hollywood Squares,” Winters would often appear as his alter ego Maude Frickert, a sharp tongued old lady character. It wasn’t just an act, as during his early career he spent time in mental institutions, and was diagnosed with manic depression.
Jonathan Winters as Lennie Pike in ‘It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad...
The career of Jonathan Winters spanned from 1948 to the present, during which his freaky, energetic expression of humor had its own unique form. A fixture on such legendary television shows such as “The Tonight Show” (with both Jack Paar and Johnny Carson), “The Dean Martin Show” and “Hollywood Squares,” Winters would often appear as his alter ego Maude Frickert, a sharp tongued old lady character. It wasn’t just an act, as during his early career he spent time in mental institutions, and was diagnosed with manic depression.
Jonathan Winters as Lennie Pike in ‘It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad...
- 4/12/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
A true iconoclast and a real original, Jonathan Winters was considered one of the great improv comics of all and was a key inspiration of Jim Carry and Robin Williams, among others. His more famous films included It’S A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Viva Max, and The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming. He was the master of ad lib. His ‘The Jonathan Winters Show’ was just him and a few props, no script. He also delivered an admirable dramatic performance as ‘fats’ Brown in The Twilight Zone episode “A Game Of Pool”, in which he co-stars with Jack Klugman. Winters recorded ten Grammy-nominated comedy albums, winning once, and he won an Emmy for best-supporting actor playing Randy Quaid’s father in the 1991 sitcom “Davis Rules”. Jonathan Winters died today at age 87 of natural causes.
In July, Wamg’s Michelle McCue attended a special screening of It...
In July, Wamg’s Michelle McCue attended a special screening of It...
- 4/12/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Jonathan Winters, a comedian and actor who was a TV staple in the 1960s and '70s, has died.
Winters, whose credits include "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and "Mork and Mindy," died Thursday (April 11) at his home in Montecito, Calif, TMZ reports. He was 87.
Winters, a native of Dayton, Ohio, served in World War II and worked in radio in Ohio for several years before breaking into television in the late 1950s. He was a frequent guest on "The Tonight Show," dating back to original host Steve Allen, and recorded more than a dozen comedy albums.
He also fronted a pair of shows himself, "The Jonathan Winters Show" from 1967-69 and "The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters," where he showcased comedic characters like the surprisingly hip elderly woman Maude Frickert and a rube named Elwood P. Suggins. He won an Emmy in 1992 for the ABC comedy "Davis Rules.
Winters, whose credits include "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and "Mork and Mindy," died Thursday (April 11) at his home in Montecito, Calif, TMZ reports. He was 87.
Winters, a native of Dayton, Ohio, served in World War II and worked in radio in Ohio for several years before breaking into television in the late 1950s. He was a frequent guest on "The Tonight Show," dating back to original host Steve Allen, and recorded more than a dozen comedy albums.
He also fronted a pair of shows himself, "The Jonathan Winters Show" from 1967-69 and "The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters," where he showcased comedic characters like the surprisingly hip elderly woman Maude Frickert and a rube named Elwood P. Suggins. He won an Emmy in 1992 for the ABC comedy "Davis Rules.
- 4/12/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Jonathan Winters, comedian and television and film actor, best remembered for his roles in It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and as the voice of Papa Smurf in The Smurfs, has died. He was 87. Winters’ show biz career began after he won a talent show in his native Dayton, Ohio. He went on to appear in dozens of television shows throughout his decades-long career, winning a supporting actor Emmy in 1991 for Davis Rules. His other TV credits include The Jonathan Winters Show, The Twilight Zone, Hee Haw, Rowan And Martin’s Laugh-In and Mork And Mindy. He was a veteran of the late night talk show circuit guesting frequently on The Jack Paar Show and later The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His late night appearances continued into the ’90s with Jay Leno and David Letterman. His other film credits include Viva Max, The Loved One, Oh Dad Poor Dad,...
