or


[08/07/03 - 12:00 AM]
'Nip/Tuck,' 'Queer Eye' Have Legs for Fx, Bravo
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- FX's "Nip/Tuck" and Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" are shaping up to be long term hits for their respective networks and both surprisingly air against each other.

Week three of FX's surgical drama averaged 3.55 million viewers, an increase of 6% over last week's numbers (3.34 million viewers). That's a rare feat considering most series lose viewers for the first month after their premieres. More importantly, "Nip/Tuck" actually hit a new series high in adults 18-49 (1.8/5) beating a repeat of "Judging Amy" on CBS (1.5/4) and tying ABC's "N.Y.P.D. Blue" for second place overall in its time slot.

Meanwhile, things aren't slowing down for Bravo's makeover series. Tuesday's episode scored 2.68 million viewers, just 70,000 viewers below from last week's record breaking episode (the most watched hour in the network's history). It also equaled last week's numbers in adults 18-49 (1.6/5). In fact things are going so well for "Queer Eye," parent company NBC is expanding next Thursday's rebroadcast on the Peacock to one hour. Instead of a trimmed half-hour version at 9:30/8:30c, NBC has opted to go for the full 60 minutes beginning at 10:00/9:00c. Overall, the show has helped Bravo more than double its entire primetime average when compared to a year ago (up 102%).

But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to good (and some bad) news about cable this week. Here's a breakdown of the latest rumblings:

-- Lifetime's new Saturday series "1-800-MISSING" and "Wild Card" both exploded onto the scene, as the former set the network's record for best series premiere in its history. "1-800-MISSING" drew 3.3 million total viewers in its Saturday, 10:00/9:00c slot topping the 2001 bow of "The Division." "Wild Card" was no slouch either as the Joely Fisher-led drama scored 2.8 million total viewers.

-- While "Nip/Tuck" may be reason to celebrate at FX, the network's "Friday Night Fix" is looking to rain on its parade. The new two-hour block, which is composed of "Driveshaft," "Trash to Cash with John DiResta" and "The Hitchhiker Chronicles," averaged just 404,000 viewers this past weekend. That's down from the network's recent average in the 10:00/9:00c to midnight/11:00c slot when FX aired movies. Nevertheless, the block saw a 43% jump in its target demographic of men 18-34 from a year ago.

-- USA probably has the most to be excited about as all three of its original dramas finished in the top 15 of all cable series last week. "Peacemakers" came in third overall for its Wednesday debut (5.2 million total viewers) with "Monk" finishing just behind in fourth with 4.7 million while "The Dead Zone" rounded out the bunch at 13th (3.4 million) for Sunday's episode. The trio, along with FX's "Nip/Tuck" and Lifetime's "1-800-Missing," marked the first time five scripted series finished in the top 20 of all cable series in the same week.

-- MTV has picked up "The New Tom Green Show" for an additional 65 episodes (or 13 weeks) based on its solid ratings performance. Since its June 23 bow, the late night series has posted a 30% increase in its time slot from a year ago on the channel.





  [august 2003]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· DEAD ZONE, THE (USA)
· DIVISION, THE (LIFETIME)
· DRIVESHAFT (FX)
· HITCHHIKER CHRONICLES, THE (FX)
· JUDGING AMY (CBS)
· MISSING (LIFETIME)
· MONK (USA)
· NIP/TUCK (FX)
· NYPD BLUE (ABC)
· PEACEMAKERS (USA)
· QUEER EYE (BRAVO)
· TRASH TO CASH WITH JOHN DIRESTA (FX)
· WILD CARD (LIFETIME)





[03/07/25 - 11:49 PM]
Development Update: Week of March 3-7
Updates include: CBS cancels veterans "FBI: International," "FBI: Most Wanted," and "S.W.A.T."; Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu in talks for HBO's "Harry Potter" series; and Netflix nixes "The Recruit" after two seasons.

[03/07/25 - 04:16 PM]
WWE's "Saturday Night's Main Event" Extravaganza Arrives May 24 Live on NBC and Peacock
Superstar John Cena will make his first "Saturday Night's Main Event" appearance in more than a decade.

[03/07/25 - 10:34 AM]
"Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage" Hits Series High Thursday Night
CBS was the #1 broadcast network last night with 5.63 million viewers, up +6% from last week and +25% more viewers than ABC and NBC combined last night (4.50 million).

[03/07/25 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Nobody Wants This" Season 2 Is Now in Production
Guest stars this season include Leighton Meester, Miles Fowler, Alex Karpovsky and Arian Moayed.

[03/07/25 - 09:49 AM]
AMC Networks' "Future of Film" Initiative Launches Future of Film: Athena Rising Stars Collection on AMC+ in Partnership with Athena Film Festival
Streaming exclusively on AMC+ beginning March 14, the collection is available for one month in celebration of Women's History Month, joining the streamer's Featured Collection: Women Who Dare, which also spotlights women-led stories across series, films and documentaries.

[03/07/25 - 09:06 AM]
Michelle Monaghan and Adam Scott Join Robert De Niro in James Ashcroft's Crime Thriller "The Whisper Man"
The Netflix film is based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Alex North.

[03/07/25 - 09:01 AM]
Season 2 of "With Love, Meghan" Debuting This Fall
Season one debuted on Netflix this week and the second season has already completed filming.

[03/07/25 - 07:03 AM]
"The Summer I Turned Pretty" Returns with Its Final Season This July
Season three will have 11 episodes and premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

[03/07/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Unveils Trailer for the Highly Anticipated Comedy "The Studio"
Starring Rogen and a star-studded ensemble cast with A-list cameos in every episode, the 10-episode comedy will premiere globally on Wednesday, March 26 with the first two episodes, followed by one episode every Wednesday through May 21.

[03/07/25 - 06:38 AM]
ESPN Signs Stephen A. Smith to Multi-Year Contract Renewal
"I'm happy and honored to remain a member of the Disney/ESPN family for, at least, the next five years," Smith said. "There's only bigger and bigger things ahead. It starts with continuing to put in that work. See y'all soon."

[03/07/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind: The Reunion" - Season 8 Official Trailer - Netflix
Fan favorites gather for a reunion with Nick and Vanessa to answer burning questions about their relationships this season.

[03/07/25 - 12:01 AM]
Japanese Sci-Fi Animated Series "Moonrise" Premieres April 10
Directed by Masashi Koizuka and produced by WIT Studio, this brand-new sci-fi series features stunning character concepts by manga artist Hiromu Arakawa.

[03/06/25 - 03:01 PM]
Prime Video Announces Global Premiere of Highly Anticipated Anime Series "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX"
The series will stream simultaneously with Japan across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Tuesday, April 8.

[03/06/25 - 02:59 PM]
Hallmark Media Orders Fourth Season of "The Way Home"
Cast members confirmed the news on social media this afternoon.

[03/06/25 - 12:02 PM]
Video: Sneak Peek - Luke Roman Returns for a Haunting Third Season of "Surrealestate" - Syfy
Luke Roman and associates are back for Season 3, premiering April 3 on Syfy.