- 4/12/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Jonathan Winters, whose range of comic characters and talent for mimicry vaulted him to stardom, died Thursday of natural causes at his home in Montecito, Calif., a family friend told the Associated Press. Winters recorded a series of comedy albums, which garnered him one Grammy award and 10 nominations. Regarded as the father of modern improvisational, character-oriented comedy, he earned an Emmy Award in 1991 for his supporting role in the Randy Quaid ABC-cbs sitcom Davis Rules, playing a grandfather raising three sons. Winters received the Kennedy Center’s second Mark Twain honor for humor in 2000. His wide range of characters
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- 4/12/2013
- by Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actor Jonathan Winters, a master of improvisational comedy, has died at age 87. According to the Associated Press, Winters passed away Thursday night from natural causes in his Montecito, Calif. home. After a stint in the Marines and time at the Dayton Art Institute, the groundbreaking comedian got his start in the late ‘40s thanks to a talent show that he entered at the urging of his wife, Eileen. After that, he became a disc jockey and radio personality before moving to New York to focus on stand-up comedy. A favorite of late-night hosts including Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, Winters had a gift for impersonations, creating eccentric characters, and pulling funny faces. His best-known character was Maude Frickert, a seemingly-sweet old lady with an acid tongue: “As a kid, I always wanted to be lots of things," Winters told U.S. News & World Report in 1988.. "I was a Walter Mitty type.
- 4/12/2013
- by Kelly Woo
- Moviefone
In an occurrence as semi-regular as the El Nino weather pattern, television will make one of its frequent attempts to find a place for Bonnie Hunt, the actress whose star quality remains an object of network executive faith, despite the many, many canceled shows that would seem to suggest otherwise. Hunt's long history of short-lived TV shows—Grand, Davis Rules, The Building, Bonnie, Life With Bonnie, and The Bonnie Hunt Show among them—will likely be mentioned with tongue-in-cheek, self-effacing humor should her new project for ABC make it to the actual series order and press junket stage, and ...
- 10/26/2012
- avclub.com
Happy Thanksgiving Eve's Day (or, whatever you want to call it)! Today, we have news briefs about a bunch of classic sitcoms coming to Hulu, what you won't be seeing on Desperate Housewives (photo at right), a Mission: Impossible partnership, what to watch this weekend, and Facebook's new phone. Plus, a few notable premieres in TV history.
Hulu Plus
The TV video website has struck a deal with Carsey Werner TV Distribution to license 11 of their vintage sitcoms. They are The Cosby Show, 3rd Rock From the Sun, Grounded for Life, Men Behaving Badly, That '80s Show, The Tracy Morgan Show, Whoopi, Damon, Game Over, Davis Rules, and Normal, Ohio. The 580 episodes are available for viewing via Hulu's subscription service, Hulu Plus. Some of Carsey Werner's biggest titles -- Roseanne, That '70s Show, and Grace Under Fire -- weren't included in the deal.
Hulu Plus
The TV video website has struck a deal with Carsey Werner TV Distribution to license 11 of their vintage sitcoms. They are The Cosby Show, 3rd Rock From the Sun, Grounded for Life, Men Behaving Badly, That '80s Show, The Tracy Morgan Show, Whoopi, Damon, Game Over, Davis Rules, and Normal, Ohio. The 580 episodes are available for viewing via Hulu's subscription service, Hulu Plus. Some of Carsey Werner's biggest titles -- Roseanne, That '70s Show, and Grace Under Fire -- weren't included in the deal.
- 11/23/2011
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
[1] Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time to get everyone together and remember just how crazy and messed-up your family can be. But if you're a Hulu Plus subscriber, you can spend this holiday ignoring your wacky relatives and hanging out with someone else's instead. Sort of. The streaming service has just acquired the rights to 11 sitcoms from Casey Werner TV Distribution including The Cosby Show, should you want to see what a warm, loving family is supposed to look like, and 3rd Rock From the Sun, should you want reassurance that no matter how bizarre your clan gets, they could be worse. More details after the jump. The Casey Werner deal adds a total of 580 episodes to the Hulu Plus catalog, which already counts over 42,000 full-length episodes according to a blog entry [2] posted by Hulu's Svp of Content & Distribution Andy Forssell last month. In addition to The Cosby Show and 3rd Rock From the Sun,...
- 11/23/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Georg Szalai
New York - Online video joint venture Hulu has added The Cosby Show, Whoopi, 3rd Rock from the Sun and eight other Carsey Werner classic sitcoms to its Hulu Plus subscription service. A spokeswoman for Hulu, in which Walt Disney, News Corp. and Comcast's NBCUniversal are partners with private equity firm Providence Equity Partners, declined to comment on the deal, which kicked in mid-month. The content deal covers 11 classic shows and 580 episodes, a source confirmed. The other series included are Grounded For Life, That 80’s Show, The Tracy Morgan Show, Damon, Men Behaving Badly, Game Over, Davis Rules
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New York - Online video joint venture Hulu has added The Cosby Show, Whoopi, 3rd Rock from the Sun and eight other Carsey Werner classic sitcoms to its Hulu Plus subscription service. A spokeswoman for Hulu, in which Walt Disney, News Corp. and Comcast's NBCUniversal are partners with private equity firm Providence Equity Partners, declined to comment on the deal, which kicked in mid-month. The content deal covers 11 classic shows and 580 episodes, a source confirmed. The other series included are Grounded For Life, That 80’s Show, The Tracy Morgan Show, Damon, Men Behaving Badly, Game Over, Davis Rules
read more...
- 11/22/2011
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hoping to fill up your Thanksgiving weekend with a marathon of "The Cosby Show" or "3rd Rock From the Sun"? If you're a Hulu Plus subscriber, you're in luck. Also read: Hulu Cuts Price for Hulu Plus; Monthly Subscription Now $7.99 The video streaming service has acquired licensing rights for 11 titles from Carsey Werner TV Distribution for Hulu Plus, including the above titles, plus "Grounded for Life" and "Men Behaving Badly," and the short-lived titles "That '80s Show," "The Tracy Morgan Show," "Normal, Ohio," "Whoopi," "Damon," "Game Over" and "Davis Rules." In...
- 11/22/2011
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
CBS is banking on a post-Bowl slot to launch its new reality series Undercover Boss, the first new show to land the plum gig since since drama Extreme in 1995. Never heard of it? Join the club. In the last few years, networks have used the slot to boost existing shows' profiles: The Office, House, Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy. It's not a bad strategy -- proven shows pull in big ratings. An hour-long Friends that aired after Super Bowl XXX was seen by more than 52 million people; around 45 million watched the season premiere of Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001;and 38 million...
- 2/7/2010
- by Margaret Lyons
- EW.com - PopWatch
By Josef Adalian
CBS will use Super Bowl Xliv to launch reality series "Undercover Boss"-- the first time since 1995 the coveted time slot has gone to a new show.
It's a gutsy move, given the poor track record for premiering series after the game. Save for "The Wonder Years" in 1988 and "Homicide: Life on the Street" in 1993, most series which got post-game premieres in the past 20 years went on to fail (R.I.P., "Extreme," "Grand Slam," "Davis Rules," etc.)
But CBS executives believe they've got a winner in "Undercover Boss,"...
CBS will use Super Bowl Xliv to launch reality series "Undercover Boss"-- the first time since 1995 the coveted time slot has gone to a new show.
It's a gutsy move, given the poor track record for premiering series after the game. Save for "The Wonder Years" in 1988 and "Homicide: Life on the Street" in 1993, most series which got post-game premieres in the past 20 years went on to fail (R.I.P., "Extreme," "Grand Slam," "Davis Rules," etc.)
But CBS executives believe they've got a winner in "Undercover Boss,"...
- 12/21/2009
- by Adalian
- The Wrap
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